Miri freezes, the stillness of a lifelong predator, as she assesses the situation. Whatever was making the river flow backwards was completely unnatural, and the sound of clankng metal reminded her of her battles of the day.
Growling low in her throat, the deadly hunter takes a deep breath, and leaps towards the vortex.
Such a jump was easy for you, your powerful legs carried you easily through the air and angled you enough to slip through the whirlpools center more or less unscathed. As you fall, everything seems to slow down momentarily. Perhaps it was the adrenaline pounding through your veins but you could see everything clearly. The water churning, chopping and misting you as you passed through the middle of the whirlpool and into the strange portal below. As you reached the portal though you saw a strange glimmer...
As your feet touched first a warmth passed through your being, growing in intensity until you felt as though you'd burst into flames...
You pass through the portal mostly unscathed, emerging on the otherside merely singed instead of burned up as you imagined. You also find that gravity has turned on you and instead of falling downward feet first. You are now falling with your back to what you hope is a floor and you are completely surrounded in darkness leaving the pale glimpse of Turlacon's light behind you in the above the now closing in whirlpool.
As you hit your caught up in the massive rush of the water and are hit by some sort of debris in the large flat sided hallway you find yourself in. As you struggle for breath you are being hit more and more by the debris, some of which you identify as bones. The water though threatens to carry you further down the hallway, to where though your not sure.
Cassian
As Bera works on the doors, I try speaking to V one last time.
"Does anything drive back the shadow? Flame? Lightning? Ice? Anything?"
I cast my eyes about the room, as if looking beyond its walls, "And is there anything we can do to bring the temple under control? Anywhere we might go? Or must we search from room to room?"
HP 40/46
AC 22; Touch 12; FF 15
CMD 28 (30 v Trip)
Fort +8; Ref +6; Will +4
Speed 30ft
Status
Abilities Acrobatic Dodge [7/day] (+14)
Equipped Cold Iron Longsword [Two-Handed]
Ammo: Pistol [2/2; 22]
Ammo: Throwing Darts [x10; adamantine]
Conditions
Attack/Damage:
"F*@#ing hell, Cassian curses beneath his breath as another beast clambers out of the shadows and announces the intruder for all to hear. Open battle between the two of them was certain death but once again Cassian's instincts had guided him towards the rightful solution. Each step he had taken to back away from his enemy was a step closer to the door which he came through. He had forcefully wrenched it open himself and there was just enough room for him to slip through. If he could hold the creatures off his flank long enough to jump through those doors he could funnel away their advantage.
"Gods, you ARE ugly. Was it your stench that caused these mutations or did that come afterwards?" he asks as he playfully spins his sword and continues inching towards the door. "I can do something about that smile but your stink... bah! It's simply beyond my skills."
- About how far from the door am I?
- How big is the doorway? I mentioned that Cassian squeezed through so I'm guessing it should only allow 1 creature at a time but then again that was my input and not yours. I'd just hate to be moving into a wall.
- Was that Acrobatics 15 the mutated rolled to avoid provoking an AoO? if so, would I be able to roll that attack?
Sorry for the lack of imagination with my battle tactics. Self preservation over theatrics. Well, this time at least.
Also, yeah that was a pretty helpful hit. Too bad I don't have that +1 damage from the whetstone anymore. *EDIT - After seeing attack/damage rolls* Well I suppose it's not that big of a loss haha.
Diyeana
As you open the door the ship lurches downward and to the side again just as a gout of green flame sweeps just barely over head, as you hold onto the railing of the stairwell and barely avoid getting hit by the swinging door you see something flash by. Barely above the bow of Smitty's airship, its passage was so quick the air literal snapped with the force of its passage.
Something gargantuan and as black as pitch, your sharp eyes follow the massive shadow as the light of the moon outlines its shadowy form. It moves almost a hundred yards out before twisting easily in the air, dark wings outspread and completely eclipsing the sight of the moon behind its massive form. Great necrotite green veins seem to crisscross its body like rivers of vile energy and just as you blink it sweeps its wings downward, rocking the ship with a powerful gust as it slowly angles itself to come at Smitty's vessel once more.
The grappler arm swung inert on the side of the deck, part of it had been caught by the gout of flame the monster had unleashed at the vessel but for the most part the arm was unharmed. You can hear Smitty bellowing at the top of his lungs, but can't quite make out what he's yelling about as the ship continues to fly evasively in preparation for the monsters next attack.
Initiative:
Stepping out through the door, Diyeana is taken alomst completely by surprise by the sheer size and presence of the creature attacking them. While the gunslinging mage was normally almost completely fearless, this time, her bravery is not quite up to the task as an almost overwhelming fear washes over her. Her first, primal instinct is to run screaming, but the former Longunner is made of sterner stuff than that, and, although she is still surely shaken, and can feel the terror coursing through her veins, she swallows her fear and takes another step out onto the deck.
Turning quickly behind her, she yells a warning to the young mechanic "Joey!! DRAGON!!!"
Before stepping forward again and bellowing for Smitty "Smitty! I'm here! Tell me what you need me to do!" as she tries to listen closer and desperately focus on what he is yelling.
Perception:
Calling upon her reserves of strength, Miri throws her sleek powerful body fully into the battle against the whirling tide, ignoring the goulish debris washing past her.
Swim
Swim
Swim
Ael
Your plea seems to spark something in V as his dead eyes refocus on you; he raises a hand and rubs his skull like he was in pain. His voice seems smaller, more strained then before when he speaks again, like he’s forcing out each word and it’s causing himself extreme pain to do so. ”I’m sorry, it’s hard to focus…” He says something in Bera’s guttural tongue which causes her to turn and stop actuating the lever as she faces V questioningly. He doesn’t look away from you however, looking at all the long as he rubbed his temple and looked deep in thought. ”By the time we knew what was happening many of us succumbed to the shadows touch… The lower levels fell first and it moved through the vents into the sleeping quarters of the Initiates, completely consuming them before they could flee. It hates light, that was the only way we could contain it at first but when it grew large enough it started consuming the energy from our generators and slowly but surely disabling every light source near its… hunting grounds. The Soulless also despised light and ravaged whatever machinery they could get their hands on, sadly, despite being dead they retained working knowledge of the machinery, which made it easier for them to dismantle what they found. They shattered whatever orbs they found as well which made it easier for the Shadow to expand.” He trails off as he looked at the pair of inert machines behind you a sad look crossed his face. ”You held on for so long…”
He turns from you and walks up to the inert machines, he stands between them before turning to face you. He places a hand on each of them. He closed his eyes for a long moment as he seemed to focus on something. He smiled grimly as he spoke, his voice even more strained. ”We have a way, with a lot of luck and prayer I think I can get you past it… You’ll have to time it just right though. I don’t know if this will work though…” With one hand touching each machine, he starts muttering a quiet prayer. ”By the proper calculations and alignment to her will, through the power of her celestial body and by the will of Cyriss may she let her divine will be known through this mortal shell.” With every word a faint glow started to spread from his hands and over each machine. As the faint glow started to cover both machines entirely, a low hum started to fill the room and all of the lights that had been dim before started to brighten slowly until the room was comfortably lit. The machines continued to hum louder and louder until the very floor vibrated with their combined workings, V continued to keep a hand on each machine and as they grew stronger he seemed to grow weaker. His knees were shaking as he looked at you, giving you a weak smile as he spoke. ”You’ll need a symbol to get past the doors quickly, take mine.” He moved his left leg forward, his ragged garments sweeping back slightly to reveal a gold symbol of a woman who appears to be made up of entirely of gears and clockwork pieces. Its intricacy is staggering, the details are well defined and she seems to stare out indifferently at you as V starts to pant as he struggled to maintain his connection to each machine.
The door Bera had been working on screeches as something outside slams against it, rocking the entire frame while putting a small dent in the center of the door. V looks from the main door and then nods to you both as he remains standing. ”Go to the room you entered from and be ready to exit the way you came, so long as there is power my symbol will get you through most doors. You need to make it to the lift and get off this floor. Don’t worry; I will be right behind you.”
He’s lying, by the wavering in his voice he’s doesn’t sound as strong as he did when you first found him. It’s obvious that whatever he is doing is weakening him severely. It’s likely he won’t leave this room and by the significant look he gives you he knows this to be true as well.
Cassian Vespertine
Both creatures were drooling on the floor now, moving in a stooped, hunched over way and clawing at you as you continue to evade them. The first one moves forward and finds itself skewered again by your readied blade and gives off a pained howl as it decides to attack you instead. AS it comes at you small pieces start to fall off, obviously the damage you inflicted thus far has been significant and this creature had underestimated you...
As the first slashes savagely at your left leg, the second starts loping towards your right. Keeping about 20 ft between you and it as it dribbles saliva on the floor in anticipation for the coming kill...
2/35 Parts are peeling off, close to True death
35/35 Unhurt
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 35
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +7
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +9 (2d6+3 plus disease and paralysis) and 2 claws +5 (1d10+3 plus paralysis)
Special Attacks paralysis (1d4+1 rounds, DC 15, affects elves normally), stench
STATISTICS
CMB +8; CMD 26
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Disease (Su)
Burning Fever: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 15; onset 1 day; frequency 1 day; effect 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Charisma-based.
A humanoid who dies of of the fever rises as a ghoul at the next midnight. A humanoid who becomes a ghoul in this way retains none of the abilities it possessed in life. It is not under the control of any other ghouls, but it hungers for the flesh of the living and behaves like a normal ghoul in all respects. A humanoid of 4 Hit Dice or more rises as a ghast.
Paralysis (Su)
Creatures damaged by its natural attacks must make a successful DC 15 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. Paralyzed creatures cannot move, speak, or take any physical actions. The creature is rooted to the spot, frozen and helpless.
Unlike hold person and similar effects, a paralysis effect does not allow a new save each round. A winged creature flying in the air at the time that it is paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A swimmer can't swim and may drown.
Stench (Ex)
This creature exudes an overwhelming stink of death and corruption in a 10-foot radius. Those within the stench must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save, or be sickened for 1d6+4 minutes.
"YOUR GUN WILL BE USELESS! JUST GET TO THE DAMN GRAPPLER!" Is all that Smitty can shout before the gargantuan dragon swoops in to strike once more. Its wings made the air snap with each down stroke; as it closed it stretched out its pitch black claws and raked them across the deck. As its claws struck the open deck, literally peeling the metal plating that covered most of the airship, its claws caused a loud screech as before exiting on the other as the dragon passed over the ship.
Smitty roars in outrage as the dragon tears off the side railing with a lazy flick of its claws as it sailed past. "DAMN YOU! QUIT TOYING WITH US YOU OVERGROWN CHICKEN! I'M GONNA BREAK MY BOOT OFF IN YOUR @#$ IF I GET THE CHANCE! DI WATCH YOURSELF DARLIN'!" Smitty turns the airship rapidly to the left, trying to outrun the dragon as it moves further away in the opposite direction. You however never break eye contact with the creature and it appears to be looking directly at you its eyes reflecting dark and vile green like the foul necrotite that most likely courses through its veins. As you shake with fear it seems to enjoy your fear, feed off of it, a jet of green flame shooting out of its flaring nostrils as it laughed darkly. It's laugh echoed through the night sky, filled with a deep echoing mockery at the pathetic mortal's that dare defy it momentarily in it's sky.
There was no response from Joey after your call and you can't hear any movement over the roar of the airship engine as Smitty tries to gain as much speed as possible...
HP 28/46
AC 22; Touch 17; FF 15
CMD 28 (30 v Trip)
Fort +8; Ref +6; Will +4
Speed 20ft rounds
Status
Abilities Acrobatic Dodge [6/day] (+14)
Equipped
Ammo: Pistol [2/2; 22]
Ammo: Throwing Darts [x10; adamantine]
Conditions
Attack/Damage:
"Gah!" The monster latches onto Cassian's leg. He frantically shakes it to get it to release him before turning over his sword and driving it through the beast's back and into the floor.
His eyes dart from the felled mutation at his feet to the one stalking around his flank to the room at large. Something. Something in this room must be suitable for raising my advantage.
Taking a few steps backwards to increase their distance and finding favorable position with the bodies of all fallen guarding him from a running attack. He draws his double-barreled pistol and tongues his bottom lip, "Your move, you ugly son-of-a-b!*$#."
Despite her growing concern for Joey, Diyeana knows the Dragon is by far their biggest priority at the moment. Nodding acquiescence to Smitty's command she carefully makes her way to the Grappler.
Mir
Your sleek form cuts through the onrushing water as if you were a fish and after several minutes of hard swimming the water finally abates. Leaving you standing in ankle deep water, where ever you are now its large because you had watched the river for some time and yet this place isn't completely flooded. Despite this strangeness your alert and only slightly tired from your furious swimming. As you crotch in the center of the hallway, bits of bones, skulls and torn up clothing are swirling around you as the water continues to settle.
Looking away from the disturbing debris, your eyes adjusting easily to the darkness around you as you take in the walls and the empty silent hallway that lies before you. The walls and floor are made of a hard substance, smoother then stone and feels somewhat like the metal used by the the City Folk.
The hallway before you stretches on for a ways, far outside your night vision and you see nothing moving except for water. Behind you the hallway stretches and with your vision you can see that parts of this hallway have collapsed. You could move easily over the debris and make your way down the hallway if you wanted, however you had an odd feeling...
The hairs on the back of your neck standing on end, as if you were being watched. Yet you don't see anything...
As you searched the burn marks marring the walls of the collapsed hallway before you you see something move. On the ceiling of all places and as you look upwards you see more movement.
A lot of movement.
Like hundreds of bodies rolling over each other, crawling, snaking around like maggots on a corpse. Yet they were translucent, made up entirely of shadows and as you look up at them one body stops, turns over and looks back. Its face twisted in a look of extreme agony, it claws its empty eye sockets and screams silently as it struggles to free itself from the mass of rolling shadow forms.As it pushes itself outward it looked it was ripping its arms out of tar or something just as sticky like whatever it was trapped by was sticking to it. With half of its body free it turns and reaches for you for a moment, stretching, its long bone thing fingers reaching towards your upturned face. Suddenly it stops and a look of shock crosses its face before the rest of the mass reaches out, hundreds of hands grabbing at the poor, withered form and dragged it back in. Screaming silently all the way, reaching towards you...
It mouth's something and frighteningly enough you understand it clearly.
In the mass of shadows you see teeth and eyes moving about, searching and eating the shadowy bodies that make up the mass along the ceiling. As the withered shadow is pulled back into the mass one of the eyes snaps to look at you, the size of a grapefruit and it is soon joined by a mouth with far too many teeth.
Hundreds of fangs, that glint white in your vision and move dangerously towards you.
As you begin to move Smitty shouts at you to come to him and falling his urgings you quickly make your way up to the main cabin which sits beneath the lower works and main operations cab of the Grappler. He gives you a grim look as he looks from you to his burned crane, the roar of the the airhsip engine caused the floor to vibrate beneath you and Smitty raised his voice so that he can be heard. "Take the main ladder there lass and get in the cab, its gonna be rough but if we hope to escape this creature we need something with some punch! Just be careful the Grappler is easy to run but you be careful!"
Another mocking laugh boomed across the skies as the massive dragon circled lazily around Smitty's airship. It fired another blast of green flames, the ship narrowly avoided the flames, which licked hungrily at the metal shell of that made up the airships hull. By the time you reach the cab the dragon descends and is sweeping beneath the stern.
Inside the cab you find a number of levers and the large grappler extends over the entire length of the airship, giving you an impressive one hundred foot swing when full extended. You not sure how much winch cable you possess but your pretty sure its a fair amount as the hoist wheel sitting just above and behind the cabin looked fairly large.
I will try and keep it simple.
Its a move action to lower or raise the main boom line. Lowering the line gives you more damage at the cost of accuracy. A single move action moves the line 30 feet
At 50 feet you receive normal bonuses, every 10 feet your closer to the main boom head you'll receive a +3 to your attack but receive -1 to damage dealt. Now for every 10 feet past 50 feet you suspend the grappler head you will only get a -1 to attack but a +3 to damage.
The Grappler head deals a base damage of 8d8+10 damage. Modified of course by length of cable.
On a critical failure you'll face dire consequences, Lets hope you don't get that. We'll cover that if it happens!
The Grappler has a special attack, it can engage in Grapple attempts. :) no penalties.
All Attacks are based off of dexterity and not strength, as the crane requires a lot of finesse in its operation.
Attacks only require a standard action, sadly the crane isn't fast enough to attack more then one per round. Hero Points still affect the crane in every way but extra attacks. Bonuses to attack rolls and the rest continue as normal.
Hopefully this isn't too much for you and just ask if I need to clarify it more! Picture it like a giant flail, that grabs things. >:)
Cassian Vespertine
The mutant gives a shiver and lets loose a disgusting sigh, smelling of rot and death, as your sword cuts through its wretched form slamming into the floor beneath it. With its chest split open, its ribs splayed by the blade that ended its existence, it slides to the floor as true death takes it forever. As it lays there it
The second mutant looks on and throws its head back, shrieking in outrage at the death of its companion. It lops forward, hopping over the bodies as it closes the distance with Cassian, intending to end this man existence and feast upon his flesh. As it gets past the fallen forms on the floor it raises its slams its claws and stops twenty feet from Cassian. It slams the floor again and again as it rages at you but for some reason doesn't close in...
Perception
As she stares up Mirrianissa can only shudder as a feeling of wrongness envelops her despite the lack of a clear threat.
HP 28/46
AC 22; Touch 17; FF 15
CMD 28 (30 v Trip)
Fort +8; Ref +6; Will +4
Speed 20ft
Status
Abilities Acrobatic Dodge [6/day] (+14)
Equipped
Ammo: Pistol [1/2; 22]
Ammo: Throwing Darts [x10; adamantine]
Conditions
Pistol Attack/Damage:
Sword Attack/Damage (in case of AoO):
The biggest problem with fighting an intelligent foe is that often it will adapt to the situation by taking on the traits and tactics of it foe. Doing this gives him a better understand and eventually manipulate his enemy into failure. Cassian understood what this monster was looking for. It had been watching him, studying him since it oozed its way out of the shadows after its friend had engaged him. It knew the strategy he had used to kill the other so now it was trying to goad him out of the defensive and into it's own slimy maw.
This one was more dangerous than the last; its restraint alone proved it. Although it had expected true of the once proclaimed "Prince of the Free Skies" it must not have understood the purpose of the device he drew from the leather holster at his thigh. Cassian Vespertine was aiming a gun at its face.
[dice=(Touch?) Attack (Called Shot: Head)]1d20+8-5[/dice]
[dice=Sickened for ]1d4[/dice] rounds
Idk if you noticed, in my Round 4 combat spoiler I rolled a d4 for the duration of my speed reduction from that called shot to my leg and got a 2. So I should be back to 30ft at round 6 unless they have some super secret special ability that I'm not privy to. I'm not sure if you had a roll for that going behind the scenes but I figured I'd just give you a heads up. :-)
Also, I meant to edit this into the above post but I was distracted by "work" or something silly like that.
Actually, another thing I forgot to correct was the stats for my sword attack/damage in case of AoO. The damage should only be 7 since I'm holding it with one hand. So attack/damage mods with my sword will be +10/+7. Juuuuuuuuuuuust in case.
As you strap yourself into the operators chair and test the levers you remember many days standing next to Smitty when you were younger. Watching in awe as he moved objects back and forth across his salvage yard far faster then any man could hope to. You remember the times he'd let you operator a couple of levers and swing the grappler left to right. As a teenager you worked with Smitty when you got out of school or when you needed to get away from your parents. Its then that you notice a small drawing on the side of the control panel the same one you left there years ago, and realize that this was in fact this was in fact the very same grappler you played in as a child...
@ Cassian:
It never saw it coming, cocking its head to the right as you raised your weapon and fired...
The creature jerks, its head whipping back as you put a black penny in its skull. It brings a clawed hand up and scratches at the hole you've created in its face before whipping its dead eyes back to you. Its fury is readily apparent and it closes the distance between you. Its off kilter walk is worsened by the damage you inflicted to its head and it sways as it comes towards you.
As it reaches you it opens its mouth and bites at you with its needle like teeth while dribbling its deadly spittle...
27/35 Unhurt
Init +4; Senses darkvision 60 ft.; Perception +9
DEFENSE
AC 20, touch 14, flat-footed 14 (+4 Dex, +6 natural)
hp 35
Fort +4, Ref +4, Will +7
Defensive Abilities channel resistance +2
OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee bite +9 (2d6+3 plus disease and paralysis) and 2 claws +5 (1d10+3 plus paralysis)
Special Attacks paralysis (1d4+1 rounds, DC 15, affects elves normally), stench
STATISTICS
CMB +8; CMD 26
SPECIAL ABILITIES
Disease (Su)
Burning Fever: Bite—injury; save Fort DC 15; onset 1 day; frequency 1 day; effect 1d3 Con and 1d3 Dex damage; cure 2 consecutive saves. The save DC is Charisma-based.
A humanoid who dies of of the fever rises as a ghoul at the next midnight. A humanoid who becomes a ghoul in this way retains none of the abilities it possessed in life. It is not under the control of any other ghouls, but it hungers for the flesh of the living and behaves like a normal ghoul in all respects. A humanoid of 4 Hit Dice or more rises as a ghast.
Paralysis (Su)
Creatures damaged by its natural attacks must make a successful DC 15 Fortitude save or be paralyzed for 1d4+1 rounds. Paralyzed creatures cannot move, speak, or take any physical actions. The creature is rooted to the spot, frozen and helpless.
Unlike hold person and similar effects, a paralysis effect does not allow a new save each round. A winged creature flying in the air at the time that it is paralyzed cannot flap its wings and falls. A swimmer can't swim and may drown.
Stench (Ex)
This creature exudes an overwhelming stink of death and corruption in a 10-foot radius. Those within the stench must succeed at a DC 15 Fortitude save, or be sickened for 1d6+4 minutes.
HP 28/46
AC 22; Touch 17; FF 15
CMD 28 (30 v Trip)
Fort +8; Ref +6; Will +4
Speed 30ft
Status
Abilities Acrobatic Dodge [5/day] (+14)
Equipped: Cold Iron Longsword
Ammo: Pistol [1/2; 22]
Ammo: Throwing Darts [x10; adamantine]
Conditions
Attack/Damage:
Cassian barely manages to roll out of the snapping jaws of the mutated beast all the while making a sloppy swing at its head with his blue steel estoc.
The attack went wide but he managed to avoid another devastating bite. The pain from the one that sank into his calf was just beginning to subside. With good timing too since if that had happened a moment before hand, whatever toxins and filth had seeped into his body would have prevented him from moving as quickly.
Cassian sidesteps a few paces and tries to get a clear view of MoG's door all the while keeping a 10ft distance between him and the mutation he left screaming in frustration.
As you step back the creature gets another swipe in with one clawed hand as you retreat awkwardly.
The injury to its head though prevented it from landing the blow, throwing off kilter just enough that the claws just barely missed Cassian. He did however feel a slight breeze as the claws passed within an inch of his face. As he quickly made his way around the creature, keeping a fair amount of distance between himself and it, it pivoted and stalked him with its dead eyes before pouncing towards him once more. Swaying and bobbing as it closed in to snap at him with its malformed jaw and needle like teeth...
It shrieks in outrage as it misses you once more and shakes its head violently as the bullet it had been struck with rolls around inside its skull. Its head now is leaking some stinking bile onto the floor and yet the mutation is still standing.
HP 28/46
AC 22; Touch 17; FF 15
CMD 28 (30 v Trip)
Fort +8; Ref +6; Will +4
Speed 30ft
Status
Abilities Acrobatic Dodge [5/day] (+14)
Equipped: Cold Iron Longsword
Ammo: Pistol [1/2; 22]
Ammo: Throwing Darts [x10; adamantine]
Conditions
Attack/Damage:
The mutant grew evermore outraged and Cassian was growing evermore fatigued. He had battled his way through taverns and alleyways, through corridors and command posts but each time he brandished a blade his foe fell seconds after. This monster was far more complex than the others but Cassian was hellbent on ensuring that it suffered the same fate as the others who opposed him these past few hours.
He deftly buffets a flurry of snatching claws with his sword and dodges the fierce snap interlocking teeth then uses the momentum of the creature's rage to carve out a bit of midsection with a backhanded slash. The second the edge of his estoc slips out of the monster's belly he backs up in the direction of the Mistress' workshop.
@Mir
As you stand there looking up, you suddenly feel an overwhelming sense of dread and notice that somehow the hallway is getting darker like something is shrouding your vision from all sides. As if a shadow were descending on you...
You only have two ways to go, as the portal you entered from has closed. Moving over the rubble behind you, while hard going is possible, or forward and into the clear hallway.
As you move away from the darker hallway you start to feel more at ease, the feeling of being watched never quite goes away and for some reason now you feel like something is stalking you. You come to a intersection with a way directly ahead, a way off to your right and a way to your left.
As you make your way slowly over the rubble and trudge your way through the calf deep water. You find that the further you go the darker the hallway becomes and the feeling of dread continues to increase dramatically, to the point where you are just barely staving off panic. Your ability to see in the dark is failing you and for some reason you feel the odd sensation that something is brushing against you, and yet there is nothing there.
You eventually feel your way through the dark, oly able to see about barely ten feet in front of yourself as you make your way into an open space. You feel out three new openings. Three new directions and yet the darkness continues to become more menacing and somehow feels thicker to the point of that your feeling hemmed in. Every breath is labored as if the air was thick with smoke and yet you smell nothing.
@Cassian
Cassian strike staggers the creature momentarily causing some of its guts to spill to the floor and yet, shockingly, it remains standing shaking its head. Slipping on its on entrails, it follows Cassian doggedly onward, pursuing him to the bitter end. This time however it unleashes the full furry of its teeth and claws on the fatigued being it intended to devour...
HP 17/46
AC 22; Touch 17; FF 15
CMD 28 (30 v Trip)
Fort +8; Ref +6; Will +4
Speed 30ft
Status
Abilities Acrobatic Dodge [4/day] (+14)
Equipped Cold Iron Longsword
Ammo: Pistol [1/2; 22]
Ammo: Throwing Darts [x10; adamantine]
Conditions
Attack/Damage:
Regardless of his defenses there was no way to avoid such an overwhelming onslaught. His sword was fast enough to deflect the mutation's claws but it only gave the opportunity for the beast to catch his arm with a vicious bite. It's teeth sank deep into his bicep and radiated some sickening secretions into his blood. As the creature lingered there sampling it's desired treat, Cassian shoves it away and drops low to drive his sword into what would have been the rib cage of a nanatomically normal creature.
He backs up again and awaits its next move with grim determination. Both combatants were down to the brink of their physical limitations. The next successful strike would prove the victor...
@Ael
Wordlessly you nod to V as he continues to do whatever he is doing to the machines, the dents in the door increase as whatever is outside rages to get in the room and as you take shelter in the shop that you originally entered from V turns away from you and looks toward the central doors. It looks as if he said something and suddenly you hear the hissing sound of a door opening nearby. Before the door stops opening the darkness that had been chasing you starts to roll into the room, moving along the floor and seething like a pile of maggots as it struck out at the orbs shedding bright light all around it.
Some shattered as the Shadows struck true and it continued to lash out at the room and the light and everything else that dared move within its sight.
The darkness continued to quickly fill the room rapidly, its mass moving ever so slowly towards V as he stoically held his position betweent he machines. Its then you hear voices, hundreds of voices all crying out together in a vile unity and most sounding as if they howled each word as they were wracked with a terrible unending pain.
As you prepared yourself to use V's holy symbol...
The shadow mass stopped moving and suddenly a great eye rolled out from its form, despite being translucent like the rest of its form it regarded you with a baleful glare and soon a toothy maw formed beneath it, turned up in what could only be a arrogant smirk. The teeth that formed themaw were the size of daggers and the edges of the mouth twitched and writhed as it snapped its translucent teeth at the pair of you.
As it shrieked these words it reached out for the pair of you with three dozen shadowy tendrils. All as thick as your torso and enough of them to surround the workshop door and leave you with only one avenue of escape. Bera raised her weapon in outrage to the Shadows words and prepared to fight to the death. But V's voice carried over the sound of her tribal weapon scraping against the ceiling.
"CYRISS BE WITH YOU ALWAYS! SIL! LaAIlC AnIrA MEES!" As the last elven word left his dead cracking lips the doors all gave a hydraulic hiss as whatever pressure had been used to open was rapidly released. The door to the workshop slammed shut in front of Ael and Bear leaving them in the dark with only her shroud to light the room. It wasn't the only light though as the light that Ael had seen earlier continued to burn brightly, indicating that someone else may be alive somewhere inside this massive place.
He had warred with his madness focusing on what he had loved in his old life. Engineering, new machines, mathematics, nature, seeing the spectacle of live birth's and unrequited love were all rolling through his weakened mind as he focused on doing what he had avoided for centuries. The machines pulled at him, warring with each other as they drained what little clerical power he had left and fed the dying temple. He wouldn't be able to maintain it for long, he wasn't sure though if he would last a few minutes or possible an hour but when he had Sil open the doors he shook in terror at just how much larger the shadow had become when the temple went fully dark. It seethed and boiled with the trapped spirits of the clerics and what appeared to be other creatures it had captured in its centuries of life within its massive feeding ground.
He focused his mind, urging the lights in the this room and the adjoining areas to surge up brightly and force the bastard down to his level. It would not fly above him and descend, no. It would crawl on its belly to face V. The one it failed to consume and today V would either destroy it or be destroyed. Yet though its words tore a hole in what little heart he had left and when it reached out for Ael and Bera, he broke his concentration and had Sil close the Shadow in with him and the emergency power generators.
"CYRISS BE WITH YOU ALWAYS! SIL! LaAIlC AnIrA MEES!"
He had mean't ever word, for the first time in centuries a creature had come along and broke through the veil of madness that had engulfed him. Allowing to take control and fight one last time. The shadow raged as its prey escaped and the eye turned to him and multiplied until there were hundreds of malformed translucent eyes and fangs aimed in his direction, each mouth spoke as one, emitting the voice of every creature this abomination had ever consumed. Had V been alive he would have been sick as recognized many of the voices to be those of his closest friends and boon companions during the days when he was alive.
Several tendrils struck out at him, taking on the shakes of shadow lances as they aimed to dismember him in one strike. As the half dozen shadow weapons came at him he roared in defiance at his would-be executioner. "NO! IT IS YOU WHO WILL FALL THIS DAY BAS^&*(! MANKIND HAS COME AND YOU WILL DIE AT THE HANDS OF WAVE AFTER WAVE OF THEM! AN UNSTOPPABLE TIED OF BEINGS WHO WILL UNMAKE YOU!"
V Braced himself as the lances came down on him, he closed his eyes as he welcomed death's embrace.
Finally, he was going to die.
Thank you Ael, may the gods bless your life. I'm so sorry Mistress Mog I failed you when you needed me most...[/ooc]
=========================================================================== ====
Mog awoke as the mutant howled at Cassian. She was groggy, disorientated and barely able to keep her eyes open, the pumps in her mechanical body struggled to give her enough pressure to remain active and while she remained with such low fluid levels she wouldn't be able to do much more then crawl across the floor. She looked to the open door as the fighting in the old generator room continued to worsen, who was winning the fight was hard to tell as she heard the young man from earlier cry out in pain.
"Cyriss be with you Human, may she guide you to victory..."
It was then the lights in her room cycled up, brightening to the point she weakly shielded her eyes from them and the orbs in the adjoining room started to brighten as well. Causing screams of pain to erupt from the creatures that Cassian was fighting. While shielding her eyes she saw something new, a flickering light on the panel next to the machine Cassian had reactivated. An indication that someone was in V's workshop and had activated the generators there.
She lowered her hand and hoped that it was her apprentice, V, who struggled now to save the temple. He had always been resourceful, accomplishing tasks that frustrated even the highest Enumanators in the temple. He had her prodigy and she had failed to ever show him more then stern words, harsh discipline and more difficult assignments. Her emotions were fleeting in her current form and when she offered to have him elevated he had refused to and then she hadn't understood why, but now. In the shadow that the temple had become she understood. V had accomplished what he had because he was V. Rash, Overconfident, INtelligent, Quick Witted, Sharp and a pain in her mechanical a$$ with the ease he completed her assignments.
As she started to fade back into unconsciousness she mumbled, her words slurring. [i]Lady of Gears, Please protect that fool before he hurts himself again...
Seeing the drawing on the control panel she'd left when a child, Diyeana briefly and gently brushes her fingers over it, a wave of memories and fond emotions washing over her for her long-time friend and protector, Smitty. With the wave of emotion also comes asurge of fierce determination and protective love. No gods blasted, scaly piece of s#!t was going to mess with her Smitty or his ship!
Her hands settling easily over the controls as if she'd been working them her whole life, and fighting down her dragon-spawned fear, the Gunslinger prepares to attack using the biggest weapon she ever yet had.
Moving the level to allow the line to drop 30' she then expertly maneuvers the huge crane in a long swinging arc to smash into the ugly dragon's stupid head.
The blows went back and forth between Cassian and the mutant and finally the battle appeared to be coming to a close as parts of the Mutant peeled off and fell to the floor. It was so close to dying that its body was coming apart and yet it still stood, fighting on despite its ruined state. As Cassian reeled from the damaging hits he received the mutant added another bite to the menu with its needle like teeth that could easily pierce through his mithril chain armor.
As it brought its teeth to bare though the lights in the room snapped on, temporarily blinding both combatants as the blinding bright light replaced the darkness completely. The mutant was temporarily dazzled by the sudden brightness and was thrown off kilter some as it struck out at Cassian.
You can feel the hum of machinery working benath your feet, its a low hum and slightly distracting as the very walls seem to hum with unknown machinery, taking on a whole new light compared to the lifeless darkness that shrouded you before. Whatever is going on has also caused the emergency chimes to cease as well...
HP 17/46
AC 22; Touch 17; FF 15
CMD 28 (30 v Trip)
Fort +8; Ref +6; Will +4
Speed 30ft
Status
Abilities Acrobatic Dodge [4/day] (+14)
Equipped: Double-Barreled Pistol
Ammo: Pistol [0/2; 22]
Ammo: Throwing Darts [x10; adamantine]
Conditions:
Attack/Damage:
The mutation screeches and bares it's crooked pin-like teeth at Cassian. The shifting drifts of loose flesh slopping to the floor gave the smile it made a most disturbing effect. This mutation was the first worthy opponent Cassian had dueled in recent memory. His time abroad with the Cygnian war fleet saw that he spent most of his time below deck with a wrench in hand in place of a sword.
The beast opened its arms horrifically and brandished it's many artificially enhanced bladed appendages to let Cassian know of its intentions.
Instead of giving the monster a chance to prove it's worth, Cassian simply raised his pistol and triggered the other barrel.
Feeling the shadows close in around her Miri barely staves off the building fear to take in her surroundings.
Despite the hallway seeming the easier route, the bold young warrior makes her way slowly over the rubble trudging her way through the calf deep water. The further she goes the darker the hallway becomes and the feeling of dread continues to increase, gripping her spine with icy fingers that sent shivers of dread through her body.
She can almost feel ...something brush against her water slicked body, a chill sensation in the darkness, yet she sees nothing, her vision, usually a comfort in the darkness barely allowing her to see ten feet ahead.
As she comes across three new passageways, the terror takes over, filling her with the need to run headlong down the left-side tunnel.
The mutant gives a surprised grunt, followed by a quiet whine, as Cassian's pistol puts a neat hole in its chest. It shakily looks at the hole in its chest and back towards the odd weapon that had ended it's miserable existence, lastly it looked at Cassian with eyes that were clouded by rage or hate. An odd sort of calm reflected in its eyes before it sighed and crumpled to the floor without another noise. Looking as if it had laid down to rest finally, forever...
In the quiet that followed. Nothing else came for Cassian, no more mutants, no soulless, only the low hum of unseen machinery working within the walls around him greeted his ears. The door he had been working on earlier sits partially open, revealing a small part of the room that the mutants clawed their way out of. It appeared to be another workshop.
Mogs workroom remains silently and the doors leading to the cul-de-sac outside these three rooms remained closed still. The lights were blindingly bright, the sudden power surge didn't seem like it was ending anytime soon, the lights didn't flicker or burst. They remained steady and bright.
Mirrianissa
The left hallway leads you further into the choking darkness and the feeling of being brushed, turns into being grabbed and battered around violently by unseen hands.
The blows continue raining down and yet when you lash out with your claws in retaliation you find no purchase. You continue to flee down the darken hallway until something slams you down straight into the water. Knocking the wind out of you in the process. As you try and raise your head above water to take a breath something pushes you back down violently, attempting to drown you. As you struggle to free yourself there is a sudden flash of light and for a moment you saw something. Something with a dozen eyes looking down on you with a great fanged maw, holding you down, the image was blurred by the filth floating on top of the water. The bright flash causes you to blink and as you open your eyes the thing is gone, as is the feeling of being held down allowing you to raise your head above water.
Surprisingly your panic is gone. You feel, surprisingly, at ease and the feeling of being stalked has passed.
As you look around you find that the light is spread sporadically along the length of the hallway your in, being shed from strange orbs that appear to be set halfway inside the upper parts of the walls. Several have been smashed, luckily though, the ones in your area are still intact with led to why it was sudden so blindingly bright.
With the light aiding your vision you are able to see farther down the hallway then you were before and oddly enough the hallway ends at what appears to have been a hastily constructed barrier. Made up of shiny bits of metal and other materials, its about a hundred feet away and would take more investigation to determine how it is setup.
Di
As the dragon rises up from the port side it is surprised by the sudden strike it receives from the Grappler as it is literally slammed upside the head by the closed up mechanical claw. It veers awkwardly away and out of reach, using its greater speed to move away from Smitties Airship and circle lazily around you. While out of reach of the Grappler it was however to far away to strike back without getting closer.
Despite the decent strike it doesn't appear that the dragon is badly injured, more startled by the sudden strike...
Smitty continues to keep the ship at full steam and turns to the starboard as he tries to gain some distance between the airship and the now quietly stalking dragon.
Joey... remains unseen below deck~
The unassuming duelist stands triumphantly until the mutated beast crumbles to the ground then immediately drops to a knee and rests his head on the hilt of the sword he used to steady himself. From this vantage point he slowly looks around the room, expecting another opportunistic abomination to charge at him. Pleasantly surprised by the lack of immediate trouble, he celebrates by uncorking a vial of healing draught with his teeth and draining it down his throat.
The potion took a slow and modest effect. He felt most of the holes in his arm and leg fills in slightly but the deeper pain was still heavy. He pushed himself to his feet and planted his sword in the ground. By sliding a button at the top of his pistol, both barrels drop open and point at the floor. Cass dumps the two spent shells and replaces them with fresh ones, flicks the barrels shut and slips the gun back into its holster. Drawing the cold iron estoc from its upright position in the ground he moves past the numerous dead things towards the newly illuminated workshop with hopes of finding some of the materials MoG needed to restore power to the temple.
@Cassian
As you squeeze your way into the well illuminated workshop you find that these mutants had been trapped for some time and ravaged the inside of their cage in the mean time. Tool lay smash, several Nimbus Orbs are shattered and several canisters and jugs lay smashed and torn apart across the sticky floor of the work room. Among the debris you spot what could only be shards of bone mixed in with the random bites of metal. Once you saw the bones you saw the torn up rags and a battered symbol of the maiden of gears...
As yo kneel there inspecting the broken objects you see the grisly remains of a humanoid skull jammed beneath one of the work tables and realize how the creatures had been trapped in the first place. This elf was trapped inside with them, maybe even baited them in. As you looked around you noticed something glinting up by the ceiling inside what looks to be a ventilation system of some sort, something metallic reflecting the bright light off its surface. Whatever it is lies behind a thick metal grating inlaid in the ceiling and apparently bolted in place, it will take some work to remove it...
The grating bends and soon your able to pull it down and roughly throw it to the floor. With your Ioun stone lighting the inside of the vent. What you find there surprises and intrigues you. The metallic object appears to resemble the helmet styled servitor in Mog's workshop, except for instead of a helm setup this one appeared to have a solid glass-like face. Aside from some splotches of an unknown material dried on its surface it appears to be undamaged. Resting behind this Servitor are three Nimbus orbs, tucked away inside a large metal object. They all dance and flutter brightly as if they detected your presence.
"Poor, brave bastard." Cassian reflects over the assumed circumstance of the scarce remains. As he further investigates the room he tries to imagine the nature of the experiments that went on in here by evaluating the equipment.
If those creatures weren’t mutated by ‘The Shadow’ they were manmade; well, for a lack of a better term. Somewhere in this dank hellhole there lies a place where they surgically enhanced themselves and whatever else they felt the need to alter and manipulate. So much are they like the Cryxians and in so many ways. Curious.
When he tosses away some misshapen scrap of metal he notices the faint glow coming from the air duct. He sheaths his sword and jumps to catch onto the grate. Hanging there, he shakes and pulls and lowers his body weight to the floor in hopes to loosen the cover but to no avail. Finally he swings himself upside down to plant his boots into the ceiling and pushes until the bolts on one end give way and burst out causing the grate itself to bend into a makeshift ladder hanging perpendicular to the ceiling.
Cassian climbs his way up to get his head inside the ventilation shaft and spies a most welcomed sight. "Hello beautiful," he smiles. He drops down and slides a desk beneath the grate, jumps atop and gingerly sweeps the Servitor, Nimbus Orbs and whatever case they were stored in out of their hidey-hole.
"Now. Show me what you can do," he muses playfully as he rolls the glass construct over and places a nimbus orb in the designated position.
Miri stands slowly shaking off the last remnants of the cloying dread. She slows her breathing, taking in the odd lit hallway.
Something horrible had just attacked her and somehow she was alive. With a slight shiver she make her way down the hall toward the barrier of metal and other debris.
Cassian
You climb down with the heavy item the Nimbus orbs are contained in, making your climb down off the grating extremely difficult. It's not until your feet are firmly on the floor before your able to inspect the item and your surprised that it is some sort of wearable mantle. This iron mantle has a thick iron dome helmet and gorget combination, heavily riveted and looks like it could be worn with over some types of light armor. The symbol of the maiden of gears is emblazoned prominently on the front of the gorge, while two glass-lensed portals grant the wearer vision.
Looking over the backside of the servitor you find its latch and, once opened, reveals a small void containing a barely glowing nimbus orb inside. Carefully removing it and, replacing it with one of the still glowing one's you found, the orb snaps in place. After shutting the back of the servitor, securing the latch, the servitor comes alive. Its glass lens flickering for several seconds before it started to reflect startling enough it isn't reflecting the room, because the person you see holding the servitor is a strikingly beautiful elven woman.
She appears to be moving it back and forth. Adjusting it again and again for unknown reasons and laughing silently as the servitors picture remains slightly slanted off to the side. She gives the small servitor a warm smile, saying something that you cannot hear and runs a slim finger over its face before adjusting it one more time. This time she succeeds in leveling the servitor just long enough for her to turn and walk away from it before it slowly tilts to the opposite side this time. The elven woman moves off to the side with an elegant grace and pulls on an Iron Mantle while standing among several other people, clad in vestments and working on the machines in the neighboring room.
Your able to see the hand gestures and can tell that they are talking back and forth but no sound comes out of the Servitor, only silent moving images in greyscale. It must have been about ten minutes in when all hell breaks loose, one of the vestment clad people grabs at their chest before tearing off their mantle and revealing their twisted features. Before the others can react two more of their comrades drop to their knees and begin writhing on the floor. In less then a minute three mutants rise off the floor, looking at their shocked comrades like wolves in the middle of a flock of sheep and without hesitation the mutants start attacking their comrades.
The woman falls back, as one mutant comes at her, tearing off a large chunk of her vestments and casting aside her mechaniflail. As it lunges at her once more she steps to the side allowing it to charge past her and she moves quickly to scoop up the servitor. From there the images is violently shaking and jerky with a painful grey white and black coloring interrupting the images before it suddenly stabilizes.
Now its on the workbench, the woman is working furiously to gather items together from the workshop, her lips are moving and every now and again she looks to the servitor. Still no sound emanates, just the images and the woman. She's holding her mantle and quickly tucking the Nimbus orbs inside of it and a strange looking canister before climbing up and leaving only her feet in the frame. You can see the door to the room and for a second you see what could only have been a blast of electricity striking the wall, scattering tools and other parts around the workroom. The moment is short lived though as the images suddenly turns towards the ceiling and suddenly it gets much darker, the fleeting image of the frightened woman is the last thing the servitor sees before its tucked inside the mantle with the Nimbus orbs and for several long moments it faces the gently glowing orbs. Then something causes the image to jump and the servitor rolls over to bare witness to the woman last stand, the two mutants have her trapped against the wall and as they slowly stalk forward she raises her symbol and the workroom door slams shut. Leaving everything in darkness. After about another two minutes oh shadow movements and barely being able to see what could only have been a brutal and violent death for the woman before the image fades altogether.
You crawl your way partially back inside the vent before you find the canister. It had rolled off a ways and had nearly fell off into the void of another vent but luckily its handle had caught on the lip before it plunged over the side.
Looking it over you find that the canister contains a faintly glowing orb inside of it, this clockwork orb is glowing with a vibrant verdant light and the layers intricately carved gears on the inside are silently moving in time with several small pendulums surrounding a cage of some type of silvery liquid.
Tyrn
Argos, the ‘Peoples Republic’, center and heart of the land known as the Free Cities. Argos has stood the test of time since the fall of the Bright Empire many decades ago, even back then it had been a land of diplomats, politicians and a place where the unified voice of the people mattered more then the official's who represented them. When the Bright Empire began to splinter under the strain of civil war Argos was among those to rally their neighboring kingdoms and create an army of the People to defend their land, their homes from the depredations of armies gone rogue and warlords grasping for power. This unity has lasted until present time despite the many differences and squabbling that occurs between the many city states.
Argos is the driving force that keeps the free cities from crumbling beneath the Imperium's increasingly brutal attacks. Despite their best efforts, Argos have been unable to convince the Imperium to stop its unprecedented military attacks on the neighboring towns. Due to Tyrn's reputation he has been requested to attend in several negotiations with the various nations for aid and sanctions against the Imperium and thus far only Lyonesse has stepped forward and attempted to make peace with the Imperium. The Imperium continues to adamantly refuse the allegations laid against them, saying time and time again that they are making no such military maneuvers or aggressive actions against the Free Cities. But the attacks continue, Imperial ships were last seen sacking the town of Argonia to the north, Silvestra before that and the city of Kuldoun which is directly on the border between the Free Cities and the Imperium. Each time the cities are sacked, the populace is put to the sword and those few who escape describe the standards and heraldry of the Imperium as what they saw flying above the soldiers and airships that attacked their beloved home.
The only thing that each city had in common is that they were primarily farming communities and known for their rich harvests. Yet now the fields lay fallow, nothing grows in or around those places now, despite having not gone and seen them for yourself, you have various trustworthy sources that say that the lands around those places are home to all manner of twisted beasts, ghosts and other ill-creatures.
This information came to you by raven while you were studying some tomes out on the deck of your small villa in the upper district of Argos. This part of the city was known for the private security that patrolled the grounds and kept squatters and other ruffians off the streets. For the most part the neighborhood was quiet; allowing you to be undisturbed in the twilight of your days. Until now…
Because of the stressful times and the threat the Imperium posed to the Free Cities, it came to you as a shock when word of an Inquisitor was seen entering the city, alone but well armed. It was later revealed that he was a half-elf to boot, which was an even greater shocker because of the morals and belief of the Imperium of Man. Why the Inquisitor was in the city was unknown but if he wasn't careful he'd turn up dead...
You notice someone standing on your deck with you, how you missed them before you have no idea. Especially because of how other worldly they appeared. Standing roughly seven feet tall, with high cheek bones and sculpted features. Their skin was a pale white with long silver hair, you can easily tell that this humanoid wasn't human. The armor their wearing was a type of armor you've never seen before and appeared to pulse with sometype of energy, with each pulse you could see the very air around this individual swirls and dance. The armor is inlaid with gold, copper and what appears to be alchemical silver. Before your able to stand this strange individual looks over at you with silver eyes and grimaces as you look right back at them. Without a word or even a sound the individual walks off your deck and dropped to the gardens below.
Cassian watches the grim recording intently. When it finishes he gives the skull much more regard than he had when he entered the room. He raps his fingers over the strange armor a few times and thinks to himself, why wasn't that canister with the rest of the cache?
Sparing no time, he hops back onto the desk and takes a peek around. After a few moments of searching he comes to find the edge of metal at the far end of the shaft was in fact the canister he had been looking for. He leans in deep to grab it and puts it between his feet after pulling it out.
When he releases the hatch and discovers the clockwork mystery orb, he lets out a short laugh. ”My my. This place is just a wealth of curious little devices, isn’t it? No doubt the Mistress would like to get a look at you. While I’m in there I may as well ask her about the armor as well. If it lets me remain as flexible as my shirt does then I may have a chance to change out of these ruined garments.”
He takes his time searching the place for any other useful materials before gathering up everything he had found and bringing it back to MoG’s workshop.
I reach out and gently put a hand on Bera's arm, then I guide her toward the light. As we walk gently toward the light and thin tear wells and trickles down my cheek.
V had looked and sounded like them but he had died to protect Bera and Aelessae. Even on the airship, nobody had ever sought to protect her, not ever that she had known in her entire life. And she was a stranger to V! Conflicting emotions knot and swirl in Aelessar as she makes a steady but shaking path toward the light.
Perception
(I'll do a little intro and wait to see what the knowledge checks reveal before my next post) Tyrn's twilight years deeply contrast his youth. This morning, like most mornings, began with his outdoor circuit exercises. Through physical activity, the mind and body is kept sharp and more aware of its environment. He finishes the circuit with various memory exercises, and then a four mile run back to town where his villa is located. It used to be eight miles, but alas, time makes itself apparent, and the reality is that no amount of preventative habits can mitigate survival impairment. Tyrn postulates his time left on this planet, and lately is more driven to complete his final book. It is a memoir of sorts, but in his mind, it is a dormant seed. He believes ideas have the ability to challenge gods and expose deceivingly impossible outcomes, and in turn, through more understanding (or what he coins as "tempodimensional cognition"), hominids and even more "beastial" creatures (which he hates that term) can achieve the next phase of their evolution. Culture and societies are products of sapience in chorus. It is his life goal to influence civilizations into an advanced state through the power of ideas, with writing as an efficient medium. But he is getting old, and his mortality is ever more apparent. He longs to travel, and to finish his book and his life on the trail that had defined him.
So perhaps today is not like all the other days. The dawn of an adventure rises and the final chapter can begin. Around noon of the same day, as he relaxes on the deck of his small villa in Argos, overlooking tomes while smoking his most recent harvest (it helps organize his thoughts), he notices a tall hominid being through the corner of his eye, which they have luckily remained sharp over the years (due to vision exercises). In the few moments he had to identify the being, he rapidly searches his memory for any information on what he had just seen.
Knowledge Nature
Knowledge Planes
Very intriguing....he began to sink into a trance of reductionism, with the frequency of inhales increasing as he spoke to himselfIts very presence distorted reality. It must be from a quantum rift, potentially extraplanar. Material native? Possibly. Though quantum distortion is cause more from foreign plane rifts. Its alchemical-silver technology is very sophisticated! How elegantly constructed! A most intriguing being. There will certainly be a communication barrier, so I will utilize more basic, universal mediums. What a stimulating day this became!In this moment, all the worries about the Free Cities and Imperium tyranny escaped his mind, and like a giddy, overexcited child, raced over to the edge of the deck to see where the being went to.
Perception
Di
As the dragon rises up from the port side it is surprised by the sudden strike it receives from the Grappler as it is literally slammed upside the head by the closed up mechanical claw. It veers awkwardly away and out of reach, using its greater speed to move away from Smitties Airship and circle lazily around you. While out of reach of the Grappler it was however to far away to strike back without getting closer.
Despite the decent strike it doesn't appear that the dragon is badly injured, more startled by the sudden strike...
Smitty continues to keep the ship at full steam and turns to the starboard as he tries to gain some distance between the airship and the now quietly stalking dragon.
Joey... remains unseen below deck~
With the dragon so far away, Diyeana does the only thing she can do and lowers the grappler head even more. While doing this she also looks around for anything that might prove as an ally or an aid in their battle. Perception:
And calls out to Joey "JOEY! You git yer ass up here boy! You BETTER be alright or I'm coming down to give you a whoopin'! Git up here! We need you!"MA: Lower head 30' to 60'
SA: Lower head 30' to 90'
AEL
With both doors shut the workshop is eerily quiet, occasionally you can hear something from the otherside of the door where V and that monster are but whether its shouting, fighting or something else your not sure. Its too muffled to tell. With little choice you use V's symbol and the door leading to the hallway opens without making a single sound. As you both peer out into the brightly lit hallway, you find it is completely deserted.
Encounter table
You can hear the pained screams of some creature, although with how well these walls carry sound it is hard to tell where that creature could be. The longer you listen though you realize it isn't alone...
The three hallways lie before you. The right hallway will lead you back towards the lift and where you started, the left hand hallway will lead you further into the temple and going straight ahead leads you towards another cul-de-sac as far as you can tell. All of the hallways are brightly lit and dimly lit in a few places where the orbs along the wall were destroyed.