"Buried Alive"

Just outside the Paragon Sewer Network...

A series of glowing crimson orbs shoot out the Kings Row Sewer Entryway and roll to a stop before dissipating entirely revealing Detective Martinez and her squads...along with the remaining Outcasts.

The Brick looks ready to snap his restraints as a dozen or so targetting lights dot his frame. "Don't even THINK about it..." scowls Detective Martinez as the Outcasts are rounded up to be loaded into the Containment Van.

"They don't look like the Mole, Ma'am...he's about four feet tall, and..." states the driver.

"Stow it, Patterson!" she snaps in response as she reaches in to grab the receiver from the passenger side.

"Dispatch, we have a containment breach down in U-Sector. The Abandoned Sewer Security Gate is out of commission and that freaking Rikti experiment is on the loose - we need backup, yesterday!" She pauses momentarily, her face etched with worry, "CF, do you copy?" Static is her only response from the Van's radio.

"There's a lot of interference, Ma'am..." states the driver in a flat tone, "I've been tryin' to contact you but all I got was..."

His words are cut off abruptly as the Van's seismic sensor begins pinging once more...loudly.

"Aw shoot, Ma'am...we gotta problem..." the driver exclaims. "U-sector just..."

Detective Martinez doesn't bother listening to the rest as she continues to shout into the receiver, "CF? Crimson Fury! Goddamn it, Mark...ANSWER ME!"

***

Just outside the collapsed area...

The Mole and Black Raven hold onto the sides of the pipe they were crawling up for dear life as it shakes and rattles violently while the sound of grinding metal and stone resonates deafeningly.

Eventually, the ruckus abates and the Mole collapses clutching his head. "Max, are you okay?" Raven exclaims as she wraps her arms around him protectively.

He only grunts and groans in response, "Feels like the Fourth of July just went off inside my head!" He takes a few deep breaths before staggering to his feet, "I'm okay...I'm..."

The Mole looks suddenly shocked for a moment before stammering, "Wait...what the...oh no..."

"What IS it, Maxxie?" Raven asks earnestly.

"There's people still DOWN there!" The Mole states with a pale expression.

***

First of all, everyone is now operating under the Solo affiliation. No one immediately knows where anyone else is.

Secondly, everyone has a 'Pinned Under Debris' Complication at a D10 value. Everyone is almost completely pinned underneath the copious amounts of debris.

Normally, this would be lethal (or at the very least a D12 Complication), but Crimson Fury, Windwallker, Roulette, Daneil Essex and Strix are anything but normal. So, before posting your first action, submit a narrative explaination as to how your character managed to avoid being crushed as part of your action post (i.e. - erected a protective field at the last second, or just blind luck being caught between two slabs that formed an arch).

You've got some wiggle room, but not much, though even if you eliminate your complication entirely, it still doesn't mean you're free from the debris - it's just no longer restricting and/or interferring with your actions. The possiblilty of being crushed by the sheer volume and weight of the debris above you is very eminent.

As stated in the Cave-In's SFX, it's just rock and dirt so it won't be affected by any kind or sort of mental or emotional stress and/or complication. The Cave-In is also highly unstable, any Physical Action may lead to the character's condition worsening as stated in the Nature Abhores A Vacuum and Shifting Bricks SFX's. Opportunities rolled will most assuredly make things worse either causing the character to become further pinned by debris...or cause another character to suffer the same, and attempts to Stress Out the Cave-In may cause further debris to collapse.

The only thing the Cave-In is going to try and do on it's action is to Crush everyone which will take the form of Physical Stress as the dust and dirt makes it difficult to breath...and the sludge slowly seeping in (now that it's not being consumed) makes for a very real and unpleasant way to go. Once a character is stressed out, their part of the Cave-In collapses entirely - they'll take D6 Physical Trauma and will need rescued promtly!

Since two of the Cave-In's SFX's are based purely upon whether or not Opportunities are rolled, attempting to perform large sweeping effects could lead to calamitous results...though if the Doom Pool is depleted, the debris will have settled somewhat (for the time being) until further die are added to the Doom Pool.

The question that remains is how do the characters get out of the Cave-In without inadvertently causing harm to the other characters, or themselves, in the process.

Doom Pool: 2D6

Collapsed Abandoned Sewer Entryway
Tons Of Debris
Who Turned Out The Lights?
Seeping Sludge

Cave-In
Large Scale Threat: 5D8
Crush: D10
SFX) Nature Abhores A Vacuum: On a reaction roll vs a Physical Action, Activate An Opportunity in order to add a LST Die (8D8 max), or use the effect die to inflict a 'Pinned Under Debris' Physical Complication to target committing the action. If target is complicated out of scene, inflict D6 Physical Trauma to target.
SFX) Shifting Bricks: On a failed reaction roll vs a Physical Action, Activate An Opportunity in order to double the target's effect die, then redirect the additional die to another unaffiliated target as a 'Pinned Under Debris' Complication. Targets complicated out of scene take D6 Physical Trauma.
SFX) Weight Of The World: When using Crush as part of an attack action, add a D6 and add an affect die for every addition target.
SFX) It's Just Dirt: Ignore Emotional/Mental Stress or Complications at no cost.
LIM) Easily Manipulated: Add a die to the Doom Pool and step up the effect die caused by Earth Control, Burrowing, Science Specialty or other similarly related powers/abilities.
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:52, Sun 02 Jan 2022.

The rocks fell, and everyone vanished from Fury's sight. Even his red glow was blocked off by tons and tons of rubble. Stone and dirt slammed into him, seeking to crush his body and fracture every bone to pulp.

Expect it did not happen.

Even as the damage tried to get through his aura, all it conducted was pain. Agony he would have felt, but his flesh was untouched due to the solid red plasma coating him. That pain fed his rage, and his rage fed the aura. The more the rocks hurt him, the stronger the field became.

Even as the darkness all around him closed in, lit only by his dull red light, he remembered the last time he had been buried alive.

"Pristine? Are you down there!? CORPRAL, SOUND OFF!" He had heard from above. The IED had been extra potent. It not only took out his truck, but blew a crater under what was left of the vehicle. The Humvee had fallen into the newly formed pit, and while it was unarmored due to military cheapness, Mark had been sitting in the perfect spot to avoid a majority of the shrapnel.

"Tommy!? Tommy, they are digging for us!" He said, looking around and taking out his flashlight. His friend should have been lucky too...but he was not. What was left of Tommy was all over the inside of the vehicle. The metal bits of truck had shot the body away from Mark, thus insuring the blood spray on the other side of the passenger section.

Mark's heart froze as he saw it, and thought about another man's family he would have to contact stateside. He just stared, ignoring the calls from the outside, and felt the rage pour into him at this theft. This waste of a precious life. All because of the lies Tommy, him, and countless others had been told about this war.

Mark blinked, the image ending and he looked about. The red bubble surrounding him as he saw nothing but rocks blocking out all other light. He needed to get to the others. He needed to get out. They had used a M-9 Armored Combat Earthmover to get him out of the pit last time. He had actually repaired that unit after he recovered.

Mark saw the wedge, the trends, and the scoop mechanism in his mind. Gritting his teeth and growling, he formed the top of his bubble into a similar device, made from solid plasma. He also added a superheated drill, planning to use his forward momentum from a backwards blast to make headway...

OOC:

16:58, Today: Crimson Fury rolled 3,4,2,8,3 using d10,d4,d12,d10,d8 with rolls of 3,4,2,8,3.  Creating Asset. 17:20, Today: Crimson Fury rolled 3 using 1d6 with rolls of 3. for SFX

Solo-D10
Who turned out the lights?-d4(+1 PP)
Durability-d12
Blast-d10
Tech-d8

Sfx-Constructs: Gets +1 step effect die, and +1d6 to roll.

Spending 1 PP to extend duration of asset and 1 PP to add to roll

Total=15
Effect die=d12+(using base d12, and getting a +1 step from construct Sfx)

1 xp-relates his military experience to current situation
This message was last edited by the player at 14:41, Mon 03 Jan 2022.

Windwalker laid on his back.  A few stones poked into his back but he had dealt with harder more painful beds than this one he now laid on.  His senses expanded.  He breathed slowly very slowly.  Slowing his breathing so he was almost but not quite dead.  In hibernation state.  One with the world around him.

---

The first mobster walked over to Windwalker and kicked him.  Windwalkers body moved like any dead body.
Two holes in his cloth slowly oozed blood.  Yes he is dead.  Crazy old man.   Why he thought he could take on two guards with guns with his bare hands I don't know.  Yep Crazy old man.  The two gangsters laugh to each other as they talked about the stupid crazy Chinese man they had just killed.
Windwalkers dead body lay for many hours with the gangsters throwing stones at it.  It gave them something to do as people and items move in and out of the hideout.  Nothing else interesting happened that day.  Sometime later that day two minor members of the gang pick the body up and dumped it in on the river.  It slowly sank to the bottom of the river.  Then it swam away.  The gang boss could never find the snitch that ratted on their activities that day and he killed a few people trying.
Everybody knows a dead body cannot be a snitch.  That day Windwalker used his serenity.  Each time he uses it his self control grew.  His freedom a small step closer.  Keeping his mind free.  That would give him his freedom but the cost would be for him to lose his serenity but just for a while.  His serenity would come back to him.  It always did.

---

The emperor's soldier kicked the three monks bodies.
First Soldier:- So much for the great monks of the temple and their art of fighting.
Six of us was all it took.  Bit of hard steal and they went down easy.  Oh your yellow robe all covered in blood.  The emperor will be pleased.
Second Soldier added.  He told us to burn the temple and bodies.
First Soldier:-  Burning the bodies going to be a pain.  Take to long and the smell.  We killed them.  They are dead.  Just throw them off the cliff.
The Three monks bodies where thrown off the mountain.  That night three dead bodies got up and walked away.  As far as The Emperor was concerned the monks where dead.  Nobody was going to send any soldier out to kill monks that are already dead!  That would just be silly.  It took a long time for The Emperor to work out who it was going around his empire undoing all his orders and killing his soldiers.  Funny what three dead monks can do when they want to.

---

As the tunnels around him started to collapse for once Windwalker knew he had to save himself first.  He hated doing this but if he was dead them nobody would be on the ground to help the others.  To heal them.  With strength, quick reflexes and his ability to move the air around him windwalker pick two nice sized lumps of concrete.  In one of the corners so he had good solid side to his coffin.  One slap would be the lid to his coffin and one the head peace with the floor the coffin's  bottom.  The triangle shape coffin was just right.  The monk could fit in the gap it made.  As he laid peaceful in his coffin he knew using his serenity he could live like this for a few days.  He laid in peace in his new coffin.   The others however could not lay in their coffins like Windwalker.  No.  Slowly he stretched out his mind.  The blob had gone away but it would be back.  And windwalker had an idea about that.  The monk expanded his mind out to feel his environment.

No roll just story. 

As he did the monk was trying to remember how many times he been berried alive so he would be dead, berried as they thought he was dead, left for dead, dumped off cliff because he was dead.  People stopped looking for him as he was dead.  This seemed to be a recering event in his life.
It was he reflected, nice to be dead.  It always felt so relaxing.

AS Daniel had already had a shield surrounding him just prior to the collapse it was by such luck or maybe the luck of Roulette that the ceiling had come down while his barrier was still active. Crouching down and focusing on the weight above him and all that could go wrong at any moment. Had he been alone he would have just made an attempt to just telekinetically blow everything away, but he wasn't alone.

 As dark as it was he couldn't even tell if anybody was near him. Between focusing on his powers and trying to remember everyone's position before the collapse he started to wonder if he was the only to make survive so far. As he eased off his shield by shrinking it down, he noticed nothing was collapsing on him further. Perhaps by chance the rubble had surrounded the barrier and is holding itself up. Part of him worried about the situation yet that other part of him that was his ego, laughed it off. He'd be afraid or worried when he was dying or dead but right now, one way or another he was going to survive this. First thing's first he thought to himself as he called out "EVERYONE ELSE ALIVE!?"

Diagnostic Running……..

Diagnostic Complete. Symbiosis stable at 87%.
Flight power offline.
Internal power rerouting to structural integrity.
Current endoskeleton status….immobile.
Memetic material at surface area capacitance.
Avalanche protocol initiated.
Endoskeleton ready for retrieval.


Strix resumed function as their systems recalibrated to the surrounding rubbles and debris. The avalanche protocol had likely save them from being scrapped. Strix was not a big fan of the protocol, as it took their agency away in an automatic attempt to save the whole. The techno-symbiote had spread itself as thin as possible from the endoskeleton to reduce damage. The small, in some places paper thin, cross section reconstituted around their frame in a small pocket that had been clears by the two parts.

Strix observed that they were alone. At least, visually cutoff from the others. That was fine. Survival trumped reunion. After all, they did not get paid to make friends. Strix began to compute the easiest path for excavation, using the strength of the frame with the memetic alloy to scoop, slide, and shuffle in the cracks and crevices to get by.

Intent Create Asset ‘Avalanche Protocol’
Solo: D6
Opportunist Distinction: D8
Stretching: 2D8
SFX: Versatile
Result: 13, D8 effect

21:10, Today: Strix rolled 17,5 using 3d8,1d6 with rolls of 6,7,4,5.  Asset creation. –

Reaction to CF

Okay, in order to create that asset, you'll actual have the Cave-In resist as it's all that weight bearing down making the formation of certain aspects of the asset difficult, LST: 5D8
Literally Tons Of Debris: D8
Being pinned underneath makes it a challenging venture: Physical Complication - Pinned Under Debris: D10

Today: Mender Phantasm rolled 25,7 using 6d8,d10 ((2,6,3,3,7,4,7)).
Total:14
Effect: D8
Opps: 0

As the energy silhouette of the Earthmover begins to manifest, searing hot plasma scorches the nearby rock and debris alleviating a bit of confining space Crimson Fury feels himself pinned under, but will need a bit more before he aims to use his creation to move about.

Alright, you succeed in creating the D12 Asset...the additional + translates into an additional D6 effect die. Since it won't be possible to move anywhere until the Physical Complication - Pinned Under Debris is eliminated, the D6 effect die could be used to step back the Physical Complication to a D8. In this instance, the complication can be stepped back if your effect die isn't equal to or greater by -1 step as long as your action succeeds. The complication won't step back at all if the action fails.

***

Reaction to Strix

Now this is what I like about this game...right now, Strix is pinned underneath debris...but he also has D10 Stretching, so he can narratively stay pinned under debris and still work on trying to get out, he just won't be able to leave the scene until he gets himself unpinned. I'm going to go out on a limb and say that the reason such is the case is due to key components essential for Strix's functionality are pinned (or something of that nature).

Again, Cave-In (5D8), Tons Of Rock (D8) & Physical Complication - Pinned  Under Debris (D10).

Today: Mender Phantasm rolled 26,1 using 6d8,d10 ((6,5,2,7,4,2,1)
Total: 13
Effect: D8
Opps: 1

At the fringes of Strix's extensions, myriad tools and miniature devices begin forming and start going to work probing and prodding for the most effective way to progress through the collapsed section of sewer. Certainly, Strix could stretch one appendage until it breached the surface, but he needed to reclaim the parts of himself that were immobilized before he coould consider trying to depart the area entirely.

Avalanche Protocol D8 created.

In reply to Mender Phantasm (msg # 6):

OOC-Reducing the complication to a d8. Do I need to roll against the doom pool to create the assets as normal, or am I rolling against the cave in itself? I should I roll again against the cave in?

Also, what is the result of Daniel's telepathy? Daniel, are you gonna make a telepathy roll to make contact with us?
This message was last edited by the player at 20:54, Wed 05 Jan 2022.

As the entire sewer network collapsed in upon them, Roulette used her Reflexes and Combat training to duck for as much cover as possible beneath large items that came to rest near her.
She manipulated Luck to provide her some safe space within which to breathe and hide ...

... by Luck, the way the dirt, concrete and structures fell around her, Roulette was left with an easy and immediate opportunity to Tunnel Up through which she could start digging her way out of this mess.


REACT to the Complication forming around her to minimise its effect
d6   Solo
d8   The Lady’s on my side
d10 Luck Manipulation
d8   Reflexes
d10 'Lucky Grrl' Asset

- rolled 4,5,8,2,2 using d6,d8,d10,d8,d10
Total: 13
Effect: d10
Opps: -
Spend 1PP to create secondary Effect:  'Tunnel Up' Asset (d10)

Alright, Large Scale Threat: 5D8
Tons Of Rock: D8
Physical Complication - Pinned Under Debris: D10

Today: Mender Phantasm rolled 15,3 using 6d8,d10 ((2,1,4,3,3,2,3)
Total: 7
Effect: D10
Opps: 1

Wow, well...+6, exceptional success. You can step up one of your effect die +1 step. Since D10 will eliminate the Pinned Under Debris Complication, the other D10 can be stepped up creating a D12 Tunnel Up Asset.

With just a simple twist of her ankle, Roulette is able to get out from underneath the fallen debris with seemingly no effort. On top of that, as she works her ankle free, she can see a crampt tunnel leading upward...quite possibly almost all the way out from underneath the cave-in! Lucky Grrrl, indeed!

Laying still in this coffin Windwalker concentrates.
Slowly he pulls the dust and Sludge in the air around him so that it concentrated where his hands are.
Then using the long years of unarmed combat training of hitting sand making his hands hard.
He pressures the dust, Sludge and Debris into small bricks.  Hoping to remove the dust and slug out of the area and make it safe to breath and so less sludge to drown in.

OOC:
I think this is an attack in the dice.  As Windwalker is not moving or trying to get out at the moment but.
Also not sure but maybe as I doing this will help other breath I do total re-roll with 3d10 and 1d8?

OOC:
Windwalker tries to remove the dust, debris and sludge out of the area to make small bricks.  Which maybe helpful later.

OOC:
D8  Affiliations: Solo
D8  Profession: The Ways of the Monk.
D10 Serenity. (Monk Trained).
D10 Master Unarmed Combat.


01:43, Today: Windwalker rolled 13,5 using 2d10,2d8 with rolls of 6,7,1,4.  Making bricks out of slug and dust.

Results: 13  Effect: d8 Opp:1
This message was last edited by the player at 01:01, Thu 06 Jan 2022.

Once he was sure he was settled and there was no danger he reached out with his power to the minds of his team. then further to reach to Detective Martinez. Using his power to link their thoughts in a telepathic version of a group call.

OOC the Offline zoom meeting
AFF: Solo D10
Dis: Mutant Supreme D8
Trait: Telepathy D10
Spec: Psyche D8

22:50, Today: Daniel Essex rolled 4,6,8,8 using d8,d8,d10,d10 with rolls of 4,6,8,8
Use 1 PP to add a dice to total
Total: 18
Effect: D10

Reaction to Windwalker

This'll be a weird dice pool. Okay, so Windwalker tries to acquire enough dirt/dust to make bricks. The cave-in is in opposition since it would be the source of the dirt/dust, Large Scale Threat: 5D8. I'll apply it's Tons Of Rocks distinction at a D4, because if there's tons of rocks...there's tons of dirt (Doom Pool gains a die, Doom Pool is now 3D6). The question is, can Windwalker access it, Physical Complication - Pinned Under Debris: D10.

Today: Mender Phantasm rolled 29,6,1 using 5d8,d10,d4 ((5,5,5,6,8,6,1)
Total: 14
Effect: D10
Opps: 1

Windwalker finds himself incapable of acquire all of that which he felt was needed to create bricks, but as he scrounged around from his pinned position...he hears a rumbling.

I activate Windwalker's opportunity, spending a die from the Doom Pool (Doom Pool is now 2D6) to enable Nature Abhores A Vacuum, and add a D8 to the LST trait. Cave-In is now a 6D8 LST.

Reaction to Daniel Essex

A 2D6 Doom Pool opposes Daniel's action, so it's not a question if he succeeds, but how well. Technically, everyone is now aware of each other and can use their Team affiliation die for further actions (which will eliminate the Shifting Bricks SFX).

Today: Mender Phantasm rolled 7 using 2d6 ((6,1)
Total: 6
Effect: Default D6
Opps: 1

Performing such a task seems trivial to Daniel as he is able to establish a network of minds like a spider weaves a web. He is instantly aware of everyone and where they are at...including Detective Martinez.

Daniel scored an exceptional success which leaves him with an additional D6 effect die to be decided upon by Daniel.

Cave-In's Action

Deep below, a rumbling can be heard as if something underneath gives way. Everyone finds themselves once again at risk of becoming pinned by volumes of debris!

Cave-In (6D8), Tons Of Rock (D8) and Crush (D10) along with the Weight Of The World SFX (add 4D6, keep 4 additional effect die. Intent: Cause 'Pinned By Debris' Physical Complication (or step up Complication if already present).

Today: Mender Phantasm rolled 23,3,16 using 6d8,d10,4d6 ((5,7,2,4,3,2,3,6,1,6,3)
Total: 13
Effect: Physical Complication 'Pinned By Debris', D10 Crimson Fury, D8 Windwalker, Roulette, Strix and Daniel Essex.
Opps: 1

In reply to Mender Phantasm (msg # 12):

Mark grunted under the pain of the shifting rocks. His aura flared from the sheer weight of the world baring down on him. He gritted his teeth, ready to face this alone, as always...

But then he felt them. All of them. All around him, he could almost see them in his mind, all alive and fighting to stay that way. "I'm coming! I wont let us die here!" He needlessly said out loud as well as thought the words for all to hear. His construct earthmover burrowed through the stone, melting it as his energy vechile moved to get to his team.

Ooc:
22:49, Today: Crimson Fury rolled 8,2,1,2,5,5 using D8,d4,d12,d10,2d8,d12 with rolls of 8,2,1,2,1,4,5.  Reaction.

Team=d8
Tons of rubble=d4(+1 pp)
Durability=d12
Blast=d10
Combat=2d8
Asset=d12

Total=17
Effect die=d10
Spending a pp to use the counterattack and another to add to roll. Effect=removing complication on me.

2 opps.

As we are using team again, does that limit what the shifting rubble can do?

This message was last edited by the player at 06:20, Tue 11 Jan 2022.