The Center of Time

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

Echo, the panel by the door has some similar controls to the panels upstairs, namely gravity orientation of the corridor, as well as controls for production rate, mix ratio, speed, etc. It also has several more controls relating to power levels, cycle times, and a sub-menu about... styles? Aspects? Types? The translation is a little loose, but it has such things as offense, defense, speed/power, bonding, networking, movement, and communication. The power level is climbing, and it seems a cycle end time might be approaching.

Seregal, when you gently prod the right plate, you realize the surface of it is tough and yielding, like a membrane. Through its translucency you can see several vaguely humanoid figures, brightly colored, just below its surface. They reach up various appendages the press against the membrane, against your knife, as the power in the room begins to build again. The trough of fluid begins to empty down a small, mesh-covered drain with a soft sucking sound.

 

[Tashtego]

Seregal stares down, amazed at the humanoid figures below the surface of the membrane. "There are people down here!" he calls out to Antor and Duncan. "Are they sapient? Are they prisoners?" he continues to mutter to himself. "And what is the relationship between the fluid and the power?"

Seregal attempts to work out a communication protocol with the humanoids.

[OOC: Are they large human sized or tiny, like dolls?
Sadly, I did not take 'Weird Linguistics' as my flex skill today, so will just attempt an Int check to see if I can talk to these things.

Will spend 2 int points on the roll (1 discount due to edge).

1d20=17]

 

[fireinthedust]

Duncan is at Seregal's side abruptly, even before he finishes calling to the warrior. The gladiator looks down at the humanoid figures, judging size, the presence of any noticeable weapons or attacks (ie: claws, swords, etc.), and otherwise sizing them up for a fight. His greatsword is in his hands now, broadsword away.

"Don't break the seal, they could get loose if you prod too hard..."

OOC: Just wondering: do they look like broken hounds? Like, they're humanoid, not hound-like? Wondering if the machinery manufactures the broken hounds appearing in the jungles above. Hmmm....

 

[Shayuri]

Echo, absorbed completely by the controls and so far not having noticed the furor over the people, reports over her shoulder, "This machine seems like it...makes something. I'm not sure what. Some kind of machine, maybe. There are controls here to change different characteristics. What's interesting though is that it seems to be nearly ready to activate according to some kind of preset timer. We may get to see it happen!"

She sounded quite excited, and didn't seem immediately aware that there could be danger involved with being present at that moment. Or if aware, unconcerned.

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

The figures in the pit seem to be approximately human-sized, though brilliantly colored, red, blue, purple, green, yellow, in loud and obnoxious color combinations - stripes, splotches, and angular patterns. None of them seem to have weapons in their hands, though their hands do seem to sport short claws. A couple of what look like either tails or tentacles press against the surface as well, and maybe a few horned heads. In response to Father Seren's touch, one of the hands tries to clutch at him, but the toughness of the membrane prevents it from getting a grip.

Seregal considers the creatures, the symbols he's seen, and the sounds around him, and tries to trace a symbol on the membrane, moving slowly so his hand can be seen by those below. He's pretty certain this is "identify." As the symbol is completed, a clawed hand presses up against his, and moves to trace a symbol of its own. Unit 745 Seregal reads.

As the symbol is completed, the membrane domes up and suddenly splits as eight figures, definitely abhumans, are pushed to the surface. They stay still, their skins glistening with moisture in the harsh white lights of the other two plates. The one in front, a lurid purple and red with the slick skin of an amphibian and clawed hands suitable for evisceration, has what looks like a tapering rod of metal jutting from its skull at an odd angle. None of the abhumans have weapons in evidence. The red and purple one makes a trilling noise that harmonizes with the thrum of power in the air, and all of the abhumans turn to look at the center plate in perfect, eerie unison.

 

[Tashtego]

Seregal smiles his most charming smile at the creatures and attempts to sketch the symbol for 'greeting' in the air. "Hello there," he says, in his best diplomatic voice. "We come in peace."

[OOC: Spend two points of Effort to convince them of my awesomeness...

1d20=3

Oh dear, this won't go well at all...]

 

[iamrpgdm]

Antor follows after Echo and examines the control panel with her. (1d20=19 - trained in Numenera)
When Antor hears that there are people, he will move back towards Father Seren and Duncan. "Take heed, Father, as we can't be sure of their intentions." Antor says as he notices Duncan tensing up in anticipation of defense. Antor will prepare to use his Shock esotery if necessary. Antor also looks towards the center plate to see what the abhumans are looking at.

 

[doghead]

Some time during the battle with the Broken Hounds.

... Wisco tries to sight on another hound, but the process of ducking from that unexpected attack compromises his aim and his dart goes off into the foliage. There's an odd clanging noise in the general vicinity of where he fired.

After the battle with the Broken Hounds.

Xaion and Wisco say they'll stay behind. Wisco wants to examine the broken hounds and see if there's anything different about them, and Xaion says he'll be more useful guarding against further attack up here.

Wisco conducts his investigation of the hounds, as he has done at every opportunity since his father was killed by the beasts. One day, ... well one day ... something. Maybe. Wisco couldn't really explain it if asked. He also takes the opportunity to collect any of his darts. He pays extra attention to the are where the odd clanging noise came from.

[sblock=OOC Wisco]Two rolls - one for searching (thinking Wilderness Lore (trained) to spot anything out of the ordinary, and Numenera (trained) and one to identify anything he finds.

1d20=1, 1d20=18

Humm. Not likely to achieve much with that.[/sblock]

Xaion prowls around the battlefield, rapidly becoming a temporary camp, peering menacingly into the jungle. We should keep moving. Who knows what is down that hole? Odds are it won't help us any anyways. Xiaon doesn't like mysteries and puzzles, the unknown. He doesn't particularly like Broken Hounds either, but they are a known quantity. They can deal with the Broken Hounds. We should keep moving. The sooner started, the sooner finished.

Xaion conducts another circuit of the battlefield.

 

[Shayuri]

The commotion behind Echo finally gets her attention, and she turns around. Her eyes widen comically at the spectacle, and she blurts, "It's making PEOPLE!"

Then, like water collapsing into the path of a bullet fired through it, she fills in the gaps.

"This place is a factory, creating the abhumans who are then transported to the surface. Presumably into some kind of a reception facility that's now defunct. Lacking direction and purpose, and probably needing to fulfill their physical needs for food and water and so on, they start raiding out of sheer necessity. The center plate must be the transportation mechanism. If only we knew the language so we could help them understand!"

She wheels around to examine the controls again, moving over a little to make room for Antor.

"We need to turn the process off. It can't just keep making people and sending them out like this, and if we wait too long it'll start another batch, and turning it off then would just kill them."

After a second she pulls a little metal clipboard out of her backpack. The clipboard is covered with napkins and pieces of paper of every shape and size, which look random but that she picks through quickly and precisely before pausing on one, hoping that the notes there might help her with deciphering the symbols in more detail.

(OOC - Ah, working again. Rolled a 14, specialized in Numenera, and I believe she'll use one of her books if that will help... http://invisiblecastle.com/roller/view/4338254/)

 

[Isida Kep'Tukari]

The abhumans stare at Seregal, the leader looking at first startled, and then looking at him closely. They all open their mouths in unison, a strange ringing dirge coming from them and echoing around the room.

Antor, you see the same options as Echo, the power levels, the mix ratio, etc. but also see a secondary switch that, when turned, reveals a fine mesh of lights. Three are lit larger points lit up, one steadily, one pulsing at long intervals, and one slowly growing brighter. There are several smaller lights near the last one. It seems to be a tracking network, probably also used for communication.

Echo, this pattern of lights looks remarkably similar to the lights you saw on map in your pocket...

Wisco - The clanking sound you heard was the top of the hatch the group found. Your dart landed on it.

Xaion - You remain wary and alert for anything, and that is exactly what you find. A group of abhumans coming crashing through the woods in a steady march, stomping along in unison as if they were a single clockwork mechanism. A few are armed, but their weapons are in sheaths, and they walk without looking or touching you, the aneen, or any of the caravan members. A couple people move to fire crossbows or stalk closer with swords, when someone hisses in warning. There are more coming from another direction, maybe two dozen in all. They are heading straight for the hatch in the ground with eerie, quite purpose.

Echo, you carefully examine the notes you have, knowing this will take some time, but hoping Father Seren, Antor, and Duncan will be able to keep the abhumans engaged, intrigued, or made into diced kibble while you work. You believe you can find the power controls and turn them off, but you're also quite certain there's a security system to keep people from making changes willy-nilly. A password of some sort will be required. But once you have it, you're fairly sure you can power down the mechanism.

OOC - Using a book takes a half-hour.