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 Assault on the Mountains of Madness Music. Read more background details about this in the recruitment thread. “It is absolutely necessary, for the peace and safety of mankind, that some of earth's dark, dead corners and unplumbed depths be left alone; lest sleeping abnormalities wake to resurgent life, and blasphemously surviving nightmares squirm and splash out of their black lairs to newer and wider conquests.” ― H.P. Lovecraft, At the Mountains of Madness Prelude It is March, 1945 A.D. and World War II is nearing its conclusion. In February, the Soviets entered Silesia and Pomerania, while the Western Allies have penetrated Western Germany and begun to cross the Rhine. Nazi Germany has been pushed to the brink--and for all the world's stage, the noose appears to be tightening once and for all as a decisive military defeat looms. For the Allied forces, victory looms near--but after nearly six long years of war, forces are exhausted and stretched thin. The world, at large, is ready for the war to be over--and for efforts to rebuild and attending to mending myriad wounds to begin. Unknown to most, however, is the secret war which has raged away from the public consciousness. Special intelligence organizations and their brave agents have fought tirelessly against a menace which threatens the very fate of mankind. While the Axis armies have waged battle on a global scale, behind the scenes secret societies and clandestine operations have been conducted to surface ancient, alien and terrible discoveries. Within Nazi Germany, the Black Sun have pursued dark sorceries and terrible monstrosities long forgotten--while their rivals the Nachtwölfe have tireless pursued twisted science and weapons of devastation at all costs. With Germany's humiliating and near utter defeat looming close, desperation has driven men and women to terrible lengths. Their forces combined, the Black Sun and Nachtwölfe have embarked on one final journey of daring madness, hell-bent on returning with a resounding show of terrible force the likes of which the world has never seen--from which mankind may never truly recover. Now, more than ever, it is imperative that brave men and women seek to put an end to these wicked schemes--by whatever means necessary... Book One: Tides of Turmoil While conducting joint operations in the Mediterranean pursuing the remnants of Axis forces still withdrawing from the North African theatre, a submarine base was discovered with alarming levels of activity. What followed was a swift and decisive strike combining the aerial support of the No. 73 Squadron RAF with an amphibious assault by US Marine Raiders and Ranger Battalion, the US Army Engineer Corps and Z Unit Commandos--crippling the facility and cutting off a crucial supply line. During the capture of the Mediterranean base, the presence of several unusual antiquities and anomalous materials within a transport vault swiftly summoned the attentions of the Allied Intelligence Bureau, who dispatched OSS Majestic and SOE agents to the location along with tasked specialists. Pilfered articles raised small concern--but another discovery was made within the submarine base: a submarine logbook which included entries with unusually heavy encryption. Unfortunately, a great deal of additional information had been hastily destroyed during the attack by remaining Nazi agents. Thanks to the efforts of an auxiliary cryptography expert, the entries were deciphered: revealing a trail leading to an apparent hitherto-unknown submarine base deep in the Atlantic. Initial efforts to determine the actual location proved difficult, while the materials recovered in the Mediterranean were of considerable concern for the AIB. Ultimately, a joint effort was engaged with Soviet SMERSH agents--before together triangulating information to discern the location of this secret base: none-other than the notorious 'phantom', Saxemberg Island. March, 1945 Among the Atlantic island chain of Tristan da Cunha and the Nightingale Islands is a naval operation conducted under British military jurisdiction. Following the appearance of German U-Boats and the battleship Graf Spee in the South Atlantic early in the war prompted the British to reassess the strategic importance of the islands--and in 1942, the Royal Navy established Job 9 on Tristan da Cunha, now known as HMS Atlantic Isle, serving as a station for Allied eyes and ears in the South Atlantic. Directed by Surgeon Lieutenant Commander Woolley, the HMS Atlantic Isle boasts a sizable military complex with an airstrip, workshops, weather station--and one of the most powerful radio transmitters int he Atlantic region. On March 5th, 1945, a coordinate strike team and special joint operations group was assembled at the HMS Atlantic Isle following the discoveries made in the Mediterranean. In addition to a variety of support and logistical personnel, a multinational team has been established for field operations--counting among its number several key participants of the Mediterranean submarine base strike and subsequent capture and review. That Axis forces were somehow able to seemingly operate extensive U-boat movement right under the nose of one of the most potent listening posts in the Atlantic is of great concern to the AIB and SMERSH. Due to the sensitive nature of the operation, coupled with limited available intelligence regarding the destination base, the joint operational command has determined to dispatch a strike team under secrecy--partly in hope of potentially securing crucial intelligence from the site without preemptive destruction of evidence and information. Because of the presence of articles classified as 'occult' in nature at the Mediterranean base, both AIB and Smersh have elected to attach a small team of multinational specialists to the strike team to ascertain and analyze any such materials, should they be discovered, on-site.  CLASSIFIED: OPERATIONAL PARAMETERS FOLLOW Strike team is instructed to deploy to Saxemberg Island under cover of night, pursuing the presence of believed Nazi secret facility. Using covert action, the strike team is directed to make landfall and confirm the location of any present facility. Once this believed facility is discovered, the strike team is directed to gain entry to the facility by whatever means necessary, at their discretion. Every reasonable effort should be made to safeguard the auxiliary attachment to the strike team. Upon gaining entry to the facility, priority one is he neutralization of any remaining Axis forces who may be present at the facility; should the opportunity to take prisoners arise, this is encouraged, but asserting Allied control over the facility is of the utmost priority. Priority two is the secure recovery of any and all intelligence data present. Priority three is the recovery of any and all 'occult' classified articles, artifacts or paraphernalia which may be present at the facility. As this is a primarily British undertaking, Sgt. Richard Barton-Morewood will be deployed as senior command for this operation, following his involvement in the Mediterranean. Sgt. Barton-Morewood will be joined by Sgt. Theodore Willis, a member of the US Army Engineer Corps responsible for key demolitions in the Mediterranean, who will assist in a similar capacity for this operation. Leading the strike team's assault will be Sgt. Ronald Thomas of the US Ranger Battalion and LCpl Arapeta Manahi of the Z Special Unit. Serzhant Dmitriy Vasilievich will accompany the strike in to assist with landing and securing a beachfront. Additionally, the strike team will include Lt. Irakliy Kuznetsov under the discretion of SMERSH operational interests, along with Krasnoarmeets Izoldah Rostov for scouting and reconnaissance. Attached to the strike team will be a specialist group under the direction of SOE operative Bradley Hewitt, including auxiliaries Gráinne Flynn, Sir Sebastian Taylor II and Dr. Yulia Khulanova on nomination from SMERSH. Finally, Victoire Doucet will be attached as the strike team's medic, under nomination for exemplary service and bravery in the field. Sten Mk. I submachine guns and Webley .30/200 service revolvers may be issued, along with adequate ammunition; Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knives, as well as a limited supply of No.36M hand grenades (6). Strike team will be provided with all-black combat togs and black helmets; a mobile field radio is available. Sgt. Willis will be provided with 6lbs Standard Charge explosives. Additional basic equipment available upon requisition. March 6th, 1945 - Saxemberg Island, Atlantic Ambience Setting out from the HMS Atlantic Isle, the strike team has been ferried by a small ship to within striking distance, due to concerns over the tenability of a Sunderland or PBY aircraft attempting a water landing with Atlantic currents this far south. After departure, it has taken a little over sixteen hours through patches of turbulent weather—until the mysterious Saxemberg Island has been confirmed nearby. Accompanying the operation as its escort is the HMS Spearhead, a Royal Navy S-class submarine tasked with monitoring for any U-boat activity and providing backup closer to the island once the base is secure. Now, in the dark of night as waves crash and lap, eleven men and women board a pair of LCRSes (Landing Craft Rubber Small) in the cold waters of the Atlantic. Behind them, hatches clang shut—and there is little to do but begin rowing towards Saxemberg Island ahead. ~~~~ Alright! Hello everyone, and welcome to the game, now live! I'll be including bits like this in regular text outside of the fixed-text style of the main post bodies as we proceed. Since we have a pretty sizable group, a number of whom are either new to Savage Worlds or perhaps a bit rusty, I'll be endeavoring to 'tutorialize' a bit as we go and new elements / mechanics are introduced for the first time. Since we're diving right into things, I'd like to leave it to each of you to provide what you'd like for your character's thoughts and whatever little vignette you'd like for the preceding span prior to this operation. We're operating under the notion that most of you were directly involved in the off-screen operation in the Mediterranean which led to the discovery of Saxemberg Island's use by the Nazis--which has thus played into why you're the ladies and gentlement being sent at the tip of the spear to see what's what. Our Soviet friends are newly involved, but no less important; nominally, the command structure in the group is going to be a bit malleable with ranks as we go, but for this particular operation Sgt. Barton-Morewood is technically the overall leader of the strike team. Ronnie should really outrank him, but Dicky was a hero in the Mediterranean flight and command passed it down this time! For this operation, you've been deployed in two LCRS boats in secrecy; both of these boats can seat seven individuals. Since noncombatants are tagging along, they'll be arriving in the second of the two boats--but for our purposes, we're going to resolve the approach of both simultaneously. Here's the split of who's in which boat: LCRS #1 Sgt. 'Dicky' Barton-Morewood Sgt. 'Ted' Willis S/Sgt. 'Ronnie' Thomas LCpl 'Harry' Manahi Victoire Doucet Lt. Irakliy Kuznetsov Krasnoarmeets Izoldah Rostov LCRS #2 Serzhant Dmitriy Vasilievich Agent Bradley Hewitt Gráinne Flynn Sir Sebastian Taylor II Dr. Yulia Khulanova Since the only one of you with Boating is Harry, Dmitriy here is tagging along to provide Boating to LCRS #2--and to help safeguard your landing / round the strike team out to 12 altogether. Dmitriy will definitely not be rushing headlong into danger to get murdered. Making the landing is considered a Dramatic Task. Dramatic Tasks in Savage Worlds are mostly meant for exciting sequences where resolving everything tidily with one skill roll isn't particularly appropriate or interesting; in this case, you're trying to make landfall at night covertly on a volcanic island with jagged rocks and crashing waves for a possible secret Nazi base. A Dramatic Task is typically a series of checks where you're looking for a target number of successes in a number of attempts in order to be successful (for things like disarming a bomb, etc.) Harry will 'lead' the LCRS #1's approach, since he actually has a rank in Boating. Ordinarily, you can also pitch in via a cooperative roll. For every success (4) and raise (increments of 4 beyond the first) a character makes, they can contribute +1 to the Boating check to reach the island. This caps out at +4. However, the catch is that you can't actually contribute to a cooperative roll if you don't have the skill in question--which means we're relying on Harry and Dimitry for smooth sailing this evening. We'll handle that check in my second in-game update. Before everything falls apart though, let's let everyone report in and get their feet wet up to and through getting on boats together here. Once everyone's in the thread, I'll follow up with the actual execution--and results--of our first perilous leg of this operation. In the post to follow this one, I'll gradually flesh out useful links and other important details, including our roster of who's who and what's what, as it were. GaistHeidegger fucked around with this message at 22:42 on Sep 28, 2016 |
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Sep 28, 2016 22:25
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Placeholder! We are joined by a sizable ensemble featuring: Izoldah Rostov, played by Shogeton, a Soviet Scout Sgt. Ted Willis, played by Mukaikubo, an American Army Engineer Bradley Gewitt, played by DocBubonic, a British SOE Agent specializing in the occult. Victoire Doucet, played by Fathis Munk, former French Resistance and Medic S/Sgt. Ronnie Thomas, played by Fraction Jackson, an American Commando of the 1st SSF Devil’s Brigade LCPl. Harry Manahi, played by Oracle, a Maori Commando of the Z Special Unit Gráinne Flynn, played by Razeam, a British MI6 Operative Lt. Irakliy Kuznetsov, played by Redeye Flight, a Soviet Tank Commander Richard Barton-Morewood, played by A Velociraptor!, a British Royal Air Force Pilot Sir Sebastian Taylor II, played by animedragonfly, a British Affluent Antiquarian Doctor Yulia Khulanova, played by Ambivalent, a Soviet Academic Conscript GaistHeidegger fucked around with this message at 03:26 on Sep 29, 2016 |
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Sep 28, 2016 22:25
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 Saxemberg Island - Approach 01:14 Ambience As the last of the strike team and auxiliary accompaniment board the LCRS boats and shove off, a lilting wave roils beneath the twin crafts before oars slip smoothly into the dark, cold waters of the Atlantic. Above, intermittent clouds leave spans of inky blackness--yet so far removed from cities and civilization, the glimmer of starlight ekes through nevertheless to cast dimly across the ocean ahead. Stroke by stroke, the rubber boats rise and fall whilst ferried slowly nearer to that singular inky mass ahead: the way forward offers only dim and dreary clarity, while behind those twelve wayward souls the familiar comforts of the transport whence they came grows steadily smaller in the distance. Maneuvering ahead in the lead, the first of the LCRS rides over the swelling crests of waves as Harry mans the oars. Laden with arsenal and adrenaline alike, the strike team braces tightly within their vessel, working their way nearer to the island with methodical efficacy. For Harry, whose namesake itself speaks to the waves--apart from the chilly waters and ominous phantom isle, the way proves to be a manageable one, navigating churning waters skillfully and making excellent headway. Working the oars of the second craft, Dimitry casts periodic looks back to his passengers--before an especially large swell of waves lifts the LCRS high enough to set butterflies to flutter within bellies aboard. "Дерьмо..." The man curses tersely beneath his breath, jaw tightening as he maneuvers his oars to fight against the wave with little forward progress; as the swell subsides, the men and women among the auxiliary team can see that the vessel ahead of them has gained a more considerable lead. Gradually, the island itself comes more fully into view for the passengers of both craft: a great pinnacle of volcanic rock jutting darkly from the water, surrounded on all sides by jagged rocks—massive Atlantic waves pounding against them relentlessly. Even without the looming threat of Nazi combatants lurking within, the phantom island’s ragged spires and black sands are hardly a welcoming sight. With a great lurch, the second LCRS rises high on the waves--before barreling down as water crashes over top of the boat, sending a shock of chill over its passengers as all hands scramble to steady themselves. Again Dimitry curses beneath his breath as adrenaline bristles throughout--the island looming nearer as the rowing continues. From this vantage now, those assembled can begin to discern that Saxemberg's peak must rise more than a hundred feet above the waves. Drawing closer still, the lead LCRS hits more difficult waters, oars shoved deep against turbulent waves as its passengers brace. Eyes scanning the ragged and perilous shores, Sgt. Barton-Morewood spies a particularly promising landing destination: a broad enough span of sandy beach scattered with rocks, but offering an alternative to the largely impregnable ramparts much the rest of the coastline seems to present. Another lurching wave strikes the second LCRS, once more sending chilly waters over top of its passengers to swirl--and in the mix, Sebastian loses his grip with cold fingers against a slippery line, suddenly toppled overboard with a splash almost imperceptible among the crashing waves ahead. For an instant, the man is submerged in cold, dark waters, his soaked gear dragging heavily against his body; struggling to swim, he manages to keep at the surface despite the churning, deadly depths beneath him--clambering desperately in an attempt to regain purchase aboard the craft. Sebastian is carried near to the craft as cold waters roil all around him; heart pounding and adrenaline coursing through his veins. Hands clasp and scramble against the slick side of the LCRS as Sebastian is nearly swept away--before Grace is able to lend a strong grasp, helping to haul the man back aboard: cold and soaked, but safe. Saxemberg Island - Eastern Shore 01:28 With precarious maneuvering, the lead LCRS is guided toward the stretch of beach to make landfall, eyes peeled against the dim gloom ahead as cold fingers grip at weapons, rafts and oars. As the rubber boat slides to jostle over top of sand and stones, the strike team is able to swiftly disembark for a sweep of the beach while securing the vessel, senses peaked and hearts racing ready for action. No immediate opposition is found, however. Tense moments pass, the second LCRS lilting nearer to the shore as Dimitry maneuvers to follow Harry's lead. No shouts of alarm, nor sudden gunfire--just the ceaseless crash of waves against volcanic rock. With a few further treading steps to fan out against the beach, it is swiftly discovered that most hard surfaces are slathered with a slimy mix of seaweed and bird guano, the stink of such against the surf every bit as overwhelming as its slickness proves treacherous. Before long, once a signal is given to the clear, the second LCRS is brought ashore and secured without further incident, black sand and slippery rocks pervasive; chilly waves lap at the shore and nip at the heels of the men and women making landfall--the stench here dizzying while the chill inspires intermittent shivers. With check of gear and personal effects, apart from Sebastian's waterlogged belongings everything seems to be in order. Taking stock of the beach's surroundings and their bearings, the teams are able to discern that they have made landfall on the eastern shore of the island with two notable paths. One follows the northern curve of the island's shore with a gradual slope leading up to what appears to be hilly terrain, the occasional jut of rocky outcroppings visible. The other path veers southwest, requiring the navigation of rocky steppes before trailing off into stones at a higher elevation. ~~~~ I'll dial back the length of these asides as we go, but I figured it would be good to explain what's going on mechanically behind the scenes for folks unfamiliar with Savage Worlds. For this scene, we had two sets of Dramatic Tasks unfold for LCRS #1 & #2; Harry lead the Boating for #1, Dimitry for #2. In both cases, there was a secret target number of successes within five checks (for the record, that secret target was three). Additionally, you're dealt a card for each check--with any from the Clubs suit meaning 'something happened, probably bad.' Dimitry busted on two of his five checks (natural 1 rolls), but also managed to still squeeze out three successes otherwise; additionally, LCRS #2 was dealt three Clubs cards. The first was a King of Clubs--which was nothing terrible, just the water getting difficult to work with and delaying the boat, which was what led to the second group lagging behind. Typically, higher cards are better--and conversely, a 2 of Clubs would have been disastrous for either craft, representing catching volcanic rock and tearing the rubber raft, scuttling and tossing everyone into the water. Yikes! Dimitry -also- received a 4 and 6 of Clubs, however--two instances of waves crashing over the top of the LCRS and potentially sending the passengers overboard. This called for everyone aboard to make two Strength checks (default target number 4) which thankfully Dimitry made (or things might've really hit a tailspin.) Of the lot, everyone else made their checks until Sebastian failed his second and went overboard, getting soaked and alarming cold in a hurry. Sebastian succeeded at the Swim check that immediately followed, before finally attempting an Agility check at -2 to get back on the raft of his own accord. Rolling a 3, he was 1 shy of his target--but fortunately, Grace got a success on a Cooperative Roll, proving her strength and giving poor Sebastian +1 to reach his target of 4 as she helped haul him back on board. Whew! Other than having a ride on Splash Mountain and getting wet, the rest of LCRS #2's passengers are alright and their gear is generally OK; Sebastian's stuff is waterlogged now, though (including his weapon, which any of the experienced combatants might helpfully point out if they noticed him going overboard.) LCRS #1 was dealt only one Club in five checks--the Ace, which like the King just turned into being delayed a bit on the waves from choppy conditions. Harry, despite only a d4 in Boating, enjoyed the benefits of being a Wildcard (which all PCs are) in that his wild dice rolled well too--walking away from it all with more than twice as many successes as he needed, making LCRS #1's approach smooth, efficient sailing. A Notice check was made by the passengers of LCRS #1 at -1 due to Dim light--prompted in order to spy a suitable landing spot. With a few successes on board, Dicky was a clear leader with compounding explosive dice leading to a whopping 14 by himself--spying an excellent place to hit the shore. The strike team after making landfall finds no immediate signs of hostile opposition. They also discover fairly promptly that there is an awful lot of seaweed and bird droppings all over the place, making for slippery and treacherous terrain as you start making your way along the shore / inland; mechanically this means that anyone attempting to move at more than half pace or attempting strenuous tasks must make a successful Agility (-1) test or fall Prone and risk suffering Bumps and Bruises. You have two potential routes to head deeper into the island, from what you have deduced: one will lead around the northern side of the island along comparatively 'gentle' slopes and seems to trail into hilly terrain. The other heads southwest up into craggier terrain and will very evidently involve some Climbing checks, leading to a higher elevation.
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Sep 29, 2016 17:26
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Saxemberg Island - Eastern Shore 01:33 With the team getting their bearings, Izoldah wastes little time in beginning to assess the vicinity around the beach. Among the dark sands and rocks caked with guano and seaweed, finding signs of passage proves fleeting in the dim light of the stars--yet in spite of such trying conditions, the Soviet scout proves to have a remarkably sharp eye for detail. Some five yards onward, she manages to spy a telling clue so subtle as to be easily missed by most: the brown end of a cigarette butt discarded among the start of the northern path. Taking a closer look, she finds the barest hint of a boot print's heel not far from the cigarette--suggesting that someone had most certainly been down to the beach this way. As to when, even for Izoldah it's difficult to say for sure. With Dim light imposing a -1 penalty, 9 becomes an 8--but that's enough for a hit with a raise. Nice roll, Izoldah!
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Sep 29, 2016 18:32
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Saxemberg Island - Northern Mantle 01:37 Ambience Advancing well ahead of her fellows, Izoldah makes her way in a swift, silent ascent of the gentle slope leading further along the island's northern shore. Scarcely making a sound as she moves with well-honed care, Izoldah makes for a veritable spectre indeed on the star-lit mantle, treading lightly over and among volcanic rocks and ancient terrain. Between the steady crash of waves upon those jagged shores below and the howl of a biting gale sweeping out to sea, the elements are on the scout's side--well-hidden as she proceeds. Keeping her senses aprises and her eyes sharp, Izoldah is ever watchful for armed opposition. Once past the precipice of the beach, she finds subtler signs than most might notice: where the others might consider slopes and cliffs sculpted with erosion alone, it is clear to the woman of the Urals that some modicum of engineering contributed to a more walkable path. Intent on her attention discerning enemies among the phantom isle for her compatriots, Izoldah's perceptive reconnaissance is rewarded... ...but not with the discovery of a patrol, or sentry, or soldier of any sort. In the process of using the lay of the terrain herself, taking a route that best hides her own form--Izoldah stumbles upon a recess in the hillside which would be hidden to most passerby. Certainly, coastal or aerial surveillance would not discover such a niche: but for Izoldah, her proximity proves serendipitous. Concealed in a shallow depression in the hillside is a large steel hatch secured by a wheel; it appears to be badly corroded from the Atlantic's salty winds--while its partly camouflaged base seems to sink into the stone of Saxemberg's body beneath it. ~~~~ Izoldah totally rocked her rolls here--blowing away her Stealth test with a hit and two raises and powering through.
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Sep 29, 2016 21:57
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Saxemberg Island - Northern Mantle 01:43 Ambience Doubling back to signal the strike team onward, Izoldah rendezvous with Sgt. Barton-Morewood and the others, helping to guid them up the mantle to where she discovered the hatch. As heavily corroded as the wheel to access the hidden cap was, it swiftly seemed evident more than a bit of muscle would be required to force it open--if not outright demolitions, should it come to it. LCpl Manahi, however, squares off before the concrete-set hatch to clap a steely grip about the wheel and perform a remarkable demonstration of strength as he turns. With marked effort and a bulge of muscle, Harry forces the hatch's wheel to work once more as the mechanism within loosens and opens, a sharp creak of protest heard with the action's movement. Thankfully, it seems the winds and waves serve to mask the sound--and after a momentary pause preparing for a reaction, the team finds the vicinity still undisturbed. Lifting the hatch up and aside on heavy, creaking hinges--Harry reveals what lies beneath for those gathered to observe as a cloud of fetid air rises up from the dark portal below, stinking of stale air and other less discernible aromas. A shaft descends into the rock, set with concrete--with lights mounted on one wall on the way down. The first few rungs of a metal ladder set into another wall are visible, but beyond such the shaft is pitch black, its lights unlit. It is difficult to discern how far down the shaft descends, but eminently clear that it must lead to whatever facility has been hidden on--or rather, beneath--Saxemberg Island. ~~~~ Well then. The hatch was a Strength (-4) test due to being corroded heavily, which would ordinarily be a prime candidate for a Cooperative Roll--since for Strength in particular, the bonuses from multiple characters pitching in can exceed the normal cap of +4. However, Harry is a big ole' beast and knocked it out of the park single-handedly (once he spent a Benny to re-roll his initial -1 & 1 pairing, but let's pretend that didn't happen.) It is pitch black. You are likely to be eaten by a grue.
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Sep 29, 2016 22:40
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Base 01:48 Ambience Mounting the ladder, LCpl Mahani is the first to descend without further adieu--the steady dull shift of weight moving down concrete-set rungs into the darkness below. S/Sgt. Thomas follows next, before Izoldah and Victoire in turn. Steadily, the sounds of winds and waves grow more muted and distant--the confines of the concrete shaft rigid throughout the descent. Thirty feet in all, Harry is first off the ladder in a squared off chamber left in the darkness for a few lingering moments. Once Ronnie and Izoldah join him in turn, lights are swept about to discern the chamber's immediate vicinity as empty. Ahead, two steel blast doors are set within the wall; each has an armored glass porthole--though through them, nothing can be seen in the darkness beyond. The doors appear upon cursory inspection to be sealed, with no evidence of an external access panel to open them. There is however a small green box set against the wall, which Victoire is able to recognize as a call box; inside is a telephone receiver, but when lifted there is no tone on the line. Further checking the chamber, there does not appear to be a light switch as Irakliy anticipated. Having the flashlights makes this a bit better than working in Pitch Darkness, but it's not a huge improvement; still, the chamber is approximately fifteen feet wide and fifteen feet long. There is a small oil stain on the floor. There is a small chance you may be eaten by a grue. GaistHeidegger fucked around with this message at 05:14 on Sep 30, 2016 |
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Sep 30, 2016 05:12
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Base 01:50 Ambience Casting a wary look above, Harry finds no evidence of a source for the oil--suggesting it might have been spilled in passing by something instead. Over by the blast doors, S/Sgt. Thomas endeavors to further inspect and assess the barriers, concluding afterward that they were not entirely dissimilar to the likes he had faced in the Mediterranean and other theatres. It was likely entry could be gained with cutting equipment and torches--or barring that, the strategic application of demolitions gear such as explosive charges might be capable of breaching the doors.
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Sep 30, 2016 05:36
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Base drat near missing it, Harry's intense scrutiny finds the barest hints of tracks after all--a few errant nearly gone remnants of boot prints, due to the machine oil--suggesting mostly traffic headed in through the passageway ahead. Otherwise, nothing seems to be in the chamber.
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Sep 30, 2016 05:55
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Base Silence. Lifting the receiver himself, Irakliy discovers the same thing the others had found: no tone or signal, and like as not either no power--or issues with such. It seems apparent that the blast doors as they presently stand are inoperable; for their intended purposes, they appear quite functional at present, however. Gradually, after assessment and time, further expertise is brought to bear once individuals begin to ascend the ladder once more. Discussions would be required--and decisions would need to be made. Beyond the northern mantle of the island, waves continue their relentless assault upon its shores--cold Atlantic winds biting against those gathered as they linger on the surface. For brevity's sake, it will quickly enough become apparent at least here that there is currently no power reaching the blast doors and they are unlikely to budge. It can be deduced that the call box would ordinarily contact someone from within to open the doors, but there is no signal and seemingly no power--not to mention that it appears that no one is presently attending the entrance from the other side. Shining lights through the portholes is largely fruitless, since they throw back most of the light rather than penetrating. With more time, it becomes clear that the most recent tracks in the vicinity of the hatch prior to your own are days old at the earliest. Ultimately, your options are either attempting to breach the blast doors by force or seeking another way into the underground base on the island. It is approximately four hours to sunrise now.
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Sep 30, 2016 07:24
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Saxemberg Island - Interior 02:39 Ambience Once Sgt. Barton-Morewood hands down the decision to seek another avenue of access, the rest of the strike team emerges from the shaft beneath the hatch, regrouping topside with the others. From here, it falls to the matter of navigating the remainder of Saxemberg Island by way of reconnaissance--a process for which Izoldah is once more well-suited, now returned to the open, salty sea air. Setting out first to reconnoiter for any further potential tracks, Izoldah's keen eyes scour the vicinity; faint evidence of passage down to the beach whence the team came still remains (along with the more fresh tracks of their own traversal) as well as the opposite length of the coast along the northern mantle. Having lingered among the chilly winds in the meantime, the cold has begun to penetrate against Sebastian more than the others, still damp from his tumble into the Atlantic; though the man has been beset by intermittent shivering, he nevertheless manages to keep a stiff upper lip in spite of the conditions. For everyone, save for Dr. Khulanova, the cold lingers, bites and clings; with more than an hour having passed since making landfall now, the lengthy tenure of adrenaline and anxious energies have set many nerves more keenly on edge. Following first the perimeter in pursuit of another form of egress, Izoldah makes her way westward after that second trail of boot prints, presumably left by some manner of patrol; much as the others, they are days old it seems, winding among the intermittent protrusion of volcanic rock as they wind nearer to the interior of the island. A river of sorts is discovered midway into the mass after a stretch of hiking--as well as a rocky precipice elevated enough to lend the scout a better vantage. From such, a possible foot trail is spied sweeping southward back around--and doubling back, prints from more than a week ago are found. In their anxious idleness, the academics of the team are left at length an opportunity for quiet conversation--or barring that, contemplation. Collectively, it is gradually clear to the team that Saxemberg must be a kilometer long and roughly half a kilometer at its widest center. Further, mindful of the relative placement of the hatch and the direction of the passage beneath it, a rough perimeter might be construed in the pursuit of another entrance--but there's no telling just how much of the phantom island's underbelly has served as host to Nazi secrecy. After nearly an hour of little success in finding an entrance proper, Izoldah is instead able to spot another discovery in its stead: approximately one hundred and twenty feet south from the hatch entrance, is a small access shaft concealed among the rocks. Alerting the team to its presence, closer inspection finds what appears to be an air circulation duct for the base below--it's camouflaged vent even easier for Harry to pry open than the heavily corroded hatch had been. Within, the shaft appears just barely wide enough for a person to crawl down--leading off into pitch darkness below. Given how stale the air smells, it seems clear this shaft has not served its purpose for several days at least. ~~~~ Back to the surface we go. With time passing while Sebastian has remained wet and cold, it eventually called for a Vigor test to avoid gaining Fatigue (Fatigue is essentially 'non-lethal' Wounds, generally speaking--and usually has specific parameters to recover, whether that's time, warming up, etc.) As this is a pretty automatic roll, I made it on Animedragonfly's behalf and Sebastian passed--so no current consequences to his soggy state besides discomfort. A number of folks noted preparing to be gone for the weekend, so in the interests of trying to give the lot of you a chance to get to further opportunity, I've gone through the tests along the way for additional scouting--which Izoldah passed consistently throughout. After leg work and twelve sets of eyes and ears pitching in--along with spending almost an hour hiking around the cold, dark volcanic island--you've discovered a ventilation shaft that seems to lead down to another portion of the same underground location. Near as you are able to conclude from the information available and the topography of the island, these are your two present options for entry barring spending several mores hours combing the entirety of the island's surface. Any given one of you can attempt to climb down the ventilation shaft if you so desire, but you know from the shaft it's probably at least a 30' descent if not more. From the stale air in the ventilation shaft, coupled with the collection of very brainy people we have in the group, it's reasonable to conclude that it has been days since whatever's down there has been turned on. It's possible the Germans are being environmentally conscious and saving electricity.
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Sep 30, 2016 14:42
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Air Filtration Ambience With a swift decision made to attempt to enter the base via the ventilation system, S/Sgt. Thomas cinches a length of rope about himself in a makeshift harness before climbing over the edge of the shaft, coordinating with LCpl Manahi to brace his descent. Aided by the sizable New Zealander, Ronnie braces himself much as he is able as boots seek traction against the somewhat slick sides of the shaft's initial depth--precipitation having made its way through the ventilation. Lowering himself, Ronnie is soon plunged into darkness below. Working the rope at a steady clip, S/Sgt. Thomas establishes a pace as he drops down approximately fifteen feet--at which point the shaft cants at an angle. Lowering himself a further five feet, the man is forced to maneuver to re-position himself as the ventilation levels off for two feet before another precipitous drop. Inch by inch, the man squeezes his way further--finding himself moving on his hands and knees to crawl over a sharp ledge, his light shining down to find another series of twists and bends in the ventilation beyond. Minutes pass on the surface; Harry continues to feel tension in the rope from Ronnie's weight, intermittent tugs felt as the line feeds through the big man's strong grip; a stiff, biting gale blusters over those gathered, an all too keen reminder of the cold weather--while the light outside begins to dwindle. Off in the distance, dark clouds have begun to coalesce and blot out starlight above; it would seem that a storm is coming to Saxemberg Island in the near future. Below, Ronnie's nerves are tested in his seclusion from the team; the circulation duct leads him through a tortuous series of shafts which twist and bend--his traversal now more than fifty feet and half of Harry's rope. The silence is broken solely by his own breathing and the shuffle and rustle of gear catching against the shaft's sides; it's a tight squeeze in stretches--and were Ronnie wearing full kit, he'd almost certainly have gotten stuck. Soon, he catches a rank odor clinging to the air that reminds him of rotting vegetables; with it, Ronnie arrives at a large grating at the culmination of the ventilation duct: what appears to be an air filtration room within the base. Inside, a hanging bulb flickers weakly on for a few glimmering moments before going dark again. After, Ronnie hears a dull clicking from the filtration machinery before it grows quiet again. Harry braced the rope successfully with a Strength test. Ronnie did swimmingly on his Climbing along the way. All told, he would estimate about 60ft of traversal involved to descend through the ventilation duct, much of it rather unpleasant. It was a tight squeeze in several places, threatening getting the man stuck altogether. S/Sgt. Thomas has arrived at a large grate to an air filtration room which appears to be deeper in the base's interior. Intermittently, there are signs of brief bouts of power, though it appears to be on the fritz. Getting through the grating itself is not a particularly difficult challenge once Ronnie succeeds a Strength test (which he has). While the rope can be tied off on the surface if so desired, the island mostly boasts volcanic rock; it's possible it could become shredded by such. GaistHeidegger fucked around with this message at 20:10 on Sep 30, 2016 |
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Sep 30, 2016 19:18
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Base - Air Filtration Ambience A decisive kick sends the grate popping free from the ventilation shaft, clattering against a concrete floor as flecks of rust and dust are dislodged. Maneuvering smoothly free from the cramped vent, S/Sgt. Thomas adjusts his posture and flashlight--finding himself in somewhat cramped quarters even now. Beyond the shaft to the surface is what is now clearly the air filtration room for the base--and while Ronnie is now able to stand, the room is crammed front to back with several large turbines designed to draw clear air into the facility. Presently the turbines are dormant, leaving the air inside fetid and stale--but nevertheless breathable at the moment. Overhead, several sets of grated vents seem to sit to carry clean air throughout the rest of the facility. As Ronnie lingers for a moment, the service light above flickers weakly on in a few faint spasms of illumination, soft shadows dancing and wavering about the crevices among the turbines; he can hear further dull clicks within the filtration system itself before all falls silent--and dark--once more. While the turbines are inactive, Ronnie finds the way to the room's entrance manageable with a bit of sideways squeezing to maneuver. With only the light affixed to his vest, illumination proves to be something of a challenge--and twice Ronnie's gear and garments catch against equipment, a pant leg snagging and a strap getting caught before he dislodges himself fully. Once clear at the opposite end of the chamber, he finds a steel hatch--a standard bulkhead door with a wheel mechanism in its center, presently closed. Even without electricity, Ronnie is confident he could operate the door with a few hearty turns of the wheel. Ronnie has managed to make his way inside the base from another approach than the hatch and blast doors; apart from the intermittent and unpredictable flicker of power every now and then, it's pitch black here. Additionally, the air smells stale, but is breathable. There is a standard bulkhead door Ronnie can operate if he desires; currently there is no sound in the area, nor is anything heard through the door upon inspection.
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Sep 30, 2016 22:15
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Base - Air Filtration Ambience S/Sgt. Thomas advances on the bulkhead door and squares off, gripping the wheel and giving it a turn; shielded from the elements as it is, there is thankfully little sign of corrosion--and though it takes a small measure of muscle, the mechanism shifts with purpose readily. After several taut turns Ronnie feels the door unlatch, drawing aside heavily with a light creak of heavy metal hinges. Beyond, a concrete corridor stretches more than thirty feet before taking a hard right out of sight. Intermittent lights are set along the span of the corridor--flickering on for a few sporadic moments of pale yellow illumination before guttering off, sending the hall back to darkness.
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Sep 30, 2016 22:51
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Base - Workshops Ambience S/Sgt. Thomas advances untethers himself after sending his signal before proceeding down the concrete corridor; midway down the passage the lights which line it flicker briefly again, that dull clicking heard whence he came--before returning to darkness as before, leaving only the man's flashlight to sweep. After thirty five feet, Ronnie rounds the corner and finds another steel door similar to the last; working the bulkhead as easily as before, the man makes his way past--presented with an enormous open space beyond. Ahead, the span exceeds the capacity of Ronnie's flashlight--but his ears prick to the distant sound of water, acoustics carrying in such a way that he can tell a great cavern extends among the darkness further before him. To either side of the man stretches a broad series of workshops and workstations for the repair and maintenance of equipment and machinery. Most appear bare at a glance, though a few seem to sport larger bench tools as well as a smattering of electrical and mechanical components. Faint dripping sounds can be heard; the air is rank with rotten vegetable matter, salty seawater and other unidentifiable odors. The workshops extend more than thirty feet to either side of Ronnie, as well as ahead of him. There is an immense open space beyond the workshops, which he reasonable expects are underground docks. GaistHeidegger fucked around with this message at 23:46 on Sep 30, 2016 |
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Sep 30, 2016 23:31
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Saxemberg Island - Eastern Shore Ambience Lt. Kuznetsov and Sgt. Willis double-time their way back around the known pathway before proceeding to the eastern shore. By the time the pair arrive, those dark clouds above have all but blotted out the moon and starlight--leaving even the gentler approach from the north that much more treacherous. Below, Sgt. Vasilievich struggles to control the LCRS craft as currents swirl about his calves, cursing up a storm as the storm front itself begins to lurch over the island's periphery. Hastening out into the waters, both men manage to avoid losing their footing against slimy, slippery stones and shifting sands beneath their boots. Ted strides with purpose in time to capture the LCRS beyond Dimitry's grasp before Irakliy arrives to help with the first; together, the three men are able to haul the rubber landing craft further still along the shore. It is evident, however, that the tide is rising now as the waters grow that much more tubulent: to launch these craft into the waves now would all but guarantee being dashed against jagged volcanic rock and lost beneath icy, churning depths. Impressive rolls after a timely arrival by Lt. Kuznetsov and Sgt. Willis. Hitting with a raise, Sgt. Willis saves the second LCRS before it is swept out to sea.
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Oct 1, 2016 00:03
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Saxemberg Island - Northern Mantle Ambience Venturing back along the foot trail to the northern mantle, Bradley and the others return to the niche where the hatch had been discovered--though it now takes a bit of searching to zero in on it in the diminished light. Grace, Sebastian and Yulia are joined by Victoire, seeking to avoid the restrictive confines of the ventilation shaft. Once present, as the men and women begin to descend the latter after a cursory all-clear by Victoire, the gathering is soon joined by Irakliy and Ted returning from the eastern shore. With a rumble of distant thunder and a brief flash of lightning from out at sea, frigid rain begins to fall. Using the niche as limited cover from the elements as cold winds buffet the officer and engineer, Irakliy attempts to summon a signal over the radio to report-in--but receives only crackling static in reply for his efforts, the device yielding little to the man. Back at the ventilation shaft's exterior egress, Harry, Dicky and Izoldah begin to get soaked.
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Oct 1, 2016 00:46
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Base - ??? Ambience After long consideration, S/Sgt. Thomas begins to carefully creep along as he follows the wall of the workshop along his left flank. Treading some thirty feet, he reaches a corner and turns to the right and continuing to follow along--stepping over assorted mechanical leavings before proceeding for another thirty feet. By now, the man can smell salt water clearly on the air when he reaches a corner, flashlight catching fleeting glints of large, dark objects up ahead in the gloom. Distantly, muffled thunder only faintly reaches the man's ears. Rounding the corner, it is quickly evident to Ronnie that he is traveling against a back wall of underground docks--yet the scale of the concrete is positively enormous by contrast to such facilities he had entered in the past. As Ronnie moves through the dark, he finds himself passing a huge gantry further off to his flank in the dark cavern--and in the periphery spies a collection of broken crates littering the concrete platform. After fifteen feet, the wall to his left is interrupted by a concrete corridor--the entrance to which bears the track for an enormous blast door currently raised and out of the way. The stench of rotting vegetables is getting worse.
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Oct 1, 2016 01:19
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Base - Northern Entrance Making her way over to the blast door, Grace strains to peer through the porthole. Pitch blackness awaits her on the other side, the span imperceptible and impenetrable--until very faintly she catches glimpse of light briefly flashing at the far end of what appears to be a corridor some twenty feet long. Razeam> !wild d6 * AchtungBot rolled a (1d6) with wild die for Razeam and got ( 3 11 ) Results: 11
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Oct 1, 2016 01:26
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Base - ??? Ambience Turning left down the corridor, S/Sgt. Thomas makes his way approximately ten feet before reaching another blast door to his right, also raised--before a twenty foot long corridor leads to yet another blast door. It is through this latter blast door's portholes that the man can see a face peering through the glass. Panels are visible for controlling the door, but present appear to be without power. Saxemberg Island - ??? Base - Northern Entrance After a lingering moment, the light becomes more intense as it flares up and points directly at Grace through the glass. Shortly after, S/Sgt. Thomas is visible to her on the other side of the blast door.
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Oct 1, 2016 02:09
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Base - Air Filtration Ambience After rendezvous with Harry, Dicky and Victoire--the trio having taken modest shelter from the elements as the rain fell unabated--Sgt. Willis and Lt. Kuznetsov are accompanied by Dr. Khulanova arrive, ready to descend. As Ronnie had discovered before them, one by one the new arrivals begin to squeeze their way down the tightly angled and twisted path to the air filtration room. Along the descent, Ted's gear requires some momentary pauses and adjustments intermittently to maneuver past particularly sharp shifts. S/Sgt. Thomas is waiting for the trio in the filtration room itself below, his flashlight offering a lead as each nears the bottom of the shaft's tortuous descent. That same reek of decaying vegetable matter greets each new arrival as well. Irakliy is the first to emerge from the base of the shaft, followed by Yulia ducking deftly free--before Ted emerges last, his arrival marked by the flicker of the light overhead, a dull clicking heard from the ventilation turbines for a few moments before it all cuts out again. In that lingering span, Ted recognizes the timing sounds from the turbines suggesting the base's power facilities were still partly operable--but possibly were presently loaded beyond capacity in their current state. Saxemberg Island - ??? Base - Workshops Once the four have gathered and squeezed their way precariously past the heavy turbines, a return to the workshop space finds Lt. Kuznetsov, Dr. Khulanova and Sgt. Willis faced with that sizable spread of workstations Ronnie had perused earlier. Ted and Irakliy both recognize a number of the large bench tools and parts electrical and mechanical in nature. Among the lot, Ted and Irakliy both recognizes a set of oxy-acetylene cutting equipment arrayed by one of the workstations. The stench of rotted vegetable matter is strong on the air. Irakliy, Ted and Yulia each navigate their way down the ventilation shaft to the base's interior, though Ted burned a benny in the process for a re-roll. After arrival, between Smarts and Notice from fresh perspectives some new discoveries were made.
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Oct 1, 2016 03:39
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Base - Interior Ambience Emboldened by numbers now--and more than one source of light, Ronnie and the others begin to make their way along from the workshop space, seeking signs of the facility's power. When treading for the corridor where Ronnie had rendezvoused at the blast doors, Yulia notices markings indicating the hall to handle Operations, Medical, and Officer's Space--as well as what is now identified as apparently the main entrance, where the others still await. Presently, a lowered blast door prevents further passage down this corridor, leading the group to double back. Around the northern side of the docks, Yulia identifies markings next to a bulkhead door as Stores--while two more blast doors, far heavier than those spied previously, are marked as a Vault and Magazine Depot. Moving among the derricks, cranes and gantries over massive docking bays, the flashlights of the four pass over a colossal dark shape in the northernmost bay: a huge hull, perhaps more than two hundred feet long, lies on its starboard side beneath the collapsed frame of a loading derrick. It's difficult to make out further details with the lights still out of operation. Together by process of elimination the four double back southward around the docks, stepping around destroyed shipping containers, smashed crates, oil streaks and other detritus and debris. It's difficult to discern terribly much in the dark--but it is clear there was a considerable commotion among the base's underground docks at some point. Along the southern wall of the massive chamber, following more than sixty feet of concrete, the four arrive at two final spaces: one of the heavier blast doors spotted to the north, indicated as an Armoury, Radio and Command Centre--and a heavy bulkhead door labeled, at last, as the Power Station. Opening the barrier with some efforrt, a narrower hall leads another thirty feet, lights flickering on briefly before dying once more. Around a corner at the end, another bulkhead door is discovered and opened after a cursory check--and once it is, a rush of stale air, oily aromas, and the stink of rotted meat reach the nostrils of the four. Swiftly enough, the source is spied--nearly enough to send breakfasts surging back from knotted stomachs. Dark brown smears and streaks have spattered and splattered about the vicinity at one corner of the room as flashlights fall to the source of the stink; a rotted, pulpy smattering of unidentifiable meat clings underneath a set of heavy pipes running from the wall before elbow joints lead them to the floor with safety valves. A finger has landed underneath an instrument panel, while tattered remnants of a gray uniform cling here and there in the room with dried brown smears. Up on the ceiling, several more globules of the decaying matter can be seen along with fragments of what appears to be bone--while chunks of metal shrapnel are embedded sporadically in the concrete throughout the room along with scorch marks, suggesting an explosive detonation of some sort. Half a boot has tumbled into a drain trough set along the edge of the floor, the stink of rot emmanating from it. At the rear of the room sits the lion's share of instrumentation and machinery. A ventilation grate is set in the rear corner of the ceiling. Upon a cursory closer inspection, Sgt. Willis is able to deduce that the base's power supply is a rather efficient--if rather sizable diesel generator which appears to be fed by twin lines, likely leading to large fuel tanks buried beneath the facility. Once Ted has an opportunity to more closely review the machinery for the power facilities, the engineer is able to deduce with greater clarity the situation. Currently the generator is running at partial capacity--partly due to instrument damage it appears to have suffered as collateral from an explosive device in the room. Additionally, it seems that it was left running even after sustaining the damages--unattended for an indeterminate stretch of time--during which an utter lack of maintenance has led some degradation. Fortunately, it seems that German engineering was not lacklustre otherwise: a failover shut down half of the generator's capacity automatically, so it's likely a good deal of fuel might remain in one of the tanks--and it does appear that Sgt. Willis could affect repairs to bring the system operational again. Even repaired, it would be unlikely to operate at full capacity without restoration efforts which could take days and a larger share of replacement parts; as a result, he's able to assess that he'd at least be able to bring the lights, air filtration and door power back online if nothing else. The stench of rotted vegetable matter is strong on the air. Ronnie, Irakliy, Ted and Yulia each essentially tour everywhere currently accessible in the facility, ultimately discovering the power station. It is repairable, at least to partial functionality, to make maneuvering around the rest of the base more manageable. There's a rather grisly, peculiar sight in the room though--which provoked a Nausea test, which Ronnie, Ted and Irakliy passed. Ted's Smarts test for Common Knowledge with his engineering expertise gave him a solid assessment of the situation with the power. GaistHeidegger fucked around with this message at 05:08 on Oct 1, 2016 |
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Oct 1, 2016 04:43
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Saxemberg Island - ??? Base - Power Station Ambience Working at the gauges and instrumentation, Sgt. Willis commences what makeshift repairs he can manage of the system. With assistance for translation and an extra pair of hands from Irakliy, the trio work with impressive speed considering the progress they're able to achieve. Outside in their postings and down below beneath the hatch, the remainder of the strike team and auxiliary group are left to wait and wonder while the storm continues unabated. Then, remarkably, some fifteen minutes later there is a sudden surge of sound and activity as the great diesel generator begins whirring back to operation. Up on the rise by the ventilation exchange, Harry and Izolda notice the sudden flow of air beginning to move from the vent as air filtration turbines reactivate. Within the power station itself, lights flicker back on--and remain on--doing the same at the entrance chamber and along the ladder up to the hatch. As Bradley's team awaits, Grace and the others can see lights illuminate the corridor beyond the blast door--before a great deal of additional activity can be heard as mechanisms spring into action: raising the heavy blast door barring the progress of the auxiliary academic team and others from utilizing the entrance by the hatch. Deeper in the base, other electrically-driven security doors are all heard operating in concert as their driving mechanisms activate in unison, the movement of so much metal resonating and echoing within the base. Shortly thereafter, the sound repeats again as systems reset and doors begin to close themselves once more--before a grinding sound accompanied a metallic clamor from somewhere among the docks. The stench of rotted meat and vegetable matter is circulating on the air. With some impressive collaboration, the power station for the base has been brought back online--at least, for the most part. Lights, air filtration and powered doors are once more operational--which means that everyone is now able to enter the base through the entrance. We'll cover the broader particulars of what can all be seen once everyone's inside--but the main immediate takeaway is the absolutely massive blast doors that shield the submarine docks themselves are beyond the scope of the power station's operating level--so those are definitely not going to budge short of extreme firepower.
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Oct 1, 2016 05:44
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Docks Ambience Now that the lights have been restored, vantage within the underground base has been substantially improved--to arguably, not for the better. As the men and women of the remainder of the team make their way indoors past newly powered blast barriers, invariably congregation and passage find the docks--dominating the vast open space of the base's center. Lit, the docks pose a huge chamber as the central hub of the base--and those whom can read German can at last note an indication over the bay that this location is Hoffmann Station. Massive concrete docks span in the reinforced cavern, sizable enough to accommodate three behemoth transport class submarines. Derricks and gantries are arrayed to criss-cross the three docks in order to facilitate loading and repair operations. Across the jetties themselves, each span sits littered with broken crates and debris--all showing signs of a sudden and precipitous evacuation effort now that they are more readily observable. While two of the docks are empty, the third is dominated by the huge derelict hull of a transport submarine, UX-824; the vessel lies on its starboard side beneath the collapsed frame of a loading derrick. Soot and scorch marks are among evidence along the northern span of the dock leading up to the vessel, suggesting a serious fire surrounding the conning toward and forward hatch of the submarine while it was docked. Even from a distance, it is clear that the forward cargo doors show signs of explosive damage--and the docks themselves bare a number of discarded Panzerfaust 60s strewn among the debris near the bulkhead labeled for the facility's Stores. A great gaping hole has been blasted in the side of the submarine--though it appears that with some careful maneuvering, it would be possible to board the vessel and explore its interior. From the main bay of the docks, those present can see that once power was restored, all of the electrically powered doors in the facility reset--opening and then closing again. All of the doors save one. Presently, the enormous blast door next to the chamber indicated as the Vault sits jammed open, where it had been closed during the earlier sweep by S/Sgt. Thomas and the others. The closing mechanism has seemingly been damaged, leaving the space into the Vault now open. The stench of rotted meat and vegetable matter is circulating on the air, but seems most prevalent from the western corridor leading off from the entrance--which had been labeled for the facility's Mess Hall, Command and Officer's Quarters. All of the Panzerfaust 60s were fired, so they are presently not usable. The submarine suffered a great deal of damage and even from afar is clearly scuttled--but it is sitting above the water line enough that you can likely explore the interior. From a cursory look, there are three types of doors in Hoffmann Station: powered blast doors, which can be operated with panel controls; they take several rounds to open or close. Bulkhead doors, as one might find on a submarine, require two rounds to open or close. Wooden doors are in some places and can be opened or closed easily with simple latch mechanisms. I'm only mentioning this for casual curiosity because there's no reason it might come up later.
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Oct 1, 2016 18:52
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Command Centre Ambience Beside the bulkhead door to the power station, not more than a few feet westward German indicates the 'Command Centre'--a heavy blast door set shut. With some manipulation of the access panel beside it, the blast door slowly begins to lurch aside, the steady rumble of its mechanism whirring away out of sight. After more than twenty seconds, the barrier has shifted enough that the group can move past it, making their way down a short hall some twenty feet before rounding a corner. Here, another blast door can be seen at the end of a corridor forty feet ahead--stark paint indicating that the Armoury lies beyond the heavier barrier between such. To either side of the hall in the meantime, ordinary wooden doors with simple latches lead into what is indicated to be the Map Room to the north--and the Command Centre proper to the south. Within the Command Centre, the walls are blackened nearly from floor to ceiling--with the charred remains of filing cabinets strewn about and very purposefully destroyed. Burnt fragments and debris litter the entire room, ankle-deep ashes surrounding battered, burned and broken apart furniture and workstations. A caved-in, shattered Enigma machine lies among the ruinous wreckage. At the far wall is set another wooden door to the Radio room. Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - The Vault On the north end of the docks, the heavy blast door to the vault sits jammed open following the electrical system reset throughout the facility. Approaching the chamber, all present can smell the aroma of burnt out mechanisms where the barrier has seized along its tracks. Beyond the door into the vault itself, the space is huge--approximately sixty feet wide and forty feet deep, filled with the materials of dozens of rows of shelving, hardened containers and other articles. Everything within the vault has been thrown into utter chaos, however. The wreckage and disarray is considerable, from smashed and shattered crates, shredded papers, splintered wood and unidentifiable fragments of scattered stone debris and metal shards. The vault itself seems to be lined with steel plating more than six inches thick--yet despite this, the inner walls are buckled in several places, scarred--and portions have even been melted. A number of racks and shelves have been crushed together as if shoved roughly aside with heavy machinery. Innumerable documents have been crumpled, torn, trampled or burned. While there is evidence that at one time the contents of the vault were meticulously cataloged, whatever organization once reigned within has been thoroughly dismantled and scattered about with little regard to accessibility. On the back of the blast door are bizarre gouges and sections where the heavy steel has been battered. The air in the vault smells fetid and sour. Looks like someone went out of their way to destroy evidence in the Command Centre. In the meantime, the vault has been completely trashed inside; from the most cursory of examination, it does appear that some measure of effort was made to remove articles from the space--but for the most part, it has been left a terrible mess. Sorting through what's left could take some time, searching for the proverbial hay-stack needles which may be present.
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Oct 2, 2016 07:44
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Radio Room Ambience Pushing past the detritus and ashes, Irakliy opens the door into the radio room and treads inside as his fellows sort through the debris of the Command Centre. Spanning most of the space is a sizable communications array to service the island station--a radio array quite impressive to Lt. Kuznetsov. Much of the equipment present is markedly high-end, well engineered and doubtless very expensive--and even a cursory look suggests to the man that it is a very sophisticated operation. Regrettably, a large section of equipment connected to the powerful transmitter and receiver has been utterly, thoroughly destroyed--with the use of thermite no less, from the looks of it. Strangely, it seems that the majority of the radio equipment was left untouched, as only a particular set of control interfaces and hardware were destroyed. Melted dials can still be discerned partly among the panels. More worrying is the apparent potency of the equipment still present: it's puzzling the Germans were able to operate on such a level under the well-equipped British listening post of the HMS Atlantic Isle. As Irakliy examines the instrument panels while the others yet explore the Command Centre next door, something catches the man's eye from the periphery of his vision--drawing his attention to the steel ventilation grate set in the wall a few feet to his left. A pair of eyes flickers, watching Irakliy through the vent. Irakliy succeeded at a Smarts test with his knowledge of Communications equipment to realize that, although inoperable, he could still attempt to determine communication frequencies used by the Germans from the destroyed consoles. Irakliy notices subtle movement and finds eyes watching him from the vent.
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Oct 2, 2016 08:19
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Radio Room Ambience A muffled thumping rapidly sounds as the face disappears from behind the grate, trailing off into the ventilation before it is gone.
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Oct 2, 2016 08:43
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Radio Room Ambience Victoire's shotgun blisters buckshot through the steel grating of the vent--but peering in afterward finds no trace of anyone having been on the other side. The sound of the shotgun's blast carries some distance before the quiet hum of the power station and thrumming air filtration resumes unabated. Once the medic leaves, Sgt. Willis interjects before the radio is activated, beginning to search the vicinity for potential booby traps. Soon enough, the Ted's suspicions are justified upon discovering that an 88mm high explosive shell hidden behind the main console has been rigged to detonate upon the radio receiving an active current. An unusual choice for demolitions munitions with a curious arrangement for its implementation. Fortunately, with as simply as the explosive setup is presented, a few careful wire snips and Sgt. Willis is confident he has disarmed the shell. Afterward, it's a simple matter for Sgt. Willis to help bring the radio instrument console online--and as power is directly restored, numerous gauges and dials return to activity. Irakliy begins his endeavor to make contact outside of the island, only to swiftly discover that while the radio room's instrumentation has been left operational, it would seem that the actual antennae which it utilized is... missing altogether. While unable to make communication via the purposefully sabotaged equipment, the exercise is not entirely fruitless: by reviewing the remnant settings of the configuration, Lt. Kuznetsov is able to document what seems to be main frequencies in use by the Germans. Though no technical data can be gleaned beyond such, he nevertheless has retrieved the potential means for listening in on the German communications network in the future. Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - The Vault Rummaging through loose paperwork among the debris, Grace begins attempting to piece together coherent articles--but her initial efforts prove quarrelsome at best. Pacing along the detritus of an overturned container, Sebastian's eye catches a small ruptured crate--with a leather-hilted blade sheathed among packing hay. Gathering up the piece, the man finds it to be a seven inch long silver blade with a silver inlaid brace and pommel, its hilt wrapped in old, pliant leather; it seems fairly old on cursory inspection--perhaps one hundred years or more. Over among the great bedlam of documents, Bradley and Yulia begin to gather disparate documents that collectively lay the foundations for a proper investigation. A recurring motif discovered on a fair number of the articles repeatedly indicates the occult organization moniker of the 'Black Sun'--and it would seem that this vault was utilized as a holding facility for later transit to other locations. Among the materials present, it seems apparent that there were efforts made to remove or destroy evidence within the vault itself prior to whatever events led to the base' curious desertion--but something must have interrupted or deterred them from a more comprehensive solution to the undertaking. Though most of the materials left behind are scattered and incomplete, further investigation begins to clean certain common and recurring mentions. Works by the German mathematician Felix Klein are mentioned repeatedly, referring to something later declared the 'Klein Cell' as some sort of containment method. Within these technical briefs there are also repeated mentions of 'Blauer Kristall' following excavations in Sumatra with purportedly remarkable properties for a wide range of engineering applications (though greater details of such are, at least initially absent from the findings here.) Further documentation seems to suggest that despite holding numerous 'Black Sun' articles at various times, the Saxemberg Island station was primarily a Nachtwölfe facility. Bradley comes across a relatively intact set of documentation concerning itself with 'black steel', which seems to be regarded as an exceptionally durable, lightweight metal which is seemingly nigh impervious to extreme temperatures. Discussing the acquisition of the necessary ores, however, swiftly delves into bizarre nonsense as the document's author refers to a 'plateau of leng'. Yulia finds a torn and partly burned scrap of a record for vault internment which makes reference to, at least at one point, having held copies of 'UNAUSPRECHLICHEN KULTEN' and 'DE ORIGINE ET SITU GERMANORUM'. Coupled with such sparse details, she further finds a brief mention of a transport arriving and departing from this location with a shipment of '100ct. Die Gefallenen' with no further indication of the entry. Victoire fires a shotgun shell into the ventilation to no effect, beyond damaging the grate cover. She has 29 shots remaining. Ted discovers and disarms a crude, but remarkably dangerous explosive device, almost certainly saving Irakliy's life (the 88mm shell would have dealt 4d8 damage to a burst radius sufficient to fill the entire radio room with 8 armor penetration negating all possible cover in the room.) In more German-engineered disappointment for Irakliy, after all that it seems they actually removed the antenna altogether from the island's radio array. However, in their haste they did not purge the settings of the radio equipment--and Irakliy is now aware of what seems to be a secret German radio frequency used for who knows what sorts of communication. It's a good find! Grace's initial Investigation is unsuccessful and Sebastian begins with some success on the contrary. However, Yulia and Bradley together have kicked off great success--such that I am generally considering the efforts of the four within the Vault to be an ongoing Cooperative test. There's a lot to dig through, provided nothing untoward happens that might interfere with their ongoing investigation. GaistHeidegger fucked around with this message at 22:39 on Oct 2, 2016 |
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Oct 2, 2016 22:32
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Map Room Ambience Venturing across the hall from the Command Centre, Irakliy and Victoire enter the 'Map Room' together--and find the situation a markedly better one than command had been, albeit not a particularly high bar. Much like the rest of the base, the map room has been ransacked--the floor scattered with debris. Nevertheless, the room is not without its prizes. Dominated by a massive metal table at its center, an enormous printed map details the southern oceans and Anarctic coast. Among the scattered objects on the floor, Victoire spots handfuls of nylon plastic markers with magnetised strips on the reverse--and a variety of numbers and letters printed on their front, seemingly of some significance for their differences. Lt. Kuznetsov's eyes are drawn promptly to the sizable map itself, however--in particular, one location on the Antarctic coast seems to have more scratches and marks than elsewhere on the map. It is easy to surmise, thus, that it must be a location of significant to the Germans for some reason. Elsewhere on the map within Antarctica is a curious, star-shaped marking that has been repeatedly scratched into the surface of the map and table itself beneath it. 
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Oct 2, 2016 23:05
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - The Vault Ambience Upon reflection of the Unspeakable Cults Bradley recalls a printing from the mid nineteenth century by Friedrich Wilhelm von Junzt; also commonly referred to as the 'Black Book', the tome covered matters of the author's ties to a variety of cults and secret socities--but further, detailed a number of purported sorcerous rituals. Given his rather personal experience with a later edition of the tome, Bradley 'benefited' from additional notations at the time. In such notes, it was suggested that the Unausprechlichen Kulten informed of how to summon a variety of otherworldly creatures, including 'children of the deep'--and was rumored to even include instructions on how to bring the deceased back to life. Sebastian further studies the recovered blade--and in short order, is certain that its history ties it to Wallachia of the fifteenth century. It is, without a doubt, a sacrificial blade--all the more apparent when continued scrutiny discerns the waviness of its edge and the subtle, worn etchings of intricate runic patterns along the flat sides of the blade itself. Simply holding the knife unsheathed sends goose bumps to rise for Sebastian. Just outside of the vault, as Harry, Ronnie and Dimitry stand sentry while the auxiliary team conducts their research, Harry is in the midst of an amusing anecdote when Ronnie's attention is caught by the barest of sounds of commotion: a sudden clattering of dropped metal down the westward corridor, coming from the direction of the mess hall and officer's quarters. Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Map Room Sgt. Barton-Morewood ducks into the map room in time--and upon having a look at the map markers, is quick to recognize the purpose of their numbering: coupled with the multitudinous markings on the table map itself, someone familiar with navigation such as he can correlate points to plot courses and monitor the movement of vessels throughout the region. With time and notation reviewing the map along with a set of the markers, Dicky could document activity pertaining to those movements--and the curious site in Antarctica of seeming significance. Out in the corridor nearby, Izoldah stands ready as the blast door to the armoury is activated and... s l o w l y begins to rise. Sheesh, folks rolling some serious hits and raises with some of these research and history checks! Good stuff though, and a good time to glean those big hits. Dicky has duffed his first roll, but used a benny for a successful re-roll afterward, in the meantime. Ronnie is the only sentry to have made a Notice check: something's going down in the mess hall, because it sure as hell isn't any of the twelve who arrived on the island in there.
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Oct 4, 2016 03:12
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Armoury Ambience Stacked up and on watch as the blast door slowly ascends, Victoire is the first of those gathered to spy beneath the door that a short reinforced corridor stretches on the other side with three bulkhead doors that appear heavier than normal. The air coming from the armoury beyond the blast door smells pointedly stale: it seems there is no ventilation which connects within as a measure of extra security. Armoury blast door is a foot and a half off the ground.
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Oct 4, 2016 13:29
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Barracks Ambience Rendezvousing with Harry, S/Sgt. Thomas maneuvers swiftly and quietly with Ted, Victoire and Izoldah as they make their way toward the personnel wing of the base. Treading past the blast door to the main entrance of the facility, the five pass wooden entryways on the southern wall to first Operations and then Medical--before rounding a corner that banks northward after some sixty feet of passageway. At the turn of the corner, the five are faced with another hall with a collection of doors to both Officer's Quarters and the Commander's Room--but at the far end, the Barracks can be seen--a heavy bulkhead door ajar. Another clatter of metal can be heard from within as light flickers, casting fleeting flickering shadows out into the hall from an angle beyond the bulkhead. Making their approach, the five endeavor to remain silent with weapons at the ready--but midway down the corridor, Ted and Victoire's boots squeak against the concrete underfoot. For a moment, the sounds within the barracks grow silent--before there is a further clattering clamor of rapid movement and what sounds like several sets of hurried footsteps slapping on the floor. Upon reaching the bulkhead door, a glimpse inside the barracks beyond comes fully into view. With three rows of military standard bunk beds, it appears to be an arrangement intended more for capacity than comfort. At the far northern end of the room is an open doorway which seems to lead to a row of simple gravity showers and toilets--the smell of brackish standing water joining the medleys on the air. Throughout, however, where the bunks had been--the bed frames and mattress have been removed and shifted, packed down and stored in orderly stacks along the eastern wall. A rotten tomato has been smeared along the floor in a foul-smelling streak--the stench of rotten vegetables and rotting meat almost overwhelming now. With a look to the left, the doorway into the barracks' attached Mess Hall is visible. As the five round the doorway into the barracks, eyes fall first to a ventilation grate on the floor of the mess, visible from here--before trailing to a shape dangling from the open vent above. Upside down and hanging from the vent is a blonde, shirtless man; his torso bears several deep, ragged gashes--which Victoire can readily discern are almost certainly fatal wounds. The smell here is horrific. Successful Stealth checks all around against an Inactive guard--target of 4--save for Ted. In Savage Worlds Stealth is either against an inactive guard, such as in this case, or an active guard--someone or something actively keeping an eye out for trouble. In the latter case, this would be an opposed roll instead. The miss gave our German a heads-up, which mechanically mostly translated into the gang not having 'the drop' on them. Having 'the drop' on someone in Savage Worlds is a +4 bonus to your attack's roll to hit and +4 damage--pretty nasty!
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Oct 5, 2016 01:17
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Barracks Ambience Cautiously drawing nearer to the injured, unconscious man--S/Sgt. Thomas makes a snap decision and draws his rifle up to aim for the man's head. Steadying himself, with a measured breath he squeezes the trigger--the report of the M1 a loud CRACK matched by the crack of the man's skullcap blowing open, sending fragments of bloodied bone to scatter as brain matter spills free in a pulped slurry, the top of his head left a ruinous crater. Gore dribbles from the rupture left behind by Ronnie's rifle round. The man's eyes snap open wide suddenly, jaw opening as he breathes a strained gurgling groan--before he lurches with alarming speed up into the vent, thumps and bangs trailing rapidly away from the mess hall. Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Map Room As the auxiliary team arrives at the map room, the sound of a rifle being shot echoes through the base. The blast door to the Armoury has raised four feet. Ronnie successfully executed an aimed shot to the head for lethal damage. Everyone present in the mess hall must make a Spirit test vs. Nausea with a -1 penalty, but including any bonuses vs. Fear effects they may have. Failure results in 1 level of Fatigue (-1 penalty ongoing to all Trait tests.) GaistHeidegger fucked around with this message at 04:09 on Oct 5, 2016 |
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Oct 5, 2016 04:03
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Map Room Plumbing her memory, Grace's nearest recollection for symbolism of this sort were related to the writings of rather ecclectic and uncommon tomes. Among such, the Al-Azif by Abdul al-Hazrad was particularely interested in bizarre markings like this one--though most of the acutely narrow academic circles Grace knew regarded that work as rather 'unwholesome.' Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Armoury Ducking under the blast door, Irakliy finds himself in a short corridor around a bend presented with three identical bulkhead doors. Selecting the leftmost of the lot, the man reaches for the wheel--before second-guessing and making a check as best as he is able for any booby-traps that might be present. Reasonably satisfied the way is safe, the man works to open the heavy steel door. Within, the man finds row upon row of racks for storing weapons and ammunition--many of which have been left barren or empty even at a glance.
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Oct 5, 2016 04:47
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Map Room Ambience Bit by bit, the auxiliary team gleans the involvement of suspicious tomes--many of which seem to have made their way through the Hoffmann Station's vault at some point or another. Without more direct knowledge of their contents it would be difficult to parse precisely what the Black Sun had been up to--and while Bradley's prior perusal of Unspeakable Cults gave him some insight, what the team truly needed was to get their hands on more concrete materials to dissect. While Sebastian, Yulia, Grace and Bradley put their heads together, however, a dull thumping sound trails overhead through the ceiling. Nearer to the wooden door into the map room, Dicky and Dimitry's attentions are drawn up as dust trickles down from above--and as their gazes find a ventilation grate, suddenly fingers squeeze between the slats: ten, fifteen, twenty or more at once. Squeezing tight, they begin to push and pull at the grate trying to buckle and dislodge it. "Что происходит?!" Dimitry blurts, backing away from underneath the vent wide-eyed. Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Armoury Glancing over the remnants, Irakliy finds that most of the racks for ready deployment or arsenal have been emptied--including the Panzerfausts glimpsed on the docks themselves. Boxes of ammunition have been hauled off along with rifles and automatic weapons--but all manner of explosive, in particular, seems to have been excised from the location. Just as Irakliy is making his way out into the corridor he finds that the blast door has fully raised in his wake--and begins to hear a loud creaking from the air vent near the map room. Everyone in the map room, and subsequently Irakliy when he lays eyes on the grate, is going to need a Nausea(-2) test; that is a Spirit test at -2, plus any bonuses you may have against Fear. It is clear that more than a single person must be trying to force the vent open. As a reminder, Horror is a step up from Naseau--as it's a graduation from just plain gory or gross to witnessing things that more decisively should not be--while Terror is the absolute devastating level of test. You can resolve your own rolls on this as the other team had; your target is 4, if you fail you receive a level of Fatigue, which is -1 ongoing to all trait (attribute and skill) rolls.
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Oct 5, 2016 07:24
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Map Room Shoving, tugging and beginning to warp the slats to the ventilation grate, the interloper in the ventilation ignores Sgt. Barton-Morewood's warning--spurring the sergeant to rattle off three rounds from his Sten gun in retaliation. Two rounds crack against the concrete to either side of the vent, but the third punches through the center--and is rewarded with a distinctly meaty splatter inside the duct. Several smatterings of blood trickle down between the slats as those fingers seize up and go still. Abruptly, the fingers withdraw as a tumbling thudding and thumping trails quickly along the ductwork in the ceiling above, in the direction of the power station east of the map room. Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Barracks Cautiously approaching beneath the duct, Victoire readies her shotgun before sweeping the barrel up into the span. Beyond the very edge of the ductwork above, the ventilation shaft is dark; no movement is spied, but Victoire can't be sure if her eyes aren't playing tricks on her either; the duct appears to be fairly tight, however--a mere foot squared. With the assistance of Izoldah's light, the duct is found absent its occupant--as close as can be discerned near the edge, at least. If someone climbed up into the duct, they'd certainly have a better vantage. Victoire doesn't really see or hear anything up in the duct. It's probably clear. Probably. Dicky's warning goes unheeded, and he retaliates with a fully-automatic burst from his Sten. A wild die saves him from a gutterball on the rolls, before his damage hits nicely and even explodes for some extra kick. Dicky has dealt damage that certainly should have killed a man. This does not seem to have deterred our duct-dwelling friend from moving with alacrity for the power station now, however.
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Oct 5, 2016 17:19
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Mess Hall Foisted up bodily, Izoldah crests the edge of the ventilation duct--her senses promptly assaulted by foul, rotten aromas clinging to the shaft. A sticky residue is streaked around the whole of the duck's egress--and shining her light about, Izoldah concludes blood and other ichorous fluids have been left in the wake of the dweller in the duct. Faintly, in the far distance, she can hear echoing thuds and thumps--along with the rattle of a submachine gun from the opposite end of the base resonating through the ventilation to her position. caught on a bent screw, Izoldah spies a ragged shred of a uniform further down the span from the mess hall's access. There do not seem to be further signs of an occupant presently. Meanwhile in the mess below, Ronnie, Victoire and Harry have a chance to better take in their surroundings. It would seem in the Germans' haste the larder remained stocked--scrapped remnants of meat and vegetables strewn haphazardly about. Despite their rotted state warmed by the room, it appears that someone has been eating from the foul spread a great deal. Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Power Station Ambience Accompanying Sgt. Barton-Morewood, the bolstered group hastens from the map room and nearby armoury before rounding back into the docks--the bulkhead door before the power station's access corridor leveraged open with a few firm turns. Beyond, the steady thrumming rumble of the great diesel engine continues on--its vibrations felt through the concrete underfoot. Rounding the corner as weapons are readied and adrenaline bristles, the second bulkhead door comes into view, light flickering through the thick glass of its porthole window. Casting a glance about toward Sgt. Barton-Morewood and the others, an authoritative gesture sends Dimitry onward, jaw set, as he makes for the bulkhead; gripping the wheel, he moves to-- Suddenly, several faces appear in the window to press against it, cheeks flattened and eyes wide. The flesh is sallow and pallid, a number of open wounds and contusions visible; gazing out at the men and women gathered in the hall, the faces bear expressions of horror, agony and dull incomprehension all at once--and as eyes hone and minds seize upon processing the sight before them, a belated realization is reached: the faces are fused together, as if part of what is now some singular entity. Dimitry screams, wide-eyed as he immediately bolts and runs from the door, nearly bowling over Irakliy in the process. Most of the party has been rooting for sending Dimitry into danger, so the poor Russian was nominated defacto to go for the power station's bulkhead door. That glass is probably bullet-proof. The door opens outward. Unfortunately, this is now the real deal: everyone witness to the creature must make a Horror (-2) test from fear and revulsion (so Spirit-2), with bonuses to such quite assuredly applicable. Anyone with failed rolls will need to make a d20+2 follow-up roll to determine their results on the Horror chart, riding the ride for actual horror. Dimitry rolled a natural 1 on his Spirit test, which for a Horror check makes for guaranteed Dementia. He rolled 'Panicked!' as his Horror table result, prompting him to immediately flee, running his rear end off and also becoming Shaken. Unfortunately, this also means the door is now unattended. GaistHeidegger fucked around with this message at 08:01 on Oct 6, 2016 |
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Oct 6, 2016 07:50
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Power Station Ambience Smearing fluids against the porthole window, one of the faces seems to move its mouth in wordless gestures--before something moves in the background, the light inside the power station cutting out abruptly. Beginning to back away and round the corner, weapons at hand and hearts pounding, a belated realization dawns: the bulkhead doors to the power station had been left open after repairs were affected to the generator. The hatch ahead was not secured. With a groan of metal hinges, pressure is applied to the bulkhead from the other side, beginning to coax it outwards toward the hall as the bulbs flanking the corridor begin to flicker wildly. While the diesel engine continues humming along behind it, the space is now darkened. Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Docks Double-timing it from the barracks and mess, Ronnie, Harry and Izoldah begin to make their way back toward the rest of the team--while Victoire breaks ahead with a sprint with remarkable speed, rounding the corner down the corridor to pull well ahead of her compatriots. Passing the blast door to the main entrance, Victoire spies the docks and scuttled submarine ahead--before a ventilation grate drops down from the ceiling before her with a great clatter. From above, a grotesque form drops free into sight of the woman and hits the concrete of the docks with a wet, pulpy slap. Victoire recognizes corpse she had spied in the mess, head still ruptured by Ronnie's rifle round--its flesh fused with two other torsos, six arms groping about on the floor as it rights itself, a gnarled knot of intermingled legs, faces gaping at her in expressions of horror, anger and dismay. Below the monstrous mass, ruptured guts pulsate and writhe while cords of woven muscle slide about, ichors blood and bile squelching against the porous concrete. It spies Victoira, and she it--mind reeling to process that which exists before her in defiance of all that is right and natural in the world. Some forty feet behind, Ronnie, Harry and Izoldah begin to close in Victoire's wake--coming to spy in the distance that which should not be. Izoldah, Victoire, Harry and Ronnie need a Horror (-2) test versus 'Hanz' ahead. Victoire is currently 15 feet away from Hanz. Harry, Izoldah and Ronnie are 55 feet away. In the hall to the power station, everyone in that initiative has a very important immediate decision to make: if you remain within view of the bulkhead door, you are less than ten feet away from the interior if / when it opens. Anyone within the Power Station access can be back out on the docks with regular Pace in movement. There is a ventilation duct immediately overhead beyond the exterior bulkhead door. Reaching the workshop will take more than one round--as the total distance from the access corridor is approximately 100 feet--and the encounter between Victoire and 'Hanz' is a further 60 feet north from that. You can move your base pace for free each round (30' by default) and can elect to also run (1d6 by default, which can explode.) If you run, you are -2 to all other actions taken during that round; this penalty is cumulative with any other penalties you might accrue. We are entering initiative for two separate encounters! Initiative in Savage Worlds is handled via dealt Playing Cards, with Aces -> Faces -> Number cards for order, highest to lowest, and then suits in reverse alphabetical order (Spades -> Hearts -> Diamonds -> Clubs.) How I intend to handle such things is that actions will generally resolve in initiative order, but your posts don’t necessarily need to; it’s also worth noting that you can fairly freely maneuver your actions within the span of known initiatives, so if four of you go before an enemy, you can typically presume that you can wait for one another to ‘resolve’ in the order you’d like. You can also elect to hold your card ‘up your sleeve’ in order to pull shenanigans, like trying to interrupt an action; if you try to take your initiative to interrupt someone, an opposed Agility test transpires—with the winner resolving ‘first’. In the case of ties, both actions resolve simultaneously, for all of you waiting to have your no-survivors Katana showdowns. It is unclear where Dimitry is at this time; he double-timed it out of the access to the power station and around the corner, last anyone saw. At the power station: Grace (Ace of Hearts) Bradley (Ace of Clubs) Irakliy (Jack of Hearts) Dicky (10 of Diamonds) Yulia (10 of Clubs) ‘Franz’ (9 of Spades) Ted (King of Spades -> 7 of Clubs due to Slow) Sebastian (2 -> 3 of Diamonds due to Level-Headed) At the northern end of the docks: Harry (Queen of Clubs) Victoire (5 of Clubs) Ronnie (4 of Hearts) ‘Hanz’ (4 of Diamonds) Izoldah (2 of Spades)
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Oct 6, 2016 19:52
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - North Docks Ambience As the monstrous amalgam rises from its grisly landing, two rifle rounds CRACK through the air from the corridor--Ronnie's fire clipping the grotesquery on the docks and setting the thing to stagger. Seized by the sight, Harry bolts back around the corridor's corner as he battles to come to grips with the situation once more--while Victoire, faced so near with something so gruesome, is driven by a certain emotional disconnect as her mind scrambles to protect itself. Victoire's shotgun blast echoes out in the dockside cavern, buckshot peppering the fused mass of corpses before her--to little apparent purchase, it seems; without a moment's hesitation she doubles back to join Ronnie's side--but the creature is fast at her heels. With an inhuman chorus of gurgling wheezes the charnel monstrosity lumbers no less quickly than Victoire herself--and as it closes on both she and Ronnie, a tendril of muscle and meat at least ten feet long lashes out--barbed bone skirting the edge of a door frame over Ronnie's shoulder and splintering the wooden door at his flank as he quickly raises his bayonet reflexively. Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - South Docks With the door beginning to open and panic spreading, Yulia, Dicky and Grace quickly make their way back down the access corridor and out onto the docks. The workshop is within sight; across the span of the docks to the north, the trio can hear the resonance of rifle and shotgun fire in the distance, but can't make out what's going on with the remainder of the team there. From here, reaching the workshop would be a run, while the corridor to the command centre and armory is also nearby. Already, they begin to hear gunfire from those braced back in the corridor. Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Power Station Access Exchanging glances, Irakliy and Bradley prepare themselves for the way to open--and as the bulkhead swings wide, the Russian rattles off a burst of his Sten submachinegun, muzzle flashes briefly illuminating the horror beyond. From in the gloom, a tendril of meat, muscle and sinew lashes out suddenly, a barbed boney protrusion slicing across Irakliy's torso. Reeling from the injury as stinging pain lances through his senses, Irakily is sent stumbling back around the corner--before Bradley, Ted and Sebastian are left to face the charnel horror before them. Initiative in the north is on Izoldah now, who needs a Horror (-2) check before other actions. 'Hanz' was Shaken and failed his free roll to recover, so he used a GM benny to remove Shaken manually. Hanz ran to close the distance with Ronnie and Victoire before missing three times (spending two more GM bennies for re-rolls.) Greedy as 'Hanz' is, that's enough for one round. Preemptively teeing up Round 2 up north, once Izoldah finishes this round initiative for round 2 is: 'Hanz' (King of Diamonds) Izoldah (Jack of Spades) Harry (Jack of Clubs) Ronnie (9 of Hearts) Victoire (9 of Diamonds) Going first in their initiative for stated plans, Dicky, Yulia and Grace are able to get out of the access corridor without incident with movement at their basic Pace--and if they'd like to cover more ground thereafter, they're welcome to Run for the Workshop or down toward the command centre, armour, etc. With initiatives before 'Franz' and the bulkhead closed, both Irakliy and Bradley elected to hold their cards to try to get the drop on Franz once the door opened, giving them a better chance at dealing with the creature. Irakliy succeeded in beating Franz on the draw--but his automatic fire failed to connect due to the darkness and recoil. Bradley busted on his opposed Agility to interrupt Franz--leaving Franz to act. Franz decides to attack Irakliy, since he weighs more and fired at him. Franz landed a hit + raise against Irakliy's parry, then totalled 17 damage, which against a toughness of 5 was a hit with three raises--so Shaken and 3 Wounds. Irakliy spent a benny to soak, failed, spent a benny to re-roll and soaked 1 wound, resulting in Shaken and 2 Wounds. Irakliy failed a Vigor test provoked by the wounds and spent the rest of his available bennies to avoid Very Bad Things from happening. Everyone receives 1 Benny. You all definitely seem to need it! GaistHeidegger fucked around with this message at 22:18 on Oct 6, 2016 |
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Oct 6, 2016 21:23
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Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - North Docks Ambience Izoldah, disturbed by the sight as her psyche maneuvers desperately against her skepticism's challenge--steadies her rifle and takes aim before pulling the tricker. The Mosin's round strikes true, a small eruption of gore splattering off of the horrific conglomerate of corpses; it was an excellent shot! Lethal, no doubt--yet the thing lurches, scrambling past Ronnie as the man thrusts his bayonet at its backs in vain--closing on Izoldah. In that perilous moment arms reach for the Soviet scout, scrabbling as slippery fingers and palms attempt to seize her--before she manages to twist away before it can render harm. Drawing her rifle up across herself in defense, Izoldah moves to back away--the creature swiping after her but finding no purchase. From behind, Ronnie pivots and opens fire with another pair of rounds. Gore sprays from the mass of the monstrosity, splattering about Izoldah's boots and pant legs and slurrying the floor--but before all present, the thing shudders and draws up on itself, gathering together to re-knit torn flesh and ruptured organs as it rouses itself back together with a quaking vigor. Victoire levels her shotgun in turn, buckshot raking the conglomerate and tearing free further chunks of meat and cracked bone fragments. Up the corridor, Harry awaits, rifle gripped tight and bayonet readied: the charnel monstrosity looms before him, seeking to end Izoldah's life. Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - Power Station Access Seeing Irakily crawling and wounded, Yulia doubles back into the access corridor to render assistance to the man. Sebastian and Bradley both fire their weapons at the creature in turn, but the Webley and Sten scarcely seem to slow the monstrocity; with the others making haste down the access corridor, the pair move quickly to follow suit--hearing the horrible thing fast on their heels as it lashes after them. Saxemberg Island - Hoffmann Station - South Docks Out on the docks, further gunfire can be heard across the water from the northern corridor--though the source remains out of sight. Clearly, the other team had trouble of their own to contend with--while those on the south side of the docks can hear the creature pursuing them quickly toward the bulkhead door. Irakliy, back on his feet, fires at the creature, his round going wide--before he hastens around the corner, making a run for the Armoury. As the monstrous creature lurches forward, Sgt. Barton-Morewood shoves at the bulkhead door to leverage it shut, beginning to work the wheel to try to secure it. One turn, two--the door shudders and nearly sends the Brit stumbling away from it as the creature slams its bulk against the other side, faces pressing to the window. With due haste, others join in to secure the wheel as the thing pounds against the steel bulkhead--before abruptly, swiftly, it withdraws back out of sight, moving into the darkness once more. Izoldah scores an excellent hit, Hanz takes two wounds and becomes Shaken. Hanz fails his Shaken check, spends another GM benny to remove it manually and moves past Victoire and Ronnie to chase Izoldah. Ronnie gets a free attack with his bayonet but misses. Izoldah is hit, but for only enough damage to Shaken her. Izoldah failed her check to remove Shaken. Spent a benny to drop Shaken, went defensive and backed off, Hanz swung and missed her. Ronnie landed a nasty hit with another double tap with a raise, hitting with three raises. Hanz panicked and spent a Benny to soak, then three additional bennies re-rolling until soaking three wounds on his last attempt to stay in the ring. 3 GM bennies remain. Victoire fired, hit with a raise and delivered enough damage for Shaken + Wound 3 on Hanz. Down south, Sebastian, Ted and Bradley all hit Franz, but none of them dealt enough damage to Shaken or wound the creature. Everyone hastens to withdraw from the access corridor. Given that Dicky was the last initiative before Franz was going to spill out onto the docks and attack everyone, I took it under assumption on Raptor's behalf that he would try to close the door. Team North round 3 initiative order: 'Hanz' KH -> Izoldah 8H -> Victoire 8D -> Ronnie 7H -> Harry 6D Team South initiative order: Irakliy whenever he wants with a +2 to all rolls and damage, -> Dicky QH -> Bradley 10S -> 'Franz' 6C -> Grace 5S -> Yulia 5D -> Sebastian 3C -> Ted 2H
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Oct 6, 2016 23:57
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