Main Group"Huh. Wonder whats down there."
Watch curiously.
Two things happen.
The elevator stops rumbling after a minute.. and then resumes a minute later. When it comes back into view, it's carrying a large six-legged metal beast-thing, about half the size of the massive crate you are on.
The second thing is that a very large flat thing comes up the ramp. It's got six bladed assemblies at each corner which look like some kind of fans, and it's rolling up the ramp. After arriving fully outside, it takes to the air, where a number of wheels and grapnel like tools are visible on it's underside.
..and, after the elevator stops moving, so does the noise. These things are silent. The flying metal thing hovers over the middle of the concrete area. The hexa-legged metal beast is coming this way.
Terinas watches and writes down some observations on a crate
(7)
When the hex-legged thing walks just clear of the concrete area, towards your position.. about a thousand meters away, it stops. Two panels on top of the machine start turning up, lifting to about a forty degree angle. Inside these two blocks are many round tubes with metallic tips visible inside.
..They've got to be weapons.
Terinas, squinting, can see these weapons are separated into four groups, with a slightly thicker gap at the middle of each horizontal band. Four possible attacks then?
Gnwbimbar watches the crate wall whilst subjecting the person closest to him to gnome humor.
I'm not taking that chance.
Noodles scrambles down the crate wall into the flat area and makes for the elevator.
Eh, nothing to worry about. While the elevator is still down and the creature is out of sight, Noodles starts squidding towards it. That it gets him further away from the gnome is probably just additional safety.
He does stop when the missile launchers open. He's much closer to the hex-legged things, about halfway there, about four hundred meters. And about the same distance away from the two who are just watching.
Xin group.Continue heading back to the team. If they're reached, clamber up the crate wall, and watch from nearby Ahrian.
Edit: Being the closest person to Gwybimbar, and therefore being the one subjected to his humor, respond with awful puns. The absolute worst.
Gnwbimbar watches the crate wall whilst subjecting the person closest to him to gnome humor.
(11+3) (9) (11+2) (9)
Gnome humor, unfortunately, is mostly non-verbal. In particular the undead being suddenly finds himself without pants. Pants that the gnome has somehow put on top his head, over his helmet.
Fortunately, for his particular type of undead warrior, Xin is no stranger to operating normally despite wearing massive headgear. He resolves to defend himself with puns, while refusing to acknowledge the pants on his head.
The standoff continues until the team reaches the crate wall, and climbs the stairs, joining the bear and the fox, where they see the hex-legged metal creature. It's got the missiles open, but doesn't seem to be attacking yet.
The word 'yet' is doing work here.
Description: A small, white-haired girl with amber eyes and nine white fox tails and a pair of fox ears on her head. She wears a simple tan shirt and a brown skirt, a leather sword-belt across her waist with a simple shortsword in a plain brown scabbard in it. She's wearing a mid-size backpack on her back, stuffed with a collection of first aid equipment, and on her feet are a pair of simple leather boots.
Talents: Flame magic, (+2 to attempts to create and manipulate fire), Healing, (+2 to party recovery rolls, +2 to diagnostics, +2 to pharmacology, and +2 to healing magic. Note that using healing magic in combat is very much not safe. Space/Gravity magic. +2 to attempts to manipulate mass, +2 to short-distance translocation. Can be used defensively.)
Bonuses:
Magic manipulator, (+3 to resist consequences from miscasting, +1 when applied to others), Magical font, (May apply magical power to external objects, +2 to attempts to resist magic suppression or draining), Pathfinding Boots, (+2 to saves against traps)
Active Gravity buff, lightweight. (+3 to jumping and climbing. Automatic success on some tasks.)
Wounds: 0/3
Defenses: 7/7, +2 to dodge
Weapons: Shortsword.
Desc: A large humanoid grizzly bear with paws that can function similarily to a human one.
Talents: Dodging, (+3 to dodge attacks), Stabbing, (+3 to stabbing), Writing, (+3 to writing.)
Bonuses: Arthal Arts, (Further +1 to combat and dodging. Wounds hinder combat performance more than normal), Huge (+3 to defenses, -1 to dodging, -1 to stealth), Shaggy Fur (+2 to swimming, +2 to resistance to heat and cold.)
Wounds: 0/3
Defenses: 10/10, +3 to dodge
Weapons: Spear, +4 combat
Description: a 2 foot tall gnome wearing a brown tunic and tan pants
Talents: Stealth. (+3 to stealth). Mischief. (+2 to deception and pranks. Increases to +3 when the victim does not know about Gnwbimbir. Cannot be used to directly cause injury.) Gnoming. (+1 to jokes and storytelling. +1 to tinkering and crafting. +1 to foraging. +1 to any action which furthers revenge. +1 to digging and mining.)
Bonuses: Advanced Gnome (One aspect of gnoming will operate at +3. This selection may change each land. Currently jokes and storytelling.) Little. (Further +1 to stealth). Magic Pants. (+1 to defenses, +2 to resistance against earth and water-based attacks or hazards.)
Wounds: 0/3
Defenses: 8/8
Weapons: Envenomed Conical Gnome Hat.
Description: A tall but thin male human, clad in a mixture of light plating, chain, and leather, all dyed a dull dark gray. While servicable and decently effective, the armor is clearly ancient, with innumerable dents, scratches, and frayed edges. An old ribbon of bright blue cloth once hung from the tip of the pointed helmet, but is now little more than short rags; a once-magnificent cape is in a similar state, whatever heraldry it held now forgotten and unrecognizable.
Currently wearing his pants on his head. Oddly, this isn't affecting anything due to the strange peculiarities of Gnome Humor.
Talents: Berzerker, (+1 to combat, increases each round Xin fails to harm a target.) Mobility/Dodging. (+2 to mobility and dodge rolls.) Psychometery. May make magical rolls to get histories of items and locations. (-1 normally, +2 per retry, +3 if an area/item is related to Death.)
Bonuses: Greatsword Backstab. (First hit in any combat will deal double damage). Unnatural Vigor, (+2 to defenses), Sign of Darkness. (Can be used to escape any trap or bond, at the cost of an automatic wound.)
Wounds: 0/3
Defenses: 9/9, +2 to dodge
Weapons: Farron greatsword and dagger.
Description A fancy purple horse-sized kraken, wearing many sets of bangles and necklaces.
Talents: Grappling. (+1 to grappling. Applies a penalty to opposing mobility and combat rolls, if successful.) Climbing. (+3 to mobility rolls involving climbing.) Jewelling (+3 to making jewelery or cutting gems.)
Bonuses:
Constriction. (+1 to damage applied to grappled targets) Aquatic (Fully capable underwater as above), Bangle of Health. (+1 maximum wounds.)
Wounds 1/4 (No combat effects at this time.) 4 difficulty wound, +2 for medical care.
Defenses 7/7
Weapons: Trident, +1 to combat.
You have three mules with you acting as pack animals. As long as they are alive and present, there is no need to worry about food and water.
-Lizardman's Greataxe
Usable by Xin and Terinas. Not a stabbing weapon, unfortunately.