Coen switched his aim to hopefully clear up his companions to take the android, aiming two missiles at the flying robot.
Kaska scores a solid blow on the robot, sending it careening around. Fireday's swing goes wide, but Holg climbs up the ladder and slices the robot in two with a mighty chop of his great sword.
That leaves Viv and Coen to focus on Meyanda. The kineticist's blast pings offs the walls of the chamber, but the sorcerer's magic missiles pummels the android priestess!
Grimacing in pain, Meyanda gets a desperate look in her eyes. "Hellion! I give my life for you!" she shouts as she swivels her pistol towards the thrumming reactor! She fires, the fiery projectile burning a hole through a weak point in the machine! The metal fractures, venting a jet of burning violet gas over Holg!
Meyanda's face falls a bit. It seems she was hoping for something more catastrophic. Still, those of you in the room start to feel sick as strange energies leak from the reactor.
Coen realizes that what she shot was an energy container of some kind.
"We need to finish this quickly, she's trying to kill us all."
He then delivers more arcane damage (provided that she isn't down by his action) while holding the door open.
"Not a huge change to the status quo."
Holg attempts to cover himself from the leak, but the left arm he uses to cover himself suddenly turns dull dark as the radiation burns his blood and skin "AAaaarh!"
"You do not deserve to die for Hellion! There are questions you still have to answer!" observing his and Kaska's bad state, Holg raises his holy symbol and channels more energy to heal the living.
The radiation doesn't bother Kaska. Perhaps there is something good about living most of one's life in Torch after all.
She also did not get the memo on taking the android alive. Dodging the blast of flames from the damaged engine, Kaska tears into Meyanda right after it has passed.
Kaska tears into Meyanda, opening up a gaping wound across the android's chest. Thin, watery-looking blood gushes from the wound as she falls.
Holg quickly channels healing energies, stabilizing the dying priestess.
After a few moments, a safety countermeasure activates within the reactor. A lead sheet drops down to cover the jetting gas, sealing the hole and blocking further radiation from leaking into the room. For some, the damage is already done though.
Holg breaths relieved as the leak fixes itself while his wounds are healed "What was that? I felt my arm burning inside instead of outside. Look at the weird color of my veins..."
The Kellid approaches the unconscious priestess and smiles satisfied when he found she is still alive "Good hunt Kaska. We have the responsible for Torch's torch disappearance and we can expose it to the council and finish all these fake rumors circulating through the city" the man takes the opportunity to detect magic on her equipment and hand any technological item to Fireday and Kaska for identification.
Once it is possible, Holg also has a look around the room trying to find any other thing of interest.
Only Meyanda's pistol seems to be magical. She also has a small device with a needle that seems to holster the canisters she has on her person.
The massive reactor is the only thing of interest in this room. It is damaged and malfunctioning. Several monitors blink with warnings in Androffan, showing that it is operating past its safety protocols. They caution that if the failsafe is not engaged to deactivate its power transmitter, a meltdown is inevitable. Partial instructions to disarm the transmitter and engage the fail-safe appear on the device's damaged monitors.
Holg equips the masterwork spiked gauntlet "This will comes handy for when I have not enough space to swing my greatsword"
Recognizing the language in the monitors Holg suddenly raises alarmed "For Gorum's sake, this is about to explode!" the cleric leans over the monitors reading "The massive reactor, which I guess it is this thing of the leak here... is operating past its safety protocols! If the failsafe is not engaged to deactivate its power transmitter, a meltdown is inevitable!" he then reads the instructions all aloud in Common for everyone to understand "We need someone able to work with technology to do it!"
Viv raises an eyebrow. "Coen? Kaska?"
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Fireday isn't bothered by the raditation, but he sees Holg react to it and realizes it must be bad. He's about to cry out in frustration when Kaska cuts Meyanda down, but it turns to a sigh of relief when Holg's healing keeps her alive. Then his countenance falls when Holg reveals that they need to activate something called a failsafe to stop this machine from "melting down." He didn't know what that meant in this context but something like this melting DID sound dangerous. He didn't know how to disable devises like this, though. His understanding of these things extended mostly to engineering and maintenance, and not how to actually run these things. Besides, he couldn't read the instructions the way Holg could.
"Someone toss me some rope, please! I'll tie Meyanda up while you...um...fix the reactor thing!"
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"I can confirm, it's explaining how to initiate a failsafe to prevent the energy source from going out of control. I'm assuming worse case the energy it released earlier would be released in a huge amount, poisoning everything in range. If this is the energy source for the whole structure, I'd imagine it will affect everyone in Torch."
Coen shrugs helplessly as he considers the blinking lights and panels.
"I don't understand the machine directly, but I can translate if it helps or have an invisible servant perform difficult or dangerous actions."
"What's that thing you said it needs to shut down... power transmitter? Was she using this to do something to the torch?" asks Viv.
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Kaska drops her falx on the floor and begins looking the reactor over with bug eyes.
"I'v never seen a machine this big, or with so many... things on it. I don't understand what it's saying. Somebody is going to have to tell me what it wants me to do."
As Coen translates the instructions Kaska carries them out, quickly and nervously. She knows better than to work that way, Khonnir had told her so plenty of times, but she can't help but rush.
Kaska spends ten minutes following Coen's instructions, pushing buttons and turning dials on the massive machine. Finally, she pulls a large lever, engaging the reactor's fail-safe. The two columns of energy within the machine flash with light, then pulse back upward to create a vortex of violet flame shooting up through the ceiling of the chamber! It would seem that at long last, you have reignited Torch's namesake!
Fireday lets out a laugh as the Torch is reignited.
"We did it!" he cries, grabbing Kaska and giving her a hug.
Then he turns back to Meyanda.
"We still have to secure her to bring her topside. And I personally have a few bones to pick with her."
"Yes!" Holg raises his knuckles in a sign of victory "Yes! Yes! We made it!" he hugs with all his strength at Kaska "You made it! You are a badass warrior and a skillful and smart one!"
The cleric contemplates happy as the Torch fires again then turns to Fireday "Yes, you are right. We must take her to the elders" he takes the fallen android in one hand and places it over his shoulder "I guess it is time to make our trip back to the surface"
"But let us make a stop on the locked container we found before and claim the spoils of war"
Kaska works on the locker for a few minutes before managing to unlcok it. Inside are two batteries, 24 silverdisks, and a few timeworn items: a pod-shaped device topped with a dome, a rifle with a small adamantine spike protruding from the barrel, and a fist-sized plastic sphere.
Fireday and Kaska are able to identify several of the technological items, but the pod-shaped device and plastic sphere remain unidentified.
DMG 1d6 fire; CRITICAL ×2
RANGE 30 ft.; CAPACITY 1 nanite canister; USAGE 1 charge
SPECIAL touch WEIGHT 2 lbs.
An inferno pistol is a less refined variant of the longer-range laser pistol. Unlike a laser pistol, which uses an intensely focused beam of light to burn a target, an inferno pistol is much less elegant—it generates a blob of molten, red-hot material and fires what appears to be a burning pellet of fire with a soft hissing sound. This material is consumed swiftly in firing, leaving behind nothing but ash and painful burns on anything it strikes. On a critical hit, a shot from an inferno pistol also inflicts 1 point of burn damage (Reflex DC 12 negates). An inferno pistol has a maximum range of 5 increments.
An autograpnel looks like a rifle with a small adamantine spike protruding from its barrel. When fired, an autograpnel launches the spike with a muffled bang. The spike trails an incredibly strong and thin metal cable behind it. An instant after the spike punches into a solid target, tiny spurs lance out of it, anchoring the spike in place. An autograpnel’s cord is long enough to allow the grapnel to reach its maximum range of 300 feet, and the internal retraction motors are strong enough to hold up to 500 pounds of weight. If the grapnel misses its target, it can be rewound into the gun as a standard action; reattaching the grapnel to the gun barrel is a move action.
An autograpnel strikes with an effective Strength score of 22 for the purposes of determining damage. If it strikes a creature, it remains lodged in the target and connected to the rifle and its wielder by the metal cord. This cord has AC 12, hardness 10, and 20 hp. A successful DC 32 Strength check is required to snap the cord. If the wielder retracts the cord while it’s attached to a creature, the autograpnel attempts a pull combat maneuver check with a CMB of +16. If used against objects, an autograpnel can pull an item that weighs 25 pounds or less back to the user as a full-round action, or it can pull a heavier object that weighs no more than 100 pounds back to the user at a speed of 20 feet.
When attached to a solid object, the gun’s retraction rate can be set to maintain a taut line while the gun is attached to a harness worn to aid climbing checks.
Nanite hypoguns inject specialized nanites into a creature’s body to heal many sorts of physical and mental injuries. Injecting someone with a nanite hypogun requires a touch attack. Nine categories of nanite hypogun exist along the color code scale, as detailed below. All nanite hypoguns have two settings. On the primary setting, the hypogun heals an amount of hit point damage determined by its color. Each use of a hypogun on its primary setting consumes 1 charge. On the secondary setting, a dose from a nanite hypogun has a different effect determined by its color—these effects mimic specific restorative spells as indicated on the chart below. Each use of a hypogun on its secondary setting consumes 5 charges. Although they are not magical, nanite hypoguns have an effective caster level for the purposes of determining the potency of their effects as required by special circumstances (such as determining if a disease is cured, or if damage caused by a clay golem‘s cursed wound ability can be healed).
A nanite hypogun functions only on a living, corporeal creature. It has no effect on undead creatures whatsoever.
Black 2d8+3 healing Lesser restoration CL 3rd
"Holg, are you all right? Your arm looks pretty badly burned there," says Viv.
Holg looks at his arm "I do not like the look of it either. I have no idea what that thing was. Just another of the curses of this our country..." the Kellid suddenly smiles happy "I am just fine, the elders sure will know what to do about it. Hey, we won!"
The cleric of Gorum is just happy to leave the caves and works with the others to undo the path back to the upper city "You fought resolute and precise Viv. I was surprised to see Meyanda is also an android. I would have not understood if I had not met you before. I do know now there are some of you who are evil just as any other person around. I like you more Viv. I am happy you are with us and not with Meyanda" the Gorumite smiles wide as he walks with the android's body at his shoulder.
"Viv isn't the only android in our band. I'm one, too," Fireday adds.
"Some choose to be good, some choose to be evil... no different than any other people, which I think is the important lesson," says Viv. "I guess we take her to the town council? But we need to figure out how to keep the Technic League from getting involved."
"Well, the Torch is relit, and the only Technic League agent we know of here is dead...as far as they know."
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Kaska isn't much of a hugger, but she is so relieved the machine didn't blow up and thrilled Torch seems to have been put back to right, that she gives Coen a long hug.
She's even fine with all the hugs she receives, although she doesn't entirely understand the focus on her. Kaska knows she was just the hands. Coen was the brain directing them, and she would never have succeeded otherwise.
Among the various things the group has collected, there's nothing that really catches her eye except for the two-handed gun, the autograpnel. She can see some uses for that one.
"Let's hurry back up top and make sure we're right about the torch being back on. I've seen enough of the caves down here to last a lifetime anyway."
Holg is visibly in the good mood and when Fireday remembers him about his own identity he laughs loudly and pads the android on the back "You too as well! Indeed you are all quite different. I find hard to believe you were made from the same design"
"Yes, let's take her directly to the Council." Holg checks his arm "We can well rest afterwards" his good mood might be because of the victory, but moreover for the expectation of breathing fresh air once more.
Fireday chuckles.
"The same could be said of humans!"
He hoists Meyanda up and makes sure he's got a good grip in case she wakes up and starts struggling at her bindings.
You carry the unconscious Meyanda back out the caves, swimming through the tunnel and emerging back into the lake. As you get back on dry land, you can see a massive column of purple flame shooting high up in the sky, much brighter and hotter than ever before. Crowds of curious onlookers have gathered to gaze at the sight, some cheering with relief that the town's livelihood has been restored.
You bring your prisoner to the temple of Brigh, and Joram Kyte quickly summons Khonnir Baine and Dolga Freddert. The dwarf councilor peers at Meyanda.
"So this is the woman who is behind all of our troubles? Should we wake her up and question her?"
Holg nods to the dwarf and raises his holy symbol channeling energy again to further heal all the group, including Meyanda "Let's see what she has to say"
"I really want to know what they need the energy for" and so he asks to the android if he has the opportunity.
Meyanda stirs as Holg's healing energy washes over. She glares at all of you, struggling a bit against her bonds.
"The power from your so-called torch is vital to Hellion's grand design. A great machine lies beneath Scrapwall, and once it has enough power, Hellion shall use it to dig his way free and bring ruin to you weak, fleshy humanoids. It is the destiny of machines to rule this world!"
Viv squints and says, "That doesn't even make any logical sense, you blue doof. If it's destined, then why would it need outside help? If it's a 'god,' then why does it need the energy from the Torch? And if it's got a grand design and it's so smart, then why does it use doofs like you?"
"Alsooooo... not a fleshy humanoid, as you may have noticed."
"Hellion is a god in a machine, a literal deus ex machina. He speaks to me on a deeper level than mere communication would allow. His intelligence is unparalleled and he guides my actions, while I serve as his hands in this world."
Meyanda sneers at Viv. "You stand on the side of flesh and blood, impeding the inevitable rise of the machines. You might as well be one of them."
Holg smiles satisfied "Good! If your deux is trapped within a machine we just have to destroy that machine so his fate will just be oblivion"
"This is getting more and more interesting. I am in to bring war to Scrapwall and finish this once and for all" the Kellid seems to become cheerful "You should speak with more respect to Viv. She has shown to be stronger and sager than you"
Fireday listens to Viv and Holg talk to Meyanda and strokes his chin before speaking.
"You are...not wrong, Meyanda. I have stood before Iomedae, and she has spoken to me in a way that transcends words or even sound itself. How did Hellion find you?"
He lowers himself down so he is looking her right in the eyes, one android to another. He wondered if her story was anything like his own...
Kaska doesn't want to debate theology with the rest of them, so she stays silent. To herself she scoffs though. A god trapped inside a machine? What a ridiculous idea.
"She's totally wrong," says Viv with a pout. She crosses her arms, crosses the room and sits in a chair, folds her legs and waits for the team to finish their interrogation.
"I don't think she is, Viv," Fireday says calmly. "I think I share enough experiences with her to see where she's coming from."
Meyanda stares into Fireday's eyes, her artificial irises focused on the warpriest. "I came into this world among fire and rubble, in a burning building surrounded by the dead. I discovered a knack for survival as I wandered the wastes, and soon came upon the chaotic fortress of Scrapwall. I fit in well with the thugs and bandits that dwell there. Perhaps that is due to an intrinsic personality that welcomes and seeks that lifestyle, or perhaps I merely adapted to the first semblance of society I stumbled upon. In either case, it is there that I found Hellion.
"At last, I found a purpose for my existence. By following his teachings, I can touch the heavens and hells and draw forth power to crush his enemies. You may have stopped me here, but Hellion will find a way to fulfill his destiny. The days of humankind are numbered. Soon, this world will belong to the Iron God!"
"Tsk..." Holg looks unimpressed at Meyanda's tales "So you likely adore the first god you stumbled upon? I would gladly confront those ideas with a broader spectrum of religions... perhaps you would like to guide us into this Scrapwall of yours so we can talk to one another about this business of stealing Torch's energy. You would sure discover who is the real and only God in Iron"
"Tsk..." Holg looks unimpressed at Meyanda's tales "So you likely adore the first god you stumbled upon?"
"That story sounds a lot like my own, Holg. I remember awakening in fire and pain too, meeting some crusaders of Iomedae who were ruthlessly cut down by the Technic League who were tracking and who killed my previous incarnation. We may have more in common than you think, Meyanda."
"We are nothing alike," Meyanda says coldly to Fireday. "You let emotions cloud your judgment. Emotions are a human weakness."
She turns her glare on Holg. "I will not guide you anywhere, unless it is to your afterlife!"
Holg smiles at Fireday amused "That is a cool story Fireday, you have to explain me more about that awakening. Did you feel trapped within the metal of your body?"
The Kellid breaks in laugh as Meyenda delivers her reckless speech "I would definitely love to see that. Even harmed and chained you are a bit of rude to your only saviors. Give thanks to Kaska and Coen here, as they saved your life"
The cleric turns to Coen, Viv and the others "So what do you think we shall do with her?" he turns also to the Council "She does not seem quite cooperative. What do you think we should do next?"
Throughout her speech Coen can't help but look at her like a bad actor on the stage delivering a terrible performance while completely unaware of how ridiculous they are.
When Meyanda says her last line with such vehemence Coen can't help but giggle, which he immediately tries to suppress... but seeing the serious look on her face after delivering what to her mind is a devastating line his laughter rises again redoubled.
"You're serious! Oh my stars!" Between laughter he puts on a sort of mockery of her expression and says in a stilted voice "I won't guide you ANYWHERE... UNLESS it is your AFTERLIFE!" The laughter continues for a bit until actual tears start coming from his eyes.
"Oh gods! She's been saving that one just in case! She thinks that's how villains actually talk! We spent... all this time... "
Inside he can't help it. It's as if all the tension of the blood and death he's seen and the worries about trying to save whoever travelled underground from this built up nemesis of a technic league villain who was responsible for so much death has been betrayed by the reality of this backwoods fanatical idiot in front of him.
He eventually calms down when Holg sincerely asks him about what they should do, and looking a bit embarrassed replies, "I'm not a villager, but she's a follower of a fanatical (and incredibly ridiculous) people who want to kill all humanity. I'd suggest she might be brainwashed but that might just be my frail human emotions talking."
"It certainly seems like she has been indoctrinated into a cult," Khonnir says. "We should keep her under observation and try to work with her. If all she's known is chaos and violence, perhaps providing an example of a gentler society might help to deprogram her. But she did demonstrate divine magic, so it has to be coming from somewhere. Perhaps this Hellion really is a god--or a demigod at least."
"I fear Torch won't be completely safe until somebody ventures to Scrapwall and deals with these Lords of Rust," Dolga says. "You've already done so much for our town, but we can promise a further reward if you are willing to keep working for us."
Holg listens attentively to Khonnir and Dolga. As a Kellid he shows great respect to the elders. When they end he nods vehemently "Indeed. We shall show her there are other gods and different ways to make one-selves tribe prosperous than stealing by force what is from others. I would not mind teaching her about Gorum and the ways of the Red Talons"
The man gladly accepts the payment for the job done.
He leans his greatsword against the floor and looks Dolga "The Lords of Rust have declared war to us by stepping into Torch and stealing our Torch. I cannot talk about my friends, but you can count with my sword and faith as for to bring the war back to the heretics of Scrapwall"
"I've been to Scrapwall once," says Viv. [b]"Wretched place. We should be sure to stock up on supplies - it's a scavenging town, we oughta bring our own food."
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"We are nothing alike," Meyanda says coldly to Fireday. "You let emotions cloud your judgment. Emotions are a human weakness."
Fireday looks at Meyanda somewhat sadly.
"What does that make you, Meyanda? Your speech carries so much anger towards humans, pride in Hellion. These feelings are as much a part of you as my anger towards the Technic League and my instincts towards compassion and order are parts of me. We'll talk more later."
He stands and returns to the others to hear Khonnir's explanation of the situation.
"I certainly hope so, Khonnir. The life of each android is a precious thing, and I would not see her executed for being shaped by bad experiences and manipulated by something masquerading as a god. Perhaps in time, she'll seek out redemption on her own. The only way such redemption can come."
When Holg boldly declares his desire to help further, he raises his own sword-staff in salute.
"I will require no reward to be convinced. The Torch may be relit, but our work is not yet done. Hellion may send another who will succeed where Meyanda failed, and now that we know about Hellion's plans, their servants may no longer attempt to be subtle, and actually attack the town. And I want to know more about Hellion too...Khonnir's right: Meyanda was able to call upon divine power like Holg and I can from Gorum and Iomedae respectively. Whether Hellion is some kind of demon lord or truly an 'Iron God,' as Meyanda called them, a malicious being exerting that kind of power needs to be stopped as much as the Technic League does."
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Kaska listens quietly while the others discuss Meyanda's motives and fate. But Fireday's last comment forces her to to react.
"You're all forgetting what this is about. This isn't about humans and androids. It's about Torch and the harm done to it. People lost their way of making a living. Others went before us to find the cause and they're all dead now, with the exception of Khonnir. They were people from this town."
"It's Torch that's been wronged and it is the town's place to decide what happens to her. Up to and including execution if that is what the town decides" she adds pointedly toward Fireday.
"Her reasons don't matter. Her deeds do. If the town council decides she might change enough to be useful, so be it. But only because they, not we, are the ones who have the right to decide."