View source for Merkabah - The Crashed Airship, pt 2

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== Log Info ==
*Title: Merkabah - The Crashed Airship, pt 2
*Emitter: Cryosanthia
*Characters: Braelnoir, Ezil, Lanier, Nels, Namira, Acedia
*Place: Caverns of Merkabah
*Time: Wednesday, March 18, 2020, 10:13 PM
*Summary: The battle continues, the group fights the Corpse Armours that are in the rear of the Airship. The battle is difficult, and Lanier requires a lot of healing to stay up, but the party is successful. In the aftermath, the party decides they have taken enough hits, and that they will take back the heads of the Corpse Armours to give them respect and burial, and perhaps understand how they came to be the way they are.
*APL: 4.1 (4 Ftr, 4 Pal, 5 rgr, 5 ftr, 3 clr, 4 brd)
*Encounter 1:</div> 

<pre>-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  Appearing, in Order  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Braelnoir    5'11"    246 Lb     Silvery Chimera   Female    A silvery deer-lion wielding a scythe and a feral grin.
Ezil         5'11"    175 Lb     Human             Male      An armored man with dark skin, and grey-blonde hair.
Lanier       6'0"     245 Lb     Human             Male      Young, lean and strong Acanian wearing hide clothing.
Nels         3'7"     42 Lb      Goblin            Male      Tall, for a goblin, and athletic. Close-cut black hair.
Namira       5'0"     98 Lb      Shadow Elf        Female    Dark Elf wearing Vardaman Vestments
Acedia       3'4"     39 Lb      Goblin            Female    An ebon-skinned Goblin in leather armor.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-  As the GM  =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Cryosanthia  6'7"     245 Lb     Sith-Makar        Female    A dashingly tall, lithe white lizardgirl with tattoos.
-=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=--=</pre>

<pre>Airship, rear entrance layout
~~~~~~~~| . .|wwwwwwwww - Unknown section
~~~~~~~~|_._.|wwwwwwwww - Roll Door
~~~~~~~~| 7 .|wwwwwwwww - Storage
~~~~~~~~| 5 8|wwwwwwwww
~~~~~~~~| 3 6|wwwwwwwww
~~~~~~~~|E1_L|wwwwwwwww - Roll Door
~~~~~~~~|_. B|wwwwwwwww - Alcolve
~~~~~~~~| N .|wwwwwwwww - Ramp
~~~~~~~~| A M|wwwwwwwww
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~wwwwwwwww
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~wwwwwww
 ~ Water, w - Wall</pre>

The adventuring party has entered the cavern with the glowing fishes, successfully defeated the first opponent in the water, and created a rope bridge to cross over to the crashed artifice airship. The airship is crushed, against the wall. Nels explored the outside, where she discovered several things. This isn't a normal airship, it flew without an airbag. Also, while it is heavily damaged, what she can see of the control room has several systems active. Also, it's aware the party is there.

The easiest access to the interior of the airship is by following the rear ramp into the belly. There was a short, wide alcove and a roll-up door. Behind which, several Corpse Armours waited. The door was opened, and a battle commenced. The Corpse Armours were slow to fully activate, but once they do, they hit hard. A substance they expell, also has hallucinagenic properties. As well as slowing one down. Lanier is most affected.

The party has been beating on them, attacking the cables that attach to their back first, and have managed to decommission three, which have slide out of the airship and down to the end of the ramp, knocking each earlier one into the water.

It is now, Round 6.

<pre>Nels, CA3 shoot it.
GAME: Nels rolls 1d20+14: (11)+14: 25
GAME: Nels rolls 1d10+8: (5)+8: 13</pre>

Nels reloads hastily once again, though a bit more carefully so she doesn't misfire again. She draws a bead on one of the uunplugged machines and fires, smoke billowing from the gun as the small lead shot slams into the armor's side, splattering metal and brown gunk.
Announcement: Whirlpool shouts, "I can take a couple more players for those interested!"

<pre>Ezil, attack CA3
GAME: Ezil rolls weapon11+2: (14)+8+2: 24
GAME: Ezil rolls damage11: aliased to 1D8+3: (5)+3: 8</pre>

Ezil sees that the one before him is disconnected, and chooses to focus on those that can be fully disabled. His shield is shifted as her throws a downward strike into his foe, catching it with a solid thunk, though it still stands. "There things are not as bad as I had thought." his other encounters her less creepy, well... just as creepy, but at least he's not on fire!

The light on the pedestal for Corpse Armour behind Ezil glows again. It's been jammed in place by the tanglefoot bag. Those only last so long, however, and the machinery keeps trying to it. With a quiet grinding the resin crumbles, and the pedestal zips down the ramp, taking the deactivated Corpse Armour away. It crashes into the one that got stuck between Acedia and Namira, bowling that one into the water.

However, this first one moving seems to have activated something else. There's a warning buzz, and the rest of the Corpse Armours start zipping by everyone shooting down the ramp. The one Ezil is battling, rams into the one at the end, knocking it off as well. Corpse Armour 6, in the slot adjacent shoots down and stops opposite Nels. The one next in queue in front of Ezil zips around, jerks to a halt beside Braelnoir, while the last two in the airship slide forward to engage Ezil and Lanier.

<pre>Airship - Repositionned Corpse Armours
~~~~~~~~| . .|wwwwwwwww - Unknown Area
~~~~~~~~| . .|wwwwwwwww
~~~~~~~~|____|wwwwwwwww - Door
~~~~~~~~| . .|wwwwwwwww - Discharge
~~~~~~~~| . .|wwwwwwwww
~~~~~~~~| 7 8|wwwwwwwww
~~~~~~~~|_E_L|wwwwwwwww - Roll Door
~~~~~~~~|_.5B|wwwwwwwww - Alcolve
~~~~~~~~| N6.|wwwwwwwww - Ramp
~~~~~~~~| A3M|wwwwwwwww
~~~~~~~~|----|wwwwwwwww
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~wwwwwwwww
~~~~~~~1~~2~~4~~wwwwwww - In Water
 ~ Water, w - Wall</pre>

<pre>Ezil, AOO CA3
GAME: Ezil rolls weapon11: (20)+8: 28 (THREAT)
GAME: Ezil rolls weapon11: (20)+8: 28 (THREAT)
GAME: Ezil rolls 3d8+9: (14)+9: 23</pre>

Ezil is fed up with this fight. His patience tested as he gives his warhammer a heft when the device whirls to life. It's physics, the corpse armor before him beginning to shoot passed him while the apparatus pulls his foe forward, and then the heavy swing of his weapon. The loud clash of metal is heard, but luckily the Corpse Armor gives first, his blunt weapon caving the metal as it swings into it's new position disabled. "I don't like this machine at all!" (AoO pose)

<pre>Lanier, AOO CA6
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Melee+1+1+1-2: (10)+9+1+1+1+-2: 20
GAME: Lanier rolls 2d6+12: (3)+12: 15</pre>

Lanier's big grin fades to a dour scowl as the slow spell wears off, which is replaces shortly after by a snarl just as all hell breaks loose. As the Corpse Armors all begin moving, Lanier jukes to avoid getting bull rushed and to also set up to attack an opening that is seen. With a flash that makes no sense with a sword the size that he has, he tears a large chunk out of an advancing Corpse Armor as he replies to Ezil, "I started out not liking this machine!"

<pre>Braelnoir, AOO CA6
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon4+2: (9)+7+2: 18
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d8+10: (8)+10: 18</pre>

The chimera adjusts her grip just in time for another of the abominations to shift positions into her engagement zone and, with a heavy, almost stompish setting of her hoof to resolidify her stance, she brings the face of her own warhammer straight in for an unabashed kiss to the artificed mask of the defiled corpse. It swoons, structurally, with a spurt of brown gunk between rivetted seam and sundered ren alike before the conveyor carries the inert form further on it's way to fate.

<pre>Nels thumps CA6 anyhow.
GAME: Nels rolls melee: (16)+8: 24
GAME: Nels rolls 1d3+2: (1)+2: 3</pre>

Nels eyes the corpse armor corpse as it slides up to her feet, motionless. She thumps it with her rifle butt, and it doesn't move. Good. That's one she won't need to shoot again, hopefully. She reloads her weapon in a flash of cartridge belt and ramrod, and she's taking aim at another one now.

<pre>Cryosanthia, CA5 on Braelnoir, CA7 on Ezil, CA8 on Lanier with PA, 2 attacks each
GAME: Corpse Armour 5 rolls 1d20+8: (11)+8: 19
GAME: Corpse Armour 5 rolls 1d20+8: (14)+8: 22
GAME: Corpse Armour 7 rolls 1d20+8: (16)+8: 24
GAME: Corpse Armour 7 rolls 1d20+8: (14)+8: 22
GAME: Corpse Armour 8 rolls 1d20+6: (18)+6: 24
GAME: Corpse Armour 8 rolls 1d20+6: (5)+6: 
GAME: Corpse Armour 5 rolls 1d6+4: (3)+4: 7
GAME: Corpse Armour 5 rolls 1d6+4: (1)+4: 5
GAME: Corpse Armour 5 damaged Braelnoir for 12 points. 29 HP remaining.
GAME: Corpse Armour 8 rolls 1d6+8: (5)+8: 13
GAME: Corpse Armour 8 damaged Lanier for 13 points. 23 HP remaining.
GAME: Corpse Armour 7 rolls 1d6+4: (4)+4: 8
GAME: Corpse Armour 7 damaged Ezil for 8 points. 33 HP remaining.</pre>

Some of the Corpse Armours don't survive their roll out. Sliding past the party, they make tempting targets. Two are battered to pieces before they reach the end of the ramp. The remaining ones, fine, fully functional and oddly quite shiny, go on the attack.

Ezil takes a heavy glancing blow on his shield, but some of the impact comes through. Braelnoir is worse off, as a solid left and right slam hit her in the body, both crushing. Lanier manages to evade one strike, only to be solidly hit by the next one.

Then, a whrr, a hum, and brown plumes of powder shower over the three.

<pre>GAME: Ezil rolls fort: (5)+10: 15
GAME: Braelnoir rolls fort: (14)+7: 21
GAME: Lanier rolls Fort: (13)+7: 20
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4: (1): 1
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4: (3): 3
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d4: (2): 2</pre>

<pre>Namira is just gonna have to channel.
GAME: Namira rolls 2d6: (8): 8
GAME: Cryo damaged Ezil for -8 points. 41 HP remaining.
GAME: Cryo damaged Lanier for -8 points. 31 HP remaining.
GAME: Cryo damaged Lanier's companion for -8 points. 32 HP remaining.
GAME: Cryo damaged Namira for -8 points. 21 HP remaining.
GAME: Cryo damaged Nels for -8 points. 45 HP remaining.
GAME: Cryo damaged Braelnoir for -8 points. 37 HP remaining.</pre>

Namira keeps her hand on her medallion and continues to ask the grey lady to mend her allies' wounds.

Three of the Corpse Armours are functional. Fortunately, they're all on the toughest fighters this party has. Unfortunately, they're undamaged, and fully connected with their cables.

<pre>Lanier, attack CA8's cable, cleave into CA5's cable.
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+BAB+Strength+1+2-2: (10)+5+4+1+2+-2: 20
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+BAB+Strength+1+2-2: (5)+5+4+1+2+-2: 15
GAME: Lanier rolls 2d6+12: (11)+12: 23</pre>

Not quite stopping, even for the moment's conversation with Ezil, Lanier is already turning to swing the greatsword in a high arch that passes through the cable of the 8th Corpse Armor like a fast knife through particularly slow butter. Turning quickly, he pulls the swing into another attacked aimed towards the cable on the 5th Corpse Armor, but this goes wide which illicits a snarl from the Gillead ranger.

Acedia twirls in a little dance, "Five down and three to go! Welcome to our little show."

<pre>GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon4: (16)+7: 23
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d8+10: (3)+10: 13</pre>

Braelnoir, bruised and battered by the one-two she got from her new opponent, tightens her grip and, with a roar of, "FUCK-" >BRONG!!< "-YOU!!" she returns his hail with a telling blow from her warhammer, "I hated this thing fer days, now! Keep on'm!"

<pre>Nels will shoot CA8, +2 to hit, +1 damage from Bardsong and Bless, range is 15',PBS also"
GAME: Nels rolls 1d20+13: (19)+13: 32
GAME: Nels rolls 1d10+6: (10)+6: 16</pre>

Nels moves up a bit to support Braelnoir in her melee, standing behind it, so it's got to divide its attention between the two, though she takes steady aim at a different one, this one with the cable cut, and concentrating her fire, she pulls the trigger. There's a thunderous roar as the gun fires, and the lead ball punctures through the plate, which leaks brown goop slowly.

Three Corpse Armours remain, #5, #7, and #8. Number 5 is on Braelnoir, damaged but with a cable intact. Number 7, is on Ezil, in pristine shape. Number 8 is on Lanier, cable severed, with a hole blown in it. The others have slide down the ramp and fallen off, or in the case of Number 3, been smushed, and Number 6, lurch up and stop beside Nels, inert, after running the gauntlet of the warriors.

<pre>GAME: Ezil rolls weapon11: (14)+8: 22
GAME: Ezil rolls damage11: aliased to 1D8+3: (2)+3: 5</pre>

Ezil shifts to assist Braelnoir, slamming his warhammer into it, but not like the force of his last blow. It does damage, but the device still functions. "This is slowly growing to be the worst place I have been." Braelnoir's frustration making him smirk. If she can yell, she's fine in his mind.

<pre>CA7 on Ezil, +2 flank. CA5 on Brael, CA8 on Lanier PA
GAME: Corpse Armour 7rolls 1d20+10: (17)+10: 27
GAME: Corpse Armour 7 rolls 1d20+10: (3)+10: 13
GAME: Corpse Armour 7 rolls 1d6+4: (4)+4: 8
GAME: Corpse Armour 7 damaged Ezil for 8 points. 33 HP remaining.
GAME: Corpse Armour 5 rolls 1d20+8: (16)+8: 24
GAME: Corpse Armour 5 rolls 1d20+8: (14)+8: 22
GAME: Corpse Armour 5 rolls 1d6+4: (6)+4: 10
GAME: Corpse Armour 5 rolls 1d6+4: (1)+4: 5
GAME: Corpse Armour 5 damaged Braelnoir for 15 points. 22 HP remaining.
GAME: Corpse Armour 8 rolls 1d20+6: (7)+6: 13
GAME: Corpse Armour 8 rolls 1d20+6: (12)+6: 18
GAME: Corpse Armour 8 rolls 1d6+8: (2)+8: 10
GAME: Corpse Armour 8 damaged Lanier for 10 points. 21 HP remaining.</pre>

The Corpse Armours continue their attack. As Ezil turns his back on #7, it belts him hard. Braelnoir continues to be a punching bag for hers, two solid blows landing. Lanier again, evades a slam but gets caught by the second one.

Somewhat disconcertingly, the cable attached to #5 jumps, pressurizing, lighting up where it attaches the back of the armour. Brown glue spurts around the cuts and impacts, then solidify.

<pre>Namira, More channels.
GAME: Namira rolls 2d6: (9): 9</pre>

"I can't keep this up!" Namira calls out to everyone.....

<pre>GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Melee+1+2-2: (1)+9+1+2+-2: 11 (EPIC FAIL)</pre>

After his most previous miss on the 5th Corpse Armor's cable, Lanier snarls and points towards the 5th Corse Armor, "To hell with you in particular!" He hefts the sword back over his head and swings his sword back at its cable with a grunt. He didn't make the effort to contain his swings to suit the enclosed area, and immediately gets his sword smacked by the ceiling of the area they are in, which illicits a short string of curses from Lanier as he sets up his next attack.

Acedia sings, "Smash 'em! Bash 'em! Rum rolly roh!"

<pre>Braelnoir, power attack the cable, cleave into ca5
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon4: (19)+7: 26
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d8+10: (4)+10: 14
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon4: (13)+7: 20
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d8+10: (6)+10: 16</pre>

Braelnoir is censured for her profanity as she gets an armored across the breastplate, knocking the wind out of her with a, "Whuff!" then catches another in the side that forces her to soak the impact with a step. Noticing the cable and it's antics, she pushes back off of her shock absorbing posture and arcs the hammer brazenly up over her head, intending on smashing that damned thing loose and bury her hammerhead into the deadman's back, "Fall....FALL!!" she snarls, newly finned tail going wild behind her.

<pre>GAME: Nels rolls 1d20+13: (10)+13: 23
GAME: Nels rolls 1d10+6: (2)+6: 8</pre>

Nels is keen on concentrating fire, and when Braelnoir hits the one right in front of her, it sets her up perfectly. She places the barrel all but up against the armor plate and pulls the trigger, smoke and flame erupting as the lead shot is driven almost completely through the monstrous machine thing, which falls over from the momentum.

<pre>GAME: Ezil rolls weapon11: (6)+8: 14</pre>

Oh, Ezil was doing so good! Now, not so much. It's a swing and a whiff as his warhammer misses his target in this very chaotic fray of battle. "You still want to salvage this monstrosity, Nels? I want to blow it into a different realm now!"

<pre>CA7 on Ezil, PA, CA8 on Lanier, PA
GAME: Corpse Armour 7 rolls 1d20+6: (11)+6: 17
GAME: Corpse Armour 7 rolls 1d20+6: (20)+6: 26
GAME: Corpse Armour 7 rolls 1d6+8: (1)+8: 9
GAME: Corpse Armour 7 damaged Ezil for 9 points. 32 HP remaining.
GAME: Corpse Armour 8 rolls 1d20+6: (12)+6: 18
GAME: Corpse Armour 8 rolls 1d20+6: (19)+6: 25
GAME: Corpse Armour 8 rolls 1d6+8: (4)+8: 12
GAME: Corpse Armour 8 rolls 1d6+8: (5)+8: 13
GAME: Corpse Armour 8 damaged Lanier for 25 points. 5 HP remaining.</pre>

The Corpse Armours numbers are dwindling, with only Number 7 and Number 8 remaining in the fight. The concerted party effort on the one attacking Braelnoir completely deactivated it.

Unfortunately, that meant the attention was focused elsewhere. Ezil is hit by a hard blow, but the two slam attacks from the damaged one attacking Lanier nearly beat the ranger two the ground. Solid and well timed he takes one to the head, one to the gut.

Inside this room, lights continue to flash, switching from white, to amber, some orange. Strange 'chunk, wrrr-chunk' noises are heard within the walls.

Seeing that Lanier is in trouble, Namira walks her way forward. "Lanier! Back away from the fight. I'll heal once you are closer."

<pre>GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged+1+1+2-2-2: (13)+8+1+1+2+-2+-2: 21
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged+1+1+2-2-2: (20)+8+1+1+2+-2+-2: 28 (THREAT)
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged+1+1+2-2-2: (19)+8+1+1+2+-2+-2: 27
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d8+8: (3)+8: 11
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d8+8: (5)+8: 13 (x3)
<OOC> Total 50 Damage</pre>

Lanier turns his head back behind him to look towards Namira and nod his head quickly. Not seeming all too happy with it, even he can't argue with the logic while blood is coming out of his ears. He turns back to his nearest enemy to eyeball where he's at, ducking slightly, and taking a step away towards the Cleric. He turns an almost full circle, letting his greatsword fall with one hand while unshouldering his longbow with a practiced ease and quickness. He stops his full turn with a stomp of his foot, an arrow already strung and pulled back to his cheek. He lets the first arrow fly, impacting solidly into the 8th Corpse Armor. He then reaches down to the quiver on his belt, quickdrawing a second arrow and letting that fly as well.

The second arrow splits the first arrow into four individual pieces, flying at full strength through most compromised part of its armor. It flies back with force, landing on the ground and shattering.

Acedia sings, "I can heal tooooo! Oh you're much better with arrows. Inspire, inspire!"

<pre>AOO on Braelnoir
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+8: (12)+8: 20
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon4+2: (8)+7+2: 17</pre>

With things going so lively, she edges slightly so Lanier can move back to his healer and... pincushion the unliving hell out of number 8, she nimply clip-clops around past the last abomination's attack, but doesn't quite land her counterstroke. Maybe inspired, maybe in a pang of pity, she picks up a hoof and quickly beats out a pattern into the deck with it, "blah sandy" <unknown>

Translation: 'Freedom. Rest.'

<pre>Nels, Shoot at the one Brael attacked.
GAME: Nels rolls 1d20+13: (3)+13: 16
GAME: Nels rolls 1d10+6: (7)+6: 13</pre>

Nels loads another round, coughing in the smoke, and she waits just a moment for the tangle of bodies to step clear. She just needs a moment, and BAM, the gun fires with a sound like thunder, and a lead ball slams into the armor.

<pre>GAME: Braelnoir rolls diplomacy: (1)+4: 5 (EPIC FAIL)</pre>

<pre>Ezil will put his mace in his shield hand, and use his standard action to Lay on Hands Lanier.
GAME: Ezil rolls 3d6: (14): 14</pre>

Ezil shoves his mace into his shield hand, unable to fight like this, but that is not the point. His now free hand reaches out, pressing into Lanier's back as he lets forth the brilliant energy of Telmentar as his words flow. "Be at ease, you walk under the stars today. You will be well, Brother!" his healing touch mending some of the man's wounds as he channels what power he can.

<pre>GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (4)+6: 10
GAME: Cryosanthia rolls 1d20+6: (13)+6: 19</pre>

The Corpse Armour turns around, the last one standing, as Braelnoir moves past him and to flank. Her blows are ineffective, it's Nels shot that does significant damage, punchin g a hole in its back. Its cable is glowing, pumping, and the brown substance flows down it's back.

The silvery chimera can see the two blows coming are going to hurt. Except they don't. Poorly aimed, glancing, the perhaps more unsettling thing is they tap out a reply she understands.

"... Papa... Nova... Sophia..."

Translation: 'Please. Now. Can't Stop.'

<pre>Namira, Cure moderate wounds on Lanier.
GAME: Namira rolls 2d8+3: (3)+3: 6</pre>

Namira places her hand on Lanier's shoulder. "Use your bow and stay with me." She says as Lanier's wounds close slowly. "The lady feels you may be pressing your luck up there." She says as she starts to back away.

<pre>GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged+1+1+2-4: (5)+8+1+1+2+-4: 13
GAME: Lanier rolls 1d20+Ranged+1+1+2-4: (8)+8+1+1+2+-4: 16</pre>

Taking a deep breath, Lanier lets it out quickly but definitely in a way that is clearly relieved. He looks back, nodding to Namira, "Thank you." He then turns back towards the fight that is carrying on, intended to be away from it, but certainly not out of it. He picks up another arror from his quiver, setting it up on his bow and drawing the arrow back. He takes an extra moment, certainly not seeming as confident with his aim as he waits for a momentary break in the fighting to send two arrows in quick succession towards the remaining Corpse Armor. Unfortunately, both arrows fly high in a quest to avoid hitting Lanier's allies.

<pre>GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon4+2: (10)+7+2: 19
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d8+10: (4)+10: 14
GAME: Braelnoir rolls weapon4+2: (13)+7+2: 22
GAME: Braelnoir rolls 1d8+10: (8)+10: 18</pre>

Braelnoir expression darkens and something's wrong with her left eye, maybe some dust got into it, as she nods, edging back to tap another quick message. Her grip on the hammer shifts, and the haft creaks in her grip. "blah blrgl blrgl" She suddenly jukes to the side and with a snarl and an...errant, glittering tear, she smashes through the cable and into, no -through- it's mooring plate to the construct beyond. <unknown>

Translation: 'I relieve you.'

<pre>GAME: Nels rolls 1d20+13: (14)+13: 27
GAME: Nels rolls 1d10+6: (3)+6: 9</pre>

Nels reloads hastily, her finger flying, and no sooner has she packed her shot in, she draws a bead, fires at the next corpse armor. The lead ball slams into it, center body mass, and the soft lead flattens, tearing though whatever's inside it, and it falls over, leaking brown.

The concentrated efforts of the party are enough. With the silvery chimera's accurate attacks, and the goblin-human's careful shots, the Corpse Armour is damaged beyond function. It falls over with a heavy thunk. The lights on its helmet cycle, turning red, then shutting off. The severed cable leaks fluid, and then plugs itself.

Its last movements are a tapping on the metal floor of the airship.

"... Tango... Moon ... blrgl blah..."

The last Corpse Armour is still. They are all immobile, some standing, most smashed to pieces or in the water. The machinery in this chamber still seems active in some form.

Translation: '... Thank You.... Map... Lies... Trap...'

Braelnoir swallows, standing over the fallen armor, the hammer dripping the foul alchemy that bound the fallen souls to this watch then softly says, "I know... Sup with your brothers, soldier." She brings a hand to her face, "Was a trap...." she says aloud, "We were played. Nels, where'd they keep th'power in this shitbox?" Question asked, she moves back to gather her discarded weaponry....

There might have been a generator or something above this section, but there don't seem entrances to it from here.

Nels huhs to Braelnoir, "I don't think it was a trap, per se, we just walked into the ready room where these things were kept." As to the power, she looks around, and says, "Probably the next deck up, but I don't see any way to get there from here."

"I mentioned that possibility with the third map." Ezil says to Braelnoir, looking over Lanier and letting out a sigh as he assesses his wounds. "This was a mess. They wanted to add to the crew or something? Or were they just defending?" he asks, looking about at the others, and raising a brow to Nels. "Possible... but this place has us hard pressed. We need to disable it so others don't stumble in like we did."

As the last one falls, Lanier lowers his bow and sighs. There's no false bravado, or sadness that it's over. He did his job and he seems satisfied with that. He looks between Ezil and Braelnor and then towards Nels. He takes a look around and then asks, "Why don't we follow the cables?"

There isn't far to go to find the source of the cables. They all terminate in tracks in this room, most of them are the tracks that the pedestals ran behind, but there are rows on the wall that the ones seen on the ramp trace back to. This does indeed seem like a ready room of sorts, there are spots the Corpse Armours could be staged against the wall.

Braelnoir stops and taps out the relevant parts of the last thing the armor was able to rap out before it's occupant passed. "That knockin was talk... his last communication, 'e said 'Map lies... Trap'." She doesn't look back to Nels as she answers her, doesn't really look at anyone, as she puts everything away and cleans her hammer before doing so for it as well. The Korite makes no triumphant bellow, or bravado, just seems to be in a distant contemplation, "I know we ate a lot of spells getting this far. How're we lookin on that front?"

Nels peers at Ezil, and she asks tartly, "Were you asleep just now? That's what we just spent the last several minutes doing was /disabling/ these things. They're pretty disabled now, I'd say. That one," she eyes one that had taken a big hit, "looks -very- disabled. They're not moving, and no one turned 'em off, so they must be disabled." She'll look around for ways out of this room that lead deeper into the ship, maybe? That'd be the way to go.

The mul'neissa says, "I have to go back. I'm out. No channels and one heal spell. That won't be enough if there's anything else."

After a few moment's thought, "A'ight, so that's one t'head back. Any case we can bury these poor bastards." Brae glances at the human woman, "Nels? Talk atcha fer a minute?" she inquires, making a little toss of her head toward the exit and starts to head to the external deck, "Back in a few, boys." The chimera scoops up a loose bolt, weighing it in her hand once she's outside once more.

The goblin bard plucks a few strings on her lute, "I can heal, but I don't think you want to rely on a bard for that. Some of this seems valuable, and what the other party had. Do you think we've got enough to take back now?"

Ezil raises a brow as the others are deciding what to do, looking after Braelnoir as she goes to corner Nels. A shrug is offered as she passes him, he's just been a passenger for this ride, and so he lets Braelnoir decide their course. "Been a lot of bringing honor back to the dead these days." absently said as he eyes those Corpse Armors a bit warily.

Nels ehs to Braelnoir, but will head over. When the cleric says she's out of heals, Nels says, "Uh, in that case going back sounds good. We can always come back after. This place has been abandoned for centuries, a day or two can't matter."

The Corpse Armour's armour, looks really thick. Thicker than a normal individual would handle.

<pre>GAME: Ezil rolls perception+10: (13)+2+10: 25</pre>

Braelnoir's newly modified tail undulates languidly behind her as she considers the relatively still expanses between her and the crevasse and, as she hears someone, probably Nels come up behind her, "First... I wanna say ya done real good. Never worked close with a belcher slinger before, wouldn'a thought ya could work'm in th'splash zone like that. I been thinin' about the fish, an' something Kaelyn told me. About sometimes the darts that changed us will burn out." That spoken, she absently tosses the bolt into the water to see if the fish are paying attention with a tiny >ploop!< "First time I's here, I stuck a hoof in the water t'see what'd happen. It... tickled, but kind of tingled, too, and I could... suddenly feel how many darts are still in me. It's possible, if some o'yer darts've burnt out that the fish could get rid o'the rest.... or ya could end up done like me. I won't nudge ya either way on't cuz it's yer body, but if ya poke a toe in an' maybe if ya only got one dart left runnin' they could clear y'up and you can go back with yer own face."

Nels's eyes go super wide at Braelnoir's revelation about the curse they share, though she says, "Well. That's actually a good plan, but I definitely don't want to change back to a guy while wearing a dress. People would complain. Plus, I've got an angle on an anti-magic zone under the Artificers' Guild, back in Alexandria. Kaelyn said she'd tried it, and it worked, but she changed back after she left it. But I'm gonna stay longer. I've got a plan to keep staying until the curse breaks. If there's like dart things that can run out, I think staying longer in the anti-magic area ought to do the trick." She bows her head at the praise for her gunnery, "Thanks. Not too many take it to the limit like I do, it's more of a sideline for them, but I think I can really do it effectively."

"So.....What do you all wish to do with the rest of the corpse armors?" Namira says bluntly?

Unsanctioned Detection reveals a few things. The first Corpse Armour, the one in the water, and the last three, 6, 7, 8, are New. They're goblins, they're from the same group. The other CAs, CA1-5, those seem much older, from back when Merkabah was flying, and this thing, presumably, was flying. One of the goblins, one of the new CAs, you're sure you've seen her, yes her, around the Explorer's Guild. The Armour, it looks like there's the metal armour layer, on top of other armour for a couple of them. Glued and bolted to the armour to the armour they're wearing. There's the unsettling realization that they weren't completely dead before, but were in some kind of drug induced dementia and dreamstate, similar to the effect Lanier was experiencing.

Ezil lets out a hefty sigh, shaking his head as he looks back to Braelnoir and Nels as they have their conversation, interrupting. "This thing wants a crew. It's luring people here to man it. I know one of these corpses." his tone dropping. "We killed them... the new souls were alive in those suits, and we didn't notice it. The gas has some control of them. Look at what it did to Lanier." a hand shaking as he looks back up the ramp with a narrowed glance. "Damnit.... DAMNIT!" slamming that fist into the plank before him, standing up abruptly. "We need to come back... it needs to be scuttled. It can't keep collecting souls like this! Others are going to fall victim to it. Some of these people we could of saved."

Braelnoir chuckles a bit at the visual and nods, "Well, it comes down t'-that- we can work around yer threads. Got me a toy that works pretty-!" she trails off with Namira's query, "I wanna take-" then Ezil's outburst brings her at a gallop back inside, "WHAT?"

Nels looks up from her conversation with Braelnoir, "Huh?" But she agrees, "If collecting souls is part of what runs the ship, then yeah, it's all worthless and got to be scrapped. But we ought to go to Alexandria and get an actual airship engineer to see if they're related."

"No. This thing needs to be torched." Namira says pointedly. "Capturing people and turning them into half alive abominations is an affront to Vardama. It needs to be destroyed......."

"This girl here." Motioning to a goblin woman at his feet. "She was kept prisoner by the gas. I don't know how, but it seems to control them. It's building a crew of captives, but while some are from Merkebah... these ones here." motioning to some of the different Corpse Armors. "They are recent additions to the crew." turning and letting out a heavy sigh, clenching his fist, and shaking his head. "It wants a crew again. It's seeking people for it. Luring them in with the damned maps. It has to be ended." looking to Namira in agreement on his last words. Yep, his path seems set.

Namira says, "One body. One head. It's all we need."

Braelnoir isn't flushed with anger, at least, not visibly through the silver, but she shakes her head, "A'ight, let's take their heads back fer burial, the rest needs t'go. Go proper.. an ferever. Let's get the grim outta th'way an' get back to find some more hands to do this right." A hand settles on Ezil's shoulder, her eyes concerned, though her regard of the priestess is only less familiar.

Nels looks really conflicted, but at last agrees, "If the engines were running off the souls also, then this whole thing is useless." She will help however she can with getting us all back packing and carrying bodies.

It's a lot of hauling to get the dead back. Even taking only the heads is a burden. There are nine of them, they're heavy, there's a strange glassiness to their eyes which are occasionally visible through the goggles. Even in a sack, out of sight, there is still the depressing weight.

Across the underground lake, through the crevice, crawling, pushing Lanier and his wolf through as much as the sacks of heads, it's a rough return trip. It's dark when the group finally returns to the informal exploration base camp set up near Merkabah.

[[Category:Logs|Merkabah - The Crashed Airship, pt 2]]