Seeing Jinsa reef on the door, Merisiel wiggles in beside him and tries to help pry the door open.
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Tig-0 dutifully launches into more explanation as you work. "Lord Karamoss created us all. Hopefully your malfunctions are not so dire as to occlude such an important record, but I will say it. He is a powerful mage, made more so after renouncing his organic functions in favor of mechanical life. He directed us to besiege the city of Absalom. Our attack has been ongoing since the approximate year 3637. It is now...ERROR: chronometer corrupted." The robot lurches a few times as it gives a piece of its head a check-up. "Unknown. But from intact records, I can surmise it has been two years at least."
Jinsa, aided by Doodle and following Khellek's pointings-out, manages to open the cracked door most of the way. Chunks of rubble spill in harmlessly. The passage slopes gently downward out of sight. However, the doors are still too blocked for something of Tig-0's size to get through. You can now get around them to dig more debris out of the way.
The rogue bounds over the rubble and starts pushing the debris over to help clear the way.
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Khellek pockets the various technological items recovered. "For later study" he explains.
"It may be quicker just removing the door entirely. " he suggests. "Although if the corridor beyond is fully clogged like this, it may take a very long time to make progress."
He turns to address Tig. "Have you seem many of the Roper's in this area?" asks the scholar, describing the ones seen. "We encountered some nearby. Have you been here in this room all these, that is both these years?"
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"I haven't seen any such units," Tig-0 replies to Khellek. "I only re-activated four days ago, on an upper level. A system-wide callback signal was issued, indicating that I must return to my station. I made it this far before my progress was impeded."
It takes your assembled team about nine minutes to clear enough rubble. The door opens further, allowing Tig-0 to pass through. Not far away, the corridor turns to a staircase, still leading downward in a long series of switchbacks. However, a large hole has recently been burned straight through the walls between each, leaving an easier way through. The robot ignores this and scuttles down each switchback to catch up with your relatively rapid descent.
At the bottom of the stairs is another lift. A bit of a squeeze with Tig-0 along for the ride, but it runs smoothly. Another set of switchbacks greets you, similarly expedited by a massive hole in the walls. The director ignores its own calls for urgency again to step down every stair. A short walk down the adjoining hallway leads to a small room locked by a strange device, its door plastered with unintelligible symbols. "If more units in the area are malfunctioning, we may have to requisition more supplies for self-defense," Tig-0 says. "Even if the contents of this room are mostly for organic users."
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"A system wide call back?" msues Khellek.
"I didn't get one. What could have caused that? " he inquires, worried that something even more unusual than the team realized was happening.
He gestures to the burned holes. "Tig... do you know what may have caused these holes to be burned? " and then, when their companion talks of supplies adds "Are they beyond this door? Could you open it for me?"
Could you open the door, please? the elf says with a slight tone of sarcasm as she examines the door lock.
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Tig-0 doesn't reply when Khellek muses about the callback. It instead thinks about the holes in the wall. "I am unsure, but a safe guess would blame this on a malfunctioning robot. Likely trying to expedite processes in its flawed perception. The rules are in place for good reason!
"This is a storage area for humanoid equipment," it continues. "A rare few may have had to enter dangerous areas of the Forge, including Lord Karamoss before his transformation for the better. I could open it, but that unit-" several hands point at Merisiel, "-is also properly equipped. As such there is no reason for me to do so, barring a malfunction on its part of which I am unaware. It is not my place."
Merisiel takes a look. With her own skill and Khellek's pointers, she could probably open it after a few tries.
Merisiel cracks her knuckles and gets to work on the panel.
Mersiel looks at the boots.
These can help should I need to climb...but I can climb pretty good on my own...might one of you need these?
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Having grabbed what you can, you proceed through the burned shortcuts into the next area.
The southern edge of this rectangular room is damaged, offering an obscured view of vertical red lights that suggest a massive, bottomless, circular chamber beyond. A wire mesh catwalk encircles most of the room, accessible by three ladders and a staircase. Discarded scrap sits in tall piles around the room, casting long shadows to the west, and two long tables stand in the center of the floor with various components spilled across their surfaces. The piles part to the east around a circular, fifteen-foot-wide pit. A large button stands by the pit’s edge. At the eastern extreme of the catwalk, a wide, metallic red slab serves as a door.
Two squat females with fiery hair and eyes sort out scrap over a table, occasionally speaking to each other. Another tinkers with something larger on the catwalk above. "These are among the malfunctioning units. Parameter update - dismantle aggressive robots to clear a path to main power control," Tig-0 says, calmly and without trying to keep quiet. Fortunately, the general din keeps them from hearing you - yet.
"...Well I took down the sorry robot carrying it, not like you could have..."
"Not like Jethzerai would want to hear about it from you, you've got no clue what it does."
"And you do? We're all in the dark save that damn snake and you're just trying to deflect. At least I could tell it was important."
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A horrible metallic screeching sounds from the catwalk as the woman there takes a blade surrounded by a chain of whirling metal links to an inactive robot. It cuts through without resistance. This coincides with the two in the pit getting into a fistfight, although they don't look to be doing any lasting damage. Still, tensions seem high.
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"Azer's... " whispers Khellek. "Smiths from the plane of fire. I think we now know what burned those holes. I wonder what they are doing here?"
"Unfortunately I've not made much of a study of the lesser known elemental languages, but I know a trick that would let me speak with them if we can get closer without a fight.
It is then that he notices Tig going forward. With a sigh, Khellek grabs his fire resistance potion and chugs it.
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What in the world? Lasaraleen balks.
I will talk to them...Hold up Tig! We need to speak with these creatures.
She will tap herself with touch of glory and move to dialog with the Azer.
Greetings and warm welcome friends of flame! We are travelers and seeking knowledge. We wish to discuss with you the robots we see here.
And pay a visit to Jethzerai on important matters. What say you?
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The azer in blue wins her bout, offering the other a hand up but holding on to the item they were quarreling over. It resembles a brick, made of red metal and balanced atop her fingers as if painful to the touch.
All present turn to Lasaraleen in surprise as she steps up, Tig-0 included. The azers raise their fists, but listen to their native tongue. "...Okay," one says in accented Taldane, after several seconds of silence. "Everything else in here has been out for blood, but you don't sound as bad." Tig-0 takes the opportunity to say something about taking advantage of this distraction to attack. The spokeswoman looks at it strangely and without comment.
"You're free to pass through here, I suppose. So long as you don't cause trouble to us. But really, why would you come down here? What do you have to say to Jethzerai, what can you offer him to make it worth his time?"
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"You have no idea how repulsive some would see our alliance as." The azer on the catwalk has stepped down to speak, idly brandishing her chainsaw. "Please do not refer to it as working for him. Still, he is working on a way to return home. We aren't sure of all the specifics, but there are some portals. He plans to open them near a volcano in the City of Brass, immolating this dead place when we escape."
Tig-0 is always stiff, but tenses further upon hearing this. "You are malfunctioning. Request priority 1 - repeat previous designation. Dismantle aggressive robots to protect the Forge."
The azer nearly starts up her chainsaw again. She looks ready for any excuse to take it to something that will fight back. But she is stopped by her sister's hand. "I'm going to assume you have that rustbucket on a leash. We've seen it recently, but not you. Look, we just want to get back to our plane. If you can find us some help on that front, we'll answer all your questions."
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Khellek's eyes open wide.
"You do realise that an eruption so close to an active gateway could potentially tear a permanent rift between the two planes.." he says aghast.
"If things escalate any further, it could even turn this whole structure into an interplanar volcano of immense size - a stone's throw from my modest apartment in Absalom!"
He thinks for a bit.
"I think we could probably arrange some help for you from other sources if we could stop Jethzerai from immolating them..."
Turning to Tig he adds "Initiating negotiation protcols with aggressive robots. Currently their status is paused and non aggressive. No further immediate action required.."
Returning to the Azer he adds "I am Khellek. Perhaps we could share names and information? I would be delighted to learn a bit more about where you come from.."
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"My name is Zillerat, and these two are the sisters Zuhayr Hariri and Jawhar," the azer with the chainsaw says. "We are from the City of Brass, of course."
Jawhar speaks up in response to Varian. "We have waited for an unknowable span of time. We can stand to stay a bit longer. Even though we have just met, you may deserve more trust than Jethzerai." Zuhayr hawks a flaming bit of spittle. "That salamander deserves nothing if we have other options! We hoped to turn him in immediately upon our return. See here, I found this document putting a bounty on his head from a millennium ago."
Khellek and Varian, among others, know that salamanders are often hated by other Plane of Fire denizens. The 'wanted' poster of Jethzerai is a gray tablet depicting a reedy salamander.
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Khellek ponders what he knows about salamanders.
"That is most helpful of you Zillerat. What was it that Jethzerai had you looking for in here? Just stuff to sell back at the City of Brass or things to advance his fiery plans?p"
He pauses to think for a moment futher "And as he is wanted there... why is he going back?"
Then, eventually, remembering the teams mission he adds "Have you seen any ropers in the area?" he goes on to describe them.
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"Jethzerai mentioned the robots he sent upside for parts met resistance. I assume those are the natives, the chokers, I think they were called. But they've never been down here, no," Zuhayr says.
"He's got us down here, disassembling whatever we find for spare parts so he can upgrade the portals. Sometimes we find something he might like intact, like this." She hands over the brick she was fighting with her sister over. It's incredibly cold to the touch. "Careful with that. I'm not certain what it does, but I'd bet the salamander would like it. So now that we have other options - keep it out of his hands, I suppose."
Tig-0 bristles ever further at this news. "The portals are not to be tampered with. Request priority 1.0 - override all previous designations. Proceed to main power control for information uplink and to undo dangerous tampering." The azers collectively shrug. "If it's all the same, we're going to sit this out. We can't do much against Jethzerai anyway. If you need any of our gear, or have questions...?"
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"Can you tell us anything more about the portals that Jethzerai is playing with? Any information would be helpful... and can we borrow that brick? If it is cold, it might help us against any fire effects that Jethzerai uses... or we might be able to figure out how to hurt him with it." says Khellek.
He nods to Tig. "That sounds like a good idea. Maybe you can override his control over the other robots..."
Wait a moment..
Turning back to the Azer he asks "How does Jethzerai control the robots?"
Let us hope it doesn't work on Tig..
He carefully explains what he knows about Salamanders to the rest of the group.
"Nothing really surprising. But it would pay to avoid getting too close to them if you are going to try to cast spells. Being constricted by a creature of fire would certainly hurt!"
Got anything really pointy I can jab him in the back with? Or a magical staff that shoots balls of snow? the rogue asks, not really expecting a good answer. If he has any weak spots, that would be good to know... she says.
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"We don't understand the portals. They look awful, started out as simple loops and he's added all many of junk to the sides." Tig-0 bleeps in an approximation of anger at this. Zillerat tilts her head and continues. "I think he builds his robots from the ground up, and they make more for him. So he won't likely turn your pet on you."
The azer makes her way to her sisters' table, grabbing some pieces. She flips her chainsaw through the air in a dangerous manner, barely catching it by the front. "Put this clip on something pointy, or anything else, and it'll hit harder. If you want to try my chainsaw, you can. But it takes practice to use." She pulls the trailing cord and it roars to life for a second - with her hand still a hair's breadth from the blades!
Merisiel thanks the axers for their gift.
Tell them I'll bring back one of his scales to make a charm with for them. she says, adding the device to her rapier.
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"Big," Zuhayr says, unhelpfully. "All I remember was the six portals. Each one had a channel in the ground for magma to flow through, and they joined up to a dais of some sort. Oh! And Jethzerai has a trap rigged in front of the door. Some awful gas sprays out if you're not careful."
Tig-0 is already scuttling away. "We must move quickly. To be wary of traps, move exactly as I do." With that, the robot runs up the pit's wall next to the ladder. You are forced to follow, even if you can't replicate the director's wall-climbing. Exiting the room full of scrap, you find yourselves on a massive bridge over an empty void.
At the end of the bridge lies a cylindrical structure - the Forge's core, suspended in midair over the vast nothingness. Dozens of similar bridges connect to it from other locations. The telltale lights of fire elementals brighten a few, showing the shaft goes hundreds of feet both up and down. The bridge sounds rickety but isn't liable to collapse.
Between it and the core proper is a small octagonal chamber. Merisiel spies vents in the ceiling perfect for deploying gas, as mentioned. Some fiddling with thieves' tools from the outside could keep that from coming to pass.
Merisiel acitivates the new boots, giving them a try as she climbs to the ceiling.
She then gets out her tools and works with the vents.
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Thanks to Khellek's advice, Merisiel takes extra care and is barely able to jam many vents before powder starts to spray from the chamber's ceiling. The flow is reduced to an easily avoidable trickle. What few flakes touch you as you pass by don't feel like anything.
The door from the gas room is the only ground-level entrance to this fifty-foot-tall chamber. The floor slopes slightly downward to the south, scored by channels that run from a wide, shallow pit to six slate-gray rings that hang like portholes along the room’s curved northern wall. From the center of the pit rises a short skymetal dais supporting a gigantic, freestanding elliptical ring. The six rings on the wall bristle with haphazard augmentations—wires, parts harvested from robots, and sundry other components. To the west, a console covered in buttons, switches, and flashing lights hums with power on a small platform, and two smaller panels glow on the wall behind it.