Aldegund has the enough time to take dodge and get behind some cover to avoid the explosion.
Dodge
Taloc manages to get out of the way as well, he turns to Aldegund, "Could we have used that for something or is the technology simply too alien to work with?"
Dodge
Menstras rolls out of the blast radius, firing his jets to throw himself at the closest warrior the power field of his claw crackling to life.
v 73(43+20+10ifb)
pen 8 proven(4) raptor power field special(+1dam/dos)
vs 46 dodge
The blast knocks Draex back metres as his armor is shreded from the explosion.
Draex laughs at the shock blasting him off his feet. Packs a punch ut there is no sting behind the blow draex will charge the nearest warrior
"Maybe, but right now, it works to avoid activating this combat drones, which if we could at least take their weapons, it can probe worth investigating and experimenting with"
The blast washes harmlessly over Akkad, briefly stripping his illusion and letting all see his true form, but only for a moment.
Draex cares not and goes to work
Akkad approaches Draex, though not closely, and says, "Hold, champion of Khorne. They have no blood to spill, their skulls are worthless to your god. They are merely weapons, let our forge master examine them and decide what to do with these dead machines."
"It requires much effort, to not just communicate with a xeno machine spirit, but then also be able to change it's programming to a more suitable one. Their weapons on the other hand" Aldegund examines the machine skeletons "A skull is something I could take to analyze further, once we are back... somehow..." picking his thunderhammer "For now, it's best to just destroy them, and someone pick up some of their weapons, at least two of each if you see different ones, while I take a skull."
Draex slashes at the broken machines until Akkad stops him.
Most things in the room are destroyed due to the explosion but some material may be salvageable if you wished to really examine it at a later time.
From this room there is only the way you came in and back down the hallway.
Menstras will attempt to take one of the weapons.
Your able to find one that's mostly intact but there is no visible trigger or anything that would resemble one for you to activate the device. The glowing green that you saw on the active ones also is not lit.
Taloc will inspect the power source we destroyed.
Psyinsciene
It is not psychic.
Draex takes a few steps towards and exit... and begins to stumble as subsystems pumping stim chems into his system seems to shutdown. It seems with him they are constantly on and yhe would believe endless supply have run its course... wondering why his helm never warned him.... normally he isnt just blink clicks the warning icons off anyway for beeping and provoking the nails but its something is different.... he realized he isnt wearing helm... moving on muscle memory alone it seems as he pushed himself to even the limits a space marine can endure. Draex's armor is a mangle mess after taking the brunt of the explosion and suddenly like hitting a brick wall he stops in his tracks and collapse ...
Taloc notices Draex's wounds, "It seems our Brother has taken more grevious injuries than we realized, do any of you have the ability to patch up his wounds?"
"While I admire him as a living weapon, I've no knowledge of apothecarion skills or brought anything helpful for that particular issue"
Menstras pauses in his looting.
"I'm no apothecary but even I've picked up a few things from the skinning pits."
He gestures to Deathraven and Aldegund.
"Secure him as this will be unpleasant."
"Bah, his entire existence is unpleasant. He will not even feel it. Do what you must".
"A life of pain and violence shared by his brothers. I would prefer not to receive the ire of his blade. Not yet at least."
Deathraven moves to Draex's side, kneeling on his arm to prevent his chain axe from swinging randomly and beheading those trying to help him.
"Work quickly. I don't know if even I can hold him if he slips into a berserker's fury at being restrained."
v 49(39+10ifb)
v 49
Menstras is able to staunch the bleeding from the wounds stabilizing Draex but he will need much more intensive care when it's possible.
The nails bite deep into his brain and draex jumps
"Arrggggg"
Roaring loudly from the pain. Seeing mentras over him staunching the bleeding draex grabs him by the shoulder guard.... and shoves him back
"The nails finally shut the @$!# up " cursing in his native tongue "and now you have them singing again. I can see that you truly hate me to let me live.. allowing me to continue this damned path. Now then shall we..."
draex taps his fist over his blown to bits power armor, where one of his hearts should be towards menstras, and goes to find his helmet
"See he's fine. Back the way we cam Brothers?"
Deathraven releases Draex and stands, scooping up his bolter.
"Agreed. We have done all we can in this place. Time to find out where we are and why we are here."
He heads back towards where they came in.
"One day you must allow me to study your nails Draex" walking back with the rest of the group finding new path's to follow within this xeno structure.
"You could have been studying them later today much to your hearts content, without the violence that comes with it "
Your group makes it's way down the 15 metre hallway and your back at the intersection you originally came through. You can go left or straight from where you originally entered.
"Let's head straight. Draex, are these actual nails or psychic nails implanted by your Primarch?"
Draex kneels on one knee breathing heavily, using one axe as a crutch to hold him up. A single eye keeps twitching, responding to the nail's tapping. Still fuel by rage Draex wish to inflict death on the dwellers of this place.
"Physical mechanism that scrapes and prod the raw nerves in the brain creating insufferable pain bleaching the mind of all emotion. This was how slaves were controlled. Fear and pain. We chose this life to bring us closer to Angron but still that did not forge any kind of kinship just mind numbing pains.. that where we errored"
Deathraven moves down the passage indicated by Taloc.
"Son of Angron, brother, your father's implants were dramatically different. Were you in Ultramar, when our fathers ravaged the Five Hundred Worlds? You will live until slain in battle, but Angron had less than a decade before his nails would kill him. That is why my father worked so hard, and his sons sacrificed so much, to bring him ascension. Lorgar was the only one who ever loved Angron, hated by the rest of his brothers, hated by his father, hated by himself. Our greatest hero died there, but your father is now eternal, and free of the nails."
Your group makes it's way down another 15 metre hall way until it opens into another room with similar dimensions but in the center is a swirling green vortex of crackling energy. You see no machine men or scarab like creatures in this room.
"Maybe someday I could take a look at those nails, I might be able to help with them" looking at the energy vortex
"I don't know if that is another gate or what kind of device or trap it will activate"
Draex leans up against a wall in the chamber allowing for his enhanced bioengineered body to repair the damage brought upon him.
"Give me a heads up before you shoot the blasted this"
The vortex just continues to swirl as you watch it from a distance in the hallway. You see nothing else moving in the chamber.
"Let me go first then, regretfully there is no flesh other than ours here for you to sunder Draex, and I do enjoy the attachment I have to it if you do not mind" as Aldegund begins walking down the hallway.
Deathraven moves into the room, looking for another exit that needs to be covered.
As there is no warp energy in effect in this place, Taloc stays in the hallway guarding the doorway while the Trident of Lyssatra inspects the Xenos technology. He draws his force sword in case it is needed.
Aldegund and Deathraven enter the room looking for other exists or anything of interest. There is none. When Aldegund moves a bit closer to the vortex intrigued by it he sudden vanishes in a flash of light.
i'll post for you in a bit depending on what the others do
"Aldegund!"
Deathraven moves quickly to the spot where Aldegund disappeared.
Deathraven vanishes in a flash when he moves closer to the vortex.
"Doesn't smell like charred flesh..."