Spidre helps gather up the loot in preparation to secret it away in the ratfolk lair.
"Well this is what we came for, right? Where to now, Warleader?"
"Now that I am chief, how many warriors will answer my call?"
"Now that I am chief, how many warriors will answer my call?"
"With all the ones the Smilers killed? A score. Maybe two."
"Good enough. Tell them to make sure their axes are sharp and ready. The Smilers won't be a problem for much longer."
"Good enough. Tell them to make sure their axes are sharp and ready. The Smilers won't be a problem for much longer."
"You got it."
"Is that where we're going next?"
"We should next go to the gates and inform the Steel Hawks there of their new leadership."
"I think that message might be better coming from someone they know, unless you had something you wanted to tell them yourself?" Turning to the orc that answered him earlier, Chotka added, "You, what is your name?"
"I think that message might be better coming from someone they know, unless you had something you wanted to tell them yourself?" Turning to the orc that answered him earlier, Chotka added, "You, what is your name?"
"Hakak, warchief," the orc said.
"Hakak, go to the gates. Tell our people there that we have cut off the strangling hand of the Smilers, and that we will soon carve out their beating hearts. Soon, but not quite yet, so they should continue as they have been doing for now, but report back to you about any weaknesses they see or hear about from the Smilers. Then you will tell me, and together we will rend their flesh."
"Hakak, go to the gates. Tell our people there that we have cut off the strangling hand of the Smilers, and that we will soon carve out their beating hearts. Soon, but not quite yet, so they should continue as they have been doing for now, but report back to you about any weaknesses they see or hear about from the Smilers. Then you will tell me, and together we will rend their flesh."
Hakak nodded and went as bid.
"Commander Rikal, Spymaster Spidre, where do you think we should strike next?"
"Eliminating the Smilers seems a wise choice. The Hellion worshippers that do whatever keep to themselves, but the Smilers will likely send forces out into the city. It's them or the Manticore."
"I don't think we should pursue the manticore. Not yet anyway. I have an idea about that. But I agree, anywhere would be made better by ridding it of smilers."
"Then we agree. Let's go look for the Smilers and see what kind of enemy we face. If they're like Birdfood, it won't take long."
"Let us see this Crazy Priestess on the way there, as well. We'll then scout the Smilers base and see their numbers."
"Let's try not to pick any fights we don't need to though. We will need our strength and arrows for the Smilers."
With word sent that Chotka now ruled the Steel Hawks, the Sworn Band left the Hawk's Nest behind. They passed through tangled refuse, rocks, metal, and debris that made a crude pass between larger piles of the same and came into the same wide area where they'd rescued the ratfolk hours before. From there they brushed the edge of Redtooth's territory before coming to another metal pass, where stacked heaps of junk rose high above and sometimes loomed fully overhead. There they came to a fork, where a narrower path led in the direction Redtooth said the mad priestess dwelled.
As they marched down the narrow, winding path, the distant sound of slow-grinding metal rose up to meet them. Following it, they came at some length to a valley which ended in a wall of gears, all turning save the largest two. Those sat at ground level, where one might expect doors. The whole assembly made an amazing amount of noise.
Rikal stared at the massive wall of gears, then stared at the stationary two doors. "Shall we knock, warleader?"
"What good would it do over all this noise?" Chotka nearly shouted. Instead, Chotka walked up to the massive, unmoving gears and yelled out a greeting,
"What good would it do over all this noise?" Chotka nearly shouted. Instead, Chotka walked up to the massive, unmoving gears and yelled out a greeting,
The din was no match for Chotka's bellow, which range against the huge piles of debris. Yet when it fell silent, the gears ground on. No answer came from beyond them.
Spidre approaches the door-like gears and knocks, following up with a shrug and a scurry away.
Karek examines the whirling gears curiously, wondering how they open?
Spidre approaches the door-like gears and knocks, following up with a shrug and a scurry away.
Spidre drew up to the gears and knocked, pulling her hand clear just before the gears would have rolled across and crushed it.
Examining the gears, from a safe remove, Karek could tell that they were apparently for show; none of them seemed to do much save move and make noise. Still, he set to work upon the mechanism.
Though he exerted considerable effort, Karek could do no more than cause the gears to grind somewhat more loudly.
Failing to pick the lock karek looks around for scrap to jam the gears with?
...all turning save the largest two. Those sat... where one might expect doors.
...all turning save the largest two. Those sat... where one might expect doors.
Karek could see several places where debris jammed within might stop the works. Doing so would mean placing hands and arms in some peril, but it could be done.
Karek gathers the pieces of scrap he thinks will suffice and starts jamming the gears.
Pulling his fingers back with a curse when it gets dangerously close to being crushed.
Karek sets to work on the gears, having to pull back to spare his hands several times, but with some effort and patience he manages to jam one of the major gears. Metal squealed and gears ground in a sudden crescendo before parts of the apparatus bent and broke. The whole wall of gears same to a sudden stop and the two largest, which were always immobile, leaned outward just enough to let a grown person slip between to a darkness beyond.
"You did it. Now, let's find this witch and see who she calls friends in this town." With the way open, Chotka slipped inside.
Karek shrugs and follows behind the 'Chief'. Still feeling quite pleased at his defeat of the technology.
Rikal follows as well. If there is not enough light for him to see by, he will cast a cantrip to shed light.
The Sworn Band made their way through the doors and found themselves in a wide atrium, walled with junk save for the opposite side. There loomed a properly finished metal wall. Three wide steps, their treads cut with teeth like gears, led to a more imposing set of doors likewise shaped like great cogs.
"Seems like a bit much." Spidre remarks as she surveys the interior.
"Seems like a bit much." Spidre remarks as she surveys the interior.
Raven found no traps.
Chotka climbed the steps and slammed his fist against the doors. "We are here to talk!"
Chotka climbed the steps and slammed his fist against the doors. "We are here to talk!"
The doors gave no answer. Rude of them.
"Maybe we should come back later." Spidre shrugged.
"Maybe we should come back later." Spidre shrugged.
"Maybe she's already dead. Crushed by her machines?" Chotka tried to open the doors himself.
"She does not wish to speak, Warleader. Perhaps we should deal with the Smilers first. Perhaps she will be willing to speak then."
Chotka threw open the doors and found a gear-shaped room holding four artfully carved statues of a bronze woman, built of junk and rubble. Each showed her in the act of creating a different clockwork: a spider, a boar, a lion, and a wyvern. A gear-shaped altar stood in the room's center. As the sworn band stepped into the room, the southern and northwestern statues came to live, rattling and clanking as they raised their fists.
This is the crazy priestess' digs. It was on the way so the group decided to go there first.
Rikal begins singing a battle song, stirring his allies’ blood and empowering them to battle!
"Why are they always attack robots? Why can't anyone have nice robots?" Chotka snarled as the song took hold and gave strength to his muscles.
,
Feeling the power of Rikal's song fill his blood with the lust for battle Karek moves towards the closest Construct and swings hard at it.