Thisstle takes advantage of the robot's stunned condition to snatch Hoot's rope and quickly loop it over the robot's arms and legs, before tying it off with a complicated knot.
With the robot firmly in hand, Thisstle takes a moment to fart on its metallic face. "F#&* you robot!" Then she hops off and says to Groog, "Groog, smash it head!" while hopping up and down and pointing at the robot's head.
Groog all too willingly complies, raising his falchion overhead and bringing it down upon the machines' immobilized face, slicing it in half and causing sparks to fly up. With that, the robot ceases to twitch.
Hoots's feathered chest puffs up with pride as his face shot stuns the mighty robot.
After its tied up he takes a few passes around the room, looking for anything of interest.
Thisstle snatches up the robot's electro-club, turning it over and about in her hands. She mutters to her self, "What is this? What, is, thisssssss?"
At the feet of the robot are two dead half-orcs that look like their heads were bashed in; examining them further reveals each are wearing a set of masterwork studded leather armor, a masterwork buckler, and are both carrying brown access cards, not to mention a pouch with ten gold pieces and two silverdisks each. Curiously enough, they’re also carrying various bits of scrap metal that appears to have been turned into weapons resembling metal greatclubs - these improvised weapons of scrap are wrapped in leather where their handles would be and are lying next to their owners. Each half-orc also has a large sheathe hanging from their back filled with more sharpened scrap metal. Finally, one last curious thing to note is upon the chest of their armor is a symbol that appears to be some sort of mechanical claw. Both half-orcs don’t appear to have been dead very long.
As Hoots is searching the rest of the room, he comes across two interesting objects of note. Jammed in one of the machines is a yellow hand-held device that, upon examination by Thisstle, appears to be a Timeworn Chemalyzer, a device used to sample and identify liquids, poisons, and other like-substances. In addition, behind the very same machine is a hidden White Access Card, apparently long forgotten.
Thisstle shrugs at the orcs. "How them get here?" she wonders. After hoots finds the white card, Thisstle takes it from him and scampers over to the next door in the complex. "We keep going!" she says, swiping the card in the door opener.
The door Thisstle slides open reveals nothing more than a very small hallway, little more than five feet in length, with another door at the end of it. Both doors are locked with mere Brown Access level.
Dahlia snaps up the two brown access cards, handing one to Hoots and keeping the other herself. She steps into the short hallway, checks it for traps, and then swipes the brown card, opening the door.
-
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 semi-transparent 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 up raised 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.
<< | | | >>
Near the statue, standing like a statue itself, is an immense, lumbering slate-gray humanoid creature. This horned, winged creature has adorned itself with bits and pieces of dismantled machinery, scrap metal, and strips of wiring - it does not appear the creature was trying to armor itself, but instead appears to be more ritualistic or decorative. In addition, it appears to have a mass of scar tissue around its throat - and, as it spots the group, lets out a feeble croak in anger, proving that it is apparently a mute.
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8
13
(Failure)
Thisstle returns the creature's angry shriek with a growl. "Nice jewelry, but that won't save you from Thisstle!" She scampers quickly into the room and behind the creature, before leaping onto its back.
"Ionsaigh!" Dhalia shouts, pointing into the room, and Snow reacts, padding into the room, attempting to bite the creature.
Hoots follows the goblin and the cat into the room, cocks his gun, and fires at the creature, nicking its shoulder.
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Near the statue, standing like a statue itself, is an immense, lumbering slate-gray humanoid creature. This horned, winged creature has adorned itself with bits and pieces of dismantled machinery, scrap metal, and strips of wiring - it does not appear the creature was trying to armor itself, but instead appears to be more ritualistic or decorative. In addition, it appears to have a mass of scar tissue around its throat - and, as it spots the group, lets out a feeble croak in anger, proving that it is apparently a mute.
Thisstle returns the creature's angry shriek with a growl. "Nice jewelry, but that won't save you from Thisstle!" She scampers quickly into the room and behind the creature, before leaping onto its back.
"Ionsaigh!" Dhalia shouts, pointing into the room, and Snow reacts, padding into the room, attempting to bite the creature - and failing miserably.
Hoots follows the goblin and the cat into the room, cocks his gun, and fires at the creature, nicking its shoulder - but the bullet doesn’t appear to do any damage, despite the obvious hit.
Groog follows his pets’ lead, figuring that if they’re attacking the big stone-birdy it must be a bad birdy, and goes to kill it. He swings his trusty falchion at the beast, connecting steel to flesh and slicing a nice deep wound in its chest, although not as deep as he had intended.
In retaliation for being grappled by a mere goblin, the creature lashes out at Thisstle, trying to furiously claw, gore, and bite her. Only his horns and a single claw connect, however, but that is enough to send Thisstle onto the brink of collapsing into unconsciousness. One more hit and she’s down for the count.
<< | | | >>
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"Ow!" Thisstle grumbles. "Screw you buddy!" She bites onto its ear, and tries to dig her fingers into its eyeballs. One she gets a good grip on its eyelids, she starts jerking about wildly, trying to throw it to the floor.
"Quick, everyone except Groog help Thisstle hold it down!!"
Groog giggles as he continues to slice the thing. "Birdies bad at Smashy Smashy!"
__________
Hoots hustles over to help the goblin pin (and then tie up) the beast.
This time the feathered pistolero manages to grab an arm and hold it back, assisting Thisstle as best he's able.
"Ow!" Thisstle grumbles. "Screw you buddy!" She bites onto its ear, and tries to dig her fingers into its eyeballs. One she gets a good grip on its eyelids, she starts jerking about wildly, trying to throw it to the floor. "Quick, everyone except Groog help Thisstle hold it down!!"
Groog giggles as he continues to slice the thing. "Birdies bad at Smashy Smashy!"
Hoots hustles over to help the goblin pin (and then tie up) the beast. This time the feathered pistolero manages to grab an arm and hold it back, assisting Thisstle as best he's able.
Dahlia, seeing Thisstle injured and nearly falling unconscious, runs over and draws her wand, intending to heal the goblin. Snow, meanwhile, claws and bites at the beast, but is unable to get through the creature’s damage reduction.
The creature, despite struggling, is unable to break free of Thisstle's iron grip.
<< | | | >>
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2
"Groog, quick your axe! Chop bad birdy's head off!" Thisstle shouts as she struggles to keep the creature pinned. She kicks it repeatedly in the head to make sure it stays down, while using its horns to hold its head still for Groog's blow.
Groog stalks over to the bound creature, giggling like a child the entire time as he reaches to his back for his axe. He stands to the side of the things head, the blade down low to the ground as he draws it back (golfer style) and swings it around as hard as he can.
He then runs over and grabs the rolling head from the floor and proceeds to make the appropriate preparations to add it to his necklace.
Thisstle cackles maniacally as she watches Groog. "Thisstle likes Groog. He's funny!"
Easily distracted as always, Thisstle wanders over to look at the holo-table. "What this?"
Hoots starts to look around the room.
"Hey you guys! Thisstle think we inside this thing! Look!" the goblin engineer says, pointing to the image of the spacecraft floating above the table.
Groog walks over to the table. He chuckles then pats Thisstle on the head.
"Silly Little Groog! We not fit! It small! We big!" he says as he points to it then back to himself to educate the silly little orc.
"Groog so dumb. Not in here," Thisstle says pointing to the table. "It a picture of this whole place!" she says, pointing to everything around them. "Like a map, but can see all dimensions. We in this part Thisstle suspect," she continues, pointing to the rear of the ship's image near the engines.
Groog smiles and shakes his head as he picks up Thisstle and puts her on his back. "Little Groog so funny. It okay Little Groog. Not all smart as Groog!" he adds as he walks back up the steps.
The feathered gunslinger nods vigorously. "By my stars and garters, I think you're onto something, Thisstle!"
"What am garter?" the goblin wonders.
As Thisstle scurries over to the interesting hologram, she sees what appears to be a three dimentional image of the structure they’re in. It appears to be some sort of vehicle or ship; the dome they were in earlier is easily visible, as is where they are now - most of the ship, however, is displayed in red.
Hoots, meanwhile, examines the curious statue and the junk heaped around it; at a cursory glance, he realizes that most of the ‘junk’ are in fact various bits of technological items. However, before he can give them to Thisstle for closer examination, he picks up noise coming from the room to the north - lots of movement and various voices speaking.
It is only a few short seconds after he hears the voices that the door to the north opens up, revealing a half-orc similar to the ones found earlier. Behind him are numerous ratfolk.
<< | | | >>
The half-orc opening the door looks in surprise and anger at the group, before yelling back to his comrades. ”Found ‘em! They’ve killed Gruethur and are about to defile the shrine! Don’t let them get to Meyanda!”
The half-orc rushes the group, yelling , spotting Groog’s hulking figure down at the bottom. Figuring he should take out the biggest, meanest looking one, he runs down the stairs and attempts to smash Groog’s head in with his improvised scrapmetal greatclub; however, he misses horribly.
The second half-orc, meanwhile, hangs back, apparently opening another door and yelling to someone. ”You guys go around and flank ‘em, don’t let them get away! They’re trying to defile the shrine! ” He then moves to the doorway to ensure no one gets in - or out.
The four ratfolk join in the fray, scurrying atop each other and firing their hand crossbows at Snow and Dahlia, all bolts finding their marks. Both Dahlia and Snow are nearly taken out, but still remain standing.
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16.6
15
18.2
Groog laughs as the silly smaller orc swings his crappy smasher at him. He screams out merrily "GROOGRUUUM!" as he swings his blade through the orc's flesh.
__________
Thissle darts in behind Groog, then through his legs. She whips out her scimitar and slices open the orc's stomach, hoping to finish him off. "For Hellion? We are Hellions!"
”Ionsagh!” Dahlia yells, and, unlike her normal tactics, moves forward instead of to the back. Speaking words of power and waving her free hand, she conjures forth a cone of blinding, swirling colors that hits the grouped up ratfolk and half-orc straight in the face, knocking three of them out immediately. The two remaining ratfolk blink their eyes for a moment, just before Snow goes and bites one in the throat.
Hoots, following Dahlia’s lead, aims his pistol at the one Snow attacked and fires, but the shot misses, despite the close range.
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The half-orc opening the door looks in surprise and anger at the group, before yelling back to his comrades. ”Found ‘em! They’ve killed Gruethur and are about to defile the shrine! Don’t let them get to Meyanda!”
The half-orc rushes the group, yelling , spotting Groog’s hulking figure down at the bottom. Figuring he should take out the biggest, meanest looking one, he runs down the stairs and attempts to smash Groog’s head in with his improvised scrapmetal greatclub; however, he misses horribly.
The second half-orc, meanwhile, hangs back, apparently opening another door and yelling to someone. ”You guys go around and flank ‘em, don’t let them get away! They’re trying to defile the shrine! ” He then moves to the doorway to ensure no one gets in - or out.
The four ratfolk join in the fray, scurrying atop each other and firing their hand crossbows at Snow and Dahlia, all bolts finding their marks. Both Dahlia and Snow are nearly taken out, but still remain standing.
”Ionsagh!” Dahlia yells, and, unlike her normal tactics, moves forward instead of to the back. Speaking words of power and waving her free hand, she conjures forth a cone of blinding, swirling colors that hits the grouped up ratfolk and half-orc straight in the face, knocking three of them out immediately. The two remaining ratfolk blink their eyes for a moment, just before Snow goes and bites one in the throat.
Hoots, following Dahlia’s lead, aims his pistol at the one Snow attacked and fires, but the shot misses, despite the close range.
Groog laughs as the silly smaller orc swings his crappy smasher at him. He screams out merrily "GROOGRUUUM!" as he swings his blade through the orc's flesh.
Thisstle darts in behind Groog, then through his legs. She whips out her scimitar and slices open the orc's stomach, hoping to finish him off. "For Hellion? We are Hellions!" The orc goes down with little more than a grunt.
<< | | | >>
With only two remaining ratfolk up, one jumps on the back of the other and, using his allies’ height leverage, brings out his shortsword and stabs Snow with it. With a roar, the tiger goes unconscious. His buddy, meanwhile, moves out from under him and attacks Dahlia, but misses.
__________________________________________-
????????
Thisstle runs up the steps, tumbling past one ratfolk to slash at the one previously wounded by Hoots.
Seeing Kitty go down, Groog roars in anger as he rushes up the stairs, sword raised for a downward slice. He misses his footing on the final step though, and stumbles forward and his attack flails about ineffectually.
__________
"What're y'all going on about? Ahm Straight Shootin' Hoots Magaw and these here are my Hellions. If you want a name, go make up your own!"
Meanwhile he waits for Dahlia to step back and then he fires...but he's not used to such a small agile target and they dodge right out of the way.
With only two remaining ratfolk up, one jumps on the back of the other and, using his allies’ height leverage, brings out his shortsword and stabs Snow with it. With a roar, the tiger goes unconscious. His buddy, meanwhile, moves out from under him and attacks Dahlia, but misses.
Thisstle runs up the steps, tumbling past one ratfolk to slash at the one previously wounded by Hoots, slashing it across the face and taking it out.
Seeing Kitty go down, Groog roars in anger as he rushes up the stairs, sword raised for a downward slice. He misses his footing on the final step though, and stumbles forward and his attack flails about ineffectually.
Dahlia, realizing Hoots is about to fire at the one she’s next to, quickly taps Snow with her wand and gets out of the way.
"What're y'all going on about? Ahm Straight Shootin' Hoots Magaw and these here are my Hellions. If you want a name, go make up your own!"
Meanwhile he waits for Dahlia to step back and then he fires...but he's not used to such a small agile target and they dodge right out of the way.
<< | | | >>
”There is only one Hellion, bird-brains! He is our lord! You are nothing to him and the Lords of Rust!” Despite the apparent bravery in his voice, the ratfolk retreats into the room, leaving his comrades to the fate of Hoots’ Hellions.
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????????
"NO RUN!" Groog bellows as he charges after the ratfolk. As the thing scurries around a table, Groog attempts to run through it, sending table and chairs flying in his rampage!
__________
Hoots runs after the fleeing rat, firing as he goes, but once again the shot goes wide.
_________________
”There is only one Hellion, bird-brains! He is our lord! You are nothing to him and the Lords of Rust!” Despite the apparent bravery in his voice, the ratfolk retreats into the room, leaving his comrades to the fate of Hoots’ Hellions.
"NO RUN!" Groog bellows as he charges after the ratfolk. As the thing scurries around a table, Groog attempts to run through it, sending table and chairs flying in his rampage!
Hoots runs after the fleeing rat, firing as he goes, but once again the shot goes wide.
Thisstle runs after it and, in an acrobatic stunt, slices upwards with her scimitar and gashing deep cut into the ratfolk, who falls unconscious.
Dahlia hits herself with the wand to heal up, and follows the group.
<< | | | >>
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???????????????????????
"Heads up, Hellions! Sounds like we've got more uglies incoming from behind." Hoots motions back toward the door they came through.
The avian pistolero then moves back into the previous room. If he see someone coming in, he'll shoot'm. If not, he'll take a moment to reload his pepperbox.
Still frothing with rage, Groog turns and stomps back towards the sleeping orc, and buries his blade deep in its skull.
__________
Having played her role in this fight, Dahlia rushes over to Snow's downed form, checking to make sure the big cat is still alive.