With all the creatures dead, Dahlia moves forward to inspect the doors. "Good boy Snow," she says.
-
With the thylacines dead, the group is able to relax and examine their surroundings. Dahlia moves forward and examines the central doors, finding no traps but discovering that it is locked with a white-access level of restriction. However, the loud rumbling sound so prevalent appears to be coming from the direction of these doors.
"Doesn't seem to be trapped, do we have a white access card? I can pick it if not."
"Well, at least I think I can get it open, this might take a minute."
Despite two attempts, Dahlia still fails to unlock the central doors due to their higher security rating. Meanwhile, Thisstle examines the southern door and finds it too, is locked, although only with a brown security rating. That being said, with Thisstle being the only one in the group without an access card.. she’d need to get someone else to open it for her.
"Thisstle think this door easier to open. You guys have brown color card, right? Push here!" the goblin engineer says, pointing to the card reader.
Hoots pulls out a card and hands it to the grabby goblin.
"Well, hurry up Thisstle, let's go in." Dahlia says.
Thisstle swipes the card. Meanwhile she mutters to herself in goblin,
"Dahlia say Thisstle ugly b+@%#, but always ready tell her what to do. Dahlia will see one day. She will be Thisstle's servant along with all the other longshanks. One day, all the world will know the name Thisstle..."
As the door slides open, Thisstle finds herself looking into a long, curved hallway that heads somewhat in the direction of the loud rumbling noise, but turns to the right as it goes onwards. Like the room they're currently in, the lighting is flickering and sparking, providing only dim light.
"Groog, come here. Thisstle ride again, we go look," Thisstle says, scampering towards the orc. She clambers back up onto his shoulders and points down the hallway.
Groog giggles as little Groog climbs his back. He then grips his sword in his right hand and casually begins strolling down the hall.
Dahlia follows Groog with Snow in tow, her stick continuing to provide steady light around her.
With the group in tow, Thistle opens the hallway door with her new access card ala Hoots, eagerly hoping for more things to kill and more technologies to find.
This next room buzzes and hums with the sound of machinery. A long track of moving leatherlike
material rotates along a metal framework in the middle of the room. The eastern end of this device is connected to a looming metal machine fitted with thrashing and twitching armatures and blinking lights. Panels on the wall flash with strange writing and images of metallic constructs. To the west, a second track of leather, this one smeared with blood, churns through an opening in the wall to a room beyond. The entire place has an air of entropy to it-with missing parts, flashing sparks, and periodic discordant sounds of metal scraping against metal revealing how damaged the room's machinery is.
Two more repair drones - like the one found in Khonnir’s house and earlier, just before the sand cavern - move about in this room, ignoring the group as they hopelessly attempt to repair the facility. Its quite obvious that their attempt is futile with how damaged the room is, but nevertheless they continue.
In addition, two more doors are present in the room. One leads to the west, into the room where one of the tracks of leather leads, and the other leads to the north, into more unknown territory.
Thisstle prods her orcish mount over to the western door with her heels, tugging on his ears to steer. Once they arrive, she examines the western door. What kind of card we need for this? she wonders.
Thisstle swipes her brown card in the door.
As the group enter the room, the drones continue to take absolutely no notice of them, focusing their efforts on the unenviable task of trying to repair hopelessly damaged machinery. Thisstle, equally not paying attention to them, has Groog go to the door and touches the panel with her access card, opening it.
An immense machine looms to the south in this room, its upper portion obscured by tangles of hanging cables and cords. The device looks something like an enormous oven, its front open with a rotating belt of green leathery material connecting to a wide metal table. Metal desks with flashing lights sit to the east, while a second rotating belt of leather moves through an opening in the east wall. Two dead half-orcs lie at the base of this second belt - standing over them is a brutish, hulking humanoid robot made of what appears to be burnished brass. The robot is wielding some sort of light technological mace with a glowing tip at the end.
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As the group open the door, the robot activates and turns towards them, its central eye focusing on Groog and Thisstle. It speaks in a metallic, robotic drone in a language most of the group doesn’t understand. ”Intrusit se deprehendi. Initiating purgare protocollo unus unus - unus duo tres. Sta, et subjacete eis intruders. Purgeunus unus unus - unus duo tres, protocollo unum postulat salvis per core Directive divinitatis.”
Not even waiting for a response, the robot prepares to attack.
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9
12.8
"Ionsaigh! Dahlia shouts, spurring Snow into motion. The big cat charges across the intervening space, trying to bite the robot. For her part, Dahlia simply gets out of the way.
Hoots steps forward, cocks his pepperbox, and fires at the nearest drone. "Eat lead, ya Androffan-speakin' bucket o' bolts!"
Turning to his friends, he asks "Whaddaya think that Divinity Directive is they're yammering about, by the way?"
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Seeing his friends attack the robot, Groog smiles as he remembers something he learned from Dwarfy.
"GROOOOOOOGRUUUUUUUUUUM!" he shouts as he rushes the thing. He brings his falchion down in a clumsy but powerful swing.
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Thisstle runs into the room and jumps on the robot. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" she screams.
As the group open the door, the robot activates and turns towards them, its central eye focusing on Groog and Thisstle. It speaks in a metallic, robotic drone in a language most of the group doesn’t understand. ”Intrusit se deprehendi. Initiating purgare protocollo unus unus - unus duo tres . Sta, et subjacete eis intruders. Purgeunus unus unus - unus duo tres, protocollo unum postulat salvis per core Directive divinitatis.”
Not even waiting for a response, the robot prepares to attack.
"Ionsaigh!" Dahlia shouts, spurring Snow into motion. The big cat charges across the intervening space, trying to bite the robot, but failing to gain hold of the machine’s metal body. For her part, Dahlia simply gets out of the way.
Hoots steps forward, cocks his pepperbox, and fires at the machine. "Eat lead, ya Androffan-speakin' bucket o' bolts!" The gun lets of a thunderous roar that causes the nearby drones to stop and look for a moment, before returning to their repairs. The shot strikes true and hits the robot, but only causes a minor dent in its body.
Turning to his friends, he asks "Whaddaya think that Divinity Directive is its yammering about, by the way?"
Seeing his friends attack the robot, Groog smiles as he remembers something he learned from Dwarfy. "GROOOOOOOGRUUUUUUUUUUM!" he shouts as he rushes the thing. He brings his falchion down in a clumsy but powerful swing..
..which completely misses the robot.
Thisstle runs into the room and jumps on the robot. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" she screams as she attempts to grapple her target - however, her hand slips on the thing’s slick metal surface and she fails to gain hold of it.
The robot, remaining silent after its initial warning, activates its weapon - an arc of electricity flows through the rod and it lights up. The robot focuses its efforts on Groog, swinging the rod with as much force as it can muster, striking him and discharging a jolt of electricity into him. Groog, not only taking damage, feels his already-weak mind befuddled as he finds he has a hard(er) time focusing and concentrating on tasks, including swinging his weapon. As almost an afterthought, the machine also takes a swing at him with its fist, but fails to connect.
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Thisstle is no so easily dissauded. "Robot don't know who is f#~&ing with!" she instructs the machine as she leaps onto it once again.
When the metal man hurts Groog, he roars back at the thing in defiance, saliva spraying the area in front of him as he loses himself in a rage.
He brings his blade around again in a frantic but powerful swing at the thing.
__________
Snow tries to savage the robot with tooth and claw. Dahlia keeps watch on the robotic workers in the room, ready to warn her allies if they start to attack.
Hoots keeps his pepperbox at the ready, while looking around to see if anything else approaches, but holds off on shooting the metal man again.
Thisstle is no so easily dissauded. "Robot don't know who its f*~*ing with!" she instructs the machine as she leaps onto it once again. This time, she is able to get it into a stranglehold, which is a very impressive feat considering the robot’s size and strength.
When the metal man hurts Groog, he roars back at the thing in defiance, saliva spraying the area in front of him as he loses himself in a rage. He brings his blade around again in a frantic but powerful swing at the thing, but misses, likely in part due to the dizziness he’s suffering from getting whacked by the weird weapon the robot is using.
Snow tries to savage the robot with tooth and claw. Dahlia keeps watch on the robotic workers in the room, ready to warn her allies if they start to attack. While Snow is able to hit it with both of its claws, it fails to penetrate the machine’s metallic skin, dealing no damage.
Hoots keeps his pepperbox at the ready, while looking around to see if anything else approaches, but holds off on shooting the metal man again.
The Robot, meanwhile, diverts its attention from Groog onto the screaming little maniac grappling it. ”Intrusit se deprehendi. Initiating purgare protocollo unus unus - unus duo tres . Sta, et subjacete eis intruders. Purgeunus unus unus - unus duo tres, protocollo unum postulat salvis per core Directive divinitatis.” It breaks its silence, repeating the same phrase it did to Groog moments ago, instead apparently telling it to Thisstle this time. As it does so, it takes its mace-like weapon and strikes her - hard -, bludgeoning and zapping her simultaneously. As it strikes, the light at the end of the weapon flares up much as it had done with Groog, causing her to feel dizzy momentarily. It tries to punch her as well, but fails to do so.
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Groog continues to roar and rain down powerful strikes against the metal man.
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Seeing Thisstle getting bashed around as well Hoots decides to take another shot at their foe, despite his thick plating.
Careful not to shoot the squirming goblin, the feathered gunslinger takes another bead and fires-- hitting the construct right in the eye...and yet somehow still barely damaging it.
Thisstle screeches angrily, then tries to pin the robot. The electricity running through her system, combines with the sheer weight differential to make her efforts useless.
"Someone tie up Robot quick, Thisstle no can hold forever!" the little goblin shrieks, accidentally flinging her wig off in her struggles. Her bald warty pate is offensive in its wrinklyness.
(Failure)
Hoots holsters his pepperbox and ties up the robot.
Groog continues to roar and rain down powerful strikes against the metal man, this time landing a solid blow with his falchion, slicing into the machine and causing sparks to fly.
Seeing Thisstle getting bashed around as well Hoots decides to take another shot at their foe, despite his thick plating. Careful not to shoot the squirming goblin, the feathered gunslinger takes another bead and fires-- hitting the construct right in the eye...and yet somehow still barely damaging it.
Thisstle screeches angrily, then tries to pin the robot. Grabbing hold of its wiring near its head she is able to commandeer and nearly steer the robot, causing its arms to twitch and pinning it in a way she’s not quite used to.
Snow continues to flail and claw at the robot, inflicting not a scratch despite its best attempts.
The machine, determined to regain control of itself, swings a backhand at Thisstle, dealing no damage but knocking her off of it, allowing it to move freely once again.
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Hoots tucks his pepperbox away and attempts to aid Thisstle in restraining the robot again...but mostly just ends up flaping his feathers around and squawking ineffectually.