For a microsecond, the automaton’s internal logic gates hum with a rare, vestigial anticipation expecting the visual data to resolve into the silhouette of a long-lost brother, another mechanical survivor of ancient times. Instead, the light washes over a frustratingly familiar face. It is Sanvil Trett.
“Ah, Diligent Tangent,” Sanvil greets smoothly, his tone entirely conversational. “Good to see your gears are still turning. Lovely evening for a stroll through the Foundry, isn't it? How's Khonnir? I heard he was in a bad way."[/b]
Regret.
For a moment, the Diligent Tangent's usually-brilliant blue eye flickers and dims down to nearly nothing, like a candle that has lost all of its life.
Alone once again.
Regret. Regret. Regret.
But then, the automaton stirs in the stillness that follows. It hears hushed words. Cadence.
A prayer. And in that realization, it remembers what brought it out into the Foundry main-room to begin with.
Duty.
With renewed life, Diligent Tangent draws itself to its full height, towering over the comparatively average Sanvil Trett, its eye flaring in the dark. Its hammer returns to its hook on its side as it strides forth.
"Sanvil Trett," rumbles the Tangent in a genial, affable manner, bowing its head slightly. Its footsteps clank over the creaking and groaning floorboards as it aproaches. "My apologies! I took you for someone else completely. Forgive this old box of gears its fool moment. But what a coincidence to come across you, looking around for a source of light in this dark place, surely! A light which I happen to have, here, and shall lend to you." Without waiting for a reply or permission, the huge arcano-mechanical monolith presses the lit torch firmly into the merchant's free hand and guides the mortal's fingers to curl around it.
"I was just about to send Val looking for you. Surely, it is very lucky that you are here."
Gods, the Tangent's grasp is tight. Strong. And unlike that of a man made of flesh, it doesn't waver even a nanometer as it clutches a hand so much more comparatively... brittle.
"The hell?" Seoli tilts her head in confusion, "He's usin' a warehouse as an office? And a bar? How's he get anythin' done with all this noise?"
She'll rummage through the desk(?) near the door the party entered that she's standing near. Not in search of anything specific, but out of sheer curiosity.
Alpha-47 staggers inside, fighting the sound, "It. would. be. hard. to get work done. We might do him a favor by stopping the sound," He will join Seoli, walking up the stairs to get a better view perhaps of the Warehouse. "Gozznut, maybe check behind the door by the bar"
Stødig grits his teeth and walks up the stairs, his warhammer in hand, ready to use it to smash through the door if needed...and then to smash whatever is causing the annoying and debiliating sound.
With the unbearable pounding in his head causing him more pain than when he was guarding the door, he follows Alpha and Stodig up the stairs. He carries his maul in his hand ready for whatever may be waiting behind the door.
It appears that the desk is Garmen Ulreth's office away from Silverdisk Hall. A ledger book, some bills and letters and a few other office odds and ends lie on the desk but nothing that seems overly interesting or incriminating.
Gozznut cannot hear anything except the buzzing in his head when he leans against the door. The knob gives way in his hand, and does not appear to be locked as he and Stodig ready to burst through.
The barbarian is about to force the door open, when suddenly the door below, near the bar, opens. Standing there is Garmen Ulreth, saying something over his shoulder, presumably to someone else in the warehouse, before turning and seeing the lot of you in his office.
There is a moment when everything stands still...
At Foundry
The automaton’s internal subroutines track the smooth trajectory of the illumination source as it changes hands. Sanvil accepts the light, casually slipping the glowing technological scanner into a deep pocket with the practiced ease of a legitimate tradesman putting away a measuring tape. "My apologies for the surreptitious entry," Sanvil offers smoothly, his voice dropping to a low, confidential murmur. "Given the delicate nature of the current situation, I wished to avoid causing undue alarm to Khonnir, or drawing the notice of Father Joram. We all have our own agendas in Torch, after all."
The merchant steps closer, his demeanor radiating familiar camaraderie as he reaches out a hand to offer a friendly pat to the automaton’s armored shoulder. “It’s good to see you’re still functional, old friend—”
Sanvil’s arm doesn't deliver a friendly slap. Instead, his hand lunges forward with sudden, precise velocity. Glinting in the torchlight is a heavy, metallic disc roughly the size of a dinner plate, its under-surface suddenly sparking with a localized electromagnetic adherence field as he attempts to slam and lock it directly onto the Tangent's chassis.
Bahir shakes his head at the noise. It's aggravating but he can push his way through it. "What could cause such a noise"?
Initiative
The Diligent Tangent's words and outward behavior clearly belie its many, many years spent walking the surface of Golarion. Because when Sanvil Trett reaches to put the sparking, devious electromagnetic plate directly on the automaton's chest, he may perhaps be shocked to find that it is, in fact, already out of his reach.
"You deeply wound me, Sanvil," rumbles the Tangent amiably, its deep blue, soothing eye wavering. DT has now come to stand several feet away, directly blocking the door to Khonnir's bedroom. "Though your treachery missed its mark. I was present when you first came to Torch. An uncertain, unsure young man, with a small sack full of gears and alloy shards. All of it, admittedly, quite cheap and valueless."
The Tangent seems to sag at the memory. "But this one bought it all the same. Every single scrap. For twice your asking price. And I encouraged you to continue trying."
As he speaks, the deep blue of its eye changes to a fiery, angry red.
"Because everyone deserves a chance." It draws itself to its full height in that moment, clutching its battle-hammer once more, and withdrawing from its rucksack a glittering blue jewel on a silver chain, which it holds in its shield-hand. The gem sparkles in the torchlight.
The automaton looms over the comparatively smaller Sanvil Trett. Its intent is clear. And for the very first time in nearly four decades, the Diligent Tangent is now ready for combat.
"VAL," shouts DT commandingly over its shoulder. "Lock the door, child, and block it with anything you can find! NOW!"
At Foundry
The heavy, metallic disc sparks with violent electromagnetic energy as Sanvil Trett lunges forward, his arm striking like a coiled viper. The adherence field flares, hungry to lock itself onto ancient chassis plating and override centuries of autonomy.
But the merchant has fundamentally miscalculated his target. Despite his massive, towering bulk, the Diligent Tangent moves with a fluid, startling precision born of ancient engineering. With a low hum of internal gyros, the automaton effortlessly bends his frame backward out of the trajectory. The flat disc passes through empty air, its magnetic field snapping shut on nothingness.
Stepping back to anchor his stance, Tangent draws himself to his full height. The warm, soothing blue light of his central eye fractures, bleeding away into a sharp, burning, confrontational crimson. His massive battle-hammer clears its hook, and a glittering blue jewel on a silver chain catches the torchlight in his shield-hand. The peaceful caretaker of Torch is gone; an ancient engine of war stands in his place.
Sanvil recovers his balance, his face twisting as his casual merchant persona entirely evaporates into something cold and calculated. He doesn't look afraid only deeply annoyed as he right-sizes his grip on the device. "That's not how I remember it, Tangent," Sanvil sneers, his voice dropping all pretense of camaraderie. He scoffs at the mention of his youth, his eyes narrowing at the glowing red eye-lens. "You are a blind fool, and you have always been so." He glances dismissively over the automaton's shoulder toward the hallway beyond, completely unfazed by the titan blocking his path. "Val can lock the door for all I care. I am not here for her. And I am certainly not here for poor, broken Baine." He brings the sparking disc back into a ready position. "I'm here for something more valuable."
A Traitor in the House
22 Sanvil
18 Diligent Tangent
Sanvil grips the disc again, and tries to lunge at Diligent Tangent once more. The disk clamps on the metallic front of his armor/hide. Then it starts to glow a light purple color and emit a troubling vibration.
hit
What is in the Warehouse - Round 1
25 Alpha-47
24 Red Thug
24 Yellow Thug
21 Garmen Ulreth
21 Blue Thug
21 Stodig
18 Seoli
17 Green Thug
14 Bahir
12 Gozznut
9 Karina
As Karina tries not to hurl her lunch, Garmen enters the room surprising all of you with at least one tough looking bodyguard from the casino right behind him.
Vibrating slightly, "mmmm Garmen, what is in this warehouse, this is bad for the town,"
Diligent Tangent's red eye flares bright red as the violently-sparking disc slams into place on his torso.
"Val can lock the door for all I care. I am not here for her. And I am certainly not here for poor, broken Baine." He brings the sparking disc back into a ready position. "I'm here for something more valuable."
"There is NOTHING more valuable," the automaton growls, its defiance rising into a howl of unbridled pain as the disc flares with overwhelming, paralyzing energy.
What is in the Warehouse - Round 1 - continued
25 Alpha-47 (delaying)
24 Red Thug
24 Yellow Thug
21 Garmen Ulreth
21 Blue Thug
21 Stodig
18 Seoli
17 Green Thug
14 Bahir
12 Gozznut (43/50hp remain)
9 Karina
"Probably shoulda just minded your own business," says Garmen crossly in response to Alpha's reproach. "Can't really let you out of here now, can I?" He motions to the thug behind him who whistles sharply, and answering whistles are heard from the warehouse beyond.
Red Thug bursts into the room looking hungrily for someone to fight. He is dressed in studded leather armor and has a thick cord of rope wrapped around each meaty fist. He pushes through the office area, going toe to toe with Bahir, and making a wild haymaker punch. Even though the attack takes him a bit by surprise, Bahir is able to just counter the punch before it lands.
The door that Gozznut was about to smash before suddenly swings open, and another similarly attired thug is there making a pair of swings at the midsection of the barbarian, hitting once and knocking the wind out of Gozznut.
From the doorway, Garmen produces a hand crossbow, loads it, and fires at Seoli, who is directly in front of him. But the shot misses by a wide margin.
Blue Thug enters taking a position to shoot at the heroes on the steps with his sling but he drops the sling stone before it can fired, and no damage is dealt.
hit
| 2 people marked this as a favorite. |
As the thug bursts through the door and swings at Gozznut, Stødig puts his armored head in the way of the thug's strike, taking the hit meant for Gozznut with the back of his helmet, while he looks up at Gozznut and cracks a smile, "This one's all yours, big guy."
Stødig then steps towards the stair railing so he is closer to the thugs that just burst through the doors on the lower floor, raises his shield and shouts at the thug that has engaged in melee with Bahir,
"We were just checkin' out a noise complaint. But if you wanna turn this into a fight, I don't-" Seoli explains to Garmen, cutting herself off when his bolt flies past her and embeds itself in the wall. "Nice shot, idiot."
As Stødig distracts the red thug with his taunting, Seoli darts past to get up nice and close to Garmen and his now-empty crossbow.
What is in the Warehouse - Round 1 - continued
25 Alpha-47 (delaying)
24 Red Thug (taunted by Stodig)
24 Yellow Thug
21 Garmen Ulreth (5hp dmg)
21 Blue Thug
21 Stodig (50/55hp remain)
18 Seoli
17 Green Thug
14 Bahir
12 Gozznut
9 Karina
Stodig leaps in front of Gozznut, taking the gut punch but using his heavy armor to absorb some of the damage. He then turns and shouts at Red Thug, drawing its attention and ire.
Seoli uses the distraction to bound across the room, and land a punch against Garmen Ulreth, though her follow up strikes all miss.
Green Thug enters through the lower southern door, attempting to trip Seoli and knock her prone. Usually quite sure-footed, Seoli is surprised enough by the unexpected attacker that she does indeed fall prone in the face of a trio of enemies.
success
At Foundry
As the surprise attack from Sanvil is at first foiled, Diligent Tangent is not so fortunate the second time. The metallic disk adheres to his metal body with a soft click, and immediately, the automaton servos slow and then stop completely.The vibrant red glow of Tangent's central eye lens fractures into a helpless, stagnant hum as the paralyzing voltage locks his ancient frame into place.
Standing over the frozen titan, Sanvil Trett smiles broadly. The polite, soft-spoken merchant is completely gone, replaced by a calculating opportunist. He reaches out, tapping the side of the sparking disc with a smug sense of satisfaction. "Glad that tech still works," Sanvil says, his voice dripping with casual malice. "Sorry, old friend. You were supposed to be out with the others, doing whatever it is they are up to in town. But here you are instead." He sighs, shaking his head as he steps around the immobilized automaton to survey the room. "Complicates things, really. But I am headed to Starfall soon anyway. Just need to find out what's down there under the hill, and take anything good before I leave this dust heap behind."
Without another word, he turns his back on the paralyzed caretaker and begins casually rifling through the personal belongings left behind by the heroes, including turning over the chassis of the damaged drone resting on the work table to strip it for valuable components.
Apologies if my post is super confusing - that's intentional. I'm playing up DT's paralyzed condition. Mental-only actions are still possible while Paralyzed, so I'm using Recall Knowledge for all I'm worth!
Also just one note: Diligent Tangent has the Dubious Knowledge skill feat, which means that when it fails but doesn't Critically Fail its Esoteric Lore checks, I learn the correct answer and an erroneous answer, but I don’t have any way to differentiate which is which. This can occur as knowing something is significant, but not whether it’s good or bad.
[WARNING - CRITICAL ARC.CORE THRESHOLD]
[INITIATING CORE CONTINGENCY]
DIRECTIVE
function dropSensor(array, n=1) {
const length = array == null ? 0 : array.length
n = length - toInteger(n)
return length ? slice(array, 0, n < 0 ? 0 : n) : []}
[ALERT - SYSTEM SHUTDOWN]
[ALERT - SYSTEM SHUTDOWN]
[THREAT MODE ENGAGED]
[ANALYZING THREATS]
[Threat Identified - Foreign Voltage Discharge Device]
[Threat Identified - Sanvil Trett]
[Opportunity Identified - Technological Scanner]
[DIRECTIVE - DISENGAGE FOREIGN VOLTAGE DISCHARGE DEVICE]
Alpha-47 doesn't frown, but his sight turns grim at how things are resolving, he raises his holy symbol and an energy emanates out, inflicting bane.
At Foundry
Assuming the ancient automaton is completely dead to the world, Sanvil Trett doesn't bother keeping quiet. He moves systematically around the workshop, his expression a mask of professional disdain as he sweeps salvage, scrap components, and the stripped chassis of the damaged drone into a small canvas bag. "Always a mess, these backward towns," Sanvil mutters to himself, tossing a copper coupling into the bag with a sharp clink. He pauses, looking toward the hallway. "Wonder what did happen to Khonnir Baine down in that hole... I wonder if the masters back home would pay a premium for that intelligence. Though it likely matters little now. I'll check that out, and then come back for parts of Diligent here." He shakes his head, slinging the canvas bag over his shoulder. "Gods, I hate pilfering like a common thief. I'll be glad to turn my back on Torch for good after this."
Yet, beneath his locked, unmoving outer shell, Diligent Tangent's core processing unit is operating at absolute capacity. The paralyzing current has frozen his locomotive servos, but it cannot stop his mind. His tactical subroutines rapidly analyze the trader's words. Sanvil had always presented himself as a simple, traveling junk seller and collector, a harmless merchant of oddities. But the casual mention of Starfall and superiors sends a localized cascade through the Tangent's logic gates. Starfall is the seat of the infamous Technic League, the cruel, iron-fisted cabal that claims absolute dominion over all of Numeria's salvaged wonders. Perhaps Sanvil isn't a merchant at all but an agent.
The automaton's analytical core quickly pivots to the gear used against him. The scanner? A specialized sensor array designed to sniff out the unique electromagnetic signatures of exotic skymetals and dormant tech. And the disk pinning him? An advanced piece of off-world weaponry. Based on the localized gravity flux radiating through his chassis, the Tangent's processing unit surmises it functions by generating a hyper-polarized, localized magnetic field—essentially locking a metallic creature's frame against its own internal structural mass. As his digital mind maps out the physics of the trap, DT reaches a definitive conclusion: Sanvil Trett cannot be allowed to leave this room.
Stepping away from the workbench, Sanvil begins walking toward the door of Baine’s sickroom, his hand reaching out for the handle. He never gets to touch it.
Channeling every spare watt of his auxiliary power grid into a single, massive kinetic surge, the Diligent Tangent forces his central processors to override the magnetic lock. With a deafening, violent CLANG that echoes off the stone walls, the stasis disk flies off his metal chest plating, clattering uselessly across the floorboards. The crimson glare of the Tangent's central lens blares to life with terrifying intensity, his hydraulic pistons hissing with sudden, explosive locomotion.
Sanvil freezes, his hand dropping from the door handle as he slowly turns around, his face suddenly going pale as he realizes the titan behind him is free.
What is in the Warehouse - Round 1 - continued
24 Red Thug (taunted by Stodig, -1 to attacks 10 rds)
24 Yellow Thug (-1 to attacks, 10 rds)
21 Garmen Ulreth (5hp dmg)
21 Blue Thug
21 Stodig (50/55hp remain)
18 Seoli
25 Alpha-47
17 Green Thug
14 Bahir
12 Gozznut
9 Karina
Now that Garmen and his men have attacked, Alpha activates, casting a spell that fills the thugs around him with doubt and hesitation.
success
fail
fail
Good Save Stodig! Gooznut thanks!" Gozznut yells in the face of the Yellow thug and begins to rage as he draws his maul.
The Tangent blares to life, eye of crimson blaring with rage, as a single, ground shaking note issues forth from its head cavity, like the blast of a massive battle horn summoning troops to combat. Sanvil feels it reverberate through his chest, shaking his ribcage and sending his heart fluttering.
The Jistkan war machine lets out a savage roar like a rampaging bear, and hurls its hammer away with reckless abandon. Traitors do not get the privilege of civilized combat. Traitors get a terrifying and brutal end as they deserve.
It strides forth, a hand the size of the metallic paralysis disk reaching out and seizing Trett by the face before slamming the back of the Technic schemer’s head into the sickroom doorway with a BANG!
”TRAITORS, NO MERCY,” growls the automaton in a grating, metallic voice that sends a shiver of fear down Sanvil’s spine and sets his teeth on edge. ”TRAITORS RECEIVE EXECUTION AXE OF DAMMERICH. TRAITOR WILL GO TO EMPTY NOTHING, FOREVER.”
Karina's lute starts moving and spewing ice and snow everywhere (anyone who enters the square gets dazzled), and then a loud noise of horrible, awful music centers around Garmen and the blue thug, trying its best to bleed them from their ears as Karina tries her best not to hurl.
What is in the Warehouse - Round 1 - concluded
24 Red Thug (taunted by Stodig, -1 to attacks 10 rds)
21 Garmen Ulreth (12hp dmg)
21 Blue Thug (3hp dmg)
21 Stodig (50/55hp remain)
18 Seoli
25 Alpha-47
17 Green Thug
14 Bahir
12 Gozznut
9 Karina
Gozznut steps up to the thug at the door adjacent, and absolutely wallops the man, mangling and mashing his body into an unrecognizable heap. The thug is dead before the second hammer stroke ever lands.
Karina holds off her nausea long enough to cast a auditory spell that effects Blue and Garmen. She grins long enough to see both suffer damage, though Ulreth seems to bear the full brunt of it.
Bahir slips to attack Red, instills immanence in his weapon, adn attacks the nearest Thug, but the attack misses.
End of Round 1
success for half
fail
miss
What is in the Warehouse - Round 2
24 Red Thug (taunted by Stodig, -1 to attacks 10 rds)
22 Orange Thug
21 Garmen Ulreth (12hp dmg)
21 Blue Thug (3hp dmg)
21 Stodig (50/55hp remain)
18 Seoli (prone, off-guard; 30/41hp remain)
25 Alpha-47
17 Green Thug
14 Bahir
12 Gozznut (48/50hp remain)
9 Karina (sickened 1)
9 Purple Thug
Red Thug steps to the side of Bahir and attacks him with a pair of unarmed strikes despite the taunts dealt by Stodig earlier. But perhaps the taunting still affects the attacks as both miss wildly.
Another thug presents near the door where Gozznut has obliterated one thug already. This one punches at the barbarian twice. One lands a sharp blow that the raging barbarian hardly feels. The other misses.
Ulreth drops his hand crossbow and quick draws his rapier and dagger, comfortable fighting with both weapon at the same time. As part of the draw, he stabs at Seoli who lies prone in front of him. He hits her once, but only for mild damage before rushing across the room to flank Bahir
Blue Thug moves up and strikes Seoli in the prone position, one punch and one kick. The punch right in the kidney hurts but the deft monk avoids the kick.
miss
miss
hit
miss
hit
miss
hit
miss
At Foundry
Whipping into action, the Tangent is able to get the best of Sanvil, who was just trying to pass by. In a flash, the traitorous intruder is not only grappled but fully restrained by the angered automaton.
Unable to move, attack or cast a spell, Sanvil struggles to free himself from the iron grasp of Diligent Tangent. Stronger than he looks, Trett pushes the automaton off himm, and then steps 5's away. From this distance, he casts a spell causing 3 exact duplicates to form in the space, so that DT cannot tell one from another and which si the real foe.
Stødig sheathes his warhammer and draws his hatchet.
Stødig yells at the thug that just hit Seoli, and hurls his hatchet at the thug, but his aim is way off.
Alpha continues to maintain his Bane effect, pouring more divine energy into the spell, encompassing the room, which forcees enemies in the area that weren't yet affected to attempt another saving throw.
He then launches a divine lance at one of the thugs.
"Alright, you bastards asked for it!"
Using the nearby table for leverage, Seoli rises to her feet. After, she hops atop the table, swinging her legs around as she does so to kick at the blue thug.
◆ Stand
◆ Step
◆ Flurry
+
At Foundry
Whipping into action, the Tangent is able to get the best of Sanvil, who was just trying to pass by. In a flash, the traitorous intruder is not only grappled but fully restrained by the angered automaton.
Unable to move, attack or cast a spell, Sanvil struggles to free himself from the iron grasp of Diligent Tangent. Stronger than he looks, Trett pushes the automaton off himm, and then steps 5's away. From this distance, he casts a spell causing 3 exact duplicates to form in the space, so that DT cannot tell one from another and which si the real foe.
Diligent Tangent lets out another wall-rattling, bone-shuddering horn blast from inside its head cavity, its red eye flaring as Sanvil weasels his way out of the stone-and-steel grasp of retribution.
"DETESTED OF MA'AT WILL NOT ESCAPE," blares the Tangent, its voice reverberating painfully through Sanvil's jaws and teeth. It raises its blue-jeweled amulet, which flares brilliantly in the torchlight. In its other hand, it draws forth a beautiful white-and-black feather... an ostrich feather...?
The terrifying red-eyed construct stalks forward toward the many versions of Sanvil Trett, the floorboards creaking and splintering under its heel with each step. "TRAITOR WILL BE SCOURGED WITH SYMBOL OF MA'AT'S TRUTH. TRAITOR WILL FEEL PAIN OF BETRAYAL BENEATH GAZE OF MA'AT. TRAITOR WILL FEEL PAIN UNTIL MOVEMENT AND RESPIRATION CEASE."
And with that, the Tangent cocks back the fist clutching the ostrich feather and aims it one of Sanvil's many faces!
What is in the Warehouse - Round 2 - continued
24 Red Thug (-1 to attacks 9 rds, off-guard 1 rd)
22 Orange Thug
21 Garmen Ulreth (12hp dmg)
21 Blue Thug (6hp dmg; taunted)
21 Stodig (50/55hp remain)
18 Seoli (prone, off-guard; 30/41hp remain)
25 Alpha-47
17 Green Thug (-1 to attacks, 10rds)
14 Bahir
12 Gozznut (48/50hp remain)
9 Karina (sickened 1)
9 Purple Thug
Moving his attention to one of the cowardly thugs attacking the prone monk, Stodig shouts at this man, who spins to stare just as Stodig attempts to launch his throwing hatchet across the room but it slips from his hand and falls harmlessly at his feet instead.
Leaping to her feet, with fresh wounds to show for it, Seoli bears down on and creates a flurry of blows against Blue Thug, hitting twice but just for minimal damage.
Alpha's spell attack just misses doing any damage, but he does expand the range of the Bane spell where it catches Green Thug who falls under the debuffing influence.
Green Thug feints against Seoli, but is wise to his moves and counters the attack easily, blocking his punch with her forearm. Green then moves around behind the monk, without entering the strange icy space near Karina.
crit fail
fail
miss
At Foundry
Running subroutines that might lead to lethal force for the first time in a long time, Diligent Tangent steps forward menacingly and swings a metal fist at the multiple images of Sanvil. It scores a hit but the forceful blow only meets air as one of the duplicates is popped. 3 total images still remain.
A harsh, metallic rasp echoes through the workshop as Sanvil draws a longsword from the scabbard at his hip. Raising the blade, he murmurs an incantation; instantly, a sickly, pale blue glow ignites along the edge, the ominous light fracturing across his three illusory mirror images in perfect, haunting synchronization. He looks at you, his features twisting into a wry, condescending smile.
"This could have been so much easier had you just stayed in stasis mode, old friend," Sanvil says, his tone deceptively conversational despite the deadly aura humming from his blade. "But now? Now I am going to have to dismantle you, and truly, no one wants that extra mess. Look on the bright side, though - I am certain your chassis and internal components will be absolutely fascinating to my masters in Starfall. So, a win-win? Well... maybe not for you."
At Foundry
"This could have been so much easier had you just stayed in stasis mode, old friend," Sanvil says, his tone deceptively conversational despite the deadly aura humming from his blade. "But now? Now I am going to have to dismantle you, and truly, no one wants that extra mess. Look on the bright side, though - I am certain your chassis and internal components will be absolutely fascinating to my masters in Starfall. So, a win-win? Well... maybe not for you."
Diligent Tangent stops entirely, staring down at the now-humming, ominously glowing sword in Sanvil’s grasp, its crimson gaze playing across the edge and commingling with the raw, barely-restrained deadly energy of the blade.
The automaton raises its buckler, snapping into a defensive pose. It then surges forward, directing a Tian-esque rigid martial hand pose straight at one of the multiple illusory Sanvil’s.
[ooc][Diligent Tangent will Raise Shield - AC is now 22. He will then attempt to Disarm.]
As it does, the Tangent’s eye flares a brilliant and blinding pure white!
”ALARM! ALARM!! THE TRAITOR’S DANGER IS MAXIMAL! SAFETY PROTOCOLS ARE AS THE VOlD BEFORE THIS PERIL!”
As he roars the great and terrible warning, up-to-now unseen channels and grooves carved into the Tangent’s stone and alloy body begin to trace in long, geometric paths up its limbs and torso and down its legs, framing its impassive yet frightening face as it continues to assail the Technic League stooge that was once a trusted friend.
”SELF-DESTRUCTION IS NOW ASSURED IN THIRTY SECONDS! THE TRAITOR AND THE FOUNDRY SHALL BE BATHED IN THE CLEANSING FLAME OF PICOPERI! THERE IS NO ESCAPE FOR THE TRAITOR!”
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
At Foundry
The iron pistons of the ancient war machine hiss with furious intent as the Diligent Tangent lunges forward. He attempts a sweeping disarm to wrest the glowing, magically imbued longsword from Sanvil’s grip, but as the Tangent’s arm cuts through the air, it shatters one of the shifting duplicates with a sharp pop of displaced illusion, leaving only a single extra mirror image swirling around the traitor.
Determined to break the rogue merchant's composure, the Tangent’s vocal processors blare a terrifying, rhythmic warning countdown, mimicking a critical core destabilization and an imminent self-destruct sequence. For a fraction of a second, the gambit works flawlessly. Sanvil’s eyes widen in genuine panic, his pale face draining of color as he looks at the massive, ancient reactor housing standing right in front of him. But the panic quickly dissolves into a cold, calculative sneer as he sizes up the automaton's current mechanical state. He smiles, a dark and wicked expression, as he raises his blade. "Nice try,"Sanvil retorts, his voice dripping with venomous confidence. "But even if you aren't lying... I can do an awful lot of damage to you in thirty seconds, old friend.""
Attacking with some urgency, Sanvil drives his glowing sword forward in a hearty, aggressive flurry of slashes. His first strike comes down with lethal force, but it meets the solid, perfectly timed opposition of the Tangent's buckler. A deafening, metallic CLANG rings through the workshop, sending a shower of pale blue and silver sparks cascading into the dark corners of the room. Rebounding off the shield, Sanvil overextends wildly on his follow-up swing, the blade slicing completely empty air.
miss barely
miss
”IMMOLATION AWAITS IN TWENTY-FOUR SECONDS! PICOPERI'S WRATH BE UPON THIS PLACE," howls Diligent Tangent's increasingly distorted, rasping voice, full-throated promises of destruction engulfing the workshop room. Thank the Gods Khonnir's door was closed against the noise, that it would drown out the cacophony somewhat for Master Pyle's ritual ministrations.
"NO AMOUNT OF DAMAGE SHALL DETER A VENGEANCE OF FLAMES!" The Tangent surges forward again, sending a flurry of closed-fisted punches and backhands at Sanvil's face and abdomen!
Amulet's Abeyance
Trigger: The target of your Exploit Vulnerability would damage you or an ally within 15 feet of you.
Requirements: You're holding your amulet implement and are benefiting from Exploit Vulnerability.
You forcefully present your amulet to turn away harm. You or a target ally within 15 feet gain resistance to all damage against the triggering damage. The resistance is equal to 2 + your level (5).
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
The workshop fills with the grinding whine of overcharged hydraulics as the Diligent Tangent locks his posture, snapping his heavy buckler into a tight defensive position. Sensing an opening through the swirling maze of illusions, the massive Jistkan war machine drives a heavy metal fist forward in a brutal, straight punch. The blow cuts right through the deceptive twilight of the room; while one of the shifting images flickers harmlessly, the real Sanvil is a fraction of a second too slow to dodge. The steel knuckles catch him with a solid thud. It’s only a minor, glancing blow against his shoulder, but it’s enough to break his stance and draw a sharp gasp of pain from the traitor.
Wincing, Sanvil scrambles backward half a step to regain his footing. His condescending smile is entirely gone now, replaced by a desperate, frantic snarl. Muttering a rapid, clipped incantation, he channels another surge of unstable arcane energy directly into his longsword. The pale blue luminescence along the edge flares violently, crackling with fresh, dangerous power. With a two-handed grip, Sanvil brings the empowered blade down in a furious, whistling arc meant to cleave the automaton in two.
The glowing edge strikes home, but the Tangent’s tactical positioning saves him. The lethal blow lands squarely against the thick, overlapping sheets of half-plate armor protecting the automaton torso. A spray of blue sparks erupts into the dark workshop as the blade glances harmlessly off the reinforced steel, leaving nothing but a shallow, smoking score mark on the metal casing. No damage dealt.
Deafened by the booming, rhythmic alarms still blasting from the automaton’s chest cavity, Sanvil covers one ear with his off-hand, his face contorted in sheer rage. "Shut up! Shut up, you worthless heap of junk!" Sanvil shouts over the din, his voice cracking with panic. "Stop this infernal racket before I tear your vocal processors out myself!"
miss
”THE TEARING OF THE VOICE SHALL NOT SPARE THE TRAITOR ITS HORRIFIC DEATH! EIGHTEEN SECONDS UNTIL ALL IS THE FLAME OF VILDEIS!”
Diligent Tangent crowds in to prevent Sanvil using his arcane blade effectively, and once again assails him repeatedly, attempting to unsettle his grip on his weapon and dislocate his jaw from the rest of his skull!
(Success: Sanvil is at -2 circumstance penalty to attack until he uses an Interact action to fix his grip, and I’m +2 on attempts to disarm until he does.)
[Raise shield, Amulet’s Abeyance if Sanvil does damage.]
Gozznut, still raging attacks the orange thug infront of him with multiple blows of his maul.