Raktar barrels through the cloud resolutely, stepping up to the deformed leader and swinging his Earthbreaker into him hard. The leader gasps for air as what seems to him a boulder smashes into his ribs.
Roga steps out of the cloud and cuts down two of the men with contemptuous ease. His large sword a streak of silver as it goes through both of them without slowing.
Everybody else moves to be ready.
Seeing Roga slaughter his comrades makes Teal decide it's safer somewhere far away, he scuttles for the ladder on the wall.
The leader has an insane look in his eyes as he howls and swings at Raktar with two hand axes.
His blows not bothering the Metal Oracles shining armor in the least.
The party can now act.
Not wasting a beat and seeing Raktar and JJ handling one of the rogues, the barbarian rushed the only visible antagonist.
Sword raised on high and yelling like he was being chased by demons, Roga covered the distance quickly, "Lay down your weapon and you'll perhaps live!"
------------
HP 42/43
AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 17
Conditions: n/a
Melee (+1 greatsword): +8 = +1 magic +4 (base) +3 (STR)
Melee Damage (+1 greatsword): 2d6+5, 19-20
-2 to hit, +6 damage for power attack
Ranged (MW pistol): +7 = +1 MW +4 (base) +2 (DEX)
Ranged damage (MW pistol): 1d8, x4, 20' (touch AC in 1st range)
Rage adds +2 to hit/damage
8/8 rage
With Raktar in the front and JJ in a safe position, he started using his ally as cover and firing shots into their opponent. "Give him another, Raktar!"[/b]
With skill and dexterity, Raktar and JJ work together - Raktar keeping the deformed leader at bay while JJ manages to step round behind him to fire his weapon unobstructed. Raktar then makes sure JJ is clear of his backswing before stepping in again, his hammer head leaving a trail of silver light behind it as it swings.
Not wanting to pass though the cloud of noxious gas Dilana decides to try her rarely used crossbow even though it is a long shot at teal.
Figgy takes a deep breath and double moves though the cloud ending on the other side.
"Interesting smell in there." Springy hot on his heels.
Olimpia continues to retch, unfamiliar with the experience. She manages to move over to a down body that had a pistol and will retrieve it next round.
Dilana snaps a shot that sinks into the running mans back, he staggers and stumbles but continues to flee.
Jeremiah clips the leader with a shot, while Raktar's heavy swing whistles wide.
Hostile actions.
Teal reaches the ladder and begins desperately scrambling up to the walkway.
Ewhar (The leader) keeps swinging furiously at Raktar
He misses, his blow glancing off the fine new armor Raktar wears.
The party may now act
One of the leader's literal hand axes slides off the steel plate of Raktar's new armour, and he retaliates by bringing his hammer in an upward arc towards the man's abdomen.
Smiling that she was able to land a bolt on the fleeing brigand Dilan reloads and takes another shot.
Sadly her smile fades quickly as her aim is not nearly so remarkable.
"No, no, no. The idea was for you to drop your weapon and surrender, not run away."
The barbarian ate up the distance between them and slashed with his blade.
-------------
HP 42/43
AC 20, touch 12, flat-footed 17
Conditions: n/a
Melee (+1 greatsword): +8 = +1 magic +4 (base) +3 (STR)
Melee Damage (+1 greatsword): 2d6+5, 19-20
-2 to hit, +6 damage for power attack
Ranged (MW pistol): +7 = +1 MW +4 (base) +2 (DEX)
Ranged damage (MW pistol): 1d8, x4, 20' (touch AC in 1st range)
Rage adds +2 to hit/damage
8/8 rage
Figgy takes a deep breath and runs through the green cloud to the other side.
Still retching, Olympia's interest in the firearm is stronger than her nausea and she picks up the pistol.
Seeing this poor bastard's attempt to do damage to Raktar was laughable. He may have gotten close once or twice. but those literal hand axes seemed to end up being more for looking scary than actually being useful. Still, he wasn't about to get careless. He knew that all it could take was one strike to end a fight. So, he continued his pattern of using Raktar as cover while chipping away at him.
Raktar repeats his tenderizing of the deranged leader, caving in the mans chest with another heavy blow.
Seeing his target fall Jeremiah changes his aim and casually pots the bandit scrambling up the ladder.
It grows quiet again as the last of them falls.
A2 is the courtyard, it is a mess, filled with the remains of a ruined camp. Tents and broken wagons.
A3 was a small keep, destroyed in the fire that ruined the place some time ago. A smoldering fire by the area bares several strips of meat being smoked.
Raktar makes the disturbing discovery that it is human flesh.
A6. Ruined Stable: This building's ruins still smolder in places, and the interior has collapsed in on itself after the Smilers set fire to the place. A half- dozen dead horses, once the mounts of the Sarenites stationed here, lie amid the rubble, along with the grisly, mutilated remains of the four Sarenites and three Smilers who perished in the initial battle. With a successful DC 12 Profession (cook) or Heal
check, a character confirms the horrible fact that all of these bodies seem to have been butchered for their meat.
A7 The watchtower. The door is barred from the outside. Opening it reveals to you the surviving Sarenites who had been stationed here. There are four of them, all in poor shape.
The leader is a Paladin, when he wriggled over to his bound knights to lay on hand in an attempt to heal them the Smilers beat them all nearly unconscious.
All are profoundly grateful to you for their rescue.
Captain Kraklos and his surviving knights are nearly dead, and have been stripped naked. The three knights are two women named Tanea
and Sindre and a man named Rezouln.
Captain Andelan Kraklos is a Half-elf Paladin of Sarenrae, what he can tell you regarding Scrapwall and the bandits who attacked Aldronard's grave is this:
Who are the bandits? They are part of a gang called the Smilers, one of several gangs based in nearby Scrapwall.
Where in Scrapwall are the Smilers based? The knights can't say, as they don't know.
Who's the leader of the Smilers? A notorious hobgoblin necromancer named Marrow leads the Smilers, while a sadistic fighter named Hatchet- Hand served as the second in-command. The knights know Marrow by her reputation from hearsay, and have heard rumors that she's also some sort of undead.
Why did the Smilers attack Aldronard's Grave? A new gang has recently risen to power in Scrapwall. They're called the Lords of Rust, and all the other Scrapwall gangs have been scrambling to earn respect and favor with them for months now. Recently, one of the Lords of Rust was killed while out on a mission beyond Scrapwall, and the remaining
Lords have become increasingly angry and eager to lash out. Marrow sent Hatchet-Hand and the Smilers out to claim Aldronard's Grave as their own, so that they could secure it as a gift for the Lords of Rust.
Who are the Lords of Rust? They are the current masters of Scrapwall. Their members include a violent troll named Helskarg, a half-orc cleric named Nalakai, a mysterious four armed monster known as Zagmaander, a chain-wielding ettin named Draigs, and an orc barbarian named Kulgara. Until recently, a sixth lord was counted among the Lords
of Rust-a purple-haired priestess who served Hellion, the god and true leader of the gang. This was the android Meyanda; she was apparently slain or went missing while on a secret mission outside of Scrapwall. Her loss has enraged Hellion and is the primary reason he has begun to push the other gangs of Scrapwall into expanding beyond the junkyard's walls.
Who is Hellion? While the knights have heard rumors that Hellion is a god, they discount these as rubbish.
Once Hatchet- Hand and his crew have been defeated , Aldronard's Grave is once again safe from attacks from Scrapwall for the foreseeable future-the Smilers were the only gang eager to expand outside of the region, as the others focused more on internal squabbles and politics for now. You can use the fort as a place to retreat and rest- Captain Andalen welcomes you to use the fort as they wish, and is apologetic that he can't offer you greater comforts while they stay here.
Figgy pulls out the Medlance that he found, "This will hurt a bit but will make everything feel better in the end."
Figgy will tend to them all, patching up wounds.
Roga, disgusted with the cannibalism, listened and filed away the information from the Sarenites.
"I'm sorry for what happened here and thank you for the hospitality."
He added, "This may be where we come to at night unless we find a safe place in Scrapwall."
He pocketed some bullets and asked, "How do we get in Scrapwall?"
------------
Olympia finally quits retching and finds Figgy. I have these new holes that seem to clash with my armor. Perhaps you could help patch them, and me up? She pokes a finger way too far into one of the bullet holes.
Olympia finally quits retching and finds Figgy. I have these new holes that seem to clash with my armor. Perhaps you could help patch them, and me up? She pokes a finger way too far into one of the bullet holes.
"I'd say keep the holes. Adds character to your garb and makes you more threatening to others. After all, who wants to fight an android that's endured gunshots like you?" JJ said as he inspects the pistols of the fallen gangsters. Upon seeing their shoddy craftsmanship and realizing the implications, he immediately confiscates all of them. "No one touch these. If you thought my pistol was dangerous, these ones are 10 times worse. I'm a gun nut, and even I can't figure out how they made these things work."
Looking intrigued Olympia offers I guess I can leave the armor holes but this green stuff keeps seeking out of the holes in me.Its gonna be messy all the time. Reluctantly she offers the pistol she had picked up to JJ.
Listening to the conversation Dilana goes to Olimpia with her wand. "I think I can fix that. I have spells as well but better to save those in case we have to fight more."
Assuming the wand works as anticipated on an android Dilana beams.
"Did you see that shot I made! I don't think I have ever shot that well. I might be getting better at this stuff."
Raktar feels increasingly nauseated as it becomes clear that the disfigured men have been eating not only the horses but also the defenders of the fort.
He composes himself while listening to Captain Kraklos' sorry tale, and is glad that they group came upon them when they did.
"We encountered the android Meyanda, back in Torch," he says, "and it seems that there are many people who believe in Hellion. He may be more powerful and malicious than we previously believed."
Captain Andalen nods. "We avoid Scrapwall for the most part. This is really the first time we've had any trouble with them. It shows how much this 'Hellion' is shaking things up over there."
Anything else you wish to do here, or shall I get you started on Scrapwall?
Most of Olimpia's wounds close with Dilana's magic and Olimpia thanks the witch. I think I'll be as good as right out of the box by morning. Shall we stay here tonight? We could help with re-securing this fort.
"Staying the night and helping these people get back on their feet would be the right thing to do."
Assuming Ratar has told the group what the strips of meat where Dilana will collect them and bury them thinking that no one who new the victims should have to do that job.
Finally when JJ is not looking she will ignor his warning and take one of the broken guns, with no bullets or powder, and tuck it into her belt. If questioned she explains that she thinks it will make her look more normal in Scrapwall.
"We should do what we can here, then move on quickly before too many people find out that we're coming," Raktar suggests, before helping Dilana bury the dead.
Olimpia looks confused at the reaction to the cooking of the human flesh. But this is now just muscle tissue or meat. The spirit or soul that made it a sentient creature has departed, or so the religions all seem to agree. What then make this different from any other meet?
Olimpia's statement gives Dilana pause and after a moment.
"This is logic that I guess. Once the life is gone we are just meat. However society and most of our gods say flesh of intelligent creatures is not to be consumed."
She pauses, unsure if dead bodies can cause desieases and suddenly wondering if they should have cleaned up the mess they made in the ship.
"We bury or bury our dead to honor life and for sanitary reasons. Left to long they would smell and attract illness. I did not think of it until now but the corpses in the ship we just left, someone should have taken care of them. It will be terrible in there otherwise."
"Gnomes don't eat other Gnomes, as humans don't eat other humans. Just a thing we don't do, I can understand your logic."
Figgy fiddles with Springy a little then gets up to look around the castle.
"No one has come to help you with that hole yet? We need to get some Gnomes and Dwarves up here. It would be better than the old one in no time."
Olimpia considers. Cultural taboos. I see. She files that away.
Roga was about to say something about eating sentient beings but decided to let others explain.
Having helped out with burying people, he was not happy about interring the dead in pieces but got to work just to get this out of the way as quickly as possible.
He then offered his gun, "I can let someone borrow my gun if you like. It works just fine and I'm liking how this sword swings.."
-------------
If you would not mind my borrowing it Roga I'd like see if I might be able to sneak attack with it. Olimpia looks like a curious child as she considers the possibility of a touch attack sneak attack.
Scrapwall is an intimidating sight. Towers of rusted iron and hills of rubble and ruin, long ago divested of anything of remote value by tech-hungry scavengers, loom from the dusty surrounding plains.
Immense lengths of chain, coils of jagged wire, giant clockwork gears, and old corrugated metal cargo containers riddled with gashes,bullet holes , and the telltale pockmarks of laser fire are piled high, forming a jagged and intimidating hill-like wall surrounding the interior.
Scrapwall is 3 miles across at its widest point, and the walls of junk enclosing its interior are an average of 30 feet high. These walls are not vertical and can be scaled, but the rubble shifts dangerously at times.
Scrapwall is a vast sprawl of junk and refuse, long picked clean of most useful bits of salvage and now home to outcasts and exiles.
Residents of Scrapwall can earn a place in one of the region's many gangs by proving their bravery, ruthlessness, and audacity, qualities
known collectively by locals as one's "scrapworth."
The higher your scrap-worth, the more respect you 're afforded, and the less likely you are to be bullied by any of Scrapwall's more powerful denizens.
The current gangs of note within Scrapwall, in ascending order of power, are the Steel Hawks, Redtooth's Raiders, the Smilers, and the Lords of Rust. Another group, the Thralls of Hellion, seems to have recently been disbanded . Loners of significant power are believed to dwell within Scrapwall as well, including a mysterious worshiper of Brigh, a powerful mutated manticore, and an unknown number of undead spirits that haunt the region's eastern most reaches, but most of those living in Scrapwall are riffraff and lowlifes known collectively as Scrappers-exiles and vagabonds who pay tribute to one of the region's gangs for protection but have no affiliation of their own.
The Lords of Rust now rule Scrapwall, and they are in turn ruled by an unknown force called Hellion that claims to be a god. The Lords of Rust's headquarters is located at the center of the junkyard, at a large structure known as the Scrapmaster's Arena, but there are rumors that
the bulk of this gang's hideout is underground.
B. Entrance to Scrapwall
A ramshackle pair of buildings with walls and roofs made of strips of leather and fur, timbers, metal plates, and other junk lashed and bolted together sits in a gap in the surrounding mounds of refuse. Between the two buildings runs a metal gate, closed to block passage in to the open area beyond.
As you approach the gate the guard looks you over and shrugs. "You look like adventurers to me. There's nothing here in Scrapwall worth looking for anymore. Any other reasons you're wanting in?
He wears a small badge shaped out of polished steel, showing a hawk.
"You look like adventurers to me. There's nothing here in Scrapwall worth looking for anymore. Any other reasons you're wanting in?
"As a matter of fact, there is." JJ answers, not really bothering to hide his intent. He knew enough about Scrapwall to know that one needed some real brass to get by here. Nothing felt more 'scrapworth-y' to him than being as bluntly honest as possible. "Hellion picked a fight with the wrong town, so we're collectively here to kick his ass. I'm here personally to deliver some adamantine piercings to his stupid artificial face."
Raktar is about to speak up when JJ launches into a tirade against Hellion, letting the guard and any others know about their intentions in Scrapwall.
The man's hawk-shaped steel badge means nothing to him, but Raktar's natural wariness leads his hand to move slowly towards the grip of his hammer, and he begins to summon the magic within him just in case.
Dilana had pulled out her broken pistol intending to tell the guard they had technology to sell but quickly puts it back, a little sheepishly. Or that.
,
Roga stood next to JJ, arms at his side, hopefully giving the image of someone who didn't want any trouble but who would not run away from trouble either.
He commented low enough for only his friends to hear, "I can easily get to the other side. Those walls are no harder to climb than some of the rockhills back home."
He waited for the guard to reply and whispered again, "Just saying that if we are not let in through the front door, we'll get in. Trust me."
"I am here to talk with the Priest of Brigh, I want to see if we can trade theories on technology and how to properly apply it to robots and the like. I like your badge, the hawk is well done but there is a slight is calculation in one of the wings and it looks like it is pooping not flying." Figgy says matter of factly.
"Do the Steelhawks guard the entrances to Scrapwall or is it on a rotation of guards from all the factions in town?"
Olimpia, observing the man adds I see you are a Steel Hawk. I am gonna guess you would be ok if we knocked the Lords of Rust down a notch or two?
After you announce your desire to seek trouble with Hellion a voice calls out from the structure blocking the entrance. "Send'em in Jojo."
The guard shrugs and indicates that you can go passed him to B4
Sevroth Slaid is sitting in the room, she eyes you up warily. After looking you over she nods as if she's seen what she wnats. "I'll be blunt. You look like trouble, which is good. Me and the boys here are about all that's left of the Steel hawks. We used to be the toughest group in Scrapwall, until the Lords of rust showed up that is. They killed our old boss and set that piece of s$~+ Smiler Birdfood as our new boss."
She goes on to tell you that she and the other Steel hawks aren't too happy with the current situation, but know they're no match for Birdfood, and his Orc companions.
Birdfood is a Ranger, with three hawks he likes to use on people who annoy him, and he has nine or ten Orcs backing him.
Her offer is pretty simple, you take out Birdfood and his Orcs, leaving her in charge of the Steel hawks, and she'll give you any help or information she can on Scrapwall and it's inhabitants.
What is your response?
Figgy looks at the woman, then at his large companions.
"Can you direct me to the follower of Brigh?" Figgy gets close to Springy and whispers to him.
"Springy thinks we should help her out BUT what happens if we take out his Birdfeet guy?"
When you mention the follower of Brigh Sevroth rolls her eyes. "Her? Yeah, she's up in a dead-end gorge to the north, but watch out-she doesn't take well to visitors!"
While JJ didn't really care for the gang's recent troubles, any allies in this place was better than no allies. "I think we can handle it. Those Smiler bastards pissed us off before we got here anyways. Might as well give them a good reason to hate us even more."
The squabbles of the various Scrapwall gangs seem pointless to Raktar, but he agrees to get involved nonetheless. "I've got no problem going after more of those Smiler freaks. They deserve to be punished for what they did to those crusaders."