The Fate of the Combine [PF]

[FoxWyrd]

You’ve all heard about it, seen it, maybe even felt it; the end is coming and there’s no stopping it. The Combine is beginning to collapse in on itself at the edges as the metaphysical supports give way to the immense pressure resulting from the ontological underpinnings of the Combine (the Outer Universe) having finally disintegrated in their entirety.

The Architect Cultists wander the streets in their drug-crazed delirium speaking about how the Architect will return and how he will create a new universe to serve as a foundation for the Combine so that his creation will live on evermore, but nobody alive today has ever seen the Architect. They’ve only heard stories from the blue-stained lips of Vith-addicted priests. Maybe there’s truth to their waking dreams, but most don’t give them much credit, because a Cultist without his Vith is little different than the wretches littering the alleys and streets of the Undercity.

The few Spire-Hopefuls out here in the city known as Dust don’t hold as much hope as the Cultists, but some of them speak of how if anyone can save the Combine, it is the Magi of Terravus. But they know not of what they speak, because they have never met the Spire Mages. They speak of the reputations of the Spire Mages, not of the actual Spire Mages themselves, but in these trying times, people cling to hope wherever they can—even if it’s just a comforting lie or a children’s story.

Taverns throughout the Undercity (where the Veterans of the Grey War tend to scrape up work as mercenaries and enforcers) are finding themselves unexpectedly busy. It seems many of them have found a reason to drink: the Grey War is coming to an end and that in and of itself is worthy of a drink, even if it means all that is shall become not.

The Procurement Specialists’ Guild as it is officially known has found their orders dropping significantly in the last few months due to the extenuating circumstances. Money grows tight, but the end is coming nonetheless, so does it really matter?

But there is something that has shaken things up. The intense pressure on the metaphysical supports of the Combine has unearthed something new—a new Island, but there is nowhere this island should have come from, for there is nothing beyond the Combine any longer. So what could it be? There are various theories in circulation and everybody has one reason or another to believe that it could save us all, but most people have silently resigned themselves to the fact that the end is coming.

But you’re not most people, are you?

You all have received a typewritten letter from an individual whose signature you can not read, not because it is illegible, but because when your eyes focus on it, it seems to go out of focus.

They say to meet them at the Geyser of Uzuvek, one of the more exotic bars in the Undercity where people drink the highly-alcoholic stomach acid of Uzuvek. They’re expelled forth by sprinkling a powder into his open stomach that causes a massive acid reflux-like event and you’re expected to fill your glass with as much as you can before it falls back in. Don’t worry though; it’s safe for consumption in moderate doses.

[Rokku]

Pillar sat alone in a booth, a half-finished mug of uzuvek in front of him. As powerful as it was, even it didn't have much effect on his half-construct physiology. His eyes - one brown, one sparkling crystalline gold - drifted across the crowd, waiting for this mystery correspondent to present themselves. He sighed, and his significant bulk settled against the wall. Whatever this was, if it'd get him to the new island it was worth the wait. He wanted to see something new before everything ended.

[Stevesciguy]

Sven stayed shrunk into a corner of the room, trying to evade notice. Normally, this would be quite difficult due to the advanced mechanical suit that enveloped his body, but fortunately, the other patrons seemed to have little interest in matters mechanical. He was not participating in the drinking, his reasons twofold: one, he preferred a bright alert mind to that of a drunken one; and two, he was such a lightweight that even the weakest drink here would likely knock him to the floor.

For now, he contented himself to watching the other patrons, keeping an eye out for anyone that might be the mysterious stranger who sent the letter.

[FoxWyrd]

There is a plethora of--interesting--individuals moving throughout the Bar. There are inverted humans, all manner of alien creatures, even what you could logically assume to be a few creatures that could have been gods in other worlds, but nobody seems to gather as much attention as the giant preying mantis that stands roughly ten feet tall. It is clicking and clacking furiously at a small humanoid with scales and a rat-like tail that is nodding rapidly and yipping yes, yes, yes.

You can probably overhear conversations about this preying mantis all throughout the room. Lots of gossip mainly, but there is a prevailing tone. Fear. It seems everyone knows who this preying mantis is and nobody wants to get in its way.

You also likely overhear it referred to as the Captain of Hadimon. What Hadimon is, you likely don't know unless you pass a DC 15 Knowledge: History or DC 15 Knowledge: Planes check, but it's not hard to figure out that it's one of the many ships that dock here at Dust.

Regardless, you see the scaled humanoid with a rat-like tail go up to the bartender and point to the Mantis and demand the biggest bowl he has. He then proceeds to fill it with as much stomach acid as he can and lifts it for the Mantis to drink from.

The sound of this giant creature's slurping and its mandibles clicking together echoes throughout the bar, piercing through the background noise.

[Stevesciguy]

Sven was among those afraid of the large mantis. The large stature, powerful mandibles, and unreadable insectoid face disconcerted him.

Continuing his search for the messenger, he picks out a figure from the crowd. A large man, seemingly only partially biological, sitting at the far end of the room. He also seems to watch the crowd, and isn't joining in on the merry making.

Sven slips around the outside of the room, attempting to stay as far as possible from the Captain. He approaches the curious man, keeping his voice low:

"Are you the one who sent this letter? How did you do this to your signature?"

[Rokku]

Pillar looked at the stranger approaching him, golden crystal eye glowing steadily. Then he produces an identical letter.

"You got one too, eh? I've been waiting for whoever sent them out to show themselves. Maybe they're waiting for more candidates to show up?"

[FoxWyrd]

In a nearby booth, someone turns their head to you two and asks, "You two wouldn't mind if I took a look at those letters, would you?" The voice is highly mechanical and sounds like it's submerged underwater.

The person speaking is a gelatinous cube in the mold of a humanoid and in the center of their "torso" is a voicebox.

[Stevesciguy]

"Uh... sure. Do either of you have names?"

Sven holds out the letter to the jelly man, silently hoping that it won't be ruined.

Simultaneously, he tries to get a good look at the voice box, contemplating how it functions.

Spoiler: OoC

Show

Rolling to see if Sven knows anything about the voice box. Not sure if this is Know(engineering) or Profession(mechanic), but my mod for both is the same:
(1d20+7)[13]

[Rokku]

"Pillar."

The hulking forgeborn passes the letter over.

[FoxWyrd]

The Gelatinous Man's voicebox buzzes to life and rambles off a long series of alpha-numeric characters that you can probably guess is a serial number. It finishes with, "...Anyways, this letter seems to be from..." The voicebox makes a cacophonous screech of consonant-heavy syllables that is largely unintelligible.

He points over at the Mantis, "That's..." and then he repeats what he said before.

"Anyways, I'm going to continue enjoying the humidity in here. May your travels be well, Organic. And also to you as well, Cousin."

Knowledge: Planes or Knowledge: Engineering will help you determine how the Voice-Box works.

[Stevesciguy]

"Thank you for the assistance. Happy travels."

Sven then looks over to the newly introduced Pillar, face pale as a ghost.

Whispering:
"We have to talk to... the mantis creature? Maybe this wasn't the greatest idea..."

Spoiler: Engineering roll

Show

(1d20+7)[10]

[Rokku]

Pillar shrugs.

"I've seen scarier," he says, hauling himself out of his booth. He approaches the mantis-man and taps him on the shoulder.

"You're looking for people to head to the new island, right?"

[FoxWyrd]

The Mantis lifts its insectoid head from the bowl of stomach acid and lifts its forelegs quickly, tossing the bowl everywhere and soaking one non-humanoid's attire entirely. It is hideously clicking at you.

The scaled creature with the rat-like tail crawls up onto it and whispers into its ear and it calms down.

He looks at Pillar, "Donchu know who dis is. Dis is Cap'n--well--Cap'n. Whachu doin' botherin' my cap'n? Huh? Huh? You think you're some kinda tough guys, doncha? Doncha? Well you ain't no tougher than the Cap'n, that's for sure, huh Cap'n?"

The Mantis pays him no attention and is instead too busy screaming at Pillar.

Except for the high-pitched yapping of the kobold and the Mantis' furious clicking, the bar is dead silent.

Spoiler: Knowledge Check

Show

You have no idea how it works.

[Rokku]

Pillar calmly holds up the letter so both of them can see it.

"Work offer. Got pointed your way. If it's not from you, I'll be on my way."

[FoxWyrd]

The Kobold grabs out of your hands and reads it carefully before he throws it in the air and jumps for joy. "I told you, Cap'n. Told you, told you, told you, that we'd gets another crew and look right here, these two are gonna join our crew."

The Mantis pauses and looks at the Kobold. Even in its aliens eyes, there is confusion, but it seems to trust this runty little creature and it clicks at him.

"Cap'n says she's gotta make sure you two ain't a couple of jellies," he says as he looks at you all as seriously as he can. "Says she wants you to prove yourself, cause not just any dip is gonna get on Hadimon, ain't no way, no how."

[Stevesciguy]

Sven leans out from behind Pillar, where's he's been "hiding" up until now.

"W-what, exactly, would that entail?"

[FoxWyrd]

The Mantis clicks and the Kobold looks up at her with a look of disbelief. "Cap'n, Cap'n, we can't--" The Kobold is cut off by more clicks and he rolls his eyes as he face-palms.

"Cap'n says she wants you to--uhh--find someone. A jelly we thought was goods enough, but wasn't. Wasn't good 'nuff at all," he says without looking up from his palm. "The name's uhh, what was it, Cap'n?"

The Mantis clicks more.

"Oh that jelly? Cap'n, you can't be serious."

She brings down her closed foreleg on his head in a soft thump and he growls a little bit, but looks at you all. "Aleon Tosh, an ugly jelly with only one eye and a real bad limp after what the ol' Cap'n did to him. She says she wants you to bring him back and then you're in and she'll take you to the Island as part of her crew."

There is a bit of snickering at the mention of Aleon Tosh's name until the Mantis lets out a shrill shriek resulting in the bar returning to deafening silence.

[Stevesciguy]

"Could we, uh, get any information on where this man went? Or will we need to look blindly?"

Sven is still speaking from behind Pillar, getting further disconcerted by the aggravated mantis creature.

[FoxWyrd]

"Wells, he couldn'ts have left the city--he wasn't much good before the Cap'n nearly a--," The Kobold is thumped again by the Mantis, but continues. "I'm sure someones can points you to hims, after all, not manys of those umm--what's the words for thems again--looks like hairless apes--oh, humans--have halfs their skull missing. Looks, you's smart. Just go find hims."

The Mantis looks at the two of you with its piercing, alien stare, but then looks at the Kobold and clicks more.

"Cap'n says that if you twos get him, there'll be moneys for you."

[Stevesciguy]

"Uh, alright, I guess we'll ask around a bit. Pillar, why don't we start looking while it's still daylight."

Sven seems quite ready to get away from the captain as soon as possible, and his voice carries a slight quiver.

[Rokku]

Pillar stares through the mantis.

"You're sending us to round up someone you already crippled. Why?"

[FoxWyrd]

The Mantis stares at Pillar with a cold intensity and utters a few short, but sharp clicks.

The Kobold looks up at the Mantis and whispers something with a tone of concern in a language neither of you are familiar with before he looks up at Pillar, "The Captains didn'ts mean thats, no, no, no. Captain gets very angry when people thinks Captain is lying because Captain doesn't lie. Nope. No way, no how. Just don't's happen."

He composes himself, shooting a glance back at the Mantis before returning his reptilian (but somehow welcoming) eyes back up at Pillar. He whispers at a volume barely loud enough for the two of you to hear, "The jelly would recognize us, after all, the Captains is the one who almost ate his head. The Captain wants to finish what she started."

[Rokku]

Pillar looks down at the kobold.

"What did this man do to deserve this?"

[FoxWyrd]

The Kobold looks up at the Captain who stays deafeningly silent, but the Captain's penetrating gaze is fixated on the Kobold.

He looks up at Pillar and says somewhat reluctantly, "You don't wants to know."

[Stevesciguy]

At this point, Sven is literally pulling on Pillar's arm, in an attempt to drag him out the door. His efforts are in vain, however, as Pillar is much too heavy for Sven to move, even with the assistance of his mechanical suit.

"Come on, Pillar, I'm sure they have very good reasons for wanting this man... perhaps he's a criminal who betrayed them, and they simply want to bring him to justice..."

[Rokku]

The massive forgeborn glares down at Sven.

"I'm not interested in hunting a man without good cause. If he's already been made to suffer as much as the kobold says, I need a good reason to make his life worse."

[Stevesciguy]

Sven leans in close to Pillar, keeping his voice low.

"I understand and agree, but if we don't get going now she might decide to do to us what she did to him. We leave now, and then figure out what we're going to do.