We can definitely examine him, pursuant to Vessu's wishes, but not here. We have no idea what that signal was supposed to do, but I imagine we should get out and get someplace safe so we don't have to find out.
Although... I wouldn't put it past them to place something bad inside the body, so let's get away from here, but not go to headquarters until we are sure there are no additional traps.
As Grunph and co leave, Theo moves forward to place himself between them and the pod with Vessu's brother, just in case they have a change of heart. He stares them down until they clear the area. As the others discuss, he nods here and there.
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Theo makes an imposing figure, staring at Grunph and the two azers until they're out of sight.
Pursuant to Zharis' suggestion to find a safe place to examine Leirol's body, a quick survey of the area around Stadium Anassan shows a bombed-out structure nearby that looks deserted. As you walk, Nib's brow is furrowed in deep thought, and she continues muttering to herself.
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Something wrong, Nib?
Nib taps a tooth with one fingernail as she responds. "Nah, I was just thinkin'. Trying to figure out what the deal was with that signal. It couldn't be . . ." She looks back at the stadium. "No, that'd be crazy."
Come on now, tell all. :)
Theo just cocks an eyebrow, glancing down at Nib.
"Well . . . I was just thinkin', that the canister wasn't a bomb, right? And the signal couldn't be sending any info the occupation didn't already know. But they're the ones that picked the location. They could've had this all prepped for days. What if the signal burst was a detonator, and demolition charges had been hidden throughout the whole stadium? Ka-blam! That's us dead, and the whole resistance demoralized. But maybe that's too far-fetched . . ."
Amhesha facepalms. "Oh sweet chaos I'm an idiot. I should have expected something like that. Honestly, not too far fetched, I think I've even drawn up plans for something similar. F~$#ing... agh, how could I have just missed that?"
Yeah, could have been that... and still could be I suppose, as soon as Grunph reports back and they know they missed their chance. They don't care about their own people and likely wouldn't have any regrets about blowing them to bits along with us. They don't care how they are seen by the public, they turn people into zombies, they don't care about their own allies... I'm not seeing any redeeming qualities here.
Just in case, let's make sure the public knows to avoid the stadium. I'm glad we all made it out. And deep apologies... it is rare that I am not paranoid enough, and I shouldn't have allowed you and Taeress anywhere close. ... I hope the body is clear of traps though. Vessu deserves some closure.
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"I proposed killing them all from the beginning." Things would be simpler if more people listened to doctor Xuuvats. But that ship has sailed.
Hmmm... you know, Xylian, you have a good point. Maybe not about this situation, where taking a bomb wouldn't have helped us in the slightest, but what about the Spire? They are using it as their headquarters, and they don't have the idea of Leirol being there as a reason to go in and fight from room to room trying to find him anymore. If you can come up with a way of just blowing it up rather than taking it, I'm in. In fact, if you think you can salvage some charges from the stadium, that would confirm Nib's theory and get us some free explosives... and possibly salvage the place so that the public can use it again someday. However, they also could blow it any minute, even with our jammer if they have a backup trigger, so not sure it is worth the risk.
"To be fair, cybernetic zombies don't actually... require any bits of the soul, or necromancy. I wouldn't put it past them to go the normal necromancy route, but no afterlives are held up if that's not the case. And, agreed Zharis... I'm snsure what to do as well. Because, on one hand, it could blow, on the other-- we could get more bombs."
Tulgram nods at the words of Xylian and Zharis. Now we're talking about something serious at last!
And of course he will check the body! With his skill and the advanced medical laboratory that is always with him, or rather in him, it will be fast.
With an assist from Xylian, Tulgram carefully examines the body of Leirol.
Zharis waits to see if Xylian wants to go back to the stadium to scout for additional explosive.
"Hmm. Well. Nib is probably on to something. If wouldn't do to leave this stadium potentially trapped. "
"Well uh, it's only a guess, so don't hold me to it. Taeress always says I jump to conclusions without evidence . . ." Nib looks a little embarrassed.
But Taeress squeezes her hand and gives her a warm smile. "I think I've come to realize that in exploration and war and well . . . all this," she waves her hand to indicate Kahlannal, "maybe proper scholarship and the scientific method don't need to be followed exactly. Sometimes trusting your instincts are the right course."
Amhesha nods. "Been in a lot of situation like this, you need to separate the kinds of activities that need scientific study, be they language or anthropology or archaeology, and then there are the times you just let chaos and instinct guide you!" She gives a clawed thumbs-up. "Now let's see if we can find any explosives here."
Okay, let's get in and out. Taeress and Nib, you stay here with Leirol's body and the stasis chamber. We'll go back, and see what we can find. We'll stay on the clock and someone will meet up with you again in two hours to at least give you an update, but hopefully that will be enough time to find what we need.
Aye. Tulgram sets off in search of explosives, knowing that his attentiveness, enhanced by mushroom brain spores, can be crucial in any search.
Xylian uses his vast knowledge of structural engineering to decipher where explosives would be placed to be most effective in this particular structure.
A thorough search of Stadium Anassan reveals . . . it is laced with explosives! More specifically, heavy demolition charges (traditionally used to collapse buildings prior to constructing a new one on the same site) have been cunningly hidden in maintenance tunnels and wall cavities. There's enough here to cause the entire building to implode in one fell swoop!
"So, we're keeping these for our own purposes, right?"
"I suppose. I am not sure about the idea of collapsing the invader's main structure with them, however, as they may have more prisoners." Destroying prisoners would no doubt make future research with the embattled denizens more difficult. "Still, worth considering just in case." Xylian largely leaves the removal of the bombs in the capable hands of the expeditions chief engineer. "The invaders will likely seek to act soon since their plan has failed. We must be prepared for a strike, one larger and more agressive than usual."
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"We can do it once they get all the prisoners out, you know. Chaos here we come!!"
Having discovered carefully-concealed demolition charges, Xylian and Amhesha discuss whether to remove them . . .
Amhesha removes the demolition charges. "I sure as the hellplane Axis want to blow something of theirs up." she grumbles.
The likelihood that we are going to find living, non-zombie prisoners seems vanishingly small. And negotiating peace seems unlikely when they can't even negotiate a prisoner trade in good faith. ... And other than these explosives, there hasn't even been any cool gear to gather up to help the cause. I'm of course open to your thoughts, but I am liking the idea of just blowing up their headquarters. Seems simpler than fighting through the whole place, which I imagine will be well-defended.
Amhesha takes the lead in removing the cunningly-placed demolition charges. With a hand from Zharis, she's able to bring them all to one place, forming a stack almost a meter wide and two meters high!
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A resistance evac team arrives and helps usher you (and the demolition charges) safely back to headquarters.
When you arrive, all of the anassanois in the makeshift command center are quiet, and even telepathic communication seems to have stopped for the moment. Zhyffor, a bandage around one arm, gently places a shroud over the body of a member of his team. It seems their mission (simultaneous with your own) was successful--but in war, even success can carry a tragic price.
After a few more moments of silence, the regally-dressed Nyralaen begins to speak telepathically. Her words are accompanied by images of the deceased as he was in life, snapshots of moments of levity, love, and courage. A time will come, soon, to grieve for all of our fallen, including Varyas. Yet the time of mourning must be held in abeyance, for our friend has not died in vain. His sacrifice allows us to take a vital step forward in our efforts to throw off the yoke of our enemies: for this day, we will induct a new Protector! The almost-overwhelming sadness broadcast through the room is replaced with a new emotion: defiance, and hope!
Zharis asks for a room where they can hold their own funeral ceremony for Leirol, and consoles Vessu as well as she can.
Tulgram didn't have any sympathy for Vessu, and he still doesn't. The bastard was negotiating with terrorists and wanted to buy his brother's life at the cost of our lives, so everything is fair now: we are alive, but his brother is not. However, the duergar will not say this out loud, only his heavy gaze directed at Vessu will be quite eloquent.
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Vessu is nearly inconsolable at discovering his brother is dead. He obviously had such high hopes for the prisoner exchange, and now it's all come crashing down. Zharis and Nib pat him on the back and whisper comforting words, but this may be a blow the man never recovers from.
Theodore stands by, impassively. He didn't know Leirol, and is ambivalent about Vessu. Better to say nothing.
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The next few hours are difficult ones for everyone in resistance headquarters, but sometimes alongside loss, comes rebirth. Everyone is summoned to witness the ritual to induct a new Protector and bond him to one of the recovered chariots. Mehrren and Nyralaen, both dressed in scintillating robes, flank the reliquary recovered from Protector Jheghal’s shrine; behind each Protector floats her chariot, humming in harmony, while a third chariot, now repaired, sits behind the reliquary.
The women call forth Zhyffor, who emerges bedecked in finery similar to theirs. With much chanting and the passing of telepathically charged crystals among the three participants, an idol that starts out resembling Jheghal becomes less distinct as the ritual continues. Hour after hour, they push through telepathic exertion with strained expressions and, as the ritual wanes, noticeable fatigue.
Finally, the conclusion: Zhyffor rises and approaches the central chariot; his outstretched hands touch the sphere (with a visible wince from his injury) which melts open before him, allowing him to pass through its surface as through stepping into a metallic bubble.
After a long moment, he emerges: no physical change has taken place, but he has the air of someone profoundly altered and the idol now resembles him!
The ritual complete, the Protectors see to Faeffel, the anassanoi who lapsed into a coma those many weeks ago after broadcasting a call for help into the beyond. The trio takes a crystal from the reliquary and move to her bedside; each places a hand on her head, and with the crystal and their combined power, they heal her mind and body. Faeffel opens her eyes and nods weakly; gazing around, she spots the newcomers who have brought hope of salvation. Bursting with sudden telepathically infectious joy, even those with no natural receptiveness like Nib are brought to happy tears!
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"What is the significance of this?" Xylian asks a nearby anassanoi, somewhat unmoved by the ceremony. "Can Zhyffor now defeat the dragon the invaders brought?"
It means the beginning of the end for the occupation, my friend! replies the anassanoi. For now we have both hope and strength, and no invader can stand against us.
Indeed, it's not long before word of Faeffel's recovery and Zhyffor's elevation spreads throughout Kahlannal! With General Khaim's forces already on the backfoot, the revolt spreads. The Protectors take to their chariots and lead assaults in various sectors, while the rest of the resistance stages simultaneous attacks on several key occupation bases. Soon, anassanois throughout the city are taking to the streets in solidarity, inundating security checkpoints, obscuring sight lines, and slowing occupation troop movements.
Honored heroes from afar, the time is now come for the final strike. says Nyraelaen as reports come in from all sectors of the spreading success of the revolt. With the occupation forces distracted and demoralised, an assault on the Spire can now be attempted. The goal is twofold: first, we must reactivate the Spire’s psychic resonator, or free it from whatever is inhibiting it, ending the telepathy-dampening field; second, we can deal a major blow to the occupation by taking out its senior leaders, forcing the occupiers to withdraw permanently. Will you aid us in this last step to freedom?
Zharis bows and agrees to help. She asks for a map of the Spire so they can plan their assault.
Back with the group later she says Darn. I guess that means we can't blow it up, since that would destroy the resonator. Ideas?
"Don't have to ask me twice to help"
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I'm not a persuader... But I would advise blowing up this building to hell. Tulgram addresses his comrades aloud in a language that anassanois do not understand.
Amhesha sighs. "Let a cultist dream, okay? There's a psychic resonator they need, and I'm not planning to blow that up."
I might be able to talk them into it, if that is what you all want, but it sounds like we are divided. I could go either way, but I do have a concern about the resonator... I am not sure how easily it could be replaced, and I don't want them to lose their ability to communicate with the larger multiverse... but if they were able to make one in the first place, then perhaps they could make another. Shall we have a vote? And if not here, let's use the explosives elsewhere. I am sure there are other valid targets, both here and wherever our journey takes us next.
Or... Xylian, what is the output of these bombs? Could we blow things up a room at a time as we progress through the spire, preferably without killing ourselves? If we know where the resonator is on the map, we could blow up the rest.