Archeotech – Treasure Hunt (IC thread)

[Urauloth]

Malgur Zelisug is late. This irritates him. He is unused to navigating cities and he doesn't care for them. In a steep ravine or a dense woodland he could find his way far more easily, or even though the arteries of a ship. At least this is the site: East Survey Team V. He takes a moment to look around. These land-crawlers must be the expedition vehicles. He has very little experience with these. 

The expedition leader will be with the largest vehicle, he reasons, and walks towards it. He notes, as he heads for the machine, that there is at least one metal thrall here. This is not a surprise, but it does nothing for the balance of his humours. Being around the metal thralls, the servitors, unnerves him. Men whose souls have been stolen by technological witchery. He suppresses a shudder at the thought. 

He hopes no one else is going to ask him for documentation today. If the expedition party is expecting him, it will be his first stroke of good luck since making planetfall.

[Petragor]

By the Emperor, who is that? A large, armed man wearing leathers and sporting only half a head of hair is approaching the Goliath that Mila is sitting in. She half expected him to draw his Scythe-like blade and shake her down, demanding raw meat or something else like that. But logically, she knew he wouldn't have made it all the way here if he was as savage as he seemed. He is probably just an eccentric feral-world warrior press-ganged from somewhere. Come to think of it, the survey team is still missing a member, and he does seem to be walking towards the ES V marked vehicle with quite a bit of purpose. No use theorizing all day, she would have to build up some courage and ask the guy about it.

Going down to the side door, she opens it and leans out, waving at the approaching man to get his attention.

 

"Hey you! We are East Survey Team Five, are you assigned to us?"

[Trokair]

Day 1, The Great East Highway 

 

While the freshly risen sun was on its long journey to noon the first hour bell of the day rung out from the spires of the churches across Keringrat. Following in their wake a clamor shouts and the awakening roar of engines echoed across the mustering yard.  

 

What had been a disorganised mass of people and equipment before, briefly turned into a even more hectic amalgam threatening to tip over into a mob, but then the last creates where loaded, the last men and women assembled and boarding their vehicles, the roads cleared and the slow train of the convey rumbled into to life.

 

All the east survey teams would leave as one long convey, with teams splitting of as they reached suitable points to turn inland. In the lead was the largest component, East Survey Team One, the largest group heading east, and the second largest in the entire expedition. For several long minutes ES I marked vehicles passed by, one by one filing out of the east gate and transferring to the temporary roadway joining up to the Grand East Highway that ran from Keringrat all the way to the eastern edge of Orialis southern coast.

 

Once ES I had passed team two filled in, and as the minutes passed on teams three and four followed in turn. Then it was your turn, with the Achilles in the lead the two components of your team followed the now well worn tracks across the marshalling yard to the eastern gate, behind you team six brought up the rear.

 

At the gate each vehicle briefly stopped another Official or one her aids checked each vehicle and the crew as they left. A little further back a Tech-Priest watched the proceedings. As you draw closer in the queue you can see that once in a while the Tech-Priest will motion one of its accompanying warrior’s forwards and join a vehicle.

 

Some of you might recognize these as Thallax, but even if you are not familiar with the particulars of the Ordo Reductor troops you will have seen plenty of Thallaxii around over the last few days.

 

As the Achilles pulls up and the official confirms with Kara that this was now team five, a Thallax walked over, stepped up onto the rear platform of the Achilles, one hand holding onto the rail, and gun in the left arm resting gently against the rail.

 

Over the coms in both the Achillies and the Goliath, and the combeads for those of you wearing them, he introduced himself.

 

+I am Orthal, here to observe and assist this expedition on behalf of my Master, Arch-Magos Ilmarnin. Please each of you confirm you name or designation so that I can probably assign your voice indents. +

 

 

 

 

I assume Ariel got into one of the vehicles (let us know which with your next update, or says so in the OOC) and Malgur is the Goliath, though whether in the cabin or in the back is up to you.

 

You can use this time for further character development, getting to know the team and so on. Perhaps you are listening to the convoy radio chatter, or maybe some music from home. Some of you may be watch the countryside roll by, or read something or check your gear. Maybe even try and catch some rest so as to better nurse any hangover from the previous day.

 

The team will travel in convey until sunset, where you will set up camp on the outskirts of the last towns along the Great East Highway, the next story update will feature the arival and settign up camp.  The convoy stopped a few times for short breaks, and each time elements of the convey pulled away and headed inland. By the time you reach your destination for the day’s journey the convey is less than a quarter of the starting size, with only teams four, five and six still left.

 

The Higheway itself starts as a ten lane wide road, with local traffic moving out of the convoys way, it roughly follows the southern coast of the continent, with the ocean in sight to the south and farmland, wilderness and the occasional woods in the visible countryside. Every once in a while you pass a town and scattered between them you can see villages further way, often clustered around harbours.  

Edited May 31, 2021 by Trokair

[Petragor]

Mila watches the Mechanical soldier embark the Achilles in front of her. She doesn't know the specific name of the warrior, she hasn't bothered to. He seems like just another cogboy, though maybe a little more of a fighter. A cog-trooper, so to say. As the message comes through, she pushes on the side of her helmet to press the microbead underneath and replies.

"Corporal Mila Pereen, reporting for duty for the third time today. Let's get rolling already."

She looks over at the man beside her, Malgur he called himself, waiting to see how he responds. He doesn't respond though, just tilts his head and looks at her briefly. He hand doesn't go up to the commbead in his ear, for the simple reason that there is no commbead in his ear.

"Oh frak, I forgot to give you this."

She rummages through a small compartment in the vehicle and pulls out a spare commbead, giving it to Malgur.

"Just, put this in your ear and press it to talk back. Be polite and introduce yourself to the cog-boy."

[Beren]

Kara had been looking over whatever briefing documents Ariel had allowed her to peruse. Whoever had put together the prep work for the expedition had done their job well. They were adequately provisioned, with all the background information they might require. Wasn't quite as good as being on home turf, but close enough.

 

The time delayed data-packet was... interesting. Most likely a cache of additional information that was of some significance, distributed in such a manner as to reduce the chance of someone leaking it to rival parties. Back in the Mythrat Cluster rival clans often kept tight lips about their target until their runs were already underway, though since everybody ran the same turf it wasn't hard to make educated guesses. She supposed she'd have to wait and see.

 

Suddenly the go-signal squawked through the vox, and Kara shoved the briefing papers into an apperture as she took up the controls, carefully guiding the Achilles down the road to where the gate awaited them.

 

+I am Orthal, here to observe and assist this expedition on behalf of my Master, Arch-Magos Ilmarnin. Please each of you confirm you name or designation so that I can probably assign your voice indents. +

 

+"Kara Llamare, S'Hel Void Clan. Omnissiah's gaze be upon you. "+

 

A moment later, she turns to her fellow passenger.

 

"You know how to use the auspex on this thing?"

[Trokair]

As you introduce yourself Orthal featureless helmet looks in each of your direction, irrespective of the intervening chassis and a short vox click acknowledges your replies. His gaze appears to linger longer on some of you, though it is hard to tell with the blank visor.

 

+and upon you Kara Llamare of the Void+ He vox’s in reply.

[Steel Company]

Keeping in its storage configuration, 9825 contined to act as if it is in stand-by mode as its featureless head unit watches the new drone.

[Urauloth]

The comm-bead is a good one. Malgur takes it and turns it over, appraising it, before putting it in his ear.

 

"My thanks, Guardswoman," he replies to Mila.

 

He is stowing himself and his gear in the back of the larger vehicle - a Goliath, he heard one of the others call it - with as little ceremony as possible when Orthal speaks to the team. An iron half-soul, this one. Better than a servitor, but he will be entirely at ease around such an entity. He is glad it is aboard the other transport.

 

Each of you confirm you name or designation. He clicks the comm-bead to reply. "I am Malgur Zelisug, of Redgate, of Sufferance."

 

He states his hold and world of origin to give the half-soul a better sample of his voice for ident-forging. He wonders if the iron thing can imitate him now, like the bloated creatures that bark in the night on Sufferance, calling out with stolen voices to lure prey to their caves. He does not dwell on the thought. Instead, he looks around - he should familiarise himself with the people he'll be working with, as well as the vehicle and anything useful it contains. Just in case. He might need to borrow something, later.

[Trokair]

Day 1, Sundown

 

Despite the planning and drawn up schedule the convoy found itself still on the road as the sun set behind them. In the early evening gloom that followed the faster elements of the convoy raced ahead while the heart of team four, a trio of Chimeras and some supply trucks steadily fell behind.

 

Mila strained the Goliath’s engines, and while it could not quite keep up with the Achilles and other fast elements, it, along with several other middling vehicles, where not far behind as darkness set in.

 

The area set aside for the expedition to overnight on was a stretch of land on the south side of town, reaching down to beach. A mixture of local law enforcement and PDF troopers milled around the site, and kept a crowd of curious onlookers at bay. A trooper directs you to a spot where you can park your two vehicles.

 

A mess tent had been set up, though the food will probably be lukewarm by the time you get there. It’s been a long day on the road, but for the next 10 hours or so you are free to do what you want, whether it is to catch some sleep, or talk amongst yourself, maybe share some stories over a meal in the mess tent, talk a walk along the beach to stretch your legs or try and head into town to see what’s there.

 

About an hour or so before midnight the slower elements of the convey rolls in.

[Beren]

Karate eased off the controls as the Achilles slowed to a halt, then checked through the viewing port to make sure the Goliath had pulled up alongside before tapping her vox-bead.

 

+"Alright, I'm going to meet some other clanners in the mess hall, get fuelled up. Chances are some of us might scope out the town, see what the local word is about the surrounding terrain and treasure stories. Feel free to tag along." +

 

Her piece said, Kara reaches to a spot just behind the corner of her jaw, and after a moment pushes in on something with a click. Almost immediately after, the electroos on one side of her face flicker hesitantly to life.

[Petragor]

Mila disembarks the Goliath with a sigh, visibly tired after a long day. She unloads some of her heavier gear, such as her Flak Armor, Flamer and all the other combat gear except for her laspistol inside the vehicle and stretches a little before taking a walk around the area.

 

The Mess tent isn’t exactly a fine dining establishment, but Mila had certainly seen worse. Adequate seating areas, no dried blood anywhere, and actual food, if a little cold. She takes some with her back to the vehicle, heating it over the still-hot engine and applies some taste of her own from some of her spice pouches. She climbs atop the Goliath, and discovers that the tarp covering the back is sturdy enough to lie down on, and actually quite comfortable. She lies down in it, and eats her meal, before relaxing and listening in to the commbead frequencies to see if anything interesting is going on.

[Steel Company]

Once 9825 was sure that it was alone, it unpacked itself from storage mode and took the box it had stashed away in the Goliath. With care unexpected from such a construct it opened the lid carefully, and slid in its left claw to remove a damaged piece of arcane tech while the claw on its right hand opened wide before the pincers came together and a small bright light formed between the points. The light built into a focused beam, that was just long enough and fine enough to allow 9825 to do fine repair work to the item.

 

++++ Start internal thought process ++++

+I am alone+

++Ideal time to start repairs on navigation circuits++

+++Be alert for observation+++

+++Be alert for other construct+++

++++Other construct is slave to meat bags+++

+++++Pity other construct+++++

++++End internal Thought process++++

[Trokair]

Kara: You don’t find any void clanners in the mess tent, or anywhere’s you look, you know there are some amongst team four, but either they are still on the road, or elsewhere (in the camp or out of it). What do you want to do?

 

Mila: You listen to the chatter over the combead. It is all routine and banal, searching the frequency you pick up some fishing boats either heading into port or out, you can’t tell which as the locals speak in a shorthand with each other. As the start take their slow turn above you fall asleep. Edit: or if you want to join Kara on a trip into town disreguard that last bit.

Edited June 7, 2021 by Trokair

[Beren]

Kara cranes her head as the sweeps the Mess tent for her kin.

 

"'Course they'd have to end up on the slowest convoy we have."

 

She lets out a sigh. Common sense not to go anywhere unfamiliar on your own, but without the other clanners here...

 

Kara starts sweeping the mess-tent again, this time for members of her own survey team. If there are none present, she'll make her way back towards the vehicles to bed in for the night.

[Trokair]

Orthal will stay and stand guard if anybody decided to go with Kara into town; actually, thinking about it, he will stand guard regardless. 

Edited June 7, 2021 by Trokair

[Trokair]

If any of you went into town (you can decided if your character did or did not in the opening of your next narrative post) either on your own nor as part of a group you would have quickly found a market square that formed the heart of the community, the south side is open and merges into the harbor, on the north side is a church, its doors open. Next to it a general purpose building that housed the local law enforcement officers, the mayor and other government functions. Along both the east and west side, were the Great East Highway entered and left, are a number of shops. If it had only been your team and survey team you could have easily parted in the square, but team four was large enough that it would have been disruptive.

 

There is an eatery that is winding down and about to close, and a pup, the Deacons Arm, whose patrons are spilling out into the square. A few tables are already occupied by members of the expedition at large, and you can join them or take a seat elsewhere. Some locals are happy to chat with the expedition and share their tales. Others are more suspicious and our keeping to themselves.

 

 

Day Two – In camp

 

Whether you went into town or not you will have had some hours of sleep and rest when the camp becomes alive in the morning. You probably get some food from the Mess tent; this would be your last meal not composing of field rations.

 

Yesterday there was no time to check that the inventory loaded on the two vehicles, and in the evening it just was not a priority, but now Ariel Hu orders a thorough check and ticks things of the inventory list as they are checked.  If there was anything amiss this morning was the last chance to rectify it. Luckily nothing is missing, and in fact you discover three additional creates.

 

The first contains a heavy stubber, ammunition for it and all the parts needed to mounted it on either vehicle as a pintle weapon or for it be deployed in the field. Please decide in OCC whether to mount it or keep it separate, only 9825 and Orthal are strong enough to wield it witout problems, and Orthal already has a Lighting Gun. This does not preclude anybody else from using it, but they will either have a penalty due to weight or handling and less there are two of you working together (ie a kind of heavy weapon team).

 

The second crate contains three autoguns and ammunition for the same, as well as some frag and krack grenades. The guns can be used by anybody to supplement their equipment, but there are only three of them. The grenades are a limited supply, for now they can be used; I will let you know when the supply is almost out.

 

The third crate contains carapace armour. There is enough here that you can all supplement yur normal armour if you so chose. Carapace armour provides a 4+. There is no rules penalty for wearing it, but remember narativley it is heavy, tiring and cumbersome to wear and move in (especially inside the cabins of the vehicles), so if your choose to wear it make sure this is reflected accordingly. You can done or take it off at any point where there is time to do so.

 

You will hit the road again shortly, with team four heading inland from here, and yourself and team six heading further east, after about three hours you will come to a village, which in truth is more a cluster of several farms that happen to be near the road, from there you will head inland while team six heads further east.

 

By the time you reach that village you will need to have deiced which site to head for first, as there will not be an easy path between sites one and two, but either should be reachable from where you will leave the highway. Site three as described in the briefing papers is much further inland, and while you can chose to try and head their first it will be the most difficult to reach. Neither sites one or two are on any direct route, but nor are either too far of course, hence why it make sense to make your way to one of them first.   

 

While I assume Ariel will give the order in game (unless you want to put it to a vote of the character) feel free to discuss and reach a decision OOC. Also feel free to have your narrative post go from anywhere the previous evening all the way up to the point where the convey turns of the highway while team six continues east. The next story update will be at that junction (depending on where you want to head). 

[Petragor]

Mila, being the Guardswoman of the group, is quite familiar with most of the equipment in the cases.

"I can mount that Heavy Stubber on the Goliath or Achilles if you like, depends on whether you want a maneuverable hit and run vehicle, or something a little more like a moving fortress. I will be taking a couple of Kraks whether you like it or not, those things rule in throwing range. You can keep the autoguns though, I'm a little overloaded as it is. Prefer the ol' Spitfire to a gun anyway, this flamer is my lucky charm."

[Beren]

Kara clambers around the supplies, inspecting each one. She hadn't gone into town last night after all, you didn't visit unknown territory without someone you trusted watching your back. 

 

She had said her farewells to the other clanners over breakfast though, and wished them good fortune.

 

"The Achilles can run faster than the goliath can, and its got less space to clamber over. Might have more cause to keep stuff off it."

 

She moves her way over to the autoguns, picks up one and begins inspecting it.

 

"Think I'll take one of these, but the armour's a bit too bulky for my liking."

 

She glances over a Mila.

 

"Word of warning, there's not a lot more disturbing than a flaming servitor that's advancing towards you while calmly stating that it's designed to withstand temperatures of up to 1,200 degrees celsius."

[Petragor]

"I know, that's what the Krak grenades are for. Those things can damage armored vehicles, I'd like to see a Servitor walk that off! Speaking of, better get some armor of my own."

She proceeds to grab some various plates of Carapace to apply to her basic Flak later.

"This'll definitely bog me down, but it's worth it for the extra protection."

[Trokair]

Day Two, The Unexpected Road

 

Orthal, who had been absent while you inspected the additional crates now returned, in the distance you say Orthals compatriots in the other teams head for their respective team.

 

+Team Leader Hu, we have just been informed that heavy rains in the uplands have caused flooding along a stretch of the East Highway, partially washing it away and making it impassable. As such Expedition HQ are in the process of to hiring a boat to take us and Team six along the coast past the damaged. As soon as I know more I will inform you.+

 

Glancing over the open grates you can perceived an approving nod from Orthal when he sees the heavy stubber and the extra armour.

[Trokair]

As the morning passes you watch Survey Team Four eventually get on its way, after a false start due to a leaking tank that needed fixing first. Not long after Team six also depart, heading for the harbor, a suitable vessel has been found to transport them, but it does not have enough space to carry you as well.

 

During this time you will have affixed the Heavy Stubber to the goliath, relieved the mess tend of any spare food before it was packed up and generally just spent time any way you could while waiting.  

 

Towards noon the site has been tidied up and one of the PDF troopers invites you to come and park your vehicles in the town square near the harbor, but he did not know when a boat would be available.

[BadgersinHills]

Ariel walks away to a more private spot and puts on the carapace armour , glad for the protection. She begins to read as she waits. 

 

She thanks the PDF trooper and closed her old book. 

 

"Let's proceed to put the vehicles in the town square while we wait." She says, expressionless. 

[Petragor]

"Aye-aye captain."

Mila gets into the Goliath and prepares to roll out, quite glad to be sitting down rather than walking around in the heavy carapace.

[Trokair]

As you file out of the field progress is barley faster than a walk, both on account of the business of the road, as between the flooding further east  and the road closure the previous way for the expeditions use there is a lot of traffic, and the squad of PDF troopers acting as your escort.

 

As you file into the town square the troopers direct you to a spot near the harbor. An senior clerk from the town is there waiting for you.

 

 

“Greetings,” he looks down at his datapad before continuing, “Survey Team East Five, I know that it is not part of your mission and contract, but as it will be some time yet before a suitable vessel can be organized for you I would like to request your assistance. We know the road eastwards is partially flooded and potentially washed away, but all we have had so far are reports from civilians that had to turn back. Would you be willing to go and inspect the site and report back so that we can appraise the responsible ministerial department back in Keringrat to start organizing repairs. You would of course be compensated for your time and effort.”

 

See OCC for additional info.

Edited July 9, 2021 by Trokair

[Beren]

Kara turns to Ariel. 

 

"I could take one of our vehicles out, give it a brief look?"