Zzvkgrogk calls to Izzkvitgrk are answered by a complete silence while the party uses wands and other devices to quickly heal up in case combat restarts.
Rhoreen tries to think in this Hellion, but no one among you have heard about something called like that until the android first cited his name during the fight. It is clear though Meyanda worships him as a god and was receiving divine power on return.
The surrendered ratfolk opens wide his eyes at Yambul's menace and tries to calm you down answering your doubts "Easy. We were just working in here to transfer some energy. Hellion had told Meyanda about the existence of a reactor buried somewhere here, which holds the energy he needs. She worked for weeks here until she found an entrance to the caves and then the source." he points to the eastern doors from where all the noise is coming.
Putting together what you have heard through the fight, it seems Meyanda is working here to transfer energy to somewhere in Scrapwall to free this Hellion from 'his metallic prison' so he can 'free androids and robots from their humanoid slavers'.
While you talk with the ratfolk, Rūha kneels in front of what she can confirm to be an humanoid-machine, and android. Using a piece of cloth she stabilizes the bleeding.
Meanwhile, checking the previous room, Zzvkgrogk finds a white card fallen behind a monitor long time ago.
Rhoreen wants to focus on something else, given the excitement that Zzvkgrogk is generating it’s tough, but there was something else.
”’Hellion?’ Anyone know that name? She was screeching about it,” Rhoreen asks, wondering if that was the motive. ”Is that some gang in Scrapwall, <*sound*>?” Rhoreen makes a sound like someone stubbing their toe on a sharp ottoman in her question to Zzvkgrogk.
”Hellion told Meyanda…”
”Who is Hellion? Where can we find them? Do they work for the Technic League?” Rhoreen asks the right follow up question as that seems to be the genesis of the current situation.
Rūha … checks to see if the android can be stabilized, taking advantage of the time to also ponder over the appearance of an android in old Golarion.
Yambul frowns, ”Now what’d you go and do that for? Seems to me we should’ve left that decision to Desna. She’s evil, and cruel. Plus, she’s a machine. She’s gonna weigh a ton!"
Yambul grumbles at the eventual carrying. Especially when there’s already all this loot to haul out. But Rüha must have her reasons.
As he’s gathering loot and tucking it away here and there, he watches Zzvkgrogk scurry around.
”Oh, looking at this machine – I just thought of something. These repair robots – they ‘re never going to finish because the parts are missing. What if Meyanda here and Zzvkgrogk’s gang were salvaging the parts of the ship to make this ‘Hellion’?! We have to find out what’s happening to the north and east where this awful din is coming from! I bet it is Izzkvitgrk trying to activate Hellion! We must stop him and dismantle it if I am correct… Then we can bring the parts back here and try and reactivate the repair robots – maybe that will restore the purple flame! Hurry!”
He speeds up his process so he’s ready for the next room.
The surrendered ratfolk opens wide his eyes at Yambul's menace and tries to calm you down answering your doubts "Easy. We were just working in here to transfer some energy. Hellion had told Meyanda about the existence of a reactor buried somewhere here, which holds the energy he needs. She worked for weeks here until she found an entrance to the caves and then the source." he points to the eastern doors from where all the noise is coming.
”You’re a good man, er, rat. It does sound loud doesn’t it?” he asks in a friendly way. "Say, I don't suppose you'd want to do some honest work for a change would you? What was old purple hair paying you?"
to try and determine honesty
He looks at Rhoreen and shrugs unknowingly. When folks are ready, he'll make his way to the loud room to see what's causing all the ruckus.
"The Technic League?" the ratfolk spits to the ground after saying these two words "No, rotten scrap. They would not dare put a foot on Srapwall."
"Who is Hellion? You soon all will know" the ratfolk says challenging but quickly reels back as Yambul shows up his falchion "He is the god of the Lords of Rust. Ever since he manifested the Lords of Rust have emerged as the leading gang on Scrapwall bringing down the Redtooth gang." he then looks at Zzvkgrogk "Izzkvitgrk told us leaving Redtooth and joining the Lords of Rust was the wise thing to do. 'Cause Redtooth is weak, even the Smilers dare attack them now."
The worship to Hellion is confirmed by the ratfolk by him pointing to the improvised statue on the room to the north.
A balcony runs around the edges of this domed chamber, the curved walls of which are covered in blinking lights and unidentifiable machinery. A few steps lead down from this balcony in the middle of the room. Just north of these steps sits a large machine with a pink glass tabletop-like surface above which float semitransparent images of some sort. The balcony is wider on the south side of the stairs, where a strange statue stands that seems to have been cobbled together from broken machines into the shape of an upraised claw or talon.
A mound of junk lies in a heap before the claw, while two smoking braziers burn softly to each side. To the east looms a pair of immense black metal doors framed by a rotating arch of pulsing red lights.
The pile of junk before the altar is mostly composed of useless but interesting-looking scraps scavenged from the ship (offerings from the fanatics and scrappers to their god), but a search of the rubble reveals several useful items including 48 silverdisks, a timeworn medlance , two rolls of ion tape, a zipstick, and a timeworn proximity helmet .
While the control panels along the north and south walls still blink and flash, they no longer function. The room seems to serve today as a jury-rigged temple to this group.
The best conclusion you can come to is that the deity to which the altar is devoted is new or perhaps even fictional.
Over the large machine in the middle section of the dome, semitransparent images of some sort float.
”You’re a good man, er, rat. It does sound loud doesn’t it?” he asks in a friendly way. "Say, I don't suppose you'd want to do some honest work for a change would you? What was old purple hair paying you?"
21 to try and determine honesty...
"Eh? He. Yes, she has promised us a hundred per day." the ratfolk raises an eyebrow and seems to ready a dodge from an incoming falchion swing.
The ratfolk seems the type to try get a good cut from an ill situation. He does not seem very sure and honest on that payment amount.
”A hundred aye? Now see, why’d you have to go and ruin it.” Yambul takes out his falchion and approaches the rat. ”There’s consequences for lying you know. Now I gotta figure out what to take.”
He eyes the poor creature up and down, looking at various body parts as if he’s going to cut something off.
- - -
Chaance joins the kasatha in observing the android woman, mildly interested in her desire to stabilize the dangerous zealot. Listening only partially to Yambul's interrogation of the Zzvkgrogk-wannabe, she is reminded that there is intelligence to be gleaned from survivors of the skirmish.
"Ooo, that's lovely." Chaance waits only long enough for Rūha to finish, before the elf removes the mithral from the prostrate form of the android, and dons it herself. Her eyes gleam behind her goggles, regarding nothing but the spoils of war.
"Meyanda mentioned a collector robot. Her collector robot. Does that mean we can repurpose them for our own ends? If they can swim, perhaps we can make them our metallic mules."
Chaance turns to Rūha. "Are you hoping to accomplish the same thing with Meyanda? Are you going to redeem her by reprogramming her? She can't be allowed to continue serving Hellion."
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Ruha's taken aback by Chaance's comment "Reprogram!?" She looks positively appalled "No! While I hope she could learn to put a stopper in that mad fervor of hers, I would never suggest going so far. It's a fundamental violation of rights! Not even the worst criminals deserve that kind of treatment. Maybe in the Ve-" She cuts off, reconsiders, and says "Perhaps in less civilized lands, but I'd like to think you wouldn't completely obliterate someone's mind with magic here either?"
"No, I was hoping to learn two things - one, what an android of all things is doing here, and two, to learn more about the group's purpose here from the very person who organized the whole thing." Ruha abruptly takes on a patient, lecturing drone "Religious cults typically withhold information from their newer members, providing a message and public face toward the masses that also extends to the rank and file. The upper echelons of the cult understand the group's true intentions, as well as being far more knowledgeable about its structure, immediate goals, resources, contacts, and other critical characteristics."
Realizing she's starting to go on, she cuts herself off and adds "Basically, Yambul should check that ysoki's story against hers. Diverting power from a reactor for this Hellion to use... Let's just say she probably understands more about how this would work and what the outcome would be. She seemed proud of her actions here and will likely be free with further details if we wake her up. Especially if we seem to be receptive to her proselytizing message."
Rhoreen's head swivels to take in the discussion between Ruha and Chaance, arguing about many things she had never even considered: Can they reprogram a bot? Is it moral to do so? It's possible to do so? Why would we care?
She doesn't have an opinion on it, and wants to hear more about how and why or why not. She does ask a clarifying question to Ruha.
"So...you're sure Hellion is a religion? A cult? I've not heard of it before," she notes, not being super religious. However, she has been learning a bit about technology and takes a stab at the items that Ruha failed to explain.
Know (Engineering) - Chemalyzer
Know (Engineering) - MedLance
Rhor holds up the Chemalyzer, and stows it in her belt. "This is neat. I might hold onto this for a bit. It might be useful."
Chaance looks down on Meyanda, while Rūha replies on reprogramming. "Ah, so you believe she has a soul, that she is just as much human now as her kind were servitors once. The resemblance is striking, to be sure." The elf's goggled eyes rise to meet the kasatha's.
"So, death is better, should she fail to see the error of her ways? I wouldn't know how to reprogram, oh, right, poor choice of words... de-program her, nor do I believe we have the time to commit to such an endeavor." Chaance looks at Yambul and Zzvkgrogk, wondering.
"Well, let's see what happens when she awakens." Chaance steps away, allowing others to step closer to the prone android.
The ratfolk gets on alert as Yambul makes his statement "Eh, wait! I guess this rat can do a favor or two for the big man with da' sword" he assays a trembling smile "Just for the rat's neck"
The scrapper looks at you while you talk over Meyanda's unconscious body but makes no comment. He gulps focused on the falchion Kellid.
Meanwhile the humming and thrumming coming from the east intensifies a bit to come back to its loud continuous rhythm.
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”’Hellion?’ Anyone know that name? She was screeching about it,” Rhoreen asks, wondering if that was the motive. ”Is that some gang in Scrapwall, <*sound*>?”
Redtooth was out-ganged?! BY ORC KIN?!! Zzvkgrogk shakes himself from a reverie, resisting the urge to shoot the lying prostrate and bound rat. ”Huh? Oh,” he shakes his head and shrugs. ”I’ve not heard of Hellion – gang or otherwise. From how she was screeching, it sounded like it was some kind of robotic deity.”
He pauses for a moment. Orc kin. Unbelievable.
”Oh, and the trigger word for you fancy auto-hitting wand is actually how my name – the ‘Zzvkgrogk’ of ‘Zzvkgrogk III’ – is pronounced.”
~~
”She’s gonna weigh a ton!"
”Not if she can walk out on her own.”
~~~
"This is neat. I might hold onto this for a bit. It might be useful."
”Hey, that’s what I said! Do you know what it is? Can I hang onto it? Do you want to share it?”
He admires its shininess some more as it reflects off everyone's armor. "What does it do?"
Rūha abruptly takes on a patient, lecturing drone "Religious cults typically…
I gotta know if he’s around… He heads down the hall to take a peak through the east doors with the white card, brown card, or paw swipe.
He is ready to blast Izzkvitgrk with his trusty laser pistol should he encounter him.
Can use craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if using Detect Magic
+2 competence bonus on Perception checks and on all Knowledge checks
Hits: 15/17
AC 18(16), touch 14 (+3 dex, +1 racial), flat-footed 13 (+2 armor, +1 racial)
Brown nanite hypogun charges: 7/10
Wand of Cure Light Wounds: 26/50
Radiation Detector (8/10 charges)
Mutagen: quaffed, (+4Dex. -2Wis, +2AC Natural, 30 minutes)
Laser Pistol (Charges): 5
Batteries 1 (used to charge Bulb Containment Field hopefully temporarily)
Batteries Charged): 10/12
Empty Battieries: 3 / 12
Zzvkgrogk Special: 2 / 6
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Ruha nods to Rhor "I would be surprised if it were not a religious cult - between the words this android spoke, the presence of religious iconography such as the statue here or this holy symbol-" She takes the metal claw on a chain from Meyanda's neck and holds it up so that it's next to the larger shrine to compare details. "-and the general degree of fervor."
"Before I came here, I was a professor of Mysticism and Philosophy, focused primarily on more esoteric belief systems. My last work before I... well, before I came here, was a paper on the rather fascinating psycho-spiritual traditions of the Ur-wan sect of Quorlu, shunned and isolated for their practice of silicon powder immersion baths!" Seeing that she's lost everyone else in the room, she says "Imagine a sect of Taldans whose idea of spiritual awakening is immersing themselves in meat."
"In any case, I am also not familiar with this Hellion. Which suggests it is either obscure, recent, or some sort of sham. Those last ones are quite common. Either way, their purported goal of siphoning power is both alarming and strange." Particularly considering how little the common people understand technology here. It speaks to some degree of sophistication.
When Chaance responds, Rūha shakes her head "She is no more human than you, of course, but that should not matter. And while I'm a firm believer in people having a chance to change their ways, and have heard plenty an example of cultists de-radicalizing, I'm hardly the right person to try to help her. Nor, to be honest, am I particularly excited to give it a try. I'd be satisfied if we learn what we can for her and then leave her with the law enforcement up above." She glances at Yambul "Or you can just ignore that suggestion and do what you think is smarter."
Before heading down the hall, after engaging with Rhoreen, he puts the +1 Inferno Pistol back onto the pile.
”It doesn’t quite fit me neatly which is too bad because it is very well made.”
Can use craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if using Detect Magic
+2 competence bonus on Perception checks and on all Knowledge checks
Hits: 15/17
AC 18(16), touch 14 (+3 dex, +1 racial), flat-footed 13 (+2 armor, +1 racial)
Brown nanite hypogun charges: 7/10
Wand of Cure Light Wounds: 26/50
Radiation Detector (8/10 charges)
Mutagen: quaffed, (+4Dex. -2Wis, +2AC Natural, 30 minutes)
Laser Pistol (Charges): 5
Batteries 1 (used to charge Bulb Containment Field hopefully temporarily)
Batteries Charged): 10/12
Empty Battieries: 3 / 12
Zzvkgrogk Special: 2 / 6
Rhoreen takes the +1 Inferno Pistol (which she has not training in) and adds it to her belt. How hard can it be to shoot a thing out of this thing? If she can do it, so can I. She smugs with the additional armament to her belt.
"I would be surprised if it were not a religious cult - between the words this android spoke, the presence of religious iconography such as the statue here or this holy symbol-"
"Yes, of course, let us assume that," Rhor is all too quick to agree with the woman(?) who saved her life in the last battle, coming to her aid when all was lost.
A whole ton of higher philosophical thought… She glances at Yambul "Or you can just ignore that suggestion and do what you think is smarter."
”What? Oh, uh, I hadn’t really thought of it like that. To be honest,” he grins, ”I’m not really sure I understood all that. But I think I get the gist of it well enough.”
”I will say this though. She was a tough fighter, and it took all of us to bring her down. She’s wile-y she is. So when she wakes up, you watch her closely. She’s dangerous.” He looks concerned but not worried. ”You let me know how I can help.”
Yambul then follows Zzvkgrogk into the next room. His falchion is out and ready.
Rūha notices that the inferno pistol is some kind of strange low-ish tech firearm, reflects on how much easier it would be the handle than the javelins she was using earlier, and resolves to ask Rhor to borrow it later.
Seeing Zzvkgrogk is headin down the hall, Ruha makes sure that Meyanda is securely tied up, then joins the rest of the group "Once we know this place is safe, we can see what she has to say. I agree with you Yambul, she likely has some tricks up her sleeves, even in this position."
The group discusses Meyanda, rights to free personality and believes in a conversation that almost touches what constitutes a humanoid being. Some hot pistol and fancy helmet property is discussed, and some people walks into the thrumming room to the east.
Panels of blinking lights and machinery line the walls of this chamber, but the true spectacle here is the massive machine of metal that looms against the far wall on a ten-foot-high platform. Two immense cylinders of pulsing violet light throb at the machine’s core, while above a thinner cylinder extends through the ceiling. Ladders to the north and south provide access to the machine’s platform, while at the center, a smaller machine with several metal spikes protruding from its heart extends from the larger one. The entire room vibrates with a roaring thunder, and the air feels strangely alive, almost as if it were vibrating as well.
The thunderous droning created by this strange machine makes it a bit cumbersome to maintain a conversation in here.
This chamber is an immense and partially malfunctioning power generator, the Reactor Core.
Displays indicate 96% of the power is being consumed or lost in the techno-ruins maintenance leaving a 4% yield available for Meyanda, which explains why it is taking her so long to accomplish her goals.
This is a fusion reactor, but aged as it is, its yield is reduced to only half of that, which means the current excess and available power is 10 charges per hour. The maintenance robots seem to have kept it fixed despite the crash and centuries without Andorffan supervision.
The machine is currently operating beyond its safety protocols. Apparently someone has disabled its fail-safe. What comes to your mind is the reactor's core slowly degraded over the course of the passing centuries and at some point the safety protocols kicked in, the fail-safe venting out the excess energy.
In order to harvest its excess power for her iron god, Meyanda must have disabled the fail-safe so she can make use of that energy.
There is a side effect to this. Without the self-protecting venting warranted by the fail-safe the reactor stability is quickly degrading . If nothing is done at all during weeks, the resulting explosion could easily shatter Black Hill and devastate a significant portion of northern Torch.
Resetting the reactor's fail-safe and putting it back into dormancy is not possible though while the smaller machine with several metal spikes protruding from its heart is sucking power from the reactor.
On the smaller machine with several metal spikes protruding from its heart, there is a strange drawing with two perpendicularly crossed lines with numbers, a circle and a pulsing dot within.
This machine is a built-in power transmitter that allows transferring power from the reactor to somewhere else. The range of this transmitter is significantly reduced by the ship's hull and the surrounding rock of Black Hill. This means the energy being transmitted cannot reach very far away, and the receiver of this energy must be in Torch, very close to Black Hill.
The display symbols tell you this transmitter is connected to a power relay, which is a similar transmitting device to this one, but portable. With such a transmitter receiving energy out in Torch, without the encasing influence of the hill, the energy can be transmitted miles away. The lines and dot specifies the exact coordinates of where that receiving power relay is located. That power relay must contain coordinates to the final receiver of the energy.
There are two ways to stop this transmitter sucking energy from the reactor. You can simply smash it until it breaks (which might cause some electrical shock by the way), or you can more safely unwire it if you are skillful on it, a process that might take 10 minutes.
This seems some kind of technological map, a coordinate system pointing to some place. If the center of the system is this machine, the coordinates would be pointing to some place in Torch's surface, somewhere near Black Hill. The coordinates could match with Garmen's warehouse.
There are some words that makes you think this machine is used to transmit energy somewhere else, and the lines and dots point to the receiving location.
There are also partial instructions to disarm the transmitter and engage something called "fail-safe". If these messages, in Androffan, are translated, they grant a +10 circumstance bonus on Disable Device checks and allow checks to deactivate it to be attempted untrained.
Know (Engineering) - core
Know (Engineering) - spiked
Know (Geography) - lines & dot
”Wow. Wow. Wow,” Rhoreen says looking around the machines. ”<*sound*>,” Rhoreen makes a sound like her wand firing missiles. ”You know this stuff better than I…so correct me if I’m wrong.”
Rhoreen will describe the reactor and the spiky machine as best she can. And she will go on to explain about the map.
”…Do you think that’s right? Does that make sense?” She looks at Zzvkgrogk.
Chaance nods as Rhoreen explains the patterns in the map-like capacity, especially the coordinates and a certain Black Hill location tethered to this place.
"Sending... receiving... these phrases here, they could be instructions..." The elf elaborates as best she can, expecting the others to fully retain the sequences in the fragmented wordings. She's too busy speaking words which sound alien, even to her. "What is a 'failed safe' suppose to represent? Something meant to keep something secure, and has been breached? A broken lock? It doesn't make as much sense as I'd like it to..."
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"Oh, a fusion reactor." Ruha cranes her neck up to look at it. "The design's a touch strange, but there's the water intake, the shielded core, and power conduits running from it. Convergent design is certainly a powerful force, isn't it...?" She nods "A machine like this generates electricity by colliding-" With a glance at the others, she segues to "Well, lets just say it creates electricity that can charge batteries and other machinery. Perhaps you could say that it holds a perpetual lightning storm inside it. Most of that power is already in use or unavailable, but there is some excess that Meyanda was trying to siphon away."
She watches some of the readouts, looking at red lines that were fairly stable but then started dropping. "I'm no reactor expert, but it seems like this one is breaking apart. Slowly, thankfully. But when it finally does, it'll probably explode and take the whole of Torch with it. Normally, a reactor has some features to make sure when it breaks down, it does so safely, but it looks like Meyanda made sure to prevent those from kicking in. That's the fail-safe, Chaance, a feature of a reactor that makes sure it doesn't explode when it breaks." The knowledge she's dispensing is already stretching what Rūha knows of engineering.
Zzvkgrogk scratches his head as Rhoreen and Rūha explain what the various details of the reactor.
”Fusion reactor?” He pulls out the radiation detector.
”So this reactor is getting weaker and will explode, because this spiky attachment is draining its power beyond the safety thresholds? Let’s not recharge anything yet. Maybe I can disable this spiky thing, detatch it from the reactor. Then we can figure out how to re-engage the failsafe so the whole thing stabalizes. Once it is back up to capacity maybe we can reactivate those repair bots and they can do the rest to restore the purple flame."
He smacks a small fist into the palm of his other paw and states determinedly, Then we'll pay a visit to Garmen Ulreth. What do you think? Does it sound right?”
He grumbles sn aside.
”Is this how Sanvil recharges the batteries at such a deal? Does everyone already know about this reactor!!? Why are we the last to find out?!!” Zzvkgrogk has a small meltdown of his own.
”I will want to take my time to disable that – but maybe we want to procure some radiation ward of some kind first?” Maybe that rat Izzkvitgrk has some.
If radiation wards are not warranted and the plan sounds right to everyone, Zzvkgrogk will take 20.
Can use craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if using Detect Magic
+2 competence bonus on Perception checks and on all Knowledge checks
Hits: 15/17
AC 18(16), touch 14 (+3 dex, +1 racial), flat-footed 13 (+2 armor, +1 racial)
Brown nanite hypogun charges: 7/10
Wand of Cure Light Wounds: 26/50
Radiation Detector (7/10 charges)
Mutagen: quaffed, (+4Dex. -2Wis, +2AC Natural, 30 minutes)
Laser Pistol (Charges): 5
Batteries 1 (used to charge Bulb Containment Field hopefully temporarily)
Batteries Charged): 10/12
Empty Battieries: 3 / 12
Zzvkgrogk Special: 2 / 6
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From what you have seen this complex has been sealed just until a few weeks before now, which makes it probable for Sanvil to have other means to recharge his batteries.
While Zzvkgrogk begins his work on detaching the spiked machine by very carefully trying to understand what he is doing, you others look around a bit more.
On a corner, suffering a reboot, you notice a sturdy machine with four circular rotors like the one you fought in the medical module. This must be Meyanda's collector robot she referred to when she found you on her search for the problem with her ally.
The search also drives for Chaance to translate the disabling instructions for Zzvkgrogk. This greatly reduces by 20 times the time the ratfolk would have required as he knows exactly what wires to pull out. With steady hand and ten minutes of work, the specialist puts the transmitter dormant once again, which automatically activates the reactor's fail-save to avoid the excess energy damaging the system.
When the reactor's fail-safe is reengaged, the two columns of energy flash with light, then pulse back upward to create a vortex of violet flames that erupts through the ceiling vents breaking through the solidified material and melting it quickly again as the flames open their way back to the sky above Black Hill.
To the pride of any Torch's smith and the glory of the 6th Black Hill expedition, the Torch's flames shine back in the sky with a brighter light than ever.
”Is this how Sanvil recharges the batteries at such a deal? Does everyone already know about this reactor!!? Why are we the last to find out?!!”
”I don’t think that sounds right. I don’t think he knew what was going on down here…and neither did the Technic League,” Rhor ponders more. ”He was clueless and looking for information. It might be how he was recharging batteries, but I don’t think he’s been down here and knew anything. The man was an idiot.”
Helping as she can to disable the bad thing, and make things good again, Rhoreen is a steady presence to talk things through, and to focus on the right course of action.
And when the purple flame reappears, Rhor smiles smugly. ”I knew we could do it.” She beams.
”Is there anything else we need to do down here? We should probably explore the rest of what is down here. Might be more of interest.”
Rhoreen is happy to push on the next few rooms, but could go and comeback after a rest.
"That makes much more sense, thank you, Roo. I've seen chemical reactions before, when the vial isn't strong enough to contain the heat of the creation, and it shatters. I can only imagine something like that on a grander scale, capable of razing a town, and it unsettles me."
Chaance listens for the way forward, and hears it. "I agree with Rhoreen. Let's clear this whole facility, now. With the flame returned, combined with our recent debriefings in Torch, I picture this place overrun with further expeditions to fully understand what's been taken for granted for so long."
"I also agree with Zzvkgrogk. Returning to the warehouse seems inevitable. Do we enlist the local law to deal with Garmen? Or are we going to be more mercenary than that? There is certainly cause to infiltrate the warehouse, and overcome Garmen's thugs. Do we take a non-lethal approach?" It's clear the elf is addressing the kasatha towards the end of her inquiry.
Yambul, not being technological, has little to say. He's amazed though when the smart-folk twist this dial, turn that knob, touch the other screen, and things change. "Is the torch lit now?"
He adds, "This lot came through without going through the water. We should at least find that passage as others in their cult, or whatever they are, may know of it too. Maybe we can seal it so only we can use it? I dunno."
"That and I suspect we'll not be getting the free water breathing now that the torch is lit, so if we want to come back down here again, we should find the other route."
He takes out his falchion again when the group is ready to move on. "What about the prisoners? Having them with us during the search is tricky, but I dunno that I trust them alone." he looks at his ratling, "After all, he's already lied to us."
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With the reactor cleared, and while you discuss matters to do next, you explore the rest of the complex, starting by the northern area the scrappers came from.
It seems annoyed by the flickering lights in the room, the orcs have smashed them all out, plunging the room into darkness, and forcing you to light on your own sources.
Cushioned chairs and metal tables are situated throughout this small room. To the north are several doors, while a few broken machines lie against the walls. Broken panels cover the ceiling, and mounds of what look like shattered glass have been pushed under the tables.
On the table a card game half-developed lies, cards sprawled, a bottle of buzz sitting on the center of the table.
One large broken machine against the southeast wall was once a goo-tube vending machine. It still contains 32 goo tubes of various flavors.
"Izzkvitgrk had won ten hands in a row but this one was going for Skivvkn" the ratfolk follows you along "Da' boss would go mad"
Checking the doors west of the improvised chapel to Hellion you find a ray filled corridor.
This short hallway hums and buzzes with the sound of machinery. Four glowing and flashing nodes are attached to the walls to the north and south, each periodically firing off bolts of electricity.
Someone has removed the protective plating that shielded the power nodes on the walls to imperil any unwanted visitors who might take this direct approach to the reactor room. Any creature that moves between these nodes is going to be blasted by a painful arc of electricity. This trap is easy to spot but somewhat difficult to disarm—if the trap is disabled, it merely makes this hallway safe to travel. It is possible to just destroy this nodes, and only if all four nodes are destroyed is the power distribution to the area cut off. This can causes problems on the other rooms as electricity distribution is cut down.
The ratfolk follows you here too "Aye. I can show ya' da' tunnel we used to go in Sir Master."
Yambul tosses his ioun torch over his head and stands in the middle of the room to light the way in a general sense. He knows others have their own light sources too. He keeps the rat folk nearby.
"So, lots of folks know about this tunnel of yours?" he asks casually, not really trusting the answer, but curiosity insists he asks.
"Is the torch lit now?"
"Yeah, I think so," Rhor smugs proudly as she moves with Yambul to explore more. "And you make a good point that there must be another way in. There probably is."
She examines the shrine to Hellion, trying to make sense of what the deity might hold dear.
* * *
Know (Engineering)
"All y'all might want to avoid this hallway. It's dangerous...and seems dangerous to even try to break it apart. We might be able to disable it, but yeah, we should be careful here," Rhor explains about D2.
ZZvkgrogk looks down the hallway and frowns as his fur begins to stand on end.
"Aye. I can show ya' da' tunnel we used to go in Sir Master."
Zzvkgrogk turns and growls at the captive. "No tricks then, I'll be watching you. You'll be cooked! Show us."
Rūha's glad to see the town's namesake is burning again, but amused by how a safety feature guided a whole town's evolution. That venting system meant temperatures, and probably radiation, in excess of anything that the people were used to. No wonder it was so important to them. But what if they could harness the reactor directly?
When the others start exploring, she follows along, voicing "Let's be thorough before we leave. Make sure the visitors from Scrapwall are all accounted for and out of here. Then we can wake Meyanda up and see what she has to say. The reactor will stay stable enough for some time yet."
Rhoreen examines the shrine. There are some signs and strange depictions, some circles with eight rays or appendages coming out of it, but the art overall seems the work of a madman.
With a hard study of the symbolism, you think this Hellion is devoted to Constructs, Entropy, Insanity and Toil.
Your exploration of the remaining area still finds a few features of interest.
The walls of this chamber are battered and dented, and flickering lights on the ceiling give the room a phantasmagoric cast. A mound of rubble sits heaped to the north, while numerous strange containers lie in haphazard piles throughout the chamber. A pair of desks with chairs are placed to the south.
It seems this room was used for bringing on new supplies and parts for continued operation, but the north wall, where the loading bay doors once stood, have crumbled into ruin. The containers in the room have mostly been ransacked and it seems the Scrapwall fanatics were, well, scrapping the remains. While they have scoured most of the items of interest here one locker in the northeast corner of the room has so far resisted their attempts to open it. The locker is battered (evidence of their recent attempts to force it open).
Inside is a timeworn autograpnel (20 charges), a timeworn panic suit (10 charges), a timeworn emergency beacon (30 charges), two batteries, and 24 silverdisks.
A door to the soutwest leads to more storage.
A multitude of small boxes, discarded wrappers, and opened crates lie scattered throughout this room, along with several empty shelves.
The floor is littered with minor components meant to service the bio-module and its robots. They are classified by use, and although they do not have monetary value, they can be still used as components for crafting or repairing stuff.
The ratfolk makes you follow him through the northwest door "Ah, follow, follow me. Exit here." he gathers you on the northwest corner of the area and points forward "There. Da' tunnel goes down hear. Just to da' gremlins cave. Meyanda ordered we block da' exit there, but ya' can clean it from this side."
Rhoreen shakes her head looking at the shrine. She wishes she had more faith training, but she was raised without such teachings and knows only the basics of Brigh.
* * *
Rhoreen looks over the newest room, her eyes glancing over the locker. ”I suppose any of you have a way to open this? I mean, we might bash it open….”
Yambul, confident that Zzvkgrogk can open the locker, waits by the tunnel for him to do so. He'll then laboriously clear away the clutter to the tunnel to the gremlin's cave.
"Gonna take a few..." Zzvkgrogk says, pulling out his tools and getting to work.
It takes a couple of minutes, but after many trial and error Zzvkgrogk forces the lock with his tools and giving it a bang hit it just opens spilling up its techno-contents long time forgotten.
You then follow the corridor pointed by the ratfolk. It seems to be a descending corridor that then gets into a circular corridor that extends in darkness through almost half a mile. Following your guide you reach to what seems an opened door that brings into some caves. There is a dismantled jury-rigged seal on the door "Ah! Da' doors have been openazd!"
Looking through the opening you confirm this tunnel does not get you outside but into the Black Hill caves, most specifically on Jazvit's lair. Or what was his lair.
You find recent tracks of four ratfolk. Two of them badly bleeding. The tracks extend southwest towards the skulk domains.
Know (Engineering) - grap
Know (Engineering) - suit
Know (Engineering) - beacon
Rhoreen, for all her pride, has no idea what any of the gear is.
* * *
She continues to follow the party out of the area.
Rūha isn't able to supply any further insight into the the shrine, nor the unusual items that Zzvkgrogk manages to crack out of the storage unit. Although they look familiar, and she has a couple of guesses as to what they might do, she isn't able to nail down their exact function.
"Ah, it looks like the rest of the ratfolk in the gang already made their way through here. You can see their blood drying there, and there." She shakes her head "Let's hope they're not already causing trouble for people in town." She takes the lead in heading through the gremlin caves, eyes open for any traps that the group failed to spring last time.
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”OOOh! I know! Wait… uh…” he shakes his head. ”This bit on the end looks unique…” he looks around the hallway trying to place it. ”... but I dunno either – let’s sleep on it. OH!” he exclaims, pulling out the Chemalyzer. ”It’s a grapnel probably capable of piercing the hulls of starships!”
”This doesn’t work against nasty noises, but is useful against other forms of annoying energy including radiation. It’s also useful in case you are around farting dogs or other sources of toxic fumes.”
”Oh, my. This is an emergency beacon. It emits a signal, and any device capable of receiving its signals can pick up this beacon’s signal, which can then be tracked back to this beacon… It’s not activated, so I’m guessing there is no emergency…. I mean – I wonder who would answer?”
He hands the Chemalyzer to Rūha. ”This thing is pretty cool! Try it out! Then it’s Calliope’s turn, or Chaance or Cook Boy might want a shot with it!"
"Let's hope they're not already causing trouble for people in town."
”OH! That Izzkvitgrk!” He turns to the only other living ratfolk in the vicinity. ”YOU. Izzkvitgrk is foolish and a traitor. You followed him. Really?! RUST?! The Lords of RUST?! What were you thinking, and are the Skulks with them too?! ‘Cause if they are you will share our fate as well at their hands! So, show us where they come and go, because there is no evidence that either you or they swim. 'Our' Purple Haired boss is meditating, got it?!”
He stands ready at the door to open it when everyone else is ready.
The ratfolk looks down at the purple android body, which is probably being dragged by the group through the structure "Uh! How ya' ended hear? I do not naw but ya' don't seem to knaw da' Lords of Rust lord ovar Scrapwall naw! What a rat can do against that?"
He reels back from Zzvkgrogk and is eager to rush after Rūha when the Kasatha starts to follow the blood marks.
The trail leads you into the skulks lair. Everything is stirred around and the bodies of two ratfolk and three skulks lay on the ground. One of the dead skulks is their fortuitous new leader, Sef.
The ratfolk turns the two fallen ratfolk too check who are them "Not Izzkvitgrk nor Skivvkn"
The ratfolks have burns and you spot the remains of a crashed alchemist flask next to them. The skulks have frozen marks of laser hits.
alchemist’s fire x2
liquid ice
smokesticks x3
daggers (small) x14
mwk short sword (small)
short sword (small) x2
57 gp
screaming bolt x2
leather armor (small) x2
hand crossbow (small) x2 with 10 bolts
short sword (small) x2
brown access card x2
4 gp
”This thing is pretty cool! Try it out! Then it’s Calliope’s turn, or Chaance or Cook Boy might want a shot with it!"
Rhoreen takes the chemalyzer, looking at it in confusion.
”But I thought this was only useful for chemicals or poisons?” She ponders what she missed. ”I may have misunderstood its use. Or the make up of these devices. It’s very nice. You should keep it <*sound*>” Rhoreen makes a sound like the tearing open of an unripe jackfruit.
”And thank you for explaining those devices. They are not for me, but they are very interesting.”
* * *
Rhoreen will try to help any of the skulks that may still be breathing, and is disappointed by their needless deaths.
”Damnit. They did not deserve this.”
Rūha shakes her head "That, they certainly didn't Rhor. Running from us probably left the ratfolk with hair-triggers, and the skulks were rather territorial. Likely it didn't take more than seeing each other to start the altercation."
She looks out to the south and west, listening in to try to tell if the survivors are lying in wait to jump the party.
Yambul is displeased at the assault. "Very much not good. Where is this rat?!"
He looks about for clues on how they escaped.
The caves are in silence and Yambul quickly catches up the trail of the two surviving ratfolk. You follow the tracks tracing back through the caves until you reach the water running towards the pond.
You lose the track on the water.
Assuming you decide to exit the caves, you dive through the water filled and winding tunnel, then swim up helped with your trusty water breathing to finally emerge at the surface of the Weeping Pond.
The tracks of the ratfolks are lost in the stony roads of the town. It is impossible to ignore though the roaring sound over the Black Hill top. Turning your heads you observe the purple fire roaring with more intensity and might you have ever seen, breaking through the clouds and turning the sky purple as it goes.
The streets are cramped with people who have gotten out of their homes and businesses and look up with perplexity and spontaneous displays of happiness and even euphoria.
You catch your ratfolk prisoner trying to sneak into a dark alley while your companions are distracted looking up at the sky.
Perception
Rhoreen draws her wand and shoots at the escaping ratling.
"We had an understanding."
force damage
You turn your heads from the bright flame as you hear Rhoreen saying words of power to activate her wand. Two force missiles fly at astonishing speed into a nearby dark alley.
The buzzing sound of the magic is followed by a shout of pain as the ratfolk prisoner falls to the ground on his failed attempt to escape.
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”But I thought this was only useful for chemicals or poisons?”
”And pharmaceuticals… but I didn’t you say it also helps us craft stuff?” He shrugs, adding it to the pile.
Rūha shakes her head "That, they certainly didn't Rhor. Running from us probably left the ratfolk with hair-triggers, and the skulks were rather territorial. Likely it didn't take more than seeing each other to start the altercation."
Zzvkgrogk looks at Rūha and shakes his head. ’No! They must have had a pact similar to the one we had – to be able to come and go… They initially thought I was with them! They were attacked on purpose!” he says, glaring at the only other living ratfolk in the group’s midst.
~~~
”There it is!! Oh, Look at it! We did it! I needed to see it with my own eyes to believe it!” Zzvkgrogk dances for joy at the sight of the purple flame.
[...]
The buzzing sound of the magic is followed by a shout of pain as the ratfolk prisoner falls to the ground on his failed attempt to escape.
”ACK! Hey!”
He runs down the street to the fallen Ratfolk.
”I wonder to where he thinks he can run, among other things.”
Can use craft (alchemy) to identify potions as if using Detect Magic
+2 competence bonus on Perception checks and on all Knowledge checks
Hits: 15/17
AC 18(16), touch 14 (+3 dex, +1 racial), flat-footed 13 (+2 armor, +1 racial)
Brown nanite hypogun charges: 7/10
Wand of Cure Light Wounds: 26/50
Radiation Detector (8/10 charges)
Mutagen: quaffed, (+4Dex. -2Wis, +2AC Natural, 30 minutes)
Laser Pistol (Charges): 5
Batteries 1 (used to charge Bulb Containment Field hopefully temporarily)
Batteries Charged): 10/12
Empty Battieries: 3 / 12
Zzvkgrogk Special: 2 / 6
Chaance is largely quiet, as she lugs the android's body at the rear of the party. She keeps an ear out for hostility, trusting Yambul and Roo to make it clear they're not in the clear. When they come upon the dead skulks, Chaance decides she's had enough violence for the day, keeping her head down, and continuing on their way to exiting the nether regions for the land above, a return to civilization more to her liking.
When they arrive at the edge of the water, the elf looks to her companions, shrugging her shoulders currently bearing the weight of an android.
"If we're bringing Meyanda back to the surface, do we need to provide her the means of breathing in the water? I don't suppose androids have no need of aspiration." Chaance sets her body down, and considers.
"I can wait here, until someone can retrieve Water Breathing for her. Unless we want to interrogate her here, then leave her? Does the rat know how to breathe underwater as well? How did they come and go, themselves?"
Meyanda's group most likely just dived through the tunnel holding breath, although maybe she pulled that from her god as well. Either way, you give her enough air, it is easy with your own easy time breathing underwater if you do not have objections to bring the air into her lungs that is. The ratfolk does take care for himself, and is quick to dive out.
That is, short before he tries to escape and is brought down.
Zzvkgrogk manages to stabilize him before he bleeds out.
With the town entertained on the flames clear return, there are a few things that open as possibles for you. You can go reclaim the promised reward to Dolga and the town council, or you could go investigate the signal at Garmen's place, or you might wish to bring Meyanda and the ratfolk somewhere for further interrogation, or visit Baine to talk about the reactor, or perhaps just go celebrate at the closest tavern! The posiblities are many.
Yambul, quiet for some time, suggests, "Let's turn this rat over to the authorities for questioning or whatever. They'll probably let him go, but I don't want to deal with him."
He thinks a moment... a short moment, before adding, "Then let's get a drink!"