The hole drops you onto the top floor of the crystal tower into a central room with a ramp leading down. Illuminated pulses in the translucent crystal walls beckon you down the ramp. A message is repeating for all to hear. Each one of you hears this in your character's native language:

We are lost, crushed by the savage world of the Living Land. Its warlord, Baruk Kaah, is a Possibility Raider, a dreadful High Lord who invades other realities and sucks the Possibility Energy from his victims and their lands. We do not know what end these invasions serve. All we gleaned was a single word: Torg.

This spire is the last remnant of Ukhaan, a world of great scientific advancement, reason, and peace. We were invaded by the Living Land. This outpost is where we made our last stand.

If you are hearing this message, then we have failed, as our projections predicted. We have used what we learned of Possibility Energy to transmit what we could of our knowledge, our art, and the very essence of our people away from the Living Land. So little could be saved. We hope someday, after the storm, explorers will hear our message and find our remains below.

If a Possibility Raider hears these words, beware. All our power now courses through our last guardian. While the storms still rage, this guardian will destroy any intruder. If you oppose the Raiders, remember Ukhaan, for our daughters and sons can do so no longer.

As you descend, you see rooms on the other side of the walls of the staircase. The exit doors leading to them have the same red and blue crystal growth as the outside of the tower, making side trips a tedious process you don't have time for now. As you descend, the feeling of Possibility Energy from below you grows.


Your descent ends at a large chamber with a platform overlooking a central gallery. Debris from cracked Ukhaan crystal and broken concrete and furniture litters the floor. Directly across the chamber is a similar platform connected to yours, with access to the outside blocked by a translucent mineral wall. On the other side of that wall are more edeinos than you wish to count. One of them, with a single yellowish eye, sees your group and attacks the wall angrily, causing a small crack to form. The other edeinos, seeing an opportunity, begin furiously attacking it with their spears in an attempt to widen the crack into an opening for them to pour through.

A set of stairs on your right and on your left lead to a lower chamber with an exit into the Manhattan underground. It is located on just below the platform the edeinos are trying to access and is blocked by a mineral wall. This exit could be to the subway or the sewers, but your map of the subways shows sewer access tunnels, so either way it would get you out without having to brave the crowd. However, 4-meter tall crystal automaton stands in front of that path, animated in response to your arrival. It is mostly clear with a red and blue "heart" pumping lighted pulses throughout its body. This heart is clearly the Eternity Shard you were sent to retrieve, and this guardian is not about to surrender it willingly.

Round 1 Drama Card

The scene is Dramatic, so you get to go first. Prior to your action, you need to make a Disconnection check. This is a d20 roll that only fails on a roll of 1 (unless you have gear that is outside your own reality, then it fails on a 1-4). If you fail, you can't spend Possibilities (including cards that act as Possibilities) and can only use interactions or Living Land approved tools until you reconnect in a future turn.
This message was last edited by the GM at 14:30, Thu 14 Oct 2021.

"Ummm...does anybody know how to convince the crystal giant we are resisting the high lords?" Jacob looked about at the others. "Cause that thing looks like a tough nut to crack." Then he looks in the direction of the lizard man army. "Of course, we could just let it wipe them out..."

In reply to Jacob Amer (Revenant) (msg # 2):

They say edeinos come a dime a dozen, and someone appears to have an endless supply of dimes. The first several waves would probably fall to the giant, but eventually they would crack it open and claim the prize you desire.

On a positive note for those who attack it: The sheer size of the thing gives all combatants +2 on attack rolls against it, increasing the chance at bonus dice. I am also using the Cassandra Files rule that allows a third bonus die on an attack roll that exceeds defense by 15 or more. On the negative side for all, players need to check for Disconnection before taking any action.

In reply to Gamemaster (msg # 3):

OOC-
10:53, Today: Jacob Amer (Revenant) rolled 14 using 1d20.  Check for disconnection.

I think I am ok unless I roll a 1, right?

In reply to Jacob Amer (Revenant) (msg # 4):

Yes. The exception would be if you carried tools beyond your own reality.

08:47, Today: Johnny Ichii rolled 4 using 1d20.  Surge
08:50, Today: Johnny Ichii rolled 16 using 1d20.  Attack AOA, CS chest
Johnny has nothing exceeding his Personal Axioms, so 4 does not fail.
MW 12 +3 roll +4 AoA +2 Size -2 CS :Chest=19. Debating Possiblity


Rolled for PbP reasons, people going for cards can go First
This message was last edited by the player at 15:56, Thu 14 Oct 2021.

Case launches a probing pryokinetic attack on the construct.

OOC

13:10, Today: Case Morrow rolled 8 using 2d6 with rolls of 3,5.  bd.
22 damage

13:08, Today: Case Morrow rolled 15 using 1d20.  possibility.

13:02, Today: Case Morrow rolled 5 using 1d20.  pyrokinesis.

13:02, Today: Case Morrow rolled 15 using 1d20.  surge.

Glory into pool.  Possibility subtracted.

The pulses coursing through the Spire Guardian cool off the fire enough to keep the giant intact and damage-free.

OOC:
Damage result from Pyrokinesis was 1 Wound and 2 Shock
12:35, Today: Spire Guardian rolled 9 using 1d20, rerolling max.  Soak Damage from Pyrokinesis. – [roll=1634232947.86587.361680]
Reality 15 - 1 bonus number = 14 vs. DN 10 = Standard Success, which prevents 1 Wound and all Shock.

Jacob waits until the rest of the team shoots at the creature. Once the firing was done, he charges forth, grabbing one massive arm and twisting it behind the Construct's back. Trying to force it prone while he holds it still.


OOC: Waiting until everybody else with ranged attacks goes. Once they are done, he will move forward and try to grapple before any of my teamates's melee attacks. With possibility spent gets a 26, and gets another +2 due to it's size. Total result=19. Beats the creature's unarmed by 5, so I do extra damage and it is restrained. Total damage=15. Attackers will get an extra +4 due to it being flat-footed.

15:03, Today: Jacob Amer (Revenant) rolled 2 using 1d6.  Good success extra damage.

15:00, Today: Jacob Amer (Revenant) rolled 9 using 1d20.  Possibility spent. Counts as a 10.

14:59, Today: Jacob Amer (Revenant) rolled 16 using 1d20.  Grapple attempt after all ranged attackers go.

Putting Size Initiative into pool.

Possibility subtracted.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:31, Thu 14 Oct 2021.

So Far
Case's fire was rendered ineffective by the heart. Despite Jacob's strength, the size of the giant makes it impossible to grab its hand, much less force it behind its back, but he is able to grab hold of its legs and immobilize it that way. This won't cause damage, as its mechanical nature renders it immune to Shock damage, but it is Restrained, making it Very Vulnerable to attacks until freed and forcing it to try to break free before taking other actions. (Note: A Good or better result on a Strength contest vs. Jacob will enable it to act the same round it breaks free.)

As the creature is now Very Vulnerable, and the remaining Storm Knights' ranged weapons were rendered ineffective by the Law of Decay (Ash lost the rifle and Ivan is out of bullets), there is no reason for Johnny to wait any longer. As rolled so far, the attack to crack open its chest is a 23 (MW 12 +3 bonus number +4 All out Attack +2 Size +4 Very Vulnerable -2 Called Shot to chest). This is one short of Outstanding as is, but a Possibility can still be spent to increase the bonus number (roll was 16). The Called Shot allows the attack to ignore its 2 points of crystal armor, making whatever the damage ends up apply to its raw Toughness of 14.

If another character wants to go before Johnny decides if he's adding a Possibility that's fine. If Johnny resolves the attack first, it will happen then.

Spending the Possibility, I believe only Ivan is left besides me.
15:08, Today: Johnny Ichii rolled 8 using 3d6, rerolling max with rolls of 3,3,2.

15:06, Today: Johnny Ichii rolled 9 using 1d20.  Possibility.

2 shock through Unflinching.

Johnny charges, and jumps, and plunges his Electric Katana into the Giants Chest, Riding it down like a pirate in a movie. As he hits the floor he looks unstable, physically, but he draws on some inner reserve and pulls himself together.

The blow was perfectly placed, but the lighted pulses again prevent the giant's crystal hull from cracking. The lights are slightly dimmer now.

OOC:
18:08, Today: Spire Guardian rolled 27 using 1d20, rerolling max (((20+7)27)).
Reality 15 + 9 Bonus Number = 24, enough to soak all damage.

09:07, Today: Ivan Borovich (Headshot) rolled 8 using 1d20.  Disconnect.

Ivan stepped forward, prying at the giant's chest with his spear.

Aid another action for Johnny.
09:07, Today: Ivan Borovich (Headshot) rolled 12 using 1d20.  Rnd 1.
On target, +3 (I think) to his action.

As it turns out, the giant's Soak test was enough to prevent any damage that could have been done to it.

Ash attempts to punch the guardian, but his cyberarm just seems to bounce off of the creature.


Not even worth a possibility I don't think...

17:29, Today: Ash (Alex Wilson) rolled 3 using 1d20.  Punch Guardian.
17:29, Today: Ash (Alex Wilson) rolled 15 using 1d20.  Disconnection?

Adding Coup De Grace to pool

Ivan needs to put a card into his pool. Then the guardian will try to break free from Jacob's grip on it. This is a contest of Strength. The guardian will go first, then Jacob will need to make a higher test to maintain grip. If the guardian gets a Good or better result, it will then get to act normally this round.

After the guardian's turn is resolved, the new round card will be revealed. As there is a Seize Initiative card in play, it could be used to repeat the current card for next round. If not used this way, it can be used to change the card after it is revealed but before it takes effect.

In reply to Gamemaster (msg # 16):

OOC-because the guardian is very vulnerable, do I get +4 to my strength test?

No, it's STR vs. STR. If the guardian fails, that's the end of its turn. The advantage it has is that it will win ties. The advantage you have is that it has to go first, so you know what you need to beat.