CHAPTER 12a: The Fortress of the Plain

[GrapeApe]

Podo

Unaware of what various life-saving abilities his new companions may possess, Podo sees Needle shouting something to him but can't make out what it is over the deafening thrum. Anton's thoughts course through Podo's mind and he silently concurs with the assessment to allow his physical husk to be reabsorbed back into the earth so new life can bloom. He glances around quickly seeing Urlando scouting the path he was intending to head to for escape and then Silvestri motioning excitedly.

He bounds over to meet Silvestri, hoping he will might able to reconstruct Max as well as he deconstructed that wall.

[Zhym]

Kurot gathers with the others around Max, not sure what if anything he can do. "Have you tried rebooting him?" seems either obvious or unhelpful. Or both.

[doppelganger]

Urlando continues walking counterclockwise to scout the next corridor going south. "Hearing" Anton's thoughts in his head, he thinks there is little he could do to help with his fallen comrade Max. With one of his two heads, he thinks again of his friends who were mutilated in the entrance corridor. He wants these wicked metal-faced things to pay for this!

[Norjax]

Fortress Interior 346D/81 (Evening)



The purple light entities have been vanquished and seem to have been thwarted, for the moment. There are no masked humanoids within the large circular tower chamber. The saturating omnipresent >HUMMMM< continues to impede vocal communication. The violet band of pulsing luminosity, five feet above the floor on every wall in sight, has changed to orange and continues to pulse. Lightning ripples across the central tower’s surface and occasionally arcs to the gold metallic radial pillars.

Most of your group collects around Silvestri and attends to Max’s needs. The psionist applies his psychic healing (ML assumption) to revive your wounded comrade from death’s door. (Max made his initial Luck check for survival. He will suffer permanent ability score damage) The neuronaut regains consciousness but is in no condition to fight or explore.

Urlando moves counterclockwise to the next corridor. There, he encounters a curtain of light identical to the first corridor used to enter this vast circular room. His twin heads continue to monitor and ponder the meaning of this structure and its nefarious occupants.

Saiph has disappeared, presumably through the light curtain to the west.

Action Details:

Characters:

Monsters:

Actions?

Hit Points [Luck Point Recovery - 348D]:

Denslow – 24/42 [13/16]
Silvestri – 53/60 [14/14]
Kurot – 50/50 [4/15]
Max – 1/28 [14/15]
Anton – 23/43 [11/11]
Saiph – 20/25 [11/11]
Needle – 68/77 [11/11]
Podo – 29/63 [11/14]
Urlando – 53/75 [17/17]

[GrapeApe]

Podo

Podo respectfully reaches down to carry Max or assist him as needed after Silvestri has had opportunity to lend aid. Recalling how the room to the West did not have the overwhelming hum, Podo begins heading in that direction to seek refuge, hoping that the change in lights and the abrupt disappearance of the cloaked figures doesn't signify something much worse than just a loud noise.

Before entering the corridor Podo pulls a sling stone and launches it in Urlando's direction, hoping to catch the ratmans attention as to where he is headed.

*Edit: I meant West

[greyarea]

Max thanks the others for the help. I'm weak but... I'm still alive. Thank you for the help.

[greyarea]

The faceless men have departed, Denslow says. Let us find a location to rest and take in nutrients. How about that circular room to the west?

[doppelganger]

Urlando, keeping the rest of the party in sight with one head, hurries back to join the party in going towards the room without the hum. There he plans to tell them what he saw.

[Anton_E_Gregor]

Anton follows the party to the west, assisting with carrying Max's body if help is needed.

[shaidar]

Silvestri follows the others to the quiet area so they can discuss their next move.

[maceo_the_escher]

Needle

Needle will move counterclockwise towards Urlando.

[Norjax]

Fortress Interior 346D/81 (Evening)



Collectively, via non-verbal communication, everyone (save Saiph) migrates into the circular room to the west that is outside the omnipresent humming sound. There, you are able to converse and outline a plan of exploration or withdrawal. Urlando conveys his discovery on the two corridors to the south of this room. Saiph continues to be absent, perhaps beyond the initial light veil.

The orange band of light along the walls persists, a reminder of the flashing red signal that initiated the purple photonic bugs to appear. Illuminated wall panels continue to display their moving images within this chamber.





The hour of the evening begins to degrade the organic member’s endurance as the required sleep cycle approaches. The idea of sleep invokes apprehension, due to the unknowns of this structure.

Action Details:

Characters:

Monsters:

Actions?

Hit Points [Luck Point Recovery - 348D]:

Denslow – 24/42 [13/16]
Silvestri – 53/60 [14/14]
Kurot – 50/50 [4/15]
Max – 1/28 [14/15]
Anton – 23/43 [11/11]
Saiph – 20/25 [11/11]
Needle – 68/77 [11/11]
Podo – 29/63 [11/14]
Urlando – 53/75 [17/17]

[Anton_E_Gregor]

"If we are going to rest here, I should try to repair myself again" Anton ponders out loud. "It may not be safe to stay here very long, however" /color]

(How soon can I regenerate again?)

[shaidar]

Silvestri

"I wonder how safe it is to stay here. Why have the the red cloaks left? Are there more defences on the way? Podo, you look the worst of us for injuries, apart from Max, would you like some healing? Perhaps Denslow and Urlando too? "

[Anton_E_Gregor]

Anton contorts unnaturally as he regenerates. A disturbing sizzling sound emanates from his suit. It is quite strange to behold.





Any poison or radiation damage is also removed

[greyarea]

Denslow keeps watch while others rest

[GrapeApe]

Silvestri

"I wonder how safe it is to stay here. Why have the the red cloaks left? Are there more defences on the way? Podo, you look the worst of us for injuries, apart from Max, would you like some healing? Perhaps Denslow and Urlando too? "

Podo takes stock now that his mind can focus without the constant thrumming and realizes how damaged he really is. Rubbing sore and burnt areas from the floating stingers he responds, "Yes please, but make sure max is okay, he looked like he was near death when I got to him. Urlando were you able to see anything else in the south corridor?" OOC: Norjax did Urlando get a peak down that hallway before he returned?

After being attended to by Silvestri Podo will take a closer look at the portal set into the wall to the south. "There were two red robes in here before, they had to be able to leave this room somehow." Podo looks back to his companions for ideas and finally notices that the well-dressed, multi-armed, mutant is nowhere to be seen, "Where is Saiph?" Can anything be seen beyond the portal looking through it? Does the floor and the roof inside look solid?

[doppelganger]

Urlando responds to Podo's question.
I saw two pods in the corridor -- pods just like the ones in the center tower there. They were floating above the ground. And I saw another metal face. I don't think they even notice we're here.
The next corridor was blocked by another one of those energy fields, like the one that damaged you.
I think we should go once around the central tower and see if any other corridors are different.
We should be fast. That orange light doesn't look like a good sign, man.

[maceo_the_escher]

Needle

Needle will take some time to sit and rest if he can. It's been non-stop motion since he came to in this place.

[Norjax]

Can anything be seen beyond the portal looking through it? Does the floor and the roof inside look solid?

Needle discovered the portal's glass is two feet thick and appears to have water on the other side flowing up. The clear fluid contains bubbles and streams of fast-moving froth. The dynamic fluid obscures any wall, floor or ceiling beyond the glass.