While they wait for the others Holg picks up the waterskin and smells. The man rugs his nose in a grimace, then holds it in the air while raising a prayer "Gorum give some taste to this liquid, for those that shall fight for your glory" while casting tears to wine on it "That is better now..." Holg gives a long sip before cleaning his mouth with the arm and offering the wineskin to the others "Some extra courage will sharpen our senses"
"I say we make as much noise as we need to and no more. Do not feel bad to fire if you need to Molly" then Holg approaches the strange technological weapon to try examine it "What might this be...?"
Milly takes a swallow of the offered drink before looking around the room containing the weapon.
Fifteen also takes a swig, although she does not appear entirely impressed by the taste.
She too examines the room and then moves slowly towards the weapon.
With the carrot heightening his senses, Holg spots a trap! Several cleverly concealed tripwires cross the room, set to trigger a trio of grenades if anybody gets too close to the rifle on the ground!
"Hey! Watch out!" Holg makes a sign for everyone to halt, still holding the wineskin while the last ones squeeze through "Aren't those tripwires attached to the trigger of a batch of grenades?" the man blinks startled "I do not know if it is the wine or Paetyr's food, but I see very strangely acute. Maybe some of you is able to disrupt the wires without triggering the grenades?"
Fifteen nods and sets to work with a tiny razor blade that she produces from somewhere.
Viv prepares to respond if the grenades are accidentally triggered.
Fortunately, Fifteen is able to disable the trap without triggering it. You are able to salvage the three arc grenades, but the rifle itself is cobbled together from junk and worthless--just bait for the trap.
Another passage continues to the north.
Fireday takes a sip of the wine and follows the others.
"Honestly I'm surprised we haven't done this more often. Given all the techno-sh!t we've had to deal with, we all could have probably used some stiff drinks," he comments. Then the wine kicks in. "Oh gods I can see forever!"
"I guess that way?" says Viv, nodding at the northerly hallway.
"Yeah, let's not get carried away," Molly says as some of the others partake of the wine. "It's all a bit o' fun till someone says toss your knickers," she warns.
"I usually tell them money up front for that," replies Viv flatly to Molly as she peers with her darkvision into the hall.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The tunnel winds around for a bit before it opens into a small cave, the ceiling ten feet high and the floor cleared of the usual debris. Another tunnel exits the chamber to the northwest, though the way is filled with a pool of water.
A strange four-armed woman stands here. She has gray skin and a spade-shaped face and wears armor and a cloak made from the hide of an aurumvorax. She wields numerous technological items, including a long rifle and a shield made from hard light.
The woman seems surprised to see you, and she calls out in Androffan. "Leave this place at once!"
Fifteen seems confused by the conversation, if the way her head turns back and forth between Molly and Viv is any indication.
When the four armed woman is finally found Fifteen plays to her strengths, and doesn't say anything. Past experience has taught her that letting Molly talk to people first results in less fighting. Usually. Unless Molly has been drinking, or they make jokes about short people.
"I usually tell them money up front for that," replies Viv flatly to Molly as she peers with her darkvision into the hall.
Molly laughs at Viv's joke, because, of course, it has to be a joke.
"If that's what you really want us to do, we'll do that," Molly replies in the same language to the four-armed woman. She mimics the woman's weapon readiness with her own. "But we came here after hearing that you're fighting against the brain-stealers. We are as well and had hoped that we could combine forces against them."
The woman seems surprised when Molly responds in Androffan. ”If you are enemies of the Dominion, then I welcome you into my home.” She gestures for you to follow her past the pool of water and into the last chamber of this tunnel.
This cave is split in two by three rock columns. The floor is clear of debris and a small rectangular device hums in one corner, its grill-like front filling the air with warmth. Lying beyond a series of rock pillars to the south is a deerskin pallet on a bed of evergreen boughs. A pile of berries, mushrooms, and freshly cooked small mammals sits on a nearby bolder being used as a table.
”You may eat if you are hungry,” the woman says, gesturing to the food. ”I am Isuma, and I am from a distant world. This land is strange to me, as I must be strange to you, but it does good that we can talk. I need allies. I need companions. Those who took my previous ones still dwell to the west, and they still defile the bodies of my kin. I need your aid in securing revenge. Do this, and I shall aid you as well, as best I can.”
Fireday blinks in suprise at Molly's response.
"You know Androffan too? Excellent!"
He bows to Isuma.
"Well met, Isuma. I am Fireday of the Red Talons and sword-knight of the goddess Iomedae."
He takes a seat, listening to her admittedly terse and to-the-point story. When she finishes, he nods and makes the sign of the sword.
"Truly, you've been dealt a great injustice, and my goddess compels me to rectify that. You will have my aid in fighting back against this Dominion, and I'm sure my companions will say the same."
Viv cocks her head as if studying the figure, remembering a certain four-armed undead that the team encountered long ago.
Finally she cocks her head to the other side and says in Androffan, "Are you from Kasath?"
Isuma cocks her head as well. ”You have heard of it? Yes, I am a kasatha. I was invited away from my home by people like you—humans from a great ship called Divinity. They taught me their language, trained me with their weapons, and promised to eventually return me home so that I might share what they taught me with my people.
“But Divinity was attacked by creatures who identified themselves as the Dominion of the Black. The ship escaped, I know not how, but it was greatly damaged. Society aboard Divinity broke down, and my kin and I were forced to defend ourselves from mutineers. We learned that others on the ship had abducted members of another kasathan tribe and were keeping them as pets in a large contained habitat, but were unable to rescue them.
“The ship began to shake apart, and my kin and I sought shelter in stasis pods in an escape shuttle—devices intended to sustain life over long journeys. We entered the pods and hoped the escape shuttle would take us home—but I know now that shuttle crashed to your planet along with the rest of Divinity.
“We woke only recently, as captives of the Dominion. As far as I can tell, thousands of years have passed since Divinity’s crash here. I know not where the rest of the ship lies, or if any of my kin survive. I do know those who did not survive live a blasphemous half-existence as Dominion puppets, and they must be avenged.”
"Wow, that's quite a story," Molly says. She turns to look at Fifteen as if challenging her to say something. After all the times the android has called her out for telling 'Stories', there's an air of expectation in her gaze.
Holg follows interested the conversation between Molly and Viv. When they talk about knickers the man smiles and immediately offers more wine.
Talking Androffan... "Dominion, is that how the brain collectors are called?" Holg approaches the food and picks up a roasted mouse still dripping fat and bites it with delight following up with a sip of wine "My name is Holg, but some call me Redhawk. Take some of our wine Isuma, it will make you feel better."
"You say you are from a distant world, are you from Osirion? Perhaps from Tian Xia? I have heard there are very strange creatures leaving there" Holg's eyes brighten up at the proposal to fight some enemies "Oh great! Yes! I want to fight those enemies of yours. What are them exactly?"
"So this Divinity came from the stars! Coen was correct!!!" Holg looks impressed at Isuma "Well, then we need to know all the details, because there is something called Unity that somehow relates to your story that is trying to f%~+ up with our people nowadays"
Fifteen cocks her head in a gesture that Molly recognises as 'skeptical'. She doesn't say anything however and when Holg chimes in she steps closer to Molly and crouches to speak in the halfling's ear.
"It is foolish to continue a hypothesis when confronted by new data." She says matter-of-factly. "The balance of porbability favors this Isuma telling the truth. So it is not a story."
Molly's mature response is to cross her eyes and stick out her tongue at the android.
Fifteen smiles, winks at the halfling, and then pats her on the head as she stands up again.
As Fifteen stands up there's a sharp slap and she feels a stinging sensation on her bottom. Looking back at Molly, she sees the halfling wagging her finger at her.
"Later."
And the android turns back to the conversation going on with the alien, her face all polite interest.
”Unfortunately, I cannot tell you much else about Divinity. Almost all of my time there was spent within an isolated habitat module.
“But I can tell you about the Dominion of the Black. They consist of several species of creatures. I know not the names they give themselves, but they use our flesh, particularly our brains, as resources. Some are large and crablike and collect brains for use as magical batteries of some sort. Others are smaller and shaped like brains themselves and use our bodies—one of them is a sadist named Maukui, and it wears a huge, breath-stealing reptile as its suit. Maukui was the one who tormented me and would have killed me had I not escaped.
“They came here in the vast, decaying organic ship that now lies heaped on the shores of the lake to the west—I have not been into this ruined vessel, but there may be resources and answers within that can aid us in an assault on their hive. It was here that I woke, and I escaped from the den in panic. I’m sorry I cannot recall details of the layout of the hive, but I do remember that the doors of the place were valves of flesh that require organic keys to open, and that the walls of the place can see and hear, but could be tricked by certain chemicals. I tricked them by virtue of being coated with the blood of a Dominion agent I’d slain—other substances might work as well, but I am no scientist.”
"Okay, now that just sounds disgusting," Molly says as she takes a bite from her roasted squirrel.
"It looks like those things are not only alien to Numeria but an actual danger. Even if they were not related to Unity, we cannot leave them prowling around. I say we help Isuma to destroy this hive and fight this Maukui" Holg takes another sip of wine and offers to others as well "Coating in the blood of those brain killers seems like a great thing to do. If you think it is worth we can also check that vessel before going after the hive"
Molly considers the offered wine for a moment, but after a glance at Fifteen, she declines.
Isuma draws a crude map of the valley on the ground with a bit of charcoal. She indicates the locations of Mad Paeytr's grove, the Dominion dropship, and the hive. She also indicates a cave where a group of androids dwell (the same location Paeytr mentioned to you), as well as a fungus-encrusted cave.
"I have not been inside that cave, but I’ve seen the creatures that dwell within—they are as large as us but winged, with insectlike limbs and bulbous heads that flash strange colors. They carry strange weaponry and speak in buzzing voices. They seem to be enemies of the Dominion, but they do not seem interested in alliances. The one time I tried to approach, they nearly killed me. But an investigation of their caves to seize any weapons they might have might be a good idea—they are weaker on the whole than the Dominion aliens, although I know nothing of their total numbers.
"Of more immediate concern, the other half of the caves here are colonized by some sort of mechanical army--their deadly robot guardians have prevented me from exploring the area. Perhaps if we go there now, it would give us a chance to learn each other's combat tactics while simultaneously finding more tools to aid our mission?"
"That seems prudent," replies Viv to the alien. "We're well-provisioned and should be able to put several days of exploration into this task."
"I agree. And should our supplies run low, we can also speak to Paeytr and see if he has any more of his fruits to spare. Which lead do we want to explore first? Anyone good at 'mud-map-making,' so we can organize our tactics?"
The Kellid looks at Molly, then at Fifteen, but shrugs and offers the wine instead to Viv and Fireday.
Holg's eyes bright up as the new alien sets a plan "That sounds great Isuma. Let's see how are we well trained against those mechanical beasts that are causing you trouble!"
Viv politely declines the enchanted wine and says, "I agree, let's see about fighting some more terrible robots and monstrosities."
You squeeze back out of the narrow passage and enter the caves to the west. The entry cave is a large space, with stalactites depending from the ceiling twenty-five feet above. The rocky floor is irregular, requiring careful navigation, and a large pool of water hugs the northwestern wall of the chamber. Three natural columns of rock support the ceiling before this pool. A broad passage heads deeper into the caves to the southwest—sounds of clanging metal and the smell of burned oil come from that direction.
A crablike monstrosity looms in the middle of the cave. It takes a moment for you to realize that it is dead, its carcass crudely lashed together like some sort of alien scarecrow. The body shows signs of damage from extreme cold.
"Stay here," Molly says before moving quietly forward to investigate the body and possibly the source of the sounds.
Molly doesn’t see much of interest regarding the body. She continues into the cave.
A large pool of murky water occupies the center of this cavern. The muddy shores are surrounded by a hopeless tangle of metal tubes, gears, and mechanical junk and debris. A broad passage exits the chamber to the west, its surfaces worked smooth and plated with gray metal. A long-dead body of a woman lies near the southern wall, partially buried by the rubble.
Three small robots float in the air here. Spinning blades, long needles, and crystal-tipped rods stud the surface of these hovering metallic spheres. They easily notice Molly and begin to move to attack!
Viv once more rises off the ground slightly and then hurtles one of her metal shards at speed toward one of the spheres as is approaches Molly.
"Molly!" Fifteen yells, a noticeable edge of worry in her voice.
"I'm fine!" Molly calls out as she steadies her weapon on her left shoulder and takes careful aim. "Robot drones coming in!"
Once the group dedicates itself to clean the caves for Isuma and they reach the entrance with the crab carcass, Holg readies himself casting shield of faith and bull's strengh both extended with the help of the rod.
At the sight of the small robots Holg eyes shine in excitement and he runs towards the fray waving his adamantine greatsword as a greeting to pierce through the robot hard plates and delivering a Vital Strike on the one attacked by Molly "Gorum give me strength!!!"
Viv misses with her blast. Molly unleashes a barrage of bullets, battering down the force field around one of the robots and damaging its chassis. Holg rushes past the halfling to tear into the damaged robot. Kaska casts haste on the group.
That robot injects a needle into Holg's neck, flooding his bloodstream with nanites in an attempt to weaken him. The other two open fire on Molly with their surgical lasers!
Viv pauses for a moment before launching another attack at one of the medical drones.
Molly returns fire, her hands a blur as she reloads.
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
Fifteen glides across the floor with Kaska's magic to help her and whirls one of her silvery swords around in a bright arc.
"Ommph!" Holg clenches his teeth as he feels the strange substance going into his body. The man hits his neck trying to remove the needle.
Clearly weakened Holg swings his greatsword with little strength towards the robot. The Kellid steps to the side.
"FOR VICTORY, FOR THE HEART!" Fireday cries as he moves past Fifteen then raises his spade like a fixed spear and dashes past Molly to join Holg.
Fifteen's sword slices clean through the damaged robot, sending it crashing to the ground in two sparking pieces!
Fireday charges at the next one in line, damaging its force field with his spade. Viv's blast comes up just short of striking the robot, but Molly fires numerous bullets into it, one striking right in its power core. The robot explodes in a fiery burst!
Holg rushes past the flaming wreckage to get to the final robot, but his sickness causes him to miss.
The robot assaults him with its rotating blades, but his defenses prove too strong!
Viv finally manages to score a hit with a supercharged shard of metal.
