Kaska needs no urging from Gylwinth to press her attack against the floating robot. She tries to work her way around the bed it floats over while keeping it engaged.
She figures Viv must know something she doesn't about the robot. "Trying my best believe me! What does its arm do?"
Coen appears distressed more by the sounds of pain from the device in the corner than the violence happening before him.
"Our luck being what it is, I'd bet that's someone from Torch!"
Coen's magic missile blows off a chunk of one of the robot's rotors, though it doesn't seem to affect its maneuverability.
Viv's blast goes wide again.
Fireday steps in to slash at the robot, once more landing a solid strike. Unfortunately, Kaska and Gylwinth both miss with their attacks.
The robot shifts its focus to Fireday. It hits with him with one slam, but Gylwinth deflects its second strike. Still, it manages to grab a hold of the android, refusing to let go.
"That's what!" says Viv as the robot grabs Fireday.
Viv manages to hit this time, the telkinetically hurled sling bullet punching a hole in the robot's chassis.
Gylwinth stabs with his spear, driving the point right through the robot's eye! Sparks fly as the thing shudders and releases its grip on Fireday. It spirals out of control for a few moments before crashing into the wall and falling to the floor, unmoving.
The screams and pounding sounds still come from the humming metal device.
The muffled cries are unintelligible.
Viv hustles over to the mechanical contraption and says, "Someone, figure out how to open this without hurting whoever's inside!"
There's an access panel on the device. The black access card has enough clearance to open it.
Inside, you see a middle-aged man. Either by sight or by matching the description to the face, you recognize him as none other than Khonnir Baine! The poor man appears to be in terrible shape. He is malnourished, and his legs are covered with a lattice of surgical scars. There is a half-mad look in his eyes, but when he sees you are not robots, he seems to relax a bit.
He lets out a few feeble groans, but he seems to have lost the capacity for speech.
"Khonnir! Oh, we've found you at last - and alive!" says Viv, but she quickly takes on a more serious cast. "Um..." she says as she turns to face the team, "...I don't think he's in any condition to swim. Do we have any way to restore him, or will we need to nurse him back to health down here?"
"I'm not certain whether any nursing we can do here will fix whatever happened to him... also where are the others that were with him? There's a chance they're still alive in one of these other rooms."
Coen looks closely at Khonnir while offering him a waterskin, at the same time taking pains to not crowd him. A dreadful thought occurs to him, namely that if Khonnir goes for a drink he'd be able to tell if the robots took out the poor man's tongue.
Khonnir eagerly drinks the water. Coen can see that the man still has his tongue intact. Gylwinth heals some of his physical injuries, but he is going to need lots more intensive care before he is whole again.
Kaska is horrified by Khonnir's condition, it's more evidence to her that too much exposure to the unnaturalness of machines ruins the mind.
"Yes, lets take him back right now. If he can't swim on his own I can tether him to me and tow him."
"Agreed. If we can get him to the temple they can fix him right up."
Khonnir's only reply is a few pained groans, but he leans on Gylwinth as you return to the entrance of the caves. He panics a little when you approach the water, but Kaska's idea of tethering him to her works well. He still has sense enough to hold his breath during the short swim back out into the lake.
You quickly escort him to the Temple of Brigh. Joram Kyte gasps in surprise and relief upon seeing his fellow councilor. "Khonnir! You're alive! Do not fret, my friend, Brigh shall help repair what is broken." The priest casts a pair of spells to restore some of Khonnir's damaged mind.
"J-joram," Khonnir stammers, his capacity for speech returning. "Kaska. Th-thank you." He still seems impaired, but at least he can talk.
Fireday does not say much as they fight, apart from crying out in surprise and pain when the robot hits and grabs him, vaguely suspecting they were like the previous robots; doctors whose ability to heal had become harmful after centuries of isolation and madness, a suspicion seemingly confirmed when they're thoroughly smashed and Khonnir Baine is found inside.
He maintains his silence as they prepare to return him to the surface, knowing the man's condition was beyond his skill or his faith in Iomedae to heal, but he breathes a sigh of relief when they bring him to Joram at the Temple of Brigh and it becomes clear he will not suffer in this state for long.
"The first part of our quest has ended in success. Joram, how long will it take before Baine is out of this...diminished...state? I imagine his daughter will be eager for his return, and I myself have some questions for him once he is better."
Kaska takes Khonnir's hand and gives it a squeeze.
"You are back in Torch now Master Baine, and you're recovering quickly."
She gives him a brief hug. "All will be well soon. I will go and fetch Val. She's been waiting anxiously for some news. We will return shortly."
With that, Kaska goes to find Khonnir's daughter.
"I will need to pray to Brigh tomorrow for more restorative spells, but I should be able to fix him up soon," Joram says, but Khonnir shakes his head.
"Get V-val... Will explain..." he says.
Soon, Kaska returns with the young Kellid girl. Upon seeing her father, Val breaks into tears and throws her arms around him. "Dad! You're alive! I knew you would be, I just knew it!" Khonnir holds her tightly as she sobs with relief.
Eventually, Val releases Khonnir and the wizard explains the fate of his failed expedition. "We fought sk-skulks and sk-sk-skeletons, and made it to the strange chambers beyond. But the r-robots proved too tough. The others...dead... The robots performed d-dangerous s-s-surgery on me. Injected a serum into my brain. You n-need to cure the affliction or... Or my brain... My brain not get better..."
"Maybe one of the devices we found can cure him?" says Viv. "Aaaanyone know enough about this technology to figure it out?"
"Unfortunately, Khonnir here is usually the expert the council turns to in these matters," Joram Kyte says. After a moment's thought, he looks up. "There is a merchant in town who might be able to help. His name is Sanvil Trett. He is quite knowledgeable about the nature and function of technological artifacts. He maintains a stall in the Market Square--you can find him there during the day."
"The entire idea of modifying someone's brain... the motivations behind it are too alien to guess. It looks like I might have been right about that tentacled thing we fought before the robots, not that I'm glad about it. Also, I suppose I was wrong to hold out hope that others might still be alive."
Coen takes the opportunity to look at the devices for sigils or other writing that might be translated, but seems a bit shocked at the recent developments.
Fireday lowers his head. His face may still be covered, but it's clear he's frowning.
"We should proceed carefully. We may have saved Khonnir's life, but the purple-haired woman the tribe spoke of is still down there and the Torch is still cold. That woman wanted anyone following after her dead, and Khonnir only survived through his sheer arcane might. In his current state, that is obviously diminished, and he is vulnerable. She may have left spies of some sort behind in the town to watch for just this situation. There is now no doubt in my mind that the Technic League is involved in Torch's misery, and they are vicious and subtle. Khonnir needs to be protected until he can adequately defend himself."
"Then we need to somehow talk to this merchant, Sanvil Trett, without raising suspicion... and hope that one of the items we found can cure Khonnir of this brain-eating poison," says Viv.
"Wise words, Viv," Fireday replies.
"I'm staying too!" Val says. "I just got Dad back, I'm not losing him again!"
Gylwinth elects to remain behind while the rest of you head to Torch's Market Square. The southern shore of Crowfeather Lake is the location of Torch's largest marketplace, where the town's skilled artisans put their wares on display. It only takes a little bit of asking around to find Sanvil Trett. A variety of technological objects are spread out before him, and he gives you a smile and nod as you approach.
"Greetings, friends! Might I interest you in some of Numeria's marvels?"
"Actually, WE have a few marvels of our own that we were hoping you could help us identify," Fireday replies, leaning on his spade a bit.
"We might even make a sale or trade!" says Viv. "Or purchase some of your stock, if we can work out an arrangement. We could even see our way to paying you for your time and knowledge - I'd really like your expertise in explaining what some of these things can do."
"Of course. I would be happy to identify any items you might have found--for a modest fee, of course," Sanvil says with a smile. "And in the meantime, you can check out what I have in stock."
Before they go to see Sanvil Trett, Kaska looks over the items they will be taking to him.
-a handheld device with a small screen on top
-a wand-like device contains a reservoir at one end and a small pad at the other
-a small gun-like device with an injector at the end of the barrel
-two canisters that fit in to the previous device
-2 doses of a thick red pharmaceutical
Kaska is able to idnetify the wand-like device as a medlance, and the pharmaceutical as hemochem.
Kaska describes the purpose of the medlance and hemochem to the others, mentioning them as useful items which should be kept for later.
She also suggests getting Sanvil's offer for the flair guns. They could consider parting with one since there are three.
Sanvil examines the flare guns. "Hmm... A bit timeworn, but still functional. I'd be willing to pay 75 gold for one of these."
----
Back at the Temple of Brigh, Councilor Dolga Freddert arrives to check on Khonnir. After being apprised of his condition and engaging in some halting conversation, the dwarf turns to Gylwinth.
"You and your fellow party members have done well in rescuing our friend and fellow councilor. You have earned your reward. Now, if you can turn the torch back on, I'm willing to double it!"
"Not good," says Viv in answer to Gylwinth's question about Baine's condition. "If you folks don't mind, I'm going to take some of this reward back to Sanvil and have him identify the other items that we couldn't figure out. Maybe one of them can cure Baine's problem."
Sanvil identifies the items as a radiation detector, brown nanite hypogun, and two nanite canisters.
Of course Kaska went along with Viv to find out about the other items. She's pleased with what she hears, telling Viv "I think we should keep all of these. If Khonnir's afflication is a sickness the hypogun might cure him. The radiation detector is a good thing to have as well. Radiation is like a disease. It is invisible and lingers in an area, sort of like polluted water can make a person sick. It causes a wasting illness. We do not want to get it."
"I agree, we should try the hypogun on Khonnir. Didn't he say it was nanites in his head that the robot injected? Maybe nanites can stop nanites," says Viv to Kaska.
She gives the coins to the merchant, then adds, "So, Kaska, should we sell him one of the flare guns?"
Fireday nods at Kaska and Viv's assessment of the hypogun's use, but lowers his head a bit.
"Not to sound...paranoid...but I suggest we keep Khonnir's return quiet. We still don't know if the purple-haired woman left spies behind in the town, and it would be the worst fortune if Khonnir was rescued only to be assassinated after getting home. I have seen the League's men in action, and they are utterly ruthless and relentless in pursuit of their schemes. Let us perhaps, not speak his name so loudly around someone such as this trader."
Sanvil continues to smile pleasantly as you speak in hushed tones. He awaits any further transactions.
Kaska lowers her voice. Sure, let's sell one of them. It will more than cover the costs of getting these things identified. They can only be used once anyway."
"Thank you, Kaska," Fireday says quietly as they lower their voices.
"Your assessment is wise. Though Viv and I are made of the same machinery as these items, you understand them better than we."
Viv experimentally pokes Fireday, then says, "You have fleshy bits. This gun doesn't. That would be weird, wouldn't it? A gun made out of flesh, that coughs up chunks of bone or something?"
Viv experimentally pokes Fireday, then says, "You have fleshy bits. This gun doesn't. That would be weird, wouldn't it? A gun made out of flesh, that coughs up chunks of bone or something?"
Fireday rolls his eyes a bit.
"We are androids. I was trying to be poetic."