Heroica: Glory Amongst The Stars - Mission #6: We Now Interrupt This Broadcast

[Endgame]

23 minutes ago, Waterbrick Down said:

"What's your beef with him?" Valesia indicate the O'Kor'Uk.

"I have never seen this creature in my life."

"Yeah! Because you nearly RAN ME OVER with your speeder bike while you were zooming over here! I can't help being so, so... low to the ground. I saw all of the Enchidira roughing him up and decided to join in."

[The Legonater]

1 hour ago, Endgame said:

 

"What are you looking at, flyboy, never seen a Progg before? I bet you're an even crappier driver than that guy in the dumb hat."

11 minutes ago, Endgame said:

"Yeah! Because you nearly RAN ME OVER with your speeder bike while you were zooming over here! I can't help being so, so... low to the ground. I saw all of the Enchidira roughing him up and decided to join in."

Soren peers at the strange creature that was attempting to insult him. While he didn't have any love for the officer, he had less love for the mouthy insect.

I say we just kill the thing, the pilot suggests, and casts hampering hold to freeze the Progg to the ground.

 

[Alix]

26 minutes ago, The Legonater said:

I say we just kill the thing, the pilot suggests, and casts hampering hold to freeze the Progg to the ground.

The creature's ability to talk had taken Max off guard. Suddenly it seemed far more human than just a moment ago.

"We could also just drive it off" Then looking at the small creature he implored it "I think you ought to take my Cladrasith friend's advice. There's no way you can fight all of us"

[Waterbrick Down]

1 hour ago, Endgame said:

"I have never seen this creature in my life."

"Yeah! Because you nearly RAN ME OVER with your speeder bike while you were zooming over here! I can't help being so, so... low to the ground. I saw all of the Enchidira roughing him up and decided to join in."

"Perhaps an apology is in order from both parties then," Valesia looks with disapproval at the officer.

[Endgame]

On 11/17/2021 at 6:42 PM, The Legonater said:

Soren peers at the strange creature that was attempting to insult him. While he didn't have any love for the officer, he had less love for the mouthy insect.

I say we just kill the thing, the pilot suggests, and casts hampering hold to freeze the Progg to the ground.

 

If the creature could've gone pale, it would've.

"Wait wait wait wait wait wait-"

Soren's Hampering Hold - (5) - 1 success!

A magical force suddenly compresses the Progg down to the sand, tail and all, forcing him to wriggle. He struggles against the hampering hold and actually does break free, his tail popping off in the process. Judging by his reaction, though, he didn't seem too fussed about it.

"You jerks! That'll take days to grow back! I'm leaving!"

The little Progg turns tail (well, what was left of it) and starts to flee.

The battle was won!

All agents gain a character point. Agents, please distribute the loot:

Golden Gel Hide: Standard Energy/Kinetic Armor

Whip Tail: Calibrated Short-Range Kinetic Weapon

Nanite Elixir: (Consumable) Removes 1 negative status effect from character

Plasma Potion: (Consumable) Heals character 1d6 Vitality + user's Medicine proficiency

The Agents

Maximilian Vetre (Alix)
44 cycles old Male Elf
Character Points: 3/12
Vitality: 5/6
Velocity: 2
Strength: 3
Skill: 2
Smarts: 1
Proficiencies: Explosives 2, Occult 1, Short Range Weapons 2
Credits: 10
Equipment:  D-KA Carbine (Standard Kinetic Short Range Weapon), Rampart Kinetic Shield (Standard Kinetic Armor), Energy Cell
Inventory: 2 Hydrocobalt Shards
Locker:  Empty

Valesia (Waterbrick Down)
110 Year Old Female Cladrasith
Character Points: 3/15
Vitality: 1/5
Velocity: 2
Strength: 1
Skill: 2
Smarts: 1
Spirit: 3/3
Proficiencies: Insight 1, Medicine 1, Nature 3
Known Spells: Elemental Evocation, Healing Light, Mystic Binding, Photonic Manipulation
Credits: 70
Equipment: Holo-scroll, Chef's Kit (Standard Kinetic Melee Weapon)
Inventory: Ætherbrew, Essence of Precaution
Locker:

Soren Aeolus (The Legonater)
31-year-old male Human
Character Points: 4/17
Vitality: 4/5
Velocity: 2
Strength: 1
Skill: 3
Smarts: 2
Spirit: 1/2
Proficiencies: Nature 1, Insight 1, Piloting 2, Short-Range Weapons 2
Spells: Elemental Evocation, Mystic Binding
Equipment: MK-12 personal handgun (short-ranged calibrated energy weapon), Farsight Goggles, Hacking Chip, Plasma Potion, Energy Cell
Credits: 10

---

The battle won and the little progg burying itself in the sand, running away, the officer walks over and gives a slight bow.

"I realize I may have been a bit ornery at first, seeing you come in here. I took you for Wastelanders and thought my time was up. Clearly you're more reasonable than them. My name is Agron, and I'm an Savior City Police Officer, Wasteland Recovery decision. And you three are... Well, whoever or whatever you are, you bailed me out. So. Thanks. What brings you to this pit, anyway?"

[Waterbrick Down]

“You’re welcome, Hun. We’re researchers of a sort. What brings someone from Savior City, out here?” Valesia takes as many moments as needed to mediate to full Spirit and heal all of the party.

[The Legonater]

Soren watches in disdain as the creature slips out of his hold and away from them. If he saw that thing again, it was on sight.

20 hours ago, Endgame said:

"I realize I may have been a bit ornery at first, seeing you come in here. I took you for Wastelanders and thought my time was up. Clearly you're more reasonable than them. My name is Agron, and I'm an Savior City Police Officer, Wasteland Recovery decision. And you three are... Well, whoever or whatever you are, you bailed me out. So. Thanks. What brings you to this pit, anyway?"

The weather. We're here to put up weather vanes. 

Assessing the situation, Soren holsters his weapon, either unaware of the unlikely image of a meteorologist with a gun, or apathetic as to his appearances.

[Endgame]

1 hour ago, Waterbrick Down said:

“You’re welcome, Hun. We’re researchers of a sort. What brings someone from Savior City, out here?” Valesia takes as many moments as needed to mediate to full Spirit and heal all of the party.

Valesia succesfully mends the wounds of her fellow agents, as well of her own. Electrical burn marks, fang scars, bruises, poof, gone.

"Researchers, huh, okay." Agron says, shrugging. "Well trained ones,apparently. You can hold your own. Like I said, I'm in Wasteland Recovery." Agron gestures to the hunk of scrap metal they were in. "Our job is to ride out in the wastelands and get back any data or possessions we can from wrecks like this. Some of it archival, some of it for administrative purposes, some of it to give families closure on their lost ones.  Half of the stuff we investigate got wrecked during the Gate Collapse, but this case was a little unique... We have reason to believe that this sub got sunk at least a couple years before the collapse. To me, the scorch marks on the hull breach confirmed it. Once I find the sub's black box, then I'll have my hunch confirmed."

49 minutes ago, The Legonater said:

Soren watches in disdain as the creature slips out of his hold and away from them. If he saw that thing again, it was on sight.

The weather. We're here to put up weather vanes. 

Assessing the situation, Soren holsters his weapon, either unaware of the unlikely image of a meteorologist with a gun, or apathetic as to his appearances.

Agron belly laughs, but then realizes that Soren may not be kidding.

"...Researchers, I get. Lots of hydrocobalt veins to track down and all that. Weather vanes? It's storming. Always. That's the kind of lie Wastelanders feed Savior City personnel right before they jump 'em."

[The Legonater]

9 minutes ago, Endgame said:

"...Researchers, I get. Lots of hydrocobalt veins to track down and all that. Weather vanes? It's storming. Always. That's the kind of lie Wastelanders feed Savior City personnel right before they jump 'em."

The pilot shrugs.

I like storms. 'Think they're super interesting. 'Want to learn more about 'em. 

[Endgame]

8 minutes ago, The Legonater said:

The pilot shrugs.

I like storms. 'Think they're super interesting. 'Want to learn more about 'em. 

Agron crosses his arms.

"Yeah. Suppose they are. You wouldn't mind if I watch the set-up of whatever... Weather vane you're setting up, would you?"

According to the signal light on the skiff's dashboard, right outside of the sub is where the party was supposed to set up the second and final antenna. They may do so at any time.

Edited November 20, 2021 by Endgame

[The Legonater]

12 minutes ago, Endgame said:

"Yeah. Suppose they are. You wouldn't mind if I watch the set-up of whatever... Weather vane you're setting up, would you?"

Soren scowls. 

I'm very self-conscious about my work.

[Endgame]

The officer was getting increasingly suspicious. He turns to Valesia and Max.

"Are you two as shy about meteorology as he is? For the love of Ar'kon'il, you're all armed to the teeth, one of you is being cagey, and one of you is using a miner's blast shield. I know something is up here. We just splattered some jellyfish together, let's not go and ruin the moment here."

Edited November 20, 2021 by Endgame

[Waterbrick Down]

“We’re setting up monitoring equipment. Lots of electrical interference as of late, if you’re from Savior City, I’m sure you’re aware.”

[Endgame]

14 hours ago, Waterbrick Down said:

“We’re setting up monitoring equipment. Lots of electrical interference as of late, if you’re from Savior City, I’m sure you’re aware.”

"Now there's a story that checks out." Agron relaxes. "Yeah, we had someone from Corvanis Comms flood us with requests to investigate. I kept picking up the calls and pushing my superiors to look into it, but they deemed it a low priority item. How weird Invictus-like static, right around this time of the cycle, is low-priority is... Well, I don't call the shots. I go investigate what they tell me to. As much as I wish they'd let me investigate this one.

I noticed the static is worse out here in the wastes. I kept getting weird interference on my speeder's dashboard on the way over. Have you learned anything new about the static?"

[The Legonater]

15 hours ago, Endgame said:

"Now there's a story that checks out." Agron relaxes. "Yeah, we had someone from Corvanis Comms flood us with requests to investigate. I kept picking up the calls and pushing my superiors to look into it, but they deemed it a low priority item. How weird Invictus-like static, right around this time of the cycle, is low-priority is... Well, I don't call the shots. I go investigate what they tell me to. As much as I wish they'd let me investigate this one.

I noticed the static is worse out here in the wastes. I kept getting weird interference on my speeder's dashboard on the way over. Have you learned anything new about the static?"

Not as of yet. What are your opinions on this whole Invictus thing? 'Seems to have everyone here pretty worked up.

[Endgame]

16 hours ago, The Legonater said:

Not as of yet. What are your opinions on this whole Invictus thing? 'Seems to have everyone here pretty worked up.

Agron snorts.

"My opinion? Not an unpopular one around these parts, but I'm glad he's dead. You don't rack up one of the highest estimated body count of the Five Years War by being a swell guy. The fact that the Pluravvian Empire even got friendly enough to invite him onto their flagship,for any reason... Well, the Gate that fleet was guarding blew soon after, and he got wiped away with it. It's just a damn shame so many people had to get wiped off the map with him."

The police officer casts his eyes downward.

"I had a family aboard the vessel Invictus was reportedly on when the Desolation happened. Assistant Chief Engineer.To this day we don't know why he was aboard the Paragon. We don't know why the two fleets opened fire at each other, we don't know why the gate even fired up at all. That's why I'm in this line of work. Stuff like finding a blackbox, finding who torpedo'ed what, it does help families get closure."

Agron shakes his head.

"Right. Invictus. Bad news. I mean... You walked in here. You saw what he did to this sub, yeah?" Agron gestures around at the derelict they were in. Suddenly the static patterning on the hull breach was starting to make sense. "If it really was him, anyway. At any rate the broadcast can't be him. But if it's someone or something even remotely related to him, well, I'm willing to pitch a hand in and get that signal cut off at the source. This system needs to move on from that monster."

[Waterbrick Down]

"We should probably get our equipment setup then, should help triangulate the signal." Valesia looks to help setup the antennae.

[Alix]

On 11/22/2021 at 10:04 AM, The Legonater said:

Not as of yet. What are your opinions on this whole Invictus thing? 'Seems to have everyone here pretty worked up.

Max turned to look at the policeman. It would certainly be interesting to know how much and what the Savior city police knew about the cultist situation.

 

Apologies for the silence, i had surprise visitors over the weekend and that took all my time

[Endgame]

MM Note: No worries!

The party heads out of the submarine, not before Agron picks the blackbox he was searching for out from the rubble in the room they were in.

"Knew it was in here..."

Back out in the sandy plains, using the GPS indicator and the coordinates programmed into the skiffs, the party unloads and stands up the antenna in the right spot.

The agents flip the lever and the machine hums to life, the satellite receptors at the top spinning and coiling around to pick up broadcasted signals. Like before, a static hiss emerges from the device, the voice getting clearer and clearer still. Underneath the static and the distortion, it sounded heavily and clearly robotic.

"...Never... the war... aboard the Paragon, but... no evidence of... Invictus... terrorize... again..."

"Aboard the Paragon, but...? Hrmph. Either someone is having a computer speak for them, or it's machine generated. That didn't sound human." Agron crosses his arms, but his gaze darts westward ashe catches something in his peripheral vision.

A blue signal flare coming from the direction of Glenn's camp. It worked, he found the signal! The agents could meet up with him to figure out their mission's last destination.

"...My guess is that you three have places to be. Listen. I don't know what your leading theories are on this signal business, but the Wasteland is always dangerous. You helped me out, now I help you. Need another set of hands?"

Agron jerks his thumb towards his bike.

"Brought my own ride."

[Waterbrick Down]

Valesia turns to her companions with a lowered voice, "While I'm glad we didn't come to blows earlier, I'm not the keenest on putting too many of our eggs with the city, you two?"

[The Legonater]

4 hours ago, Waterbrick Down said:

Valesia turns to her companions with a lowered voice, "While I'm glad we didn't come to blows earlier, I'm not the keenest on putting too many of our eggs with the city, you two?"

Agreed. Last thing we need is a cop tailing us. 'Don't know if he was much help to us back there, anyways.

[Alix]

6 hours ago, The Legonater said:

Agreed. Last thing we need is a cop tailing us. 'Don't know if he was much help to us back there, anyways.

"Yea, its probably for the better if we go on with just the three of us."

[Waterbrick Down]

19 hours ago, Endgame said:

"...My guess is that you three have places to be. Listen. I don't know what your leading theories are on this signal business, but the Wasteland is always dangerous. You helped me out, now I help you. Need another set of hands?"

Agron jerks his thumb towards his bike.

"Brought my own ride."

Valesia smiles disarmingly, "We'll be alright, thank Hun. Besides, I'm sure your management is anxious for that black-box, no?"

[Endgame]

4 hours ago, Waterbrick Down said:

Valesia smiles disarmingly, "We'll be alright, thank Hun. Besides, I'm sure your management is anxious for that black-box, no?"

Agron shifts and looks over the group, a bit unconvinced, but ultimately relents.

"...Fair. Thank you again for the help back there, and stay safe in the wastes. I'll be monitoring the police scanner for news of your success. If I hear the static at all, well, they might send me back out here for you."

The party hops on their skiff, the officer hops on his bike, and the two groups head off in opposite directions. One back to the Savior City, and the other towards Glenn's camp.

The old undead turns as he hears the sound of the skiff approaching. The second the vehicle comes to a stop he turns off his console and begins to pack up.

"Mmrph, good, it's you. You shoot a signal flare in these parts and you never know who might answer. Give me just a second to pack up. I got the coordinates the second you set up the last antenna. Don't know exactly what's waiting for us but we know now exactly where to go."

With his normal industrious attitude Glenn packs up camp and loads it into the skiff.

"I keyed the coordinates in. Let's ride."

Before the agents knew it they were back on the road again, cruising towards their final objective. Sand and dust sprayed in their wake as they chased the horizon, Soren following the directions (or more literally, direction; all the skiff could show was a single arrow pointingtowards the keyed-in lat-and-long) the skiff was giving him.

The sun was beginning to set fully. The wastelands grew colder and darker.

"So. You did your tour around the wastes." Glenn says, addressing the party whilst stroking his beard. "How did it go, what did you see?"

[Waterbrick Down]

Valesia waves farewell to the officer and settles back into the skiff thinking upon the robotic message as they return to Glenn. Upon meeting up with the undead and packing up for their final journey she comments to their employer, "Plenty. Interacted with a bunch of wastelanders, not bad once you get them to lower their rifles and actually have a conversation. Nothing too difficult in our negotiations, though if we leave that antennae there for too long it might get picked apart for scrap. The submarine was a bit of a different matter. Came across an infestation of Enchidirus and a wasteland recovery officer duking it out. After helping him out we were able to get the second scanner in place and then high tailed it back here. I trust things have been uneventful? Also, do you know anything about the co-ordinates we're driving too?"