"That depends. But it'll take all of the drama out of it. But if you insist: The marrowblight will probably try to kill you." The Ambassador replies.
Maxim continues driving to the Marrowblight location.
Maxim tries to find another way to reach the location of the marrowblight in the stolen taxi. This isn't as easy as thought. Obviously it was clear to the assassins the the group would come this way, as there is not really another way.
But with some searching and trying Maxim finds a walkway through sone company grounds that is not guarded and the post blocking vehicles is already run over. After some adventurous going back and forth, you end up on the road again, behind the blocking. A few miles later you reach the end of the city. Which is also the end of the dome that provides a breathable atmosphere. The airlock is manned by eoxian officials, as you can see as you approach.
"Ambassador," says Maxim after retracing the connection from earlier. "Can you put in a word for us at this sentry point? Or better yet, all sentry points? Thanks!"
Then as the vehicle stops at the guard station, he hangs an arm out the window. Maxim deadpans ironically, "We're on offical business for Ambsassador Nor. Check your station log and you should find the appropriate clearances coming through now."
The undead guard looks despicably at all the living ones in the car. "I don't care who's mission you're on. If you'd leave town to kill yourself, I couldn't care less."
"But your vehicle is reported as stolen. Your ID and vehicle documents please."
Humanoid Undead Unnamed Guard: I believe that our actions will be vouched for by the Ambassador Gevelarsk Nor. Eric sends a message to Nor to clear this whole "theft of property" thing up for us.
"Follow you muse, Imagine."
It takes a moment until the message from Ambassador Nor arrives with the guard post. The guard grudgily accepts that he can't press charges here. But he won't let you get away that easy. "You have friends in high positions. But that car still is not your's and you leave it here."
"Look, we didn't steal this transport; the driver ran off and left us for dead. He's lucky its still in one piece! I tell you what. We promise to bring it back, right here, and no worse for wear, but we need this vehicle a little while longer. And if we can't do that we'll replace it. Now how about you help the greater good and open that gate."
Maxim extends his hand, 100 credits on a stick poking up from his palm.
The guard, pockets the stick, shrugs, and moves away. Then the airlock closes behind you, the air is sucked out and then it opens in fron of you.
The blasted landscape of a wholly devastated and undead planet gives way slightly to this carefully cultivated area surrounding a dilapidated hut. The displays are almost garden-like in their precise arrangement - thin, pliable bones weave intricate patterns in clumps that might otherwise be living bushes, and flutes of skin and cartilage might be mistaken for flowers were it not for the disturbing shapes and absence of brilliant colors.
"How do we want to play this? The marrowblight has never been described to us as friendly so seems ripe for an ambush. We could just smash the vehicle into the side of the hut and come out shooting. Shock and awe style!"
Human Maxim Petrovich: That seems....wasteful. Perhaps a carefully orchestrated ambush with multiple high ground snipers nests and a convenient crossfire. Eric says....
But actually. Simply observing the surroundings is likely to be our best option. It's a good thing we have fresh undergarments, I'm sure your recycled air is better that way. Eric continues after sealing his own armor.
"That's a great plan except we don't have any snipers. You wanna go recon? I promise not to bungle in like last time."
While looking for some cover to start any operation from you notice that there is a small hill in the garden that is not lying still as it should if it'd be a hill.
"If it's hungry, then yes, probably so. Actually that's a good idea - can you cast them on top of that moving mound there so we can see what we need to shoot at? Better yet, once it shows itself I'll just drive over it."
The cute air elemental flies over to the garden as told. With a lightness, only a creature of air has. Hovering over the barren earth and the rocks lying here and there. Elegantly it moves through the flase plants of the garden until it reaches the mound. An angry roar is heard, some tentacles shoot into the air and that is the last you have seen of the elemental.
The mound turns once around itself looking out for further intruders and then settles down again.
"Huh." Maxim grimaces and gives his Stellar mote a spin around his head. "We need bigger guns." He slumps in the chair. "Eric, can you give us a tactical assessment?"
Human Maxim Petrovich: Indeed.
and Eric turns his cloaking field on and sets off to see what he can see
The creature turns an eye on EH-RK as he approaches. It's a huge pile of tentacles with a head somewhere in the middle. The pile has a diameter of about 30ft and is 15 feet high.
Well there's always the plan where we hit it with the truck. Anyone wanna volunteer to get it's attention while I drive over it?
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'Um, don't we have guns? Can't we just stand far away and shoot at it?
If we all stand far apart, it can only go after one of us. That one person could run while the others keep shooting at it.
Even MOAR better, we could all shoot at it while in the truck. If it tries to chase, we can just drive real fast while the two other people keep shooting at it to death with guns.
Can we try that before we destroy our only means of conveyance and strand us here facing a death of desiccation and cannibalism?
Not that I wouldn't be X-tra tasty. There's that upside.'
"You all shoot, I'll drive."
"Sorry Eric, I
Maxim backs up the transport to a distance of approx the maximum range of EH-RK's sniper rifle.
Eric sets up a cover blind and prepares to fire when told...
"Bring the rain, Eric."
EH-RK easily hits the sitting duck in the bone garden. But the ellicoth doesn't die, but starts moving really quick in the approximate direction where the shot came from.
"That got its attention!"
The ellicoth is moveing really fast. It closes in on the car half the distance. Probably being the only thing around that is differetn, doesn't help with the 'hiding'.
Eric fires again Humanoids: Be aware that I have approximately 118 shots remaining.
"'Approximately'?" Maxim smiles. He looks at Imagine, who seems to be enjoying this encounter.
He says to Boreal, "Can you imagine going toe-to-tentacle with that thing?! Oh, wait, are you still with us?"