Grabbing hold of Gae-Dearg's shaft, Bioshock hangs on as Bran lifts him up. "Who else is even in this place to get shot at besides us?"
"Oh hey-GREAT GOOGA MOOGA!" Hashtag barely has time to shout in surprise as he is subject to a personal ride through a building ceiling. Afterwards, he staggers, leaning against a wall. "Why are all the girls on this team so forceful? My poor body..." he groans quietly.
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Through one way or another, the team makes it to the second floor. This floor seems to be the operating and care centers. Though care is used very loosely in this sense.
The ceiling (now floor) crumbles more and more, and each of you take care not to stand to close to the edge. However, that's as far as you get before the speakers begin to blare loudly.
CRITICAL DAMAGE TO STRUCTURE. LOCKDOWN INITIATED. CRITICAL DAMAGE TO STRUCTURE. LOCKDOWN INITIATED.
A ripple flows throughout the room, a light hexagonal blue the passes through the floor walls, and window. Anyone who watches the news reports would recognize the ability effects of the philanthropic Artificer. Known for creating powerful objects, his main product are devices that completely preserve buildings. Glass, stone, cement, metal, it all becomes impenetrable and immune abilities or powers.
The lights all shut off, leaving only sparse red emergency lights to barely light the corridors and rooms.
A moment passes.
A series of shots are fired from above once more.
Then more silence.
We can't waste any more time! Whoever they're shooting at needs us to get there - fast!
Bran stomps his foot at the ground near the hole, hoping that he was mistaken about Artificer's work.
Adamant indeed.
Well, if might will not grant us a simple path, we must turn to other providers.
Wingblade, can you tell how much farther we must ascend? Greater precision could save lives.
Wingblade closes her eyes for a moment to concentrate on her other senses.
After a moment, she shakes her head. No, no way to tell. Too many echos and now this Artifice Field. At least we know we're on the second floor and there's only three more to go. Let's climb."
She turns back to the bank of elevators and begins pulling herself up, checking every so often to see how the others are doing but otherwise making haste to the third floor.
For the first time since meeting her, Skuld balks when entering the elevator. It's clear that she's uncomfortable with small spaces. She moves past this, however, while mumbling something in her native language.
She offers Bran her back to climb on and then offers each other group member an arm.
"Lady Wingblade, please let us know when we get to the floor where the use of loud weapons has occurred. If you wish, you may climb onto my front and I shall carry you up as well."
Shayera grinds her teeth over the indignity of being flown by someone else. She bites back a caustic remark and keeps climbing. "No, I don't know which floor the shots were. I have to stop and sniff for gunpowder on each floor."
Bran gives his head a small shake as the group ascends. Too slow.
Discretion may be the better part of valor, but a life may be at stake. If we divide our forces, we can more quickly locate our quarry.
As long as Hashtag and Skuld investigate different floors, we should be able to quickly rally once our search has been successful.
He clambers off of Skuld at the 3rd floor, and begins hauling open the doors, Hashtag, I would be most grateful if you would join me. If this is not the correct floor, I would be sorely grieved to be absent from the fray.
Whew. Made it that whole time without quoting Scooby Doo
"If we're splitting the gang up, does that make me Shaggy, or scooby?" he asks, temporarily wearing a scooby doo collar. "I hope its not Fred. I can't rock the ascott like Bioshock-err some people could."
Despite the urgency and tension, Vick still has time to joke.
"Why would you throw things at a piece of fruit?" asks Skuld of hashtag with bewilderment in her voice and on her face.
Wingblade just shakes her head, happy that Skuld has moved off the topic of how she can't fly.
Eli gives Vick a Look, before looking down to make sure there isn't an illusory ascot around his neck. "You're thinking apricot. An ascot is a piece of cloth that fancy people wear around their necks. Kinda like a tie."
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"... Like the one that Bioshock's wearing." Hashtag adds, after he looks.
Yup. Thats an ascott. Also known as a neckerchief. And it looks ridiculous on a hero costume.
"But that being said, we should move fast. C'mon Bran, let's go find some butts to kick and stuff. I"ll cheer you on." he says, moving to catch up with Bran. "Seriously... why does a crappy place like this have Artificer's tech in it? Must have been legit back in the day."
Bran nods, glad that his helmet conceals his mirth at the reference that a Celtic Myth would have no way of recognizing, but his smile fades as he recalls why they are here.
This warren may be but a remnant of its former infamy, but remember, it sounds as though someone is still willing to kill for it.
"Who is this Artificer? Does he forge weapons and armor, or is he more of a blacksmith?"
"He's more like an engineer. He made his devices available for anyone, and made sure that it was available at what anyone could afford. He's probably the single main reason why there's still buildings standing in Halcyon City. His tech may not be able to stop Captain Mighty from getting flung through a building, but it'll stop it from collapsing in case a load-bearing strut is taken out. So, yeah, it's not surprising that this place has some of his tech still installed."
You've learned about the superhuman world through your mentor's resources. When you first encounter an important superpowered phenomenon (your call), roll + Superior. On a hit, tell the team one important detail you've learned from your studies. The GM will tell you what, if anything, seems different from what you remember. On a 10+, ask the GM a follow-up question; they will answer it honestly. On a miss, the situation is well outside your base of knowledge; the GM will tell you why.
Wingblade, you also know that Artificer's artifacts either consume a large amount of power (making them temporary in case of emergencies, or self-powering for smaller but sustainable effects. For something powerful enough to lock down a place of this size, there's either a huge power source somewhere here, or....something...
There are four surgery rooms in total, and what appears to be old holding tanks that may have been filled with recuperative bio gel at one point in time though now only a foul mold with crust has completely overgrown it. Each of the surgery rooms are closed, the door shut.
Down the hall, you see what seem's to be elevators that have already been pried open, large claw marks rending the steel from its hinges. And there's something....dripping.
pit. pat. pat.
The sound of the drops falling, eventually hitting the bottom of the elevator shaft.
Skuld will move up and investigate, looking both up and down the elevator shaft.
Wingblade is about to mention the massive power needs for some of Artificer's devices when they come upon the elevator doors. Her wings flare out, edges glinting, when she sees the claw rents. She smells the scent of ________. (Hopefully I don't need to roll for whatever's dripping.)
She also races up, hoping to catch the scent of whatever made the claw marks.
Eli rolls his eyes to the sky, as if to ask Why me? He knows from experience that Hashtag's illusions can be tricky to dispell, so he resigns himself to wearing the ridiculous orange cloth around his neck. Tugging on one end of the know, his hood draws closed slightly. "You illusioned my drawstrings?!"
Silently fuming, the image of Bronwyn dressed as Daphne flits through his mind, joined by Mary-Beth as Velma. He has to shake his head slightly to dislodge the fantasy before it has a chance to go any farther. Save it for later, doofus! You're kinda in the middle of something here.
As Wingblade rushes the elevators, Eli cocks an eyebrow. "So they've got a leak. Big deal." The claw marks were unsettling, but there's no telling how old they might be.
Eli really doesn't like being here. The whole place gives him the creeps, tugging at his darkest fears. What's worse is that he doesn't even feel useful. The shots were alarming, but he couldn't help but feel it was some kind of trap. It just seemed too improbable that they would show up just in time to save somebody in an abandoned facility that looks like it hasn't been used in months, possibly years. His own powers weren't a whole lot of use in a place like this, and he was still nervous about trying to boost other peoples' powers after their last outing.
Bran stretches out his fingers to try to match the breadth of the different claw marks. A mighty hunter? Or something that needs rescuing itself? Care will be needed in either case.
Blood.
Its blood that's dripping, the copper scent quite distinct in your mind.
Looking up, you can see the vague red emergency light near the tip-top of the shaft as well as the dim lights of elevator openings on the third and fourth floors.
"Up we must go then. Do any of you need assistance again?" Skuld asked, seemingly oblivious to Wingblade's discomfort.
Bran nods at Skuld's suggestion, eyeing the elevator shaft to see if there are any similar claw marks that might mark the passage of the creature.
"I'm good, thanks Skuld." Hashtag pipes in quickly.
"No," Shayera answers simply as she jumps up to the next ledge and catches it with her fingertips. She starts climbing to the next level, following the scent of blood and whatever else.
Also needing aid to ascend, Bioshock steps up in line behind Bran. The dripping blood in the shaft is unnerving, but still not conclusive. "Okay, maybe they had like a tank of blood that got broken?"
Bran clears his throat in a slight vocalization of disgust. Given the morals that these men have deserted, I find it unlikely any store of blood would be any more wholesome in its origin.
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"Who fills a tankard with blood? That is disgusting. I doubt you could even get the whole thing down before you were sick." says Skuld as she picks up both Bioshock and Bran and flies up to the top level, then hovers waiting for Hashtag and Wingblade.
Those in the elevator see the emergency light blink red on the top floor.
On.
Off.
On.
Off.
Dead body.
Darkness.
Dead body.
Darkness.
His eyes are open, his black tactical gear is slick as fluid gathers at the bottom points and slowly drips down.
And then you see it. A long flick of a shadow is cast on the opposite side of the open door where the dead man lies. It coils like a spindly tail, and then you hear skittering steps echo down the upper hallway on the 5th floor.
Skuld will rise up then through the open elevator door of the 5th floor. She will then deposit her companions past the pooling blood.
Hashtag will get up the elevator with a series of staggered short hops, using the short instant before gravity affects him to reorient and 'port again. Reaching the top of the 5th floor, he hangs onto one of the elevator's brake rails and looks out the doors into the hallway.
"Guys... anyone ever see Aliens?" he asks. "Getting a real vibe here."
Catching sight of her prey, Wingblade jumps the last few rungs to the fifth floor and takes off after it at a sprint.
Bran follows closely on Wingblade's heels. Can you track it?
"I have not Hashtag." says Skuld.
The team sets down as the Thor Girl elevator finishes offloading. This was definitely an office space of sorts. You're in a large area where cubicles upon cubicles are pressed together. Peeking into one, you find long dead computers, old filing cases, and even molding coffee cups.
Then you hear something....odd. You hear crying, almost....no...it is definitely a young child sobbing. It seems to be coming from the far corner to the left, in this maze of cubicles.
At hearing a crying child, Skuld flies with all haste in the direction, shouting "Fear not child, we shall save you!"
Vick holds his hand out. "Thor Girl! Wait!" he exclaims. "Busting through stuff's not a good way to- and she's gone." He sighs. "Well, that's one more kid going to therapy."
Bran's immediate reaction is to do just as Skuld has done, but he pauses a moment. We've definitely been seeing and hearing things that haven't always made sense. Skuld can handle herself if that really is a small child, and I like her chances against a xenomorph if it comes to that. But in case it's something darker...
Bran stands very still, focusing all his efforts on seeing through any illusions that might surround them, straining to catch even a whiff of the arcane that might lead them to the truth.
Wingblade doesn't care about any sobbing she has heard, and is instead running at full sprint after the creature she caught a brief glimpse.
Thor girl plunges forward and proceeds to punch hole after hole into the cubicle walls. A flurry of papers goes airborne due to the shock and the room becomes a whirl of a mess.
One in particular flutters in front of Hashtag. Normally, dismissed, however, he spots the words "power" and "enhance" and a diagram of a pill.
Bran focuses his power and opens his eyes, his mystic power flaring from them. He spots no arcane influences, but he does notice what appears to be large, black tendrils that seem to slither and worm around nearby, almost entirely around the room. From the hue, you can tell this is something that is invisible to the naked eye, and not entirely natural.
Wingblade faces to follow the shadow of a glimpse she caught earlier. She and Thor girl arrive at the other side of the room to find....nothing.
Wait...not nothing....
Years of danger and battle have honed Wingblade's senses and immediately she can feel the immediate danger. She takes a quick step back just in time as a large creature materializes from nowhere, pouncing and landing in front of Wingblade, the immense weight of the creature being held back by the current invulnerability of the basic building foundations.
The creature is almost dog-like, though it possesses no eyes, and as it opens its drooling maw, you can hear the child sobbing from it. It closes it, then opens it again. Though it does not mouth the words, a clearly different voice emanates from it.
"If it is weak, it will at least serve as fodder for the others." an older man's voice says. You can here the clatter and beeping of medical equipment. A recording from another time.
It's mouth closes and opens again. Then it lunges at Wingblade!
Wingblade's mouth twists into an odd-looking smile as she spins her escrima sticks in her hands once, then shoves one of them into its gaping, slathering maw while trying to bring the other one down hard across its eyeless face.
When you directly engage while you are Angry, you can roll + the Label your mentor denies (Danger) and clear Angry.
Hashtag snatches the paper out of the air, creating an illusory flashlight to create light for him to read by and looks it over while there's apparently a scrap going on in the next room.
Bran hefts Gae-Dearg and hurls it at one of the strange tendrils, hoping to pin it in place so he can seek out its origin.
Sins of such magnitude will always leave scars, though these are more tangible than most.
Wingblade successfully locks its jaws open with her escrima sticks though the beast's forward momentum is enough to slam Wingblade up and into the far wall.
Take a heavy blow, Wingblade.
Hashtag, fearing his illusory powers would be ineffective against the monster, scrambles to read the paper in front of his face. It seems to be one of many pages detailing the experiments taking place here, and one of the extracts that were developed from the DNA and test subjects.
It's enough to prove what you thinking about the origins of the enhancement medicine, but where are the rest of the pages.
A gunshot rings out and Hashtag spots three people dressed in black tactical gear, each holding a rifle. Each of them has a small backpack, and they all seem to be stuffed with papers, compact cases, hard drives, etc.
"Another experiment?" one asks another.
"Doesn't matter take him out."
Back in the fight against the beast. Bran successfully pins a tentacle to the wall, and the reverberating shockwave shows that the tentacles themselves seem to manifest from the shadows, and shadows seem to all focus and even swirl around the beast in a haze.
Bran then feels a tentacle wrap around his leg and is sent to the ground as he is being reeled in. Looking behind himself, he spots that he is being dragged towards a particularly dense shadow, and it seems to have teeth and a maw...
Skuld kicks off a pillar to try and catch her momentum. While she manages to break her flight forward, the pillar makes a terrible screeching sound and is warped.
Finally managing to arrest her forward momentum, Skuld begins heading towards the hound when the three men showed up and began discriminately firing into the melee and threatening her friends. Seeing that Wingblade and Bran are currently engaging the shadow creature, Skuld nods to herself and turns towards the tacticool invaders, saying "Drop your weapons and identify yourself or I will make you do so."
Wingblade wasn't expecting the strength of its charge, so when it slammed into her she was taken off her feet. She sails two meters backwards and into a floor-to-ceiling shelving unit. The force of the impact then causes the shelves to tip and fall on top of her, pinning her underneath.
"Ow..." she mutters.
At the appearance of three spec-ops types, Hashtag's face brightens.
"Oh hey! Guys with guns!" he exclaims. "I can deal with that!"
Vick vanishes in a literal poof of relief. Hidden, he calmly walks behind them and starts relieving them of dangerous things... like their bullets or grenades.