Kell will pick up the black card and say "I think I remember reading that these things are called 'Access Cards'." offers Kell before continuing with "I'm not sure what they do, but it will probably come in useful."
"I am not sure about you all, but my arcane reserves are low. I could use a rest soon. Also, Keldor, are you ok? You took quote a few strikes back there."
Keldor smiles behind Gauntlet's helm-like head at Harg's worried voice.
"I can assure you Gauntlet and I are OK for now. Some rest does sound good too however."
At this point Keldor will cast his Rejuvenate Eidolon (Lesser)spell to restore Gauntlet somewhat since the creature does not heal on its own.
Keldor looks closely at the black card in someone else's hand, since Gauntlet's fists were not great for handling delicate items.
"Fascinating!"
It may not be what she meant, but Dirissa doesn't turn down food. She gladly takes Basil's chow and nods her thanks.
Yes, let us check the door, just to be sure, these card things must have their uses.
Harg walks out of the room and down the hall a bit. Standing in front of the other door. Is there any panel or something that might accept the card?
"That thing seemed to get around in here.. whoever has the card.. can you try to use it to open this door?"
Trying the card, you find that intuitive design comes through at the end of the day.
The air in this room seems to buzz and hum with energy. Strips of glowing rectangles light the room from above, while strange flickering windows line the east and west walls. A large glasstopped circular table sits in the middle of the room. To the north sits a large metal desk covered with blinking lights, while a humming pillar of purple-and-black metal stands nearby, its sides flashing with tendrils of violet energy. A single golden panel flashes with a soft but incessant light on the side of this pillar. A thick layer of dust coats everything, diffusing the lights shining from the various surfaces, and many of the machines seem to be damaged, cracked, or otherwise ruined.
Dirissa is astounded. The rest of this place has been weird enough, but this is completely beyond her imagination or understanding. "Gods above! What is this place?" Her mouth slightly agape, she steps into the room, unsure where to direct her attention.
Walking into the room a bit, "Oh Brigh's hammer, what is all of this"
Is this refined electricity? If only I could control it that well
Walking over to the pillar. "These look too organized not to be some sort of tool. What is this gold panel?
Harg does a bit of wave with his hand.. steps back a bit, and uses mage hand to touch the golden panel, very lightly. Does it move or change?
"I believe this might be some sort of library, given that the people from this vessel recorded information differently. We should look around to see if we can find any information devices."
"Fascinating! The colors and lights...it's almost art in a way. If you were to make art from almost indestructible metals and alien technology of course."
As Harg touches the golden panel, a much deeper, larger hum begins to fill the chamber and soon the panels on the sides of the wall show static. However, the noise dies down and the large circular table flickers and soon a depiction of the desert habitat you were in, made entirely of light. You can wave your hand in and around it, which disturbs the image, but otherwise, nothing happens.
Gauntlet, you can guess from your experience that this was most likely a monitoring room of sorts, similar to a series of scrying mirrors.
"Ooh interesting. I wonder where we can see where the battle took place."
Harg would look into the light version of the habitat. Can he see evidence of their movement through it, or is it another type of image. Older or some sort of diagram.
The display on the table captivates Dirissa. "An illusory map? Visual, not tangible. Oh my."
"I believe the Androffan word for it is Hologram, which from my reading of the language mostly translates into visual illusion."
Keldor snaps Guantlet's fingers making a loud ringing sound.
"I conjecture that this room was meant as some sort of monitoring room! See? These act like magical scrying mirrors...in a fashion. Maybe they were studying the four armed creatures somehow? Like Pathfinders do in the Mwangi expanse?"
Moving into the room, Basil listens intently...then gets into a tactically sound position, holding her weapon ready, but not in a threatening manner:"Kell. Before I feel comfortable entering deeper into this superstructure with you around me, I would prefer to know where you learned all this. 'Access Cards', 'Holograms'...I speak Androffan myself, but you seem to not only know the words, but the actual objects they describe as well as the context of their use. You could have learned that in your travels, no doubt. But just before, you said 'the people from this vessel recorded information differently'...as far as I am aware, we are in a ancient subterranean complex powering the name-giving Torch. What makes you belief this is a vessel of some sort, and how did you learn it?"
Basil was well aware that the Halfling had previously excused himself for a toilet break around some corner. Of course, there was no guarantee that that same person or creature had returned. It might have been paranoid, but making sure he was on their side seemed preferable considering the many missing expeditions.
The group, a bit tense from their travels, decide to head for rest. The only question...
Where?
Looking around the room with the strange display, 'Hmm, this seems as good as any to rest. I have no real need to head back up to the surface tonight. What does everyone think? We have a door to keep us protected, and a display to watch for anything coming.."
If everyone agrees, I would like to move some things in front of the door, try to block it a bit.
With Gauntlet's strength, Keldor helps Harg move something to block the door if there are no objections.
He then dismisses the Eidolon with a sigh.
"I always enjoy the feeling of power that Gauntlet gives me, but it can be wearing over too much time."
He then settles down to 'rest' by examining one of the unoccupied glowing panels up close.
"Fascinating!"
Basil settles down next to the black-and-purple pillar, trying to understand it's purpose and mode of operation. It's sides were flickering with energy, so it was clearly not completely broken. It would do as well as other technological gimmickes to learn more about the technology in use here.
Once Harg feels a bit safer, he will sit down against a wall, pull out his small notebook and start taking notes.
Those things out there. Undead? I always assumed undead went along with magic not this strange metal technology. Maybe its just all the same thing.
He works on potential future spells. Then after a bit of relaxation, he is going to pull out his bedroll and make himself a bed.
Dirissa was a little nervous about staying, especially with the underwater passage they would have to traverse later, but felt a bit more at ease with the door barricaded. She spends a good amount of time examining the windows on the east and west walls. They just don't make any sense to her. How do they not look out on the same landscape?!"
She moves around the room, looking for bits and bobs that might be scattered about (not sure if there are any, but she likes to collect "pretty things"). As she does, she pokes in on her companions, asking questions about what this lever does, what that button does. She'll get the hang of it eventually. Satisfied with her exploration, she lays out a spot to sleep and has a little bit of food. It may be hard to sleep with all that buzzing noise, but with her eyes closed, she can almost imagine it's being made by insects.
Keldor enjoys pointing out things he knows to Dirissa, and offer some suppositions as well.
He then pulls out a blanket and falls asleep quickly to the room's humming noise. For some strange reason he found the sound it quite relaxing.
The group, opting to go rest for the night, settles in.
But no one set a watch. I mean, why should they? The dangers have been cleared, haven't they?
In the middle of the night, while everyone sleeps....nothing happens.
The party rises next morning, stretching and trying to work out the kinks given by sleeping on bedrolls laid on hard surfaces.
ANd so the day awaits them.
Harg is up a bit early studying his book. Organizing his arcane power into stuctured ideas in his mind. Holding onto the power in isolated compartments in his ego. Focusing those powers into the part of his soul that connects to his sword. More and more his sword seems to want to hold the power in itself.. Something to worry about?
"Morning everyone. Any of you learn anything about this room. Those lights seemed to want to effect my sleep."
Standing and looking over the panel. "I am going to need to do some research on this stuff. I would love to get some of this type of material into my crafts... or my spells."
"Good morning. I was contemplating the likelyhood of having taken a wrong turn somewhere. Previously, we found several bodies of former expedition members. But since we entered this complex, none. It makes me wonder if Drovan and Droskar made it into this place. Is anybody of you capable of reading tracks? In the large domed area, we likely disturbed any tracks we could have found...but if we reach a different area that could give us an answer to that question, I would appreciate if we take a look first, then rush in.", Basil monotonously explains after everybody woke up.
Dirissa wakes up slowly, groggy. For a moment, she seems confused about where they are. "Ah, definitely not a dream." She splashes a little water on her face from her canteen. As she stretches, she seems to be favoring one leg a bit more than the other. It's not a big difference, but she doesn't seem to be able to walk it off.
"Having joined your little party later in the process, I am unsure of of these people you where looking for. I am not great at tracking. Sorry
Keldor stretches, meditates on his magic, and then sets up his conjuration circle again to summon Gauntlet.
A few minutes later, he's encased in the alien creature's form: Gears spinning and bits of steam escaping from various joints as he moves, the least of his oddness as his voice echoes oddly from the 'helmet.'
"Sorry Basil, I studied as a soldier and then as a Gauntlet's summoner. I never got around to basic survival training and tracking. Dirissa? Kell?"
"Well, I'm no expert, but I can track if needs be. And I can certainly take a look to see what's what before we move in."
"Well, might as well get started. Any of you learn anything about the stuff in here?"
If not one has any new insight on the types of tools these are Harg would make his way to the door in the hall.
"Well, it seems like this is the way through. Can anyone tell if there has been traffic through here?"
Harg looks over the door, looking for a mechanism to open it, another panel to use our cards? Also looking for any disturbed dust anywhere to show that someone has passed through here.
"I spent some time studying the pillar, but no new insights. Too much of this is interconnected, and looking at details at this level will not provide satisfactory hints regarding the grand picture. We will need to learn more about the purpose of this place before things will start falling into place."
Stepping up behind Harg, Basil holds her gun ready:"I can give you some basic pointers on what to look for."
Harg gets low to the ground and examines it closely. It's almost hard to tell, but there does appear to be some group or groups have come this way before. He glances up and looks at where the dust of the room has been disturbed. It's clear that the strange panel has been used before. Basil's arm reaches over his shoulder and presses her fingers against the panel, its slot shape matching the cards from earlier.
Any preparations you need to make, do so now.
And so the party continues.
A large metal desk with blinking lights and strange glowing panels sits atop a raised area on the east side of this room near a circular table. Two couches covered with black material sit to the south a pair of black metal pillars. Splatters of dried blood stain the floor and walls near a pair of doors to the north, while here and there, patches of rust-red mold and fungus cling to the southern wall. The room itself is brightly lit by glowing panels on the ceiling.
Looking around the room, "Well, that is blood. Right?". Harg walks in the room, a bit cautiously.
Looking at the couch, then desk. "Is this some sort of reception area?"
Looking around for anything of interest. Mostly around desk area and the blood.
Without getting too close, Dirissa looks to see if she can identify the weird mold on the southern wall.
She also looks around to see if she can see any tracks.
Apparently, not able to determine anything. "How old does this blood look? Anyone know?"
Keldor clomps up next to Harg and looks around himself.
"Interesting. Yes, this area definitely gives off a 'logistics' vibe does it not?"
Harg takes a quick look around, but doesn't spot much other than the splattered blood.
Dirissa inspects the mold. She compares it to her mental archive, and while it doesn't resemble anything she's ever seen, it doesn't seem to be dangerous.The blood is next, and its quite clear from the level of coagulation that this is not ancient smears of some unknown creature. This was done recently.
Keldor looks around, and almost misses what seems to be a door built into a wall. Brushing away the dust, the indention lines do indeed reveal a door in the wall. Where a door handly might be, there's a small panel that appears card-shaped.
"This blood does not look good. It is as good a clue as anything. Any issues heading that way?"
Harg scrapes the blood a bit with the tip of his sword.
"I'm not sure what that fungus is, but it doesn't look like it's any good for you. Of course, this blood looks suspicious, too."
"Just look for traps if we're going north," Dirissa says, stepping back in case of trouble.
Keldor waves a massive metal fist and points.
"Here. I think we have another door for the card we found?"
"Before we follow the blood, should we try the cards on that door?"
Basil walks up the steps, taking a closer look at the elevated area.
"I concur. If the blood stains are reasonably recent, we will want to follow those. That means we should probably at least take a look at all the branching paths we come along, mark down which ones are dead-ends and which ones could lead somewhere else. While the chance is low, some expedition member may have survived by hiding, so we will ultimately need to scour the complex."
Reaching for the cards, Basil approaches the slot and attempts to run the black, then, if that did nothing, the brown one through the reader.
Keldor nods.
"That makes perfect sense to me Basil."
Harg stands watching the door. Curious if it will open. What type of tiny thing allows for a door to open like this? What type of magic is it using? Wonder if it's something I can learn
Basil looks at the terminal and sees flashing characters and images. She does recognize the characters as 'Androffan' but its so garbled that its pure nonsense. You also see what appears to be a medical display briefly flash by with the bony skeletons you fought earlier on display.
With the black card, the door immediately slides open. Inside you find battered lockers, some are open while others seemed locked still. No application of cards appears to unlock the currently locked ones.
A light search of the room, you find 26 silver disks, three small cylinder objects, and one slightly larger cylinder with some sort of glass piece on one end.
"A storage room perhaps?" Dhib asks, peering inside.
Keldor moves closer to look at the odd objects and device they found.
"Fascinating! I think I might know what some of this is..."
Looking at the Lockers. "Hmm. I don't have any ability to open these. Without causing some damage, that is."
"I vote that if we don't know what they are we leave them for now. Unknowns down here can be scary. Plus I doubt these little things will get the torch going again."
Moving back over to the Blood.