[Numenera] The Nightmare Switch

[Alice Chalk]

OOC

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[Charlotte] 8:43 pm: Numenera roll:

Charlotte *rolls* 1d20: 2: 2

[Charlotte] 8:44 pm: Looks like none of us are getting through this.

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"Fwuh... argh..." Alice grimaces, scratching furiously at the itch, her verbose stylings failing her as she is reduced to grunting in frustration.

[jameson (ST)]

"If ya don't be pushin' onward we're gonna do naught but suffer where we stand," Deymish growled out. His skin was breaking out as that of the rest of the group, but with his jaw set, and his face a rictus of pain he shouldered past the others slowly, forcing himself step by step toward the open ground beyond the path. "Come on, sooner we get out sooner this ends." After another three steps he added with some difficulty, "I hope."

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With a great deal of effort and no shortage of pain, the others slowly followed, hauling themselves by force of will to overcome the pain and keep moving. Finally passing out of the overgrown path and into the grassy clearing. Each of them to a one, fell to the grass, panting and gasping for air as the pain finally began to recede, inch by inch until after nearly ten minutes they felt recovered enough to continue. It was only then that they saw that Korch was not with them. They looked and saw that he lay insensate on the cobbles of the path, having never made it out.

[Alice Chalk]

"Korch!" With a sudden strength, Alice rose, running towards the fallen form of her comrade. "Hold fast! Though your strength has bid you adios, I shall bear weight enough for us both! Everyone, to me!"

[SalmonMax]

To her credit, Raiche didn't hesitate even a moment. The idea of leaving a companion in those things was too unspeakable. She rushed to Alice's side, giving Arisi a quick shake of her head.

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"I've got this!" she called back...and then she was wading into the leaves to help fetch Korch back. It wasn't pleasant, but she knew what she was in for this time, and the stings didn't deter her!

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With strength far exceeding the appearance of her already pretty strong looking arms, she grabbed Korch and started hauling him out!

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Rolled a 14 to resist stinginess, trained in Might Defense. Rolled a 17 to assist getting Korch out.

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SalmonMax *rolls* 1d20: 14: 14
[salmonMax] 5:30 pm: Woo!
[salmonMax] 5:30 pm: Poison Raiche once, shame on you. Poison her twice, shame on HER.
[salmonMax] 5:31 pm: That was my Numenera character, who has apparently developed a resistance to nettle stings.
[salmonMax] 5:33 pm: Now the might roll to get him out...
[salmonMax] 5:33 pm: Or to help
SalmonMax *rolls* 1d20: 17: 17
[salmonMax] 5:33 pm: Yeah baby!

[Alice Chalk]

Alice aided her compatriot, reddish-colored blade slashing ably at the plants.

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"Ha! Back, you insensate, immobile purveyors of poison! I say to you, not this one and not this day!"

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With a path cut, she turned. "And now, my fallen friend, I - Raiche has you, okay then." Alice quirked an eyebrow, but recovered quickly enough, grabbing Korch's legs and helping to carry him.

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"Quite uncannily strong for your size, you are, and no mistake."

[jameson (ST)]

With minimal effort, and more importantly to them, minimal pain, Raiche and Alice carried the unconscious form of Korch out of the overgrown garden and to the edge of the grassy clearing that lay at the foot of the tower. Setting him down on the grass they took a breather, peering at the apparently open stretch of ground between them and the tower door and wondering if it was as innocent as it seemed. "How do we proceed?" Deymish asked. "I'd rather not find out how these priests managed to weaponize the grass, or what they might have hidden between here and the door."

[SalmonMax]

Raiche looked up from where she was checking Korch's pulse and shook her head.

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"No idea. Uh...we could throw things?"

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She starts looking for rocks or other solid objects to toss out into the seemingly empty area and see just how safe it really was.

[Alice Chalk]

"Agreed. Such innovation in the field of aggressive agriculture is to be carefully commended, perhaps from afar. Very afar." Alice paced in place. "I am open to suggestions, and feel not obligated to stick yon hands up high before you've spoken."

[jameson (ST)]

While Korch lay insensate, Alice and Raiche each gathered a handful of stones from the periphery of the area. Avoiding the overgrown "garden" and keeping within the first meter of the grassy clearing they then lobbed the stones toward the tower. There was no apparent affect or reaction, nothing that indicated hidden traps or danger. At least no danger to a pebble or clod of earth.

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Deymish rested on one of the crates and shook his head, "Aeon priests be tricky, but mayhap there be no danger past ... that we've ... " He trailed off looking at the tower, "There be no birds. Where be the birds?" Indeed it was quiet, not birds made song, and now alerted to their lack the others became aware that apart from the quiet buzz of insects there seemed to be no animals within the walls at all.

[z011]

Arisi was frowning and fumbling through her pack again. Finally she picked out a syringe filled with a glowing silvery-green substance. "So...I don't know why the insects are okay but the birds aren't, but this could maybe keep someone safe through more traps. It last about an hour, but I only have enough for one person."

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She glanced up at the tower, then around to the group. "Maybe we give it whomever's gonna take point? We go slowly and carefully, and honestly we should probably leave the cargo here. We can come back for it once we've found someone."

[SalmonMax]

Raiche nods and gets her spear out. "Leaving the cargo sounds good. Don't want it to get damaged. What's that thingy do? I can take point. I'm pretty good at that."

[z011]

The petite woman blushed as she realized she hadn't actually said with the little numenera did. "It projects a shield around the person just above their skin. From something in the liquid, I'd presume."

[SalmonMax]

Raiche grinned slowly.

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"In that case, I'll definitely take point."

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After taking Arisi's witch's brew, she takes a breath, then walks towards the door...spear at the ready.

[Alice Chalk]

Alice followed, not far behind, sword at the ready. "T'is a breave thing you are doing, numenera or no numenera, and make no mistake about it, Raiche."

[jameson (ST)]

With a faint shimmer a pale blue field of energy began to emanate from Raiche's body, almost invisible in the late morning light. Without further preamble she started for the tower door, Alice following behind a step. As soon as Raiche came to within ten feet of the tower a flash of brilliant green energy flashed out from the base of the tower. The energy enveloped Raiche, dazing her for a moment and causing her steps to falter. Alice reacted instinctively, leaping forward to catch Raiche before she could fall, and triggered a second flash of energy from the tower. Raiche fended off the attack, but Alice was less fortunate, being plunged into unconsciousness by the energy wave, and collapsing into Raiche.

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GM Intervention

As stated in TT, I'm using an intervention on Alice to require a save against the trap. Alice gains 1 exp and has to award 1 exp to somebody else in the group.

[z011]

Arisi approached the two women quickly but cautiously, trying to help Raiche pull Alice back without setting off another beam from the tower. "Crap," she muttered as she looked the unconcious woman over. "That didn't go well. What are the priests up to?"

[SalmonMax]

"I don't know," Raiche replied, warily watching the tower. "She's breathing though...it may have just put her to sleep."

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The warrior woman gently laid Alice down, edging closer to the tower...hoping that the defense was activated by crossing a specific point, and didn't just keep shooting at everyone in range over and over.

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"Listen, I'm going to check the door, or try to. See if you can wake her up. And the rest of you stay back for a second! If we can get inside, maybe we can shut this thing off!"

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With that, Raiche went towards the tower door, trying to watch everything in her field of view at the same time...not knowing where the next devilish trap would spring from!

[jameson (ST)]

As soon as Arisi crossed the invisible plane that Raiche and Alice had inadvertently found another burst of green energy washed out from the based of the tower. Raiche steeled herself, and stayed upright, barely swaying this time as a sense of fatigue washed over her.

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From his seat next to Korch, Deymish grunted. "I think I do be just fine sitting here for now," he said with some humor, "Third time is the charm I heard once. Let's you go and turn that off."

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Raiche, now apparently safe again, barring yet another person coming toward the tower, moved onward to the door. The door itself was unadorned wood, not in any way exceptional in itself except for its sturdy construction, and a shiny lock set into the wood by the latch. Raiche tested it and found the lock engaged, the way forward was barred once more. Clearly the priests took their privacy secret; to a significant degree it would seem.

[z011]

The wave of energy passed over her, but instead of resisting it Arisi slowed her breathing and calmed her mind, letting the energy carry her back to its point of origin. There, somewhere farther away from her body and nestled in the stone of the tower, a numenera was happily humming to itself as it fulfilled its function. Arisi hummed along with it, slowly changing the sounds an song until the numenera understood that now it was time to be quiet and let the newcomers pass. It was an uncomplicated little tune and quickly took up the new imperative.

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Secure in the knowledge that there would be no more rays of exhaustion from approaching the tower, she knelt over Alice and shook her gently. "C'mon, wake up. It's okay now. Well, it's okay here, the priests seem kinda paranoid. But I turned the beam off," she smiled at the unconscious woman, hopeful the tidbit of good news would bring her back around.

[SalmonMax]

"You did?" Raiche blinked, surprised, then leaned down to scoop Alice back up again. "Well, in that case if you can open the door, we're in!"

[Alice Chalk]

"Ah! Ah." Alice startled awake, eyes trembling. "By - by all the - dammit, I - "

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She took a second to compose herself, as she found her feet. "Better every sword in every pirate's hand all arrayed against me than another one of those damned rays. Have we reached the priests yet?"

[SalmonMax]

Raiche put Alice back down, quick as you please, and nodded at the door. "Just that's in the way. I figure if Arisi can't open it, I can get us through it easy enough so...yeah, pretty close now." She grinned.

[z011]

Arisi peered at the door, then finally shrugged. "We just need to pick the lock or break it down. The door itself isn't trapped or hosting numenera. Whoever goes in first should be careful, though, I don't know about the room beyond."

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She frowned and scooted back a bit. "In fact....whoever's not going first should probably wait over here. These guys seem super paranoid."

[SalmonMax]

"I'll go first," Raiche said. She glanced at the little vial of fluid and chuckled. "Always wanted to see how this works."

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Stepping a little closer, but not close enough to get splashed on, she hoped, Raiche threw the bottle at the door and eagerly watched to see what happened!

[jameson (ST)]

Raiche hurled the canister at the door. The synth jar shattered and the goo inside, a mixture of bright electric blue and red-orange swirls, spread out in a glob that completely covered and obscured the lock and handle, part of the door and the nearby frame. With alarming efficiency and and frightening speed the substance began to eat through the materials. Within seconds the lock and handle were gone reduced to sludge that allowed the substance to spread like a cancer across the door and frame. It did not stop there, and within moments the door was all but gone, the frame heavily damaged, and a frothing bubbling pit had formed on the ground.

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At last the substance seemed spent, unable to consume more, it died, the brightness of the blue fading to a dull grey and the orange now a muted rust color. Where the door had been was a ragged wound in the fundament of the tower, that gaped like a toothless maw. Beyond, within the tower, the first level was visible, a large room taking up the entirety of the first level. Boxes and crates were neatly stacked around the room and toward the back an iron stair rose to the second level. The entire room was lit from above by large glowing panels set into the ceiling, a minor numenera, and yet a miracle in its own right. Barely visible through the opening was also some kind of glass and metal panel mounted to a portion of the wall, its purpose and intent unknown.

[SalmonMax]

Raiche clapped her hands together two...three times, eyes gleaming with mirth and excitement. As the reaction slowed and finally stopped, she got her spear at the ready and used it to push what was left of the door open and out of the way. She then advanced into the tower proper and waited, looking around, for alarms or traps or other horrors to be visited upon her.

[Alice Chalk]

Alice follows Raiche, sword at the ready, eyes open for any plate out of place, a wire stretched across at foot level, or simply a cannon primed and ready to fire. "Most certainly, they are not making this easy, are they?"

[SalmonMax]

"Does seem like a loooooooot of security for a little tower in a sleepy little port like this," Raiche agreed. "Even if they're the ones in charge around here, you don't usually make yourself that hard to get to unless you're pretty sure someone's after you. You know? Why put in all the effort and all the numenera to do all this if you don't have a good reason?"

[z011]

Arisi trundled in after the others, keeping a sharp eye out and bee-lining it for the panel once she spotted it. "Well," she interjected conversationally, "they could be paranoid from lack of sleep. Or from the...dreams..." She suppressed a shudder at the memory of her own nightmare. "Or maybe something around here is causing the problem and whatever or whoever started it up is trying to make sure no one stops it."

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She bit her lip and tapped the panel cautiously. "'Ello?"

[jameson (ST)]

Arisi poked at the panel, noting that one of the lit buttons was dark and realized that it was the switch that had deactivated the defense mechanism outside. The panel appeared to do more however, having multiple buttons and switches and a handful of small glass screens.

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The rest of the room was quiet and sparsely furnished aside from the many crates and boxes. Nearing the stairs to the next level revealed little noise from above, painting entire tower in an eerie quiet. As they explored Deymish peered in from outside, "I'm going to stay with the lad until he wakes. I don't think you ladies need me to get in your way anyways, but just holler if you do."

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mechanix

The panel has multiple functions, a single difficulty 4 (TN 12) test will reveal them.

[SalmonMax]

"Sounds good," Raiche agrees with Deymish. She went over to the stairs and peered up, though didn't go up there just yet. Hearing nothing of interest, she goes to the crates and boxes.

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She takes out a sturdy looking knife and starts prying under a box lid, trying to loosen it up so she can see what's inside.

[Alice Chalk]

TN4 (Diff 12) test for the switches. (1d20=3)

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Alice checked to see if it was plugged in, and offered the somewhat lame suggestion "Perhaps if we turned it off, waited ten seconds, and then turned it on again?"

[z011]

"That would mean knowing exactly what 'on' and 'off' positions are," she teased Alice as she fiddled with the buttons and switches. "Everyone, stay on your toes. I'm hoping this'll deactivate anything else wanting to take a bite out of us in here, but I may also just be switching lights on and off upstairs or something."

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Roll

Malachite *rolls* 1d20: 12: 12

Arisi is trained in electrical devices, which I believe drops the TN by a step (to 9?). Also, do players win on a tie? I think this is a successful roll.

[jameson (ST)]

As if speaking it made it true, the lights did indeed go dark, plunging the tower into a dim half light. The gaping wound of the door kept the room from falling to true darkness however, and with a quick flip of switches Arisi quickly restored the lights. Another series of controls activated a green lamp within on of the panels and illuminated a screen showing readouts in a language that was foreign to both women. A zap and a yelp immediately followed as did the sound of Deymish falling into unconsciousness on the grass outside. Arisi hastily turned the defense system off once more, slightly abashed by her recklessness. A third series of controls elicited a stuttering hiss from the panel but little more. Arisi suspected that further, more complicated controls, might do more, but the time to figure them out would be extensive.

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Meanwhile Raiche had pried into the crates, finding most contained simple supplies, and none contained anything of true note. This appeared to be little more than the tower's storage chamber and greeting hall. Perhaps venturing to the higher levels would reveal something of worth or value.

[Alice Chalk]

"Upwards seems to be our destiny, but - " Alice walked towards the exit out into the halls. "Mayhaps we shall wait until Deymish wakes back up?"

[SalmonMax]

Raiche goes out, and hauls Korch and Deymish into the tower itself, lying them among the boxes.

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"Takes too long," she said. "Remember, the people in the tower aren't answering calls...might be something bad happened to 'em. Shouldn't drag our heels anymore than we have. I'll take point up the stairs."

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When folks look ready, she heads on up to the next floor.

[z011]

Arisi did her best to set as many of the controls to "off" as she could figure out, save the ones that seemed to be the lights. She nodded to Raiche, "You're right, and the quicker we get to them, the less likely we'll all end up knocked out somewhere."

[jameson (ST)]

The second floor was nothing like the first. Instead of an under-utilized storage space the second level was filled with work space. Benches and tables covered with technology and chemicals, experiments in situ and devices in various states of assembly and repair. Where Alice and Raiche saw the Clave's work space Arisi saw a playground of numenera and numenera-derived discoveries.

[Alice Chalk]

"Ah, now this is much more like it." Alice peered over a desk to inspect the handiwork. "Ah, well, no, I don't understand a lick of this either."

[z011]

Arisi made a little squeaking noise when they came upon the room, her fingers twitching with the need to touch all the beautiful numenera littered across the space. She stepped carefully through the room, just barely keeping from picking up the smaller pieces laid out on the workbenches, trying to take it all in while also knowing that they needed to keep on and find the priests. For a moment at least, curiosity was winning out over the city's current crisis.