D&D 5E [IC] THE CURSE OF AMBERSTAR

Harfik Human Monk

Harfik tastes, and chokes down, just enough of the Teraphim rations to be respectful.

"Excellent. It is always preferred to have friends when taking on a great challenge. I do think that peace and cooperation is best for all our people. This Cthon, there are much better assignments than watching it yes? Are there worse?" Harfik smiles.

"We may not have much to offer given the wonderful things your people seem to be able to make. But, with no disrespect intended, our food offerings seem to be better. Tell me of the dangers we face getting to your city? We can deal with the troubles that we will meet when we get there when the time comes."

Lyllie stews in the corner making a mental list of the myriad ways in which she can make these Teraphim suffer. Right now, she's pondering number 47.

Neurotic said:

OOC: Short one, 3:1 votes. How are you with spells?

Click to expand...

AANZU

"How does one slither to the Palatine's Waterworks?"

Click to expand...

"One returns to Palatine first." - Ajax' mocking tone is evident. "I'd pay to see that... A prince at the Waterworks. But then again... If Ravenblade is the one I think, she'd never be close to a prince..." - he finishes his sentence with a strong hint of distrust.

Ulisses tries to rehearse an explanation for his words in vain. The only profitable thing he can say borders the obvious. "She's no longer human, your highness. She's like a shapeshifter. And she's probably not alone, now." - he seems pensive for a while. "Did she ask for anything, if... I may ask?"


ICOSA

"The CTHON entity poses an obstacle. Have you attempted to attack it's programming?"

Click to expand...

"We have..." - this time, a busy Hermes answers Icosa. "It learned to protect itself. And quite well, one might say. So much so that it tainted part of our systems. We managed to shut down the overtaken parts, isolating the systems down below." - Hermes nods as he dismantles consoles to improvise new equipment. He thinks for a second or two before continuing. "Big mistake, that one... The idea was to create a post-singular physical receptacle for our very souls. We got our wish, I guess..." - he says with a sad tone.

Sisyphus raises his eyes, applying part of the comm gear to the isolated, dismantled console. "Funny you should be interested, of all people. Some say that Cthon is what it is because of its' necrotic nature; others say that our lords managed to place a Teraphim soul into it, or two... Maybe more. And now it thinks like we do. Or maybe the post-singular nature of a sprung-out body made the soul - or souls - mad. Who knows?" - he smiles for a second, glances at Icosa and resumes his thoughts. "Do you have a soul, Icosa? You sure have a name, after all..."

HARFIK/THULWAR

This Cthon, there are much better assignments than watching it yes? Are there worse?

Click to expand...

"Depends on what you call worse... I'd say the punishment is adequate to the crime. Ajax, for example, would rather be at the front lines, down below. I myself would rather be anywhere else..." - the captain says on a low tone.

"But we are all about to put our skills to the test. If our intel is right, there are at least two mutant groups in the area, well adapted to environmental conditions. Aside from that, the only way towards Palatine is through the Lost City... And by the gods I do not wish to go through that cemetery..." - he grimaces as if influenced by painful memories. He seems to hold back for a second, but continues instead. "Lots of restless dead there. Courtesy of the magical nature of this world, I assume..."


LYLLIE

As the gnome considers the sometimes opposing merits of torture and execution, she sees Poe studying the hall with curious small bursts of flight. The creature seems to have found an attic of sorts by the side of a few walls. From there, it pulls a few threads of cloth, amusing itself with the things. Strangely enough, the threads are made of a glittering material, possibly the reason for Poe's curiosity to be peeked.


[No worries, @industrygothica! I got your back! You went for four shillelaghs, two mage hands and your wolf transmutation. How could I forget the hands... I felt like I was playing a scene from the apparition - the one with the dibuk crawling out of the girl's throat, in particular... ]


EVERYONE

As the camp gets organized, the Teraphim manage to recover a piece of bright material, used to feed the improvised equipment. Soon enough, the adapted console is turned on, and a comm link is established. Words are quickly exchanged, using the same common language in outdated style, with severe idiomatic expressions and strange slang thrown in for good measure. A half-functional screen displays a few maps from an ample area, offering meager information on potential dangers and denizens. The Teraphim have begun scanning the floor, trying to concoct a plan for the trip home.

[Don't worry about the conversation, guys! I'm using it to allow your characters some spread and to build the NPC's, all the while we exchange potentially useful info. Feel free to speed up or slow down as you wish.]

@Neurotic @Shayuri @JustinCase @industrygothica @Greenmtn

Archon Basileus said:

"One returns to Palatine first." - Ajax' mocking tone is evident. "I'd pay to see that... A prince at the Waterworks. But then again... If Ravenblade is the one I think, she'd never be close to a prince..." - he finishes his sentence with a strong hint of distrust.

Click to expand...

A deep, unsettling chuckle comes from the dragonborn prince. "The Ravenblade should not have come close, no. This one's honor and the bird's heart are one and the same, and this one will return home with both."

The strange speech pattern makes it difficult to know for certain what Aanzu means, but he says it with conviction.

Ulisses tries to rehearse an explanation for his words in vain. The only profitable thing he can say borders the obvious. "She's no longer human, your highness. She's like a shapeshifter. And she's probably not alone, now." - he seems pensive for a while. "Did she ask for anything, if... I may ask?"

Click to expand...

Aanzu nods satisfied, then points towards Poe, Lyllie's raven familiar who is now amusing itself with strings in an attic of sorts.

"The ladybird and the spiritbird have guided the lizards to shelter in the storm. The ladybird asked a favor and this one will see if he can grant it if the Great Blue Dragon wills it."

The prince seems unwilling to say what the favor is.

Thulwar observes with interest dissasembling of the console. He follows in his mind the paths of reason, connecting wires with energy (however strange or dangerous) and with this advanced technology boards who control the flow of said energy. He is not (yet) clear on how small lumps on the boards work to redirect energy and do something useful, but he would need fully equipped shop and one of the boards to pick apart.

Soon, he is distracted by Poes shinies and he leaves the soldiers to their work, satisfied that he will not learn anything new once they started putting things back together. "Is this some new wonderful material? Or parts of Chton? I will take piece of it anyhow." He takes small vial and tweezers from his bag and takes sample of the threads. He looks at them through the glass. "Metal? This fine? Or just silk with some advanced dyes?"
OOC: If he sees no movement of the threads he waits for soldiers to finish before asking them. Otherwise he calls to Lyllie to call off the raven.

Just as he was about to return he notices an open panel with glittering glass cube inside. The energy flickers in holo-cube memory unit somehow released from rigid structure of electronic component. He focuses his will onto it, feeling magical lines interweaving with energy of the technology. Taking everything he learned of Teraphim, their love of order and his knowledge of magic in his own world, he pulls the strings of magic guiding the lines of energy with his mind. It resists him at first, but inherently ordered paths of memory cube and his own disciplined mind find resonance and it connects to him energy flow snapping into a shape visible in the cube, but no longer dependant on Teraphim energy source.

It blazes with light for a moment and Thulwars body convulses, but it is quick and intense pulse after which everything returns to normal.

Thulwar returns carrying the glass cube, still focused inward. Approaching Tink he reaches somewhere under the front hooks and small panel pops open. He pushes the cube inside, does something to the machine and closes the hatch back.

[roll0] - just in case console qualifies as new tech
EDIT: and my good luck with technology continues

Lyllie walk beside Aanzu and holds his arm in her tiny fingers. As he sees her eyes turn to a pure white instead of their normal almost-white, he'll know from experience that she is now blind from her own body, her vision having shifted to her familiar Poe.

Whatcha got there, boy? she asks telepathically.

---

EVERYONE

Whatcha got there, boy?

Click to expand...

Poe's answer is a sum of delighted mumbles, as the familiar seems to understand the trail as a new toy. "Shiny!" - is all Lyllie can get from him. Still, his eyes reveal something else behind a half-opened door...

Opening the locker displays what used to be an armor and weapon rack. There, five strange vests hang from hooks placed on the roof of the thing. The strange fiber got loose from one of them. It isn't made of any kind of cloth, and it looks more like a flexible variety of metal than anything else. By the side of it, two complete sets of armor rest, gathering dust. They aren't much different than those used by the Teraphim. Weapons are also present: five crossbows, six stun batons and four pistols, much like those used by gunslingers, only... stranger. A pair of vibroblades also rest in strangely elaborate scabbards - their patterns resembling weapons shaped to please nobility.

While the heroes indulge in their searches, the Teraphim finish their preparations. Soon, they engage in the next part of their tasks: now they focus on the laborious attempt of recovering power to the entire floor. The captain leaves his own team to the task, approaching the heroes with a new plan.

"So, we need to reach the city, three stages below us. Conventionally, we'd need to find our way towards the pavement you used to enter. Beyond it lies the Lost City. Within it, the Abgrund Tower can lead us down, towards the Traitor's gate. If we manage to reach it, we can take the road back to Nova Palatine. In order to ensure our way down, we need to map the cave system and put the terraforming suits back online. We can use the miners to collect the Viranium outside, but we still need capable hands to map and place the sensors throughout the caves beyond. That's where you come in." - he points out to the heroes.

"I need my people here, in order to put the floor back to work. Obviously, I wouldn't ask the giantess to go... So this leaves... Well, your team. I can spare Ajax to help, but I need the rest to secure the area." - he looks around and waits for an answer.


[Sorry for the delay, guys. Last doctor appointments of the bunch... :/]


@Neurotic @Shayuri @industrygothica @Greenmtn @JustinCase

Lyllie relays her information, and her sight returns to her.