While Zharis examines the runes, Theodore inventories the weapons . . .
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After a brief pause, Old Nanite delivers a telepathic indicate that the way forward is clear, and the group is able to return to the forge.
<Wait!> the telepathic voice of Old Nanite commands just as you reach the doors to the lounge. <A patrol has just exited the hub elevator and is headed in the direction of the lounge. You'll stumble right into them! Stay in the corridor for now, and I'll tell when you they depart.>
It takes several minutes' work and some assistance from his comrades, but Tulgram succeeds in removing the crystals and deactivating the portal!
Tulgram begins trying to deactivate the portal . . .
"Nobody tosses a duergar!" just doesn't have the same ring to it . . .
Zharis and Tulgram inspect the archway . . . Zharis and Tulgram: You can tell this is a planar portal. The runes (in Ignan, which you can both read) indicate the portal's destination: the Plane of Fire!
With small implants allowing her to replicate the DNA of other creatures, Zharis manages to trick the biometric locks into thinking she's an azer! The door slides open. Near the eastern wall of this chamber looms a massive archway of silvery metal with five implanted crystals with Ignan runes on them. The smell of baked stone hangs in the air.
No worries! Gaming is fun but can be an added stressor, so coming back to it when things calm down a bit make sense. Good luck on the finals!
"Maybe there really was just a skeleton force left behind," observes Hazl, as the group moves through the central hub and then down an unmarked corridor. "We should've been detected and met in force by a quick response team by now." <Or maybe, dearie,> says a telepathic voice suddenly intruding, <you shouldn't be so quick to discount offers of mutual support?> A red light on the door indicates it is locked. A biometric scanner and keypad indicate alternative ways to gain entry.
Experience Points (Instalment # 45)
Xylian:
+Previous: 115349 Chief Zamun: 1920 Azer Crucible Guards (x2): 1920 Salamander Crucible Guard: 960 Vahdu: 960 TOTAL: 121109/145000 Zharis:
+Previous: 130685 Chief Zamun: 1920 Azer Crucible Guards (x2): 1920 Salamander Crucible Guard: 960 Vahdu: 960 TOTAL: 136445/145000 Theodore:
+Previous: 104160 Chief Zamun: 1920 Azer Crucible Guards (x2): 1920 Salamander Crucible Guard: 960 Vahdu: 960 TOTAL: 109920/105000 LEVEL UP* Amhesha:
+Previous: 104160 Chief Zamun: 1920 Azer Crucible Guards (x2): 1920 Salamander Crucible Guard: 960 Vahdu: 960 TOTAL: 109920/105000 LEVEL UP*] Tulgram: +Previous: 115420 Chief Zamun: 1920 Azer Crucible Guards (x2): 1920 Salamander Crucible Guard: 960 Vahdu: 960 TOTAL: 121180/145000
A quick battlefield clearance and hasty withdrawal to the landing pad later, Chief Zamun is securely transferred to the custody of the reserve team waiting with the Sun Diver.
Loot on Salamander:
d-suit III, advanced pike, snub scattergun w/ 12 shells, incendiary grenade II, personal comm unit Loot on Azer: d-suit III, fighter handcoil with two batteries (20 charges each), sintered handaxe, personal comm unit
Happy to have you both back! @Tulgram: I would love to be cool enough to drop a "off to the Himalayas, back in a bit" post someday :) I can only imagine it was an amazing experience.
Bigger isn't always badder, as Zharis proves by slashing open the vahdu's belly! The furry foe collapses, dead before it even hits the ground. And suddenly, the momentum has swung decisively in favour of the invaders from Near Space. Tulgram steps over the vahdu's corpse to grab the azer in a punishing hold with his capture pole, turning the flame-haired guard into a perfect target for Hazl and Xylian to finish off.
GM Dice:
Initiative (Round 4) Hazl
Bold should go!
Amhesha hangs back to keep an eye on Chief Zamun, while Theodore rushes into the fray, nearing knocking down the vahdu with one mighty swipe of his bear-like paw! But the vahdu isn't finished yet, and bites back!
GM Dice:
Initiative (Round 3) Hazl
Bold should go!
It's claw versus claw as Zharis and the vahdu trade bloody slashes, but soon Tulgram comes to the former's aid. At the same time, Xylian brings his heavy ice cannon online to knock out the Crucible guard's energy shield, but the azer responds by hurling his handaxe at Hazl!
GM Dice:
Initiative (Round 3) Hazl
Bold should go!
Icy blasts and acidic spray cross the vanishing distance between the intruders and the Crucible guards, but its the claws of a vahdu that take first blood--on Zharis!
GM Dice:
Initiative (Round 2) Hazl
Bold should go!
Cosmic energies from Zharis' new robe burst through the hub, nearly knocking the Crucible guards down while simultaneously outlining them with stellar energy. Before he can recover, the salamander suddenly screams and looks like he's melting as a spray of acid covers him from head to tail. "Scratch one would-be occupier of my homeland," Hazl says quietly. But the azer next to him looks undeterred. He presses a stud on his belt, causing a flickering energy shield to form around him as he stares intently at Hazl with violence in his eyes.
GM Dice:
Initiative (Round 1) Hazl
Bold should go! GM Dice:
shouts the badly-wounded salamander on the far side of the hub. Accompanied by reinforcements--an azer and a large chase predator vahdu--he snarls as he points at the intruders. bellows back Zamun.
GM Dice:
All good, Amhesha! For everyone, I was trying for "warm encouragement" not "chastisement" :)
Just so Zharis doesn't have to do all the narrative heavy lifting on her own, I'd encourage the rest of you to weigh in a bit more outside of combat and give her a hand!
Instinctively getting the feeling that Zharis isn't the type to murder him after he gives up the information he has, Zamun answers: "Commander Dmyr has one of the siccatite control rods, and General Khaim has the other. Dmyr will be in High Tether Command, but don't bother trying to get General Khaim's location from me--I don't think he's even on the station anymore." After Zharis announces the change in plans, there's another psychic intrusion. <What!? Wait!> bellows Mother Maelstrom telepathically. <That robe's mine! And you need us!> <Yes,> adds Old Nanite. <Be reasonable. We can help one another.> The corridor outside the forge, leading to the central hub, looks clear. Zharis: You identify the robes as those belonging to a void hag. You can wear a void hag’s robes as white carbon skin armor, or the robes can be worn as a cloak or tabard, offering no armor protection. In either case, you can treat the robe as a worn magic item. If you do so, you can use the void hag’s stardust robes special ability (as standard action, can release cosmos energies stored in robe. Creatures within 30’ take 2d6+10 force damage and are outlined in glowing motes of stellar energy for 2d4 rounds unless they make a DC 19 Reflex save to halve the damage and negate the outline effect (outlined creatures take a -20 penalty to Stealth checks and don’t benefit from the concealment normally provided by displacement, invisibility, or similar effects). Other void hags are immune to this ability.)) Once you use a given void hag robe, you can’t use another void hag robe for 24 hours. However, you can expend 1 Resolve Point to use the robe’s powers again during the same day, up to a maximum of three times per day.
Yep, keeping track can be a real challenge when there are several mooks each with different conditions (especially when durations of those conditions have to be tracked to boot)! At least these guys are riding combat-trained mounts, so you probably only need to remember the bonus for attacking from "higher ground" and the special mounted archery rules. In an AP I'm running, the PCs like to ride around on summoned mounts that *aren't* combat trained, so then they have to roll Ride checks every round just to control the things in battle . . .
Zamun replies. "The elevator can take you to High Tether and Low Tether commands, but you have to have the control rods inserted in each location's computer before you can move it." <Come along now, little ones. No time for idle chit-chat! Patrols will be here any minute.> says Old Nanite. <We can help you with all of this sordid business with the tethers and whatnot when the time is right.>
Tulgram & Zharis:
It seems like Old Nanite is intentionally trying to hurry you along so you don't have time to think about or pursue other priorities until she's gotten what she wants (the robes). GM Dice:
The gruff azer hems and haws, but clearly values his life more than loyalty to his masters. "You've no doubt already surmised the planar tethers are key to the invasion of the Burning Archipelago. By controlling them here in the Crucible, we can literally move Far Portal to provide direct passage of the Malikah's armies from the Plane of Fire to your plane."
Zharis quickly takes the robe from Chief Zamun--it's a beautiful work of art, displaying a vast, multi-hued storm that swallows starships. If there's any magic associated with it though, it doesn't seem to be working as the pahtra doesn't go anywhere. Mother Maelstrom's usually-stern telepathic voice seems delighted: <My robe! These beings are not as useless as I thought!> The calmer words of Old Nanite address you directly: <Patrols will be sent to find you, but there's still time if you move quickly. Head back into the corridor and take two lefts.>
Initiative (Round 7) Salamander
Bold should go!
Zharis has Chief Zamun start to strip while the others try to stop the fleeing salamander before he has a chance to sound the alarm! Amhesha and Tulgram wound the creature, but he slips outside the door, which closes behind him!
GM Dice:
Initiative (Round 6) Salamander
Bold should go!
Slithering through the narrow gap between Xylian and Amhesha, the salamander races for the door!
Folks, we've been moving pretty slow lately (as much as my fault as anyone), but I'm keen to pick up the pace so we can finish this final chapter before advancing AI makes me completely redundant :) Going forward, I'm going to bot a bit more aggressively if you haven't posted in 24 hours, so please make sure you have bot instructions in your profile to make life easier for me.
Initiative (Round 6) Salamander
Bold should go!
"I've got the exit covered!" calls out Hazl, as she rushes from the left side of the floor to block the salamander from escaping. Meanwhile, Chief Zamun reluctantly removes a battleglove and hands it to Zharis along with his sidearm. "I am a prisoner of war and demand to be treated with dignity," he says.
Sounds no fun! But no problem from my end.
As Zharis rushes to cover Zamun and Tulgram surges forward to catch up to the salamander, Theodore conjures a magical grenade that sends shrapnel into the creature's tail.
GM Dice:
Initiative (Round 5) Salamander
Bold should go!
Realising his own guards have turned against him, Zamun takes cover. "If you want the secrets of the tethers, you better protect me!" he shouts. The salamander snarls in disgust. "The Malikah will learn of your treachery," it spits before slithering rapidly toward the door. <Oh no! It's going to escape and alert the whole Crucible!> says the voice of Daughter Drift. <Well, at least they can still kill Zamun and get *my* robe,> replies Mother Maelstrom.
Tulgram tries to stop the salamander from blasting away at what could be a valuable source of information, but the creature uses its muscular tail to slap his capture pole away!
Initiative (Round 4) Salamander
Bold should go!
Chief Zamun slowly places his weapons to the floor, but bristles at being ordered to lie face down. "There's no need for that! I'm a senior member of the command staff of this facility and have earned dignified treatment! We can have a civilized conversation." But the salamander guard, caught in throes of bloodlust, has no thoughts toward surrender. And indeed, as a vehement declamation full of Ignan profanities indicates, perceives Chief Zamun's actions as sheer cowardice! Turning his snubnose shotgun the other direction, the salamander fires on Zamun! Ignan:
"This will still your traitorous tongue!"
GM Dice:
Although neither lands a blow, Tulgram and Zharis get the salamander guard penned in! Hazl tries to take advantage. Realising her rifle has had limited effectiveness, she drops it and rushes forward as if to tackle the beast, but stops short at the last second, producing the disintegrator that Zharis loaned her and blasting the salamander at point blank range!
GM Dice:
Of course! Sorry to hear that. Hope you get through it quickly.
"Wait!" shouts Chief Zamun, obviously desperately aware his doom is closing in. "Mercy, and I'll tell you what you want to know. Is this about the planar tethers?"
Initiative (Round 3) Salamander
Bold should go! Slowed:
Creatures affected by this spell are staggered. A slowed creature moves at half its normal speed (round down to the next 5-foot increment). Staggered: You can take a single move action or standard action each round, but not both, nor can you take full actions. You can still take swift actions, but not reactions.
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