"Upon reflection, it appears that trying to shield all of our collars from radiowaves to prevent a signal from detonating them would prove to be rather cumbersome. So, if we want to disable our collars, we'd have to do something else, such as converting the explosives into neutral matter. And we'd have to do it one by one as well. This certainly rather complicates things."
Consider how difficult it would be to use a dive to convert the explosives in a collar into a non-dangerous substance (aka how many times the material and action spheres would need to be reinforced minimally).
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
17 fathoms
(loaned 6 fathoms to aigre)
1 crystal construct
[4]
Hmm...Well the material sphere could probably be just a 1, but the action sphere would need to have few pumped into it or you might accidentally do too much or too little. Need some precision here. No good turning the bomb to inert material if you also do the same with the person's spinal cord.
"How very frustrating. After all these Dives, I did not Dive deep enough. And I was that close. Well, I better rest up. I can't fight ten armed men alone in this condition, and it's a long walk back to mason, during which the Bore wold surely overtake me."
Return to the relative cool of the tunnel and rest. Consume one Worm's Blood.
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 (currently -3)
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)
One Brass sphere with clockwork innards (From Balaram)
Book of sheet music (from Balaram) [stack of about 100 pages bound by three brass rings along the top of the sheets]
You walk back into the cave and lay down against one of the relatively smooth cut walls. You produce a ceramic flask from somewhere in your clothing and take a sip. Considering how thick the stuff is, a sip is quite the effort. Its the Vikkers brand of the stuff, cut with sugar and some kind of flavoring that takes the acrid bite out of it a bit. [9] You feel the stuff slide down your throat in a lump and it immediately numbs everything in its path. Within a few minutes you are feeling warm, cozy, calm and safe. Everything has a sort of amber glow to it, the edges are all rounded and soft, and even the stone wall seems to give like a nice maggotwool cushion. [Restore Nerve to max]
"Right, follow me."
Head back to the room I came from.
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
Broken Bladed Shovel (Handle and Shovelhead)
Mail Shirt
8 Fathoms
"Sure, I'm willing to help explore, as long as you don't try anything too dangerous."
Offer to help open barrels/doors with Crystal Friend but keep a safe distance after doing so.
EDIT: Hmmm... Have I heard of Gemstone people being able to fly or use flying vehicles? I mean, why would they have a balcony in a storage room? Did they perhaps load materials through it? Or did they simply enjoy the view?
Do the tablets mention the location of the "Obedience rod" or even what it looks like? An artifact like that might be useful for fighting against our abductors and potential birb tail grabbers.
EDIT2: Oh, and make sure Vikkan stays away from anything dangerous. Because we can't afford to lose our driver, not because I like him or anything.
Alex and THE SHEETLESS WONDER return to the scene of the crime. The crime of course being the cold blooded murder of a perfectly good shovel. MS.PAPERWORKLESS boops the barrel with the crystal friend and again a seam appears near the end of the barrel, a lid effectively coming into existence.
[12] Since I'm assuming your knowledge is a 1, you fail you dummy.
The tablets don't describe it but considering everything else in those barrels is described, its probably a rod in the barrels.
”Obsidian you say? Wonderful! I was hoping to find obsidian, I shall go with you, and let you use my knife! Should we split this one between us as well?”
"Excellent friend Harm, how kind of you to allow this. I would say that splitting it between us would be no problem. The cube is too heavy to carry even with two people, so there should be more than enough material for the both of us!"
Using Harm's gem cutting knife, start cutting up the obsidian block into chunks, for later use in crafting. Equally divide these chunks between the two of us.
If the obsidian block start behaving weirdly and otherwise emitting death, run to cover.
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 - handle coated with chrome stuff
Silk rope (100ft)
TNT x3
Dynamo lantern
Field lighter
Path markers x10
8 Octaherdrons - supposedly replicate materials
2 gold cubes
1 container of Pseudomagnetic mortar
labradorite rod
Slate box with multicolour crystal toothpick - supposedly turns someone into a gemperson.
7 structural junk
30 chemical junk
5 Fathoms
”Obsidian you say? Wonderful! I was hoping to find obsidian, I shall go with you, and let you use my knife! Should we split this one between us as well?”
From now on assume, situation permitting, that I will lend the knife to anyone, unless I specifically say that I won’t.
Go with Clate and let him use my knife to cut the obsidian.
Should I record the semicircular crystal chunks as structural junk? If so, how many?
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
Crystal cutting utility knife (free to borrow)
Silver/Tin wire spool
3 gold cubes
7 Octahedrons
5 Large branches of crystalline lead
Several large chunks of blue crystal
Lucky Shot (6 rounds)
Field Lighter
10 Path Markers
8 units structural junk
2 units mechanical junk
You both head back to the room with the obsidian cube. Its not very big but considering the weight you might have to cut it into a heck of a lot of pieces. Clate takes the knife and, starting at the corner, presses the knife through the stone three times. Even the gem knife, which can cut crystal like warm wax, has trouble cutting through the black stone. Clate has to push on the blade with both hands and really put his weight into it for the blade to slowly sink into the stone. He cuts away a cube maybe a half inch on each side and attempts to pick it up. His fingers slip off the thing. He tries again, but his fingers slip off before the stone moves once again. Finally he works the blade of his shovel into the gap between the rest of the stone and the cut off bit and levers the stone forward enough to get his fingers under it and try to lift. It takes both hands and a considerable backwards lean; even then the suit is squealing with effort. The thing must weigh something in the hundreds of pounds, maybe 150 or 200. He sets it back on top of the larger cube and it lands with a ringing thud. No wonder they hadn't been able to move the thing. Assuming its uniform and solid it must weigh...1000 tons?!
"Willikers"
Waste time while continuing to be absolutely useless.
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
You seriously consider just flying over to join the group and leaving this bossy abomination to his own devices.
Knowledge check. I want to know more about the spheres, more specifically their physical makeup. If describing them all would be too much, start with Es.
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
From what you've heard, Es is an idyllic place ruled over by the arcane machinations of unseen forces. A endless archipelago, clustered islands in a great sea inhabited by a great many strange races. Enormous metal cables stretch down from overhead, securing the islands and sometimes attaching themselves to inhabitants to puppet them about. There is an unimaginably vast machine for a sky and it stretches to the horizons, giving the impression that the entire world is like a mechanical diorama, all things in it controlled and maintained in some mock interpretation of reality.
Attempt to use knowledge checks on heavy black cube and gemcutting knife as Clate uses one on the other.
Name: Auft Kindheart
Description: Standing 3'10", with even fluffier than usual snow-white fur, this Ethral radiates adorable innocence even by the standards of her kind. Her porcelain-white mask is a circular shape carved into slices, each bearing a smiling face with eyes and mouths arched in joy, and adorned with pink blush marks. Her cloak is similarly pure white and a little too large for her, adding to her cute and defenseless appearance.
Goal: To amass and improve loyal pets and slaves.
Stats
Str: 7
Dex: 12
Spe: 10
End: 8
Awa: 7
Cun: 16
Kno: 13
Ner: 10
Skills
+1 Medical
+1 Translate
+1 Acrobatics
+1 Persuasion
+1 Stealth
+1 Animal Handling
+1 Archeology
+1 Biological
+1 Chemical
+1 Occult
Inventory
2 Fathoms
Ethral Rifle [7/7]
Doctor's Bag
Dodecahedron Spider-Thing: Fist-sized dodecahedron body, long unjointed legs that move in very slow cascades. Ceased moving upon being picked up.
[12, 18]
Well...the knife is a knife. It cuts stone. These guys are made of stone so it could probably double as both tool and weapon, though the design of this one makes you think it was intended entirely as a tool. The stone block on the other hand is a mystery. Its absurdly heavy so it might be equally absurdly resistant, though making use of it would be difficult with your current abilities and technology. Certainly can't make it into armor unless you want a knight who does nothing but stand around and die under his own weight.
Just follow the group and possibly loot if there's anything worth taking that isn't absurdly heavy.
Name: Garos Ellon
Description: Garos is a 4 feet moth-creature, with a black fur coating his body, the only different colors standing out on his form are located on his wings; blue circular marks that do give him two "eyes" on the back. Aside from the mask his kind naturally wears, he is also wearing a worn kettle helmet, which while doesn't provide the protection it normally should due to its current condition works like his lucky charm. The mask Garos wears is somewhat plain looking, all black aside from some blue marks along the "cheeks" and a crudely drawn star on the forehead area.
Goal: He is just hoping to gather himself a fortune and hopefully some fame too, just in case the hiring-and-shooting business becomes a necessity.
Stats
Str: 7
Dex: 12+2
Spe: 10+1
End: 8
Awa: 7
Cun: 13
Kno: 13
Ner: 10
Skills
Weapon Skill: 2
Stealth: 2
Acrobatics: 2
Defense Skill: 1
Inventory
(40)Ethral Rifle [7/7]
Silk Cloak
"Oh well." Vikkan shrugged, stood up on shaky legs and decided to join them since he probably wasn't that likely to die of bloodloss before they were done.
Search for something fairly safe to loot, like another crystal construct, and join in the looting. Might as well.
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.
He doesn't have a right hand.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.
StatsStr: 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 Book (Copy)
-Field Lighter
-Mail Shirt
-2 Fathoms
You both grab the crystal friend from Kara and use it to open doors until you find something outside a barrel and then return the little golem to her.
The room you open is a lot like the one you started in; clearly a personal room considering the bed and shelves and such, but there's a new object over in the corner; it looks like a trash can. Its square in shape, made of deep purple crystal, with walls about an inch thick and a hollow about the size of a human head; it could function as a very square, full head helmet if it had some eye holes in it. Instead it contained a shallow pool of foggy white...it looked like liquid, but cautious pokes and shakes of the square showed that it didn't seem to care about how its container moved: it always stayed at the bottom, churning slightly.
Author
Topic: DIG: Heresy (Read 410567 times)