The last wagons and stragglers and unruly herds were finally making their way into the site the migrants had taken to calling the Canthus of the Veil.  The sun had sunk below the peaks of the Shimmering Veil to the west, blazing a blurry conflagration in the scintillating violet haze continuing its ceaseless waves.  Small campfires formed the axes of rings of tents and make-shift shelters.  Conversations of doubt and anxiety, speculation and hope, dotted the ragged community as the laughter of children and the barking of seskii created an unexpected feeling of normalcy.

The migration had gone about as well as anyone could expect, that is to say complicated, longer than planned, and marked by anger, frustration, and more than few defections.  Packing was difficult, with emotion and practicality competing in an atmosphere of heightened pressure.  There were increased attacks from the reptilian armies continuing to pour out of the Caecilian Jungle just south of the bluff Canthus was situated on.  Some families, on seeing the changes wrought on the explorers, claimed the risk was too great and headed east toward the Black Riage, hoping to find a mining town to settle in, or perhaps carry on to the Steadfast.  Others balked at the enormity of the Veil, cowered before its towering heights, and took root with indecision.  Trail markers were left, in case they changed their minds, but few have hope they will summon the courage to cross.

Those that made the full traverse are a tired lot, and not unchanged themselves.  Many of the citizens of the wandering aldea have arrived with changed hair, changed eyes, changed skin, even changed teeth.  There is even a report of a child with a tail, although none of the explorers have yet seen that with their own eyes.  Some are enjoying the alteration, wearing violet eyes or green locks as mark of their courage.  Others merely grumble about that this isn't what they signed up for and maybe they should have stayed to fight, but there have been no serious discussions of returning.

The council is quite pleased with the site identified by Yazim Riders (as the people have begun calling the party, from an odd word etched into the metal of Radwa's machine).  There is fertile soil and sufficient water and room enough to allow the sentries to see danger in time to raise an alarm.  Yes, a few Yol were taken by wild terradels along the passage and there were reports of ithsyn spotted as well, but those are hardly insurmountable dangers.  However, the council is quite wary about all of the space around them that hasn't been deemed safe.  What is to the north of the river?  What is in the rocky pinnacle to the south that seems to be fused to an ancient structure?  What else is beyond the Great Bowl to the north and west?  And lastly, perhaps the most prominent concern, what of the Aix?

During the journey, Derrick makes a point of informing the council of everything the Yazim Riders encountered while exploring the Veil. He makes particular note of the deal made with the strange blue humanoids. While he is dubious what value the shins might have so far from any place to spend them, he reasons that the trash given in exchange for them will hardly be more valuable. He relays this opinion to the council so that they can begin collecting the necessary 'components' for the eventual trade. There is bound to be a lot of cypher use upon arrival at the settlement site so the remnants may as well be collected in one place.

As for the decision about whether to set up the instant shelter, Derrick leaves that decision to his companions. There doesn't seem to be much advantage to setting it up before the appointed time, but time also didn't seem to matter much to the blue humanoids.

Derrick also places himself at the council's disposal for further exploration. Whatever the Sovereign One's plan for him, he doesn't think it involves leaving the people of Canthus in such a vulnerable time. Though his speaking abilities are still unimpressive compared to Agatho's, Derrick does talk about his beliefs when on patrol with the others whom he has recruited to help guard the community.

It is no great surprise to find that free time is hard to come by at the settlement site. When he isn't helping to build the new community or the patrol its borders, Derrick is usually eating or sleeping. Still, he finds enough time to stake out a place for his own idea, something he proposes to Agatho: combining their rewards from the council to establish a site for a church.

As the days turn to weeks and the initial tasks of building basic infrastructure are completed, Derrick increasingly begins to feel that he and his companions should resume their exploration of the area. The strange, ancient structure to the south in particular draws his interest. When discussing the topic with his companions however, he advocates for a return visit to the Aix because he feels establishing strong relations with them will greatly benefit Canthus.
This message was last edited by the player at 12:06, Wed 22 Dec 2021.

At the edges of the aldea's new settlement - beyond its informal boundary, truth be told - Artor had begun to build his home. Extending up on stilts and down into a walled well, it was a lop-sided skeletal structure, unruly and strange. Ribbons hung from it in clusters, some metallic and some of hide and cloth, blacks and grays and reds and whites. Disks spun from other points, parabolas and whirlygigs, some on the structure and some on the ribbons.

Above, panels and hides marked half-rooms and a maze of drapes and hammocks, nets of oddities and disks, fragments of shins and io. Sometimes he even slept up there, beneath the hives.

Below, waxed wooden slats and mud-fired bricks laced with dustings of iron, together with the beginnings of several tunnels - though to call the foot or two a beginning was generous.

Between his time tinkering with his home and guiding the wandering aldea across the Veil, the strange Jack trained, though his regime might be considered unusual to those few villagers who joined him now and then as he strayed into the surrounding lands.

In time, his training paled. He began to brood, finally seeking out the others. He said nothing, but his presence spoke to his need to be away from people for a time.

The healing center, with a few small personal chambers for the trio who applied their housing allowance to it, is coming along well, but slowly.  Scrabbling together homes and shops and tools and barns and all the other physical structures that a community needs is ... quite an undertaking when done all at once.

Artor's odd structure draws curious stares from some, but is mostly ignored, as people are too focused on their own needs to speculate about the occasional clanking and clacking and chipping sounds emanating from the central "well".

A few times, citizens have spotted human figures silhouetted against the setting sun along the rim of the Great Bowl, but the figures never approach nor take any other action and often vanish back into the crater as quickly as they appeared.  So far, the humans have resisted the urge to approach them.

The council, or at least a majority of the council, has expressed concerns about the metallic structure in the jungle and the spire to the south.  Both, they feel, could harbor dangers as yet undetermined.  They ask the Yazim riders (and any brave others) to scout out one or both sites so that proper planning can be done.

When the council expresses their trepidation about the two unexplored structures, Derrick acknowledges the wisdom of making sure that there are no risks to the community in either before re-approaching the Aix. As the Yazim riders gather to discuss their next journey, he gives his opinion. "That spire to the south cuts an imposing figure. It would do well to put the settlement's mind at ease about it. It's a blind choice, but that's the one I say we do first."

Alyssa helps out whenever and with whatever she can. Being a village healer and a social person, she is happy that the new healing center is set up and that it's set up in closer proximity to the community than the cottage she left behind. She thinks about her old community she left so suddenly and she sure misses it at times, but she slowly grows attached to Canthus and the inhabitants. Alyssa also starts getting used to her physical alterations, although she still sees a stranger in the mirror at times.

Unperturbed by the judgements of others, Artor attends the Council meeting and listens to their concerns, "Let us cleanse the spire"

Using the cart, you expect it would take perhaps two hours to get to the "spire", as you don't have a route planned out already and you don't know the terrain precisely.

"I have no idea what poses the greater threat if any. I guess the spire is a good place to start with as any."

OOC: I guess all our pools have refreshed?

Hoa's dwelling is as modest as any other in New Canthus, though by design as much as necessity. She's furnished it with the best the young aldeia offers, though nothing ostentatious. As much as she can, the arkus has made it resemble her small apartment in Qi. There's a wide open space in the middle of the room for her to practice her arts, a handful of small tables around the edges that look ready to hold knick-knacks or potted plants, a cot, and a writing table (though she hasn't the supplies to make full use of it). It seems very much like it is waiting to be beautiful.

---

"'Cleanse' is a strong word, friend, but we should verify it poses no threat and take from it what resources we may. We do, after all, have a deal to uphold as well as our obligations to the community. We need every asset we can amass."

Derrick rejoins the others as they group prepares to depart. "Yes, we need to assess if it is a threat and then determine if there is anything in there that can help the aldeia."

Fully decked out in his new armor (not to mention the recent change that has made his skin crystalline), Derrick appears fully prepared to venture out again.

Artor shrugged at Hoa's correction, respecting the man's faith - and optimism - enough not to start an argument, "Shall I range a little ahead, as has become habit?"

Flex skill for today is: Appraisal
This message was last edited by the player at 12:18, Mon 03 Jan 2022.

Breogh arrived quietly at the settlement, as a nomadic delve that used to get in touch with the council members in the past , he was offered to scout for the comunitty and to join the initiative of moving past the veil.. he had accepted but his obsessive nature made him miss the date, as a result he did not join the explorers party nor get a chance to meet them .. but days later he managed to arrive to the new settlement, with the amount of people having mutations Breogh did not raise too much attention, with his skin that looked liked made of copper plates and lines on his face and body that emitted a little light most of the time.

As he approached he started looking at the constructions being made, something that made him realize he would need to get a place to live in or at least sleep in.. maybe he could rent a place and pay for it by salvaging numenera in the surroundings of the village, it seemed that this new place could use all the cyphers that someone could find .. having that in mind he headed to the council to see what other services could be needed there.. he had percieved that some people was worried about some mysterious estructures in the near.
This message was last edited by the player at 03:21, Fri 07 Jan 2022.

Even as he suggested ranging ahead, Artor noted the newcomer to the settlement - a venturer and wanderer who had tagged along with the final crossing perhaps. He smiled, though cautiously, his own rippling darkness perhaps sensing a little of the light within the figure, the copper plates where his own body now held something akin to steel. He smiled, and stepped over when they approached, "Artor, called Greythane by some, stranger. You are the one the councilors spoke of, how might be able to assist us investigating the spire?"

As the group makes their way (cautiously) to the spire (?) they pass through the dwindling grasslands and enter an area that is quite arid, bare as the sands around the first Canthus had been above the cliff.  In the daylight, the herds meander a wide arc around the strange creature of glass and metal intruding on their territories.

The spire itself is quite large, many hundreds of feet high.  Still a mile or two away, the group would notice an area of green at the base, perhaps a small oasis of some sort.  The spire itself seems to be of three (?) main parts.  The near end (the lowest) and the high end (most distant) seem to be comprised of brownish stone, broken and worn, but between them (and still resting on the ground) is a stretch of silvery metal and glass (?) that seems frozen in an odd undulation.  The metal structure seems to be stuck at an angle, rising up toward the higher stone.

The voice of Artor snapped Breogh out of his meditations "Hi! ....Well... I guess so.., Hopefully i cand find stuff along the way providing clues to what that structure is.. once we arrive there sometimes I am able to make things 'Light up' nice to meet you by the way, Oh Im Breogh, Breogh Nal Hutt'l , I hope the road here was not too rough”

After that he excused himself to go verify with the council the spire mission and came back, greeting the others along the way to the spire.. at first being a little shy since he was the new one and looking into the surrounding if he could find any cypher that would tell them more about the place that they getting close to

OOC: Might a salvage numenera roll help? Im supossedly trained on that
This message was last edited by the player at 20:50, Tue 11 Jan 2022.

Derrick greets the newcomer warmly when he rejoins them on the way to the spire. Perhaps seeing something of a kindred spirit in this man with copper skin, Derrick takes a break from his typical role of scanning the path for threats in order to talk to Breogh. "Greetings and may the Sovereign One light your path Breogh. My name is Derrick. I travel with my friend Agatho over there sharing the good word and good works of the Sovereign One with communities in need. I'm sure it will be a pleasure to have you along on our latest venture. With luck this one will not be quite as long as the last one."

Unwilling to speculate on the nature of the spire while still so far away, Derrick never the less stares at the structure as they approach it. "It does seem sort of ominous doesn't it? Maybe the council was right to send us here first."

"My name's Alyssa. I was accidentally whisked here a few weeks ago." She chuckles. "Guess it's my own fault for accepting numenera as payment for my services.". She continues. "I was a healer in my home village, but after I've arrived here, well, I had to fend for myself until I met this merry band of travellers. So since I didn't really have a choice in the matter, I decided to help them establish this new village."

Eyes drawn to the distant tower, Artor studied the strangeness of it for a time, then turned to the others, "It is the wave between the two sections that intrigues me the most; shall we circle and approach it from where it is more visible?"

The older man nods in welcome as Derrick mentions him, and nods again at Artor's suggestion.

"That is a good idea, friend Artor.  The more we can discern from afar, the better."

What until recently had been the whites of his eyes glittered an emerald green as he turned from the distant tower toward their newest companion, and gave a friendly smile.

"'Peace be unto you', friend Breogh, and well met."

"Please tell us something of yourself.  What are the paths that have brought you here to us?"

For a few seconds Breogh stared into the horizon but because the words of Alyssa and Derrick, the voices of  Arto and Agatho made him snap out of his thoughts...again , he started to blink a little longer than usual and responded “I’m pleased to meet you Alyssa, Derrick and Agatho and let me tell you that i find both the healing arts and your faith very interesting, what can I say , i met some of the villagers because my family used to trade with them things we found on our journeys, then the mystery of life made me get closer to the Aeon Priests until i could not continue with their lifestyle, im too used to be free, so when asked to discover new lands and mysteries i could not help my curiosity, shorts story then after a little drifting away i’m here, so by the way, i agree with you all, lets come closer that way, just in case i’ll get my bow ready”
This message was last edited by the player at 23:38, Tue 11 Jan 2022.

As the group gets closer to the formation of rocks and constructed (?) object, they notice no obvious dangers or large creatures.  There are some small birds or large insects flitting about the greenery, but nothing larger.  The large ripples of the construct seem to be intentional.  The exterior appears to be largely glass that is still intact.

"Nothing broken," Hoa Sen observes. "Though there are forces that can create such warping after something's built." The arkus shakes her head. "I expect this is the part where we get closer and see what discoveries await."

"Pulled into it's orbit, like moths to a flame", murmured Artor, though he continued onward towards the construction without pause

Derrick shakes his head in disbelief. "It's impressive one way or another. Either it was built that way which requires incredible skill, or it withstood whatever changed it to that shape which requires incredible strength." He brokers no argument and continues towards the structure. He moves out to the front of the group in the hopes of being the first to encounter anything dangerous.

"I've seen craftsmen blow glass in strange shapes, but something this large. Amazing!" Alyssa shades her eyes from the glare of the sun and watches the structure for anything resembling an entrance. "Can you see a door?" she asks.

"Indeed" says Breogh looking at Derrick and Alyssa then he looks back at the structure and rubs his chin. "Maybe before trying to get inside we can check if this has some kind of defense mechanism, i could throw a rock at it.. but i do not want to risk breaking anything or cause it to overreact.. what if i try just throwing some stick at it?"

As the party draws nearer, they see that the portion which was built is very large.  If it were stood vertically, it would easily reach 200 feet tall.  The exterior is made of many windows and panels, but none seem to be doors.  However, there seems to be a potential opening along the underside, away from the oasis, which is primarily near the shorter rocky end.  Some of the windows here have shattered, long, long ago.  There is enough space to provide access to the interior of the construction.  Farther down, on the high rocky end, the group notices a broad ledge about 30 feet off the surface.  A quick inspection seems to indicate that the space is large enough to allow all of you to sleep on it with plenty left over, although a more thorough investigation would be necessary.

The older man nods at Breogh.

"I will discern what I am able before we attempt to enter.  Please give me a few moments..."

The older man stretches out his empathic senses to see if there are any discernible sources of emotion nearby.

Then he regards the scene before him for several moments through his emerald green eyes, praying silently...

OOC: Empathic Senses, followed by Premonition... :)

Whilst the priest works, Artor readied his Glaive and began to pick a few flowers

"Hmm... do we need to climb?" Alyssa asks.

Derrick eyes the potential entrance warily as he waits to hear what Agatho learns with his senses. As he looks around, he replies to Alyssa's question. "We might need to if we want to get in there. Maybe we should look around and see if we can find the regular entrance? There must be a way to get in that's meant to be an entrance."
This message was last edited by the player at 19:16, Sat 15 Jan 2022.

The plateau, like a shelf or step jutting out from the higher prominence, would provide a fairly clear view of the "entrance" that's visible, although the exterior starts sloping back again before the break is reachable.  Theoretically something could hide there, but it would be difficult.  There doesn't appear to be a clear way up the stone besides climbing.  Entering the construction would be fairly straight forward, as the hole is at ground level.

At this time of day, this side is in shadow.  It would be better illuminated in the morning.

OOC: Do I remember correctly that you all took a cart?  If that is the case, fair to guess that Breogh has an aneen he's riding to have caught up and kept pace?  Or is Breogh in the cart?  Did you bring the trailer?  Is there any other "group" equipment with you?

After several moments of thoughtful gazing upon the scene before him, the older man turns his emerald eyes back to his companions.

"'How have the mighty fallen...' "

He wipes his brow, looking slightly fatigued.

"I do not sense any nearby emotion sources, other than ourselves."

"This tower was ten times taller when first constructed.  I saw a brief flash of it glinting in the sun, with an impression of 'luxury' about it."

"From here, I cannot tell whether 90% of the floors collapsed, or whether 90% of the top has been removed, or whether 90% of the structure has sunk into the ground, or some combination thereof."

"However, it looks as if some portion at least has sunk under the ground.  Rather than searching long for another entrance, we may wish to enter by the shattered windows..."

“Windows into the past”, observed Artor thoughtfully at Agatha’s explanation. Unless anyone leapt forward with objections, he began to amble towards the shattered windows, his Glaive held loosely in one hand

Derrick nods in understanding and follows Artor. He quickly catches up to the other man and walks alongside him towards the broken windows.

Breogh made a look of curiosity as he heard the words of the religious men, poetry had baffled him for the most part, with his family he mostly talked about the practical aspect of the things they found and although he learned and thought about philosophy with the Aeon priests , most of the lessons were comunicated in straight forward style.

Anyway he trusted the experience of the group members and he was already a little anxious to get in and see if there were underground chambers inside or to see how would the glass interact with the light outside once they were in, so he followed the other as they attempted to get inside the shattered glass and whispered to them "I hope this doesn't cut through human skin... or metallic one"
This message was last edited by the player at 23:43, Sun 23 Jan 2022.

"Should we enter then? Or should we take a rest first? I suppose the building won't go anywhere." Alyssa thinks about her statement and then chuckles. "But then again, you never know, buildings have been moving about before, or so I've heard."

The break in the glass is quite large enough to step through.  The edges are not particularly sharp, wind and sand and time having worked their will to blunt the edges.  Inside is a hall.  The angles of the "floor" are sloped but passable, with the entire path leading upward and also with south side higher.  Walking forward on what would have been a wall leads further into the darkness ahead.  Smaller animal tracks are seen in the dust of the entrance and in some areas of the hallway.  There appear to be doors in the "floor" and "ceiling" of this hall, spaced at irregular intervals.

Once they are inside the structure, Derrick notices the doors and approaches one of the ones on the 'floor'. He looks back to his companions and gives a warning. "Be ready, I'm going to look inside." He then opens the door to see what's behind it.

Thankful for the warning from their Glaive, Artor steps to one side and readies his weapon.

Breogh gets behind Artor and Derrick and also gets an arrow ready on his bow, he notices that the arrow starts having a glow as if some of the light that emanates between different parts of his arms got transmitted to the arrow, he had experienced that before he had even been able to transmit light to other larger objects, he wonders if he could do some o that on the walls to avoid that much darkness.. "Anyway" He thinks for himself "Let's focus on what might ahead for the moment" and he looks at the door being opened

OOC: I have the following skill and iI wonder if it could be used in something inside, like a wall: 'Illuminating Touch (1 Intellect point):You  touch an object, and that object sheds light to  illuminate everything in short range. The light  remains until you use an action to touch the  object again, or until you’ve illuminated more  objects than you have tiers, in which case the  oldest objects you illuminated go dark first'
This message was last edited by the player at 00:09, Mon 24 Jan 2022.

An experienced traveling companion of Derrick, the older man positions himself to support his door opening action.

One hand holds a glow globe to illuminate what lies beyond the doorway, while the other is ready to mount an Onslaught defense if needed.

He stretches forth his empathic senses, monitoring any sources of emotion and/or changes in emotion as the door is opened...

At the blooming glow beside and behind him, Artor muttered, finding more comfort in the darkness behind his rags and bandages. His mask expressed a twinge of disgruntlement

The room below is mostly filled with sand and rock.  Broken glass can be seen on the far side, what is the exterior of the building.  Some daylight is admitted by the surviving glass as well.  The walls/surfaces that can be seen are bare and dusty.  A half-buried door(?) is on the right-hand side of the room.

Seeing little of interest inside the room, Derrick looks back at his companions. "We could dog out that door, but it probably just leads to an adjoining room. We might have to go further down the hall to find anything interesting." Unless his companions object, he'll shut the door and continue on down the hall though he will periodically check another door as they go along to see if the rooms contain anything interesting.

Hoa Sen paces cautiously along with the group, wishing she trusted the soles of her feet to be durable enough that she could dispense with the sandals for better traction. "Agreed. Let's save the digging for another time. Remember that while we'd appreciate useful salvage, our first priority is to make sure nothing here is a threat to Canthus."

Artor says nothing, but ranges slightly ahead of the group where the lack of light is a comfort

Breogh relaxed his hold on the arrow as he saw there was no threat in the room they saw, as he did it, the arrow stopped glowing, which made him realize that he could do the same thing later and get some light to help against the darkness, he noded to the suggestion made by Derrick "Yup, lets go down, after all, all this sand and rocks could be a hint that the structure has sunken under the ground, so we might a have lot to discover if we go down as much as we can"

Going "down" the hall is actually a slow slope upward at this point.  Several other doors (when there are doors left) are opened into bare and dusty spaces.  This is true both above and below you.  In a few places, wall seem to have been pried or cut open, but nothing interesting is present.  Perhaps it was looted in days long past.

Eventually, the party comes to a juncture of sorts.  The "floor" (what is now the wall on your right) opens up and hallways extend up and down (radiating out from the center of the building?), as wells as forward.  A dusty plaque of corroding metal is affixed to the wall.  Jumping across to reach the most level path is possible, but will require some skill (or planning or luck).  No lights are available besides your own.

OOC: This might be a good place to make a roll of your choice.

When the group comes to the intersection, Derrick pulls out his own glow globe and walks as close as he can to where the 'floor' drops away and tries to see across the gap to the other side.

Derrick rolled 2 using 1d20.  Perception (Trained, Effort 1). Hits DC 2.

The area where the halls cross is more open and circular, so there is a slope to the gap, which is about 10 feet wide, as the rest of the hallway has been.  The walls/floor on the other side look solid.

In reply to Immortal Eye (msg # 52):

Alyssa carefully walks over to the plaque and tries to see if she can decipher it.

09:08, Today: Alyssa Yulo rolled 16 using 1d20.  Understanding the plaque (applying two levels of effort + maybe Understanding Numenera).

Nice roll! 

While ancient and somewhat corroded, the plaque seems to be largely symbology, and reads, roughly:

"When fire (explosion?) do no use (box?).  Use stairs." What remains of the creature pictograph seems somewhat humanoid.


There is an arrow pointing toward the opposite hallway (i.e. neither up nor down)

In reply to Immortal Eye (msg # 54):

Alyssa is puzzled by the peculiar pictograms. "Seems these are instructions not to go into the box when there's a fire, but use the stairs instead. Maybe these stairs if we can find them can take us to the top or bottom of the building?"

Love it! In case of fire don't take the elevator, take the stairs :)
This message was last edited by the player at 17:41, Sun 30 Jan 2022.

Derrick turns away from the central area and walks over to where Alyssa is looking at the sign. "Stairs might make getting further inside easier. Getting across this gap would be risky. Does it say where the stairs are?"

"Downward is a dead end, after thirty or forty feet", mused Artor, eyeing the gap, "Though I can't see whether it has been explored or not. Are other options continue on out of sight..."

"Let me rule it out...", he suggested, assessing the climb down and coiling a rope from his pack

"Good Idea to use a rope indeed, I suspect that if this structure is a collapsed edification those stairs could be hidden behind some debris or rubble, lets see if i can spot anything" Breogh takes an arrow with his hand and brings it close to the walls to see more in detail

OOC: Ok, so i'm throwing a perception roll and using effort for it (Intellect pool I think) in my sheet i have the enlightened skill that makes my perception to be trained if i'm using light and sight, so i guess it's up to the GM to let the roll be trained or not: 09:35,
Today: Breogh Nah Hut'l rolled 9 using 1d20.  Perception (1 effort intellect + maybe training).

This message was last edited by the player at 12:35, Mon 31 Jan 2022.

As far as Breough can tell, getting to the stairs would be done moving straight ahead across the gap, not up or down.  The end of the hallway in that direction seems ... different than the others visible.  He also judges that if a spike were anchored as high on the wall (originally the floor) as possible just where the gap starts, a rope tied there would help in getting everyone safely across (and would be useful for Artor's proposed climb, as well).

Artor judges the climb down to be manageable, especially if there is a good place to secure a rope.  The various doors along the route will make for suitable handholds, and the descent is not strictly vertical, either.

"Downwards?", asked Artor, his mask arching an eyebrow, continuing distractedly, as if to a memory, "Do not fear the descent"

Alyssa shrugs. "I guess it's as good way to go as any." She inspects the way down. "Do we have a rope or something similar?" she asks.

Chuckling, Artor rummaged beneath his rags and his cloak, pulling forth a bright red silk rope of the kind that once might have been used in a circus

Derrick gestures across the gap to where, presumably, the stairs are located. "In this case, downwards is sideways. Shouldn't we go across?"

“Downstairs ends swiftly enough, our physical descent mataphorically halted. A swift enough detour, untouched I believe”

“All right, so who wants to go first?” Said Breogh to make sure if anyone wanted to try going there before he did, he did not want to step on somebody else’s turn

"I am familiar with pipes and climbs", suggested Artor, tossing one end of the rope to Breogh, "Perhaps too much so"

With that, he began to climb down

In reply to Artor (msg # 66):

Alyssa watches when Artor starts to descend. "I suppose I can go next?"

Derrick gestures for Alyssa to go next. "I will guard the top until you are all down."

The climb down is slow and a bit taxing, but safe for those who wish to go.

The ground below is rocky and uneven.  Doorways are seen on either side of the now-vertical hallway.  The doors themselves were taken or broken off long ago.

OOC: Am I correct in understanding that someone pounded a spike into the wall/floor as an anchor?

OOC: Yes, we spiked an anchor in

"Left or right?" Alyssa asks. "And do we need a light source?"

"Not for me", dismissed Artor distractedly, wandering ahead and peering into the broken down doorways, glaive held loosely in one hand, "Leftmost first, is the labyrinth rule. It serves us well enough"

Perhaps it is the shattered ground, or the opened entrances, but it seems he has dismissed the thought of danger

Derrick waits for the others to all safely reach the bottom before starting the climb down himself. He arrives just in time to see Artor disappear into the darkness. "He may not need light, but I do."

Audible to all of you, from doorways on both sides of the hall, are skittering sounds.

After climbing down and in attention for the need of light that his comrades mentioned breogh decides to try to make an arrow glow , the noises he hears make him get the arrow ready on the bow, hopefully that will shed some light on what is ahead

"That sounds ominous."

Hoa Sen checks her traction and prepares to defend herself. "I don't expect anybody has defenses against many small things?"

Letting go of the rope and letting himself fall the last two feet, Derrick pulls his shield off his back and his mace from his hip. He taps the heavy metal instrument against his diamond skin. "This makes for a pretty good defense against most things. Stay behind me. We should probably try to find a way to get a wall at our backs."

The large man snaps his fingers, which makes a very strange sound now that they are crystalline. "Oh wait!" He pulls out a strange object that looks like two tubes next to each other. "This should do the trick if we get in a tough spot."

Deciding to investigate now that he has a plan, Derrick approaches one of the doorways with his Numenera at the ready.

The older man stretches out his empathic senses...

Ahead, Artor loosens his grip on the haft of his glaive, rolling his shoulders in the dim light

Relying more on her mental powers instead of her physical prowess, Alyssa nonetheless unsheathes her knife if her esoteries would fail her.

A few small glints of metal flash along the walls and floors, moving in quick, jerky movements.  There are more on the walls.  At least one is one the ceiling.  They're all roughly the size of a hand, oddly and irregularly faceted.

All are taking various sinuous routes toward the party members.

"I'm not sure these can be fought." Hoa Sen warns. "Not so many."

The older man nods.

"Their emotions are primitive, or perhaps primal.  Curiosity... and hunger..."

His lips move soundlessly as he regards them approaching...

OOC: Now using Premonition upon the creatures...

Once he catches sight of the strange things making the sounds, Derrick starts to back up towards the group. "Fighting might be a bad idea. We can't climb back up fast enough. If we're going to try to outrun them, it will have to be down one of the hallways. We should start moving. I'll take up the rear and use this to block the way behind us." He gestures towards where Artor has already started off into the darkness with one hand and waves the two silver tubes with the other.

Ahead, in the dim light, Artor pauses and watches those approaching him carefully, letting the others catch up

In reply to Artor (msg # 85):

Alyssa follows Derrick's instructions.

Breogh feels a chill throught his spine as he watches the swarm of the things in the walls and their size.. he also slowly moved behind Derrick and his shield.. he whispers to the rest:
"Indeed lets move stealthy as we can, we better not provoke those things, in case stuff get out of control i think i have cypher that might protect us, it creates a transparent bubble all around us that we can hover in all directions.. but i suspect it might be to big for this place... i don't know"
This message was last edited by the player at 12:55, Wed 16 Feb 2022.

There are a dozen of the small creatures, 5 on the left and 7 on the right.  As they approach the light, their appearance is easier to discern.  They are insectoid, scuttling and multi-limbed, but also (at least partly) metallic and mechanical.  No two seem alike, but as you watch, two cross paths with each other, seem to acknowledge each other's presence, and then move in a jagged parallel toward the party.

The doors you are at are close to the rubble-choked floor you stand on.  The nearest "safe" is the next door up the hallway, on the right.

Watching the creatures scuttle closer, one of Artor's hands slips beneath his robes and he tosses a small greyish pill into his mouth. After a moment's concentration, he fixes one of them with an intense stare

The creature stops, it's antennae waving about.  The others on that side of the hall seem to note it's behavior and dramatically slow their advance.  Those on the other side of the hall seem not to notice.

Artor senses ...

In the dim light, Artor parts some of his bandages, exposing the metallic disks that have attached themselves to his energized flesh

The creature remains still, apart from it's wildly waving antennae.  The others, including those on the opposite side of the hall begin to slow.

Laughing to himself, Artor continues to study the creature

The bug Artor seems to be focusing on continues to twitch while the others slow down further, antennae whipping around.  There is a sense of electricity in the air.

Hoa Sen backs up as best she can in the terrible footing. They will need to cover each other's flanks if this turns violent. At least the kasunda doesn't have to worry about things getting inside her reach.

Artor paused, the brow of his mask furrowed in concentration

After a moment he spoke, "They want something from us... 'reproduction surface materials'... not to consume"

Derrick, who has been studying the nearest door as a possible avenue of escape, turns to look at the creatures. "I'm not sure that I like the idea of 'reproduction surface materials". How do you know what they want anyway?"

Artor tapped his head, "At the moment I can communicate with one of them"

Derrick looks from Artor to the creature, then back again. "Can you ask it to describe these materials? Somehow I don't think it means food."

Shrugging, Artor muttered, "That I am trying; there are simple creatures"

In reply to Artor (msg # 100):

"Maybe they need numenera?" Alyssa suggests. "I have some that I find useless, but who I've kept."

The older man raises an eyebrow, and nods thoughtfully.

"That is an interesting conjecture, friend Alyssa..."

"Friend Artor...  Can you persuade the one you are communicating with to let me touch it?  That would allow me to establish my own telepathic bond.  As a nano, I might be able to discern just what type of numenera they require..."

Breogh had to overcome the creeps it have him to observe the  multiple legged creatures at close but the words of Alyssa made him think of different posibilities

"I find your numenera hypothesis very plausible...while we see what can Agatho percieve, i just had the thought.. what if these things refer to parts to actually build or assemble more of them.?. you know they do seem partly metallic and mechanical... but i dont know, maybe they just want a comfortable place to mate or lay eggs, Eugh!"
This message was last edited by the player at 13:13, Tue 22 Feb 2022.

Hoa's focus on her defensive posture does not leave her much attention for her companions.

The rest of you, perhaps just by an accident of positioning, notice one of the creatures crawling out of Breogh's pack.  It weighs little, but still the movement catches Breogh's eye as the bug(?) crawls near his shoulders.  It pauses a moment and waves its antenna around a bit.

Artor raised one hand swiftly, seeking to prevent an immediate response from Breogh, "Do not harm that one, friend; might you check your pack, whether anything is missing..."

Breog eyes open wide as he realizes what's going on and starts to deeply breath to contain himself and not react violently he thinks for himself "This can't be happening!  focus, focus! things could be much worse, oh gods! it seems they're playing a joke on me"

He slowly starts taking his pack with his hands and leaves it on the ground, with one of the arrows he tries to see if there is one of those creeps inside messing with his stuff

Knowing Agatho's ability to communicate with almost anything, Derrick moves cautiously to stand next to his traveling companion. "I think they might let you touch them. I'll be ready to defend you if they turn aggressive." The larger man replaces the Numenara he was holding with his mace since the opportunity to use it seems to have passed.

At Derrick's words, Artor nodded, "One, I think, will stay with me"

As Breogh sets down the pack, the bug on it leaps down and scurries off into one of the doorways.  The other bugs in that "room" crowd around it before they all scuttle into the darkness.  His probing reveals no further "intruders" in his supplies.

The creature Artor has been talking to waves its antennae a bit wildly.  The other bugs in that room scatter into little holes and tunnels in the shadows.  It crawls cautiously toward Artor.

The older man gently crouches down next to Artor to see if the creature will permit itself to be touched...

Breogh sighs in relief but still pays attention to Agatho, he carefully checks if there is something missing from his pack or something that the creature may have left behind

Alyssa waits hesitantly and looks with a bit of awe and trepidation at the peculiar creature. "Can I do anything to help?" she asks.

Slowly, Artor extended one rag and bandage wrapped arm to the creature, coaxing it forward
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:27, Sun 27 Feb 2022.

Not wanting to disturb the process Derrick stays still and silent. He does cast his eyes around, wary of other threats in the meantime.

The creature moves hesitantly toward Artor, but does not seem concerned about Agatho's proximity.  The space becomes quiet, although occasional, distant sounds punctuate the quite.  Groans, cracks, and impacts can be heard.  They are muffled and the source direction is impossible to tell.

"Sounds", said Artor suddenly, to the creature before him, then moved one hand in a beckoning motion, "Gestures"

He nodded once, then tapped his shoulder, and move his hand to the eyes of his mask and then pointing at the corridor, "Come. Ride. Watch"

Hoa Sen is able to relax somewhat as the main mass of the strange insectoids retreats. She has read a few too many things to be as comfortable as Artor is with such reckless embrace of the unknown...but "Better to learn than to fight. Shall we try to find one of these doors that will open for us?"

The older man gently reaches out to touch the creature as it approaches Artor...

OOC: Mental Touch

Once telepathic contact is established, the older man initially "listens" rather than "speaks".  He seeks to understand the creature and the nature of the contact with Artor while avoiding any disruption of Artor's contact...

The bug(?) freezes at Agatho's touch, but does not recoil or attack.  Agatho gets sensations of curiosity and confusion, along with a sense that Artor is ... acceptable?  Allied?

Hoa will notice that several of the doors they passed on the way down were missing or likely openable without too much effort.  Her brief glances inside during the descent revealed mostly dust and something she now realizes are tracks from this type of creature.

Breogh slowly stood up again after checking his pack, it seems to be that nothing is missing  He looks at Hoa and whispers to her and the group trying to not disturb the comunication with the bug

"I guess we can check those other doors, these creatures seem accepting of our presence now, maybe too accepting.. but also they could have already attacked us or tried to steal our boddy parts and they didn't.. they might want to show us what do they actually need from us"

Artor nodded, still processing, “This one will stay with me for a while”

Since the situation with the strange mechanical bug seems to be under control, Derrick joins Hoa in examining the doors and the rooms behind them. "Sounds like a good idea Hoa. I'm going to try to climb up to the first one." With the said, he moves up to the wall below a door and begins trying to climb up.

In reply to Derrick (msg # 122):

Alyssa glances at the direction of the mechanical bugs with a look of worry in her eyes, but since the others seem to say it's okay she follows Derrick to explore other parts of the building.

Breogh also looks at Derrick trying to climb, he makes the bow hang on his back as the bowstring goes across his chest and gets ready to climb before him, hopefully if anything comes out of those doors they will be able to fight it with either their feet or fists, he realizes Alyssa was about to do the same so  he offers to help her climb by intertwining his fingers and make the palms face upward so she can put one feet over them

With the ropes (and each other) to aid your ascent, it is a fairly simple task to climb to the nearest doors and begin exploring the spaces beyond.  You find a dusty series of interconnected chambers, bits and pieces of detritus on the floor, none of it immediately identifiable.  In a few places, you see tracks of the bugs you encountered below, perhaps even the very one that landed on Breogh.

After helping Alyssa and Breogh through the doorway, Derrick continues to explore the rooms until he finds a place where he cannot proceed further or until something unusual catches his eye. Turning back to the others, Derrick remarks: "For appearing so dramatic, this building is surprisingly empty."

"Perhaps it can be used for something in the future?" Alyssa suggests. She looks around. "Where should we go next? Do we think that there are other dangers than the... creatures?"

Teasing the creature on to his shoulder, Artor climbed and explored with the rest. He smiled when Alyssa referred to them hesitantly as dangers and made his suggestion, “Onwards, upwards. There is more to this place, yes?”

Derrick nods his agreement. "Everything being on it's side is a little disorienting, but with some work it might make a nice redoubt for the town if there's ever danger. We will definitely need to explore it thoroughly if that's the goal though."

Hearing the other's comments on the utility of this place to the town people and the potential dangers makes Breogh start speculating about the "ecosystem" that might exist in this place, mostly based on what he had seen as he traveled through the woods in the past with his family, so he points to the creature on Artors shoulder:

"I think that these things must be getting food from somewhere,  so we might find some resource here that the town people can use.. or we can find something that predates on this creatures.. i wonder if your insect friend can "tell" you something about it, if not we better keep  moving, but it wont be a bad idea to leave some trail that might help not to get lost whenever we want to go back"
This message was last edited by the player at 03:02, Sat 19 Mar 2022.

Glancing back and stroking the mechanical insectoid that had joined him, Artor smiled at Breogh, "I'm not sure they ... consume ... what we do"

"I wonder if there are parts of the complex that have remained sealed. I'm certain they'd be more dangerous, but also more likely to hold useful salvage. We do, after all, have a contract to fulfill." Hoa Sen said. She did not especially like this place. Her mind kept trying to rotate the rooms back to their 'proper' alignment and failing to do so. "Can any of you intuit which direction that might lie?"

Derrick pondered Hoa's question. "If you ask me, it will be 'lower' down in the structure." He makes air quotations with his hands at the word 'lower'. "That would mean going back up the shaft, across the gap, and finding the stairs."

In reply to Derrick (msg # 133):

"If you say so." Alyssa has lost all sense of direction.

The rooms further up the hall/shaft are largely like those below, with perhaps a bit less dust and a bit more debris here and there.  Occasional tracks of the the friend's of Artor's new rider can be seen, sometimes old and barely noticeable.

OOC: If you want, anyone can make a Salvaging check at DC 6:18 for these rooms (as a collective)

The debris makes Breogh curious, an idea comes to his mind.. these creatures more likely colonized this ancient estructure way after the place  got in this particular shape. but what if they didn't ? what if they have been living since milenia ago in this place and something helped them last so long? a short burst of light can be seen in his eyes and between the copper plates of his skin.. he decides to move some of the debris in the hope he finds something as he takes a piece of junk and makes it glow see a little better

OOC: Woohoo! 18:27, Today: Breogh Nah Hut'l rolled 18 using 1d20.  Salvage numenera (Trained).
This message was last edited by the player at 21:30, Wed 23 Mar 2022.

Artor, with the help of the others (and perhaps some hints from his new companion?) is able to find a panel in the floor (wall?), hidden beneath the dust and rubble.  The cover is some type of glass, now to fractured and burnt (?) to be more than barely translucent.  Perhaps this was a display of some sort in the past.  Inside is a ornate sword with a curved blade.  Apart from some dust, it is in immaculate condition.  There are some shins (medallions? medals?) and the remains of what may have one day been other small devices that are no longer functional.

OOC: You have found an artifact, 7 shins, and 12 parts.  The artifact will have be identified before activation.

Breogh, wandering into another room on his own, finds a few bits of (potential) value in a pile of rubble and detritus.  One is a small, stronglass vial with a purple pill inside. (Flow cypher) That was near a necklace made of gears and other machine parts that is slightly cool to the touch.  Buried near the bottom of the pile is a fist-sized clear crystal sphere.  It seems incredibly sturdy (unbreakable?) and is filled with roiling yellow smoke. (both oddities)  He also scrapes together 6 shins and 5 parts.

OOC: Flow, level 1d6+1, Enables the user to move more rapidly by harnessing momentum gained from movement.  Once per round, when the user takes an action to move, she gains another action that she must use at once.  She can use this action only to move.  The effect wears off after one hour.

Unearthing the ancient blade, Artor studied it for a moment before picking it up and testing its weight and balance. Could of nielle energy caress the blade as he studies it

OOC: is it enough that roll vs Identifying Numenera ?

Breogh smiles with curiosity as he puts the items in a pocket of his trenchcoat, at first he though he should keep them for himself but he reconsidered it as he remembered how the nomadic comunity he belonged in the past was able to survive and keep strong by making all their resources available to its members.. so he went back to the group to show them the cypher and the odditty, they might understand it better than he does

OOC: So the effect of the pill gets renewed after each round, am i right? or is it a one time thing?

Derrick leans over Artor's shoulder as he tests out the blade and watches the energy play along it. "It is a very beautiful weapon. Is it also functional?"

At Derrick's question, Artor smiled, though it was a grim thing, hungry. Coils of nielle continued to flow over the blade, its faint runic geometries glowing emerald in response

"It is more than functional", he confirmed, teeth bared, "It holds a fierceness within. Hit someone, and the next strike will unleash that pent-up fury"

"I know this", he offered wistfully, free hand moving to scratch the itch of a wound long-healed, "It nearly killed me last time I saw one of these"

Derrick's eyes widen. "Fascinating. Well you'd better hold onto it then. We wouldn't want such a thing used against us." He steps back and looks around for the others and notes Breogh returning with his own spoils. Derrick looks them over, but as their function is not readily apparent, he just shrugs.

Looking around at the others, he asks: "Are we ready to climb back up? I think we should cross to the other side of the gap at the top of this shaft or hallway and look for those stairs that the sign mentioned."

In reply to Derrick (msg # 143):

"I think so. I would like to return closer to the surface. This place creeps me out."

"Up", affirmed Artor, sheathing the blade at his side. Unlike the more-gracious Breogh, he had no thought of sharing for now.

Breogh was impressed by the weapon found by Artor, no wonder the things he found looked unimpressive in comparison..

"Ok, yeah lets go up..I wonder how long will this mech creeper come along, dont get me wrong , i'm getting used to it's presence"

The climb, while not exactly easy, is largely uneventful, and the party soon makes its way back up to the intersection of hallways and to the other side from where they'd been before.

Derrick leads the way down the hall. As he moves along, he checks the doors on the floor and ceiling for markings or other indications that they are the stairs referenced in the strange pictogram from earlier.

Alyssa follows in silence. She mostly looks out for creatures in the shadows. She's generally a bit spooked by the place. Perhaps it's haunted?

Artor’s porcelain mask smiled at Breogh, “At least a turn or two, I’m still working out how to speak with them though…”

At their ascent he point down the corridor that lead on from their original entrance, deeper in, “Let’s try that one”
This message was last edited by the player at 11:59, Tue 05 Apr 2022.

"Yes, we'd best continue. There's no need to linger here." Hoa Sen concurs. She's interested in learning more about the communication between the Jack and the insectoid, but holds her tongue for the moment.

Most of the doors along this passage lead to other chambers or sets of chamber, much like the ones the party has already encountered.  They are largely dusty, with thin skims and drifts of the detritus of eons past here and there.  The last door on the floor (what would be the left-hand wall if the building was vertical, opens up not into a room, but a shaft that extends to the left and right (what would be up and down, if the building were still vertical).  The sides of the shaft are nearly perfectly smooth except for an unfamiliar set of ... plates? of a metal unlike the rest of the shaft.

Not far beyond that, the last door, which marks the end of the hallway, and is thus sideways to your current orientation, opens into a small lobby area lit by the ambient light of morning streaming through the windows, facing west by southwest.  A staircase, maybe 30 feet wide and not exactly sized for humans (but close), extends in what might be a broad spiral of some sort around the exterior of the building.  From the direction you've come from, it extends down to the left and up to the right.

As you are taking stock of your position, you hear noises emanating from the shaft, clanking and clattering and hissing and the screeching of metal.  The sounds are somewhat distant, but it's impossible to tell how far or in what direction yet.  After a few moments, the sounds abruptly end, and silence returns.

In reply to Immortal Eye (msg # 152):

"What was that? Some sort of ancient machine?" Alyssa queries no one in particular. "Where should we go next?"

Derrick pries open the doors that lead to the strange shaft, which are different from the other doors that the group has encountered along the hallway. He is careful not to fall into the shaft as he pushes the doors apart. Once an opening has been created, he sticks his head into the shaft and looks left and right to see if there's anything to see, but notes the surprising emptiness.

Since he is very focused on the goal of the stairs, Derrick at first dismisses the strange shaft and continues on to look into the lobby. When the strange sounds start to issue from the shaft he returns to it and sticks his head inside it once again to listen.

When the strange sounds end, he sits upright and looks at his companions. An idea seems to have occurred to him. "It might be easier to travel up and down this shaft than to take the stairs. It forms an easy tunnel and the only question is whether to go up or down."

“It would be less troublesome than the canted stairs”, noted Artor, standing watch outside the shaft whilst Derrick poked his head within. His head tilted to one side, enquiring to his mechanical construct of the noises and other denizens of the fallen building, before he answered Alyssa

Artor's new companion is quite nervous when the sounds begin.  They burrow under the Jack's clothing, hidden from view.

Artor gets the sense that the source of this noise is a threat, although the things that threaten the bug are not necessarily a threat to humans.

“We should be cautious”, suggested Artor after a moment, “but not panicked I feel

Breogh observed the insectoid hide which seems in line one of his hypothesis.

"It seems to be that this creatures are the prey of whatever is causing that noise, so we might expect something bigger, hopefully not as big as to be a threat to us..im glad that we have one more weapon available..i wonder if we can use something to test the 'use the shaft' approach, i mean if its safe enough"

Breogh starts looking at his bag to see if some of the items he has can be used to create some bait for whatever is causing that noise, after all metallic items could be appetizing for the predator
This message was last edited by the player at 16:39, Thu 07 Apr 2022.

Hoa pokes her head into the shaft-hallway, looking and listening in both directions. "If it's a threat, better to meet it here where there is room. We have no idea how swift it might be."

OOC: 18:23, Today: Hoa Sen rolled 11 using 1d20.  Perception (Trained)--listen to the totally-not-elevator shaft.

Listening to his fellow explorers, Artor simply nodded. He was comfortable, and confident, in their capability

Hoa thinks that the noises are probably coming from "up" the shaft instead of "down" the shaft.

Derrick considers Hoa's suggestion. "So you think that we should try to lure whatever it is here to where we are now instead of trying to track it down? That's makes sense I guess. I can still use this device I have if necessary to block it off from us if it turns out to be more than we can handle. How do we summon it? Should we just make a lot of noise? I bet banging on the walls of this shaft would be pretty loud."

Artor nodded, though to himself, "Bang, said the drum. Bang, bang"

The older man considered.

"Friend Artor, how much can you communicate with the creature?  Does it know what made the sound?"

"Thus far, I have only used the mental link to passively monitor it, so as not to disturb your interactions with it.  Should I communicate with it more actively to query it, or would that make your link with it less stable?"

"You're welcome to try", nodded Artor after a moment's thought, "We have an arrangement and it will hear my thoughts over the next hours, but fade beyond that"

"Are we sure that the noises are from a creature? It might be some sort of machine?" Alyssa suggests.

Derrick glances at Artor's strange bug companion. "Seems like a distinct possibility, but that doesn't mean it's likely to be friendly. Should I give banging a try or would we rather try to talk to the... bug thing?" He seems skeptical of the prospect of consulting such a creature for advice, but also willing to wait until they have at least tried.

The older man considers.

"I will make the attempt.  Please stand by..."

He gently stretches his empathic senses toward Artor's creature...

The bug freezes at Agatho's touch and then it's antenna begin to wave slowly, in no particular pattern.

Another brief clank echoes in the vacant shaft.  The bug does not react.

The older man nods, regarding the creature thoughtfully...

Hoa Sen points in the direction of the noise. She keeps her voice quiet, low and expertly modulated in spite of the situation. "Whatever it is lies in that direction. We could certainly try to draw it out, but..." Even in the dim light her eyes look at the "insect" on Artor's arm "...there may be more information yet to glean."

The bug twitches one of it's legs.

The older man nods...

The bug's leg stops twitching, but the antenna keep waving.

The older man stirs, and regards his companions.

"Our bug friend describes the noise source as an eating thing and a hurting thing, big, mechanical, much bigger than it is, tearing other bugs and metal things apart.  It wants to hide or flee from such a threat..."

"I will see what else I can discern..."

He turns back to the creature...

In reply to Agatho (msg # 175):

"Perhaps it's some sort of machine tearing other machines apart? I'm not sure it's actually a creature?" Alyssa suggests. "But we can't really be sure unless we investigate it of course."

Artor nodded, “We each see differently. And we are the same, in some sense. What this critter sees and what we see may differ wildly”

He smiled at the bugs antics, sending out a sense of reassurance

Derrick nods at Artor's assessment. "Right, we're much bigger than it is too. Doesn't mean that this machine is much bigger than we are." He also agrees with Alyssa. "Right, I say let's first see if we can lure it here to where we are." With that he takes one of the glow globes and jumps down into the shaft. He then begins to pound his crystalline fist into the wall of the shaft in an attempt to make as much noise as possible.

While they where all waiting for the critter to tell then about the noises Breogh had taken 2 spikes and one of the hammers of his kit and used the 1 meter of wire to tie them together  and give it an appearance of a grappling hook with tentacles, while was also tied to his 15m of rope.

Hopefully that could work as a fishing hook for the creature or could be whirled against it, but when Derrick pounded against the shaft he decided to take his bow again and get an arrow ready at whatever might come to them

OOC: Are there any doors that could be used as a shield by someone with enough might?
This message was last edited by the player at 23:36, Thu 14 Apr 2022.

The pounding of Derrick's crystal skin on the metal creates loud reverberations in the shaft.  There is no response or answer, no sounds of movement toward Derrick's position.

"If it will not come to us, perhaps we ought to clamber to it", suggested Artor, peering into the shaft to gauge how easily that might be accomplished

Derrick looks up at Artor and then down the shaft towards where the sound had come from. "That's what I think. This shaft is the easiest way to get to the 'lower' levels. Or the upper levels. I think we'll all feel better once we know what that thing is." He moves out of the way and then gestures for the others to join him.

In reply to Derrick (msg # 182):

"I agree. Better we go to it than it goes to us, I say."

The shaft is as broad and tall as hallway, and the gentle climb upward is no strain.  Occasional twangs and snaps and grinding sounds echo from above, each time causing Artor's new companion to twitch and freeze.  Eventually, it merely crawled beneath his rags and sheltered in the darkness.

In what is now the ceiling of the shaft, the party passes door after door at regular intervals.  Most are closed, but a few are jarred open or missing or damaged in some indeterminate way.  Indirect light from the windows provides a rare space of soft glow in the shaft.  Otherwise, would be darkness bound in metals walls if not for the party's lights.

After the first few doorways Artor ignored them, moving swiftly past those that light the shaft into the comforting dimness beyond. In these twilight zones he waits, letting the other pause in the cursed light themselves, whilst he listens for more clues as the the creature's nature. They could return to the closed doorways later, once this noisemaker was unveiled

Hoa Sen treads lightly. She trusts her skills, but the environment gives her less room to move than she prefers. She keeps the majority of her attention on her companions rather than the environment—not out of suspicion, but to support any who may need it.

Alyssa tries to move as quietly as she can, careful not to step on anything that might give off a sound. She suspects that the creature actually isn't a creature but a machine and as such stationary, but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Derrick does his best to follow the group quietly, but he is not made for stealth. Despite the overall cautious pace of the group, he begins to fall behind as he takes such care with his footsteps that he cannot keep up. As the gap between himself and the other party members gets larger, he begins to debate a brief run to catch up. He's certain it will make an incredible amount of noise in the metal shaft. For now he decides not to and continues to pick his way forward.

After twenty doors (give or take), The group reaches another open door above them.  This one seems to have been torn out, judging by the fractured mechanics left in the walls, and is missing completely.  Another clanging noise is heard, followed by some quieter clattering.  The sound is definitely coming from above the.  The have reached the "floor" of the source.

Peering into the open doorway, Alric scanned the chamber or corridor beyond for the source of the noise

Once the rest of the group stops at the broken set of doors, it takes quite a while for Derrick to catch up. He peers through the doors from the back of the group to see what is on the other side.

Breogh had quietly climbed with the rest of the team paying attention to the doors and walls around the metal shaft they were using to go up.

He regretted not having a dagger with him , but also had to recognize that if that noisy thing above jumped on them it could be mettallic and a dagger  wouldn’t be that useful against it either, he had tied his waist to the rope and the self made grappling hook and used the peaks to hang it on his shoulders, hopefully he would be able to use it to defend himself or avoid falling by hooking it up somewhere.

He joined the others that reached the open room level and decided to whisper

“That predator machine seems to be near this place...Artor. Does your friend hint that we are closer to that danger? The poor thing must be terrified”
This message was last edited by the player at 14:00, Thu 21 Apr 2022.

Artor and Derrick climb up to pop their heads up through the doorway above them.  The hall itself looks in worse repair than the one below.  There is more detritus, dust, and maybe old animal feces?  There are holes torn in the walls in places, in no organized fashion (at least none pattern they recognize).

Nothing is moving, that they can see.  But a small clattering and brief ... beeping (?) comes from down the hall, closer to the center of the building.  The sound is at least 50' feet away.

The bug, latched onto one of the strange plates on Artor's skin, shudders briefly and is still again.

In reply to Immortal Eye (msg # 193):

"Can you see anything?" Alyssa half-whispers to Artor and Derrick above.

Derrick whispers back. "Nothing dangerous. Whatever is making the noise is further along the hallway. This level is a bit of a mess though. Something used to be in here, but it's been a long time." The big man levers himself up out of the shaft to stand in the hallway outside it, then turns around to help the others up after him.

"I hope it is not simply slumbering, lying in wait for more interesting prey," the arkus says. The Order is all about the numenera and discovering secrets, but part of Hoa Sen is repeatedly disappointed by how messy that gets in the field.

The hall remains quiet.  A few brief shadows flash by from smaller flying creatures outside the building.

Breogh decides that since he can make things light up, using one of his glowglobes will not be a real waste and sends one to the place they are scouting to see if creates any reaction or allows them to see more

Thinking along much the same lines as Breogh, Derrick decides to see if he can provoke a reaction. He levers himself out of the shaft and onto the wall/floor of the corridor outside. Once he is so exposed, he waits to see if Breogh's glowglobe reveals anything before he begins to move slowly towards the center of the building and the direction of the noise.

"It doesn't seem to move. Perhaps it's stationary or is uninterested in our presence?" Alyssa suggests. <purple>"It might not even have a rudimentary intelligence. I have some cyphers that perhaps could destroy it from afar, but I need to get closer to actually see if it's possible."

As the party converses quietly in the hallway, a shadow passes by the ruined doorway nearest where Breogh's glow globe came to rest.  A slow moving automaton hovers, lowering itself through the doorway, and moves toward the glow globe in the rubble.  It has a large, thick central section and multiple mechanical arms with many joints and odd devices or tools at the end.  The body of the creature is more than 7 feet tall and it hovers in the hallway so that the top is just under the "ceiling".

It stops by the glow globe.  Several scanning lights shine for a moment before one arm reaches out and vaporizes the glow globe.

The automaton turns and begins moving toward the party.

Derrick hisses under his breath. "Definitely not stationary. Maybe it doesn't see us. Can it see? We should back away slowly. Everyone stay behind me." The sight of the glow globe being vaporized has clearly unsettled Derrick. He pulls out the Lightning Wall Projector and prepares to deploy it between the party and the automaton if the machine gets too close.
This message was last edited by the player at 05:00, Sat 07 May 2022.

"Agreed , lets do that, we better be ready for an attack in case it sees us anyway"

Breogh tries to stealthy move backwards as he decides to leave the bow untouched for the moment in order not to raise the automaton's attention.. he slowly unties the rope from his waist while holding the "grappling hook" in the other hand.. ready to throw it towards the arms of that machine

"Maybe it only targets inorganic matter, but then again, I'm not staying to find out if it does!" Alyssa says as she starts moving quickly towards a suitable exit or shelter.

The automaton continues its steady approach toward the group.  Occasionally beams of light will flash out in seemingly random directions, but this does not alter its path.  It moves silently as it hovers in the space.

At the moment, there is a clear and easy path to get back into the shaft.
This message was last edited by the GM at 18:39, Sat 07 May 2022.

The beams of light continue to emit from the automaton.  They strike the explorers with no visible effect, neither on the party members nor the automaton.  One beam passes over Derrick's hand, the one with the lightning wall cypher in it.  Four more beams quickly focus on that spot.  The automaton rushes toward the cypher, arms outstretched ... and powering up.


OOC: Derrick, please make a Speed Defense roll, difficulty 6, as you are unsure of the automaton's intentions and trying to protect the other party members.

As the automaton rushes forward, Derrick is surprised by the sudden change in its speed and hesitates as he prepares to deploy the cypher. He is far to slow.

Derrick rolled 2 using 1d20.  Speed Defense (Asset).

The cypher is vaporized in Derrick's crystalline hand, sparks erupting from it as it disintegrates.

"It seems to eat the numenera." Hoa Sen says, backing away. "Who knows how much salvage it's destroyed?"

In reply to Hoa Sen (msg # 209):

"Maybe we can lure it away?" Alyssa suggests. "Perhaps by throwing some numenera away?"

Alyssa's words remind him that he had originaly built that octopus lookalike hook to serve as a bait..he whispers to Hoa and the others

"I'm thinking to test that by throwing this thing that i made to the arms of the automaton.. lets see if i can hook it with it, either if tries to eat it or gets stuck on those things, Do I proceed?"

Derrick lets out a shout of pain when the automaton disintegrates the cypher in his hand. He backs up towards the entrance to the shaft and shakes his head to Alyssa's question. " We came to make this place safe in the hope that the people of Canthus could use it as a resource. We can't leave something like this here if we want them to be able to come. We have to deal with it. All of you get back into the shaft. I'll lure it past the shaft and then you can hit it from behind."

The older man winces as his empathic senses resonate with Derrick's pain.

"OK.  Do you need healing?"

Derrick shakes his head without taking his eyes off of the automaton. "Later."

"OK.  May the Sovereign One be with you."

The older man helps herd the others into the shaft, ready to defend as needed.

Once in the shaft, he regards the approaching automaton with a faraway look in his eye...

OOC: Using Premonition on the automaton...

Alyssa follows Agatho to the shaft, she then readies a cypher of hers and waits for an opportunity to throw it at the automaton.

OOC: So I want to throw that cypher of mine at the automaton (preferably without hitting anyone else).

The older man stirs, and calls out to his companions.

"The automaton cannot vaporize organic matter, but it is capable of physical combat..."

Alyssa's throw is only slightly wide, but the automaton is nimble despite is size and zigs out of the way.  Several of it's protrusions (sensory "organs"?) seem to track the detonator until is explodes further down the hall, warping and twisting the floor, walls, and ceilings.  In her concentration on the toss, Alyssa isn't paying attention to her footing and trips over some detritus just after she lets loose, falling flat on her face in the dust.

The machine refocuses on the group and begins advancing again, although Derrick's preparations have allowed him to act first.

OOC: combat order: Derrick first, Machine second, all others afterward.  Alyssa is prone and will need to take a round to stand up.

Derrick senses that the automaton is about to turn aggressive. Rather than wait for it to attack his friends, he lunges for it and swings his mace at it's cylindrical core.

Attack hits difficulty 6 for 5 damage.

Activating Aggression to get an asset on melee attacks.
Derrick rolled 13 using 1d20.  Spending 1XP to Reroll.
Derrick rolled 5 using 1d20.  Attack with Mace (Trained + Asset).

Derrick's strike hits true, but only causes a minor dent in the metal body of the automaton.  It spins on its axis, several of the arms aiming for the glaive.

OOC: Derrick, please made a speed defense roll, difficulty 5

Derrick takes the full force of the automaton's swinging arms. His armor dents and the crystal of his body underneath makes an audible crack, but a pulse of light emanates from the point of impact throughout the big man's body. It is an effect that no one in the party has seen since Derrick's body transformed into crystal, but it is quite beautiful outside of the context of why it is happening.

Derrick rolled 4 using 1d20.  Speed Defense (Asset + Hindered). Only beats difficulty 1. Derrick has 4 armor and negates an additional point of damage as he absorbs the force of the blow.

In reply to Derrick (msg # 221):

Alyssa clambers to her feet unsteadily. She looks at Derrick with concern and ponders what to do next.

Standing up from prone.

Breog stood on guard ready to attempt hooking the automaton but his hesitancy made him wait to see derrick taking the lead,  keeping his sight on on it he did not notice that Alyssa could have used a little help to stand up

OOC:” So ...who goes next? May I?”

This message was deleted by the player at 04:39, Wed 25 May 2022.

Hoa Sen did what she could to take advantage of the way Derrick had drawn the automaton's attention. She ducked sideways and came up from a low crouch with a driving kick at the thing's side. Even with her years of training, she wasn't certain she'd be able to damage it...but she would certainly try.

07:34, Today: Hoa Sen rolled 17 using 1d20.  Unarmed attack (trained). It also does 2 extra damage from Fists of Fury.

Hoa's kick inflicts another dent into the creature's metallic exterior.  There is, perhaps, the sound of something snapping within it.  It's movements, however, do not slow.

The older man works to find a clear shot, and stretches forth his hand toward the automaton.

However, he is constrained to err on the side of caution to avoid inflicting friendly fire on any of his companions, so the bolt of energy he launches passes above his target...

RPoL Dice Roller:

15:27, Today: Agatho rolled 4 using 1d20.  Onslaught DC5:15.

OOC: Breogh Nah Hut'l rolled 17 using 1d20.  Speed check using effort twice  (DC=9?). So guess i succeeded anyway and since i have edge on it i should take -4 out of my speed pool

Breogh whirls the self made hook while he quickly moves to a place that allows him to have a clear shot to the arms without hitting anyone on the team, he throws it and as soon as he sees it gets tangled in the automaton he takes a run towards the shaft, he jumps to it and ties the rope to it, after that he uses the same rope to go back to the floor as he drags the automaton

"HIT THAT THING WHILE WE CAN!, I DONT KNOW HOW MUCH THIS ROPE CAN ENDURE"

OOC: I will take a moment to invoke Artor's descriptor.

Artor, seeing the mechanical agent of destruction entangled in Breogh's lines take the opportunity to ...

start composing a poem about spiders.  And recite it with all due melodrama.

"Oh what a tangled web we weave
When peasants use a priestly sieve.

Legs and fangs and spinnerettes
Greater than Aeon's coronets.

Leave thine ambush to the crafty spider
And you'll have no anguish to divide her ..."

The rhyming couplets continue to spill from the Jack's masked lips.

OOC: Ok, back to the top of the order!
This message was last edited by the GM at 01:51, Wed 01 June 2022.

Taking advantage of the opening provided by Breogh, Derrick swings his mace again. He aims for the same place he hit before in the hopes that the already damaged location might give way.

Attack hits difficulty 5 for 5 damage.

Derrick rolled 9 using 1d20.  Attack with Mace (Trained + Asset).

Derrick creates another clanking dent in the automaton.  The top swivels and a set of optical sensors focus on the Glaive.  Several of the machines arms swing in his direction, including two with glowing tips.

OOC:Derrick, please make a Speed defense, difficulty 4.

Once again, the automaton returns Derrick's blow in equal measure and Derrick is not fast enough to avoid it. Another dent in his armor sends another cascade of energy rippling through his crystal skin.

Derrick rolled 8 using 1d20.  Speed Defense (Asset + Hindered). Beats difficulty 2 this time.

Multiple arms and manipulators strike Derrick, and while he does not suffer additional bodily damage, he is thrown down the hallway by the force of the impact.  Worse yet, one of the glowing-tipped arms finds its target.  Derrick's mace disintegrates in his hand, his grip closing on nothing as he sprawls on the ground.

OOC: Derrick, you are prone and now in short range of the automaton.

Everyone else is now up.
This message was last edited by the GM at 12:11, Mon 06 June 2022.

After coming back to the floor Breogh took his bow and placed and arrow on it, he looked for an clear shot as he slowly walked around the automaton at some distance and had to wait for the others to make their attempt and then to get out of the way, while he did that the arrow started to glow..

Breogh saw a clear shot when Derrick was pushed back by the automaton he said "Oof! well done Derrick anyway, watch out!" and he released the glowing arrow against the automaton

OOC: 00:59, Today: Breogh Nah Hut'l rolled 5 using 1d20.  Attack roll,
I guess it was the speed pool, no effort applied
This message was last edited by the player at 04:02, Sun 12 June 2022.

The glowing arrow glances off the automaton's metal shell and careens down the hallway, illuminating a cloud of dust where it finally comes to rest.

On her feet again, Alyssa focuses her powers on the automaton. She chooses to attack it's physical form, since she's certain that her powers can't affect it's mind. Her esotery pelts the automaton with what seems to be invisible particles which makes dents in the automaton's armour.

Well, using Onslaught, which I eased twice. Then I did roll the following.


17:38, Today: Alyssa Yulo rolled 20 using 1d20.  Onslaught (eased twice).  So 8 damage in total.


This message was last edited by the player at 15:48, Sun 12 June 2022.

At least one of the automaton's arms is bent from Alyssa's onslaught, and the echoes of internal ruptures can be heard reverberating in its metal shell for a moment.
This message was last edited by the GM at 15:59, Sun 12 June 2022.

Hoa Sen does what she can to keep the automaton from focusing its attention on the downed glaive. As it reels from the nano's attack, Hoa Sen again strikes out at its legs, both hands together and driven by her weight.

OOC: 15:29, Today: Hoa Sen rolled 9 using 1d20.  Unarmed attack (light, trained, +2 damage). I think that's just barely enough to hit?

Hoa's thrust makes contact, but barely smudges the thick metal plating on the marauding machine.

OOC: I'll give Artor a day or so, and then make an attack on his behalf.  Can't have him go mad every round!  Agatho, you're up, too!

The older man times his attack carefully, aiming as he waits for the moment he can get a clear shot.

"Sovereign One, please help us now, I pray..."

And... he fires a pulse of light directly at the automaton!

RPoL Dice Roller:

22:01, Today: Agatho rolled 17 using 1d20.  Onslaught DC5:15.

Agatho's blast of energy strikes the mechanical opponent, shaking it and creating another *ping* of breakage from within.

Artor, inspired by his own dramatics, takes a flying leap, glaive flashing.  However the flailing arms of the creature deflect the blow, which creates a fan of sparks as it hits the "floor".

Breogh's entanglement seems to be losing its effectiveness.  The hook clatters to the floor as the many arms writhe their way out of the rope.

OOC: Artor attacked with one level of Effort for damage, but missed.  Top of the order, so Derrick is up.
 DC is back up to 5:15, no longer entangled.

Seeing that the automaton is freeing itself from Breogh's rope and since he is now without his main weapon, Derrick lunges forward and attempts to keep the machine restrained himself so that his allies can continue to dismantle it.

Derrick rolled 18 using 1d20.  Might to grapple (2 Effort). Spent 3 points from Might to apply 2 levels of Effort. Beats DC 8:24.

Seemingly ignoring Derrick, the automaton scans Alyssa with one of its free appendages and hovers in her direction rapidly, blades and needles gathering momentum.

OOC: Alyssa, please make a Speed Defense check, DC 4:12

Alyssa tries to avoid the appendages but alas she is too slow even if she makes an herculean effort.

07:03, Today: Alyssa Yulo rolled 4 using 1d20.  Speed defense roll (eased twice).
Well, spent 5 speed on that roll, it did not work as intended. :)

One of the needle arms flashes a sickly orange color as it pierces Alyssa's clothing.  She can feel the heat and emptiness as one of her cyphers is disintegrated.


OOC: Ok, everyone else, it's your turn.

Seeing that Alyssa took a physical hit from the automaton Breg runs towards them and takes an arrow on his hand, he intends to use it not as a projectile but to stab the automaton optical scanner with it, he wants to help Alyssa escape further attacks and at the same time take advantage of the machine having its arms already occupied
This message was last edited by the player at 17:31, Mon 27 June 2022.

The older man is too slow to distract the automaton from attacking Alyssa, but not too slow to provide covering fire for Breogh's attack...

With a silent prayer, he fires another pulse of energy... and hits!

RPoL Dice Roller:

22:16, Sun 19 June: Agatho rolled 18 using 1d20.  Onslaught DC4:12.

"OOC: 14:30, Today: Breogh Nah Hut'l rolled 3 using 1d20.  Might roll (with effort)".

Aww crap, it would have been so beautifull it all syncronized, you know, like some avengers movie team move

This message was last edited by the player at 17:35, Mon 27 June 2022.

Agatho's blast dents more of the automaton's plating and bends a couple of the arms back away from Alyssa.  However, the shock causes it to shift position in the hall, Derrick's restraints pulling it away from the rest of the party.  This cause's Breogh's thrust to bounce harmlessly off the plating.

Artor fares even worse as his glaive becomes entangled in the thing's flailing arms.  The polearm is ripped from his grasp and clatters down the hallway, ricocheting off Derrick's crystalline face in the process.

OOC: I NPC'd Artor again.  God awful roll.  I hope his player is ok.  Hoa's turn, then Derrick at the top of the order.

Hoa Sen presses her assault with mixed results. As one might expect when attacking an automaton, connecting is easy. Inflicting injury is harder...

OOC: 22:01, Today: Hoa Sen rolled 14 using 1d20.  Unarmed attack (light, trained, +2 damage)

The glaive leaves a superficial scratch across Derrick's face, but does not do any actual damage.

Since the machine seems to be largely ignoring his efforts to restrain it, Derrick decides to resume the offensive. He pulls a dagger from his belt and attempts to stab it into a vulnerable spot on the automaton while he stays in close range with it.

Derrick rolled 17 using 1d20.  Attack with Dagger (light, asset, 1 effort). 3 damage.

Both Hoa and Derrick's attacks seem to be absorbed by the creature's (?) metal plating.  It whirs and spins and clicks and tries to grasp Derrick in its many, many arms.

OOC: Speed defense, difficulty 5:15, please, now that it is unrestrained.

Derrick is in too close and has no time to react when the automaton turns on him.

Derrick rolled 1 using 1d20.  Speed Defense (Asset + Hindered). That's a free GM intrusion for you sir.

Turning Derrick's tactics against him, the automaton grabs the crystaline glaive with a number of its arms and pins him against the wall, head down.

OOC: It will take a Might task, difficulty 5, to free you.  Everyone else, you're up!  No particular order.

Alyssa decides that she has to be offensive and attacks the automaton with the power of her esoteries instead. She points her hand towards the creature and a ray of energy connects with the mechanical monstrosity.

Well, I decided to ease the roll to hit twice (for a total cost of 4 intellect and I rolled:


23:51, Today: Alyssa Yulo rolled 20 using 1d20. So the intellect wasn't spent. I guess I just want to do another extra 4 points of damage for a total of 8 damage

Stuck in position to hold Derrick immobile, Alyssa is able to take advantage.  Several plates crumple, and intermittent sprays of sparks erupt from the rents in the armor.  The responses of the automaton seem to be slowing.

Hoa attempts to strike at the automaton's joints to get it to release the glaive, but can't even manage to get close.

OOC: 08:28, Today: Hoa Sen rolled 2 using 1d20.  EXP REROLL  for the same thing. . – 2

08:26, Today: Hoa Sen rolled 1 using 1d20.  Advantage to Disadvantage (flat roll, as training eases and move hinders).

Breogh observed the scene as he bounced off his previous attack attempt, at first he wanted to try shooting with his bow one more time, but since it seems to be grabbing Derrick, he fears to hurt him instead, so as he observed he wondered how he could damage the automaton even with its metal cover, he remembers that he has a set of phasing gloves, ¿could he be able to use it to get his hands inside the machine and mess with its mechanisms?

OOC:Could that cypher be used that way?

The older man attempts to hit the automaton once again while avoiding the others, but things do not go so well this time...

RPoL Dice Roller:

22:51, Today: Agatho rolled 1 using 1d20.  Onslaught DC5:15.

OOC: Breogh, yes, absolutely!


The automaton seems to be adapting its defensive strategies to match its attackers.  Even in its heavily damaged state, it is able to summon an energy barrier to respond to the force of Agatho's onslaught.  The healer watches as a disk of reflective hard light is momentarily beamed into to path of the attack, sending it right back at the old man!

Breogh sees the automaton reacting to the attack of Agatho and decides he better makes a try, taking advantage of the fact that the machine is busy defending itself he takes the cypher gloves out of the bag and aproaches to phase his hands in one of the sides of the automaton, hopefully he will be able to grab and pull something inside that will make it malfunktion

OOC:

03:01, Today: Breogh Nah Hut'l rolled 3 using 1d20.  Attack roll , speed pool no effort vs 9 DC total. Damn!
This message was last edited by the player at 06:02, Sun 10 July 2022.

Breogh's gloves take longer to activate than he anticipated, and he merely rams his fingers into the shell of the automaton.  It is unclear if the machine even notices.

OOC: Breogh, that cypher is still active for at least next round (or however long they normally last).

Seemingly disarmed, a bolt of black energy with a halo of dark green light erupts from Artor's outstretched hand and strikes the automaton, fading through the metal plating as if it were sand through a coarse sieve.  Unpleasant sounds can be heard from inside the metal armor, and a tendril of acrid smoke starts emanating from one of the "shoulder" joints.  The machine begins to shudder and distorted alarms blare, muted, inside it.


OOC: Top of the order.  Derrick?

Derrick attempts to release the energy that he has absorbed from the automaton's attacks in a retaliatory blast, but he isn't able to get a good angle on the machine from so close and the blast goes wide.

Derrick rolled 4 using 1d20.  Release Energy (Trained).

With Derrick still effectively neutralized, the automaton raises an appendage with a glowing blue tip.  The sound of failing servos and uncontrolled power loss is sickening; the arm trembles.  But Breogh is right next to the machine, and thus easier prey.

OOC: Breogh, please make a Speed defense at 6:18, please, due to point blank range.

OOC:Sorry for the delay, ive just seen this 00:13, Today: Breogh Nah Hut'l rolled 12 using 1d20.  Speed defense (i’ll use effort). –

A beam of bright blue light pierces Breogh's shoulder.  Even as it fires, there is a sputtering at the tip of the arm and unpleasant noises from inside the machine.

OOC: Breogh, please take 5 damage, minus Armor.  You're all up!

Observing the automaton's weakened condition, the older man risks launching another onslaught bolt!

It is said that the definition of insanity is performing the same action repeatedly and expecting a different result...

RPoL Dice Roller:

12:48, Today: Agatho rolled 1 using 1d20.  Onslaught DC5:15.

Wow, twice in a row.  Yep, I will definitely have some interesting stories to tell about this battle... if I live so long...  :o
This message was last edited by the player at 19:55, Sat 23 July 2022.

In his eagerness to end the suffering of his comrades, Agatho fails to notice that the automaton's energy shield is still functional, and perhaps even stronger than before.  The shield, though, is being maintained at the end of one of the machine's unstable arms and deflects the nano's energy attack in an unpredictable way.

OOC: Agatho, please roll me a 1d6.

RPoL Dice Roller:

13:09, Today: Agatho rolled 4 using 1d6.  Deflected Onslaught: What Could Possibly Go Wrong? :o.

Let the records show that "his eagerness to end the suffering of his comrades" is not (intentionally) manifesting itself through euthanasia... :o
This message was last edited by the player at 20:14, Sat 23 July 2022.

Breogh is struck by the deflected Onslaught and pushed back from the automaton.

OOC: You'll need to make a difficulty 2:6 Speed task in order to get back in immediate range for your attack, Breogh.  You also take 4 damage, minus armor.

Hoa Sen tries, fruitlessly, to get a clean strike on the rattling automaton.

OOC: 21:51, Today: Hoa Sen rolled 8 using 1d20.  Unarmed attack (light, trained, +2 damage).

Hoa's strikes ring hollow on the metal carapace of the automaton.

OOC: lets see if i can fix my lack of participation :  11:27, Today: Breogh Nah Hut'l rolled 15 using 1d20+6.  Breoghs reaction to hits.
Oops, By mistake added 6 when i actually wanted to put 6 as the requirement, not a mod,  so i guess i rolled a 9 . which should be enough for him to at least react once in time

After his glove did not allow him to go through the automaton surface, Breogh lost track of the dire situation and started to look at the glove and the metal surface of the machine for a second to see what exactly went wrong, by doing so missed the fact that an arm was about to beam him, so he took the hit making him fall,  the beam did not completely awaken him instead made him be more in shock, with a confused stare he started to stand up when the backlash of the onslaught did hit him again.

He finally woke up and his first reaction was to feel fury "Damn useless Cypher!" he said as realized at the first time it was not completely working, full of rage he readied his feet to run again against the automaton, he took a 2nd look at the gloves still in his hands they seem still active, he runs towards the automaton, while thinking "lets see if i can gut you"

OOC:20:24, Today: Breogh Nah Hut'l rolled 19 using 1d20.  Speed check to penetrate the automaton.

This time he is able dodge the arms of the automaton and his hands go right through the "skin" of the machine, his fist opens to ggrab whatever he can take, he feels he is grabing something and pulls down with all his strenght

OOC: 16:23, Today: Breogh Nah Hut'l rolled 5 using 1d6.  Salvage roll.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:24, Wed 27 July 2022.

Hoa Sen's first impulse was to check the wellbeing of her companions and get everybody into the light. The flickers fading from the automaton were poor enough illumination. "It's down. Who among us needs assistance?" The arkus felt the sting in her hands and feet, but she'd long since inured herself against such. She was barely winded, let alone wounded.

In reply to Hoa Sen (msg # 275):

"I'm fine. A bit of rest and then I should be okay again" Alyssa informs. She has started to check up on the others as she usually do.

I'm taking my first recovery roll for this 28 hour period. Also my nurturing descriptor adds +1 to everyone's recovery rolls.

When the machine finally goes dormant, Derrick sits down heavily with a sigh. There is a lattice of small cracks running over the man's crystal skin and he is breathing somewhat heavily, but otherwise seems to be fine. "I will be alright with a moment to catch my breath. That machine was quite the challenge. Thank the Sovereign that it is defeated."

As he composes himself, Derrick begins to eye the various metal pieces of the machine curiously. "I need a replacement weapon. I wonder if we could remove something from this that would serve. Anything reasonably heavy that I could swing should be acceptable."

The older man sighs with relief, and nods.

"Yes, thanks be to the Sovereign One."

"If anyone needs healing, please let me know."

"We should take inventory of our current cyphers, and ensure that those who lost cyphers to the automaton have an opportunity to replenish from our gains..."

The hallway is quiet as the group completes their efforts to dismantle the remains of the automaton.  The occasional squeaks of the small flying creatures that flap and flutter outside, around the outcropping, are heard occasionally, but nothing bothers their peace.

Those weapons that survived the battle are recovered.  Derrick is able to affix a pair of the creatures arms together with wire to make a bladed shaft with a suitably sturdy grip.  It isn't blacksmith quality work, but it will do for a fight or three.  In a pinch.

As he pulls out the pieces of the automaton that will make his new (if temporary) mace, Derrick also discovers a strange cylinder. As he pulls it free of the wreck, he holds it out for the others to examine. "No idea what this is, but it seems like it might be useful."

After being surprised that the automaton that gave them so much trouble stopped working all of the sudden when he scrambled it on the inside Breogh focused on scavenging such as the other ones got also busy..he was concentrated on understanding the function of the cyphers and artifacts found until a pain in the side of his chest made him realize he should care for his health so he remembered Agatho's words

"Well since you offered it, i guess you can give a try to your abilities on me,, by the way...are you all in good enough shape?"

In reply to Breogh Nah Hut'l (msg # 281):

Alyssa replies:

"I'm fine, my cyphers took a beating, that's all. I was born with this ability that makes my body heal itself quicker. It was seen as a sign of the village of my elders that I should be trained to be the village healer."

The older man gently places his hands upon Breogh, and bows his head.

"Sovereign One, please heal Breogh now, I pray..."

RPoL Dice Roller:

18:06, Today: Agatho rolled 14 using 1d20.  Healing Touch on Breogh DC2.
18:06, Today: Agatho rolled 6 using 1d6.  Healing Touch on Breogh.

The older man looks up, examining the injury, and then regarding Breogh.

"How do you feel now, friend Breogh?"

After finishing with Breogh (and any others requesting healing), the older man then regards the collection of scavenged items with careful attention...

OOC: For now:
First: using his Empathic abilities to see if any signs of sentience is detectable...
Second: using Scan to examine the items...

Depending on how things go, he may follow up with:
Third: if either give him cause for further examination regarding possible sentience, he may follow up with Mental Link
Fourth: depending on other results, he may follow up with Premonition...

The older man looks up from examining the objects, shaking his head slightly.

"No signs of sentience..."

Then he bows his head briefly, and regards the strange cylinder...

OOC: Using Premonition...

"I feel much better now, thanks a lot! Whenever you want to, you can tell me more about this Sovereign One, after all i might owe him your favor as well"

OOC: So do i recover 6 for my might pool or something?

Derrick continues to hold the cylinder in front of Agatho as he studies it, but grins at Breogh over Agatho's bowed head. The grin is a very strange expression coming from Derrick's crystalline face, but he is clearly very enthusiastic. "There are many paths to following the Sovereign One. Agatho can explain."

Looking around at the group in general, Derrick posses a question. "Now that we are a little rested, should we explore the rest of this level?"

In reply to Derrick (msg # 286):

"I wonder what this automaton's purpose was? It seemed to be interested in our cyphers. Perhaps it wanted to use them to repair itself or maybe something in the building? Or perhaps it saw them as trash to be removed?" Alyssa looks at the remains of the automaton and shrugs. "We'll probably never know."

The older man smiles warmly at Breogh, and nods at Derrick.

"It would be my pleasure, Breogh.  Once I finish examining this, we can talk as we walk..."

He regards the strange cylinder for a moment, and turns to Alyssa.

"Alyssa, have you seen something like this before?  Can you help me figure out what it is?"

OOC: I'll need all the help (assets) I can get to deal with the DC6 roll needed... :o

In reply to Agatho (msg # 288):

"Not really, but I can take a guess, I suppose."

OOC: I'm am specialized in Understanding the Numenera now, if that would help?

Agatho's scan reveals the kinds of information he is accustomed to seeing in such cases.  The identified cyphers are well constructed, but not particularly interesting, made of the same types of metals, crystals, organics, and synth that he is used to seeing.  The artifact is small, but potentially very useful.

The unidentified cylinder is also a cypher, but of a type Agatho is wholly unfamiliar with.  It seems ... compressed?  Dimensionally compacted in some way.  It is quite powerful and nearly hums with power.  It is unclear exactly why this was inside the automaton.  It may have been powering it or perhaps the automaton was trying to finish constructing it or adding to an existing purpose?  Regardless, the old man gets a sense of imposing grandeur from the object, at odds with its small size.

OOC: For specific item details on the regular cypher and artifact, please see OOC thread.

The older man examines the strange cylinder with Alyssa...

RPoL Dice Roller:

15:46, Today: Agatho rolled 8 using 1d20.  Identify Strange Cylinder DC6=>DC1.

Woo hoo!  :)

With Alyssa's help, Agatho is able to determine that the item is an Instant Tower cypher.  He has heard stories of them, sometimes legends from ancient texts and fables, but he never imagined he would hold one in his hand.

OOC: Instant Tower cypher, level 10; Expands into a complex twenty-story structure with entrances, windows, and stairs connecting each level. The structure is permanent and immobile once created.

This is one of the Extreme Cyphers.

Hoa is glad nobody is seriously hurt. The arkus is also wholly out of her depth making any sense of the cyphers. There's a pang of remembered guilt and inadequacy as she flashes back to the days of her apprenticeship, but she shunts it aside with long-practiced skill.

"I do think that if we are up for it, continuing our explorations would be wise. We have a contract to meet, and we must be certain no more threats lurk within this place."

Derrick nods at Hoa and gets to his feet. H makes no attempt to reclaim the cypher that Agatho and Alyssa are studying so intensely. Brandishing his makeshift mace, he looks down the hallway the way that the automaton had come. "Should we follow this thing's path back, or head the way it was going?"

I agree as well with Hoa, in the meantime we can throw speculations about the automaton.. and now that Alyssa mentions it... it could have been that instead of eating the "Insects" me met before the automaton would conduct some kind of "pest extermination" tasks.. vaporizing anything that looked like complex technology.. speaking of which.. ¿How is our multile legged friend? its reaction to the broken robot could give us hint

The older man blinks and nods thoughtfully as he looks up from his examination.

"An Instant Tower cypher.  It will expand into a large permanent immobile structure when activated.  An amazing find that could prove most useful to our new settlement..."

After such concentration, he belatedly processes Breogh's query, and nods again.

"An interesting question, friend Breogh.  Let me check..."

He reaches toward the critter via empathic senses and via Mind Link...

"Amazing. That sure is... special." Alyssa inspects the cypher. "This is most fortunate indeed." She smiles.

Derrick's eyes widen. "That is a powerful cypher indeed. It would make an excellent watch tower for the people of Canthus."

He also nods at Breogh. "Yes, that makes sense as to why they might be afraid to venture to this part of this structure."
This message was last edited by the player at 22:50, Mon 29 Aug 2022.

The strange robotic insect can be seen peaking out near Artor's collar, its antennae waving this way and that.  Agatho senses that it is no longer fearful and feels protected within Artor's shrouds and vestments.

Raising one hand to softly caress the insect at his collar, Artor retrieved his glaive from where it had skittered across the floor. Its presence comforted him, despite its uselessness in the fight, and he considered his companion's theories, "It ate cyphers and hunted these creatures... Perhaps it sought the iotum, the fundamentals... Legs and fangs and spinnerets, all the pieces it needed"
This message was last edited by the player at 21:43, Tue 06 Sept 2022.

In reply to Artor (msg # 300):

"To repair itself maybe? Or as a source of food? Or maybe it's building something?"

Derrick looks confused and a little embarrassed. "I sort of thought that it might be cleaning."

"Any or all", quipped the swathed man, necrotic light swirling over his torso for a moment, "Eating, cleaning, collecting... it's effects were the same..."
This message was last edited by the player at 04:24, Fri 09 Sept 2022.

"Yup, definitelly anything is possible, just to realize the automaton had that compressed building inside acting like an engine, it just unbelievable.. so maybe the automaton was supossed to act as a transport .. i mean like it was supossed to go walking to some place and then deliver this cypher, maybe then got trapped here or started to act against its programing, i vote to continue .who knows which wonders await us ahead,,the critter being more calm seems like a good sign after all"

With the investigation of the wrecked automaton complete, Derrick takes his place at the head of the group and leads the way back the way the machine had come from.

Artor followed swiftly, one hand upon his glaive and the other reaching out to caress the small automation that huddled beneath his robes and bandages

The party heads "up" through the floors and along the elevator shaft that the automaton had been "inhabiting", moving toward what had been the upper floors of the tower, back before it suffered some sort of cataclysm.

More and more of the walls show evidence of the automaton's disintegration work, although there seems to be no pattern to absences.  Great rends in walls and beams stand beside architecture that seem pristine but for the dust.  Sometimes, they find irregular voids where some device or other may have once been built into the structure, the purpose and designs lost to time.

The (now) upper stories seem to be missing greater sections, and even the external stronglass of the structure is absent at times.  Piles of desiccated scat and small decaying bones and carapace parts begin to litter portions of the "floor" in places.  Quiet chittering can occasionally be heard, rising and falling in waves of agitation.

Derrick keeps a careful eye out for the creatures that clearly inhabit these "upper" levels in case any of them decide to become too curious. To the rest of the group, he simply says: "I say we keep going, all the way to what used to be the top of this structure."

“Rats”, observed Artor, though he nodded in agreement with Derrick’s suggestion, “Or some similar swarm. Spiders, perhaps. Regardless, keep your ears open”

"I wonder if there will be a potential exit above?" Hoa Sen speculates. "Or only cracks for vermin?" While she has been in other dark places, and other remote places, the arkus remains a creature of interaction with sentients, and can't help feeling a little out of place here.

In reply to Hoa Sen (msg # 310):

"Are these perhaps remains of some of the creatures we met below? Perhaps some which the machine killed?" Alyssa suggests.

Breogh takes a look at the different type of remains left and answers to alysa "most likely indeed, also If that automaton was transporting that cypher from one place to the other, we might be able to find if there is a source for those artifacts"

he goes back and takes a look upward to see if there was enough room near the shaft.. I can give it a try to light up an arrow and shoot it above us.. just to check if the oher creatures lurking here have a reaction to it

"By all means, Breogh" offered Artor, one finger tickling the small automaton upon his shoulder

The upper parts of the building (what used to be and what is now "up") are more open than the lower floors.  The tell-tale evidence of the automaton's workings are present, but it seems likely the architecture was more open, originally, also.  What can be see if the original "top", little that it is, seems to have been crushed or otherwise struck down by the rocky precipice it is lodged against.  Which part hit which other part in what order is ... indeterminate.

More of the flying creatures fill the air.  Insects are occasionally seen crawling in the piles of droppings and leavings and detritus.

Artor's new friend stays hidden within his robes, but is not quaking in terror such as the automaton had engendered.

Once they reach the upper levels, Derrick begins to move around and look for anything of interest. He will make his way towards where the structure is leaning against the rock and inspect the impact area. It is more out of a sense of curiosity than any particular hope of finding anything useful.

Derrick rolled 10 using 1d20.  Perception (Trained).
This message was last edited by the player at 22:53, Fri 30 Sept 2022.

In reply to Derrick (msg # 315):

Alyssa will assist Derrick in his search for interesting things.

Breogh iluminates one of his arrows by pressing it as he aims towards an open area upwards trying to avoid any flying creature, hopefully the light will allow him and the rest to spot anything that might be ahead..and hopefully not draw unwanted attention from a hidden threat..

and he shoots

OOC: Might any perception roll be in order or something alike?

Porcelain lips curling in an echo of distaste, Artor reluctantly begins to dislodge and poke at the rubbish and detritus in the upper chamber, seeking out tidbits for his companion and troves for himself

13:24, Today: Artor rolled 3 using 1d20.  Salvaging  Numenera - Effort, Trained

Derrick and Alyssa are able to scrape together a dozen shins and some odds and ends that seem to have been left behind by the automaton (7 units of parts).  They seem still functional and it's unclear why they remain.

Breogh's lit arrow arcs across the available space arousing squeals of anxiety from the creatures roosting on beams and in rocky nooks.  Other fliers seem to have constructed hanging nests of a sort, although they are widely spaced out.  The arrow misses any creature contact, strikes part of the rocky "cliff" that protrudes through the once-top of the building, and clatters to the ground, a glowing spot among the detritus.

Artor is able to pick out an oddity from the rubble, a curiosity perhaps beneath the notice of the recently dispatched destroyer.

OOC: roll at d400 to determine oddity.

Artor squatted in the rubble where the oddness had caught his eye, rags twisting in an unseen breeze as if twirled by shadowy fingers

13:49, Today: Artor rolled 375 using 1d400.  Oddity

Artor picks out a strange bit of synth out of the rubble.  It's roughly the size of his fist and seems to have a number of holes drilled(?) through.  There is liquid suspended in a few of the empty spaces.

OOC: A bit of synth that is full of holes.  The holes collect and hold fluid, despite the fact that they go all the way through the material.

Not seeing much that might be dangerous or valuable, Derrick turns back to the group. "Doesn't seem like there's anything for Canthus to fear at this end. Let's check out the bottom before we call it a day."

"It might be possible to establish a watchtower or outpost here, provided the rest of the compound is safe. It's a defensible position at least, though it is not so close as to play a direct part in the aldeia's defenses." Hoa Sen suggested. She remained more alert to threats than salvage. "Fortunately, we've found something that will do nicely as a start for that."

Nodding distracted, Artor pocketed the strange holey rock, "They will welcome the tower, but will they see from it"

Breogh was relieved to see that no menacing creature seemed to be around and took some steps to recover his arrow,

he then heard Hoa's idea.. "Hmm....your idea is indeed worthy of consideration, i agree with the advantages you mention, indeed it made me wonder if this automaton was carrying an instant tower cypher inside.. Could it be that it was sent in some scouting  mission to stablish an outpost for an advancing force?
This message was last edited by the player at 05:07, Sun 09 Oct 2022.

In reply to Breogh Nah Hut'l (msg # 325):

Alyssa shrugs at Breogh's suggestion. "Who knows? Perhaps it was clearing up the area to use the cypher? Or it had gone rogue, it's original programming warped and twisted during the long years since it's original making."

“All too many twists in the Ninth World”, agreed Artor darkly, “Oft times it is an ill path to understand too much”

As if to support his recommendation a ripple of greenish black washed over his form, leaking past the rags and bandages
This message was lightly edited by the player at 21:24, Sun 09 Oct 2022.

"The creatures of this place knew to fear it. That takes time." Hoa Sen says. "As even the priests of the Order acknowledge, it is often better to know how something might be used now than to what uses it may have originally been put."

Derrick listens to his companions, but doesn't have any idea what the strange automaton might have been doing so he stays quiet. Instead, he heads back to the entrance to the shaft that runs "down" the tower.

Artor muttered to himself at Hoa Sen's words, "Time, indeed. Astute"

“Yeah i guess you are right, i mean , it has been there for so long that whatever it was doing in the past seems lost in the sands of time, i would advice of some precautions whenever we activate the cypher, just in case that tower is hiding something inside, everything is possible”

He then walks towards Derrick , Breogh also seems interested in going to the bottom

"And what about up?", inquired the jack, "Should we not achieve the summit, too?"

"That's where we would want a lookout, if it can be done safely, and when we can spare the eyes to watch." Hoa Sen says. "We would have to go back outside, yes? I've lost my bearings a bit with the moving and the fighting. Once we've checked the spire, we can make certain that the depths are secure, then consult with the elders about the use of the cypher."

Derrick looks somewhat incredulously at Artor and Hoa. "You want to climb outside?" He stops to consider. "I'm not much of a rock climber. More of a rock."

The older man considers.

"How long would that take, and how much more daylight do we have?"

"I might have a cypher that could help us out with the climbing, but it requires a rather large plant, probably a tree. I have a growth stimulator, that perhaps could be used, but if the plant would be more climbable, I'm not sure."

Laughing to himsel, Artor shrugged off his pack and began to rummage around inside, "I have a rope in here, I'm sure; I was thinking of either tying it off on myself ... or on a remote viewer I have. Tossing the latter, or climbing myself if you can hold my weight"

"Or you could use a rope, why didn't I think of that." Alyssa laughs.

"We'll still have to get outside if you want to climb the rock spire." Derrick points out. "Are we going to go out one of these windows?"

The space they are in, what was once several stories of apartments (perhaps?) has enough broken and missing windows that access to the outside is a simple matter.  The colonies of flying creatures have been making use of the gaps for generations, it seems.

The more difficult part would be: what then?  The exterior of the building, where it is intact, is great undulations of smooth stronglass.  None of the immediately accessible openings abut the uneven rocky spire.  At this point, a fall from a window gap would be more or less a straight drop down 50 feet or more to the hardpan below, baking in the afternoon sun.