Paeon slides up next to it just behind Ed as room allows,
'Let's see what waits behind that door, maybe a name ready to be earned in there.'
[ooc[More than allowed mate - positively encouraged :)[/ooc]
Spearheaded by a bionic goblin and sluggish solarian, your band cautiously pull open the doors and enter the chamber beyond...
With its vaulted ceiling and smoothed stone floor, this sprawling cavern has the appearance of a primitive shuttle-hangar or landing bay perhaps — an impression further reinforced by the presence of a starship taking up the majority of the space...
Only the western wall is finished with the ceramic-metallic plating found elsewhere in the complex; the remainder of the cavern is hemmed by natural rock walls. Huge doors stand in the eastern wall of the chamber — doors easily big enough to accommodate the starship parked in front of them.
Of more immediate interest, however, are the two humanoid bodies splayed on the floor just inside the western doors, their internal organs spread artfully on the floor around the corpses.
You recognise the vessel as the Sunrise Maiden...
Nothing else stirs, nor makes a sound. Of your "Drift Wraith" there is no apparent sign...
Ed pulls his eyes away from the horrible corpses to the ship. Ooh. We found the Sunrise Maiden! Let's get out of here.
Startoad smiles raising his bolster up, “Yay! Ship!” And starts to jog towards it.
As Startoad and Ed make for the ship, one of the prone corpses seemingly lurches to life... rising up as a guttural rumble emits!
Phasing from underneath, now draped in the dissected corpse comes a mostly humanoid form. Its rubbery, jaundiced skin, translucent wings, and a long reptilian tail mark it out as something alien... Its head is a gaping, lamprey-like mouth filled with curved teeth that gurgles as it reaches its full 8ft height.
With a roar that echoes through the chamber the Garaggakal stands glistening in entrails and congealed blood as its maw pulses in hunger...
Drift Wraith
Fingernipper
Startoad
Noah2
Ed
Paeon
Ed gives out a piercing scream. Hide in the ship! Hide in the ship!
Ed's Mystical Insight:Something about the creature's traits and Moriko's warning stir a recall an Documemory you accessed on creatures of the Drift. One of these creatures was the Garaggakal, sometimes called a “Drift Wraith” by those spacefarers fortunate enough to have survived an encounter with one.
Highly intelligent, Garaggakals display intense curiosity about other creatures, but their extremely alien mindset makes peaceful interaction difficult, if not impossible. Garaggakals seem to divide all life into two categories: predators (such as itself) and prey (everything else). To a Garaggakal, the best way to learn more about a new alien species is to kill, dissect, and eat it — and not necessarily
always in that order...Like the eponymous wraiths they are named after, Garaggakals possess the ability to phase through solid objects. They can also leech life energy from their prey that fall victim to their terrible bite. However those who have survived encountering these Drift predators all noted that the creatures are vulnerable to electricity.
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Startoad screams seeing the body stand up and the creature within roar. CIC! Shoot it!”
As their space abomination rises up, Startoad brings his laser rifle to bear - lancing a grazing shot across the creature that burns its both its flesh and the corpse hat it wears!
In anger the creature shifts forward , and its leech like maw snaps at its goblinoid tormentor;
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Its bite initially halts on Startoad's shield, then compresses dissipating the cygob's defences, before hooking into flesh, circuity and metal!
Noah takes a guarded step back and casts Supercharge Weapon on his weapon.
Paeon steps forward to the beasty attempting to take a chunk out of it with his solar weapon,
Ed keeps out of maw range as he heads toward the ship taking a shot on the way!
As Noah prepares to unleash hell, Paeon and Ed tag-team with solar and electrical attacks.
The Solarian's scything attack narrowly misses, and he senses that if it were not for his malaise he'd have cut the Drift Wraith...
Ed's zap is far more effective - wreathing the creature in static charge. It bellows in pain as the electricity courses through its form!
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Round 1
"Let's take it down boys!"
Lining up a shot, Nipper fires on the beasty:
Round 2
"Shake it off, don't let it get the upper hand!
Ed keeps retreating toward the ship and firing.
Round 2
Nipper clips the creature with his opening shot - sizzling its shoulder... He then rallies the munched Startoad as the combat rages...
As a new threat joins the fight, the Star Wraith attempts to taste this newcomer, its jaws snapping at Paeon;
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:
Meanwhile Ed' shockings shot goes arcing over the Garaggaka...
Swallowing and trying hard to control his breathing Noah takes careful aim at the monster and fires his Plasma Bolter.
Paeon staggers as the spacewraith latches on!
He tries his best to swing again, the fatigue seems to be getting the better of him.
Both Noah's shot and Paeon's solar slice goes wide, as the Drift Wraith continues to menace the group...
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Startoad curls up and cowers for a moment seemingly scared witless of the creature before the blue light in his skull grows brighter and that familiar feminine voice yells out.
“If you will not engage I will.”
Startoad takes a step back and unloads another blast at the creature.
ROUND 3
Startoad's AI takes control of the situation and the goblin robotically blasts the Garaggakal! In response the hulking Drift Wraith flexes its lamprey maw, then snaps at the diminutive tormentor...
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... biting into the tasty cygob once again!
Ed gives another shreik of horror as the thing noshes on the goblin. He fires again and the pistol beeps that the battery is drained.
Noah tries again, supercharging his weapon.
You recall that the Sunrise Maiden is typical of her class of vessel and as such packs the following standard armament; a Gorkal broad-arc gyrolaser mounted forward, supplemented by two Reinbach light laser cannons port and starboard. In addition, a turret-mounted Arabani Arms light particle beam projector provides 360-degree offensive capability at intermediate range.
ROUND 3 CON'T
Ed once again clips the Drift Wraith with a shocking attack that causes it more distress and pain than the attack seemingly warranted...
Frustrated and exhausted Paeon tries once again to take a chunk out of the beast,
[ooc}Photon attuned 3/3[/ooc]
Round 3
Nipper keeps up his encouragement and bolsters Paeon
Round 4
"Keep pouring it on!"
He raises his pistol and fire:
ROUND 4...
A weary Paeon swings at the Drift Wraith but misses, whilst Fingernipper bolsters with Solarian.
The Ysoki extolls his companions to take the fight to the star-beast beore he himself fires wide;
Beset by foes, the Garaggakal pauses and turns its attention to the distant Ed...
Your innate telepathy detects the creature's own telepathic reach as you feel a wash of belligerence and hunger... only to be replaced by gnawing pain in body and soul as your lifeforce is seemingly drained...
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Ed wails. Only his closest companions hear his telepathic cry, It hurts my soul. The skinny bug runs into the ship and tries to start it up and arm the weapons systems.
ROUND 4 CON'T
As he scampers into the Sunrise Maiden, Ed's telepathic agony washes over those of you nearby, while the Garaggakal seems to revivify under his pain...
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Round 4
Startoad backs up shoot it again hoping it stops trying to kill them.
Round 5
Startoad lets another blast go mechanically as it’s head glows bright blue light.
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As Paeon begins to radiate unbearable heat he shuffles around the beasty in an attempt to save his comrades,
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The technomancer takes careful aim and fires a second supercharged blast,
Counts as both electricity & fire
Round 5
"Easy Ed, don't let it get in your head!"
Whilst the Garaggakal bolsters itself with Ed's lifeforce if fails to notice the plethora of attacks targetting it.
In quick succession Startoad clips the beast, while Paeon explodes in stellar energy!
The Drift Wraith registers the increased heat and shifts to avoid the brunt of the Solarian's super-nova...
... directly into Noah's supercharged blast which rocks the creature on its heels, causing a gurgling scream to emit for the monster!
ROUND 5
Startoad scours its hide further with another grazing shot...
As its skin hisses and smokes, the hulking Garaggakal turns its gaze toward its android tormentor...
It launches itself upwards upon rubbery wings, hovering some 25ft above Noah with a sinister hiss...
You feel a cold alien presence inside your head, which quickly becomes a gnawing pain in body and soul as your lifeforce is seemingly drained...
"Easy Ed, don't let it get in your head!"
Toooooo late. Ed thinks. Then he feels a little braver at Nipper's kind words. Dont worry, I'll save us.
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Relan dodges almost out of the way but still takes considerable damage as much of his life force is pulled from him.
You successfully fire up the Sunrise Maiden's power core... and more importantly access the ship's AI: D.A.W.N....
<GREETINGS. WELCOME ABOARD THE SUNRISE MAIDEN. PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF>
Ed runs around the cabin looking for an ON switch!
Noah casts Magic Missile at the creature before retreating down the passage.
ROUND 6
Paeon holds fast as Noah blasts the hovering creature with bullets of magical energy. Onboard the Sunrise Maiden Ed continues to frantically press buttons...
Startoad continues to let shooting laser fire at the creature steady as can be.
"That's it boys, let it have it. No way this horror show takes us down!"
"Hey Noah, you got to bob and weave! No worries though, you can take hits like that for days!"
"Easy Ed, don't let it get in your head!"