2017-03-03: Visiting a Simple Country Town
- Log: Visting A Simple Country Town
- Cast: Claude C. Kenny, Zed, Vin Barrett, Marshal Henry Smythe
- Where: The Ruins of Lahan
- Date: March 03, 2017
- Summary: Lahan, once a quaint hinterlands village, was destroyed in a TERRIBLE incident and occupied by military forces. Naturally, this means that there is still SOMETHING there...and so, some Drifters are going to loot the absolute hell out of it, using many subtle techniques such as Explosives, Gunfire, and Scarves.
=======================<* Ruins of Lahan *>=======================
Lahan was once a medium-sized village of 50 or so residents. Now, however, it is a ruin, with buildings smashed and their remnants scattered and scorched. Large gouges have been torn out of the grounds, and chunks of metal lie in the small creaters dotting the landscape. To the trained eye, it is clear that the village was decimated by a battle between Gears, and a few dozen marked graves nearby indicate that someone, at least, survived it. But whoever they were, they are long gone.
A short distance from Lahan, atop a jagged cliff separated from the village by a rope bridge (currently dangling broken), a small home sits. According to signage at the base of the cliff, this is where the town doctor can be found. So that is helpful.
BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPrm1nrkZ3k
DG: Claude C. Kenny has created a party! DG: Vin Barrett has joined your party! DG: Zed has joined your party! DG: A party led by Claude C. Kenny is now entering Ruins of Lahan. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
=======================<* CHALLENGE - Washed out Road *>======================== |Type: Entry |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- Normally one would expect the roads to be well maintained in this area, but with Lahan's destruction no one has been putting in orders for repairs. The road has been washed away in some manner, possibly leaving a morass of mud along the only path, or perhaps another massive sandstorm out of the expanding Aveh desert has buried this area, leaving only a shifting mass of sand that swirls and flows treacherously, threatening to undo any gains up the path in a tumbling cascade of fine grit. =Dungeon Conditions: Slow=====================================================
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Claude C. Kenny has had mixed success with the whole dungeon-crawling thing. His first experience led to him fleeing the Berry Cave while carrying a blind girl and her barfing dog over one shoulder; his second was much more successful, but still led to him getting beaten to within half an inch of his life. For his third attempt, he has decided on an important rule: make sure you're not the only freaking tank in the group.
Which is why he has made sure to invite both Henry (who displayed use of quite effective explosives and also was not the blind part of their earlier problem) and his rival, Zed, on this particular trip, which involves scouring through the wreckage of some sort of random place for some sort of stuff worth money. Claude's pretty sure Zed's even tougher than he is (what with the whole having survived being knocked flying in their friendly spar), and so he fully intends to let the bescarfed man take a lot of the load when it comes to fighting.
And apparently the walking, because this just sort of looks like drudge work. "Ugh, nothing to do but just walk on," Claude mutters. "Unless someone else has an idea?"
DG: Claude C. Kenny has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Washed out Road.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
The last time Zed saw Claude C. Kenny, he got punched into the sky and somehow ended up in Adlehyde Castle's larder. Having escaped with his life (and a delicious cake), Zed dedicated himself with renewed fervor to an INTENSE TRAINING REGIMEN involving wandering out into the wilderness and getting punched by the biggest, scariest monsters he could find.
He didn't have much time to think this through. Or to execute his brilliant training plan. Instead, Claude managed to track him down and invite him on a GLORIOUS ADVENTURE. Zed, being Zed, would never turn down a rival like that.
And so here they are. Staring down a muddy mess.
"Hmmm. It IS pretty awful, isn't it!? It'll get everywhere if we're not careful, and I don't know if you've ever cleaned out something like this--" Zed pats his STYLISH OUTFIT. "BUT IT'S A PAIN! So, friends! I have a suggestion."
Zed hops in place a couple of times. Then whips his scarf at his ADVENTURE FRIENDS. "Grab hold of that! And then try to keep up! If we run fast enough... NOT EVEN THE MUD WILL CATCH US!"
Zed takes off.
But will his brilliant plan work!?
DG: Zed has used his Tool Grapple Scarf toward his party's challenge, Washed out Road.
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
For his part, Vin Barrett, Baskar Wilderness Guide For Hire, is mostly just happy to be dealing with a set of ruins that do not involve his fated and hated rival: Namely, Large, Unbreakable Doors that some sadistic jackass Ancient Ruins Architect threw the keys away for after burying them in the Ruins of Memory.
Damn Ancients. Who even does that?!
So, well, he hired on to this little expedition of Claude's when he noticed it heading out from civilization. There are advantages to camping out on the outskirts of town sometimes for the shotriflegun wielding Baskar Shaman!
Shrugging as he trudges along the washed out road, trying to hunt for the least muddy paths to save both energy and his beloved cloak being be-muddified. "Happens, sometimes. Nothing to do but try and get through it, and try not to step in a sinkhole. Could be worse. In the Badlands, we'd probably have been shot at by bandits by no-"
What.
A bit stunned by Adventure Scarf, Vin just grabs it on reflex as it zips by, then lets out an undignified yelp as he's yanked off his feet and yanked in Zed's wake.
DG: Vin Barrett has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Washed out Road.
<Pose Tracker> Marshal Henry Smythe has posed.
Henry has worked with Claude and Zed before and knows them to be competent, so he was happy to join up for ADVENTURE and hopefully some clues leading to the Village Vandal and the juicy bounty on his head. Two frontline combatants are very suitable to his marksmanship; hopefully he can balance out any reckless behaviour from the two young swordsmen, definitely not himself since Blastemol!® is a precision tool of precise precision.
"'s sandier'n a Bledavik sandwich," Henry observes, whatever that's supposed to mean. He finds the shadiest spot available for his horse, then dismounts and ties a pair of straps around his chaps over his boots. It might help unless he sinks in to his knees.
Pulling his cowboy hat low and his neck bandana high, the Marshal trudges forward with grim cowboy determination. When he's not watching where he's stepping, he watches the mysterious Baskar stranger curiously and Zed warily-- yup, he's taking off already, like a colt at its first race. Henry shakes his head, but does grab on to the scarf. Quick movement might be just the ticket to not getting stuck. Maybe.
DG: Marshal Henry Smythe has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward its party's challenge, Washed out Road. DG: The party led by Claude C. Kenny has passed this challenge! The party gained 12 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw. DG: Zed has drawn a new Challenge.
========================<* CHALLENGE - Wrecked Gear *>======================== |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- Turning a corner, the party comes across an awesome sight - a ruined Gear, lying amidst the wreckage of a nearby building and covered with debris. The Gear is damaged beyond all repair, with one arm ending in a jagged stump, a hole punched through its torso showing only wreckage and dried fuel where its Slave Engine used to be, and the head nowhere to be found. If the cockpit can be cleared, there are likely maps or the burned in images on screens from the Gear's last moments that can help point the way to more valuable treasures within the town. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Hey, that's a good idea by you, Zed! Claude grabs the end of the Adventure Scarf and... does not take off, instead getting dragged along the sand in the wake of the leaping man's passage.
I mean, it still works, sort of, but he's going to be itchy as hell for the rest of this trip.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Zed shoots across the dunes like the salty son of a sandmariner. He might not have a dust filter, but there's no question that he's got an A in Land Terrain! "Wahahahahaha! Hold on tight, friends! LET'S GO! LIKE THE WIIIIIIND!" Soon, though, they come to an abrupt halt... Next to the ruins of an enormous fighting robot.
Zed in fact veered off halfway to his destination to get to this thing. Does he have a plan? Can he repair robots!? Or is it... Is it just...
"Cooooool! It's so cool! AND BIG!" Zed throws his arms open as if to gauge the bigness of this particular giant robot wreck. "If we can get it running again, we won't need to run all that way! And then... We can take it home. ONLY ONE WAY TO FIND OUT!"
Zed hops up its leg, making his way towards what looks like it should be a cockpit. And then he starts... Trying to pry it open with his bare hands!? He's pretty strong though, so maybe it'll work out?
DG: Zed has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Wrecked Gear.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Claude C. Itchybritches Kenny has traveled with Marshal Henry Smythe before, and is familiar with how the man tends to solve problems like this, i.e., by exploding them. He walks up to the Gear, shaking a bit of sand out of his legs before assuming a position next to Zed. "Just...pull it open enough to create a space," he mutters, grabbign the end of the cockpit opposite his rival and putting back, legs, and arms into it. "I have...feeling this...job for...Blastemol!®..."
(yes, he pronounces the !®)
DG: Claude C. Kenny has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Wrecked Gear.
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
...Alright, so, maybe grabbing that Adventure Scarf on reflex wasn't the -best- decision Vin's made, but it's certainly not the worst. He loses his grip, and, having lost his footing, goes down into the mud...but at least Zed's antics got him most of the way across the mudfield! So, it's only a slightly muddy Baskar that clambers out, slapping mud off his shins and taking a bit to try and scrape it off his heavy boots. Sucks to lose one's grip when needing to run, after all. "...Coulda been worse, coulda been worse."
Rolling his arm to get some feeling back in there after a minor strain, he trails along after Claude and Zed, glancing at the giant robot wreckage, then back to the others.
"...Yeah, I got nothing. I can cook Badlands flora and fauna, but I'm a little out of my league with Gear fiddlin'."
When Claude suggests the use of Blasemol!@, Vin nods agreeably. Maybe that's how you deal with giant robots? Seems plausible. As such, Vin rummages around for a suitable rock, wedges it into a crack in mauled machine a bit above where Zed's trying to pry, and starts stomping on it with a foot. Go Go Baskar Leverage!
DG: Vin Barrett has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Wrecked Gear.
<Pose Tracker> Marshal Henry Smythe has posed.
Henry sees the Gear and sucks in an awe-inspired breath, then jogs toward it - a Gear to salvage! Visions of restoring it and riding it into heroic battle fill his head... until he gets close enough for a better look and sees that some low-down, no-good looters have already picked it over before this group of heroic salvagers and scholars.
"Aw, dang it," Henry sighs. "No head, not even an engine. More trouble'n it's worth. Maybe them looters left some een teyell in the cockpit though. Y'all wanna have a look?
Henry picks his way up the Gear's torso and eyeing the cockpit appraisingly. He considers dynamite, but not even Henry's reckless enough to use it so close to the -- oh. OH. Claude's words fill Henry with inspiration, and he looks to the young man with gratitude. He's made Claude into another explosives connoisseur - how can he say no?
"Yer darn tootin'!" Henry agrees with a grin, pulling a slim cardboard tube from his duster and extracting a stick of dynamite with a long fuse. But this is a precision job for a precision tool, so he cuts the fuse with a pocket knife and replaces the dynamite with a different one, tying the extra fuse length on.
"Now, Blastemol!® Homestead is one fine product, but this calls fer a delicate touch," Henry explains without a trace of irony. "Blastemol!® SD - that's self-defense - oughtta do the job." He places the dynamite carefully, then lights the fuse with a match and nods to the others.
With a joyful holler, Henry slides down the Gear and takes cover behind a leg, plugging his ears.
DG: Marshal Henry Smythe has used its Tool Blastemol! Homestead toward its party's challenge, Wrecked Gear. DG: The party led by Claude C. Kenny has failed this challenge! The party gained 19 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw. DG: Vin Barrett has drawn a new Challenge.
======================<* CHALLENGE - Buried Supplies *>======================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Brute |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- A collapsed wall rests to the side of the road. While normally this sort of damage does not stand out from the rest of the town, a faint flash of metal catches the party's attention. Examination reveals that the fallen wall is covering some sort of cache of supplies, buried in the fighting. It could be a map of the town, canteens of water and food, or perhaps rope or tools that make traversing the ruined town easier, if only they can be uncovered. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
"What? Blastemol!®?" Zed gawps like one of those people in an infomercial who have no earthly clue how to live their lives. One of those poor souls whose hearts are hollow and empty with a Blastemol!® shaped-hole right in the middle! "Yes! Do it, let us pry open this machine and discover whether it still w--"
Zed was busy monologuing instead of getting out of the way.
The Blastemol!® explodes. Zed catches a face-full of it and gets shot, smoldering, straight into the air.
Little scraps of exploded map drift on tiny curents of wind.
W-whoops.
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
...Alright, so...Upside of using explosives on delicate electronics? Collateral damage!
Vin blinks away, ears ringing from the...exciting...blast that the Blastemol!@ SD touched off, rubbing the side of his head where a piece of debris grazed him...and that's when his ears are caught by an odd sound! A piece of Blasted (By BLASTEMOL!@) Gear smacks through a half-ruined wall of a collapsed house and into a pile of rubble, leaving an almighty clang.
The Baskar jogs over, kneeling down and shifting a few rocks, then standing up. Hmmming slightly, he waves the others over. "Hey! Over here! We've got -something- buried under all this rubble, guys. Gimme a hand! Figure if we can shift the rubble a bit, maybe we can take a look at what survived having a building dropped on it." He pauses, eyeing the Enthusiastic Wielder of Adventuring Scarves, the Novice Explosives Enthusiast, and the Blastemol!@ Procurer. "...Or we can maybe move a bit of rubble and try to blow the rest off. Whatever works, y'know?"
Shrugging, the Baskar sets too, starting to haul a few bits o' rock out of the way. Going to have to do -some- rock hauling no matter what, after all, even if this problem ends up solved by BLASTEMOL!@
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Well, that plan worked...not quite as expected, Claude thinks to himself as he dusts off debris from his fancy clothes that are absolutely not from space, lifting a hand to a bloody scrape along his left cheekbone. "The bang was a lot less loud this time than when we were in the cave," he notes to Henry. "Is that just because the blast wasn't contained by the walls of the rock, or is Blastemol!® SD just that much less indiscriminate than Blastemol!® Homestead?" he asks.
Then, suddenly, the progress is blocked by yet another wall! Claude rubs his chin. "Zed and I could also use our techniques on it at the same time," he suggests. "A couple of ranged blasts, angled upward, should clear most of the debris away."
Lifting rocks sounds like work.
DG: Claude C. Kenny has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Buried Supplies. DG: Vin Barrett has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Buried Supplies.
<Pose Tracker> Marshal Henry Smythe has posed.
Henry thought he had a good spot to take cover, but the Gear is more battered than he thought, and he ends up almost getting trapped as the Gear falls apart. He has to scramble and pull himself free, leaving him panting with exertion.
"Well, yer right on both counts," Henry explains to Claude, smiling through a dusty face, "Blastemol!®'s Self-Defense line has less of a punch and a short fuse. You wanna blow up them banditos without gettin' yer own toes blown off or havin' 'em throw it back at you."
Claude's plan is a good one, so Henry makes his way around the rubble, using his supply of Blastemol!® Homestead to set up a complex series of fuses for a simultaneous explosion that SHOULD clear the rubble away. He's a little bit nervous now; Blastemol!® hasn't made a great showing in dungeon exploration so far, producing only decidedly mixed results. Could... could it be that they need LESS power!? If it fails this time too, he's going to need to head back to Nortune after the Innovation Fair to come up with a new, lower-yield Blastemol!® line customized for Diggers. Before The Incident, his grandfather William was working on a new explosive with a malleable form. Maybe Hildegarde can revive that research back in Guild Galad.
Henry mutters to himself, brainstorming names for the potential new product. If they could somehow develop it quickly enough to announce it at the Fair, that'd be some great publicity. Such things occupy his thoughts until he lights the first fuse, then heads for cover. The long, chemically-treated fuses of Blastemol!® Homestead burn slowly and brightly, giving him time to send a prayer toward the Guardian of Explosions for success.
DG: Marshal Henry Smythe has used its Tool Blastemol! Homestead toward its party's challenge, Buried Supplies.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Zed is still airborne.
But it's fine, because he appears to be sailing... Directly towards the rubble in the building. Lifting rocks does sound like work, Claude. It does! But what if... What if you could simply KICK your problems away!?
Zed's eyes open. His unconscious state fades into the mists of tomorrow! HE TWISTS IN MID-AIR--!
AND KIIIIIICKS the rubble.
(This might lead him to getting blown up. Again.)
DG: Zed has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Buried Supplies. DG: The party led by Claude C. Kenny has passed this challenge! The party gained 27 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw. DG: Marshal Henry Smythe has drawn a new Challenge.
=============================================================<* CHALLENGE - Overgrown Pathway *>============================================================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 1 | -----------------------------------------------------------------< Challenge Information: >------------------------------------------------------------------ The ruins of Lahan are difficult to move around in, and sometimes the only way forward is to leave the town and circle around a bit until a new way forward becomes evident. Unfortunately that tactic hasn't worked here - the path has turned into an overgrown mess since the residents of Lahan had been chased off or killed, leaving a scrub infested trail filled with prickly plants, irritating ivy, and surprising amounts of serpents for those unlucky to enough to run into them. =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
The Baskar moves a few pieces of rubble to make it easier for Mister Blastemol!@ to place his explosives, then quickly skedaddles out of the way when Claude and Zed use their Ultimate Rival Air Ground Blast Combo Kick Slash!
...And, actually, between the explosives, the kicking, the ranged attacks...and when it's done, there's a (relatively) unscathed lockbox left behind. Vin peeks back over as the smoke clears, blinking. "Huh. Looks like it fell off a supply truck. Nice." Carefully opening the damaged case, he lets out a whistle. "Well, it's not any fancy treasure, but I've always felt food and water are just as good, folks."
The Baskar quickly divvies up the supply crate's remaining, erm, supplies, handing out the pile of fine Mysterious Military Grade Field Rations and Water Canteens to the rest of this merry band of Town Explorers, moving on with the others.
<Pose Tracker> Marshal Henry Smythe has posed.
To everyone' surprise, including his own, Henry's demolition setup actually works quite well, and he takes the refreshments with a grin and a clap on everyone's shoulder.
But the party now faces... THE SSSNAKE FIELDSSS. These ssslippery ssserpentsss have infesssted the brush on way forward, lurking under bussshesss to sssurprise Diggersss. They're camouflaged well, but the noissse from their collective hissssing is faintly audible.
"Well, I got one stick'o SD left," Henry sssaysss with a ssshrug. "If we can't burn 'em out, maybe the smoke from the blast'll cover us."
DG: Marshal Henry Smythe has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward its party's challenge, Overgrown Pathway. Seraph Edna has arrived.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Claude pockets the rations for later use ... or, more likely, sale. He's had sufficient experience with military-grade field rations in his life to know that that "meals ready to eat" is at least two lies, possibly three. Although now that they mention it, he's starting to get a bit peckish. Maybe it's time for a quick steak break...
Nope, instead it's snakes! Claude rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I know this place is a ruin, but we prooooooooooooobably shouldn't set the whole prairie on fire," he says, with the wisdom acquired from multiple bad decisions taken over the course of the last three weeks of his life. "That seems like something we should definitely not do."
.....
"I'll attract their attention!" he shouts, bursting into a dead run through the undergrowth, trusting to the swiftness of his feet and superior space technology of his pants to keep the worst of the venomous flora and fauna away from his tender nether regions.
DG: Claude C. Kenny has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Overgrown Pathway.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Zed's kick.. Succeeded!? The Dark Hero rebounds from the crumbling rubble and lands stylishly at the very core of the group. HIs scarf billows majestically in the wind. "Hahahaha! Well, we might have lost the ULTRA COOL GIANT ROBOT but we got..."
Zed holds up a ration. He squints at it. "...Something? What is this even? Is it... Edible?"
...
Well. Regardless! They still have quite a ways to go to make it to Lahan, and stopping now means they would be giving up before the good have got anywhere near gone! That's just patently unacceptable. But to get to where they're going, they must... Traverse a field FULL of snakes.
"What? Why not?" Zed looks at Claude like he's spawned a second head. "I mean, this place looks like it was set on fire once already. Another fire won't hurt! And it'll get rid of all these... Things." Snakes, Zed. They're called Snakes.
He doesn't know that, though.
"Pah! Whatever. They cannot stop us, friends!" Zed whips his scarf up again. He whirls it over his head, and... LASSOOS EVERYONE ELSE!? "Come, now! LET US RUN LIKE THE WIND! These snakes will never be able to catch us, wahahahahaha!"
(Perhaps one should not drag the party through a horrible snake-infested bramble.)
(Or perhaps... Perhaps it'll work out just fine!?)
DG: Zed has used his Tool Grapple Scarf toward his party's challenge, Overgrown Pathway.
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
The Baskar calmly strolls along, chewing reflexively on a cracked open MRE. "...Huh. Not bad. Reminds me a bit of the last time I tried to eat one of my cousin's hats on a dare." He swallows, shrugging slightly, and takes another bite. "I've had worse." Still, his calm, relaxing walk through the ruins is interrupted by...THE SNAKE FIELDS. The wilderness guide eyes the field of overgrown nastiness (and snakes) warily, then snickers at Claude and Marshal. "Yeah, grass flash fires are not exactly 'fun' to deal with, so I fear we can't just explode our way through this." Unless...No, no, where would they find a rubber band that big around here?
Still, any further plans he was making are interrupted by SCARF LASSO. Vin looks down, and lets out a sigh. "Ah he-" KER-YANK!
Maybe the snakes will be too awestruck by the Adventure Scarf?
DG: Vin Barrett has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Overgrown Pathway. DG: The party led by Claude C. Kenny has passed this challenge! The party gained 7 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw. DG: Claude C. Kenny has drawn a new Challenge.
=========================<* CHALLENGE - Armed Patrol *>========================= |Type: Exploration |Dungeon Ability: Combat |Challenge Rating: 2 | ---------------------------< Challenge Information: >--------------------------- The eerie whistling of the wind is broken by a shout - and down one shattered street, several helmeted soldiers raise their weapon as their leader points towards the party. A group of soldiers has infiltrated the town, looking for valuable objects or intel regarding what occurred in the town. Most likely they are from Gebler, following up on the events that lead to Lahan's destruction - but soldiers from Aveh or Kislev may also show interest in the area. What is clear is the group is hostile, and they are moving in to attack! =Dungeon Conditions: Bad Luck=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Marshal Henry Smythe has posed.
Well, off Claude goes, bravely taking snake aggrLASSOED
With arms tight against his side, Henry struggles to keep pace. One thing's for sure, Zed and Claude can be counted on to make a Dig into a day trip, one way or another. It's refreshing compared to indecisive thinkers, until someone dies at least. But that hasn't happened yet so it most likely won't. That's just basic deductive reasoning.
Claude's mighty pants serve him well, and the party makes its way through the horrible snake land. But with all the snake dodging and the lasso, there isn't much time for forethought, so a bit of Bad Luck leads them toward...
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
By the time the others catch up with him on the other side of the overgrown pathway, Claude C. Kenny is sitting down to his reward - a full-on steak dinner, which he is chomping down heartily, a big smile on his face. "Hey!" he says happily. "See, I told you it would wor--"
"Nonsense, Johnson," a gruff voice rumbles out from the undergrowth. "I don't care what you think you smelled, there's no way these ~Lambs~ could afford a steak dinner. I think half of them eat their own fe--"
The fully-armed Gebler patrol stops, its sergeant breaking off mid-sentence. They stare at Claude. Claude stairs at them. Then, together:
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"
(air slashes ensue)
DG: Claude C. Kenny has used his Tool Pocket Steak toward his party's challenge, Armed Patrol.
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
...Well, this time, the ADVENTURE SCARF is something Vin's much better prepared to cope for! He lands on his feet and everything, and he didn't even lose his Three Lies In One (Also known as a Meal Ready To Eat). He polishes it off after landing, then blinks as Claude pulls out a full-on steak dinner. "...Huh. That seems handy. Where'd you pick that up?"
And then, the Gebler Patrol interrupts this line of inquiry for acquiring -delicious- field rations, as opposed to Supposed field rations. As chaos breaks out, Vin dives for cover, one hand yanking his Fennec R66 ARM from its sheathe, the other pulling a small carved totem from under his cloak. The Baskar murmurs, the totem's eyes flaring to life even as he uses his long gun one handed, taking advantage of his gun's shotgun pump to load fresh shells into the chamber even as he enhances his attacks with -magic-.
...Although, it's odd. There's a bit of backwash, and the party feels like it could lift like...even more rocks. Or possibly even beat up a door!
DG: Vin Barrett has used his Tool Pyre Totem toward his party's challenge, Armed Patrol.
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Everyone successfully makes it across the snake pit! Yay!
They've run into hungry soldiers attracted by... By Claude's delicious, pocket-steak. Oh no!
And... And--!!
Where... Is Zed???
There's a short series of *POP-POP-POPS* all around the Gebler goons. The air begins to fill with a glimmering, colorful, powdery haze, almost like someone shifted the world into some kind of TOKUSATSU SET. But there-- a shadow is cast into the clouds from somewhere up high. "Do you really think... THAT YELLING WILL HELP YOU, EVILDOERS!?"
That voice--!
Oh.
Oh no.
"When the earth, the sky, the water, and the people call, I am there! When you need someone to ring a doorbell and run away, I am there! You--" The shadow points, its scarf billowing in the breeze. "Who covet my friend's delicious-smelling whatever-that-is, beware! For we..."
The shadow leaps. A sword flashes like steely lightning! "ARE ZEEEEEEEEED!
Today just got real surreal for these poor goons.
DG: Zed has used his Tool Smoke Bombs toward his party's challenge, Armed Patrol.
<Pose Tracker> Marshal Henry Smythe has posed.
Henry extracts himself from the Adventure Scarf with an appreciative nod toward Zed. He looks back to make sure they're clear, then sits on the ground for a rest break, taking a cue from Claude. Henry decides to try out some of these mysterious rations and drinks that're covered in bizarre non-English runes.
"Hey dfwr ngndrn!" <Hey, this water ain't got no dirt in it!> Henry makes this impressed noise around a mouthful of delicious Solarian Soylent Bar heavily stuffed with sugar and preservatives to mask the taste of human...-crafted nutritious confections.
Henry locks eyes with a Gebler Goon, who doesn't look impressed about a (literally) filthy ~Lamb~ sitting next to an opened Gebler ration pack.
Both groups erupt into motion, and Henry draws his revolver and fires while diving for cover. As usual, he stays at a vantage point in the rear and focuses on picking off flankers and ranged specialists... when he can see them. Zed's being Zed, but it's probably a net positive.
And the revolver is one-handed, so he also finishes the snack. Mmm, Soylent is made of yum.
DG: Marshal Henry Smythe has contributed a Combat Basic Action toward its party's challenge, Armed Patrol. DG: The party led by Claude C. Kenny has passed this challenge! The party gained 11 exploration! If anyone needs to use party management commands, do so now. Otherwise, the next round's GM may begin the next round with +dungeon/draw. DG: Zed has drawn a new Challenge.
==================<* CHALLENGE - The Shattered Cliffside *>=================== |Type: Final |Dungeon Ability: Agility |Challenge Rating: 2 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The path through Lahan's ruins has been difficult, and getting to the center of town doesn't seem possible along this route. This doesn't mean that all hope is lost, however - because along the north edge of the town lies a cliff face that appears to have been broken and shattered by the fighting. Large craters pocket its face, with strange glass-like ribbons of rock running down to pool at the bottom of the cliff - testament to the power that had launched several Gears into the cliff side. Their shattered forms protrude from the rocks, while another lies atop the cliff, seemingly in better shape than the others. It is a formidable climb, but rewards await those who can assail the cliff and succeed. =Dungeon Conditions: Injure===================================================
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
Eventually, Gebler runs out of dudes before Claude runs out of air slashes. Which is not all that surprising, really; at 4 SP it's ridiculously efficient.
"Whew, wonder who those guys were," Claude mutters as he tuns to regard....
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
AN ENORMOUS CLIFF FACE.
Jagged veins of obsidian protrude from the shattered earth. The broken wrecks of abandoned Gears hang from the wall like some kind of crude mockery of fossil strata. Anyone who wants to try scaling this monster of an obstacle would either need some pretty serious climbing gear, a lot of luck, or a hell of a prayer.
This team... Has none of that. But it does have something else. It has someone with the dogged determination to never let his comrades down. It has a man made of metal with a plan of arguably questionable quality. "This," Zed says to the cliff face, "Is a cliff."
Beat.
"And there are ROBOTS in it! THERE ARE ROBOTS!" Zed clenches his fists tight. He grabs hold of his scarf-- oh no, here we go again. "Claude! EVERYONE! THIS IS OUR CHANCE FOR ROBOTS!" He lassoos the others, wrapping them tight in his scarfy embrace. "Robots and MORE! I'm sure, whatever we find on top of this thing... WILL BE WORTH IIIIIT!"
Zed starts climbing.
The others are coming whether they want to or not... But at least that scarf works pretty well as a makeshift rope, and Zed shows no sign of stopping!
DG: Zed has used his Tool Grapple Scarf toward his party's challenge, The Shattered Cliffside.
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
"Man," Claude says, wiping sweat from his brow as he sheathes his sword. "Zed really likes robots for some weird reason."
SOME
WEIRD
REASON
"Wait, wha--" he manages to get out before he's lassoed. "No, Zed, wait, I can help with the---oh crapbaskets," he groans as he looks down.
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
Vin calmly tucks his totem away, reloading his scattergun and shoving the combo rifle/shotgun ARM away back under his cloak, shrugging at Claude. "Dunno...They seem to really hate sheep, though. Weirdos. Who doesn't like a nice wool scarf and some mutton?"
AND THEN, ZED! And his ENTHUSIASM for ROBOTS!
...Well, at least Robots are worth Gella. I mean, what the hell would he do with a robot, anyways? You can't eat it, maintenance is a pain, and every two-bit thug in the Badlands would want it...
Buuuut since the ADVENTURE SCARF (And it's person) are calling him onwards (IE, yanking him up whether he likes it or not), well...Vin just shrugs mentally, and does his best to scramble up the cliff after Zed and the rest of the party, using the scarf as a rope as they search for robots that are actually in working order, and not just a nice piece of modern artwork!
DG: Vin Barrett has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Shattered Cliffside. DG: Claude C. Kenny has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward his party's challenge, The Shattered Cliffside.
<Pose Tracker> Marshal Henry Smythe has posed.
Henry contemplates the cliff. And the Gears - both getting one and what could punt one to embed it into the rock.
Climbing tools - Henry's duster is already pretty heavy, and adding a climbing kit won't help. Maybe if he had some kind of special tool. Or a way to hold all his stuff while reducing the weight. Some sort of Effect on the Mass--
Further thought is interrupted as Zed literally carries the team away. Henry is admittedly impressed by this strange man's burning determination, but wishes he got a bit more warning! He can only hang on for dear life while doing some reverse rapelling to avoid being smashed into jutting rock.
DG: Marshal Henry Smythe has contributed a Agility Basic Action toward its party's challenge, The Shattered Cliffside. DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Claude C. Kenny has successfully explored Ruins of Lahan!
==================<* CHALLENGE - Abandoned Military Camp *>=================== |Type: Discovery |Dungeon Ability: Discovery |Challenge Rating: 1 | --------------------------< Challenge Information: >-------------------------- The ruins haven't proven too fruitful - indeed they look somewhat picked over, as if another group has been scavenging in this area. However as the party continues to search, they come upon an abandoned camp within the ruins - the fire pit here is scattered and cold, and there are large claw marks and the occasional ominous dark stain on the ground. It appears that a military unit had been stationed here to scavenge for spare parts after the battle, but has been driven from the camp by some unknown creature. Their gear is still here, however - Kislev uniforms, spare basic weaponry such as swords and shields, as well as several boxes of ammunition for gunsmoke weapons. There are also other useful camp tools and supplies any Drifter might find valuable, and if packed up and sold in town this will bring in a fair amount of Gella. =Dungeon Conditions: Treasure=================================================
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
Maybe it's the power of teamwork, or the somehow magical nature of Zed's amazing scarf, or maybe, just maybe, it's the result of some cruel god's whims, but the team manages to scramble to the top of the cliff, but not before Zed clambers all over a few Gears and somehow manages to send them tumbling out of the bedrock.
Somehow.
He'll go pick over them AFTER they've reached the top of their climb, which leads them to...
THIS--!!
<Pose Tracker> Claude C. Kenny has posed.
THIS---
"It's...someone else's...stuff?" Claude scratches his head. Man, he's not sure about the morality of this whole thing. Those people are probably gone? But you never know if this is some secret test of character that will be brought back to haunt you like four episodes later, and used to blame you even if you successfully passed it. These sorts of things can be beaten like a walking dead horse if you're not careful.
"I think..." Claude says, his mind racing back to his Academy ethics course.
<Pose Tracker> Marshal Henry Smythe has posed.
Henry descarfs and looks back over the cliff, admiring the view, impressed that they made it up here.
"Zed, yer nuttier'n a squirrel turd, but I'll dig with ya any time," Henry declares. It seems to be a compliment? Probably? Henry's grinning at the not-metal not-demon, at least.
With that said, Henry turns to the salvage and rubs his hands together, already doing mental math.
"Looks like a Kislev camp," Henry observes, pointing at the uniforms. "Musta got scared off by some big varmint. Well, by the salvage law of finders keepers, let's load on up and skedaddle 'fore it comes back hungry."
<Pose Tracker> Zed has posed.
"...I'm not poop," Zed frowns in Henry's general direction. He idly dusts himself clean of CLIFF SOOT and stands high and proud upon his crested mount. "But I accept your compliment regardless! It seems... WE HAVE TRIUMPHED OVER ADVERSITY ONCE MORE!" And they've got all kinds of loot for it!
Zed calls dibs on one of the Gears. And uniforms. It might... Come in handy down the road.
"Or maybe we should wait for it to return and then engage it in glorious combat?" Zed cants his head slightly, "...It might be tasty." And he knows for a fact that humans eat their enemies to gain their power, so...!
<Pose Tracker> Vin Barrett has posed.
Vin is the last one up and over the cliff. He surveys the ruined camp, letting out a low whistle as he paces over to the massive claw marks, kneeling down to inspect one, running his fingers through the bottom of the mini-trench and then raising his eyebrows at how deep that -is-. He grins from where he's kneeling up at at Claude and his minor hesitation at looting the camp. "Eh, it's fine. If they really wanted the stuff, they'd have come back for it. If they leave it alone in the wastelands...well, not our fault to keep it from getting ruined or stolen by some unscruplous bandits."
The Baskar grins widely, showing off teeth in his lightly tanned face. "Imagine if some bandits got their hands on this much firepower."
That said, Vin starts picking through the camp, using a couple of -fine- Kislev-issue Field Packs, carefully filling them up with a number of shotgun and rifle shells, a nice looking sword, medical supplies, and then moving on to smaller items like water and general supplies. "Still, not a bad haul."
He pauses at Zed's reasoning, then shrugs. "Eh, whatever did this is probably a predator. They're not usually the best eatin', Zed. Tough meat and all that."
BASKAR SURVIVALIST LOGIC!