Suspicious but getting over it, Booker climbs down into the vat.
You notice that the street, not exactly busy, empties out. The ambient noise gets a bit quieter too. Something's not right.
As Booker climbs in, Voxel actually grabs the badge he found. He shows it to you.
It's DEFINITELY a Corpse Fleet insignia.
Booker climbs into the vat and starts looking around. He finds some curious bone spur–like shards among the scraps of synthetic flesh left in the vat.
Hack-It eyes Gig's work on the computer. "Not bad," he says begrudgingly.
|
R1G5 will climb down into the vat to join Booker. Never go alone. R1G5 gets a glance of the badge that Voxel has.
Everyone gets a ping on their voice comm. "Bingo. Corpse Fleet badge."
R1G5 then makes their way over to Booker and looks at the synthetic flesh that he discovered.
Another voice comm ping. "Parts of a Marrowblight."
R1G5S knows the answer to two questions. Marrowblights are muscular
undead monstrosities filled with hate. They typically arise from brawny humanoids that were exposed to strange radiation or arcane energy that painfully warped their flesh at the moments of demise, creating hideous bone spurs that protrude from the creatures’ backs, cheeks, jaws, and shoulders. Marrowblights can use these spurs as weapons, as they drip with the disease that courses through the creature’s undead bones like marrow.
Dunk moves to the edge, but doesn't see anything. Still, he doesn't like it. It's too quiet.
What now veteran agents?
Booker climbs back out and moves to stand by Dunk. "Hmm. Voxel, is there another way out of this facility?"
"Only over the fence. Why?"
Booker shifts uncomfortably. "Somethin' don't feel right. Anybody else work here 'sides you?"
"Nope. It's just me since the other guy got chewed up in a vat last month. Why do yo-"
Dunk's hiss cuts him off.
A pair of undead turn the corner to approach. With puffy skin, ragged wounds from gases escaping the body, and gaping mouths, you might have mistaken them mindless zombies, if not for the unnerving intelligence in their eyes.
Surprise Round:
Dunk: Go
Round 1:
Dunklezahn: Go
R1G5: Go
Booker: Go
Janzi: Go
Gig: Go
Hack-It: Go
Hostiles: TBD
Dunklezahn catches one of the creatures in a grenade, and dashes towards the other, heedless of what dangers may come.
As he approaches, the very gravity near the creature intensifies and pulls the vesk in unexpected directions. . Dunk is knocked off his feet, but he still attacks, cutting a sizeable wound in the creature's rotting leg.
Round 1:
Dunklezahn: Hit and prone
R1G5: Go
Booker: Go
Janzi: Go
Gig: Go
Hack-It: Go
Hostiles: TBD
"Seen these guys before?" Booker asks of Voxel. He wastes no time in coming to Dunklezahn's aid and takes up a firing position at the factory gate. A heavy shell pounds into the undead.
"Well don't just hover there, help the vesk," Hack-It admonishes his drone, punching in commands to send Sputter off to engage.
The drone flies out, takes aim, and lets loose a laser shot!
The mechanic then moves out to get a better position.
Booker and Sputter pile on the damage, but the creature fights on. Voxel is little help, "No idea, I don't know every thing that walks this place."
Round 1:
Dunklezahn: Hit and prone
R1G5: Go
Booker: Hit
Janzi: Go
Gig: Go
Hack-It: Hit
Hostiles: TBD
White: 30
Gig uses a full round action to cast Magic Missile and deliver three arcane blasts of force at the undead bearing down on Dunk.
Moving his his in somatic gestures and releasing his spell with a forceful command, the Ysoki lets loose his spell.
The hurt continues to mount on the unidentified undead creature. The foul thing continues to fight on though, only just now looking like it's slowing down.
Round 1:
Dunklezahn: Hit and prone
R1G5: Go
Booker: Hit
Janzi: Go
Gig: MM
Hack-It: Hit
Hostiles: TBD
White: 30
R1G5 has heard of these things, Nihili! They're an undead, not native anywhere Unfortunately, the operative's shot is off target.
Round 1:
Dunklezahn: Hit and prone
R1G5: Miss
Booker: Hit
Janzi: Go
Gig: MM
Hack-It: Hit
Hostiles: TBD
White: 30
Janzi shakes his head. That vesk gets into more scrapes than a starship flying through a cave, the lashunta says, moving adjacent to Sputter and targeting White with a mind thrust.
The horror Janzi finds in the undead's mind, but nevertheless thrusts his into the nihili's. . By the time the spell has worked its power, the undead is clearly weakened.
Not weak enough to withdraw its attack on Dunklezahn. The vesk feels his lungs collapsing as the nihili stares down at him. [ooc]Make a DC 15 FORT for take . It tries to stomp on Dunk with a rotting boot hitting him in the throat for
The other closes with R1G5. The android can see the horror bearing down on him and his lungs begin to malfunction a bit. The nihili, moreoever, drives a fist into R1G5's face . Despite the sticky grenade, it still connects for
Round 2:
Dunklezahn: Go
R1G5: Go
Booker: Go
Janzi: Go
Gig: Go
Hack-It: Go
Hostiles: TBD
White: 52
[ooc]Retcon, as the creature IS stuck to the ground. The Nihili tries to bust out of the sticky grenade's tethers: . It breaks free ans closes with R1G5, but can do little else.
Dunk slashes again, and again he cuts deep. The undead surely can't take another of those hits!
Round 2:
Dunklezahn: Hit
R1G5: Go
Booker: Go
Janzi: Go
Gig: Go
Hack-It: Go
Hostiles: TBD
White: 64
"Stupid bugger won't die," Booker mutters. He slams shells rapid-fire at the undead locked in melee with the vesk.
"Not him, the other one!" Hack-It chastises his drone, even though it did exactly what he asked last turn.
Sputter flies forward to send a laser beam at the nihili battling Dunk.
Hack-It then takes a shot with his pistol.
Booker shoots wildly, uncharacteristically missing. Sputter, reliable as always strikes true. The fire consumes the nihili, leaving an inert corpse.
Round 2:
Dunklezahn: Hit
R1G5: Go
Booker: Miss
Janzi: Go
Gig: Go
Hack-It: Kill
Hostiles: TBD
R1G5 finally scores a hit as the android works an unexpected angle on the shot!
Round 2:
Dunklezahn: Hit
R1G5: Hit
Booker: Miss
Janzi: Go
Gig: Go
Hack-It: Kill
Hostiles: TBD
Nihili: (FF v. R1G5 until the end of Round 3) 17
Gig moves up to get a good look at his target and casts another Magic Missile.
Two missiles of magical energy blast out of his fingertip and strikes his target unerringly with great force.
Janzi moves over to the vesk, trying to make sure he's still in one scaly piece. Low on mental attacks, he draws his azimuth as he moves, taking a shot at the undead.
Gig's spell hits a moment before Janzi sets the creature aflame! The undead, heedless of the damage and not feeling pain, continues its attack as it burns . It opts for Booker, hoping to bring the solider down before the flames overtake it.
for
Round 3:
Dunklezahn: Go
R1G5: Go
Booker: Go
Janzi: Go
Gig: Go
Hack-It: Go
Hostiles: TBD
Nihili: (FF v. R1G5 until the end of Round 3) 41
Dunk's slash easily connects despite it not being his best work on account of R1G5's fancy shooting. The nihili, near final death simply gasps with anger.
Round 3:
Dunklezahn: Hit
R1G5: Go
Booker: Go
Janzi: Go
Gig: Go
Hack-It: Go
Hostiles: TBD
Nihili: (FF until the end of R1G5 round 3) 59
R1G5 strikes the creature in the face with his disintegrator pistol. Enough of the creature turns to dust to leave a smoking corpse and little else!
Voxel swears with easy proficiency at the decisive conclusion of the violence, "You guys are like some kind of super cops!"
Booker rifles through their pockets, and while he finds no clues about their motives, he does find a pair of brand new cred sticks with 2,500 credits apiece!
Janzi grabs the disintegrator pistol and shoots at both nihili corpses until there's nothing left to shoot. Evidence, he says telepathically to his companions. Aloud, he says matter-of-factly, I'll buy ya some charges. And Voxel! We super-cops will need you to clean this up, and there are a few more forms to sign.
Voxel seems totally fine cleaning, as this mess isn't at all as bad as his actual job.
Booker is slightly embarrassed at his performance. He takes out a cigarette and lights it, trying to clear his head.
He notices Dunk cleaning his blade and saunters over. "Want a light?" Booker asks, offering the pack.
* * *
After his third smoke, Booker drops the butt and announces, "Alright, time to find us a retired dead guy."
The party heads to the Pensioner's Flat
The narrow sliding door to this residential building bears the tarnished metal numbers “5236,” with the final digit drooping to the side. The door is slightly dented and hangs partially open....
"Well, that's not a good sign."
Hack-It sends Sputter through to do some recon and report back. The drone's rotors enter a low power spin, allowing it to be quiet.
Booker locks and loads.
As Hack-it opens the door enough to let Sputter through the sound of rasping voices shouting angry taunts can clearly be heard coming from inside the residence.
. The drone doesn't get very far before the voices turn,
"@#$#$% We got company."
The voices stop, but then a female voice speaks up in Common, "HELP!"
"That's our cue," Booker mutters irritably. Is a simple interview too much to ask? He kicks in the door and slides inside, vesk cannon leveled.