Alyn grinned at the Duke's words.

"Exactly. I say we get there first and have our run of the place, and see what's got their metal undies in a twist and then if we, in all our soft biological wonderfulness, decide it's ok then they can have their turn after we're done. But if we find something we don't think they should have I'm all fine to help the Seventh Seeker keep on seeking." he said with a chuckle.

"I think we have a game plan then. Let's prepare to go pay the titan a visit for a side excursion and then head to Gnost and see if we can find clues about our quarry and help him find a doctor for his parasite problem."

As they began to settle for the night, Ajakstu made sure The Duke was between himself and the strangers. He made sure his cryo grenade was near at hand.

"I don't kbow if you sleep or not," he said to Rake. "However, keep an eye on the onsu and the gas cloud while I rest."

Vult comes up after this is said. "Um, hey guys?" he says. His voice is breathy, but also sounds sort of teen-ager-y. "I don't know how long you've been travelling out here, but um, tonight, at least, I was thinking maybe we should keep watch? To make sure Kalsk doesn't wander off, but also because um it can get pretty freaky out here."

The Duke nods.

"Sabi stand watch!! Good kitty."

Then he makes himself comfortable to sleep.

Alyn shrugged.

"I definitely think Sabi and Rake got this! I, on the other hand, as the most beautiful member of this expedition need my beauty sleep, so that it stays that way." he said with a snort and a chuckle.

"I'm sure things will be okay." he added before getting comfortable by his psi-walker.

However, he also did - despite his words - attempt to establish a backup plan failsafe sort of thing. As he closed his eyes to rest, he actually attempted to partition his mind so that hos body could fall asleep yet his mind was psychically alert and able to "scan" or "watch" the area and allow him to react swiftly if he detected new minds that obviously didn't belong in the vicinity, or vice versa if the minds that belonged there tried to leave the vicinity.

Especially Kalsk.


01:31, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 8 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,5.  weird.

Everyone goes to sleep. It's interesting to note that:
--Kalsk sort of curls up. Awwwww!
--Vult coalesces into a large puddle. Wow.



...After just two or three hours, Alyn awakens.

Eh? What? Ah?

...Oh. Yeah, sure enough, Kalsk is slowly wandering off... toward the half-a-mountain.

Fortunately, he's walking (meandering?) so slowly, he's only about 30 yards away yet...

Alyn snaps to and through his psychic link responds quickly.

Kalsk! Stop! Wake up! he shuts boldly into the man's mind and tries to guide him back to the campfire.

If this fails, he will issue a verbal shout of warning to the others wake up and know what's happening but first he wants to see if telepathy is enough.

Parasite if you are active you better loosen your influence again or I'm gonna mind probe you! he said mentally as an after thought, hoping it would scare the thing into being guarded again like it was before they went to sleep.

"Eh? Mm? Wha...?" Kalsk seems to have been almost sleepwalking... When Alan tries to "wake him up," Kalsk still seems a bit groggy, but doesn't resist Alan turning him around and leading him back. "You... you're that human guy... where we goin'...?"

Alan gently guides Kalsk back tot the campsite with a very light momentary domination effect - Kalsk was consenting anyway and this way he wouldn't hurt himself from being groggy and it would also further scare the parasite back into remission.

When Kalsk was back by the campfire, he would feel Alyn gently release his mental grip and just have the baseline psychic connection again.

"You were wandering off, toward the mountain Kalsk. Like we suspected you would. Unknown to anyone I was monitoring the site in a very passive sense with a piece of my mind while resting with the other parts, and I was scanning for any incursions in and out." he said.

"I'm surprised Sabi didn't catch you leaving, but she must have fallen asleep. Go back to sleep - I'm keeping my expanded psychic awareness up for the rest of the night and cycling my mind portions so all can get rest so I'll be fine. And the parasite should be more guarded now hopefully and not try again tonight now that it knows I'm watching." he continued.

"Oh. Kay. Yeah. Sorry to be a bother..."

(Alyn, either roll again to keep watch the rest of the night, or else wake someone else up to take a shift...)

12:30, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 6 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,3.  Weird.

(Alyn gets 1 new XP...)

A few more hours' sleep is attained by all.


...But it ends when it turns out that the camp is under attack..

The attackers (there's about a dozen) seem human... if humans were invisible except for their brains and nerve systems and eyes. Oh, and there's a sickly light-green aura around each of them, especially around their heads. Maybe that's why they didn't wake Alyn up as they approached...

"Watch out! says Kalsk, attacking a brain-thing. "The green auras HURT when you get close!"

A brain-thing comes straight for Alyn (perhaps perceiving him as the biggest potential threat?

Or just as the yummiest potential meal?)

The Duke is grumpily awakend and first makes sure the food is safe as he gets onto his feet. Seeing the enemy is upon them he activates his power fists strong enough to tear down buildings and bellows at the green brains as he slams them into the ground to create a mini earthquake.

"You pieces of goo get lost now or i will make you regretever existing to begin with."

ooc: Gonna go scary to scare em off. If they do not listen well lets say i warned them ;-)

10:21, Today: The Duke rolled 7 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,4.  Scary.

About half the brain-things break off and move toward The Duke, their glowing-auras-where-arms-should-be outstretched toward him...

They do so slowly, though, as though he has put a sense of caution into them...

Ajakstu adjusts his hat to a more stylish angle, and then lobs his grenade towards the group headed for The Duke.

Unable to think of a witticism he merely awaits the result

15:50, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 5 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 2,1.  Agile grenade toss.

15:25, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 1 using 1d6 with rolls of 1.  Aid

Alyn tried to help Ajak with the bomb but things were happening a little too quickly and he couldn't focus himself.

Edit: ...but is that the prophecy the Duke foresaw?
This message was last edited by the player at 20:30, Wed 06 Oct 2021.

The things not breaking off was what the Duke needed and has his companions where considering lobbing grenades the Duke was about to tear into them in ways that made the Geneva convention a long lost fairy tale. But as he was warned to avoid touching them he uses parts of the scenery as ranged weapons with wild abandon. The Duke was pain incarnate not only of the green things but also the area he was in.


ooc: Atrocity 8

10:15, Today: The Duke rolled 8 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 5,2.  Atrocity.
An aid to lift that 2 to a 4 will make it a powerfull one that takes care of these things.

7 to 9: Weak Atrocity: Charge any weak opponent and destroy them. You don't even need to use any weapons (though you may).

If your next move is a basic attack or an Atrocity, take +1 forward.

But it seems that the Duke had foresaw success beforehand...

10:21, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 4 using 1d6 with rolls of 4.  Aid

The cryo-grenade catches Alyn and Vult in its radius, but it's much worse for the attackers.

Then The Duke destroys what's left of them. He does get hurt by their glowy auras, a little, but that just makes him madder.

(Alyn and The Duke and Vult take 1 new Harm (each).)

Soon all the brain-things are destroyed, although there are a few that are intact, but frozen solid. (As far as Alyn can tell, they're dead now too, though.)

Ajakstu doffs his hat towards The Duke. "Teamwork! It makes the scheme work!"

He then sets about poking at the destroyed enemoes with a stick to see if perhaps they carried anything of value.

The Duke flexes his massive muscles at the magnificent hat and for good measure kicks the frozen enemies to little pieces.

"I warned them didn't i? Lets go they spoiled my sleep and hurt me those meanies."

The Duke starts to their ride having little interest in looting but wants to secure his cooler.

(Roll Insightful, please...)




The Duke's cooler is safe... but Sabi is gone. Sabi left a written note: I feel a calling from off to the northwest-- I must go alone-- It is my destiny-- Perhaps we will meet again someday-- Sabi

11:38, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 9 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 5,3.  Insightful.

"What do you make of this Rake?" Ajakstu asked as something caught his eye.

As the edge of the blast nicked Alyn, a field of Force became momentarily visible around him as it negated the damage and protected him before disappearing again. Some lines on his armor glowed with a soft blue light as the force field activated and then subtly went to remission once again.

"Well that's that. Looks like Sabi is wandering... At least she was kind enough to leave a note. I wonder how she knows how to leave a note but I'm not going to question that." He said.

"I think I might as well join you in looting and seeing if there's anything useful. Maybe compensation for our time and disturbing our sleep."

Alyn went to loot the corpses too.
10:46, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 8 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 4,2.  Insightful.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:47, Sat 09 Oct 2021.

Rake seems interested, clicking slightly in approval.

Kalsk comes over. "Hey, that chunk of frozen monster's still glowing pretty brightly. I think it might be its heart." Kalsk takes a jar out of his pack. "Here, you should save it. I think you could get good money for it in Gnost..."