Post by hubertbartels on Dec 4, 2017 15:50:33 GMT -5
Waking up in Dinvaya's Chapel of Brigh, the party prepared to invade Hellion's temple. Dinvaya came by and thanked Ashe and Niferia for their aid in packing. She had sent a silver raven to Aldonardo's Grave and a ratfolk packtrain would be arriving in a few days to take her and her baggage to Torch. Dinvaya also gave the party a few scrolls that might come in handy.
Back across the wreckage and trash of Scrapwall under a dreary and overcast sky, clear but cold, the party entered Redtooth's warrens. There, they found the ratfolk leader busy preparing the offensive against Hellion. She sent Bright Eyes and Longtail as guides through the ratfolk tunnels and said she would send more support later. Patrols would be sent out to catch anyone fleeing from the temple.
While proceeding through the tunnels, Longtail explained why he had joined up with Hellion in the first case. The ratfolk were working on their own spaceship, re-engineered from the wreckage of Scrapwall. It was their hope to rejoin their kin, the Ysoki, out in space again. The ratfolk had been working on the ship for many generations. Hellion, with his knowledge of technology, seem to promise to provide much insight and and expertise. But a group of renegade ratfolk, with the approval of Hellion, attempted to seize the technological cache of items that Redtooth's ratfolks had gathered - and in doing this, had triggered the explosion of Cylex that destroyed the tunnels leading to the hidden ship and possibly, the ship itself. Longtail and his fellow ratfolks, saddened by the loss, left Hellion and returned to Redtooth.
The party arrived at the exit from the tunnels. Ahead was a large cleared arena, with a squat tower at one end and arches at the other end. A few orcs were in the arena, sparring. When the party began to fight the orcs, Helskrag the troll leaped from the tower and charged Obin and Aromil. Four Ogres crashed out from the base of the squat tower to help Helskrag. The orcs were cleared with a fireball, Helskrag became paralyzed from a spell she could not shake off fast enough and the ogres were quickly cut down.
Entering the tower, the party found two monitors - the pictures that others had talked about. Hellion appeared on them and demanded instant obedience. Astrovel flicked one monitor off. Hellion responded by hitting everyone with a Chaos Hammer spell. Eramus killed the monitor with a chipping hammer and then killed the other one as well.
Descending, the party entered a temple to Hellion. Hellion was yelling at his priest and his acolytes through a holographic projection. Astrovel put another fireball into the middle of the crowd and Aromil rushed over and knocked out Nalakai, Hellion's priest. In questioning the orc priest, the party learned that Hellion wanted to kill someone in Silver Mount. He was excavating a large machine for this purpose.
From the temple, the party descended through a hole in the floor to a staircase into a vast chamber - lit by powerful lights near the ceiling. Hellion turned off this lights, plunging the free-standing stairway and everything into darkness. But most of the party could see in the darkness and Astrovel cast light. So they made short work of the group of Dark Creepers and their leader, Tatterface, rushing up the steps.
At the base, the party walked a short stretch and mounted a gangway into the excavator. Passing through the remains of a door, they found a short hallway, bending right. To the left was a locked door. Ashe was able to break in. The party found themselves in the Central Processing Station. Using the inhibitor facet, the party managed to force Hellion from the control of the excavator,blind him by denying him the monitors to spy on them and weaken him.
Returning to the hallway, the party turned right and entered the Control Room - a room filled with instrumentation, dials, lights and readouts. Here was Kulgara with her powered chainsaw and a small number of tough orcs. By repeatedly powering down the chainsaw, Astrovel was able to take away her greatest damaging weapon. By the time she switched to a 2-handed mace from one of the dead orcs, it was too late.
While examining the room, loud footsteps were heard outside from the excavating arm. An ettin was approaching the Control Room. Obin and Aromil stopped her at the door. Eramus finished her off with Dark Whispers, causing her to fall off the excavating arm and crash 80' below.
From the evidence that Kulgara left behind, Hellion is a A.I., spawned by a larger A.I. named 'Unity'. Hellion wasn't the first A.I. spawned by 'Unity' - there was another - a female android named 'Casandralee'. She also escaped Unity's control along with a neurocam that is supposed to carry many of Unity's secrets. Unity is hidden in Silver Mount and Hellion was bound and determined to kill Unity and assume control of Unity's power.
An examination of the monitors in the Control Room pinpointed Hellion and 2 smaller robots at the end of the excavating arm. The party went out there, walking along the excavating arm. At the end, they found a large scorpion-like robot observing two smaller robots as they were digging an escape tunnel. As the party approached, the scorpion robot turned toward them and asked in Hellion's voice if they had come to join him in his crusade against Unity? The party said no.
There was a battle. Aromil used his flaming fists and Ashe his laser pistol while Astrovel and Eramus unloaded spell after spell. Hellion's spider robot collapsed and blew up. The reign of the Lords of Rust was over.
Returning to Redtooth's Warren, the party gave the good news to the ratfolk leader. Then they went back to Dinvaya's chapel to wait for the packtrain back to Torch.
Back across the wreckage and trash of Scrapwall under a dreary and overcast sky, clear but cold, the party entered Redtooth's warrens. There, they found the ratfolk leader busy preparing the offensive against Hellion. She sent Bright Eyes and Longtail as guides through the ratfolk tunnels and said she would send more support later. Patrols would be sent out to catch anyone fleeing from the temple.
While proceeding through the tunnels, Longtail explained why he had joined up with Hellion in the first case. The ratfolk were working on their own spaceship, re-engineered from the wreckage of Scrapwall. It was their hope to rejoin their kin, the Ysoki, out in space again. The ratfolk had been working on the ship for many generations. Hellion, with his knowledge of technology, seem to promise to provide much insight and and expertise. But a group of renegade ratfolk, with the approval of Hellion, attempted to seize the technological cache of items that Redtooth's ratfolks had gathered - and in doing this, had triggered the explosion of Cylex that destroyed the tunnels leading to the hidden ship and possibly, the ship itself. Longtail and his fellow ratfolks, saddened by the loss, left Hellion and returned to Redtooth.
The party arrived at the exit from the tunnels. Ahead was a large cleared arena, with a squat tower at one end and arches at the other end. A few orcs were in the arena, sparring. When the party began to fight the orcs, Helskrag the troll leaped from the tower and charged Obin and Aromil. Four Ogres crashed out from the base of the squat tower to help Helskrag. The orcs were cleared with a fireball, Helskrag became paralyzed from a spell she could not shake off fast enough and the ogres were quickly cut down.
Entering the tower, the party found two monitors - the pictures that others had talked about. Hellion appeared on them and demanded instant obedience. Astrovel flicked one monitor off. Hellion responded by hitting everyone with a Chaos Hammer spell. Eramus killed the monitor with a chipping hammer and then killed the other one as well.
Descending, the party entered a temple to Hellion. Hellion was yelling at his priest and his acolytes through a holographic projection. Astrovel put another fireball into the middle of the crowd and Aromil rushed over and knocked out Nalakai, Hellion's priest. In questioning the orc priest, the party learned that Hellion wanted to kill someone in Silver Mount. He was excavating a large machine for this purpose.
From the temple, the party descended through a hole in the floor to a staircase into a vast chamber - lit by powerful lights near the ceiling. Hellion turned off this lights, plunging the free-standing stairway and everything into darkness. But most of the party could see in the darkness and Astrovel cast light. So they made short work of the group of Dark Creepers and their leader, Tatterface, rushing up the steps.
At the base, the party walked a short stretch and mounted a gangway into the excavator. Passing through the remains of a door, they found a short hallway, bending right. To the left was a locked door. Ashe was able to break in. The party found themselves in the Central Processing Station. Using the inhibitor facet, the party managed to force Hellion from the control of the excavator,blind him by denying him the monitors to spy on them and weaken him.
Returning to the hallway, the party turned right and entered the Control Room - a room filled with instrumentation, dials, lights and readouts. Here was Kulgara with her powered chainsaw and a small number of tough orcs. By repeatedly powering down the chainsaw, Astrovel was able to take away her greatest damaging weapon. By the time she switched to a 2-handed mace from one of the dead orcs, it was too late.
While examining the room, loud footsteps were heard outside from the excavating arm. An ettin was approaching the Control Room. Obin and Aromil stopped her at the door. Eramus finished her off with Dark Whispers, causing her to fall off the excavating arm and crash 80' below.
From the evidence that Kulgara left behind, Hellion is a A.I., spawned by a larger A.I. named 'Unity'. Hellion wasn't the first A.I. spawned by 'Unity' - there was another - a female android named 'Casandralee'. She also escaped Unity's control along with a neurocam that is supposed to carry many of Unity's secrets. Unity is hidden in Silver Mount and Hellion was bound and determined to kill Unity and assume control of Unity's power.
An examination of the monitors in the Control Room pinpointed Hellion and 2 smaller robots at the end of the excavating arm. The party went out there, walking along the excavating arm. At the end, they found a large scorpion-like robot observing two smaller robots as they were digging an escape tunnel. As the party approached, the scorpion robot turned toward them and asked in Hellion's voice if they had come to join him in his crusade against Unity? The party said no.
There was a battle. Aromil used his flaming fists and Ashe his laser pistol while Astrovel and Eramus unloaded spell after spell. Hellion's spider robot collapsed and blew up. The reign of the Lords of Rust was over.
Returning to Redtooth's Warren, the party gave the good news to the ratfolk leader. Then they went back to Dinvaya's chapel to wait for the packtrain back to Torch.