Archeotech 2 – Treasure Hunt (RPG IC)

[Trokair]

Bandits E and F

 

Scrambling down the far side of the rock they had taken cover on, anything to get away from the Zealot.

 

Bandit G

Spoiler

Remains prone but crawls just over 4m and disengages from melee.

Half crawling half squirming he tried to get away, but his leg hurt oh so much, and moved not at all. The Grenade Launcher lay forgotten in the mud.

 

Bandit H

 

Nothing by this tree, but he could see battle damage in the undergrowth ahead, where his brothers had try to suppress the ambushers. With caution he approached further towards the treeline.

 

Ravia Next

Ravia Only

Spoiler

Could you let me know what the results on the Insanity and potential trauma rolls are, just so I know

 

[Lord_Ikka]

Ravia

Spoiler

Awakening after almost dying
Simple (+5) Advances to BS and AG
+15 Insanity points
   Trauma roll (test 71 vs roll 21)
   For 20 hours, constantly fearful and seeing danger everywhere (+10 on Per test, -10 on WP tests)
Damage resets to O/11

 

She...saw, felt anew. Was broken, reborn by the pain and trauma of her wound. Looking down, she saw her flesh writhe and knit together under the care of unknown augmentations. She was more than just Ravia, Ordo Reductor tech-adept. Ravia had been, was again a clade-commando; an elite soldier-assassin sent to cull heretical malcontents and those dangerous to the Ordo.

 

Going out on missions to protect the Blessed Ordo's teams of observor-savants and biologos-adepts as they studied the enemies of Man. Sniping a heretek-priest through waves of Chaos-tainted servitors. Inputting a data-daemon into the heart of a genestealer rebellion's PDF computers. More...killing, protecting, destroying.

 

As a clade-commando she was part of a unit, a team of specialists drilled to function as one from their vat-birth. But her later memories were of being removed from the clade, training with tech-adepts and enginseers for some nebulous new mission. Beyond the training engrams, her memories were blurred and indistinct, uncertain. She felt uneasy and ill, unable to reconcile her "new" past with her current state. 

 

Her body acted on instinct, no more time for reflection or worries. Rolling to her feet, Ravia moved to cover, her actions smoother and quicker than before. She checked her carbine, the indicator showing six shots left. She quickly let loose a pulse, coming back into the fight. Time for revelations and insight later, now there were enemies about.

 

 

Spoiler

Half Action - Move to rock and cover

Half Action- Single Shot at Bandit C

Target - 44 +10 (Red-dot sight)  = 54

Roll - 01

Result = Hit, Head. Damage 9 + 3 = 12, no Pen

 

[Trokair]

Bandit C

Spoiler

Dodge: 17, Pass

 

 

Kasimir

Spoiler

Charge Preacher Orange

WS: 35 +10 Charge =45

D100:40, Hit

Location: head

Preacher Dodge: 45, Fail

Damage: 2d10 + 5(Strength) at Pen 4

Roll: 9,7 + 5 = 21  

21 – 3Tb -0 (1 Armour - 4 pen) = 18 Damage; Poor Refractor Field: 61, no effect = 18 Damage taken. Dead

Due to size of sword and the fact the Preacher was sitting in the (exposed due to early damage) drivers cabin the attack also hits the cargo hauler.

Damage: 2d10 + 5(Strength) at Pen 4

Roll: 10 (RF: 22) 7, 2 + 5 = 24

24 – 12 (16Av- 4 Pen) = 12 -  14 damage to Structural Integrity taken in total

 

The Cargo Hauler was trying to flank them, and he could not swing the heavy stubber round far enough to rake it again. It was time for the Sword.

 

With a battle cry of Hive Cogger on his lips Kasimir run across the decking of David’s rear compartment and leaped at the oncoming vehicle. The windscreen had been shattered earlier and the preacher was right there, perfectly framed for a lunge. Repositioning his grip, servo enhancements in his arms straining, he would not be able to hold it for long this way, but long enough. Spearing through the opening his aim was true.

 

The bright flash of an overloaded refractor field lit up the inside of the cabin, and then the Preachers head rolled left and into the interior.  

 

 

Dark Red and Truck Driver

Spoiler

Red Command T to go after Ravia and take over Truck

T, Exit track half move, single shot at Ravia

BS:35 – 10 partially obscured = 25

D100:36, Miss

 

The horrible metal on metal tearing noise and the faltering in the chorus that the Deacon’s representative had wiped up drew his attention to the stricken hauler. One of the accursed outsiders was clinging to the front, feet braced against the vehicles front, trying to tuck his colossal sword free, without apparent success.

 

How many of the faithful would hold now, the crews he had been given to work with were devout, but after the events over the last few weeks he wished he had pushed harder in regards to hiring some dedicated mercenaries to augment their numbers.   

 

Ordering the driver to continue to focus on the false priest he slipped into the vacated seat.

 

Bandits  I and J

Spoiler

RPG launcher shoot Krak round at David, other assisting/reloading

BS: 35 +10 Short Range + 10 Size = 55

D100: 64. Miss

 

Bandit L

Having reached a slight craves in the rock face that provide both cover and a decent vantage point she looked out at her friends below. The enemy goliath was now empty as far as she could tell, the gunner nest empty.

 

Spotting a flash of colour she took aim. Any moment now.

 

Spoiler

Aim and shoot Aria

BS:35 +10 Aim – 10 Cover = 35

D100:64, Miss

 

 

Bandits B and C

Scrambling back towards cover and their comrades the two kept low, Eadmund was struggling with the injuries, crawling much of the way.

 

 

Bandit D

Fled of battlefield

 

 

Ariel

Spoiler

Charge Bandit J

WS: 38 +10 Charge =48

D100: 17, Hit

No dodge as bandits dealing with RPG launcher

Damage: 1d10+5  + 2(Strength) at Pen 6

Roll: 10 (RF:32) 10 (RF:44) 2 + 5 + 2 = 29  

29 – 3Tb -0 (3 Armour - 6 pen) = 26 Damage – Declaring Both Dead

 

The whoosh of the passing RPG round was way to close, but Ariel had been well drilled and was unfazed. Instead she drew her sword and it the power ignition, blue shimmer leaped along the blade as the field established itself. Light footed she charged the enemy, busy reloading the launcher. Where some would have uttered a battle cry Ariel remained silent, no reason to alert them of their impending doom.

 

The sword struck true, years of practice had not dulled her skills. Age had however blunted her reflexes, so instead of preparing for a second strike she found herself continue onwards, scarily shambolicly, but her luck was not out this day as the tip of the sword cleared the first body and struck the second bandit, mortally.    

 

 

Bandits N

 

With an anguished wail she stuck the flamer into the driver cabin and emptied the canister at the monster that had martyred Beradus. The Emperor would not let his faithful die unavenged, and indeed the monsters blade being stuck would condemn it to flame.   

 

Spoiler

Flamer Attack against Kasimir

Kazimir Ag test to avoid flame. AG: 23 D100: 63, fate point reroll 100!

Damage 1d10+ 4 Pen 3

Roll: 6 +4 = 10 – 5TB – 3 (6 Armour – 3 Pen) = 2 Damage taken   

Ag test to avoid being on fire, AG: 23 D100: 35 On Fire.

 

Helene next

Bandit G is on the ground and wounded a little over 4m away, so you can charge him and finish him. The grenade launcher is lying on the ground and you could pick that up. E and F are on the far side of the boulder, you can’t charge them, but you could climb onto the rock and then use the one-shot flamer attachment if you wanted.

[Petragor]

Helene

 

The wounded cleric rushes across the battlefield, wildly swinging her chainsword at the vulnerable bandit.

Spoiler

Charge Bandit G
WS 36 + 10 Charge +10 Prone = 56
1d100 = 96, 5 DoF, Miss

 

[Trokair]

Bandit G

 

“Emperor Protects, Emperor be praised.” He muttered over and over to himself, unaware he was even speaking out loud. The zealot was swinging widely, somehow each whoosh and whirr of the chainblade striking nought but empty air.

 

End of Round 5

[Trokair]

Round 6

 

Initiative Order

Varn =12

Aria = 11

Bandits E,F,G,H = 11 G is prone [5/14]

Ravia = 9  - Burned Fate

Kasimir = 9 – [2/12]

Dark Red= 9 [4/??]

Truck Driver (T) = 9 -Truck [8/??]

Bandits  K,L = 9 

Bandits B,C,  = 7  B [13/14], C [4/14]

Ariel = 6 

Bandits  M,N = 6  N has Flamer

Helene = 5 [8/13]

 

Cargo Hauler = [14/??] – no driver, front heavily damaged, on fire

 

With the Preachers death the moral of the other side has been broken; therefore some of them will flee. However some of the others will instead fight all the harder to avenge their fallen comrades and the preacher.

 

 

 

Varn and Aria next

Edited April 19 by Trokair

[A.T.]

Aria

 

Ammunition was dwindling, but so were the targets and with their leader dead a shock assault to push them into retreat would be more effective than risking a stray bullet in a firefight.

 

Sword in hand Aria lept from cover with sword in hand and rapidly closed the distance to the nearest bandits, an unconcious urge turning their gaze away as she was almost upon them before they could react.

 

Run into combat with E and F (Arias run speed is 24m, too far to charge and attack)

[Machine God]

Varn:

 

He'd seen something as he watched from his vantage point in the trees.

 

He'd calmed down from his flight and noticed that Ravia had got up moved into cover and fired her bang stick. She must be okay he thought.

 

Looking up the slope and saw a figure pointing a weapon at Kazimir. He'd seen the weapon before, nasty flame thing.

 

He fired at the nasty flame bearer until his Big Bang Stick went click!

 

 

 

 

FAB Vs N

 

BS 40 +20 (FAB) = 60. Result: 25, Pass 3DoS. 4 Hits. 1d10+3, Pen 0

25 = 52: Body

#1. (Body) 4 +3 = 7 Damage.

#2. (Body) 7 +3 = 10 Damage.

#3. (Left Arm) 5 +3 = 8 Damage

#4. (Head 2 +3 = 5 Damage

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 19 by Machine God
Target

[Trokair]

Natorly

Spoiler

Dodge, D100:14 Pass, 2 DoS, dogged hit 1-3

Hit 4. 5 Damage  – 3TB - 3Armour = 0

 

Despite the crackles and flickers of the flames in front of her the distinctive autogun muzzle flash barely visible at the edge of her vision none the less drove her to duck behind part of the cargo hauler. Years of training in the PDF driving her body on instinct, and even then it was not enough as Natorly felt the impact on the old helmet. Head ringing she reached up, expecting to find blood, but it was all fine, just bruised. The helmet had saved here again.

 

 

Eretch and Fabium

Safely on the far side of the boulder from the Zelaot the two took a moment to catch their breath. From the hollow they were in they could not see much that was going on, but that should mean they were also safe from the ambushers.  A comforting thought dispelled when the sword wilding menace appeared in their midst. How had they not seen her, had she sprung from the ground like a daemon?

 

The Deacon had been right, these outsiders and heretics needed cleansing, but  being alive to do so later seemed more important than martyrdom to the two.  

 

Spoiler

Both flee/run away, Aria will get one attack of opportunity against one of them.

 

Geremia

 

With the Emperor’s guidance he found his footing amidst the Zelaots wild swings  and got back on his feet, scrambeling then running out of the hollow and away.  Still mumbling the mantra  “Emperor Protects, Emperor be praised.” as he does so.

 

Spoiler

flee/run away, Helene will get one attack of opportunity 

 

Holgar

 

Oblivious to the rest of the little engagement, he was confident that with their superior numbers, training and faith that they would cleanse the enemy from their world. In the meantime he would get a head start on tracking the ambusher that had been in the trees. He would not let any of them escape.

 

 

Ravia next, attacks of oportunity for Aria and Helene

[Lord_Ikka]

Ravia

 

The Omnissiah called for vengeance and blood.

Spoiler

Semi-auto burst at T (Truck Driver?)

Target - 44 + 10 (SAB) = 54

Roll - 20

Result = Hit, 3 DoS.  Hit 1, Head, Hit 2, Head

Damage - 1st hit (4 +3 + 7), 7damage at 0 Pen. 2nd Hit (10 (RF roll - 23) +3 + 3 = 16), 16 damage at Pen 0

 

[A.T.]

Aria

 

The speed of the retreat was unexpected, normally her presence drew hostility. Still it cleared the way to her true objective - Helene - and time wasted in pursuit was time lost.

 

Free attack: 86, miss

[Trokair]

Kazimir

Spoiler

Fire: 1d10 damage: 10!

Use fate to heal d5: 10/2 = 5

Now at [7/12]

Willpower test to be able to act

WP:31 100: 04

Drop stop and Roll to put out flames

Ag: 23 – 20 = 03

D100: 56

Still on fire.

 

He tried to pull free his sword from the wrecked front of the cargo hauler, but the engulfing flames proved too much of a hindrance. His out garments had already been consumed. With reluctance he let go and fell backwards onto the ground were instinct led him to roll back and forth to try and extinguish the flames.   

 

 

Dark Red

This was turning into a disaster, when the Deacon had hired him he should have insisted on some additional professionals. Both to get the militia into shape, he had done what he could, and it had been enough against some of the invaders, and to more professionally take out the enemy. There was little he could do now, but if the other hunting groups had kept to the plan he knew where he could get reinforcements.

 

Truck Driver

Spoiler

Dodge: 40, Fail

7 - 3Tb -3Armour = 1

16 - 3Tb -3Armour =10

Driver heavily insured [11/14]

Full action, run for cover, westward

Unholy apparition! he was sure he had seen the heretic priest get down, and yet here he was diving for cover, his helmet in taters and head pounding, that had been way to close.  

 

Bandits  K

 Finally shaking of the confusion from being knocked over earlier he took stock. They had been ambushed and it was going badly. There, one of the enemy, and standing over the remains of his friends. He would avenge them.

 

Spoiler

Autogun FAB at Ariel

BS:35 +20 FAB + 10 Short Range = 65

D100:87 Miss  - obviously still a little stunned

 

 Bandit L  

The shooter in the trees had made a run for it and was now out of her sight. Time to move again for a Better position.

 

 Bandits B and C

Seeking cover by the cargo hauler proved not as good as they had sought, as it was now on fire, and another enemy was behind them, power sword glowing. Grabbing one of the first aid kits the two head away from the stricken hauler hoping to escape notice.  

 

Ariel

Spoiler

Charge Bandit K

WS: 38 +10 Charge =48

D100: 61, Miss

The nearby  impacts of auto rounds alerted Ariel to another bandit shooting at her, his aim had been off, but that won’t last, it was short run to get next to him, unfortunately her swing fell short, she had misjudged her reach as she jumped onto the cargo hauler.  

 

Bandit  M

With the sowrd wielding maniac clambering aboard this felt like a good time to abandon the burning hauler.

 

Natorly

The brute had succumbed to the flames, but another foe was clambering aboard, that would not do.

Spoiler

Flamer Attack against Ariel

Ag test to avoid flame. AG: 24 D100: 12 Flames avoided

Bandit K Ag test to avoid flame (Natorly in her rage failed to see him when she opend up at Ariel)

D100: 20, Pass…  

 

 

Helene next, you still have an attack of opportunity against G from earlier before you regular actions

Edited April 25 by Trokair

[Trokair]

End of structured time.

 

The ambush had been short and brutal, and while the tide had waivered, threatening to to turn against you, it had been enough and the Bandits beaten. A few had fled on foot into the wilds, and the smaller truck had also escaped, though with only one Bandit aboard if Ravia had seen correctly.  The rest had sold their lives dearly in those last few moments, a fanatical mania gripping them, whether to buy time for their comrades, or simply in the believe that doing so would serve some worthy cause.

 

Victory however had come at a price. The brushes with death had been closer than bore thinking about too much. Kasimir Twiceborn might better be called Twicedied given the state that the promethium propagated inferno had wrought. His cloths and flesh burned and charred, what remained little more than a mechanical animated skeleton, his vital core and brain protected by a reinforced ribcage and skull. Without the upgrades that the Mechanicus had granted him he would be surely dead, and even with the Prosanguine working to repair him for now he would remain a comatose for some time.

 

The cargo hauler was a wreck, beyond salvage, but its contents was not entirely. You manage to recover plenty of food, even if some it a tad singed and will leave a promethium flavored after taste it is enough to last for many more days. There is some ammunition as well, though you are all a little weary of it, had the heat degraded some of it so that it could go of at any moment?

 

Just as you where dismantling the remains of the cargo hauler for some extra parts and anything else of use gunfire sounded from the forest, several short burst. Had the Bandits returned, perhaps some of the ones that had fled on foot? Taking cover and scanning around you do not see anybody, and after several minutes it is clear that that had been an isolated incident.

 

However a worrying possibility occurs to all of you. Colm had been safely hidden prior to the ambush, asleep in a makeshift blind constructed by Varn. He should have been safe from discovery, but perhaps some creature had.

 

Rushing to where he had been hidden you come across the body of a Bandit, one that had gotten past all of you. Nearby, leaning against a tree, sat Colm, autopistol in hand.

 

“I’m fine, no worries, just tiered. Needed to relive my bladder, and this scum came out of nowhere, waving his autogun around. City folk, never watch their feet, it was the roots that did in for him, timely to, otherwise that would have been the end of me.” So saying he coughs up blood again. “Might still be, think I ripped your carful stitching lad.” Indeed the bandages around his midriff were steadily being stained red.

 

 

If there is anything you want to do in the forest or back at the ambush site feel free, otherwise I will move us on to the next day. Food supply are no longer a concern, and you salvage enough from the cargo hauler that you have plenty of spare parts to repair David.

Also 250xp for everybody.  

Sorry for the unintended month long delay.

[A.T.]

Aria

 

Another attack and still no better understanding of who pursued them, the shallow faith easily shaken and ill discipline of any common militia force within the Imperium.

 

Once the shooting had stopped Aria moved from body to body searching for identification and collecting weapons and ammunition. Perhaps one feigned death and might yet speak or else carried with them a vox or diary as it would not do well to remain uninformed should the valkyrie or heavier weapons be brought against them once more.

[Machine God]

Varn:

 

Varn unloaded the autogun of the dead bandit as he talked with Colm he also looked around for special herbs. The other brought David back down to the woods so that he could make them all some Tea and Kaf.

 

Once Colm had drunk a good fill of tea, Varn reapplied the bandages and assessed the bleeding.

 

 

 

INT 37 +0 (Medicae) =37, Result: 05, Pass 3DoS

 

 

 

 

[Trokair]

Aria

As you search the dead you find little that is of help in identifying the bandits or their purpose. Someone had clearly taken care to remove identifying labels and marks, perhaps the same someone that had trained and marshaled these folk into some semblance of combat competence, as several clearly had had little experience. What you do find are some trinkets and devotional items, two had prayer books about their person and one had a photograph of three little children secured in a waterproof case.

 

Striping gear from the dead as you go it is all aged but serviceable, PDF surplus or civilian knockoff of the same. Some had utility knives, but once again they looked standard issue. In fact only the mixture of regular cloths rather than a uniform on the bodies shows that these are not from some official unit or private security contract. If this was the less reputable parts of a typical Hive you would be fair in guessing that there is some gang troop, but out here it just doesn’t fit the picture.  Sorting out the battle damaged from the still functional you find that less is reusable then you might have hoped.

 

Collectively together you all manage to salvage 3d10 pieces of usable gear, composition is up to you out of the following options: Flack helmet, Flack west, Flack armour pieces suitable for arms, Flack armour pieces suitable for legs, Boots, Utility knife, Autogun ammunition clip (unlike the ammo from the cargo hauler this would be safe to use), 10m of rope.   

 

 

 

Varn

Having  redressed Colm injuries, the bleeding had not been as bad as it initially looked, but the old man, despite trying to put on a brave face, was clearly still suffering  from the internal injuries that were beyond your means to fix out in the wild.

 

Colm at 5/9

[Lord_Ikka]

Ravia

 

As the others salvaged gear off of the dead attackers, Ravia took up the heavier weapons and began to administer the Rites of Repair. 

Spoiler

 

Recover/Repair weapons rolls

Target - 33 (43 - 10 Difficulty)

Grenade launcher roll - 6

RPG roll - 59

Result -

Grenade launcher, pass 2 DoS. Ammo = (4 - 2 + 2 = 4, 2 frag/2 krak)

RPG - fail, 2 DoF

 

 

The grenade launcher responds well to the ministrations, feeding properly and showing the caliber of its construction. The RPG however, is slightly warped due to the rough use and will require more in-depth repair than she can give it now.

Edited May 30 by Lord_Ikka

[Trokair]

Day 19, PM  – Better Days

 

With your pursuers scattered and fled you made good progress for the rest of the day. As you got within the final few kilometers of the site as marked in the Magos’s notes you can see the damage to the landscape. Something had churned up these mountains in ancient times and even an inexperience outdoorsman could see that your destination lay at the end of this strange valley. Rock falls and boulders, small lakes and streams all conspire to keep the straight path closed. Instead following over rise and fall of the bisected roots of the great mountains beyond took time, but was far from preferable to traveling along the bottom of the scar.

 

“What do you make of that?” Ariel asked Varn, pointing at a point north eastwards and handing him her binoculars.

 

“Dead, some years or more, see the young tree interwoven at the side.”

The binoculars where passed around and you all, with some guidance, observe the ruined machine. Moss and grass covered a lot, and as Varn said some trees had taken root in the carcass. What it was you could not tell at this distance, but it was huge. If this had been out on the plains then a mega harvester would have been a fair guess. On a battlefield it would have been cousins to a Baneblade.

 

As you get close the enormity of the rusted remains become even more stark. Standing at its base and looking up it might have well been a building. What you all had though where young trees where but the canopies of full grown trees that had sprouted in an interior hollow of the wreck and obscured from view before. Whatever it had been it had lain here for centuries, slowly and begrudgingly giving way to the elements.  

 

Beyond it there was suggestions of a road, or perhaps just the evidence of the great machines passage in some time past. Following the flat, if overgrown road, for another half an hour or so leads you to the ruined remains of an outpost of some sort, the building long emptied and decaying.

 

As you spread out to investigate it becomes clear that this camp had a temporary feel to it, the construction cheep, not intended to last beyond a few years. In that regard the remains lived up to their purpose, with several more just wall stubs covered by undergrowth. A set of five ruins that once would have parallel, if part had not been washed away by some flood or such, gave the impression of a barracks or dormitory. Alas aside from a bit of wall and fragments of corrugated metal scattered about there was nothing left. Another building clearly was once a garage or machine shop, rusted carcasses of something resembling trucks stood in a line like a row of grave mounts.   

 

By now it was getting dark in the shadow of the mountains, perhaps another half an hour until night. Having made camp in the wind shelter of some walls, something sturdier than the rest, perhaps the central command building for whatever this settlement had been, you share with each other what you have found around the site. Colm and Kazimir resting in Davids rear hold while the rest of you sit round the portable cooker and the rations it was cooking into a semblance of edibility.

[Machine God]

Varn:

 

Varn clambered down off of David and scampered reverently up to the massive machine.

 

He placed his left hand flat on the metal skin of the machine.

 

 

"Of the 'Sestas?"

 

 

"Oh Mana Nuta" Varn sang and then segued into his Tribal tongue. He sang all the songs that he knew and sang about his tribe to the machine of the 'Sestas and their spirits who would be listening.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 13 by Machine God
?

[A.T.]

Aria

 

"A prior exploratory expedition perhaps? " noted Aria, The site was too flimsy for a mechanicus force and seemed little like any missionary deployment she had heard of.

[Trokair]

“Certainly an expedition of some sort, and with a lot of manpower behind it I’d wager” Ariel replied.

 

Holding up a data slate she continued.

 

“Whatever it was it was either so long ago that there are no records or someone deliberately altered the records. This claims that there has been no exploration this far north, and I doubt something of this scale would have gone unnoticed.  

 

 

Later

 

 

In the final half hour of twilight several of you set out to scout a bit further around edge of this ruined complex. Perhaps there would be some clue as to what this had been. Effort soon rewarded, for a few hundred meters north eastwards of the camp, nestled into the side of the mountain is a hole. Easily forty or meter across.

 

Further machine carcasses and wrecks are scattered around the entrance, and venturing a little way inside you can see that this is the entrance to some extensive mining into the mountain.  Several sets of rusted rails lead into the deeper darkness, and as you shin your torch into the ark you can see the remains of a cart, still filled with rock junks, sit on one of the tracks.

Edited June 12 by Trokair

[Trokair]

Day 20 – The Roots of the Mountain

 

You rise early, before dawn, as where you are going it will matter little how ascended the sun is today. The four of you, side by side, torch light sweeping from ground to wall, ceiling and ahead. The gound here was flat and even, worked by many a feet and machine passing and repassing whenever it was that this mine was dug. The further in you go the less clutter of random debris there is, the outside had intruded less here. The wall supports look in better condition, not as weathered.

 

After a while one of you happens to look back, but there is no light of the outside world, even though the sun should have risen by now. For all that the passage had appeared perfectly level and straight it must have curved gradually, perhaps down, perhaps sideways.

 

A little further in you find the bones of some creature, long dead. Closer examination shows several broken bones. The whistle of the wind makes you look up, the faintest spot of daylight far far above. A ventilation shaft that the creature must have stumbled into.

 

After what felt like hours, though your chronometers assures you it has barley been 40 minutes, the passageway widens into a larger chamber. A row of mine carts are lined up, linked to each other by a simple coupling mechanism, at one end the remains of an engine unit. There are traces of heat damage and distortion, and perhaps even scorch marks, though you cannot be sure.

 

 To one side is a prefab office, inside some disused desk. Cogitators damaged from age. Stacks of rotten paper fall apart as you touch them. Tacked to the wall is what once could have been a map, but now it is just fragments kept in by pins.

 

There are further tunnels branching of from this chamber, three in fact, with a fourth one dead ending just a few meters in, perhaps it had just been started when work here ceased. Taking the passageway you arrived by as 0° and going clockwise the opening on the far side of the chamber are at 100°, 170° and 225°, with the dead end fourth passage at about 280°.

 

Scouting a little down each way reveals little of use; the passageways are essentially uniform in dimensions, no doubt bored by the same machine. That or those long ago workers had a stickler of an overseer.

 

Which path do you choose? Do you stick together or split up?

[A.T.]

Aria

 

Uniform passages but no sign of a drilling machine. Aria ran a hand against the edge of one passageway seeking the regular pattern of a drilling machine or the uneven work of indentured workers, even servitors would vary their pattern as they reached higher.

 

"With each tunnel the gap narrows, as if following a strengthening auger signal. If they were not stopped short then it would seem prudent to look for where the third tunnel might branch towards the forth."

[Lord_Ikka]

Ravia

 

"Very well. The third tunnel then?"

 

Ravia reloaded her carbine with a fresh power cell. 

 

"We should all go together. No sense getting split up and lost."

[Trokair]

The decision made you head into the chosen tunnel. It takes you all a while to notice but the air here is staler then in the first tunnel or the chamber. If there are further airshafts then they are likely failing at their purposes.

 

Over the course of the next few weeks, or about 2 hours according to your chronometers, you find two side paths on the leftward side, which unless the tunnel had unnoticeably doubled back where in the wrong direction of your intend goal.  Each one is only a little higher than standard head height, and had space for perhaps 3 workers to walk side by side. The rails for the carts branched at each point, with simple manual junction controls. Just inside the first side path someone had made a makeshift bench out of some rocks, the walls also looked less even and smooth, these had been carved out of the mountain by smaller machines and hand. The tunnel sides were still uniform enough that the change was barley visible, jut the occasional subtle shift in angle or toll mark giving it away.  

 

As they appeared to be veering away from your direction you only venture a little way along each before continuing in the main tunnel.

 

Half an hour later the tunnel burst into a chasm, a rent in the mountain stretching left and right as well as up and down beyond what your torches can illuminate. The walls are rugged, jugged stones and outcrops dotting the cavern sides. For all its undeterminable dimensions in the other direction the chasm was only 10, maybe 12 meters across. On the far side, and a little down, you can see where the tunnel continues.

 

Do you try and cross using the rope and equipment you have, or do you double back and take one of the two side paths?