Lector stands, nodding in appreciating at his tab being covered. He follows bird-man outside and tenses at the shadow of the unnatural unicorn, then shakes his head. "Could have warned a man." He takes Frost Brand off his back, then with a movement it disappears. On the back of Lector's glove appears and image of the blue greatsword. "So tell me more about this job."
As they make their way outside, Casey stops and stares at the horned horse a moment, a look of unconcern about the gunslinger. Removing the toothpick from his mouth he tosses it to the side. "Nice horse. Although, I prefer one without a horn on its head," he comments plainly as they head off.
"That's fine, human. I prefer my humans with more between their ears than river mud. Unfortunately, there aren't many." The unicorn says with a snort of disgust. "If you can't tell a unicorn from a horse, you need to avoid both."
Tychi blinks at Lector. "Warned you about what?" He asks, sounding puzzled. "As to the job, when we are out of earshot of..." The bird trails off as Casey makes a comment about horses.
"Aieee, now now, Nike, he was just..." He manages to get out before Nike starts her commentary on mud brains. The bird winces. "Now now, it's just ignorance, not spite..." He says soothingly, stroking the unicorn's neck and giving Casey a look that might be sympathy. "No need to go stomping his toes... or skull, or anything like that..."
Simply staring at the talking creature, the gunslinger pulls out another toothpick and places it within his mouth. "Never meant to offend, horse. Can't say that I've ever met a talking horse - with or without a horn in it's head. But since you prefer to be frank - and I appreciate frank - then I guess I'll be frank too: I prefer my horse to be more like a horse... and less like an ass," he says as a matter of fact, staring stoically straight into the unicorn's eyes.
"And that's a play on words, in case you're wonderin'. Us folk with mud for brains can't really tell if we're understood - you know, 'cause we're so dumb - so we might just think everyone else is dumber than we are so we feel we probably ought to explain ourselves. But seein' how you sound so smart, I'm figurin' you really didn't need that explained to ya," he explains, although it's difficult to tell whether he's being sarcastic or serious.
Nike snorts, and responds to Tychi, not Casey. "Oh, I'm fairly certain he intended to be insulting from the beginning. I've noticed that's a common trait amongst two-legs. His response confirms it. If I bothered killing every stupid two-legs, I'd be in rather a lot of trouble, with little to show for it except a nearly empty city. Fortunately, in my experience, stupidity tends to be a self correcting thing, removing said idiot from the breeding pool. If we're fortunate, before they have begat more idiots." The unicorn snorts. "Let the armored cleric heal him, if he needs healing. I'll save my efforts for those that won't waste the gift."
This will be interesting. I wonder how a gunslinger versus a unicorn would go. I imagine Casey coming out on top of this. He's almost disappointed when the unicorn goes for insults and empty threats instead of a fight. Still, probably for the best. A brawl is good, but a large fight with allies is better. He shifts his posture, his light blue armor clinking. This won't be good. Shield-mates cannot be at each other's throats. It causes stupid, pointless deaths. He stops dead in his tracks, turning to the two. "Normally I wouldn't care, but if you two plan on fighting side-by-side you need to learn to respect each other, even if you hate each others guts."
"Casey, stop being an ass. Just because a creature with thumbs is better at reading a book than you doesn't mean you get to be a prick. And you, Nike, stop pretending as if brains is the only virtue in the world and those that lack it don't deserve your respect. Maybe you can quote philosophers he's never heard of but I bet he could shoot a fly off your ass and knows how to do quite a few things you've never had to."
"Now both of you grow up. This is the pointless bickering of children that is going to get you killed on the battlefield. Tell me it's worth it when Casey is bleeding out and Nike refuses to heal him, or somebody is about to chop off Nike's head and Casey decides not to take an easy shot. Stupid, pointless bickering."
"Don't worry about Nike," Figwidget says. "The unicorn speaks her mind, is quick to judge, and doesn't hesitate to say if she thinks that you're wanting in any respect. But she's very reliable, and a powerful ally. You just need... a little bit of a thick skin. It's all good."
Climbing up on to his mechanical horse, Figwidget says, "I love these clockwork creatures! Very fine construction. I'm quite taken with your musket as well, Mr. Jayne; a nice piece of engineering there. I look forward to seeing it in action in your hands."
The unicorn eyes Lector for a moment, and then snorts. "Gorum, I see. At least you're not evil. Much." The unicorn comments, then shakes her body. "Let's get going, I don't much care for those things you're on Figwidget, but at least I don't have to slow down for them."
Looking to Lector with the same laid back expression, he nods before glancing back at the horse a moment before moving on.
Climbing up on to his mechanical horse, Figwidget says, "I love these clockwork creatures! Very fine construction. I'm quite taken with your musket as well, Mr. Jayne; a nice piece of engineering there. I look forward to seeing it in action in your hands."
Casey nods in appreciation. "She's been good to me for a long time. Built her myself." He then looks at the mechanical horses. "You build these, pardner?" he asks the gnome.
"Oh, no, I didn't build these myself," Figwidget says. "There are quite a number of excellent clockwork artisans in Alkenstar, as you know."
He inspects the horse he's on for a few seconds before continuing with enthusiasm. "This is quite an elegant design, though, I must say so! When we have finished our current investigations, I plan on experimenting with and trying some ideas I have about the design in my own workshop. Assuming we survive, of course."
With a slight grin, "Yeah, survivin's gonna be key. And it'd be interestin' to see what you can do to improve these things. There a bit clunky as is."
As the group heads out into the desert, it becomes obvious why the mechanical steeds were needed. Nike's trot eats the distance with little effort on her part, however the mechanical steeds have to race flat out to keep up. A flesh and blood horse would have collapsed after the first 30 minutes of galloping at maximum speed. The mechanical horses move without complaint, their clockworks spinning smoothly as they eat up the ground.
The rapid pace is also nice for safety, as most things that would bother them in the desert can't keep up with their speed, and likely don't bother.
The ride to the north is about fifty miles and starts to bring you dangerously close to the border with Nex...until you catch sight of what must be your destination, plumes of smoke belching into the air from behind a small range of ragged hills. Carefully traversing the hills, finding paths stable enough to support the weight of your steeds, you find yourself looking down upon a walled facility built into the side of a sheer rock face...from a distance of half a mile or so you can't detect any movement however the smoke belching from vents int the rock face and the dull throbbing sound of machinery tells you that this is not a deserted building...
...as far as you can tell, there is only one entrance into the building...a bailey at the eastern end of the wall encompassing the facility now features a wide gap of crumbled masonry.
"Right, so... as I promised, now that we're away from the city. There is someone in that place that has been intentionally sabotaging the guardians in the city, making them run amok and kill innocent bystanders. We cleaned out the mine where he was getting his tainted metal from. Now, we have to infiltrate this facility, find the person behind it, and convince them to stop. Either by violence or reasoning, depending on their intelligence. We also need to find out who they are working with in the city, because they have to have had help from inside the city as well." Tychi gives the new people a good overview, and then waits for questions.
Lector thinks on the information for a moment. "Understood. I'll take point." Lector circles and looks at the building.
Casey peers toward the building as well, looking for any sign of a possible threat.
As the wind picks up and whips past the group's heads, Tychi tilts his own. "Ah, the winds say there is thunder and fire and earth waiting for us... to defend the place. While water may be waiting to aid us..."
From a safe distance and crouched behind a rocky outcrop, you can see two other 'possible' entrances into the facility...
- There are two vents cut out of the rock face through which smoke is billowing - the climb up would not be easy (it is about two hundred feet up) and, with the smoke coming from it, probably doesn't lead anywhere 'safe'
- Halfway along the wall encircling the facility, there is a small river...some ten feet wide...that must pass through the wall - maybe a gap in the wall below ground level?
...taking the extra time to survey the building...you also start to notice something moving in the ruined bailey tower to the east...something very large...
Slowly chewing on a toothpick as he notices the large 'something', "Looks like we got company. You fellas got any idea what that thing is?" he asks, motioning in its direction.
Lector looks at both of the routes available to them. "How about we go through the wall, I can shape stone with a spell. Or we can wait for whatever that large creature is."
Looking to Lector, then back to the large creature, then back to Lector, "I'm thinkin' I like your wall idea." He nods.
"So long as the hole is big enough for myself, then yes."
Figwidget quaffs an extract.
"Through the wall sounds good!" he says. "They'll never be expecting that...."
The open area in front of the fortification is strewn with rocks such that it may be possible to get close to the walls without being seen – your position, currently well hidden from anyone or anything that may be watching from the structure, is some hundred feet south of the nearest wall. The bright desert sun, still high in the sky, would certainly be a disadvantage to any approach by stealth.
Tychi can sneak up fairly well.
Nike will remain a full round gallop away, waiting for the a signal to come running.
After moving 5 ft, and having Lector fall down twice, Tychi stops the group. "Perhaps we should rethink this? Mr. Figwidget, do you have any way to get Mr. Lector Enteap closer to the wall without his having to fall and roll all the way?"
Even as Tychi is wincing at Lector’s lack of subtlety and asking Figwidget whether the situation can be remedied, a series of loud clanking and pounding noises comes from the ruined bailey tower…. A collection of jagged metal in humanoid form emerges from the building, an enormous cannon tracking movement with mechanical precision...and the cannon is aimed directly towards the group.
There is a dull thud, a puff of smoke coming from the muzzle of the golem's cannon and then, with a whistle and shockwave of dust and dirt, the ground around Casey Jayne explodes as a cannon ball lands with devastating accuracy...
Lector puts a hand on his chest and sprints to the wall with unnerving speed, ending right behind the tower to grant cover from the cannon. "Ternesj slemon!" He places both hands on the walls and seems to rip them apart with his bare hands, opening the wall. He runs through and shapes the stone to create a barrier between the inside opening and the cannon golem.
Nike charges past the group, and Tychi mounts as she passes, grabbing onto the saddle horn and flinging himself up in a fluid motion. The unicorn moves 90 ft (assuming 30 ft back) in the surprise round, ending her movement 90 ft from the golem.
Tychi readies his whip sword as she moves, ready to attack the golem next round.
Seeing the cannonball head directly for him, he sighs. "This ain't good," he says as he attempts to dodge the thing but to no avail. Brushing himself off and wiping a bit of blood from his mouth, "You ain't gotta tell me twice," he responds to Lector's order as he takes off right after him, holding his hat down so it don't fly off.
Figwidget yelps and hops half his height into the air with shock as the cannonball hits Casey Jayne near him. "Yikes!" the gnome exclaims. Seeing quickly that his short legs are not going to serve him well in the current situation, he grabs a small vial, downs it, and takes off flying.
Nike charges past the group, head down, horn out, and legs moving in a blur. Tychi vanishes as she does so, and appears on her back within a few strides. The magnificence of Nike's charge is awe inspiring.
Tychi brings his multibladed whip sword around at the end of the charge, the metal slamming into the golem.
Manipulating the wall to the extent that it liquifies and reforms into a short tunnel, Lector opens the way into a large courtyard - as Figwidget and Casey Jayne follow, they see that the fortified walls make up the north and west sides of the open area whilst, to the south and east, the near vertical rockface looms high above you. A waterfall cascades water into a pool that dominates one end of the yard - some form of conveyor belt runs above the crest of the tumbling water.
Off to the east, on a large flattened area, six snail-like constructs sit silently as if on parade. The torsos of these constructed gastropoda are elongated and eerily humanoid. Smog puffs gently from the shell-like posterior of the machines, whilst green ooze courses through their translucent pipes.
Meanwhile, Tychi and Nike's charge results in the sonorous sounds of metal scraping and grinding across metal...but no physical damage to the brutal collection of armour and weaponry that looms above them. With a creaking groan, it slams down upon them...
Showers of dust billow as the first blow, aimed at Nike, slams into the earth...but the second blow, with a sickening crunch, strikes the Tengu.
Lector moves past his wall and frowns at all the constructs. Organized lines eh? Let's keem them right there. "Cayosin daguam." He flicks his open hands, and a wall of chopping, chaotic blades surrounds the opponents.
-Posted with Wayfinder
Figwidget tries to recognizes the constructs he sees in the moments before Lector's blade barrier obscures them.
Hearing the combat between the cannon golem vs. Tychi and Nike, he flies up, trying to get closer to where he can help. He also thinks what he might know about cannon golems -- in particular, what would hurt them? Would it be susceptible to his bombs if they were standard fire bombs? What if they were force bombs? What other vulnerabilities and defenses does it have?
Seeing the horse and the monk head straight for the golem alone, Casey raises an eyebrow. "Funny, I thought I was suppose to be the only one with mud for brains," he says to himself. Shaking his head, "Durn fools," Casey moves toward the giant construct as he draws his gun with amazing quickness, takes aim... "Alright, big fella, let's hope this hurts," ...and fires! The shot echoing throughout the wasteland.