"I like this new gun, I must find something to use it on as the voices DEMAND!"
Embark on my quest for murder by heading towards the overgrown engine.
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)
Thermo-Lash: (End)(1d8, leaps to another enemy for d4 and then d2)
Armour:
Helmet: (d6 armor, protects only the head)
Industrial Tunic: (d6 Armor, protects Torso and Abdomen)
Items: 6/8
Oxygen Tank
Arclamp
Therma-Ray: (Dex) (d8)
Helmet: (d6 armor, protects only the head)
Industrial Tunic: (d6 Armor, protects Torso and Abdomen)
Thermo-Lash: (End)(1d8, leaps to another enemy for d4 and then d2)
Money: 0
You head east, towards the overgrown engine, weaving between the Guild's buildings until you reach the edge of the camp. For the first few hundred feet from the camp there's nothing but sand and the occasional exposed bit of alien metal. However, further east a carpet of small plants appears. These plants are not a single homogenous group; instead there are dozens or even hundreds of varieties. Many resemble ferns or succulents, with either many thin, frond like leaves or thick geometric shaped bulbs. They are almost all at least partially metallic red in color with secondary vivid oranges, yellows, black and even shimmering diamond dust white. Here, on the outer edge, they're tiny and huddled close to the ground, but the closer one gets towards the engine, the larger they become. Those at the base of the engine are, you estimate, big enough to build a house inside while the ones actually clinging to the engine itself are even larger than that. What starts as a thin coating of plant life becomes a dense jungle nearer to the base of the engine.
Among this vegetation you can see several interesting things. First, to the north, they can see what looks like maybe a dozen or so people gathering plants and loading them onto a giant autocage they've apparently retrofitted for this purpose. You can just make out two of the people from your cargo ship over there. Second, this jungle is not inhabited only by would-be farmers: alien life of all kinds seems to inhabit it. You see bird like insects circling, dozens of hexapod...things crossing as a herd in the distance, and even something enormous moving through the denser parts. And finally, on the giant plants that cling to the engine and directly around it you notice an odd luminescence. Its almost like there's light pulsing through the plants like blood through tissue. Its quite difficult to see in the bright sun, but its still vaguely there.
Steve looks at his watch "Hmm."
Keep waiting
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 tea is pretty good but there's a strange metallic taste to it that you can't quite ignore. Hmm. You sit back and rest your head in your hands, staring up at the red sky through the fabric of the awning.
"I'll be with you in a moment." Ozwald tells Steve before turning to hand the 50 credits to the snakeman and looks around to find anything of interest while waiting for the suit to be made.
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: 50
[2]
The snakeman...if snakes can be men....pulls a length of unmarked cord from somewhere and rapidly measures you. It shouts these measurements through the half open door to the back of the shop as it makes them. I then asks for colors you'd prefer and the order. Judging from the other clothing around here, 2 to 4 colors would be the norm. You consider the colors and ask how long it will take to make. The snake, turning the translator back on, tells you it will take about an hour.
As the snake measures you, you look around the Iron Road for something that catches your interest but...nothing really does. Food, weapons, more clothing, its all things you have already.
"I was wondering if you were acceptingnew disciples for training?" Jim says, keeping his voice low to not disturb the worshippers.
talk with the watcher
stat points: 0
Name: Jim
Appearance: a young and wiry looking man
Strength: d8
Dexterity: d10
Endurance: d6
Speed: d8
Knowledge: d6
Wisdom: d4
Perception: d6
Charisma: d4
HP: 32/32
SP: 20/20
Armor:
Helmet (d6 Head)
Tunic (d6 abdomen and torso)
Weapons:
Therma-ray (Dex)(d8)
Items:8?/8
Fragment of the void
Therma-ray
Helmet
Arc-Lamp
Log Book
Specimen Container
Filament Gun (loaded with filament container)
Websilk Tunic (logo of favorite sportsball team)
Money: 90
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 walk up behind my teammate and wait respectfully for the old guy to notice me. when/if he does, i ask hem this question: "hello? i have a void shard. how do i use it?"
Seeing that Jim is talking about roughly the same thing he wanted to ask about, Anton joins him next to the Elder Watcher.
"Ah yes." The watcher says, apparently a bit disappointed, "I suppose its only natural for you to seek the power and knowledge to survive here. I know only one movement of the style, which I can teach to pilgrims who wish to learn. However, if you are true devotees you should travel to Vernierville," He gestures over his shoulder to the northeast, "There is a full temple there and a master who can teach you. He teaches most who seek it but...he also kills some. "
Ask the receptionist about the guild and guild services.
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 receptionist, who is just as icy as her appearance suggests, tells you that the guild offers only minimal services for non-members. And it offers them at a cost. It appears the Guild views "Prospectors" - she says the word with evident disgust- as parasitic vermin running about chaotically with no real regard for the enormity of the work. They do not offer protection, they do not offer access to their armor nor their weaponry. What they do offer is water at the hydrogen still to the north west of here, labor for those who need money, and bounties for criminals and miscreants. They also sell "Universal Translators" and "Books of Doctrine". Beyond that, they sell the salvage from the ship to large brokers.
As per the history of the guild and its beliefs, she suggests you either buy a Book of Doctrine OR join. She says she doesn't have time to be giving history lessons to every scrounger who wanders in. You look around after she says this. You're the only one here, and you're pretty sure she was just staring into space beforehand...Such friendly folks round here.
"Cheers then, I'll be taking you up on that."
Head out towards the Intact Engine.
You leave the way you came, heading back out the cargo box tunnel and into the desert. The winds outside town are stronger and filled with blinding sand. You trudge northwest, towards the towering engine in the distance.
You decide to skirt around the Steel Pit as you head west: The broken engine to the north looks to be a plain of burnt sand and fused glass leading to the smoldering red hot engine in the distance. Not the type of place to cross lightly. As you head west, you get a good look at the giant thing the lies between the broken engine and the intact engine. At first you mistake it for some sort of huge piece of debris, a twisted mass of scrap torn free during the crash. However, as you grow closer you see it's actually some sort of colossal machine. It appears humanoid, though its a bit difficult to tell. It seems to be sitting, holding its knees to its chest with its arms wrapped around its legs; a sort of "cannon ball" pose. Its monotone color and tightly squeezed body makes it difficult to pick out details, but it seems to have a cycloptic head, long arms ending in heavy pods with thick fingers radiating out from them, and a bristling array of...things you think might be weapons rising from its back like the pipes of a pipe organ.
This sleeping
War Machine has at least two dozen Guild structures erected near it and there are low scaffolds built up around its feet and up to its waist. Judging from those structures and the distant specks of people on them the War Machine, if it were to stand up, wouldn't be quite as tall as the engines around it...but it wouldn't be much shorter.
To the West is another huge vernier, like the one Vernierville is built in, but this one has been claimed by the guild. They've built a strange forest of metal palm trees: Metal trunks rising up to branching chrome fronds like organic radiator manifolds. Pipes from these "trees" run to unknown buildings and spherical holding tanks near the base of the vernier. These buildings in turn send even larger pipes up and over the lip of the vernier, into a contained space created by a geodesic dome of synthplast that covers the entire mouth of the vernier. You can see, along the north facing side of the vernier, a smaller structure around which many people are gathered. From here you can't make out much, but they're not guildsmen and you think most aren't even human.
Finally you approach the intact engine. As you would expect, its plate metal exterior is impregnably opaque and hides any details or discoveries that might lie within. It is a colossal black box to you, with your equipment, and offers little in the way of interest. However, there is one chink in the armor: gathered around the base of the engine is what looks like a small village of locals. You assume they are locals by the fact that they have erected a cluster of red, orange, and white cloth tents and similar structures. Its a far cry from Vernierville in terms of complexity and resilience but might have a larger population. As you get closer still you notice what the village is built around. It looks like a giant glass lightbulb, a clear bulbous structure with a metallic base. The bulb is laying on its side, surrounded by tents and sand so that only the upper 2/3rds or so is visible. You cannot tell what it is from this distance but it looks...more complex than you'd expect this tent city to be able to manufacture on their own. And whats more interesting is the fact that it is "plugged" straight into the side of the engine. The metal plates have been slid aside and the bulb inserted onto the black machinery within.
Thank the old timer, try to find this universal survey thingy in Vernierville.
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)
"Excuse me sir, might I ask a question before we leave?"
Ask the old man if he can tell us what's around the broken engine to the north. Als ask if he knows what's in the top middle square of the current map, since it's sort-kinda adjacent to Vernierville.
Thank him in any case and then follow Gambatta to the universal survey whatsit.
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:14/22 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.
The old man says that the broken engine is the biggest hazard around right now. It was damaged in this crash and is leaking huge amounts of heat even when its sitting idle. And when the engines do fire, the thing goes off like an erupting volcano, hurling chunks of molten metal and plasma all around it. Pieces have fallen in Vernierville, even as far as the Guild camp. Area directly around the engine is pure molten silica, beyond that is glass, beyond that burnt sand. No one has been able to get very close, but watchers at a distance have reported seeing things moving out there that seem...alive for lack of a better word.
The thing between the two engines to the North is some sort of enormous robot, all curled up. Everyone who sees it thinks its probably for war, judging by what it looks like. The Guild has set up a perimeter and started looking into it. They've held off on trying to disassemble it, because they're worried about it waking up the old man postulates. No one knows much about it. Not outside the guild, at least.
They continue around to the North East and make their way towards the buildings. As they get closer they get a better look at what they all are. In the center there's another engine, though this one is much smaller than the other monolithic structures. All that they can see is the nozzle rising like a giant metal bowl out of the sands around it. Around the engine are some scattered buildings, maybe two dozen of them, mostly clustered on the southwest side facing the Shipbreaker camp. They are almost all made out of old cargo containers in various stages of disrepair, some stood vertically and others laid on their sides. As they get closer still they can see that one of the larger ones is actually fused to or perhaps penetrating into the wall of the engine nozzle.
They decide to skirt around those other buildings and head towards the one piercing the engine. Eventually they can see a sign made of welded metal that reads "Vernierville" above the entrance to that cargo container. There are a handful of locals hanging around the outer buildings as they approach but none of them make any moves towards them, so they head into the container. The interior of the container is lit only by a few strips of diode lights running along the roof of the roof, so they have to be careful of their footing as they climb the gentle slope through the container and out the other side.
The container is, as they expected, a crude tunnel of sorts through the wall of the nozzle and They step out into the inside of the giant bowl. There's a layer of sand forming a mostly flat surface on which many more buildings sit. These structures, generally made from smaller square shaped containers, are scattered around in small clusters. There are maybe 50 or 60 "Buildings" they can identify and much of the area within the nozzle is still open and unused. They see signs advertising a Void Watcher temple, general shop, armorer's, gunsmith's, the "Pilot Light" bar, a fight pit, and other "attractions". Finally, and most obviously, is a very out of place structure built along the curving wall near the entrance. The huge satellite dish and bright red and yellow colorations mark the prefab building as an outpost of the "Universal Survey" corporation.
“Hmm, I may know how to solve this.”
Amon uses his knowledge of engines and wisdom to try to find a solution to this problem
Name: Amon
Appearance: A handsome man of Caucasian descent, has dirty blond hair with eyes like the sky, which quickly cloud over when angry.
Stats:
Strength: D4
Dexterity: D4
Endurance: D8
Speed: D4
Mental Stats
Knowledge: D8
Wisdom: D10
Perception: D8
Charisma: D6
HP: 20
SP: 32
Carry Weight: 4
Items:
Fragment of the Void
Neurobridge
Industrial Tunic
Helmet
"We were following a path. I'm sure there's an entrance somewhere--even if no natural ones were available, somebody would've cut in by now. With proper tools. Though..." Kander's eyes look over Terra. "Your death ray could get us through, though it might take awhile. I'd suggest that, if we had a better way to climb down. My autoharness can let me and Xeriay descend safely, but you and Amon are out of luck. For now, let's look for a better way through."
Follow the wall of the engine around, clockwise, searching for some kind of construction or entrance into the damage. While traveling, keep an eye out for interesting plants or animals, especially anything that looks... transportable. I have a nagging suspicion that there is no entrance, and trying to cut one out will make the damn thing explode spectacularly.
...I might as well wis roll to guess if the engine will explode should we cut into it with a death ray.
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)
carefully prod the jungle to see if any paths reveal themselves. Maybe tunnels that might lead down, or places where the growth of plants has weakened potential opening.
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
Well, what's the best way into there? Provided that we have access to a cutting laser and a monoblade. We probably want to stay out of the path of any eruptions, so keep an eye out for spots which could turn dangerus.
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)
[9][4,3][1][6]
Xeriay and Amon both examine the engine itself as Kander and Terra wander away. They tap on the metal. They check its hardness by scratching at it with a stone. They examine it for any cracks or groves that might hint at a weakness. They consider the strength of the weapons and tools they have on hand. When Kander finally returns, having circumnavigated the engine, they report that cutting into this thing is either going to be extremely hard or impossible and would likely just be more dangerous than its worth. Its true, they MIGHT be able to get into the ship this way; perhaps even into areas as of yet unseen. But the much better chance their endeavor will simply end with them all reduced to plasma themselves. They point to the already partially disassembled engine to the west and the fact that anything they find here would likely already have been discovered over there.
Kander nods. His trek round the engine revealed no way into the structure; though he did notice some sort of port or opening on the north side. It was a good 30 or 40 feet up though and he couldn't tell if it could even be opened or if it was just some fort of fuel nozzle or miniature maneuvering jet or something. Beyond this, he found several animal paths and tracks, but didn't see any living animals. Apparently they have no reason to come and poke at an inedible metal wall. He reports beyond all this that circumnavigating the engine was quite difficult due to the giant plants growing directly on it. There were several sections where he had to actually leave the wall of the engine and circle around some giant vegetation before returning to the wall.
The three wait a few minutes for Terra to return but...she never does. Terra's probing of the jungle of giant plants has caused her to lose track of exactly where she is. The sky is blocked by giant leaves so she can't easily see where the engine is and can't retrace her steps. She decides that her best bet is instead to simply push straight forward as best she can until she can see the sky and the engine again and then work her way back. She does this for a bit until she shoves aside a man sized leaf and stumbles into a small clearing. Its a hunting camp, like the ones they saw earlier. Several of the huge plants have been cut down and a space cleared for an impromptu fire pit, chairs, and even some tents. The camp is in a general state of disarray and appears to be abandoned. Several tents have collapsed or been damaged, things are laying scattered all over the ground, and there are dark patches in the otherwise yellowish white sand. On the...uh...left side of the camp is a massive autocage that has been burst open and smashed apart.
Author
Topic: DEEP SPACE: Space vampires and work safety (Read 36720 times)