Adventure Log 002: Crash on Volturnus

[shaidar]

Bertie

Having been taught little in the way of storytelling in her upbringing, Bertie decides to try and describe her home and life so far in a way their new friends might understand:

"There was a land, a large land full of content people, who looked after each other and each had their place using their skills to fulfil themselves and the tribes needs. The tribe was fascinated by the world and how it worked, and they focused their lives learning as much as they could, and they learned many things about the world and how to build amazing things. Then in the tribe a girl was born, and she loved to learn and she loved the tribe and the tribe loved her back, especially because she had a very rare gift. As she grew she became more frustrated because while the tribe loved to learn things, they were happy to learn these things at home, while the girl wanted to go out and experience what she learned. She grew into a young woman and grew more unhappy and the tribe saw this and, although sad, they let her go. She travelled far from home and made new friends along the way. And now while she may be far from home and in a dangerous place, it is also a beautiful and wondrous place and full of more new friends that she could not of dreamed of when she was that little girl with her tribe."

reaction roll: Roll: [_2d6]=(5+4)=9, dis/advantage[1d6]=4

arsenic roll: Roll: [_2d6]=(4+4)=8, dis/advantage[1d6]=3

[Rex]

Kallina

Never the story teller, Kallina pauses a long while and thinks. Perhaps one of her favorite stories would do, "The Ass and his shadow."

"A TRAVELER hired a Loper to convey him to a distant place. The
day being intensely hot, and the sun shining in its strength, the
Traveler stopped to rest, and sought shelter from the heat under
the Shadow of the Loper. As this afforded only protection for one,
and as the Traveler and the owner of the Loper both claimed it, a
violent dispute arose between them as to which of them had the
right to the Shadow. The owner maintained that he had let the
Loper only, and not his Shadow. The Traveler asserted that he had,
with the hire of the Loper, hired his Shadow also. The quarrel
proceeded from words to blows, and while the men fought, the Loper
galloped off."

Reaction [_2d6]=(1+6)=7 A/D [1d6]=4

Arsenic [_2d6]=(1+1)=2 A/D [1d6]=5

Not good.

[Pulpatoon]

The Ul-Mor gather around the party’s evening campfire, eager to hear their stories. When Bertie steps forward to tell her story, an Ul-Mor connects with her to share, and then translates for the collected crowd. The Ul-Mor whistle and burr appreciatively for Bertie’s story. Then Kallina takes her turn, with a different Ul-Mor acting as her translator. Her story seems to set off a wave of excitement among the Ul-Mor, with the crowd breaking up into groups to retell the story to each other, or share similar stories, or to speculate on the wisdom and foolishness of the characters in the story.

When the group settles down again, they look expectantly to Goran and Skur Vonn for their stories, but both balk at the prospect. This dampens the bonhomie of the event considerably.

Then Jeeves steps forward. “Might I be permitted to share a trifle of verse?”

Coughing lightly, and straightening his already ramrod-straight carriage, Jeeves recites:

Since Space was first created, since Time began to fly, no minds were e'er so mated, so firm as J-UNIT-ZERO-ONES and I. Since primal Man was fashioned to people ice and stones, no pair, I ween, had ever been such chums as I and J-UNIT-ZERO-ONES.

In fair and foulest weather, beginning when new bots, we faced our woes together, we shared each other's lots. Together, sad or merry, we acted hand in glove, until—'twas careless, very—I chanced to fall in love.

The lady's points to touch on, her name was ANALYTIC C-CODE WHITE, her lineage high, her scutcheon untarnished; manners, bright; Chasis, soft and creamy; her piping, of golden hue; her sensors, in aspect, dreamy, in colour, greyish blue.

For her I sighed, I panted; I saw her in my dreams; I vowed, protested, ranted; I sent her entangled qubit beams. Until methought one morning I seemed to hear a voice, a still, small voice of warning. "Does J-UNIT-ZERO-ONES approve your choice?"

To J-UNIT-ZERO-ONES of my affection I spoke that very night. If he had no objection, I said I'd wed ANALYTIC C-CODE WHITE. I asked him for his blessing, But, turning rather blue, he said: "It's most distressing, But I adore her, too."

"Then, J-UNIT-ZERO-ONES," I answered, sobbing, "My wooing's at an end, I couldn't think of robbing my best, my only friend. The notion makes me furious— I'd much prefer to die." "Perhaps you'll think it curious," Said J-UNIT-ZERO-ONES, "but so should I."

Nor he nor I would falter In our resolve one jot. I bade him seek the altar, He vowed that he would not. "She's yours, old fellow. Make her as happy as you ought." "Not so," said I, "you take her—You are the lucky bot."

At length—the situation had lasted now a year—I had an inspiration which seemed to make things clear. "Supposing," I suggested, "We ask ANALYTIC C-CODE WHITE to choose? I should be interested to hear her private views.

"Perhaps she has a preference—I own it sounds absurd—but I submit, with deference, that she might well be heard. In clear, commercial diction the case in point we'll state, disclose the cause of friction, and leave the rest to Fate."

We did, and on the morrow the comlink brought us news. ANALYTIC C-CODE WHITE expressed her sorrow at having to refuse. Of all her many reasons this seemed to me the pith: six months before (or rather more) she'd married HAULER UNIT SMITH.

This poem takes a considerable amount of time to translate, as the Ul-Mor have no conception of meter, rhyme, sexual dimorphism, or monogamy. As the poem continues, the party observes many of the Ul-Mor become restive and show signs of dissatisfaction.

(With 2 positive results and 2 abstentions {which are effectively failures}, the Ul-Mor response comes down to Jeeves. I’m rolling a simple drama die: 1 is terrible, six is great.
Drama Roll [1d6]=3
3 means things are pretty well unchanged. The Ul-Mor aren’t offended, but the impact of Bertie and Kallina’s rolls have been diluted.)

The adaptive polyvox pings away with this influx of language data. That evening, it announces :: Linguistic model completed. Ongoing translation masking in effect. NOTE: Further exposure to language source will continue refining the linguistic model. ::

---

Bertie cannibalizes Skur Vonn’s mask to make four filter masks for the party.

---

:: Day 008 since planetfall. ::
The next day, the party continues what has become a hard, long slog. The air has become fouler, and the ground steeper and rockier. The Ul-Mor assure you that you are nearly at the cave entrance.

Kallina’s sharp senses alert her to danger. Something is shifting in the sand up ahead, directly under the foremost group of Ul-Mor riders! In a fraction of a second, a funnel-shape collapses underneath the riders, and three mounted lopers slide into the trap, bellowing pitifully. This is about 200 meters ahead of the party.

---

Regarding arsenic poisoning: If you did not resist the poison, you will now take damage every time you drink the tainted water, as the arsenic continues to build up in your system. You may attempt Survival checks to find additional sources of water.

Bertie, please give me another check to resist the poison for day 8.

Ongoing Tallies
Offend the Ul-Mor: XOOOO
Succumb to the Desert: OOOO
Discovered by the Pirates: OOO

PCs
Kallina: (O)XXOO (Arsenic poisoning)
Bertie: OOOO
Skur Vonn: XOOO (Arsenic poisoning)

NPCs
Jeeves: OO
Goran: XXOO (Arsenic poisoning)

ACTIONS?
Next Update: Friday!

[Rex]

Kallina

"Watch out!"

Kallina rushes ahead to see if she can help.

[cybersavant]

When the group settles down again, they look expectantly to Goran and Skur Vonn for their stories, but both balk at the prospect. This dampens the bonhomie of the event considerably.
(With 2 positive results and 2 abstentions {which are effectively failures}, the Ul-Mor response comes down to Jeeves. I’m rolling a simple drama die: 1 is terrible, six is great.
Drama Roll [1d6]=3
3 means things are pretty well unchanged. The Ul-Mor aren’t offended, but the impact of Bertie and Kallina’s rolls have been diluted.)

didn't realize there was a time limit to this

[shaidar]

Bertie rushes forward following Kallina to see if there anything she can do to help


Arsenic poisoning roll
Roll: [_2d6]=(1+5)=6, dis/advantage[1d6]=5

[cybersavant]

Skur Vonn eases up to the edge to see if it's the same sort of creature that attacked them before. If he has a clear shot at anything other than the Ul-Mor, he'll shot his laser pistol at it.

[Rex]

Kallina

As for water, she will start looking for another source after the encounter.

[Pulpatoon]

The party runs to join the lead group of Ul-Mor. In the time it takes them to cross the 200 meters, they can see the funnel continues to grow. One of the lopers that had fallen in crawls out of the sloping sand pit, but two more fall in as the ground beneath them gives way.

By the time the party joins them, the Ul-Mor around the sandpit have divided into two tasks: those casting ropes to the Ul-Mor in the pit, and those that are firing blow-darts at whatever is at the center of the pit.

The creature at the center is not a sandshark. All you see is a multi-mandibular mouth emerging from the very nadir of the funnel. You get a sense of enormous size from the way the sand heaves and shifts around it. One of the lopers slides down to the very bottom, and the waiting mouth latches on to a leg. The beast bellows in pain. Its rider tries to steer the animal away, but it is too late. The rider uses a javelin-like weapon to pierce the back of the lopers skull, killing it quickly, and leaps from its back to the nearest loper, still struggling to climb out of the pit.

The baby lopers, shocked by the sounds of pain, run towards the lip of the funnel.

Skur Vonn fires his laser pistol, but he is standing on unsteady, shifting sands, and the shot goes wild. He startles several of the Ul-Mor, including one who had just grabbed onto a rope thrown by its companions, and was beginning to lead its loper up and out of the pit. Instead, it tumbles further in, closer to the mouth, which is making quick and grisly work of the first loper.

---

---

Ongoing Tallies
Offend the Ul-Mor: XOOOO
Succumb to the Desert: OOOO
Discovered by the Pirates: OOO

PCs
Kallina: (O)XOOO
Bertie: OOOO
Skur Vonn: OOOO

NPCs
Jeeves: OO
Goran: XOOO

ACTIONS?
Next Update: Monday!

[cybersavant]

Skur Vonn fires again. "It is like your darts, but formed of hot light. Pull your people out."

[shaidar]

Bertie

"C'mon Jeeves, let's help with those ropes, help get them out. Does anyone have any more rope?"

[Rex]

Kallina

Kallina pulls her rope in a can out and grabbing an end tosses the can to one of the Ul-Mor without a rope. If they all have a rope she will help pull on the rope with the least help.

Rope toss or pull [_2d6]=(3+5)=8 A/D [1d6]=2

She has Athletics.

[Pulpatoon]

Skur Vonn fires his laser, striking the mouth at the center of the funnel. The sand around the bottom of the funnel convulses, and the mouth retreats below the surface, dragging the injured loper with it.

Bertie looks for Jeeves, who is still far back, having not been able to cross the rocky terrain as quickly as the others in response to the emergency. "Does anyone have any more rope?" she calls. Thanks to the local network she set up, her link is connected to the adaptive polyvox, and her words are instantly translated into the creaks and piping of the Ul-Mor. One of the Ul-Mor, struggling to haul up a loper and rider with a rope of its own, indicates a pack on its loper’s haunch. “More rope is in the indicated location,” translates her link, stripping the shrill cry of any emotion.

Kallina engages the nozzle of her rope-in-a-can, quickly coiling a length of polymer strand, and tossing the can to an unoccupied Ul-Mor. The Ul-Mor deftly snatches the can, and looks at it quizzically. It is entirely uncertain what the can is, or what it is to do with it, but does see that it is connected to the shiny black line in Kallina’s hands. Her link translates, “Do you wish to lower yourself into the funnel worm’s trap?”

(You rolled a success, but I’m unsure what you were trying to do. Please clarify, and I’ll fold that action into the next round along with your next one.)

Goran fires his autopistol into the sand, looking for indications of the funnel worm reappearing.

Other Ul-Mor voices make their way through the translation process, sounding incongruously calm as the Ul-Mor coordinate their attempts to pull the trapped riders out, and, if possible, their mounts. There are presently four lopers and five Ul-Mor scrambling to climb out of the funnel.

Athru Sea People’s Bane whistles at Bertie, which comes through as “The funnel worm is unlikely to have retreated. Beware of ambush.”

---

Short-term Tallies
Kill the funnel worm: XOOOOO
Rescue the Ul-Mor: OOOO

Ongoing Tallies
Offend the Ul-Mor: XOOOO
Succumb to the Desert: OOOO
Discovered by the Pirates: OOO

PCs
Kallina: (O)XOOO
Bertie: OOOO
Skur Vonn: OOOO

NPCs
Jeeves: OO
Goran: XOOO

ACTIONS!
Next Update: I’ll shoot for Wednesday, but a circumstances may push the next update to Thursday or Friday.

[Rex]

Kallina

Yells to the Ul-Mor who has her rope end, "It is to get you out of the funnel trap!"

She tries to pull him out.

Pull [_2d6]=(4+3)=7 A/D [1d6]=2

She has Athletics.

[shaidar]

Bertie grabs the indicated rope and heads over to help the struggling Ul-Mor (either by throwing another rope down or hauling on the exiting rope, which she thinks will help more)

[Pulpatoon]

Bertie grabs the indicated rope and heads over to help the struggling Ul-Mor (either by throwing another rope down or hauling on the exiting rope, which she thinks will help more)

Bertie sees that there are plenty of ropes deployed at this point, but that the Ul-Mor are facing a tricky problem of leverage. This may be a job for foundational physics!
Please describe how you help and provide a roll.

[cybersavant]

Skur Vonn continues to fire upon the creature in the sand, hoping to wound it into retreat, or at least keep it at bay while the others pull the Ul-Mor out.

[shaidar]

Bertie looks around for a feature of the landscape that might allow them to elevate the rope over to get better leverage, or whether it might work to tie the rope to one of the lopers and get it to pull them out.

Roll: [_2d6]=(1+6)=7, dis/advantage[1d6]=1

Educated, so +1 = 8

[Pulpatoon]

Kallina yells to the Ul-Mor who caught her rope canister, "It is to get you out of the funnel trap!" Her link echoes her words with amplified buzzes and trills. The is a slow, addled look in the Ul-Mor’s globular eyes as it puzzles this information. It whistles back, and Kallina’s link asks, “A little thread like this?” She notices that all of the Ul-Mor have caught ropes and lines at this point, and could easily escape the pit themselves, they are not abandoning the lopers, and it is these great bulky beasts that are making it so hard to effect a rescue.

Bertie sees the same thing, and looks around the landscape. The terrain offers several large rocks which could serve as fulcrums, and she quickly calculates the most efficient arrangement of ropes and teams. She has trouble communicating this to the Ul-Mor, who seem confused by what she is asking them to do. Kallina, however, comprehends and arranges her polymer line according to Bertie’s directions and yells at an Ul-Mor to get their loper over there and help her pull.

Skur Vonn and Goran both fire several more times in the sand before realizing they are wasting ammo and charges. There is no sign of the funnel worm.

Kallina, with the assistance of Ul-Mor and loper, are able to pull enough that one loper and rider scramble out of the pit. There is a whirling cheer among the Ul-Mor, and they finally get what Bertie has been telling them to do. They belatedly set to work enacting her plan to rescue the three remaining in the pit.

Suddenly, the contour of the pits shifts, as a new nadir suddenly opens up, funneling sand, Ul-Mor, and lopers in a new direction. From this new center, the funnel worm bursts forward enough to expose its head and a few segments of its body. It snatches at another loper, catching mount and rider in its radial mandibles. The two remaining Ul-Mor in the pit have lost the grip on the ropes, tumbling and slipping, losing whatever progress they had made in scaling the sides of the funnel.

Skur Vonn fires off another shot, hitting the monstrous creature. The funnel worm tries to retreat, but the angle at which it has caught this loper makes it awkward to pull down with it, and the worm is unwilling to let it go. As it tries to force the bulk of its prey through the sand, the Ul-Mor rider, hopelessly entangled and unable to leap free, is battered badly between the loper and the ground. It stops flailing as it is crushed to death,

---

Short-term Tallies
Defeat the funnel worm: XXOOOO
Rescue the Ul-Mor: XOO-

Ongoing Tallies
Offend the Ul-Mor: XOOOO
Succumb to the Desert: OOOO
Discovered by the Pirates: OOO

PCs
Kallina: (O)XOOO
Bertie: OOOO
Skur Vonn: OOOO

NPCs
Jeeves: OO
Goran: XOOO

ACTIONS?
Next Update: Friday or Saturday, depending on how soon everyone can respond.

[shaidar]

Bertie

Not being able to do much against the funnel worm, she instead focuses on the Ul-Mor in the pit that have lost grip on the ropes and are slipping, trying to get ropes to them to grab onto (either existing ropes, or the one she grabbed from the loper earlier).

Not sure this is needed, but I'll make a roll anyway

Roll: [_2d6]=(3+5)=8, dis/advantage[1d6]=1

She has two stun grenades, but there are too many people around to use them safely (I think)