Archeotech 2 – Treasure Hunt (RPG IC)

[Trokair]

Aria and Helene

 

The smoke in the cabin was almost as deadly as the flames, and just as hindering. Even with most of it billowing out and dissipating into the dawn sky from broken windows almost as fast as the flames spewed it forth there was enough to obscure the stretcher and its secure attachment to the wall of the truck that the person was lying on. A blanket had been securely tucked in to keep the injured safe, and this same blanket was now standing in your way.

 

With a swift slice of the blade, Aria cut at the blanket, reckless perhaps with the injured lying beneath it, and indeed as she withdrew the blade there was some blood on it. A long gush along the upper arm and again by the thigh. With the blanket loosed however Helene gave it another go, but he, for it was now apparent that the injured was a man, was too heavy for her to shift alone.

 

With flames licking at Helene there was no time left, using the cut blanket to envelop the other Aria pulled both of them out of the truck and rolled on the floor until the flames that had tried to take root on them were extinguished.

 

Laying on your backs you stare back at the funeral pyre that the truck had become, that had been close, too close. However that was not the only source of your shock, for in that last moment as you both exited the truck, you saw his face, lit by the flame. Josiepth.

                                                                                                                                 

[Trokair]

Campsite

 

There had been some more tracks leading away from the site, easily followed, the path makers running in panic during the fight hours earlier, and run they did, into a gully some 50 meters away. It had not been enough as at least three pursuers had caught up with them, leaving a further six bodies, riddled with auto fire.

 

Having secured the campsite it was now apparent that Colm was the only survivor, and barley at that, one out of twelve escapes, counting the recently cremated Josiepth amongst that number.

 

While you wait for Kasimir and Ariel to make their way to you with David you have a little time to rest, if wearily. Their estimated eta is 8.30am.

 

 

You can strip the damaged truck for parts. This just takes time and will yield d10 spare parts in the time until David arrives. You can choose to spend longer on the salvage. Each subsequent salvage action nwill take 1.5 hours and field spare parts at a rate of: 1d10 -1 for the first additional, 1d10 -2 for the second and so on (ie diminishing returns as the easier salvage will already have been taken).

 

In your initial search of the cmap you also find d10 days worth of food rations.

 

The damaged truck has a damaged heavy stubber (it has overheat, inaccurate and unreliable traits) and  10d10 rounds of ammunition. You can try and salvage this and mount it on David when it gets here, but doing so will consume d10 spare parts and take 3 hours.

 

You can speed up both the salvage of parts and the salvage and installation of the heavy stubber if you want it with passes on relevant skill tests (justify via narration), a Pass and each DoS reduces time spent by 15min, each fail and up to 2DoF each add 15min. 3 or more DoF will result in part loss, damage or other consequences.   

 

Edited December 2, 2023 by Trokair

[A.T.]

Aria

 

The recent attacks painted a confused picture, the raid on their own camp had felt like an opportunistic one seeking to snatch away that which had been found perhaps as a result of an intercepted comm. Then there were the uprisings that suggested a wider organised attempt at... what? If there were those on this world that wanted something to stay hidden or to lay claim to something found then why the prisoners, why seek out those with knowledge of the area.

 

Whoever they were they were still searching. Aria had heard stories of pirates and rogue traders who might seek to jump ahead of such an expedition and claim the prize from under its nose but such stories were never of civil war.

 

Perhaps when Colm awakened, if he awakened, he might give some indicate of who they were and where they sought to be guided.

[Trokair]

Campsite 8.45am

 

You all heard the rumble of engine just moment before it appeared, sound travelled oddly in this hilly terrain. You drop what you were doing and take up defensive positions, the similarity to how Colm and the others would have felt some hours earlier does not escape you. Unlike them for you it is not the start of a fierce engagement, for it was just David.

 

Ariel was standing so as to look out of the top hatch, bionoculars in hand keeping an eye on the path ahead and the terrain all around. Kasimir must therefore be in the driver’s seat, and indeed as David pulls up his frame is unmistakeable through the open widow.

Edited December 1, 2023 by Trokair

[A.T.]

Aria

 

This place seemed as good as any to stop, David another wreck amongst the vehicles from a distance and no reason for the hunters to return. Food and useful salvage too perhaps, the former made more valuable if they were to take on another mouth to feed.

[Lord_Ikka]

Ravia

 

Ravia was glad to see David, she had spent some time salvaging from the damaged vehicles, taking out the vox units and other technical equipment, but to remove the heavy stubber and install it on the Goliath would probably require Kasimir's strength. 

Spoiler

Test Salvage (Tech-Use?)

Target - 43

Roll - 36

Result = Pass, no DoS.  Parts salvaged - 7. Total spare parts - 19

 

With Kasimir's help, taking the stubber off and placing it on the David went well. 

Spoiler

Test Tech-Use

Target - 43

Roll - 96, Fate Point re-roll 23

Result = Pass, 2 DoS. Spare parts used 4 (total remaining- 15). Ammo found 80 rounds.

 

Now, to continue to salvage or not??

[Trokair]

Campsite 11am (ish)

 

While Ravia and Kasimir worked to salvage the Heavy Stubber and thus improve their defences, Helene begun to gather the fallen so as to give them a proper send off. Seeing her intent Ariel begins to break ground on a makeshift grave, but the going is tough and the hole only shallow even after several hours work. It would have to do unless they lingered here for the afternoon.

 

Colm sleeps fitfully, despite Varn’s attention, waking for short moments at time before going under once more. During these brief moments Varn manages to get the injured man to eat and drink a little, but far less then he would have liked. As for questions, Colm is in no state to answer yet.

[A.T.]

Aria

 

Watch, sleep, scavenge. Just like her childhood though considerably more comfortable. There was nothing here for the dead and with work more than enough material that they might once more insulate the transport against rain and cold before entering the mountains. Fuel too, a scarce commodity.

[Trokair]

The rest of the day passes in a hive of activity, and despite their predicament remaining much as it was the afternoon proves it is cathartic. Doing something rather than just fleeing, having spent long hours cooped up in the back of David for days on end had not helped. Even the hard work of uncovering the ruins at the lakeside had started to feel like a good memory, the pain and aces of hard work faint compared to the memory of seemingly normal life.

 

Once Kasimir was satisfied that the Heavy Stubber was correctly set up and he assisted with the grave digging, his mechanically enhanced strength making quick work of that Ariel and Helen had been struggling with.  Once all the bodies had been respectfully lowered Helene gave a heartfelt prayer to guide their spirits to the emperor’s side. Makeshift cairns would have to do as grave markers for the unknown souls.

 

Meanwhile Ravia, with assistance from time to time, all but striped the ruin truck, and even had a goo at the burned out one to bring David up to his former glory, or at least something resembling functionality. There was nothing further she could do today, but from the almost complete wreck that had remained after the Valkyries onslaught to now was quite the achievement. A fresh coat of paint would even disguise some of the uglier patchwork and mismatched repairs.  

 

Varn managed to get a drossy Colm to take some soup in the afternoon, but his condition seemed to not be improving much. There was likely some internal injury that he could neither find nor treat.

 

 

 

Day 17 Amongst the Peaks

 

I made a few rolls for scavenging and David repairs, as well as the food recovered so that at the start of day 17 things stand as follows.

 

David 15/20 SI – 8 spare parts

Heavy Stubber Ammo: 80

Food: 12 Days provision remain

Party at Full Helath

Colm 2/9 – Heavily Wounded, Internal bleeding

 

Come morning Helene was back at the grave, making sure it had not been disturbed, these poor souls deserved that much at least. They had heard something nosing around during the night, perhaps more Gramin Jackals, perhaps something else, no doubt attracted by the commotion and the smells. Seeking an easy meal. The graves however were undisturbed, they had dug them deep and well enough.

 

With David in much better shape progress was rapid, compared to the previous days, and once again the terrain changed as you progressed further, closer to your hoped destination. Low forests fill the valleys, these are wild, even on foot they would be hard to cross, in David it was nigh impossible. The only way to progress is to take to the ridges. The higher ground leading to the crest is mostly vegetation free.

 

While the orbital satellite data is poor compared to the maps of the southern coast that you had been provided, this far from civilization the orbital data was all you had. What did it matter that roads and buildings did not show up at this resolution, for there was none. But the mountain ridgelines and valley depression are easy to read in a broad sense. You manage to plot a course to minimize having to descend into the forested valleys were possible, and while occasionally sudden cliff and fissures might hinder your paths, it is to get you by.

 

 

Colm – he will be awake but week for some time during day 17, so anyone can converse with him if they wanted to.

Additionaly, despite Varn’s care, he is not getting better, there are internal injuries.

@Machine God, Varn can attempt surgery. It would be an extended  Medicae test that could be Hard (-20) or Very Hard (-30) depending on how it goes.

For this to happen Colm would need to be persuaded to allow a surgery attempt, any player, or even multiple players, can attempt the persuasion with a suitable narration and relevant Interaction skill test (which may be opposed).

 

@Lord_Ikka , there are still optional memories for Ravia to investigate if you want…

Edited December 13, 2023 by Trokair

[Lord_Ikka]

Ravia

 

After working on the stubber and the Goliath, Ravia sat down at the sensor/vox station. There were still memories implanted in her mind that could be useful.

Spoiler

Forbidden Lore (Xenos) Test

Target - 38 (forgot the -5 penalty for Imperial Worlder on the earlier roll, but it still passed)

Roll - 15

Result = Pass, 2 DoS

She began her internal search, clearing her mind and trying to unlock the engrams that had been gifted to her.

[Trokair]

Ravia

 

Perhaps it was the familiarity with the previous gifted memory, or the mental strain of too many long days in a difficult situation, but as you enter the meditation trance and bring to the forefront of your mind another experience there is a subtle difference, as if you have retained some agency within the memory, separate from itself. The edges of the mindscape are blurred unless a young, though older than in the last memory, Ilmarnin is also paying attention to that particular horizon.

 

The Lecture room again, it could have been the next day or a thousand years later, so unchanging were its features. Most likely it was some years though, a sideways glance shows fewer Adepts in attendance, and those that are have marginally more Gifts from the Omnissiah while their flesh likewise looks older. The only one you recognize are the Lecturer and one of the adepts, Arion Yas.

 

The security blast doors where already closing, the same heavy reassuring thunk as the security measures engage. This was another brain time only lesson.  

 

As always the Lecturer waited a little, no doubt using some advanced gift to make sure they had all shut down their own. You remembered the sudden burst of violence and death of an adept some years previously who had tried to record one of these sessions, with an external magnetic tape analogue device hidden in a pocket. The Lecturer had not been joking that first time.

 

Satisfied that all was secure he uncovered the first of three large squares that had been sitting on a side table. Now that the mesh woven fabric had been removed you could see a stasis-lock chamber. Through the distortion haze of the stasis field you can see the beginning of an explosion, caught just as a plasma charge ignited.

 

“These were recovered in the ruins of, well that doesn’t matter, ruins that were thought to hold Archeotech from the Dark Agees of Technology.”

 

He picks up a little object from a tray sitting next to the stasis-lock chamber.

 

“There was evidence that the ruins had been looted before, multiple times perhaps, but the exploration team of Omnissian forces and Imperial Guard auxiliaries, for this at the time was an active warzone, explored it none the less.”

 

“One fool picked up a handful of these, thinking them to be pretty stones, or some such, perhaps to sell.”

 

The Lecturer hands it to an adept and indicates that it should be passed round. When it is your turn you see that it is a squashed spheroid, surprising light, as if made of something organic rather than metal or stone. Intrinsic patterns sprawled across the surface.

 

“That one has been made safe, later analysis indicated that at the time of recovery it and the others of its sort had lain undisturbed for about 5 thousand years. Though they themselves are presumably much older.”

 

“Perhaps  one had been faulty, or awakened by being moved, but the fool, his squad and fourteen others perished when it underwent rapid plasma induced exothermic expansion. This one,” and here he pattered the stasis-lock chamber. “triggered during examinations, and it is only through good fortune and precautions we can admire the result, for as long as we keep the chamber’s battery feed.”

 

Moving over to the next square box the Lecturer uncovered another stasis-lock chamber, this one reinforced. As you look at it you realize that it has been modified so that if the stasis field fails the entire thing will be incinerated by some sort of melta tech charge.

 

“It is not just in ruins that we can find the omnissias losts treasures, or Xenos corrupted tech like this little fellow. This one turned up in a market of a bustling hive, sold as a good luck charm by the locals.”

 

“Ah, you noticed, go on.”

 

One of the other adepts spoke, “it’s moving.”

 

You all turn to look into the heart of the stasis field, the object, a mechanical beetle of exquisite workmanship was slowly turning around. Crawling, or perhaps swimming, towards the surface.

 

“Indeed, in a stasis field, it is slowed considerably, and can’t break through the field barrier, but it can move around. We don’t know how it subverts nature in this way, mocking the Omnissiah’s creation so causally.”

 

“This is an example of what the Necrotyr can do. While inactive it looks like a stone or glass, and that is what the locals though of them, but once awake it can, in time, eat its way through all matter.”

 

As the Lecturer moves to the last box the memory fades.  

[Lord_Ikka]

Ravia

 

Her mind calmed from the memory and she tried to parse through its meanings.

 

Xenos-affiliated technology was clearly something that the Arch-Magos was intrigued and interested in. That was skirting the edge of heresy, but the Arch-Magos had the rank to allow him to study the craft of the Xenos without succumbing to the dangers. Ravia would have to reflect on the fact that the archeotech they were searching for might actually be Xenostech. 

[A.T.]

Aria

 

With Davids progress slowed it had become more practical to alternate time on watch atop the vehicle and time on food either ahead to check the road for obstructions or behind to break up the trail. With a vehicle so heavy the latter was not easy but debris pushed into the tracks might at least make them look less recent.

 

Contact had been made and the search went on, whatever was happening elsewhere it seemed insufficient to alter the plans of the mechanicum here. Though the interest in statues and other such relics was curious given that such finds seemed to serve no useful purpose.

[Trokair]

 

Day 18 – Glints Above

 

David 15/20 SI – 8 spare parts

Heavy Stubber Ammo: 80

Food: 11 Days provision remain

Party at Full Helath

Colm 2/9 – Heavily Wounded, Internal bleeding

 

Unlike down on the plains, and even the sea of hills, up here in the mountain there is a chill in the air. It’s mild nibble becoming a fierce bit whenever the wind conspired with it. While David still ails a little; and any gust of wind from one of many an unfortunate angle will rattle right through it. As an all purpose vehicle however its heaters are up to the task for keeping you comfy for now.

 

All perhaps aside from Colm, who shivers at every whistle and moans with every bump that David’s suspension cannot soften, both too frequent for the increasingly pale shopkeeper.

 

It is perhaps a little after midmorning, and you have just finished an arduous three hours getting David through a stretch of woodland in the valley between two mountain spines when one of you spots that tell tell glint of sun on metal up on the rise above you, and another.

 

As a team you have choices, proceed, perhaps with caution, or retreat to the wood line some 50m behind you, to either wait out or find a different path. As always other options are also possible, just let me know what you want to do.           

[Machine God]

Varn:

 

"We stop here still in shade, trees. Ope dey not seen us.!" Varn said.

 

"Colm, needs Ju-Ju Medcin or he sees Spirits. Big Sky God!"

 

"I go Herbs, I go and you's stay" said Varn sternly as he slipped off of the back of David and scooted off into the treeline.

 

 

Colm had been kind, a friend of The Shivon. So honourary Tribe now.

 

Varn thought of Old Nana Ma, the tribal healer. Dredged up old lessons from childhood, he looked for Mushrooms.

 

 

A few hours later, he had wandered and found something in the dark places. beneath some rocks against an old tree. There he found the, what he hoped was the right sort. Carefully he cut the fungi and stuffed them into a satchel. Strong Tea for Colm.

 

Cautiously he headed back to David and his Tribe.

 

 

INT 37 +0 (Medicae) = 37. Result: 36, Pass

 

 

 

 

[Trokair]

With caution you retreat to the edge of the trees, so as to better hide from any observers that might be up above you. While none of you spot any further glints, the wind dose carry, faintly, the occasional sounds of an engine.

 

A hard (-20)Awareness test may reveal more.

 

The fortified tea dose indeed appear to help Colm a bit, the fungus once prepared had a opioid quality, lessening the pain and thus granting some relief. The other fortifying additive to the tea, a good helping of spirit, needed as part of the fungus preparation, also helps with the chill, though too much at once would not be a good idea.

 

As Varn is taking a little bit of time to gather medicine there is time for repairs, or foraging for food in this wood or in Ravia's case more memories. 

[Machine God]

Varn:

 

"Boss Lady" said Varn whilst Colm dozed, "I don't think that I can do much more. I hoped that the dose would knock him out, so that I could cut cut the rot out."

 

Varn paused and leant over more towards the Boss.

 

"I don't really know what to do."

 

 

 

 

[A.T.]

Aria

 

The supply of plates and other parts from the damaged vehicles had finally allowed the goliath to once again retain most of its heat, just in time for the colder heights. Survival was more important than comfort however as Aria remained atop the vehicle watching for fresh attack. Faint sounds indicated that they were not alone out here but with the terrain here it was impossible to tell if they were passing close by or hearing the echoes of some thundering manufactorum many miles away.

 

"Blood", she noted as Varn puzzled over the fading Colm. She knew little of medicine but death was her art, the measuring of whether a wound would kill, and while infection might still take him the weakness of blood loss would likely do so first. Of course the wrong blood would kill him even sooner, her own ghilliam blood in particular.

 

Awareness roll 42 vs 34 +10(heightened senses) -20(difficult) - fail

[Lord_Ikka]

Ravia

 

Unfortunately, Ravia's training did not include biological repair yet. So she was unable to assist Varn in helping stabilize the injured man. While the scout foraged for ingredients for his tea, Ravia meditated more on the memories locked away in her mind. Surely she could find something that may give them more hints on what they were looking for, or what enemies the Arch-Magos had made that were now stalking the team.

Spoiler

Forbidden Lore (Xenos) Test

Target - 38 (43 - 5 (Blessed Ignorance))

Roll - 30

Result = Pass, no DoS

 

[Trokair]

 

 

Despite your best efforts you cannot discern anything further about whoever had been up on the ridge, safe that you had now heard or seen anything further for the last hour and a bit, it was probably safe to move on.

 

 Hearing Aria’s words from above Ariel spoke from the Driver’s seat.

 

“Yes, Blood might buy him some time.”  

 

“Colm once mentioned that he served in the PDF in his youth. If the regulation here are close to the norm then his blood group may be tattooed on him, check the chest and arms.”

 

 

 

Ravia

 

The memory was short, almost laughably so. However it came with an imbedded didactic emgram. As before, it was the same Lecturer, though much advanced in years as best you could judge. The audience however was just two others, and this was not the familiar auditorium. He was leading the way as he talked, past cages of prisoners, many secured to complex machines, whether to study their charges or keep them alive you could not tell.

 

Stopping at one extra secure cell, five guard servitors watched it, and you spy a thermal detonation charge embedded into the surrounding walls, no doubt rigged to blow if the captive tired to escape.

 

The Lecturer ran the end of his cane along the bars, the regular clank a call for the prisoner to step into the light of a single lamp. He, or she or it, your lessons had told you that Xenos forms should not be compared to blessed humans and nay assumption likely to be treacherous. The creature was tall, and lithe, and in a way a semblance to a human, but the closer you looked the little sign were there, the subtle wrongness of something abominable.

 

The Lecturer spoke something, unrecognizable as either Gothic or any of the machine cants you had learned. And yet you cough a glimpse of meaning, memories of past session in secluded and secured study vaults coming forth, their contents unlocked by the Xenos and its reply.

 

“Speak to it for a while, practice. One day you may find that to further the Omnissiah’s will you have to converse with or even negotiate with an Eldar.”

 

Now you know the content of the emgram, a language comprehension file. Vocabulary, grammar, script. As you examine the content you see that much is annotated, by multiple sources, this has been the work of many generations.

 

With this knowledge you now recognize the script on one side of the tablet fully, and enough of the words make sense that you can read the broad strokes of the content, if not the specifics.  Those glyphs  you cannot read resemble others in the file, but no matches, variant or sub language perhaps, who could tell with Xenos.

 

The tablet is a trade agreement between the human settlers and the Eldar.

 

Ravia gains:

2 points of Corruption (which I think is 5 now)

Literacy (Eldar – Corsair)  

Speak Language  (Eldar – Corsair)

This is the last memory I had prepared, I was not expecting you to get here in just three tries, I guess the dice were kind, thank them or curse them as you see fit.  

[Machine God]

Varn:

 

He had a moment of clarity when blood was mentioned. He'd seen it somewhere. 

 

 

Int 37. Result: 04, Pass 3DoS

 

 

 

He went and searched in the supplies and found the green cooler box with a white cross on. Inside were bottles of what must be blood and there was a book too. 

He'd found the box once beforehand, but he had left it because it didn't have any bandages. 

 

He moved the box over to Colm, he got out the and read the pictogram instructions for how to give Colm blood. 

 

 

INT 37 +0 (Medicae) = 37. Result: 11, Pass 2DoS

 

 

 

Varn sang for the spirit of healing, like Nana-Muta did. 

 

"Hey, Ja, Ja, Nana, we callin, the great spirit Oneg! Oneg heal our friend Colm."

 

Varn carried on mumbling the song whilst he watched to Colm. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Trokair]

The PDF surplus synthetic blood, expiration date some years previously, dose however seem to work, over the next few hours as the first of four bottles is flows into Colm’s vein by the gravity feed needle and tubing from the same box. In time he regains a healthier pallor. Still not the sun blessed vigor he had possessed before, but certainly some steps removed from a banshees call.

 

Colm is at 3/9, for now.

 

While it slows down your progress you try and hug the cover as Ariel and Kasimir take it in turns to Drive David closer to your destination. Late afternoon as you crest another slope you can see what no doubt attracted the Archmagos’s attention. Two mountains, both in a row and with their peaks removed. It does not take much imagination to envision a giant blade chopping down in a line and decapitating the two peaks. Your destination coordinates are just beyond the second as far as you can tell. It is not far now as the Aquilla flies, but the terrain between here and there looked treacherous, it be another day or even two to make the scant few miles.

[Trokair]

Day 19 – As the Aquilla flies

 

David 15/20 SI – 8 spare parts

Heavy Stubber Ammo: 80

Food: 10 Days provision remain

Party at Full Helath

Colm 3/9 – Heavily Wounded

 

The goal was but a few scant miles away, but alas none of you could fly. Instead it would be another arduous decent into the valley below, and then another climb. You hope that then you will be close enough to let the terrain guide you, but you cannot help but suspect that it will be another scree covered ridge on the far side that will need tackling.  

 

Having stopped to dislodge a problematic stone that had wedged itself between one of David’s wheels and its housing you spot another vehicle some distance eastwards, but heading for you. They have no doubt spotted you and as you studied them with your binoculars you very much suspect that these are the same pressures that had chased down Colm and his friends, their vehicle bears recent battle damage.    

 

You have several options:

Try and gain the high ground before they arrive by racing for the top of the slope you are on.

Try and find a defensible area in your vicinity and dig in.

Try and go down slope into the little forest and crevices there to hide/ambush or try and loose them.

Also initiative roll please in readiness should combat occur.

[A.T.]

Aria

 

Aria looked to the skys. men they were equipped to handle but not the valkyrie. "Cover, and difficult ground" she suggested, "we have little to harm their vehicle but the same might not be said of them."

 

Besides David would make a good distraction should they wait in ambush along the path.

 

Init 11

[Machine God]

Varn:

 

The spirits had helped Colm although he still had to let nature takes its course.

 

They had new problems. Whilst Colm slept, he checked his gear.

 

 

 

Initiative (1D10)  10  + 2 (AGL Bonus) = 12