CAL: Woot! Of course, this means that we'll have to get past the B.E.M. first.
MARCO (OOC): A combination "fish" and "duck" ...does that make it a "dish" or a ... well, you know.
ROCK (OOC): The BEM was to the south of the staircase while the Samurai room was to the north. I suppose the BEM could charge out and try to eat us if we even approach the beach so it's good to be cautious but I don't think we have to get past it per se.
ERICT (OOC): Keep in mind also that with Rock's tunneling and Erict's teleportation we don't even have to use the stairs at all if we don't want to, in case the BEM is a guardian beast or even just passively used as such by the cyborgs.
CAL: Cal relates what he found, including mental images of both the animal and the silver room and their relative locations, back to the team through the mind link.
ROCK: Were there any signs of traffic along the staircase or in the caves?
ERICT: "Or security cameras? Remember our other Zho base has surveillance cameras outside, as well as inside, and we could even be under observation even now." Erict is looking about, peering at everything even remotely out of the ordinary, as well as using his special sense within 32m. (I believe this is well short of the BEM's cave, let alone the northern Samurai cave, if I'm wrong please allow me to adjust my stated range).
TECH: PER roll 15-, +2 vs range with spatial awareness, ranged, discriminatory, analyze. [rolled 12]
PETER: {Okay, everyone, the presence of Zdant writing is too great to be a coincidence. We're going to assume that at least some of the cyborgs are present here until proven otherwise. This might be an unused Zho installation, but odd seem slim on that. We should also assume that the installation is shielded from psychic detection. If there are minds in there, Marco and I are unlikely to see them. We should also assume that the cyborgs are at least aware of the BEM, and may employ it as a guard.}
PETER: {I'd rather not come in guns blazing. If there's any hope of dialog with the cyborgs, I want to take it. Of course, if the pattern that this crazy world tends to take is true, they'll just open up on us without giving us a chance to speak. But hope springs eternal. I'm concerned that if we do face an armed resistance, they have highly defensible ground, and a much better knowledge of the area, not to mention incredible strength, reflexes, and armament. That makes our chances of success minimal. And if we do engage the BEM, that leaves us incredibly vulnerable for a time - a vulnerability that the cyborgs might try and use to their advantage.}
PETER: {So first order of business is more recon.I want to know what we can learn about what's in the cave or behind the Samurai door, without leaving ourselves in a terribly vulnerable position. Let's use all our abilities for this - Cal and my invisibility, Cal's clairvoyance, my illusions, Rock's mud form, and Erict's odd senses, for a start. And let's not forget our skills. If it's safe enough and I have the time, I might be able to crack the lock on that door. Of course, if there's someone inside, that might not be recommended...}
PETER: {Further thoughts?}
PETER (GM): Just out of curiosity, based on what Cal saw, is it at all possible that the key we got from Jeffton would fit in the door?
CAL: (OOC) Ooo good question!
CAL: Cal will send his clairvoyance out once again, and examine the steps for recent use, including the dirt/sand at either end. Once that's done he'll try to penetrate the door directly. If that's not possible, he'll try to come at the area behind the door from other directions.
Peter pulls out the keycard that they got in Jeffton and shows it to Cal. Cal examines it and concludes that it is probably not the right fit for the Samurai door.
As Erict scans the immediate vicinity for anything that looks like a remote camera, Cal sends his perception down the staircase to examine it.
GM: I looked earlier and it doesn't look like Cal has Tracking skill. Is this an oversight? It seems like a skill that Cal should have.
Erict does not see any cameras in the vicinity. Nor does Cal find any indication that the steps have or have not been used recently. The steps are carved into the stone and they look old. There is not much there to tell whether they have been used recently.
SHOOTER: As Cal and Erict are scanning, Shooter remains on watch on top of a high boulder. {Sir, I see a vessel hull down on the horizon 28 kilometers south of here and 5 kilometers from shore. It's too far away for me to make out any details.}
ROCK (OOC): Can Shooter tell if it's moving or is the distance too great?
SHOOTER: After a minute or so, Shooter reports that the vessel is moving slowly north at about 10 knots. At that speed, it will be abreast of the team's current location in a couple of hours.
PETER: {This could be the cyborgs returning home. That gives us two options. One, we could try and break into this complex right now and see if we can learn something in the next hour or so. Two, we can hunker down and hide, hoping to learn something when they return. Both have advantages and dangers. Thoughts?}
CAL: Important question - what direction is the ship going? Is it running parallel to the coast or coming closer to land?
GM: Good question. It is about 5 kilometers from the shore and heading due north following the coast. If it maintains current speed and heading, it will be directly abreast of your current position in about 2 hours.
ROCK: {I say we look into it before they arrive.}
ROCK (OOC): This is a real tough call. Any attempt we might do to investigate or break in will surely tip them off to our presence. This might make them take a different action then they normally would. It would also make it harder to convince them we're friendly and talk to us without hostilities. However, it's unlikely based on their earlier reaction that they'd be open to talk. On the other hand, a quick investigation before they arrive might yield some important information that might not be there if they entered with us just watching. Additionally, it's possible that this vessel has nothing to do with the cyborgs or this cave. Probably not but it could be the case. However, Rock is not afraid of risk and would rather get results sooner. So IC he'd be inclined to act now.
MARCO: "Petr, I agree with Rock that we should move in sooner. It might help our interactions to find out more about the before we face them and allow me find a way to identify their minds and hopefully avoid a confrontation."
PETER (GM): Important question - can we get down the stairs without passing too close to the beastie in the cave? Or is it clearly set to be a guardian? Also, given distances, how easily can our teleporters bring us straight to the door without passing the cave?
CAL: Any luck pushing the clairvoyant "sense point" past or around the door?
GM: Clairvoyance allows Cal to see the room and the door, but he is not able to push his clairvoyance through the door or walls of the room.
CAL: Also, do any of us know enough about the Zho to know if the word "Samurai" means anything special?
GM: Samurai refers to an ancient warrior class. Basically it is a Zho version of the ancient Japanese warrior class.
ERICT: That silvery substance coating the walls and door concerns me, it may be a defense of some sort, whether to block psionic powers from finding the location, probing inside with clairvoyance, or just to block tunneling, teleportation, desolidification or other ways to circumvent the actual door.
PETER: {I wasn't planning on using any of our special abilities to get through. I was just planning on picking the lock.}
PETER (GM): Waiting on info regarding teleport distances to make final plans.
GM: The beach is only 50 meters from the top of the cliff.
ROSIN (OOC): If nothing else, we could go down the stairs part way, then teleport. But it would be better (less visible to anyone on the boat) if we could teleport straight to the door.
CAL: (to the group) "Interesting - I can't push my clairvoyant point past or around the door. Apparently it has some sort of a mind shield. I'd bet telepathy is blocked as well."
SHOOTER: {Sir, do you want me to remain up here to watch the vessel while the rest of you investigate down below?}
PETER: {Yes. We'll leave one person outside to relay messages from you, just in case we can't communicate through the door. If for some reason you drop from the mind link, it should be safe to shout for a while - the sea breeze should drown it out beyond a fairly short range.}
Knowing that they can easily reach the Samurai cave without going past the BEM cave, Erict teleports the group down to the beach, putting them near the entrance to the Samurai cave. As with Cal's Clairvoyance, neither Erict nor Rock are able to use their enhanced vision to penetrate the silver walls of the room with the door.
ROCK: It's a good idea to have Shooter stay up above to keep an eye on things. Rock will be ready to assist if things get out of hand. Next should be examining the door with our skills and seeing if it's locked, trapped, etc.
ROSIN: {I'm not any good at picking locks, I've always just teleported though locked doors.}
PETER: {Thankfully *I* can't teleport through locked doors, so I had to learn to do it the hard way. I'll see if I can get it open.}
PETER (GM): The plan is as follows: Before they teleported down, Peter would have created an illusion of the door/wall, etc. about five feet out from the real one, giving us a small area to work in. If the people on the boat are watching, all they'll see is an empty spot. He'll even create the illusion that it's just as deep, so they won't be able to notice that the wall is suddenly five feet closer. Once there, Peter (along with anyone else so skilled - I seem to recall someone was studying) will try Security Systems and Lockpicking to get the door open safely. He'll use his good lockpicks for the attempt.
CAL: Cal was the one studying Lockpicking. Rolls are 13- for Lockpicking and 12- for Security systems, though he'll definitely let Peter go first. ;-)
CAL: Cal *also* has +3 with Security Systems for a 15- roll.
GM: Cal is definitely better with Security Systems (15- vs 8- for Peter), which would include determining whether there are any electronic alarms associated with the lock or the door. Peter is better with Lockpicking (17- vs 13- for Cal).
PETER (GM): Actually, Security Systems is one of the things I bought up on the new sheet. So it's (13-) rather than (8-). Cal's still much better. But at least Peter is good enough that he might be able to help with a complimentary roll. And the reverse with Lockpicking. It makes sense, too, since Peter is teaching Cal to pick locks and Cal is teaching Peter to bypass security.
GM: When you are down on the beach, the horizon hides the group from the vessel. I think I sent a map of the beach (I don't have it with me here at work) but you essentially have a 3 meter wide corridor going 3 meters into the cliff and then opening into a 6 meter by 6 meter room lined with silver walls. At the back end of the room is a door. On the side of the door is the opening mechanism which looks like it uses some sort of electronic lock. Will the whole group (minus Shooter, of course) be going into the room or will most be waiting on the beach while just Cal and Peter go in? Will Cal and Peter be invisible or will Peter be using any sort of illusions to fool any security cameras that might be monitoring the room?
ERICT (OOC): Makes the most sense to me to have Cal scout the room first invisibly, looking for cameras and other security systems/traps, and if he doesn't find any then Peter moves in, again as invisibly/unobtrusively as possible, looks around for anything Cal might have missed, etc. I can be monitoring them from outside the room (even though they're invisible, because my touch senses can detect them, I think), but still in LOS, so that if trouble like some big trap happens I can teleport them out of the room. The silver walls might be able to block my teleportation through them, but as long as I maintain LOS and don't attempt to pass through them hopefully I can do it, it's worth a shot. Rock and Rosin can be just a bit outside to be ready to move in case of an actual fight.
ROCK: Sounds good to me.
CAL: Sounds good to me too.
PETER: How's this for a plan? Peter will maintain an illusion of the door still being closed, even once it's open. Then Cal can slip in and invisibly check the place out (Peter can't do the illusion and the invisibility at once. In particular, Cal can use his Security Systems and general observational skills to see if there are monitoring devices. If not, we can go in safely. If yes, well, we'll have to figure that out when it happens.
PETER: We'll also have Shooter let us know as soon as the door is not covered by the horizon. That should be easy enough to figure out using Peter's pocket computer (Lightning Calculator). And Erict's plan sounds good too.
With his invisibility active, Cal moves forward down the 3 meter long passage, carefully inspecting the walls, ceiling, floor and even the air in front of him. As he reaches the 6 meter by 6 meter room with the door on the far wall, he stops. It is here that the silver lining starts. It coats the walls, ceiling and floor.
CAL: {We might have a problem. It looks like the floor itself is pressure sensitive. Just putting weight on it might trigger an alarm.}
PETER: {There's got to be a way to turn the alarm off if they put this entrance to regular use. Keep looking for where the off switch might be.}
Without stepping onto the floor, Cal continues his investigation. A minute later, he adds {okay, I see what looks to be a concealed panel here on the wall outside the silver room.} After assuring himself that there are no traps or security systems on the panel itself, he opens it up. Inside is a lock, similar to the one next to the door on the far wall.
CAL: Cal will examine the lock the panel and everything behind the panel, then call Peter forward to work on the lock. {The concealed panel contains a lock. It looks like this lock may turn off the alarms; you should probably have a look at this.}
PETER: {I'll be right down.}
PETER (GM): Have everyone outside get concealed, drop the illusion hiding us, switch to invisibility, and move towards where Cal is (keeping him aware of where I am so that we don't bump into each other). FWIW, I'll keep the separate mental invisibility up throughout, just in case I have to drop the visual invisibility.
SHOOTER: Just after Cal sends his second update, Shooter adds, {I can see the boat a little better now. I believe it is the patrol boat that dropped us off a couple of days ago. Either that or a boat that is very similar to it.}
PETER: {Keep a watch on the boat and let me know if it gets any closer or does anything suspicious. It might be a different boat. Or for all we know, some of the cyborgs might have ambushed the boat after we left and took it. In that case, they might have even interrogated some of the soldiers and have an idea that we're in the area looking into them. For the moment, let's stay suspicious.}
CAL: "Are they coming in or paralleling the shoreline? You may want to take steps to keep from being seen. I think we'd rather not be interrupted right about now."
The team takes what cover they can on the beach. Peter enters the tunnel and moves up to where Cal was examining the electronic lock. He examines it carefully and concludes that it is almost certainly Zho craftsmanship. He pulls out his tools and gets to work on the lock.
GM: This is a very intricate and complex lock, perhaps the most difficult Peter has ever worked on. He must make a Lockpicking roll at -6 to successfully open it without triggering any alarms. If he makes it at -5, then he still gets it opened but has probably triggered some alarms. If he fails to open it, but not by more than 2, then it doesn't open but he does not trigger any alarms:
Peter Lockpicking skill is 17-
Roll is 15 or higher - Lock not opened, alarm triggered.
Roll is 13 or 14 - Lock not opened, no alarm triggered.
Roll is 12 - Lock opened but alarm possibly triggered.
Roll is 11 or less - Lock opened without triggering alarm.
If you want to try to open the lock, then go ahead and send your die roll.
PETER (OOC): Can't Cal make a Security Systems roll to try and bypass the alarm? Also, I assume if I go for it, Cal can make a complementary Lockpicking roll, right?
GM: In this case, the alarm is part of the lock and the tight quarters is not such that it would not easy to switch back and forth. The lock is complex and the conditions are very tight. In normal situations, Cal could make a complimentary roll but with a lock this complex, once you start, you have to keep going and if you and Cal have a difference of opinion, you are more likely to be right than he is. If you and Cal want to simply study the lock for now, and then spend some time discussing it and planning how to go about disarming it, then I will give Cal a complimentary roll that might assist Peter when he goes back to work on the lock. If you want to go this route, then it will take about an hour or two of discussions and planning before you could work on it.
CAL: OOC - I'm ok with taking the time, it's more likely to help than not; but this is Peter's call...
ROSIN: Rosin stands watch outside the room. She spends as much time trying to look past those working on the lock to watch the door as she does watching the sea, cliffs, and other cave. Her Dimensional Shunt (force field) is on, but then it's usually on while away from a town (or a boat). But she won't go Out of Phase unless she actually sees trouble.
PETER: {Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained. This is a tough lock, but it's not going to get any easier. And we're not likely to get a better chance at opening it. Cal, give whatever help you can. Erict and Rosin, be ready to bug us all out if the alarm goes off. Everyone else, be ready for trouble. We don't know what'll happen if the alarm goes off.}
TECH: Try and open the lock. And while Cal can't make a complimentary roll, this seems like the textbook example for a situation in which Peter's Security Systems would be complimentary to his Lockpicking. So here are the rolls.
Lockpicking: (17-); [rolled 8]
Security Systems (13-); [rolled 8] (complimentary)
CAL: WooT!! Today, the diebot is your friend!
PETER: No kidding! I was on pins and needles waiting for that one.
GM: Yes, a Security System roll is definitely a complimentary roll for this.
Peter works quickly but carefully on the lock. While he doesn't ignore the alarm, he tries to avoid concentrating on it since he knows that if he can open the lock in the same fashion that the correct keycard would open it, then the alarm will not trigger. His high tech lockpicking tools serve him well, giving him crucial information about minute changes in voltage as well as other important information. Within minutes, Peter has correctly triggered the lock to turn off the alarm system in the floor while, at the same time, wiring the mechanism so that any remote readouts will still show the lock as closed and armed.
GM: The floor, as far as Peter and Cal can tell, is now safe to walk on without triggering any alarms. That means they can now get to the door at the other end of the room and look it over. It has exactly the same type of lock to the right of the door that will, presumably, open the door. Because of Peter's success with the previous lock, he will have a +1 bonus to open this lock.
PETER: Wiping some sweat from his forehead, Peter breathes a quiet sigh of relief as the door opens and the indicators show that the alarm is disabled. {I'm afraid we're not out of the woods yet. There's still another door with another complicated lock to get through before we're in. And I've got to start from scratch on that one, so there are no guarantees. These are definitely the most complicated locks I've ever dealt with.}
GM: Just to clarify - there was no door that opened. The rough tunnel goes right into the silver-lined room. The lock was concealed at the entrance to the silver-lined room and all it did was disable the alarms on the floor of the silver-lined room. If Cal had not noticed that the silver-lined floor seemed to be alarmed, and hadn't noticed the concealed lock panel, the group could have just walked right up to the door that you are now facing, possibly never realizing that they had triggered some alarms.
PETER (OOC): Ah, thanks for the clarification. I'd missed that.
PETER: Then Peter straightens up and his appearance shimmers. When it stops, he's an identical duplicate of the dead cyborg. {Just in case, I'm seen, this should give them pause.} He then carefully steps forward onto the previously-alarmed floor. He stops for a moment, looking back and forth, and then moves quickly to the other door. Once more he takes a deep breath and begins to work on the lock. {Same orders as previous. Keep a watch for trouble and get ready to bug out at the first sign of trouble.}
TECH: Try and open the lock. If the base time to pick it is one minute, take five minutes to get an extra +1. If it's base time is any greater, don't take extra time. Also, use Security Systems in case there's an alarm on this one too. I'll give you the roll. If there's no alarm, just ignore it.
Lockpicking: (18-); [rolled 14]
Security Systems (13-); [rolled 14] (complimentary - if needed)
GM: Base time is 5 minutes. To get the +1 for extra time, you would have to spend 20 minutes.
Peter works on the door lock but is unable to get it open. He does not believe that he triggered any alarms.
SHOOTER: {I can see the boat pretty clearly now. It is definitely the same patrol boat that dropped us off. I can see the same people on deck.}
PETER: Biting his lip and once more brushing the sweat from his brow, Peter curses quietly under his breath as the minutes tick by. {Damn. This one's tough. I'm not sure if I can crack it. I'm going to try a few more techniques, though I'm afraid they'll take some time. Shooter, keep a careful lookout. Let me know if the boat gets closer or does anything suspicious. I know all too well that things aren't necessarily what they seem.}
TECH: Move up the time chart by one notch (20 min) to try and open the lock once more. Continue to use Security Systems in case there's an alarm on this one too.
Lockpicking: (18-); [rolled 6]
Security Systems (13-); [rolled 14] (complimentary - if needed)
Peter does some thinking about the lock and discusses it with Cal. After doing so, he goes to work again and, after about 15 minutes, succeeds in opening the lock. Peter also believes that he set it up so that any remote monitoring will still show the door locked and closed but his confidence is not as high. In any event, he is fairly certain that no alarm was raised.
The door opens, revealing a circular room about 1 meter in diameter. A lighting panel around the perimeter (excluding the door) illuminates the small, cramped chamber. Just inside the door is a panel containing a few lighted buttons. It takes only a cursory look to determine that the room is probably an elevator of some sort.
Peter and Cal both look over the room from the doorway and neither see any signs of traps or security alarms/monitors in the chamber.
CAL: Once the door is opened, Cal will try to send his clairvoyance into the chamber, and then through it to see if whatever was blocking it is now removed. If he's no longer being blocked, he'll try to investigate as much as he can (i.e. behind the chamber, down any elevator shaft, etc.)
ERICT (GM): Shortly after Cal tries, Erict does, with both his senses, though he does not expect any success until he's standing in the elevator car and can penetrate the floor of it. The silvery substance seems to coat the ceiling and walls of the shaft, to what depth we shall see.
ERICT (OOC): I will do my best not to try to apply real world physics here and hence kill another catgirl, but it is against my nature, as Steve well knows ;)
Standing in the silver-lined room, Cal sends his perception point for his Clairvoyance power into the elevator car. He attempts to send it through the car laterally, and is partially successful in that it goes through the car, but is stopped from progressing further by the walls of the shaft. He meets a similar situation going up but he is able to send his perception point down through the floor of the car where the narrow, circular shaft descends into the earth. The shaft is illuminated every 10 meters or so providing some illumination.
After a hundred meters or so, the shaft is blocked by a circular aperture that is closed.
GM: Does Cal want to try to send his perception point through the aperture?
CAL: {Elevator shaft goes down to what might be an airlock or security door. Do you want me to try to see past that?}
CAL: (OOC) Would Cal know of any technology that can detect clairvoyant scrying? I.e. is there any danger of tripping an alarm with the clairvoyance?
GM: Unless you can remember a specific instance, Cal has never come across anything that can detect his clairvoyance.
MARCO (attempting to be helpful): The cyborgs weren't detectable with a "find minds" right? So, any such attempt right now would likely not be helpful?
GM: That is correct. The cyborgs did not show up with Marco's Find Minds ability.
ERICT: (Presuming no success so far), {The walls and ceiling of the elevator shaft seem to be coated with the silvery substance, and block my senses. Once the all clear is given for me to try from inside the elevator car, I will.}
ROCK: {I'd be willing to take my mud form and see if I can sneak in and observe if our other methods don't work. It's better than riding the elevator down.}
ROCK (OOC): As long as the doorways aren't airtight seals Rock should be able to seep through. Between his clinging and liquid form he should be able to go down the shaft without using the elevator. While someone observing the mud will realize something is wrong they shouldn't have a clue as to Rock's true form or that we're up above. Of course, we could just walk in and deal with whatever encounter we get.
GM: I need to know how the group wants to proceed. The ideas that I've heard are:
1. Have Cal send his clairvoyance through the circular aperture at the bottom of the shaft.
2. Have Erict enter the elevator and try his senses.
3. Have Rock assume mud form and seep down the elevator shaft.
PETER: {Cal, take a look through the aperture. I want to know what kind of a reception we can expect. If that shows things are clear, we're going to head into the elevator and investigate. It's dangerous, but this may be what we came here for. I'm inclined not to split up. Dangerous as it is, we can't afford to split up. Erict or Rosin, that means fetching Shooter. I doubt we could communicate with him through the walls anyway.}
PETER: {Once inside, Erict, you should keep your senses peeled, though be aware of its limitations. Rock, I like the idea of you coming down the elevator shaft like that. If there is a surprise at the bottom, you can be an ace in the hole. Cal, you should remain invisible. We should assume that the cyborgs have senses that can see both of us, even when invisible. But it might help at the margins. Also, I can make myself look like a curved portion of the elevator wall. If there is trouble at the bottom they could very well overlook me. Yes, the elevator will be marginally smaller. But most people won't notice such a difference.}
PETER: {Any questions? Comments? Suggestions?}
ROSIN: {That will have to be Shooter, I still can't bring anyone with me when I teleport.}
SHOOTER: {Actually it will have to be Erict. I can't teleport at all.}
CAL: "Aye sir!" Cal sends his clairvoyant sense out and down the elevator shaft...
Cal's perception point hits the closed aperture and is snuffed out. At the same time, Cal experiences a blinding flash that seems to engulf him completely though no one else sees anything.
GM: I did not see any sort of Flash Defense for Cal, which seems strange given his powers. Might be something to consider. At this time, Cal cannot sense anything around him. He cannot even feel his own body. It is complete sensory deprivation.
Cal collapses to the ground and his invisibility drops. As this is happening, both Marco and Peter detect some sort of "mental wave" pass by them. Peter is unable to determine the nature of this wave but Marco (with his discriminatory mental awareness) identifies it as some sort of mental broadcast.
GM: Marco can attempt to "tap into" the mental broadcast if he acts immediately. If he asks for advice from Peter (or anyone else) or otherwise says anything, then it is too late. In other words, if he says something like "mental broadcast - I'm going to try to tap into it" over the mind link, then it is already too late. If he wishes to attempt to tap into the broadcast, send me three rolls:
1. 3d6 Mind Powers roll to activate Telepathy.
2. 3d6 Ego Attack roll.
3. 12d6 Telepathy roll.
GM: Note that the attempt might be very dangerous because Marco does not know the source of the mental wave, which might easily be able to switch to an attack mode that targets Marco.
MARCO: Feels the broadcast and senses a challenge but thinks first of the group and instantly puts up a mental defense (Mental Shield and/or Mind Walls) in hopes of protecting the others long enough for Cal to recover and the LT to prepare our next step.
THe mental pulse passes by and all is quiet. Cal is still lying on the ground. When Erict checks him over, he finds that he has a normal pulse and no signs of any wounds, but does not respond when Erict tries to talk to him.
PETER: {Right, that had to be a warning message. They could be on us at any time. Let's get back to a safe distance and get into hiding. All we know is that they cyborgs are *extremely* dangerous. We can't afford to risk it all on one roll of the dice in their home turf. I'm sorrier than I can say to have to turn away when we've come this far. But it just seems suicidal to move forward.}
PETER OOC: I know we've spent literally months getting up to this point, and I know that turning away now likely means it'll be even more months until we get to see some real forward motion in the game. But looking at this tactically, moving forward is just plain stupid. Even if that pulse *wasn't* a warning, we have no way of knowing that. It certainly *looked* like one. And since Steve doesn't pull any punches in this game, we have to assume that moving forward either means that we run into a bunch of ready cyborgs or worse, that another set will come and cut off our only means of retreat.
PETER OOC: All we know is that the cyborgs are *really* dangerous, and that there is no way for us to get in or out of their complex, except through this one doorway that is locked and trapped. Heck, all they have to do is lock the door on us and we're doomed. If they're after us we won't have the 20 min it might take to pick the lock (much less the peace and quiet to do so).
PETER OOC: That all having been said, if the other players are sick of constantly running away form trouble and playing it safe, I don't want to be the one to stand in the way. As a player I can understand that. Just let me know.
GM: One important bit of information that it occurs to me that I left out was that the mental pulse was attuned to "human class of minds". With his discriminatory mental awareness and the good perception roll I made for him, Marco was able to ascertain this.
PETER (GM): From what we know, I'm assuming that the cyborgs would still be in the human class of minds. Is that correct? The main reason I ask is that if not, this could be not an alarm, but a trap. Heck, if cyborgs are *not* human minds, then I'm guessing that the cyborgs couldn't even hear it.
GM: From your encounter with the cyborgs in Fort Attson, Marco concluded that the cyborgs were not in the "human class of minds".
ROCK (OOC): Rock is still willing to go forward though he's not going to push the issue. As a player, I personally would like to give it a try as this game has been so slow for so long. I may be biased as my character is about as built for combat as you get. As to what the pulse and flash mean, I wouldn't assume it means anyone is home nor ready to jump our team. I would interpret this place as a well defended/secure bunker and these are all part of the defenses. I would assume that going forward will be a challenge and not suicide. Though stupid play/decisions are usually rewarded with pain. :)
ERICT (OOC): I consider it very likely that this mental pulse was an old alarm or signal for the ZHO, who supposedly built the place. They definitely qualify as humanoid minds, and had mental technology superior to ours. The cyborgs may be oblivious, unable to detect it, or able to do so and use it against us, it's a toss-up. That said, I fall down on the side of play it safe, especially since I've been unable to access my character sheet or spend xp in 5-7 months. I think I may have to request that Steve send me an html copy or something I can work with, even if it's manually :(
ROCK (OOC): Taking that a step further, it seems that we're assuming that this is a defensive bunker for the cyborgs. Sure, it could be. Or this could be what they're looking for and it's really an ancient relic that has no one inside. We just have to beat it's awesome security system. I'm willing to have Rock try to slide down the shaft in mud form. Assuming that gets blocked somehow, we can just use the elevator with Rosin and Rock inside. We could scope out the bottom and at worst retreat if it's too much for us or call you down to investigate further.
PETER: Actually, now that we know that this pulse was versus human minds and they're not human minds, I've changed my mind. But my post will have to wait until Wednesday, I'm afraid, as I'm about to head out to the airport to fly to a wedding in Chicago and will be gone until Tuesday.
PETER: Steve, if you want to have Peter just agree to go forward to speed things along, that's fine by me. We also need to tend to Cal. (We should be able to figure out what's up through the mind link.
MARCO (ooc): In case anyone was wondering, Marco relays his findings to the group via the mind link. (GM): Can we have a map of the beach and entry area? Can I attempt to locate the source of the pulse? Or, is that a bit dangerous considering that it would leave me open to attack?
ROCK (OOC): I think Rock's attempt would be next short of just going down the elevator normally. Rock is perfectly fine using a bold, blunt approach. It's hard to imagine, short of his oozing down the shaft, that anything we'll do will not alert those inside, especially now that the mental blast and flash deal happened. I would think they're aware something is out here, assuming anyone's home and monitoring the system.
MARCO (GM): I was thinking about the type of mental attack that we just experienced...since it was so fast, and was not followed up, would it be a fair assumption that this was something automated and not the result of person/being with mental powers inside the cave?
GM: What Marco learned from his brief encounter with the pulse was that it was some sort of telepathic "attack" that targeted only "human class of minds". He is not certain whether it was an automated attack or a living creature reacting very quickly. He does not see any creatures in the cave or on the beach.
GM: A few seconds pass and Cal starts regaining his senses - literally. He gets back his sense of touch first, followed by his sense of smell, then taste, hearing and sight in that order. Cal senses that his clairvoyance ability has been "drained". He suspects that he can probably get it to work, but at reduced effect.
GM: Erict has not yet had time to retrieve Shooter who is still at the top of the cliff keeping watch.
CAL: "OOooooo... Sorry, but I think I tripped some sort of alarm with my clairvoyant sense." Cal holds his head in his hands. "I feel a bad headache coming on..."
Another minute passes with nothing untoward happening. All of Cal's senses (except Clairvoyance) return to full effect.
MARCO (OOC/GM): Wondering whether some sort of psychic surgery would help Cal to regain his Clairvoyance. I know it's a long-shot, but I'm interested attempting to extend my (Sam's) knowledge of how to play a mentalist and extend the benefits of Marco's abilities to the group.
GM: If Cal agrees, go ahead and send me an attack roll (3d6) and a telepathy effect roll (12d6). The effect is that Marco would be poking around in Cal's noggin looking for "damage" or "mental blocks".
CAL: "OK by me - just be careful!"
MARCO: "Cal, hold still and clear your mind. This won't hurt a bit. But, if you forget to wipe yourself after a shit, don't blame me."
MARCO TECH: Attack Roll: [rolled 4 2 2 - Total: 8, Body: 3], Telepathy Effect Roll: [rolled 3 4 1 3 3 2 3 4 4 4 5 5 - Total: 41, Body: 11]
Marco uses his telepathy to study Cal, looking specifically for issues with his Clairsentience power. Marco is able to determine that the power has been "damaged" and will almost certainly heal itself, given time.
GM: In game terms, Cal's clairsentience power was drained 28 points. It's been about 5 minutes since the attack and only 1 point has come back. It will continue healing at a rate of 1 point per 5 minutes until fully healed in a couple of hours.
MARCO: Looks up at the LT. "He should have the sense back in a few hours. He's basically got a 'black eye' where the synapses should connect." "I feel like we should make some decisions and move soon because this may not be the most advantageous position if we are attacked."
CAL: "So, basically I got a psionic 'poke-in-the-eye-with-a-sharp-stick'? Huh. We'll need to be careful then. We're up against a foe that apparently knows more about mental abilities that we ever will. Until about a minute ago I'd have said that this sort of mechanical detection and psychic assault was impossible. - Of course, I'm assuming that there isn't someone down there..."
PETER: {Impossible? No. The Zho have things like this. They're much more advanced than the Imperium when it comes to psionics. It's certainly *possible* that this was an automated defense mechanism. The cyborgs may not even be aware of it, since it doesn't effect their minds. It could easily be a mechanism to provide a warning of spies as well as an attack against their capabilities.}
PETER: {That being said, perhaps it *is* safe to move forward. And if this really is the Zho base we're looking for - or at least another step on the way, we're going to have to risk going inside. Rock, you ooze down the shaft. The rest of us will go down in the elevator with me looking like a cyborg, and the rest of you hidden behind an illusory wall.}
ROCK: {Aye, sir.} Rock shifts into mud form and oozes to the elevator opening and attempts to ooze through the cracks in the door and down the shaft.
TECH:
Activate Mud (Desolid), END: 4
Activate Cement Touch (Clinging), END: 1
Rock has no problem oozing through the cracks between the elevator and the door. He finds that he is unable to cling to the silver walls of the shaft, but that is not a problem as there is a maintenance ladder leading down the shaft that Rock can cling to. He descends the 100 meters to the aperture, which appears to be airtight. Rock knows that he is well below sea level at this point though the shaft is perfectly dry.
ROCK (GM): Are there any other features in the shaft? Does it go higher than our current position? Does the aperture have any sort of manual controls on it?
GM: The shaft does not go up, only down. And yes, I forgot to mention that the shaft does have manual override controls, with a keycard mechanism for unlocking them. Rock is not sure if the lock is as complex as the previous locks.
ROCK: Unless any other options seem clear, Rock will return to the top and inform the group. My guess is that using the elevator may be a next step. Usually I'd confidently say that Rock could break through the aperture. It's still likely that he could but you never know. Also, it might ruin the elevator so that wouldn't be good.
ROCK: Rock will return to the top and explain what he saw to Peter. {Do we just want to try the elevator? I suspect that any sort of actions may alert our presence just the say.}
ROCK (OOC): If we're just dealing with an automated system then perhaps we should continue with the lockpicking/security system hacking. Have Rock attempt to break through doorways may work but would certainly announce our presence.
ROCK (GM): Can someone easily climb down the shaft from up above?
ERICT (OOC): Should be able to, he mentioned a ladder set into the wall which is what you used because you couldn't cling to the silvery substance on the walls. Getting through the bottom of the elevator into the shaft itself might be the hard part though.
ROCK: (OOC): Exactly, I know Rock can slip through but I'm wondering how others will get into the shaft. If we can get the rest of the group to climb down the shaft then looking over the aperture's lock might be best. Otherwise, I'm fine trying to use the elevator directly. That would be more of the security systems, lockpicking type stuff but I'd rather do that instead of smashing our way in.
CAL: I agree - no smashing allowed. Currently, I think our best bet is to have Cal and Peter tag team the security system in the elevator.
An examination of the elevator itself reveals a locked access panel in both the floor and ceiling.
GM: The lock is not near as complex as the previous one. A Lockpicking roll at -2 will open it. There do not appear to be any alarms attached to the locks or access panels.
ROCK (OOC): I'm guessing that Brian is out of town. I say we move forward on picking the lock on the access panel and going down to the aperture and trying out luck there.
MARCO (ooc): Agree with the Rockster...and yes, I can smel-l-l-l-l what he's cookin'.
BRIAN: Sorry, wasn't out of town, but was floored by a nasty cold/flu for the last several days. Could barely get out of bed, much less check my email.
PETER (OCC): I'm okay with the lockpicking part. Just remember that with every new lockpick attempt, the law of averages says that I'm eventually going to fail. I'll go for hte one in the floor, since that seems to be the direction we need to go in.
PETER TECH: Lockpicking (17-); [rolled 11].
Peter easily opens the access panel in the floor. Cal goes through first, leading the way down the shaft. After 100 meters, the group's progress is blocked by what looks to be an airlock. Peter and Cal study the airlock and the shaft and determine that the airlock almost certainly opens automatically when the elevator descends. However, the aperture can be opened with an override control located on the side of the shaft. The override is locked and requires a Lockpicking roll at -3 to open.
Group estimates that they are about 100 meters below sea level at this point.
PETER: Not much to do except keep making lockpicking rolls until I eventually fail one (which is bound to happen) or we finally get through all the locks.
PETER TECH: Lockpicking (17-); [rolled 12]. Get complementary roll from Cal is that's possible.
CAL: Complementary rolls -- Security Systems (12-, +3 skill levels) [rolled 7], Lockpicking (13-) [rolled 10]
Peter easily opens the lock while Cal disarms the alarm attached to the lock. The vertical shaft ends just past the airlock but the shaft continues on a horizontal plane. If you had been riding the elevator to this point, it would have stopped going down, and started going sideways here. The shaft extends to the west for as far as you can see. Occasional lights provide dim illumination.
With Cal in the lead, the group begins moving down the horizontal shaft. After a hundred meters or so, a small porthole appears on the side of the shaft. As with the silver walls of the shaft, mutant senses are unable to penetrate the porthole, but you can easily see through it to the sea bottom beyond. The shaft seems to run along the bottom of the sea.
The group continues moving down the shaft. Suddenly, in the distance behind them, they hear a whirring sound. It soon becomes very apparent that the elevator is on its way. Either someone entered the elevator and is coming down, or someone at the other end of the shaft pressed a button to summon the elevator.
GM: From your previous examination of the elevator and the shaft, you know that there is not much clearance between the elevator and the walls of the shaft. Looking up, it doesn't look like there would be much clearance between the top of the elevator and the top of the shaft. Rock could obviously turn to mud and press against the side of the shaft to avoid being hit by the elevator but anyone else would be hit. Let me know that you want to do. I can think of several possible options so I don't want to make any assumptions.
ROSIN: Her Dimensional Shunt was already active and had been since they had left the boat. Upon realizing that the elevator was coming after them, Rosin moves to the wall and goes out of phase in the hope that would let the elevator pass her without harm. In addition she prepares to try to Dimensional Shift past the elevator as it comes close. While she doesn't think she can shift though the elevator itself, she can try to shift along the small gap between the wall and the elevator.
ROSIN: Rosin's first thought is for self preservation. But she would like to save everyone if she could. She can't think of any way to do so, but if someone else comes up with an idea she'll go along with it unless it seems suicidal to her. She's willing to risk her life for her new friends, perhaps the first group that she's willing to do this for, but she's not yet willing to sacrifice herself to save them.
GM: Rosin is fairly certain that by going Out of Phase, she will be able reduce her "tangible footprint" enough that the elevator will pass right by her as long as she presses against the wall. Although this particular situation is new, similar situations have come up before where this has worked.
ROSIN (OOC): I thought that might be the case, and if not that she'd be able to teleport though the slight gap by looking along the wall, but either way, that's why she moved to the wall and is pressed against it. The bad part is that doesn't help anyone else, but I (and therefore Rosin) are drawing a blank here. It's interesting playing a character that is primarily self interested, though keeping the group (and especially Marco) alive would be in her self interest :-)
ERICT: "While I can breathe underwater with no problems there might be an issue if one of the sections is flooded, and I can't provide air to others. Shooter, wasn't your force field able to do that to some extent? If it is, the prudent thing to do is have a few people hang back if they cannot handle it.
SHOOTER: {Yes, I can provide life bubbles to four other people and my force field will protect me so I think we are covered on that front. I think the greater issue is that we are about to be run over by an elevator.}
ERICT (GM): I presume my senses are also blocked by the silvery material, and by the airlock iris?
GM: Yes, that is correct. You can sense down the tunnel but not through walls of the shaft or through the airlock.
ROCK (GM): Do we have any sense on how fast the elevator is moving?
GM: Assuming a fairly modern Zho elevator, and given the travel distance, it is probably moving at least 4 to 5 inches per second, or 48 to 60 inches per turn. That's a guess though and it might be moving slower, though probably not faster.
ROCK (OOC): A couple thoughts that are fairly last resortish. First the rest of the group would run the other direction. Meanwhile Rock would wait and then let the elevator hit him. The goal would be to stop the elevator. I would hope it wouldn't kill Rock but it might damage the tunnel since he'll use his clinging to stick to it.
GM: Rock recalls that his clinging ability did not work on the walls of the shaft. Rock is strong enough that he feels fairly confident that he could stop the elevator without taking damage.
ROCK: The other thought is to again have the group put as much distance as they can. Rock could then open the airlock and allow water to come into the tunnel. I'd hope that it could control the water to some degree but that may not be feasible. I'd also hope that the water would stop the elevator. The other large question is whether the group could outrun the flooding tunnel. Rock could assume mud form and not have to worry about breathing.
GM: You have not found an airlock between the shaft and the sea. The only airlock you found was between the veritical and the horizontal sections of the elevator shaft. That's not to say that Rock couldn't punch a hole in the side of the shaft and let the sea in. |