[010] In The Ruins

[ffilz]

The entrance is not ground level (refer back to the image, which I just added to the Kiara Surabi document).

So Sara, Ana, and Foix will be the entrance team? Harper also I assume?

Vee and Grimaud holding down the shuttle.

The statue moves easily once the catch is released revealing a tunnel into the rock. The tunnel is illuminated with low power maintenance free lighting. The color spectrum of the lighting is off (with a quick check on her hand comp, Sara confirms it seems to reflect Vargr lighting preferences). The tunnel is 3 meters wide and 2 meters tall.

[shaidar]

Harper seems unusually quiet as she stands guard. Once the team prepares to enter the ruin she seems to perk up and definelty becomes more animated as the tunnel is revealed.

"I don't have a problem with the vastness of space, or the confined corridors of a ship, but I feel oddly exposed when planet-side. So where do you want me in the marching order and whats the usual plan with this kind of expedition?"

[Tiglath]

Foix checks the indicators on his vacc suit for local radiation levels and then replies "Lady Harper, guard Squee while she focuses to use her abilities and also defend our rear. This is a hostage extraction. Put simply we find the scout team and then get them out modifying the plan along the way. The occupants of this facility have imprisoned the scout team against their will which is a hostile act so feel free to draw and use your weapons".

He turns to Squee "Squee, your "best guess" directions to bring us to the location of the scout team please. As we advance you check the ceilings".

"Allons-y" He brings his weapon up to his shoulder and advances forward scanning the corridor ahead for threats as he goes.

(OOC: Squee added to the entry team).

[shaidar]

"That I can do!" replies Harper as she comes alongside Squee.

Harper keeps her eyes open for interesting tech as much as threats.

[ffilz]

Foix checks the indicators on his vacc suit for local radiation levels and then replies "Lady Harper, guard Squee while she focuses to use her abilities and also defend our rear. This is a hostage extraction. Put simply we find the scout team and then get them out modifying the plan along the way. The occupants of this facility have imprisoned the scout team against their will which is a hostile act so feel free to draw and use your weapons".

He turns to Squee "Squee, your "best guess" directions to bring us to the location of the scout team please. As we advance you check the ceilings".

"Allons-y" He brings his weapon up to his shoulder and advances forward scanning the corridor ahead for threats as he goes.

(OOC: Squee added to the entry team).

Squee will not be able to continuously monitor. The ability she used takes 3 psionic strength to scan for 1 minute... She can use it one more time, or twice at shorter range.

[Tiglath]

Foix will seek clarification from Squee on what she sensed earlier.

OOC: Foix has some limited insight into psionics and understands the following:
they can sense minds
Squee got a "hit" on the scout team (plus an alien and some herbivores?) from just outside the temple
the scout team seemed "sedated" and therefore unlikely to move

He is therefore assuming Squee knows roughly where the static(?) scout team are relative to us and can take the "best route" towards them (despite not being aware of the intervening layout of the temple complex).

The above is based on the text "4 human life forms and 2 local 100 kg herbivores inside in some kind of suspended state".

Does the suspended state refer to only the herbivores?
If so were the human minds "active"?

[ffilz]

Foix will seek clarification from Squee on what she sensed earlier.

OOC: Foix has some limited insight into psionics and understands the following:
they can sense minds
Squee got a "hit" on the scout team (plus an alien and some herbivores?) from just outside the temple
the scout team seemed "sedated" and therefore unlikely to move

He is therefore assuming Squee knows roughly where the static(?) scout team are relative to us and can take the "best route" towards them (despite not being aware of the intervening layout of the temple complex).

The above is based on the text "4 human life forms and 2 local 100 kg herbivores inside in some kind of suspended state".

Does the suspended state refer to only the herbivores?
If so were the human minds "active"?

The humans and herbivores were all suspended. Squee knows roughly the direction and distance, but that won't be too much help in navigating a structure.

Frank

[lenusmars]

"Lighting spectrum is consistent with Vargr preferences." Sara comments. Then she glances around. "This certainly brings back my Investigating Ancient Alien Ruins 101 class." she says dryly.

Sara has her pace distance programmed into the computer for a rough distance estimation, the pace count being kept by the accelerometer. When there is enough light she can estimate distances based on stereo images. (I suppose a laser range finder would be helpful.) Unless the structure is messing with the magnetic field of the planet in such a way as to make a compass unreliable, she should be able to keep a 'map' of bearings and distances. Estimating slopes along the way. Squee's sensed location point is also referenced in Sara's rough 3d model of the temple site.

[Ramona]

Ana frowns looking at the oddly shaped tunnel, she picks up a handful of the outside sand and throws it down the hall to see if it lights anything up, “You don’t like it Lady Harper because there’s nothing to like about it.” Ana says wryly, “The Ancients are the things of childhood nightmares where I come from, and where I come from that’s saying something,”

[Tiglath]

Foix seems unsurprised when Ana throws sand down the corridor and uses his battlesight to observe the effect, looking for disclosed beams or tripwires. He comments “Lady Harper, you are hereby our "Pionnier". Please gather up more dust and a few fist sized rocks. If you can jam the entrance open too that would be useful”.

To Sara he asides “Throwing rocks in an Ancient site allows me a sense of perspective”.

Switching his comm to a private link to Ana he adds “Ana, we have no psi shields and so are effectively defenceless against psionic attack. If we take casualties from psionic opposition I suggest a rapid withdrawal and reappraisal”.

Unless anything untoward is revealed in the dust Foix advances along the corridor.

[shaidar]

Harper looks at Foix and Ana "You know I did say you can call me Harper." she says with a smile and shrug.

She starts to look around for rocks to start collecting "Have we got anything to put this in? I think we'll need a bag for the sand, I'm not going to be able to carry it all in my hands"

[Ramona]

“If the Ancients take over my brain I’m going to kill you first Foix. I mean you got us into this so it’s really only fair.” Ana winks at Foix before turning to Harper, “He told me if I didn’t call you Lady Harper he’d have me cast into the oubliette.”

[shaidar]

Harper laughs

"If both of you don't call me Harper you'll both being going into the oubliette, even if it means digging one first!"

[joertexas]

"Children, if you don't play nice, I will take you home," Vee quips.

She mutes her mike and turns to Grimaud. "I think the waiting is nearly as hard as the doing, in some ways. I'm worried for all of them, but mostly for Gauvain. That's terrible of me, I know."

[Tiglath]

Foix maintains his attention forwards as he replies “L’oubliette? Now, I’m certain we had one installed but, alas, I can’t remember where …”

He flicks his gaze to Ana “If the Ancients took over your brain, ma vieille, would they not find themselves … comfortably at home?” He grins and then adds laconically “Soldiering with you again – on my, now respectfully amended, bucket list!”

She mutes her mike and turns to Grimaud. "I think the waiting is nearly as hard as the doing, in some ways. I'm worried for all of them, but mostly for Gauvain. That's terrible of me, I know."

A very alert Grimaud, looking distinctly uncomfortable in his military gear, replies with a relaxed smile “If it’s any consolation I also find him entirely worrisome, Com-“ He stops himself, looks horrified, coughs unconvincingly and continues desperately with “Comrade!!! Er ... My Lady!”

[ffilz]

I will update soon...

In the meantime, I don't use the Ancients from the 3I official setting. I'm not saying there isn't something out there, but I don't currently have anything like that in my setting.
Frank

[joertexas]

A very alert Grimaud, looking distinctly uncomfortable in his military gear, replies with a relaxed smile “If it’s any consolation I also find him entirely worrisome, Com-“ He stops himself, looks horrified, coughs unconvincingly and continues desperately with “Comrade!!! Er ... My Lady!”

Vee smiles at the older man "Please, call me Vee, Grimaud." Her smile fades, and she sits back with a sigh. "Honestly, I never thought about any of this when I approached Gauvain. All I wanted, and want is... him."

[Tiglath]

Vee smiles at the older man "Please, call me Vee, Grimaud." Her smile fades, and she sits back with a sigh. "Honestly, I never thought about any of this when I approached Gauvain. All I wanted, and want is... him."

Grimaud replies with a smile “Oh Vee, I believe you have him! Now you just need to make sense of everything that comes with him”.

Watching the sensors a seemingly more relaxed Grimaud idly chatters on “He inspires great loyalty. Here am I - your bodyguard!” He laughs self consciously “Perhaps not the best choice you might agree? However, you may rest assured I will give my all - for I could not let him down”. He quickly adds “Or now you. He had his mind on the mission but as he left he told me - “Gardez la Comtesse!” he says. And so - here I am!”

[joertexas]

Grimaud replies with a smile “Oh Vee, I believe you have him! Now you just need to make sense of everything that comes with him”.

Watching the sensors a seemingly more relaxed Grimaud idly chatters on “He inspires great loyalty. Here am I - your bodyguard!” He laughs self consciously “Perhaps not the best choice you might agree? However, you may rest assured I will give my all - for I could not let him down”. He quickly adds “Or now you. He had his mind on the mission but as he left he told me - “Gardez la Comtesse!” he says. And so - here I am!”

"I feel much better than if I were alone out here," Vee replies.

[ffilz]

Ana frowns looking at the oddly shaped tunnel, she picks up a handful of the outside sand and throws it down the hall to see if it lights anything up, “You don’t like it Lady Harper because there’s nothing to like about it.” Ana says wryly, “The Ancients are the things of childhood nightmares where I come from, and where I come from that’s saying something,”

The sand doesn't show up any laser beams or anything like that (including in the IR or UV spectra that would be visible with Ana's IR/LI goggles).

The party advances cautiously. About 20 meters in, there are doors on either side.

Sara has her pace distance programmed into the computer for a rough distance estimation, the pace count being kept by the accelerometer. When there is enough light she can estimate distances based on stereo images. (I suppose a laser range finder would be helpful.) Unless the structure is messing with the magnetic field of the planet in such a way as to make a compass unreliable, she should be able to keep a 'map' of bearings and distances. Estimating slopes along the way. Squee's sensed location point is also referenced in Sara's rough 3d model of the temple site.

I'm going to assume you have an inertial locator as well as a compass (if no PC actually wanted to purchase one, there would be one aboard the shuttle for use).

Based on the information Squee gave Sara, she suggests checking the door on the left.