Throughout their journey Zoran takes a background role cataloging and recording the various images to better understand the Kish and help bring them into the fold of society. The itch in the back of his mind about what lead them to this loss in technology is bothering him but aside from a furrowed brow he remains mostly quiet.
"I figured the names would have been somewhat different but a Foundry and a Temple were a bit more excessive. I have recorded a lot of the images...at least the ones not attacking us. Shall we head back first or check out the next place on our list?" he showing some of the recordings to the others and reviewing the crude map.
Zulu quickly identifies the stash of alien technology but does not claim any of it, his jetpack taking up his upgrade slot in his slightly outdated armor.
"Hm hm, Tzayl mention that Devourer Cult people went to Temple too... but that also where all angry kish hiding. Seem like not going to be easy to get inside while kish stay angry. Make lot of sense to Pippimi - have to resolve morale issues before team can operate properly!" Pippimi looks over the items the team found "Nice goodies! But Pippimi still have fingers crossed for new weapon hiding somewhere."
"Maybe go to House of Renewal on way back to Tzayl?"
"Sounds like a plan to me Pip."
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The group grabs up all the loot then heads off towards the House of Renewal on the way back.
You walk back through the abandoned city, past storefronts with empty shelves, skyscrapers bent from time, and apartments burnt out from the inside. You walk for about twelve minutes, your eyes on the sky for more of those raptor birds, when you hear a low growling from a dark alleyway. Out of the darkness come three pairs of yellow eyes, reflecting the light from your suit flashlights. They leap out into the street, furred quadrupeds the size of large hounds, with muscular forelimbs and six-digit humanlike hands! Their powerful jaws and sharp teeth slaver spittle onto the ground and their large nostrils flare in anger!
These are Eohis! They appear to have evolved on a heavily forested world and are certainly not native to this gas planet. Their cloudy eyes and large nostrils imply a powerful sense of smell and their strong jaws a tendency to rip flesh apart.
"I don't know what they are but I will bet all my credits on them wanting to kill us. Take down the purple furred one first!"
He then whips his rifle up and flicking a switch with a free hand that causes electricity to arc down the barrel. He takes aim and fires off a round towards their enemy.
Pippimi rolls forth, ready to protect the team from yet another strange alien threat! This one ALSO looks like it could have come from Castrovel. "Anyone else getting feeling that this LOT of jungle-y aliens for little floating ruined rock city? Maybe long time ago there zoo somewhere inside?" As she speculates she grabs a hold of the nearest of the were-lion-gorillas.
Davrin simply nods at Zoran's call. Pulling out his trusty pistol, he dashes up behind Pip and fires a shot of sonic pulse at the pinned target.
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Zoran's electrically arcing bullet pierces the monkey's side. As the bullet sprays brown fur into the air, Pippimi slips under the primate's arm and grabs tight on it's lower legs! It struggles in pain and is unable to move! Davrin, seeing an exposed vein, sends a sonic blast right into the ape-thing's underbelly!
The gorilla in pippimi's arms wrenches it's neck around to bite Pippimi but is unable to get down to the skittermander.
Avoiding the heavily armored ball of fur, an ape runs up to Zoran and swipes at him with a huge hand. He catches the borai's foot, dragging him to the ground!
The second gorilla, showing a pack mentality, runs around Zoran in a blur of motion. He snaps out at his undead flesh twice, quickly, moving like Pippimi does after a company-approved double-shot of Blast-Coffee. His teeth sink in deep, scratching at Zoran's armor.
As the alien beast's teeth leave Zoran's undead flesh, his HUD flashes a warning. ARMOR PENETRATED. FOREIGN SUBSTANCE IN SYSTEM.
Clank x2
z45719 x2 SP: 47/47
Davrin SP: 49/49
Zoran SP: 23/57
Lenny SP: 63/63
Pippimi
purple eohi 52 damage, Pinned, Bleed 7
blue eohi 0 damage
green eohi 0 damage
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Zulu is startled as the group is accosted by a trio of ... animals, and by the time he gets his rifle up Zoran is under a dogpile and Pippimi is practicing Blastworks approved HR training, or is it corporate togetherness exercises? Either way, the purple furred one was handled so the Android sics his targeting computer on the closest beast and he opens fire with his laser rifle, momentarily wondering if he could nail them both with a plasma blast while missing the prostrate Zoran before dismissing the idea.
Davrin grins at a job well done. Without taking a step, he swivels around and fires upon the eoha ... uk ... eahi ... uh lion-gorrilas flanked by Zoran and Lenny.
Pippimi rolls westward, kicks off the beautifully detailed office building's wall, and leaps at green in an attempt to wrestle it to the ground!
"Hold on Zoran! Pippimi put gorillon in time out corner for team in just moment!"
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As the purple ape wrenches it's neck around to bite at Pippimi, a massive spurt of blood shoots out of it's belly onto the aged concrete. Davrin's sonic blast weakened it sufficiently that it passes out onto the floor, quickly losing blood.
Zulu ignores that mess, sending three shots at the closest ape-thing. Two miss the melee, crashing through the one remaining window in the long-forgotten department store. A mannequin POOFs into dust inside. One hits the beast in the rear, singing off some fur. Lenny runs up behind the beast, hoping Zoran can put up some sort of fight. Davrin sends another tricky shot at the gorilla-thing, opening a vein on it's leg.
Pippimi gives a trio of elbows to the gorilla's back, stunning it for long enough to grab a hold on it's hind legs! That ape is going nowhere!
Clank x2
z45719 SP: 47/47
Davrin SP: 49/49
Zoran SP: 23/57
Lenny SP: 63/63
Pippimi
purple ape 92 damage
blue lion 32 damage, Bleed 7
green gorilla 12 damage, Pinned
"I don't have time for this. You two die like the other one and I keep living."
Zoran's bestial tone kicks in as he shakes the sheathe off of his sword cane.
"Finish them while they are focused on me. They will make easy targets."
The goblin takes a pair of potshots at the apes, trying to cook them at the same time!
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Clank sends a pair of well aimed shots into the side of a rampaging primate, scalding it with laser twice. Beside the wounded ape lies Zoran, choosing to stay on the ground and defend himself by encouraging his allies. His HUD continues to flash, FOREIGN BACTERIA DETECTED, UNKNOWN ORIGIN. BACTERIA ENTERING BLOODSTREAM
The western ape twists in an unnatural way, nearly bending in half to get near Pippimi. With a massive CRUNCH it's jaws tear against Pippimi's protective armor! Pippimi's armor starts flashing warning signs in Vesk across her helmet screen. NON-BLASTWERKS APPROVED SUBSTANCE ENTERING BLOODSTREAM. COMPANY VESK RESOURCES INVESTIGATORS WILL BE CONTACTING YOU SHORTLY.
The second ape continues to bleed from it's wounds but manages to bite into Zoran's leg nonetheless. It nearly manages to puncture the plating, but Zoran escapes with just a bruise - for now.
Clank
z45719 SP: 47/47
Davrin SP: 49/49
Zoran SP: 6/57, Latent Nejean Rabies
Lenny SP: 63/63
Pippimi SP 50/56
purple ape 92 damage
blue lion 56 damage, Bleed 7
green gorilla 12 damage, Pinned
Despite its nasty thrashing about and biting, Pippimi tightens her grip as well as she can, hoping to keep the gorillon off Zoran for long enough that the others can deal with it.
Feisty as it is, her Discipline Grip (TM) slips a little!
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Okay, it's time to try out this armor upgarde.
Lenny switches it on and asks Whoooo had their coffee this morning?! He begins moving more rapidly than before. He immediately slashes into the gorillion next to him.
If it's after the first attack, then he moves in between and attacks GREEN.
Davrin stands his ground, and continues to pump another sonic blast at the severely injured creature.
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The gorilla biting Pippimi doesn't even flinch at the small shock given off by her armor. As the armor discharges, another message floats across her vision. FOREIGN SUBSTANCE ENTERING NERVOUS TISSUE. ADDED TO EMPLOYEE FILE.
As Pippimi flinches, not from the physical pain but from the thought of receiving bureaucratic discipline, her hold loosens slightly! She BARELY manages to hold on to the writhing ape!
Across the melee, Lenny swings at the ape in front of him. He nearly misses the creature, but Zoran's threatening poke of the cane sword maneuvers the creature into his blow! Lenny takes off a huge chunk of muscle from the gorilla's shoulder, leaving it shaking in place. Davrin aims carefully at the beast, sending a sonic blast flying through the air. Unfortunately the force of Lenny's blow moves the gorilla out of the way!
The gorilla in Pippimi's arms struggles again to get a bite out of her but is unable to reach the fast moving blue blur. The second animal lunges towards Zoran's neck but collapses mid thrust, bleeding onto the street floor.
Clank x2
z45719 x2 SP: 47/47
Davrin SP: 49/49
Zoran x2 SP: 6/57, Latent Nejean Rabies
Lenny SP: 63/63
Pippimi SP 50/56, Latent Nejean Rabies
purple ape 92 damage
blue lion 90 damage
green gorilla 23 damage, Grappled
"Good job, fellow! Just one more of this irritating beast! Just die already." Davrin takes a couple of steps sideway, then fires again.
With the only remaining threat grappled Zoran jumps to his feet and dashes around the beast to get near Pip.
"This strategy is becoming more common. Remind me to get tougher armor next time we are back." he quips.
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"Yeah, and I plan on getting a little payback myself while we finish it."
Seeing the group really starting to go to town, Zulu shifts his rifle to the last target and lets out another barrage of laser bolts.
Pippimi raises the greenish Gorillon into the air for just a moment, exposing it to all the incoming weapons fire, before letting out a "Huuuua!" and rapidly stabbing with her starknife.
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Davrin snaps off a shot, ripping into the gorilla's bicep. Zoran tumbles out of the way, sending off a rifle shot into the gorilla's arm. Lenny moves fast, faster than normal, almost as if he was using those performance enhancing substances that absolutely NONE of his gym members use and he would absolutely NEVER encourage or sell. He slashes deep into the gorilla's hind quarters, causing the beast to tremble for a moment before beginning to growl at Pippimi again. Then, Pippimi raises the gorilla into the air where her knife flashes and a trio of Zulu's laser bolts turn the gorilla's underbelly into a gory mess of innards and charred flesh. Pip drops the bloody bag of skin onto the pavement where it lays, unmoving.
Clank
z45719 SP: 47/47
Davrin SP: 49/49
Zoran SP: 6/57, Latent Nejean Rabies
Lenny SP: 63/63
Pippimi SP 50/56, Latent Nejean Rabies
purple ape 92 damage
blue lion 90 damage
green gorilla 183 damage
"I need to take a break and regain my composure if you don't mind. Ten minutes should let me shake off the intimate moment with those three." quietly mumbles looking over his shoulder.
As he rests he looks to Pip.
"You took a hit too. You alright?"
"So we thinking a zoo breakout? Starting to feel like we are back in the jungle...I prefer killing Corpsers." Zoran small talks while resting and checking his equipment. His hands tremble slightly at the pressure with which he polishes the new insignia adorning his microcord. The ethereal blue swirls match the dimly glowing trim that runs along the ribbed portions of the armor.
"Helping these Kish is rewarding but what is going on off-planet while we do." he says quietly to no one in particular as he thinks.
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Looking at the scan you took on your way in to the city, it seems like you are just about as far from that large chunk of green forested land as you are from the House of Renewal. Clank points out that the overgrown area is likely the home of these creatures, and that it's size would be capable of supporting many many more of them. You spend about ten minutes in the street, surrounded by the three alien corpses while Zoran deep breathes. By the end of the time, there are several of the large alien raptors circling hundreds of feet above you. They seem to be sizing up whether fighting you is worth the bounty of raw meat spoiling in the sun. Deciding hanging around was not a good idea, you continue towards the House of Renewal.
You travel about four blocks and turn the corner on to the street outside the House, where you stop in shock. This street is not dusty and desolate like the many you have walked through today. Arrows are lodged into many of the vertical surfaces, the storefront windows are all smashed in, and the ground has dozens of large iron-stained tiles from what is certainly many instances of spilled blood. The center of the block is commanded by a single building with a domed roof. A set of wide semicircular steps leads up to a pair of doors in the front of this one-story building, which was once painted light blue but is now dingy from age. A half-destroyed holographic sign hangs above the entrance, flickering softly, and a symbol has been crudely painted across the doors. From here, it’s clear that the rear of the building has collapsed in some places. The second half of the sign is readable, thanks to the magic still changing words in your vision and hearing. It says, N CLINIC. The symbol scrawled onto the front doors appears to be a semicircle atop a straight horizontal line.
You can tell that symbol depicts either a rising or a setting sun.
"House of Renewal...some sort of clinic and looks like they could have used it after what happened here."
Clank chimes in helpfully. "Well, that symbol either means a rising sun, setting sun, or someone sticking their tongue out. Less likely the last one, but you never know..."
"You took a hit too. You alright?"
"Not problem! Weird gorillon only lick Pippimi a little bit. Armor warnings about disease probably just glitch. Yep yep!" She gives Zoran a triple thumbs up.
At the House of Renewal, she looks up at the sign. "Look like maybe alien horizontal split eye also? Or sun. But why clinic have anything to do with sun? Unless that just chain of old kish clinics - like Doc Zaibers Patchers-R-Us back on Vesk Prime!"
"Seem like kish like to fight over this spot. Hmm, if remembering Tzayl story right, this place for both judgement and healing. Maybe medical robot or hologram inside?" She gets her weapons ready to smash in the face of another aggressive hologram.
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You get into breaching formation and Lenny opens up the large front doors so you can see into the entry to this "clinic". The walls of the room are lined with broken, dusty, and moldy furniture. Opposite the pair of double doors that leads inside, a window in the wall is closed off by a slab of opaque metal material that has been pulled down from the ceiling. A smaller door opens near the window. Murals depicting kish with broken limbs and dark halos above their heads cover the walls. Looking around the room, you suppose that this was once a waiting room for the clinic.
You can interpret that the kish with dark halos in the murals are suffering from spiritual maladies, as compared to those with the physical maladies like broken limbs.
You don't have much time to look around the waiting room because in the corner sits a pair of kish who stand up with alarm!
Zoran, Davrin, and Zulu get the jump on the pair of kish. Before diving into the room, you all notice that these kish do not bear the mark of Talovet and must be members of the core group who follows Huntmaster Xavra.
"Ack! More bad kish? Maybe they come for healing and not attack team?" Pippimi hesitates.
Zoran says before turning to the Kish and demanding their surrender in Kishaleen.
"Stand down or we will be forced to do this the hard way. The hard way resulted in the death of the last group that attacked us." he calls out.
"If they refuse focus the one on the right."
Zulu readies his rifle but awaits the alien response before taking action.
Davrin, always one ready to act on a trigger, notices his teammates holding back so while he keeps his weapon in his hand, similarly keeps from attacking just yet. He doesn't hold high hopes though for this going peacefully.
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The kish register Zoran's words and look to each other with alarm. When you do not immediately attack, their hands pause before pulling weapons. One speaks to the other in the Kish language, which you can understand. "So the words are true, more aliens have come to desecrate our lands with their sky-weapons." The other puts his hands up gingerly and speaks to you plainly. "You allowed some of our brothers to escape with their lives. We are only here for healing from the gods, not battle. Please, let us go without violence." The first looks back to the second with a glare. "But we are sworn to protect our sacred places from intruders. You must promise to walk with reverence, or we will be forced to remove you from this place." The second kish pales at the thought while the first slowly draws his axe.
"Pippimi not looking to desecrate anything with sky weapons!" But she also adds "Walking with reverence probably not problem, but Pippimi need clear rules on what acceptable. Otherwise team easily break rules without knowing." She holds off on asking for the rules in an easy to read employee-focused pamphlet or motivational poster. The kish probably haven't gotten to that yet.
"Thank you. It is true we typically deal with those who desecrate rather than become them. Guiding us in how to properly revere this place would be helpful and we could return the favor in some way." Zoran says sighing with relief as he relaxes.