2023-12-03: Return to the Factory
- Log: Return to the Factory
- Cast: Elhaym van Houten, Lily Keil, Leon Albus, Billy Lee Black, Citan Uzuki
- Where: Sielje Icy Sea
- Date: December 03, 2023
- Summary: The Black Wolves return to Shae Ving in the wake of Lily's revelations to see what they might be able to find anew.
DG: A party led by Elhaym van Houten is now entering Shae Ving. DG: Party formation is now over. An Entry Challenge will now be drawn and displayed to the party.
================================<* Shae Ving *>=================================
================<* CHALLENGE - Shieldmaiden-class Automatons *>=================
| Type: Entry | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The path to Shae Ving is a hard one. A Gear is necessary to reach this high
in the mountains. The cold winds of Sielje blow snow and ice in great
swirls, and the slope is steep -- but Gears are powerful enough and have
flight, letting them rise to the occasion. The entrance to Shae Ving is
deceptively small, which explains why few have found it: a simple pair of
blast doors, built into a metal bunker in the mountainside.
When your Gears touch down and get close enough, you learn that this
facility is online. A light flickers on the side; it first flashes red and
then green. The huge double doors slide open, then, and reveal a dark
interior: steel walls and a platform, leading to a trench... where a pair of
railway tracks run. A huge flatbed train car, with railing around it, is
there. Sized for Gears, it also has a Gear-sized set of buttons -- to send
it hurtling into those depths.
As you look around this room, you see signs of a battle fought here more
recently. Slagged metal is on one wall, where something struck it; pock
marks scar the floor where rounds struck it; there is broken husks of armor
here and there. It seems, too, that the defense systems here were alerted. A
quartet of floating automatons patrol the room. Each is tall as a Gear, but
floats, with the legs replaced with a conical anti-gravity system. The arms
are large, rectangular shields that house immense cannons.
The automatons turn when your Gears enter -- and then begin peppering the
entrance with coordinated autocannon fire from those shield-guns.
There is business to attend to, before you send the train car hurtling into
the depths of Shae Ving.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up!, Injure:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, and |
| Suffer:_Exhaustion_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
This is a familiar place, but not in a good way. Once they came here, forced by ignorance, and they found a revelation. Now the BLACK WOLVES return to this place of mystery, to challenge it again, in different array - and with different hopes.
But they have other advantages as well.
Regulus glitters in immaculate armored perfection. It seems to take repairs and when you come back later, they're even better. Perhaps it's a subtle self-healing effect; some kind of ancient technology or chemical function in the plating. Something.
Regulus has stayed in the middle of the group, using radio-frequency emissions heterodyned with Fire Ether to help maintain system heat in the other Gears as they moved forwards. And once in a while to burst through some ice coverage. And then they come to doors.
"I suppose the facility is still powered on, despite everything," Elly says. "You did leave it that way, right, Leon...?"
Against the directed digital power of Regulus, this door is as nothing - the light flashes red and then green, opening up. (What a shame that Elly didn't find the Gear after a widespread re-introduction of digital circuitry-based technology. Oh well, country Etones make do.)
Inwards... nearer to an elevator. Elly looks round... Shifts between signal spectra readouts --
Cannons fire! Elly's heat-bubble shields from the journey inwards will buffer the first indirect blow or two, but you must strike fast before they can concentrate fire! The floating Shieldmaids are remorseless, piloted by their ancient circuitry, heedless of commands -- even unhackable! (Well, un-quickly-hackable, anyway.)
"Look out--!!"
DG: Elhaym van Houten has used her Tool EM Barrier Projector toward her party's challenge, Shieldmaiden-class Automatons. Resilient! Party shielded from some exhaustion next round!
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Different hopes, indeed. Lily Keil returns with new eyes on the facility, understanding far more of its technology than she did the first time. And the Gear that she retooled from another of these ruins looms over the others, a dragon's form coming up from behind. The great black Gear flies through the air on the way up, and then claws down onto the ground as they approach--
"Of course," Lily says when they're attacked.
The Gear responds to her wishes as much to her controls as the witch turns a dial, and Breka surges towards the Shieldmaids with snapping jaws and terrible claws.
"Not bad, but not enough."
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Sync Factor toward her party's challenge, Shieldmaiden-class Automatons. Fanfare!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
The Beowulf is near the front of the group. The Regnal Gear is built reasonably tough; with blade, rifle, and cannon, it is also well-armed against various effects. Inside the cockpit, Leon leans backward. This is a place with many memories for him.
His brow furrows.
"I did," he affirms to Elly. "It seemed best, in case someone untoward thought to capitalize on it. Though..."
They're still hostile. As Lily says: of course.
The Beowulf is clipped by a couple of shots, sparks flying where it hits the armor, and then he fires with his rifle. Behind him, a drone-Gear -- a Huscarl, carrying a rifle -- emerges, and opens fire into the autocannon-bearing drones, as well.
DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Summon Huscarl toward his party's challenge, Shieldmaiden-class Automatons. Embolden! Party Combat boosted!
<Pose Tracker> Billy Lee Black has posed.
The Etone Gear Renmazuo is among the group as well, the long cape yellow in its interior fluttering up as it suspends its ascent to touch down with a thud on the solid surroundings. It casts scanners around the facility. "I don't suppose we'll be lucky enough for the security to be offline," Billy muses within, and immediately curses everybody with the misfortune of laser beams.
"Nope!" Billy yelps, and jukes to one side, sliding one of Renmazuo's pistols out of its thigh holster. He takes a deep breath, thumb pushing down on the corner of a paper on his dashboard that's come untucked. The kids at home look back, smiling and leaping for joy. He carefully tucks it back in so it doesn't curl up again.
He surges back out from the cover of a cliff wall, firing back with the heavy rounds of his pistols.
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
It won't be the first time they have ventured into the ancient depths of Shae Ving, nor is it even the second (for some of them, in any case). After the display of Lily's powers in Guild Galad and her apparent recalled memories of the Zeboim era, the time has at last come for the Black Wolves to return as a collective to this site.
Much has changed since the first time they had ventured to this place, not only among themselves but the world at large. The players and the pieces on the board are shifting. And at times like this, some might even be given to wonder if actions like these may well be among the ones that will work to tip the scales.
But at least Leon had opted to leave the security running. Even if--
"Ah," Citan remarks sighting the automatons.
--it can cause more immediate problems.
"It is unfortunate that they do not appear to recognize you, captain. Though," he continues, one of Heimdall's arms lifting as Citan aims and fires a restraining line at one of the automaton's main guns, "perhaps just as well. If they had any recognition algorythms, they could be subjverted."
If the harpoon strikes true, at least, it will mean that it will be harder for the automaton to get in a direct hit. Or move very far away from them at all, actually.
DG: Citan Uzuki has used his Tool ARJUNA-2X Line Thrower toward his party's challenge, Shieldmaiden-class Automatons. Resilient! Party shielded from some exhaustion next round! DG: Billy Lee Black has used his Tool Orphanage Reminder toward his party's challenge, Shieldmaiden-class Automatons. Cleanse! All negative effects will be cleared at the end of the round!
================================<* Shae Ving *>=================================
================<* CHALLENGE - Shieldmaiden-class Automatons *>=================
| Type: Entry | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The path to Shae Ving is a hard one. A Gear is necessary to reach this high
in the mountains. The cold winds of Sielje blow snow and ice in great
swirls, and the slope is steep -- but Gears are powerful enough and have
flight, letting them rise to the occasion. The entrance to Shae Ving is
deceptively small, which explains why few have found it: a simple pair of
blast doors, built into a metal bunker in the mountainside.
When your Gears touch down and get close enough, you learn that this
facility is online. A light flickers on the side; it first flashes red and
then green. The huge double doors slide open, then, and reveal a dark
interior: steel walls and a platform, leading to a trench... where a pair of
railway tracks run. A huge flatbed train car, with railing around it, is
there. Sized for Gears, it also has a Gear-sized set of buttons -- to send
it hurtling into those depths.
As you look around this room, you see signs of a battle fought here more
recently. Slagged metal is on one wall, where something struck it; pock
marks scar the floor where rounds struck it; there is broken husks of armor
here and there. It seems, too, that the defense systems here were alerted. A
quartet of floating automatons patrol the room. Each is tall as a Gear, but
floats, with the legs replaced with a conical anti-gravity system. The arms
are large, rectangular shields that house immense cannons.
The automatons turn when your Gears enter -- and then begin peppering the
entrance with coordinated autocannon fire from those shield-guns.
There is business to attend to, before you send the train car hurtling into
the depths of Shae Ving.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Cleanse:_All_Effects_Removed!, Embolden:_Combat_Up!, |
| Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up!, Injure:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, |
| Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, and Suffer:_Exhaustion_Up! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
===========================<* Shae Ving - Round 1 *>============================ ==================< Results - Shieldmaiden-class Automatons >=================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elhaym van Houten 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass EM Barrier Projector 2 Combat Effects: Resilient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Citan Uzuki 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass ARJUNA-2X Line Thrower 2 Combat Effects: Resilient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Sync Factor 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leon Albus 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Summon Huscarl 2 Combat Effects: Embolden -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billy Lee Black 0 --(5)--> 5 Pass Orphanage Reminder 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Elhaym van Houten 0 --(20)--> 20 Pass Conditions: Fright(2)|Injure(2)|Suffer(1) Effects: Cleanse|Embolden(1)|Resilient(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Elhaym van Houten has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 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.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
The good news is that the group has run this encounter before. Breka surges forwards with snapping claws and smashes into one of the Shieldmaidens, knocking it into another one and discombombulating voice. The Beowulf's Huscarle returns fire, disabling the one Breka already damaged:
Three now.
Billy opens fire, pinning down two of the remainder and adding systemic damage. Some fire is returned and Elly is suddenly charged, breaking away with a swing of Regulus's mace -- aha, that thing IS good for something --
Which leaves one of the Shieldmaidens in position to sweep the room with a punishing barrage, EXCEPT: Citan Uzuki has something to say about that, and a great harpoon lances forwards and smashes into the Shieldmaiden's cannon. It attempts fire for several seconds, the results of the damage he's inflicted perhaps ambiguous to the Shieldmaiden's circuits.
Just what was battle like, in those days? What strategies ruled? Which were deplored? Which would overwhelm the people of Filgaia today -- and which would they find risible and easily countered?
Either way, after this decisive setting of the battlefield, the remainder is a matter of cleanup. The Beowulf cores down a second Shieldmaiden; barrage fire from Renmazuo a third; and the last one, with the disabled gun, makes a suicide charge -- without the detonation part; and so it is something of a farcial wrap-up as the hovering Gear is smashed around from melee engagement with Regulus and Breka.
"Fuuuhhh," Elly exhales afterwards. "Is everyone alright?"
DG: Leon Albus has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Shae Ving *>=================================
=================<* CHALLENGE - The Weight Dragging Us Down *>==================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
Much of Shae Ving's railway system is automated. The tracks are not
frequently illuminated, save for the lights on the flatbed car itself. You
miss the enormous opening above you, at first. The expansive opening is lost
in the same darkness that obscures the top of the enormous tunnel. The
screech of steel and massive clatter of a crane, however, cannot be missed.
A crane slams a second flatbed trailer on after your car -- and a powerful
magnetic lock hooks the car to yours.
Your car slows, lurching suddenly. The reason is the second flatbed car.
This one is piled with heaps of scrap metal, much of it gone to rust, placed
here for processing by whatever ancient computer systems make this place
continue its function. To move at a reasonable pace, you will need to lessen
the load somehow.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Embolden:_Combat_Up!, Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up!, |
| Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, Slow:_Agility_Down!, Tire:_Exhaustion_Up!, and |
| Weaken:_Brute_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"The controls," Leon admits, "are a little mysterious to me still. Perhaps I can adjust it from the control center, however."
Even if that makes him wonder -- is that too close to the destiny envisioned for him? He could fret over that, but fate may not allow it. Every advantage must be considered, and they may well need to come here again.
As the last of the Shieldmaidens fall, Leon nods inside his cockpit. "It seems so. The train should be ahead."
It is, indeed, much like last time: a railcar, Gear-sized, that moves on the numerous tracks throughout Shae Ving's network. Beowulf steps on; once they get on, though, they notice a second car has been hooked up. One piled with scrap metal.
And it, simply, isn't moving.
"We'll need to dispense with this," Leon says. "I'll try to lighten the load."
The Ragnarok Cannon slides up -- and then down, over the Gear's shoulder. It fires a low-powered blast -- a pulse of red-orange energy -- which obliterates a good prtion of the scrap.
DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Ragnarok Cannon toward his party's challenge, The Weight Dragging Us Down. Fanfare!
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"I'm fine," Lily answers Elly when they're done. And Leon mentions the controls... Citan has a point. "I think I know how to work them," Lily says. "But you're right, Citan, we should be careful about any back doors." She wonders, too--Leon, after all, can work most of the controls without having to 'work' them at all.
The train is ahead, though.
"Billy," she says. "I'm moving ahead.
Leon tries to lighten the load; Lily will do the same thing in a moment, Breka moving forward, settling down on its back claws, and then roaring defiance into the wind--
Oh, wait, that's horrible dissolving ARM breath. Not just a roar.
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Dissolving Breath toward her party's challenge, The Weight Dragging Us Down. Strengthen! Party Brute boosted! Liability! Failure will result in extra Exhaustion!
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
"I guess it's a difficult thing... a balance between keeping this place safe from random Drifters without being a deadly trap," Elly muses at what Leon says. "Perhaps there might be override keys we could take with us? I know Regulus can emulate a lot of digital signals."
HACK YOUR WAY OUT OF THIS SCRAP METAL, ELHAYM!
Fortunately, Regulus, for all its gracile build and subtle and very technically non violent equipment, is, ultimately, a giant robot, so she can help push crap off. Hopefully they don't need it later.
DG: Elhaym van Houten has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, The Weight Dragging Us Down.
<Pose Tracker> Billy Lee Black has posed.
"No problems," Billy reports, slotting his weapon back in the Gear's thigh holster. In the subsequent down moments, he runs down weapons re-checks. Wels are enemies who will seize on even the slightest second of hestiation or malfunction; only one of the many reasons he makes sure to check every little thing he can reach, every time he has a moment to spare for the thought.
For the moment he drifts toward the back, wrist blasters making their occasional beep-beep in his cockpit. "Three hundred stock of each element charge...should be enough," he mutters to himself. He looks up, as the whole Gear's momentum specifically fails to shift. He looks up and realizes it's because the train's just...stuck. "Ah. Capacity limits. Gets me every time."
He turns as Leon indicatess. "Roger," he replies to Lily, accounting for Breka's movements.
...ah. obliteration breath. Neat. Last time he saw one of those he lost an arm...glad it's on his side. "One o' clock," he announces, as warning, and then fires a shell from the wrist blaster which plants amid the debris and then EXPLODES, sending scrap flying off.
DG: Billy Lee Black has used his Tool Blast Shell toward his party's challenge, The Weight Dragging Us Down. Stalwart! Party shielded from some Exhaustion this round!
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
"Ah... so I see," Citan replies, as if this was an avenue that had not previously occured to him. "But it may be well enough as it stands, for security purposes. Correct, just as Lily says. It would not do to see this fall into another's hands." But, at the same time, as Elly says, it's walking a thin line: keeping this from others means potentially inflicting harm on others still.
"At least," Citan supposes, as they venture inwards, "those who come to a place like this would surely know they are striding into a dangerous place..."
They approach the train and climb aboard, but, alas! The cars do not move. "Ah, a maximum weight requirement, unless I am mistaken?" Citan muses. At least there's plenty of scrap metal and hence no need for some of them to stay behind... assuming they can lighten the load.
"Here, allow me to break some of these down." The industrial class saw installed onto Heimdall's left arm -- not particularly practical for combat, mind -- should be perfect for cutting the scrap down so they can discard it more easily.
DG: Citan Uzuki has used his Tool Industrial Saw toward his party's challenge, The Weight Dragging Us Down. Rally!
================================<* Shae Ving *>=================================
=================<* CHALLENGE - The Weight Dragging Us Down *>==================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 2 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
Much of Shae Ving's railway system is automated. The tracks are not
frequently illuminated, save for the lights on the flatbed car itself. You
miss the enormous opening above you, at first. The expansive opening is lost
in the same darkness that obscures the top of the enormous tunnel. The
screech of steel and massive clatter of a crane, however, cannot be missed.
A crane slams a second flatbed trailer on after your car -- and a powerful
magnetic lock hooks the car to yours.
Your car slows, lurching suddenly. The reason is the second flatbed car.
This one is piled with heaps of scrap metal, much of it gone to rust, placed
here for processing by whatever ancient computer systems make this place
continue its function. To move at a reasonable pace, you will need to lessen
the load somehow.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Fright:_Combat_Down!_Agility_Up!, Slow:_Agility_Down!, |
| Strengthen:_Brute_Up!, Tire:_Exhaustion_Up!, and Weaken:_Brute_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
===========================<* Shae Ving - Round 2 *>============================ ===================< Results - The Weight Dragging Us Down >==================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elhaym van Houten 5 --(0)--> 5 Pass Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Citan Uzuki 5 --(15)--> 20 Fail Industrial Saw 3 Brute Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 5 --(0)--> 5 Pass Dissolving Breath 3 Brute Effects: Liability and Strengt -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leon Albus 5 --(0)--> 5 Pass Ragnarok Cannon 3 Brute Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billy Lee Black 5 --(0)--> 5 Pass Blast Shell 2 Brute Effects: Stalwart -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Elhaym van Houten 20 --(20)--> 40 Pass Conditions: Fright(1)|Slow(2)|Tire(2)|Weaken(2) Effects: Strengthen(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Elhaym van Houten has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 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.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
Leon watches Lily's Gear breathe forth a burst of dissolving gas, which begins to corrode and burn away even more of the debris. "Ah," he says. "Quite draconic, isn't it? And not just in its look."
They tear their way through the scrap metal. The Regulus helps shove some over the sides; the shell from the Renmauo causes another portion to blast off. Heimdall's saw slashes through some -- until it catches something, and the spinning saw jams.
The wreckage is pushed off -- then, the Beowulf pulls a lever, and the train takes off into the depths!
DG: Lily Keil has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Shae Ving *>=================================
==========<* CHALLENGE - Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map *>===========
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Wits | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The service tunnel lights whip by you, as the train car continues down a
long stretch of track. The next problem comes by accident; perhaps a wrong
step, perhaps a short circuit, or something else. It may seem like a
blessing at first: an enormous holographic subway map appears around the
train car, showing multiple levels. However, it is labeled in the Zeboim
language -- or the languages known as the Ancient Tongue or Zanarkandi --
and it is complicated. A movement of your Gear's arm may make it rotate;
stepping with your Gear can make the map zoom in or zoom out. To gain
anything of use, and before you need to put your attention anywhere, you
will need to carefully coordinate your Gears' movements to not find yourself
focused at maximum zoom on the wrong level entirely.
And, to make matters worse, the hologram is enormous. It is a beacon for any
drones in the facility -- and does a fantastic job of obscuring your vision
for anything that could be coming up the tunnel.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Exhaust:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, Madness:_Wits_Down!, |
| Slow:_Agility_Down!, Strengthen:_Brute_Up!, Tire:_Exhaustion_Up!, and |
| Weaken:_Brute_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"Right." To Elly--and to Citan. Keeping the place safe, but avoiding... Well, "Unfortunately danger is the only way to dissuade some. And so this place should remain dangerous." A pause. "...If there are override keys..." Father probably has them.
She does not shear off Billy's arm. That would be rude.
"It is," Lily comments about the Gear, when Leon remarks on it. "And I find I rather like it that way. If I start hoarding treasure, warn me."
As the train takes off into the depths, the next problem is--
"Son of a--" The holographic map appears. It is a complex map. Lily can read it, of course, and not only Lily, but it's complex besides that and--
As her arm moves, the Gear's arm moves, and so does the map.
"We've got to coordinate on this damned thing," she says. "Elly, is there anything you can do? Citan?"
DG: Lily Keil has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"This bloody thing!" Leon snaps, irritatedly, as the holographic map blooms up. Like Lily, he can read it -- and like Lily, when he makes the Beowulf step back, the map suddenly zooms out inconveniently.
He sighs, and stops the movement of the Beowlf.
"Right," he says. "I'll scan it--shouldn't set it off. Maybe I can see if there's some controls there."
The eyes of the Beowulf flash -- and scan over the hologram and its projector both.
Leon considers, for a moment, just shooting it. He refrains.
DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Wide Sensor toward his party's challenge, Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map. Cleanse! All negative effects will be cleared at the end of the round!
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
The saw works quite well, until it doesn't.
"Oh-- this blasted thing!" Citan shouts as the saw jams up. It must be due to the age of the material. "...But never you worry! I should be able to get this working again soon enough!" It takes a little finagling and fussing over, enough to leave the rest of the weight-lightening duties to the rest of them, but before too much longer the saw is in working order again. Which is good, because they quickly encounter a different sort of problem: a map.
"Ah..." Citan muses. "It is a shame that the instructions for these are not preserved. Though, I wonder-- ah, yes, of course." He, after all, has just been prompted by Lily. "There are a few words here I do not know, of course, but given the response rate demonstrated so far... Lily, would you move 35 degrees to your left? Do not move your Gear's arms just yet. Let us see if that might correct what we can see."
DG: Citan Uzuki has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map.
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
"That's true," Elly sighs to Lily. "It just feels a little awful to be leaving these here. It's like leaving the door to the" Solarian word "unlocked."
(Citan will recognize the singular compound term for 'dangerous drug cabinet.' Of course it has a short and specific word in Solarian.)
After this, they are faced with an enormous and complex map.
"..."
Elly stares. Leon is scanning it. Her head tilts downwards. "... This is ridiculous... Dr. Uzuki, please tell me where I ought to move, but -"
A popup appears:
CLONING MAP DATA...
|||||........ 28%
"Could this thing be any brighter...? I wonder if it was just running automatically, to brighten up people's days, or something," Elly mumbles to herself.
DG: Elhaym van Houten has used her Tool Hack the Planet - Endorse Anarchy toward her party's challenge, Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map. Rally! Fanfare!
<Pose Tracker> Billy Lee Black has posed.
"Not that danger is itself going to stop drifters...but I guess that's the whole problem," Billy says to nobody in particular. The train rolls on, and Billy sits quietly in the cool of his cockpit. A device he doesn't recognize, a nest of a box and several pipes, goes 'ding!' and pops out with a bag of seared-unto-carbon popcorn. "Ah," he sighs. "They got so much more creative once they no longer had Etone mechanics to worry about," he says, fondly, and drops it into a bin bolted to one side.
He looks up then when his sensors ping him that something's happening. "Eh?" he says, and reaches for his gun. He gets it about halfway out the holster when he realizes he has now panned the entire object halfway into the planet's crust.
"Oh. Good," Billy says, and slowly slides the weapon back into place to try and reset their position.
"I'll, uh, take instruction on this one, I can't read this."
DG: Billy Lee Black has contributed a Wits Basic Action toward his party's challenge, Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map.
================================<* Shae Ving *>=================================
==========<* CHALLENGE - Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map *>===========
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Wits | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The service tunnel lights whip by you, as the train car continues down a
long stretch of track. The next problem comes by accident; perhaps a wrong
step, perhaps a short circuit, or something else. It may seem like a
blessing at first: an enormous holographic subway map appears around the
train car, showing multiple levels. However, it is labeled in the Zeboim
language -- or the languages known as the Ancient Tongue or Zanarkandi --
and it is complicated. A movement of your Gear's arm may make it rotate;
stepping with your Gear can make the map zoom in or zoom out. To gain
anything of use, and before you need to put your attention anywhere, you
will need to carefully coordinate your Gears' movements to not find yourself
focused at maximum zoom on the wrong level entirely.
And, to make matters worse, the hologram is enormous. It is a beacon for any
drones in the facility -- and does a fantastic job of obscuring your vision
for anything that could be coming up the tunnel.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Cleanse:_All_Effects_Removed!, Exhaust:_Exhaustion_Up_On_Failure!, |
| Madness:_Wits_Down!, Slow:_Agility_Down!, Tire:_Exhaustion_Up!, and |
| Weaken:_Brute_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
===========================<* Shae Ving - Round 3 *>============================ ============< Results - Interpreting an Ancient Subway System Map >============= Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elhaym van Houten 5 --(17)--> 22 Pass Hack the Planet - Endorse Anarchy 3 Wits Effects: Rally, Fanfare, and I -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Citan Uzuki 20 --(17)--> 37 Pass Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 5 --(37)--> 42 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leon Albus 5 --(37)--> 42 Fail Wide Sensor 2 Wits Effects: Cleanse and Inefficie -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billy Lee Black 5 --(37)--> 42 Fail Investigate 0 Wits Effects: BASIC -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Elhaym van Houten 40 --(15)--> 55 Fail Conditions: Exhaust(1)|Madness|Slow(1)|Tire(2)|Weaken(1) Effects: Cleanse ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Elhaym van Houten has failed this challenge! The party gained 15 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.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
This bloody thing, indeed. "That's right," Lily says to Billy, about danger being the problem--but Citan, too, notices the map. Unfortunately, it doesn't work out. His instructions are good. Elly's scan is useful. But the machine is so old and the map so... very, very large, that it is very difficult to get it back where it needs to go, especially with Billy sending the map's focus down into the Netherworld with his gun.
"It would be useful if it weren't so sensitive," Lily mutters. "it certainly hasn't brightened my day."
Eventually, they get it handled. ...Eventually.
DG: Citan Uzuki has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Shae Ving *>=================================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Aggressive Crane Removal *>===================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The periodic tunnel lights come to an end up above, and the train tunnel
opens up into a cavernous room. This room is dimly lit -- and your car
brakes automatically, thanks to whatever computer system keeps the trains
running on time with no one to ride them. Inside is an enormous scrap heap,
dimly lit and sparkling under the faint aquamarine glow of lights overhead.
The center of the room has an enormous crane. Moving on its robotic arm, it
rises up up -- pincers opening wide with a metallic screech -- and then
comes down for your car. A glance at the scrap heap suggests the intended
destination, unless the crane is put to a stop.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Overwhelm:_Exhaustion_Up! and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
It is, in reflection, Citan considers, a rather unique linguistic construct for such a term...
"Ah, perhaps you should mirror Lily for now," he suggests to Elly, trying to get a handle on how this thing is chosing to function. It truly is not particularly intuitive, is it...? Did the ancient Zeboim believe that this did not require a manual, or did that just so happen to be the part that did go missing with the fall of their civilization?
"Lily, there is not by any chance any text that should say 'see here for more information' or the like, is there?" He himself hasn't seen anything like that just yet, but...
In the end, it's to little avail. The map is so zoomed in that it's effectively worthless.
"Perhaps... we should simply make do," Citan suggests, shaking his head. "We are not as unfamiliar with the layout of this facility as that, after all!" Assuming they don't end up heading down a corridor they hadn't traveled before, that is...
The facility is a large one. Perhaps it's best not to mention the possibility.
They continue along without further issue for a time, until that ceases being the case: ahead is a crane, and it suddenly lurches into motion, its pinchers creaking as they open wide. One glance immediately tells the story of what happens to the cars it grabs: they go straight into the scrapyard. And if they can't make the cars speed up, then they have no choice but to prevent the crane from grabbing their car. By force.
The crane head lowers with jolting shudders: it may be showing signs of its age but it is still relentless and it still will reach them if they don't stop it. Firing jets, Citan launches his Heimdall towards the crane head, putting his recently-repaired saw to use against it. "Now, if you should jam again--" he threatens his saw as sparks begin to fly.
DG: Citan Uzuki has used his Tool Industrial Saw toward his party's challenge, Aggressive Crane Removal. Rally!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"Quite right," Leon answers Citan, with a sigh. Maybe he should have shot the damn thing.
As he gets a look at the crane they approach, though, he frowns -- and frowns all the deeper when he gets a good look at the scrapyard. He can, indeed, see what this foretells. He looks at the the crane as it lowers, then he scowls.
"I'll line a shot up," he says. "Doctor Uzuki, I'll be cautious -- but you may want to fly back before it falls over."
He aims low on the crane arm. The Ragnarok Cannon slides into place -- and then fires another lower powered beam. Orange light explodes from the barrel, then starts to scorch into the metal on the lower part of the crane.
DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Ragnarok Cannon toward his party's challenge, Aggressive Crane Removal. Fanfare!
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly is downloading a local copy of the map... Download timed out. Resume download?
Download timed out...
Eventually, at least, they give along. "Not a bad plan," she answers Citan, and Lily's systems get the probably familiar 'would fain connect, accept? y/n' message in its oddly archaic turn of phrase. As they continue forwards, they are faced with --
A crane!!
Elly goggles. "... How large IS this place, anyway!" she says, before desperately shifting her connection to attempt to dump quick-hack software instructions into the damnable Thing.
"Oh!! This must have been the service entrance!!" Elly realizes about six seconds later. "That would explain everything we've run into -- if we could find the actual main entrance-- no, that would probably just be a different kind of horrible..." You just can't win.
Only enough lasers can save you from Shae Ving.
DG: Elhaym van Houten has contributed a Brute Basic Action toward her party's challenge, Aggressive Crane Removal.
<Pose Tracker> Billy Lee Black has posed.
Billy eventually stops moving, which is probably the best contribution he can make to progress. He grumbles about relics. He checked; his old decoded gospels don't have anything about this place.
Eventually they have sorted themselves out enough to make progress, and eventually progress into...PERIL!! Well notl ike. a lot of peril? But some amount of peril. "Why does it have an onboard--why does it have a highly populated onboard--" Billy asks, and then heaves a large sigh. "It's certainly industriously pursuing whatever its purpose is, isn't it..."
He arms another blast charge on his wrist blaster, raising one arm and sighting along it on his HUD. "Firing!" he barks in warning, and a second later another explosive blast joins the Ragnarok Cannon's shot.
DG: Billy Lee Black has used his Tool Blast Shell toward his party's challenge, Aggressive Crane Removal. Stalwart! Party shielded from some Exhaustion this round!
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
Lily indeed allows El-Regulus to connect! Elly is a Trusted Friend and Network.
"I remember better maps than this from that era," Lily grouses to Citan. But she doesn't elaborate. They make do. And suddenly there is, a crater...
The saw is out. Leon has a shot.
"...Probably another kind of horrible," Lily agrees with Elly as Breka reaches to latch onto the crane so it can breathe its horrid breath on that, too.
So many lasers.
"Unfortunately my memories don't extend to why this facility is... like this," she says to Billy dubiously. But she is also firing.
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Dissolving Breath toward her party's challenge, Aggressive Crane Removal. Strengthen! Party Brute boosted! Liability! Failure will result in extra Exhaustion!
================================<* Shae Ving *>=================================
===================<* CHALLENGE - Aggressive Crane Removal *>===================
| Type: Exploration | Dungeon Ability: Brute | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The periodic tunnel lights come to an end up above, and the train tunnel
opens up into a cavernous room. This room is dimly lit -- and your car
brakes automatically, thanks to whatever computer system keeps the trains
running on time with no one to ride them. Inside is an enormous scrap heap,
dimly lit and sparkling under the faint aquamarine glow of lights overhead.
The center of the room has an enormous crane. Moving on its robotic arm, it
rises up up -- pincers opening wide with a metallic screech -- and then
comes down for your car. A glance at the scrap heap suggests the intended
destination, unless the crane is put to a stop.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Overwhelm:_Exhaustion_Up!, Strengthen:_Brute_Up!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
===========================<* Shae Ving - Round 4 *>============================ =====================< Results - Aggressive Crane Removal >===================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elhaym van Houten 22 --(27)--> 49 Fail Force 0 Brute Effects: BASIC -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Citan Uzuki 37 --(5)--> 42 Pass Industrial Saw 3 Brute Effects: Rally -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 42 --(5)--> 47 Pass Dissolving Breath 3 Brute Effects: Liability and Strengt -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leon Albus 42 --(5)--> 47 Pass Ragnarok Cannon 3 Brute Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billy Lee Black 42 --(0)--> 42 Pass Blast Shell 2 Brute Effects: Stalwart -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Elhaym van Houten 55 --(20)--> 75 Pass Conditions: Overwhelm|Wound(2) Effects: Strengthen(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: The party led by Elhaym van Houten has passed this challenge! The party gained 20 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.
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
"Do you?" he says to Lily, as if musing over the matter. "Hmm... yes, I see."
"Yes, it would not do to become caught up in this!" Citan calls back to Leon. The saw doesn't cut all the way through but indeed such was not his intention in the first place. Indeed, Leon is already lining up a shot.
Landing back on the train car, he turns his attention towards Elly. "Do you think so? Hmm... I suppose that could well be. It would explain everything that we have seen. I wonder whether we ought to map our approach in the case we need to return at some point." He pauses, as if to consider what Billy has said as well. "That is... a very good question, even for a service entrance, actually."
It raises a lot of questions about the people who constructed this place, certainly!
Shots ring out, one after another. Elly will find that her connection can't get through (sadly, it seems this is running courtesy of some air-gapped networking (seriously, overkill)) but perhaps it might be neligable if they can shot the crane to pieces at various points-- such as the now-weakened area Citan had targetted. Billy snaps off the pinchers with a single shot.
Lily and Leon, meanwhile, collectively see that this crane (this crane) won't be a problem ever again.
DG: Billy Lee Black has drawn a new Challenge.
================================<* Shae Ving *>=================================
================<* CHALLENGE - Unfinished Gryndille Prototype *>================
| Type: Final | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The flatbed train car that you have boarded rushes along into an open area,
with a bridge over a reservoir. Huge chunks of steel have landed below,
where a battle has left chunks of metal in the water -- sticking out like
grave markers, and fresh. The bridge continues until a docking station,
which reaches out like a port in the storm. The tracks end here.
The train car slows to a stop. The docking station has a number of old
crates, and one of them shudders -- and then shatters apart with a burst of
metal and rust, as soon as the train comes to a stop. From it, a skeletal
automaton emerges: a humanoid torso, with a large cannon arm and a bladed
arm, and then a spider-like lower body. However, the machinery is unarmored
and unfinished in places, giving it an unsettling look.
It is a model like the infamous automaton, Gryndille, which destroyed at
Krosse -- but unfinished. It is, however, tremendously hostile.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Overwhelm:_Exhaustion_Up!, Strengthen:_Brute_Up!, Suffer:_Exhaustion_Up!, |
| and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Billy Lee Black has posed.
With the way cleared, the car rushes along down over a huge reservoir - of water, blessedly. Billy was half expecting acid or superheated metal or something. "Not unharmed," he murmurs, sensors scanning across the battle damage. "What happened in this place...these aren't incidental scars."
The train glides to a stop, and Billy guides the Renmazuo off, its cape floating behind it. "Storage," he speculates from the crates. "Probably a landing area for the constructionworks projects above. Incredible. The scrapyard made me think it, but...this place is still completely operational. Doing...whatever it's doing."
And then one of the storage crates explodes open, revealing a devil with a whirling blade and a sizzling cannon, and Billy yells, "Oh! That makes sense!" and whips down for one of his pistols. Renmazuo leaps into the air with a shrill roar from its jets, and he whirls the cape as the kids taught him. They assured him it would disguise his silhouette! His etone style likes such things regardless.
He sneaks several wrist blasts past the edge of his cap, each impact stamped with an Etone sigil of suppression.
"Get off the train before it trashes it!" Billy calls back, noting the angry glow of the proto-Gryndille's cannon.
DG: Billy Lee Black has used his Tool Orphanage Reminder toward his party's challenge, Unfinished Gryndille Prototype. Cleanse! All negative effects will be cleared at the end of the round!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Albus has posed.
"That's..."
Leon's eyes widen. He has defeated Gryndille; the elemental fear is not gone, but it doesn't rule him. He still feels it. "...Gryndille! This automaton is dangerous--be very careful!"
The Beowulf lunges aside from one of the shots, which blasts the concrete of the tunnel behind the train. He turns, firing a blast from his Gear's rifle.
Then, a moment later, the Huscarl he brought along fires its thrusters -- and the drone rams its shoulder for the center of the proto-Gryndille's mass, trying to knock it off-course.
Leon fires the anti-proton rifle again, then, while it is -- hopefully -- disoriented.
DG: Leon Albus has used his Tool Summon Huscarl toward his party's challenge, Unfinished Gryndille Prototype. Embolden! Party Combat boosted!
<Pose Tracker> Elhaym van Houten has posed.
Elly doesn't go in the lead - battlespace control, that's the reason. It's not because she's still trying to get the map to load. "Yes," Elly answers Billy, quietly. "It's... I mean, it's astonishing it functions as well as it does given the level of time that's passed. Intact functions like this..."
Something suddenly assaults them and Elly takes to the air!
"There were more of them!?" Elly cries out in evident dismay, but then she cycles breath several times, quickly. You can do this, Elly, she tells herself, even as there's a WHOM-MM and a radiance of green-tinged energy washes out from the Regulus, reinforcing individuals in a manner that is ablated by incoming fire in a steady, predictable rate.
You could call this temporary hitpoints, but that would, of course, be a cruel misnomer that doesn't accurately portray the functionality of the EM-frequency bubble matrix effects that El-Regulus is capable of...
... yeah, anyway: Elly follows this up with an invoked and enormous stroke of Ether-created lightning, arcing in with a terrible metal-melting FLASH! as it thunderstrokes down towards Gryndille's revenant. Or prototype?
DG: Elhaym van Houten has used her Tool EM Barrier Projector toward her party's challenge, Unfinished Gryndille Prototype. Resilient! Party shielded from some exhaustion next round!
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
"I do," Lily confirms for Citan. But they aren't entirely all caught up in this. The matter of mapping their approach is something she doesn't comment on in the moment, given how busy she is with attempting to destroy the crane. But she hears it.
Water...
"It's a weapons factory," Lily supplies for Billy. "My father made use of it."
But the train glides to a stop, and.... Yes. It is operational. "I've considered," Lily says, "Making use of its resources. It could give us an advantage against Solaris, if we could bend some of this technology to our ends..."
She shakes her head. "But it could be dangerous--"
Proto-Gryndille appears, and Lily narrows her eyes. "This one. The very same model... But unfinished."
Lily doesn't say much more. She fully activates synchronization--and her will becomes Breka's will.
...The fact that it uses many of the same technologies as Gryndille does may be alarmin, considering. But with breath and claw and fang and beam, Breka will break this machine.
"Breka. Directive: Purge."
With Elly's defensive projections, she can go all-out on offense.
"I suspect there's more still."
DG: Lily Keil has used her Tool Sync Factor toward her party's challenge, Unfinished Gryndille Prototype. Fanfare!
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
"So I had heard," he answers Lily. "You do not think it is likely he has made use of it since? I believe that Leon's alterations to its commands would eliminate this as a possiblity, but... I cannot be certain," he adds, frowning inside his cockpit. "I have not seen evidence that others have been using it at scale, yet..."
He is silent at first as Lily speaks of what she has considered using it for. He has already conseled her on the matter: to use it thus could give them an edge. But the ability to produce such weapons is a dangerous thing to bring to the table, indeed.
"Yes," he says at last. "It would be. A place able to make weapons not seen since the Zeboim era... and at scale, should the resources be at hand. Yet, shutting it down is not an option," he adds as an aside to Billy, "for unless we were to level this place, someone else would assuredly be able to start it back up again."
As they make their descent, there are here the tell-tale signs of damage, the source of which soon becomes clear. "It's still producing them?!" Citan calls out, echoing Elly in his own way, just as shocked as the others. Billy suggests they disembark at once, before they are destroyed; Citan does not hesitate. Heimdall lurches into the air, a short burst of the jets all that's necessary to see him across the gap to the dock below. "We must act quickly! The longer it remains standing, the longer--"
The line shoots forth! Perhaps by ensnaring one of the legs, it might be possible to destabilize it long enough for the others to finish the job.
DG: Citan Uzuki has used his Tool ARJUNA-2X Line Thrower toward his party's challenge, Unfinished Gryndille Prototype. Resilient! Party shielded from some exhaustion next round!
================================<* Shae Ving *>=================================
================<* CHALLENGE - Unfinished Gryndille Prototype *>================
| Type: Final | Dungeon Ability: Combat | Challenge Rating: 3 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The flatbed train car that you have boarded rushes along into an open area,
with a bridge over a reservoir. Huge chunks of steel have landed below,
where a battle has left chunks of metal in the water -- sticking out like
grave markers, and fresh. The bridge continues until a docking station,
which reaches out like a port in the storm. The tracks end here.
The train car slows to a stop. The docking station has a number of old
crates, and one of them shudders -- and then shatters apart with a burst of
metal and rust, as soon as the train comes to a stop. From it, a skeletal
automaton emerges: a humanoid torso, with a large cannon arm and a bladed
arm, and then a spider-like lower body. However, the machinery is unarmored
and unfinished in places, giving it an unsettling look.
It is a model like the infamous automaton, Gryndille, which destroyed at
Krosse -- but unfinished. It is, however, tremendously hostile.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Cleanse:_All_Effects_Removed!, Embolden:_Combat_Up!, |
| Overwhelm:_Exhaustion_Up!, Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, |
| Suffer:_Exhaustion_Up!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
===========================<* Shae Ving - Round 5 *>============================ ==================< Results - Unfinished Gryndille Prototype >================== Player Exhaustion Pass/Fail -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Elhaym van Houten 49 --(17)--> 66 Fail EM Barrier Projector 2 Combat Effects: Resilient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Citan Uzuki 42 --(5)--> 47 Pass ARJUNA-2X Line Thrower 2 Combat Effects: Resilient -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Lily Keil 47 --(5)--> 52 Pass Sync Factor 3 Combat Effects: Fanfare -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Leon Albus 47 --(5)--> 52 Pass Summon Huscarl 2 Combat Effects: Embolden -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Billy Lee Black 42 --(17)--> 59 Fail Orphanage Reminder 1 Combat Effects: Cleanse -----------------------------------< Party >------------------------------------ Leader: Elhaym van Houten 75 --(35)--> 110 Pass Conditions: Overwhelm|Suffer(1)|Wound(2) Effects: Cleanse|Embolden(1)|Resilient(1) ===============================< Dream Chasers >================================
DG: You have overcome the dungeon's trials! This run is a success! DG: The party led by Elhaym van Houten has successfully explored Shae Ving!
================================<* Shae Ving *>=================================
====================<* CHALLENGE - Gear-Scale Autocannon *>=====================
| Type: Discovery | Dungeon Ability: Conclusion | Challenge Rating: 1 |
---------------------------< Challenge Information >----------------------------
The docking station at the end of the train tracks have numerous doors and
tunnels to investigate. Looking through all of them is impossible, though
you do find one with an elevator that -- if the little map by it is accurate
-- should lead outside. You pick one, and the door slides up to provide
access to your Gears.
The room inside reveals that Shae Ving served as an armory during the Zeboim
era. It seems that weapons were manufactured and stored here, and this
included Gear-sized ones. Many of these are in poor shape from time, but you
are able to salvage a few. This includes a set of massive, two-barreled
Gear-sized rifles. This powerful autocannon would make a fine weapon for a
Gear.
This weapon would be suitable for +attacks on your Gear form.
============================= Dungeon Conditions: =============================
| Cleanse:_All_Effects_Removed!, Embolden:_Combat_Up!, |
| Overwhelm:_Exhaustion_Up!, Resilient:_Exhaustion_Down!, |
| Suffer:_Exhaustion_Up!, Treasure:_Exploration_Up!, and Wound:_Combat_Down! |
= Digger 2.0 ===================================================================
<Pose Tracker> Billy Lee Black has posed.
The explanation fills in at least most of the gaps Billy had, swinging his pistol up to plug one, two, three more shots into the Proto-Gryndille as it screams. One of the unfinished parts seems to be its targeting systems, because shots are going everywhere except into people, for the most part. Small mercies, at least; the battle isn't easy, but soon enough, it's over, and the battered and blasted machine crumples, still sparking from Elly's lightning, missing chunks left by the obliteration Breka brought and legs blown away by Citan and Leon.
Billy huffs a breath and brings Renmazuo up to a stand, holstering his weapon. Once he's satisfied that things are mostly resolved, he steps aside, noticing the door. "Armory. It's producing weapons, but it's not really refining or maintaining them, huh? Could be worse, I guess. Ever been under Kattelox?"
He proceeds over to the rifle rack, considering one of the double-barreled items. "Hn. Might be able to use this, actually..." Renmazuo's main cannon is in its chest, not external like Billy uses on foot. He could fit a longbarrel into his armaments easily.
<Pose Tracker> Lily Keil has posed.
While they're in the armory...
"Hm. Let me hop out and touch the computers," Lily says. As Billy is proceeding to the rifle rack, she lands Breka and does exactly as she's intended. While she's there...
"What's this?" she asks, and picks up a small device that beeps after she accesses the computer systems.
"...Dr. Wyatt," it reports. "It has been over 1,800,000 days since you last checked your messages. Would you like to view your schedule now?"
"..."
"...Well, it's not weapons, but..."
<Pose Tracker> Citan Uzuki has posed.
"An interesting model, if I am not mistaken," Citan remarks to Billy once the proverbial dust has settled. "I am more familiar with mounted artillery, myself, but I imagine your father might be able to speak to its applications. ...It is not every day that one comes across a weapon of this type from Zeboim, particularly in this condition." On foot now, he indicates towards the ruined remains of the prototype Gryndille. "Myself, I believe I will take a closer look at what remains of our 'friend'. I suspect this may not be the last we might see of them, particularly if Lily's father has learned anything from their time here."
Lily, speaking of, has found something.
"A datapad...? Well, this is fortuitous, 'Dr. Wyatt'."
But his tone of voice may belie the way he crinkles his brow. Something about this is giving him pause, but...
There is more to be learned.