JOHN PLAY
“06 PLAY INTO THE ENEMY’S HANDS”
SEGMENT 89
“YOU’RE NOT BOB!”
RHAAN 23, 997
“Where did you get this from again?” asks Cue.
“A goblin tried to kill me with it.”
“And you’re trying to use it to trade for the clubs? You wound me.”
Play waits.
“Either this is a strange occurrence of chance or you were set up.”
“Set up?”
“This wand is cursed. It is designed to blow up after a few uses.” Says Cue as he continues to look it over.
“Blow up? But isn’t it a goblin weapon? I mean….” Play lets it slide.
“The magics involved are too good…. Too professional. Only a skilled and talented artificer could have done this. Jonny, my boy-o, you were set up by the goblin or at least who ever gave the goblin the wand.”
Play shakes his head in wonderment.
Later in the day, as Play is once more using the elevator to reach the Cogs, Play goes over what he has learned so far.
Warforged are disappearing from the Cogs
No one seems to see anything out of place except for missing workers
I am sent in to investigate but most don’t want me there
Someone hires a goblin to try to trick me into killing myself
Play steps out of the iron cage and looks for Bob. Bob is not here. A different warforged is here waiting for him. “Mr. Play. I will be your guide today.”
Annoyed…… “What is your name?”
“I am-“
“Bob” Play interrupts the warforged. “Where is…the other Bob?”
“Sir?”
“CR-344”
“Working sir.”
“I have been told of a passage Cr….Bob….. did not bring you too.” The warforged deemed ‘Bob’ motions for Play to walk ahead.
They walk down a few turning hallways and reach where a large screen was. It covered a doorway. The new Bob motions for Play to enter the doorway. Play thinks about everything once more, including the Goblin and the booby-trapped wand he “dropped”. Play listens carefully before reaching for the door. He turns the knob and opens it a few inches to listen again. Nothing.
Play goes in and his dark vision kicks in. Then washes out into low-light vision as the new Bob starts a sun rod. Before him is a long catwalk above many vats of molten metals far below. The air is heavy with the fumes. Chains dangle from the roof on pulleys and moving cranes. Ahead of him, Play sees several warforged grouped up together. They have large and heavy tools on them. Play immediately becomes paranoid. His hand instinctly grasps his club designed to destroy constructs (including warforged).
As Play gets closer he spots a familiar person. The first Bob.
“Bob! How goes it? Bob, I’d like you to meet my new guide- Bob. Bob- Bob. Bob- bob. And who are your friends?”
Neither Bobs say anything. None of the warforged say anything. Play becomes extremely alert again. He looks over the original Bob again. His body language is different. He looks over the warforged closer.
“Nice Docent there Bob. New?” Even as he says the word , alarms go off in Play’s mind. Maybe that’s why when the newest “Bob” attempts to grab Play he dodges it. The other three rush up. They also try to grab Play. Play ducks and rolls around them. Play swats the one warforged with a docent twice but misses the third attempt. Play catches a glint of red energy in the crystal orbs of this warforged-
“Fiend! Your docent is corrupting you and making you a fiend!” As he says this he wonders if the others have “special” docents…. Then it really hits him- “ZINTER THAT SON OF A BITCH!” Play growls. The warforged surround him and grasp his arm holding the club. They pull and tug- they overwhelm him.
“The rail- throw him over the rail.” Suggests the newest ‘Bob’.
The first ‘Bob’ nods and the red in his eyes grows. They hoist Play up over their collective heads. “Zinter says hello and – goodbye.” And Play is thrown over the rail to fall 50 feet to the ground below where molten vats are. Cursing, Play tries to twist and direct his fall. It is a hard hit made softer by a skilled tumble. Play crawls on his back to go under the above rail. He knows they will come after him. Play sips then gulps a healing potion. His ankle no longer hurts and he feels ready for them.
Play spots the ladder they are running to and races to it also. Play uses their vulnibility on the ladder and strikes the first one down. It is the “first” Bob, the fiendish one, that takes the hit. It falls onto the floor with a solid thud. The others spot Play and move faster while glaring at him. Play follows up with the fiendish Bob. Play tries to hit him again but misses as Fiendish Bob kicks out at him which disrupts his swing. This does keep Fiendish Bob down on the ground allowing for another attempt. Play doesn’t miss this time. The Demolition Gem powers up the club to split most of the metal and sturdier wood on the warforge’s back. He wants to finish this quickly without killing any of them. He is convinced it is the Docent that is controlling them.
The “New” Bob attacks Play but misses. Play notes this one has no docent. Play swings harder than he meant. The club shatters the jaw and crumbles the head of him. “Dammit- sorry dude.” Play can’t win he realizes. He may have to kill them all to stop them. That is not acceptable.
He may not have a choice.
The two other warforged rush at him. The fiendish one has now gotten up to his feet. Play attempts to dodge and roll under them (rolls a 1) and is blocked by a large two toed metallic foot. Play is stomped and kicked by the three of them. Play gets to his feet in a crouched position then after blocking one kick he leaps up and uses the heavy and sturdy body of a warforged to flip over them. As they turn to attack, Play strikes him hard with the club. He can’t stop from possibly destroying them but he has to defend himself.
Fiendish Bob and one of the others strike Play using the third one to hide their approach. The one punches Play squarely in the face. Play tastes blood. Play strikes the “shielding” one again. The damage is extensive. Play notes the metal plates are already pulling together….. huh?!~?
“You have a docent implanted also! What did Zinter do to you?” Play backs up and goes on the defensive.
“Made me better. He gave me new purpose.” Says the warforged as another plate slides into place. His crystal eyes glow yellow. Yellow like a… troll? Disgusting.
“What the hell are you?” growls play back stepping to avoid the augmented warforged.
“A success. A beautiful success.” Calls a familiar voice from above on the catwalk. Play looks up automatically.
“Zinter- you bastard.”
“And then some,” says the Dragonmarked artificer, “I will do anything to learn and…. To have my revenge.”
The warforged attack again and Zinter smiles then turns away. Play is dead.
Play gets in a solid hit causing metal and wood chips to splinter and scatter on one but the others get in their punches. Play is stepping back each time to avoid being grabbed. He wants Zinter so badly…. So so so badly. “Come back and fight like a man!” Play calls out. The warforged keep pace and try to surround him. They punch and kick with several hits scoring. Play becomes frustrated. He really doesn’t want to go all out on these guys. But he has no other choice- especially if he wants Zinter.
Play shatters the chest piece of the oncoming warforged. It clutches its chest and drops to its knees. The yellow in its eyes begins to leave… the docent is kicked about by the two rushing warforged behind it. Without the magical docent, it loses its ability to repair itself and it becomes confused.
Fiendish Bob takes a vicious strike across the shoulder. A shoulder pad clanks on the stone ground. It stops and looks at it and the eyes flare red in hatred. Another punch to the head. Play is seeing stars but drives the club into the chest of the Fiendish Bob. He drives the docent into his chest. The impact drives the warforged off his feet. When he strikes the ground it is dead.
“Zinter wants you dead…. Now I want you dead also.” Snarls the remaining warforged worker. Its eyes are yellow… another troll linked creature.
Play ducks and weaves and misleads the warforged to moving to the right when he strikes from the left. Play takes another two punches. The adamantine covered fists are bruising the hell out of Play. His eyes are tearing and one is beginning to swell shut. No time for a healing potion. “I really am sorry Trollie-Bob. I really am.” Play drives his club into the head of the warforged. One eye is gone and a jaw hangs lose. If it hurts, he doesn’t show it. A gut shot that makes Play spit up blood. Play smashes an arm used like a shield. The metal is bent and the wood splintered. The eye already is glowing within the hollow of the metal and wood skull piece.
It tries to strike him but Play dodges easily. He is now commited to stopping the living mutated construct. (nat 20- confirmed) Head flies off the body and the body takes a short stumble forward before collapsing.
Play is now pissed. “ZINTER!” he screams out in anger. “I’M COMING FOR YOU!”