The Boss was sure right about that poor bastard. Not smart enough to leave well enough alone. Well, he will be eating only soup for a while after that beating."[/b]
The pair duck back inside the casino as the one bouncer unwinds his hand covering quickly.
Bahir pulls his sister aside.
"Well how did the gaming treat you"?
Raika
"I saw some ruffians out near the back entrance. They had obviously just really beat someone up. Do you think we should see if there is anybody around we can help"?
The following morning you depart your lodgings at the now-closed Foundry and make ready to enter the caves below Black Hill. Jorah Kyte, the local priest of Brigh, is happy to help you with his water breathing extended spell, which gives you time to get to the pond, dive below, swim into the underwater cave mouth, and climb from the water.
For those who haven't been before, Weeping Pond is a placid-looking enough but no vegetation grows on the banks, and the water carries the bitter stink of sulphur and other chemicals. With instruction from Alpha-47 and Karina, you know you will have to submerge and swim to enter the caves. As you immerse yourselves, you can't help but feel nauseated by the befouled water.
Efni hesitated when the others explained to her to dive into a cave. She had a big mouth, but the so-called adventuring life, was totally new to her.
The water tasted awful, but Efni hold her composure very well.
"Unless we can successfully convince them... prepare for a fight with skulks. I figure I should warn you of what is to come." Karina says.
The previous night.
Bashir
The next day:
At Weeping Pond, Raika unstrings her bow and puts the string into a waterproof case before the dive.
After the dive, though not thrilled to be covered in the non-pristine water, she isn't feeling ill and restrings her bow. She gives Karina a smile of thanks at the warning.
Steadying himself for the polluted water, Alpha-47 wades into the water.
On the other side of the cave, Alpha-47 attempts to evacuate his insides of the foul water he couldn't help but ingest this time.
"Unpleasant water, let us continue, the Skulks are up ahead, a small village, they were cordial enough yesterday, we will see if their mood has soured,"
Bahir takes the time to put his scarf away in a safe place to keep it from getting soaked with the stinky water then holds his nose and jumps in.
I hate deep water.
FORT
"Cough...cough...hack... hack spit".
"Oh no! It went up my nose".
Attempt to purge #1
Retch 1
Bahir then goes over to the side and throws up his recent breakfast before turning to the others with watering eyes ready to go on.
While Seoli's stomach thankfully remains stable, she nonetheless shudders in disgust as she surfaces, "Gods... What'd they put in this stuff? The town ain't drinkin' from this, are they?"
While Alpha and Bahir are busy getting everything out of their system, Seoli takes a moment to wring as much of the polluted water out of her clothes as she can.
While submerged, Karina leads you to the underwater cave mouth, which is not visible from the surface. Diving and swimming in the polluted water is not pleasant, but the water breathing spell at least lets you avoid drowning. The swim is maybe longer tan you expected, about 200' all underwater though a fully submerged tunnel. On the other side, is a water filled cavern. The water here is only about 2' deep, so safe to stand in. The noxious air here makes your eyes water and the smell is strong, but doesn't create any new ill effects. Bahir and Alpha, who were initially overcome by the swim, are able to retch up the contents of their guts and the nausea fades.
The cavern is pitch dark. You can hear the others in the chamber retching or dripping, but you cannot see even your hand in front of your face unless darkvision is enabled.
Raika says "I don't suppose any of you casters have a spell that makes light?"
Nodding, "Yes, give me a second and I'll conjure some lights for us," After he has finished composing himself, he casts a light spell attaching floating gold orbs of light to folks.
With the magical light filing the watery chamber, you can see the decaying husks of a handful of giant beetles on the beach. The insect's corpses seem to have been disturbed, cut open post-mortem, and the light emitting glands removed.
In addition to the dead beetles, you can see the water moves around to the east. Additionally, a 5' tall escarpment stands in front of you. There are clear signs of someone trying to climb that short rock face, but no other creatures are present now.
The water is still quiet acrid but after retching the rest of the party seems recovered from any obvious ill effects. In addition the feeling here is damp, still, and musty. The ceiling here is about 10' from the surface of the water, narrowing at the top of the escarpment it appears, to about 5'
Karina stretches, preparing for the inevitable while her lute just casually floats midair before she grabs it hastily.
Efni stares in wonder for just being underground is new to her. "You lead the way, you've been here before."
Alpha-47 looks to Karina, then to the group, "follow me deeper into the complex we go," He leads them to the skulks village, exchanging formal pleasantries with their Skulk Leader and introducing the new comers to the Skulks before asking for permission to once again pass through their territory and deeper into the complex beyond.
The leader of the skulks in these caves is Sef, and she acquiesces to your request for passage, especially after looking at how many of you there are. "We still remember and appreciate the work you did for us, and honor our bargain -- unless you give us reason not to."
With that, you are free to move unhindered through the skulk cave all the way to the first glaucite doorway. The caverns here are about 10' high ceilings while the hallways are only about 7' high, so Efni has to hunch down just a bit to walk in the passageways.
Recall how to open the metallic doors, you get the first one open again, and you enter terrain that is clearly NOT part of the cave system. The walls are smooth metal. Different this time are the panels in the ceiling that emit brilliant white light, illuminating these spaces there were pitch dark before. Here there is no need of Alpha-47's light spell. The area spreads to the left and right, but passage there is choked with all form of rubble and detritus, and the only way forward is a second door.
As you slide open the second door, there is a metal guardian there, standing on four legs. When the group was here before, this drone was immobile, but now it whirls slowly as the door opens. It's scanning features seem to take your measure, but it does not move to engage you...yet.
Seoli looks around in awe at the sudden shift in surroundings, "Wow... Strange metals is right. I don't think I've ever seen a buildin' made entirely outta metal before," she glances up at the light-emitting panels. Underestimating their brightness, she winces and shields her eyes before quickly returning her gaze forward.
As the second door opens and the machine inside slowly turns toward the group, Seoli tilts her head in curiosity, "Huh, what's that?"
"Not really liking how many sharp bits it's got on it..." she whispers to her companions.
"Um... Hello?" she gives a friendly wave and greets the strange metal... creature?
The metal thing spins its "eye" to look at Seoli as she speaks. It responds in a squawky, static filled mechanical voice that cuts in and out with a beep and a screech. The voice is in a language that only a few can make out anything from.
There is another loud squawk and then it silence.
Looking to Karina, "Did you catch all that? It seems to be speaking Androffin," Turning to the others before engaging the metal construct, "This was here last time but it was not awake, things have changed,"
Looking to the metal construct, speaking in Androffin, "We are not intruders, we are looking for a human male, have you seen any others?"
While Alpha talks to the creature, Raika studies it carefully.
The visual sensor of the drone turns to Alpha-47, and the verbal response is again broken up and filled with static and again in Androffin.
You may not have to understand as you see the drone lowers its stance, and brings its appendages forward in a threating way.
"I don't know what it and you're talking about, but it clearly doesn't work." Efni says while readying her hammer.
"I think you made it mad, Alph," Seoli gives a nervous laugh as she takes up a fighting stance, "Here's hopin' I don't break my hand if I end up havin' to punch it."
"All I caught was drone, intruders, and ship. As in. In the air. The word is used for vehicles in the air. What did we do different than last time? Perhaps the investigation tipped it off? Don't touch anything else, and let's see if it gets mad." Karina says.
Raika looks the drone over, and while she has never really dealt with such a creature before, she has heard of those who have. The story that first comes to mind is a wizard who electrified the construct, and that seemed to fry the mechanisms inside, doing more damage than expected.
"If we have to fight it, anyone who can should use electrical spells." Raika quickly tells the group.
"I can if need be," Karina adds. "Seemed to work well on the broken robot"
As Karina says this last, the repair drone swings into action to defend its location from intruders. It bleeps and bloops wildly and then moves to attack.
Active Drone - Round 1
25 Raika
20 Karina
19 Drone
19 Alpha-47
16 Bahir
14 Seoli
12 Efni
Karina commands her instruments to move with a conductors baton as the lute maneuvers towards the robot to cover the area in dazzling snow (Independent, blue square), the viol in her other hand stands upright and scissor-walks with its bow toward the robot (Spirit Object, Red Inverted Triangle), and electricity arcs from her baton to the robot (Electric Arc)
Raika snaps her bow up, shoots, then darts to the side around the corner.
for and if applicable for sneak attack.
Active Drone - Round 1 - continued
25 Raika
20 Karina
19 Drone
19 Alpha-47
16 Bahir
14 Seoli
12 Efni
Raika snaps a shot at the drone, scoring a hit, but the arrows seems to clang harmlessly off the metal hide of the creature. The arrow does not seem to damage the drone at all.
Karina's instruments take on a life of their own, perhaps surprising her new teammates, one creating a burst of snow near it, and the other moving to engage the robot of its own volition.
Moving out of the snowy space, and adjacent to Alpha-47, the creature keeps squawking out load, but the garbled transmissions are unintelligible. Then it quickly swings a metal appendage at the android, slugging him a good one with a loud metallic thunk. On the top of the creature, a small hatch opens, and a metallic net flies out and wraps around Karina, engulfing her.
success
hit
"Get out of our waaaaaaaay!" Efni crys the moment diplomacy fails.
◇Quick-Tempered
With a quick motion she brings one her large legs up high, as if she were to kick the robot, but it was a fake!
After the fake kick, she finishes the pirouette and swings with her Maul.
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"Kinda a tight space to be fightin'..."
Seoli squeezes her way past Alpha and Efni and through the door to get into position next to the robot.
◆ Stride
◆ Flurry of Blows:
+ bludgeoning
Active Drone - Round 1 - continued
25 Raika
20 Karina (netted, speed reduction, off-guard)
19 Drone (2hp dmg)
19 Alpha-47 (15/26hp remain)
16 Bahir
14 Seoli
12 Efni
With her blood rising, Efni makes a pair of powerful attacks after feinting a kick. She is a bit disappointed when the drone does not flinch at her fake assault, and then is quite frustrated when her maul attacks slip off the metal hide without making solid enough contact to damage the machine.
Seoli slips inside to close to melee range also, attacking open-handed against the metal machine. Her first blow is turned aside by the robot arm, and while the second slams the metallic outer shell, it does not seem to damage the automaton at all.
stumbling back to create some space but unphased by the damage, "The creature has become quite hostile, seems the best thing to do would be to dismantle it for now, then we can fix it later,"
Alpha then will cast guidance on Karina.
Raika steps back out and takes a shot at the creature.
for and, should I be hidden from it thanks to my Hide last round,
She then studies it, trying to find out more about it.
Active Drone - Round 1 - concluded
25 Raika
20 Karina (netted, speed reduction, off-guard)
19 Drone (2hp dmg)
19 Alpha-47 (15/26hp remain)
16 Bahir
14 Seoli
12 Efni
Alpha stumbles backwards from the robot making room in the front line. It then casts a guiding spell on Karina and helps her remove the polymer net, freeing her movement.
Bahir steps into the open gap and, breathing deeply, swings his stick-like spear at the foe. The exemplar then channels even more electrical energy down the stick into the robotic enemy. The drone starts smoking as energy is poured into it, and the bleeping sound becomes a shrill shriek that ends abruptly.
End of Round 1
hit
+2 electrical
Active Drone - Round 2
25 Raika
20 Karina (guidance active)
19 Drone (19hp dmg)
19 Alpha-47 (15/26hp remain)
16 Bahir
14 Seoli
12 Efni (raging)
Raika pops out from hiding and fires her bow at the smoldering drone. Her arrow strikes it dead center, but again it clangs off, not even scratching the surface. She studies it carefully, frustrated at the ineffectiveness of her arrows.
"Physical attacks will do little or nothing to it!" Raika calls out to the group.
"I need something to do other than cast spells!"
Karina, finally, gets to attack with all her might, seeing as the Kasatha earlier never got cornered.
First, she sends more electricity out at the creature.
Then, though she doubts it will do anything, she commands her viol to attack as well, the instrument smashing opposite the electricity.
Active Drone - Round 2 -continued
25 Raika
20 Karina
19 Drone (19hp dmg)
19 Alpha-47 (15/26hp remain)
16 Bahir
14 Seoli
12 Efni (raging)
Karina spams another electric arc frying more of the components of the drone. But even with divine guidance, her viol's physical attack misses.
As the others watch, smaller more dexterous appendages appear from inside the drone, and start doing small welding or repair work of some kind on the injuries it has sustained and soon the smoldering ends, and the drone seems to right itself somewhat. It then swings its heavy limbs at Seoli, smashing the kitsune in the midsection, knocking the wind from her and maybe cracking a rib.
success for half
hit
Efni tries to move past the drone. This might confuse it more than my kick
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