"I don't have one!" Burgurk almost shouts, out of frustration, not out of anger at anyone.
"Shakti - you have mystical abilities, yes? Could you possibly figure out a way to nullify the metal's effect, or drain it of its mystical energy?"
"I don't have one!" Burgurk almost shouts, out of frustration, not out of anger at anyone.
"Shakti - you have mystical abilities, yes? Could you possibly figure out a way to nullify the metal's effect, or drain it of its mystical energy?"
"I have many. However, since coming to this realm, I have found my power significantly diminished. In my home realm, I was the master of all things; of creation, of destruction, of birth and of life, and of death. What I have claimed here is but a remnant. I feel myself able to claw back more power from the tapestry as I become more accustomed to this place, but I am still growing used to the limitations most of all. I think learning to cancel out the powers of others is something I could learn, but at present, I have never had need for such a power. I was... everything, so there was nothing to oppose."
"I have the powers you have seen, to infuse a creature with life, to heal it, or give it strength or speed in abundance; to call forth creatures from along other branches of the Tree, and command them. I can also alter myself, to take on the shape and power of great creatures, though only for a short time."
"My chief power has always been knowledge. I can still feel my connection to the Bhodi-Tree, and all its memories. This is what I call upon to give myself better understanding of your weapons, or bestow on others, like I did with the blunt-tongued Jonis, to give her a short time with a mastery of words. The Tree was connected to all realities, and to all times, not just mine, so it can be possible to call upon it for insight into things we do not know, or even for glimpses of the future. If there is a question you could ask that might give us the knowledge we need to unravel this mystery, I could ask. If you want confirmation of whether Greyspear is a Vampire, if Jonis is still alive, how these metal boxes function, or another question, this could be answered. However, as I no longer sit beneath the Tree in its physical form, the process can be... taxing. One or two questions in a day would likely be my limit."
"His malfunctions seeming to be getting worse. It cannot even follow simple conversations any longer. Can we turn it off? At least until we think of a use for it?"
"Perhaps if we stand him up in a field, he might at least keep birds away... And even if it doesn't it would at least have the benefit of ending these pointless distractions."
Auriel will ask the headman of the village if there is someone here who can jury-rig it to the group's vehicle, with the caveat that we would return it after the current crisis had passed.
Ignoring Shakti's comments about Atlas, Burgurk says to her "I think it would be very helpful to know how these metal shards work. Knowing that might help us figure out a way to nullify them. How long would it take you to get an answer?"
"Not long. I merely have to meditate and achieve a certain level of concentration. It should not be difficult, so long as the area is free of useless prattle and distraction... Somewhere away from the glitchy scare-crow would likely be a good idea. I can ask more than one question of the tree of course; simpler questions, ones that can be answered 'yes' or 'no' are easier. Ones that take greater explanation take more effort, and may leave my magical energies drained for a while. Questions pertaining to an individual, like Greyspear herself, can be resisted if she is strong enough, or shielded through certain magics. However, I am typically stronger in these areas than most I have encountered here, and may be able to pierce such veils."
"Are we agreed that this is the best question at this time? If so, I will find a quiet place for my meditations."
Presuming the question is agreed, Shakti goes to do as she said. She finds a spot nearby, under the shade of the largest tree in town (which may not be all that big). Sitting crosslegged upon the roots, she begins her meditation. She brings the small metal device in question with her, and lays it upon her open palm as she works her mind, and reaches out with her spirit.
What are these metal devices found on the zombies and how to they work?
DIVINATION–COMMUNION
Power Points: 10
Range: Self
Duration: 1 minute
Success with this Mega Power grants a single answer of one to three sentences, while a raise grants the equivalent of a paragraph or more (at the GM’s discretion). A raise might even mean a full, interactive conversation with an appropriate entity.
Auriel moves off to speak with one of the townsmen before night begins to fall. It is difficult to tell what is transpiring due to the current conversation, but the smile and handshake makes it look as if it is going well.
Shakti finds a secluded spot underneath a tree that seems to be older than most of the ones in this small village. As she relaxes into position, you notice that the roots around her seem to move of their own accord, grasping at her, but not in an aggressive way. She is not unsettled by this and instead seems to relax as she goes into trance.
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"His malfunctions seeming to be getting worse. It cannot even follow simple conversations any longer. Can we turn it off? At least until we think of a use for it?"
"Perhaps if we stand him up in a field, he might at least keep birds away... And even if it doesn't it would at least have the benefit of ending these pointless distractions."
"That you are in a combat zone and the only purpose you can think of for a combat cyborg is to stand him in a field is, also, completely understandable."
"Are we agreed that this is the best question at this time? If so, I will find a quiet place for my meditations."
"I stand ready, with eager anticipation, that you no doubt have clairvoyance enough to cleave this Gordian Knot we now face, and your divination will be not merely insightful, but shall move our hands to slice through our foes like the scythe through ripe wheat.
Return soon, MindWarrior, so that we may be enlightened by thy strategy sublime."
**After Shakti has left.**
"Burgurk, would you be willing to agree to a 'Reconnaissance In Force'? You have, in truth, only faced the Zombie Horde strategum once, and it was after a firefight with a flying scout squad. However you were able to outrace it easily.
I would propose that we again attack along our enemy's perimeter, and, if the horde arises, we simply retreat, again making notes of the conditions by which it comes forth, and noting if we can avoid such.
I maintain my theory that such a devastating weapon could only be used but rarely, and can not be controlled precisely. I state this as we are not currently under attack, and, if our enemy was able to use it omnipotently, there would be no retreat from it.
Would you consider this?"
"Yes, but only in the morning. Driving at high speed in darkness is a sure recipe for disaster."
Auriel returns to the group and says "Well, I think I have the offings of a plan: I spoke to the village leader and he has agreed to let us use a pump system they have to help deal with the vampires. now all we need is a water tank and we'll have an anti-vampire assault weapon. How goes the planning here?"
Before completing her meditation, she will ask some more elementary questions, 'Is Greyspear a Vampire?
Shakti returns to the group to fill them in on what she has learned. Overhearing Auriel's statement, she begins by addressing that, this time speaking directly to the minds of both her sentient colleagues, so she can show them her vision.
"Unfortunately, while that will help with a Vampire, it will do nothing against those animated corpses. I have learned something regarding them."
She relates the vision in detail, just as she saw it, to both Auriel and Burgurk.
"I wish to show you what I have seen. I can share the memory with you so you may judge it yourself."
You feel the tree connecting with you as the world around you begins to fade away. You hear the slow rhythmic heartbeat of this world thrumming through your body as visions start to appear before you. First, all you see is the metal pendant, floating in a miasma, but as you push, you see hands passing over it, a red glow coming from its center. Words form in your mind, not a dialect of this world. Your vision moves out and you see a creature of immense size, looking like something out of a human nightmare, with tentacles, arms, wings and eyestalks. Next to it stands a woman wearing archaic armor and holding a staff laden with skulls of various beings. At the tip is a sharp blade made from a metal that seems to change color in the light. Around her are soldiers in black armor that makes them look to be demonic in origin. The vision changes and you are looking into a pool of gray liquid. As it swirls, you see the telltale signs of a Rift forming. On the other side you can see what amounts to a horde of the unliving creatures from before. You guess their numbers in the thousands, maybe ten thousand. Each wear the same pendant that your vision has now returned to. As you start to come back to reality, you remember seeing one more pendant. The woman in armor was wearing it and touching it every so often as if to make sure it was still there...
"It seems to me that the creature with the tentacles fits perfectly the description Auriel provided regarding the master of vampires, yes? It seems clear that Greyspear either serves it, or has been dominated by its will. Also apparent is that she is not creating these undead, but is rather bringing them from somewhere else through a rift. I believe this changes things. When we were attacked before, their numbers grew rapidly, though we could not see from whence they came. This may mean that they were appearing in our world precisely at our location. That implies that she has no real limit in their number, and that wherever we encounter them, she can deliver them in unending supply. However, it also implies a limitation; as we have not been overwhelmed here, it stands to reason that her delivery of such is limited in some fashion. Either she can only summon them or control them within a certain proximity to herself, or that she can summon them only to a known location, and if she does not know where we are, she does not know where to send them."
"It would seem we are back to a choice; fall back and request overwhelming force of arms from your commanders, or sneak and hope to access them undiscovered. The risk of such a venture is great, and the rewards few. We lack sufficient ammunition to confront her hordes, so only by assassinating her or severing her connection to her minions could we hope to succeed. At present, I see no advantage to taking those risks. As we have already withdrawn and lost the momentum of attack, I believe we should withdraw and request specialized aid."
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" Congratulations, that has a non-zero usefulness value. If we can surmise that the zombies are without limit, then we know that they can not be defeated once we are in their effective range. This can be surmised to be able to defeat any frontal assault.
Also, we can not retreat, as Refuge is always over-stretched, and sending resources sufficient to decimate this threat might meant that they are under-strength somewhere else.
Therefore, I propose a stalking horse attack.
Most of us can take the vehicle and attack openly and loudly. Fewer, perhaps one, of us, that has the greatest chance of stealth, can attack along the opposite direction. If that person is able to scale walls, defeat locked doors, and remain quiet, they may be able to assassinate Greyspear, thereby defeating the zombie threat."
The cyborg pauses.
"Good luck with your assault. I will see you after I am successful.
Please help me try to acquire some grenades for maximum percentage of success.
The Emperor protects."
;)
After hearing Shakti's description, Auriel says aloud "Yes, that pretty well sums up a Vampire Intelligence."
He pauses for a moment, then adds:
"Fortunately, I believe that the rift connects to the plane the Vampiric Intelligence exists on, as opposed to it being here; Unfortunately, this also means that I can not run. Among my people, I am a member of the order of Undead Slayers, and that is the focus of my training: to oppose these creatures whereever they arise. With that being said, I believe that we really just need to find whoever is keeping the rift open and end them."
"The problem with Vampires is that conventional weapons are completely inneffective against them; their other major issue is that they..."
Auriel completely stops for a second, then says to no one in particular "that's why they were here."
he then continues "All may not be as hopeless as it seems. The Coalition strike force we encountered recently included members of my people among them; they are from a different clan, but they said they were on a mission of importance. Given what we have learned, we are likely looking at attacking the same enemy, even if from different ends. If there is even a handful of Undead Slayers, the odds improve considerably."
"All of this is moot, however. I will not allow a companion to languish in the grip of such monsters, and I will not allow her to remain a monster, should she have been turned. All of this is a rather roundabout way of saying that I have no ability nor desire to turn away from this task, or to leave it to others. I can not make any of you come with me; in point of fact, running the other way makes alot more sense, and will probably buy you some time before this area, and then likely a good portion of the continent, is overrun with Vampires and undead. You may have a few good years before all is lost, and should you leave, I will wish you the best enjoyment of those years."
"For my part, I am going to go into their stronghold, marshal my power, and teach Graymane why becoming a Vampire is a terribly life decision."
Burgurk noticed that Shakti left Attie out of her "briefing", so afterwards he will fill in Attie on what she said. He can then have said what he said above to either just her, or to her in front of everyone.
After Auriel speaks, Burgurk says "I am personally against trying to take on a hoard of zombies - like I said before, I'm always up for a fight, but I prefer to choose battles I at least have a *chance* of winning. Attie, I doubt we can get you any grenades in this little village, and Auriel is the logical choice to try and sneak in and kill Grayspear. But I doubt very much that he could do it on his own, nor do I think that we could survive drawing the zombie hoard's attention for too long. And since we don't know if Grayspear needs to know our location to summon them, we have to assume she does NOT.
I suggest that we at least *ask* for support, from both Refuge and the Coalition, to see if any help is possible. If either or both parties can provide lots of vehicles and firepower to draw the zombie's attention, *all* of us can try to get to Grayspear, which I think has a much better chance of success."
"Let's hope they can, because otherwise I'm out of ideas."
"Asking at the least seems wise, for if they can send us any help, even a single flyer with portable ordinance and supplies, would put us in a better position than we are in now."
"As for attack or retreat... If the situation really is as dire as Auriel suggests, then it seems the best chance of long term survival against such a foe would be to confront it while a natural barrier, in this case a rift between worlds, is creating a bottleneck that limits the creature's influence in this realm. It also presents a point of attack; if the rift itself can be destabilized or closed, the threat could be completely cut off, without having to confront the power of a superior entity."
"Regarding Greyspear, I asked the tree of Knowledge of her fate as well, and I learned that she is not yet a Vampire, but is likely being dominated by its will. She is resisting, and may herself be turned to an ally, if only we had a way to free her. It seems possible that the amulet she wears could represent a physical token of her master's influence. Just as it allows her to control the undead horde, it may be what allows the entity to exert its influence over her. If we can somehow get close enough to remove or destroy that amulet, then there is a chance that Greyspear herself may know a way to close the portal. Of course, this is all conjecture, and if incorrect, could doom any operation depending on such details to prove true."
"Shatki - I don't think you understand how rifts work. It is not a barrier or a bottleneck, but a gateway, allowing the zombies to enter our world. And I don't think I know of anyone who can close a rift, altho Grayspear seems to be able to open them at will.
I would suggest that Auriel contact his Coalition friend, and see if their objectives might not be the same as ours..."
= 6
Burgurk recalls that Ley Line Walkers and Shifters are more capable of closing and controlling Rifts, but other spellcasters can do it with difficulty as well.
"...ok, Shakti, I just remembered - most spellcasters can close a rift, but it's very difficult and it takes an LOT of power. Ley Line Walkers and Shifters can do it a bit easier.
Auriel, what about contacting your...er...contact in the Coalition?"
"I am familiar with the method. The technique is well within my skill, but I could summon the necessary energy when fully rested and prepared. That would leave me unable to use any of my magic in aiding us in getting there."
"Well, being able to stop an undead zombie hoard from attacking us would be a VERY good thing, I think it would be worth it even if it leaves you drained."
"Also, we never followed up on that woman with the wolfen child - wasn't she supposed to live around here?"
Night falls as you find a place to continue your discussion as to what to do next. Auriel spends his time speaking with someone from the Coalition, which while dangerous, could help with the coming conflict. When you awaken in the morning, one of the militia members is waiting to speak with you. "Th..the..they left a message for you."
You are taken to a scene where a man is drawn up in ropes and has several stakes through him, attaching him to a tree. The worst part, he is still alive. On the ground in front of him is a puddle of blood and a holographic imager replaying exactly what happened... it isn't pretty. You see the face of Grayspear at the end of it in which she indicates a group of more citizens that appear to be awaiting the same fate...
Shakti approaches the man pinned up to the tree. "You have suffered greatly, and I can ease your pain. I can heal the wounds to your body, but the healing of your mind will be up to you. Do you wish such a healing, or would you rather all suffering come to an end?"
She taps her revolver on the grip with a long fingernail by way of emphasizing this last.
The man nods at the revolver Shakti is holding. "You would do well to use that now... I.. I don't want to become one of them.." He trails off, coughing up blood and spittle, adding to the mess. Some of the militia members lower their heads, whether to honor him or silent prayers or curses, no one but they know. The man on the pole nods again as if to say go ahead.
"I thought I said to stay out of it, Slayer. There are things in motion beyond your little band of warriors' control. Tell me why I should risk that for an attack with the possibility of a lot of collateral damage. Especially if I send an entire division. " Though the image is holographic and somewhat distorted, the contempt is very clear.
"Because I have actual intelligence that a Vampire Intelligence is gaining a foothold in this area; Or, perhaps, you care nothing for the vows our people have made?"
It was true, the situation was dire thought Auriel to himself for me to contact this one, who had clearly turned his back on his people and their mission.
Before Shakti can act, Burgurk jumps in and asks "Wait! You're not dead yet, so why should you turn into one of them if we heal you of all your wounds?"
The image distorts a bit, or his face does, you're not sure. "You think to threaten me with oaths that got hundreds of our brothers and sisters killed? For what? Some ancient feud that few care about any more? The Slayers are hasbeens Auriel. This is a new age and a new path has been made. We survive by staying out of it, only fighting when necessary. Besides, the area you are talking about is technically out of our jurisdiction. "
The man sputters a bit, but little comes out. "A.. already.. too late.." You watch as his skin starts to turn an ashen color and as it does so, the light from the rising sun starts parts of it smoking..
Burgurk starts asking anyone in the little town that he sees "Do you know of a wolfen woman named Jarela? Can you direct me to where she lives?"
Shanti nods to the man, respecting his decision. She finishes him with a single shot.
One of the men Burgurk is talking to cringes as Shakti seals the dying man's fate. The shadow of death hangs heavy in the air. "Jarela? Didn't know she had a name. She usually keeps to herself. We don't bother her, she doesn't eat the children. If you really want to find her, travel east out of Pux and then follow the trail to the ruined watermill. Can't miss it. "