Iron Stars - kazaklapeth

Ka'zakalpeth awakens to a sense of business in the small church. Converts have been coming for some days now, first in ones and twos, and then in their fives and tens. The recent conflict on Rana, and the heroic sacrifice of Herald Daitrij have spawned a renewed interest in these forgotten aspects of the Taros faith. The temple hearth warms many converts, just finishing their first reading of the introductory chapters of the primer on Taros faith, and their many gods and goddesses. Although not directly her concern, these people are in the way as Ka'za begins performing her daily duties. Wood needs to be gathered for the hearth, building materials need to be secured for an expansion of the rectory and repairs on the roof, and finally, an expedition is being planned to one of the former deeps occupied by the Overlord. The temple has taken on the responsibility of trying to end the Overlord curse, where the dead of Heras return to life unless their brains are destroyed- and thus far has not made the kind of headway the public is expecting. (edited)

Carrying a bundle of wood for the sacred fires, Kazak is blindsided by a convert as they cross through the hearth as they travel through their tasks. Heavy chitin that is reactive to both mood and ambient temperature flares a reddish orange as Kazak reaches out a limb to steady the convert, who for the most part bounces off the heavy Mosk. "Watch your step, before someone gets hurt by accident." Kazaks speech is Slow and heavy, consonants made harsh by vocal cords unused to Common. Once the convert is stable on their feet Kazak continues with their duties, performing them faithfully and even the most menial of tasks performed to the best of their ability. Daily duties finished they seek out a higher member of the Church for what more they can do.

(did we want to look into the overlord curse thing?)

(yes sir.)

Several temple acolytes are being summoned, including yourself, to a small antechamber behind the chapel. THings seem grim, or at least urgent. Several people have been pulled out of bed or away from other duties for this meeting

Kazak shuffles into the antechamber, taking a place near the back so as to prevent their large frame from blocking the sight of others. They listen intently, bright red patterns shifting to a more dull orange.

A more senior priestess is waiting, with six packs full of survival supplies, along with a laser rifle for each and two power cells. "A gift from the armory. We have a task. There is a deep nearby we have recently discovered, that may contain some secret or component we need to conitnue the working here to undo the overlord's plague. Our progress on this has been stalled for some time, and a victory here means we can once again be the flame of hope to everyone in not just Heras, but the entire Protectorate. "

Kazak takes the proffered items, strapping them to their shell, as they inquire further into the task. "What can we expect to find at this deep?"

"We don't exactly know, aside from the returned dead. We believe the chance to get any kind of information about the Overlord is worth an exploration attempt"

Kazak nods, the answer proving sufficient. "When will we go to the deep?"

'You've been summoned now, we leave now"

Kazak nods acceptingly. "Then let us proceed and remove this obstruction."

Outside a small explorer vehicle has been pulled up in front of the temple, something rented from one of the local army units for the purpose of the expedition. There’s enough room for everyone to handle it for a few days.

Kazak boards the explorer, strapping in and taking note of the other members of the Church are partaking in the expedition (edited)

Three of them are priests , the magical and intellectual sides of the investigation. The other two are soldiers or the closest approximation to soldiers the order can find at the current moment. The idea of private citizens under arms is a thorny subject in the protectorate right now given all the other local troubles. You seem to fit somewhere between.

Kazak dips their head in silent prayer during the journey and examines their laser rifle, unfamiliar with it and its bulk clunky in their clawed hands.

(If you’ve got other weapons that’s all good, they’re just not gonna send anyone in without it)

23:07

The ruin is a third of a days journey from the temple, and looks to have been recently unearthed by some kind of earthquake or other seismic event.

23:07

The doorway is broken, flush with the ground and barely visible from the dirt road it is near

(The issue isn't the weapons themselves, it's the not having any skills yet haha.) Kazak disembarks from the vehicle and examines the entrance. "Looks built while ago, but the rocks shifted, revealing."

“You know anything about living under rocks?” One of the priests asks, looking at your mollusk like appearance

"Long ago, on my world before forced to leave, maybe, here is strange, was not my task either."

You feel a comradely hand on your back-shell, and the group begins moving forward in a loose line, weapons up, though the shakes and sways of the barrels indicate wildly varying levels of training and experience using them.

Kazak shivers at the touch, turning a flushed teal at the gesture. They dip their head, concentrating on the stones below their feet silently pleading them to conform to their will. After a moment stones begin snaking up Kazaks legs, molding to the shell as the mosk turns into a grayish brown Terracotta crab soldiers. (Devoting an effort to Pavis of the Elements, bring my AC up to 18 total.) Kazak takes a light, and peers into the doorway. (edited)

Original message was deleted or could not be loaded.

Pinned a message.

14:53

Looking into the sunken deep, you see a room with rows upon rows of narrow shelves carved into the ground where the dead were once buried. A small stone room, lit by a torch in each corner occupies the back of the large chamber- entry door blocked off by a thick black iron metal grate

"Room seems safe, empty grave's in room, another room beyond blocked by gate."

They seem to be following your lead, as you're able to see into the room. There doesn't seem to be an exact chain of seniority at work ehre

Kazak enters the room cautiously, las rifle shaking slightly as they take point, trying to be a stalwart guardian despite their combat inexperience.

The others file in behind you, doing their best to mimic you, all muzzles gently turning toward the large structure at the back of the chamber

20:20

Nothing stirs within the shallow trench graves in this entry chamber, though you can see bodies within dozens of them

Kazak examines one of the trench graves containing a body.

It is a human, shot through the head. You cannot tell before or after death. They have been rotting here for at least a year

"Remaining bodies missing brain." Kazak pushes onwards, examining the gate.

It is heavy, and black, and welded in place. A dark stairwell goes down into the ground on the other side of this mausoleum lke building

Kazak turns to the group. "Need way to get rid of gate, could ask stones to move, but they do not listen well."

“Thought , anyone?” The priest you spoke with earlier asks

"Could cut it, if we have person and tool."

05:12

(Kazak has heavy negatives to fix/int so it would be down to any of the NPCs unless I burn my singular spell slot to do fancy stuff early)

(Let me see if one of them can do anything before we make you do that)

14:38

(nope, hard 2, totally shit the bed)

14:38

One of the mechanically minded members of the team is found to be a complete fraud, spending an hour chipping away at the door, having zero effect on it.

1

Kazak places a hand on the 'tech's shoulder and gestures for them to move. Once they do Kazak begins making a resonant tone with their mouth pieces as trailing ink like lines make themselves apparent on the surface of their shell. During the process Kazak begins to will the stones around them into a different shape. (I don't have the spell specifics easily ATM, but it's called Favour of the Elements, intent is to shear/deform the gate severely using the foundations that is attached to.)

20:09

(That is also my one spell slot for the day.)

(

️ thanks Eish.)

The grate become malleable under your touch, magic taking the place of technical expertise.

Kazak makes a ripping motion as the grate is sheared apart. They walk up to it and swing the broken frame outward then looks back towards the group (edited)

They rise, raising weapoins, and preparing to enter the ruin below. "Anyone have glow bugs?"

Kazak shakes their head in the negative. "I have compad, has light."

(I'll grab you a battlemap)\

21:38

Original message was deleted or could not be loaded.

Pinned a message.

Kazak shuffles forward, telling someone to watch the north corridor as they examine the southern room.

A sacrificial chamber looks to be to the south. The blood and bodies are old but they no doubt died in violence and terror here. They were killed with a blade or a club, in some cases both. The work was not done In a way where the deaths were swift

Kazak cringes internally at the bloodbath before heading north.

(notice/wis)

(6, 5 if it involves vision

(it does) One of the priests screams, as the bodies on the ground begin to rise. They swarm over him, in a tide of undulating skeletal hands, heads, and legs, before he is dragged into the ground

Kazak makes an alarmed noise at the scream, an orders everyone to return down the initial corridor as that prepare o lay down covering fire.

04:36

(Init?)

(yes please)

14:07

(2 for me)

(7 for Kaz)

(kaz, team, zomblies)

(are the zombies in the corridor, or the room still, how many are there, and is the priest dead?)

(They're in the room, the priest is being eaten, and i am using them as a swarm)

Kazak fires into the swarm hoping more lasers offsets their terrible aim, ordering the less combative preists to return down the corner they came, Kazak shuffling that way as well. (11/10) (edited)

Two of the church members with you open fire, as the rest begin to flee from the room. Their shots are focused, aimed, and managed to punch some holes into the advancing swarm. For their part, they seem to shrug off this initial damage, and continue to devour the hapless priest they caught. His screams are cut short, as they bite out his ability to continue making them. (Ka'za)

Kazak sprays another round of fire into the swarm, this burst better aimed then the last as they get used to it. (15/7)

Your shots, along with the solid, sustained hits of the others as they regain their composure and rejoin the fight are enough to put the swarm down, reducing them to crimson and blackened stained bones, now inert despite their feast of the hapless companion of yours who got too close

Kazak ensures they stay down and are dead.

(How so? )

(In this case visual examination from a distance and then a knife or Las round if they are without sufficient brain trauma.)

(I’m asking so if you’re shooting we can track ammo use. )

(For simplicity sake ill just dump a shot each into them.)

The cell empties and a quick reload has you ready to explore further north. A chamber off to the west branches off the otherwise north running stone hallway

Kazak cycles the las rifle and enters the chamber cautiously. (That takes me 1/7 type A's used and 20/20 on ammo.)

(Which chamber. The East one or the one in front?

(The westerly one you mentioned in your post.)

(It’s east I’m stupid

The eastern chamber has a pit in the center of the floor. Bones have been thrown there and a smell like pitch rises from the sunken hole I. The ground

(Seen, just not might be ablw to respond today.)

(No prpvlem$

Kazak leans forward and looks down into the pit, using their compad as a flashlight.

Pitch covered bones languish there , screaming empty eyed souls splattered black, looking up at the sky in wordless agony.

Kazak recoils, and mutters a prayer for the lost souls, and looks towards the two remaining priestly members. "Anything we can do for them?"

"Burn them, we need to put them out of your misery"

Kazak nods. "We have fuel for fire? Can spark the fire myself."

"The pitch is fuel, it will burn if lit"

Kazak nods, and turns towards the pit, a small ball of flames manifiesting in their hand as they drop it into the pit. (Using the once per session effect of Elemental Sparks to conjure flame.)

The skeletons rattle and scrape against one anther as the fire consumes them. You sense something like a release of energy- not channeled into something explosive like a ritual or spell, but like a restoration of peace

(Options are to go north or back west, correct?)

(go north or leave basically_

15:08

(north is the room with those four pillarS)

Kazak shoulders their rifle, as the spirits are released. He looks back towards the group. "Another room north, more to find."

(sneak/dex)

(6)

You see four shapes ahead, near the pillars, they are humanoid in size but the amount of light down here makes it almost impossible to get a clear picture of who they are, or what

Kazak whispers, trying to be as quiet as possible. "People ahead, you stay here, cover me, I found who are." (Would it be possible to have them set up executions while Kazak parlays/scouts?)

(they would then become aware of the group so we wouldnt be able to execute)

(Gotcha.) Kazak stands to full height, hoping their size and stone armour is enough to discourage any sentient targets as they approach. "Hello, who is?"

The creatures turn, green balefire gently glowing in their eyes, as they are 10m away, one of them shouts in a wordless scream

Kazak brings their weapon to bear, as the creatures turn. "Okay, is bad." (Init 8)

(you and the gang are first before the monsters go, they're still 10m away)

(Sorry, should init 3, Didnt scroll up far enough on mobile.)

(Still first)

(that's a crit/4 I think, don't know how I got a 20 with negative modifiers.)

(no crit just a 19, Weapon AB is +1, Burst +2, Skill -2, so +1 in total)

(thanks Dai.) (I didn't do anything to the damage, so it's a 20/4.) (edited)

Two other laser shots hit their targets, bringing down both the undead you have shot at, and another of the four. | The remaining two close the distance with you, (crit/6 and a miss) , long talons slashing across your body

(Ouch, crit brings me down to zero.)

(your side shoots, kills the third, the 4th retreats. First heal check 5 v 6, fails, second heal check by squad 7 v 7, passes, you're at 1)

Kazak sits up from where they feel prone, their stone armour growing once more, focusing on the large gash across their shell. Kazak stands uneasily and looks at the group. "Go back, bring back dead to church and heal? Or keep pressing?"

"We know something is here, something that could stop this. We need to continue"

Kazak nods, wincing as they brings their rifle to bear as they move to the next room. (edited)

(where did you want to go, there could be several possible next rooms)

(could you mark where we are on the map real quick, I'm a smidge lost.)

(same room with the four pillars on the south side)

22:26

(We were in here, you saw the undead, fought, got dropped, revived. Havent left this spot)

(thanks, big room to the north then.)

Two doors point the way forward, and there is an inscription on them. One of the priests offers you a healing powder

(I have -2 to heal, so if one of the priests could apply it that would be fantastic.) Kazak accepts the powder, lessening their stone pavis so the priest may apply it better. Once tended too Kazak reads the inscriptions.

(You just need to roll the dice for how much hp you heal and be mindful of the -1 dex penalty until the end of all this)

(-1 dex downs my AC to 17 with PotE, and 3 HP regened bringing me to 4)

“I come and go as I please , unless by command. Summon me now and you may pass”

04:14

The door has no knob but a small keyhole sized region where it would be

Kazak tilts their head quizzically as they read what they presume is a riddle, intelligence not being their strong suit. "Need find key using riddle? Riddle is key? Keep searching?"

"Perhaps not, this seems too small for a key. May be we should think about the words again"

"Life, or blood? Life goes in cycle, until we make life or kill it. Blood goes through body until die, but is summoned with wounds, and stopped and moved with machines."

They have asked enough from you today. One of the monks pricks their finger with the tip of their knife, and blood soaks the inside of the small hole, before the door begins to swing open

Kazak cautiously peeks through into the room.

A ghostly projection lies within, mimicking events that happened somewhere in the past, when the Overlord was vanquished, along with his most powerful servants. A sage of some sort steps forward, crowned of head and with ethereal robes blowing in the wind. Some sort of magical wind and lightning storm emerges from the tip of a rod he is carrying, destroying the ghostly image of a pyramid, and the figures surrounding it. As the lightshow clears. you see the remains of this figure here now, rusted crown still on its head. The rod is not with the body

"Think we have to redo past, finish it off." Kazak examines the body from a distance for head wounds.

There is a single one, in the back of the head from either a spike of some kind, or a bullet. The hole is neat and a possible indicator of either

Kazak sweeps a flashlight over the room, searching the floors for the staff.

It is not in here, and you do not see anything in this room indicating where it might have been carried off to

Kazak searches for the entrance to the eastern room with four pillars. "Think we need find staff, make things better." (edited)

It looks like there is a hallway to the east, that hangs north, where you can continue exploring. THe rooms are beyond dark, and you'll need to continue working with light sources to make forward progress. You also hear scraping, that might be scampering rats, and might be something worse

(Would any of the others have thermal flares?)

One of the priests has a glowbug, but that seems to be about it for the group in terms of light

Kazak asks for the glowbug, taking it and sliding it into the room if allowed, hoping to attract or scare away anything within.

Bats begin coming from around the dog-leg where the tunnel turns north. There are a lot of them.

Kazak ducks, dodging the onslaught of flying mammals. After the swarm has passed he steps into the door frame, trying to peek Into the room (edited)

(notice/wis)

(6, 5 for vision)

Soemthing is scratching along the floor in this room. You can hear it. The scrapes are two solid objects passing over one another, and it is low to the floor

(Can Kazak nudge/kick the glowbug towards it, or is it to far away to easily gotten to?)

(you can do that)

Kazak gestures a claw beconing the soldiers before crouching low, and throwing the glow bug at the estimated location of the scraping.

21:52

Spider legged, with a mouth of maggots, the creature glides over the floor, an amalgamation of legs- only two of which were the set it was born with

"Nopenopenope, die go away." (4 init)

(3, that’s all you soul skater )

(fuck me, 10/11) Kazak fires a burst of light at the monster and gets the hell out of the door way and into the middle room.

The shots miss the creature. It roars a scream that is part bubbling Hiss and part roar as it surged down the tunnel toward you.

04:01

Your companions are preparing to repel the threat with you , the creature out of sight now but closing rapidly

(Holding action for it to round the corner and shoot it.)

It rounds the corner , howling with its empty cavern of a face

(I'm on the road, can you do the attack roll for me, and take off 3 ammo since I forgot to last turn?)

(I won’t have a computer until Monday )

(we get back later today so I will have something for you then

)

(Sounds good)

(clear miss, 3/4) (edited)

(Physical save)

(fail, 12v14)

You feel a sense of fear overwhelming you, along with a sense of revulsion. The air fills with a black toxin and you can feel it taking root in your lungs before you have much chance to do anything to prevent sucking it in (your move)

Kazak continues to retreat, far more quickly due to a sense of irrational fear and their aim is unsteady. (7/2) (edited)

your party flees with you, loosing off more panicked and unaimed shots, though one scores a hit on the creature's chest. The creature bellows, and you can feel the spores in your chest beginning to choke and clog your airway. Another moment of this and you'll be unable to do anything but gasp

(The map shows this room has torches, are there any that Kazak could throw at this thing?)

(It's been pitch black and dark this whole time, there aren't any light sources but your glowbug)

(In that case I run 15 metres towards the exit)

Breaking contact, the group re-constitutes itself on the surface, out of breath, and down a man from the attacks of the undead below

Kazak heaves, trying to expell whatever toxin was emitted. "Creature... Was terror, new. Need more guns, or magics... Get rid of curse."

You're certain the cure for the ghoul plague lies down there, but the deep seems to be far more dangerous than anyone expected. Anti-tox is broken out of the medical case on the exploration vehicle, and everyone begins wrenching lungfuls of the black mucus

Once Kazak feels stable they begin to speak. "Can try again tomorrow, treat wounds, recover energies, get appropriate things. Maybe military involved, waste less lives."

(3xp, 5000 credits)

22:14

The team moves off, piling back into the vehicle to return to the temple, report on their efforts, and try to garner more support for another operation

(I'll get that handled tonight)

)sounds good to me)

Kazak- Elementalist Level 2
HP 6->8
SP: 3
  Shoot -1 -> 0
  Trade -1 -> 0
  Notice -1 -> 0
Focus- Specialist: Talk (0->1 1/3)
Elementalist Art: Elemental Blast
Spell Gained (I thought I started with 3 at first level for some reason): 
  Imperceptible Cerebral Divergence
  Damnation of the Sense (From gaining a level)

(awesome, looks good from my end)

(Can 20 thermal flares be picked up for 200 cr?)

(yeS)

A sense of failure lies on Kazaks shoulders walking back into the temple, seeking out the high priest who had tasked them the clearance of the tomb.

He has just finished the evening hearthwarming rites, and is dismayed to see the group returning wounded, and down a man. You're ushered quickly into the sub-level of the building, where things are more private and you can all have your wounds looked at. "What happened down there? and where is Marco?"

"Not-dead, ritual wounds but woke up, thought nothing of first, but they brought him down before could react." "Further in, found door needing blood to open, within was... Vision, a Speaker, using a staff dispelled pyramid, found body, but not staff. Think we have to repeat process, vision felt like from long ago, when overlord first was killed."

"You saw sometihng alright. None of the relics were there, I presume?

Kazak shakes their head. "Went searching, but first room opened was many not-dead, fused into one not-dead, many legs. Released toxin, made hard to move, luckily was slow, able to run out."

"So we do not know if the objects needed are there, or have been carried off somewhere else, but we do know they need to be assembled in this main room"

Kazak nods. "From what could tell, there was more rooms in tomb, but more not-dead."

"We will need support to take the Deep then. Any ideas? "

16:57

(could always loop a player or two in too)

Kazak nods once more. "Tomb is dangerous, and most untrained for rifles, bring in more trained fighters." (I'm cool with that.) (edited)

(maybe bring it up in the cloud)

(Will do.)

(I think knowing our level of PC support is going to inform who/what else comes along, now that im sitting down and thinking about where we go next)

(Looks like we have Ares.)

(Okay. Hes mid mission but theyve stonewalled him so we will see how that ends)

(And maybe Teucer, they expressed interest in the OOC chat but they are mid mission as well.)

(Yer, Teucer would be interested in clearing out any domestic threats if he gets back in time but don't hold up just for me)

(there is time to make it if you want Teucer)

01:19

(you, Kaza, and Ares is a good team, and nicely balances one anotheR)

Level 3, Kazakapleth Elementalist-
HP 8->9
Natural AC 14->15 
Elemental Blast: +Level-(3)+CHA(2)+C/Magic(1), 1d6+Level+CHA
Administer -1 -> 0
Trade 0 -> 1
Spell Learned: The Burrower Below
Spell Slots: 2 
Spells Prepared 4

2

07:16

(I think thats everything

(nice, you were waiting for the fire team to arrive iirc)

(Yeah, intend to give the rest of the crypt a thorough look over, since we only go through a few of the rooms.)

16:47

prepared spells:
The Burrower Below
Elemental Favour
Flame Scrying
Imperceptible Cerebral Divulgence.

Heading back into the room where the Overlord was killed, the tomb now seems empty. Even the mice and insects have abandoned the place now. Nature is wary of what happened here and it will take time for the planet to reclaim this place.

Kazak forms a stone gauze over the wound where they were impaled with the Overlords sword. Watching Ares and Teucer leave they begin the process of lighting up the rooms they have explored so far with glow bugs, awaiting the arrival of the fire team.

You can hear the sound of two heavy engines turning over outside as the team begins arriving. Shouts in mandate common and a few in taros followed by the sounds of boots hitting stone pull you from your thoughts. "Anyone home!?" the convoy commander shouts in mandate

"Yes, priest of team who killed overlord, here to clean and find everything?" Kazak replies, walking out claws raised.

Several of the troopers outside are unloading bulking flame projector units. Fuel tanks on vehicles begin to start their pumps so the refined starship fuel emits in a steady stream.

"Allowed to recover relics for Church, if any? Or torch and be done?"

“Anything the overlord has touched is corrupted. The church is a new organization and we cannot risk affiliating ourselves with dangerous magica or psionics we do not understand”

Kazak nods. "Will oversee burning then."

One of the bulky flamer packs is handed to you. "There won't be any problems with your use of this?"

"No, flames do not hurt, speak to them and they speak to me. Ready to cleanse."

The bulky pack is slipped onto your back and the tube like projector is placed in your claw like hands. There is a puff of gas as a test sends a small ball of fire coursing into the floor, sending a scorch mark to spread.

19:11

The rest of the six man team also stands ready

(Would the flamethrowers be considered a mundane flame source less extreme than a furnace?)

(It’s furnace heat or hotter, but it’s mundane )

(only half damage if it comes to it then.) Kazak shoulders the Thrower and leads the team into the antechamber.

The bodies in the tar room were burned, but more could be done, and you approach that chamber first. The remains of the devoured priest are in part still in there as well

(are there dog tags or any similar personal effect able to be recovered?)

(from the priest?)

(Yep, or is everything beyond recognition?) (edited)

You are able to find a small iron seal of the church amid the organic debris, but nothing else that is remotely recognizable

Kazak recovers the seal, before setting flame to the room.

The fire takes the room here and ignites the pitch set into the floor. You can hear the bones sighing in relief as purifying flame is set to them

Kazak mentally recites a piece of scripture, before continuing into the four pillars room.

The four pillars room has bodies of the monsters that had tried to flank you there.

Not wanting to burn themselves into a corner, Kazak instructs 2 two of the members to advance in the central room, while three fan out into the western half of the rooms and one member follows Kazak into the eastern rooms.

These rooms were not trekked into by either expedition so far. The bodies of 30 undead carpet the ground here along with moved lids from tombs

19:31

They are wearing ancient battle armor and carrying broken edged weapons eaten by time

Kazak documents the armour and weapons before casting purifying flame unto it.

The fire consumes the bodies in this corridor as well. Black soot billows out as the air pulls it skyward

Kazak shuffles and cycles towards the large central room.

The large central room is where you had seen the vision of the curse and something to do with it. Whatever you saw It seems like killing the overlord was enough to also break the curse.

20:17

You see a few bodies in here too of monsters slain during the fight

Now in better conditions Kazak gives a search for the staff depicted in the vision.

(notice/wis)

(6, 5 for vision.)

You don't see any signs that the relic was here. Deeps are commonly exposed and buried again, it is entirely possible treasure hunters had made off with it.

19:17

Since the Overlord is dead and the curse is lifted whatever power was contained within it does not seem necessary to banish the curse now.

Kazak consigns this room and the others to the flames, working in a counter clock wise fashion as they purge.

The work takes a few more hours, but by the end you're confident that the tomb is clear

02:44

(3xp, 5000 credits)

(That levels me up again.)

Kazak, level 4
Health 9->12
Notice -1->0
Know -1->0
Lead -1->0
And some spell/Elementalist stuff, but that can hopefully be delayed until I get back to my set up and read through everything.

(added to sheet. just missing the elementalist stuff)

Kazak returns to the temple, compad documentations in claw as they seek out the priest who sent them to the tomb.

Evening prayer has just completed and you manage to find him closing his chapbook and returning to the rectory for the night with a tired but relieved look on his face. "My mosk friend. You've returned safely. We just finished funeral arrangements for Initiate Balek,"

Kazak dips their head in reverence "Brought back token... To have something for them." Opening their claw like hands to give the Seal they had earlier recovered. "Have broken curse, dead can sleep easily, no worry."

(what would you want to be doing afrer this? any ideas?)

(I was thinking of being part of them team/group sent north to Saliv/NFSS as a representative/missionary.)

(its going to be a pretty heavy roleplay experience, im not saying no but are you okay with that? You've mentioned having difficulties in the past and i dont want to set you up for a bad time)

(I think I'm up for it.)

(Prepared spells: Flame Scrying Elemental Favour Ward Pact Invocation Imperceptible Cerebral Divulgence Damnation of the Sense.) (edited)

22:11

(Also finishing my level up, since I gain a Art, a spell and maybe some other thing.)

22:13

Art gained: Flame sight
Spell gained: Flame Without End
Spells prepared: 5

(Also, could a medium advanced weapon be built with it being imbued with 'Flame Without End' in mind (Which allows a flame source to last erternally without consuming its fuel, adds +2 to damage), and if so, at any added cost?)

(Imbuing any kind of magical effect into an object, aka archeotech, remains the purview of mages that can make archeotech)

(It's not really enchanting the item, but the fire on the item, I'll post the spell description since it gives a better description then I do)

02:24

(I do not udnerstand the question even more upon reading this)

(I'm asking if a medium advanced blade could be specially designed to facilitate the use of this spell on it)

(the description says for 500 credits this is already something you can do)

(:+1:)

(I'm feeling pretty shot IRL, i'll have some ideas where to go nest in a day or two, maybe.)

(alright, if you're not sure let me know and i can think of something)

(Allergies are kicking my ass, but I can do a bit of planning. Roll20 is being a right pain in the ass and i can't open the endeavor, are any of the Paragon endeavors doable, could do a bit of tracking down or humanitarian stuff.)

Force: The Paragons of the Living Flame are an organization meant to help, as much as proselytize. Believers must be protected as they travel the stars, and from those who may wish them harm for following a different creed. - Build a medical ship with facilities to handle mass casualty events - Construct a force asset - Diffuse tensions with the fiery might of the goddess on 2 worlds Wealth: The Paragons are an organization built on the forgotten bones of the past. An infusion of credits and materials are needed in order to finish proper construction and reconsecreation of known holy places. - Obtain a total of 50 million credits through private donation, faction finances, or any other credit source for rebuilding the cathedral on Heras to its full glory. - Reduce friction on 3 non-Protectorate worlds - Sway an influential citizen on a non-Protectorate world to believing Cunning: Brining hope to the galaxy requires information- and new pockets of believers need to be reached in the places the Herald and the Protectorate cannot. - Get a major broadcast galaxy wide - Bring 3 new enclaves of believers into the church through finding or coverting them - Recover a lost pocket of primitives and raise them up into the faith.

(Would participating at Brizeno count as diffusing tensions, or is it more focused towards civil unrest situations?)

(Civil unrest situations )

(Talking to Jasper a bit to see if they have anything they need help with, if that's fails we could maybe do a bit of searching in space to try and find some less fortunate.)

(Looks like we are going north West ish. Got the go ahead to take the Small Healing Flame.)

(Looks like Pletakira doesn't have an article and is close by.)

(We're moving back to Galatea. Lets give IA the chance to explore their own region for themselves)

(Aye, Pletakira is a bit north-West of Heras, downtime from Galatea to Heras?)

(No downtime since we sort of just passed over it all to get there. I'll get a report together. Do you have a ship to use?)

(Aye, Dai granted access to the Small Healing Flame.)

(okay, ill get around to a scouting report)

The Pletakira system is centered around a blue sun. The three planets spinning around it are more distant ranging from temperate-cool to frozen. The only planet in the habitable zone is shrouded in a thick haze consisting of fog, chemical smog, industrial pollution, and suspended particulates that would be incredibly harsh to breathe in. Light volumes of radiation bleed off the planet, elevated beyond the background levels native to the void.

Kazak hums unhappily, moving their mouth pieces in A strange fashion as they look at the reports from the planet. "Over industrialization, Ruined planet? War? Take in close, see if anything responds on way down." Kazak instructs the bridge crew, praying that some civilization remains. (edited)

There is life on the world but it is incapable of contacting space

(Are atmo filters sufficient for the atmosphere or are full vac suits needed?)

(We don’t know)

(I'll take a normal vacc suit down to be safe.) Kazak instructs the crew to take them down at the largest sign of civilization or any remnants of it. In the mean time Kazak requisitions a vacuum suit, not wanting to risk undue exposure to the atmosphere.

(Alright, I'll draw a map when I've time. If we're trying to stay hidden we'll need some roles, the post didnt specify )

(Not deliberately trying to hide unless there is something obviously hostile.)

(right ubt we wouldn't know that until we're in it, so ill just go by what you said first)

03:21

(I'll get something painted)

(Let's do a fly over at the top left settlement and then land a small walking distance away if nothing responds.)

The city is hidden by thick and low hanging smog clouds. Nothing tries to reach you

Kazak has the craft put down a few minutes of mosk walking away before suiting into a vacuum suit. They ask their crew to keep an eye on any radio channels while they are landed. Double checking the seals on the suit they head out towards the city.

There are no channels that are active. Your scans find no communications at all underneath the endless layers of smog. The city for intents and purposes appears dead

Kazak continues into the city, keeping ears out while they search for any central administrative center.

Passing through the city outskirts you can see low clinging banks of polluted clouds. Many of them pass through residences as though the crumbling walls and broken windows were not even there. Wood shutters sizzle as the cloud comes into contact with it. THe center of the city where the administration center would most likely be is blanketed in these acid clouds and they do not seem to be moving.

(Are there any sewer or maintenance tunnels?)

You can see drainage culverts worked into the surface of the road and can hear the sounds of somewhat fast moving liquid in the darkness below.

(Would the ship have a Nav computer and a grappel with rope?)

(It would have both of those things)

(Gonna head back and pick up those before we start delving.) Kazak creates a rudimentary rappel system to enter and exit a begging tunnel, using a Nav Comp to map out the tunnel to avoid getting lost they begin a trek through the sewers towards the center of the city.

(i will get you a map)

17:37

The sewers show signs of habitation as you climb down them. A junction is ahead and you can see it has been strung with extra lights, and signs trying to direct the flow of traffic

Kazak focuses on their own inner flame, letting it flourish as they use it to search for the flames of others (Commiting effort for Flame Sight, which lets me distinguish thermal gradients to identify surfaces or creatures, even in perfect darkness.) Kazak looks to see if there are any signs that direct to specific locations, or I'd they are all traffic signs.

STOP seems to mean exactly what it says, but your thermal sight can see several cook fires further down the tunnel beyond that point

Kazak begins to walk towards the fires, slowing slightly once they get to within earshot.

(notice/wis)

(7, 6 for vision.)

The fires ahead are crackling and recently made. You can hear some low human voices speaking in Mandate common to one another but the remarks seem more about the food and state of things down here than noticing your intrusion.

Kazak approaches the group, claws raised, hoping to be as non threatening as possible despite their physical frame.

They have Never seen a mosk before and believe you are a monster. Hands reach for spears and guns as the five humans around the fire here react to try to defend their home

"Stop! Am Kazak, here to save!" Kazak moves their arms to partially cover their face, as they form a barrier of air Around themselves. (Another Effort for Pavis, AC 18.)

"What the hell is that thing! " one of them shouts. They heard your words and are not sure what to do

"Am a Mosk, come from other planets," Kazak gestures upwards. "Member of Procterate and a Priest of Ognyena, here to save."

"You can talk!? Are you going to hurt us?" you can feel the tension fading from fight or flight to more of a guarded inquiry

"Yes, No, here to help, how many are left?"

"Help? How can you possibly help us? Have you seen the surface? This entire planet is doomed"

"Maybe, but can still bring you somewhere safe. What caused this, Industry? War?"

"The Scream. Things were never the same after that. Pollution, fires, posion in the water. So much suffering"

"Many other planets suffered same issue but managed to rebuild, ship has medicine and more for you. Do you know where I can find other groups?"

"there are others here underground. Nothing on surface lives. When you find tunnels, you will find people"

"Do you know how many are left, do you ever get together, or live separate?"

They do not know how many others there are, and they've said they've kept to themselves largely

"Last question, know how to get into the city?

"You're in it already. You came down here and found us."

"The center of the city, on the surface."

"To go there is to die, we do not know"

"Thank you for time." Kazak hesitates for a moment. "If you had to get a message to everyone down here, how would you do that? There old PA system?"

"There was an old phone system workers used to talk to one another. Junction box is further down the tunnel but Rad-Crocs infest the area. You will have a hard time getting to it"

"...Rad.. Crocs?" Kazak asks, unfamiliar with the animals and slightly worried.

They don’t seem to have any particular insight aside from they have large teeth, live in the water and live to destroy all prey animals that enter their territory

(i'll have a post tonight, if i don't fall asleep.)

(sounds good)

02:11

(i guess we will see what happens then)

Kazak has the ship crew bring in to a much closer distance to the city. "My ship is coming closer, has medical supplies and food, free to join me, need day to prepare."

(You need them to wait a day before they go to your ship?)

(Need a day for kazak to do Mage stuff, so intention was to have them come aboard get checked out, etc then the next morning Kaza goes out to the phone system.) (edited)

(oh okay, yeah im glad i clarified because I did not understand that at all)

17:11

They agree, evacuation from this world is a much kinder fate than whatever waits for them down here when their luck finally runs out

(Dont have much more intentions other than to see what the med techs get from the dwellers before heading back out, prepared spells are updated.)

The med techs help them with their malnutrition and rad exposure but do not have any more interesting insights. The people here have been forced to live in a polluted environment and are suffering the usual mal effects that a situation like this would cause.

Kazak sets out and lowers themselves back down into the sewers, cautiously looking down the corridor described by the dwellers.

(You said you needed a day for "Mage stuff" Can you let me know what that entails? Have you changed spells? What did you need the time for?)

(A day of sleep to change my list of prepared spells.)

(Right, but i am asking which spells you are preparing instead, as everyone else playing a mage character lists them)

(Yeah let me pull up the list RQ.)

21:54

Prepared spells:
Elemental favour
Wardpact Invocation
Damnation of the Sense
The Burrower Below

You have rested and prepared your spells, heading back into the sewers

Kazak attunes themself to the inner flame within every object, heat gradients becoming visible to them as they slowly proceed into the tunnel. (flame Sight.)

There aren’t anymore bonfires from@what you can tell. The people here seemed to think there weren’t many left on this world and the deeper yoj move into the tunnel the greater the water level begins to rise until it even overtakes the metal walkways on the tunnel sides. Foam and trash float on the surface of the water

Kazak draws their blade as they move into the water, finding a little comfort in the familiarity of being in water.

The greasy water slides around you, skirting around your shell and claws, and it makes everything feel slimy. You can feel suspended trash around you, moving past your body as you begin to swim. Bubbles rise from the bottom as water seeps through cracks in the cement and life making a home down here moves by. The radiation level begins to rise.

(Are we moving towards the center of the city or in any other direction?)

(You were moving toward the center of the city, i didnt add any other detail since we're moving the way you wanted)

(How bad is the radiation getting compared to what a suit could take?

(Right now you are fine. We don’t know yet at what point we will reach that critical mass, but the level is rising)

(Could the two Radiation focused frontier meds be found in the medbay?

(Which ones specifically so I can read the entries ?, and not all 15 of them to try to puzzle it out)

(Anti rad and rad pack iirc.)

(anti rad would be)

(Could I have taken one before setting out?)

(okay, basically im just trying to let you know you're heading in the right direction, but okay)

Keeping one sensory organ focused on the radiation readouts on the suit Kazak mumbles unkind words in mosk at the state of the water and the trash within as they gingerly hold their blade, pressing forward.

The level continues to steadily rise and in the distance, from 100m away in the dark you see a flickering light. Your flame sense reveals a lantern, attached to an empty rowboat

(About how deep would the water seem to get that far out?)

(still about chest height)

Kazak wades out towards the boat intending to clamber in.

Nothing stops your approach to the boat. You can see some supplies within it and dried blood coats the rafters. One of the oars has a large bite taken out of it

Kazak clambers aboard, figuring a boat will be more streamline than their frame wading through muck.

The boat seems to take your weight, and will still move even with a damaged oar

(IRL DnD tonight, I'll try and post late tonight or in the morning.)

Trying to row as smoothly as possible so as to not disturb the water, Kazak flows further down the tunnel.

(D10)

(7)

The rowboat passes through a place where trash has dammed the far side of the tunnel up. You can see several floating logs or pieces of wood on the dark surface and the telephone call box on the wall near the trash dam

(how far away is the trash dam from the phone box, and is there water on the other side?)

(Can’t see the other side so we don’t know but it’s 40m from you

Kazak rows to the edge of the tunnel near the dam, and gently tests their weight on it.

It seems as though it will hold if you are deliberate with your footsteps

Kazak slowly stands on the dam, scanning the water underneath for disturbances as they inch towards the telephone (edited)

One of the logs you remember floating out in the dark water is missing now. As you move to halfway between your boat and the callbox, you see another one is also sinking below the waterline moving with eerie slowness

(Could Elemental Favour be used to freeze the water around one of the crocodiles?)

(I'll have to look up the text for it and get back to you_

(Now that Im at a computer I can post it here.)

(Id say you could do that yeah, or around the dam so they don't get close since we dont know their exact locations, your call)

(would it be wide enough to cover the whole width of the dam? It only has a short radius of 10 feet.)

(It would cover 10 feet around you, not the entire dam)

Kazak tries to move another ten metres towards the box before beginning the process of coercing the water around the box to freeze, willing the individual molecules to stop their movement.

The ice sheet begins to spread , and you do not see any creatures rising out of the murk right now

Walking the last ten meters while keeping an eye on the waters below, Kazak works on figuring out how to send a message to any devices it may have been connected too.

You can send something City wide from down here, channeling it through the public works department with a bit of electronic brute force

Kazak begins hastily assembling a message for the inhabitants of this city, anxious of the waterborne animals.

 
Attention inhabitants of [city?], word of your plight has reached the Elysium Protecterate, and preliminary aid has arrived. A free merchant capable of providing medical aid and some supplies has landed at [location], if you are able please make way to this location. If you are unable to leave your location, then if able, send a message this way. Cold sleep pods are available for those in critical condition.

There is no reply to the message. You hear the electronic crackle of transmission and know it has gone through, all that remains is to see if anyone turns up.

Kazak makes due haste back towards the boat, claw gripped tightly on their rifle.

The ice holds as you make your way back to the boat , and you begin rowing back to the beginning of the pipe works back to the surface and your ship

03:20

(3xp 5000 credits)

(Give me a moment to confer with Dai/EP)

(About how many would have lived in a city like this assuming around 1/4 of the people survived?)

(I guess in the meantime I'd have a few questions for the people who show up while I consider my options.)

(I don’t think we could surmise that information just by a glance , without having done any real investigating)

(Valid, in that case then i think it's a matter of waiting to see who shows up, can we set up a radio beacon from a survival kit or similar to help guide people to us. And how precise do the teleportation pads need to be to recall people?

(You can’t do it if you’re inside a building or underground or inside another star ship. The pads need a clear line of sight to the ground/your outside location)

Kazak deploys a radio beacon from a survival kit and awaits the arrival of the undergrounders, if any show.

(alright, did you plan to do anything while time passes?)

(Nothing for the first day or two of it takes that long.)

Your broadcast plays over and over again as you emerge from the sewer, and you see the family you recovered huddled near the ramp, being given blankets.

21:41

(you said you wanted to talk to them)

Kazak approaches the family a food piece from the ship in claw, giving them a moment before speaking "It may be possible to fix Pletakira, the Protectorate has access to terraformers, that given time, might be able rectify the radiation, but the choice is yours, would you stay if able or would you want to leave and join another world?"

“Terraforming takes a long time. We would leave if there was a way. This place does not feel like home anymore

Kazak nods. "The small flame could take you to another planet, but its limited in its and how many it could carry, how big of a city was this, before?"

“Hundreds of thousands of people used to live here. I don’t know how many are left. Not many I think”

"Did your city have any specializations? The scream ruined many polities medical industries, any chance for recovery is welcomed."

"We were big producers of goods and housewares before The Scream. We also had a large electronics industry here- its where all the pollution is coming from"

"Thank you, I managed to send a message via the phone box, waiting for people to come now."

“Did you have any other questions for us?” Distantly, there is a peel of thunder as another one of the violent acid rain storms begins to form

"No more for today, no, thank you." Kazak bids them farewell, before retiring to their chamber.

Night passes, and by morning you can see about twenty others have emerged from the ruins in various states of medical despair

Kazak instructs for the bay door to be opened, standing by the hatch to welcome them in as well as medical techs for those in a more critical state.

(So a few ideas for a more macro scale endeavor: A. Set up a series of sanctums across the cities for people to have better living conditions as we start evacuating people B. Employ some of the polities resources to build something here to a similar affect to idea A, or to actually facilitate evacuations such as a movement based asset The other issue is making everyone aware of the situation, a few ideas for that are to either get large comms towers in key locations to page everything that still works, get some sort of vehicle or ship to fly over the city and announce our presence with speakers (Dais suggestion), or try and get a chain reaction of word of mouth as we get people patched up and have them try and bring more people in with better equipment.)

)I think this woukd just need to be making holdings rather than us have to track what could be dozens of sanctums. I also don’t want to have to be responsible for that much information )

(I'll get in touch with Dai for the faction actions part,)

(sounds good to me)

(That's handled, I'm not sure what more I can do as an individual at this point.)

(agreed, not much to do until macro level stuff gets gong here)

(I'm thinking here is a good point to shelf Kaza and take a small break from IS until the Noctua resolve.)

(it did resolve)

15:19

(we finshed that last night, but if you want a break let me know)

(Ah, I think I still want to, i've been feeling a bit burnt out with a few things IRL and think a breather will help, <3 thanks for the stories so far.

(Alright, hope to see you back(