Chotka spoke in the harsh tones of his people and warily watched the small figure.
The small person started as she'd accidentally stumbled upon what appeared to be a band of near-feral orcs. She swore quickly under her breath in another language and darted out of sight, addressing them in the Hallit tongue.
"I mean you no harm, big ones. I come for the dead robots. I will only take the parts you don't need." She frowned to herself after that remark. "I don't think that's why they're here." She thought to herself. Around the corner, she drew up her hood and looked for a place to hide even as her panicked eyes made contact with a silent, hooded figure of much larger stature than her own crouched a few paces back, holding steady a bow with arrow already strung.
At least they hadn't seen Raven.
Rikal snorted. "What value have these abominations? They are a mockery of life, and should be destroyed. If you do not get in our way, I see no reason to prevent you from taking their metal bones."
Rikal will turn back to the device, seeking a way to free whatever was making those muffled cries, confident the sworn band could defeat it if it proved hostile.
The small woman peeked out around the door frame and re-assessed the group. Suddenly she noticed that they aren't orcs, but half-orcs, and at least one human. She responded to him cautiously. "A man in the city told me he would pay a copper for each pound of parts I brought back in good condition. I came here to kill the monsters and steal from their bodies, but it looks like someone has already killed them all."
After she made her observation, she stepped out into the doorway more openly and drew back her hood. Red hair hung in messy strands down the halfling's face, which she brushed aside somewhat ineffectually as she stood up straight to speak again. "What are you doing here?"
Rikal snorted. "What value have these abominations? They are a mockery of life, and should be destroyed. If you do not get in our way, I see no reason to prevent you from taking their metal bones."
Rikal will turn back to the device, seeking a way to free whatever was making those muffled cries, confident the sworn band could defeat it if it proved hostile.
Rikal found a slot on the machine that might take a card, as others had. The brown card did nothing, but on using the black, the top of the machine split open and slid away. Inside, Rikal found a middle-aged man, his eyes glassy and whole body shaking. His legs bore numerous cuts that sliced through muscle and tendon, so they only moved when his trunk did. He let out a desperate, wordless moan on seeing his rescuers. When his eyes fell on Groomahk, his bowel let loose.
"Help yourself." Karek says to the newcomer. "I find the thought of these things being melted down and made into something useful very pleasing."
When the tube opens Karek looks at the middle-aged man with curiosity. "Who are you?" He asks in a reasonable tone. Holding the extract of CLW he was going to use on himself, but wondering if this man needs it more?
When the tube opens Karek looks at the middle-aged man with curiosity. "Who are you?" He asks in a reasonable tone. Holding the extract of CLW he was going to use on himself, but wondering if this man needs it more?
The main recoiled from the extract, still shaking.
Karek tries his best to look non-threatening. "Are you Baine?" He asks the important question.
Karek tries his best to look non-threatening. "Are you Baine?" He asks the important question.
Vague recognition dawned in the man's eyes. He made a trembling nod.
The scarred orc laughed, then spoke again.
"Do not fear little one. We are just wary of surprises, as we've had more than our share of unpleasantness down in this hole. We've come to rescue...." Chotka looked over with a hint of surprise, "...him, apparently. Khonnir Baine, your friends in Torch sent us here to rescue you, believe it or not. For some reason, they feared you had managed to run into trouble and might have need of some muscle to get you out. Would you allow us to heal your wounds?"
Rikal says to Baine, "I assure you, we will do you no harm. However, you will have to walk out of here, and it would be easiest if we healed you so you can do that. Your daughter is worried about you."
Rikal says to Baine, "I assure you, we will do you no harm. However, you will have to walk out of here, and it would be easiest if we healed you so you can do that. Your daughter is worried about you."
[dice=Diplomacy to calm him down]1d20+8
Listening to Rikal, though clearly not catching the full meaning of his words, Bhaine nodded again and accepted healing.
The halfling moved closer to the group at the mention of the name "Baine". She started to rush forward, but caught herself after only a step, inquiring, "Baine? Is that Khonnir Baine? You know there's a reward for him back in town." She looked down at her bag of scraps, suddenly very dissatisfied. "A sizable reward." She dropped her bag unceremoniously.
"Let's get him back to town!" She said with an excited clap of her hands. Then reached out a hand in a symbolic gesture of assistance and added, "I mean, is he okay?"
Groomahk snarls, but shows his great bone-beak. He thumps his chest and stalks away from the newcomer. She was a little thing, barely fit enough to be food.
The halfling moved closer to the group at the mention of the name "Baine". She started to rush forward, but caught herself after only a step, inquiring, "Baine? Is that Khonnir Baine? You know there's a reward for him back in town." She looked down at her bag of scraps, suddenly very dissatisfied. "A sizable reward." She dropped her bag unceremoniously.
"Let's get him back to town!" She said with an excited clap of her hands. Then reached out a hand in a symbolic gesture of assistance and added, "I mean, is he okay?"
Bhaine made an inarticulate sound at the proffered hand, as though he didn't understand what it meant at all.
"He seems addled. Perhaps we should get him back to the priests for healing?" Karek remarks. He has no skill at healing so can't help the man.
He looks around the room for any interesting loot?.
if needed.
"He seems addled. Perhaps we should get him back to the priests for healing?" Karek remarks. He has no skill at healing so can't help the man.
He looks around the room for any interesting loot?.
[Dice=perception] 1d20 + 5; if needed.
Karek searches the metal cave and finds plunder in the desk against the wall and a few compartments in the walls. Most of it appears to be broken, but a few items stand out:
A metal box with glass on part of it
A blue stick of some strange, hard material, with a clear bulb on the end
A thing that seems to be a metal crossbow, very small, but without the bow
Two cylinders made of some sort of metal, with scribblings on them
And what looks to be a vial of some red fluid with still more scribbling
He also finds a collection of things that don't fit with the caves at all and he suspects belong to Khonnir.
A metal box with glass on part of it - a timeworn radiation detector
A blue stick of some strange, hard material, with a clear bulb on the end - a medlance
A thing that seems to be a metal crossbow, very small, but without the bow - a timeworn brown nanite hypogun
Two cylinders made of some sort of metal, with scribblings on them - nanite canisters
And what looks to be a two vials of some red fluid with still more scribbling - grade 1 hemochem
I also remembered the loot spreadsheet exists and put it up top.
Rikal will gently help Khonnir Baine out of the pod, and see if he is able to walk. "I suspect our biggest issue is going to be getting him out of here without the benefits of the water breathing magic the priest in town cast upon us. Karek, did you find something that would allow someone to breathe underwater?"
Karek gives the collection of strange objects a dubious look. "Doubtful." he grunts.
Remembering something he's heard of. "We can use the waterskin trick! Who has a waterskin? Empty it out, fill it with air and let him breath with it!"
Karek gathers the items for sale back in Torch, maybe the daughter of Baine could tell him what they are?
Rikal nods in agreement with Karek's plan and says, "I'll empty my waterskin out. But first, he may need some." Rikal will hold his waterskin to Baine's mouth to get him to drink.
"So we're doing it? We're taking him to town for the reward?" Spidre claps her hands and grins. "Everyone will be so happy. Did you hear that Raven? We--" She pauses as she looks over her shoulder, talking to apparently no one. "Oops." She scurries away to the other room, calling "Raven? Raven!"
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Groomahk shakes his head at the crazy little woman and shoulders his axe, letting his rage end. There would be more battle to come, and he needed his strength.
Khonnir took a drink. It took some doing, but he eventually seemed to understand that he should breathe from the waterskin when the time came. Then the task remained to carry him through to the water, his maimed legs dangling limp below him.
At the water, the sworn band entrusts Bhaine with the waterskin and Rikal and Chotka take him in. For most of the journey, the stricken man is compliant deadweight between them. Toward the end, his body convulses with a fresh shiver at the cold water and he swallows a large amount of it. He begins to thrash and struggle.
So then, Bhaine is not doing well. He's at Dex 1 and Int 6, plus psychological trauma. He's not going to deliberately screw up breathing from the waterskin, but he might suck down all the air in a panic or get confused in the dark, cold water. Also he doesn't have an airtight seal to that thing.
Let's say there's a 10% chance that he just swallows enough water or blows through his air in a big gasp and starts drowning per round, which goes up 10% every round he's submerged. Taking 10 takes care of the swim issues, so this is mostly a waiting game.
Swimming goes at about 15 feet per round, so 3 rounds.
Last round fun times.
Frustrated to remain in the water any longer than needed, Chotka held Bhaine's arm tightly and let his impatience give him strength as he surged towards the surface.
Frustrated to remain in the water any longer than needed, Chotka held Bhaine's arm tightly and let his impatience give him strength as he surged towards the surface.
[dice=Swim (DC 20)]1d20+7+2
Chotka made a mighty heave of it and dragged Bhaine up into the air, rolling him over as he did. The stricken man coughed out a remarkable amount of water before he breathed easily again.
Chotka chuckled as the man started breathing again. "My first time through was not so different than that. You will live."
Safely on the other side of the water, the orc donned his armor while giving the older man time to catch his breath.
Chotka chuckled as the man started breathing again. "My first time through was not so different than that. You will live."
Safely on the other side of the water, the orc donned his armor while giving the older man time to catch his breath.
Khonnir coughed and hacked for a while, but it was soon clear he was about as fit as could be hoped given his condition. Even in the pure light of day, he looked profoundly ill.
Rikal aids Chotka in getting the thrashing Baine out of the water, and once he's on land, he will don his armor and say, "So it was for all of us. Fortunately, we learned better. Now, let us get this man back to the townspeople."
Karek.
"Aye, he looks to be mindsick or something?" Picking Baine up carefully Karek sets off for the Temple of Brigh.
Several people clearly recognized Bhaine as the sworn band took him through Torch, but all made way for them. The great clicking, whirring, unnatural temple of Brigh soon appeared before them. They entered to find Old Joram, the priest, deep in conversation with a younger man in blue, bedecked with many pouches. Shiny bits of metal peeked out from some of them. It was the merchant who the sworn band had sole some of their plunder to, Sanvil Trett. Neither noticed the band's arrival.
"Young man," Joram was assuring him. "It is no sin to spread the Goddess' gifts far and wide. You have a good heart to worry so for Master Bhaine, but your trade would not anger her."
"But...are you sure? I mean no disrespect, but I had barely come back to Torch when..."
"All you do is spread the wonder of Her metal workings, my boy. In that way, you are her faithful servant. Still your unquiet mind a moment and listen to the Whispers in Bronze. You will know what's right."
"If you're worried about Bhaine, now's the time to help him. He's beat up pretty bad and he doesn't seem to understand much of what we say. Where should we set him down?" said the black eyed orc as he stepped to the side to make way for Karek and the wounded older man.
"If you're worried about Bhaine, now's the time to help him. He's beat up pretty bad and he doesn't seem to understand much of what we say. Where should we set him down?" said the black eyed orc as he stepped to the side to make way for Karek and the wounded older man.
Both men started at Chotka's voice, but quickly recovered. Joram indicated a table with a few odd bits of metal on it and Sanvil quickly cleared them away.
"By Her Gears, what's happened to you Khonnir?" the priest said as he looked over the fallen man. After a brief consideration, he began to pray. Rikal understood a few words, but Joram's pronunciations were approximate at best. Something about "rebirth" or "reinstallation".
On concluding, Joram produced a bronze rod with a long tube attached and pressed the tube into Khonnir's ear before winding a key on the end of the rod. Something inside it whirred for a few moments. Unsatisfied, he repeated the process twice more.
After the third prayer, Khonnir's eyes mostly cleared. Still shaking, he grasped Joram's hand.
"Thank you, my old friend! I couldn't think at all...it was a nightmare..." only then did he notice Sanvil and the sworn band. "And thank you too."
"It was all their work, Master Bhaine," Sanvil said.
Spidre turned to the Sworn Band and thrn looked back at the merchant. "You were working for Mister Trett too?" She addressed the merchant with an explanation. "Mister Trett, I didn't find many good parts, but I found all these guys! Can you believe it?" Her hair was still damp and she looked a little annoyed when when she added, "Though I don't really understand who they are except for Khonnir here."
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Groomahk plunges into the water after his war chief and heaves with his mighty thews!
"Who?" Karek responds blankly to Spidre's question. "Is that his name?" He adds when she talks to Trett.
Rikal shakes his head at Spidre's question. "We were looking for Khonnir Bhaine because we heard some townspeople speak of his disappearance. We spoke to Old Dolga and she gave us more information, and asked us to look for him. I have done business with Mister Trett recently, having sold him some items we salvaged from the caves."
Turning to face Khonnir Bhaine, Rikal says, "I would like to know what happened to you, Khonnir Bhaine. You seem to be considered something of a wise man in this town, and knowledgeable about the metal men and the dark magics in this area."
Spidre speaks Common (Taldane), which Karek and I also speak - but not Chotka, and not Groomahk. Now, I believe you said most of the town speaks both Hallit and Taldane, but someone is going to have to translate for either Spidre or Chotka, and Chotka will have to translate for Groomahk, who speaks neither Hallit nor Taldane. Otherwise, someone isn't going to know what people are talking about! Yay, languages!
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"I am a scholar of technology and magic," Bhaine said, deliberating each word. "I had a... friends. After I found the tracks by the water... Sent for them. The halflings went in before they came... All dead, I think. Would have come out by now... Then the thugs. Probably...wanted the League's reward... Damn them all."
"My friends came. We went. Found caves, the skulks. ...slew their leader, the rest fled. He had silverdisks...many. More than he should have if they didn't go into the...ship. Forced a door with-" Khonnir flinched. "Hard to think about it. Used a-" he flinched again, they made a vague gesture with one hand. "We found a robot. Realized there was much more...took robot home."
"Others went the next day, not us. We went back... Through the cave in the ship. Then there were robots. Many robots... Saw them die. The robots... Something about...anomaly. They took me, did things. Put me in that machine..."
"Did you ever see my kin? Many of my people were captured recently. They may have wanted them for the same reason they kept you."
"Did you ever see my kin? Many of my people were captured recently. They may have wanted them for the same reason they kept you."
"I don't...perhaps? It's hard to remember. There were skeletons..."
Groomahk snorts at the others' bird-twitters. The War-Chief and shamans speak and plan. His blood burns for the glory of combat. He crouches low, eating a haunch of meat as his the others speak.
Karek wanders off and lets Val know her dad is back.
Karek wanders off and lets Val know her dad is back.
Val is thrilled, hugging Karek and thanking him in broken Hallit before racing down to the temple to be joyously reunited with her father. Much happy crying ensues.
"Tell us, Khonnir Baine, are your friends still down there?"
Chotka spoke in guttural tones to Groomahk, then clapped him on the back and turned back to face the others.