Still struggling to make sure their foe can't escape his grip, Flint looks at Belmarniss as she speaks her kind words of thanks. With a slight hint of a blush, perhaps, Flint recovers quickly and says, "You are most welcome, Knight Lieutenant, though in truth I thought I would need it myself."
Other than that, Flint remains quiet as the green-skinned humanoid awakes, listening for his response and keeping his grip tight.
Marisol has little difficulty binding the green skinned humanoid's wounds, but given that they completely fail to bleed, its not clear if her efforts have really made much difference. Its clear from inspecting it up close that this is no ordinary humanoid alien - but likely some kind of supernatural being. Sammad follows with a healing serum, which he pours into the opening in the creature's mangled face. The more damaged portions of its body pop back into their appropriate positions and it begins to stir.
Flint serves as primary grappler to keep the creature pinned after it is resuscitated. Ordyt makes it incredibly clear that any sudden moves will earn it a thorough piking.
Once it has regained consciousness, it immediately attempts to reach out a desperate hand towards the adjacent reactor core. It just barely manages to do so before Flint gets a firmer hand on it. The creature stares with sorrowful eyes at the reactor core as you begin to speak. In his disadvantaged position, it has no choice but to listen.
Once you're done, it's silent for a while before speaking. "I did my best to protect them. But nothing I did helped. One is dead, and the other barely hanging on." It seems a non sequitur until it continues with "I see now, if you wanted to finish the job, you could have done it. I was wrong." There's no contrition in the creature's voice, only acceptance.
"I don't know what you speak of when you talk about Inferno Whales and Lorixes and Emissaries. I only know of the makers, of that vile winged stowaway, and that something began causing great damage to the ship not long ago. It could have been you - even if you have no particular malice for the cores, you may have damaged them in your desire to destroy the rest of the ship."
The creature, though no longer hostile, clearly doesn't regard you in the highest esteem. Its gaze drifts sorrowfully to the two reactor cores whenever it isn't focused on you.
Ordyt can tell even from an uninformed viewpoint that the port-side reactor core is effectively destroyed and that the starboard side one is damaged.
"Winged stowaway? Is that a creature about this tall, with flame wings and an imperious manner? What is it and where did it come from? What does it do or want?"
The tip of the pike waves as Ordyt releases it with one hand to gesture the approximate height of [?]orix.
Mari returns her rifle to its place on her back and steps forward, head tilted quizzically. "Your ship is incredible, why would we want to hurt it?"
She then turns her attention to the damaged reactor, trying to figure out what exactly is wrong with it and what can be done from here.
Shaking her head, she steps back. "I can't make heads or tails of this thing. Bel, want to take a look?"
Sammad's gaze softens slightly as the green man seems to be helpful. "As I said, we hold no desire to destroy your ship, or these cores. And you have my word, as an Emissary of the Al-Fayir Cooperative, that we will try to see them repaired." He follows Belmarniss's gaze towards the room they just came from, then looks back to the green man. "I believe we met the stowaway...But who are the makers? Are they on board?"
As the creature stands down from its hostile attitude, Flint releases it and nods at Sammad's wise words.
The green humanoid pulls itself up and places a trembling hand on the reactor. It looks deeply concerned, so much so that it immediately starts to ignore your group entirely. The only words that leave its mouth are soft reassurances - likely spoken to the reactor rather than any of you. It's not until Sammad's offer that it seems to notice you again.
"You give your word to help? The makers created this one -" He waves to the reactor "- and only the most delicate hand could ever restore it its unblemished perfection." The creature's voice sings longingly. "Ah~"
At your insistence, it snaps out of its dream of the reactor cores being whole once more. "The stowaway came just before the ship was attacked. It was wandering about and when it came in here, I defended my charges with all my might. It fled rather than face me and I stayed to make sure no reactor break-" At the thought of reactor breakers it cuts off abruptly and begins eyeing your group with suspicion once more.
If at least one was repaired, even partially, it may be able to devote more of its mental capacity to helping you with your questions.
"Mari, Belmarnass, let us see what we can do to help repair this partially functioning reactor while the Ambassador negotiates with..."
Turning to the creature, Flint asks, "What shall we call you? What is your name?"
Sammad begins to smile, happy that the creature is seeing reason and inclined to help even slightly. "Your dedication is admirable. My crew includes two skilled technicians," he waves to Marisol and Belmarniss in turn, "but would you be able to help them, perhaps? I'm sure the process will only go more smoothly with your aid."
"Captain, do we want to work on the reactors before we've finished a sweep of the ship?" Ordyt has withdrawn his pike now that the creature seems to have calmed. "Unless it's about to go critical I think we should continue looking for survivors."
"Captain, do we want to work on the reactors before we've finished a sweep of the ship?" Ordyt has withdrawn his pike now that the creature seems to have calmed. "Unless it's about to go critical I think we should continue looking for survivors."
As an aside to Ordyt, Flint speaks softly, saying, ”Our green-skinned friend here cares more for these engines than his own life. Even a few moments spent in a good faith effort to care for them should help Sammad’s negotiations immeasurably.”
Continuing, Flint adds,”But your point is well-taken. If we can get him calmed down quickly so he can tell us what he knows, we should leave him to tend to his reactors and move on to other areas of the ship.”
"On it!" Mari says, turning back to the reactor. Alright you, let's try this again...
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Belmarniss stands up and follows Marisol back to the reactor, taking off her helmet and noticing the bright lights shining out of her skin. She grimaces.
"Sure hope this isn't permanent. My eyes are sensitive enough already, and we're going to the Burning godsdamn Archipelago!"
When Marisol struggles with the reactor, Belmarniss frowns.
"May I?"
She begins to examine and diagnose its problems, fixing what she finds to try and get it operational at the very least.
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The green humanoid blinks in surprise. "No one has ever asked my name. It is Typhix. You are Captain, right?"
As Typhix learns the names of the group, Mari and Belmarniss begin tackling the daunting task of stablizing the badly damaged reactor core. The poor creature nearly gets a heart attack (or whatever passes for a heart attack for its strange species) when Marisol starts immediately with an electrospanner. Its only Belmarniss' quick intervention that catches the error before the reactor is further damaged.
With Sammad's encouragement, Typhix also joins the two of them. "I will show you where it is hurt, both within and without."
Belmarniss finds the reactor to be in a critical state. Not only it it struggling to power all the ship's various systems on its lonesome, but damage from the inferno whale's attacks has clearly taken out some of its more distributed subsystems. Repairing the core would likely be a lengthy task - made more complicated by the device's unusual design...
The design leans so heavily on magical solutions that you suspect its creators were more magically adept than technologically adept. Furthermore, you recognize that the creators were tremendously familiar with the manipulation and creation of fire.
With Typhix's help, you take 10 minutes and patch the reactor core enough to bring it away from the brink. It'll take careful study and long hours to return it to its original function.
----
Typhix calms down greatly as the reactor starts to hum more regularly. "Ah, what calm, what peace." It bows to Belmarniss. "You are very adept. Not close to the Makers, no, but not ignorant either. Thank you."
With Typhix's singular drive sated for the moment, you remind it of your earlier questions, and it answers in a lightly buzzing voice, a voice you realize is buzzing in tune with the hum from the core. "I have always been here, guarding and shepherding the cores. The makers woke me once they were done creating them. The makers were beings of similar shape to you and I - but always surrounded in heat and fire. Some were small, others large and red, with horns and smoke. Others still looked a little like this one named Sammad."
"One, named Gudwha, wanted to slay me because I was not one of them. But once they saw that I only wanted to protect and nurture the new cores, he allowed me to stay."
"The makers all left, and I was alone for a while. But something happened, others I do not know entered. Though they didn't come here, I could feel that they were using power elsewhere in the ship. Not long after, the ship began to move, then the heat began. Only after the heat began to fade did the stowaway arrive. And not long after, the ship and my reactors, were attacked."
"A pleasure to meet you, Typhix. Yes, I am Captain Flint. It sounds like the beings you describe are from the plane of fire -- ifrits, azer, and efreeti they are called in our world."
Turning to Sammad, he asks, "Do you wish to converse further, or shall we investigate other areas of the ship now that the reactor is stable?"
Sammad pauses for a moment to consider Flint's question, then responds. "I think we should continue moving. But you should get patched up, in case of further hostilities." He withdraws a serum from a pocket of his uniform, then hands it to Flint.
He looks to Typhix, and gives a short bow. "My friends and I appreciate your help, Typhix. I will make good on my promise to you, once this is over."
He then turns towards the door they came through. "And I think our period of obeisance to Lorix might have to come to an end. That little nuisance knows things, and he will tell us." As he says those last few words, he reaches down to grasp his pistol.
Having rested to catch his breath while the engineers were looking at the reactor, Flint is already looking a bit better (spend 1 RP to regain stamina). He takes the serum from Sammad and downs it, nodding his thanks and saying, "I think you may be right--this 'stowaway' has some explaining to do."
Flint will move back to the 'temple' room once the others are ready, planning to backup Sammad in his more...direct...dealings with Lorix.
Twirling the pike once and rolling his shoulders to loosen up, Ordyt nods at Flint. "Just give the word, Captain," the oread says calmly.
As the group moves towards the door, he whispers to the others, [smaller]"From the story Typhix gave us, it sounds almost like this ship was stolen from its makers. Is the shuttle secure? If these thieves are still here they may try to make off with it."
With another touch, the door out of the reactor room opens and you see the "temple" once more. Your winged friend sits cross-legged, upside down on the ceiling, wings flapping every now and then to maintain his position. He cackles audibly as he catches sight of you.
"Sorix is impressed, but if you want to serve me more, I have other very good tasks - so much fun."
Sammad narrows his eyes as the stowaway speaks. He whispers to the others, "Let me lead...surprise will work to our advantage."
He looks up at the whimsical creature, then speaks.
"Oh fiery one! It's...so hard to see your radiance when you're up there. Could you come down, that we may witness you better?"
Flint steps to the side to leave room for Sammad to enter the room and speak to the stowaway.
Frustrated and annoyed at her own lack of success with the reactor, Mari gladly steps back to let Belmarniss take over. She's unusually quiet as she watches the drow work, only speaking to confirm instructions or tool requests. Once the initial repairs are complete, Mari returns to her usual enthusiasm and offers a high-five and a grin to Belmarniss.
Mari follows Flint's example, moving toward the corner of the room and keeping an eye on the creature.
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"Thank you, Typhix. My name is Belmarniss Rycast, Star-Knight of the Knights of Golarion."
She sets to work with his guidance, humming and occasionally saying [b]"Interesting," as she takes in the reactor's complexity and unfamiliar design.
"The balance between magic and technology in this construct is very different than what I'm used to with Pact Worlds tech...usually magic is something that's added to a mostly concrete technical base, but whoever built this appears to have started from a magical base with the technology being the addition...given that what technical components there are appear to be remarkably heat-resistant as well, it strongly suggests an extraplanar origin. Extraplanar societies do tend to rely more heavily on magic, both because they're older societies that developed protective magics long before Material Plane species began casting their first cantrips, and because the denizens of those societies are usually magical in nature themselves..."
When Marisol offers her a high-five, she raises an eyebrow and awkwardly reciprocates. She stands and then bows to Typhix when he compliments her.
"Thank you, good Typhix. It's not often two individuals can go from nearly killing each other to working together in peace."
She listens to him describe his situation, and it's clear from her body language that she's concerned.
"Do you think there are any Makers still alive on this vessel? We are attempting to rescue them, and you as well now. Or do you think the Makers pursued you and attempt to destroy their creation to keep it out of the hands of strangers? And is this...condition you seem to have given me dangerous?" she asks, indicating the shining growths on her skin.
Once they finish conversing with Typhix and begin marking their way back to deal with the so-called god, Belmarniss keeps quiet at Sammad's request. It was always much more satisfying for a rival to humiliate themselves through overconfidence than to just hoist them into the air by the neck and browbeat them. At least, that's what her old schoolmates had told her.
Typhix answers Belmarniss' question without looking at her, instead gazing intently at the reactor core thrumming steadily. "The Makers could still remain on this ship somewhere, but I can't feel them. Though they woke me and made these reactors, I don't understand them. Would they choose to destroy something they made...?" The creature trails off, uncertainty and concern clear in its tone.
"Oh, you don't like them?" Typhix sounds surprised at Belmarniss' question about the tumors. "They'll last only a while. If you come back tomorrow, I can give you more if you like."
---
Upside down, the winged "stowaway" drifts down towards the center plinth, eyes flashing with pulses of blue light. It crosses its spindly arms.
"If you want to worship me, you must prove yourselves! That is right. You should take your brain cases and smash them against the walls until they stop working so well! If you do it properly, I'll even give you your wish!"
Sammad narrows his eyes at the stowaway's words, no longer bothering to conceal his irritation.
"You're right. We are too smart for you."
He then whispers to the others, "Now, move to surround him!
And then he draws his pistol and points it directly at the stowaway!
"I grow tired of your foolishness, and your idle threats. Tell us what we need to know, now."
Flint moves around quickly behind the creature, drawing his solar blade and adding to Sammad's comment.
Mari unslings her rifle, puts on the scariest expression she can, and shouts in Ignan.
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"People usually destroy things they've made because they don't want other people having them, at least as far as I've seen," Belmarniss replies with a shrug. She winces a bit when her complaint puts Typhix off a bit. "It's just that...I'm a drow. My eyes are super-sensitive to light, and being turned into a living mirror ball is kind of making it hard for me to see..."
"I don't understand WHAT you just said, but I don't like the way you said it!" Belmarniss barks as the fight begins. She moves to circle around to join Flint in boxing in the arrogant little creature. Maybe they'd still get to hoist them into the air by the neck and browbeat them...though admittedly that had less of a psychological impact on something with wings...
Ordyt stands his ground next to Sammad, pike leveled and stance conveying the threat as clearly as any barked command.
"Make sure all the exits are covered."
The floating creature snickers at Sammad's first comment, but tries to spring back in alarm at the second. It starts blabbering in Ignan.
It crosses its arms, seemingly confident that it has evened the playing field.
You think it isn't entirely lying about the whole place being damaged if you attack the stowaway. Of course, the thing about the ship exploding is a massive exaggeration.
The creature seems rather insane. But you've successfully cowed it for now. You might be able to get some information out of it if you press your advantage.
Sammad lets a small grin break on his face. He can tell the creature is rattled.
"No, I'm quite certain I won't regret shooting you. Now, tell us how you came aboard this vessel."
Speaking quietly to Sammad, Flint says, "By my count, it has called itself by seven different names since we started talking to it, though the first name it gave us, 'Lorix-Opipol-Lucus', appeared to be the most complete."
The stowaway looks rather anxious as it sees Sammad's confidence brimming. It crackles in Ignan.
"I got in no problem. And the ship - just like that started moving before I even had a chance to work my wishes! Now I've been working hard granting wishes in the front, wishes in the back, everywhere and anywhere! Kehehe..."
Sammad's expression changes to one of concern as he processes the stowaway's words. He lets his pistol drop a hair before he responds.
"A...god? Riiiight...So you've been moving throughout the ship, seeing things. Who else is aboard, besides Typhix back in the reactor room?"
Glancing back and forth between Sammad and the creature, Ordyt rolls his eyes. "I take it the parlay goes well? Fah, I clearly need to learn the Flame Tongue."
The pike dips a bit, but remains firmly gripped in the Oread's hands.
Sammad glances to Ordyt. "Fairly well, but let's not drop our guards yet."
Over the comms, Mari whispers, "It's being a brat, but Sammy seems to have scared it. It's mostly rambling now."
As if you're not all looking at it, the winged stowaway slowly starts backing away from Bel and Flint. It flaps its wings silently as it gains some elevation over you. It covers this not particularly stealthy move by rambling on in Ignan.
"Other than the green one, all in a big big hurry. Even if I wanted to grant wishes to them, and I don't, they wouldn't listen. Too much running. Too much banging. Not enough listening to me."
Sammad raises his pistol back up as the stowaway tries to sneak out of danger.
"No tricks from you, nuisance!"
He ponders on its words for a moment, then speaks to the others. "It says that there are others aboard. We met the 'green one' already, but there are a pink one, a red one, and a black one still roaming."
As he hears the thumping resume, Sammad's gaze turns fully to the front of the room. He mutters to himself, "What are the chances..."
At Ordyt’s comment, Flint hands the translator over to Mari, asking, ”Mari, can you hook this into our coms and set it to translate Ignan?”
Checking the door to the port of the room, Flint shakes his head, nodding towards the forward door and saying, ”It looks like that is our path, Ambassador, unless we wish to expose the aft section to the vacuum of space.” He moves toward the forward door when He is sure Sammad has concluded his ‘negotiations’.
Mari frowns, thinking, before nodding to Flint and saying, "I can definitely give it a shot, Cap." She follows after him, her attention focused on tinkering with the small device.
The winged stowaway freezes at Sammad's threat, but this time around it stays silent, watching you all warily with its three eyes.
Marisol has no difficulty getting the Tetrad translator set up. Over the course of this conversation, it has picked up more than enough Ignan to attune to the language. Though as is typical for the limited and temperamental device, it produces a translation that leaves much to be desired.
----
With Sammad's questions done, Flint heads for the iris door to the fore-side of the ship. At a touch, the door opens to reveal a luxuriously appointed chamber.
Ornate carpets cover the floor of this chamber. Where golden metal doors don't take up the wall space, curtains of velvety red material frame intricate murals of brass starships flying in formation through fiery skies. Low, plush divans surround hologram projectors and lavish brass tables are topped with what appear to be beautiful crystal hookahs.
The chamber has iris-type doors leaving it in all directions, though you notice that the nearest ones to the port side, and the farthest ones to the fore side, are all three inoperable.
Flint will stride through, his hand hovering near the quick-release sheath holding the weapon crystal. He moves a few steps into the room, then waits for the others as he listens...Can he tell where the banging sound is coming from?
Mari whistles appreciatively as she takes in the room, saying, "Woooow...fancy. Hey Cap, think one of these hookahs would fit in your ship? They look awful nice." She idly picks up one of the hoses, turning it over, before setting it back down and keeping an eye out for anything less obvious.
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Belmarniss' eyes widen at the sight of the opulent chamber.
"Whoever commissioned this vessel had a LOT of money," she comments. "I haven't seen furniture this fancy outside of shareholder penthouses..."
Seeing the other doors are inoperable, she goes up and checks both of them, looking to see what's causing that.