CHAPTER 7a: Under the Gam'A Zone

[Norjax]

Blixx will float up to keep off the floor and stay out of his friend's way

That will require a Mutation Roll:

Psionic Flight = [1d20+3] = 6+3 = 9

Your powers have failed to activate, but you can try again next round.

[greyarea]

Denslow will help retreat as best he can. He will try to take heed of the advice, but he's a tight fit anyway. If someone cares to ride his branches and shoot at the bugs while we flee, that would be fine too.

[Norjax]

...

Heeding Silvestri’s advice, most climb on top of the metal pipe rail and retreat back towards the initial entrance. You put distance between you and the scarabs, which pour out of the side passage and collect in the bottom of the main, oval tunnel. Blixx tries again to activate his psionic flight, but the power continues to fail. The mothish mutant decides to join the others moving down the pipe. Belial, the winged mutant baboon, takes flight and swoops away down the tunnel.

The sounds of the scarabs subside as you move back towards the entrance. The bugs do not seem to be following. Kurot’s “bright eyes” have ceased and he makes another attempt to activate them, but they do not energize. A torch is then struck to illuminate your journey away from the insect infestation.

You have retreated a hundred feet or so away from the beetles and are out of danger.

Actions?

Supporting Rolls:

Psionic Flight = [1d20+3] = 5+3 = 8
Shiny Eyes: [1d20+1] = 9+1 = 10

...

[Zhym]

"That was unpleasant," opines Kurot.

[GreyWolfVT]

Jack "Yes quite unpleasant. I guess I was wrong mushrooms and caves both hold the same or similar forms of adventure."

[Urson]

Belial

The baboon lands and begins washing his mouth out- long gulps of water, immediately spit back out. Those bugs were most grody!

[shaidar]

Silvestri watches the beetles " We could head back and try that side tunnel, but maybe we should wait and see which way the bugs go"

[greyarea]

Agreed, Silvestri, said Denslow

[Norjax]

...

This is the entire map of what you have explored thus far. The red dot indicates your current location, just over a hundred feet from the side tunnel and the beetle swarm.

MAP:

The sounds of the insect hoard diminish as they apparently move back to their original location, somewhere beyond the side corridor.

Your observation of the beetle swarm has concluded that an area attack would be the most effective means to defeat this opponent. Denslow’s fruit grenades did the most damage and Frekken’s poison skin slime took its toll as well. Each killed dozens of bugs, but it would take a sustained barrage to thwart such a hive denizen.

An offensive area weapon such as an energy blast or toxic spray would do the maximum amount of damage against this insect swarm.

Actions?

...

[greyarea]

Denslow suggests, Shall we explore more of the main passage? We could also try the previous side passages we skipped earlier.

I grow concerned that so far we have sustained wounds and lost much sap with nothing to show for it.

[GreyWolfVT]

Jack "Sounds like a plan to me Denslow."

[Urson]

Belial

Sounds awesome to me, Brother Leaf.

[Norjax]

...

You backtrack down the main, oval tunnel to the 60 ft. diameter chamber with the metal turntable.

MAP:

Another 30 ft. high oval tunnel intersects the main at this chamber, and you choose to take the lower one and explore its depths. You probe forward into the tunnel, which is the same size and construction as the main, including upper and lower 2 ft. diameter pipes.

After 40 ft., an object comes into view that is anchored between the upper and lower pipes of the tunnel. The object is about 17 ft. in diameter with a hemispherical end containing five plates recessed below the surface. The sides of the object are within 6 inches of the oval walls, and there are couplers latched onto the pipe with connecting rods to the body of the object.

OBJECT:

OOC: You are at the red dot

Actions?

...

[neurotox]

May-Jor: "This looks promising. Like the other promising things today, it may be full of bugs. But it looks like metal, which is a good sign. Possibly.

Is the object all the same color, or is there any visible pattern or variation on the outside of it?

[greyarea]

Denslow will approach the object. It appears to bar our progress, he comments.

[GreyWolfVT]

Jack "Perhaps it's roots are strong Denslow." the former sheriff makes a tree joke. "Yes lets try to avoid any more bugs today if we can."

[Norjax]

...

May-Jor and Denslow cautiously approach the ancient object, the flickering torchlight dancing across the curved surfaces. May-Jor examines the exterior, looking for patterns or variations in the covering. The mysterious structure appears covered with layers of dirt, dust and grime built up over the centuries (possibly longer). There aren’t any repetitive patterns or variation save the irregularity of the coating thickness. She does not touch or prod the item, but is looking it over noting the various details. She stays at least a foot away from the object.

Denslow determines that one might be able to crawl under the object, on either side of the pipe run. Presumably, the top has the same amount of space to move over and on the backside. The object looks about 50-60 ft. long.

Actions?

...

[GreyWolfVT]

Jack walks over to where Denslow and May-Jor are and looks at the strange object "What do you suppose it is?" he asks the pair.

[Mimdalf]

Blixx

Blixx doggedly follows the others, his powers seeming fail him.

"Hey that looks like some sort of vehicle!" Blixx remarks. "Maybe there is a door or a way inside?"

[greyarea]

Denslow investigates further. He begins pulling and prying at things to see if he can open it.