"I do say my friend," Ozwald turns to Steve, his voice a southern debonair drawl. Looking him up and down, nodding satisfied to be in the company of a fashionable and glib tongued individual then offers him a hand in greeting "I am impressed, names Ozwald J. Hamond. Might I say it is a pleasure to meet a gentleman of equal tastes." if he takes it he'll find the 50 he needs to pay for the suit.
Steve firmly accepts the handshake "Likewise my friend! I'm glad I was able to assist you in pertaining something even remotely fashionable within this wasteland, after all a gentlemen should always look his part at least that's what my uncle always told me! Anyway once your done procuring your outfit come have a seat with me near the patio I feel we have much we can glean from each others insights and I always enjoy a nice talking partner to pass the time before a venture properly begins."
Go sit down at the nearest half decent looking table and wait.
Name: Steve Goldwin
Appearance: Steve is a standard human with short brown hair wearing his favorite pair of gold trimmed shades and a grey business suit he likes to wear almost 24/7.
Stats:
Strength: D6
Dexterity: D4
Endurance: D6
Speed: D6
Knowledge: D4
Wisdom: D6
Perception: D6
Charisma: D12
HP: 22
SP: 28
Weapons:
War Drum (Str/Cha)(d8/d12)
Armor:
Wearing armor at the cost of fashion?!?! Nonsense!
Carry Weight: 6
Items: 6/6
Whistle (1)
War Drum (300)
Oxygen Tank (100)
Specimen Container(30)
Small autocage(200)
Biogel x2 (200)
Money: 169 (Nice)
The nearest table is in the outdoor seating area of a nearby Restaurant, named "Deep Black Café". The tables and chairs are all clearly hand made from scrap metal but are actually fairly elegant for their rough origin. You pay 1 credit for a tea made with "local herbs" so that they don't kick you out for lounging around without paying. Time, with reference to the planet's day cycle, is a bit hard to tell. Late afternoon maybe? You peek out of under the fabric awning overhanging the seating area. The sun is past its zenith, though no telling how slowly it will trudge towards the horizon. Come to think of it you're not even sure this planet has days as you think of them. Nor the latitude of this dig site. For all you know this is the pole and the sun will never set. Hmm.
"I do say my friend," Ozwald turns to Steve, his voice a southern debonair drawl. Looking him up and down, nodding satisfied to be in the company of a fashionable and glib tongued individual then offers him a hand in greeting "I am impressed, names Ozwald J. Hamond. Might I say it is a pleasure to meet a gentleman of equal tastes." if he takes it he'll find the 50 he needs to pay for the suit.
Name: Ozwald J. HamondDescription: A tall, square shouldered man with a handsome face. Looks middle-aged with a few grey hairs in his short black hair kept clean-cut and proper like his goatee. One might think he looks like the devil himself, from old-time newspapers depicting Satan. A silly coincidence...He also wears some plain but well-kept clothes, a collared shirt with a pair of black dress pants and polished leather slacks.
Physical Stats
Strength: d4 Dexterity: d8 Endurance: d6 Speed: d6Mental Stats
Knowledge: d4 Wisdom: d10 Perception: d6 Charisma: d8
HP: 24/24SP: 28/28Inventory:-
Neurobridge-
Fragment of the Void- (x2)
Stimulants- (x1)
BiogelMoney: 100
(Not bolded so I'm not sure if this is an action. Are you saying to search for 50 credits? Or just pay the snakes? Uncertain.)
Name: Anton Barrick
Description: a generic human male.
Stats:
STR: d10
DEX: d8
END: d8
SPD: d8
KNO: d8
WIS: d6
PER: d8
CHA: d6
HP: 34
SP: 28
Carry: 4/10
Items:
Helmet (d6 armor, head only)
Therma-Ray (DEX) (d8)
Fragment of the void
Human bone prayer beads
Money:0
i head to the void temple
As you head down what the locals call "Iron Road" you eventually come across the small Void Watcher temple. The building, apparently constructed in the shell of some huge cylindrical electrical component, is little more than a shrine. It is a single large room with a magnetically contained fragment of Void floating in its center and three levels of metal benches welded to the bottom, middle and upper parts of the cylinder. The middle and upper seats are accessed by a ladder welded near the doorway and have a guard rail of sorts running in front of them to prevent worshipers from tumbling off. There are a few worshipers here now, scattered among the levels, all staring silently into the void. The room is surprisingly quiet, almost all noise from the outside is cut off and the only real sound is the soft hum of the containment system.
An elder watcher, distinguishable by his black attire and matching black eyes, is talking to a young man. You recognize that young man as one of the passengers aboard the ship you just departed.
"The voices that scream at me in my mind tell me I need this weapon."
Find out how much the Thermo-Lash is, if I can afford it buy it if I can't leave, but no matter if I can afford it or not once out of the shop head towards the giant engines.
Name: Hobo Bob
Description: A dirty man with unkempt hair and beard.
Strength: d8
Dexterity: d6
Endurance: d8
Speed: d6
Knowledge: d8
Wisdom: d6
Perception: d8
Charisma: d4
HP: 28/28
SP: 26/26
Weapons:
Therma-Ray (Dex) (d8)
Armour:
Helmet (d6 armor, protects only the head)
Industrial Tunic (d6 Armor, protects Torso and Abdomen)
Items: 5/8
Oxygen Tank
Arclamp
Therma-Ray (Dex) (d8)
Helmet (d6 armor, protects only the head)
Industrial Tunic (d6 Armor, protects Torso and Abdomen)
Money: 450
[3]
The man tells you the thermo-lash will cost you 1000. You know instinctively that's a freaking scam so you start haggling. In the end it costs you every credit to your name but you do manage to get the thermo-lash for 450.
Thermo-Lash: (End)(1d8, leaps to another enemy for d4 and then d2) Resembles a giant metal tuning fork jammed in the end of a rifle. It's a modified version of the energy tether used in zero g salvaging, this one burning with plasma and leaping to nearby targets instead of just tethering them together.
There are four giant engines (Check the Map on the OP), choose one.
Make my way to the Universal Survey building. Ask about any mapping efforts.
Name: Lorin Veritz
Appearance: A spindly man whose form nonetheless dominates a room with the ever-present addition of his Autoharness.
Stats:
Strength: D8
Dexterity: D8
Endurance: D4
Speed: D8
Knowledge: D10
Wisdom: D4
Perception: D4
Charisma: D4
HP: 28
SP: 22
Weapons:
Compression Blaster(Dex Xd8)
Mono-wire(Spd d10)
Armor:
None
Carry Weight: 8
Items:
Autoharness
Log Book
Specimen Container
Filament Gun
10 Filament Cartridges
Money: 0
The interior of the Universal Survey building is clean, brightly lit, and playing soft Muzak. Across a room filled with a sparse collection of stainless steel tables is a wall of individual kiosks. Each Kiosk is a small booth of what looks like glass enclosing a single person who is sitting at a glass desk and typing on a glass computer that appears to have barely visible glass innards. Next to the kiosk is some sort of large scanner which then leads to an automated metal door. You shrug and walk over to a random kiosk where a young man is typing away. He ignores you for several seconds to finish typing before then locking eyes with you through his glass computer screen. You ask him about mapping and he explains the following:
1. The Universal Survey corp will pay for map data of the interior of the Enigma just as they will pay for just about any data or samples from within.
2. Mapping data must be delivered in person.
3. Bounties for mapping are paid as a total and are independent of group size. If 1000 is the bounty, thats 1000 total, not 1000 to every member of the group.
4. The largest amounts are paid for information about entirely new areas, with lesser amounts paid for more exact detail from subsequent visits. Unless major changes occur, of course.
5. Deeper sections pay greater bounties.
Take a look at a couple of the busts.
Description: Young, mid twenties kid with skinny limbs and body. Ink enthusiast.
Strength d4
Dexterity d10
Endurance d6
Speed d10
Knowledge d4
Wisdom d6
Perception d6
Charisma d4
HP 30
SP 20
Filament Gun (100)
Death Ray (500)
Specimen Container (30)
Filament Cartridge (10)
Cash: 360
The busts are all precision made, probably laser cut, metal depictions of older men and women. Many have fairly evident scars, injuries, and cybernetic parts. One even has a completely mechanical head save for a clump of scalp and one eye. There are inscriptions under each bust which lay out a name and a set of dates. The dates are too close together to be the lifespan of the individuals, so they must have been the times these people held some kind of position. Guild leader maybe?
"Well, how about that. I admit, I didn't really admit seeing an, a, forest? Ecosystem? here. It looks interesting, it's hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh"
Hlaine suddenly stops walking, one side of his face drooping slightly, his arms limp at his side. He's sweating profusely, one eye starting to wander slowly. He looks very unhealthy, more so than usual.
Suddenly a violent shudder goes throughout his body, and he snaps back to normal.
"hhhhhhholy fuck. Oh dear, am I having an alergic reaction to the plants? Am I going into anaph, afanalec, that bad alergic shock? Quick, how do my pupils look?"
((10 hp lost, telekesis acquired))
Gambatta looks askance at his impromptu companion, something approaching concern in his eyes.
"Like they're in the middle of a desert. Maybe you should avoid the living stuff and stick to the bare metal regions.
As for me, I'm gonna have me a chat with the locals!"
Go strike up a conversation with the farmers. How's their day been? What do they do here? What sells on the animal front, and to who?
Name: Gambatta Ganyaro
Description: A kooky old man wearing an elaborate martial arts gi under his discount armor. As a proud grandfather and respected martial arts instructor, he's looking forward to retirement. His idea of retirement involves things you're not allowed to do when people are depending on you to be alive.
30/30 HP
24/24 SP
1d6 Strength
1d8 Dexterity
1d10 Endurance
1d6 Speed
-
1d6 Knowledge
1d6 Wisdom
1d6 Perception
1d6 Charisma
Items (5/6):
Industral Tunic (300): 1d6 Torso/Abdomen Armor
Helmet (50): 1d6 Head Armor
Human Bone Prayer Beads (300)
Galactic Slugger (150)
Small Autocage (200)
"Like they're in the middle of a desert. Maybe you should avoid the living stuff and stick to the bare metal regions.
As for me, I'm gonna have me a chat with the locals!"
"Yeah, yeah that might be a good idea. I'm going to go take a stroll, hopefully shake the pollen or whatever triggered my allergies off.
Let's find eachother again before we head into the enigma though, alright? We'd do best to stick together going deeper into the ship, who knows what dangerous crap is lurking down there."
We're at the overgrown engine right now, right? Go up towards the broken engine, see what the "more buildings?" in the square above is about.
Name: Hlaine Lockley Appearance: A rather haggard looking man somwhere in between his early 40's and late 50's, it's hard to tell. Of average height, his skin looks pale and slightly sickly. He's a thin, wiry sort. He wears his hair shoulder length parted in the middle, and has a permanent unkempt beard going on. He wears a faded industrial overall, patched in a few places and the logo of the original company no longer legible, along with a pair of battered work boots and an old synthplas helmet. Strength: d4
Dexterity: d6
Endurance: d6
Speed: d6
Knowledge: d8
Wisdom: d8
Perception: d8
Charisma: d8
HP:13/22 SP:32/32 armour:Helmet: (d6 armor, protects only the head) A synthplas helmet in bright orange.
weapons:Therma-Ray: (Dex) (d8)
Items: Nim’s Parasite
- Telekinesis: (kno), requires line of sight, current max weight 300lbs, d4 SP activation
Bait:(Kno) x3
Log Book: (Kno) (
journal)
Arclamp
Stimulant: Recover d10 SP.
Biogel: Recover d10 HP.
Gambatta and Hlaine head north, traveling along the edge of the overgrown area until they reach the people gathering plants. They're not farmers, at least not really; they didn't grow any of these plants themselves they're just gathering the plants that grew here naturally. Gambatta strikes up a conversation with an older man who is sitting on the edge of the autocage, taking a break. According to this older man the plants here are all leeching off the energy from the engine, and they're harvesting the plants as food for "Vernierville", the town to the north of here. Apparently these are native plants that survived mostly on sunlight before but are growing massive under the energy they can gather from the engine. The engines still fire fairly often, but there's always energy running through them whether they're firing or not. Its why the engine north of here is a hazard even when its not "erupting".
When asked about animals, he says that they probably want to talk to the Universal Survey company up in town, unless they mean to gather critters and sell them to the prospectors or the locals.
"Dad, everything is so big. Was this really a ship?"
Advance into the jungle ahead of Kendar. Keep Kendar safe. Watch for anything threatening him, slash it apart, take a hit for him if I can.
Clear a path through the plants with the monoblade or thermal ray if necessary.
Name: Xeriay Jattle
Appearance: A short and thin teenage girl, with hair bleached grey by the light of a harsh sun. The backs and palms of her hands are tattooed with eyes, and her arms with blades. Doesn't like to talk and jumps at unexpected sounds. She was recruited by a paramilitary cult from a young age and honed her skill with a blade until she was rescued by her adoptive father.
Strength: d6
Dexterity: d8
Endurance: d6
Speed: d10
Knowledge: d4
Wisdom: d8
Perception: d6
Charisma: d4
HP: 30/30
SP: 22/22
Armor: d6 head-torso-abdomen
Inventory 6/6
Mono-razor: (Spd) (Spd Roll, breaks on 1)
Therma-Ray: (Dex) (d8)
Biogel: (Recover d10 HP)
Arclamp: (Provides bright omnidirectional light.)
Helmet: (d6 armor, protects Head)
Industrial Tunic: (d6 Armor, protects Torso and Abdomen)
Follow the explorers into the jungle with my deathray at the ready
Name: Terra Iris
Appearance: A stocky, brooding woman with dark hair and darker eyes
Stats:
Strength: D8
Dexterity: D10
Endurance: D10
Speed: D4
Knowledge: D4
Wisdom: D4
Perception: D4
Charisma: D4
HP: 32
SP: 16
Weapons:
Deathray (dex xd10)
Armor:
Helm (d6 head)
Tunic (d6 body and abdomen)
Carry Weight: 8
Items:
Deathray
Arklamp
Biogel
Industrial Tunic
Helmet
Money: 0
Kander sighs as he looks sidelong at Hlaine. He shakes his head, then looks up at the towering wall of overgrowth in front of him.
"Well, kiddo, here we are. The area out here is too exposed, most that's worthwhile will have already been picked clean. Let's try and find a way inside. The best artifacts will be deep."
Head into the jungle, and search for an entrance inside the engine, or the Enigma in general. Keep the logbook out, and chart our progress.
Name: Kander Jattle
Appearance: A heavily built middle aged man with a gentle look in his eyes, that contrasts with a silver scar on the right side of his face which runs from his temple to his chin. He's a veteran of a relatively minor uprising on a border planet, during which time he worked as a low level field officer. He retired most of a decade ago after a severe head injury, and has been living comfortably and quietly off of his earnings from service. He's enjoyed his quiet life, and isn't eager to go on dangerous adventures... but he was more or less begged to go on this expedition by his adoptive daughter, who was a child soldier he rescued during his military service.
Stats:
Str: d8
Dex: d4
End: d4
Spd: d4
Kno: d8
Wis: d4
Per: d8
Cha: d10
HP: 20/20
SP: 30/30
Items: 8/8
War Drum (1d8 str, 1d12 Cha Buff)
Small Autocage
Autoharness
Arclamp
Oxygen Mask + Tank
Oxygen Mask + Tank
Liquidoplas Bomb
Logbook
3* Filament Cartridges (Giver to Maxwell Hardberger)
Go deeper into the forest, trusting that my knowledge and charisma will protect and help me, hoping to find some cool things
Xeriay, Terra, Kander, and (No sheet) push deeper into the overgrown area. They quickly discover a rough footpath and follow it through the increasingly gigantic foliage. Its clear that people have been out this way before from the cut foliage and the boot prints in the sand. The even come across the remains of what look like old hunting camps, now abandoned. The creatures here seem skittish and scatter at your approach, usually not seen as more than a blur and rustle of leaves. The only creatures that don't run are those too large to care or too slow to actually sprint away. The most interesting of these looks like a sandy colored praying mantis with four forelimbs that snips bits of leaves and plants with its pincers and delicately pops them in its mandibles. Its roughly the size of a giraffe and watches the group carefully as they move past, its limbs still carrying food to its mouth while its huge compound eyes trace the team's movement.
Eventually, as the plants become simply outrageous in size, the team runs up against the outer wall of the engine. They can't actually see much of the engine from their current vantage point though; the leaves here are over 6 meters long and they've been spending most of their time just shoving through them. Its like digging a tunnel through the foliage and they can see little above or around them. The outer wall of the engine is a smooth slab of metal with no distinguishing features or marks. It seems to be vibrating very very slightly though.