The other two heroes are unaffected by the enemy's gaze.
Mordack tricks Blue and cuts deeply into an exposed but of flesh.
Sefel places a shot into Yellow, though the battery on his laser might need to be charged a bit.
The yellowish creature tries to chew up Mordack.
Mordack remains unchewed.
The green-scaled creature moves in on Telirix.
Telirix, however, is a health part of a balanced breakfast.
The tiefling fires at the green creature, then moves for cover.
Round 3 - bolded may go
Telirix Sporestorm (-18 SP, haste)
Tiefling
Yargnod (-15 SP, haste)
Red
Blue (-41 HP)
Mordack Dunstar (haste)
Sefel Lamunesh (haste)
Yellow (-48 HP)
Green (-10 HP)
Yargnod once had a crazy aunt. She was incredibly forgetful but in moments like these, he always remembers Aunt D'Or'y's motto.
"Just keep shooting, just keep shooting."
Telirix fires a pair of shots at the green-scaled creature. The first ricochets off the floor, but the second lands.
Yargnod keeps shooting, and the yellowish creature keeps taking damage.
More biting occurs.
Round 3 - bolded may go
Telirix Sporestorm (-18 SP, haste)
Tiefling
Yargnod (-15? SP, haste)
Red
Blue (-41 HP)
Mordack Dunstar (-36? SP, haste)
Sefel Lamunesh (haste)
Yellow (-82 HP)
Green (-42 HP)
[ooc]Mordack is high enough level to take 10 to trick attack. Otherwise it would be 1d20+20. Yes, high level operatives can fool all the monsters all the time.[/dice]
Despite his lovely trick, Mordack can't quite make contact with the creature. Sefel, on the other hand, puts a laser in the green-scaled monster's face.
The green one steps forward and attempts revenge on Telirix.
The yellow-tinged one chews on Mordack.
Your tiefling friend pops out form behind the wall to fire on Green.
Round 4 - bolded may go
Telirix Sporestorm (-36 SP, haste)
Tiefling
Yargnod (-27 SP, haste)
Red
Blue (-41 HP)
Mordack Dunstar (-40 SP, haste)
Sefel Lamunesh (haste)
Yellow (-82 HP)
Green (-78 HP)
"These things are tough. If we don't kill them all, I think I'll keep one as a pet," Yargnod says as he carefully steps away from the bitey zone and takes another shot at Yellow.
Yargnod will not be keeping the one with yellow scales as a pet.
Round 4 - bolded may go
Telirix Sporestorm (-36 SP, haste)
Tiefling
Yargnod (-27 SP, haste)
Red
Blue (-41 HP)
Mordack Dunstar (-40 SP, haste)
Sefel Lamunesh (haste)
Yellow
Green (-78 HP)
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Telirix senses Mordack behind him. Boosting out would leave the half-orc android vulnerable from behind. The lashunta opts to side step and open some maneuvering room while still covering his partner. Then he points his gun at the dragon-beast's head and pulls the trigger. "Just put this thing down."
Super-cooled frost and razor sharp ice bathe the green menace.
...
...
The green-scaled creature has been pre-chopped and flash frozen for future consumption with just one more shot. Telirix then turns and hits the bluish monster. Feeling its wounds, and seeing its companions dying, it chooses to flee to the east.
The woman sighs, sinking back against the wall. “I thought I was done for.” She smiles and holds out her hand, and then glances down at the blood on it. She hurriedly wipes it on her pants before offering it again. “I’m Islea. Thanks for the rescue! Are you from Mersall? You don’t look like you’re from around here.”
Islea offers her rescuers the items she scavenged from the warehouse and its surrounding area: an autoclawP a fully charged soul camera, and a programmer’s plushie shaped like an arabuk.
Yargnod isn't one to let an opponent get away but he can't do much more than whack the creature with Justifier as it flees.
With that taken care of he does his trick with Justifier, pocketing the little disc that it becomes. He checks his breath and pats his rumpled clothes before approaching the tiefling.
"Oh, hey there, Islea. I'm Yargnod. You're welcome for the rescue. No big deal. I save pretty women from nasty beasts just about every day."
He stretches, just so happening to stretch his muscles while he does. "Yup. That's me...just an offworlder going from world to world...you know...adventuring. Being brave. Killing stuff."
"Well, we certainly can't just go to the mall and buy parts for... well, much of anything that our benevolent leader doesn't approve of.
"Those things... just creatures that wander around and make trouble sometimes. I suspect I was attacked because I look more delicious than rats or whatever else they can usually find here.
"You're from offworld? What's it like? What kind of technology do you have? How does it compare to Mersall's? Do you have a ship to get off this planet?"
"Tell you what - I think we can help each other out here. It's definitely safer for five of us than just little old me. If you want to stick close, I'll help you find some of the better stuff around here."
"Aw, yeah. No big deal, but we've got a ship. Sure, it's a little busted, now but we're going to get it fixed soon enough. If you want a ride, I'm sure we can work something out," Yargnod said with a grin.
"We're here to loot the place, you're here to loot the place. Let's loot the place, together."
After spending a few hours combing through the ruins, the heroes find several broken parts and metallic ores useful for starship repairs. With these materials and enough engineering skill—with which Islea is happy to assist—they can repair their starship with only a few weeks of work.
Four motorcycles zoom up the cracked street, their spiked wheels kicking up clouds of dust as they circle threateningly. The drivers wear patched-together clothing and tinted goggles. One of them dismounts, glowering.
“This is Tachritan Ghost territory,” she says, spitting on the ground. “Scav in this city belongs to us, understand? Fork it over and we’ll let you go without any extra holes.”
Might teach her to show the proper respect for us, Yargnod agrees.
He has none of the skills in question so he simply watches on sullenly, spinning the disc that is Justifier in one hand, expectantly.
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"Possibly. Let's see if we can avoid a fight first. "
Telirix steps up to the Tachritan leader. "Kid, you're not going to buffalo us. We've got better tech, and we've seen real combat offworld. We don't want a fight, but think about this. If you start a fight with us, you'll be the first to see Pharasma. Then we'll worry about your pals. We beat the crap out of the sherriff of Mersall twice now. So play nice.
When we get our ship running, we'll turn all the extra scav over to you."
The Ghosts, armed with little more than their motorcycles, see the wisdom in Telirix' words. Yargnod somehow managing to spin that little disc threateningly certainly isn't helping their mood. With a shout of "Just watch yourself around here... if you get yourselves into trouble, we'll be picking over your corpses.", she remounts her cycle and leads the gang away.
You can return to Mersall with Islea, who plans to seek follow-up care for her injury. Islea invites you to visit her shop Fiendish Contraptions when she’s recovered. The shop is recognizable by its unique hand-painted sign with a logo Islea commissioned from a local artist in her own likeness.
She offers a 15% discount on her merchandise, including custom inventions.
"Over my dead body!" Yargnod declares unironically. His soul shivers at the idea that someone else might handle Justifier. He'd rather someone bed his wife...if he had a wife.
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Keep it handy. I'll try to distract them.
He waves and marches forward, stopping forty feet short of the constables.
"Hey Kurson, you didn't try to harass us on sight. That's almost neighborly. I'm glad because we might not be able to fix the ship. We're going to try to get her livable again so we at least have shelter from the weather. As a token of future friendship, and a down payment on the return of your gear, I'll leave you this grenade. "
He puts down one of the concussion grenades and steps back.
"Good news for you, then. I have a lovely place where you can keep yourself safe from the weather. Three meals a day, too, compliments of Ayleth. Give use the rest of our equipment back and you might even get to leave one day."
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"Kurson. I think you're developing a sense of humor. But we offworlders have a strong sense of independence and desire for privacy. We don't want to strain your hospitality, and so must fend for ourselves. We only want to be left alone.
Tell me scion of Ayleth, if you could have anything from off-world what would it be? If someday we can repair our ship and establish trade with your world, what would you desire? "
Telerix slowly closes the distance between them to 30 feet, before tight beaming to the constable, 'Answer vocally how you will if you don't trust your minions, but what would you desire? A man who could be trusted to act as our envoy could be richly rewarded..."
"There is nothing you can offer worth what you are asking me to give up. So again, come quietly or things will get ugly."
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"Kurson, I admire the sense of duty. Really. I was a Steward myself once upon a time. But the third losing cast forfeits the game. " The lashunta steps torward and picks up the grenade he'd placed on the ground. He lobs it in a high gentle arc toward the constables.
"Take your down payment on your gear and clear out. Throw down with us again and I'll let Yargnod have his way with you. There will be blood and it won't be ours. "
"I've no desire to get my men killed, but you can be sure that we are not the worst you will have to deal with."
Kurson's attitude as he leaves can best be described as "child running off to tell mom".
Your repairs continue uninterrupted for a week, with occasional trips into Mersall for supplies or information. On your most recent visit, Islea mentions legends she's heard of a ruin underneath a weathered statue to the north, suggesting it might be a good place to find interesting technology or parts.
You can ask around Mersall, and while nobody knows much about the ruin except that it’s forbidden by Kurson because of “monster activity in the area.” Most people think it’s a hidden wellspring Kurson uses for himself, while others tell tales of buried treasure beneath a ruined statue of a dragon. The only commonality is that they suggest talking to Speaker-9.
When you bring it up to Speaker-9, they quietly invite you to talk further in their library. There, they related to you a legend of four starmetal tyrants:
Friends and fellows, gather forth,
I tell of tyrants, sat on thrones of old.
Peace there was upon our world,
Blessed by wealth and wellspring,
Lit by beacons and crowned by city spires.
In generations long passed, the wellspring children of Genrovis prospered,
Bright futures borne by silicon and silver,
Weaving our new world with thought‑machines.
Then, four tyrants swept from the sky,
Jealous eyes fixed on jeweled Genrovis.
They tormented peaceful cities, toppled spires,
Brought annhilation through fierce and fanged beasts.
The first Tyrant cracked a whip of wild fire,
Setting hallowed halls ablaze.
The second smothered wellspring songs,
Reigned silence, sealed the springs in soil.
The third Tyrant charmed the clock,
To pry the precious seconds from their rightful rounds.
And the fourth Tyrant, shadowshrouded,
Commanded creatures, crazed, to slaughter.
Four foul tyrants gulped greedily at wellsprings,
Razed and ruled o’er all our lands.
Wounded and woeful, the wellspring children wept.
Ayleth heard the wellspring children’s weeping.
Swiftly she of adamantine soared,
Starwinged, she surveyed sights below,
Saw claws and fangs swarm cities,
Saw spires shatter and wellsprings wither.
The people pleaded for compassion,
Asked Ayleth for her aid.
Ayleth vowed vengeance, vast
Armies fell before her might,
With wellspring children shielded by adamantine wings.
The starwinged one battled bravely,
Bore down on gearspun frames,
Unleashed fury for our forlorn people.
Four tyrants fell. Favored Ayleth triumphed,
Freed wellspring children, rebuilt wonders,
Protected peace, woke wellsprings,
Then sealed four tyrant‑shells insoil and steel,
Never to unearth again.
Praise Ayleth, proud protector!
Keeper of the wellsprings,
Queen of Clouds,
Lady of the Adamantine Heart.
Her eternal eyes see all,
Her wings embrace us warmly,
Genrovis clasped in careful claws.
Yargnod, for some reason, always volunteers to visit Islea, should they need something from her. He always spends more time than would be absolutely necessary, too.
But when he's not with her, he's working on the ship. Barely eating, barely sleeping, it's hard whether to compare him to someone who is possessed or to a machine. Given how passionately he curses at things when they don't go just right, possessed is probably the better choice.
He listens restlessly to Speaker-9's story, twirling the Justifier disc in his fingers since he doesn't seem capable of actually sitting still and not fidgeting.
"You know, if she hadn't shot us down, I might think Ayleth was pretty great, after that story," he comments.
The site stands 4 miles northeast of Mersall amid a thick tangle of forest. With directions from Speaker-9, the heroes find it easily.
An immense suit of armor with dragon’s wings made of gleaming red metal looms from the tangled trees. Beneath the armor is a rounded mound, appearing to be a burial cairn, covered in moss and vines.
It takes some time, but the group locates a trap door a few yards in front of the statue. It is nearly overgrown and locked. You can use Computers, Engineering or Strength to open it.
[dice="Perception DC 33"]You notice the outline of a huge metal panel inlaid into the earth underneath the statue. It appears rusted and its mechanisms of opening, if any, aren’t visible.[/spoiler]