[PF] Iron Gods: O Khonnir, Where Art Thou? In Character

[Amazo]

Three men wait at the only occupied table in The Foundry, one of them notably more lively than the other two. The air is mostly silent, as one of Khonnir's inventions whirs lazily overhead. The gentle breeze that the spinning metal blades produce is about the only notable movement in the building. The errand boy from the Evercandle Inn had brought promising news: an elven stranger from out of town seemed eager to meet with you three regarding the missing wizard. However, hours of waiting have so far proven fruitless. Val has spent the day milling about, proving to be the most animated part of the tavern since its proprietor went missing. Now, though, since she stepped out to check on Khonnir's foundry next door and his recently acquired disabled construct in their shared home behind both buildings. "Maybe he thought we meant the actual foundry," she had proposed when she offered to go look. It seemed as good an idea as any, so she promptly left, promising to return with bedding for the stranger too. Waiting outside seemed as queer an idea as continuing to wait in silence to these three men: the boy had brought no description of the man with him, so simply waiting for an elf to approach would lead to serial disappointments one after another as the elven inhabitants of Torch simply milled by. And so, they instead sit inside. Waiting. Weren't adventurers supposed to chomp at the bit for an opportunity like this? And how long had they been sitting here anyway?

It is this scene that the elven stranger unknowningly approaches as he answers the call of his own curiousity. Two androids, working alongside each other but with notably distinct demeanors and vocations, seemed as good of a reason to introduce himself. The building he approaches is wooden in construction, though it incorporates some tawdry metal ornamentations likely salvaged from the surrounding wastes. A look at the somewhat rusted sign immediately reveals the reason for the clashing visual styles. The Foundry, as a name, seems aptly chosen for this place given its appearance. A glance next door indicates the name likely also serves double duty for the building next door, an actual metallurgy foundry. The kindly humans at the inn did mention both buildings belonged to the missing wizard Khonnir, and if Alyatt's prior traveling experience taught him anything about that particular lot, they certainly enjoyed their deceptively-simple-yet-meaningful names for things. Before long, Alyatt finds himself immediately before the tavern's main door. He can see the door is unlatched and open, but he hears no movement within.

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

Alyatt's curiosity getting the best of him, he opens the door and peers inside.

Perception [roll0]

[Vhaidara]

Spectre, hearing the door open, looks up and, seeing a knife-eared meat bag elf, and one he doesn't recognize, glares at him. He murmurs to the other two waiting with him.
That one isn't local, is he?

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

The androids catching Alyatt's eye, he moves over to them, smiling. "Excuse me, I do not mean to be rude, but are you androids? I am currently researching Numeria and as such, have much interest in androids."

[TCArknight]

Evril



That one isn't local, is he?

Evril shook his head and sipped on his drink. "Doesn't look like it, this should be interesting...."

Still, Evril was a bit surprised as the elf promptly walked up and asked about Spectre and his brother's origins. He laughed, stood and tried to put a serious face on but failed. "I don't know how they couldn't take that as rude my friend. How would you like it if I came into your place of relaxation and asked if you were an elf, because I was studying your homeland? I would think you'd be a bit upset, am I right?"

He gestured to a seat at the table, smiled and sat back down. "Please sit. If you have interest in our land, then you're welcome to join us. May I ask why the interest?"

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt


Still, Evril was a bit surprised as the elf promptly walked up and asked about Spectre and his brother's origins. He laughed, stood and tried to put a serious face on but failed. "I don't know how they couldn't take that as rude my friend. How would you like it if I came into your place of relaxation and asked if you were an elf, because I was studying your homeland? I would think you'd be a bit upset, am I right?"

Without hesitation Alyatt says "Not at all. I would be more than happy to discuss Kyonin," and smiles.


He gestured to a seat at the table, smiled and sat back down. "Please sit. If you have interest in our land, then you're welcome to join us. May I ask why the interest?"

Alyatt bows briefly and sits. "Thank you!"
"I have always been fascinated by Numeria, since I learn of it and it's ruins and technology. I am a scholar and it is here my research has brought me and I am very hands on. Androids, I know almost nothing about other than they seem to be from here and I suppose are related to the same technology."

[Vhaidara]

Spectre looks at the elf.
So, are you the elf we heard about? Someone said one of your kind wanted to see us about Khonnir.

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

Alyatt looks baffled. "Heard about? I think you have the wrong elf. I don't know a Khonnir."

[Cyclopean]

Ignus looks up from his book and closes it. They appear unmoved both by Alyatt's discourtesy and Evril's defense. "I am Ignus, and an android. Khonnir Baine is the wizard who owns this place," they say in their gravelly voice. "He has gone missing. We seek others to help find him. Who are you.?"

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

"As I said I am a scholar. My parents were diplomats for Kyonin and I saw much of the world and am drawn to understand things. In seeing much of the world I have found Numeria to be the most interesting and so I am here. What else would you like to know?"

[Amazo]

Alyatt

Perception [roll0]

Despite being almost completely empty, the tavern looks far from rundown. From the inside, Alyatt can see the large, flat sheets of metal adorning the outside of the building are actually covering up windows. This seems curious until he notices an artificial glow coming from bizarre metallic torches the likes of which he has never seen before. The torches are enough to light the entire tavern completely without the need for candle- or sunlight. Overhead, what looks like it could be the weapon of some exotic race spins lazily, stirring the air with three metallic blades mounted on a common circular center. The walls hold up a plethora of other mechanical contraptions for inspection, some working, some apparently not, their purposes not immediately clear from Alyatt's simple glance.

[Cyclopean]

Ignus stares at Alyatt for a moment, thinking. Perhaps this elf could be useful. "Do you wish to help us find Khonnir? He knows much of the mysteries of Numeria. Also. Do you have a name?"

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

"I'm sorry, my name is Alyatt Mylann and I would be happy to help you find Khonnir. Are you all friends of his?"

[Vhaidara]

You could say that.
Spectre returns to glaring at the door, one hand dropping down to rest on his crossbow.

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

Alyatt looks at Spectre with a puzzled look.

[Cyclopean]

Ignus elaborates. "Evril is Khonnir's son," they say, pointing out the Kellid. "I am his...apprentice. Spectre. Remind me how you know Khonnir," he finishes, looking at his fellow android.

[Vhaidara]

Spectre glances up.
He's a good man, and he's been trying to help me with a problem.

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

"Thank you, for the clarification."

[TCArknight]

Evril smiled and looked seriously at Alyatt. "Do you have any skills besides your scholarly knowledge and curiosity about our homeland?"

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

"Skills? I am not bad with a bow, scouting, languages, locks and alchemy. I have also done many mundane jobs and can do many general things."

[Cyclopean]

Ignus nods. "Good. That could all be useful. We should start investigating immediately. I have heard there was a murder just north of here, at the Marrymaid Bordello. Perhaps there is a connection to Baine."

[Vhaidara]

Spectre stands.
Let's get moving then. No point in letting a trail get cold.

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

"Lead on!" Alyatt picks up his gear.

[Amazo]

Your course of action decided, you stand from your seats with new purpose. The empty tavern seems less foreboding now, as if the throngs of visitors were merely taking a break from the place instead of abandoning it completely in the wake of Khonnir's disappearance. However, as you make your way to the door in relative silence, a terrified scream pierces the air coming from out behind the tavern. Alyatt can tell the voice's owner to be female, but Evril, Ignus, and Spectre recognize something more. It's Val! The scream sounds as if its coming from the small home the family shares just outside the back of the tavern.

[Vhaidara]

Spectre, The Forgotten Assassin

Spectre is on his feet and heading for the door, his crossbow out and loaded, as soon as he hears the scream.

[Cyclopean]

This could be bad, thinks Ignus. They draw their rapier and run to the source of the screaming.

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

Alyatt upon hearing the scream heads back to investigate.

[Amazo]

You rush past the bar to the back entrance of the tavern to respond to whatever elicited the scream. Throwing open the latch on the door and looking outside you see nothing immediately out of the ordinary as Khonnir's family's small stonework abode comes into view. However, at that moment, one of the stones of the wall facing you is smoothly and evenly pulled inward into the building, as if the setting and the surrounding stones weren't there at all to impede its egress. A brief flash of light shines from within, likely reflected from the sun overhead, but the intruder otherwise gives no clue about himself. You can hear scrambling, uneven footsteps rushing towards the home's door and you beyond it. A similar instant of unlatching halts whoever it is, but in a moment, you see Val standing in the doorframe, shaken and uneasy. "It's alive!" she shouts, pointing an unsteady finger back into the home. "And it's tearing our home apart!"

[Vhaidara]

Spectre, The Forgotten Assassin

Spectre quickly circles around to put himself in line with the door, looking in and levelling his crossbow.
"What is alive? Get clear girl!"

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

Alyatt sheaths his longsword, takes out his longbow and stands behind Spectre, his eyes examining everything, trying to see what they are dealing with.

Perception [roll0]

[Cyclopean]

At least she seems to be alright. Ignus takes a moment to conjure a magical shield before striding forward. "Val. Is it the robot?" they ask, trying to glimpse the intruder, straining to recall how they might defeat it if its what they think it is.


Casting shield and moving towards the door. If the place is getting wrecked by a robot, Ignus will attempt to identify it.

Knowledge (engineering): [roll0]

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

"A robot?"

[Amazo]

Alyatt and Ignus' answer comes from what he sees as he peers through a pair of open doors to his right after entering the home. He sees a five foot tall greyish metallic thing walking about on three spider-like legs ending in sharp points. The unusual legs give way to a smooth, somewhat humanoid torso save for its lack of a head. Small portions of its body are dented in while some dents actually puncture it, revealing what looks like tangled masses of colored twine within. Instead of a head, one red eye glows faintly from where a neck would normally be, staring directly back at Alyatt. Despite Val's commotion and Alyatt's inspection, the creature does not make any overtly threatening movements. It turns to continue inspecting the wall it apaprently removed a stone from earlier. When it selects its next target, one of its fingers begins to spin, drilling like an arrowhead in flight. It brings the digit to the filling binding the stones together and files it away almost instantly before grasping its chosen stone with both hands and wrenching it free with ease. It turns away from you with its prize to set the stone atop a growing pile in the corner of the room. Then it turns to inspect the wall once again.

Val speaks up, "I told him he should've taken it apart when he had the chance! If he could see what this thing was capable of he never would have gone back down there!" Her protesting seems a bit over the top to Ignus: he knows that this particular creature is meant for the repair of structures and metallic items, not anything dangerous. The metal making up the thing's body is mixed with some other type of material which actually weakens it (something Khonnir has been frustrated to no end in his failure to replicate), leaving it susceptible to normal weaponry despite its appearance. Like most creature from the Silver Mountain, it is capable of speech from somewhere within its body even though it has no mouth. It ought to be able to speak Androffan.

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

Alyatt gazes amazed at the living machine, bow still ready in his hand. "What is it doing? Where did it come from?"

[Cyclopean]

Ignus lowers their rapier. "Do you speak Androffan, scholar? You could ask it yourself."

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

Alyatt blanks and then speaks in a clipped and sharp language.

"Hello. May I ask what you are doing?"

[Amazo]

The creature halts its actions to respond with a voice that reverberates deeply despite the small room it occupies. Its answer is full of stutters and bizarre split-second screeches, further accentuating the alien rhythms and sounds of the language it speaks.

"Good m-m-morning, Captain! We are pleased-duh-duh-duh that you survived the craaaaash. By our calcifications, the life support module should st-ti-ti-ti... be around us, but this rubble seems to be hiding it."

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

"Good morning. Please desist your actions. This rubble is of importance to me. Let me determine where we should search."

"It seems the robot thinks he just crashed and believes something called a life support module is buries in what it calls the rubble. It is also refering to me as captain so I assume he thinks I am in command."

[Amazo]

The creature's torso pivots around in a complete circle while its legs remain stationary. The terrible scream of metal scraping on damaged iron accompanies its maneuver. Mercifully, it waits until the spin is complete before answering Alyatt again.

"Command received, C...tain. Kindly speak the passphrase to override current programming paratroopers."

[Smileybastard]

Alyatt

Alyatt frowns. "Now it wants some passphrase to accept my order."

[Cyclopean]

"Hmm." Ignus sheathes their weapon and starts searching through the lab. Something had turned the robot on; maybe there was something here that could help control it. If only the wizard's workbench were better organized...


Knowledge (Engineering): [roll0]

[Amazo]

Among the scattered tools and mechanical refuse Khonnir simply refuses to leave alone in his foundry instead of bringing home with him, Ignus spots a peculiar tool in the pile which may be just what they need to resolve the predicament. The thing is actually a double-sided instrument with a hexagonal claw on one end and a small metal point on the other end in the shape of an X. If Khonnir's work has shown Ignus anything, there are few things from the Silver Mountain that cannot be at least partially dismantled with just this one tool. Looking over the present cause of their distress, Ignus sees a latch on the back with hexagonal rivets the size of his claw and has definitely seen that advanced technology such as this often has a series of green boards strung with copper and silver that can be dislodged painlessly with the other end of his tool.

Now the questions seem to be: will the automaton buy Alyatt's ruse long enough to put this knowledge to use and can either of you manage to remove something vital without provoking a dangerous response?