Isis returns to the group, just as quietly, and stoically informs them that she neglected to check for traps, suffered a head injury, and needs another 10 minute rejuvenation cycle. It occurs to her to suppose that she'd be embarrassed if she had human feelings.
Without hesitation Eshenvral turns to his captain and speaks, "This model seems to be deffective. Did we keep our warranty on her?"
"Androids don't come wi... Wait, was that a joke or were you serious?" she starts to answer, then asks.
"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Irina asks. After looking Isis over for a few minutes, she adds "You'll live, but please, be more careful."
A few minutes later, presuming Isis returns to the room, she finds the following:
This 20 x 20 room seems to have been dedicated to one item only. On a stone pedestal in the center of the room, there is a small wooden box, about 4 inches x 6 inches. Considering her difficulty opening the door, it is quite possible there are more traps to be had.
Isis of course looks for traps. Perception
The room is indeed trapped. There are nozzles on the ceiling that will undoubtedly spew something harmful should one step into the room. What that is, you have no way of knowing.
Isis tried to determine the best way to defeat the trap, calling on her knowledge of Engineering. Fortunately, she had invested in trapsmith's tools to aid her.
Engineering
He gave his captain a side-eye'd look. "I'll let you figure that one out."
Sharlavaka glanced at the ceiling. Acid would be the simplest choice. Poison Gas wouldn't get through most sealed armours, and anything else would likely be too complicated.
If Isis triggered it he'd be interested to see if he was right.
Isis does not believe she can disarm the trap per se, but she feels confident she can circumvent it through avoiding the pressure plates.
Isis searches the pedestal for traps. Perception
Isis does not detect any additional traps. As far as she can tell, the small box is fair game.
Isis hazards picking up the box.
A final trap Isis had missed is activated. The box flips open, revealing a deck of playing cards, the top one of which is facing up so that Isis' finger just rests on the corner.
Suddenly, Isis' soul is ripped from her body, which stands still there, holding the deck of cards, an obviously ancient and powerful magic item.
Sharlavaka hissed as the trap was sprung. "Magic?"
Eshenvral rushed to the Android's side, turning her over to get a better look at what's happened to her. "It must've been. Sharlavaka, keep her head up, make sure her breathing stays steady. I need to take a look at whatever was in that box."
Go for it.
Nodding, at both the instructions and the correct use of his name, Sharlavaka knelt next to the disabled android and made them comfortable.
Esh and Sharlavaka have managed to carefully move into the room, carefully avoiding the trigger plates for the ceiling trap Isis pointed out.
Esh determines that this is most likely a Deck of Many Things. It's a powerful artifact, and could help the Gardathir resistance, if properly harnessed. That said, drawing additional cards without some precautions COULD Jeopardize the crew's ability to complete their mission at all.
With Esh's knowledge of the cards, he judges that she's been Imprisoned. Her soul is...somewhere else, under the influence of a powerful outsider. It is possible it was transported nearby, but that's not a guarantee...
OOC: (If the GM allows) Isis had mentioned to Esh that she had purchased both a specialty toolkit for locks and trapsmith's tools. It might occur to him to borrow them from her unconscious body.
"This..." His eyes go wide with shock, hand trembling as it inches close to the deck still clutched in her hands. Slow, unsure eleven pours out of his mouth as he stares, practically entranced. "Evenfreyel... Lorium i teri ferell dence? Vall Nethys..."
As if slapped he pulls back, now regarding the artifact with the proper caution. "This isn't just a normal deck of cards, Captain. Have you ever heard of the legends, of an old man sitting on the side of the road in Old Gollorian, tempting the young heroes with a game of cards? The first one to draw from the deck turned around a rich man. The second learned he was the king of a newly discovered kingdom. And the third, seeing her friends take on such rewards greedily drew of the deck. Her soul turned dark, her wealth turned to ash, and the angels of heaven forever scorned her. This is the power of the deck."
Breathing deeply, he tore a piece of cloth from Isis' shirt and gathered up the box. Slowly, methodically, he removed it from her grasp and replaced it within it's original container. "A game of chance. A chance for great power... Or dreadful curses. The one our companion drew was the Eight of Swords, or more colloquially, The Void. Her soul has been stolen away, but it should be nearby. Hidden somewhere within this fortress. We need only find it, and she shall be whole once more."
Sharlavaka looked at the cards with interest. Great risk for great reward sounded potentially useful. But for now...he stowed his laser and slung the unconcious android over his shoulder. "Then we must search," he noted.
Having carefully scanned the rest of the room, you find nothing else of interest here. Continuing on...
"It's up to you where we need to go next. I feel it's imperative to warn, that her soul will likely be in the possession of a powerful outsider."
"Wonderful."
Without a better choice, Sharlavaka hissed, "Clockwise." He started moving down the corridor unless someone had a better idea, intending to head Left when it split off.
"Wait a minute... Did you say her soul? Androids don't have souls."
"Souls, in a strict metaphysical sense, are attracted towards mental structures of sufficient complexity and sophistication. Elvenoids such as yourself are an example of this occurring naturally, yet advanced arcanics and technology have produced spell matrixes and mainframes with enough complexity that souls can come to inhabit them freely. Androids, in all their highly advanced nature, come into their souls as freely as we do. It's an admittedly fascinating part of their nature, as once their bodies have reached a sufficient age, their souls become loose, and move on to the boneyard. The body however, rejuvenates, and a new soul can arise to occupy the now empty shell."
Esh pauses in his info dump, and regards the Isis's unmoving form. "IF you do not wish to raise an infant mind from birth soon, I suggest we move quickly."
"Vera always told me she didn't have a soul. Though, maybe that's because she's a different kind of android than the ones you have here in this galaxy? She was originally human, but her mind was transferred to an android body against her will by her father as a prototype for his own immortality, which drove her temporarily insane due to the horrifically brutal process. She killed him as soon as he activated her and is convinced that he actually killed his daughter, and she's just a near perfect but soulless copy." she explains, as she starts moving on as suggested.
"Data, soul. What is the difference? Is her." Or at least enough for the magic to affect her, apparently.
Irina listens intently to both Eshenvral's explanation and Captain Quinn's story of her friend, whose "mind" now inhabits their ship. For a second, she wondered how old Otis was holding up.
Of course, her mind was now largely concerned with her friend Isis, and how in the world they were going to find a lost android soul in all this Dwarvish grandeur.
Following Sharlavaka, the team moves east, then turns on the first "clockwise" hallway to the north. The ground here is once again covered with molten remains, but you manage to squeeze your way through into an open area beyond.
The soulless Isis follows the group robotically, expressing no opinion and not interacting with her environment more than simple repetitive footsteps.
"The arcane science of creating perfect simulacrums is but one of the many arcane secrets long lost in the Gap's wake. Yet technology has managed to fill the gap. When it comes to brain scans and robotic replicates, this is a provable and tested science. Yet it is not cut and past, but copy. I've not studied this field in depth enough to offer explanation as to the state of the ship AI, but from my personal experience she has this... Quality. One you do not see in normal machines."
The elf taps the side of his head, discharging a spell to enhance his senses. "The soul is a subject I have left to be studied by those of a more spiritual bent, thus my own knowledge on them is limited. I thusly can offer no proof on her behalf. For our own companion, you merely must look upon what's been done to her. If that is not proof that androids can possess souls, then you're as stupid as you are short." Stiffening his shoulders with a pause, he adds on more formally. "Captain."
Sharlavaka scanned the room, unable to add much more to the conversation on the existential nature of robotics and the soul. He'd said his thoughts anyway.
"Wasn't necessarily saying they COULDN'T, just that I'd always been informed they didn't. Maybe Vera does and it's just her belief that she doesn't. She was very religious and anti-cybernetics before her 'conversion' so maybe that's just her old religious beliefs and she actually does have a soul." she says as she looks around, ignoring the double insult.
"Regardless, captain, this is a conversation better had when we're not in a dangerous and unknown situation. We have already encountered one previously instinct species well known for hunting careless explorers on Old Gollarian, and we're secure in the knowledge that there is at least one powerful form of outsider... somewhere within this structure."
None of you see anything of specific interest in the large room ahead of you; however, there are several sets of doors off this room that make it appear to be some sort of larger holding block.
In keeping with your "move clockwise" strategy, the first option is a set of double doors to the left of where you are currently gathered.
Since the complex has proven to be quite riddled with traps, would someone (most likely Esh) like to scan the doors for traps before opening them?
"Computer, personal reminder: Do not allow me to dismiss the tracking skills of our Android again. End reminder." Esh spoke needlessly, as he took up the dreadful task of trying to look for traps himself. It's often been rumored that the elven eyesight was truly keen, but too much time spent in the dark squinting at computer screens has long dulled his races brilliant senses.
There is, in fact, a mechanical trap on this door. Several hidden crossbows are set to fire on the door when opened.
One disable device check will potentially disarm them all.
Sharlavaka looked at the traps, curious. Who used crossbows? Maybe if they were poisoned. Or the bolts made of something strong, that could pierce armour. Or both.
Esh's attempt to disarm the trap fails.
ranged +10
damage (damage dice reduced to compensate for archaic weapons).
The bolts pounce of Sharlavaka's armor, but a few find cracks in Esh's defenses. Esh takes 14 SP/HP damage.
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Esh turns around, and stsrts shooting his gun repeatedly into the door, the door's trap, the other doors, and presumably any traps around them too. He does this until his entire clip is empty.
"I hate dwarves!"
The room before you (to the left of the "X") is 15' by 25', and contains several dozen niches in the walls, about a foot deep or so.
Looking at the bolt curiously for a moment, Sharlavaka took Esh's anger management issues in stride. Once he stopped having terrible fire discipline the bulky Vesk moved in to have a look around.
With a steadying breath, Eshenvral ejects the battery from his gun and replaces it with a spare. He moves to follow the Vesk without another thought or word, as if the indecent never took place.
Only a few of the niches seem to contain objects. If you would like to examine one, let me know. There is little else of interest in the room.
Sharlavaka considered the area, and moved to the closest niche with an object. Looking, but not touching.