Hysteresis Loops: The Gion Cover Up (Inactive)

Game Master Terquem

As the heat ray raises the temperature in the path toward Ryko, who, sensing his imminent fate, screams and falls prone, throwing Moq to the ground -

Moq – make a DC 14 Reflex Save, if you succeed you land on your feet.

Krevek sees an opportunity, and as he has seen the machines take damage from things that strike the space between the halves of the body, he lunges, and buries his sword into the inner workings as far as it will go, and then to ensure the job is done, he brings his shield crashing down, hard upon the extended box that fires the heat ray.

Unit #3 falls to the floor, lifeless, its legs sprawling in each direction.

For good measure, Kudzu and Gruul hammer away with their weapons as the machine falls to the floor.

There are three ruined machines in this room, and a raised door like hatch in the corner to the right of the glass, curio-like cabinet.

I am going to award 400 xp to Surana, and Krevek, and 250 xp to Gruul, Moq, and Kudzu

Reflex Save: 1d20 + 7 ⇒ (12) + 7 = 19

Thrown from his mount, Mog flips through the air and lands perfectly on his feet; his gray cloak fluttering behind him.

"Thank yer, Gruul. Yer got a few good 'its in yorself."

With that, Mog slings his gun over his shoulder and goes to give the hatch a brief perusal.

Added the 250 XP

Krevek looks around the, "is everyone alright? I am not sure all the children made it, we should see about locating them."

With that he begins sifting through the wreckage, making sure none were under the machines.

Gruul inspects his falchion and frowns as he runs his finger over a notch in the blade. After a moment, he returns the blade to it's sheath and helps Krevek look through the wreckage at his feet.

"That blast stung, but I'm alright. What are these things?" he says to the group.

Surana begins to examine the metal creatures curiously, letting the others do the lifting and searching.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23

No Goblins are found under the wreckage of the machines. There are two goblin bodies in the central room, both died from exposure to high temperatures.

Already bored with the hatch, Mog goes over to poke at the goblins, searching through their things

aw man, I missed that Moq, let me catch you up on the hatch

Surana frowns thoughtfully as she examines the contraptions. Her face takes on an extremely puzzled look, and she slowly shakes her head. "This is strange indeed..." she muses to herself.

"What can these things possibly be? I have never seen metal that moves like this."

Surana looks up from her musing. "They... they've got symbols on them from Old Azlant."

Gruul steps to the hatch and kneels down, staring into the darkness with a look of concentration on his face. "How'd they get here? Is all this supposed to be down here, keeper?" Gruul's nickname for the cleric doesn't carry the sting it did last time.

Presumably, I see what Mog has seen, but will wait before I click the spoiler.

"I really need to study the history more" Krevek says, hoping the woman would be kind enough to go over some of this stuff more when there is more time. "If there is nothing more here, we should move on before more come from wherever in the hells they came from!"

Surana shakes her head. "You do not understand. These... should not be here!"

She addresses Mog sharply. "You! What is below the hatch?"

”We’re, um, we’re not going to go down that hole, are we?” Ryko asks.

Having a brief gnaw on one of the goblin's arms (not enough to tear off any meat), Mog takes their coinpurses and slips what appears to be a small blue object into his bandolier. Hearing Surana, Mog slowly turns around, carefully pulling his rifle from around his side.

"The hotch, then? There's nuffink dahn the hotch. Just a tube that goes nowhere."

Then Mog busies himself with reloading his gun a fourth time.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (10) + 3 = 13 (to notice Mog pocket the item; opposed by Mog's sleight of hand)

"Those... things... came from somewhere."

Krevek moves over to the hatch to see for himself.

Sleight of Hand: 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6

Casting a side-long glance towards Krevek, Mog's lips curl into a toothy smile. "Careful over there, Longshanks. Yer wouldn't want ter fall."

The woman's solid white eyes narrow at the goblin. Her voice holds a threat as she asks, "You are certain that you found nothing at all?"

Gruul stands up straight at Surana's words. He knows the goblin well enough to guess at what might've happened... he gives Mog a look that says, Not worth it.

For a moment it appears as if Mog will respond poorly to Surana's threat, his smile almost curling into a vicious snarl, but he catches the look Gruul is giving him, and instead throws his cloak about him.

"Well it's not like I combed the bleedin' beach, yer know. If yor so concerned, ask the Dwarf. She probably knows more about this place than anyone!"

Surana continues to stare intently at the goblin for a few seconds.

"There is a ladder here. think we should see if there is something at the bottom?" Krevek says to Surana

Surana breaks off her gaze from the goblin and looks at Krevek. "A ladder? 'Just a tube that goes nowhere,' hmm?" The last is directed disapprovingly at the goblin.

"Yes, it ought to be investigated."

"we have a way to light the bottom?" Krevek asks preparing to climb down the hole.

Surana looks to Ryko, who was given Gruul's torch.

Remembering he has an flame-less light source, which would be better for climbing with, Krevek pulls out a sunrod from his pack instead. With that he begins climbing the ladder.

Gruul begins down the ladder following Krevek. "We'd better investigate as well Mog, this is all too strange."

Surana waits a few moments in order to make sure the way is clear, then follows as well.

Mog waits until they're all down the ladder, giving him an all-clear signal, before heading down himself.

At the bottom of the ladder, which is connected to a wall down to a height of two feet above the floor, you find yourselves in a square chamber, with a low ceiling. The chamber is 30 feet square. The tube is located in a center ten foot section of the chamber against a wall, and directly opposite this location, is an opening, ten feet wide, in the far wall. The floor here is made of a smooth metal like material, as are the walls. There are no objects or features in this chamber, and no sign of any Goblins.

for now, Kudzu does not follow you.

Surana looks around, frowning thoughtfully. She speaks softly, as if concerned with disturbing the walls themselves. "In all my years, and all my travels, I have seen nothing like to this in its design."

With a frown on his face, Gruul nods slowly in agreement.

"Something seems... off. I can't place it."

Krevek moves to inspect the opening, sword and shield ready.

Mog silently slips in behind the others.

As Krevek steps cautiously toward the ten foot wide opening in the wall -

let’s say the direction he is going is East, so we can keep track of what the party is seeing and doing, okay?

the light from his sunrod reflects off of the metallic like floor, walls and ceiling.

The passageway is ten feet wide, and eight feet high, smooth on all surfaces, and a dark grey in color. The color of the walls, ceiling and floor is dark, but it reflects light in a similar way to polished gunmetal.

Thirty feet passed this room on either side of the passageway ahead of Krevek are two, dull white, panels, each four feet wide and seven feet high, facing each other, on the North and South walls of the passageway. Doors perhaps? If they are doors, they are closed.

Twenty feet beyond these “doors” it looks as though there is a “T” in the passageway. Krevek can see that there are clearly two ten foot wide corridors going to the left and right (north and South). Beyond this "T" in the wall to the East, there are two more white panels in the wall, side by side, making an eight foot wide and seven foot high “double door’ like patern.

"This is some sort of corridor over here." With that he takes a couple hesitant steps into the passage, perhaps five feet. He then looks back to where Surana is and then back down the hall way.

Gruul cautiously moves forward, alongside Krevek.

"We should be careful..." he says as he begins searching the immediate area, his face remaining grim.

Perception, looking for traps: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (3) + 6 = 9
Haven't played a trap finder before, not sure what range this covers... I'd like to inspect for traps as we move forward, especially at the panels.

Surana follows the other two, but pauses at the panels.

Perception: 1d20 + 3 ⇒ (20) + 3 = 23 (looking for some opening mechanism)

Mog remains at the back, content to let the others have their search.

Each footfall echoes with a muffled thud as you move down the corridor. Gruul pears left and right, but cannot see anything out of place, only the smooth strange walls. The ceiling, because it is low, feels as if it is closing in on him. He looks up, expecting to see it moving, and stares, taking one, and then another cautious step, but the ceiling isn’t moving.

The claustrophobic feel of this area spreads to the others.

As Surana comes closer to the strange white panels in the wall see notices something that the Goblins would have overlooked.

Krevek stops just short of the “T” intersection ahead of him, wondering if it is safe to go on.

Moq follows behind the others, smiling at the big folks and their trepidation. This area has a feel to it that is comforting to Moq. There is something in the air. A smell, yes, that’s what it is. Moq can smell the distinct aroma of a Goblin den, coming from somewhere ahead.

Suddenly filled with nostalgia, Mog hastly stumbles into the room, a content grin on his face as he goes sniffing about for the source.

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Content the immediate area is safe, Gruul relaxes.

"What ya got there Mog? Something down here with us?" the half-orc says to the goblin, noticing him sniffing the air with enthusiasm.

Surana raises one eyebrow and watches, bemused.

Mog speaks in-between sniffs. "Goblin hole. Somewhere near. I can smell it."

"Are you sure? and are these going to be peaceful ones? Perhaps he same clan as before?" Krevek asks the goblin.

Moq follows the scent further down the corridor, and at the “T” intersection he turns right. The light from Krevek’s sunrod throws shadows around the corner, but even in the shadowy light, Moq can see that something unusual has happened here. There has been a cave in.

Most likely the cave in occurred many, many, years ago. The corridor, still ten feet wide, only extends fifteen feet beyond the intersection, and then ends in a wall of rocks and dirt. The surface of the wall is irregular, but near the center of the corridor, in the collapsed dirt and stone wall, there is a tunnel, five feet high and four feet wide, and the smell of Goblin comes from that tunnel.

Mog pauses his sniffing to give Krevek an incredulous look. 

"Well that's a stewpid question, ain't it? In fact, there are two types of gobs in this world; the good ones, and the bad ones. The ones back there were bad ones. But the ones livin' 'ere..." Says Mog, stopping in-front of the tunnel to inspect it. "... Good ones, at least most likely. And if they are the same 'clan', as yer stick it, ffen that would make them the bleedin' ffird type of gob, the ugly ones."

Mog takes a moment to think out a plan, scratching his chin as he stares into the tunnel, before barking out some orders.

"Gruul, go check out the uvver side. And someone get us a stick! This tunnel could be trapped, and I'll be pretty dissapointed in these Gobs if it ain't."

Perception: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (11) + 6 = 17

Krevek gives a look back to Surana, shakes his head and then realizes the problem, What the hell made me think it was possible to have an intelligent conversation with a goblin, they are born stupid and get worse as they get older!