Month: March 2016

Session 102

3rd Jourilden

The party continues the fight against the mysterious flying shard after Blaise was viciously wounded to feed it’s multiplication. The two shards reverse direction and stab at Blaise again, one hitting and subsequently splitting again, making a total of three shards now flying around.

The party lashes out as best they can to try and bring all the shards down simultaneously, whilst Derich prepares a Chant to assist the group. However, several Magic Missiles from Edan shattered all the shards without issue.

With the combat dealt with, Thorfus returns to the Administrator’s desk to continue cycling through the options, beginning with the coding at the Analyst’s stations. We seem to get more strange mixings of Ancient Dwarven letters and numbers that we can’t really make much of. Testing the ‘X’ Platinum key on one of the pedestals doesn’t garner much of a reaction either.

Edan manages to bring the odd sequences to thier end, which literally just says, ‘End’, and presents a flashing block. Reaching for it, Edan prompts the line ‘Insert information reliquary to download code’ to appear.

We discuss which of our cubes to use and sacrifice, and believing we have a duplicate of the geographical survey, Edan utilises that one, causing the display to show “Anti-Virus Code*”.

Poking at the asterisk, tells us that the cube cannot be removed from Area X whilst it contains the code.

The party plays with the various stations for a while, without much success other than discovering that an anti-virus of some kind is complete. We then check the desk drawer, discovering a drive that potentially covers all of the stations.

Figuring we have all the information we can get, we decide to head towards the prison area with the hopes of finding the Dragon Consort. The northern section seems much as the other have done, and the monkey sent manages to get over and extend the bridge. Unfortunately, the bridge sticks half way.

We mess around with ropes for a while, trying to work out a way to pass over the gap safely, whilst Thorfus sends an Automonkey to open final door and confirm it to b the same as all the others. He then has it open the northern door, which opens into a room with a bridge over a pit, guarded by arrow slits.

Mental probes are unable to pick up anything in range, so Derich heads over the rope to the north side, joining the monkey. After an all-clear call, the rest of the party heads over, leaving Pons and Blaise to guard the rope.

Further Automonkey scouting across the bridge in the far north room reveals another room with four doors that holds a corpse. It is wearing robes with vines and leaves in gold as a pattern, and is holding several items in it’s hands. There is a pedestal, and a window on the north wall reveals a room with a blue tint to it. The monkey approaches the corpse, seeing that it holds a reliquary and an odd disc with words on it, made from the gate material.

Thorfus has the automonkey reach for the disc and pick it up, without garnering a reaction. The party then starts heading across the bridge, Chuq taking the lead. When we reach the monkey, we can read the disc, which reads ‘Never Forget’ in Ancient Dwarven along the edge. It also activates and starts playing a hologram.

The hologram displays a sphere, zooming in on the sphere until appears we are flying swiftly across an ocean, passing islands until we reach a large island with a large crystal tower. The view swoops up the tower, which appears as interconnected vines eventually disappearing into a large cylinder high up above it. The cylinder spins slowly, and a number of spikes jut out from it. The whole thing is surrounded by a gigantic ring, as big as the original sphere.

A pulse of red light emanates, followed by a view of the tower falling in pieces down to the surface of the sphere that cause tidal waves and shockwaves as they impact.

As we looked at the cylinder, we realise that words are emblazoned across it’s side in Ancient Dwarven, reading Xeno Telerobotics/Telergy. With that revelation, and the limitless possibilities it could reveal, Derich nevertheless moves on, looking through the window.

It opens out into a hexagonal room on a lower level. There is a pedestal and a floating platform. On the platform there is a seat holds a naked human female, strapped down, with red hair and a dragon tattoo. Floating around her head is a circlet attached to the ceiling. Banging on the glass garners no reaction, expected as there is a blue haze to the room.

Thorfus checks the pedestal, which already holds a number of options, most notably for Derich being the ‘Adjust Prisoner Synchronistion’ option, amongst door controls. Slapping his hands away, Thorfus decides to check the other cube as well.

The other cube presents a different option, seemingly just a single a memo. Activating it reveals a holographic, older female dwarf who introduces herself as the Chief Botanist.

” I, Chief Botanist Nola Davodorn, sit here looking at conclusive evidence that we have succeeded – the rebellion is finished and XenoTel restored … or it would be, if there were any way to leave this prison and deliver our cure. There has been no contact from the other administrators of Xen’Khel in days and I must assume that facility has been breached by the enemy. The fail-safes that keep us protected sealed our fate.”

ii. “My only choice is to retire the researchers here, including myself, and enable the first level defenses in case the rebels find some way into this facility. I will be storing my key in the administrative safe under the protection of a particularly nasty toy manufactured by Kalgunn. Assuming anyone capable of accessing this record is here to recover our work, please be aware that the pass phrase to deactivate the guardian is Nazron’Ethol (Last Hope).”

iii. “I will now retire to the prisoner observation chamber to spend my last moments in the presence of our vanquished enemy – gloating before that creature, who is both symbol and means of our delayed victory, will bring me some peace before I sleep. May XenoTel preserve me to see the day of his vengeance. “

In anger, Derich kicks the corpse across the room, and Edan pockets the cube for later. Thorfus also pockets the disc. Derich begs to have Prix released, and waits by the door to let be through once they synchronisation has been dropped. Chuq wants to make sure Thorfus is ready to resynch the moment it happens.

The Starchy Boyz are put off by the Cleric’s eagerness, and push to finish exploring the area to ensure everything is safe and we have full knowledge of the situation. Thorfus decides to send monkeys to scout east and west, via the doors marked green.

The east opens into a long corridor that goes along behind the arrow slits we previously saw, and houses a number of floating orbs crackling with electricity. West appears to be it’s mirror image. Both corridors have shutters over the arrow slits, and we send the monkeys to close them all.

Whilst they do so, the party quizzes Derich on his involvement with Prix and history as a rebel, to garner better knowledge on how to deal with the dragon. They also turn on Araquiel, who reveals that the Dragon Emperor wasn’t as convinced of the need to overthrow XenoTel, but also had some skill with the transpatial energy. The Devilfish also notes that he sided with the consort, despite the rest of his people being against the final destruction of XenoTel, as that would mean the loss of magic across all of Meidia.

We next try the Analyst’s doors at Edan’s behest. We get access to a small room with doors leading off without obvious means of opening them. A segmented shape all rolled up lies in the centre. The doors seemingly function in an airlock pattern as we’ve previously seen, so a monkey and Edan head through to scout it out. The southwest door opens into a large room that twists around to the north and holds a pair of pedestals. A large window looks over the prison chamber.

Chuq joins them with a key when the pedestals fail to activate, and it gives them a number of options regarding the prisoner’s dreams, such as inducing and capturing. They get a fractured series of numbers and words as we previously saw. The other pedestal shows the same options, so they remove the cubes. Heading over other to the east, it seems to be much the same, including cubes with the same functionality. Edan also collects those.

Eventually, Thorfus begins slowly reducing the desynchronisation to 0%, and though Prix begins to breath, she gives no reaction, and Chuq picks up nothing via ESP but the fact a powerful, calm conciousness exists there. Derich, Edan and a monkey enter the room, heading for the pedestal.

After retrieving the silver key, Edan tests that with the pedestal in the prison cell, but garners no reaction. Eventually, Thorfus enters the room as well with the X-Platinum Key and passes that over, which gives options to extend a bridge or release the restraints.

Derich instantly pushes to access the bridge and runs over, and once Thorfus releases the restraints, picks her up and carries her across. A Detect Charm and a Heal do nothing to awaken her, so it’s theorised she’s still in a dream state, so we return her to the chair and attempt to deactivate it.

Edan manages to access some information on the dream, which was reportedly built from interrogation of the Dragon, and a holograph shows her dreaming of building a ritual spell as  a dragon.

After trying several ways to find new options, the party gives up and simply carries Prix out of the room, which activates an alarm. As the automatons activate, the pedestal reveals the alarm can be shut off from within the administrator’s office.

The human-form dragon in arm, Derich tries to make a run for it, only for the bridge to begin tilting. Unable to keep his footing, he falls, dropping himself and Prix into the desynch field some 200 hundred feet below…

Session 100 :

Journal Entry – 2nd of Jourelden – 8PM

We’ve spent the better part of the last 30 or 40 hours slaughtering the infected and “exploring” the residential quarters of those unfortunate that worked in the dwarven “Pathogen” facility. It is days like this that I question if Kalgunn was right to call us grave-robbers.

Still, if I learned anything about this “Pathogen” area is that it must be eradicated from existence – erased. Worse than the horrors of the BioForge – the diseases that were cultured here would be devastating to all life on the surface. The fact that the dwarves of that age would have even considered unleashing this in order to save themselves makes me sick. Maybe not all lost dwarven knowledge is worth saving – but that’s a discussion for another entry – or book.

Moving on – I sit here with Kalgunn sheathed with Mind Circlet on my head waiting for Thorfus and Chuck to sit and discuss our next moves. With Axel gone I believe they’ve accepted me as an official member of their company. Why the circlet? As much as I want to, I cannot bring myself to fully trust Kalgunn, it is a product of its age and likely conspiring against me in some way – especially after Lupa confirmed my suspicions that it can “see & hear” more than he admits to. I think it more prudent to keep it sheathed and my mind clear of any possible suggestion for now.

Ah – here they come… I’ll report later.

A lively debate to say the least – what follows is a summary of the main points of each.

Chuck started by asking the obvious question – likely tainted by the recent loss of Axel which he did not take well : Do we continue exploring and clearing the labs, or do we stop return to the surface, inform Axel’s family of their loss and deal with Grel and the other surface issues. Suffice to say that Chuck was adamant that we destroy the key, preventing the Silver Throne and this so called Dark King from gaining anymore dwarven technology. To focus our attention to those we left suffering on the surface. He reminded them that the only the reason they were looking for the keys was to find the sphere and prevent anyone from getting it. Destroying a key or all keys would prevent that.

As you can imagine, I explained that I had no interest in leaving – the potential good from recovering and sharing this technology and the amount of lost history that could be restored cannot be ignored. Besides – this Grell person means nothing to me. I voted that we stay and continue exploring – even attempt to return to the BioForge with a greater force in order to retrieve the final key allowing us to unlock all the secrets of this place.

Chuck reminded me that I had Kalgunn, that with him I had everything I needed to recreate that lost technology. A valid point, but I reminded him that destroying the keys would not stop the Silver Throne or the Dark King from gaining access to these facilities. Kalgunn confirmed that heavily trapped tunnels linking the facilities to the Undercity and even the surface exist. Destroying the keys would only delay the inevitable.

Thorfus pondered – if anyone’s word had any real weight it would be his – and at first agreed with Chuck – that we need to tell Axel’s family. Then Derrich – the ancient human hero – interjected, warning us all about the perils of a potential return of XenoTel – the very being he and likely my ancestors fought to destroy. He has a mission to complete and he has every intention to make sure that XenoTel and the dwarven empire will never return. He even accused Chuck and Thorfus of having been affected by the technology on their heads. He questioned even myself – rightly so I might add. I do not trust it and I have begun to question weather I should continue carrying it at my side.

Chuck objected to Derrich’s interjection – that he had no say in the decisions of the group. To which Derrich obviously took exception to. Back and forth they went – point and counterpoint. Eventually even Thorfus began to sway towards continuing. Which is is the greater evil? Slavers on the surface, or the potential rising of a new dwarven empire or worse – the accidental release of the horrors of the Pathogen facility. We need that final key – even if only to destroy the Pathogen Facility once and for all.

But retrieving the final key was an issue – that is until we stumbled upon a plan during our arguments. With Kalgunn’s help in understanding how Engineering powered the other facilities – we figured we could circumvent any possibility of escape by the Dark King’s forces while preventing the use of the de-synchronization technology against us in the BioForge installation as they had done in the Botanical area trapping Axel.

Even Chuck couldn’t disagree with an attempt to save his friend – or at least retrieve his body.

So we’re off to try it. Wish us luck.

By my ancestors! Axel is ALIVE!

Our plan worked – we entered the BioForge facility without issue. As the portal opened we could see Axel’s message written on the walls – he was alive and did not reproach us for leaving him to his fate. That he was going to make his way to the surface and that the key we needed was “sacrificed.” We feared the key was lost.

It seems that our preparations were not necessary, Thorfus and Derrich faced no opposition or traps as they quickly explored the immediate surroundings. Derrich tells me that as they explored both he and Thorfus suddenly understood that Axel had not destroyed the key at all but had hidden it in the primitive shrine near the lair of giant lizards I first saw when I arrived to explore the ruins.

So we now have the key we need to give us full control over all the facilities and gain axes the mysterious Section X where Derrich believes his commander – the Dragon Consort is imprisoned or where XenoTel is imprisoned or both. We won’t know until we get there.

But we need supplies and some items we left with Lupa. So Chuck and I will attempt a quick trip to retrieve what we need and return. I’ll be leaving Kalgunn behind – I’d rather not upset a 2,000 year old legendary creature. I’ll continue when I return.

I now understand why the company distrusts Marchmain so much. In order to avoid being spotted by any dwarven patrols that may still be exploring the Undercity, Chuck and I used our combined talents to quickly move undetected towards Lupa’s hiding place. On our way – in the great hall of pillars we found two teams of dwarves building fortifications each blocking the main corridors leading to the Undercity – the left towards the temple and the portal from which we came, the other towards the city itself – and Lupa. Chuck and I knew immediately – that game board had changed and we had to make haste.

Thankfully they were busy and did notice our passing. We made as quickly as possible to Lupa’s hiding place at the base of the Colossi. After telling Lupa what had happened, Chuck unsuccessfully tried to convince Lupa to join us in going to Section X- but she refused – stating that she’d rather not,that she’d rather go somewhere to wait to witness the result. After a 2,500 year vigil we both understood that there would be no convincing her otherwise.

We had another problem, with the dwarves setting fortifications it would only be a matter of time before they would find our company’s trove of equipment and artifacts. Hastily Chuck and I took what we needed and any other items we would not dare let fall into the hands of the Silver Throne and packed them on our persons – including a rather nice piece of armour for myself, something I had noticed amoung the company’s belongings but never had considered requesting the use of- silly me I guess, I could have avoided much pain. Then we gathered whatever else we could manage and hid them in our hidden access tunnel Chuck called the Raptor tunnel – hopefully we’d be back to recover it all.

After a quick double check (and a good 2 hours of packing and moving – I’m so sore) we made our way back to the portal.

The dwarven fortification hadn’t progressed much since we last passed, but there were many more dwarves and this time Marchmain himself. Knowing that Marchmain and Chuck had a disagreeable encounter – I gave him my circlet to shield his mind while I guided his shadow step – hoping that Marchmain would not sense him or I for that matter.

He did not – and we made our way back to the portal and had Thorfus shut it immediately.

Chuck is recounting our experience while I rest my sore body – Boris is welcome company as we all contemplate our next move and I contemplate Kalgunn’s fate – should we go to this mysterious Section X – do I dare bring a sword that I may or may not fully control that according to Lupa will likely betray us or do I simply leave it here in it’s beloved engineering assuming I’ll be able to return to retrieve him? Maybe in a box …Safjiwer … Boris is insisting that I rest – he’s constantly trying to sit on this book as a write… I’ll resume another time.

Alessandro Bertolucci Here’s the link to this week’s recording! https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8WR3haKt47GVjRMR1BPTnhTWGc/view?usp=sharing

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B8WR3haKt47GVjRMR1BPTnhTWGc/view?usp=sharing