With a brutal, sweeping arc Lanatir cleaves the construct nearly in two, and Elsa’s lightning shurikens put the final nail in the coffin. It collapses into a pile of scrap and the facility is safe to explore once again.
In particular, the wire and crystal device seems most distinctly out of place.
Pumpkin twirls her pistol.
“That’s what those kill-bots get, bringing blades to a gunfight.”
She isn’t sure what to look for aside from other threats, so she lets the more experienced people handle the investigating. Pumpkin simply keeps her fully loaded gun ready for the next threat.
Lanatir looks at Pumpkin Spice curiously.
My blade seemed at least as effective as her gun...
He says nothing.
The elf cleans and sheathes his sword. Then he goes to take a look at the wire and crystal device, trying to ascertain its function.
Well, that's over
She looks at her wounds.
ow
"In all fairness, I believe it was the blade and electricity that took down these constructs. Firearms had little to do with it." Aakif speaks from behind the group.
Yadalia and Lanatir study the device and within moment figure out what this might be.
This is likely some sort of wild magic bomb, made to release a blast of wild magical energy and disrupt any magical phenomena in the vicinity.
Yadalia slaps her hand to her forehead, "Of course, how did I not see this! It's wild magic but...this device is strange. It's more advanced than most could even manage but..." Her voice trails off, "The Conclave of Niln. This wild magic is severe, and there's not much I can do to solve it. I have an idea though. Nobody knows wild magic like the mutants of the Spellscar League, and the Principality of Tan Serik is the best of the best when it comes to wild magic research. If you all want to finish poking around here be my guest, but when you're ready, let me know. We'll get transport and contacts for the other end sorted out."
It's a bomb? It's not going to go off, is it? Elsa asks nervously
Lanatir raises an eyebrow.
"Do you want us to take this wild magic bomb with us on a journey? Has it already 'detonated', but is continuing to release wild magic? Will removing it allow the factory to return to normal?"
He shakes his head. "Aakif, if you do not mind, would you be able to call upon the power of Abadar to heal our injuries? I am wounded as well as Elsa. I suppose it would be best to heal before anybody attempts to remove or disable the bomb."
"The bomb's gone off already. It's what put this whole place on the fritz. Removing it won't do anything, that's why we need some sort of specialist to get rid of the wild magic."
She motions towards it, "If it was active, it'd be glowing or humming or...well, doing anything at all. No need to take it with, better to leave it where it is in case anything goes wrong with it."
Then let's take to someone who can help. And by we, I mean you big types
"There seems little point in causing damage if this wild magic can be removed. If there is nothing else obvious, and we are sure the personnel here are dead, then by all means let us head out." Zyrel agrees.
P.S. asks, “Not that I really want to see ’em, but… shouldn’t we check on the bodies? Get them out, or at least locate them so a team can safely remove them?”
"Of course, the blessings of our Lord Abadar, the Gracious, the Merciful, is always available to you.
Oh Lord, we seek refuge from the accursed. May He bless you both with health and vigor, to find the strength to continue onwards in His glory. Glory to our Lord the most high."
A wave of energy emanates from Aakif as he prays, healing the wounds of Lanatir and Elsa.
Ah, that's better. That hurt.
She looks at Finch and says
Not really our problem. I'm certain someone will look after them.
Yadalia shakes her head at Finch, "Your team's skills are better spent elsewhere. We'll have cleanup teams through here once the affair's settled."
With business at the factory settled for now, the Tetrad logistical staff in Alkenstar set to work getting passage for the party into the Spellscar Desert. It's a small caravan they end up with, collecting a shipment of thaumaturgic oils extracted from the reality-warping depths of the desert from the Principality of Tan Serik. The caravan master, an older Garundi man named Khalid, greets the party warmly, "Ah, you must be the friends of Mr. Heldonpinder! I am Khalid al-Haytham, excellent to meet you. Before we depart, I must warn you, the passage into the desert is dangerous and we have few spare hands to see to your defense. If you can protect yourselves and others, you are more than welcome on this caravan. Do you have any questions before we depart for Tan Serik?"
What does Lanatir know about the Spellscar Desert already?
Lanatir knows a lot about the Spellscar Desert. Turns out reading an entire almanac on the Spellscar Desert while wandering the realm of the Fey will give that to you.
It's a large stretch of land in between the Grand Duchy of Alkenstar, Nex to the north, and Geb to the south. In days past it was a totally lawless place, inhabited only by scattered mutant clans, forgotten relics of the war between Nex and Geb, and native creatures twisted by the raw magic winds.
While magic used to be totally nonfunctional in the desert, in the past century magic has slowly returned to the area, allowing the mutant clans to band together into organized states and from there form a confederation now known as the Spellscar League. It is safer now than it has been in the past, but it is by no means a safe place for non-mutants to traverse.
"Have no fear Khalid. Lanatir and I both trained as militia, including elementary survival training. Aakif is a competent cleric. Pumpkin is a local, and from what I have seen so far is capable of holding her own. Elsa is a reasonable - I might even go so far as to say good - combatant in her own right."
Is spell use still an issue out there?
Lanatir tries not to rock the boat, and will follow Zyrel's lead.
However, he will likely most often refer to the gunslinger as "Miss Finch," as calling a young(ish) human female "Pumpkin" feels just a little bit creepy, even if it is the name by which she introduces herself."Perhaps I should buy some more trail rations."
Is spell use still an issue out there?
"At times, it can be. Often spells will work, just in ways that are somewhat unexpected."
P.S. adds, “I prefer to avoid killing anyone, even the deserving, so my piece happens to be a mercy pistol… unless I say the magic word to suppress that, which I had to do shooting those machines.” Her point being, “You seem to expect opposition. That in the form of a Who or a What?”
"Well, not every mutant clan joined the Spellscar League. Those that didn't all had their own reasons. Some didn't want that level of governance, but those folk mostly keep to themselves in the deep deserts. The one on the fringes that we'll be crossing through are the ones to worry about. They're the ones that the League was formed to protect against, so now they make their living stealing from travelers. I don't expect they'd show you much mercy, for what it's worth."
Khalid thinks for a moment before saying, "If I remember right, this route might take us through the edge of Twenty Horns territory. They're not the worst of the mutant raiders, but if we chance upon them we'll be in for a tense negotiation at best."
Pumpkin considers what these mutant raiders might do, and she says to word to reconvene the magic.
“Thing is, when my bullets are merciful, they pack more punch. If these mutants are so horrid you don’t want ’em waking up, I won’t necessarily object to a blademaster delivering the coup de grace.”
I don't think anyone gunning for you will be as merciful, Pumpkin. My spells tend to only be the dangerous sort anyway.
Elsa shrugs
I'm happy to talk, but if the shooting happens, don't hold back
Aakif gets the sense that this man might venerate Abadar as one of his personal deities, but he doesn’t feel the same level of devotion that he himself professes to the Master of the First Vault.
yup
The party sets off alongside the caravan, leaving Alkenstar City in the distance. The next day is a monotonous one, as the scrubby highlands of the Grand Duchy give way to the fringes of the Spellscar Desert, the foliage growing stranger and less familiar.
Around dusk on their first day the scouts spot something odd in the distance that they describe as an insect the size of a large horse, lumbering it's way down the road towards the caravan. It's a few miles out at this point.
Khalid calls the party over and says, "Listen, the desert has many strange beasts, and this is likely one of them. My guards can handle themselves against raiders, but beasts like these are hard for them. Can I count on all of you to deal with this?"
Lanatir nods.
"I expect that insects cannot be reasoned with and need not be spared.
Many things are possible in the Mana Wastes, but I will be ready to slay this creature."
P.S. replies, “I don’t care about the bug’s life, but as previously stated, my mercy pistol packs a punch. Just lip off its head if you want to guarantee it won’t wake up.”
She looks quite comfortable in the saddle, and rides with one hand on the reigns, the other holding her gun.
Elsa looks startled. Lip its head off?
She casts mage armour on herself
“Aw shoot… I might’ve been thinking rip and saying lop, and… yup.” She assures the caravan, “Better to misspeak than misfire?”
Elsa snickers If you shoot straight, talk how you like
“Very well then…”
P.S. rears her horse—
—and shouts,
“Let’s lick some—”
She stifles herself and lets the horse settle back onto all fours.
“Nope, nope, nope. That’s too crude for my taste spoken correctly, never mind… yup. Anyway. Let’s kick… that bug.”
The party sets out, riding down the dusty road for a short spell. Sure enough, a large insectoid creature trundles down the road. Though somewhat resembling a beetle it has large clawed forelimbs and large, wickedly sharp mandibles. It hasn't quite noticed the party.
Elsa casts lightning shuriken, as three sparking spinning blade wheels appear beside her. She also dismounts from her pony and ties it to a wagon.
I'm not that good a rider that I want to fight that way.
She looks at the oncoming beastie. So anyone knows what that is?
Zyrel jumps up on to the wagon to gain height, and peers into the distance.
Lanatir dismounts and strides forward, just a bit ahead of the group, drawing his sword.
He tries to recall anything about this sort of insect.
Zyrel's not quite sure what this creature is, but Lanatir is fairly certain that this is some sort of heavily mutated stag beetle. From what he can make out, he's pretty sure that it's slow but heavily armored, durable, and hits incredibly hard with it's mandibles. It's clawed forelimbs are also potent weapons. While capable of flying short distances it's maneuverability is terrible.
Lanatir heads just close enough for the beetle to notice him and it's many eyes lock onto the elven warrior. Despite that, the entire party is faster than the lumbering beetle!
Lanatir holds his blade high and readies to strike if the creature comes within reach.
AC will be 22 due to Combat Expertise.
"Lanatir! It'll have reach on you - remember to step in or step back. I suggest this: Elsa, Pumpkin, engage at range. Aakif, work with Lanatir to keep it from our ranged attackers. I will circle round through the rocks and attempt to engage it from behind. Acceptable?"
Elsa starts casting
touch attack
electrical damage
touch attack
electrical damage
And with the flick of a finger, a spinning shuriken shoots forward, sparks flying off it in the wake of the scorching rays
Touch attack
electrical damage