...Argh. Can't just wait this out. I can't. It wouldn't be right.
Grab a revolver from the loot pile and follow Kara up. I can ask permission once we're all safe.
I'm told that I should knowledge check re: what happens when we shoot Moku in the heart and/or brain, despite not really being there yet.
Also, figure out where that portal leads. Telazch? An artifact realm? Moku's body? Something else? Would it be safe to enter?
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: 8
Dex: 12
Spe: 10
End: 9
Awa: 7
Cun: 15
Kno: 13
Ner: 11
Skills:
SKILL 1
Weaponsmith 2
Diving 2
Pistol 1
Bore 1
Translate 1
Stealth 1
Inventory:
Silk cloak
Copper mask
1 Fathom
Well then you head in and join the rest of the people Gawking at the extremely naked Moku. Nothing is more naked than exposed organs after all.
[3]
You're pretty sure that killing Moku will collapse this fragile magical alignment that's keeping the portal open. As per where it leads, its probably not a sphere; if you had to guess its something akin to an Relic vision, albeit one that seems to have a purpose. Whether or not it would be safe to enter is totally beyond you, no way to know without trying.
Try and wake up to my new flesh hell.
Name: Moku Youkou
Race: Abomination Shang-GeiDescription: 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 many tongues have been replaced with metal tendrils that sneak in and out of her mouth when she is not paying attention.
Goal: To "find" her mate.
Stats:Strength: 10
Dexterity: 9
Speed: 9
Endurance: 10
Awareness: 12
Cunning: 12
Knowledge: 11
Nerve: 6 (temp -7)Skills:Medical: +2
Machine Control: +1
Electronics: +1
Mechanical: +1
Armorsmith: +1
Occult: +1
Diving: +1
Stealth: +1
Animal Handling: +1
Inventory:
I'll tell you now that if they don't do something to return you to how you were, you're effectively dead. You may want to get a new character together if you don't wanna wait for their overcautious asses to spend 10 turns poking you with a stick.
Go to the control room and print out a map. Write down the information and finish the transaction.
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: 11
Spe: 10
End: 11
Awa: 11
Cun: 12
Kno: 11
Ner: 11
Skills:
Explosives 2
Mechanical 1
Survival 1
Caving 1
Chemical 2
Geology 1
1 Skill point
Inventory:
Dynamo Lantern
Field Lighter
3 TNT
Bladed Shovel (Cut 3)
Mail Shirt
5 Fathoms
Stone and crystal samples (including a diamond, black opals, quartz and goldlace marble)
Crystal box of golem limbs
Golem buddy
Black Flame (Cut 3)
[11]
You copy the bore's recorded map onto a sheet of vellum and then carefully annotate it with your outright lies. You take the map and the samples back to the jeweler. You hand both over and he hands back 4, 100 fathom coins.
Once I gather the gist of what’s going on, I’ll take action. Guard the exit to the bore. Don my mail shirt and have both the short sword and the revolver at the ready.
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. She wears a mail shirt underneath her clothes.
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:11
Dex:11
Spe:11
End:10
Awa:11
Cun:12
Kno:10
Ner:11
Skills
Weapon smith (3)
Mechanical (2)
Lucky Shot (1)
1 unassigned
Inventory
Mail shirt
Crystal cutting utility knife (free to borrow)
7 Octahedrons
5 Large branches of crystalline lead
Lucky Shot (6 rounds)
Short sword
Field Lighter
10 Path Markers
2 units mechanical junk
2 mechanical arms, wrapped up all pretty with a bow
140 fathoms
You gear up and get ready for whatever comes next.
Get in the Bore, put the corpse somewhere safe, and stare at whatever Moku’s turned into.
”Woah. What is that? I want one!”
Name: Lan’Ra Ollin
Description:
Ethral: Scholarly Moths prone to shyness and mask wearing. Able to glide and ignore falls, come with mask.
Gray, 4 arms, proboscis, slight hairiness
Doesn’t like speaking
Goals:
To learn everything about the occult, and also summon some friends, cause people from here aren’t all that easy to talk to(it’s really scary!)
Str:7
Dex:12
Spe:10
End:8
Awa:7
Cun:13
Kno:13
Ner:10
Skills:
Occult: +3
Stealth: +2
Diving: +1
Money: 20 fathoms
Inventory:
Generic balaclava(mask)
Self made Grimoire, half filled with some occult stuff
Candles
Quill
Field lighter
Empyrean needle(rituals)
Chalice(for liquids. To drink. Not from sacrifices, dummy!)
28 rounds of rifle ammo
35 rounds of revolver ammo
You're already in the bore and you already saw moku, as covered last turn, so I'll just have you put the body down in a nearby room.
Just remain near the bore with his rifle ready just in case whatever is causing trouble inside comes out.
"Can anyone explain what is going on there? Do we have an intruder?"
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: 8
Dex: 14
Spe: 12
End: 8
Awa: 8
Cun: 13
Kno: 13
Ner: 10
Level up: +STR, +SPD, +END, +AWA
Skills
Level up: +1 point to use(not using for now)
Rifle: 2
Stealth: 2
Acrobatics: 2
Heavy Armor: 1
Inventory
(40)Ethral Rifle [7/7]
Silk Cloak
Crystal key golem
You stand guard, prodding small stones with your toe, bored.
AsHul requests information regarding how to join the Travelers' Guild,
(Edit: he'll also examine the contract carefully and ask for clarification regarding "hazards" and other pertinent information like appearance of the relic, known info concerning the origin of the ruins - what they used to be, who probably used them, etc)
thanks the member for their time,
and then heads to a mechanical brain shop to get information on his brass ball (I assume the Bore manufacturers would be the best starting place for this).
Edit: If he meets Ti's character there and she communicates with him, he'll talk with her.
Name: AsHul
Description:Former human. Awful, ugly, indifferent
Goal:To find God
Stats
Str:10 Dex:9 Spe:9 End:11 Awa:12 Cun:11 Kno:11 Ner:16 (currently at -1)
Skills
Diving: 3
Animal Handling: 2
Survival: 1
(one skill point from level-up unspent)
Inventory
Relic Fragment
Black Book (copy)
1 Silent Night - calming. gives advantage on diving rolls
3 Worm Blood - steadies nerves (restores to max)
2 Occult Junks
3 Fathoms (One magnetically welded to the wall of his room in the Bore, one "shiny," one standard)
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]
his former bomb collar -made of something like demagnetized neodymium.
Notes: Empyrean: Deep Walker Leon is a church official who can place characters in positions within the church. Contact referred by the church squad who killed our captors.
Anvil: Local parish: currently looking for 8 to do a communal vision with a minor relic to extract the relic core.
Travellers' Guild: group that is main source of relics for local parish. Business is usually done exclusively with guild members.
Righteous Fury: radio station, but has positive relationship with the church.
Apparently joining the traveller's guild is a pretty ritual heavy process; the man drones on about it in exaggerated fashion for a while. What you're able to extract is that it involves finding and obtaining a relic on your own, without their help but with their knowledge (To prevent you from just buying one) and then presenting it to them.
The man clarifies very little, stating only that the hazards are living creatures. He seems to pause when he says living through, as though trying to think of a better way to put it.
You head out to the boreyards and the shops clustered around the bases of the huge construction frames. You find one dedicated to mechanical brains and bring the orb in. You explain to the man that you got it from a dive and that it appears to be some manner of mechanical brain but you're not sure what. You ask if he can figure it out for you. He says he will, in exchange for 10 fathoms and some time.
Auft takes her time sizing up her options. This was an important decision.
"How do you feel about being just another piece of meat?" she cheerfully asks the group.
Prod possible slaves for reactions.
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: 8
Dex: 13
Spe: 10
End: 8
Awa: 8
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
[1 Skill Point]
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. Can be trained in simple commands via clear hand signals, bops, and repetition.
2 quarter-inch cubes of impossibly heavy black stuff: Estimated 50 lbs weight total
Weregild IOU because the stonepope is nice
You get gruff and defiant growls and retorts from everyone save for the two young lovers who remain quiet and look away from you. Bingo.
moar actions, because I'm an impatient moistboi:
1. Thank the Chthonic GOD that I'm not on the bore right now.
2. Sell the crystals on a stick for 15 fathoms.
3. Ask following of occult lady:"So, A trade of 100 fathoms and an object, and then you choose an object for to give me in return that follows the laws of similarity, have I got that right? Is there a limit to what constitutes such an object, or objects you will not accept? Like, hypotethical example, what if I bring you a corpse? Also, I don't suppose you accept GTA credit in your store?
How terribly rude of me, asking all of these questions without introducing myself. My name is Clate. I hope you'll forgive the social faux-pas, your shop has my giddy with curiosity."
4. Tell these GTA boreyard salesmen that it's nice and all that GTA credit goes 10% further than regular fathoms, but since our team fund is all regular fathoms that doesn't really do much for me. Try again to get them to give us a discount on our rather sizeable bore upgrades using all of my Shlucky charms (and maybe the persuasion skill?). Make it clear to them that I'm looking for a one-time bulk purchase discount, and not like a contract that gives me a discount in every GTA store or anything.
5. Can I get a price check on crystal babies? Be sure to go to the travellers and inquire there. The babies I'm letting them take a look at for the price check are the rolling dodecahedron, the strandbeest and the weird triangle thing.
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: 11
Spe: 9
End: 10
Awa: 10
Cun: 16 (+3)
Kno: 12
Ner: 11
Skills (1 point unused)
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 Pseudomagnetic mortar
TNT x3
Dynamo lantern
Field lighter
Path markers x10
8 Octahedrons - supposedly replicate materials
2 gold cubes
1 container of Pseudomagnetic mortar
labradorite/Obedience rod
Slate box with multicolour crystal toothpick - supposedly turns someone into a gemperson.
Metal spike with gems on it - apparently some sort of crystal people fashion item.
Spool of thermoreactive wire.
7 structural junk
30 chemical junk
5 Fathoms
Crystal Babies
1. Dodecahedron, no limbs, rolls. Fist sized.
2. 8 sided diamond (looks like Ramiel from EVA and floats). 8 inches to an edge
3. Crystal snake. hiss. 18 inches long.
4. Spiky daddy long legs like Irony has. 1 foot legs, fist sized body.
5. Thing looks like (see pic). about 8 inches to a side.
6. Thing that looks like a Strandbeest. Foot long, 8 inches high.
7. Wheel sort of thing that has a fat inside edge and tapers to a sharp edge on the outside. Foot and a half in diameter.
1. Thanked.
2.Sold
3. She waves a hand when asked about limits, languid and disinterested. Asking about GTA credit gets you a smile that makes your skin crawl. She nods slightly and intones your name in precisely the same way you said it, as though locking it in her memory.
4.They offer a 15% bulk discount...assuming you spend at least 1000 fathoms with them.
5. In order, highest bidders, 90, 85, and 90 again.
Try to find one of the religious members of the group (like AsHul, Adam, etc.) that aren't inside of the bore and cling to them for protection.
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: 8
Dex: 12
Spe: 11
End: 9
Awa: 7
Cun: 13
Kno: 13
Ner: 13
Skills:
Diving: 3
Caving: 1
Navigation: 1
Survival: 1
Translate: 1
(1 Skill Point.)
Inventory:
The Black Book (Real)
Black Flame
Bag of Path Markers
Silk Aspirant Gray Robes
Purple Mask
You cling to Adam, since he happens to be around, though he's also very close to the Moku room so...probably comes out about even in terms of comforting vs terrifying.
"I think it's a diving-related incident." Vikkan replied to Garos as he returned with a gun and took position outside the bore. "We'll go in if called but for the moment just stand here and prepare to shoot anything horrible coming out. Damn it, why did Kara stay inside? She's already lost far too much."
Get a gun, wait a safe distance outside the bore and overwatch against any possessed abominations or monsters.
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: 11
Dex: 11
Spe: 10
End: 11
Awa: 13
Cun: 10
Kno: 11
Ner: 11
Skills (1 point unspent)
+3 Vehicle (Bore)
+2 Navigation
+1 Defense (Mail Shirt)
Inventory-Conductor's Clothes
-Dynamo Lantern
-Black Book (Copy)
-Field Lighter
-Mail Shirt
-2 Fathoms
-Neck chain (that used to hold a black flame that actually never existed)
-Black Flame
1 Mission and counting
Level 0: +3 Awareness
Level 1: +1 Str, Dex, End, Kno, Ner. 1 skill point unused.
You walk out and join Garos, kicking rocks. Oh and guarding. That too.
I meet up with Clate or AsHul at the GTA offices, looking to join a bore crew
Her first memories were of ice, and light, then of loud thunder, and flood.
Cara was found underground, underwater, entombed in frigid ice, and armored in ancient metal. She was found and named by fishermen, working near and for the town of Anvil. She somehow found that she knew a lot of things, but did not place where they were tied to, or who they were tied to; she was familiar with the stone, the people, and her tomb. They were all durable, in differing degrees, and she felt they were all important, even if she did not think the word at the time.
As the days passed, she noticed that she was different from the people around her. She did not need much sleep at all, or food, or many other needs that others were free to partake in. She also saw that she could engage in the work they did, and some, in the work they had difficulty doing, after learning their ideas and language; she was curious to do more.
Cara was given gifts by the fishermen, and she felt grateful. She knew what gratefulness was, even if the time she spent with the fishermen was in total silence; listening to their voices, stories, and questions was something to appreciate. She could feel sound, touch color, and sense the weight of the stone around her. Cara was given a name--from the talisman on her helmet when read back to her. She could somehow understand many things as if she had just awoken from a deep sleep. And so she shared her story--or what she knew--to them; she was told she had a warm, calming voice.
The town of Anvil was the nearest location. It was a major hub of people like the ones she met. People were curious and amazing creatures, and she felt like she wanted to belong with more of them.
Name: Custodia; nicknamed "Cara"
Description: Cara is a humanoid, fully covered in worn, rusted armor--mistaken for a living being if it were not for her mask, which comprises two eye slits and a pristine-looking talisman which covers the nasal area to the chin; inscribed on the margins of the mask is a saying of a rite to the dead, and the talisman bears a top-down inscription written in a different dialect. A weathered flag-holder is masterfully clinched to the back of her torso, with its flag only in shreds and tatters, although it is gilded with a trim.
Goal: Intrigued by the doctrine of the Tenebrous Church, her goal is to discover what lies on the surface--to investigate in their own terms what lies beyond, and to ensure that their companions do not meet as harsh an end as is preached.
Stats
Str: 14
Dex: 8
Spe: 10
End: 14 + 3 = 17
Awa: 10
Cun: 8
Kno: 6
Ner: 10
Skills
Armorsmith +1
Geology +1
Medical +1
Persuasion +1
Polearms +1
Translate +1
Navigation +1
Shield User +1
Acrobatics +1
Survival +1
Inventory: (3d20 + 20 // 24 + 20)
Travelled Clothing
Black Flame
Rubber Suit
Worm Blood (x2)
AsHul said to talk with you, so talk with you he will.
"I think it's a diving-related incident." Vikkan replied to Garos as he returned with a gun and took position outside the bore. "We'll go in if called but for the moment just stand here and prepare to shoot anything horrible coming out. Damn it, why did Kara stay inside? She's already lost far too much."
Ach Mein Gott, will we ever be rid of these reckless ones? Drett mutters under his breath, shaking his head and asjudting his mask while he hoists his rifle, safety re-enabled.
Do not worry, she is my patient, he says to Vikkan, I will do everything in my power to keep her whole and well. I do wish there was something I could do for her arm, but I have heard of... Complications, when such is attempted on willing sacrifices. He shakes his head again, sighing, I apologize, I tend to ramble under stress.
Rifle up and ready to shoot at anything that isn't a fellow boresman that comes out.
Drett Medizin, Ethral- Str: 08
- Dex: 12
- Spe: 11
- End: 08
- Awa: 08
- Cun: 14
- Kno: 15
- Ner: 10
SKILLS:- Medical +2
- Biological +2
- Mechanical +1
- Chemical +1
- Occult +1
- Archeology +1
- Free Points: 1
INVENTORY:- Ethral Rifle [7/7]
- Doctor's Bag x1
- Field Lighter x1
- Cave Spider Venom x5
- Fathoms x10
You, Garos, and Vikkan start kicking rocks in a triangle. You begin to talk about starting some sort of rock kicking league, maybe getting some rules set up. This is all going so fast!
"Kara," Nyw says, slowly and calmly "Please shoot the heart. Now. If you do not, I will destroy it myself. The lizard will not recover from this. It may harm us. It cannot enjoy this hellish state. It must be ended, for our sakes and its own."
Ask Kara to shoot the heart. If she doesn't try, and the thing doesn't seem to be ended by some other effect, wonder whether throwing a melee weapon rolls on strength. If so, throw the cleaver at the heart. If not, touch left hand to the floor, and if unharmed, march in and slash the heart manually, skirting around the edge of the reality tear.
Edit: *sigh*. Wait for the diver to know roll up what the proper course of action is, and only do the above if he agrees. I suppose Nyw might as well roll Knowledge too, he does have a 30% chance of success. Bodyblock the door in case something dangerous does happen, but don't enter unless it's necessary.
Name: Nyw'geuq Otin Sunam; calls himself "The Lords' Child"
Description:
((Only one murakumo, but hey! Dual wielding them is stupid anyway. Possibly also impossible, very soon.))
Goal: Inscrutable, which is code for "Keeping the peace".
Stats:Str:14
Dex:8
Spe:10
End:14
Awa:14
Cun:8
Kno:7
Ner:10
Skills:Unarmed: +1
Defense Skill: +3 (Full Plate)
Vehicle Skill: +1
Caving: +1
Navigation: +1
Inventory:
Full Plate Armor [Protective 4]
Crystal Murakumo [Cut 6, Pierce 3, Fragile]
Ornamental Mask of the Child
A hooked cleaver
Two knives (prolly left on the ground)
An ethral rifle (prolly left on the ground)
"There is a mind in there, maintaining the dive. End the diver, end the dive. Unless," Nyw turns to look at Adam "The Chthonic knows something more?"
"I must admit he has really outdone himself in the possession department, it seems unlikely we'll be able to rescue him from this state. But please, at least grant me but a moment to reflect on his condition before you open fire, lest we forego a chance at saving him... or even end up making things worse somehow."
Reflect on the... thing that I'm seeing here. Is there still a chance to save the diver? Would destroying the organs spread out here (eg shooting the heart or something) stop this possession and close the portal? Or could that make things worse? Does it seem like there's a time limit of some sorts here?
Added my lvl-up to sheet (thanks, and 'thanks', Ozarck ). Also added those things from the lootpile to my sheet and edited the wiki.
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: 11
End: 10
Awa: 11
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 soldier chestplate
1 ethral rifle
1 minor artifact
1 beaker artifact (found in crystal ruins)
1 black book copy
1 black flame
1 Silent Night
5 worm blood
1 field lighter
17 fathoms
(loaned 6 fathoms to aigre)
1 crystal construct
1 unspent skillpoint
First of all, hand out payments in case I don't make it. Don't want to lose 2000 fathoms in Moku's butt.
Wiellste : 70 fathoms
Lokam : 30 fathoms
Drett : 140 fathoms
Auft : 80 fathoms
AsHul: 150 fathoms
Kara: 30 fathoms
Moku: 0 fathoms
Nyw: 80 fathoms Doesn't want payment
Alex: 60 fathoms
Harm: 50 fathoms
Garos: 50 fathoms
Vikkan: 140 fathoms
Adam: 60 fathoms
Clate: 100 fathoms + bonus if he does well with bore upgrades
Aigresaur: 30 fathoms
Sum: 1000 fathoms
The rest will be used by Clate/Vikkan for bore upgrades.
That done, join in on Adam's reflecting. In addition to his questions, ask myself if it would be better to burn Moku or shoot her or use some other method of removing her from the bore.
Can I see the artifact fragment Moku used to dive anywhere? If yes, could I shoot it from where I am?
Take aim and be ready to shoot the heart. If Nyw still believes we should shoot it now, then do so. Better for me to shoot it then for him to stab it from up close.
Don't enter the room or touch anything coming out of the room under any circumstances.
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).
StatusSacrificed left arm to reverse time (eaten by giant Shluck-like thing). Bandaged and given spider venom for the pain.
StatsStr:9
Dex:13
Spe:13
End:7
Awa:12
Cun:10
Kno:12
Ner:11
Skills1 unspent
Rifle: 1
Medical: 1
Translate: 1
Acrobatics: 1
Caving: 1
Machine Control: 1
Stealth: 1
Geology: 1
Archeology: 1
Navigation: 1
Inventory2000 fathoms (in 1000 denomination, hidden under shirt)
Church Documents (document ownership and events, and recommend favorable treatment)
Bomb collar (unlocked)
Bomb collar remote
Ethral Rifle (rifle 3, pierce 3) 7/7
Crystal Friend
Field Lighter (Fire 2)
Simple Clothes (no shirt)
Crystal Tablets (diary, inventory, obedience rod instructions, construct assembly instructions)
Kara's Diary
Follow Kara into the Bore. If she shoots at any abominations, we shoot at what she's shooting at.
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
[18][10][13]
Adam and Kara and Nyw all think carefully about the situation and after a few minutes come to the conclusion that while it might be possible to save Moku using some counter-diving, the chances of another horrible mistake or some sort of magnifying effect are too high. The artifact shard used to dive can't be seen anywhere and everyone is pretty positive that shooting the heart or the brain would be a good way to end the dive or whatever this is. On Nyw's prompting, Kara takes a carefully aimed shot at Moku's heart while Aigresaur fires a cloud of pellets into Moku's brain. Both shots strike true and the portal flickers for a moment before winking out and the viscera coating the walls and ceiling falls to the ground, siding off the wall with a slick and sticky noise. Blood pools evenly out across the room.