Middex Armory, Hall to Armory 1, Klos 4th, 350AC, 12:52

The live metal man quickly and smoothly steps into the hallway.  Red lights wink on, tracing pencil-thin red beams through the smoky hallway, which scan over everyone.  The deep synthesized voice booms “Drop your weapons and surrender or you will be eliminated.”

Phallon drops his pistol, and attacks with his mono-knife (-2CS for ghool’z hold = 5 column): 70 5 = blue.  He slashes the side of the chest without much noted effect.  Sunray hands were used within the hour (unless you want to wait around 9 minutes!), cannot use.

Ragnor awkwardly tries to load and fire his shotgun while the ghool grapples, bites, and burns.  (I’m not giving point blank, nor am I saying Ragnor cannot fire: standard shot but with -1CS for ghool’z hold)  Shotgun (19): 20 6 = white.  In the scuffle, the gun barrel squirts out from its target and showers the ceiling/wall with metal shot.

Zeebo tries telekinesis (12): 4 1 = white.  No effect.  He fires an arrow at ghool 2 (13 – 2CS for cover from Phallon’s body = 11): 3 3 = white.

Arvak tries to hurl the ghool off of him and into the wall.  Wrestling attack (19): 4 7 = green.  Arvak steps, pivots, and tries to throw off the ghool, but its untiring arms hold on like iron (Arvak needs yellow to break ghool’z green hold).  However, Arvak’s wrestling expertise tell him he could also try to body slam the ghool into the wall or floor.  That would do a lot of damage to a human, maybe not so much to these foul creatures.

Ghool 1 maintains his green hold on Arvak, tries to bite (11): 10 6 = white, tries to burn (X): 10 9 = white.

Ghool 2 maintains his green hold on Phallon.  He bites (11): 50 9 = blue.  The teeth again do not penetrate Phallon’s armor, but are probing for an opening (each attempt for it will get easier).  Burns (X): 70 7 = yellow, so BD 2 x 3RF =6 points of burn damage.  Down to 99 hp.

Ghool 5 maintains his blue hold on Ragnor and tries to bite (11): 10 7 = white.  Burns (X): 50 0 = green, so BD 2 x 2RF = 4 points of burn damage.  Down t0 101 hp.

Initiative

• Zeebo 0 = automatic win, tie breakers 4, 4
• Phallon 0 = automatic win, tie breakers 4, 3
• Ragnor 7 + 2 = 9
• Live Metal 4 + 3 = 7
• Ghoolz 7 – 1 = 6
• Arvak 1 = automatic loss

Middex Armory, Hall to Armory 1, Klos 4th, 350AC, 12:52

Ragnor pumps his combat shotgun, and immediately fires at ghool 3 who is closing on him (20): 80 6 = orange +1RF (heightned precision) = red hit.  Another ghool head pops like a rotten melon and its body jerks backwards and collapses.

Phallon fires his heavy pistol at ghool 2 (8): 30 3 = white.  He uses fear generation on ghool 5 (14): 00 8 = white.

Zeebo fires another arrow into the fray, at ghool 2 (13): 3 3 = white.

Arvak brings his hammer around and tries to pound ghool 1 (18) 2 0 = white.  CLANG!!  The hammer hits the floor as the ghool gets inside Arvak’s swinging arc, and attacks him.  Wrestling attack (11): 70 2 = green hold.  Bite (11): 80 7 = yellow.  Another set of fangs scrapes down armor, and just catches flesh at Arvak’s armpit.  1 point of damage.  Burns (X): 60 7 = yellow.  BD 2 x 3 RF = 6 points burn damage.  Hit points down to 76.

Ghool 2 tries to tackle Phallon (11): 70 6 = green hold.  Bites (11): 00 5 = white.  Burns (X): 20 1 = blue, so BD of 2 points burn damage.  Down to 105 hp.

Ghool 5 leaps over the pulpy corpses of his brethren and tackles Ragnor (11): 60 4 = blue hold.  Bites (11): 30 9 = white.  Burns (X): 40 5 = green so BD 2 x 2RF = 4 points of burn damage.  Hit points down to 105.

Initiatives

• Live Metal 8 + 3 = 11
• Phallon 8 + 2 = 10
• Ragnor 5 + 2 = 7, tie breaker 6
• Zeebo 5 + 2 = 7, tie breaker 2
• Arvak 5 + 1 = 6
• Ghoolz 6 – 1 = 5

Middex Armory, Hall to Armory 1, Klos 4th, 350AC, 12:52

Your group hears a couple of whirring noises from the live metal man, then nothing but quickly running booted feet.

Arvak clips his ID badge to his cape near the shoulder, and pulls out a spike.

Phallon tries to project time distortion, but it hasn’t been an hour since last used, so it doesn’t work.

The ghoolz come running around the corner and close with your group much faster than expected.  Phallon is just able to get past Ragnor, although one (ghool 2) is chasing.  Arvak who won initiative and has hammer in hand, is able to strike at the one (ghool 1) in front of him (18): 2 8 = white.

Ghool 1 tries to grab Arvak (11): 10 1 = white, and bite him (11) 90 0 = yellow.  As arvaks hammer swishes through the air, the ghool bites down on his arm.  The teeth clank into his shoulder armor, but he feels a sharp jab through the scale plates.  1 point of damage done.

Ghool 4 rushes up to Ragnor who is unable to get his shot off first (Phallon just dodged by him, then the ghool is right there).  It wraps its muscular arms around Ragnor (11): 70 3 = green hold.  Bite (11) 20 5 = white.  Its teeth clack around Ragnor’s neck but miss.  Its skin erupts forth with an unholy yellow-green glow, and Ragnor takes 8 points of burn damage (col X: 90 2 = orange).

Ragnor uses his shotgun.  Column 20 (due to +3 w/ weapon) – 2CS for hold + 4 CS for point blank = X: 80 9 = orange +2RF = red result.  He crams the barrel of the shotgun into the ghoolz mouth and blows its head off.  (BD 18 x 5RF = 90 points of damage) As its twitching body falls, Ragnor sees ghool 3 behind it, covered in its brrrains!!!

Zeebo fires an arrow at ghool 2.  +1CS for kneeling, but -1CS for ghool’z partial cover.  In addition he is “firing into a crowd” so needs a green to hit.  (A blue will hit a different target)  Bow (13): 8 1 = yellow hit.  The arrow sticks into the ghool’z chest and out the other side.  Base damage of 13 points done.

Initiatives

• Ragnor 0 = automatic win
• Phallon 7 + 2 = 9
• Zeebo 6 + 2 =8, tie breaker 8
• Arvak 7 + 1 = 8, tie breaker 3
• Ghoolz 4 – 1 = 3

Middex Armory, Hall to Armory 1, Klos 4th, 350AC, 12:52

Phallon attacks.  He fires his heavy pistol at ghool 1 (8 +2CS for aiming +3 attacking from behind = 13): 90 2 = orange hit.  BD only of 14 points of damage.  The shot hits the ghool in the back, and blows a ton of pulpy flesh, blood, and a chunk of rib out its front side.  Phallon is pretty sure that shot hit it right in the heart.  Guess they don’t need that, ’cause its still movin’.

Mental blast at ghool 2 (10): 90 1 = yellow.  Base damage of 5 x 3RF = 15 points of damage.  It reels, but doesn’t drop.

The live metal man instantly drops the two ghoolz it was holding, pivots its upper body on a waist swivel so its facing the door, and fires a laser blast from an arm mounted rifle (X): 00 4 = white.  The beam sears past Phallon and blackens the wall behind him.  A loud, ludicrously deep voice booms from the robot: “Hostile Intruder Alert!  Lethal Force Initiated!”

Just before Phallon retreats away from the door, he sees the five ghools turn towards him.  With glassy eyes, sharp teeth, and outstretched rubbery muscled green arms, they rush towards your group.

Initiatives:

• Robotrooper  0 = automatic win
• Arvak 8 + 1 = 9
• Phallon 2 + 2 = 4
• Ghoolz 3 – 1 = 2
• Ragnor 1 = automatic loss, tie breaker 0
• Zeebo 1 = automatic loss, tie breaker 6

You cannot control the shit storm around you.  You can only control what you do.  What will that be, exactly?

Middex Armory, Hallway to Armory 1, Klos 4th, 350AC, 12:50

Phallon moves down the hallway, followed by Ragnor (moving more cautiously), then Arvak (just returned from the Security Room).  Dr. Zeebo also enters the hall from the barracks, and joins the group.

Phallon peeks around the corner into Armory 1.  Most of the rooms you’ve seen have had clean lines painted in military gray.  This room looks like all its surfaces have been scraped: its rough, pockmarked, and no furnishings at all, just empty bolt holes in the floors and walls.  There is a doorway in the west wall that is filled by a standing live metal man.  It is about 8′ tall, solid looking and wide, its two powerful arms are each grasping a “live” ghool.  A third ghool is trying to get around it, but the live metal keeps blocking it with its arms.  (That is the source of the noises)  There are 5 dead programmers lying around the room, and two more ghoolz are crouched over one, and are eating its flesh.  In fact, all of the bodies here have been chewed on, that’s why its obvious they’re dead.

No one has yet noticed Phallon…

Middex Armory, Hallway, Klos 4th, 350 AC, 12:40

Arvak, Phallon, and Ragnor leave the kitchen and mess hall.  They gather around the security door to the command room.  Its red light is on, indicating it is locked.  The group uses the various ID cards they have gathered, but none of them gain access.

What now?

I’m going to be in upstate Pennsylvania this weekend.  I will NOT have any access to a computer.  I’ll resume the game on Sunday or Monday night.

-Nate