"Wait Kaska, let's move on before Fireday's blessings expire" Holg exchanges a bless spell to heal Kaska.
"Let's find out the energy source, we can then come back to open the locker" if Kaska does not disagree, the Kellid moves then to the next door and opens it.
Viv picks herself up from off the floor and dusts off.
"That was embarrassing."
"I got it, your aether has nothing to do with being an athlet" Holg smiles to Viv as he offers a hand for him to incorporate "Could you throw away the containers at them instead?"
"You mean the crates? Too big for me to handle yet," says Viv as she accepts Holg's assistance back on her feet. "I can only manage small objects, but they go very fast."
"I suspect they're more of this Meyanda's henchmen from Scrapwall. I think someone back in town mentioned seeing people like them among one of the groups that went in and never came out," Fireday says in answer to Holg's question about the ratfolk.
He nods at Holg's suggestion to continue. "Iomedae is not the goddess of valor for nothing. If anything, fighting more of these cretins will mean fewer of them defending our enemy when we track her down."
Kaska shrugs and leaves the lock until later.
"Alright, let's go."
Kaska uses a keycard to open the next door. Cushioned chairs and metal tables are situated throughout this small room. To the north are several doors, while a few broken machines lie against the walls. Broken panels cover the ceiling, and mounds of what look like shattered glass have been pushed under the tables.
Two half-orcs and four ratfolk stand ready in this room. They raise their weapons and prepare to attack!
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Fireday starts towards the enemies, but stops himself mid-stride.
"Being too eager to prove my valor got me killed. I shouldn't go in there alone. Let's funnel them to this door where they can't flank us."
He steps into the room and readies his weapon as he stands by the door, waiting for Holg or Kaska to join him.
Fireday quickly rushes into attack a half-orc, but the enemy blocks his spade with the broken piece of machinery in his hand.
The half-orc moves around to flank the android, exposing himself to a counterattack. Both jab at the warpriest with their improvised weapons. Fireday parries one, but the other finds a gap in his defenses and drives the twisted metal into the android's side!
The ratfolk level their crossbows at Holg and fire! Fortunately, his armor protects him, the small bolts plinking off the steel!
Holg steps back and raises his left hand with a piece of flint and a pinch of silver dust while he calls a blessing "Gorum's light take our enemies!" and completes burst of radiance.
The room fills with a brilliant flash of shimmering light that engulfs most of the technological thieves.
RETCON: The half-orcs attack Holg instead, one scoring a hit in the flat-footed priest!
As one of the half-orcs stumbles from the sudden blast of light, Viv homes in on him and focuses her lead bullet with a burst of aetheric energy.
Kaska barely has the door open before there's a whole lot of half-orc in the doorway. She's not ready, and backs away from him.
Fireday grabs one of the plumbata from his side and wings it at the half-orc.
Coen fires two magic missiles into the nearest half-orc.
As Kaska withdraws to open up more space, Viv and Fireday hurl ranged attacks at the half-orc, but neither one hits.
The ratfolk reload and shoot at Holg again, but none of them hit.
The blind half-orc swings his weapon in front of him to ward off blows, focusing on his defense. The other one snarls and steps forward to attack Holg again, but he misses badly, leaving himself open for counterattack!
"Rats! Do not think you will so easily defeat me!" seeing all the ratfolk are shooting at him, Holg places more attention at defending himself while he swings his sword back at the door half-orc "Let's finish off first the one blocking the entrance!"
The Kellid considers stepping back to let Kaska engage the half-orc, but ultimately remains in place to protect the spot.
With no better way to get an improved firing position, Viv simply fires another bullet at the lead half-orc.
Kaska moves back farther, leaning her falx against a case and taking up her bow. Her shot has to avoid Holg though and ends up hitting high on the doorway.
"Give way, let them come!" she shouts.
Fireday takes two swings at the half-orc alongside Holg.
Viv produces another bullet and launches it with her tendrils of aetheric force.
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Considering the chaotic situation in front of him Coen drives magical force into the lead orc. As the bolts of force dart impossible through the melee in front of him he has a brief moment to feel grateful for learning a spell where he never has to aim.
Coen's magic missiles burn two more holes into the half-orc. Vic's blast leaves him staggered and dying though he fierce clings to consciousness. The rest of you miss with your attacks.
The ratfolk fire, hoping for a lucky shot, while the orc swings on Holg again. None hit!
Observing the rats are attacking him, Holg continues to fight cautiously.
The Kellid waits to see if Viv's attacks is enough to finish the half-orc, or if Fireday does so, then he moves over the rats to attack ignoring the blinded half-orc. Otherwise he swings at the half-orc blocking the door.
Fireday makes another attack at the half-orc between him and Holg.
Since it seems Holg is determined to hold the half-orc at the door, Kaska sends another arrow that way, even though it is likely a wasted effort.
"For Victory! For the Heart!" Fireday cries.
Fireday slashes the half-orc with his monk's spade, cutting it down. Holg rushes forward and cuts into one of the ratfolk, badly wounding it! Viv and Kaska both miss with their ranged attacks. Coen fires a pair of magic missiles, one finishing off the wounded ratfolk and the other injuring the one next to it.
The blind half-orc steps up to Holg and swings his weapons wildly. The ratfolk draw swords, two swarming in the same space to assault the cleric. Thanks to his defensive fighting, none of them land a good hit!
Viv hops down past Fireday, brushing past her fellow android as she moves through the doorway, then doubles back into the hall on the other side so that there's still room for the others to join the fray. She lines up a shot with one of her beads and launches it at the ratfolk at the far end of the line facing Holg.
Kaska abandons her bow and takes up her falx, rushing into the room after Holg. She comes up behind the half-orc intending to cut him down before he can become dangerous again.
Holg spins around to fight the blind half-orc as the ratfolks start to fall around "Admit your defeat! What are you doing in this strange place?!" he profits the flank given by Kaska.
The Kellid steps 5 feet diagonally to occupy the space of the ratfolk blasted by Viv, if the ratfolk has fallen, otherwise he steps 5 feet back towards Kaska if the blinded half-orc falls.
Fireday follows the others into the room to keep the pressure up on the half-orc, sword-staff whirling.
Coen rains a barrage of meteors on the half-orc. Fireday runs up to attack the half-orc, scoring a hit on the blinded foe. Holg slashes at him, but the orc's armor protects him from the glancing hit. Kaska lands a good cut, though, cutting the half-orc down! Viv blasts one of the swarming ratfolk assaulting Holg.
The two remaining ratfolk swarm Holg in a desperate attack, but the Kellid's defensive fighting keeps him safe again!
"Brrrrrr! Barbar things, you are defeated, can't you see?!" the Kellid slashes once more to the ratfolk in front, then steps back to let Kaska a spot in.
Viv launches another blast at the ratfolk, but has trouble shooting past the front line of melee and the bead ricochets several times off the interior walls.
"Barbar? What is this language you're speaking, Holg?" Fireday asks as he advances on one of the ratfolk and attacks.
His fingertips feeling numb, Coen shakes his hands and attempts to cast again... only to feel lightheaded as his vision dims and stars begin forming at the edge of his vision.
Cursing himself internally he becomes aware that the feeling of numbness is slowly turning to a raw burned feeling all over his skin, something that has happened before when he pushed himself too far for too many days.
Shaking it off, he settles for a gift from his blood, creating a column of fiery rock stretching from the floor below the orc to the ceiling above.
"Burned out on real magic, so don't expect much."
Kaska steps over the half-orc on the floor and strikes at a ratfolk.
Coen's meteor strike burns the remaining ratfolk. Holg cuts one down with a mighty swing of his sword, while Fireday and Kaska team up to finish the last one off. All of your foes have been defeated!
"Well fought friends. Those made a real battle." Holg checks the fallen bodies while the party finds the goo tubes "Now pack here with me, let Gorum heal your wounds so our fight can continue"
With the fallen bodies out of range, the Kellid raises his holy symbol and channels energy healing the party.
Once everybody is ready to continue, Holg opens the door south and checks the next room.
The door opens into the room where you previously fought the gargoyle. The creature's body is nowhere to be seen, but now you have time to sort through the mound of junk at the base of the clawlike statue. It's mostly useless but interesting-looking pieces of scrap, but among the rubble you find 48 silverdisks, a strange pair of worn goggles set with a black crystalline strip, two rolls of ion tape, a zipstick, and a worn open-faced helmet made from a hard blue material. The helmet includes a strap and adjustable tinted visor capable of hiding all but the wearer's mouth and chin.
Fireday picks up one of the bucklers.
"Anybody mind if I claim one of these?" he asks.
As they sort through the loot, he uses Iomedae's gifts to check if any of these things are magical.