The Center of Time

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

"I didn't summon them!" Echo calls back, flustered. "I think they're coming because we're waking up these creatures! There's a lever down here somewhere, but don't pull it if you see it! That'll release the other two too, I think!"

On seeing what's going on, when she gets close enough, she stops in dismay, and looks at the map...hoping for some idea of what they're up against, or how to try to defuse the situation.

Echo takes a look at the map, and realizes most of the glow about it has disappeared. It seems to be having the same trouble as Graygoo. But there is one odd thing, if you bring a little closer to the great geyser of the spring, a thread of silver light traces across the map, from the area near the three circles to the inverted triangle.

Duncan launches himself in a roll at the giant, to come up at his legs and swing across like a woodsman chopping down a tree.

Duncan, your sword aims true and bites hard, slashing down to the bone of the tall green creature. Breath whistles out of the apertures in its chest in what might be its version of a scream.

Xiaon struggles hopelessly against the force that seems to be sucking away his life force. Regardless, Xiaon's heart sings; the challenge has been offered and accepted. Xiaon looks the creature in the eye, smiles, and pulls the trigger of his crossbow.

Xiaon's arrow flies true despite the draining pull of the creature's power, and it lodges in the creature's chest. Another shuddering breath, and it lets go of Ohm to fling its arm into the violent flow of the spring. The touch of the flow splashes the creature with the clear, viscous fluid, and you see its wounds begin to knit shut.


---

Antor watches as Ohm and the others head towards the door and disappear down the stairs. As he makes his way to follow, he sees the abhumans detach from the wall and head that way as well. Realizing that perhaps going down the stairs may not have been such a good idea, Antor rushes to the door to question the abhumans as they get near.

"What are your orders?", Antor asks as they approach. "Do you plan to harm my companions for going down the stairs? Are you guarding something down there?", he'll ask quickly and loudly as he moves to stand directly in front of the stairs, hoping the others below can hear.

The abhumans pulls up just beyond the rock-rimmed spring. They are not armed, though some have claws, others impressive fangs, barbed tails, or spiky, ragged hides. At Antor's words, the one in the middle, one with a metal rod jutting from its cranium, speaks:

"The originators abide in the lower chamber of the Wellspring. They must not awake. They must not be disturbed. We must stop their awakening before they destroy this place. Go and remove your fellow-units from the lower chamber immdiately."

Despite their aggressive appearance, they seem unwilling to pass an invisible boundary about a dozen feet away from the spring.

 

[doghead]

Xiaon, a Strong Willed Glaive who Focuses Mind over Matter

Xiaon's arrow flies true despite the draining pull of the creature's power, and it lodges in the creature's chest. Another shuddering breath, and it lets go of Ohm to fling its arm into the violent flow of the spring. The touch of the flow splashes the creature with the clear, viscous fluid, and you see its wounds begin to knit shut.

Xiaon reacts! - a fluid series of moves intended to drop the green creature to the floor and out of reach of the fountain's waters.

[sblock=OOC]Might Effort 2 + Edge 1 + [roll0]. More interested in disabling the creature than injuring it. But if needed, No need for Weapons and Unarmed Damage 4.[/sblock]

 

[fireinthedust]

Duncan sees the threat of the liquid and moves to team with Xaion, using whatever direction the creature moves against his companion as a set up for his own attack. He aims to knock the creature unconscious, if possible, stopping the threat of its apparently psionic abilities.

[roll0]

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Xaion tackles the creature askew, knocking it down and away from the spring. Its wounds are partially closed - it's no longer bleeding, but the flesh gapes in a sickening fashion. With the creature down, Duncan can add his weight to restraining it, though it still clings to consciousness. The creature is very solid and tough, and its flesh is very warm. Breath blasts from the apertures on its chest, and as Duncan's hands make contact with its flesh, words scream across his mind.

[sblock=Duncan]DEFILER! SLAVE OF THE THIEF![/SBLOCK]

 

[iamrpgdm]

Antor will head halfway down the stairs and quickly tell the others what the abhumans told him. Seeing that one of the "Originators" has been awakened, he'll head back to tell the abhuman. Antor realizes that he might be helping the wrong side as he isn't fully trusting of the abhumans, but given the information he has, that's where his allegiance lies currently.

 

[doghead]

Wisco, a Tough Nano who lives in the Wilderness

Above the chamber, Wisco and Duncan linger by the spring. Another batch of abhumans abruptly separate from the wall, but instead of floating off to the left plate like the last batch, they immediately "hatch" and begin to assemble in a formation. A pulse of color flashes from the ceiling, and the abhumans begin to march straight for the spring... and you!

Wisco rolls to his feet and scrambles out of the way, somewhat taken by surprise by the sudden hatching and change of behaviour.

"We need to be with Echo. Fighting could turn this entire place against us."

Duncan heads down into the stairs as fast as he can, fighting back the nauseating sensation of all his implants on fire at once.

Wisco agrees with with Duncan, but finds himself on the wrong side of the room, with the ab-humans between himself and the spring.

The abhumans pulls up just beyond the rock-rimmed spring. They are not armed, though some have claws, others impressive fangs, barbed tails, or spiky, ragged hides. At Antor's words, the one in the middle, one with a metal rod jutting from its cranium, speaks:

"The originators abide in the lower chamber of the Wellspring. They must not awake. They must not be disturbed. We must stop their awakening before they destroy this place. Go and remove your fellow-units from the lower chamber immdiately."

Despite their aggressive appearance, they seem unwilling to pass an invisible boundary about a dozen feet away from the spring.

Wisco breaths a sigh of relief as the ab-humans seem to ignore him and concentrate on the spring, and the hatch beyond. He remains still so as not to drawn attention to himself and listens to the conversation, although he cannot actually see Antor clearly from his vantage point.

"Why would they want to destroy the place?" Wisco asks, unable to suppress his curiosity. "Did they not create it?"

 

[fireinthedust]

Duncan wastes no time once the creature is down: he drops an iron hard punch into its face to knock it unconscious, aiming to subdue not slay. If the first fails, he tries again until the job is done.

[roll0]
[roll1]

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Wisco breaths a sigh of relief as the ab-humans seem to ignore him and concentrate on the spring, and the hatch beyond. He remains still so as not to drawn attention to himself and listens to the conversation, although he cannot actually see Antor clearly from his vantage point.

"Why would they want to destroy the place?" Wisco asks, unable to suppress his curiosity. "Did they not create it?"

The leading abhuman shifts in place, looking very agitated. "They created the Wellspring," it says, pointing to the stone-lined spring in the floor. "They did not create the Womb." And here it gestures to the rest of the complex.

--

Antor will head halfway down the stairs and quickly tell the others what the abhumans told him. Seeing that one of the "Originators" has been awakened, he'll head back to tell the abhuman. Antor realizes that he might be helping the wrong side as he isn't fully trusting of the abhumans, but given the information he has, that's where his allegiance lies currently.

Given that Duncan and Xiaon were busily punching the awakened Originator in the face, it may be that it won't be a concern much longer, but Antor goes to tell the abhumans what's going on.

The leader goes very still, and you see motes of blue and purple energy start to dance around the rod sticking out of its head. "It will try to destroy this place. It will prevent the cycle from completion! You must be certain of its destruction before it can waken the others!" The other abhumans crouch and move to a defensive formation facing the mosaicked door.

--

Duncan, your first punch glances off the toughened skin, but your second clocks the being in the head enough to make him reel and wince, going limp in Xaion's grasp.

While that violence was going on, Antor had come down the stairs to explain that a group of abhumans had warned them that the "originators" would try to destroy the complex and not to wake them up, then ran back up the stairs, presumably to inform the abhumans about the one originator's awakening.

 

[Tashtego]

Seregal sneaks around the outside of the confrontation, trying to avoid being hit at by a stray blow.

He frantically taps his fingers together, considering, trying to work out what to do. "There's different factions of abhumans, and there's some sort of interesting, almost religious imperative for one faction to keep the other in place. I wonder if it's an artificial social construct?" He keeps away, and then he realises that he's right near that panel he saw earlier. His curiosity gets the better of him and he pulls the panel aside, staring at the crystal lever.

"I wonder what this does?" he mutters, trying to resist the urge to pull it, just to find out.

 

[fireinthedust]

Seregal sneaks around the outside of the confrontation, trying to avoid being hit at by a stray blow.

He frantically taps his fingers together, considering, trying to work out what to do. "There's different factions of abhumans, and there's some sort of interesting, almost religious imperative for one faction to keep the other in place. I wonder if it's an artificial social construct?" He keeps away, and then he realises that he's right near that panel he saw earlier. His curiosity gets the better of him and he pulls the panel aside, staring at the crystal lever.

"I wonder what this does?" he mutters, trying to resist the urge to pull it, just to find out.

OOC: famous last words... (looks over other character options, starts writing up new background... and can I convert Disney's Frozen into Numenera...)

Gotta say, though, really glad we went back into this complex. Isida's design work would have been wasted, and we'd have missed some apparently-important details about the machinery! Depending on "who" I'm playing, my characters may or may not try things, so I'm pretty sure Duncan would miss out on this stuff.

Let's see what this does... release lever for the other two?

IC: Duncan looks up from the unconscious abhuman beneath him. He looks to the others the creature was grappling when he'd arrived.

"Are you wounded?"