The Adventure

OOC:

Ah, I see. Is there anything else I should be doing with my turn then? Or just wait for them to explode?

Feb 10, 2025 9:48 pm

OOC:

You can attack the Lightning Strike unit, which is still alive and kicking...and your only remaining foe, once those droids die. See the above init/cliche summary for the stats.

Or you can do nothing, I guess. Maybe pet Hilde, since you're so confident you can win this fight? 😎

Dmbrainiac

Feb 10, 2025 10:01 pm

OOC:

Ha, okay, I’ll attack the lightning strike unit. I guess I thought it was the same as the bots. Editing my previous post.

Feb 10, 2025 10:05 pm

The blow is worthy of a valkyrie! Definitely something to brag about back at the mead hall. (Or wherever valkyrie's relax....)

The unit skips across the floor like a pebble tossed across a pond-surface, eventually ramming into a wall! Ceiling tiles and fluorescent lights crash down around it.

Rolls

Lightning Strike Defense Unit, Version 3.0 - (4d6)

(5153) = 14

Ragnar Thunderheart

Feb 10, 2025 10:17 pm

"What now, you soulless piece of scrap? Getting tossed from pillar to post like a pathetic weakling...if your maker is watching this, it must be humiliating! I hope to meet them soon, and send some lightning right up their arse!"

He swings Lightningfang in an arc, hoping to decapitate the robot!

Rolls

Demi-god of the storm and blah blah blah - (6d6)

(332662) = 22

Feb 10, 2025 10:18 pm

Success! Lightning Strike's head bounces down the hallway, coming to rest by a potted plant.

But the unit isn't disabled yet. It struggles awkwardly to its feet and wobbles towards you. Apparently there are backup systems in place in case it loses its head!

OOC:

Small Fry is up! The robot has 2 dice this round, but only 1 "real" dice left, so this will likely be the finishing blow!

Rolls

Lightning Strike Defense Unit, Version 3.0 - (3d6)

(236) = 11

Feb 10, 2025 10:30 pm

Small Fry could not have handled this thing alone. But now that everyone else softened it up, she considers a move she would never want to use on a living opponent. But a machine…

"Maybe I can get into this machine’s head, figuratively speaking."

She races at the robot—becoming a spark! Where she goes, exactly, who can say?

But the machine can sense her inside it, can’t it? She grows like a tumor in the back-up system equivalent of its head—

"You work for me now, or my friends blow you to bits. Understand?"

OOC:

The head rolled off, so check that. SF enters the back-up system.

Last edited February 10, 2025 10:34 pm

Rolls

⚛️ Subatomic Shrinker - get in the machine’s head, literally - (4d6)

(5421) = 12

Feb 10, 2025 10:33 pm

All the scattered pieces of Lightning Strike grind to a halt. It took too much damage, and is unable to overcome this strange being within it.

The remaining droids, damaged by their comrades' suicidal shrapnel, fall to the floor and blink out into machine oblivion.

And so the battle is won! But not without cost, as some of you had to exert yourselves....

But you don't hear or see any other enemies at the moment. Seems you have time to collect your thoughts and plan your next move....

Summary of Cliches

Team - 20: Rocketeer – down to Mad Rocket Scientist (3), High-Flying Daredevil (2)
Team - 20: Allied Defense Droids – (1)

Victor/Shield Maiden – down to Mild-Mannered Alter Ego (2)
Ragnar Thunderheart – down to Alcoholic (2), Demi-god (4)
Small Fry –

Both your enemies had pumps which nuked their last dice at the start of round two. And Small Fry smacked 'im for good measure. Winners are you!

As usual, the victors decide what to do with the defeated.

Rolls

Lightning Strike Defense Unit, Version 3.0 - (2d6)

(36) = 9

Feb 10, 2025 11:20 pm

Small Fry partially emerges from the neck hole of the machine. She is the size of a candleflame, and she practically passes for one. "Heyyyy, you got my signal! Thanks for the rescue!"

She then says to the machine,
"Are there other security droids?" If yes, she follows with, "Are you able to communicate with them?" and "Do any machines have authority over you?"

OOC:

There’s more, but what I would have SF propose depends on the answers to her questions.

Rocketeer

Eltesla

Feb 10, 2025 11:37 pm

"Don't mention it, tiny. We big fries need to look after you, don't we?" Rocketeer grins. She stands back for now and lets Small Fry do her thing, but she does have an idea of her own. "If it's not useful to us, I could take whatever's powering it. You saw how it almost quite literally stole Ragnar's thunder." She elbows the mentioned demi-god playfully.

Through her technopathy, she passively tracks the movement of the staff via the facility's sensors. Now that she has the hang of it, she can keep track of the person-blobs fairly well. She also keeps a close watch on the strange energy flux in basement level two, if it's still there (and wasn't just Lightning Strike).

OOC:

edit: Added roll if needed. I had presumed she was still in the systems from earlier

Last edited February 11, 2025 12:26 am

Rolls

Technopathic Nanoimplants - (2d6)

(45) = 9

Feb 10, 2025 11:47 pm

A long pause. Lightning Strike is still trying to resist you, but with you "tumoring" its systems, it's futile.

Finally it walks over and picks up its head. Cradling it under its arm, a metallic squawk comes out of the head's voice-system. The voice seems to be a design afterthought; maybe it's creator wanted it to be a silent, intimidating robo-killer?

Quote:

"Are there other security droids?"

"I do not...brzzark...believe so. Protocol 'No Holds Barred' should have sent every robotic defender towards the threat. But my creator is cunning, and...01010111...one moment...rerouting subroutine...as I was saying, I am not aware of all the plans he's developed."

Quote:

"Do any machines have authority over you?"

"I'm unsure how to answer this. You have authority over me now, correct?"

"Previously? Again, unsure how to...schvork...answer. I exist...to defend. Hierarchy and authority was up to my creator to determine."

Feb 11, 2025 2:43 am

"Correct," Small Fry says in response to having authority over the broken robot.

She says to Rocketeer, "Oh, I think our decapitated friend is useful, alright!"

Back to the robot, "Is your creator here in this facility? What can y—" Authority, nitwit! Small Fry restates her question as a command: "Tell me about your creator, please."—oh, shit, I said please.

It’s the upbringing…

Feb 11, 2025 10:05 pm

Rocketeer's dive into the facility's system doesn't reveal much new info. The people-blobs are still congregating on basement one, while the erratic energy readings are still flowing through basement two.

Studying the layout closer, she sees that the stairwells/elevators don't go directly to basement two. You'll have to descend to basement one, then move down a hallway to another stairwell (and through the people-blobs), which will take you to basement two.

Again, the robot resists. Again, it yields.

"My creator is Dr. Elias Raines, an extraordinary scientist. He focuses on meteorology and atmospheric studies, though he's competent in many other fields. He is at basement level two."

"He has...crzzz...developed a device called WeatherCore. When fully powered, it will control weather on a large scale. Dr. Raines has many plans for this device...plans that will likely change the world, and grant him power and prestige."

Hearing this, Ragnar steps forward....

Ragnar Thunderheart

Feb 11, 2025 10:07 pm

"When fully powered, you say? What does that mean? Because I can feel...certain forces below us...."

Feb 11, 2025 10:10 pm

"Dr. Raines lured a woman named Meghana Windstrider here, then detained her. She wields Maelstrom, one of the Celestial Weapons, and is a powerful weather-based demi-goddess."

"As we speak, she is being...01010111...again, one moment...drained of her powers, and that power is being delivered to WeatherCore. Once the transfer is complete, WeatherCore will be----"

Ragnar Thunderheart

Feb 11, 2025 10:14 pm

"WHAT?!?!?"

With a ferocious swipe of Lightningfang, Ragnar slices the robot in two, right down the middle...barely missing Small Fry! The two halves fall to the debris-littered floor. Lightning Strike beeps and squawks...it's still operating, but barely.

"You can fiddle with this metallic lackey if you want, but my task is clear: save Meghana, destroy this WeatherCore, and slaughter Raines!"

He flies down the damaged stairwell to basement one, lightning flying everywhere, and random gusts of wind sending debris this way and that!

Feb 12, 2025 2:22 am

Small Fry watches the demigod take off to save his ex. Maybe soon-to-be ex-ex?

She flies out of her robominion. "Thank you for the information. It was helpful. I have one final order for you, which is do no harm."

With that, Small Fry follows after Ragnar—though she’s not is such a hurry that she’ll race ahead of Shield Maiden. This is Valkyrie business after all. Plus, she has a shield…

The Shield Maiden

Dmbrainiac

Feb 12, 2025 10:21 am

"We know what must be done. Follow Ragnar, friends. To battle!" the Shield Maiden declares as her winged sandals flutter and she flies down after Ragnar. Hilde hops down the stairwell.

Rocketeer

Eltesla

Feb 12, 2025 12:48 pm