"Let's see... climbing tools? No, don't have those... what do I have? Oh! Well, it's not ideal, but work with what I've got..."
Hmph. Does the shelf look like it could be cleanly shattered by a pistol bullet? Do the tablets look sturdy enough to survive a fall to the ground? If so, shoot the shelf.
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
[16]
You look up from where you landed, head tilted quizzically. Would a bullet shatter that shelf...maybe? Would the slabs survive dropping to the ground? Maybe? You tap on your mask with one finger and hum to yourself. You're really not sure and its probably best not to risk it.
See if the crystals I gathered pass through the door in the same way the creature does.
”Doesn’t anyone have a grappling hook or something? We could possible work our way up the wall if we had a grappling hook”
You take your crystal and press it up against the door. *Tink* *Tink Tink* *TINKTINKTINKTINK* Nope, this isn't working.
Name: Aigresaur
Description: A sexy lizard with a serpentine head, smooth pale scales, a slender velociraptor's body with lanky arms and legs...
Goal: it just wants to snuggle
Stats Shang-Gei
Str: 8
Dex: 15
Spe: 12
End: 8
Awa: 12
Cun: 10
Kno: 8
Ner: 10
Skills
shotgun: 3
acrobatics: 2
Unarmed: 1
Inventory
Tunnel Clearer 5/5
Use the Adam Blavatsky (Radio Controlled) to get a boost up.
Use my acrobatic talents to jump off the man, scamper on the shelf and grab the tablets or nudge them off.
Work together with aigre to reach those tablets: I'll stand against the wall and hold out my hands to give him a boost so he can climb up and stand on my shoulders.
Should we succeed in getting the tablets down safely like this, take them and have a look at them.
Oh, and be escorted to the other side of the doorway by Kara after all that.
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]
Adam acts as human step stool and lifts Aigre up as high as he can before the lizard attempts to make a scrambling, jumping ascent to the shelf. They make a courageous jump and entirely miss the shelf. Instead they fall face first onto the ground [9] and knock themselves out, collapsing in a big gangly pile of lizard limbs.
"Ya'lright?" Adam says as he runs over to the unconscious lizard. He pokes the body with his toe. "Yeah...you're probably alright."
((I'm not sure if adam going to the next room was contingent on this working out or not so...You're in superposition until you collapse the waveform with your next turn.))
"...Then we will wait it out. Don't worry, for I am going to stay by your side until you have fully recovered..."
Wait it out with AsHul, the withdrawal can't last forever. Keep reading my book to pass time or find information about the drug or these ruins.
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
Round three of Withdrawal. Chill with Lokam and sweat it out.
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're gonna be here a long time if you're just waiting for this to end.
“The pilgrim spoke with restraint and compassion to the thieves, offering his glad aid to place them back on the righteous path. And when they refused him and set upon him, he smote them down without remorse and left their bodies where they lay.”Diving action in spoiler.
Travel: Balarim, Yengenze, Es (3 rolls)
Reinforce: Balarim 1 and Es 2
Goal: Pull the barrel off the ceiling and bring it down to the floor.
Name: Moku Youkou
Race: Abomination Shang-Gei
Description: A female Shang-Gei cloaked in a heavy and rough looking worm wool coat. Underneath the clothing, is a heavily mutated figure. Her scales has been coat in plastic, giving each one a iridescent sheen to them.Spikes of melded plastic, metal and circuitry are studded haphazardly, the largest one is a foot long, spearing right above her pelvis. Her tongues have been replaced with metal tendils that sneak in and out of her mouth when she is not paying attention.
Goal: To "find" her mate.
Stats:
Strength: 9
Dexterity: 8
Speed: 8
Endurance: 10
Awareness: 12
Cunning: 12
Knowledge: 11
Nerve: 11 (temp -2)
Skills:
Medical: +2
Machine Control: +1
Electronics: +1
Mechanical: +1
Armorsmith: +1
Occult: +1
Diving: +1
Stealth +1
Inventory:
Fathoms:16
Relic fragment
Bladed Shovel
Clothing with ? Balarim Jal
(11 + 15 + 11 + 10 + 18 + 11)(14+19)
Oh ho. We'll handle this in a moment.
"Awww..." Kara said with mild sadness when her new friend stopped moving.
Only mild sadness though. After all, how could she be sad when she was holding a beautiful shiny thing in her hands? And who knows? Maybe she could get it working again.
"So, uh... I think I can use this to get to the other side. Anyone wanna come with me? Or do you think breaking down the door is better?"
Explore the other side. Offer to help people cross the door. (Be sure to keep the Crystal in the door and in contact with both of us until both of us are safely on the other side, I don't want anyone getting stuck. Be sure to close my mouth beak and hold my breath while crossing, I don't know how this magic works and I don't want to end up with lungs full of Crystal.)
Name: "Kara" is what most humans call her, though the closest pronunciation would be Kr'ra-Kax
Race: Corven (advantage for climb, disadvantage for falls)
Appearance: She is a crow-like Corven with matte-black feathers. A bit short. Constantly moves her head around, examining her surroundings. Moves her tail up and down whenever she's excited.
Age: Adult, but just barely
Goal: Wants to find artifacts and experiences that she can use to make an (under)world-famous museum. Wants to prove herself to her mother and piss off her brother with her success (both financially and socially).
StatsStr:8
Dex:13
Spe:13
End:6
Awa:12
Cun:10
Kno:8 + 3 = 11
Ner:10
SkillsRifle: 1
Medical: 1
Translate: 1
Acrobatics: 1
Caving: 1
Machine Control: 1
Stealth: 1
Geology: 1
Archeology: 1
Navigation: 1
InventoryCrystal Friend (wearing shirt)
Ethral Rifle (rifle 3, pierce 3) 7/7
Field Lighter (Fire 2)
Simple Clothes (no shirt)
Kara's Diary
"Ah'll follow ya too, lil' miss. After all, god knows what's we gonna find in there..."
Follow Kara through the doorway as well.
Name: Rick. No last name, just Rick.
Race: Mole-Man
Description: Rick is muscular and tall, even by mole-men standards. His fur is black and generally messy. His body bears many scars from past battles, most notably one over his left eye.
Goal: Rick's goal is to become stronger, maybe even strong enough to one day face the horrors of the surface.
Stats
Str: 12 + 1
Dex: 10 + 1
Spe: 8
End: 12 + 1
Awa: 10
Cun: 9
Kno: 9
Ner: 10
Skills:
Unarmed + 3
Survival + 1
Navigation + 1
Acrobatics + 1
Animal Handling + 1
Inventory:
7 + 4 + 7 = 18 + 20 = 38Ordinary Clothes (-0)
Mail Shirt (-20)
Grappling Hook (-10)
Cave Spider Venom (-3)
100 feet of Silk Rope (-5)
Cross through the stone doorway with Kara.
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
"Hey, does someone want to help me reach those barrel like things on the ceilings? I have an inkling they might contain the good shit™, if we can either get them down or just get them open so they spill their treasure like a pinata."
Get escorted through the door by Kara. Do not touch the door at all. Lament the fact that these crystal bastards saw it fit to keep their goodies out of my reach...for now.
Name: Clate
Race: Shluck
Description: Being a Shluck, Clate is rarely seen outside of his environmental suit. Inside, he is the standard albino mollusk, with his only true defining characteristic being the alternating white/borwn pattern of his beak, much like on a nautilus shell. His environmental suit and exoskeltons are full of scuff marks and small blemishes from work, but the knowledgable observer will notice that it is mechanically kept in tip-top shape. He wears a toolbelt and a satchel to store his tools and other knickknacks, and has a blue cap perched on top of his helmet.
Goal: To create great works of craftsmanship and become filthy rich in the process.
Stats
Str: 8
Dex: 10
Spe: 8
End: 10
Awa: 9
Cun: 16 (+3)
Kno: 12
Ner:10
Skills
Electronics 1
Mechanical 1
Biological 1
Chemical 1
Occult 1
Weaponsmith 1
Armorsmith 1
Stealth 1
Steal 1
Explosives 1
Inventory
Clothing: A tool belt that can be modified to fit the exoskeleton, a satchel and a blue cap with "If it ain't broke, fix it" embroidered on.
Bladed Shovel
Silk rope (100ft)
TNT x3
Dynamo lantern
Field lighter
Path markers x10
1 structural junk
5 Fathoms
"While it didn't seem threatening, it's a surprise it's working like a key. I suppose it's something unintended, so I wonder if it can take more than one person." Vikkan commented as he stopped alternating his gaze between their TNT-happy companion and Kara and approached the Corven.
Carefully test with Kara whether her new friend can allow more than one person to cross at the same time.
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
"I'll go with you Kara."
Follow Kara through the doorway.
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
Kara plops the crystal down halfway through the door. It immediately starts trying to walk off so she holds it in place while everyone else passes through the door. Turns out that as long as the crystal is in the door, the door turns permeable; they don't even have to be touching the crystal for it to work. As soon as everyone is through, she picks the crystal back up. It goes limp again, apparently waiting to be set back down so it can trundle off.
Past the door is a hall, though one that continues to ignore any sort of traditional construction. A normal hall is usually pretty straight and flat, with rooms branching off on either side. This one is more like a cave passage; It worms forward, traveling up and down, left and right, spiraling and dipping like a natural formation. Off of it branch other halls and doorways at all angles, in the ceiling, floor, and walls. The main hall seems to be heading, generally, up and to the left, towards the center of this complex and the main tower. Here, past that door, it is far colder. Enough that you can see your breath (except for the shlucks and honored dead, of course) and smells very clean. Not like antiseptic or anything just...clean.
There are more of the crystal things around in various forms. A plump geode on stumpy legs, about a foot tall, is waddling along the ceiling just overhead while a snake made of interlocking octahedrons glides along the edges of the facets that make up the room.
Those in the room with Moku are alerted to something bad happening when the three barrels that were on the ceiling crash down to the floor with great force. The look and find her standing near them, hunched over and twitching. Metal threads seem to materialize from thin air, extending from nowhere and snaking their way down towards her. They dive into her flesh, sticking in like giant needles, and her entire body goes taunt and spasmodic before going completely limp. She looks like she's going to collapse but the wires hold her up like puppet strings and jerk her back to her feet. Her head lulls back and forth drunkenly but her body moves with energetic, if stilted, purpose. The wires propel her along to the door and jerk her limp hand up to touch it, pressing the back of her hand against it. The stone groans and then splits in half, sliding back and to the side, making room for her to advance. She steps out into the hall, pauses a moment, and then seemingly deciding where she's going is jerked up into the air and flies past the rest of the group, dragged along by the wires. She disappears down the hall, following it out of sight.
Author
Topic: DIG: Heresy (Read 410447 times)