Similarly, Mari readies to provide covering fire to her retreating allies from behind the relative safety of the turnstiles.
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Mari (15 thp)
Sammad (5 dmg)
Ordyt (58 dmg)
Bel (46 dmg)
Flint (5 dmg)
Shambling Anassanoi x15
Spurred on by the warnings of his friends, Flint withdraws to the north, double moving far enough to get just north of the turnstiles and out of the building.
With a regretful look at the anassanoi pursuing, Ordyt turns and exits the skaterail station and lopes away from the building.
"Blow it, Mari."
Mari nods, flips the safety cover from the detonator, and depresses the trigger button.
The western tunnel out of the Station distorts for a moment, a bright light flickering at the point in the tunnel that Mari placed the explosive. A moment later, a massive blast rocks the whole Station! The rail-skate's cars go flying, cleaving through the pedestrian bridge and shattering the bodies of several anassanoi shamblers. Simultaneously, the burst of force buckles the reinforced ceiling of the tunnel and with a crash, the whole aperture collapses.
The few remaining shamblers collapse to the ground, internal injuries from the sudden pressure change overwhelming their bodies. Luckily, all of you were clear of the blast when Mari triggered it.
Combat Over!
Bel feels the telepathic pressure that had been receding quickly flows back into place. The moment of absence Bel felt during the battle leaves Bel with the realization that this psychic presence has been building the whole time the group has been here in Khalannal - slow enough that it wasn't noticeable until it was absent.
"Sammad is right--it's something to do with the psychic pulses that have been mauling the Archipelago. The Legion is harnessing them somehow, prodding them with cybernetics into a psychic weapon." His voice is thick with emotion, horror and grief and disgust and fury all jumbled together.
Looking around, there's no immediate sign of any reinforcements incoming - most likely your damage to the Legion's operations elsewhere has put a big damper on what they can muster at short notice. A cloud of off-white dust rises from breaches in the Station's dome, but the building looks otherwise intact. The tunnel westward however appears to have been made completely impassable.
You look up from the rising dust of the collapsed tunnel and see the Spire in the distance to the west - the current seat of Legion control in Khalannal. Several airborne vehicles, possibly small starships, circle around its peak, while floodlights surround its base. With all the damage you've dealt, and with the Legion's forces in relative disarray, the next 24 hours will likely be the best time to strike.
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[ooc]I don't think this encounter cost us much in the way of resources--if our allies are ready I think speed is our ally. Let's do this!"[/b]
Taking several deep slow breaths to steady himself, Ordyt nods to the Spire. "The Legion will pay for the horrors they've inflicted on these people. For their sake, and the sake of the Archipelago, we must smite them here. Let's find this Nysterix, and their psychic resonator, and destroy them both."
Making their way back to their drivers, Flint says, "I agree, Ordyt, let us strike while they are in disarray."
"But maybe let's get some numbers on our side first, it certainly can't hurt. If any of the resistance members can fight, we should allow them to - it's their home, after all."
Your drivers meet you topside, help you into their Skate and start off back into the underground tunnels. Once you relay the way things went at the Station to your two anassanoi drivers, they fall silent as waves of fear and horror roll off them. One of them finally speaks up to say "We had known some of our kin disappeared. We had always assumed the Legion had killed them. That the reality is worse in every way..." The other one continues "Star-walkers, you have done our kin a service, even if you may not think it so."
After some time in silence, they relay to you that Nyralaen and the rebels have been hard at work, striking back at groups of Legion soldiers as they try to move across the city on foot. A small temporary base has been set up to coordinate these strikes, so the drivers indicate that they'll take you there.
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It takes the better part of an hour to make it to the ruin of what must have once been a skyscraper in better times. After popping briefly up to the surface, the skate slides in through a narrow opening in the ruin and descends into the interior, to a basement that managed to stay intact despite the weight of the rubble above. You exit to find Nyralaen, Zhyffor, and an awake Mehhren (looking far better now that he's recovered from the symbiote that had been infesting him), as well as a whole crowd of anassanoi rebels, rather haggard but in good spirits. In addition to the anassanoi, you find several of the allies you brought here from the Archipelago - Ilor, Taeress and Nib. From the mental exchange you overhear, Taeress seems to have picked up a reasonable grasp of the anassanoi language. The whole group goes quiet at you approach.
Nyralaen spreads her arms wide and greets you "The star-walkers. Thanks to your efforts, it feels as though the momentum is shifting. For the first time since this struggle began, the Legion are in retreat - if they can manage it. Tell us, what of the Shrine?"
"The Legion hadn't had any luck breaking in," Mari says, and gives a shrug. "We eliminated their forces in the area and removed the artifacts, so that we could return them to your people."
”Indeed,” agrees Flint, ”And we should strike quickly while the the Legion is on their heels, though any benefit we could gain from these artifacts or other quick preparations could be worth the delay.”
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"Designation Jhegal never wavered in his principles, even up to the point of giving his life to protect the shrine with peace. The giantess may have killed him and attempted to use his body as a key, but his clever wards were something they never could have broken, because the notion of peace is foreign to them."
Belmarniss retrieves the items and holds them out to Nyralaen.
"Please, take them. Especially the sculpture of Designation Jhegal, as a way to remember him as he truly was; a kind and honorable soul."
Nyralaen looks over the recovered relics in wonder, thanking you all for bringing them back. You feel ripples of sorrow roll off her as Bel explains the fate of Jheghal, only to suddenly be replaced by bubbles of hope as she reveals the small statuette of the deceased Protector. Nyralaen murmurs telepathically "Designation Jheghal sometimes told tales of an ancient rite from our distant ancestors, one that used their lost technology to take a snapshot of an individual, to act as a safeguard in the event of the worst taking place. That ancient rite used a statuette just as this. Could it be...?" She returns to look over the remaining relics, spinning a bronze disk on one finger until it begins to emit telepathic whispers.
A few minutes later, and she has roped a number of the other rebels to arrange the collection of relics in a very precise array. At first glance, there's nothing special about the arrangement, but Bel quickly begins to sense a fuzzy resonance build up in the room. As a final step, Nyralaen places the statuette at a carefully measured spot amid the array. She steps back, clasps her hands, and waits.
Before your eyes, the statuette of Jheghal begins to vibrate and slowly dissolves into a cloud of dust. Ripples of light flow through the space created by the relics, casting coruscating rays through the cloud. Soon, the array is blinding, shining with hundreds of colors, and then just as it becomes painful to watch, it fades. Where the statue once stood now lies an elderly anassanoi, appearing identical in form to the corpse you found, only about a decade older.
Jheghal's eyes flutter open and they ease themselves upright before looking at the crowd around them. "Our ancestors deserve every praise our kin could pile upon them, it appears. How long was it since the time of death? Was it an accident? Or something more sinister?" They focus their eyes on the non-anassanoi in their midst "Something far more tremendous, it appears." They rise to their feet and don the ceremonial robe that you all recovered from the cache, and with that the wonder of the resurrection fades and Nyralaen and the other anassanoi begin bombarding Jheghal with equal parts questions and information about the current state of Khalannal. It seems that Jheghal "saved" a copy of their mind well before the city fell to the Legion, so it takes quite a bit of explanation to bring them up to speed.
Mari, plainly astonished, can only gape in awe at the incredible display of magitech.
Flint silently observes, offering up a prayer of thanks to the Burning Mother.
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Belmarniss gapes at the miracle that's clearly happened before them, making the sign of the sword before bowing to Jhegal.
"It's both an honor and a relief that for us to meet you, Designation Jheghal!" she says telepathically. "Rest assured, the time between your cruel death and now can't have been more than one standard day. Invaders came to your shrine seeking to plunder it, and murdered you when you would not surrender. Designation Nyralaen sent us to the shrine to prevent your charges from falling into the enemy's hands, and it appears we saved something much greater; we unknowingly managed to bring back what was needed to save *you*!"
Jheghal turns to you all after addressing the barrage of thoughts from the other anassanoi "It appears you are to thank for recovering this contingency then. And thanks you have earned many times over. Allies from beyond Khalannal, arriving in time to join the fight against enemies from deeper within the star. Our kin are lucky indeed." They fall into contemplation after that last thought.
Nyralaen "speaks up" with "Then we have three Protectors, and three Chariots. Not enough to form the Accord, but it will have to be enough to deal with Nysteryx." As Nyralaen speaks of the "Accord", you receive an image of four silvery orbs fusing together to form a larger vehicle - something closer to a starship. "Now is the time to strike at the Spire, before the Legion can regroup. The goal will be to dispatch the Legion's draconic commander in Khalannal, destroy or disable the Psychic Resonator, and free our kin from their enforced suffering at the hands of the Legion."
The image of the Spire forms in your minds. Nyralaen highlights the expected location of the Resonator at the Spire's uppermost floor, then also indicates the lower floors. "Our kin are being kept within the Spire's lower levels, however these levels are by far the most heavily reinforced and defended. Worse, our kin are kept in a perpetual state of suffering within, their agonies amplified and directed by the Resonator. Any strike upon those floors will only result in the Resonator being turned against us while we contend at length against the Legion's defenses. Our hope is to disable the Resonator first. That will be the task of your team. You will enter the Spire from an unused balcony part way up." She indicates the five of you "Meanwhile the rebellion will serve as a distraction, besieging the Spire from ground level. The dragon Nysteryx will likely emerge in response, at which point the Protectors will ambush it and defeat it."
Nib clears her throat and chimes in "As much as I'd like to be in the thick of things over there, freeing our friends, Ilor's saying I'd hold you all back. So Tae and I'll be coordinating things from here. We worked out a way to bypass the Legion's jamming, so we'll have comms between all the groups. Amazing, right?"
"Not bad at all," Mari says, grinning. "Plan sounds simple enough. After we smash the resonator, should we fight our way down to help the prisoners, or join the protectors against the dragon?"
”Yes,” agrees Flint, ”And would we be able to use Breath of Embers in any way during this battle?”
Nyralaen answers "The dragon will be fearsome, certainly, but the greatest loss of life will be happening below. Once the Resonator has been dealt with, freeing our kin should be the highest priority." She then looks over at Flint "Your vehicle?"
Nib comments "The Breath might be able to help distract, but it's not the most maneuverable for in-atmosphere flight. I'm in to give it a try though!" before Taeress adds "And if the Breath gets destroyed, what then?" leaving Nib to roll her eyes.
”Perhaps her sensors and long range weapons would be beneficial for a longer distance support/distraction and intel platform—and it may be a good place to coordinate our communications as well,” suggests Flint, ”And if some of the Legion commanders attempt to flee via spaceship, come pick us up and we will prevent their escape.”
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"They do have a lot of ships, as we saw on our way in," Ordyt notes with some concern. "Having the Breath on hand to run interference can at least keep them off our backs if they decide they don't care about the city block your people are fighting in."
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"Sound strategy," Belmarniss comments with a nod. "I will admit, it's a shame we couldn't locate a fourth Chariot. I'm a skilled pilot myself, and while I'm excited to see what they can do I'd be even more excited to be allowed behind the flight controls of one..."
Her face turns ultramarine when she realizes she's overshared.
"...um, but obviously that is a sacred duty that it would be inappropriate to just offer to a stranger unfamiliar with its unique control methods, regardless of how trustworthy said stranger was. Nevermind!"
Nyralaen's telepathic discomfort with Bel's suggestion is clear, but she doesn't comment on it. She follows with "Protector Mehhren has the best grasp of the Chariot and will take your team up to the balcony, before slipping away to join the other Protectors. Are there other questions or uncertainties? This is the time to resolve them and prepare, before the operation begins."
“Any thoughts on how to best destroy or disable the Resonator would be great,” says Flint, ”And maybe those leftover explosives would be useful if we can find a vulnerable spot to place them.”
The rebels provide two more explosive pouches with remote detonators, and Nyralaen comments "None of our kin who have seen the Resonator have been able to study it closely. If we are lucky, the device will be vulnerable to these explosives. If not, perhaps you will find another way to disable it."
With that said, Nyralaen begins providing instructions to the other teams, and you're all free for a while to rest as things get organized. About an hour later, Mehhren leads you out of the temporary base, and to a small open courtyard where a large silvery pod has been tucked aside. He directs his thoughts to the pod and in a flash it reconfigures itself into a sleek needle-like vehicle. The sides open to admit your team.
"They were never intended to hold so many, so it will be cramped, but it is also the quickest and safest way to deliver you to your destination." Mehhren waves you in, then steps forward, merging with the front of the Chariot.
Once you board, you quickly lift off and lance across the sky of the city of Khalannal. Small sections of the Chariot turn transparent and you get a view that you weren't quite able to appreciate on your initial, troubled approach. Though some of the city lies in rubble, vast stretches of silvery and pale white buildings reach for the sky, lit by the ever-present glow of the roiling sun. Rounded and arching architecture shows the artistic spirit within the Anassanoi people, one that has had little chance to express itself in recent months. And in the near center of the city stands the tallest structure, the Spire.
The Chariot slips quickly up to it, slowing to a stop far more quickly than you'd expect based on the feeling of inertia. Mehhren sends back "Quickly now, before the air defenses lock on the Chariot." and the side of the vessel opens up.
As you exit, you see you're standing on a balcony several hundred feet above the ground. Looking up, you can see the Spire reaches several hundred feet higher. Directly ahead are a pair of sliding doors allowing entrance to the building. Behind you, Mehhren's Chariot closes up and darts away.
"And to think, we came on pilgrimage," Ordyt says softly in wonder at the city below, still beautiful despite its scars. Designation Mehren, how many anassanoi dwelled here, before the Legion came? As the Chariot barrels towards the Spire he dons his helmet, activating the environmental seals with a soft hiss.
"Let us free these people, and see justice done to the Legion for their crimes. In the Everlight's name." Ordyt leaps out onto the balcony, landing lightly on mechanical legs and bringing his rifle up to sweep the potential points attack by the Legion's garrison.
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Before leaving, Mehhren answers Ordyt "Many tens of thousands, and many yet remain to be saved. With luck, today they will be free."
”The time has come. Let us start the final stage of the Anassanoi liberation,” says Flint as he exits the chariot and draws his Solar scimitar.
Flint moves up to the door and says, ”I will open the door when we are ready, Ordyt.”. Flint indeed has his free hand ready to open the door once everyone is ready.
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Belmarniss gasps a little as Mehren escorts them aboard the Chariot. Behind her shades, it's clear there are stars in here eyes. She's the first to board, taking a position near Mehren so she can watch him pilot it.
When they disembark, Belmarniss conjures a new junksword, the most powerful she can, and raises it in salute to the Chariot as it departs.
"May Iomedae's justice fall upon the Legion like a sword, and sever the chains of the Anassanoi people once and for all. So let it be."
The doors into the Spire slide open at a touch. Inside you find a vault-like chamber that spans the width of the Spire. Natural lighting enters through the walls, which appear to be opaque only from the outside. Transparent tube-shaped lifts rise along a thick shaft in the room's center to the ceiling 40 feet above. While the room is largely empty of furniture, cargo containers crowd the ground near the edges of the room. A couple forklifts stand idle to the north end.
Rather than meeting a garrison of ifrit and azer guards, the only occupants of this room are a half dozen anassanoi, dressed in adapted Legion military uniforms. One of the anassanoi (in pink on the map) immediate raises his hands and sends "Hold! Please, hold! We wish to talk."
Sammad narrows his eyes at the anassanoi, but steps forward nonetheless. "Talk? That's a nice change of pace...You can start by putting down your weapons, then explaining why you're in Legion uniforms."
”Hmmmm…..” thinks Flint, ”Do they really want to negotiate, or is this a delaying tactic?”
"Please listen to him," Ordyt implores. "We're not here to fight you, we're here along with Designation Mehren and the Protectors to break the Legion's grip on your city. Help us, or at least stand down."
The anassanoi that spoke up replies, looking at each of you in turn "We know who you are. You have been in the warnings, the people from the Archipelago." The anassanoi's mental voice is earnest "You have been misled by the Protectors, told a convenient lie to ensure you would fight and kill on the behalf of the Protectors' doctrine. You must not persist in this crusade. Please, listen."
The anassanoi, Designation Rehljaer, gestures animatedly as he continues "If you succeed in this, the moment the Legion is gone, we will return to the way things were. The Traditionalists, led by the Protectors, will control everything again, prevent any deviation from their interpretation of our kin's purpose in Khalannal. We now know all about the world beyond - a world they kept secret from us. It is time for the Anassanoi to be free. We have chosen to side with freedom."
Flint senses that Rehljaer truly believes what he's saying and that this doesn't seem to be a delaying tactic. All of the anassanoi hold onto their pistols though, nervous in front of your party.
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"What you have learned, you must remember, and strive for your freedom within the political system of your people," starts Flint, "Just as I remember what I have seen with my own eyes. The people of my Archipelago writhing in agony as the desolation of your people is broadcast to us by the Legion, the infection of your protectors by the Legion's parasites, and the mass slaughter of your people while using technology to turn them into mindless zombies. No, it is you who are deceived, if you would just force yourself to think clearly. Help us save your people, then argue for your freedom to live as you wish once you have eliminated the Legion's threat to your freedom to live at all!" he adds passionately.
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"Freedom? Is that what you think the Legion brings? Have you seen your people crammed with cybernetics and heard their groans of agony? Have you seen the collars they put on their own soldiers--that disintegrate them should they fall, or disobey? You've thrown your lot in with some of the most horrific tyrants I've ever seen or even heard of. How long before they collar or lobotomize you? I take no position on the Traditionalists and the merits of their politics, I know nothing of it. But the Legion is evil, and must be stopped. Please don't make us go through you to do it."
Rehljaer shakes his head "You don't understand. When the Legion arrived here, they offered knowledge, passage for our kin to realms beyond, and their full assistance in our advancement, all in exchange for our aid in helping them against their enemies. They knew the value of our mindspeech, more than the Traditionalists did. And you know how the Protectors responded to their offer? With a cowardly attack that killed the Legion representative. Those loyal to the Traditionalists took up arms, and they lost, as they should. That they now suffer for their evils is only justice." Rehljaer's emotions are plain as day in his mental broadcast - he's not surprised by your descriptions, and feels distraught by the suffering, but is resolved to continue despite that.
"Our future is beyond this star, and if the Traditionalists are reinstated, we will never ever get there."
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"Suffering is NEVER justice!" Belmarniss roars. "I can understand struggling against a culture that refuses to change, and the desire to leave that behind to find a place in the galaxy that will accept you as you are. But that is NOT the future the Legion will offer you. Any transport beyond will be on their ships, at their command, to conquer other parts of the sun and beyond. A bent knee and a kill-collar around your neck so the moment you try to explore beyond the strict boundaries they set, you will be punished with death. They consider us all lesser beings to be USED and DISCARDED as they please for THEIR glory. However dishonorable or conservative the Traditionalists might have been, they did not make slaves of you. Your people will leave this star anyway; whether the Traditionalists like it or not, first contact has been forced upon them. The Anassanoi will need to treat with the outside galaxy if only to survive now that they are no longer hidden from the rest of the Sun. The question is whether they will do so as equals, joining the free societies of the Burning Archipelago and the Pact Worlds who will respect them and their autonomy, or as slaves to the Legion to fuel the fires of their fascist war-machine. History is being made here today; do you wish to be remembered as betrayers who callously let their own families and neighbors suffer and die for a false promise, or as misguided idealists who fought for their people's freedom when they learned how their would-be-masters had lied to them?! Make. Your. Choice."
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Standing alongside Belmarniss, Flint adds, ”And what have our people of the Archipelago done to you that the psychic among us should be tortured to the point of insanity by the suffering of your own people amplified by the very Spire in which we stand?!”
Mari scoffs. "Wonder who told them that story?"