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During the flight
86 Wandered back and forth along the interior of the aerial vessel nervously pacing while the others chattered to themselves. This was the moment, to find out if her pack was alive and well or if they had met a drastically different fate. She was worried that maybe even one of them having succumb to a frenzy in the resultant crash, no they were better than that.
[B]"How long until we reach the destination in this vessel?/[ooc] She groaned openly, what if they had set up anti-vessel defense platforms, and it ended in these terrans getting destroyed. They wouldn't go to such extremes with no provocation right? As she paced past Diego her tail whipped up and caught him in the arm harshly.
| DM Brainiac |
The Hatwing soars over the landscape of California below. After a couple of hours, the mountains of the Sierra Nevada range rise up ahead. Following the beacon from the supercomputer, Wendy guides the flying craft through the peaks until you reach the source of the signal. You find a safe clearing to set down the Hatwing and exit the vehicle.
The Treznak pack should be somewhere in the nearby vicinity...
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86 thought as they disembarked the flying vessel, "You would do well to call me by my proper designation in their presence. But also you might be able to tell them that you come bearing one of <Mu'kals Judgement>. They have been on your planet so their translators should have had enough time to finish the process the language. Aside from that don't make yourself look like a threat, or worse yet something edible, you are a valuable source of meat."
Stepping off into the snowy mountain and finds herself stunned by the scenery. Reaching down she takes a whole pawful of the the powdery stuff and just feels it cold burn her, before gazing off the mountaintop over whatever she could still see. Her mind stopping on the beauty of an actual planet, and wondering if any of her pack had stopped to take in the same wonderful view before being dropped back into the reality of their situation.
| Tumbler Locke |
Tumbler has changed to more 'heroic' gear, her usual catsuit with a fur-lined parka and gloves to keep out the worst of the chill up here. She seems to be geared up for a potential climb, with a bag that's stuffed with rope, carabiners and pitons. It was better to be safe than sorry in a landscape that could suddenly shift underfoot.
She actually smiles at Megan when she starts to use her nickname for 86. She hopes that it'll catch on with the rest of the team. "Megan is not all meat. I think she's got like, 2% body fat too?" Tumbler suggests as a jest, trying to have fun here in a situation that's a little more relaxed than their assault on the Curator's archives.
| Arcanum. |
Wesley disembarks and takes a moment to savor the view.
He thinks about the ways he could help finding 86's crew. Flying above in the shape of an eagle, sending magical sensors off in every direction, or just creating a big neon sign that's impossible to miss.
He sighs and pulls up his cloak. Maybe I'll just see how the others handle it.
| Ziss "White Fox" Flores |
Ziss bodysuit was from Razzara and thus made specifically to endure the freezing temperatures of the surface, so she had little to worry about. On top of her hoverboard, Ziss moves around, eager to explore the wilderness.
"Everybody ready?"
| Diego de la Vega “The Dervish” |
Earlier w/ Ziss:
”Well, life sucked before them, that’s for sure…” he mumbles.
Now:
Diego is in an overly thick coat, complete with fur lined hood, gloves, boots, and winter pants. He simply nods in response behind his thick skiing mask.
| Ziss "White Fox" Flores |
Earlier with Diego
Ziss frowns, noticing how Diego keeps mumbling and evading her. "Well, if that is out of question, then perhaps you'd like to invite me for some trip on Earth? Not a place you'd take a girl on a date, but somewhere fun?"
| DM Brainiac |
You make your way along the mountain pass, careful to watch your step in the treacherous terrain. Cold winds buffet you as you tromp across the snowy ground, heading steadily upward as you climb towards the nearest mountain's peak.
As you near the summit, you can see fresh boot prints in the snow, heading in the direction you are traveling. It would seem you are not alone here...
What do you do?
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Kneeling next to the human sized boot-prints 86 slowly looks around the area, before gazing down to her wrist device and tapping away at it. Hoping to recalibrate it to scan for the energy radiations of her pack-mates.
Unleash(extend): 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (5, 6) + 1 = 12
"Lucky if they haven't crossed paths. What is this cold sand we stand upon?"
| Arcanum. |
Wesley savors the feeling of cold. He could shift into an elemental form that would ignore the freezing temperatures, but he doesn't. He just pulls his cloak closer to stop from shivering as he follows the group.
"Hadn't heard it called that before. It's snow. A term for a lot of loose ice crystals that fall from the sky as frozen precipitation," he tells 86.
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She hums deep in her throat in acknowledgement of the information as she works on calibrating her device. "I use what I had to compare it too. This, snow is interesting, we have no use for precipitation in our ships beyond that used for bathing."
| Arcanum. |
Wes frowns. "Then what about food? Don't you use hydroponics to grow anything? I know you prefer meat, but do you not eat any vegetables? Or what do you feed your livestock?" he asks, getting more curious about an entirely ship-based organism and society.
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There was a lengthy pause as she thought about this question and if it would reveal too much about her people. Food stores could potentially be compromised information if used in foul play even if she doubted that the humans would ever go to war with her people it would still likely fall under treason to reveal production information.
So she gave a snort and a head shake, "We have our ways of maintainig food production. My ancestors once ruled a stellar empire spanning several systems. If they had not figured out food generation by then they would not have survived the fall." Her translator intones cooly. "To speak more intricately on the matter may be a security breach." 86 glances back at Wes hoping to see some obvious sign of understanding from the human.
| Arcanum. |
Wesley takes a step back, recognizing the fact that 86 is getting defensive. "Sorry! I'm not trying to spy; it's just that our species hasn't really mastered interstellar transit and stuff like food and... well, even gravity hasn't been figured out yet. So... I was just curious. Not trying to breach your security. Eighty-six," he adds, deliberately not calling her "Fuzzbutt."
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86 gave a short nod before returning to her work, "I do not mean to come off to harshly. My people have protocols in place in order to keep ourselves and others from harm. As such there is little especially in the way of essential processes that I am allowed to speak of. It would also be inappropriate to alter your species answers to the great filters."
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"I am picking up two additional readings one human and a machine of some sorts? We should go." Without waiting for a response she strode forward through the snow and any drifts that would happen due to her bulk pushing through making a relative pathway for the others to travel in.
Judging the distance she didn't see the need to move at full tilt until given a more promenent reason to, so she kept it to a mild hustle.
| DM Brainiac |
You continue for a couple hundred yards before the sharp retort of a rifle firing echoes around the mountain pass! The snow a few feet in front of 86 sprays upward as a bullet impacts it!
Tracing the trajectory of the bullet, you can see a pair of women crouched on a ledge overlooking the path. One is pale with close-cropped red hair. She is wearing black tactical gear and is aiming an assault rifle in your direction. Several more guns are strapped to her body. The second woman's dark skin seems to have been replaced with metal plates, her pupil-less yellow eyes gleaming in the sun. She wears combat fatigues, and her wrists hang down on hinges, revealing subdermal cannons primed to fire.
"That's far enough!" the first woman calls. "You will surrender the extraterrestrial to us if you wish to make it out of here with your lives!"
What do you do?
| Ziss "White Fox" Flores |
Ziss remains silent for now, focusing on the immediate area, trying to come up with a plan.
Assess the Situation: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 3) + 3 = 8 What here can I use to create a distraction? What is my best way past the shooting range?
| The Darling Derby |
Wendy contemplates several ways to use the environment to prevent herself from getting shot by the women.
Assess: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 6) + 3 = 11
• most vulnerable to me?
• end quickly?
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assess: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (1, 1) + 2 = 4
no saving that no matter how i try lol
86 is caught off guard by the sudden crack of weapon fire and a solid round embedding itself near her feet to the point that she offhandedly stumbles back and nearly falls over in the snow. A threatening snarl emerges from her lips and her mind reels at the audacity of these two fools attempting to bargain with her life. For that of these other people. There was however a bit of doubt in her mind, Wendy-Derby had saved her for her own gain. Tumbler had been less than impressed with her want to work with her immediately and her independence. Would these humans really be willing to risk themselves fighting a foe at a tactical advantage at the risk of their well being?
| Tumbler Locke |
"Huh. That's kind of disappointing," Tumbler says as she shades over her eyes, peering out at the distant sniper and her companion. She tries to match their profiles with people from the underworld to figure out if she happens to know them at all.
"Hey, are you also hunting aliens?" She calls out as she extends her magnetic influence around her to surround her friends. Her power should prevent any of them from getting shot at this distance, though she doubts she'll be able to do anything once they start closing in on the team. "Wait, hold on. Did we ever meet in Alberta? I could swear I've seen you before..."
Provoke them to give up their identities: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (2, 2) + 3 = 7
| Megan Benchley |
"I think this is a misunderstanding. I know her suit is very lifelike, but it's just a very expensive accessory. It's a social thing, not a sex thing."
Megan walks forward with palms outstretched until the guns are all pointed away from her more fragile teammates.
"Whoa! Look, we're all just on this planet to learn, right?"
Provoke: 2d6 + 0 ⇒ (5, 1) + 0 = 6 One two three, all guns on me as the goal. If I get Team, we'll see how they respond, if I don't... well we'll see what else happens!
| DM Brainiac |
Looking around, Ziss notices some loose rocks near the two women's position. Dislodging them would cause a small landslide, not enough to do any harm, but definitely enough to create a diversion. That diversion would likely be her best way past the pair.
Wendy looks between the two opponents. The red-haired sniper looks like a regular human, and thus would be more vulnerable to her attacks than the armor-plated cyborg. The best way to end this quickly would be to disarm or disable the women's weapons.
86's mind reels as she tries to get a good read on the situation. Worry for her people and her own insecurities begin to gnaw at her mind.
86, mark a condition of your choice.
"Tumbler Locke," the redhead says as the reformed villain calls out to them. "I know you by reputation, though we've never met. Perhaps you know of us, too? I go by Carbine, and my associate here is Shell."
Tumbler has heard of the pair. Carbine is a former A.E.G.I.S. agent who went rogue, while Shell is a former soldier whose mind was transferred into a robotic super soldier body that would never tire, falter, or die.
Megan's bold strategy works, as both Carbine and Shell train their weapons on her. "Not another step, or we will open fire!" Carbine shouts. "This is your last chance to surrender the alien to us!"
What do you do?
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gonna take Insecure. 86 doesn't think she can keep her bravado up without her pack
86 curses herself for being caught off-guard, what would the others say if they were here. Berate her for sloppy performance that's what.
She picked herself up and took better stock of the situation and the gear she had on hand. The rifle would likely put a dent in her armor, but she could cause enough distraction to close the distance... probably. A shot from this far would be easy to dodge and with all the UV-light being reflected off the snow her four eyes were honestly struggling to stay focused on such a far target.
The others hadn't given her up yet though so maybe they weren't going to just drop her like a sack of rivet bolts. Her mind did wonder what Megan was saying about a suit, and what that had to do with reproduction.
"Do not think I will go as your prisoner!" She roared out with a fairly deflated ego, especially since she'd just fallen over at the slightest provocation. In fact her voice almost died before it got out of her felinoid-like muzzle. Her hackles faltered as she thought of how everyone must see her now mewling like a natural born cub scared at being pulled away from the teat, what shame she must bring to her lineage.
No move, waiting on the others to act 86 isn't any kind of leader yet.
| Ziss "White Fox" Flores |
When the pair point their weapons at Meg, Ziss hides her helixglove behind her back and charges it just a little bit before whispering to the others. "I'll create a diversion in tree..."
Unleash, Assess: 2d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (5, 2) + 2 + 1 = 10
Once she is sure everyone has heard her, she changes her gravity to "up", quickly falling towards the sky and once she has a clear aim at the rocks, she fires at them, causing a small but loud landslide!
She then changes her gravity towards the pair and falls towards a tree where she hides for cover!
| The Darling Derby |
Wendy makes her move, leaping from one tumbling mass of snow to the next like Super-Mario-Legolas!
If she needs to scissor-lock and suplex a foe, she makes sure she’s closer to the ordinary human, though her goal is to bypass without a fight.
”Pardon me, ladies.”
Unleash Athletic Assess: 2d6 - 1 + 1 ⇒ (5, 5) - 1 + 1 = 10
| Arcanum. |
Wesley continues to hesitate, not sure how much if any of his genie powers he should employ.
Unleash: 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (2, 1) + 2 = 5
He falters, finding himself at the mercy of the two ambushers, or the avalanche itself!
| Diego de la Vega “The Dervish” |
As the avalanche begins, Dervish teleports away! He reappears behind the guards, but now has a piping hot mug of what appears to be high end hot chocolate with Swiss writing on it.
Unleash: 2d6 + 3 ⇒ (5, 1) + 3 = 9
| Tumbler Locke |
"Oh, yeah. You guys must be working for someone else, right? Hey, maybe we can-" Tumbler starts to say, before things go sideways - and then things start to collapse around her!
"Ziss, you blockhead!" She shrieks as she yanks out some iron sand from a pocket, trying to use it to airstep up to safety!
Unleash Powers: 2d6 - 1 ⇒ (4, 1) - 1 = 4
She gets about three steps in before she mistimes it and drops back into the path of the avalanche, rolling herself towards cover to try and endure the brunt of the impact. "If I die I'm going to kill you!"
| Crimson Tide |
The snow rumbles and begins to crash down towards the surprised team. "Well that's pretty far from jawesome."
Surging into action, Megan shifts, mass and muscle doubling and redoubling as she tears her way free of everything but her specially-fitted wetsuit. Scooping up Tumbler in one hand, she shelters her against her chest, setting her back against the oncoming storm of snow and stones.
Defend: 2d6 + 2 + 1 ⇒ (4, 5) + 2 + 1 = 12 Using Danger to Defend Tumbler for **cough** reasons (Tumbler gets Influence over Megan). I'll add one to Team.
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unleash: 2d6 + 1 ⇒ (4, 3) + 1 = 8
With everyone else moving into action at the sudden burst of energy causing a snowslide, 86 looks to those who are not moving, namely Wes-arcanum, shakes him by the shoulder "Move!"
The behemoth of fur started to run herself but realized Tumbler wouldn't make it and began to veer off before to 86's horror Megan suddenly surged into a new type of being and her mind immediately lept to tales of the infection. It couldn't be that however since Meg had been in full control still. So instead of trying to repay her debt she continue to run clear dropping to all four of her mobile limbs and running like an armored grizzly bear towards safety. One of her manipulating arms clicked at her wrist device causing a small personal shield to hum to life offering her some protection against the coming tide of ice crystals.
one team to Wes, gonna need another to get him up to safety though
| Ziss "White Fox" Flores |
"Just tumble away!" She yells back at Tumbler.
As Ziss flies by, she notices Wes is in trouble, so she blasts a tree with her gloves, causing it to fall and give him cover.
Spending our last team to help Wes.
| Arcanum. |
Wesley just had time to wonder if getting buried alive by an avalanche or getting shot by the two mercenaries would hurt worse, but then a personal force field combined by a collapsing tree gave him the path to safety.
He briefly wonders why they're bothering to help him; shouldn't they trust in how powerful he's become lately? Still, he hasn't used but a fraction of his magic and didn't even try to engage the two snipers. Of course he needs help.
Taking Helpless
On foot, he follows the others as they keep moving up the mountainside.
| DM Brainiac |
Carbine and Shell open fire on Megan as she transforms and grabs Tumbler. Their bullets ping off of her toughened shark hide as she protects her friend. Ziss helps keep Wesley safe as he follows behind the rest of the team.
As the rocks and snow settle behind you, you can hear Carbine cursing and shouting! You've managed to get past them and avoid a fight for now, but it's likely only a matter of time before they catch up to you again. Still, you hurry along the mountain pass as you draw near the site where the Treznak have holed up, 86 leading the way with her tracking gadget.
You know you're in the right place when two burly, four-armed aliens step out from behind a snowdrift with gleaming metal pikes held across their chests. They bare their teeth, but one cocks his head quizzically when he notices 86 among your group.
"Explain yourself," he growls, though whether he is talking to 86 or to the rest of you is unclear...
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86 continues her charge up until the last moment and then slides to a halt rising up to her hind legs as she does so. "Nines! Sua Eck, you are well. Do not harm these Terrans they assisted me in escaping from another as well as finding your position. There is another and an android that are attempting to capture us however. I will debrief the rest of the situation soon. Are the ithers here?" She explains and asks in a flurry and holds her decorum enough to not fling herself at the two. Nine's would be the most likely to take the hug as he towered at almost nine and a half feet tall hunched over as his natural postured allowed, even Sua Eck stood a head taller than 86, clearly they chose these two as guards for their sheer bulk.
| The Darling Derby |
”Orders?” Wendy asks. ”We just got by two guards from this world. Are they working with you?”
There’s something wrong. And Wendy knows the guards will be secretive, but if she can get a read on the exchange between 86, the guards, and their response to her own interjection…
Holmesian Deduction: 2d6 - 1 ⇒ (1, 2) - 1 = 2
Nope.
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86 was about to protest when Wendy-red spoke first, her ears flattened and she instinctively put her tongue to the roof of her mouth as a short groan came forth. "Forgive Wendy-red, she does not know our ways. And while I understand orders to stand. I cannot just leave them to deal with the oncoming threat alone."
She knew it was poor form to speak against the orders of a higher ranking officer and an elder, which both 099-599 and Sua Eck happened to be. But, "My honor debt dictates that I must offer them shelter at least one time to repay my debt. Or else return the aid of life upon the field of battle." She thought to recall the exact code in the lengthy log that stated this information, but knew that they'd know the verse just as well as herself. Perhaps her plea might make an exception this once.
provoke(honor my debt): 2d6 + 2 ⇒ (5, 2) + 2 = 9
| DM Brainiac |
Wendy's powers of deduction rarely fail her, but when they do, like now, it is very frustrating!
Wendy, mark a condition.
Sua Eck's face scrunches up in a scowl as she looks over 86's teammates. "Honor debt. Grr. Fine, they may enter this one time. But they will be held to account for any disruptions they might cause."
The two Treznaks step aside, allowing you to enter the cave. As you pass between them, there is a ripple in the air, and when you look back, all you see is a solid stone wall. It would seem they are using some sort of advanced cloaking technology to mask their presence here.
86, feel free to describe what the enclave looks like and what the other Treznaks are doing around the caves.
| Arcanum. |
Wesley glances back at the illusory wall and tries to force away his nervousness. "86, if we're going to cause more problems for you, we can stay back. Maybe even draw those two women away from here."
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"This once is all I ask, please watch out for the terran with the weapon and their android companion, they want nothing but our capture." Bowing her head deep to show the back of her neck she walks beyond the two, waiting until they are past the barrier to turn to her companions and address them.
"I owe you sanctuary from that foe at the very least, to repay you for removing me from the grasp of the curator. I have advice which I believe you would consider ground rules. Do not show your fangs to a higher officer, that would be anyone here for you. They might see it as a challenge for their position and while I have very little in way of rank to defend the others will not take it lightly. As Sua Eck said, do not cause disruption, I do not know how delicate the operation is at the moment but you do not want to upset them. We will first have to find pack leader Tyr Gal, or whoever is currently leading the team and I will most likely have to give a debrief of my time here. Stay close and no harm will come to you." She looks over the crew to make sure to answer any questions they might have.
Once the group moves deeper into the Enclave
It seems that the site is quite large and already been worked by the small team of Treznak occupants. Though the mountain top is largely intact there is an obvious impact site on the opposite end of the deep cavern having been caused by their ship impacting in the area and digging into the side of the mountain into what looks like a natural cave system. A gentle snow rains in from the impact site entrance and it can be assumed by the same rippling air that all entrances are being masked by the same advanced cloaking technology. It looks also like some work has been done to patch the impact crater, but such a large wound in the mountain would take more time and manpower to fully repair than they've had available. As such, natural light filters in through the hole and the only other sources of ambient light are those dedicated to specific work areas, on personnel, and presumably inside the ship itself.
In the center of the cave-turned crash-site lay the broken husk of the Treznak frigate, 'Mu'kals Judgement', though the name is written upon the side in now fragmented and alien glyphs the crew seems to have taken great care in stabilizing the important systems with what resources they could salvage. The ship has been largely stripped of armor plating from the battle over Mars and the sequential impact on Earth. What remains is still a menacing looking ship that despite it's non-combat classification is still brimming with broken and battered weaponry namely point defense grids, a spinal that has been cracked in half much like the rest of the vessel and a pair of heavy gauss cannons who's magnetic spools have been demagnetized and mostly melted during the conflict. Needless to say the once proud ship has been heartily defanged.
The rear thruster manifold, while damaged seem to be the most intact aside from the shell housing the reactor and drive cores, and to the luck of Earth itself no serious containment breach has occurred from either as of yet.
It seems the crew is still using the bunks aboard the ship as their sleeping quarters, but has handily set up outside riggings making the beginnings of a repair station. Though barebones it is the start of a self-rescue operation.
Several generator like structures dot the inside of the site, one might surmise they are the cloaking projectors needed to maintain some secrecy about the site. The skeleton of some strange device is set up away from the ship with a large snake of cables pouring from the vessel towards it and another Treznak is busy at building the device, seems similar in pattern and color to 86. There are precious few bodies actively moving outside the vessel. One would think for a ship as large as the entire team base it would have a higher staff count, but it seems only two dozen Treznak are present if even that.
86 will lead the group onward, as close as she is allowed to the current command station, a utilitarian boxed in area with another vine of cables spilling towards it, with two more guards these ones with plasmoid rifles in their graspers. She heads the group standing fully upright with her head held up high, neck exposed, ears dignified in their standing position, eyes kept level, and at a measured pace. Like a proud warrior returning home should in company of friends and family. Even then she seems to be the veritable runt of the pack compared to those that you have seen so far.