Hekau attempts to open the doors that Shesik indicates.
Back in the bloodstained hallway, you head for the set of double doors at the south end, which slide open as you approach. A row of beds sits along the southern wall of this well-lit room. Glowing screens and metal desks sit on the opposite walls, and splatters of blood adorn the floor and several of the beds. To the east, a large metal device that is the size of a large bed hums softly. From within it, you hear thumping and, while muffled, screams of agony.
At the same time, two machines just inside the room activate. One is a medical drone, but the other is new. Two contraptions on its back blur into motion with a loud whining sound and it lifts into the air.
Zelvin
Hekau
Shesik
Medical drone
Flying drone
Xaerai
Multiple hostile constructs identified. Preparing countermeasures. Diverting all resources to arcane capacity. Accessing spell database. Option selected.
Hekau will sacrifice both of his prepared 2nd-level spells to cast Aggressive Thundercloud using the Spell Study ability of Spell Sage, and he will cast it at +4 CL (for CL 7) through the Focused Spells ability.
This will take 2 full rounds of casting before it goes off (it will take effect just before his Round 3 turn). It's not normally a combat option, but at this level there's not a ton else he can do.
Damn machines have a hostage!
Taking a quick step forward, Shesik bears her claws and swipes at the familiar medical drone.
Zelvin shoots at the flying contraption, hoping that catching it flat-footed will make up for it having cover from his friends!
As Hekau begins casting a long spell, Shesik tears into the medical drone. Behind her, Zelvin takes careful aim with his pistol and scores a direct hit...which is partially deflected by its armor plating.
The machines respond with mixed success, as the medical drone stabs a needle into Shesik's thigh while it speaks to her in Androffan with a soothing tone. The flying machine repositions itself, then extends a weapon slung under its frame. It angles toward Zelvin and fires two darts past him, crackling with electricity.
Xaerai
Zelvin
Hekau
Shesik
Medical drone
Flying drone
With an insulted cry Shesik bites back at the drone as an inhuman string of syllables spring from her mouth, ”അയ്യോ, നീ ധൈര്യപ്പെടരുത്, ലോഹ രാക്ഷസൻ!”
And with that defiant outburst she renews her slashing attacks at the damaged machine. A slight shake of her head and momentary look of concentration the only signs of whatever was injected from the drone’s needle.
Processing... modifying druidic algorithms... calibrating...
Hekau continues casting. It will come into effect just before his next turn.
"These things were made to help people. I don't know what's happened to them over the centuries, but they're a gods-damned menace now!" Xaerai steps up to reinforce Shesik, leaping forward to bring an armored elbow down on the machine.
Shesik and Xaerai's combined assault nearly overwhelms the drone, leaving it shaking and sparking. It looks as if a strong shove could do it in.
Zelvin follows up with another shot at the drone, chanting quietly as he does so to conjure a bullet of force.
"Some things you just cannot save for the inhabitance in this plane of existence...Faer not abhorrent automations, you shall be bathed in Bharnarol's blessed acid rain of sanctimonious bliss-so that you may be cleansed of your heathen states of existence!"
Tyn burns with righteous anger as he infuses a vial with his arcane aura and hurls it at the farthest of the foul!
Tyn and Zelvin's attacks fail to connect with the surprisingly agile machine. Moreover, the explosion of acid from the alchemist's bomb splashes against it with seemingly no effect.
The medical drone swipes feebly at Shesik, some mechanism within its chassis whining loudly. She dodges it, easily.
Zelvin, however, is not nearly so lucky. He has just enough time to notice a red dot appearing on his chest before his senses are overwhelmed with sudden, paralyzing pain. Seemingly every muscle in his body contracts all at once, and he tumbles backwards.
Xaerai
Zelvin
Hekau
Shesik
Medical drone
Flying drone
"Oof!" cries Zelvin, as he is knocked back. "These infernal machines pack quite a punch!"
He stands and tries the same maneuver again, activating his force bullets and firing them at the drone.
Sliding further into the room, Shesik continues her onslaught against the drones. ”We’ve almost got this one!”
"If any of you have another tanglefoot bag, bring that flying one down! Hekau, can you zap it?" Xaerai sidesteps to keep the medical drone hemmed in between herself and Shesik and continues doing her best to pound it into scrap.
...processing complete.
Hekau conjures a crackling storm cloud and sends it at the flying drone.
Then he draws and loads his crossbow.
"Ha, just like that--zzap!"
Shesik's claws strike something vital deep within the medical drone, and it seizes and collapses to the ground. She turns to the flying machine next, and while both her and Xaerai's blows strike home, they seem to have little effect other than buffeting it about. Zelvin's magical bullet similarly scores a direct hit, but no visible damage.
It comes as quite a surprise, then, when Hekau's spell washes over and nearly overwhelms the thing. A thin wisp of smoke begins trailing from one of its rotors.
Zelvin
Hekau
Shesik
Tyn
Flying drone
Gritting his teeth, Zelvin moves back forward again so he is next to Xaerai. "Let's try to grab it, keep it from dodging Hekau's spell!" he cries.
"Alright, let's do this,"
With a grunt Shesik leaps in after Xaerai. “Right, if we can hold it down, maybe it cant shoot us.”
Hekau will send in the Thundercloud again as a move action.
As a standard... Total Defense, I guess. Crossbow wouldn't get past its Hardness.
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With help from Zelvin and Shesik, Xaerai leaps up to grab hold of the flying machine, dragging it down to her level. Unfortunately, in the confusion, a wild swing of one of its arms clubs the dwarf across the face, leaving her nose bloody.
Still flailing, the machine clubs Xaerai's noggin once again, but it fails to escape her grasp.
Hekau will once again send his Aggressive Thundercloud at the drone.
So, looking at the spell description, the cloud provides concealment (20% miss chance) to anything inside it. That should have applied to the initial Grapple checks. My first time using the spell, so I just considered it a shocking Flaming Sphere. My mistake.
This is Round 3 of the Thundercloud, and Hekau has 7 rounds. Hopefully the drone will fail a Reflex save...
Zelvin shouts above the crackling storm. "That's got it, Xaerai! Hang on!" He continues to paw at the machine's other limbs to keep it off-balance.
Holding tight to the shifting drone, Shesik winces as the small stormcloud surrounds them. ”If we can just hold it down, it should help.”
Blood streaming down her chin from what was definitely a broken nose, Xaerai grits her teeth and growls. Twisting to the side, the dwarf bears the robot to the ground under her weight, coordinating with Zelvin and Shesik to pin it down--and hoping Hekau's lightning bolt would do the trick!
Tyn steadies himself from the never-ending initial rage the blasted heathen automatons send him into.
"Any more throws like that they may send you down to the minors!"
Just in time to be nixed by the proximity his allies to the machine from the subsequent wrestling match.
He waits for his moment...
"If you are to lose the grapple, back up from the thing...I believe I can crack it with a direct hit."
"Barring any more of those wild pitches there, Ace!"
The flying machine jerks around in Xaerai's grip, managing to dodge another jolt of electricity from Hekau's spell, but leaving it off balance when Xaerai hauls it to the ground and pins it beneath her. Its motors whine in protest as it tries in vain to escape her grip.
Target continues to evade the Thundercloud. Target may be too agile to succumb, even when grappled.
Hekau shows no signs of frustration, but merely sends the Thundercloud again.
Seeing her dwarven friend handily bring the mechanical abomination to the ground, Shesik attempts to keep its appendages from striking Xaerai again.
Zelvin continues to help Xaerai wrestle the robot to the ground. "Shesik, you had some rope in that pack o' yours, didn't you? Let's hogtie this metal varmint!" he cries.
Finally, Xaerai's grip is enough to hold the damned machine in place for Hekau's spell, which plays merry hell with whatever animates it.
"Someone say 'rope'? Rope would be good," Xaerai grunts as she holds the struggling robot down.
”Rope? I’ve got rope.” Not taking her eyes of of the whirring collection of metal locked in Xaerai’s embrace, Shesik reaches into her pack and pulls out a carefully wrapped bundle of rope. With a quick tug she pulls loose an end and holds out the coil for Xaerai to use. ”Here, take this.”
Tyn stands ready to act in the event the machine breaks loose and gives him a clear shot.
The machine continues struggling against Xaerai's grip, but she holds firm.
Hekau sends the thunder!
Wrapping her legs around the robot to maintain her grip, Xaerai grabs the robe and begins
Zelvin does his best to help Xaerai keep her grip on the slippery robot.
"Alright Butterfingers, lemme see if I can assist..."
The combined efforts of the party holding the nimble machine in place finally come to fruition, and Hekau's spell finishes the job. Soon, the five of you stand over a second smoking pile of metal scraps.
The sudden quiet is broken after only a short pause as the sounds of muffled screams from the device in the corner begin again.
"Fuggin ding broge by node," Xaerai complains as she rises, gingerly pinching at the tender spot. "Bud ad lees ehts dead." Once back on her feet, the dwarf circles around the room checking for anything of value.