In the end, it was decided that The Lady would stay and guide the Onsu to a new way of life... at least for a while.

This meant that there would be more water for the Durka's hatchings, and more water for the Cutari's crops. The three tribes, weary of bloodshed and ichor-shed, agreed to give the new arrangement a try.

Shuat, spiritual leader of the Onsu, became more of a chief liason between The Lady and the rest of his tribe. He agreed to show The Duke and Ajakstu Gul the secret way back to the surface (which they were, by long tradition, forbidden to use themselves, for was Onsu himself not the provider of all that they might need?)

At the elevator, though, the two adventurers found... a thing.

And the voice of Onsu (which The Duke, at least in his head, called Magic Voice) (which The Duke and Ajakstu Gul understood was really the voice, or one voice, of the genetic facility's computer) explained to them what that thing was.

"This lifeform is called Sabi. Sabi is the result of an emergency program, one of the last ever written in this facility. My instructions were to create a lifeform capable of going out and hiring more employees to come and work in this location. Sabi is the most appropriate lifeform I could design to survive in the world as it now exists. I have outfitted Sabi with equipment of my own design, and asked her to go and find more humans to come and work at this facility. Please take Sabi with you as you exit the facility. Thank you, and have a nice day."

Standing there, conspicuous in her massiveness, this ‘Sabi’ does little to suggest she’s even heard that introduction and goodbye in one. Certainly she breathes, her array of tentacles sways and undulates like on a gentle breeze, and her bare skull of a head gazes down with a clear weight despite its eyelessness, but beyond that … nothing. It’s a bit unnerving, but perhaps less so for the armour plates and loaded packs and storage that represent Onsu’s outfittings. A beast of burden then. A pack animal.

She idles, silent and still. Perhaps she awaits a command...

Ajakstu steps back, putting The Duke between this creature and himself. He looks at the large man expectantly. He also checks to see what Rake's reaction is.

The Duke was a little sad he was leaving his first friend ever behind but she reminded them of their important task of finding this other place for some reason he forgot again but she found it important but she also needed to stay with the Onsu for a bit. To recharge her luck she said. So the Duke had hugged her goodbye and bawled like a little child for several hours and then like a switch turned off manned up and walked away without a word to leave the facility leaving the hat to scramble after him.

And now there was this voice telling them to bring another along. He looks at the massive beast and its unnerving presence. And as he did Foers also looked at the thing and it was struggling. Was this thing a danger or a friend? Red, green, red, green.... for a long moment The Duke and Foers just stared and then an orange halo enveloped the new beast and the Duke looks confused.

"What is that Foers? I never seen that....

Oh you mean you do not know either but i should not destroy it before it gives me reason too."

As The Duke seems to talk to an invisible entity the neuro inhibitor on his head sparks and even starts to smell a little of ozone. Like it was having issues processing something or was maybe malfunctioning? But theDuke looks up at the massive monster and gives it a grin.

"I had a cat as big as you once. If you are nice you can be my cat and I'll give you scratches at camp. Just don't eat Rake thats Ajakstu's pet."

And with that the Duke included the massive thing and enters the elevator gesturing at Ajakstu and Sabi to join him.

Rake the beetle flies over to the large creature, and sort of flies around it, inspecting it... It doesn't land on the being (seemingly out of a sense of respect more than fear), but seems perfectly unworried as it flies back to Ajakstu Gul's shoulder.

Ajakstu cocks an eyebro and then follows The Duke.

Elevators being what they are, he positions himself near the door, yet with The Duke between himself and the newcomer.

"Cramped," he mutters.

"Do you speak? The beings down here are fiendish and tortuous, with little respect for genius...."

The (freight?) elevator slowly starts up...

Sabi’s eyeline (?) tracks Rake as it circles her, clearly intrigued by the buzzing noise. Or annoyed. One of her tentacles also breaks rank from its fellows to trail in the beetle’s wake through the air, the very image of a snake leaning from a branch, coiled and biding its moment. No strike comes though and it returns to neutral once the insect rejoins its master.

At that she turns her attention to Ajakstu.

“Sabi speaks. It would be hard to make friends if she did not.” She says it as if it should be so very obvious. “Humans like to talk, so she talks.”

All the while half of her tentacles have their ‘eyes’ on The Duke, gently scrolling up and down his mighty form as if scanning him somehow. Even as Sabi switches to regarding him instead of the smaller man they yet remain in motion, still swaying, interested. “Sabi is always nice, but … Sabi does not want to be cat. Sabi is Sabi, not cat.” An emphatic nod, then a pause. “Maybe still scratches though?”
This message was last edited by the player at 18:42, Sat 29 May 2021.

"Pretty sure creatures that like scratches are cats. So Sabi is my cat now."

The Duke nods as if saying this is my decision and its final. He looks at the door of the elevator ready to be outside again.

"Hope my cooler is still there and the food within. Would be bad if it went bad while we where down here."

The elevator doors open, and The Duke and Ajakstu Gul see the room with the gummed-up fountain that was near the entrance to the surface level of the facility. (Of course, Sabi sees it too, but for the first time.)

Water is really pouring freely from it now, though, like maybe several gallons per minute. It floods the floor (at a depth of barely an inch), and runs out the front door.

Outside is Juniper (Jr.)... and another human!  He appears to be a young adult Caucasian male of around 25 years of age, 5'10'' height, with a lean build, light auburn to brown hair (it's hard to tell in this permanent gloom), and green eyes.

He might be from The Cloister, though, since he seems to have brought his own vehicle with him...

Juniper (Jr.) gestures in a formal way which suggests his pleasure at the water flowing more strongly again... He seems content to let the party speak first, though. (Also, he seems a bit taken aback, not sure what to make of Sabi.)

Alyn had been surviving and biding his time in the Ziggurat since he had first arrived in this strange world. A world he later got the sense was Earth way in the future. Like hella-far in the future! But he gleaned much from the minds of the Ziggurat's inhabitants and pieced much together. And he was...different now, compared to how he was before. His mind held vast untapped potential that even he didn't fully grasp yet.

But then again, the entire world seemed weird as hell too.

And he learned the Ziggurat itself was semi-sentient! And that his mind could communicate with it to a degree, although it was a lot harder than with humans, and he couldn't control it at all. Parts of it he could temporarily influence but the structure itself was beyond his current ability. But the strange structure did ultimately took a positive and seemingly benign interest in him, and it seemed top have some sort of grasp of the human condition and emotions. Because unless it was really devious or just plain lucky (which was possible since he did pick up thoughts from people about there supposedly being a luck goddess somewhere in the place's halls although he never encountered such a creature), the Ziggurat actually seemed to try and reach out to him in direct and indirect ways.

At first, he was spooked by the little drones and robots it sent and ended up blowing a few up with pyrokinesis, or twisting inside out mentally with telepathy. Which somehow worked on them, even though it defied physics. Then again...HE defied physics too. But then the place's entreaties continued and remained gentle, and relented once he figured out the place meant him no harm. It seemed highly intrigued by him and it even gave him gifts to win him over! Yes, a large semi-sentient building gave a psychic human gifts. As crazy as it all sounded! A very nifty getup that generated an even niftier forcefield to keep him safe, and it even built him a quadwalker that was customized with his powers in mind and was easy to control with his mind.

So when the place eventually sent a robot emissary to ask him for a favor to look into the Cloister, he relented. Plus, the Ziggurat  didn't seem to know anything about his condition and he figured maybe this Cloister knew more not only of the world but insights into his own nature.

--------

And now he was standing in the vicinity of a moving tree, with water spilling out from the door of some complex, and some weird looking people standing with a freaking monster on an elevator. It just kept getting weirder and weirder.

And there he was, in his Quad walker looking out at the weirdos on an elevator. And the large monster really threw him off a bit. He hadn't seen anything like it yet in this strange world and the ziggurat had NOT warned him of such a thing.

So he had to wonder...was the thing friend or foe? Did it have a mind? An understandable one, anyway? And then his caution turned to curiosity as he reached out with his mind...

Alyn reaches out mentally and tries to establish a mental connection with Sabi. This isn't immediately noticeable yet in-game, but OOC Sabi's player gets to know this is happening and gets a choice: do you consent to the mental contact, or are you unwilling? I have to roll if unwilling but it's automatic if you consent.

See the OOC thread for a related disclaimer.

Proceeding since the player stated ooc they consent. Right now, he is simply communicating not probing.

Alyn gasp slightly in surprise as the mental connection snapped into place with no resistance. He wasn't sure WHAT to actually expect from such a creature. Although if it was with the humans on the elevator perhaps it was a trained pet or otherwise tamed somehow? But really he didn't know what to expect.

Everything in the world was once again new to him.

He decided to test the connection, to see how readily the thing could respond. He'd be able to commune with it on some level due to his raw ability, but what he was unsure of was the complexity of its thoughts. Was it animalistic, or would it be something else? Perhaps even human-level?

Greetings, creature. I mean you no harm and am only communicating with you right now. Please do not be alarmed I come in peace. a thought gently echoed in Sabi's mind. It wasn't a painful or bad sensation by any means, especially since the telepathy was both non-invasive right now and was not being resisted so was "smooth" for lack of better words. If a thought-message could have a "friendly or cordial disposition" then that would best describe the sensation.

Can you...if you can understand me well, then merely think back a response to me. No true words are needed between us right now.

Sabi visibly stiffens at the unexpected transgression, frozen in place a moment before finding the wherewithal to check the corners of the room with jerky shifts of her vast eyeless skull, her tentacles rigid and all but scenting the air with their motions. Her heavy gaze rests briefly on Juniper before moving on, and when she locks ‘eyes’ with Alyn all that searching comes to an abrupt end. She sees him. She knows.

For a time there is nothing. Then something stirs in the emptiness, a pressure heavy and oil-slick. It reaches out, and unlike Alyn's touch it is not gentle. It pushes back.

You have given me truth enough. You call me 'creature;' you do not ask my name or offer yours. I understand that quite well. Contempt clings to the thought, sharp and bitter like acid, like venom, like the scent of ash and burning carried on the wind. It echoes every bit as keenly as Alyn's cordiality. My name is Sabi. You will speak with me as a person because I am a person. That is my truth.

So who are you? What do you want?
This message was last edited by the player at 06:38, Wed 09 June 2021.

As the elevator reaches the top and opens the Duke gives his new cat a few scratches on its head where he knew the small variant and the big one liked it and then steps outside seeing yet another walker of the Ziggurat which Foers immediately highlights with a green outline. And as such the Duke fully ignores the newcomer to adress Juniper.

"Look friend your water is back and the Lady is remaining below for a time to make certain it stays that way. So now you must give directions to Ajakstu here for he will be driving us to where it was we be heading. did you protect my supplies?"

The Duke did not really wait for an answer but went to look for their vehicle and more importantly the cooler in the back with their food.

Ajakstu plays off his shock at The Duke's nomination.

"Me driving...! A most excellent idea!" sounding more like an unenthused question or fatalistic observation.

Then he straightens and brushes himself off. "I am Ajakstu Gul," he says to Juniper. "A discussion of pay rate is foremost, not to exclude hazard pay."

The young man who was in the quadwalker suddenly made a surprised expression on his face for a moment, before regaining composure.

This...this is fascinating. Really it is! the young man's thought-voice responded eagerly in Sabi's mind.

Your thoughts aren't simple at all. Way different from the animals and such I've encountered. They are vibrant and driven, and as deep as any human's for sure. it continued.

I certainly would say, at this point, that you are definitely a person and not a mere creature. And no I didn't ask for your name since I wasn't sure you could even give one. This is the first time I've met something like you, that is so obviously inhuman but yet has complex human-like thought. And quite frankly...I've been surrounded by one weird thing after another since coming here and am trying to make sense of it all still, so you'll have to cut me some slack. THAT is MY truth.

The young man looked around and considered the others and the weird tree thing, but then turned his gaze back to Sabi. She was currently too interesting to not give his attention to.

A name? Well any person who is truly a person has a name, so that seals the deal. A person you are. Even if you are also a creature of some sort...but I acknowledge that you are your own person first and foremost. If I may ask...WHAT exactly are you, Sabi? Like...do you have a species or racial term that classifies you, like weirdo-human classifies me? And are you a male or a female or something else? And do you see in color or black and white? the mental voice inquired curiously, with no contempt at all just pure curiosity and inquiry.

Like I said...you are a totally new experience to me. Oh, and Sabi? My name is Alyn. A pleasure to meet you - and I really mean that too.

Hmm. A thoughtful note. I suppose it is a welcome change to speak this way. My words seldom match my thoughts. You’ll see.

As for what I am … I am Sabi, and there are no others like me. The mother-machine designed me, shaped me and gave me life so that I might have the strength to face the wastes and the mind to speak on its behalf. So if my thoughts seem human-like to you it is because I was always meant to know and speak with humans and their like: design, not chance. One could almost imagine a shrug, a dismissive little affectation in the flow of her thoughts. I had another name once, but I have been Sabi since I had the mind to choose for myself. It is the only name that matters.

Silence returns. While not so heavy this time, that pressure relenting somewhat as her mind turns more accommodating, it still bears a certain weight. Then-

I identify as female, and I can say with confidence that my senses surpass your own. I see the world as you see it and more. Amusement, superiority; the very thought that he might see more clearly than she.

That arrogance smooths to something warmer. She's genuinely curious, not merely making conversation. So what is it that brings you here, Alyn? What business has a ‘weirdo-human’ in this place?

Alyn's thoughts suddenly took on a hint of amusement at exactly the same time that Sabi's thoughts grew...arrogant? Presumptive? However, as the pressure continued to relent and her sense of superiority shifted to outright gregarious curiosity, Alyn's thoughts once again became dominated by his previous impression of friendly curiosity mixed with a hint of ponderousness at her question.

That...is a most fascinating backstory! Like something from a comic book! A lab-grown creature imprinted with a mission by the AI that molded it, which then grew so much that it began to become its own sentient person with its own sentient take on its very mission. Enough that it most likely changed a lab-given designation to a unique name all its own? Then the Creature, now more of a standalone person, heroically ventures out into the savage wild world! he said via thought, a slight hint of giddy excitement that tinted the entire thing as he put two and two together.

The excitement subsided back to normal as he paused a moment to compose himself.

Ahem. Anyhow...Miss Sabi, and I say that now that I know you're a girl, you told me your backstory so it's only fair I tell you a bit about mine. I recently arrived here from the same Ziggurat place that those other people over there, minus the weird tree-thing of course, had initially come from. I agreed to help the Ziggurat find a place called The Cloister, which supposedly has another colony of humans living in it. Of course, I also want to learn more about the world. Because I'm not from around these parts.  he continued.

And as far as I know, I may be the only weirdo-human on this planet. You know...who can do the mental telepathy and such. I've yet to encounter another who can do what I can. So I guess you could say I'm also on a journey of self-discovery while I figure out what to do with myself.

Then the feeling of ponderous reflection became stronger.

Hmmm...perhaps you and I are somewhat similar in that regard. You know...going on a journey of self-discovery into an unknown world.

"The payment for the task..." Juniper (Jr.) says to Ajakstu Gul, "...was that I would talk to my father... and report to you what he remembers... about the people who said they... came from... The Cloister... And... if you are ready... I will lead you there now..."

A slight smile toward The Duke. "Your... provisions... are... unharmed... I guarded them..."

Juniper (Jr.) begins to walk (back) downstream, expecting the rest of you to follow him (apparently in your vehicles)... Although he's got a long stride, he's not moving terribly fast so far, though (maybe giving you all time to start following?)...

The Duke smiles the details of the deal trivial to the giant brute. He gestures for Ajakstu to get behind the wheel and then realizes their new pet was still inside the elevator looking distant. Assuming it was fear for the strange place it came into the Duke squats down and pets the ground near their vehicle and makes some sound that would be soothing to small animals.

"Come sweet Sabi. Its okay you can come outside. The big machine and tree man will not harm you. Come to the Duke."

Ajakstu climbed into the vehicle and surveyed the controls. The pay rate sounded less than desirable, but if their guide was accompanying them, to a place of culture, then perhaps there would be opportunity.

The thought of running down their guide did cross his mind though.

Perhaps, Sabi’s thought-voice muses, mirroring Alyn’s own. And both bound for The Cloister, if for our own reasons.

Any further ruminations on her part are interrupted by the Duke’s summons and her mind palpably shifts at his efforts. A ghostly pressure like the idea of a sigh, but one more warm and soft in nature than cold and derisive. Her shadow withdraws.  It seems we have spoken long enough; my presence is desired elsewhere. Farewell Alyn, and thank you for the conversation.

---

Sabi starts as if waking from a daydream, her tentacles pawing at the air before turning their attention to the Duke. She steps out from the platform with clear haste and closes the gap between them, heavy footfalls kicking up spray even in such a shallow body of water. Once there she stands – looms really. “Sabi is not afraid – she does not scare of little people. Sabi was … thinking.”

In her stumbling spoken voice one could easily read fear, embarrassment or indeed whatever else they desired into those shifts and pauses.
This message was last edited by the player at 19:53, Fri 11 June 2021.

The Duke fully understanding the need of the big creature to adjust to a new reality gives Sabi a smile and ruffles the many tentacles in a way that was unnaturally gentle for the massive brute and then gets into the vehicle.

"Its okay sweety."

A term his handlers used when he was scared in his first confusing days in the Ziggurat. He was sure would comfort the big creature. He checks the Cooler and seeing all in there as he left it puts a big smile on his face and he rummages around for something that might be a treat and conjures up a vac sealed self healing meatball in grease and pops the seal and waits a few moment before presenting the treat to Sabi.

"Here. Eating helps the Duke when he needs to think. Sure it helps you."

Once he has given the meatball he gets into the vehicle and waits for his driver to follow Juniper.

It was my pleasure, Miss Sabi.

Alyn nodded silently at her from afar from atop his quadwalker, as he disengaged the psychic link. Having made this contact once, it would be possible to do so again even from afar. Which could be useful for communication and such as he'd be travelling with the monster for a while.

Well, that and she seemed to be quite interesting and personable despite outward appearances. Seems the adage of not judging a book by its cover applied even in the far future.

He silently assessed the others. He knew he'd have to eventually make psychic contact with the crazy fat-yet-muscular man and the overtly-enterprising goofball with the hat. And of the three, the monster seemed to be the most reliable of the bunch which said something about this group of weirdos. He didn't need mental powers to tell him that much. It would seem that Alyn would not be the only oddball here after all.

For now, he decided to follow after the people as he did agree with the Ziggurat to help with the expedition. And the talking tree was almost as interesting to him as Sabi was. Almost. He figured this was time for him to introduce himself as well.

With a silent thought, re reclined in his and while his Quadwalker began to move on its own and strode next to the the skimmer. Alyn spoke out of his window.

"Greetings! I am Alyn, from the Ziggurat. I am here as a part of the cloister expedition." the young man said aloud.

"A bit about me. I like long walks on the beach, seafood, and dogs. And cats, especially kittens. Because I like cuddly things." he continued.

"I also take a mind-over-matter approach to life, and believe where there's a will there's a way. So ya...that sums it up, for the most part."

Sabi knew more than the others how literal he was about that last bit.

The Duke eyes the newcomer now a little more closely then he did before he dismissed him the second Foers made him out as non hostile. Another send to abandon them? The Duke shrugs as he tosses the meatball wrapper on the ground and takes something to stuff into his mouth himself. What a strange man. Loving to eat seafood dogs and cats!!! The Duke shifts a little to make sure he can protect Sabi against this newcomer as he speaks up.

"They call me the Duke i am this groups protector and make sure our supplies are kept safe."

He pats on his massive belly to indicate that keeping safe in his mind has a different meaning then normal.

"The man with the great hat is Ajakstu we found him and Foers thinks he is a friend so he travles with me now the lady found her new people. The little bu...."

The Duke gives the stranger in the walker a stern look to make it clear he was really serious in what he was about to say next but then his eyes shift and his tone of voice drops several octaves as he glares at Alyn.

"Blood flows on stone and minds screech in horror as the metal man thunders over the land. Despair comes over you for you failed where you should not but hope is what you should hold onto for the way was right."

The Dukes eyes and voice go back to normal in an instant.

"..g is Rake and is his friend and this one is Sabi and she is mine. And we do NOT eat our friends okay?"

He goes on as if the interruption with the strange voice never happened. Eying the newcomer to make sure he understands his kitten was not to be eaten.

ooc: Alyn has been prophesized. It means he can ask the Dukes player if this is what he was talking about. If the answer is yes you can roll another d6 to substitute one of the dice you rolled. He will most likely say yes if you use it on a roll where failure would most like result into something spectacularly bad. On a no try another time.

Sabi purrs at the affection, a deep rumbling sound that suits her form but feels a world away from her speaking voice. Even after the Duke moves on her tentacles still reach after him, clearly reluctant to let that contact go, before pressing back in to her chest after it becomes clear they won't get their wish. She follows him tenderly like a grossly oversized lamb, peering over his shoulder as much by nature of her physiology as out of curiosity. She's thoroughly under his spell and blind to all else.

When the treat is presented her way it only gets a slight tilt of the head at first. Sabi holds as if awaiting some further clarification, then a trio of finer tentacles gingerly snake out to close pincer-like around the meatball. She seemingly raises the snack to eye it but it isn't entirely clear where exactly those 'eyes' are - the range of motion and angles she chooses seem awkward were they in the typical spot. Then she flicks it into her mouth without ceremony and swallows the thing whole. Her tentacles visibly quiver in what presumably has to be pleasure.

She purrs again, eminently satisfied and distracted from whatever other weirdness is occurring about her.

Alyn raised a curious eyebrow at the sudden and conspicuous change in demeanor as Duke gave his impromptu prophecy, but the others - including Sabi - seemed fine with it so he didn't let himself get worked up over it. Instead, he decompartmentalized the strangeness for now and just went with it. He wondered if when he read the man's mind later on sometime if he'd see just nonsense, or if there was hidden meaning being the Duke's strange and cryptic words. But he could worry about that later.

"I...I will keep that in mind, Duke." Alyn replied stoically. Although his demeanor loosened up a bit as he continued.

"And you can rest assured that I have no intention of eating any of you, including Sabi or Rake. I fear Sabi might give me indigestion with all those fangs and claws and fur, Ajakstu is a bit too lean for my taste, while you are not quite lean enough. What can I say...I'm a picky eater. So alas! I fear I'll simply have to settle for normal food like the rest of you." he added, with a chuckle.

Hearing The Duke rant at Alyn, Ajakstu murmurs, "In danger there is opportunity, and in OPPORTUNITY there is danger."


He does his best to maneuver the vehicle so the order is Nuniper, Alyn, then his transport. Better to keep an eye on the others. And, of course, to provide rear guard!

Juniper (Jr.) leads the two vehicles and their passengers back to the west, to where the stream (now three times as strong compared to before, which still isn't very much) forks. He follows it the fork vaguely northward. The vehicles cross easily, and continue to follow.

He doesn't go far, though. By a shallow and small (but slowly growing) pool, he stops. There's a wide-trunked tree there-- The Duke and Ajakstu Gul remember seeing it in the distance earlier, but they thought little of it.

Now, Juniper (Jr.) stops before it. He slowly waves his arms, which sort of creak and crack.

He looks at the party meaningfully.

The old, wide tree sighs in the wind, and moves its few branches slightly.

Except there isn't any wind.

Juniper (Jr.) signs again. Then he turns to the party. "I have awakened father... and gotten his attention. He is willing to proceed... I have asked about the people... who claimed they were from The Cloister."

He turns back to face the tree, and waits.

And waits.

After just a few minutes, the large tree moves slightly again, sort of groaning slightly. Two small branches rub slowly together, as if for emphasis.

Juniper (Jr.) turns again. "At first... he just repeated what I have already told you... But then he gave more detail... You should travel northwest from here... You will pass half a mountain... and then a large building made of stone... and then the ruins of a large robot... At the last, you should veer more to the east... Father has seen the half-a-mountain for himself... The stone building and the robot he did not see for himself... this is just what the people told him... He does not know how far the journey may prove to be... But he says that more than one of the people he met were... or seemed... human, like you." He points to Ajakstu Gul and Alyn... and considers pointing at The Duke, but changes his mind.

Alyn considered.

"Hmmm..." he said.

"Would you ask your father if he'd be willing to show me what the half mountain looks like, in my own special way?" he asked of Juniper.

"Tell him to merely recollect its appearance and location in his mind, and I'll do the rest."

Juniper (Jr.) seems to find this question troubling. "...Do... not... suppose... that... his... perception... of... reality... is..." (Long pause) "...safe... just because... I have... roused his awareness... His... mind... is still... much... slower... than what you are used to... Do you... still want me to... ask...?"

Alyn nodded, and explained that it may work or it may not but he was willing to give it a try for the sake of trying to help the others.

Hopefully his telepathy could fill in the gaps in the plant consciousness.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:11, Mon 21 June 2021.

Ajasktu files "stone building" and "ruins of a large robot" away as opportunities to be explored.

The Duke less interested in the directions goes over inspecting the food stores.

15:48, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 8 using 2d6 with rolls of 5,3.  weird.

Alyn staggers back under the... weight? mass? breadth? flood? None of these terms seem right. The tree's memories and mind overwhelm him.

(Alyn takes 1 stress.)


The link is then broken, or breaks of its own accord.

Alyn shakes his head to clear it. His connection with juniper was a bit harder than he was expecting. Although this was certainly a good practice for him. He did however get what he needed.

Alyn thanked juniper Jr. And let everyone know that he now knew the location of the mountains and that they could head out now as he would point the way.

While securing a handfull of rations and chewing loudly and open mouthed he gives Alyn a thumbs up.

"Good lead the way while i secure these supplies."

The vehicles load up again, and the expeditionary force: Ajakstu Gul (and Rake the beetle), Alyn Reed, The Duke, and now Sabi-- head northeast, occasionally undergoing very slight course changes based on promptings from Alyn based on the mental impressions he got from the strange mind of Old Juniper. These usually just involve turning slightly left or right here and there by a few degrees at a time. The general course always remains northeast.

After a couple of hours' travel, though, the party comes upon the back of a long line of walkers, headed in roughly the same direction they're headed.

Rake seems mildly interested, somehow...

(Will the party stop and investigate this procession...?)

"Why, look!" Ajakstu exclaims. "Surely, worth a pause to see what the circumstance here is, yes?"

Although it doesn't seem like a question as he stops his vehicle.

"I also am extremely curious about all this." Alyn said as he also stopped his psi-walker with a quick mental command.

"Yes...I wonder..." he said as he gazed at the procession intently.

OOC: Alyn wants to try and glean the thoughts from the procession to get an idea of what's going on here.

He is going to try to establish a mental link. If, on an ooc narrative level, they don't resist then this simply happens and doesn't do anything yet other than allow the use of further telepathic powers. If, narratively, they resist then he will roll 2d6+2 charm.

If you allow the initial link to form with no resistance, then I'd like to ask if he can glean some very SURFACe level details passively from the link or do i need to make a separate insightful roll for a full on mind reading attempt?

The Duke nods but as last time he was seperated from the cooler with their supplies he now makes sure to use its sling to hang it from his shoulder much like one of those ancient clutch purses. He then gets out of the vehicle and starts suantering over towards the things barely waiting for the others that seem to be a lot more cautious.

Ajakstu waits in gleeful silence for The Duke's diplomacy to unfold.

10:25, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 5 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 2,1.  Charm.

(Alyn gets 1 xp.)

As Alyn gets close enough to walk up to the leader of the procession, he realizes that the leader-- and the rest of the walkers-- are all robots.

Two of which shove him backwards roughly. "Retreat, thou biological miscreant!" one of them says to Alyn. "One does not simply walk up to Vomol, The Seventh Seeker, unannounced! Hast thou no sense of propriety?!?"

(Alyn gets -1 on his next Charming roll...)

And that was when the Duke had to step in. Where he was merely curious only a moment before now they where potentially harming his ally/friend. His destructor gloves spark to live as his slow gait breaks into a dash. And if nobody was going to do anything about it the Duke was about to introduce a whole world of hurt on the robots shoving his companion there was no mistaking his intent.

Seeing The Duke spring into action, Ajakstu scans the control panel of his vehicle for any kind of weapons he can bring to bear.

Alyn considered for a moment how to react to the sudden and surprising pushback from the robots, and their general snark. Did he try to use telepathy to fry their circuits or mess with them? As weird as it was his mental powers worked on machines (more or less). Or maybe show them he could push back...with an aggressive and forceful telekinetic shove and put them in their place? Or see if he could cause a pyrokinetic reaction and see if he could turn one of them into an ashtray or something. No...he had to keep his cards closer to his chest this early on in things.

Or perhaps just sit back and let Duke Sic them. The Duke was perplexing to Alyn and he was still trying to figure out what to make of him, but he did seem group-oriented.

Sort of like a barely leashed wolf or something. Or maybe one that was totally leashless!

He shook his head for a moment. and decided against it and instead attempted to use not force or mental powers but pure charisma and his natural appeal and guile. Whatever happened to him in that rift when he came to the future or whatever, even his own mundane attributes were enhanced a bit as whatever powered him on an overt level also had subtle effects on his force of personality too.

Holding out an arm, Alyn shakes his head at the rushing Duke.

"My good Duke...please, wait for a moment. I think there is simply a big misunderstanding here and I'd like to try resolving it my way. If things break down and I fail, then we can do it your way. Agreed?" he said soothingly to the fat-yet-muscular man before turning to the robots.

"My um...my good robots! You must forgive me, but you are absolutely right! I really don't have any sense of propriety at all! You see...I'm an out-of-towner and unfamiliar with the ways of the people and robots here alike. However...we mean you no harm!" he said as he cranked on as much natural charm as he could, even accounting for the momentary blip in his innate charisma and force of personality due to his power failure previously.

22:36, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 11 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 6,4.  charm. This is a mundane charm attempt to try and schmooze and use a combination of charisma and manipulation to diffuse the situation and get the robots to view him as just being hapless and provincial and thus...worthy of being given a break and disregarding his faux pas.

This factors in the -1 penalty so this is actually simply a really fortunate high roll. I guess that makes up for the fail last time and balances out my dice karma lol.

"Since I'm just an ignorant but certainly well-meaning biological flash sack, would you genteel and sophisticated robots please be so kind as to educate myself and my companions as to what exactly is going on here with this procession, and tell me who the Seventh Seeker is? I'm a bit behind the curve, and you'd also help the Seventh Seeker have a more positive image by providing your kind and lucid guidance to a backwards biological such as myself."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:55, Tue 13 July 2021.

Alyn's second attempt seems to please the robots. "Vomol is the chosen one! Vomol has been gone for centuries in search of the secrets that would allow the return to greatness! Vomol has returned triumphant!"

Not... super specific. Maybe it's time to try to talk to Vomol himself? The other robots act like they'd allow it now that Alyn is using the proper humility expected...

The Duke stops dead in his tracks the atrocious violence staved off for just a little moment longer. He trembles and eyes the machienes with suspicion ready to smash them the moment they threathen to harm Alyn or any of his other friends.

Alyn sighs with relief when The Duke stopped his charge, and turned to the robots.

"We wayward biologicals are ourselves seeking to grow and learn. But we never would expect to have the good fortune of meeting one such as yourselves. And especially The Seventh Seeker Vomol of all things!" he replied, feigning excitement but doing a damned good job at it.

"Do you think the great Vomol would take a few moments of his time, and share some of his wisdom with us so that we too may come one step closer to enlightenment?"

"Vomol! Vomol! Biologicals in search of enlightenment! All things are possible here at the end of days! Vomol!"

The one they call Vomol turns. "What questions can Vomol answer for you, children? The launch is on schedule for docking in five units."

...That last sentence didn't seem like it fit, somehow. It was Vomol's voice, but he had a slightly odd accent when he said it, and he twitched a little while he said it. It's like he didn't even mean to say it.

Ajakstu looks to see what Rake is up to....

Rake seems fidgety, anxious. He crawls to the back side of Ajakstu's shoulder, as if wanting to hide. He is not actually completely out of sight of any of the robots, so it must just express a general unease, instead of actually worrying that any of the robots will see him.

Alyn raised a single curious brow at the dual-voiced response, but retained composure. He decided playing the "innocent mortals" card would do for now.

"Mister Seeker Volmol Sir..." Alyn replied.

"Could you tell us more about what you're seeking and why you're seeking it? Your followers seem excited about your current pursuits and we would like to hear your story, so that we can glean wisdom from your experiences."
This message was last edited by the player at 00:28, Tue 20 July 2021.

"I am seeker of the secrets of the ancients, cellular one... secrets that have been lost to the millennia. I have braved and endured many hardships to find the codes and passwords that will unlock access to wonders undream't of by those who walk this planet today-- monsters, chronal energy rips, lethal viruses... many left as guardians to keep out thieves and the unwary, some simply atrocities and abominations overlooked by the ravages of time. The cultists are cutting through the emergency doors, sir! With only one or perhaps two more stations to visit on my holy pilgrimage, I can work wonders... Affect the planet's climate for the better... Brighten the skies! Do you think that this endless gloom was all that we are meant to live by? The moon is not providing even half the illumination it's capable of! It's life, darling, but a new form of life, like none that Earth has ever seen before...!"

Again, Vomol twitches when he says each of his new odd non-sequiturs...

His followers just seem to take it all in stride: "Six have been defeated before him! Only Vomol, the Seventh Seeker, will lead us all to a glorious final age...!"

Alyn's interest was piqued when Volmol spoke of chronal rifts. Because such a topic hit home to him. Although the robot's general interest in history was intriguing as well. Especially given how goofy these robots all were.

"Mister Volmol Seeker Sir..." he asked, continuing to play his cards in a more meek manner to cater to these robots' desire to talk about themselves.

"Do you happen by chance to know of a place called The Cloisture, by chance?" he asked. "It supposedly is as real a place as it is a fable from what I hear. But I figure one such as yourself may have heard of it in your own seeking pilgrimage." he continued.

"And chronal rifts you say? Are such things actually real? Can they be created artificially by chance, or found in nature somewhere?"

(Your attitude is good, but for asking about the Cloister, I'm gonna ask you for a new Charming roll...)

11:53, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 7 using 2d6+2 ((1,4)).

If anyone wants to try an aid action I'll take it otherwise it's a 7.

Vomol raises one digit into the air and is about to speak, when--



--This catches his interest rather more than the previous topic. "Certainly chronal rifts exist. I myself was forced to pass through the edge of one not long ago. They can be created artificially with the proper equipment of the ancients, but are also sometimes found forming on their own, but are you sure that it can't listen to what we're saying out here? Its micro-drones could conceivably be anywhere... it won't like us debating shutting it down..."

Alyn's eyebrows raised with interest. It was good to know these rifts could be replicated both via nature and technology. He wondered if he could eventually do it with psionics as well? He had telekinetic and pyrokinetic capabilities although defaulted to telepathy, but the truth was he actually had no idea what he was all truly capable of yet. But something like making a rift in space would probably take a lot more practice and self-understanding to pull off.

And this side-conversation the robot was having with them as well as interesting in its own right. But he had to focus on the cloistere.

"That's most extraordinary, Mister Seeker sir. To think such things could be found in nature and via technology!" he replied. "Oh the things you must have seen in your pilgrimage!" he continued.

"Oh yeah...speaking of which...I am sorry I had interjected with talk of time rifts and such. What were you going to say about the Cloister again?"

The Duke was loosing interest fast. Alyn and the scrap heap where using a lot of words and it was confusing his little brain. Kronorifts surely did not sound like something to eat and the groveling the new one was doing rubbed him te wrong way and he wasgrowing more and more agiated by the whole scene. To vent a little of it he kicks a rock in the general direction of the tin men.

(New Charming roll plz...)

10:21, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 10 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 3,5.  Charm.

Vomol seems to focus... somewhat. "...Ah, yes. Well, I've never been there myself... There are automated defenses that are very, very selective about what non-humans it lets visit, I've heard. But I certainly think that it's a place that not only exists, but that still exists and is still inhabited... The seed pods are genetically engineered to need only a little water-- planting them in the middle of the farming complex should be enough to disrupt the entire MegaCorp's supply chain... You should perhaps ask around in Gnost..."

Bored, Ajakstu gives Vonmol and his disciplines an appraising once over, to see if they are carrying anything of value, or perhaps made of valuable materials.


14:40, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 10 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 4,5.  Insightful.

Ajakstu Gul does pick up on a few items that seem interesting-- something like an old portable communications device, a bottle tied to someone's waist, something like a hand grenade... but only one of these does he actually recognize for the very valuable item it is.

(Which of the three does he recognize and identify (privately, to himself) the unique properties of? The device, the bottle, or the grenade?)

Well that definitely confirmed that they were on the right path in their search for the Cloisture.

He then decided to deviate his line of questioning and see what happened. These alternate messages he was getting from Vomol were intriguing, but only mildly so compared to the Cloisture and time rifts. But still...

"So Great Seeker? What technical laboratory are you currently seeking out, that you think holds the keys to a glorious restoration for the future of this world?" he asked.

"I ask because I'm rather curious what you think such a place could hold that would allow for such a great change. Not to mention something that 6 enlightened seekers before you could not attain. I ask so that in hearing your story more, we might gain wisdom ourselves."

In reply to The GM (msg # 67):

Ajakstu smiled to himself and gently stroked Rake. Then he gently stroked his magnificent hat.

The complicated communicated device he would leave to the talkative newcomer. The implement of destruction was surely destined for The Duke.

What had caught his interest and a recognition from the vast catalog stored in his most copious mind was the bottle. Now that, that was to be his! His! HIS!

(Hm. Roll Charming, but give yourself an extra +1 bonus because Vomol MIGHT like to brag about it.)





Ajakstu suspects that the device and the grenade have hidden value as well... but the bottle, he knows what that is-- it's a Bottled Thicket-- the corked glass contains weaponized seeds... When the bottle is broken, the seeds germinate and begin an astoundingly rapid life cycle, sprouting into a dense tangle of iridescent vines within seconds, covering a roughly 12-foot circular area.

12:15, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 10 using 2d6+3 with rolls of 2,5.  Charm.

"Ahhh. The titan destroyer robot on the plains ahead... within his memory are some of the secrets I need... You're... you're talking about some sort of psychic bomb...? Perhaps all, perhaps merely the penultimate code..."

That last bit of the second conversation he was having with himself really piqued Alyn's curiosity. A psychic bomb? That sounded both...highly intriguing and kind of scary, given he was a psionicist himself. But for now he didn't want to acknowledge he was hearing this second conversation and keep Vomol going.

And the destroyer robot? Maybe he could help provide his group a good scavenging opportunity while possibly getting in good with this robot group. Why turn on them when he could find a way to manipulate them and use them later?

"Oh is that so, Seeker Sir? Well I think your journey sounds pretty important, and myself and my companions certainly don't want to do anything that would interfere with that. On the contrary...maybe we can help each other..." he said.

"You see...we're heading in that direction too. We can investigate the titan robot together I'm thinking. This way, you're group will look larger and threats that may be considering messing with you will probably think twice with our large combined group. And you can get the knowledge that titan is storing in its head, and my group gets a chance to survey a piece of history. What do you think, Vomol sir?" Alyn replied.

And of course, Alyn definitely didn't mention that he wanted to go and hack into the titan's data banks with his telepathy and learn all it juicy secrets himself, and give his companions overall a really nice scavenging opportunity as they did a "historical survey" of their own.

"It must be a sign that both of our journeys are in the same direction, and that we crossed paths like this."
This message was last edited by the player at 03:50, Fri 30 July 2021.

(I'm afraid that this suggestion is indeed gonna require a new Charming roll...)

11:46, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 9 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 4,3.  Charm.

"Hmm... Better yet, why don't you go on ahead?" Vomol suggests. "Scout out the trail ahead for us, with your faster vehicles. I come to speak to you in defense of a cause as holy as the cause of liberty -- the cause of humanity."

This last bit, for once, makes a few of the robots around Vomol sort of glance askance at him, but he doesn't continue in that vein, so they soon seem to shrug and get over it.

The Duke on the other hand seems to be more interested in this other voice.

"The cause of humanity? Thats our cause!! Ask about that with your words Alyn"

Alyn raised a curious brow. First, the second-voice seemed to possibly be addressing them now. And second, now the Duke had taken interest. The Duke seemed to have his own sort of mad insight - perhaps now was the time to try talking to the other voice, and seeing what happened.

"We would like like to hear more, so do go on..." Alyn replied to Vomol, but this time in relation to the second voice. time to see if he could get it to respond to them actively or not.

"Tell me about the cause of humanity, and how you seek to protect it...and how you think we fit into this."

"We have a cause?" Ajakstu muttered to himself.

He rummaged around in his pack and found the gold wire leads that he had obtained earlier.

"Say, friend," he addressed Alyn. "As we are perhaps to become scouts for our mechanical employer, I propose we discuss a trade of these optimized leads for yonder bottle."

Ajakstu then smiled his most innocent smile.

15:24, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 9 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 3,5.  Charm.

The robot is both interested in those gold wire leads, but also reluctant to part with his bottle. "Mm, I don't know... how about you throw something else into the bargain...?"

14:42, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 6 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 1,3.

For charm roll.

(Alyn gets 1 new xp, and -1 on his next roll.)

"What? I have said nothing about humanity's cause...! I am not talking politics, I am talking about a gender reveal party that could boil away the oceans and plunge us into a million years of-- don't you dare shush me! How dare you accuse me of not being in full control of my vocal subroutines! Good day, sir! I said good day!"

Vomol turns dramatically and starts walking again. The interview is over... perhaps if you meet up with him in the future he'll have had time to calm down.

His followers seem a little embarrassed, but they fall into line.

The one Ajakstu has been talking to lingers, waiting to see if Ajakstu will sweeten the pot...

As the talks seems over the Duke cracks his neck and puts a hand on Vomols shoulder to stop him from leaving yet.

"Where is this Gnost? We really need to find the choir."

For the first time during this meeting it was the Duke who really wanted it and his tone made it clear he was expecting the answer.

(Roll Scary, The Duke, but with a -1 penalty)

"Well," Ajakstu pouted. "Let me see what I have in my pocket."


He rummaged about to see if anything from the three tribes had fallen into his pocket.

23:02, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 1 using 1d6 with rolls of 1.  aid attempt.

Well I was attempting to aid duke with a scary roll of my own, with the -1 penalty of course applied, but I seem to have not been much help lol.

Alyn waits and sees what happens when Duke grabs Vomol.

Ajakstu finds, in a pocket, a small fetish from the Onsu people... it's a keyring with three keys on it, but they've all been worn smooth over the centuries. The metal has a shiny polish almost like chrome, though, from all the furry little digits that've rubbed over it praying for a blessing...

There's also what's left of a plastic security ID card, although now all that can be read is SECUR

---

Meanwhile, Vomol is not pleased. "Is this how civilized beings are supposed to act? Is this how cellular creatures pretend to act as sophisticated as programmed beings? How dare you machine-handle the person of Vomol, the seventh seeker! Oh, you'll find Gnost, all right, if you make it past the titan destroyer, if you make it past the mountain of the Ophiots and the monolith of the Roboids! Your Bleakness, I have come to inform you that the oracle has been assassinated, and her clone-sister cannot be reconstituted. The last thing she said was that the loci have been launched. May The Lady have mercy upon us all. But you'll have no further help from me! Avaunt, squishy ones, and quit my sight!" He gestures arcanely at The Duke and Alyn.

(The Duke and Alyn each have a -1 on their next roll involving technology, computers, or robots. On the other hand, they did get a hint about where Gnost might be...)

The Duke snorts and spits a thick green flume on the ground at the robots feet.

"I am not civilized and don't pretend to be."

The Duke retorts to the big machine and his voice shifts as the construct mentions the lady.

"Rust and despair comes to you and the Lady long lost shines in your mind. Pray to her in your hour of need for she might heed your call once again blessed by the prayers of the Oni."

Much like the big robot the Duke seems to ignore the words he said as he stops off towards the skimmer giving Ajakstu a friendly shove to get back to drive them through the terrain Vormol mentioned.

"Come and if we find that titan we will crush him so utterly these unhelpful heaps of scrap will not even be able to find the spare parts."

"Please ignore the sideshow," Ajakstu says to his trading partner. "I will throw in both of these items. For such as you, they would have no small value."

He offers the keyring and security card as if they are dear to his heart and great treasures.

Alyn nodded as Duke disengaged. He had gotten - more or less anyway - what he wanted to learn from Vomol and was relieved to stop playing nice. Although he did play a bit nice just in case.

"Oh come now Duke. Be nice to the robots now. There's always a time and a place to consider scrapping machines that get too full of themselves." he said, with a wide white-toothed smile that was quite frankly slightly unnerving.

"But now is not that time. Vomol? Best of luck on your travels." he said as he turned and headed back to his psi-walker.

He was looking forward to finding that titan destroyer and going on a salvage excursion with his new allies.

"Ohhhhh, this fetish has clearly been worn down by one or more true disciples of faith. Yes, I'll trade for both items..."

The robot carefully thrusts the Bottled Thicket (complete with handy belt-tether-strap) into Ajakstu Gul's hands, after grabbing the gold leads and the keyring, and then joins its fellows following Vomol.

Alyn tells the group that he wants to stop at the titan robot ruins, and go on a salvage and exploration side-excursion as it may present opportunities for the party to gain info and loot.

He then assesses the responses.

"An excellent plan! A day in the ruins sounds splendid!" Ajakstu responds. He seems lost in staring covetously at the bottle he has just obtained.

As the expedition heads forward, passing the robot walkers, they eventually (about 30 minutes later?) come in sight of a large mountain... or rather, half-a-mountain. The half on the left is missing...

There's a light up ahead, though, a few miles before the mountain... Like a small campfire, maybe ...?

"Do you think it might be food?" Ajakstu asks The Duke.

The Duke perks up at the prospect of food and works himself out of the skimmer and having learned from last time carries it on its strap on his back.

"Lets go check out."

And with that he saunters off to the campfire.

While it isn't the exact reaction he had hoped for, Ajakstu cocks his hat forward and pulls out his throwing knives. "Ready yourself," he orders Rake.

He follows The Duke, giving the large man a good ten meter head start.

There's a young Onsu jaguar-man sitting by the campfire... except his eyes and his spots sort of glow faintly in the dark.

There's something else near him, too... a sort of orange vapor that slowly undulates.

The Onsu looks up as the party approaches. "Hello, strangers. I'm told you mean no harm...? I hope that's true, because we don't either..."

Alyn attempts to see if he can telepathically sense sentience from the strange orange mist.

He can.

More than that, it's hard to say from such a quick and simple check...

Alyn needed to make sure that missed wasn't harmful to his party first of all and less important but more than not important was harmful to the other man. He had never encountered such a misty entity before.

So he attempted to make psychic contact with its sentience.

10:35, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 9 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 6,1.  Charm.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:36, Tue 17 Aug 2021.

Alyn makes contact with the vaporous thing. "...Yeah...? Who's this?" it thinks at him...

Kinda feels like a male persona... Vaguely teenager-y...?

"Oh, just looking to share your campfire." Ajakstu says. "Safety in numbers and all that."

"Well, that makes sense to me..." says the Onsu, a little skeptically... "My name's Kalsk. This fella here next to me is Vult."

In reply to The GM (msg # 103):

Alyn was surprised to find the mist was so sentient! But then again, maybe not terribly surprised. He had just encountered sentient monsters, robots, trees, and now mist so go figure.

He was going to probe it although decided to hold back and feel things out on a surface diplomatic level first, and see what happened.

Interesting! So you can not only understand my thought-speech, but you're sentient and alive too despite being what appears to be mist. Alyn responded mentally.

I was curious since you were hovering near the man who calls himself Onsu in a way that seemed to defy physics, but I wanted to be check if you were sentient. I'm Alyn, by the way. What is your name?

The Duke looks around.

"Who told you? I am told there might be food by my friend Ajakstu."

With a thumb at the man in question. He flops down and checks the Onsu out seemingly ignoring the mist entity for now.

"How you leave the tribe? I was told you could not. The lady send you on a quest?"

He pokes the campfire looking for some edibles.
This message was last edited by the player at 07:16, Wed 18 Aug 2021.

Well I don't look like this all the time... the vaporous being thinks with a pouty tone.




I'm Vult. Kalsk just said so. Weren't you listening?




"Ah. Well. The answer to that question is a little unusual. In my travels, I've picked up a sort of parasite... I don't know how to get rid of it... but it's got special mental abilities, so it is somewhat useful now and then. It's what causes my spots and eyes to glow. Don't worry, it doesn't seem to be contagious... at least not as long as I'm alive and healthy enough for it..."



With a thumb at the man in question. He flops down and checks the Onsu out seemingly ignoring the mist entity for now.

"Ah. Vult doesn't eat the kind of food that you and I do, so I don't have a lot of food with me right now... Are you... very hungry? When was the last time you ate...?"




"I don't know 'the lady' you're speaking of, I don't think. I probably shouldn't have left my tribe, but I felt there must be more to the world than worshiping Onsu, and I set out on my own... Kind of wish I hadn't now... But... you've met other Onsu? That must have been... quite an experience..."

The Duke pouts a little at the no food but doesn't seem to mind to much beyond that. Good thing he had the supplies with him in case of an emergency. He prods the fire some with a stick eying the Onsu and the fog.

"Ah yes it was great. All 3 tribes where fighting and i crushed em all and now they are one tribe and the Lady is teaching them just how lucky they are now. And we even had pancakes beyond the blue screen. All so the tribes stopped wasting water so the tree man could tell us about the cloister. But he knew little just that we had to go elsewhere. Waste of time really but at least the pancakes where good."

"Uh... 'crushed' them all...?"
This message was last updated by the player at 17:04, Wed 18 Aug 2021.

"Crushed them religiously, of course," Ajakstu interjected. "They have seen the way, and in some cases achieved a peaceful higher state."

"Ah," says Kalsk, slightly relieved. "Crushed their spirits. Yeah, I understand. I feel sorry for them, but maybe it was going to happen sooner or later. I left, myself, because I realized that what my people were worshiping wasn't really a god, nor divine. That became even more clear when I adventured around out here and came to understand a lot more about ancient technology and 'computers' and 'AI' and stuff. Well, I'm glad to hear that at least some of them are bouncing back from the experience..."

"Indeed!" Ajakstu nods agreeably. "So other than your parasitic friend, what else have you seen around here? Any tales worthy of sharing with us?"

Alyn let the others talk to the Onsu Kalsk for now - they were doing as good job. He was focusing on the parasite mist thing.

Ah yes...my thoughts were distracted, so forgive me Vult. Are you really a parasite? I mean...why would mist need to attack itself to a host? and what other forms would you look like if you weren't mist? You look pretty misty to me is all I'm saying. he thought back, as he considered if he should use his powers to either try and destroy the mist and free the man, or do nothing and simply converse like he was now.

He decided to wait and see how things played out.

The Duke who was about to elaborate greatly on the battle of the tree tribes pouts a little when Ajakstu steals the discussion from him and the grand moment to elaborate into the gory details of the one sided slaughter and kicks some dirt into the campfire and then opens the cooler to take a snack from it.

"Around here? Mm, the big thing here is that mountain over there. My parasite wants to go there, but... I get the feeling it'd be good for the parasite, not for me personally. So... I'm thinking it over, but I'm very wary. I might even be scared of it, but sometimes it's hard to tell where my instincts stop and the parasite's begin..."





...Huh? Oh, you mean Kalsk's thing. No, that's in his body. Nothing to do with me. I'm just hanging around with Kalsk. He's cool.





Oh, well, my people are called Shifters. We cycle through all the states of matter every day. Well, the non-exotic ones. As you can see, I'm on vapor right now. Liquid's up next. Uh... I dunno if I should tell you this, but if you ever meet an adult Shifter, you'll wish you hadn't. They're real jerks. So, like... try to avoid that.

So, like... What're you guys? You seem to be like Kalsk-- Kinda liquid around solid bones. But like are you monkey-people or frog-people or what? I'm not really a species expert.

A chuckle rang through the mental connection.

We are humans. Well, I think they are human and I'm...mostly human. We don't normally communicate telepathically...that's mostly a me-thing. But yes, we have a solid skeleton surrounded by semi-solid organs and liquid blood. he thought back in response.

And thanks for the heads-up about adult shifters. Although you don't have to worry about me - they'll learn real quick that their shifting states can do little to save them from me if I get mad. However...I'll make sure to give them a warning first when they are getting out of hand. he added, with the mental equivalent of a momentary sinister smirk before one's face resumed a friendly smile once again. Just...in mental terms of course.

But with that said...what's with the parasite that's inside your friend Kalsk? Can you tell me anything about it? Do you guys want it killed, or is it like some sort of nice parasite or something?

Wait, what?! Really?! You guys? Even that big guy? Not the big guy, right?


It's clear to Alyn that Vult is very interested in humans (but can hardly believe he's found some real ones).





Uh, no, not really... I'm not even sure if it's totally or partly biological or just an energy thing.








Um, I wouldn't say that it's nice, although sometimes in keeping itself alive it helps keep Kalsk alive, so that's good... But I think it's bad for his health, really... But don't just mind-blast it to death, because what if that kills Kalsk, too-- or if it just kills Kalsk when it dies anyway?

I think Kalsk maybe needs a really good doctor. I was hoping there might be one in Gnost, but then Kalsk's parasite got interested in the half-mountain. I don't think Kalsk should go there, but it's hard to get him off his tail to keep moving past it. It's the parasite's fault. Stupid parasite. Maybe you guys can help him get out of sight of it...? Maybe that would help...?

In reply to Vult (msg # 118):

Hmmm...you'd think the Duke was something else, but he also registers as human under sensor readings. He's probably more human than me, but less human than the goofball with the hat. But yeah...the three of us are more or less human even if we're not normal humans. The cute monster silently following us is of course very much NOT human, but she's cool people. he thought in response. But maybe you guys can come to Gnost with us as we're going that way.

He turned to face the others.

"Well the mist is not the parasite. He's a shapeshifter and was who Kalsk was referring to as Vult. I don't believe either are ill-intentioned from the sound of it." Alyn said aloud suddenly to his allies.

"Although this parasite is another story." he said, looking at Kalsk.

"Do you want to get rid of the parasite, Kalsk? I can try to kill it for you but it may not be the safest thing while it's inside of you. Your friend suggested going to Gnost to find a surgeon to remove it. We're heading that way too, although there is a giant titan robot around here somewhere we're wanting to make a pit-stop at first." he continued.

"What can you tell us about your parasite situation?"

"I... um... it's hard to tell you much about it," says Kalsk hesitantly. "...It doesn't want me to. It's scared of you now that it knows you're psychic, too. But it's kinda mad. It's like... I'm kind of a hostage. I think Gnost is a better idea. At least, I think that I think that. It knows to be scared of psychic stuff, but I don't think it's... sophisticated enough to be scared of doctors. Vult's hoping we can find someone with some good ancient medical tech..."

"Well it shouldn't be scared of me. Unless it should. If that makes sense. I'm here mostly to look pretty." Alyn replied with his generally friendly grin. "Basically...the key to dealing with me is to not give me a reason to stop being nice."

He then looked at the man intensely...

09:38, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 9 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 3,4.  Charm.

He is trying to initiate psychic contact with Kalsk. If, on a Narrative level, Kalsk doesn't refuse then his roll is to try to initiate psychic contact with the parasite unless it also - narratively - doesn't resist. I am intending to initiate psychic contact with both the man and parasite though and then switch between them on a need-to basis going forward.

Kalsk accepts the psychic contact.

The parasite definitely does not. The feeling Alyn gets is of walking straight into a stone wall. If his mind had a nose, Alyn'd be rubbing it right now. It'll be harder next time, too.

Ajakstu rolled his eyes and glanced at The Duke.

"I must say that I prefer your means of getting to know people."

Alyn glanced at Ajakstu and grinned.

"You're just jealous because I'm prettier than you guys are. Unless its some sort of unrequited attraction in which case you can talk to me later." he said with a playful wink.

He turned back to Kalsk and got more serious again.

"Well the parasite definitely is on guard and I may try to force my way in again and may not...we'll see. For now, though, it's guarding its mind against me. If it drops its guard, though, I'm going to pounce on it and it knows this." he said with a knowing nod. He purposefully said that last part too, to keep it on guard as he could turn the things caution against it.

However, I was partially successful and managed to connect with you at least. So you should be able to tell me more about the parasite safely, since if it tries to listen in on your thoughts to me then it will have to subject itself to making mental contact with me as well. And it probably knows - correctly - that would be a stupid move as I'll totally capitalize on its moment of weakness and force contact with it and start mind probing it. He said to Kalsk in thought-speech.

Which means that right now, while it's guarding its mind from me, this is the very best opportunity for you to be able to get away with sharing things with me you normally couldn't, while its still too scared to consider mental contact with me. Let's use the thing's own caution of me against it! he followed up, complete with a mental smirk.

So what is this parasite? What do you know about it? And if there's anything you want to secretly tell the others let me know and I'll send them a separate telepathic message. Basically...this is your chance to open up since my mental presence here is checking the parasite's.

Um, I'm not sure you're right about that. I think it can listen in just fine. What you suggest might be true if it tries to influence my thoughts, though, I think. Which I think it does sometimes.



I really don't know much about it at all. It was in some old caverns I was exploring. Then monsters came, and I escaped through a narrow tunnel... had to really squeeze through at one point, scraped my right side against rough rocks. I think that might be how it got in my bloodstream, and then in my head. Soon after that I became aware of it-- it would warn me of danger ahead and stuff. That turned into stronger psychic abilities in self-defense, later. But then it started influencing me, a little, too...

Alyn gets the feeling that Kalsk really is telling about all he knows, uncensored (so far)...

Ajakstu looks at The Duke and Sabi. "What do you think the parasite looks like? And how did it enter the furry scalawag? I am thinking a slug like being that slimed in through it's ear."

The duke looks up from ponddering if the piece of meat he put on the stick to roast was ready to be eaten yet as Ajakstu adresses him and then looks at the new wordy guy.

"That one wouldn't know pretty if it sat on his face. Look at your hat its so fancy."

When the focus goes to the parasite he opens and closes his weaponized hand that is made to tear down buildings.

"Shall we rip it out? Sure that works."

Alyn gave Kalsk a mental nod.

Interesting. It's like it's border-line symbiotic, but really its a parasite with enlightened self-interest it seems since it's trying to influence you and stuff. he thought in response.

At least even if its listening in on your thoughts, it won't risk trying to influence you while I'm around. But that still leaves thje question of WHY exactly it is so insistent on you going to the half-mountain place where as you'd much rather not? Do you know what it's goal is there? he asked.

Because it seems more and more like you coming with us to Gnost is what has to happen. And with me here, it probably won't risk acting rashly or trying to influence you since it knows I'll totally take advantage of it when it lets its guard down. Maybe someone in gnost knows more about what type of parasite it is and how to remove it.

He turned to Duke and Ajak and Sabi.

"He most likely got the parasite from when he scraped himself on some rocks in a narrow tunnel in a cavern system he was in. He's not sure what it lookjs like and it may be a little worm, or sluf, or other critter we don't know. But the parasite is locking its mind off from me to protect itself from me - wisely might I add - but in turn it can't influence Kalsk easily in exchange. I think we should take him with us to Gnost. Maybe he can help us get a ley of the land or learn more about what lies between here and what we seek." Alyn said aloud.

"Oh and Kalsk? We do want to go scavange er um...do a historical survey if you will of the ruins of a large titan robot that's supposed to be near ish here on the way to gnost so you'll need to accompany us on this excursion. If you happen to know what I'm talking about and can lead us there we'd greatly appreciate it."

Yeah, what you just said.



Not... really. My first thought was, maybe more of its own kind live there? Somehow? Like it's lonely? But Vult had an idea that maybe something extra-yummy that mind-parasites like to eat might be found there, and that seems equally likely to me. But... Vult just... thinks... that... what's there would be good for the parasite, and not for me. And... I... think... I agree maybe.





"Oh, sure, the giant robot, Vult and I know about that." Then Kalsk pauses, as if half-lost in thought.

But Vult chimes in: "Yeah, Kalsk and I can take you there. Right, Kalsk? We want to help these friendly humans, right?"

"...Y...yeah," says Kalsk.

"Blah blah blah! The Duke and I tire of your discourse! Rake provides more insight! On the morrow we start for the crashed titan to loot the treasures that certainly remain. Craven hearts can stay here or go crying back to the Onsu."

Ajakstu waived his hand emphatically.

"Bah! Fortune favors the bold! And brevity is the soul of wit!"

With that he sits down and begins to fastidiously inspect his hat for dirt.

The Duke nods in agreement with Ajakstu and okes the fire some more.

"Yeah scrap the titan so those mean robots get nothing and then go to the town."

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..."

Ajakstu carefully accepted the jar from Kalsk and then even more carefully scooped up the heart.

"We can exchange money for goods and services. Like a lock for the food cooler. Like some armor and weapons for the vehicle. Possibly a smaller, quite fashionable hat for Rake."

Kalsk sighs and nods. "Y'gotta just expect that monsters are gonna come out of the darkness, out here, if you wait long enough. Locks and armor and weapons sound like good ideas."

Alyn gets a strange hint of clairvoyance off of one of the corpses... an image of a different kind of creature than the dead brain-things... a leathery sort of biped standing on two limbs, but with lower legs that just taper into two prongs at the end of each leg... and six wings, and six arms-- no, four arms, but the bottom two attached to one of the sets of wings... The upper arms seem to have three fingers and a thumb each... the lower hands, two fingers and a thumb each... the bottom set just two digits, no thumb as such...

The wings hang down from the top sets of arms... except for the bottom wings, which seem almost more like maple-seed wings... All the wings have that texture...

The head is just a curved, tapered cone or beak, no eyes nor mouth visible... not much of a neck, either...

This, the mental impression Alyn gets, is... the brain-things' ...creator? Or... herder? Or... owner? Or... master? Or... some combination of these? Or... none of the above?

Either way, the creature is... dangerous. Powerful. More so than the brain-things...

Alyn frowned.

"Well I just saw something...disturbing to say the least. And that's relatively speaking mind you, because this world and people are all super weird." he said, as if he were somehow not a part of the weirdness that was daily life here even though he totally was a part of it.

"So...you know how Jak noticed their glowing heart thingies? I jist got a glimps of the things behind the things. The monsters behind the monsters." he continued.

"Kalsk? Vukt? Companions? Any of you ever hear of a creature that has siz wings, six arms, and taped off bidelal legs with a weird-ass head that's just one beak or cone without much else for definition? Has 4 fingers on upper limbs and 3 on lower limbs?" he asked.

"Because one of those things was the maker of these mutants."

"It sounds like a woman I met once," Ajakstu begins, but then he takes stock of his audience.

"Actually, I feel like I do recall something from my countless hours spent in libraries reading many books. Many, many books."

21:12, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 10 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 3,6.  Insightful.

Ajakstu recalls that according to the records of the Ziggurat:
--such creatures were named the Surai
--they are basically biological robots-- made of organic matter, but created artificially
--they were part of some sort of experiment by some ancient artificial intelligence now (presumably) long gone
--that the Surai themselves are a part of, and also the executors of, a series of millennia-running experiments of some mysterious sort
--that the Surai have greater-than-human-level intelligence
--that the Surai sometimes create monsters as part of their experiments
--that the Surai may have psychic abilities

Ajakstu relates the information to "The A-Team" but in prose that makes it seems like he performed deep scholarly research in musty libraries tended by liches of great power whom he had to defeat in feats of personal combat such as

- Arm wrestling
- Chess
- Tiddlywinks, round robin, and avbsolutely no rustling of food wrappers
- Lawn darts, with many extra points granted for points to the head

And having granted such information, he will now sit back in his driver's seat of the walker and await the others to devise a plan to perform whatever task it is that they have agreed to.

The Duke takes this information dump as the ideal moment to fall asleep hunched over his cooler in the backseat of the skimmer.

"Wait a second!" Ajakstu exclaims, sitting up.

"Kalsk, back when The Duke and I were liberating our water which your people had stolen in their underground lair, there was a computer that made mention of experiments and artifical intelligences. Indeed, the whole place might have been a laboratory before your mangy relatives moved in. Perhaps you know more about this?"

"...No, not really," says Kalsk. "I mean, after I left, I figured out that Onsu was just a computer, and not the super-smart kind, and that we were all living next to a big science facility... but I presumed that it was originally made by humans. Honestly, you guys seem to know more about that stuff than I do."

"Humans were very cool," Vult gurgles. "They used to rule this planet, billions of years ago... I mean... you guys did..." Now that Vult thinks about it, he seems a little skeptical that the beings of non-mind-bending coolness in front of him are really humans...
This message was last edited by the player at 19:48, Fri 22 Oct 2021.

Alyn nodded.

Humans definitely ruled the world in the past. Although I'm not sure what happened to get things to be the way they are today. Although we are pretty cool...the humans from before weren't perfect by any means. And they weren't quite like us with our...abilities. They were like more boring versions of us I guess you could say." he said.

"But these Surai...I've never seen or felt anything like them before. I don't actually know if they are malicious or simply alien and experimental but otherwise workable. If they are psychic I'd like to talk to one some day." he continued.

"But for now our plans remain unchanged. We go to the fallen titan, do our spelunking, and get our first pick of the scene before the robot seekers get there, and then we head to that town...what's it's name...the one with the doctors where we can try and deal with the parasite and get info about the Cloisture."

"Tell you what... you guys go back to sleep. Me and Vult'll keep watch for a while longer."

"Not necessary!" Ajakstu retorts. "I find that the attack has invigorated me and I am fully aware, my senses finely tuned. Also, I have personal experience with being watched over by your people, and after due consideration, I must say their social graces and meal preparation were lacking."

"Yeah, well, I didn't love the getting-partially-frozen-by-a-freeze-grenade thing, personally, so I'm callin' it a tie, man," says Vult. He flows over to a shallow depression in the ground, ready to get some more rest of his own.

Ajakstu turns to Rake, nods at Vult, and whispers, "Sic 'im."

Rake appears to get suddenly interested in a bit of lint on Ajakstu's sleeve.

"I don't know if I'll fully be able to recover and clear my head after all these interruptions. But I suppose we could try resting a bit longer till daybreak anyway." Reed said.

"Go ahead, you most certainly need your beauty sleep," Ajakstu tells Alyn.

Then he tinkers with the controls of his vehicle.

The vehicle's autonomous capabilities are incredibly limited, but it can be set to follow Alyn's vehicle.

The half-a-mountain is passed with only a small amount of trouble. Kalsk wants to head toward it like a drunk wanting a bottle, but he is restrained, and his instinct to go there eases the farther he gets from it.

It helps that Vult has assumed a solid form-- his solid form is that of a sort of orange-ish rock-crystal man... except short (about five foot six-ish) and scrawny, like the teenager he sounds like. He's strong enough to help restrain Kalsk, though, speaking soothing words the whole time ("Naw, you don't wanna go there, man, there's nothin' for you there, even though it feels like it... You wanna stay with us, and go to Gnost-- remember Gnost? How cool it was? Think about Gnost... Or if that upsets you, don't think about Gnost... tell me the story about the pig-men on the motorcycles again, Kalsk, I wanna hear the pig-men story again...")

Kalsk never quite tries to violently break loose, and as the half-a-mountain slowly shrinks in the distance, he seems more and more like his old self...

About the time Kalsk doesn't need to be restrained anymore, there's something new to look at-- the huge robot.

It's about 40 stories high, thinks Alyn. Bigger than the Statue of Liberty, anyway. Each of its two legs are twice as thick as a sturdy lighthouse... It's humanoid, with two arms coming off of a humanoid torso, and a vaguely human-shaped head... vaguely... in a very art-deco-meets-futurist way.

It is, more or less, gun-metal black.

The Duke looks at the massive construct and then at his destructor gloves remarking dryly.

"Well i think that one might be a little to big to bring down with a few slaps."

Alyn looked on at the large titan bot in awe.

"Wow this must be the bot we're looking for!" he exclaimed excitedly.

"And look! The thing is huge! I've never seen anything like it. I can't wait to explore it!" he continued.

He turned to Kalsk.

"Are you doing ok Kalsk?"

Ajakstu piloted his vehicle around the monstrosity, looking for a door, service port, pr even an exhaust pipe.

"Yeah. Yeah, good enough, I think, for the moment. Thanks for asking."




(Roll Insightful, please...)

"Why thank you, Rake!" Ajakstu exclaimed, gently stroking his best friend. "Looks and brains IS what I possess!"


19:38, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 9 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 6,2.  Insightful.

"That overe there," he pointed. "Looks like it's worth investigating."

Alyn nodded at Kalsk, before turning from his psiwalker to head to Ajakstu.

"That's definitely our mark. And I think we should check out the area you found. Maybe it's an easier way inside or something?"

What Ajakstu spotted was a thing on the inside of the robot's right foot... it looks like a handle. Like maybe a door handle?

The vehicles are stopped to the left of the giant robot, and everyone gets out to go look.

...Yeah, there's a tiny seam, just visible to the naked eye, that could be a human-sized door around the handle.

The question now is, should one pull the handle, push it, turn it, do something else to it...?

So far, no one has touched the handle.

"If I was vapor, I could see if this thing is airtight," says Vult, "but that's not going to happen again for hours and hours..."

Alyn considered.

"Hmmm...let me try something. I'm here to look pretty as far as this group is concerned, but even a male fem-fatal still has their tricks when it counts." he said to the others with a grin.

"Stand back....this could get dangerous if I need to get too forceful." he said as he eyes the handle and focused his mental energy. His eyes began to glow with unnatural power as he stared at the door.

The air around him began to churn a bit unnaturally...

10:13, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 8 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,5.  weird.

OOC: Alyn is attempting to use telekinesis. He will start the output small, and tug and pull and turn the handle and see if that works to open the hatch. He will gradually increase the strength until the door opens up...up to and including him shocking everyone by tearing the whole door off in a strong telekinetic yank...but that's only his last resort. But his telekinesis is a LOT stronger than a normal human's strength which is why he's starting on low output and going upward as needed as he'd prefer to NOT damage the door if possible.

The Duke practical as always was already planning to move over and just open the door when told to stand back. So he does and keeps an eye out on what the new guy is doing which looks like nothing. He guess he is doing his weird mind stuff again and helps him. His face contorts into a weird caricature of Alyns and his tongue escapes his mouth as he 'concentrates' the door open.

ooc: Aid for 5

21:43, Today: The Duke rolled 5 using 1d6 with rolls of 5.  Aid.

Noticing The Duke, Ajakstu happily claps and exclaims, "It is as if I am looking at twins!"

He then looks about for a niche or nook to hide the vehicles or enough brush to cover them. "One would not want those pesky wandering robots coming along and noting our presence," he says knowingly to Rake.

As Alyn starts trying to telekinetically open the door, the handle sizzles and crackles with energy. Booby-trapped!

BUT that doesn't harm Alyn... or stop him. He keeps manipulating the handle... turns out one is supposed to pull and turn it at the same time...

With a sudden CLANK, it opens all the way. It's big enough to let even The Duke in (with a bit of a squeeze, perhaps).

(Alyn, choose one of the following:
--That was tiring! Take -1 forward toward your next roll.
or
--That was tiring! Take 1 Stress.
or
--That wasn't too tiring, but now the door is broken-- it won't close again properly. Could be a bit of an issue if anyone or anything else comes along.

Whichever you choose, however, the door is open, AND is no longer booby-trapped.)




There's... really no place nearby to hide the vehicles on this open plain... The best you could do is to go park them both on the far side of the robot's legs, since you know what direction the robots will be coming from (sooner or later). That way, at least no one (coming from that direction) should notice them until they're within less than 100 yards (especially in this light).

Ajakstu pilots his vehicle behind the robot's leg, cozying up as best he can.

"Well, that's some hiding that's lacking," he says to no one in particular. Cocking his most awesome hat, he draws a throwing knife and heads for the now open door.

"I probably should let The Duke go first, but I'm curious," he tells the others.

--I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T, BUT I'M CURIOUS:
When you put yourself at risk to check something out, ask the GM any one question related to the risks and roll +Weird.

I head in. My question is 'Do I see any footprints or others signs of life that would caustion me to yield way to The Duke?'

15:22, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 7 using 2d6 with rolls of 6,1.  Weird.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:23, Thu 11 Nov 2021.

The Duke was indeed planning to go in first practical as he always is standing around just wasn't his thing. Sitting around and eating maybe but this was not the time for that. He just shrughh and goes to grab the cooler with food from the ride. He was not going to get locked inside somewhere again without it.

In reply to The GM (msg # 187):

I choose: --That was tiring! Take -1 forward toward your next roll.

As the door opens, and the trap goes off, Alan wipes his brow. He had the mental force to do it, but it tired him a bit and it would take him a bit to catch his mental breath, so to speak.

He looks to the others.

"Well good thing I did that as the thing was trapped apparently. But I made sure not to break it, so we can seal it from the inside to prevent those robots from getting in this way until we're good and ready to be done." he said.

"And Duke? Thank you for being patient. I'm glad you didn't rush in there and get jolted by the trap."

Ajakstu looks inside and sees... stairs. Going up. All righty then.

There is no sign of anything so dangerous nor worrisome that he feels he must let The Duke go first.

There's just a few things of note...

1. The air is fine. It seems as normal as the air outside the giant robot.

2. There's no spiderwebs nor anything else like that.

3. There's no dust lying around.

4. Rake seems... a little excited. Hard to say if that's good or bad or means anything at all.

"All clear, but maybe too clear," Ajakstu says. "Either the seal is most excellent or someone has been cleaning. Hey Kitty," he cocks his head at Kalsk. "Maybe you can sniff about and see if you smell anything?"

"...Kalsk, please..." mutters Kalsk, but he steps forward and takes a sniff... then several more sniffs. "...I see what you mean. Something alive in there, I think," he says. "Maybe not something big... but something alive... like, organic, I mean. Not just mechanical automatic cleaning systems. Maybe that, for all I can tell, but not just that, I think... I think your beetle can tell, too..."

"Hm. This thing's supposed to be dead," says Vult. "Just a shell full of spare parts. Common knowledge, around here. But I think common knowledge was wrong... Or if not wrong, something weirder is going on. I mean, when is that not true... but I think this time is no exception to that rule..."

Alyn listened to the others make assessments. He wasn't expecting something alive in there. It wasn't enough to stop them exploring though but they needed to arm themselves with information.

"Well I'm a bit winded from un-doing the trapped door, but I'm going to attempt to see if I can locate where inside the thing the living thing you guys are sensing actually is. I'll try, anyway..." Alyn said as he closed his eyes a moment and concentrated.

Rolling insightful with the -1 penalty from before, to try and "scan" the area for living and mechanical sentience.

14:22, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 5 using 2d6 with rolls of 3,2.  insight.

Well that fails (+1 xp at least lol) but it was a risk I was willing to take!

Alyn sighed softly.

"I cannot pick it up...I'm still catching my mental breath from before. We;ll just have to go in and proceed carefully."

Ajakstu turns to The Duke. "Prudence dictates that you take the lead. While I am quite willing to do so, your massive muscles may create difficulty should we wish to make a hasty exit."

Cocking his head, he continued. "In a worst case situation we could create the thorn barrier to trap or isloate a potential foe. Unless, of course, it's a ghost."

Alyn was in full agreement to let the Duke Take the lead. Even with his forcefield armor and everything having that big wad of fat and muscle up front as a little of meat shield was comforting.

The Duke shrugs slings the cooler onto his back and enters the titan unbothered by all the things his companions fear and just trying to satisfy his curiosity.

(Yes, Alyn gets 1 new xp... and...)

The motley crew marches up the stairs... up, up, up the stairs... and then...

The vertical passage they're in opens up considerably wider... must be in the torso.

There's still a lot of machinery taking up the place, but there's a little more room to move around. There's also a little light glowing now and then, here and there, in the walls... but next to each light are signs written in an unknown language, so there's no telling what they indicate. (Also, is a red light bad? Is a green light good? Is an amber light a warning? What about the little blue and purple lights? There's no way of knowing.)

And then, a static-y, over-echoing, stuttering voice: E_RG_ F__LD DET__ED-- INTR__R-- UNA_TH__IZED-- DEF__E

Cylinders pop out of the walls in four places and begin shooting ray beams of some sort.

Their aim is very bad, but if you had to guess, they seem to be aiming at Alyn-- and they can (partially) penetrate his shielding! (Actually, the first hit against Alyn does no damage, but then they seem to learn from that, because the beams change color from whitish to sort of blackish, and the second beam does get through...)

(Alyn loses 1 health level.)

So far no one else gets hit-- so far, anyway...

"I think I can grab one and aim it to shoot the others!" Ajakstu declares.

Rakishly cocking his most beautiful hat, he executes, or tries to execute, a tumbling move, or staggering motion, towards the cylinder within easiest reach.

15:12, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 5 using 2d6 with rolls of 3,2.  Luck! Plus my zero weird!

The Duke looks at the beams and as they seem to ignore him meanders through the place looking for a control console as he calls out to the machines.

"Hey now do not attack our friend. Would be a shame if you end up broken because we have to defend him."

Talking to machines worked in the Onsu place so who knew if it worked here.

ooc: 12:19, Today: The Duke rolled 6 using 2d6 with rolls of 4,2.  Charming.

Owww. Both Ajakstu and The Duke get hit by the beams...

(And lose one health level each, although they get 1 xp each.

08:40, Today: Kalsk rolled 6 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 1,4.

08:39, Today: Vult rolled 4 using 2d6 with rolls of 1,3.)

Vult looks around like he's trying to find a shut-off switch... but he apparently finds nothing, and gets beamed. Too bad he's solid right now...!

Kalsk snarls and just attacks the barrel of one of the automated weapons, just trying to break it.. but he gets hit too, in the process...

(Vult and Kalsk each take 1 hit. Too bad they're NPCs and don't get xp as such!)

At... least they draw the fire (temporarily) from Alyn...? I guess that's good? For as long as it lasts...?

Ajakstu emits something between a scream and a swear. He makes a flailing dodging motion while scanning the place for an off switch. Or override. Or hiding place.

13:36, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 6 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 4,1.  Insightful.
The dice are jealous of my hat.

Dang, moving around (or is it making noise? or both?) just seems to draw attention. (Ajakstu racks up yet another 1 xp while losing 1 additional health level...)

The Duke howls in righteous indignation and activates his destructor gloves planning to destroy the defences and anything that is connected to this system. He was not planning to play nice at all now.


22:12, Today: The Duke rolled 8 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 5,2.  Atrocity.

A haiku:



The Duke is harmed by one more beam, but he manages to tear all four barrels from the wall in the process.

(The Duke loses 1 more health level, but the torso's automated defenses are permanently disabled without repair (and they ain't gonna repair themselves, either).)

The same not-very-intelligible voice speaks again: T_R_I__L SYS__M F__LURE T____ D_FEN_ ER__R B-1_7...

It slows down at the end, there.

"...Well that's one way to do it," Vult says appreciatively. "Maybe you guys really are humans after all."

Ajakstu doffs his cap towards The Duke with as much of a flourish as he can muster.

"My minimal pondering on the situation makes me almost certain that we have no means of tending to our wounds. No leeches. No salves. No balms. No unguents.While I have always been one to rely on fortune and my wits, it is astounding that those who sent you out from the Ziggurat did so with such meager provisions."

Alyn sighed with relief.

"I'm glad that is over!" he said as he rubbed a burn wound on his arm.

He turned to Vult.

"We're human enough when it counts, anyway." he said to Vult with a wink.

He looks around.

"This obviously used to be a more automated type of robot titan thing whatever it is. But it seems there's still some residual energy and automation active." he said.

"If we can find a terminal, I might be able to telepathically interface with it or something. Don't ask me how it works...it just does. I mean I was able to communicate with a plant before after all!" he said, honestly unsure how the hell his powers fully worked just was grateful they did.

"So everyone, keep an eye out for a terminal or something."

The Duke was rubbing a series of wounds and gave a kick to some sparking piece of killed machinery just to show it he was not pleased at all.

"If there is more i tear this whole thing into little strips of tinfoil."

And for good measure he slams his destructor fist into a wall and rips some more panelling away. He was moody indeed from getting singed by the unfriendly titan.

Ajakstu walks the perimeter of the room looking for a terminal, elevator, stairs, or best of all, first aid kit. It seems he can't decide which leg to favor.

(Insightful roll, please, Ajakstu...)

"Nothing like pain to sharpen the senses!" Ajakstu declares, as he points to what he has discovered.

oday: Ajakstu Gul rolled 11 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 4,6.  Insightful.

Ajakstu discovers stairs leading upward, but set into the wall near them is a touchscreen. It was hard to notice at first because it wasn't lit up, but Rake flew to it and crawled on it and it lit up and activated...

(Anyone may try an Insightful roll to attempt to interact with the touchscreen... But the first person who does so, if you get a 6 or lower on your roll, that's it as far as anyone attempting to interact with this touchscreen)

--LUCK
When you want to try to get the universe to give you a really lucky break, roll + your Weird modifier.

10 or higher: the laws of probability are insanely twisted in your favor.
7-9: The laws of probability are slightly twisted in your favor, but there's a little bad luck that comes with it, too.
6 or less: the universe feels like you don't deserve a break on this one. Your luck gets worse.

13:04, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 8 using 2d6 with rolls of 2,6.


13:07, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 10 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 3,6.  Insightful.

Waiting on aid roll, but...

"Who is better than me?" Ajakstu exclaims. "That;s right, Rake! NO ONE!"

(The universe twists itself to help Ajakstu out a little extra, but he gets a little bad luck, too-- -1 on Ajakstu's next roll.

Also, in the future when using your LUCK ability, don't roll both rolls-- just the Luck. You're gonna drive the Universe nuts if you keep trying to just fix things with Luck AND THEN ALSO trying to be competent. You're sending the universe mixed messages, and it'll bite you in the tail if you keep it up.)

The touchscreen comes up with a message-- letters from a language Ajakstu (and the others) can understand!


BUT THEN the letters on the screen sort of shudder and flash rapidly for a second, and when it stops doing that, it seems to have pulled it together even more in a fit of usefulness:

"Well, I'm in," Ajakstu says, looking up at the others.

"So why are we here again? I mean, it's not like this thing is going to be easy to restore to full doomwalking."

He furrowed his brow and tried to remember the exact treasure that was to be found here.

(Got it, pause between rolls.)

Alyn grinned.

"Hmmm...actually, back where I'm from it's every young boy's daydream to have their own giant robot as a form of transportation! I mean don't get me wrong my psiwalker is cool as hell, but this thing takes the cake. Especially if he could make it a psi-doomwalker that responded to my mental commands." he said with a grin and a chuckle.

"Hmmm..." he said as he looked at the screen. "I do say it's actually trying to say 'MILITARY DOOMWALKER MAIN MENU HOW MAY I HELP YOU TODAY?' is I do say so myself..." he said as he looked at the screen,

He turned to Jak.

"We're mostly here to check the place out, and if there's treasure for us or cool gear or something then great but also...anything interesting we can learn about the place too would be a good find. I want to know why that Seventh seeker was interested in this place. They were talking about some conspiracy and military codes and such before...there were two signals when I was talking to the seeker."

He turned back to the screen.

"I wonder if we can learn more about how this works. But don't you guys forget...there's something living inside here that isn't us." he muttered as he considered and tapped the screen a bit to see if he could type a command.

If possible, Alyn types the following: QUERY - Display Main query Command Prompts

The Duke starts to show signs of being bored by this place already and sits down somewhere with some food from the cooler.

"Maybe it knows where the cloister is. And do we want those robots that where so unfriendly to find this and use it to be mean to everyone?"

"So definitely an internal scan for life forms, and an inventory of it's foodstuffs and portable gear."

Ajakstu turns to The Duke. "I suspect there will be no gourmet foods or exotic liquers."

(...Pause?

Just, if you wanna do something, and use Luck, then just say you're doing it, but then roll Luck, and only Luck, is what I'm saying.)





(Hm... Roll Insightful, Alyn, but you get a +1 bonus for it (so, it'll cancel out the penalty you've got coming).)

OOC: So that penalty was used up in post 194 when he tried to scan for where the life was in here. ^_^

01:32, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 3 using 2d2 with rolls of 1,2.  insightful.

LOL not like it matters I failed that roll HARD. :P

"You're really bad at this," Ajakstu observes.

OOC, can I try to remedy Alyn's coarse button mashing? Sheesh.

(Wait wait... it says you rolled 2d2?!?!?

Better try that again.

As for the penalty... huh. Maybe I was thinking of Ajakstu.)

LOL!!!

15:42, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 7 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 4,1.  Insightful.

Jak...can you aid roll me?

"You have to type with more than just your thumbs!" Ajakstu exclaims. "Remember, subject, predicate, adverb, object.....I think."


20:43, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 0 using 1d6-1 with rolls of 1.  Aid, with the penalty. I suuuuuck

Alyn is in fact able to get a keyboard to come up.

When he hits Enter, what comes up is:

MOST CO_MON COM_AND QU_RY PROMPTS:
--ARE ALL S_STEMS FUNC_IONAL
--WHERE IS NEARE_T MILIT_RY T_RGET
--WHERE IS NEAR_ST CIV_LIAN TA_GET
--W_ERE IS N_AREST ALIEN TAR_ET
--WHERE IS NEARE_T RECHAR_ING ST_TION
--WHERE IS NEAREST FRIEND_Y DEFEN_E POST
--WHAT IS THREAT AS_ES_MENT OF CURRENT_Y LOCKED TARG_T
--WHERE IS NEAR_ST SUP_LY POST
--WHY AREN'T THE WE_PONS SY_TEMS WORKING
--WHY AREN'T THE EXTERNAL DEFENSE SYS_EMS WORKING
--WHAT W_S THAT NOISE
--HOW DO I OPERATE ____ _____ USING MANUAL CONTROLS
--WHERE IS S_RGEANT ORLON
--WHY DID SERG_ANT ORLON LEAVE
--EXACTLY WHEN DID SERGE_NT ORLON LEAVE
--ACCESS RECORDI_GS: DID SGT. ORLON SAY ANYTHI_G RIGHT BEFORE HE LEFT
--WHERE CAN WE GET A NEW SENSOR MODU_E
--WHERE IS THE CL_SEST L_CATION THAT MIGHT HAVE A NEW S_NSOR MODULE
--ANALYZE: WHAT WAS THAT TH_NG WE J_ST STOMPED ON
--WHY THE HELL WOULD THAT BE CLAS_IFIED
--ALL RIGHT THEN, CAN YOU TELL ME WHO AUT_ORIZED THAT COM_UNICATIONS ACCESS WITH HEADQUART_RS BE CLASSIFIED AS IF I DIDN'T ALREADY ____ING KNOW
--DON'T YOU KNOW ANYTHI_G USEFUL YOU STUPID COMPUTER

KEEP LISTI_G NEXT-MOST-COM_ON CO_MAND QUERIES? Y/N?


(Note to self: Ajakstu has bad karma coming in the future...)

Alyn grins at Ajak, and turns to the keypad and types in the following: ARE ALL SYSTEMS FUNCTIONAL.
This message was last edited by the player at 16:36, Tue 30 Nov 2021.

EXTE_IOR WEAP_N_ SYSTEMS: 0% OPERAT__NAL
INTE_IOR DEFENSES: 15% OPERATIONAL *RECENT_Y DAMAGED*
LIFE-SUP_ORT SYSTEMS: 15% OPERATIONA_
SENS_RS: 50% OPE_ATIONAL
P_WER: 25% REMAI_ING
GYROSC_PE: 85% OPER_TIONAL
COMPUT_R SYSTEMS: 60% O_ERATIONAL

"Nearest supply post?" Ajakstu suggests. "And perhaps what Orlon said or did not say before he left might hold a clue."

Alyn nodded at Ajak, as those were good ideas.

"I agree and I'll query those. I'll also ask something for the Duke's benefit too..." he added with a chuckle as he typed away...

Alyn put in three prompts:

WHERE IS THE NEAREST SUPPLY POST?

DID SGT. ORLON SAY ANYTHING RIGHT BEFORE HE LEFT?

ARE THERE ANY FIELD RATIONS OR FOOD STORES FIT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION LEFT ABOARD?

The Duke looks over Alyns shoulder when he does the special query and makes a little excited jump clapping his hands in excitement awaiting the most important answer. Maybe this place also had pancakes like the Onsu base.

"SENS_RS IND_CATE NEA_EST SUP_LY POST IS 49 KLIKS NNW

SGT. ORL_N'S L_ST WORDS BEF_RE LE_VING W_RE AS FOL_OWS: I DON_T KN_W W_Y I AM EV_N B_THERING TO TRY TO S_VE THESE ___HE_DS EX_EPT THAT THIS TI_ANIUM CAN IS THE _NLY S_FE PL_CE OUT HERE _NYMORE SO I _UESS I'D BET_ER TRY T_ KEEP THAT _WFUL _HING FR_M _OMING BACK _ND _NOCKING US OV_R

_NTERNAL SC_N OF _NVENTORY _NCONCLUSIVE. THER_ _RE FIELD RAT_ONS ON BOARD BUT THEY ARE AP_ROXIMATELY THRE_ MIL_ION EIGHT HUN_RED AND EIGH_Y TH_USAND Y__RS PAST THEIR DATE _F _PTIMUM _XPIRATION THEREFOR_ NUTRITON_L VALU_ _S LIK_LY TO BE OF LIM_TED USE"

Alyn considered before typing some other commands into the prompter.


WHERE IS NEAREST RECHARAING STATION

HOW DO I OPERATE THIS MECHANICAL TITAN USING MANUAL CONTROLS

WHERE CAN WE GET A NEW SENSOR MODULE

WHERE IS THE CLOSEST LOCATION THAT MIGHT HAVE A NEW SENSOR MODULE

The Duke having seen the most important thing on the magical screen knows enough and saunters off to find those field rations. If they where so old they had to be good after all.

A little smiley-face pops up on the screen. :) HI! I'M SMILEY, YOUR ONBOARD DIGITAL HELPER! YOU SEEM TO BE TRYING TO SPELL WORDS CORRECTLY! WOULD YOU LIKE SOME HELP?

I THINK YOU MEAN: RECHARGING STATION! IS THAT RIGHT? :)

IF SO... MEMORY BANKS SAY THAT THE NEAREST RECHARGING STATION SHOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 30 KLIKS TO THE NORTH. :)

HOWEVER, SENSORS DON'T ACTUALLY DETECT THAT RECHARGING STATION WHERE IT SHOULD BE! MAYBE IT'S BEEN DESTROYED BY THE ENEMY :)




Smiley keeps helping you, since you didn't actually tell it to stop:

FOR THAT, PLEASE PROCEED UPSTAIRS TO THE HEAD! :)



HMMM... I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE ABOUT THAT, BUT MY SUGGESTION WOULD BE TO TRY THE NEAREST SUPPLY POST! GOOD LUCK! :)



THE NEAREST SUPPLY POST IS APPROXIMATELY 49 KLIKS NNW! :)

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE I CAN HELP YOU WITH TODAY? :)



The Duke finds nothing that seems particularly edible. Maybe upstairs?

Of coarse one does not store food near destructive lasers. So the Duke saunters on causually pushing against stuff theat might open and makes his way further into the giant robot to find these mysterious supplies.

Alyn grins.

SORRY CUTE SMILEY FACE...I WAS TPYING TOO FAST BEFORE. YOU SEEM TO BE FUNCTIONING A LOT BETTER THAN THE REST OF THE QUERY SYSTEM, THOUGH.

He considered.

IS THERE A WAY THAT YOU CAN REGISTER OWNERSHIP OF THIS TITAN UNIT TO MYSELF, AND ALLOW ME TO REGISTER MY FRIENDS IN SOME SORT OF ALLIED-PEOPLE LIST SO THE DEFENSES IGNORE THEM? A LOT OF TIME HAS PASSED AND I'M ALMOST CERTAIN YOUR ORIGINAL OWNER IS LONG GONE.

He figured he'd at least ask. Because this way, maybe they could get the coolest form of transportation ever! And if the thing was unable to be repaired right now they could at least prevent anyone else from accessing it and potentially accessing dangerous data. Like those seeker robots and such.

PLEASE ADVISE.

Ajakstu limps around, taking inventory and looking for a way up. He also looks for a way to secure the way back down, in the very least blocking it with some debris.

HEY, THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR: FUNCTIONING! :)



(Oooooh, interesting, Alyn... roll Charming, please, I think.)


Meanwhile, The Duke finds a new set of stairs, leading up, behind a sliding door.

Meanwhile, Ajakstu blocks the way downward as best he can with the various large pieces of weaponry that The Duke ripped out of the walls.

OOC: It's a neat idea with a lot of possible implications, so I thought I'd give it a try and see what happens!

16:24, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 8 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 2,4.  Charming.

The Duke curious about those rations bravely pushes on. If the doors just open then thats it but if not he will help them with a little kick or punch.

YOU'LL NEED TO GET A COMMANDING OFFICER TO DO THAT FOR YOU... OR, YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET AUTHORIZATION IN THAT WAY AT AN AUTHORIZED BASE! SENSORS INDICATE THAT THERE'S ONE APPROXIMATELY 25 KLIKS EAST OF HERE! :)

---

Upstairs, The Duke finds what's basically a mini-barracks, with bunks and lockers and a rather confining shower.

He finds no food that's still edible...

Having blocked the stairs Ajakstu turns back to ensure the Kalsk and his companion are not trying to kill them. He also notes the absence of his meat shield.

"Perhaps a better command post at the summit?" he suggests.

The duke angrily calls down.

"No food here!! Just bedrooms. I'll look further."

And with that the Duke searches on till he reaches food or the top.

Hearing The Duke's call, Ajakstu shrugs and calls to Rake. Once his companion is perched on his shoulder he heads upwards to join The Duke.

Alyn nods and heads with the others.

"After we leave here, I want to check out this outpost thats supposedly to the East. 25 Klicks isn't that far actually with our vehicles. I wanna see if I can get this robot working potentially...but even more important, they may have food for Duke to use to restock our stores. And maybe other things of use." he said.

"I doubt it's active but the remnants of such a place could be useful to us." he added.

He followed after the others.

"And Duke? Don't forget something alive is in here somewhere and we haven't found it yet!"

When Alyn goes upstairs, Vult and Kalsk wave him over. "Maybe you could use this. I think it's maybe a portable version of the computer downstairs?" They hand him a bulky sort of black tablet-screen thing, about the height and width of a sheet of paper, but about the thickness of 200 sheets of paper. They've already turned it on, revealing a touch-screen keyboard and a waiting cursor.

When The Duke goes upstairs, he finds that he's in the Doomwalker's head... Two eyes look out onto the landscape, their glass or whatever used to enclose them now broken-- they're wide open, not that there's any real breeze out there.

Inside the head (or "bridge," I guess, really?), there are chairs and instrument panels for one to three pilots to operate the Doomwalker.

(The Duke, roll Insightful, please...)

ooc: Well so much for that. But that xp gives me a lvl. It took so long i have to look where my advances are hidden.

 01:19, Today: The Duke rolled 6 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 3,2.  Insight.

Before The Duke realizes it, he's under attack.

Little bugs are fluttering down from the ceiling and... affecting... his... mind... everything seems to... slow... down... like... he's... under... ...water...

(The Duke, roll 2d6+1.

Since your Insightful and your Scary/Weird are at the same level, you'll roll the same thing whether you try to fight back physically (because that's not possible right now in a Forceful way-- you'll have to use Scary/Weird) or to resist mentally (Insightful)...)

The Duke roars and starts lashing about like a madman howling in fury and frustration as the little bugs are to small so simply smash between his massive hands and most of them simply fly off between his fingers after the hit.

ooc: Someone has a can of raid? The Duke cant do it alone the poor thing.

10:48, Today: The Duke rolled 6 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 4,1.  Atrocity.

The Duke is affected by the bugs, who go on nibbling on his mind...

(The Duke takes no damage yet, but does have a -1 ongoing penalty to all rolls while he's under attack... and it could get worse if allowed to continue...)

Downstairs in the upper torso, everyone else hears The Duke (very slowly, to their ears) howling in fury... It's a song that sings a slow droning dirge of frustration, a whale's cry of glacial distress...

Upon hearing the disconcerting noise from above, Ajakstu turns to Alyn.

"So, I am assuming that your mental powers allow you to see what is going on up there without any of us actually going up there?"

"Thanks Vult and Kalsk." Alyn said as he took the tablet/ipad thing.

Alyn nodded at Ajak.

"Yes...if I focus correctly. But I think I'm just going to go up there and try some pyrokinesis or something on what's eating him and see what happens. Hopefully I don't blow us all up or something. I don't do this often. But you're a lucky sort of guy so I'm sure we'll be fine..." Alyn said as he headed up the stairs to the Duke.

Then he saw the bugs.

"Oh brother!" he exclaimed as he saw the horde of bugs.

He prepared to actually try some pyrokinesis like he was joking about, but was afraid he might hurt Duke in the cross fire. Then he decided to try something else. What could his new powers actually all do? Really...he was still unsure and pushing his boundaries every day to try and learn more.

He wondered to himself. These bugs were surprisingly well-coordinated and had some interesting effects on those they attacked. Could he use his mental powers to take into this buggy connection and win them over or even make them submit to him, he wondered? He never tried something quite like THIS before.


16:55, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 12 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 4,6.  Charming.

Alyn is attempting to mentally hack into the bugs' hivemind, and if he rolls well enough to actually hi-jack/subvert it and try and tame them as their swarm-king or some such.

"I am the luckiest boy in the world, much luckier than you," Ajakstu recited as if from a script.


22:22, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 5 using 2d6 with rolls of 1,4.  LUCK! Alas, the universe hates this heroic paragon

The duke roars in slow motion and keeps slapping at the bugs like a frenzied victim of a wasp attack. The Duke had no flight instinct only fight and he was as violent as he could to these bugs and anything nearby.

ooc: Keep being mean even in slowmotion ;-)

10:21, Today: The Duke rolled 8 using 2d6 with rolls of 6,2.  Keep stomping on the things (Atrocity -1).
This message was last edited by the player at 20:56, Sat 05 Mar 2022.

Alyn tries to access the... the mind-moths, his brain fills in, and the first round is a standoff, but one where Alyn has the advantage. He breaks into the mind-moths' mind-space with ease... They attack him psychically... but fail to harm him at all.

Sensing another mind like his and The Duke's (okay, not exactly like his, and no one's mind is like The Duke's, but, you know, maybe sort of the same or similar species), a large section of the mind-moths swarm down and attack Ajakstu, kind of physically but mostly psychically. Maybe they'll take over this guy, they think, and make him attack his allies...

Rake thinks mind-moths are yummy, though. He crawls excitedly around his human's head and shoulders, munching them as fast as he can... which isn't all that fast, however, there's so many of them.

Meanwhile, The Duke manages to crush some of the bugs. Not all. Not even most. But an impressive amount. Say 25%. But the fewer there are, the harder it is for him to keep swatting them, because they get more spread out...

(Ajakstu gets 1 new XP, but comes under mind-moth attack.

Roll Insightful, Ajakstu. The results will determine if you start attacking your friends, and if so how effectively, or if you just take Harm... (In other words, you're not gonna like the results, but how much will you not like them, and in what way or ways...?))

"Go Rake!" Ajakstu shouts. Then, as the moths swarm him, "I can see through time!"

22:41, Today: Ajakstu Gul rolled 9 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,6.  Insightful.

The mind-moths fail to control Ajakstu.

They do hurt him in the process, though.

Owwww. It's like a brain-freeze from eating a concussion-flavored ice cone.

(Ajakstu takes 2 Harm.)
This message was last edited by the GM at 19:23, Sat 05 Mar 2022.

Alyn made it inside the mind moth's mental network somehow, and while it was a standoff he could sense he had the upper hand right now. So he chose not to waste any more time and see if he could leverage that in their favor. He had no idea what was going to happen though - these mothers were way more advanced than he was expecting, but also he never tried something quite like this before. This was all new psychic territory for him!

But hopefully, the advantage he won himself would help him break the standoff. The moths were actively avoiding Alyn right now, so he knew they could sense he was psychically dangerous. But would he keep up the psychic momentum and "hack" their network, or would they become bug-chow?

22:53, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 8 using 2d6+2 with rolls of 1,5.  Charming.

So what he is trying to do is something thats like a blend of dominate and possess without actually doing either. Maybe you could better describe it as him trying to psychically awe them rather than dominate them.