Head's Down Git's Up

Log Info

• Title: Head's Down Git's Up
• Emitter: Jinks
• Characters: Jay, Jozi, Nemori, Slixvah
• Place: Alexandros Wilderness: Crashed Kulthian Airship
• Time: Tuesday, October 04, 2022, 3:46 PM
• Summary: The loss of one of their own has lit a fire under Mama Bula's kids and the mystery of a buried Kulthian craft needs to be solved. A solution may be well and truly lost after the Torment Engine's destruction-- but if it exists, surely it can be found in Alexandria! It's time to hit the books, mingle with the often awfully off-putting artificers, and maybe even enquire with the divine. Is this some lost fragment of the flying fortress Merkabah? Who-- or what-- is Khroel'da Pratart? Can the kids after catch a W?

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  Appearing  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Jay          5'9"     145 Lb     Eaglefolk         Male      A perky male Blue Jay with a discerning eye.
Jozi         5'8"     148 Lb     Half-Orc          Female    A brunette half-orcess with a sunny disposition.
Nemori       4'10"    110 Lb     Mul'niessa        Female    A tall and slender, dark skinned elf.
Slixvah      5'8"     130 Lb     Eaglefolk         Female    A rust red/white Egalrin covered in veils, ribbons, and shawls.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=  As the GM  -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Jinks        3'4"     39 Lb      Gnome             Male      A gnomish fellow in fancy garb and jewelry. 
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

You approach into the canyon wash, down off one of the many roads of the northwestern Alexandros countryside. Jagged, broken walls reach up to either side and turn into rolling hills as they pull away. Fresh, green growth, old scrag, earth, scarp, and mud disguise much of the naked rock. It's not a long walk and it's about as straight as you can expect to find in the natural world, your steady pace only interrupted when the footing goes a little treacherous in the loose, wet rocks, and soft mud of the decline.

Even in the thick and chilly gloom, it's easier to find the crashed ship half-buried into the region's hills the second time around. That's in no small part due to airship hovering over it beneath a trio of bulging balloons. The poop is half-devoured by a massive brass construction of pipes and gears that pushes out to attach to a pair of propellers mounted on the stern. The hull sports the polished carving of a great, cracked coin and more of the brass pipes in neat, parallel, and winding rows. A thick, steel chain hangs with a massive anchor resting on the rock and earth beneath.

A handful of ethnically-diverse crew roam the deck. A greybeard Khazad in a full suit of furlined brown leathers stands out with his long, crimson scarf flapping in the wind. A gnome and gobber can be heard shouting back and forth even if the meaning of their words is lost. A 'nar towers above the rest of the crew, all muscles and tattoos. Two other, smaller forms dart about too quickly to be properly observed.

A heavy, canvas hose also snakes down from above, over the deck railing, winding across the rubble-strewn and muddy canyon floor, and into the open door set into a stone wall. The material is damp in patches and beads of sweat mingle with the falling rain. The hose has a waxy finish along the majority of its length that causes the water to bead and roll off. There are a few metal rings visible along its length decorated with latches, the rain sizzles and jumps when it hits those sections.

The remains of a creature that looks equal parts construct, spider, and halfling has been thrown out of the crashed ship and off to one side. Its overnumerous limbs are a tangle and the corpse shows signs of scavengers getting to it. All-in-all not the most pleasant sight.

Integrity bawks at the sight of the hovering airship, "Oh! That is Aehrick Oddskeeper's ship, allegedly. We're splitting the discovery fifty-fifty. He must have found a replacement powersource."

"That's a lot of pipes and gears. Be careful of the hose, it looks alive."

His head turns, to glance at the spider creature which is fortunately still looking quite dead. His beak clacks. "So, originally we found what's called a 'Torment Engine'. It was powering the airship by torturing and Outsider and feeding off its life force as well as its connection to it's native plane."

"It was an Angel, allegedly, and..." the bluejay exhales, "We helped him get home."

Not far from the jay, Jozi considers the airship with a sort of thoughtful air, She glances to Integrity as he explains the wherewithalls of their last visit, and her eyes fall momentarily. A minute nod follows as she refocuses on him, then their new partners, "It weren't a pretty sight, last we were in there." she warns.

Slixvah came with, she's wanted to help with mama bula and the others with Git, but she's been pulled around too much to assist otherwise. She's bundled in a heavier robe and holding a gnomish parasol to ward off the rain as she tilts her head to the side at the sight before her. "This... is equal parts facinating and horrible," she sighs, rubbing her face.

She looks to Jay. Frowns a bit. "... yeah... that's fucked up. What's stopping us from blowing the place up becuase of that?" she suggests. Actually for chaos this time.

Slix taps Jay on the shoulder. A wind wooshes by.

"More parts horrible than fascinating, to me." Integrity says, adjusting the straps on his backpack. "Well. Heady's wisp head fell in there."

"I don't know how he knew this was here, if it called him, if he was on it. He used a phrase, Khroel'da Pratart, which translates to 'Workshop Reverence place of Khroel'. I forgot to look up Khroel, might be a Kulthian god, might be the ship's foreman."

"Anyhow, that was enough to get us past the Shriezyz," Jay points at the dead spider-thing. "Our goal is to see if we can find Heady's spirit and put it back into his armour."

The bluejay shrugs, "And the other reason is I agreed half and half with Aehrick, so he wants to salvage it and not blow it up. Whatever 'Black Tech' he can turn grey would be fabulously valuable."

Nemori looks almost in pain. Or constipated. In all honesty, it's an expression most here are probably familiar with when the elf feels like she's being forced to do something she doesn't want to do. Which is why it's probably surprising when she has some information to offer. "The creature we... mercy killed... was certainly an angel. A monadic deva. Eluna," she continues, managing not to twist her lips in a sneer at the name, "often uses them to exert her will on the border planes." She shrugs. "Supposedly powerful creatures. Whatever managed to trap it and contain it is not something to be taken lightly."

"I ain't convinced black tech'll ever be anything but black tech, sugar." Jozi remarks softly with a sigh, "If nothin else, we can suss out how ta safely dispose or counter this junk."

Properly save it's victims, perhaps.

A concept she doesn't speak aloud, though it could perhaps be read in the corners of her expression.

One that flattens some at the characterization of their efforts as a 'mercy kill'. A mercy kill might have been a kidness in hindsight, though they'd meant well at the time.

Still, "Agreed. Let's do this careful like, ya'll." Slixvah grimaces. "Poor lady magic. Yeah. Igots some unweaving mojo just in case if we run into strong stuff."

A glance to Tegri. "Hopefully we can find Heady. Love ta meet them. But uh..."

She nods with Jozi. "Unless Robby Bobby is the one behind it, I don't trust anyone ta make it grey. Especially with people like Miki-mo-names around. Im for blowin' it up once we give it the clear."

A sigh leaves her, and she rolls her wings and tucks them in tight. "Right. No need ta dally." She ambles forth.

The bluejay nods, then calls up at the airship, "Mr. Oddskeeper! It's Integrity C Truefeather, the 'C' is for company! We've arrived. Is there anything we should know before we go inside? Besides 'don't touch the hose?'"

The greybeard dwarf tenses visibly and looks around, scanning the skies for several moments before he turns to look over his shoulders. His his follow his shoulders and gloved hands lift his tinted googles to his forehead as he moves to the railing and lookk down.

"Hello!" Comes the gravelly voice of the old Khazadi captain. "You must be Integrity! Hello, young man!"

The old fellow gives a suprisingly animated wave but has to stop when his crimson scarf whips up to cover his face. Sputtering, he pulls it down, pointing below with his other hand.

"Aehrick's inside working on his Torsoplugometer! Your other friend is down waiting, too, so he should be expecting you!"

"Okay! Thanks!" Jay waves up in return, it's easy with a wing, and very visible. He turns to the group. "Any questions? We need to be careful touching things. I'll check for traps and dangerous stuff but this is very advanced stuff."

He looks at Slix, Jozi and Nemori, then inside.

Nemori pinches the bridge of her nose as she silently mouths, 'Torsoplugometer.' Robert's obsession with Lostech aside, at least the names he uses for it aren't quite so... silly. "Yes, please, let us venture inside. Before I get the urge to put holes in something. Several holes."

Slixvah is a bit in edge, but she shakes her head to Jay and looks ready to go with them group.

Perhaps hearing Nemori's mutter, Jozi murmurs, "I'm sure I don't wanna know."

Of course, how often do adventurers in their position get what they want?

Affixing one of her claws in place out of habit, she, too moves to resume the exploration of this abomination.

In spite of the new and obvious markers, the crashed craft still remains impressively concealed within the stone and earth of the canyon, half-buried by disaster and time. The stone facade of the spherical shape is only easy to pick out when you know to look for it; otherwise, the circular portal and heavy metal door looks entirely out of place.

Stepping inside, those returning find the hemispherical room in a much better state than they left it. Decades of webs have been pulled down and brushed away making it much easier to see from one side of the room to the other, or up through the barred portal at the dome's apex. Rain trickles down through the open porthole above. There are three brass-handled everyburning torches resting on various flat surfaces to illuminate the room.

The lower section of the floor remains beneath shin-deep, standing water, and a few fat flies have taken up residence after the carrion was left to stew in the fetid pool. Cabinets to the left, some variety of control panel ahead, and macabre cages to the right are all built into the curved walls.

A second Khazad, this one blackbearded and sporting an elaborate suit of pearlescent mithral titan's armor squares near a box of clockwork and pipes affixed with a self-pumping bellows in which the hose from outside terminates. Pipes extend from the other end, rigid and supported by a bedroll as they cross the floor, elbowing up to reach high and elbow again, attaching themselves to an elaborate breastplate-like contraption resting in and strapped to a recess above some arcane controls.

Aehrick Oddskeeper taps the wooden haft of a craftsman's hammer against his chin as he mutters to himself, deep in thought. Next to him, arms crossed and looking up with a scowl, is Git. The gobber is tapping his foot just about as hard as he can.

"Make. It. Work!" He snaps. The short, apostate wizard looks to be entirely out of patience.

"Git! Aehrick!" Jay caws happily, and loudly, his voice echoing inside the dome, "I'm here. I brought friends."

Very reassuring news.

"That's... wow." The bluejay says as he moves around the titan armour to peer at the man's work. "I did some research. I think that's a navigational panel, and those are drawers where the maps would be. That set of tubes is an elevation and pitch readout, almost something you'd find in a submarine."

The bird pokes his head under Aerhick's armour arm, to get a view from a different angle. "Very complex. Allegedly."

GAME: Slixvah used a Wand of Mage Armor.

Slixvah enters with the others, her taking care to step only where others have been stepping. A wand is pulled free, bopped on her beak, then stowed. Girding herself in this dangerous place.

Her face is impassive as sky blues sweep over macabre structures, and odd seriousness on the usually chipper egalrin's face.

But it softens upon seeing- "Git," she says soft, if a bit sternly. "Have you been good?"

[RPThree] Jinks says, "Haha, can never have to many gauss canons. Though I'm generally not a fan of assault mechs. Give me a medium on the heavier tonnage. The Crimson Langur is one of my favorites."

Jozi gives the place a steady once over, mindful not to brush against anything as she moves, then looks over the pair already present, "Howdy, fellas." she offers sedately.

Nemori circles the room in the other direction... as much to keep out of the water as to stay out of the way. Her expression sours upon seeing the small, gobber wizard... but for once she has nothing sharp to say to Git. For now, anyways. The device gets a glance.. but it is also something beyond her ken, so she lets her gaze roam back to the room itself. The first time in these parts was somewhat hurried, somewhat focused. "Remind me why we are here, Integrity? There seems to have been little progress made in solving the mystery of this relic."

"No!" Snaps Git, glaring over at Slixvah. His arms uncross and ball into fists by his waist. There's an old silver circlet in need of polishing sitting on his ears, half-obscured by the longer bits of his greasy black hair. His big eyes are red-rimmed and he looks like he hasn't slept in a week. Other than that, he looks impressively outfitted for the road: good boots, a well-made (if simple) cloak, and a sturdy pack. His staff leans against the wall.

"Something killed Heady," he adds, nearly choking on the phrase. "So I'm gonna kill it." He bends and picks up his staff. "As soon as this (something that sounds rather nasty in Gobber-talk) makes his stupid artifice work!"

Aehrick pauses and lifts his face towards the domed ceiling, closing his eyes and taking a very deep and deliberate breath. He has a third arm; a clockwork waldo mounted to a harness that sprouts from his back. He's also adorned with all manner of contraption and gegaw. A ridiculously-sized, two-handed wrench leans against the wall. An open toolkit and loose tools are scattered across the floor.

"Mister. Git." The patience of the mountains is sorely tested. "This. Is. Delicate. Work." He forces the remainder of the lungful out between pursed lips. The little clockwork had clicks quietly as it balls into a three-fingered fist. "Please. Wait. Quietly."

"... hello," he adds without looking at the new arrivals.

Slixvah shakes her head. "Git, hon, I understand ya frustrated and ya want ya friend, but ya know how delicate mage work is. This no different. Give the lad some slack. Plus, we're here now, we can speed up some stuff."

She looks to the armed and armored khzad artificer, her giving an up nod in greeting. "Heya. Nice suit. I like the arm," she mentions to him in his mother tongue, hoping to smooth tensions. <Khazdul>

"No, Git, we can't kill it, whatever it is." Jay seems about to crouch, or lean, but there isn't a lot of room to maneuver even with a cleared out interior. He shuffles a bit, staying out of the water, checking his talons, and looking over at Nemori although answering the gobbo just as much.

"This place is a lot bigger. We need to find a way into the rest of it." His head bops around as he examines the space, "We need it running, so we can find what Heady got trapped in, and reverse it."

"Aehrick... ah, he knows the most about this, so he's our best hope." Integrity leaves off 'allegedly' although he really wanted to say it, "Aehrick, how can we help? Do you have any idea how to get into the rest of the mound? Do you think there's a hatch under the water?"

Using her calmest, warmest tone, Jozi tries to soothe things down with, "There's still a chance that spark that gave life ta yer friend is still in here, sugar. Mebbe even a way ta set it back in his chasis, proper."

GAME: Slixvah rolls sense motive+2: (3)+3+2: 8, "git"
GAME: Nemori rolls sense motive: (3)+4: 7, "Git."
GAME: Jay rolls sense motive: (6)+11: 17, "Aehrick"
GAME: Jozi rolls sense motive: (8)+9: 17, "aehrick"

Aehrick is hard to read, but when Jay mentions the ship being bigger he's initially surprised and then makes an effort to conceal his disappointment. He may have been looking to pull a fast one.

Git is a master of subterfuge.

Nemori does her best not to look like she's about to gag. "Surrounded by goblins and dwarfs," she mutters to herself, idly letting her fingers brush along the wall beside her. More loudly, "Silly little goblin.. more interested in killing than seeking to save his friend. Or even learning of what happened to him. No, someone hurt you, so now all you wish to do is hurt someone back." Yes, she's going full speed hypocrite here. But it takes one to know one.

Aehrick nods once, finally opening his eyes and looking across the room to the unfamiliar trio that's come along with Jay. He manages a friendly enough (if tired) smile at Slixvah's compliment, narrows his eyes at Nemori for just a beat, and all but ignores Jozi as she sets to calming the agitated goblin.

"Thanks, er... you look lovely, too," he tells Slixvah as he blushes a bit with the awkward compliment. His eyes slide over to Jay and he heaves another sigh. "I'm missing a connection. Or the conductor is no good. Or there's just not enough power from steam and heat and the combustive-fortifier. I wanted to try elemental crystals but there was nothing big enough on hand in the city--" he glances at the antsy wizard as he leans on the last bit-- "and I know time is an issue."

Git shook his head at Jay and considered Jozi and Slixvah in turn. Then Nemori spoke. Now he's practically shaking. The little man turns and splashes into the water, kicking his way through so the filth goes up and towards the mul'niessa on his way. When he's good and close he glowers up and asks her between gritted, pointy teeth. "How much do they pay you to take a break from eating babies to come out and be a b... --itch!?"

It would've sound nastier if he didn't trip on the swear.

The bluejay watches the khazadi. It's hard to tell with bird expressions, but his wide, enthusiastic beak-grin wavers a little. Whatever his thoughts are, they are lost as he watches Git and Nemori.

Some stalwart, brave, champion should step in and defend her honour!

"We don't pay her. She's a bitch on her own time. It's a community service."

Jozi shrugs a bit with a glance to Nemori, "It's a natural enough reaction, an ya ain't wrong on the by an by. That said, mebbe we oughta try an keep from bein...."

A blink and she trails off a moment as Git moves up to offer his rebuttal on the affair, "... too sharp with each other."

There's a little shake of the head, then, "It's the nature of things, Mister Aehrick, we know yer doin yer-"

The half-oruch chokes on the next syllable as Integrity glibs to the 'rescue' and the stifles any of her own by tucking her bottom lip under her teeth, fortunate in some measure that she lacks certain dental signatures of her breeding.

No.

Nope.

Ain't touching it.

Uh-uh.

Slixvah is listening to Aehrick, her rubbing her chin and slowly nodding. "I see... hmm. Is there any junctions with the arcane that I could lend a hand wit'? Make something ta act as a bridging point ta give more power? Or... can we divert somethin' ta give mo power?"

She's about to provide more insight, but Integrity lack of backing up Nemori makes Slix do the opposite of Jozi. She busts out laughing. "Okay, okay, take it outside if you want to throw hands with each other, just not 'round here, yeah?"

Nemori doesn't seem put off by Git's confrontation. It her eyes widen a little bit in surprise at him standing up for himself, though, could she be blamed? Still, she starts to smile, a smile that turns into a very toothy grin at Jay's 'support'. Teeth so very white against her dark skin. She offers Jozi a shrug before she speaks. "Are you angry, little one? You feel like you need to hurt someone?" She pauses to lean forward a little bit, bringing her face just a little closer to Git's. "Perhaps you can tell me how you really feel? Or perhaps you would rather hurt me? I probably deserve it. Eating babies and being a bitch. Especially to short little failed wizards."

GAME: Nemori rolls bluff: (19)+9: 28
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+5: (6)+5: 11

Something not-quite words escapes from Git's twisted features as he lashes out at Nemori. Maybe it's the height difference, his sleep-deprived state, or the renown brawling prowess of wizards, but he doesn't manage to connect. His slap falls short and only manages to send a few stray strands of the elf priestess' hair dancing through the air.

"Rrn! I HATE YOU! You're the WORST person!" Metal sloshes and bangs against metal as he throws his staff across the floor before storming outside with a shout.

Aehrick is stunned, half-turned, and staring gobsmacked at the wake of the exchange. He's full-on forgotten to respond to questions and suggestions.

The bluejay watches Git storm outside. "Sorry Nemori. You're trying to help and you shouldn't have to." He inhales, exhales with a heavy sigh.

He looks at Aehrick with one eye. "Any idea how to get further inside? Do you know what those blue lights are?"

He seems thoughtful for a moment, "I have no idea how to increase the power or the conductivity."

GAME: Jay rolls craft/artifice: (8)+8: 16
GAME: Jay rolls perception+6: (1)+15+6: 22 (EPIC FAIL)

The meat of the angel sat flush in the depression, to the point that the creature was deformed over the years. The breastplate isn't doing that, it is touching in spots but there are also gaps. Aehrick might need to find a way to bridge that.

Slixvah blinks at Nemori. "Ceiwen's tits, Momo," she curses, flabbergasted. <Auran>

She shakes her head. "... well. That worked. I uh... want me to check on him? Or..."

A heavy sigh escapes her. Not her consequences to deal with. "I can blow some mojo in a wand fo' some power if ya need."

Jozi is, to some extent, sort of predisposed toward group cohesion, and as a result, this particular outcome paints a bit of consternation stippled with chagrin over her expression for a moment or two, and she opens her mouth, perhaps in potential rebuke, but stops.

No, this could be better in the interim, the sniping was distracting, and likely going to lead to an exchange that could damage, or set something dormant off.

She'll try to patch it up, later.

She looks to Slix, then, "Let's give him a minute ta cool some, sugar, might need all hands if somethin gets switched on that we'd rather not."

That charming thought probably has nothing to do with her hand absently curling the head of her warhammer.

The bluejay stares. He shifts position. He looks at the chambre, the hose, Aehrick. He stares at the chamber some more. There's that sudden urge to feed egrets again.

"Mr. Oddskeeper. The... meat of the angel sat flush in the depression, so deep and for so long it was deformed over time. Physically. Your breastplate isn't doing that."

He waves a black-feathered hand, careful not to get too close. "It touches in spots but there are also gaps. You might need to find a way to bridge it."

His beak snaps shut. "There's the Shriezyx outside. It... may be conductive."

GAME: Nemori casts Calm Emotions. Caster Level: 6 DC: 16

Nemori doesn't seem particularly bothered by Git's declarations, though her apparent delight and amusement at his state fades completely once he disappears, and her eyes remain fixed upon the passage through which he fled. "Master Oddkeeper required space and quiet to continue his work. Now he has it." She circles around to gather up Git's discarded staff, considering it, then she shakes her head at Slixvah and Jozi both. "No, you stay here. And you speak wisdom, Jozi... but Git is likely to get up to all manner of mischief while he is outside. I will go and keep an eye on him. Perhaps let him fight it out." She shrugs. "Or perhaps we will bond. Who can say? Shout if you need me.. I still have one good ear," she notes, tapping the tapered appendage, then makes her way out of the room.

Aehrick "hrmm"s at Slixvah's suggestion, turning to consider the console as he chews on the inside of his cheek in thought. "Could work," he grunts, "but I think you'd have to keep pouring charges into it... 'n who knows how much-- or what-- it could power."

Jay's suggestion makes the Khazadi artificer pale but after the initial shock he blinks and nods slowly. "The flesh." The conclusion is something he holds some confidence in (while also seeming none too happy about it).

"Maybe... maybe try your idea first?" He wonders at the reddish egalrin woman. He seems more than a little shaken by the idea Jay's put forth. "But--" he holds out an open hand. "If it's only powered for a moment... what'll you do? We won't fly under all this rock.

"... I don't see any doors?" He looks past Jay and then back to him, the counselor had managed a larger ship to explore.

"Well, let me look around for a door, or a hatch or a switch." Jay says, switching his gaze between Slixvah and Aehrick. "If I find one, and we get the power on for a moment, it might be enough to open a door and..."

'Look for spare power supplies' dies in his beak. "Um... look around."

The walls are suddenly very interesting, and those former blue lights. "Slix's idea is better." He avoids meeting her gaze.

Slix seems to relax a bit as Nemori's apparent amusement is dashed. She gives a slight nod towards her. "Thank you, Momo, I'll keep ya posted if we need ya. Don't rough the squirt up too much, they's been through a lot."

Her brows raise at Tegri's suggestion, as well as a bit of 'damn, I'm impressed' flits across her face. She nods to Jozi, hands in her own pockets as she fishes out a wand, freshly made, never used. It's got a tied knot at the base of it with white oak as the wood. "... so... it's fueled by pain? Torture? Or is it just the convulsions of the flesh.?" she rubs her face. "... wish I knew this before hand, woulda prepped some necromancy. Ain't got none right now. Ugh. Nasty biz, I don't want that. Could maybe get the navigation thingy some power?" she offers, wiggling the wand.

She isn't fond of splitting up at this point, but.... "Alright, sugar, call if ya need us, too." Jozi returns, then looks between the others, not liking being so outside her experience.

Patience, she has, generally, being useless, however, tends to grate.

"It seemed set on maintainin the sigils cut inta the angel's flesh." Jozi replies after Slixvah's spoken, "It may be somethin that needs divine magic. Or at least that connection."

A grimace, "Something ta twist."

Examining the room...

The left section is fitted with something akin to a metal cabinet, bronze in appearance with few dents and scratches and the faint dotting of patina that's more intense near the top and outside edges. Three crystal tubes are graduated with etched horizontal lines and all three have a cork ball sitting at their base. A hemispherical depression hosts a glass bulb suspended by tight leather straps. It's half-full of a dark liquid.

Beneath that, a glass plate has shattered and the parchment behind it gone to yellowed rot with only the faintest hint of inked drawings remaining. Then the cabinet slants out like a lectern but hosts no tome or writings-- but a thin chain dangles off to one side.

At the base of the cabinet is a hatch with a broken latch. It pries open easily to reveal nothing but cobwebs and pulped parchment debris.

A cut green crystal is mounted in the recess behind the suspended glass bulb of dark liquid.

The left is where Nemori was standing.

The next section of the sphere's interior is straight ahead. The centerpiece is a torso-and-head shaped depression, thankfully empty. A broken cap and all manner of gears and levers are ruined and piled to one side after being disassembled previously.

Everywhere around and below the empty depression are the trappings of artifice. Bulbs, beakers, cylinders, tubes, and wires mingle with switches, cranks, and levers. A wheel like the mast on a ship sits dusty, the finery beneath unmistakable: darkwood and adamantine. Pipes, tubes, and trenches of fine wiring run out from this middle section, to the brass cabinet on the left and into the cages to your right.

This is where Aehrick has been working.

The final accoutrements affixed to the walls are normally lit but a now-dark, orb-shaped lapis lazuli, tumbled and polished, and suspended in a cut platinum claw. It extends over a series of stacked platinum boxes. Coffins, really. Two are tall, shaped for men to stand and bolted to the wall. Leather straps dangle slack inside the shallow alcoves. Three more are stacked one atop the other, shorter and deeper. Two barred doors are closed and contain the desiccated remains of trapped Shriezyx. The middle cubby has bars hanging ajar and stuck now with rust.

Where the two blue lights were.

GAME: Nemori rolls diplomacy: (8)+8: 16
GAME: Nemori rolls diplomacy: (4)+8: 12
GAME: Jay rolls perception+6: (16)+15+6: 37
<OOC> Jozi says, "can i try and identify any of what scribblings survive on the parchment? arcana/plans/religion/mill theory"
GAME: Jozi rolls survival: (7)+9: 16
GAME: Slixvah casts Detect Magic. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15
<OOC> Slixvah says, "use Mage Hand Wand on the tubes"
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+3: (11)+3: 14

Picking, pecking, scratching, prying, Jay's corvid roots shine as he examines the interior of the room. It's like there are rats in the walls, except it's him, on the outside of the walls, "Hey! Hey! I found something."

It's a panel that's nearly seamless. Puling it open reveals the desiccated, yet preserved remains of some kind of mammal, floating ina murky, yellow=green gel.

Its bowl is mounted amongst pipes and gearworks, bits of the creature have flaked off and float around idly, like a macabre lava lamp.

No secret doors, unfortunately. "I have no idea how a creature in a jar helps."

Topside, Nemori doesn't seem to have much luck in talking Git down. How much effort she actually puts into it is anyone's wager, but best be they don't wager much. While he doesn't speak to her; doesn't even acknowledge her, really, she does make a point of telling him that the others, at least, are fully engaged upon investigating what, specifically, happened to Heady... and even, perhaps, saving him, all that his 'death' had been somewhat odd. And failing that, perhaps there would be someone or something for the goblin to revenge himself upon... but only if he let the dwarf do his job.

It falls upon deaf ears. Or at least, the words garner no response. To which Nemori shrugs an 'I tried' shrug. The gobber's staff is set aside, propped up against the side of the half-buried artifice abomination.

Slix grinds her beak as she casts her gaze to the rest of the space. Lot of stuff she didn't know about. Honestly it should all be purified with fire, then scrapped. Perhaps that's her patron talking. "Hwos em," she chants, eyes glimmering gold as a hand is held up, taking a sloooow pass through the place. "Nothing," she sighs after a minute. "Well, Jozi, dear, if they wants divine magics, I got some magic that cheats and pretends ta be divine if need be."

She steps over to the left, white gloved hands make gestures to make a spectral hand appear and tug at one of the stoppers in a beaker. Doing her best, trying to find something worth whi-

She looks back to Tegri's announcement. "... biological battery maybe?" she suggests, grimacing as the words leave her beak. "Good job though!"

Jozi considers the parchment for some time, leering here and there to get a better looksee, but taking pains not to touch anything, lest she inadvertently destroy it.

"Hopin mebbe this here was a chart, but I think it's a map. Spoiled fer the time an dampness over the years, I can't make heads or tails of it."

She straightens, "Still, I don't think it's all that old. Older'n me seems a safe bet, but I doubt it's all that old in the grand scheme."

With Jay's discovery, the half-orc makes her way toward it, asiding with a look back over her shoulder to Slix, "I got access to a little bit of the real thing, in case it's picky." then wonders of the blue, "Whatcha got there, sugar?"

Hmm.

"Be my guess, too. Seems a perference ta steal life in this cursed thing's design."

<OOC> Jinks says, "Jay, gimme a straight INT to recall some of your research, please!"
GAME: Jay rolls intelligence: (1)+3: 4 (EPIC FAIL)

"I agree. Everything I've read suggests it was part of the Merkabah Raid. There are descriptions of allied flying vehicles. It's like Aehrick said, it's a Kulthian design, but it's not hundreds of years old." Jay opines, as he peers at the now-dead 'battery'.

He starts following the tubes and gears. "This is the kind of thing I'd expect to suck in Heady's wisp..."

"Anyone see any lettering?"

Nemori eventually wanders back in. Git is having nothing of her attempts at conciliation (probably assuming they're insincere, for no good reason), nor seems to listen to her advice. She seems disappointed that the group seems more or less stumped. She frowns, looking around at the walls, at the cubbies that have been discovered. At the.. meat battery...

At the water. "Integrity. If there is more to this vessel... where would the rest of it be?" the shadow elf asks.

Aehrick wathces everyone move around, anxiously thumbing the axe-head side of a rather meaty hammer. He glances down at it, then through the doorway to the gloom and rain outside where the week-old corpse of the unfortunate aberration lays crumpled.

"For the stone walls," he gestures around with the hammer. "Mister Truefeather said the stone moved to reveal the doorway in. It's probably some kind of magical critter that can shape stone when it burrows." He grunts and nods again, grimly. "That's how they worked.

"There's some faded sigils on the controls..." The dwarf blows on the console and slides a thumb. "I can't make sense of them... though."

The mithral titan's armor clatters quietly as his shoulders slump. He drops the hammer into a loop on his belt and reaches up to start pulling free the breastplate. "I'll get this down... 'n we can do we need to..." He's less than pleased.

"Down." Jay suggests, "or in the direction of the furrow it dug when it crashed. It would likely orient along it's longer axis. It might have broken up, so if we explored around there might be parts under small hills."

"I don't know if they'd be all that important, if they broke off though."

"Oh! OH that's what it is. Interesting" He nods at Aehrick then peers again at the dead, floating thing. "Maybe if we tap, if something seems hollow... Or I don't know, look for a tiny hole a head-wisp could roll into."

GAME: Slixvah casts Comprehend Languages. Caster Level: 5 DC: 16
GAME: Slixvah rolls alertness: aliased to perception+2: (13)+11+2: 26

Slix gives a nod in acknowledgement towards Nemori as she rejoins, her looking down with the others at the water. But she perks up at the mention of sigils. "Wait, sigils? Why didn't ya say so! Lemme see, see!" she chirps, the rare time the bird in her comes out as she moves towards the controls.

She rubs her hands together. Plops them over her eyes. Then her mouth. Then her ears. "Hwta idd uyo yas?" she chants, energy building up before it goes 'paff'.

GAME: Jozi rolls sense motive: (15)+9: 24

Jozi's eyes find the artificer as his tells begin to ring out. The thumbing, the errant seeking of his gaze, and most obviously, the sullen relent of his posture.

She steps toward him and extends a hand for the armoured shoulder with a soft, hopefully sympathetic seeming smile, "Master Aehrick... ya been puttin in a good, hard push on this here puzzle."

She looks over her shoulders to the others, assuming he doesn't shrug away from her, then looks to the Khazad again.

More softly, barely more than a concerned whisper, "I know this here is nasty business, sugar. Won't lie that this stuff doesn't put a fluttery chill in me, but.... we can't solve the puzzle if we can't look at all the pieces."

She seeks his eyes, then, with a final, "Please."

Nemori nods to herself. Not much use, currently, in trying to make use of the artifice controls, or decipher the sigils, or even begin to understand the things that Oddskeeper is trying. She certainly doesn't have the silvered tongue to calm nerves, at least not today, nor sway any hesitation into action. Instead, she rolls her sleeves up and then steps into the water. When she feels she's in the centerish of the pool, she leans over and pushes her hands into the water, using them to blindly search about.

Slix hums to herself as her hand lightly taps each of the sigils. She frowns sometimes, raises a brow with others. "Yeah so all these," she gestures to a cluster of controls. "Don't muss wit' 'em. They mess with the engine and the flying."

She gestures to five on the right. "/These/ though, open the different cages, turn on different lights. And this one is called 'hatch'," she singles that last one out.

The artificer taking pulling down the Torsoplugometer, with Jozi attempting to help him, prompts, "... don't get in the death torture trap. Please. We have a battery thingy for that."

GAME: Nemori rolls perception: (16)+10: 26

They need a chicken, and can call it the Clux Capacitor.

"Is there anything in the water, Nemori?" Jay looks over at the controls, "Will that 'hatch' control work without power, Aehrick?"

Nemori doesn't look entirely happy with her decision... she underestimated the depth of the water, a little bit, and now has to deal with the less than sanitary liquid sloshing around inside of her boots. And soaking her sleeves and leggings. But when she straightens, she does nod. "I believe I feel a seam of sorts. Possibly a hatch."

Aehrick takes a steadying breath and nods his thanks at Jozi. "Y'just hear tale'a black artifice... 'n those what fall," he mumbles with his accent coming through thicker. But the braided black beard shifts as he sets his jaw and rolls his shoulders back.

He re-doubles his efforts to pull the section of the Torsoplugometer down, shaking off his indecision and (most of) his unease. There's a job to be done!

A look to Jay is followed by considering the switch Slixvah is indication. "Nah. It's not a crank; it's just a switch. It'll need power. I'll..." he grunts, lowering the bulk of the breastplate contraption, "go 'n get... what we need."

He starts towards the door, muttering a generalized "good work" to all and sundry.

Jozi gives a little nod, smiling a little more easily as it seems her words, and perhaps the subtle graces of the Mother, have helped the Khazad with at least a portion of his disquiet. She looks toward the others, as they in turns are parting the curtains before increasing layers of success, then turns toward Nemori as Aehrick heads to clearer air, "I reckon the crew got themselves a few prybars and a couple buckets, mebbe we can bail out this here pool and I can make myself a little more useful with that hatch."

"Yeah." Jay says, watching the artificer's back as he heads outside. He attempts some encouraging words, "It's to save a life."

Allegedly.

'"Bailing sounds like a good idea, Jozi. I hope the whole area underneath isn't flooded." He closes the panel on the dead-stone creature, stares at where the Angel was embedded. He stares without moving for a while, breathing in, breathing out.

Aehrick is taking Jay's suggestion and will harvest a portion of the dead Shriezyx to act as a conductor for the Torsoplugometer. Assuming that will power the switch for the hatch, there might be further steps or precautions necessary before Pushin' Da Buddon?"

Slix looks at the 'off' position of the hatch switch. There's one switch and it is in the 'Up' or 'On' position. She flips it 'Off'.

Nemori gets out of the water. Jozi does too, it seems prudent.

Slixvah gives a thumbs up. "Awesome. Glad it seems a bit more simple than anything nefarious, Mister Aehrick. Thanks!"

She nods to Jozi and Nemori. "Good ideas," she hums, doing some mental math and flicking some switches off. "... just to be safe."

Her attention slides over to Tegri. Her shoulder lax some. There's some sloshing of water as a rust red and white arm wraps around Jay from the side.

Bailing sounds decidedly like NOT a good idea, to Nemori. At least, not if she's involved. Instead, she makes her way back out of the water, then proceeds to remove a boot, turn it upside down and let it drain. And then she repeats the process with the other one.

Jay holds onto and hugs Slixvah, pulling her close and feeling her solidity. He gaze remains fixed. "It wasn't good. Getting him out. It's worse that to make this place work we have to put something in. Even if it's dead."

Slixvah runs a hand over Jay's back. "Yeah. I know. But at least this thing is dead. No soul is being tortured. Just flesh," she assuages somewhat. "We're saving a life here." She squeezes him slightly, then pulls away to go help bail water.

Once done, she returns to her post, finger hovering over the hatch switch.

Jozi watches Nemori upend her footwear, then looks momentarily at the two Elgarin as Integrity mentions their efforts to free the angel, previously. Whatever her thoughts on the matter she keeps them to herself, as she instead sets about to doing what she can to clear at least most of the water out before they fiddle with the door. Once that point is reached, she moves to a corner of the dormant aperture and draws her hammer, bearing it opposite her enchanted claws, "Ready when ya'll are."

If it's buckets the people crave then it's buckets they will have! A pair of well used and lightly-battered tin pails are tossed over the railing of the Distant Horizon and bounce noisily into the canyon floor to be collected. The macabre skullcap broken off the Torment Engine can make a third and in short order the recessed portion of the floor is mostly bailed. Silt and little bits of rodent bones still sit on the damp, metallic surface.

Even short the water, it's difficult to see the seam bisecting the floor panel but it's certainly there.

Aehrick has since returned with the oversized, fleshy, hairy, and spider-like abdomen severed from the creature's torso, cut in half, and hollowed out. He doesn't talk to anyone. He doesn't make eye-contact, either. Gooey-puss insides slime his gloves, armored chest, and lap. He remains silent and focused as he holds that up into the engine's recess with the breastplate-portion of his contraption balanced on one shoulder with the help of his extra mechanical arm.

A quartet of spindly metallic legs extend from his armor and balance him. He steadies the shriezyx hide and hefts the Torsoplugometer into place. Then the strapping begins to secure it. Finally anchoring the pipes and cinching them tightly into place.

As soon as the contraption is fully assembled it springs to life! The canvas hose running in from outside shudders and flexes concave, the bellows goes flat, and the boxlike contraption begins to whine plaintively. The smell of burning flesh fills the room and the edges of the hide-turned-conductor begins to blacken and curl. Thinner pieces of metal on the breastplate turn red with heat.

The lights on the console slowly swell to dim life. The lupis luzili orb pulses weakly. A speck of life dots the center of the set emerald.

When Slixvah flips the switch, the lights go out almost entirely and the inner-workings of the craft groan and shudder beneath the floor. Jerky, unsure movements gain momentum as the rumble becomes steadier, smoother, and the hatch lurches open from the middle.

Jozi stumbles but catches herself and steps out of the center of the room. The two parts of the recessed floor pull back to reveal a yet-lower section of floor. This metal is a fine, nearly-white platinum at a high polish, only just streaked with sludge and rotten animal bones from above. Once the hatch is fully open, a central, hexagonal pillar extends up from the center of the floor to waist-level. It's top face sits at an angle and offers a strange depression: three holes describing the points of a triangle around a central slot.

There's a clack as all motion stops. The lights swell back to quiet, dim life again. The shriezyx hide smolders and cooks.

Git looks on dully from the doorway and then reaches for his staff.

Integrity watches the grim assembly with greater understanding than he had days ago. Even Robert's work with his gloves are thrown into a new and terrible context. He's glad Merkabah lost, and unsettled seeing his suggestion implemented - even as it bears fruit and the craft powers up.

He leans back as the column raises, snorts, trying to clear the scent from his nostrils. It's gut churning.

"Three holes. I don't know what that means. This is making less and less sense."

Jay saw this pattern before getting into the sphere.

Nemori says, "Is that what the device on the outside looked like that we used to get in?"

"Wait, you're right Nemori! That's the same as the door, it takes three hands to open." Jay remembers.

Nemori shakes her head, doing what she can to strain out the Wet from her sleeves. A largely fruitless quest, to be sure. Perhaps she ought to consider getting those gloves that Robert has....

"I agree.. they seem remarkably similar to the markings on the outside." Three hands. She looks over at the dwarf.

Slixvah grimaces at the sight of the corpse, her sighing and covering her nose as the banned methods get to work. Couldn't they just throw a big piece of metal down or something instead of a body?

Her attention shifts down as the hatch opens. She ponders her friends' input. Glances to Nemori. Snorts. "Gotcha," she says, offering a hand to help pull it open.

"The key has to match, and then there are three pin holes." Jay explains, looking at Nemori for confirmation, "it all has to turn at once"

"I don't know if it will open things or do something else, like it's a steering column."

Indeed, the central slot requires a standard toothed key. The three outer holes require some pushing in handful of needles or the like of varying length."

Jay pulls a leather wrap from his pocket, "We'll need some tools too, the lock picking needles. I'll need an extra hand."

GAME: Slixvah casts Guidance. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15 <OOC> Nemori will use a bit of luck on him too.

Slixvah winks at Jay, her moving in to assist. "You got this," she hums, sending a wink his way. "Etg ti." A wind passes by, sourceless.

Nemori gives a short nod in agreement, giving up on her sodden shirt and carefully approaching the column. When she stops beside the other two, she casts a single, side-long glance at Git, then briefly touches Jay on the shoulder. "For good luck," she tells him.. then steps back two steps before the pair make their attempt.

GAME: Jay rolls disable device+1: (7)+12+1: 20 (+1 Guidance)
GAME: Jay rolls disable device+1: (4)+12+1: 17 (+1 Guidance, Second Roll because Luck)
GAME: Jinks rolls 1d20+0: (9)+0: 9
GAME: Jay rolls perception+6: (12)+15+6: 33
GAME: Nemori rolls perception: (6)+10: 16
GAME: Slixvah rolls alertness: aliased to perception+2: (14)+11+2: 27
GAME: Williwaw makes Jozi roll perception:(16)+9: 25
GAME: Jozi rolls reflex: (11)+4: 15

Aehrick remains off the platform as the others gather, standing near the re-jiggered Torment Engine and the smoldering Torsoplugometer. "I'll keep an eye on things up here... make sure you can get back up." He still seems to be making a bit of an effort to not look at the shriezyx hide sandwiched into the recess.

Jay struggles with the convoluted locking mechanism much like he did outside with the first; it's design to be intentionally obtuse and difficult to pick. The craftsman would be proud.

The first attempt turns a fraction and something happens. Jay, Jozi, and Slixvah hear a distant sound from somewhere below. The two egalrin also catch the same flickering darkness on the scattered lights around the room, mostly hidden by the glow of the three everburning torches. There's no trap sprung, however, no collapse of the platform provoking a fatal plunge. The attempts resume and, eventually, Integrity gets everyone's hands positioned just right, fiddles his tools into place, and gets the contraption to turn.

Again, the inner workings on the craft grind and lurch before steadily coming to life. The circular platform lowers slowly at first and then a little more quickly. Stale air rushes up past you and darkness closes in. There's enough time for Slixvah to produce a torch and conjure a spell. Nemori, too, issues a short prayer for her orizon.

The walls crawling up at bolted plates and exposed gears half-hidden behind pulleys, metallic cabling, and dark, oil-slick pipes. The shaft stretches down as four curved walls that opens into darkness challenged with light for the first time in decades.

Another doorway near to Integrity. An odd, dark pipe past Nemori. Slixvah and Git find themselves looking into into grim cages. Tall bars run from floor to ceiling . Dead forms stretched out across the floor. Other forms-- part flesh, part machine-- pushing up from the ground or away from the walls, investing the cell doors that unlatched and opened when the initial attempt to pick the strange lock failed...

GAME: Nemori casts Light. Caster Level: 6 DC: 14
GAME: Slixvah casts Light. Caster Level: 5 DC: 15

OOC

Map
https://www.mipui.net/app/index.html?mid=mkmdcl70s3j

The Lock
https://i.imgur.com/hvrbJjE.jpg

Pre-Game Recap
<OOC> Jinks says, "Mama Bula's kids lost Heady (the headless wargolem). He wandered off and was later found by Kerry-Anne, Jay, Jozi, and Nemori. Dead. Looking around, the four found what seemed to be a ship crashed into a canyon and enterd. They fought a messed-up aberration guard. Then they broke a fucked up piece of artifice that was using a half-dead angel as a power source."
<OOC> Jinks says, "So now you're heading back to see what's up with this thing and if there are any clues to why/how Heady died/was killed. So, fucked up black artifice and one aberration (so far). Now puzzle/exploration."

Death Consent
<OOC> Nemori says, "DC plot? Is this a bad time to tell you I didn't prep any cure spells?"
<OOC> Nemori also apologizes. Work ran a touch late. Had to stick around to turn someone's water back on.
<OOC> Jinks says, "Nemori raises a good point. I have the option to run this as a DC plot. I leave it up to you guys. If anyone doesn't want to, that's 100% fine."
<OOC> Jay says, "I'm fine with DC, if I die I can make another T1"
<OOC> Jay says, "hee or get reincarnated per my original concep!"
<OOC> Nemori says, "With my karma, I'd get reincarnated as a dung beetle."
<OOC> Nemori says, "I am good with DC"
<OOC> Jozi says, "i'm ok with it"
<OOC> Slixvah says, "i wasnt expecting DC for exploratory thing, but sure"
[RPThree] Jinks says, "You guys aren't going to hurt my feelings if you'd rather not DC. I just wanted to offer it as an option for extra goodies."
[RPThree] Jay nodnods
[RPThree] Slixvah says, "im fine with it, it was just a surprise"
[RPThree] Slixvah says, "and am warning i probably cant save you if one gets screwed"

Torsoplugometer
[RPThree] Jinks says, "Come the holiday season, every home is going to want a Torsoplugometer."

Legwork

<OOC> Jinks says, "So, the most-obvious thing is that the room needs a new power source. Aehrick can work towards that to earn his share of the loot. His research will reveal that the place was powered by a 'Torment Engine.' A piece of artifice that would involve trapping a powerful extraplanar creature and siphoning not only their life force but those of their native plane, using them as a conduit."
<OOC> Jinks says, "He'll try to fiddle up an adapter and alternate source that can (at least temporarily) replace the angel."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Does Jay have any specific questions he wants to look into beyond that?"
<OOC> Jay says, "Jay will be flustered to learn this but not surprised, he sort of guessed it was that"
<OOC> Jay says, "Well, first would be, from what he saw, is it 'Kulthian' or is it 'Kulthian Design'. Does it look like a thousand+ year old device or newer. I mean, generally, unless some of the magic was keeping it pristine I wouldn't expect it to be in better shape than the antikytheria device if it had been buried for millenia"
<OOC> Jinks says, "Just based on the time Jay spent in the sphere, he's fairly certain that it's based on Kulthian design. That would line up roughly with Nemori's observations about the Merkabah Siege ~20years ago. It could be a piece, an alley of the siege fortress, etc. There's no way that it's over a thousand years-old unless there's crazy time magic stuff going on"
<OOC> Jay nods, "Okay, with it being 'inspired by', I guess he'd try researching reports of the Merkabah siege, seeing if any special vehicles were mentionned, in particular airships since it seemed to be one. He's going to follow that with trying to find diagrams of the controls he saw, and what additional controls might come with those. This would be part document research and I suppose going to the Alexandrian airstrip and looking around for old captains that might want to talk to him in their copious spare time.
<OOC> Jinks says, "OK, go ahead and roll Diplomacy for me, for gathering info. Then do a Know.History at a +5 or an INT+5 roll if you don't have History. We'll let you roll unskilled because you can research in libraries in the big city."
GAME: Jay rolls diplomacy: (4)+0: 4
GAME: Jay rolls knowledge/history: Trained Use Only: 0
GAME: Jay rolls intelligence+5: (16)+3+5: 24
<OOC> Jinks says, "Jay's Charisma is a 10!?"
<OOC> Jinks is shocked!
<OOC> Jay says, "It is!"
<OOC> Jay says, "he seems more personable? It was meant to represent he's kind of pushy and bad with boundaries"
<OOC> Jinks says, "I can see it."
<OOC> Jay says, "I don't 'scuzzy lawyer' enough, but that was in the back of my mind"
<OOC> Jinks says, "Alright, first day is a complete bust on the Diplo. Airship captains pretty much tell Jay to fuck right off. He's sure it's a them problem. Probably paranoid and secretive"
<OOC> Jay says, "The bastards!"
<OOC> Jinks says, "The library proves to be much more fruitful. The Merkabah Siege did involve allied ships but they conformed more to a standard airship design (ie: a boat that flies) than the weird sphere thing Jay encountered. Though, they have a distinct flavoring to them (sleeker/more metal and pointy bits)."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Sadly, Kulthus was lost so long ago that almost all information is lost and what little there might be is heavily restricted. There are a few sketches of ship interiors from a few local accounts, memoirs, and Alexandrian Tribune clippings."
<OOC> Jinks says, "*from the battle."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Gimme a couple more Diplomacy rolls. Extra days of gladhanding."
<OOC> Jay says, "Okay. So nothing on potential control systems, any thing about size? What they found was small but it could be bulb on 2 more layers, or 20 more layers of ship."
GAME: Jay rolls diplomacy: (5)+0: 5
GAME: Jay rolls diplomacy: (9)+0: 9
<OOC> Jay says, "threaten to sue someone!"
GAME: Jay rolls bluff: (6)+8: 14
<OOC> Jay isn't getting anywhere talking. Birbs.
<OOC> Jinks says, "lol, Jay citing the Freedom of Information act in a medieval fantasy setting. XD"
<OOC> Jay says, "yus"
<OOC> Jinks says, "Does Jay have Engineering?"
<OOC> Jay says, "he has craft/artifice now, but not konw Engineering. You're mistaking him with Cryo, who has all the know skills for situations like these"
<OOC> Jinks says, "I feel that every time I'm not playing Jinks, trust me."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Roll a Perception, then. And you can include your urban bonus"
GAME: Jay rolls perception+6: (16)+15+6: 37
<OOC> Jinks says, "Alright. So, in spite of the airship captains wanting nothing to do with Jay (and maybe a deckhand punching him when he gets too pushy), he does get to observe the ships docked, coming, and going on the three days he spends out pounding the pavement (planking?). It is exceptionally common for ships to have a raised poop deck. Bigger ships sometimes have multiple floors of poop deck. So it's absolutely possible the spherical ship is just a part of something larger... but it's also a very unique design."
<OOC> Jinks says, "It's also worth noting that there doesn't seem to be a way to see out of the sphere (unless they were using the barred vent). Just metal, curved walls and a door."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Also, even if a lot of this doesn't seem to be giving Jay all the answers, I'm making some notes and it will modify rolls later on. So he is making progress!"
<OOC> Jay says, "he probably gets punched then."
<OOC> Jay nodnods.
<OOC> Jay says, "well we didn't get a good look at the whole room, it was covered in a lot of hanging stuff and dead things. There might have been magic scrying screens to 'see' out of it. Everything we saw was oriented upright, so it's not like that room was the power dome on the bottom of the ship or something, otherwise it would have been turned the other way. Does he see anything like the altimeter, elevation, levelling display in other airships?"
<OOC> Jinks says, "So you could try to sneak onto some airships and steal a peak since Diplomacy seems a bust. We'll say failure means Jay spends a day wasted with the watch being held and fined for trespassing. Success he can get some insight."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Another option would be more research (INT+5) for an untrained Engineering check."
<OOC> Jinks says, "You've used 4 days so far. We'll say you have 7 (heading out on day 8)."
<OOC> Jay nods
GAME: Jay rolls intelligence+5: (19)+3+5: 27
<OOC> Jay says, "ah, saw only the research option, so he'd do that and consider sneaking if that fails"
<OOC> Jinks says, "Books don't talk back, apparently. :)"
<OOC> Jay nods
<OOC> Jinks says, "So, yes. Jay can find some schematics with similar tools intended for use in low visibility scenarios (eg: fog). Curiously, the closest analogs appear in gnomish submersibles; a rare breed of boatcraft that travels underwater to chart depth. Regardless, the leftside of the sphere interior is almost assuredly some form of navigation station and the empty glass panel would contain a map for the journey, the cabinet below mapping tools, logged documents, and further maps."
<OOC> Jinks says, "ack, some punctuation issues there. "in gnomish submersibles (underwater craft) to chart depth.""
<OOC> Jay nods
<OOC> Jay says, "Hmmmmmmmm"
<OOC> Jay says, "well it definitely left a crash furrow, so it isn't a case that it's some kind of submarine vessel that got really lost or subterrain vessel that came up from the ground?"
<OOC> Jinks says, "Correct!"
<OOC> Jay says, "I suppose Jay might try a different tac on the research, see if he can find anything about Torment Engines, and then see what sorts of things where typically put in"
<OOC> Jinks says, "But perhaps it's an ATV of a sort."
<OOC> Jay ndos
<OOC> Jinks says, "Jay can start off a day looking into that and get quickly rebuffed. The stuff that'll be available in libraries for the general public is just going to be old mythologies and secondhand histories. Same reason they won't have animate dead how-tos on the shelves; fear of the wrong people getting ideas."
<OOC> Jinks says, "Then redirect to other avenues."
<OOC> Jay says, "ahm hmm. right, that makes sense"
<OOC> Jay says, "cat wanted a carry around, sorry"
<OOC> Jinks says, "That's OK."
<OOC> Jinks says, "I imagine Nemori will prep Comprehend Languages for the return visit but did Jay want to do some Linguistical research?"
<OOC> Jay says, "oh, yes, sure, based on what he heard the Shriezyx saying, also maybe a bit about those. Also if it's typically a 'good' or 'evil' thing. I guess he's more expecting demons or devils to be in machines, not angels. using a good plane to power the device is interesting"
<OOC> Jay says, "making the device overall evil, I guess, but would that impart some 'protection from evil' properties to it?"
<OOC> Jinks says, "Gimme your Linguistics+5"
GAME: Jay rolls linguistics+5: (16)+8+5: 29
EVENTS: Head's Down Git's Up is scheduled to start in 59m 41s.
Jinks pages: Alright. Jay can spend the last two days getting a general familiarity with the Kulthian alphabet. "Khroel'da Pratart" translates to 'Workshop/reverence place of Khroel.' Khroel also seems to be a high artificer of sorts and you get the impression it's not just one person but more a title of office.
Jinks pages: Which would explain the guard's confusion. He asked you "Khroel?" and you said "'s workshop!" back to him. But he was too dumb and you said it with enough confidence that he's like 'Oh, well... I guess he's supposed to be here if he knows where he is..?' and went away.
You paged Jinks with 'Ah! Ha! That's funny. Okay, So he'll do that then.'
Jinks pages: Jay can also get the sense the Kulthus was evil but not in the "we're going to be mean just to be mean." They had a goal and they didn't care how they accomplished it. Verymuch a "fuck you, got mine" mentality. The shriezyx are definitely evil-- but they're the product of monstrous surgery and torture.
<OOC> Jinks says, "Howdy! Jay just wanted to do some footwork before the scene today. So we were chatting about that."
<OOC> Jinks says, "I need to shower and eat lunch before we start. So I'll bbs"
<OOC> Jozi says, "yeah, a hower sounds good"
<OOC> Jozi says, "jozi lvled (yay!)"
Long distance to Jinks: Jay nods, "Ah. Yes, I can grok that attitude. Anything about the angel? Like what kind of outsider it was?"
<OOC> Jozi hugs, "Enjoy!"
You paged Jinks with 'I suppose my last thoughts are 'if we wanted to dig this out, how many people/spells would we need?'
<OOC> Jay says, "afk cat"
<OOC> Jay says, "back"
<OOC> Slixvah says, "anywho, complaining aside, would slix be coming into this knowing what the objective is, or is it out of the blue (spell prepping)"