Heroes for Hire (Courage Wolf and GargantuaBlarg)

[Tassadar]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Spoiler

Huldah: HP = 58, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 5
Kor'Ensiloth: HP = 52/68, PP = 78, EP = 81/89, Status = Fine, Haste, Blessed X = 5
Zahra: HP = 54, PP = 40, EP = 38, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 5
Solidyn-Nolu: HP = 60, PP = 50, EP = 73/80, Status = Fine, Blessing X = 5
Aurelia Korort: HP = 104, PP = 43, EP = 105, Status = Fine, Has 1 Zombie Minion, Blessed X = 5

Rolls

Spoiler

Casting: Success. Kor spends a total of 2 + 4 + 8 + 8 + 6 + 6 = 34 EP, while his spirit ceiling is 18. That's 16 points higher, so a total of 50 EP and 16 HP spent.
Attacks: Both hit.
Damage: More than enough to kill them, and you only get up to their max EP anyway. I'm just gonna assume you do enough rather than doing math, as I'm lazy. That's 35 EP each, for a total of 70. Net gain of 20 EP.

Solidyn pays 3 EP upkeep.

Perception (Aurelia) : Success.

The two former catmen both seized in pain as Kor unleashed his spells upon them, the arcane magic rending their already damaged souls asunder. The two prisoners collapsed into spasming piles of flesh, dying quite horribly, while the third just sort of stared at his two dying comrades.

Aurelia, meanwhile, was well ahead of the others and was the first to reach the top of the stairs, though Solidyn wasn't far behind and Huldah followed after her. The half vampire death knight found herself in a wide room much like the one below, but this one was filled with whirring machinery with no discernible purpose. It covered the entire floor save for narrow pathways and a few wider spots that were next to workbenches, but it all seemed to be one contiguous machine. A tray sat directly in front of them attached to the machine, some parts of which stretched all the way to the ceiling.

Out of the corner of her eye, Aurelia spotted movement in the shadows cast by the white lightstones that seemed to be spread out all over the area, but before she could get a good look at it the small figure vanished into the labyrinth created by all of the machines. She hadn't gotten a good enough look at it to be able to tell what it was, but it had looked bipedal in the brief glance she'd gotten at it. There were plenty of entrances into the maze, but Solidyn could easily climb around on the walls if she wanted to. A set of narrow spiral stairs on the other side of the room looked too small for the massive armored arachne to climb, however, so finding some other way up to the next floor or some way to enlarge the hole might be in order.

Spoiler

Current number of allies: (all outside right now)

Ur-Wind Ramel
12 kobold gunners
9 satyr scouts
10 gruff thugs
Bob the Quartermaster. He also does stand up. And cooks.
3 Su-Ku-Ta snipers

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

"I hate puzzles," the death knight murmured irritably from beneath her greathelm as she took a few steps further into the room in order to allow the others to comfortably ascend to the second floor. As a woman who lived purely for the warmth in her veins that came from sating her most basest instincts, the ashen knight could have spat at the mechanical maze—if the circumstances were different and it wouldn't have simply ended up in her helmet, that is.

She was roused from the beginnings of her hourly tantrum by the sight of a shadow darting into the machines. It was difficult to tell whether it was living, undead, or mobile automatom. Whatever it was, she had a suspicion that it wasn't the only thing in the maze of machinery. Worse, if the tower had been sealed so long then it probably knew its way through the labyrinth well.

I hate hide and seek, too, she thought. "I saw movement," she offered to the others as they arrived. Without explanation, she raised her sword into the air, a pulsating purple glow rising from it and the eyes of her helmet. Aurelia could envision what she was creating in her mind; the act she performed was unlike raising the dead, but at the same time exactly the same. Golems required a form of their own, that was the extra step. Beyond that, it was all a matter of placing the smallest fragments of her energies into a body, a body that would move and walk on her command like a puppet on a string,

Bits of tile rose up and whizzed through the air to the area directly in front of her. Nonessential parts of the tower rose in chunks and heeded the call. Bits and pieces all gathered in front of her like a tempest. And then, as abruptly as it had started, the creature settled. Unlike a normal golem, the one she created wasn't fully connected to itself, tendrils of dark energy running between arms, legs, a torso, and a head of the stuff of the tower to serve as joints, what might be likened to tendons, and even a transparent purple skin, of sorts. In the end, it looked like a cruel mockery of a troll with a block for a head and other inanimate objects to mimic meaty arms, muscled legs, and a barrel chest, if shorter – shorter than even Solidyn – and stouter than one. If nothing foiled her efforts at keeping it solid, it would wait silent and still for her orders.

"If nobody else has an idea," she announced, lowering her sword to the ground, "I can have... Mason, here, clear a path for us straight to the staircase, rather than traipsing about the tower master's toy collection."

Spoiler

Summon the kr-er, golem!

Aurelia spends X = 11+2 EP and, as per Animate's second function and, subsequently, the Call Spirit power, gains a 110 body golem with 8 AV, which should be perfect for machine-thwacking (and for dying in a spectacular manner when it trips the trap that allows me to figure out exactly why my 'this is a horrible idea' sense is tingling).

Somehow, this doesn't breach her spirit ceiling (which is 15, hurray skills!), so she spends 13 EP total for this madness. Also, I took some liberties with the fluff of the golem shaping, hopefully this is not an issue.

Stats (with +15 from blessing): 11 Speed, 74 Dodge, 18 Armor, 41 Resistance, 23 Perception, 52 Grapple

Cheat Sheet

When dealing HP damage: On a killing blow she makes a 21 + (Damage done/10)*Tier vs enemy resistance check against all opponents within 30 feet and in line of sight of her. If they fail they're unable to attack that round. If they fail twice they retreat or surrender.
When taking HP damage: 16 of her AV is due to Splint Mail, which has a DU of 6 and a TP of 50. She reduces damage dealt by /4 after armor due to her vampire mutation.

When dealing PP damage: She deals an additional +6 PP damage during penetrative sex due to Tight x3.
When taking PP Damage: She takes an additional +12 PP damage from Sensitive x3. She also has 5 fetishes but I'm not really sure how to list them here. >.>
Has Fertile (Pregnant on roll of 2 or more)

When taking EP damage: She takes an additional +4 EP damage from Open Soul.

She has foul aura, NPCs are more likely to distrust her.

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Huldah stays quiet for the exchange, facing the movement when it occurs a little warily. "Whatever it was, I think it's scared of us." She commented slowly, contenting herself with watching Aurelia create her odd person-shaped gizmo.

Idly, she walked over to examine the tray that seemed to be connected to various bits around the room.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

"No." Solidyn said flatly, her armored head turning to face her bloodsucking comrade in the lead. "Those gray bastards spent all that time and risked six a' who I assume are important to them to get at this old clanking crap. That means that it's probably valuable, and that means we want it! No smashing it up! Am I clear?"

"Also, need I remind you all, we're here ta secure this tower. Whatever it is you saw, we need ta find it, see if it's hostile, and kill it if it is. The first part might be trouble, but the second probably doesn't matter that much and you're all good at the third, so we should be fine. Just, tryda at least make an effort at making sure whatever's in here doesn't wanna kill us back."

A glance at the maze of strange machines - surely, if they knew how to make sophisticated gadgetry like this, they should have known about floor planning - and Solidyn quickly decided the tiny rows she surely wouldn't fit in were not for her. Evidently, neither was the stairs further up the tower - she definitely wouldn't be able to fit up those. Regarding Aurelia's creation while rubbing her chin with a bladed finger, after a few minutes, she hatched a plan. Of sorts.

"Alright. You lot go through maze, an' I'll climb up on the ceiling ta find a way through an' try n' spot whatever it is you saw. I want you to come along, kitty - you're a good shot, so being upside down shouldn't be too much of a hassle for you, right? I doubt whoever made this place had a lever to magically make those stairs big enough for an Arachne like me, but - Aurelia, you can do that thing you just did ta make that Mason a' yours to widen the doorway, can you not?" She asked. If no one objected, she'd start climbing - holding the catgirl from behind, against the steel of her armored front as she ascended, metal-clad arms around her waist, to make sure she didn't fall.

Spoiler

Climbing up to the roof to map ye maze and act as a lookout - which Zahra maybe feels like doing also, with Perception that I presume is better than mine

Upkeep: 3 EP/turn
(+15 bonus to attack rolls, dodge, and resistance)

Final stats (with +15 to dodge and res due to buff)
Dodge: 70
Armor: 28
Perception: 13
Speed: 8
Resistance: 48
A bonus of +9 VS Prone and +5 VS Stun or involuntary movement, also

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Kor made his way up the stairs, and , listening to everyone talking about doing this or that, breaking things or finding whatever was apparently hiding in here, he just shook his head. Stepping forward through the group, he looked at the tray, and its connection to everything else.

"Folks, Or rather, Solidyn, I believe this to be a trap..." Standing in front of the tray, he took out 5 denarii from a pouch inside his shirt and placed the heavy coins on the tray, if this produced no results, then he would place his hand on the tray and push down, watching the gears and the connections closely. Something was very wrong here...

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

"Yes, commander," Aurelia responded calmly. She didn't necessarily agree with the order, but it was obviously an order. As a knight, or at least a bratty noblewoman pretending to be one, it was her duty to follow the orders of her commander, to not do so would besmirch her house's name, or at least what was left of it. "It will be no problem for a warrior of House Korort, commander," she bragged at the arachne's question toward her.

As the sizable spider made her orders and prepared to ascend to the ceiling with the catgirl, the necromancer-knight looked upon her golem creation. It's already here, she considered, might as well put it to use. She couldn't decide how, however. The thing might be too bulky to fit through the maze. She determined that it would probably be better for Huldah or herself to be in the front, with Kor'Ensiloth near them, and Mason itself in the back, that way if they came to a point where the golem could no longer proceed, it could simply backtrack until it was out of their way. "Mason, rearguard," she finally commanded, needing no more words for the golem to know what its task was.

She would, however, wait for the other half-vampire and the redeemed gemini to make whatever discoveries they would, or any further comments from the others, before moving out.

Spoiler

Aurelia will head into the maze once the rest are ready. Mason (dat golem) will move at the back of us ground dweller type PCs so that Kor doesn't become a prison bitch and/or get traded for a cigarette!

After she actually casts the earlier power, of course, dunno if something is gonna jump out and go abloogy-woogy-woo directly after or whether she'll get the chance to do that and keep moving.

She'll just say fuck it and mount the golem's shoulder if the others are much too fast for her to keep up, though. >.>

Stats (with +15 from blessing): 11 Speed, 74 Dodge, 18 Armor, 41 Resistance, 23 Perception, 52 Grapple

Cheat Sheet

When dealing HP damage: On a killing blow she makes a 21 + (Damage done/10)*Tier vs enemy resistance check against all opponents within 30 feet and in line of sight of her. If they fail they're unable to attack that round. If they fail twice they retreat or surrender.
When taking HP damage: 16 of her AV is due to Splint Mail, which has a DU of 6 and a TP of 50. She reduces damage dealt by /4 after armor due to her vampire mutation.

When dealing PP damage: She deals an additional +6 PP damage during penetrative sex due to Tight x3.
When taking PP Damage: She takes an additional +12 PP damage from Sensitive x3. She also has 5 fetishes but I'm not really sure how to list them here. >.>
Has Fertile (Pregnant on roll of 2 or more)

When taking EP damage: She takes an additional +4 EP damage from Open Soul.

She has foul aura, NPCs are more likely to distrust her.

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Zahra made her way up the steps behind the others, dagger drawn as she her ears perked up, alert for any sign of enemies coming up behind her. The chances of such a thing happening were slim in this situation, but it wasn’t really something she could turn off at this point in her life. Once she had got to the top, she was confronted with a sight that disheartened her. She frowned as she looked at the enormous mass of machinery whirring about, knowing that there wasn’t the slightest chance she would be able to figure out what it did. Machines had never been her strong suit. Then again, neither had anything that relied upon brains really. Apparently Aurelia had spotted something moving into the maze of machines, and the group was readying itself to move through it, towards a spiral staircase on the other side of the room.

To help with this, Aurelia created a strange sort of golem out of various bits of the tower, wall and floor and ceiling alike. Zahra couldn’t help but shiver as she looked at the thing; there was something just not particularly right about it. There was even less right about Solidyn’s plans for the catgirl. Apparently she was expected to stand on the spider’s back, held upside down while the arachne crawled along the ceiling, shooting at anything that might be in the labyrinth of machine parts. Her ears flicked, an eyebrow raising as she looked at her leader. "I’ve never shot wrong-side up before" she replied slowly, "not sure if I can. And if it takes too long I might pass out." Even so, she put her dagger away and readied her bow. "I can try if you want."

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

"Can't stomach bein' upside down, huh. Hmm... well, how about this, then."

Using her back legs, Solidyn quickly unwound a length of spidersilk from her spinnerets, which she passed up to her human half. Tying one end around her waist, she tied the other around Zahra's waist - if she didn't object. She then picked up the Su-Ku-Ta, mounted the wall, and set her to sit on her human torso's belly. Clanking and rattling as she moved, when she reached the top, she picked the catgirl up again, and maneuvered her under her massive spider abdomen as she mounted the ceiling. Now standing upside down, Zahra could lie on the spider's underbelly - armored as the rest of her, and with few articulated joints to catch and pinch at her skin and fur, too.

"How's that, landwalker?"

Spoiler

Climbing up to the roof to map ye maze and act as a lookout - which Zahra maybe feels like doing also, with Perception that I presume is better than mine

Upkeep: 3 EP/turn
(+15 bonus to attack rolls, dodge, and resistance)

Final stats (with +15 to dodge and res due to buff)
Dodge: 70
Armor: 28
Perception: 13
Speed: 8
Resistance: 48
A bonus of +9 VS Prone and +5 VS Stun or involuntary movement, also

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Zahra watched with a measure of curiosity as the arachne spun some silk, having never seen such a thing before. The way Solidyn passed up the silken thread from her lower body to her hands using her legs was also intriguing. The catgirl somewhat got the idea once her leader tied off one end of the thread to her own waist, allowing the arachne to tie the other end around her. She was a little worried when she was picked up, though; those razor-sharp fingers were no joke. Solidyn then walked over to the wall and began to crawl up it, placing Zahra on her waist to sit. She looked out over the room, reaching into her quiver for an arrow in order to be ready if something needed shooting. Once they were on the ceiling the arachne picked her up again, sliding the Su-Ku-Ta under her legs so that she could look out while laying down on her belly. "Okay" she replied, already on the lookout for something hostile that needed shooting at.

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Spoiler

Huldah: HP = 58, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 5

Kor'Ensiloth: HP = 52/68, PP = 78, EP = 79/89, Status = Fine, Haste, Blessed X = 5

Zahra: HP = 54, PP = 40, EP = 38, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 5

Solidyn-Nolu: HP = 60, PP = 50, EP = 70/80, Status = Fine, Blessing X = 5

Aurelia Korort: HP = 104, PP = 43, EP = 105, Status = Fine, Has 1 Zombie Minion and a golem named Mason, Blessed X = 5

Rolls

Spoiler

Solidyn pays 3 EP upkeep, Kor pays 2 EP upkeep.

Aurelia summons a golem for 13 EP.

Perception: Zahra succeeds!

Aurelia's golem shaped from bits of the tower appeared exactly as she'd willed it to, though the bits she'd taken from the machines seemed quite hesitant to part from their bodies. The constant whirring and buzzing of the things remained unchanged as she took only nonessential parts, and Mason was prepared to do her bidding. Ordered by Solidyn not to simply smash the machines, however, the death knight had to find another use for the animated bits of stone and metal. She could have sent it climbing along the ceiling if she wanted to, though it would probably have caused a great deal of debris to rain down onto those wandering through the maze of machines. It could probably squeeze through most of the maze, at least as far as she could tell from here, but if not the back was the best place for it. It's not like the golem was going to complain about it.

Kor and Huldah moved over to examine the tray sticking out of the first machine at about the same time, and Kor placed a handful of coins onto the tray. There was a brief buzzing noise, followed by a series of ten ticks from the machines as if it were counting down, and then the tray smoothly slid into the machine taking the coins with it. There were a series of very strange noises from the machine as the five copper coins traveled down the twisted path that the machine's internals followed. There was a particularly loud bang around the point where the machine turned to the right, followed by another series of whirs and thumps and other strange sounds before there was a series of loud clangs. A chute opened on the other side of the machine about ten feet off the ground, and as the last of the sounds coming from the machine directly in front of them ceased as something metal dropped to the floor out of.

It was about the size of a golf ball and seemingly made of copper, probably taken from the coins he'd put into the machine. As they watched, it unfurled into something resembling a scorpion and began crawling around all on its own. The tiny machine began crawling deeper into the maze, but either of them or Aurelia could easily stop it however they liked if such was their desire. There was another click, and the tray slid back into position just it had been earlier. If Kor or Huldah placed their hands on it, the same procedure would occur as before, but if they waited out the countdown the tray would slide inwards and only cause friction on the palm of their hands. Removing their hands before the countdown finished would cause it to end and apparently reset.

Zahra and Solidyn, meanwhile, were busy preparing for the cat girl to ride the spider as she made her way up the wall. When they were prepared to move, Zahra found that she at least didn't have any trouble holding on, and was swiftly carried up the side of the wall by Solidyn as the arachne climbed up. They had a decent view of the maze from the ceiling, but there were several sections that were blocked by assorted pieces of machinery that they couldn't see. Both spotted movement in several spots in the maze, but the machines appeared to have numerous moving parts that made finding things extremely difficult. By a stroke of luck, Zahra managed to spot something moving other than the machines about halfway through the maze, but it quickly disappeared into a particularly large machine that seemed to fold over the path before she could get a decent look at it. It had definitely looked furry though, that much she was sure of.

Solidyn, meanwhile, was having a bit of trouble finding decent purchase on the ceiling, which seemed to be pockmarked with dips and soft sections that fell away rather than support her heavily armored body. She still made progress despite this, and it didn't seem to be getting any worse as she got further up the wall and along the ceiling. If anything, it actually got easier to ascend and climb along as she got to the top.

Spoiler

Mason: 110 Body, 8 AV

Current number of allies: (all outside right now)

Ur-Wind Ramel
12 kobold gunners
9 satyr scouts
10 gruff thugs
Bob the Quartermaster. He also does stand up. And cooks.
3 Su-Ku-Ta snipers

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Solidyn jostled and tipped perhaps a little unnervingly for the Su-ku-ta lying on her belly, as she had to practically dig into stone in some places of the ancient structure of the tower. It was a little touchy stomping around upside down when you were as big as she was, and adding on all the metal she was clad in certainly didn't help things either.

"See anything you wanna get a closer look at up there, kitty?"

Spoiler

Climbing up to the roof to map ye maze and act as a lookout - which Zahra maybe feels like doing also, with Perception that I presume is better than mine

Upkeep: 3 EP/turn
(+15 bonus to attack rolls, dodge, and resistance)

Final stats (with +15 to dodge and res due to buff)
Dodge: 70
Armor: 28
Perception: 13
Speed: 8
Resistance: 48
A bonus of +9 VS Prone and +5 VS Stun or involuntary movement, also

 

[Tiffanian]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Zahra could see lots of things moving in the maze of the machine, but many of them seemed to be just parts of that machinery, whirring away at whatever it was it had been intended to do. After a bit she saw a flash of fur in the middle of the maze, but it quickly ducked out of her view under part of the machine. Once asked by Solidyn she pointed at the area she had seen it, saying "saw something there. Please don't call me kitty."

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Kor watched it all, and was fascinated with the results, his coin turning into some kind of small facsimile of life, the odd little creation scampering off into the machinery once more. Giving a low whistle, Kor just wanted to find the research notes on the strange device, whoever had been master of this tower before had very nice toys indeed...

Walking farther into the room, Kor looked around for any other trays or switches, not even thinking about anything else that may have been in the room, his hands gently gliding over the metal of the machine as he passed...

 

[Hafnium]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Aurelia eyed the small scorpion with some curiosity, it was a very intriguing little toy. To think that she had wanted to smash the machines—well, she still did, but she might save the tray contraption given what she had seen it accomplish. She knelt low and plucked the thing up by its stinger, leaving it to dangle for a few moments as she took stock of the situation.

Solidyn, and the archer dangling perilously from her human midsection, in the meantime, had already made progress ahead of the group. She frowned beneath her helmet at the mage's continuing curiosity. The death knight wanted to get moving and see the rest of the tower explored as quickly as possible, that she might take her spoils from the battle and attend to her own new toys. As far as she was concerned, chances of excitement during the slow ascent still seemed unlikely.

Her patience eroded very swiftly as the other vampire began to run his hands over the machinery. Finally, she called out to Kor. "Your coins were escaping," she remarked before tossing the strange scorpion-like automaton in the general direction of the other half-vampire. Then, she commanded of her golem in regards to the mage; "Guard him." Afterward, she stalked off toward the nearest entrance to the mechanized maze, intending on following the closest approximation of a straight line to the stairs that was available to her at that time.

Spoiler

Enter ye maze, disregard rule about keeping to the right of a sort-of maze because that's too easy and instead try to cut a straight line through it all. Have dat golem follow Kor so that he can continue not being made into a prison bitch.

Stats (with +15 from blessing): 11 Speed, 74 Dodge, 18 Armor, 41 Resistance, 23 Perception, 52 Grapple

Cheat Sheet

When dealing HP damage: On a killing blow she makes a 21 + (Damage done/10)*Tier vs enemy resistance check against all opponents within 30 feet and in line of sight of her. If they fail they're unable to attack that round. If they fail twice they retreat or surrender.
When taking HP damage: 16 of her AV is due to Splint Mail, which has a DU of 6 and a TP of 50. She reduces damage dealt by /4 after armor due to her vampire mutation.

When dealing PP damage: She deals an additional +6 PP damage during penetrative sex due to Tight x3.
When taking PP Damage: She takes an additional +12 PP damage from Sensitive x3. She also has 5 fetishes but I'm not really sure how to list them here. >.>
Has Fertile (Pregnant on roll of 2 or more)

When taking EP damage: She takes an additional +4 EP damage from Open Soul.

She has foul aura, NPCs are more likely to distrust her.

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

"Where?" Solidyn mumbled, twisting her torso around to get a look at her underside, to see where Zahra indicated. "Oh, that way. Alright, kitty."

She started making her way toward where Zahra had seen... whatever, she'd seen. While she did so, she started mapping a path through the maze of machinery that Aurelia and Kor could take. Were they... were they messing with that weird machine? Gah. Well, as long as they didn't break it, they'd be fine...

Spoiler

Climbing up to the roof to map ye maze and act as a lookout - which Zahra maybe feels like doing also, with Perception that I presume is better than mine

Upkeep: 3 EP/turn
(+15 bonus to attack rolls, dodge, and resistance)

Final stats (with +15 to dodge and res due to buff)
Dodge: 70
Armor: 28
Perception: 13
Speed: 8
Resistance: 48
A bonus of +9 VS Prone and +5 VS Stun or involuntary movement, also

 

[Shrike7]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Huldah just watched the vampire mess with the plate idly. Once all the commotion with the copper spider was dealt with, she watched everyone go off in seemingly random directions. Normally when that happened, she'd just follow Zahra, but...

Turning her gaze upwards, she watched the Arachne and Su-ku-ta make their way along the ceiling. She offered a smile to her friend, then simply followed Aurelia into the maze, all the shifting walls and gears making her want to stay uncomfortably close to the vampire, to keep them from getting seperated.

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Kor caught the strange little contraption and let it settle on his hand before gently and almost reverently putting it back on the floor, whispering to it. "Show me the way Little One..."

 

[Tassadar]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Spoiler

Huldah: HP = 58, PP = 33, EP = 33, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 5

Kor'Ensiloth: HP = 52/68, PP = 78, EP = 77/89, Status = Fine, Haste, Blessed X = 5

Zahra: HP = 54, PP = 40, EP = 38, Status = Fine, Blessed X = 5

Solidyn-Nolu: HP = 60, PP = 50, EP = 67/80, Status = Fine, Blessing X = 5

Aurelia Korort: HP = 104, PP = 43, EP = 105, Status = Fine, Has 1 Zombie Minion and a golem named Mason, Blessed X = 5

Rolls

Spoiler

Solidyn pays 3 EP upkeep, Kor pays 2 EP upkeep.

Perception (Zahra) : Success.
Perception (Solidyn) : Failure.

The metallic scorpion flailed at Aurelia as she lifted it by its tail, attempting to gets its claws onto her gauntlets in order to free its stinger and failing miserably against the half vampire's grip. As she examined it, Kor examined the other machines surrounding them and found plenty of levers and buttons and switches, but no more trays on which something might be placed. The tiny machine flailed its way through the air and was caught by Kor. It promptly raised its tail menacingly and then stabbed it into the wizard's hand, but it felt like nothing more than a pinprick and he didn't feel it inject any venom. Apparently, for all the wonders that this machine might be capable of, it could only work with whatever it was given.

Solidyn, still carrying Zahra, walked along the ceiling in the direction that the cat girl pointed and still couldn't see much of anything. Zahra, however, spotted odd movement again and managed to catch another glimpse of the strange furry thing as it slunk through another part of the maze, moving slightly deeper but also off to the side and away from the stairs. It vanished beneath a fairly large and particularly noisy machine along the wall on the right hand side if one looked from where they'd come up, but before she'd lost track of it Zahra had spotted gleaming metal amid the brown shaggy fur. As Zahra tracked the strange creature, Solidyn examined the maze beneath them that her companions would have to stroll through. There weren't any straight lines for them to follow, and discerning a path through the maze even from up here would take a moment of concerted effort on her part.

Aurelia entered the maze, Huldah following close behind, and found that her desires for a straight path were quite impossible. The noise of all of the machines grew to a nearly deafening volume after only a few steps in, and they ended up at a wall immediately. There was another path slightly to the left that ran mostly straight though, and Aurelia followed that path through a narrow corridor that curved this way and that before dead ending in a split that went left and right, both pathways vanishing into darkened passages that had machines hanging over them. Red light was visible within the right hand passageway, while the left hand passage was completely dark. From above, Solidyn saw that the left passage had collapsed at some point a ways in and might have been impassible, but also exited in a path that led straight halfway through the maze.

Kor, meanwhile, let down the mechanical scorpion and followed it as it scuttled off, turning right where Aurelia had gone straight-left. Aurelia's golem, Mason, followed after him doggedly, preventing him from going off on his own as he followed the tiny machine. It led him down a winding path as quickly as it could move, forcing him to jog after it. Moving through the twisting maze, Kor and Mason were eventually led to a narrow corridor against the right hand wall that spanned about a quarter of the maze, the scorpion scuttling down it as quickly as it could. There was a dead end up ahead, but a narrow crack on the bottom of a machine was large enough for it to pass through but would prevent Kor from following it. Unless he grabbed the thing quickly, he would find himself unable to follow the thing directly anymore. Of course, he might be able to find it elsewhere in the maze, assuming he could navigate himself to the opposite side of the crack.

Spoiler

Mason: 110 Body, 8 AV

Current number of allies: (all outside right now)

Ur-Wind Ramel
12 kobold gunners
9 satyr scouts
10 gruff thugs
Bob the Quartermaster. He also does stand up. And cooks.
3 Su-Ku-Ta snipers

 

[Courage Wolf]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Kor followed the little contraption, ignoring Mason completely right up until it wriggled under a machine and Kor's chase seemed to be at a dead end. Smiling, he recalled the little creature in his mind and used his power to guide him to it, happy to continue following it around through the maze as the spell told him which way to go.

Spoiler

Using Find, 4th level Arcane, GPS for the mage!

 

[GargantuaBlarg]

Re: Heroes for Hire (Save the Desert Group!)

Hmm... damn this maze! It was harder to map the thing out than she'd been expecting... overhanging machinery and little passageways she couldn't see from her aerial overwatch complicating the task of mapping out the twisty complex of paths. Solidyn stopped, taking a moment to survey the maze. Hmm... Aurelia looked like she was at a fork. The path to her left looked like it was it had crumbled in on itself... though, if it wasn't, or the half-vampire could squeeze through, it would put her a great deal further along the maze. She couldn't say if it would dead-end or not yet, though... that armor she had on wasn't exactly maneuverable, either.

Opening her mouthguard and cupping her razor-fingered hands into a megaphone-shape, she called down to Aurelia as loud as she could - the clanging and banging of the machinery audible even to her, albeit muddied. Pointing at the left path, she put one hand at chest height, then clapped the other down on the back of it, and then gave Aurelia a thumbs down. She hoped she would get the message... though, it never occurred to her that "things fell down" would be a little confusing when your gesture was upside down.

Aurelia warned, she yelled out to Zahra, before shutting her mouthguard again. "Just bang on my armor in the direction ya want me to go, sharpshooter!"

Spoiler

Upkeep: 3 EP/turn
(+15 bonus to attack rolls, dodge, and resistance)

Final stats (with +15 to dodge and res due to buff)
Dodge: 70
Armor: 28
Perception: 13
Speed: 8
Resistance: 48
A bonus of +9 VS Prone and +5 VS Stun or involuntary movement, also