****BOTTING SEO-YOON****
Seo-Yoon Attempts to trick-shoot the final Azlanti
Seo doesn't manage to trick, but does hit her opponent
****Botting over****
The woman starts spitting into her comlink.
{"I dunno . . . one of them hit me . . . some kind of nurotoxin . . . legs numb."}
Despite being encumbered and entangled, she manages to wing Pratt.
---Round 1 FIGHT---
Bold may go
Pratt
Reconstructor
Seo-Yoon
Green Enemy (-11 HP Encumbered, Entangled)
Rook
Xawn
Purple Enemy-----Dead
With that the second Azlanti goes down.
***Combat Over***
Xaun ran their fingers through their soft grassy hair as the azure and indigo petals on their face fluttered with worry.
"They've all but found us now," they said softly. "What are going to do!?"
287 bends at its 'waist' and picks up the datapad that has a cable plugged into it running into 287. It turns the view screen of the datapad to face the group and plays the video.
Seeing Cedona again made Xaun gasp. Her excitement at the find, the curiosity that clearly led her there were so typical of her! The discovery itself however...
"This is it!" They breathed. "This is what the Azlanti are here for. They don't care one wit about the planet or the colonists."
Oh Cedona, what have you stumbled into?"
"We keep moving. If we don't pull this off then the reprisals will be too much to countenance. The only way out is forward."
287 turns its head toward Rook as its body stays still which, though reasonable, feels unnatual. "Agreed Captain. What is our next mission?" 287 says and then asks as it unplugs the datapad and attaches it to its 'abdomen'.
"Let me suggest this: if they're going to be on the move to hunt us down, perhaps a distraction is in order. Should we go next to the hobgar trap and set them loose? That could buy us some time and give something else to think about."
"Agreed," Rook said, setting his cane to the floor and getting ready to move to their next objective.
"Then let's go before more of them come!" pleaded Xaun.
You manage to slip out of the house/church and head towards the Hobgar area. Over Reconstructor's Stolen Azlanti Comm in his armor he hears orders to investigate the ruins and look for 'hostile wildlife.' Reaching the Hobgar area is relatively easy as you hear troops moving away from the area to investigate where you just were. (remember, fog is still present here-vision is limited to 30 feet.)
As you get to the area Aibretta mentioned:
A sturdy metal pole rises 30 feet above the settlement, its top nearly obscured by fog. A wide metal cage with an angled opening no wider than a human fist sits on top of the pole. The wire mesh of the cage crackles with electricity. A small control box rests right underneath a metal plate at the bottom of the cage. Several tiny, furry creatures leap about inside the cage, rattling the electrified mesh and hooting in distress.
It looks like the whole apparatus is designed to be transported by vehicle. In the absence of one, you surmise someone will have to climb to the top and hack the manual control lock at the bottom of the cage 30 feet up. There are a few handholds on the pole, but climbing will still be a somewhat risky venture, (not to mention needing to hack the electronic lock with a computers check.)
As the group made its way to the Hobgar cages, Xaun's thoughts locked into a constant loop:
A massive machine that clearly incorporated magitech. A form of propulsion faster than light which did not rely of the Drift. And a a group of humans from beyond the Pact Worlds eager to claim it.
Cedona stumbled on something huge and there was some connection between that it, her and the Azlanti. Hopefully these invaders splitting their focus between occupation and investigation would be an advantage.
"Captain, there is a cage supported by a thirty foot pole. On the underside of the cage, there is a console that is likely programmed to release the hobgars. Orders?"
IF we want to release those little pests someone will have to climb up and hack that lock.
Seo-Yeon looks sideways at Reconstructor...
You seem to be better at hacking than i am, unsurprisinlgy as a, well machine based being. How good can you climb though?
Right now they are looking for wildlife. If we disguise ourselves, especially Rook, we might get away somehow without the distraction for a little time. But i guess escalating things here is what we wanted anyway, so getting done with all the tasks and then enter their lair as quickly as we can might still be good.
"It is too late for us to hide. Our only hope is to stay one step ahead of them and disrupt their operations as best we can." said Xaun.
"I can safely say that this is entirely outside of my wheelhouse," Rook noted with a bemused expression. He would be better on watch anyway, ironically. The fog did not impede his senses as it did for the others.
"Well, I can't climb, and my computer skills are limited to turning my comm device off and on again. Seo, my guess is this is a job for you. We'll cover you from down here."
"This reconstructor was not built for climbing."
"I wonder if Abrietta has a ladder?"
"I'm starting to think this was a bad idea," said Xaun "...for us anyway"
Reconstructor 287 seems to separate at the waist. Some thin robotic legs extend from the bottom of the top half and it stands on them. The top half then approaches the pole and begins climbing.
It takes the tiny SRO a few tries, but eventually he begins to make his way up.
On his way up, two Hobgars notice him and seem to think it funny to zap him.
electricity damage.
But then Reconstructor gets to the underside of the cage where the Hobgars can no longer get a clear shot at him, and he sees the control pannel.
Once up at the top, 287's hand seems to shift and it plugs it's hand into the control panel. It then attempts to climb down before the cage is opened.
Pratt has his rifle ready and is keeping a sharp eye out for any Azlanti scum.
Reconstructor has a bit of a problem climbing down
Reconstructor decends and everyone is able to leave the area. Within a minute you hear lots of hobgars yelling, Azlanti troops yelling, Reconstructor's comlink goes nuts with Azlanti orders, and the air starts to smell of ozone.
"To the vaporator, we need to seize ground here!" Rook called to the others in the chaos.
Using the map that Aibretta lent you, finding the Moisture vaporator is an easy task.
The moisture collector in Madelon’s Landing stands on the northeastern edge of the settlement. The device is a metal spire adorned with several wide flanges, similar in shape to satellite dishes, and four large plastic tubs for water collection sit at its base. Thick plastic tubes connect the
flanges and the tubs.
Do you think they put guards here to ration access to the water? That would be difficult, because they can always just replace them. Let's take a look. Perhaps we can rig the water supply so it can be accessed from somewhere else. Like from inside this building next to it, or another one close by.
Seo-Yeon sneaks around in the chaos looking out for any guards or installations, as well wether the moisture collector and the water have been restricted with devices in any way.
Unfortunately a strange breeze keeps blowing her hair over her eyes, so she looks awesome, but doesn't see much at all and is more busy getting her hair back under control.
As Seo sneaks around, the water in the pod in front of her mysteriously drains the closer she gets to it. By the time she can look down in the pod, it is all but empty.
Seo can find no reason for this.
"Odd, there should be a guard or something around here," Rook carefully moved forward as well.
What is tis? How can the water vanish everytime i get close? Is that their water rationing? Must be some kind of weird curse or evil ancient magic they use! Is this even safe to drink?
Seo-Yeon looks a bit lost, turning to her companions for help-
Anyone good with magic?
As Rook approaches another water pod it also empties. The other two appear to be almost overflowing with how full they are. They were not that full before.
Xaun was startled by the suddenly vanishing water. Seo's suggestion of magic got them thinking....
"Maybe some kind of trap to prevent tampering," they said
"There's something in there. Something not right. Pratt, cover me," Rook approached the source of the odd sound.
"<Come on out,>" he tried in Azlanti "<We won't hurt you.>"
There is a tense moment where nothing happens after Rook speaks, and then one of the remaining full tanks seems to spew forth a spray of water that coaleces into a somewhat humanoid form and attacks!
---Round 1 FIGHT---
BOLD MAY GO
Seo-Yoon
Pratt
Rook
Xawn
Water Thing
Reconstructor
"Found the guard!" Rook called to the others, as though they could not see the thing. He drew his pistol and shot at the creature.
"What. In. The. World?"
Pratt fires his rifle at the thing.
Xaun gasped as their wlanut eyes widened in shock. They tried to do a quick scan.
Rook and Pratt both hit: the creature looks fairly wounded.
---Round 1 FIGHT---
BOLD MAY GO
Seo-Yoon
Pratt
Rook
Xawn
Water Thing
Reconstructor
Xaun quickly interpreted the readings and said:
"It's an elemental! We should subdue and communicate with it,"
And how would you do that Xawn? I know no way of it, but i know this!
Seo-Yeon feints and shoots her laser pistol.
The creature seems to only take normal damage from Seo-Yoon's hit. It's as if it was immune to critical hits.
The creature moves up and screeches something that is maybe a language? [ooc]None of you speak Aquan I assume[/b] and tries to punch Seo
---Round 1 FIGHT---
BOLD MAY GO
Seo-Yoon
Pratt
Rook
Xawn
Water Thing -12 HP
Reconstructor
287 draws both pulse caster pistols and fires.
---Round 1 FIGHT---
BOLD MAY GO
Seo-Yoon
Pratt
Rook
Xawn
Small Water Elemental -15 HP
Reconstructor
Seo-Yeon dodges the attack but is obviously out of air.
She fakes to hit it with her gun but instead moves back and shoots at it.
Rook tries to put another shot through it, doubting there is much that can be done to reason with the creature.
The water elemental collapses into a puddle. Inside you find some sort of weird talisman-like-object that was apparently inside the elemental, with a lot of runes on it.