Gregory gives a sigh of relief. After restoring his shielding, he conducts a careful search of the room, paying particular attention to the giant, glowing machine.
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A thorough search of the android's corpse reveals the following:
In addition, there are two unusual objects:
A gun-like object with a black ball at the back, where the chamber would normally be.
The strange gun with a solid barrel, which glows cherry-red.
Finally, there is the massive machine at the back of the chamber.
With a fair bit of tinkering, and a little bit of guesswork, Gregory is fairly certain that this is a power generator of some kind, but one on a larger scale than he has ever seen before. However, it appears to be damaged, and functioning at substantially below its optimal capacity.
A device grafted to the side of the reactor appears to be siphoning off the energy, and transmitting it somewhere else.
"Huh. I wonder what this is. It looks similar to the one I found earlier..."
Picking up the Inferno Pistol, Gregory grins.
"What a cute little toy!"
He then turns his attention to the reactor.
"I guess this is what creates 'the torch'. That power transmitter doesn't look like it is part of the original design; we need to do something about that..."
He then takes his time, trying to disable it.
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Although his first attempt is laughably amateurish, Gregory settles down, and after taking a couple of hours, is eventually able to detach the transmitter.
As soon as he does so, the two columns of energy flash with light, then pulse back upward to create a vortex of violet flame that erupts into the sky above Black Hill.
When Gregory heads back to town, he is given a hero's welcome, with the entire town council turning out to meet him (including Khonnir), and he is ceremoniously presented with the promised 4000gp at a dinner in his honor.
Over the ensuing weeks, the Council debrief him in minute detail, trying to understand exactly what is going on.
The agree that the tunnels should be sealed off to prevent other groups from trying to exploit the ruins beneath the town, and Baine supervises the team that goes in to collapse the tunnels around the entrance.
Following this, calm descends upon Torch, and the locals slowly return back to their regular lives...
+++Stage V Integration Achieved. Electricity Shroud And Enhanced Skeleton Online+++
Over the course of those weeks, Gregory nurses one of the thylacines back to health, and slowly gains its (wary) trust.
He also befriends a scorpion that he finds dwelling in one of the trash heaps.
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About a month after the re-igniting of the torch, Gregory is called to a meeting of the town council.
Dolga Freddert starts the meeting, with a curt nod to Gregory.
"Thank-you for coming. As you are no doubt aware, with the torch re-lit, business is booming; the town is almost back to where it was before the... unfortunate incident. However, we still have some concerns..."
Khonnir Baine breaks in at this point.
"The story you told us about some sort of android cleric of a God called Hellion (which none of us has ever heard of) was troubling; doubly so, since she spoke of this 'God' as if was physically on Golarion, imprisoned within Scrapwall. We are worried that even though this particular plan was foiled, the android was not working alone - we fear that something far more sinister is still lurking out there, and may yet mean us harm."
Dolga nods.
"To put it succinctly, we would like you to investigate Scrapwall, and find out if there is still a clear and present danger to Torch. If there is, and you are able to neutralise it, we are prepared to offer you a reward of 8000gp."
Joram Kyte than interrupts:
"Now, Scrapwall is a known den of bandits and desperadoes, but you may find allies there - in particular, I believe that an old friend of mine named Dinvaya has taken up residence in Scrapwall after she was forced to flee from the Technic League's persecution many years ago. If you do find her, give her this," he says, handing over his personal holy symbol of Brigh, "to prove that you come on my behalf. Tell her that the Technic League's interest in her has passed and there's a place for her in Torch if she wishes to rejoin society. Of course, she may also be able to provide you with more intelligence about what is going on within Scrapwall."
Gregory nods.
"That sounds like something I should be able to handle. At the very least, it will be an interesting little challenge."
He then nods to Khonnir.
"I trust that you and Val can look after my pet thylacine whilst I am gone? She still needs to build up her strength..."
Gregory takes his leave, and prepares to leave in the morning.
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Although just over a hundred miles northwest from Torch as the crow flies, Khonnir recommends that Gregory takes the slightly safer route down the Seven Tears River and then up the Sellen River, before cutting across country.
Over the days of travel, Gregory has plenty of time to mull over what he has heard about Scrapwall.
Gregory ponders about what he knows of Scrapwall.
Hmmm... By the sounds of it, there are a *lot* of thugs in there... perhaps a frontal assault,kicking the front door in and taking everyone on at once would be a bad idea. After all, they *do* take in outcasts, so a single, powerful traveler may not attract too much attention. I think I will go after Councillor Kyte's friend, as see what she can tell me about the politics of the area, so that I know where to direct my surgical strike.
Apart from that, he enjoys the solitude of his week-long journey.
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Gregory's journey is uneventful.
Eventually, he reaches his destination.
Scrapwall is an intimidating sight. Towers of rusted iron and hills of rubble and ruin, long ago divested of anything of remote value by tech-hungry scavengers, loom from the dusty surrounding plains. Immense lengths of chain, coils of jagged wire, giant clockwork gears, and old corrugated metal cargo containers riddled with gashes, bullet holes, and the tell-tale pockmarks of laser fire are piled high, forming a jagged and intimidating hill-like wall surrounding the interior. Scrapwall is 3 miles across at its widest point, and the walls of junk enclosing its interior are an average of 30 feet high.
A ramshackle pair of buildings with walls and roofs made of strips of leather and fur, timbers, metal plates, and other junk lashed and bolted together sits in a gap in the surrounding mounds of refuse on the southern side of Scrapwall. Between these two buildings run a metal gate, closed to block passage into the open area beyond.
As Gregory gets closer, he is hailed be someone atop one of the towers.
"Halt. State your business in Scrapwall."
Gregory shrugs, and decides to go with honesty.
"I am looking for a woman named Dinvaya? Possibly a worshipper of Brigh? I have a message from an old friend."
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"Just a sec."
You here a scraping noise, and then a whispered conversation, before the voice responds:
"Yeah, that crazy woman lives in Scrapwall. She's up in a dead-end gorge to the north, but watch out-she doesn't take well to visitors!"
The gate then grinds opening, rising in a fashion uncomfortably like a rising guillotine.
On the other side, a tattooed and heavily studded woman nods to Gregory as he comes in.
"A word of advice - don't stir up any trouble you ain't prepared to finish. Folks around here don't take kindly to unknown strangers muscling in on their turf... and not all of them will offer you a nice, clean death either - get on the wrong side of the Smilers, and you'll end up as dinner, jewellery, *and* dead... and not necessarily in that order."
Gregory nods.
"Fair enough. I'll take your advice on board. Thanks."
He then follows-up on the vague directions he received to Dinvaya's location.
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Gregory keeps an eye on his surroundings, at one point swearing he saw a flying, lion-headed creature that was frothing at the mouth (luminescent green, to be precise) off in the distance, but it quickly disappeared behind a stack of scrap.
Eventually, he reaches what can only by the home of a worshiper of Brigh.
The tumultuous sound of metal grinding on metal issues forth from a constantly churning, grinding wall of gears that blocks off the western portion of this narrow valley. Only two large gears remain motionless, situated at ground level in the center of the wall where one might expect to see a pair of doors.
Moving closer, Gregory is easily able to discover a hidden switch, which looks like it might open the 'doors'.
With trepidation, Gregory flips the switch.
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With a grinding, clanking noise, the two giant gears roll out of the way.
The room beyond is obviously meant to be a miniaturised version of a cathedral, albeit one constructed (somewhat haphazardly) from cast off machine parts and other detritus of high technology.
Several doors calve off the main hall, but attention is drawn to the very artistic statue of Brigh (that's nevertheless cleverly crafted from junk and rubble) that stands at the other end of the hall.
What a rather... unique... little hovel.
Gregory clears his throat, before shouting:
"Dinvaya? Are you in at present?"
With a shrug, Gregory attempts to reprogram the golem...
...and then moves to explore the chamber.
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Gregory is easily able to modify the golem's coding, so that it files him under 'ally'.
As soon as he is finished doing this, one of the back doors creaks open, and a middle-aged half-elf clad in soot-covered leathers, with a pair of wildly over-sized googles pushed up to hold back her unruly blonde hair, warily steps into the room.
"That was nice work - thanks for not destroying my guardian. I don't mean to be rude, but this is my technically my home - who are you, and what do you want?"
"No trouble at all. The name's Gregory, and I am here to speak with you on behalf of Joram Kyte," he says, pulling out Kyte's holy symbol, and offering it to her. "He told me to advise you that the Technic League's interest in you has passed, and that there's a place for you in Torch if you wish to rejoin society."
He gives her a moment to digest this, before continuing.
"I am here, more specifically, to determine what threat, if any, an entity called 'Hellion' poses to Torch - apparently, it sent an android minion to explore a tech dungeon below Torch, and the town council is worried it may have other plans for the region."
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Dinvaya carefully inspects the holy symbol.
"That is indeed Joram's. I'd recognise it anywhere, considering that I made it for him. Regarding Hellion, however, the situation is a little complicated. I have never met Hellion, whatever it is; however, the Lords of Rust, the most powerful gang in Scrapwall at present, appear to be devoted to it, and a number of them appear to be able to wield divine magic in that entity's name, something that I find deeply troubling.
She chews her lip thoughtfully, before continuing.
"If you intend to go after Hellion, you will need to go through the Lords of Rust, who lair underneath the Scrapmaster's Arena to the Northeast of here. Their rank and file members are nothing special (a motley assortment of orcs, ratfolk, and androids), but their leaders are fairly strong - There is a ettin Draigs, who wields two spiky chains with unnerving grace in combat. She's the thug and executioner for the leadership - the one Hellion calls upon to mete out punishment to those who sin against Hellion. Then there's the troll Helskarg, a garrulous creature and something of the front face of the Lords. She guards the entrance to the gang's lair, but more importantly, she orchestrates the fights in the Scrapmaster's Arena. After the recent disappearance of the android Meyandra, an orc by the name of Kulgara seized control of the gang as its commander, and now ranks just under Hellion. Additionally, there is Nalakai, an orc who is the current 'spiritual leader' of the Lords, and rarely leaves their headquarters. Finally, there is the most mysterious Lord of Rust - the crimson-skinned monster Zagmaander, who is something of a local bogeyman. Zagmaander serves Hellion as an enforcer and assassin, and even the other Lords of Rust leaders fear it."
Dinvaya then frowns.
"As for Hellion itself, it is the lord and god of the Lords of Rust. Many have heard its voice or have seen its fiendish visage on the monitors found throughout the ruins, yet none can say they've seen Hellion in the flesh. Most believe Hellion to be a powerful fiend (a demon or devil), while others suspect it of being a Technic League agent using a fiend's facade to sow fear. Others believe it to be an alien, the ghost of an ancient crew member from the Silver Mount, or even a trickster posing as a god. No-one knows for sure."
She then sighs.
"You are welcome to rest here before you decide to make a move on the Lords of Rust. However, prior to that, I have request - in the far northeast of Scrapwall, there is the ruins of a strange technological vessel, which no-one has ever thoroughly explored, because the area is infested with the spirits of the dead. I would very much like to know what it contains; would you be a dear and explore it for me? I only ask that I have first refusal on interesting things that you find, and intend to sell."
Gregory nods.
"Thank-you for that information. I would be happy to explore the area for you."
He then takes his leave, heading for the area that she indicated.
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As Gregory is striding through Scrapwall, most of the solitary denizens keep out of his way... until he realises that he is in a region that appears to be completely devoid of sentients.
Whilst he is pondering this, he hears the sound of shifting scrap, and whirls around to spot a half-dozen or so humanoids approaching him... but what humanoids! Each and every one of them has been horribly disfigured, their lips and cheeks removed, the edges melting into their jaws in disturbing, puckered scar tissue that looks quite raw, giving them horrific rictus-like grins.
Their leader steps forward, one of his hands replaced by a small axe, the hilt of which is welded into him arm by a mass of the same raw scar tissue, and hisses in delight.
"Well, well, what do we have here? Fresh meat! *Sniff* Tasty too! This here is Smiler territory, and outsiders ain't welcome. Get 'im boys! I'm hungry!"
With that, each of them draws a pistol...
Round 1: Gregory, Hatchet, Smilers
Gregory pounces forward.
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Gregory charges forward, his claws clamping down on the arms of one of the Smilers, and tearing him apart. He then bites down *hard* on one of the others, leaving a nasty wound... which doesn't bleed as much as he would have expected.
All four of the remaining Smilers step back, and fire at Gregory from point-blank range...
...each bullet finding its mark.
The hatchet-handed man then steps up, and swings twice...
...but his attacks simply clang off Gregory's armor.
Round 2: Gregory(-25), Hatchet, Smilers
Recognising that the hatchet-handed man is essentially no threat, Gregory goes after the pistol-wielder that he bit last time.
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Suffering from momentary sensory overload, most of Gregory's attacks miss, only one managing to strike a glancing blow to the already injured Smiler, who steadfastly refuses to go down.
Once again, all four of them shoot at Gregory...
...but this time, two bullets go wide.
The axe-man then steps up...
...and continues to be utterly ineffective.
Round 3: Gregory(-35), Hatchet, Smilers
+++Error: System Approaching Overload. Warning: Biofeedback Will Be Initiated To Prevent System-Wide Collapse+++
Reeling from the blows that he has received, Gregory desperately attempts to finish-off the injured Smiler.
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This time, Gregory manages to kill the injured Smiler, eviscerating the man, and tearing his throat out.
However, the remaining pistol-wielders remain unmoved, two of them managing to score solid blows, which breach Gregory's shielding, and actually manage to draw blood.
The axe-wielder, meanwhile, continues to demonstrate why axes are clearly an inferior weapon.
Round 4: Gregory(-46), Hatchet, Smilers
+++Error: Overload Threshold Reached. System Protection Protocols Engaged To Prevent Catastrophic Collapse. Biofeedback Initiated+++
Gregory pounces on one of the remaining pistol-wielders.
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This time, Gregory's pouncing attack is much more successful, and he manages to down one of the pistol wielders, grabbing the man with his claw, before tearing the man's throat out.
The two remaining pistol-wielders appear slightly shaken by this turn of events, but nevertheless continue to fire...
...and one manages to score a hit, despite his shaking hand.
The axe-wielder charges forward...
...but his axe just rebounds from Gregory's thick hide.
Round 5: Gregory(-51), Hatchet, Smilers
Gregory pounces on one of the two remaining pistol-wielders.
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Incredibly, the man manages to dodge out of the way of the worst of Gregory's attacks, taking only a shallow wound to the left shoulder.
He then steps back, and both pistol-wielders fire...
...the injured one managing to score a solid hit.
Meanwhile, the axe-wielder's attacks continue to clang off Gregory's armor, much to the man's clear frustration.
Round 6: Gregory(-57), Hatchet, Smilers
Riddled with bullets, but determined not to give in, Gregory attempts to finish-off the injured Smiler.
Scenting victory, Gregory pounces on the remaining gunman.
"Your men are dead, and you will soon join them. I am afraid that this time, you bit off more than you could chew..."
Gregory turns around, and attempts to eviscerate the leader.
Gregory does his best to finish-off the injured leader.
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Gregory punches his fists straight through the man's chest. He falls to the ground, his life-blood pumping out onto the hard-packed earth.
Searching the bodies reveals the following:
Seven doses of a strange pink gel-like substance.
Two grenades.
"That... was painful!"
Before doing anything else, Gregory heals himself, and restores his shielding.
He then collects his loot.
"Soothe. Eww. Well, I know what to do with this..."
So saying, he destroys the vials.
"Gas grenades. These, I am sure that I can find a buyer for."
He then continues on towards his intended destination.
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As Gregory continues on his way (skirting around the region of Scrapwall where the Lords of Rust lair), he eventually comes to the region when the ruined craft is supposed to be... but it is impossible to tell more from range, because the area is carpeted by a thick fog, which leaves him feeling vaguely uneasy (supernaturally so).
Eventually, however, after some thorough searching, Gregory comes upon the remains of a vessel at the end of a canyon that, if anything, appears to have been created by something plowing through the scrap an unimaginably long time ago.
The vessel is mostly buried in the scrap (and tilted at an odd angle), but a single door remains visible at ground level, leading down into the darkened bowels of the strange ship.
The air is unnaturally cold in this empty atrium. Metal doorways yawn to the north and south, and the slanted floor is strewn with strange bits of rubble and twisted lengths of metal. The ceiling is badly damaged here, its grey metal shell shattered in numerous places, exposing coils of rusty, mold-covered cables and wires.
Gregory groans when he recognises the necromantic nature of the mists.
"Lovely. Just what I needed to make my day even better..."
He then heads through the doorway to the north.
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The northeastern wall of this blasted chamber was obviously super-heated at some point, for here and there, the walls ran wax-like, forming slag that colled into puddles of steel all along the floor. Debris litters the floor - it may once have been tech of great value, but now is mere scraps of unsalvageable, half-melted junk.
As soon as Gregory steps into the room, some of the debris starts levitating, before being thrown at him.
However, all three pieces simply land at the floor at his feet.
Round 1: Gregory, ?
Unsure what is going on, Gregory casts See Invisibility.
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As soon as Gregory casts the spell, he can clearly see this room's occupants: Three hazy, floating skeletons, surrounded by coronas of light that could almost be interpreted as wispy flesh.
All three point at him, and more junk is tossed his way.
However, again, it simply flies past him.
Round 2: Gregory, ?
"Poltergeists. Lovely. Just what we needed to increase property values around here..."
Shaking his head, Gregory pounces on one of them.