Cleaning Up the Undertunnels - RPLOG
Participants
Date
13/9/477
Log
There it is! The machine room! The shattered, collapsed catwalks mean that there are bound to be all sorts of Creator treasures left untouched! According to Cassidy's sources, the best route with the most loot will be the far corridor, tge one furthest away from the stable catwalks. Eyeing the distance, it looks like a good 50 feet. Nothing a good windrunner can't handle!
Cassidy shuffles along through the machine room, dressed up in her usual suit-like attire. All black, today, save for the shirt, tie, and mask. "Hmmm... Over there," she says with a little point towards the corridor. "We'll have to fly to get over there, but I'm trusting that won't be an issue for you, yeah?" She asks of her partner as she adjusts her gloves.
Natska eyes the gap from behind her black domino mask, ears perked as she gauges the distance. Then she shakes her head. "No, that should be quite manageable, love," she replies, tail flicking. She flexes her fingers, then grins and gives Cassidy a quick nod. "Would you care to go first?"
The jump looks simple enough, just as long as one avoids hitting the ceiling. There should be nothing to it!
Cassidy rubs the chin of her mask, pointing to the steaming pipe along the way. "We just have to be careful not to get hit by that! And yes, I'll go first. If it becomes an issue... Maybe you can try to cool it?" She asks before kicking up a bit of air magic to lift her off. "Now then! Away we go!" With that, she launches herself nimbly up towards the corridor.
Natska calmly waits for Cassidy to complete the long jump, then backs up a few steps to line up her own. The jaguar sets herself, then sprints forward and agilely throws herself into the air, using her own air magic to assist and guide her leap.
Cassidy was right to be wary of the steam spewing pipe! Just as the duo nears the halfway mark it spews forth a scalding jet of steam! Cassidy avoids it handily, changing course effortlessly and speeding on toward the beckoning corridor. Natska, following after has no trouble following her partner's example.
As the adventurous pair alight, lights flicker to life overhead, revealing the way forward. They seem to have found their way to a fairly pristine area. No sign of decay, no sparking wires jutting from the walls and only one small servitor drone scuttling away down the empty hallway! This could be the easiest treasure hunt ever!
Cassidy smiles happily as they touch down in the corridor, face lighting up in time with the room itself! "Well! That's handy.. I've got a good feeling about this one, love!" She says, the excitement in her voice already as she dusts her sleeve off. "A good feeling indeed... But let's stay careful, just in case. You reckon that's the same servitor we were stalking earlier? Maybe we can get close enough to see if it has the chalk mark." The vixen starts forward, cautiously, keeping her distance as she prowls. "Let's not agitate it, just incase. I don't trust this place to not have still-functional security."
"Oh my!" Natska echoes, tail flicking. "Lights to greet us? And it does look nice and in good shape." She claps her hands, and then nods her head at her love. "Mmm, right. Caution. A place this untouched may still have defense golems, or other hazards... and I don't know! Can you see a mark on it?" she asks, even as she begins following the servitor.
The featureless walls of the corridor turn sharply before revealing a bit of a crossroad. While the hallway diverges left and right, there are three doorways nearby in the hallway. One of them even stands open! It seems to be a small sleeping cell.
"Hmm," the fennec ponders, looking amongst the crossroads. "Which way, do you think?" She turns and starts towards the open door, figuring that it'd be the best place to start. "I suppose we'll try all of them eventually! Might as well start with the open one, yeah?"
Natska nods her head, staying close to Cassidy's side. "Yes," she agrees, tone decisive. "If we're going to make a good search we will see all of them eventually." She looks up and down the corridor then, ear flicking, before her attention returns to the room they are approaching.
The little cell flickers into light as the pair enters. It is very small, certainly too small for three to stand in comfortably. There is a little bed and a small table with a stool rooted to the ground. Strangely, a tiny little green light blinks at the corner of the apparently metal table.
Cassidy rubs her chin as she takes in the small room, frowning. She was glad she was short, at least! "Hmm..." She runs her gloved fingers over the surface of the table, pondering it for a moment before squinting at the green light. "What do you think this is? You know. It probably would have helped to have Fenris along for this or something. He knows more about creator stuff than I do! I can just read parts of the text."
Natska's attention is caught by the blinking light, and she stares at it for a long, long moment. "It is almost like it wants attention..." she says quietly. "Do you see an activation rune? An inscription?" she asks. Since Cassidy has the table, she turns and looks over the rest of the room, then checks under the bed as she remembers the treasure Jera found in Joe's ship.
At Cassidy's touch, the metal table top ignites with lines of runes as well as an image of a smiling bovine being. If this cell belonged to that being, it must have been quite a tight fit! Natska's exploration reveals nothing of interest. All posessions having been removed long ago.
Cassidy scratches at the back of her head, studying the bovine. "Huh. Think this belonged to one of those creators that had a thing for Beings? Like... Ahh... Widetail?" She looks over the symbols, next, before poking at one. "I recognize this one! Let's see what happens!"
Natska finishes her quick examination then steps up behind Cassidy, putting a hand on the fennec's shoulders. "Maybe!" she says. "Let's find out, love." She glances back towards the cell's door, then returns her attention to the table as she waits to see what Cass did.
When Cassidy taps the symbol an apparition appears, like the head and shoulders of the bovine being. It begins to speak, though its speech sounds like that of the Creators! Amidst the garble of language, there are a few phrases that make sense. ". . . three more days until landfall. . . " it says, "Soon we will have a . . . call it Promise!"
Cassidy perks her ears instantly at that, and the words! Those meant something! "I think... This is from the early days of our ancestors specifically! How fascinating!" She tilts her head to the side, seeing if the strange apparition will continue! Or if she has to push more buttons.
Natska nods her head; she remains quiet though as she listens, interested to hear more of the story as well. Her tail curls and sways back and forth, her ears twitching slightly as she mulls over just what it is they are seeing.
The strange apparition continues to speak, though its excited chatter does not reveal much more than the bull being's apparent excitement. If Cassidy is right though, this machine spirit is over 400 years old! And still in working order! ". . . begun the engravings for construction!" The bull says excitedly.
"Engravings? Hmmm..." Cassidy slips a hand under the edge of her mask to rub at the underside of her chin. "That might be interesting... Construction tools might be just what we came here for! Imagine what we could do with such... The unique art I could create!"
Natska thinks about that, her head tilting. "Do you think they left them behind?" she asks. "I suppose that might make sense, for the Beings that would be living here! That would be an interesting find."
After a few more moments of chatter, the Bull looks over a shoulder, as if being called, then leans forward a bit before the apparition vanishes. Looks like that is all he had to say.
Cassidy tilts her head. "Huh. I guess... That's it, then! Did you find anything under the bed?" She asks, turning around to look over the small room. "Maybe we won't need to, as long as those other doors aren't locked or anything." She adjusts her hat and looks back down the hall before she starts making her way out.
Natska gives her head a quick shake. "No, nothing else in here," she reports, as she follows Cassidy out of the room. "It is tempting to split off and cover twice the rooms in the time it takes, but I have to remind myself we are in a dangerous area. So which room do we start with next?"
The hall extends enigmatically in both directions. Though from this angle it seems that the path to the right leads to an open, double door, leading to a large room. The other direction turns a corner into obscurity.
Cassidy peers in both directions for a moment before pointing towards the double doors. "That way, I think! We'll check out the long hallway next?" She starts to approach the double doors, pushing upon one to see if it opens. And then pulling, if it doesn't!
Natska considers both ways, then nods and points towards the double doors at almost the exact same time Cassidy does. She snickers, then nods her head. "Yes. Let's. I imagine larger doors would be needed if they were moving large amounts of things through here, right?"
As the lights flicker to life, Natska and Cassidy find themselves in a room the size of the Solacious mankr's great hall! Remarkable looking machines line the walls, most of them attached to some kind of work station. All of tge stations are dark now, whatever energy source powering the lights seeming not powering the ancient machines. This room shows some of the decay of 400 years of neglect, a few bits of machinery scattered here and there.
Cassidy lets out a low whistle and looks around the room as she trots in, her claws clicking gently on the floor. "Oh boy... What should we poke at first, love?" Her eyes roam the space, stopping briefly on each object as she looks for anything in particularly good repair, first. "I wonder what this place was used for!" She starts moving off towards one she has deemed in 'good enough' condition.
Natska pauses as they enter the room, drawing her soul pendant from its spot tucked just inside her jumpsuit in order to change a chakra crystal. She frowns for a moment and her ear flicks, and then she quickly moves to catch up to Cassidy and help her look over the machines. "Well, there is that jump to make on the way out... so whatever we grab, it has to be something we can carry with us," she reminds the fennec. "Otherwise..." she trails off, then quietly snickers. "Otherwise, just start poking at things and see what they do, I guess. Just... be very careful."
The machine that Cassidy has decided to examine seems to be some kind of loom! Well, like a loom. At least, there seem to be remnants of some sort of fabric material hanging from part of the machine, though it seems to have been left behind in a hurry. At least whatever it was is certainly long gone by now, right? The machine does not seem operational. Though another nearby machine has a tiny, flickering light on it.
Cassidy snaps her fingers. "Maybe! Maybe not. Maybe that hallway will have a way out? We'll find a way to make out with whatever we find... If we find something worth taking!" She pokes briefly at the fabric before the flicker of a light catches her eye! "Oooo," she says gently before shuffling over towards the machine in question. "But yes. Very careful. I don't want something to explode and take off my arm or something," she says in jest.
Natska wrinkles her nose at that, then gives her head a slight shake. "Goodness, I would hope not," she agrees. She does a quick survey of a few of the other machines, looking for signs of 'life', then moves over to join Cassidy. "What is it?"
The machine in question is actually quite small. It seems to be meant for small scale metal work, if the etched plates of Creator Steel scattered around it are any indication. It looks like it might even run still! If someone could figure out how to activate it.
Cassidy scratches the back of her head and hums. "I'm... I'm not sure! Maybe some kind of... Carving machine?" She holds up one of the metal plates and hums. "Help me see if you can find a power switch or something?" She asks, glancing around and looking for a power button! If she's lucky it'll have one of those seemingly-universal signs on it.
Natska watches Cassidy examining the machine, her head tilting to the side as she ponders the device. She leans forward and stares intently, trying to get a good look at it.
"Mmph," Natska says, and points. "That?"
Sure enough, there it is! That big friendly sigil that seems to awaken machine spirits is right there, waiting to be pressed.
Cassidy glances down as Natska points it out and smiles. "Ah! Thank you, dear," she says reaching down to push the button! "Now let's see what happens!" She does take a tentative step back, in case she needs to dive out of the way! Or throw herself infront of Natska or something. She doesn't entirely trust the device not to explode violently!
Natska catches her breath as she waits to see what happens! "This is exciting," she quietly informs Cassidy. "Here we are, exploring ancient ruins and recovering lost technology!" She watches the device with a wary eye, although she doesn't seem to expect it to try and bite her yet.
The machine lets out a few cheery beeps and a gentle whirring sound starts as the table-like device lights up! A set of runes appear upon the wide lip of the thing and a silvery arm travels back and forth once across the surface before settling to one side. Then the mysterious machine sits and humms quietly to itself, as if awaiting instruction.
Unfortunately, something else seems to have happened with the activation of the machine! Off in a darkened corner of the room, something else whirrs to life! A pair of spotlight beams shooting from the darkness and orienting on the two intruders! The loud voice of a machine spirit calls out some strange words and a large servitor bursts into the light! It is vaguely conical and seems to move on some kind of hidden rollers beneath its bulk. From its polished sides sprout several long tentacles with grabbing claws and a number of strange weapons surround it in an array! At least, they might be weapons. Hard to tell with the erratic way it zooms about!
Cassidy grimaces at the little machine as it comes to life. "Ah... Well. I think it's on the last legs of its life... But I don't know what it'll do. We should... Lead it away, incase it explodes. And keep our distance to see if it breaks on its own, perhaps? I don't want to get close to it, that's for sure!" And with that, she starts a retreat around the room, away from both servitor and machine!
Natska gives Cassidy a small nod, sticking close to her fennec as they drop back and away from the servitor golem. "Repeat!" she calls out, then tries to remember if she knows the Old Language command for the same.
No such luck on the servitor shutting itself down! The wild machine scoots agilely around machines and the few bits of debris left scattered around. A grasping tendril lashes out toward Natska, grabbing at her with a steel claw. And Cassidy is no safer as a tentacle with some sort of strange, cup like instrument hurtles toward her!
Cassidy squeaks and takes a nimble roll out of the way as the suction-y tentacles makes a grab at her. "Halt! Wait! Desist!" She has no clue if such words will work. "I wonder what this thing even does!" She calls as she draws her sword, taking a swift thrust
Cassidy squeaks and takes a nimble roll out of the way as the suction-y tentacles makes a grab at her. "Halt! Wait! Desist!" She has no clue if such words will work. "I wonder what this thing even does!" She calls as she draws her sword, taking a swift thrust towards one of the areas above the base, hoping to disable motor mechanisms.
Natska dances back away from the grasping claw, then circles sideways, trying to get the machine between her and Cassidy, wracking her memory for something else to try. "Override!" she shouts at it, trying to remember some of the words she had heard others use.
The machine's arms flail wildly as both jaguar and fennec dodge aside. Cassidy's strike hits home at the base of a tentacle arm, causing a jet of steam and a fizzle of lightning to jump from it! A few more hits like that might disable the mad machine! Unfortunately, it is still flailing and still dangerous! A hatch opens on the front of the machine and some sort of foul smelling liquid spews out in a spray toward Cassidy! It lashes out once again at Natska, this time with a tentacle bearing some kind of wildly spinning weapon! It burbles something in response to Natska's shouts, though it is hard to hear over the machine's bizarre assortment of weapons!
Cassidy blinks as the machine opens up a panel, and she tries to move out of the way but is a little too slow! The foul liquid splashes onto her cloak, which sends the fennec coughing and sputtering. "Augh. That's awful! Eugh. Dumb thing!" Though her vision is a little impaired, she lashes out again with her sword, trying to stab it through that open panel!
"Who are you calling dirty?!" Natska yells back at the servitor, ducking the appendage with the spinning brush. She growls low in her throat, then launches herself forward in a flying tackle, looking to knock it over off of its silly little roller-feet.
Cassidy's impaired strike goes wide, scraping along the golem's hard steel exterior, while Natska's own attack is a little more successful. The Jaguar slams into the thing's side and sets it rocking on its rolling center. It is certainly not down, but it is unable to retaliate as it tries to right itself!
Cassidy narrows her eyes and follows up on Natska's example, taking a flying kick towards the golem to try to knock it over with finality! "These aren't even proper weapons!" Comes her comment as she launches herself at the creation.
Natska recovers from tackle attempt, crouching down and throwing her shoulder into the golem before skipping back and away. Then she pauses, her ear flicking as she stares. "Cass? Cassidy. Not real weapons. Calling us dirty. I think... that was the maid."
Between both Cassidy and Natska's efforts, that last push was all it took to send to strange machine tumbling to the ground. It is still running, but with the way its arms are flailing about, it will probably take some time to right itself. The maddened machine spirit keeps shrieking "CLEAN CLEAN CLEAN!" over and over. This might explain how this part of the ruins has stayed in such pristine condition!
Cassidy rubs her chin and nods. "You're right. And now I have an idea..." She says thoughtfully as she turns to start walking back towards the work bench they were investigating earlier! "I'll see if I can get one of the servants a golem crafter gem, and I'll instruct them on how to build a golem to specification... Then we can have one of our own!"
Natska snickers at that, giving the ranting servitor a wide berth as she follows Cassidy. "Oooh. I like that idea. Or we could get one built for us, and have someone trained to control it." Natska's tail flicks, then curls back and forth. "Should we continue searching, love? Or take our prize, and come back later?"
The machine looks moveable, though hardly a portable work station. With a bit of help, it could certainly still be used! It still glows and hums faintly, awaiting instructions.
Cassidy tilts her head, ears twitching. "Why not both? We could... Turn this off and see about taking it with us while we go down that other hall we saw? See what we find along the way! Hopefully an easier way out! I'd hate to have to try to fly this thing down through the main chamber, you know?"
Natska nods her head, poking the activation glyph. "Mmmm. Yes, I know, but I worry that if there were an easier way this section would have been looted already. Still, let us go look!" her ears perk and she grins.
The machine spirit gives a couple of little beeps as it powers down. The device itself proves quite easy to lift with the two beings carrying it side by side. As the pair trots out of the workroom past the flailing golem, things become quiet again quite quickly. The hallway is well lit and easy to navigate, with a number of doors and smaller halls branching off. Among all of these, however, one stands out. At the end of the corridor is a heavy, sealed door. A small panel of glyphs glows a gentle green beside it.
Cassidy hoists the workbench as best as she is able, and decides to see just where that hallway leads! She follows it along, rounding the corner before coming to a stop at the heavy, sealed door. "Huh." She starts to set the bench down for a moment and scoots over to the little panel, tilting her head. "Reckon one of these opens it?"
Natska tries to help Cass out, since the table looks a little awkward. She looks around as they move down the hallway, but she agrees with the choice to try the door. "Probably! And they have lights, that looks promising." She leans towards the panel, peering at it.
As Natska touches the panel, the door unlocks with a satisfying HISS and slides open. Beyond the door is a darkened area of the undertunnels. Actually, it looks familiar! This is not too far from the breach up through the waste pipes. The door must fuse almost seamlessly with the wall on this side! Good think no one else has found the place yet! There should be lots of opportunities to explore this place in the future! Assuming that cleaning bot doesn't manage to get back up TOO soon.
