CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

Message
Author
User avatar
Norjax
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 4146
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:54 pm

CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#1 Post by Norjax »

When last we left our intrepid wasteland voyagers, they successfully thwarted an attack by Cerebrum Plasma Spiders that scared off some camels and their employer, Syrus Plak.

Image

Syrus reunited with the band after he determined the danger had passed. Sensing a loss of respect, the scholar-adventurer reminded them that security and his safety were part of their obligations. One of the camels broke its leg fleeing from the spiders and had to be put down. It was recycled as rations and apportioned to all.


Palakan Mountains; 329D/81 (Afternoon)

Putting the events of the swarm attack behind you, the journey continued up into the old, worn Palakan Mountains. The abundance of rock and scrub brush kept everyone tense in anticipation of an ambush that never materialized.

After a half day’s travel, you crest a hill positioned to overlook a shallow valley running up to the mountain peaks. Syrus uncovers a cage from one of the camel packs and withdraws three bright purple birds with long, yellow tips on their wings. He releases them into the air and watches their flight path. The colorful avians dip and dive over the undulating landscape arcing wide, then to a narrow circle in front of your position. They finally land in the draw and peck at the ground.

“This vault I seek is a cargo container from an ancient air ship,” Syrus begins. “The Morivites of Old sailed the skies with their bladder wings transporting people and supplies.”

“Buried here,” he says, motioning towards the birds, “are the remains of such a craft. Those birds can sense the preserved organic matter used to grow the structure of these vessels. We must excavate and uncover the hull to determine its condition.”

“Any suggestions on how to safely proceed?” the Lantican asks. "I have ample tools for digging."

Action Details:

Characters:


Monsters:

Actions?

Hit Points [Luck Points-327D]:

Denslow – 42/42 [16/16]
Silvestri – 60/60 [14/14]
MacMak – 68/68 [8/17]
Bruce – 50/50 [5/12]
Kurot – 50/50 [7/15]
Farmanus – 87/87 [13/13]
Last edited by Norjax on Wed Nov 11, 2020 4:56 pm, edited 2 times in total.

User avatar
greyarea
Ranger Lord
Ranger Lord
Posts: 3496
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:44 pm
Location: Minnesota (soon)

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#2 Post by greyarea »

Denslow watches the birds draw and peck, not quite able to understand what they are doing. Do they make a map? he asks. Just let us know where to go, so that we can recover this container for you. How large is it?

User avatar
Norjax
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 4146
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:54 pm

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#3 Post by Norjax »

“No, Plister Plantient, they are not creating anything tangible,” Syrus replies to Denslow. “They merely indicate its buried location. The vault should be about 30ft long, 10ft wide and 8ft high. Based on my bird’s successful detection, it can’t be more than 20ft deep. Its orientation relative to the surface may pose an access problem.”

Image

“I was expecting wasteland wanderers, such as yourselves, to be experienced excavators.”

OOC: Plister is a title of respect given to Plantients in Lantica, Syrus’ homeland.

OOC: Any of you may roleplay an experience in digging. I will then determine the level of skill that may be applied to this situation.

User avatar
Zhym
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 20569
Joined: Fri Jul 26, 2013 1:14 am

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#4 Post by Zhym »

Kurot's glowy eyes flash for just a moment as he checks his internal chronometer and system logs, then runs a level 1 diagnostic. Nope, no sign of a time gap or extended shutdown period. Weird. He writes it off as "computer based lifeforms do funny things sometimes" and returns his attention to the task at hand.

That task being...digging. He looks at his hands—they don't seem like they were made to move large amounts of earth. A mental directory of loadable expertise modules confirms it: "I have no specialty programming for excavation," he says. "However—the principle seems simple enough. Scoop up dirt from spot A, dump it in spot B, try to keep the resulting hole from collapsing in on itself, yes? Doesn't seem too difficult as long as we don't need too big a hole."

User avatar
shaidar
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 12410
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2014 4:27 pm

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#5 Post by shaidar »

Silvestri grabs a shovel

"I used to help my father on the farm with digging the fields, but nothing quite like this."

User avatar
greyarea
Ranger Lord
Ranger Lord
Posts: 3496
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:44 pm
Location: Minnesota (soon)

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#6 Post by greyarea »

Denslow says, Twenty feet deep? My root systems have dug deep for good sustenance. I can help break up the ground if you haul it away. I typically flail my tendrils about which does a nice job breaking it into chunks and then smaller.

If it is good soil then I may keep it for my rations. I would hope we don't encounter any boulders.

User avatar
Norjax
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 4146
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:54 pm

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#7 Post by Norjax »

Denslow’s technique of using his roots to burrow and break-up the ground proves effective in facilitating rapid excavation. With Syrus watching and others on guard, your crew easily digs through the first four feet of sand, rock and gravel to clear an eight-foot diameter pit. The top of the cavity is larger, 20 feet in diameter, to prevent debris from collapsing back into the hole. At this depth, Silvestri’s shovel reaches a layer of buried topsoil from a bygone age. Denslow is elated but resists the urge to indulge on the succulent humus. He segregates this dirt from the inert cover materials. Kurot continues to process and analyze the behavior of organic beings as he assists his comrades.

The one-foot deep dark soil gives way to packed dirt and sand. Kurot effortlessly loosens the pack with a pick while Silvestri and Bruce pass buckets to Denslow’s waiting tendrils. After six feet of this dense layer, a mass of sandstone slows the excavation to a crawl. Chisels and wedges are used to carve out a cylindrical shaft until, at 15 feet deep, a surface of smooth, gray bone-like material (engineered polymer) is reached.

Actions?

OOC: Swapped Farmanus with Bruce.
Last edited by Norjax on Fri Nov 13, 2020 12:49 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
greyarea
Ranger Lord
Ranger Lord
Posts: 3496
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:44 pm
Location: Minnesota (soon)

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#8 Post by greyarea »

Denslow wipes a drip of sap from his brow, and then absentmindedly takes a bite of fruit before realizing his mistake and setting it aside. Is that the vault you were looking for, Syrus? Want it broken open?

User avatar
Ardak2000
Guide
Guide
Posts: 246
Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 11:11 pm

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#9 Post by Ardak2000 »

Bruce

Inspects the smooth gray surface for seams. Rapping on the surface, he tries to determine how thick the material might be.

Boy, what I wouldn't give for a mono-filament blade right now!
- Ardak2000
__________________________________________________________
Tales from the Gam'A Zone Bruce Lee Mark VII Front Back
DCC 0-Level Funnel Gang
__________________________________________________________
"Hey
The old ones speak of winter
The young ones praise the sun
And time just slips away

Oh
Running into nowhere
Turning like a wheel
And a year becomes a day

Whenever we dream, that's when we fly
So here is a dream for just you and I

We'll find the Sacred Heart
Somewhere bleeding in the night
Look for the light
And find the Sacred Heart"

-RJD, Dio, Sacred Heart

User avatar
Norjax
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 4146
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:54 pm

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#10 Post by Norjax »

Syrus nods at Denslow then adds, “Broken may not be the opportune word but, yes, we need to access the interior. I would exercise caution to avoid a catastrophic collapse.”

Bruce searches for seams and rubs his hand over the surface. His tactile sensors indicate this exposed portion of the vault is monolithic. A few light raps of his fist immediately determine a hollow chamber is beyond the thin (1” thick) barrier.

User avatar
shaidar
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 12410
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2014 4:27 pm

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#11 Post by shaidar »

Silvestri

"Hmmm, we might be able to burn through using the blaster, or I could try summoning some fire, the heat might weaken it"

User avatar
Zhym
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 20569
Joined: Fri Jul 26, 2013 1:14 am

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#12 Post by Zhym »

“An axe probably isn’t the right tool for this job,” ventures Kurot the axe-wielder.

User avatar
Norjax
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 4146
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:54 pm

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#13 Post by Norjax »

Farmanus and MacMak lower Syrus into the pit. He confirms Bruce’s discovery, looks up, and motions those above to extract him from the pit. The Lantican scholar removes some tools from a camel pack, places them into a bucket and lowers them into the excavated cavity using a rope.

Image
Image

“These should suffice,” Syrus calls from above. “Use the hand drill to bore a hole and then use the saw to cut a four-foot circle. I recommend a minimum number in the pit while the hole is being cut.”

User avatar
Ardak2000
Guide
Guide
Posts: 246
Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 11:11 pm

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#14 Post by Ardak2000 »

Bruce

Grabbing the tools, Bruce volunteers for the job. Tying a makeshift harness around his waist, he rationalizes "I'll perform the task solo as to minimize the possibility of an accident. As I have no pain receptors, the chance that an injury might incapacitate me is considerably less." He sets to the task of drilling the bore hole for the saw.
- Ardak2000
__________________________________________________________
Tales from the Gam'A Zone Bruce Lee Mark VII Front Back
DCC 0-Level Funnel Gang
__________________________________________________________
"Hey
The old ones speak of winter
The young ones praise the sun
And time just slips away

Oh
Running into nowhere
Turning like a wheel
And a year becomes a day

Whenever we dream, that's when we fly
So here is a dream for just you and I

We'll find the Sacred Heart
Somewhere bleeding in the night
Look for the light
And find the Sacred Heart"

-RJD, Dio, Sacred Heart

User avatar
Norjax
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 4146
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:54 pm

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#15 Post by Norjax »

Palakan Mountains; 329D/81 (Afternoon)

All but Bruce exit the excavation pit and the martial synthetic proceeds to bore a hole with the hand drill. Safely secured to a rope harness, he kneels against the bone-like surface while twisting the drill into the material. After a few minutes of twists, the tool bottoms out into a hollow area. At the same time, a blast of foul air spews forth from the interior. Bruce steps back as the gas vents up and out of the pit.

Immediately, ’Pop, Pop, Pop’ sounds echo around the excavation as dozens of 3ft long translucent, ochre cylinders appear out of thin air. Multiple wispy tendrils flail out from their bodies as they float and ‘swim’ about the environment.

Image

Action Details:

Characters:


Monsters:

Actions?

Hit Points [Luck Points-327D]:

Denslow – 42/42 [16/16]
Silvestri – 60/60 [14/14]
MacMak – 68/68 [8/17]
Bruce – 50/50 [5/12]
Kurot – 50/50 [7/15]
Farmanus – 87/87 [13/13]

User avatar
greyarea
Ranger Lord
Ranger Lord
Posts: 3496
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2013 8:44 pm
Location: Minnesota (soon)

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#16 Post by greyarea »

They look like tubers of some sort, offers the mutant tree. At least I hope that is all they are. :SAN: Were you expecting this, Syrus?

User avatar
shaidar
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 12410
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2014 4:27 pm

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#17 Post by shaidar »

Silvestri

With the shear number of these strange creatures, Silvestri does his best to avoid them and activates his empathy power to try and sense if they are dangerous and what they might want:

Empathy: [1d20+7] = 1+7 = 8
Last edited by shaidar on Mon Nov 23, 2020 8:35 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Zhym
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 20569
Joined: Fri Jul 26, 2013 1:14 am

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#18 Post by Zhym »

Kurot holds on to his axe in case he needs to defend himself, but waits for the floaty taters to take hostile action before he does anything.

User avatar
Ardak2000
Guide
Guide
Posts: 246
Joined: Mon Aug 20, 2018 11:11 pm

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#19 Post by Ardak2000 »

Bruce

Mildly surprised at the expulsion of old stale air from the chamber below, he spends a half a clock cycle analyzing the floating creatures that have appeared around the excavation site. He swiftly climbs up out of the hole and assumes a combat stance, ready should they attack.
- Ardak2000
__________________________________________________________
Tales from the Gam'A Zone Bruce Lee Mark VII Front Back
DCC 0-Level Funnel Gang
__________________________________________________________
"Hey
The old ones speak of winter
The young ones praise the sun
And time just slips away

Oh
Running into nowhere
Turning like a wheel
And a year becomes a day

Whenever we dream, that's when we fly
So here is a dream for just you and I

We'll find the Sacred Heart
Somewhere bleeding in the night
Look for the light
And find the Sacred Heart"

-RJD, Dio, Sacred Heart

User avatar
Norjax
Rider of Rohan
Rider of Rohan
Posts: 4146
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2012 6:54 pm

Re: CHAPTER 11a: The Vault of Ozkin

#20 Post by Norjax »

Palakan Mountains; 329D/81 (Afternoon)

The mysterious creatures slice through the air, striking at Denslow and Silvestri. The psionist’s empathy power is disrupted (OOC: Mutation Roll fails) by dodging the flailing tendrils (Miss). Denslow winces as bark flakes off from tiny tentacles lashing across his casing (DMG 4).

OOC: Denslow must make a Fortitude Save.

Kurot takes a defensive posture with axe at the ready; Bruce scrambles up and out of the pit, poised to attack.

OOC: Both may make a free attack.

Syrus ignores Denslow, breaks and retreats behind the camels while Farmanus and MacMak run to engage the entities.

Image

Action Details:


Initiative and Actions?

Hit Points [Luck Points-327D]:

Denslow – 38/42 [16/16]
Silvestri – 60/60 [14/14]
MacMak – 68/68 [8/17]
Bruce – 50/50 [5/12]
Kurot – 50/50 [7/15]
Farmanus – 87/87 [13/13]

Locked

Return to “Archive”