Choice chosen: Many mants are dead, and the rest are now fleeing as fast as they can-- they never want to set their big eyes on Alyn again.

While I was considering killing all and leaving one alive to interrogate, I much like the narrative impact that him killing a bunch and injuring but sparing the rest (who weren't also pulverized by Duke that is) and letting them flee is interesting. It means Alyn (and perhaps Duke too) will have a "rep" as crazy, unhinged, and powerful threats to these bugs which could lead to both opportunities and plot hooks/changes later on.

My narrative justification is that any Mant who knelt and submitted during the attack rather than tried to stand their ground against the party got singed for sure but otherwise spared from death, while the rest were blasted apart. Then they run the heck away and leave the facility.

The Duke messes up many Mants, but while he has the sheer destructive power, he can't be everywhere at once. Alyn's attack kills some Mants, but injures (to some degree) all those it doesn't kill.

All the Mants (who are still living, which is maybe slightly less than half of them) retreat (including the one threatening Pesky), scurrying to the back of the room... where they disappear. Must be another exit back there behind the many shelves of crates.

The Duke angry over the stolen food by these treacherous beasts gets into pursuit. Running away was not going to save these fuckers after that atrocity!!!

Alyn gently landed on the ground then, as he let the surviving Mants flee the facility. That ought to teach them a lesson they won't ever forget! He also enjoyed showing the Duke what he was capable of too, since the top 3 things the Duke respected, in order, was Good Food, Cuddly things (and people who made him feel cuddly), and sheer unbridled power and rage unleashed.

He exhaled a sigh of relief as he came off the high of his own surging power.

"Ugh. Doing it like that makes me feel like a snorted a line of coke before then holding my breath underwater a bit too long. Buuuut...at least I didn't blow us up instead! That's always a nice thing, yes? And those pesky insects learned their place. Hmph." he said as his demeanor began to shift back to its normal, more charming and gregarious self rather than his unhinged power-flooded side.

"Hey Dukie? You're also our Food Storage Manager, yes? Could you please do the honors and assess if any of the food in those crates is safe for us? We can fill up our stores in the truck if there's anything useful. Plus...you might find something good to taste-test and sample for us first." he said, a playful twinkly in his despite the serious tone in his voice as he channeled the first thing the Duke respected: the prospect of good food!

"I'll deal with guy over there while Ajak looks for whatever it is Ajak looks for at times like this." he added, before turning over and walking to the cowering Pesky.

"Um...we mean you no harm, as long as you actually want to treat us with human decency and not try to eat us or something. As you've just witnessed...we're not very palatable." Alyn said to Pesky with a gregarious chuckle.

"My name is Alyn, and this gentleman here is The Duke and the other is Ajakstu. We're shall we say...travelers, explorers, and survivors mixed in with a dash of elegance and class." he added with a smirk. "And we're totally not a band of goofy misfits." he added.

Note: They totally were a band of goofy misfits.

"By the way are you okay? Any injuries? What is your name, and what if I may ask are you doing here? And where do you come from? We're looking for other human settlements which is why we ask." he asked, truthfully.
This message was last edited by the player at 15:27, Mon 27 Mar 2023.

Pesky pulled himself to his feet with a groan.

"Name's Peter.  Peter Eskind, but everyone calls me Pesky," he said, slowly sticking his hand out for a shake.  "And no...no injuries, thanks."

"You guys seem to know how to handle things," he said, looking around at all of the corpses.  "I guess I'm here doing the same thing you are.  Resupplying, looking for stuff."

"A pleasure Peter." Alyn replied.

"Oh...1 sec. Our relationship ambassador is utilizing some intense care-bear love. Let's see if I can call him back." Alyn said as his eyes flickered briefly and silently but just a brief moment.

Dukie? Are you going to leave us here in this big, scary old base all by our lonesome? Foor Ajak almost shit himself from those bugs (and certainly not because you and I wiped the floor with em). And this new Pesky guy needs some attention. And the Food Dukie! You're our Food supply manager...if you run away now, who's going to carry on that sacred mission?!

20:46, Today: Alyn Reed rolled 9 using 2d6+3 with rolls of 1,5.  Charming.

I roll a 9 Alyn is using the already-established psychic connection he has with Duke up to this point to Telepathically do something in between a strong insistence and a very mild suggestion for him to calm down and come back
This message was last edited by the player at 01:50, Tue 28 Mar 2023.

The Duke is gone about 45 seconds-- just long enough that Alyn barely starts to worry-- and then he returns, looking a little smug.

Several Mants got away, but those who did-- but who also glanced back for a moment-- saw horrors that will be told and re-told in infamy in their culture, and all cultures involved with the Mants. Folk tales will be told of the giant who seemed frightening and the scrawny man who seemed weak, and of how it was seemingly the scrawny enchanter of rectangles who was the truly powerful one after all-- until the giant caught up with those who were fleeing, and who enacted nightmares upon their bodies with only his hands.

The legend of The Duke and his allies among the cultures of the Sunless Earth truly begins here, today.

"Welcome back, Dukie." Alyn said with a pleasant smile and tone of voice.

He could "feel" mentally the smug satisfaction radiating off of the Duke, thanks to his powers, while he sensed the fear and surprise of the fleeing Mants. Good - let them know fear of their group. Perhaps they'd give them a wide and comfortable berth later on as a result, so Alyn could focus on more important htings like getting his Alynwalker up and running, or subtly instigating Duke to mess with Ajak and enjoying the show as he lauds the other man with sloppy kisses and hugs, and so on. You know...the important stuff!

Alyn subtly sent a psychic message outside of the compound.

Yo Murder Moth Pet things? I'm sending some juicy morsels with lots pf psychic anguish and resonance out of the complex here if you want dinner. Their agitated state should be producing an excess of energy to feed off of. Just try not to kill any more of them, and instead skim the surface when and if you feed. I want them alive to spread word to their kin so people leave us alone. The others don't suspect I purposefully left some alive for this purpose, but I thought you'd appreciate the heads up on a good feeding opportunity.

Alyn turned to Pesky.

"Well Pesky. There you have it. And yes resupplying is basically it for us too. The Duke here is our Human Resources and Food-Management Ambassador, Ajak here is something of our fixer, and I'm here to be the pretty one. We have a man-cat and a um...shapeshifting mater entity thing as allies up on the surface, and I have some pet moths flying around up there somewhere doing lord knows what, but they are cute and make me happier than having a dog or something." Alyn said.

"Oh...a serious question, Pesky. Do you happen to know anything about a place called with the Ziggurat (ooc: this is the starting area for the rest of us), or of a human habitat called the Cloister? We're broadly, for various but surprisingly well-intentioned, reasons looking for the Cloistur so we can try and establish friendly channels between it and the Ziggurat, among other things. You're quite frankly, along with some dude in robes who vanished somewhere, the first human we've seen outside the Ziggurat so far."

Ajakstu listened intently while appearing to be disinterested. He let Rake out to derive whatever sustenance was available from the deceased mants.

He pulled his throwing knofe from the dead mant and looked at Pesky.

"History is clear. When there is a team, maybe called something like 'The Apex team' or some such, their are four clear roles."

He pointed to The Duke, "The Bad Ass, sometimes abbreviated as BA."

"The overly talkative and full of himself Face," as he pointed at Alyn.

"The unorthodox, yet effective planner," he said as he indicated himself.

With a pointed glance at Pesky, "Are you howling mad? Are you even howling or mad?"

He then walked away, humming a tune that was perhaps familiar.

We shall watch for them, say the mind-moths. If they exit to the east, though, we shall let whatever is there deal with them.

The Duke simply produces a wide grin as he ruffles his new leg cape and leaves people to wonder just how its even possible to weave legs into a cape as they are not flexible and all and yet here the Duke is in a nice and flexible cape that will most likely start to reek in a few days.

Seeing FOERS designate the new one as a friend the Duke simply ignores him and starts to check the supplies calling one of the robots over to open the rectangles of delight. He was probalby going to need an extra cooler by the end of this.

The crates that The Duke happens to start with mostly contain ingredients-- flour, sugar (this was probably especially what the Mants were here for), powdered egg substitute, honey, margarine, spices, cooking oil, and so on. But at least they're all well-preserved and fresh? So... that's nice?

"We need a bigger vehicle and a cook!!"

The Duke declares as he makes stacks of usable stuff and stuff that needs preparation first.

Pesky listened to Alyn and was quick to respond.

"Yes, the Ziggurat.  Well, I was born there, but left as a baby.  I've only been back twice, both a long time ago."  He paused and thought for a moment, eyes cast to the floor.  "As for the Cloister, no...never heard of it.  What is it?"

The one Alyn had called Ajak spoke.

"Am I mad?  Well, I suppose that depends on who you ask, dunnit?"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:07, Mon 03 Apr 2023.

Alyn nodded at Pesky.

"We're learning about the Cloister more ourselves too. It's our main objective, between our little side-objective flights of fancy of course." he replied.

"All we really know is that it's supposed to be some fairly old and established fortress of humans, similar to the Ziggurat in a sense, except the Ziggurat folks have lost all contact with the Cloister for some time and it's either real or anecdotal depending on who you ask. But we believe it's real. And our main reason for looking for the Cloister is to help re-establish the ties and friendly contact it used to have with the Ziggurat community." he continued.

"Plus? Most humans aren't as um...special as we are. And the world out there is fairly dangerous, with monsters and robots and all other kinds of crazy stuff and humanity in general can't blast or rampage their way through those things like myself and the Duke can, or do whatever it is Jak does that's kept him alive till now, so it makes total sense why they have these ziggurat style havens. I'm sure each of us also has personal reasons for looking for the Cloister, like I want to learn more about the world and the human history within it for instance. But the main goal is we each agreed to help the Ziggurat re-connect with its ancient allies...assuming they're still around to reconnect with of course."

Ajakstu turns to the new robot valet. "You there! Is there another robot hereabouts skilled in the culinary arts, or some sort of automated food preparation device to feed these ingredients into?"

That robot left to go clean up the mess that was left after fighting the other robots, but as luck would have it, Ajakstu happens to look out in the hall just as another robot (of very similar model) is happening by. (Whether or not Ajakstu realizes it is a different robot is very questionable.) (Whether or not Ajakstu cares that it is a different robot is even more questionable.)

"Yes sir, there are both of those things in this facility. The automated kitchen is closer. I can also attempt to send a call for the chef-trained robot, if you wish...?"

Pesky barely heard anything Alyn said past established fortress of humans.  A tiny electric shock went through him as his mind immediately went to his daughter.

He tried to tune in to the rest, with mixed success.

"So, you don't know where this is?  Do you have ideas or leads?"

Alyn nodded.

"We do have a very vague lead we're following, but don't know where exactly it is yet. But we're on our way to a town that has someone who might be able to give us another lead." Alyn replied.

OOC: It's been a while, but I think that's our "main story quest" current objective is to get to that town with the surgeon who can help Kalsk get the parasite out of him, since someone there also supposedly knows more about the Cloisture. Correct me If I'm wrong.

But right now we're on a "side quest" exploring this military complex. Duke is here for food opportunities, Ajak here for lewt opportunities, and Alyn is here to get the hardware he needs to do an ownership reset of a Gigantic Doomwalker Soon-to-Be Alynwalker.

"But since we don't have a super clear path, just a round-about one, we like to make pitstops along the way for fun and profit. Mostly for kicks more than anything. And Food. Duke is our Food Resource Manager as well as our Human Resources Ambassador." the psion added with a grin.

Meanwhile the duke oblivious to the majestic revelation of an automated kitchen keeps sorting through the raw resources.

He wasn't too keen on the 'round-about' path they were taking, but felt an urgent need to find another settlement full of humans.

"I know we've, uh, just met, but could I travel with you?  At least as far as the town?"

"Ahem!" Ajakstu said in a half-hearted attempt to get anyone's attention.

"So this butler-class unit here," as he pointed to the robot. "Says there is both a kitchen and a chef-trained robot. And still some lurking malevolent presence, by the way."

"KITCHEN WITH A CHEF!! LEAD THE WAY!!"

The Duke drops the crate he is holding and barrels straight at the robot and Ajakstu and then stopd dead in his tracks still as a statue for a second or two and then he leans down his face close to that of Pesky his breath is bad as putrefied food remains rot in cavities between teeth that have never seen a brush. Its a little worse then you think you can imagine but there is also a sweet soda smell that wafts of his body mixed with old sweat now wet as he whispers in a tone that is clearly not his regular voice.

"To travel alone is to find despair and misery. In the many there is strength and in skulking alone there is death. If you are ever alone in the dark know there is light among the stars which are manifold."

And with a massive belch that splatters some of whatever the duke has been eating from the magical rectangles ans saliva on his face he turns and barrels on to hug the butler class unit and demand directions from it NOW!!

ooc: Pesky has been prophetised. If he ever finds himself alone and lost ask the Dukes player if this is what he was talking about. If the answer is yes you may roll an extra d6 and substitute it with any of the previolus rolled dice.

10:36, Today: The Duke rolled 9 using 2d6+1 with rolls of 2,6.  Prophecy.

Alyn knew it was only a matter of time before the Duke found his way to the kitchens here. With a chuckle, he let the man go. Turning to Pesky, he nodded.

"You are certainly welcome to travel with us for as long as you'd like. Certainly till the next town at least and of course you're free to leave whenever, but as a fellow human we welcome you to our group." Alyn said.

"You'll get used to our dynamic soon, but basically what you saw here today is just day-to-day normal for us. And I think there's some other intelligence deeper inside the facility, and I NEED that hardward for my Alynwalker and thus we can;t leave till we get it. So there is a chance we will encounter this presence, and we don't know if it is friendly or not. And you just saw what happens when we run into unfriendly presences but we've actually befriended monsters and stuff out here too. Really, you never know what you're gonna get in this freacky world. But I wanted to disclose the risk of traveling with us, along with the benefits, so you can make an informed decision." Alyn said, thoughtfully.

"The downside is we tend to encounter strange, weird, and sometimes dangerous situations fairly regularly. But the advantage is that we're also kind of innocent-looking apex predators too. So our party is both the safest and most dangerous place to be that I can think of right now, but we promise you won't be bored at least."

Pesky stood stock still, just staring as Duke thundered away.  After a moment, his trance broke and he reflexively grabbed the hem of his filthy shirt and wiped his face.

"Ugghh!", he exclaimed.  Slowly turning his head to Alyn, he asked, "What the hell was all that about?!"