Rūha crosses one pair of arms, the others in the lap. More and more, she's grown certain that it would be more dangerous to let Therace and Hyrsek return to the League, but she's no smooth talker to try to convince them to try another approach. She leans in to hear how they respond to Khalia's suggestion. Given what they've said so far, she figures it won't be positively.
”Plan? I dunno. I suppose we should do as you suggest. I think hiding the goods outside of town and trying for a badge is a good way to go. We can always couple that with bringing a buyer or two out of the city to keep anyone from knowing exactly how much stuff we’re actually selling.” Yambul suggests as they move and discuss other things too.
He's particularly interested in what Khalia's questions draw out of Hyrsek.
He's particularly interested in what Khalia's questions draw out of Hyrsek.
Rhoreen listens, hoping to learn more.
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Hyrsek raises an eyebrow at Khalia's questioning, exhaling through his nose "Are we getting philosophical now? I do not remember asking any of you to justify your choices" his tone is light, almost amused, but there’s something guarded in his expression.
"But fine. Say there is a deer, peaceful, never harmed a soul. It is cornered in a burning forest, with only two ways out. One path leads into a pack of wolves, the other off a cliff. Standing still means burning alive. So, tell me, what does the deer do?" he shrugs "That is the kind of answer you get when the question itself is a trap"
He leans back, arms crossed, and shifts the conversation as you finish eating "But this mission of yours... fighting a god? That sounds ambitious. And, frankly, not my problem" there is a flicker of something, curiosity, perhaps, but it is buried under disinterest "I have had enough interplanar madness for a lifetime. Alien horrors, outsiders with impossible goals, it all starts blending together after a while. Why not just enjoying the loot we got? I thought you were adventurers looking to cash in from the risks taken"
When Yambul speaks, Hyrsek simply nods "Wise"
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Khalia produces three gold coins, and tosses them to the tiefling bounty hunter. "There now. We're even. Your motives are your own. You seek your own survival, deer Hyrsek." The android does her best to infuse levity into the discussion.
"We're aware of a threat greater than what you've seen in the Scar. There is a non-zero chance we'll fail to neutralize the threat. We are protecting more than our own lives in what we do. Including yours. In time, you will come to know this. For now, we will try and enjoy the calm before arrival in Starfall."
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As Hyrsek sheds advice his words reach a distant memory within Zzvkgrogk. ”Oooh, yea… the Black Seers… we met one part- er - talking with Tek Makul and his kellid Gang. Didn’t he call that priest a ‘Zyph father’? Hrm, maybe we should steer clear of them – especially considering that we destroyed one of their altars.." He side-eyes Hyrsek to see if the Tiefling has any reaction to this revelation. "Then again, where’s the fun avoiding them?”
"Plan?"
Not a fan of sharing plans with Tieflings who keep their own secrets to themselves, Zzvkgrogk suggests, "Sure, sure. Like Yambul said, we can entice buyers to come to our out-of-the-way and no-questions-asked-almost-completely-hidden and ever-transient Boutique. But maybe first we'll take our time and infiltrate the town quietly like tourists, secretly ascertaining the market. You know -- see how things work – what's hot -- what's not and set our prices accordingly. Or, do it to at least to know what to haggle for in the Night Market in the event we’re not interested in badges… We should be good at smuggling by now. Maybe we'll take all the approaches. Or maybe we'll do something else. Heck, those are the best plans, right? If you don't know what you're going to do, neither will anyone else.”
”I thought you were adventurers looking to cash in from the risks taken"
”We are. But we’re also going to save this little part of the multiverse from obliteration. Technic Leaguers, Black Seers and Jerks from Space are not going to get the opportunity to take our futures from any of us. They’re the wolves, right? Only when we kill this ‘God’ and close this breach of space will things be able to go back to normal.”
He rolls out his bed and starts to get ready to climb into it. ”That’s right. We’re going to head straight for the cliff with the wolves on our heels, then at the last second we’re going to vault back over them. They’ll plummet off the edge of the cliff, and we’ll walk right out of the forest unscorched and unscathed.”
At least, it sounds like a good plan anyway.
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"I think <*sound*>," Rhoreen makes a sound like a chainsaw ripping through a shrine to the God of Accidental Death, "...has the right of it. That's the plan for now, and maybe we'll change it as we get closer. We're not bound to it, and maybe another path will open themselves after we explore the area more."
Rhoreen nods in agreement, happy to follow her friend Zzvkgrogk straight off the cliff.
Yambul chuckles at the conversation back and forth. He still doesn't trust Hyrsek, but he understands where he's coming from. He won't buy into their high-and-mighty goals. He's a mercenary. He'll help them, and won't double cross them, so long as the coin is good. But he can't be trusted in the long term.
He's confused by Zzvkgrogk's meanderings. He covered every opportunity, and more! Surely he has his reasons though, for being so broad, so Yambul keeps his trap shut.
He takes his watch as needed but otherwise sleeps fitfully. There is danger ahead, but not yet... not yet.
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Rūha muses after Zzvkgrogk's comments "I think whether we want to avoid these followers of Zyphus or not, if they're pulling strings behind the scenes in Starfall we'll probably cross paths with them sooner rather than later." She shrugs "As for selling and buying, we're not committed to Starfall. If the Technic League makes things too difficult, there are other places to trade these kinds of goods. We'll find our way around."
She nods to Zzvkgrogk's assessment of Hyrsek's two-option scenario, then offers to Hyrsek "I assume you cast yourself as the deer in this analogy, throwing your lot in with the wolves to escape the choice of two ill fates. Funny. You don't strike me as a deer." She shakes her head "But I rather expect you'll reach that cliff regardless. Shame the gleam in your eyes doesn't let you consider extricating yourself from all this before the dilemma can visit you."
She doesn't voice her suspicion that the next time they meet Hyrsek it won't be on nearly such cordial terms.
Hyrsek accepts the coins from Khalia with a smile "Pleased you kept them for so long" The tiefling shrugs at the others' reasoning, suggesting they not overthink things and welcoming to move things forward.
The journey through the Felldales unfolds over several days, revealing a landscape shaped by ancient cataclysms. Vast plains stretch toward the horizon, interrupted by deep, artificial valleys: scars from the Rain of Stars, when Numeria was cursed, or perhaps blessed, with falling technology from the sky. The terrain is rugged, dotted with strange monoliths and occasional deposits of skymetal that glint under the sun. Villages are sparse, their inhabitants wary and hardened by the land's many dangers. Every now and then, you spot strange mutated animals, but never get to face them directly.
As dusk approaches on the second day, the party nears the edge of Witchlight Vale. The area is eerily silent, devoid of the usual sounds of wildlife. No vegetation grows here; the ground is barren and lifeless. When he activates it, Zzvkgrogk's radiation detector emits a series of beeps, indicating low levels of radiation with pockets of higher intensity. The air itself seems to shimmer with unseen energies, and a faint, unnatural mist clings to the ground. Ancient menhirs, etched with strange runes, stand sentinel along the perimeter.
You identify the runes as druidic sigils. Wards placed long ago to confine the unseen dangers within the vale on an attempt to keep the unnatural away from true Numerian nature.
The Kellid saying "one who has seen the Witchlight" is used to describe cowards who have supposedly glimpsed the horrors within and fled, for no one brave enough to venture inside has ever survived.
The sun dips below the horizon, casting long shadows as nightfall approaches.
Spellcraft
Know (Local)
"Hmm....these appear to be druidic symbols of protection. Someone might be trying to keep Witchvale slightly less corrupted than the rest of this area," Rhoreen notes of the menhirs and runes.
"This area is weird."
"They look old. Do you think they're still functional Rhor? Because based on the stories we've heard it sounds like they'd be to keep something in rather than keep other things out. Or rather, to keep whatever corruption is inside the Witchvale from spreading." Ruha peers into the Vale, one set of hands on her hips. "I suppose I'd rather explore during the day than during the night. So we might as well circle the perimeter for a bit longer and then set up camp."
"I feel like their power is waning, and we cannot trust them. Given time, I might be able to patch them up myself, but we have more important things to do. In any case, we should be cautious," Rhoreen answers her scary friend Ruha.
"I think we should explore more. I mean, I'm not against a bit of adventure," she continues. "And yes, the day over the night."
Rhoreen thinks the party should find a good place to rest for the night, set very good watches, and try the 'vale in the morning.
"Yes, let's camp here, er a little back maybe." Yambul eyes Zzvkgrogk's pinging meter uncomfortably. "And we'll make the plunge tomorrow." he grins helpfully.
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After some discussion, you continue your slow advance along the Vale's edge. The landscape remains stubbornly unchanged, barren, blighted, and surreal. Twisting plumes of luminous mist drift across the dead ground like fog searching for something long lost. The oppressive silence makes every footstep sound like a dropped hammer.
Strange formations of half-melted metal and stone jut from the ground like broken ribs. Occasionally, you pass more of the standing stones, their runes flickering dimmer now, as if the land itself is trying to forget they were ever etched.
Eventually, you find shelter behind a jagged crescent of blackened rock. Its ridge curves like a frozen wave, offering some natural protection from the misty winds. With the terrain giving no better option, camp is made.
The fire crackles reluctantly, unwilling to provide full warmth in such a haunted place. Rations are consumed, and then, far out across the Vale, something moves...
At first, it seems like a trick of the mist, a drifting shadow behind the veil of fog. But then it shifts again. Larger than any beast you have seen. Silent. The shape is almost translucent, like a ghost of an idea, vaguely quadrupedal, but always slipping out of focus no matter how long you look. Only the slow, dull pulsing of dim inner light hints that it is real.
It does not howl. It does not breathe. It simply... walks.
You see no eyes. And yet, it feels as though it sees you.
The creature moves with purpose, stalking an invisible line beyond your reach. And then it stops. A full minute passes. Then it turns.
And vanishes into the mist.
Khalia nods in agreement, as the others wise in the ways of menhirs here speak what they know. "The expression there. It's a taunt. Should one be able to describe seeing the witchlight means that one was only on the fringes of the Vale, and fled in fright. It almost makes me want to investigate."
"Almost."
Khalia stops talking, as the Zzvkith et al witness the Entity. Only when it disappears from sight does she stimulate her own vocal chords.
"That... was remarkable. I didn't feel threatened by its attention, but I'm glad it didn't seek to study us up close."
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Zzvkgrogk shivers slightly. "I - I hope that behavior doesn't mean it wants us to follow it..."
Rūha shivers "Lets hope just giving us a look over satisfied it. And more importantly, that it doesn't come back for a second gaze. I don't think I'd like waking up to that." She watches the spot it disappeared and adds "It looked like it was guarding the way in, didn't it? Patrolling the edge."
Rhoreen doesn't feel like following it would be the best idea, and declines the offer...if there was one.
"Yeah, let's be sure to be careful tonight. I do not trust this place."
"Yeah..." Yambul begins slowly, "That was not cool. Let's not piss that guy off, shall we?"
"Follow it? No, I don't think so. Yeah, it doesn't want us to follow it." he adds nervously.
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There is no second sighting. Sleep, when it comes, is fitful and guarded. Each of you, even if you try to ignore it, know the thing is somewhere there.
The Witchlight has seen you.
And it never forgets.
The night passes like a blade drawn slowly across the skin of sleep, rest comes in slivers, shallow and uneasy. Fortunately, the strange lights remain confined to the heart of the Vale. Whatever wards or boundaries hold them in check seem content to keep their secrets... for now.
When the first pale fingers of dawn stretch across the ruined land, there is no trace of the entity. Just sun-bleached stone, melted ridges of iron, and the distant echo of a landscape that does not know how to die.
Isuma, brushing dust from her scarf, breaks the hush with a dry chuckle "I won't be sad to leave this place behind. Let the ghosts keep their broken world"
She slings her rifle over her shoulder and waits for the rest of you to gather your things.
"Couldn't have said it better." Ruha packs up her few things and slings her pack onto her back "I'm ready to give the place a wide berth and see if Starfall somehow doesn't turn out worse."
Rhoreen feels like a bit of exploration might be good, but also will avoid it if the party can...but not sure that won't take too long to go around.
She will magic herself up and be ready to move on now that its daylight.
Yambul isn't sure they can go around, or if it's sensible. He consults with Khalia.
vs DC 10 for +2 to Khalia
"What do you think? Is it reasonable to go around at this point?"
Yambul estimates, and Khalia probably can assure, that walking around the edge of the Vale instead of straight through, would add just about two or three hours of travel. If no further obstacles are found, a couple more days and you will be in Starfall.
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Zzvkgrogk tries to shrug off the persistent aching curiosity nudging him toward the Witchlight Vale.
First off, I’m no cat. Secondly, I don't have 9 lives.
He succeeds.
Zzvkgrogk rolls up his bedroll and get’s ready to travel.
”Two to three hours? Doesn’t sound bad. Besides, anything we find in there – “ he points to the Vale, ”will probably slow us down for longer anyway. Let's hope we don't accidentally cross the invisible border, and let's hope the Witchlight is bound to stay within that border.”
Yambul agrees also to going around - especially as it doesn't add too much to the trip.
He leads the way through the countryside, careful to avoid the Vale.
Khalia silently agrees with Yambul's assessment of terrainical navigation. She makes it a priority to identify whatever menhirs appear at a distance, and keep the Zzvkith on the outer perimeter with plenty of forgiveness in distance.
"Let the ghosts keep their broken world."
"No doubt it's broken, but do you think that's what we saw? A ghost?" Khalia looks behind them, wondering how the large invisible thing would react to Aldronard's ghost crossing the menhirs...
"Do you think that Rhoreen could fly safely over the entity? Observe its wanderings, how its energies affect the flora it moves through?" The android doesn't give it much more consideration, as their distance increases.
As they close their distance to Starfall, Khalia starts to focus her mind on collating as much useful information about the city as possible.
Once she places as many things as she can that she can relate to the Zzvkith et al, she turns to both Hyrsek and Therace to pluck their respective brains about their destination.
"Alright, let's go around then," Rhoreen says snippily, following the party around the really fun area of what I'm sure is safely and love.
Rhoreen declines the offer to fly over all of it, certain that if trouble hit the party, she would be needed to save them.
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The party begins the detour, looping wide around the perimeter of the Witchlight Vale. Slowly, the Vale begins to fade into the distance as you make your way to Starfall.
Two days later, by midafternoon, the dusty hills of the Felldales give way to a broken, chemical-stained flatland, the silhouette of Starfall looms on the horizon: a jagged wound in the earth's surface, stitched together with steel, concrete, and a thousand years of pain.
At first, it is only the tops of the metal watchtowers that pierce the dull grey skyline, their spindly forms unmoving yet unnatural, like rusted spears thrust skyward by some forgotten god. But as you draw nearer, the full wall reveals itself: a hideous barricade of salvaged scrap and broken stone, fused with alien alloys and crowned with jagged metal protrusions. It rises like a fortress grown from the earth, uneven and grotesque, an architectural snarl.
Beyond the walls, you catch glimpses of twisted domes and crooked spires. The largest of them all, the Palace of Fallen Stars, glints like a tumor of black glass and silver plating, part fortress, part tomb, part throne of a man long since hollowed out. Faint lights flicker from its depths, some fire, others something more... electric.
The city sprawls outward like a bruise. Slums and shantytowns press tight to the outer wall, choked with tents, smog-streaked chimneys, and alleys where shadows move even under the sun. Smoke curls from too many sources to count, turning the late afternoon sky a muted rust-red.
And looming behind it all, dwarfing even the Palace, rises the broken silhouette of Silver Mount. It juts from the earth like the carcass of a titanic beast, its alien hull half-buried in the landscape, the visible portions charred and twisted by some ancient catastrophe. Long, ribbed sections of metal and shattered glass glint dully in the sunlight, while strange protrusions (antennas, vents, or weapons you who have seen that before) reach skyward like the limbs of a long-dead giant. No birds circle it, no vegetation grows near its base. Even from here, the mount seems to hum faintly, vibrating with secrets best left undisturbed.
Here lies Starfall: capital of Numeria, heart of the Technic League's domain, and a beacon of power, technology and oppression.
You know Starfall is one of the largest populations of oppressed and downtrodden peasants in the Inner Sea region. Here, the Technic League holds complete authority, and the technocracy rules the poor citizens of Starfall with literal fists of iron.
Starfall's initial purpose was to serve as a permanent safe haven for explorers seeking the technological wonders of Silver Mount and outlying lands. Yet, due to the absence of a working class, Starfall began importing hundreds of slaves to do the League's dirty work, and today, slaves make up over a third of the population.
Ruha casts her gaze across the city as she speaks out loud her thoughts "The Silver Mount. We'd heard about it, but I never thought it was so close to the city. It's no wonder that they're so unpleasantly connected." Narrowing her eyes at the front gates she adds "More practically, this place will be crawling with Technic League people. If they're anything like the ones we met before, I don't think they'll take our entry with all our Androffan gear without notice. Specifically, I'd expect them to accost us sooner rather than later. Does that mean sneaking in?" She shrugs "What should our first move even be?"
Know (Local)
"Looks likes a wretched hive of scum and villainy," Rhoreen says of Starfall. "Which figures because, as Ruha says, the Technic Jerks hold this place. I can't imagine I would attract much notice," she says as she removes her breather mask and any other technology that she places in her 'sack. "Therace? Do we need to sneak in? Can we hide our technologies and pass within unbothered? Is there a good Inn that might serve us?"
"No sneaking in. First, we inventory what we possess that would attract attention. Then we decide if we're going to sell our possessions in compliance with League law. Then we begin inquiring about the Technic League itself, without attracting even more attention for our interests and new arrival to Starfall."
Khalia does as she's bid the Zzvkith to do. "I only have a hypogun, which I believe I can tuck deep enough away it shouldn't be a concern." The android turns to the others, curiously.
Weapon Equipped = None
Conditions = Heroism
Chainsaw: Att: 12/7/2 BAB +6 Str +1 magic (-4 PA) Dam: +9 Str +1 magic (+12 PA) Crit: 15-20x2 DR: adamantine, magic Charges: 2/10
Falchion: Att: 12/7/2 BAB +6 Str +1 MW (-4 PA) Dam: +9 Str (+12 PA) Crit: 18-20x2 DR: adamantine
Long bow: Att: 12/7/2 BAB +3 Dex +1 Magic Dam: +6 Str +1 Magic Crit: 20x3 DR: cold iron/silver
Chef’s knife: Att: 12/7/2 BAB +1 magic +6 Str / +3 Dex (-4 PA) Dam: +6 Str +1 magic (+8 PA) Crit: 19-20x2 DR: magic Rng: 10’
Studied: (caster) (mv|sw|im; +3 att, dam, bluff, disguise, intimidate, knowledge, perception, sense motive, stealth, survival)
Improved Iron Will (1/1d, reroll will save)
Spells: (1/1d, Magic Missile, cl 3) (1/1d, Prestidigitation, cl1) (1/1d, Shield, cl10)
Veggies: Apple (+4 radiation 24h) x2, Carrot (+4 perception 24h), Mushroom (+4 stealth 1h)
- - -
”We need to hide our gear… a cache, while we learn the ropes. I don't want to risk losing it all to a misunderstanding on our part.” he looks to Hyrsek, ”Nothing personal I assure you - you’ve been a trustworthy companion. But I’d rather hide my gear where only I know where it is. Do you mind meeting us in the city? Is there a tavern, or inn, where we can meet up? It’s probably a good idea to enter town separately anyway so we don’t seem so large a group.”
If Hyrsek agrees, Yambul then spends the rest of the day looking for a good hiding spot to bury the parties treasures, and his own technology.
The best place he can find, he digs, and buries the gear… including his beloved adamantine chainsaw. He frowns as he covers it over with dirt.
Then he’s ready to head into town. When they get close to the gates however, he requests his Heroism for the day. ”Might need to bluff the guards you see.”
"Sneak in? Just tell them Therrace is back and they will have us a good welcome party!" you hear the metallic voice answer from the canister at Hyrsek's belt.
The tiefling shrugs when Yambul tells him to go first "Well then. The best inns are in Sovereign's Watch" he looks up and down to your clothes full of dust from the trip "But you are better directed to Killbox. There is a tavern by the Street of Lights which is not bad. The Rusted Cog. We can met there tomorrow night"
With that the tiefling gathers his gear and resumes walking towards the gates while Yambul searches a good place to hide a cache. He finally founds a group of rocks where a low brush has managed to somehow survive in the polluted land of Numeria.
You hide your stuff there.
Ruha looks up from the cache in the hills and offers to Yambul "Are you sure about this? It seems like a problem waiting to happen, if any of the strange foes we've been dealing with does a bit of investigation with magic or their own tech. Then again, I guess we don't have much choice."
She turns to the others "The tavern in the Street of Lights seems like as good a place to start as any. More than just getting in though... now that we don't have Hyrsek and Therace breathing down our necks... what's the plan here? We know the Technic League has something to do with whatever is in Silver Mount. And I'm not inclined to negotiate patiently with them. Is our first move just to gather more information on what their operation here looks like? And then after that we..." She leaves the questions hanging. It seems the group will have to deal with the League sooner rather than later, but maybe they could be avoided somehow. The real problem is obviously Unity after all.
Zzvkgrogk takes in the bleak fractured and dark town. "I... I wasn't expecting this, but I guess I'm not surprised."
"The best inns are in Sovereign's Watch" he looks up and down to your clothes full of dust from the trip "But you are better directed to Killbox."
Once Therace and Hyrsek are out of earshot, Zzvkgrogk has his own questions, though the be rhetorical. "Is he saying we need a bath and a laundromat? What is he saying there?..." He pauses then listens to Rūha's questions.
"We should head for the tavern then Sovereign's Watch. I think we should spend some time here and case out the place if for nothing else to figure out how sell some of this stuff we've been hauling around, and maybe find things that might help in the Silver Mount. Whatever gossip we pick up on the way would be a value add on."
"Maybe we'll find a friendly Urban Forager or something."
Rhoreen offers to hide what she can in her haversack, if people feel that they might need it.
”Sure…Sovereign’s Watch. Sounds..interesting. I don’t think I’ve ever been to a fancy inn like that. It will be an experience,” Rhoreen notes as she’s mostly been a small town bumpkin for most of her life.
”Let’s see what we can learn as we get inside. There might even be others inside that hate the Technic Jerks as much as I do. We’ll see if we can find them.”
"Tavern first, I agree. We need a base of operations." Yambul nods with Zzvkgrogk.
"But before we start raising a ruckus, we have non-tech to sell, as well as tech. Let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. I don't like the risk that someone will find our cache out of town. Let's deal with that first, and learn what we can as we go."
"So we sell our magics, and see what it takes to sell the tech under the wire..."
Yambul will join the others into the city and head toward the suggested inn.
The towering black walls of Starfall rise before you, crowned in jagged steel like the teeth of a predator. The southern gate, Sovereign's Gate, is flanked by four gleaming gearsman battleguards, their red ocular lenses sweeping over travelers with mechanical precision.
As your group approaches, one gearsman steps forward. Its voice is monotone, cold, and amplified with a mechanical rasp "Ten gold per person. Entry permits unlimited stay. Declare all technological items immediately. Possession of undeclared technology is punishable under Starfall ordinance"
The other three gearsmen stand ready, weapons idle, but not far from activation.
Weapon Equipped = None
Conditions = Heroism
Chainsaw: Att: 12/7/2 BAB +6 Str +1 magic (-4 PA) Dam: +9 Str +1 magic (+12 PA) Crit: 15-20x2 DR: adamantine, magic Charges: 2/10
Falchion: Att: 12/7/2 BAB +6 Str +1 MW (-4 PA) Dam: +9 Str (+12 PA) Crit: 18-20x2 DR: adamantine
Long bow: Att: 12/7/2 BAB +3 Dex +1 Magic Dam: +6 Str +1 Magic Crit: 20x3 DR: cold iron/silver
Chef’s knife: Att: 12/7/2 BAB +1 magic +6 Str / +3 Dex (-4 PA) Dam: +6 Str +1 magic (+8 PA) Crit: 19-20x2 DR: magic Rng: 10’
Studied: (caster) (mv|sw|im; +3 att, dam, bluff, disguise, intimidate, knowledge, perception, sense motive, stealth, survival)
Improved Iron Will (1/1d, reroll will save)
Spells: (1/1d, Magic Missile, cl 3) (1/1d, Prestidigitation, cl1) (1/1d, Shield, cl10)
Veggies: Apple (+4 radiation 24h) x2, Carrot (+4 perception 24h), Mushroom (+4 stealth 1h)
- - -
Yambul remembers his youth, selling trinkets outside the city gates and dealing with the guard who always wanted their cut. These guards aren't like those guards...
He bows, ”Apologies m’lord, we have no technology.” Give them nothing to work with. He thinks as he cuts himself short.
(heroism)
He hands over enough cash to cover the party, though he's a little shaky from his poor performance. (60gp? Really? That’s expensive! Removed...)
The authoritarian shakedown reminds Ruha of some of the truly egregious fees levied on travelers in her memory. In comparison to some of those, ten gold seems like a mercy. She raises her brow in wry amusement and asks "And what does our donation of gold go toward?"
She doesn't declare any items, but doesn't deny having any either. It would be hard to remove her skillslot, but she's left the rest of her tech gear outside town. She reasons her broken facemask is hardly tech as the gearsmen or Technic League would recognize it, and in any case she will not part with it.
"No technology to declare," declares Zzvkgrogk, slipping 10 gold into Yambul's pocket.
As Yambul seeks out a stash, Khalia gives him the only technology that is not her android self, a white hypogun. "They may have means of scanning us entirely..." best not take the chaance of getting caught before we even start this infiltration...
...
"Nothing to declare." The android marks the occasion, promising to repay the cook. "I presume you welcome androids to your city?"
Rhoreen says nothing and has no techonology on her person (it safely resides on another plane). She lets others do the talking.
The gearsman tilts its head, processing "Proceed" it finally says, casting a strange look at Khalia, but letting her pass in.
The gate grinds open just wide enough to force single-file entry. You are still requested the 10 golds each, 60 counting Isuma, but let you pass in though you feel scanned for tech.
Starfall breathes out ash and rust.
The Street of Lights starts here, splitting the city in two sides. You quickly understand why it is called that. Not for beauty, but for the harsh white tech lamps mounted on leaning poles, casting every crack, bruise, and shadow into sharp relief, ensuring nothing and no one can ever hide in this area.
At the open area just after the entrance, children tend firepits filled with sparking refuse-broken bots, tore down clothes, tech scrap hissing in the heat. Their faces are black with soot, their hands blistered. None speak.
Across the avenue, smashers in League colors burst an illegal water drum. The liquid runs into the gutter. The owner stares, does not speak. Does not beg.
A cage floats by, escorted by armored League agents. Inside, three prisoners, one Kellid, one half-machine, one just a kid. Shackled, heads down, eyes empty.
Not a glance your way. No cries for help. They know better.
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”Well this is a pleasant place.” Yambul says, dripping with sarcasm. He struggles not to free the oppressed. He knows where that will lead. This serpent needs to be killed from the head down. ”Let’s spend as little time here as we can. A few days of this place and I might snap and do something righteous.”
He moves quickly to their first destination, the Rusted Cog. It is near the Street of Lights, so it can’t be far.
(heroism) to find the Rusted Cog.
If that doesn’t work, he’ll ask around.
(heroism)
Rhoreen turns her nose up at the unpleasantness, not letting it affect her by not caring at all. She was too good and had other important things to care about than those others who were suffering.
She will help Yambul with the gathering of information.
Diplo to aid
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Khalia trails along, taking in the sights, her understanding of what authoritarian rule brings to a nation growing. She feels a dimmed sense of empathy and sadness for the caged, knowing she would not like to be in their position, and wonders what little it took to end up in their shoes.
She becomes more paran(dr)oid, sensing that they will be likely watched for a while, new denizens of Starfall. Friend or foe. Something seeking to use, or something to be used. Subjugated. Assimilated.
"I think our stay in Starfall is going to take time. There is no way to swiftly understand the power dynamics of the League, and Kevoth Kul, should he be someone to be reckoned with. It may take days to make a connection. From the one, many. Hopefully."
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Rūha, standing out quite a bit in the crowd, fishes in her pouch for her nametag and pins it on her cloak. The last thing she needs here is someone deciding she looks like a monster and starting a firefight. The street of seemingly fluorescent lamps earns a grimace "Worse than the basement study halls back home." but that pales in comparison to the hopeless situation of a large slice of the town's residents. The Technic League clearly didn't maintain a benevolent leadership. Nor did the town's ostensible ruler, it seemed.
She follows after Yambul and follows his direction. At Khalia's comment she nods "You're likely right. We'll have to be patient and learn all we can, as fast as we can." She glances toward Yambul.