Nodding to the owl, the dwarf follows the trail of blood further into the hallway, stopping to open the first door on the left side of the wall.
In the next room, they find another hallway, this time as a T-intersection. The blood smear returns and heads into another doorway. The group follows the blood smear to yet another door and Vallan opens it with his keycard.
Metal desks sit to the north and south of this long room, yet the most distinctive features are a pair of odd, bed like tables flanked by curving panels of blinking, pulsing lights. Moving armatures of metal extend out over the beds, each outfitted with glowing panes of glass and strangely glowing tools. The chamber reeks of blood, with great crimson stains splashed across the device, beds, and floor.
A drone sits in the northern corner of the room, and the drone immediately perks up at the new arrivals. Its white chassis is stained with blood splatters and from one hand are numerous long, needle-like protrusions, each filled with a blue liquid. Two tanks of such liquid sit on its back. It speaks to the group in its curious language. ”New aegris! Quaeso, sedem habent vobiscum medicus et cito. Lorem ipsum dolor medicus now!” It appears to be waiting for them to enter the room.
Vallan raises his gun, and pointing it at the needle bearing robot, pulls the trigger. "Not gonnae let you hit me first this time, metal-man!"
Hoots quickly translates for his Hellions: "He thinks we're new patients, and he's summoned the doctor."
Then, to the robot, "Lorem ipsum, lorem ipsum?"
Then glaring at Vallan he says, "Gimme that! You don't even know how to use a gun, do you?"
<< | | | >>
Vallan raises his gun, and pointing it at the needle bearing robot, pulls the trigger. "Not gonnae let you hit me first this time, metal-man!" The gun sparks for a second before firing a bright light at the drone. It spirals as it flies and embeds itself in the wall behind the drone and explodes in a brilliantly bright light. The light continues to shine and blinding anyone nearby it.
___________________________________
8
13.1
Seeing Vallan fire something at the metal man, Groog assumes he should be breaking this thing, and charges forward and brings his axe down heavily into it's metal body.
__________
"Bah!" Vallan says, tossing the flare gun at Hoot's feet. He draws his sword as he moves into the room. His eyes tear up mightly as he tries to slash the robot, getting his sword tangled in the medical gear, and missing completely. "What an awful weapon! It does no harm to your foe, and blinds yerself!"
Dazzled
Miss
Shrugging, Hoots fires his own new gun at the robot
Vallan raises his gun, and pointing it at the needle bearing robot, pulls the trigger. "Not gonnae let you hit me first this time, metal-man!" The gun sparks for a second before firing a bright light at the drone. It spirals as it fires and embeds itself in the wall behind the drone and
explodes in a brilliantly bright light. The light continues to shine and blinding anyone nearby it.
Seeing Vallan fire something at the metal man, Groog assumes he should be breaking this thing, and charges forward and brings his axe down heavily into it's metal body.
"Bah!" Vallan says, tossing the flare gun at Hoot's feet. He draws his sword as he moves into the room. His eyes tear up mightily as he tries to slash the robot, getting his sword tangled in the medical gear, and missing completely. "What an awful weapon! It does no harm to your foe, and blinds yerself!"
Shrugging, Hoots fires his own new gun at the robot. The gun proves to be the same type of weapon and shoots a flare into the machine, this time imbedding itself in the robot’s chassis. Burning metal can be smelt as the flare singes the robot.
Dahlia gives the order to Snow and the tiger charges into the room and goes after the robot. However, the flare penetrating the robot’s body blinds the tiger, who misses as a result.
”Donec fidens, medicus apud vos cito. Non repugnat. Tune deterius faciet.” The robot slashes at Vallan with its needle-like claw, but misses. The flare continues to burn the machine.
<< | | | >>
____________________________
Vallan is heartened to see that Groog has already destroyed part of the machine. "Good smash, Groog!" he calls encouragingly. Bloody bright light, kinnae see what I'm doing! He squints hard against the bright lights, and manages to make a decent swing at the robot in front of him. His sword cuts a furrow in its metallic body, sending sparks flying.
Vallan calls on the power of Gorum. "This place is full of deadly opponents, and damned robots. Be on your guards!"
The machine crumples into a heap at Vallan’s attack and ceases to move, though the flare continues to burn in its chassis.
However, not twelve seconds later, after Vallan and Groog moved out of the room to get away from the blinding flare, the door at the southern end of the hall slides open to reveal two more robots. One, like the one they just killed, has a white chassis mounted upon four legs. The other, however, is a flying mechanical monstrosity, kept in the air by four whirling blades. Its two arms and hands end in spindly, multi-jointed fingers, and there appears to be some sort of firearm built into the underside of its chassis.
”Quaeso fidens, is mos tantum nocebit, donec corporalibus respuere!”
<< | | | >>
”Nutrix , placere mihi astitit, et maneo manere tranquillitas aegros curare .” The robot with the whirring blades aims at Vallan with its belly-mounted gun and fires a pair of shots in rapid succession, both hitting the target and nearly knocking Vallan off his feet from the blow.
In response, the other robot takes a step towards the group and looks to defend the ‘Doctor’ from any unruly patients.
__________________________________________
17
15
Seeing this flying metal man hurt Dorf, Groog roars in anger as he charges the thing, leaping in the air to bring his axe down overhanded into the nearest robot's framework.
__________
The white robot slashes at Groog just before the orc attacks and cuts him deep across the chest. In doing so, it injects some of the liquid into Groog; however, the orc’s fortitude protects him.
Realizing the newfangled gun wasn't quite as exciting as he'd hoped, Hoots levels his old trusty pistol at the doctor and fires.
"Quis est hic medicus?"
Vallan charges the medical bot that Groog hit, adding his own slash to the machine.
”Nutrix , placere mihi astitit, et maneo manere tranquillitas aegros curare .” The robot with the whirring blades aims at Vallan with its belly-mounted gun and fires a pair of shots in rapid succession, both hitting the target and nearly knocking Vallan off his feet from the blow.
In response, the other robot takes a step towards the group and looks to defend the ‘Doctor’ from any unruly patients.
Seeing this flying metal man hurt Dorf, Groog roars in anger as he charges the thing, leaping in the air to bring his axe down overhanded into the nearest robot's framework.
The white robot slashes at Groog just before the orc attacks and cuts him deep across the chest. In doing so, it injects some of the liquid into Groog; however, the orc’s fortitude protects him.
Realizing the newfangled gun wasn't quite as exciting as he'd hoped, Hoots levels his old trusty pistol at the doctor and fires. The bullet chinks off the robot, dealing no damage.
"Quis est hic medicus?"
Vallan charges the medical bot that Groog hit, adding his own slash to the machine, dropping the ‘nurse’ into a heap of metal.
”Come here, Snow!” Dahlia calls her cat to her and casts a spell on the creature, protecting it from harm.
Bonnie, meanwhile, moves forward and channels energy, healing Groog and Vallan.
<< | | | >>
The robot sees its ally go down and fires another pair of shots at Vallan, missing both this time. It then takes a claw and presses the panel on the door, shutting it in their faces.
______________________________________
(Miss)
Vallan moves through the door after Groog opens it. He rushes the robot, and says to Hoots, "Help me grab it." After the bird interferes, he tries to grab the doctor.
Groog kicks open the door, then rushes over to the thing and wedges his axe into it's chassis.
__________
The robot sees its ally go down and fires another pair of shots at Vallan, missing both this time. It then takes a claw and presses the panel on the door, shutting it in their faces.
Vallan moves through the door after Groog opens it. He rushes the robot, and says to Hoots, "Help me grab it." After the bird interferes, he tries to grab the doctor.
Groog kicks open the door, then rushes over to the thing and wedges his axe into it's chassis.
Hoots joins the fray and tries to help Vallan, but even together they fail.
Snow follows suit and tries to bite the machine, but is unable to jump high enough to reach it.
<< | | | >>
The machine, being surrounded, attempts to attack the one person so far that has damaged it. It reaches out with its two long-limbed claws and slash at Groog, trying to grab him. Both claws hit, and cut more wounds into the Orc, but neither claw is able to grab hold of him.
________________________
Groog continues to roar in a bloodrage as he continues to wail on the mechanical monstrosity.
__________
Vallan tries to help Groog take down the killer doc-bot!
Miss :(
The machine, being surrounded, attempts to attack the one person so far that has damaged it. It reaches out with its two long-limbed claws and slash at Groog, trying to grab him. Both claws hit, and cut more wounds into the Orc, but neither claw is able to grab hold of him.
Groog continues to roar in a bloodrage as he continues to wail on the mechanical monstrosity.
Vallan tries to help Groog take down the killer doc-bot! However, his attack misses.
Meanwhile, Hoots works to distract the machine to help Vallan hit it, and Snow fruitlessly attacks the machine, hitting it once with a claw but unable to break through the metal hide.
<< | | | >>
”Periculi, periculo, damno limine septuaginta quinque sentio valde.” The machine sputters as it gets damaged by Groog. In a fit, it attacks the raging orc with both of its claws, slashing him with both of them and managing to grapple hold of him with the second one. It relentlessly holds on to the furious patient.
____________________________________________
Groog's eyes seem to glow red as the vessels in the whites of his eyes engorge with blood in his anger. He gives in to his primal, natural instincts, and raises his axe up and brings it down hard, bellowing out a spine tingling "GGRAAAAAAAAGGGGGHHHHH!"
__________
As Groog finishes destroying the robot and calms down, the group become alerted to a noise within the room. A row of beds sits along the southern wall of this well-lit room . Glowing screens and metal desks sit on the opposite walls, and splatters of blood adorn the floor and several of the beds. To the east, a large metal device that is the size of a large bed hums softly.
It is from this large metal device that the group can hear screams and feeble thumping coming from within it.
Once Groog catches his breath and notes the thumping and yelling, he moseys over to it and squats over the thing, looking at it inquisitively. He looks to find some seam or crease to slip his fingers in to get a grip, and tries to tear the thing open.
At first he appears to be getting frustrated, but soon, it is clear he thinks of it as a sort of puzzle, and his tongue is sticking out the side of his mouth as he keeps looking for new ways to pry it open.
__________
Vallan follows Groog, and takes some time to fully examine the machine from which the muffled sounds are coming.
Examining it, it appears to be some sort of human-sized locked container - perhaps some sort of holding cell. A flashing light flickers on a panel on the side, and it appears it can be unlocked by simply touching the panel with a black-coded access card. Meanwhile, the screaming and thumping continues inside.
Vallan uses the black access card to unlock the container. Then he presses the panel to open it.
As soon as Vallan opens the broken stasis pod, a middle-aged man wearing a bloodied outfit lurches out of the machine and falls face-first onto the ground, twitching, moaning, and groaning. Drool leaks from his mouth as he tries to speak and stand up, but its quite apparent that his legs have been horribly mutilated by the medical robots the group destroyed, and he appears half-mad with fear from what’s been done to him.
Dahlia recognizes the man instantly. ”Thats Khonnir! We found him!”
Even at a cursory glance, Vallan can tell the man’s had severe brain trauma, though from what exactly he’s unsure of. Joram Kyte, the town’s Priest of Brigh, will likely be able to fix his condition.
"Khonnir, mate! Nae!" Vallan says, rushing to crouch next to the man. He might not be able to completely restore the wizard, but he can heal some of his wounds at least. "Dahlia, the wand!"
Dahlia produces the wand, speaks the command word, and taps Khonnir with it, filling her mentor with the vitality of a devil. When the healing wears off, she gives him another dose for good measure.
Although unable to speak, Khonnir is able to walk on his own, if barely, and obviously recognizes Dahlia. He is, however, half-mad and barely able to move about on his own. He does, however, try and shuffle his way over to the northern desks, underneath which appears to be a backpack of modern-design. He seems to recognize it.
"Let's get him back tae Kyte, and collect our reward. He needs treatment, and his daughter needs him. We can get some better gear and come back tae finish the job after," Vallan suggests. He helps Khonnir to his feet, steadying him with an arm around his waist. "C'mon, Khonnie, lad. Time ta go home."
"There remains the matter of how we're going to get Khonnir back through the lake in his current state," Dahlia says.
"It's only fourty feet. He kin hold 'is breath for that long I imagine," Vallan replies. He helps the wizard over to the backpack, and retrieves it for him. "This yours, Khonnie?"
Examining the room, Vallan finds the western doors are locked with a higher security clearance than a black access card will allow; However, that is the least of the discoveries, as he also discovers a number of tech devices amongst the broken ones on the desks. The functional ones include a hand-held device with a small, round screen on the top of it, some sort of wand-like device with a liquid reservoir at one end, two canisters filled with a curious gray powder, an odd gun-shaped device filled with the same gray powder in the canisters, and two small, vial-sized canisters of a red, blood-like substance.
Vallan collects the oddities, and stuffs them in the bag. "We can figger out what these do back in town," he proclaims.
After collecting the loot and Khonnir, the group makes their way back. They follow the exact same route back as they came in, going past the bloodstained hallway, out into where they fought Hetuath. The group momentarily stop here to grab the rest of their loot before continuing onwards through the malfunctioning machine and through the desert habitat.
Reaching the next door, they find the previously-unpowered section of the dome to be powered again. It appears that the unpowered machinery is now working properly, and a flashing panel upon the wall blinks, as if wanting to be pressed.
Vallan, taking a moment to examine it now that its powered, realizes that its some sort of sterilization chamber - with a press of a button, it can be used to cure the diseases of anyone in the room.
Continuing forth, the group enter the caverns and Groog snatches up the two corpses. Khonnir appears to recognize one of them, and looks saddened at the appearance of his dead companion. Nevertheless, they continue forward. Once at the spot where they have to go underwater, Vallan explains as much to Khonnir slowly and clearly. It takes a few moments for the disabled wizard to understand, and he takes an exaggerated breath of air in preparation. The group then dive into the water.
It doesn’t take long for them to get through, even though they are no longer blessed with water breathing, and they emerge coughing and sputtering from the tainted water. It is early morning outside, and they drag Khonnir to the Temple of Brigh, where they find Joram Kyte going about his early morning prayers.
He yelps with joy at the sight of his old friend and rushes to help the group. Upon hearing the explanation of his condition, Joram runs off and returns momentarily with a wand, which he uses to cure Khonnir of his ailments.
He then identifies the two corpses they brought in. The female half orc is a local, and popular, brawler in town who had recently gotten in with the Rope Fist Gang, a group of troublemakers. Although he has no reward for the return of her corpse, Joram promises to put in a good word with the townsfolk on the group’s behalf.
The second person is identified as Gerrol Sonder, a rogue who was a part of Khonnir’s expedition. Joram says that the rogue was recently betrothed to a local weaponsmith’s daughter named Emelia Otterbie, and the group would likely be rewarded for contacting her with her betrothed’s fate. Joram, meanwhile, will ensure a proper burial for the man.
Once Khonnir is feeling better, he and Joram lead the group to the Town Hall, where Dolga greets them warmly, giving each of the group a big hug - even Groog - in thanks for bringing back Councillor Baine. As promised, she brings them a sack of platinum coins equaling four-thousand gold and throws in the Scroll of Resurrection since they brought back Khonnir alive, if not entirely whole at the time. She also procures for them the promised discount vouchers, giving the group a 10% discount at all shops.
Khonnir, for his part, thanks the group profusely for saving him. He brings them back to his abode, where Val gives him a warm welcome home. He promises them free lodging, though his tavern has no place for them to sleep; instead, since his own house doesn’t have room, he promises to pay for their lodging at the local inn, and free food at his tavern whenever they feel like it.
He even throws in a Scroll of Technomancy in thanks, and promises to identify any technological items for them free of charge.
Vallan makes sure to take a hearty squeeze of Dolga's rear when she hugs him, and gives her an exaggerated wink. He then takes up Khonnir on his offer of free drink and food at the Foundry, insisting the others come along so they can discuss their next moves. He leaves the technological items with Khonnir, asking him to please identify them for the group. Then he has a couple of beers and a meal.
"So, Dahlia, you fancy going to talk to this Otterbie lass? Seems like you'd be best suited of all of us. Groog would smash her, Bonnie would talk to her house, I'd offend her, and Hoots would tell her about his cloaca. You're the only one with a lick o' socialness in ye," Vallan says to the young sorceress. "Once we've ascertained how much money we have, we can split the proceeds, gear up, and go finish the job. Yeah?"
When Dahlia goes to Otterbie to tell her of her betrothed's fate, she breaks down in crying for a few minutes. Afterwards, she is greatful for the closure, and promises to get her father to craft the entire group masterwork weapons of their choice, although it will take a few days.
As the group spend a few days shopping, resting, and waiting for their new weapons to be forged, they are approached by a nervous-looking courier, who delivers a message to them. This message is from a man named Garmen Ulreth, owner and proprietor of the town’s local card hall (and tavern)l, imaginatively called the “Silverdisk Hall”. Garmen promises them some free gambling tokens for the town’s newest adventurers, in thanks for not only looking into the town’s problems, but also in thanks for rescuing the beloved town council member Baine. Whether or not they accept is, of course, up to them.