Of Wyrms and Knights, Part 1 - RPLOG
Participants
Date
20/8/478
Log
No matter where the sellswords come from, they were all directed to a couple of carts in the city of Cliffside, where all of the beings on board would be transported to the entrance of a forest in the Cliffside countryside. The group would then be guided by a scout into the forest before they finally reach a small camp in front of what clearly is the ruined, ancient entrance made out of Creator steel, a clear indication of one of the Creator ruins dotting Promise. In the camp sits a number of beings in Church garb, one of them is dressed in more decorated robes and seems to be equipped with some Creator tech, clearly marking him as the Machine priest who asked for the mercenaries help.
Zuri stands in awe at everything that surrounds him, darting here and there as he goes to admire all the little details that glint out at him. He finally spots the well-garbed priest and dashes over to him, stopping before him and waving. "Hello Sir!"
Dax follows along after Zuri. The little rhino more in awe of the forest than he is of the ruined doorway. He's seen plenty of those in the past. It seems funny that his. . . employer would be interested in this foray, but here he was sent and here he is.
Aisling walks slowly and is followed by her eight legged golem. The canine is studying what she can see and it is obvious that she has a keen interest in the ruins. Probably more so than in the reward.
Reginald dismounts from the cart and positions himself a little way off from the priest. He reaches over his shoulder, equipping his Wheellock Carbine, which he then checks over. Midway through this, he pauses for a moment, throwing a glance up at the ruins before them. A subtle feeling of uncertainty resides in him, this shining construction that stands out against it's surroundings, by its very nature, no doubt contains an endless list of dangers ...
It was fairly unusual to see Bolormaa hanging around with all these natives, but what the hell else was there to do? Drinking's more suited for night times anyway, and she might as well earn a few of these 'crowns' so she didn't have to rely on someone else to pick up her tab.
Compared to the rest of the group, though, the shaggy Goat seems resolutely unimpressed. At best, they have a couple automatons some obsolete handhelds that still work. Big whoop.
She twists her hands over the cool metal of her crowbar anxiously, before her floppy goat ears perk up and she manages to find a cart by Dax, that cracked grin lightening her dark face.
The machine priest smiles and stands up as the group arrives, "Ah, welcome brave beings. I thank you for your help." the aging otter being says with a gentle smile, "The ruins are there." he says as he points at the door, "There is a lot of temperamental machine spirits, and the church is sadly too busy and most of our resources are being used elsewhere, so we needed some help from mercenaries. Please enter and bring me..." he adds as he looks down on the shining piece of creator tech, "A 'book' called 'Of Wyrms And Knights'. You will surely find it in the library in there." the otter being says with a smile as he, "Any questions?"
Across the small camp clearing is the door to the ruins, luckily for the beings the creator steel doors are slightly ruined, and open just enough for the average sized being to walk inside without much trouble.
Zuri is briefly distracted by something shiny. He darts over to the side, picking at the ground hoping to find some kind of priceless artifact. Nope, shiny rock. He pockets the shiny rock and returns to the otter, peering up at him with a bright smile. "No questions sir! We'll find that book for you." He looks at the ruins and starts moving over, peering at the ruined doors before sliding in easily on account of his small size and lithe frame.
"Of Wyrms and Knights?" Dax asks in his familiar, but strange, mechanical monotone, "That does not really sound like a scholarly work to me. How do you know it is in there, anyway?" There are a lot more questions on the miniature pachyderm's mind, like why would there be a paper book in the 'ruin's' archives among others, but he does not want to stand out as any stranger than he already is. But he does not have time to ask any more, since Zuri is already gone. "Wait for me, Mister Zuri!" he calls.
Aisling puts a finger onto her lips and thinks for a moment, before addressing the otter. "Uhm, I do not assume that we could maybe take anything for us, could we?" Its a silly question, but it can't hurt to ask, thinks the young vixen. "Books, I mean." She adds and twitches her muzzle.
Reginald , content to let the other beings sort out the finer points of their mission, makes his way to the entrance. He draws out a small crystal from the front pocket of his jacket, and lets it hang from a short chain, before giving it a slight tap. At this, the purple crystal emits a white light, enough to illuminate a small distance in front of the lynx. The being then squeezes through the gap in the ajar doors, joining Zuri.
Bolormaa snorts aloud at the title. Yeah, okay, like they'd have a Swords And Sorcery guidebook in a library. Curiosity does get the best of her as she passes by the priest, and she cranes her neck in an attempt to his dataslate.
"Oh, that's nothing. I had an AYE-PAD 100 before they shipped me off. I bet yours doesn't even have EPIC CANDY CRACK, does it?" she gloats with enough of a smirk to earn another notch on her face, before noticing the sole being she can relate to is already leaving her behind. "Hey! Wait! Gotta few questions for you, Dax!" she cries as her hooves beat the ground rapidly, trying to make up the distance.
The otter shakes his head, "It is a [VIRTUAL] book, and I know because of this." he points at the device in his hand, removing it away from Bolormaa's view and shaking his head, "Ah, another off-worlder. It is nice to meet you as well." the priest says with no short amount of sarcasm.
Zuri and whoever follows him are met with the sight of a short corridor lit by the flickering 'crystals' attached to the walls. It immediately leads to a crossroads, thought thankfully for the beings they won't have to choose a path as the northern and western paths are closed, one by a completely dark, thick door, and another by some vegetation outgrowth that is blocking the door behind. The eastern path however remains completely open, the sound of metal hitting metal audible from there.
Zuri stops to wait for Dax, grinning at his friend. He walks together with him as they explore the first corridor and come to the fork. The assessment of their options is fairly quick, with the open passageway seeming to be the only reasonable option. He turns to Dax. "Dax, I've never explored this sort of creator ruin before. What can we expect to happen? Will it be dangerous?"
Dax gives a wave of understanding as he hurries after Zuri, almost crashing into him when he stops. "I do not know, Mister Zuri," he drones, "This place is very old. I am not sure what," he hesitates, trying to pick an appropriate word, "I am not sure what will still be working. If we are lucky, the library and the lights will still be on, and maybe the security will let us through without any trouble." Speaking of which. . . The little rhino from space looks around for a control panel and tries a few simple command phrases to try and get some lights on. Hard to say if they will work in something so archaic, though.
Aisling sighs and makes her way into the building, it would have been nice to get some pictures of creator designs or something like that! The noble fox looks over Dax's shoulder as her tinkers with the system, but decides to not 'help' the clearly more experienced being.
Reginald steps up to the overgrown door, taking a closer look. He can't help but wonder just exactly HOW old this place actually is. Turning back to the group, and, picking up on what Dax had said, he puts a question to the Rhino "You mentioned some kind of security, do you know any more?"
Bolormaa sighs as the tiny Rhino takes no notice of her. It figured. Everyone always had better things to do than help her out.
But security? That's where Bolormaa was a Viking! Keeping in mind the tricks she used helping her 'owner', she pokes and prods at every suspicious looking panel around the mouth of the sole open pathway with her crowbar, keeping as close an eye as she can on any unusual phenomena in the darkness.
The group enters what appears to be a cafeteria or a meeting room, if the old and dusty creator steel tables and chairs are any indication. On the tables are some abandoned odds and ends, and in one corner is a really strange machines, which off-worlders would recognize as a really old vending machine, obviously no longer working. On the floor are two servitors busy moving around the room, doing nothing of note.
Dax's training pays off as it appears that one of the command phrases remain the same even after all this years. Sadly the lights were already on, and it appears that the command to turn them on is the same as the one to turn them off, the clearest indication is how all the lamps that were working quickly shut off plunging the group in darkness, except for Reginald's crystal light and the light coming from the servitors.
Bolormaa starts to skillfully check for the most likely locations for traps as her search continues a creeping realization hits her, she was in an actual creator facility and not some sci-fi video game she used to play, and she might remember those beings designed for the safety of the creatures using them rather than being death traps. It would have been most unusual for someone to set up a trap on the lobby of a facility after all.
Zuri blinks as the lights flicker off, stopping until his eyes adjust better to the darkness. He decides to add to the natural light by focusing for a moment to let his bioluminescent markings glow brighter, filling the area immediately around him with soft candle-like purple light. He peers around, then decides to explore by approaching the two servitors cautiously. "What.. what are those?"
Dax frowns in the darkness and repeats the command to relight the lights, hoping they will come back on. "I do not know," he says in answer to Reginald, "This place is over 500 years old. I would guess that some of the automatic security would still be active, but as long as we don't do anything stupid, it should leave us alone." The little rhino calls after Zuri. "Just leave them alone," he drones, "They are probably just repair- um, golems. Best to just let them do their work." The off-world rhino starts off toward an open hallway, looking for the main archive to get what he was sent to find.
Thankfully the voice commands can still work and Dax manages to reactivates what little light there is, at least is relatively see-able in the dim lighting.
Dax is quickly stopped by a closed creator door, "Please insert your clearance card." a mechanical voice beeps from a small panel near the door, with a card port underneath it. Hmmm, there does appear to be some cards around with the discarded items as well.
Aisling had detached her Twirligig and her Crusher from their storage in her large golem, since it was too big for the door and the two creator machines are silently following the fox now. She looks around for cards on the tables, then is distracted by the vending machine and presses a few buttons, then goes back to searching some more, her tail wagging about slightly as she studies the left overs of the creators.
Startled by their sudden plunge into darkness, Reginald raises his weapon and checks around him, before bringing it to rest, aiming at the machines before them. When what little light there is returns, relief crosses the lynx's face. "Don't do that again," he calls over to Dax, stressing the first word, before adding "any idea how to get that door open?"
Eager to mess around again, Bolormaa tries to shoulder the milling beings out of her way, taking a look at the slot, and where the door met the jamb--that is, where the locking mechanisms were likely housed.
Save for banks and government buildings, locks were more a polite way of telling someone not to bother with this door, rather than an absolute safeguard against entry. So there had to be a way to get around this one, and she was keen on finding it.
Thankfully it is quite easy to search for the cards and find them. Dax and Aisling seemingly focusing a lot at studying the cards. Yes, they are the usual run-of-the-mill clearance cards Dax might see Creators using, or Aisling might see in the creator tech stashes during her work in her local church.
Bolormaa's attempt at opening the door proves futile, the door's panel voicing again, "Security Guard, Third Class Lester, lost your card again?" Then whoever uses one of the clearance cards will get the door to open, "Greetings Maintenance Technician, Second Class Rimmer." Th group is then met with another corridor as the door gives the card back to whoever used it, "I hope you had a nice day outside." the monotonous mechanical voice says as it waits for the group to move inside.
Zuri watches as the various other beings busy themselves with the technological marvel (for him, at least). He pouts. For once he's the one watching as someone else cracks a door open seemingly effortlessly. That's his job! He snickers to himself as he peers through the door at what lies beyond.
Dax pockets the clearance card. "Who leaves all of their clearance cards lying in the galley," he buzzes, not sounding too different from the mechanical voice of the door. The little rhino leads the way further into the ruin, a hand on his belt as he walks along the corridor looking for something to direct the group toward the central archives. "I am very impressed that the. . . um. . . machine spirit is still working after all this time," he says, then calls out to the air, saying a number of odd phrases that would, to those in the know, sum up to asking the ship for its name, birthday and what it wants to be when it grows up.
Aisling follows closely behind the Rhino, who seems to know what he is doing. She does not pay much attention to what the things are or what they do, but rather to the way they look. Her own creator gadgets following behind her as she snoops about in as many corners as she can without losing the group.
Reginald follows the others through the newly opened door. He lingers at the back, however, every now and again glancing behind him at the two robots. It isn't long before an obscure and strange thought crosses his mind. For some inexplicable reason, it wouldn't surprise him to come across an entire civilization of fellow Felines in the depths of this ancient structure. He quickly dismisses this, placing it down to the stale air.
Bolormaa jostles the crowbar fruitlessly between the two doors, giving an indignant harrumph at the computer mocking her efforts. What kind of jerk would program a system to act like that? Ah, well, nothing a good reprogramming with a heavy metal object couldn't fix...
She is suddenly jerked back to attention by the sound of her crowbar clanking against the floor, bringing her back into this unreal world.
"Don't tell me you've gone native," Bolormaa groans as Dax tries propositioning the system. "It's a KUMPYUUTAUR, not a living thing. Just find something expensive and hit it until it works. Or breaks."
The group continues their road as they enter yet another common room, this place is crawling with even more servitors, more active as well as they attempt to keep this place working, all in vain for any who knew about the technology that beings were sent with, good thing that servitors do not know about the futility of their job.
Zuri squeezes past the other beings as he tries to enter the next room. He looks around with an unvoiced 'woah' as he takes in the sights. The place may be a Creator ruin, but for him this is beyond fascinating. He spots something shiny on the floor, and quickly darts over to collect it.
Dax sighs when he gets no response from the ruin, whatever it is. "It is over 400 years old," he buzzes, "I guess I can't expect it to be fully functional." He gives a confused look to Bolormaa. "What do you mean?" he asks, "We always talked to the ship with my last. . ." he looks at the other beings present, "With my last employer. She was very friendly and if the COMPUTER here was active and able to help us then we could be done all the faster, right?" He looks around and looks intently at a glass table. The little rhino blows away some of the dust and traces a finger through the remaining grime. "Not much further," he drones, leading the way beyond the room toward the archives.
Aisling looks puzzled at the map and scratches her head. Not really sure what the words mean except for the big friendly marker that indicates where the group is. Remaining silent she follows behind the others.
Kneeling down, Reginald sifts through a pile of rubble, taking the opportunity to see if anything of note is buried there. Unfortunately, he fails to find anything other than rocks and twisted metal. He gives a playful smile upon realising the salamander's new hobby, and, picking up the smoothest stone he can find, offers it up to him. "Perhaps it's a cousin." He then follows Dax, offering up his thoughts "If that's how old this place truly is, then it's miraculous that it's in as good condition as this. I doubt few building beings have built on Promise would be so resilient."
Bolormaa is getting visibly antsy in the dim light, shifting from hoof to hoof. She's been completely useless so far, and she can feel the shame welling up inside. Why did they even bother bringing her? They'd probably just abandon her, like everyone else has in her life.
With a desperate, pained bleat, she raises the prybar above her head and smashes a nearby glass surface--the table holding the map Dax had just used, by coincidence--before joining the tail end of the group once more, looking slightly happier now that it was out of her system for a minute.
The group moves moves again, taking the eastern path at the next fork as they continue walking into the descending corridor. As corridor levels off again the voice of dripping water and something else can be heard.
Once they reach the room they will find the underground entrance. The room in front of them is filled with water, no doubt due to the leaking pipe that has broken from the ceiling. And to make things worse it appears that one of the cables have fell into the small make-shift lake, sparks of energy are visible in the water, warning of quite a painful, if not deadly experience to those who step on the water, and the only thing preventing such a fate is the two step stair-way into the room.
Zuri keeps his shiny object clutched in his hands as they walk along, peering around as he follows near the back of the group. He peers down at the obviously dangerous, sparky water. "Mmm... I guess we have to find some kind of way across that stuff? Maybe we can go up somehow?" Naturally, the pegasus dedicant immediately thinks of flying as the solution to the problem.
Dax frowns at the obviously electrified water. He looks up at the dangling cable and does his best to follow it, hoping that maybe, just maybe he will be able to cut it off somewhere along its length to clear the path ahead. Too bad he does not have any of that local hoodoo. The rhino looks around, then produces a small, strange looking pistol from his boot. If the wire does not come within reach, he could always try to shoot it off above the water with his scorcher.
Aisling wishes her golem were with her and sighs, twitching her nose. She looks around the room for anything useful to shut the electricity off or be helpful otherwise.
Bolormaa's latest outburst had finally gotten the lynx's back up. Turning on the spot, he moves so close to the goat that his eyes were mere inches from her's. With a snarl of annoyance on his face, the lynx growls at her, "You got a problem, goat. If you would rather be elsewhere, then feel free to turn around and leave. We really don't need any loose cannons here. However, if you want to stay, then I suggest you cut the crap. So you're from offworld and have had a damn sight more priviliaged upbringing than some of us here. I couldn't care less, but if you want to make yourself useful, why don't you work with the rhino and the fox to get one of those wall button, touchy things to clear a path for us? If they can turn lights on and off, they should be able to do something?"
Jackpot! Bolormaa had gotten the negative attention she craved with that tantrum of hers, and she could already feel spite and anger welling up inside her. A million scathing insults were building up in the back of her tongue as the Lynx lectured her, and a devilish smile curled her 'lips' in a parody of a smile.
"Oh? Hmm? And what are you gonna do about it, huh? Hit me? Hmm? That'll teach me, won't it? It's how I've been taught so far in my life!" she cackles mirthlessly, her yellow teeth standing out against her black face fur in this dim lighting.
Dax's shooting manages to successfully cut the already damaged wire. After a minute or so the last of the spark dissipates signalling, hopefully, the safety of the passage ahead.
Zuri was in the process of centering himself to shift into his dedicant form when Dax enacted his plan. By the time the salamander had fully formed into the shape of a winged pegasus the wire had been cut, and the hazard had been disarmed. He blinks, then snorts cutely. "Aww, there goes my idea. Good job Dax!" He peers back at the others, and decides to fly away from their scuffle, one large wing-assisted leap across the room and the impromptu pool.
Dax nods and releases his tongue where it was clencged between his teeth. He slips the strange weapon back into his boot and frowns over his shoulder. He looks like he wants to say something, but he hesitates, bites his lip, then hurries on through the flooded room.
Aisling makes her way through the puddle and follows closely behind the crafty Rhino. The fox gives a slight groan as her creator-material boots start happily squeaking with every step now that they are wet. Regardless of this, she keeps looking around everywhere for interesting things.
Reginald continues to stare into the eyes of the goat before him, though his growl had abruptly stopped. Where he saw before an annoyance, now stood a hurting and wronged individual, and, at this revelation, his expression softened a little. For a few moments he just stood there, unsure of what to do, of how to approach such a situation. It is not very often that this middle-aged lynx is left speechless. Coming to, the lynx turns away from her, and with some slight reluctance, enters the water to follow the rest of the group. "The exit is behind you. I suggest you take it." His voice has a little pain in it, almost as if the being wished he could help, but knows he's incapable of such.
The battered goat seems to thrive on the tension--and as her adversary gives up and walks away, she honestly seems crestfallen. With no more knife's-edge adrenaline, and nothing to fill that hole inside of her, she lags behind the group again, stammering as those insults seem to die on her tongue as she stands there, stammering "Oh yeah?"s and "Well..."s.
Now there's no way she can get hit first and come out looking like the victim or the victor. She fixes the surliest of glares on Zuri as she shoves her way past him, with a scowl and a snarled "What the hell are YOU staring at?" under her breath.
