Olivius is shocked! Thousands of years and that is still used! He shakes Hogan's hand with an enthusiastic grin. Olivius. I'm glad to meet you, and happy that you want no trouble.
It felt so Good to see something he recognized in this blasted place. So much was so unfamiliar, but there, on this man's hands apperared a thing of the past, the Cant of Thieves. By subtle finger positioning that could pass for a kind of nervous habit or tapping of music, thieves have been able to use this code to communicate basic information for... well, ever. Olivius himself has used the Cant to complete several sensitive jobs back in the past, and he is dumbfounded that it persists and is essentially unchanged! Granted, it isn't complex enough to communicate fully like a true signed or spoken language. It's more like military hand signals, but much more subtle. However, if used correctly, a clan of thieves can coordinate from long distances without looking suspicious.
You can't see much of Hogan's face, but his eyebrows are bushy enough to be seen over his gas mask, and you see them shoot up when you say "no trouble."
"Glad to meet you too, Mr. Olivius," the man says, his gas mask making him sound distorted and strange.
"You appear to have us at a disadvantage. You clearly knew we'd be coming this way, but I definitely never told anyone like you we were coming. What kind of explosives were you needing, and how'd you know we had 'em?"
Dambreth starts to answer "Big Explosives that cause an earth shattering boom" in response to Hogan's question but then decides maybe it would be better to let Olivius handle it.
One person tells another, you know. Olivius shrugs. In any case, I am here, and not at insignificant cost. There is a structure that offends my affiliates, and offends me in particular. I need something that can make said small structure into a crater. Also, if we can make a deal, we need smaller explosives for personal use in clearing out certain parties that rather like the aforementioned structure.
Hogan crosses his arms - each bicep is as thick as your head - and appears to be sizing you up. "Small structure, huh? That's no standard bombing ordinance. In the wrong hands that could cause no end of damage..." his voice is lilting with interest as he rubs his chin.
"Come to my truck, I think I have the ticket for the train you're lookin' to catch."
He makes to turn to his truck, then turns back to you a moment. "You know the signals, and I believe in honor among thieves...but you'll understand if I ask you to leave your weapons here before coming to look in the truck."
You feel the eyes of the other scavengers on you from the other two trucks flanking Hogan's. What do you do?
Olivius calls Dambreth over and starts pulling out weapons left and right. A rapier comes off his left hip and nunchucks from the right. The leather sheathes holding eighteen throwing knives over his left shoulder and around his left side come off, then comes the bandoleer with all the dangerous vials Olivius had created at the alchemy lab. Then comes the Spirit blade that rested at the small of his back.
The only thing he doesn't remove is the pair of throwing knives in hidden wrist sheathes. He holds his arms wide for inspection.
Contrary to expectations, Hogan doesn't pat you down, merely snorts briefly through his nose as he watches the weapons you take off. "Looks like you're preparing for a war," he comments, his voice taking on an interested tone; but he doesn't say anything further.
Watch the others is casually flashed in the Thieves' Cant as he leads you behind his truck. He doesn't seem bothered by the knowledge that you understand the secret language.
The truck opens up in the back and comes apart into seemingly hundreds of shelves of varying sizes. By the time the transport truck finishes unpacking itself, it's unrecognizable from the other trucks. Hogan looks at his display with pride. "We do business out' the trucks same as we transport them," he mutters.
The trucks impressive unpacking display is concluded by revealing a wide bevy of shock guns, noxious fume emitters, flamethrowers, and grenades. Hogan leads you through all of them, explaining their capabilities. You can hear the grin in his voice through his gas mask.
"We had expected to wait until Terminus to unload all of this gear we...found," Hogan says to you as you look at the merchandise. "I guess our reputation preceded us."
Inside the skipper, Hardworthy sighs and turns to Bolus. "Looks like your man found a way in," he comments to you, glancing between you, Sinathel, and Eldar. Yala went with Olivius (I assumed).
Best to send a business man to do business Bolus grunts. I just hope Olivius gets us some information as well
Dambreth looks at the weapons with interest as he had not been around when Olivius acquired most of them. Dambreth thinks he remembers hearing a shaman talking one time about a blade that looks like the last weapon that Olivius gave him.
Dambreth: the dagger does jog your memory. You have to smile at the irony of the situation; standing before an arsenal of the most effective, advanced weaponry the future has to offer, and you're fascinated by a dagger that is probably older than the mountains you're standing on.
The memory tugs at your mind. You recall that the dagger was used in spiritual ceremonies of great cultural significance. You suspect it may react in some way to your divine magic.
As Olivius looks over the wares he makes polite business conversation asking about specific capabilities and features of various models. Half the time he has no idea what was what (though he never let it show), so he marks what his gut told him was good and then picked several larger, more expensive pieces to include in his original offer. He knew the first offer would be turned down on principle, so he intentionally shoots way high.
During the review of several explosives that somehow shot little metal balls in only one direction, he says offhand, You had any trouble with the buggers up in the northeast mountains? I heard they're getting feisty.
Hogan indulges your questions smoothly and answers them in simple terms; he's clearly no academic, looking more like a man who has spent his life in the unforgiving wasteland.
"You mean the orc clan? Hell no, they're great customers of ours. We figure, we have to travel through their lands already, might as well offer a trade to keep 'em from all collapsing on our caravan and taking our heads for trophies." he raises his gas mask, leaving it atop his head. "Still have a scrap or two with the wilder orcs every journey. When you're traveling through orc lands, a fight or two is no more unusual than paying a toll fee. But now that you mention it..." his eyes narrow slightly. "There was some strange lightshow in the sky a few nights back. Two nights ago? Maybe three. There was screaming and cheering echoing off the mountains, could hear it for miles around. Coulda been that artifact that...offends you so much." he grins at you, his smile missing a few significant teeth and framed with a thick and wiry beard.
Meanwhile, Yala is offering up the credit card she "found" to you. Between the money on the card and the gold you took from Cragga, you're sitting at 90 coins, a decent haul. Glancing at your bag of gold and swiping the credit card on a portable reader, Hogan's face slowly breaks out into a smile.
"I can see you're going to be more fun to do business with than the orcs," he says, laughing. "This should get you the explosives you need."
He leads you, Yala and Dambreth up a short flight of stairs leading into the main body of the truck, which is concealed by all the shelving units the truck transformer-ed into. As he climbs, he yells to his compatriots to allow his new friend's acquaintances to look at the merchandise. Over at the skyskipper, a few rough-looking youths climb out of the nearest truck and wave over the ones still hiding in the skipper.
Olivius, he reveals to you a box with durable-looking steel corners, and explains to you its explosive yield. When your carefully neutral expression doesn't change, he leans in. "Enough explosives to blow a hole through that mountain we're standing on is in this box, yours - for 50 coins. We didn't even want to risk bringing this thing into the city, so I'm selling it to you at a discount, but we...found this at great personal risk to ourselves."
Eldar just keeps out of the way for now.
Olivius nods his understanding. Well take it, and... Olivius picks out several grenades, a few stun grenades, and a couple launchers designed to let people on foot deal with aerial threats. He just keeps picking stuff out until he's out of cash. Then he adds, And anything else you might want to donate to a person set on significantly impacting your Orc problem.
1 BFB (Big Freakin Bomb) 2 Weight
2 bandoleers of explosive grenades containing 5 grenades each, Far, Area, Fiery tags, 0 Weight due to proper distribution
1 Collapsible RPG launcher, 0 Weight when collapsed, 1 Weight when ready to fire
2 RPG Ammo, 0 Weight but carries risks if you're suddenly jostled while carrying them...
1 additional Collapsible RPG launcher ("The second one's a spare," Hogan says, "these things are handy, but notorious for the field repairs needed. But trust me, the kick's worth it")
2 additional RPGs
2 wrist-mounted flame throwers Near, Fiery, +1d6 damage, 2 Ammo
A Yaka Arrow, as seen in Guardians of the Galaxy, simply whistle (roll+CHA) to do class damage to 1d8 opponents at Far range. 0 Weight.
Olivius hands over the funds and gets some help carrying the gear over to the skipper. When all is loaded and secured he turns and genuinely thanks the scavenger chief. It has been a long time since I felt at home. If I live through what I'm about to go do, I'll look you up, if you don't mind another pair of hands.
Hogan kicks a foot locker in the side of the truck, and it slides out and up and open to reveal a trunk. You look inside to find:
A "repurposed" two-handed warhammer of obvious dwarven design. Piercing 2, on successful Hack and Slash target armor is reduced by 1. 1 Weight, which is shocking considering its size.
Taser gloves; wearing these while grasping the hilt of an electroconducive weapon will give said weapon the shocking property, includes unarmed strikes with the gloves. 0 Weight.
Olivius hands over the funds and gets some help carrying the gear over to the skipper. When all is loaded and secured he turns and genuinely thanks the scavenger chief. It has been a long time since I felt at home. If I live through what I'm about to go do, and if I'm in a condition favorable for scavenging in this place, I'll look you up, if you don't mind another pair of hands.
-Posted with Wayfinder
To his companions he says, Take what you think you'll use and we'll distribute the rest for easy carrying.
"If what you describe the gloves do, I wish to ware them." The wraithlander asks. Extending a gloved hand to him
-Posted with Wayfinder
Tolus nods and passes them over to the... well, whatever he was. He still creeped Olivius out.
I'll take the hammer. Good work Olivius, we've got friends in high and low places. Let's go blow up a beacon
His nods as the gloves were handed over. Taking his old gloves off, one could see the "skeleton" underneath. Skin stretched over bare bone. That was the closest one could describe what was seen. He then put on yhe new gloves
-Posted with Wayfinder
Dambreth looks at the collection of weapons sadly, bound by his vow to not knowingly take a life. The old me could have had so much fun with this stuff.
Hogan looks surprised at Olivius' offer. After a moment, though, he nods and holds out a hand for Olivius to shake, wordlessly accepting his offer.
"We'd best be moving on toward Terminus. Our road's been very long on this trade route," he finally comments, when everything you've bought has been loaded onto your skyskipper. "Pleasure doing business with you. We follow much the same trade route year-round, you can find us if you know who to ask. I'll be keeping an eye on the mountain the next few nights for the fireworks, heh heh heh."
Back in the skyskipper, as you watch the trucks fold themselves back into travel configurations once more, Hardworthy exhales through his teeth. "That went a lot more smoothly than I expected, honestly," the Professor comments. "Those men looked like they'd as soon steal from us as sell to us! Let's be off."
The skyskipper climbs higher and higher as the mountains gain in elevation, until the engines are straining to keep your vehicle aloft. Terminus is a distant blotch on the horizon now, and the air is noticeably cooler, even inside the skyskipper. The sky is a strange collection of blue and green-streaked hues, but you're slowly getting used to that strange aspect of living in the magic-blasted future.
The ride is mostly silent, with Hardworthy focusing out the windshield of the 'skipper. Finally he speaks up. "I can't get much closer to orc territory without risking the ship. Let's put down there. When it's safe, I can fly closer with the skipper and drop off the big old bomb for you, unless you plan on carrying it."
About 30 feet ahead of you the path drops off suddenly by about 5 feet and heads downward into a valley on the other side of the mountains from Terminus. Not far from your position, you can see structures rising out of the forested valley floor that look orcish in design, but you're too far to make out any specific details right now. What's your plan?
Bolus takes out the commlink he got from Cortes and murmurs into it. Nearing position. Any word?
Your com crackles briefly for a moment before a response comes through. "There's a lot of aerial activity near the valley, we're having a lot of trouble staying close in our patrols. Tell your pilot to stay low if he's staying in the neighborhood."
Hardworthy pales.
Cortes continues. "Other than that the orcs are largely celebrating, there appears to be a party of some kind going on about 200 yards from the landing zone you told us about. Should help with getting closer undetected, but drunk orcs are even rowdier than normal orcs..."
"What is the plan from here? I am unsure how to handle this situation, things are a lot less clear cut from where i come from"
"Maybe our sneakiest sneaks can sneak down there and find out what's going on?" Dambreth says smiling as he looks at Olivius.
Shouldn't be a problem. Olivius says a little too quickly. The way he was gripping the nearest handle might have something to do with it. The professor's flying skills had done nothing to ease his fears of being this far up with only a thin sheet of metal and clear sky between him and a second visit to dear old Death.
We know what's going on. We need to get to the beacon and blow it up and they're in the way. Let's get as close as we can and then maybe we can set up some sort of distraction. If these orcs are drunk and high on bloodlust then they should rush off and let us get even closer to the beacon.
Hardworthy flies as close as he dares to, and sets the skipper down. "Well boys, here we are again. I sincerely hope to never see any of you face-to-face again, because it'll mean we've failed - except you, Bolus." the professor smiles a rare smile at the Guardian. "Come home safe. And remember what I told you...the needs of the many." He nods seriously, and slaps the button on the side of the interior hull that opens the side exit hatch.
"Good luck. Signal me when it's safe to deliver this...cargo. I'll be finding a place to hide."
After you disembark, Hardworthy lifts off again, flying the skipper low over the sparse trees that dot the valley floor. He's gone in moments - you're alone.
From this distance you can clearly make out the sounds of revelry. It sounds not unlike a music festival, only you can hear agonized screams of pain mixed in with the cheering and heavy bass.
You're among a sparse forest of trees that are widely separated. This far into orcish territory, you see evidence of axe swings and sword chops in the bark all around as orcs release some of their aggression into the surrounding environment. The result is a gnarled and chippy forest that surrounds you.
The ground you're standing on slopes downward toward the nadir of the valley. About a hundred yards away you can see a watchtower with lamps lit at all four corners, standing above a copse of trees. With the branches of the trees you can't see into the tower itself, but the lamps would imply that it's manned by at least a few watchmen.
Bolus grips his cherished dog tags and asks What here is evil? pretty certain that the answer will be pretty much everything.
Evil is all around you in this valley. In comparison to the atrocities that this valley's inhabitants have committed, Olivius is a saint.
You can't see the beacon from here, but you can see the orcish structures deeper in the valley much clearer from here than from the distance of the skyskipper. Far overhead you think you see Cortes' skyskipper before it ducks behind a cloud.
"The scholar man is correct, we can not fail this time. IT is not an option. Succeed or all ends"
Before they set out, Olivius takes out his magical Coin of Remembrance and hands it to Bolus. Alright, Plalldin, press this to your forehead and focus on all the ways we have failed up to this point. Recall as much detail as possible on the routes, decisions, resources used, and anything else you can remember. The coin is magic. It will help.
Bolus takes the coin from Olivius. Don't know why you keep calling me Paladin, this isn't a fairy story. I'm a Guardian Bolus complains in a mutter as he takes a deep breath and then closes his eyes as he puts the coin to his head.
Bolus, as you hold the coin to your forehead you're struck by an immediate sense of vertigo, and deja vu. You blink your eyes. For a moment, the memory was as vivid as if you'd just experienced it.
You'd been hanging upside down by your ankles, suspended by a rope held by a gangly, sneering orc. He laughs at your struggles to free yourself, but you aren't focusing on him - in the memory, you're staring at a different, huge orc that looks exactly like Cragga, the orc you faced in Terminus City. The orc is screaming "WHICH ONE?" at you over and over, and gesturing to either side of him with his weapon, a massive flaming sword. The sword's edge wavers between Dambreth's face, and Olivius', revealing them to be bound and gagged on either side of the orc. Eldar's body lies mangled at the orc's feet. Yala is nowhere to be seen, nor is Sinathel.
You remember all this, but not how it happened. Your disciplined mind tries to call to memory what it was that led you here. You recall...losing the element of surprise. Something about your communicator...alerting the enemy at the wrong time.
Dropping the coin Bolus curses Dammit! he takes out his communicator Damn thing chirped at the wrong time I think. Can't risk carrying it though it'll rob us of our eyes in the sky.
Bolus then grips the coin fiercely and holds it back up to his head Tell me more. he mutters under his breath.
The rest of the memories are fleeting and clouded, Bolus. Yala features prominently in only one of them; the clearest - you see her begging you for something on her knees.
The coin is cold, and gives you no further insights for now.
Nothing else. Only guidance I got is that we have to go full stealth, and probably Cragga's family ain't going to be happy to see us.
Bolus looks around. There's probably been a lot of dead people here, even recently. Place stinks of death
He takes a deep breath and inserts the needle he picked up from the Professor's table.
An eyeblink and the dead forest all around you is filled with refugees. To your eyes, they look as real as your companions; but they walk through and among them without notice. Clutching their faces and tearing at their hair, nursing horrible defects and magical mutations, the sight is almost too horrible to withstand. Only your great personal strength as a Guardian prevents tears from springing to your eyes, but no man with a feeling heart could look upon the piteous eyes of the wailing dead without remorse and sadness.
You may speak with any of the spirits wandering this field, any of the many victims of the orc clan of this valley. Choose one and describe him or her, then ask your questions.
Those of you without the benefit of the Professor's speak-with-dead device see Bolus' eyes narrow as he looks all around you, surveying the ghosts that only he can see. The effect is unsettling.
Dambreth can't see the spirits but see Bolus' pain and moves to the man and puts a hand on his shoulder in sympathy.