"Dear light, that beast..."
Remain still.
Name: Wiellste Gunsmithy
Description: A young Ethral, no taller than 4 feet. Her fur is unpatterned and a milky white. Usually wears a rather plain quilted brown silk cloak, and a polished copper mask with symmetrical, spiraling lines etched on the sides.
Goal: Wiellste is like many Ethral in that she seeks to gather knowledge about the world before all else. Though being an Ethral from Knot, her skills are largely more on the practical building side than the scholarly side. She isn't particularly invested in the teachings of the Tenebrous Church, but the idea of the spheres intrigues her, especially Balarim, with it's writings and technology.
Stats:
Str: 7
Dex: 12
Spe: 10
End: 8
Awa: 7
Cun: 15
Kno: 13
Ner: 11
Skills:
Weaponsmith 2
Diving 2
Pistol 1
Bore 1
Translate 1
Stealth 1
Inventory:
Silk cloak
Copper mask
Ethral revolver 6/6
1 Fathom
You stay extremely still. Its pretty easy considering you're still laying flat on your back under the shelf.
"I'm beginning to miss the library."
"I think, I think that was one of ours." Alex replied, still startled from what had just occurred.
He waited a while to calm down and then spoke. "That definitely wasn't natural, everything was fine until we went through the door." He glanced over to the now broken door. "Perhaps the others in the previous room know what happened."
Grab the crystal geode, if I can't reach it with my arms, use my shovel to scrape it off the ceiling. Should it react aggressively, bash it with my shovel.
Name: Alex Wells
Description: A middle aged man standing 5'7" feet tall. He has short brown hair and an unkempt beard.
Goal: Exploring the depths and collecting its wealth.
Stats:
Str: 11
Dex: 10
Spe: 10
End: 10
Awa: 10
Cun: 12
Kno: 10
Ner: 10
Skills:
Explosives 2
Mechanical 1
Survival 1
Caving 1
Chemical 2
Geology 1
Inventory:
Dynamo Lantern
Field Lighter
3 TNT
Bladed Shovel
Mail Shirt
8 Fathoms
[19]
You reach up to the geode with your shovel and attempt to nudge it off. That fails so you attempt to scrape it off. That also fails. So you attempt to smack it off, but this also fails. No matter what you do, it just trundles forward, uncaring, unyielding, and unstoppable. Or maybe you're just weak.
Clate's gaze briefly follows the diver floating by, before snapping to the now open door to the previous room. The barrels had fallen, and one of them was partly cracked. Clate adjust the cap on top of his helmet and grabs his shovel.
"Progress at last! Someone watch my back, I'm going in to collect whatever was in those barrels!"
Go check out the barrels. See if the cracked one is open enough to see what's inside. If it isn't, either use the shovel like a crowbar in the crack, or just whack it until it opens.
”Well, That really is unfortunate. But, we can’t slow down or stop now, so I’m going to get back to what I was doing before”
Check the barrels for what was inside. Also look up at the ceiling to see what was under the barrels.
Name: Harmony “Harm” Li
Description: Lean and broody looking. This woman has short black hair and is partially covered in interlocking black tattoos. She wears simple black clothes, with a knee-length Maggot Wool Coat overtop.
Goal: Overall, Harm would like to find a place where refugees and travelers could seek refuge without dealing with the dogmatic influence of the church. Right now, though, she just wants to get away.
Stats
Str:10
Dex:11
Spe:10
End:10
Awa:10
Cun:12
Kno:10
Ner:10
Skills
Weapon smith (3)
Mechanical (2)
Lucky Shot (1)
Inventory
Several large chunks of blue crystal
Lucky Shot (7 rounds)
Field Lighter
10 Path Markers
2 units structural junk
2 units mechanical junk
Clate (Sheetless!) and Harm both head over to the barrels. Of the three, two are damaged. One is smashed like an egg, with a shattered hole a foot in diameter in its side and long cracks radiating across it. It looks like if you gave it a good wack, it would shatter. The other isn't open, but it has a huge crack running across its diameter and looks like it might be easy to pry or smash open. They roll the open barrel up and clate shines his lantern down into the hole. Its nowhere near full, but there are several interesting objects inside.
The first you can see, rolling around on top of the others, is a sort of like a spherical pinec cone, a ball with a bunch of little protrusions all across its surface. Its an odd purple-pink color, appears to be made of stone, and makes soft whistling noises every time it moves. Each little protrusion ends in a small hole.
The second is looks like a snake or rope made of what looks like obsidian caltrops. Its coiled against the bottom of the barrel and remains there even when the barrel is tilted or rolled.
The third is a bunch of octahedrons that are scattered loosely throughout the barrel, maybe two dozen in total. They're a darker blue than the stone of the barrel and judging by how they move when the barrel is turned or rolled, they are very heavy.
Lastly, there are three metallic rods, about a foot long and an inch thick. They're matte silver and dully shiny.
To Lokam:
"If you want to try to remove your collar, or to use Noth to lengthen the bridge I started, I'll allow use of my fragment. Only, place your Book on the floor over there or let me hold it while you do."
Stand up and walk toward the cavern. How close can I get before the light and heat become unbearable? Walk away from the cavern. How does that feel?
How long a walk would it be to return to Mason?
If Lokam wishes to extend my bridge via Noth Sige, and he relinquishes his book as collateral, allow him to use the fragment.
similarly, if he wishes to use Balaram Hel to transmute the explosives in his collar, allow use of the fragment. Just be sure to be on the opposite side of the mound of stone spikes when he does. Again, only once the Book is in AsHul's hands will he relinquish the fragment.
Name: AsHul
Description:Former human. Awful, ugly, indifferent
Goal:To find God
Stats
Str:9 Dex:8 Spe:8 End:10 Awa:12 Cun:10 Kno:10 Ner:16
Skills
Diving: 3
Animal Handling: 2
Survival: 1
Inventory
Relic Fragment
Black Book (copy)
1 Silent Night - calming. gives advantage on diving rolls
4 Worm Blood - steadies nerves
2 Occult Junks
2 Fathoms (One magnetically welded to the wall of his room in the Bore)
You get up. Ow. You walk over to the opening to the cavern. Oh thats bright. Thats very bright. You can look at it...well squint at it and you can survive the heat. Its not fun whatsoever but you can do it. You walk back. Still not great but you're starting to get used to it a little bit.
Its...miles back to Mason. You're not really sure how far. But pretty damn far. You think you could reach it, in time. And with this collar deactivated you're basically free. Still, its a heck of a walk.
The Aspirant refuses to give up his book so you keep your fragment to yourself.
"I think it would be best to wait for the Silent Night to time out and let you do it. I'm not really experienced in diving, as most of what I know about diving is only theory..."
I refuse to give my book unless it's for a good reason.
Name: Lokam Pilgrim
Description: Lokam is an Ethral Aspirant of the Tenebrous Chruch currently on pilgrimage. His soft fur is pale yellow, his large and fuzzy mane is golden and antennae and wings are dark purple with white details. His antennae, unlike most Ethral, are also very long and fluffy. Most of the time, he's wearing his silky church robes, which also have a hood included. His mask is very dark purple, with bright yellow spirals and curves, similar to tentacles.
Goal: His goal is to just complete his pilgrimage and ascend in the chruch. He wishes to go as deep as possible and someday become a Living Saint, Stygian or even a member of the Council. But his dream is to someday go deeper than everyone, reach the center and finally find God.
Stats:
Str: 7
Dex: 12
Spe: 10
End: 8
Awa: 7
Cun: 13
Kno: 13
Ner: 13
Skills:
Diving: 3
Caving: 1
Navigation: 1
Survival: 1
Translate: 1
Inventory:
The Black Book (Real)
Black Flame
Bag of Path Markers
Silk Aspirant Gray Robes
Purple Mask
"Give me the fragment"
"Give me the book."
"No."
"Then Also no."
"Diver failure, I think." Adam said with a grim demeanor they hadn't seem from him up till then.
"This ain't good, not at all. Who knows what he got possessed by.
Think about Diver possessions and how they can be counteracted without hurting the victim.
Then set off after him, but carefully so (don't just wildly run after him). Stay aware of my surroundings.
Name: Adam Blavatsky Darvaza
Description: A young man of slightly pale complexion and eternal 9 o’clock shadow, he was raised in a small village. While the village priest and passing mystics droned with endless sermons of the Church and their teachings, what had always captivated young Adam’s attention more were the stories of his Granny.
Old stories of the world as it once was, before people were forced to flee to the caves and crannies of this damp hell. Of warm days where pleasant green plants tickled your feet as you walked through them and a cool breeze blew through your hair. Where food was plentiful, nature was benign and endless vistas reached as far as they eye could see.
Adam was nominally a card-carrying member of the church, though he mostly did it for the connections and perks that brought. They were powerful and had ancient lore, all things he would need to fulfill his true heart’s desire: to return to the surface, vanquish the madness that tainted their homeland and reconquer paradise.
Goal: Plunge the secrets of the depths below to find an answer to the horrors above.
Stats
Str: 10
Dex: 10
Spe: 10
End: 10
Awa: 10
Cun: 10
Kno: 10
Ner: 13
Skills
Diving: +3
Stealth: +2
Occult: +1
Inventory
Clothing: simple priest robes, shortened a bit so as to less restrict his movements
1 minor artifact
1 black book copy
1 black flame
1 Silent Night
1 field lighter
23 fathoms
[15] Gah, you have no idea. You know all about how you shouldn't do stupid things with Diving and how it can go badly but...you really have no idea how to fix it once it happens. The only advice you've ever heard regarding it is to make a run for it or start killing things until things work themselves out.
"I think it was one of ours, but I have no idea what just happened." Vikkan said, taking a hand to his head and nearly taking off his cap upon noticing Kara starting to run after the flying person. "Hey! Are you sure it's a good idea to blindly run deeper into this place?"
Carefully follow behind Kara if she decides to run after the flying possessed teammate anyway, otherwise stick with the group.
Name: Vikkan Laerthe
Description: A human from Anvil and a moderate Chthonic who was born and raised close in the neighborhood of the Hammerfall boreyard, where his parents were employed as menial workers. Being so close to a place so filled with machinery and boring machines left a lasting impression on Vikkan, who became a furnace helper, then a drivemaster's apprentice until he finally reached the controls of a bore. He's quite good at conducting driving bores and, most importantly, he deeply enjoys his work.
Bore love aside, Vikkan is also generally quite friendly and good-humored even when he's not behind a bore's controls. He is, however, aware of his limitations out of the control room, and he'd rather leave most other matters to more skilled people. What he lacks in intellectual education he displays in polite curiosity, and he tends to be interested in listening even to topics he can only vaguely grasp, making for a good talking and drinking buddy if nothing else.
At odds with his friendliness, he looks rugged, if young. His hair is dark brown and cut short, and he has a well-groomed handlebar mustache (though he's been known to let it grow and style it into a horseshoe at times). A small diagonal scar moves from his right eyebrow to the bridge of his nose. His skin is brown and displays a few burns thanks to a few years of furnace and boiler work. He's fairly hairy, with his shirt's sleeves covering hairy arms and a few spots of scar tissue. His uniform is made of thick cloth and utilitarian, overalls, a long-sleeved shirt and a cap. His major concession to vanity is keeping his uniform and mustache impeccable.
Goal: To deep driving bores and having fun while doing it. It's not a difficult dream, even if it can be hard at times.
Stats
Str: 10
Dex: 10
Spe: 10
End: 10
Awa: 13
Cun: 10
Kno: 10
Ner: 10
Skills
+3 Vehicle (Bore)
+2 Navigation
+1 Defense (Mail Shirt)
Inventory
-Conductor's Clothes
-Dynamo Lantern
-Black Flame
-Black Book (Copy)
-Field Lighter
-Mail Shirt
-2 Fathoms
Attempt to grab Kara before she runs ahead blindly. Follow as fast as possible if unsuccessful, but don't tackle her or anything that could potentially harm her.
Try to stay ahead of the others if Kara is successfully caught. Nyw is significantly more likely to avoid or survive any traps.
"No, Kara! Stay with the group, the creature has no reason to destroy the artifact, it is one of us, even possessed!
Name: Nyw'geuq Otin Sunam; calls himself "The Lords' Child"
Description:
((Without the murakumos.))
Goal: Inscrutable, which is code for "Explicitly stated goals are a boring way to get across what should be plain by roleplay".
Stats:Str:14
Dex:8
Spe:10
End:14
Awa:13
Cun:8
Kno:6
Ner:10
Skills:Unarmed: +1
Defense Skill: +3 (Full Plate)
Vehicle Skill: +1
Caving: +1
Navigation: +1
Inventory:
Full Plate Armor (Protective 4)
Ornamental Mask of the Child
"But..."
Kara stopped running and turned to face Vikkan and Nyw.
"You don't understand! If it does go for the relic and... eats it-" she made a dismissive gesture with her hand to indicate the specifics did not matter, although with how tense she was it looked more like she was slapping the air "-then I won't be able to get the relic and I will die! So I have to stop it! I have to kill it. If I don't then what will I do?"
Kara put her clawed hands on her face to hide it. Her rapid breathing was visible as streams of condensation coming out of her break. She trembled due to the cold and due to the tension and adrenaline. Her mind was stuck thinking of how horrible it would be counting down the seconds to her inevitable death.
((I went ahead and cancelled my action. I won't try to dodge Nyw if he still wants to grab me.))
So everyone followed Kara and Kara canceled her action. Great. So I'm gonna assume you guys all move up together, down the hall as best you can. Its not easy since the hall is such a wormy, smooth thing. You get to the end of it, scrambling and sliding, and find that once the thing curves left it starts spiraling upwards in a jerky, and inconsistent way. Up, further up the spiral, you hear stone being cracked and broken.
Author
Topic: DIG: Heresy (Read 413973 times)