Recap & Disposition

Our heroes are hurtling through a series of ramshackle tunnels hidden beneath the Jossian capital of Hevetplata. The identity and plans of whoever created them aren't entirely clear, but all intelligence gathered so far points to sabotage and destruction as their short-term goals.

Topside, the people of Hevetplata are in chaos, reeling from a peaceful transfer of power combined with a recent act of terrorism in the northwestern quarter of the city. You have found plenty of evidence suggesting the presence of several more of these bombs, though it's not clear how or when they are meant to be detonated.

Roger and Aviva have combined their technology to create a map of the tunnel complex, complete with the likely location of the remaining bombs planted beneath the city.

Their efforts to map the tunnel involved bright light and loud noises, which alerted whoever else was in the tunnels to their presence. Billy, Roger, Frank, Aviva, and Briggs are rushing toward these newly revealed individuals at a GD (10) pace, riding aboard an energy skiff created by Roger for this purpose.

Your efforts are complicated somewhat by an irritatingly persistent jamming/scrambling effect that has recently asserted itself throughout the city. No traditional electronic communications are working reliably at this time.

You have been given three hours to explore and map out the tunnels, which are too small to accommodate Joss, after which you are to return to the Architects with a full report of your findings. More than two hours remain on the clock as of this writing.

Other hanging threads:

- The results of the Choosing were 4 winners: two Joss with three votes apiece and two Joss with one vote apiece. One of the "thrice-Chosen" Joss is currently missing, and has been since shortly before the Choosing ended. The "thrice-Chosen" currently in command is a traditionalist; the missing one is much more open to embracing modern solutions, and the two were largely seen as rivals with competing factions at play in the city.

- There is an ongoing investigation going on regarding the murdered and dismembered Joss various members of the party witnessed yesterday and today.

- Lincoln, Fu-Chi, and (ostensibly) Featherlight were all injured earlier today, and are receiving care in the Guest House from the watchful Ibis. As an auger, her power grants the gift of healing, but you have only recently learned that she has no formal medical training.

- Lest you forget, all three groups of humans are hoping to secure certain diplomatic and political wins from the newly Chosen Architects. No meetings to this effect have had a chance to take place yet.

- Peyton and the shuttle are still safely hidden about an hour's hike from Hevetplata. Abraxas is stored there, though Xander is among the humans under guard at the Guest House. The shuttle is the only ground-to-air capable vehicle on the entire planet (so far as you know).

- Kayla is not due to return to Ceto (along with StarBlazer Station and the rest of the party's fleet) for several months.



This message was last edited by the GM at 17:40, Mon 12 June 2023.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 1):

"Please keep hands and arms inside the energy skiff and stay behind the line while the skiff is in motion." The skiff extends itself by a foot behind Roger to put some daylight between him and the Avivas. They are offered two handrails as consolation.

In reply to Yardbird (msg # 2):

The Avivas take the hint and give Roger some space, though they seem to approach the safety of the handrails as more of a suggestion, alternating between sides and shifting about as the vehicle is in motion.

In reply to Aviva (msg # 3):

The skiff careens through the tunnels at a goodly pace, its built-in lighting system banishing the darkness along the way.

You come around a bend in the passage and enter a straightaway that leads up to the end of the tunnel, where the passage widens out into a hollow bulb and appears to go no further.

Further observation is complicated by a pair of energy beams that lance out in your direction the moment you come into range!


[Energy Beams (vs Skiff): 9, 38]

The first blast misses high and wide, crackling over Roger's shoulder to spatter against the tunnel's rocky walls in a cloud of pebbles and debris.

The second shot, however, catches the skiff directly in the prow.

[Damage (Skiff): 50]

Aquamarine energy explodes upward from the impact point, which transforms the skiff into a cloud of rapidly dispersing vapor and sends you all flying!

OOC: Agility roll needed from all (former) passengers. Please post your results alongside your interpretation of what they might mean for the ease and grace with which you land on the cold, hard ground. Green or better avoids fall damage at this speed. White results will cost you 10 damage.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:32, Fri 16 June 2023.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 4):

"Get down, take co-" Briggs cries out, the rest of his warning lost amid the cacophony of the moment as the skiff disintegrates beneath him

[Agility: 9]

The Invictus lieutenant lands badly, tumbles head-over-foot, and crashes against the side of the tunnel in a heap.

[Damage (Briggs): 10]

When he fails to rise to his feet, you suddenly remember that nobody offered him any augmented healing when he was rescued from the hive...

[Lt. Briggs is DEFEATED]
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:42, Fri 16 June 2023.

In reply to The Watcher (msg # 5):

Ah shit. Those look familiar

Frank is already in motion as the lasers fully expose and make short work of the skiff and even shorter work of Briggs.

[Agility: 13 (46)]

Frank shouts in the general direction of Roger and Aviva, "I've got laser sponge. Stay down!"

You die by my hand, and no one else's.

[Bubble: 68]

Frank begins to shimmer, her physical form shimmering in a way that makes it incredibly difficult to focus on her. With a practiced slide she pulls herself aside Briggs, and places her distorted and shielded form over him.

Frank tosses a briefly forlorn glance toward Roger, before placing her back toward the laser embankment, and mounting Briggs. This is not who or what I had in mind.

She reaches into her hip-pouch and pulls out a pulsating green ampule, and fuzzy blue flower. The blue flower is rubbed firmly against the ampule, leaving behind both color and fuzz alike.

Frank closes her hands, brings her hands to her pursed lips, and exhales gently.

[Alchemy: 59 (91)]

Frank's hands visibly glow, though you hardly have time to notice as she takes and slams them down on Briggs mouth, palms opening and flattening the concoction into his mouth as she rather plainly slugs him.

You had it coming. Now let's hope you're as much of a fighter as you are a bleeder.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:55, Sat 17 June 2023.

Billy, lacking the reaction of Briggs to latch onto Roger's skiff, has a clear view from behind it as the skiff dissolves into a blue puff, "Just as I was regretting not grabbing on," he mutters to himself.  As he continues to jog to catch up he flicks at the side of his helmet, turning on his own lights and cycling to his combat HUD to try and get a better location for the source of the offending lasers.  He runs toward Frank and Briggs's location. "How much sponge?  This as big as you get, or can we do some kind of rolling barrier thing?" he questions as he tries to focus on the turrets.

In reply to Penelope Franklin (msg # 6):

Karma to Green
[Agility: 25 + 21 = 46, Success]

Roger's tuck and roll needs a little practice: he biffs it, but to no bad end.

"And that concludes our guided tour of these godsdamn caverns," he scowls as he brushes himself off. "You weren't kidding about the turrets!" he shouts, seeking cover.

He sets his lantern down in front of him and snaps his finger.

[Generate Ichor: 65, Success]

The light in his lamp burns brighter than ever.

"Bill, Frank - I might be able to boost it!" he calls over to them.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:54, Fri 16 June 2023.

In reply to Billy Laser Fist (msg # 7):

Frank wipes her hands on Briggs chest before standing up to respond to Billy. She angles a thumb over her shoulder toward Briggs.

He's the sponge, and an objectively good one it seems. I've done what I can to tend him.

Frank extends a protective arm towards Billy.

With that said, I'm not a bad sponge either, I'm only this big and you'll have to get and stay close.

Frank winks at Billy before reaching down and slinging a still incapacitated Briggs over her shoulder. She begins marching purposefully toward Roger.

Giddy up Tiger

In reply to Penelope Franklin (msg # 9):

"Stick with Bill. I'll get you from here," Roger says.

He swivels the lamp toward Frank and Billy, opening the chamber. The round, four-inch-tall flame sprouts legs again and leaps from its vessel, executing a much tighter bailout than Roger's moments ago. It darts across the floor of the cavern in a laser-dodging zigzag and when it reaches Frank's bubble, heaves itself into the field with reckless abandon.

[Imbue: 64, Success]

The field absorbs the flame, bolstering the bubble's integrity.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:59, Sat 17 June 2023.

In reply to Yardbird (msg # 10):

Whatever Frank shoved down Briggs's throat seems to have done the trick. By the time she has drawn near to Roger's side, the lieutenant has regained consciousness.

[Healing (Briggs): 40]

"Wha...what happened?" he says groggily from his place hefted above Frank's shoulder like a roll of angular carpet.

At roughly the same moment, Roger's walking lantern takes a leaping embrace over Frank's bubble, causing it to distort and shimmer with an aquamarine light. The end result looks somewhat sturdier than before.


Billy's HUD lights up internally as it attempts to hone in on source of the attack...
This message was last edited by the GM at 16:59, Mon 19 June 2023.

"They're farther than I expected.  I don't think I can fire back from here.  We're gonna have to get closer unless someone's hiding a bigger gun up their butt, so I hope this thing holds." Billy comments, looking around the bubble as Roger works his magic on it.