TUELLER: “Now that I think of it, Doc, you’ve shot Loll multiple times.”
MILLICENT: “Oh yes, I suppose I have.”
MILLICENT: “Do you think I should get her a present?”
TUELLER: “Do I think…? Yeah, probably.”
MILLICENT: “An extra leg, perhaps?”
MILLICENT: “A back up.”
ALEJO: Alejo looks wounded. “Prolly, you should get everyone you’ve shot a present.” He then pauses to consider. “Well, call it even with me, I guess. I did get your stuff blow out into space, I guess.”
TUELLER: “Later, guys. We have work to do.”
TUELLER: “We can go Christmas shopping later.”
TUELLER: “Keep quiet and don’t get caught. Ejo and I will be back.”
ALEJO: He stepped in pace with one set of pedestrians, almost as if he were a fourth member of their group. As he did, he flipped the hoodie over his head, and very slightly altered his gait to throw off the algorithms of any surveillance devices that might be monitoring him. After about 30 meters, and just on the dark side of a nearby security camera, he slipped free from that group and joined another, headed along a perpendicular path. As he did, he nonchalantly dropped the hood and put on a grey and red stocking cap and a pair of round glasses, again changing his pace and gait subtly.
ALEJO: He enjoyed SDRs, flowing with the crowd, vanishing, letting his individuality melt away so that all that remained was the figure of any man, every man, strolling through a city, unremarkable.
—
STORY: Veni steps outside the cell, standing meekly. He stands just below Millie’s eyeline.
TUELLER: So, somewhere around Tueller’s nipples.
TUELLER: Were he not wearing a shirt, which he is.
STORY: Probably lower, even. Millie’s about a foot and a half shorter than you.
TUELLER: “So, anything important not psychic people should know about sensitives?”
STORY: “Typical sensitives? No. But I don’t think that’s what is going on with Teka.”
STORY: “Tell me what you saw outside.”
TUELLER: “The LT said half of everyone goes crazy every night after going to bed.”
TUELLER: “That’s what we saw. Anger and aggression.”
STORY: Veni shakes his head, trying to understand. “Possessed?”
TUELLER: Tueller defers to Millie.
MILLICENT: “I don’t remember anything from when I tapped into the signal.”
MILLICENT: “Oh, except that I tapped into a signal, which means it acts enough like communication signals from our worlds that it can be, ah, experienced using our technology.”
STORY: Veni nods, counting on his fingers. “Do you know how far out it went? The affected area?”
MILLICENT: “It’s hard to say, we’re a little weary of scanning planet-wide comms at the moment.”
STORY: “Yes, Nahar psychic science is quite advanced. Their psychic signals work very much like radio waves.”
STORY: “The governor’s mansion is built along ley lines that help focus and amplify signals sent from here, it’s how moon-wide comms are generally sent, so I’d imagine we have this problem everywhere.”
STORY: “So… well, shit.”
TUELLER: “So. Faraday cage?”
STORY: “If you can get to her, maybe. But depending on what’s happening, I mean. That could kill her as well. Probably the best option.”
STORY: “Can you get me to the governor’s office? We can find her from there.”
MILLICENT: Millie frowns, thoughtfully.
STORY: “Just, I mean. Assume everyone in this building is under her control, of course.”
TUELLER: “Killing her is the best option? Or Faraday caging.”
STORY: “Oh, killing her. I’d hate to do it, but if she’s… well, I’m not sure there is a word for what she might be now, but if she’s lost to us, a faraday cage might have unwanted effects on the people she’s controlling.”
MILLICENT: “Why would she be doing this, Mr. Veni?”
STORY: “Why would she, or how would she?”
MILLICENT: “Why?”
STORY: He sighs. “The weave… it’s. Look, can we save the metaphysics lesson for after we’ve got some idea of how many people in this building want to kill us?”
STORY: “It’s likely Teka isn’t doing this entirely willingly, is the fastest answer.”
TUELLER: “Okay. But you’re saying if she’s lost to us…any quick way to figure that out so we don’t murder a girl unnecessarily?”
TUELLER: “I’m trying to cut back.”
STORY: “Are you psychic?”
TUELLER: “Not that I know of.”
TUELLER: “We don’t tend to be.”
STORY: “Then no, not really.”
STORY: Veni hesitates, as if he was going to start a sentence.
STORY: “No.”
MILLICENT: “I strongly recommend that we save lethal force for a final resort.”
MILLICENT: “Our mission here remains unchanged, if delayed.”
ALEJO: Alejo has been watching Veni closely. “You killed her father, didn’t you. Is this just a continuation of your vendetta?”
STORY: “Mother, but no. I have no interest in Teka’s death. She’s a good kid, if a little impatient.”
STORY: “Too willing to take risks. She may have gotten herself into this trouble, and I am not sure we can get her out. I know, however, that we can get -the moon- out of this trouble if we need to.”
STORY: “And this is not a vendetta. I told you, I’m a freedom fighter. I had a mission and I completed it. I wish no one else harm.”
ALEJO: Alejo gives him a respectful nod, accepting the answer.
MILLICENT: “You said she was lost in the Weave. I took that to be a metaphysical description. Is it an actual place?”
STORY: “That’s a good question! I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name.”
MILLICENT: “I’m Dr. Millicent Breedlove, representing the Erde-Maris Alliance. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Mr. Veni.”
STORY: He bows. “Nice to meet you, Dr. Breedlove. The weave is, well, it’s theorized that it’s both a physical space and a metaphysical realm, though no one has yet determined how to pass over physically.”
STORY: “Sensitives are able to travel there metaphysically, astrally projecting, if you will.”
STORY: “I suspect Teka has found something there she likes enough to want to stay.”
TUELLER: If this guy is actually psychic, he can probably detect waves of skepticism off of Tueller. He doesn’t betray it externally, though.
MILLICENT: “And so if this place is metaphysical, why should we need to go anywhere to go in after her? Just,” Millie waves her hands magically, “psychic us there.”
STORY: “Well, that’s what I meant. But being nonpsychics yourselves, it would take tremendous effort. Likely kill me, even.”
STORY: “And, well, I’m sorry, but I can’t do that for you.”
MILLICENT: “Is there some way to boost your power that doesn’t involve getting close to Teka, who we must suspect has surrounded herself with rabid killers?”
STORY: “Certainly, as I said this house is built on ley lines. It won’t change the effort required, however. But I do recommend we get moving and head to the main office so we can determine what’s going on here.”
STORY: “If things are as you said, it’s likely Nahar are being killed as we discuss the details here.”
TUELLER: “Indeed. We’re just trying to make it clear what you’re expecting from us, and what we should expect from you. We are, as we said, not psychic.”
TUELLER: Tueller’s saying that to say we need to talk it over since we can’t read his mind, to be clear
TUELLER: “But getting moving is good. I like forward movement.”
TUELLER: “Just want to know who to punch.”
STORY: “I recommend you punch anyone who tries to hurt us. Just… you needn’t kill any of them.”
STORY: “Anyone except Teka, that is. I’ll point her out if we see her.”
TUELLER: “Her you think we should kill.”
TUELLER: “Got it.”
MILLICENT: Millie frowns.
TUELLER: Tueller starts his typical hand flexing that you know of him preparing for imminent violence.
STORY: “Shall we?” He gestures toward the now open door back to the basement.
TUELLER: Tueller goes through it.
TUELLER: Checking the corridor as he does.
STORY: All right! Heading upstairs, all?
ALEJO: Alejo gestures to Millie to go next. He takes up the rear flanking position.
TUELLER: Sure!
STORY: Veni notices you’re following behind him and looks uncomfortable.
MILLICENT: Millie goes where asked
STORY: The basement is winding, with a confusing layout. You aren’t sure of where to go, and Veni himself is a bit lost. What do you do?
TUELLER: Checking the walls for directional guides!
STORY: Let’s have an Assessment + Mettle please as you travel through the basement!
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: @chris.stuart rolled 8 + 1 = 9
STORY: Excellent! You realize that the lights are set up in a way that they illuminate the path back to the main stairway slightly dimmer than the ones that lead you further into the basement, and use that, flipping switches as you go, to find your way to the main stairway.
STORY: You hear footsteps upstairs and see shadows as people pass by the glass door at the top of the stairs, but no conversation or other noise.
STORY: What do you do?
TUELLER: Tueller holds up his hand to get people to stop, and then, quickly remember who he’s dealing with, turning around to keep Millie from walking past him.
ALEJO: Alejo reaches out to stop her and halt the party.
MILLICENT: Millie stops, only murmurs a soft, “oh that’s what that means”
STORY: Alejo, when you reach out past Veni you brush against his side and he recoils, stepping to the side.
ALEJO: Alejo raises a finger to his lips, shushing both of them.
TUELLER: When reasonably clear that the convoy is stopped, Tueller peeks around the corner to look up the stairs to see what’s going on.
ALEJO: He also pulls his stun baton and gets ready to draw his pistol if necessary.
TUELLER: Tueller points to himself, then to his eyes, then up the stairs, then does a “wait” gesture to them.
TUELLER: And then starts up the stairs if the coast is clear.
STORY: The coast appears to be clear! The door is closed and glass-paned, and you can see no shadows cast on it. There’s also a smaller flap near the bottom of the door with a piece of flexible plastic attached to it.
TUELLER: Sorry?
MILLICENT: —there’s a cat door
STORY: Like, embedded in the glass, there’s a little framed out area that instead of glass has a – yeah, what Millie said.
STORY: Tueller, when you reach the top of the stairs, a blue tentacle creeps through the plastic flap, pushing it out of the way, and is joined by another five tentacles, then another eight, and quickly a small, round, and yellow body squeezes through the flap with a sound like “flumph.”
STORY: This creature looks up at you with both eyestalks. It is about the size of your head, and constantly farting little puffs out of its blue tentacles to hover a few centimeters above the ground.
STORY: It waits at the top stair. What do you do?
TUELLER: Tueller extends his hand towards it for it to sniff.
TUELLER: Slowly and non-threateningly. Like you would a cat.
TUELLER: His fingers curled back so they can’t be bitten.
STORY: It leans forward with one eyestalk and peers very closely at it, then rubs its bare eyeball on your palm.
STORY: It looks up at you with the other eyestalk, then flumphs down the stairs and past the others, ignoring them completely.
STORY: Veni pats it on the head as it passes you.
TUELLER: Tueller waves people up.
ALEJO: Alejo, eyes wide, swiftly moves to the side and lets it pass, cautiously. Then he encourages the party to move forward, at Tueller’s signal.
MILLICENT: Millie moves up
TUELLER: Tueller opens the door and peeks out.
STORY: Tueller, let’s have a Face Adversity + Mettle please!
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: @chris.stuart rolled 7 + 1 = 8
STORY: All right! You crack open the door and it taps, ever so gently, against the heel of a guard who is standing in front of it. You have time to act before he notices, but he will notice momentarily.
STORY: What do you do?
TUELLER: SNEAK ATTACK!
TUELLER: As in the Scoundrel Skill Sneak Attack: “When you get the drop on someone, Roll+Mettle….”
STORY: hahaha
STORY: Yeah, let’s have it
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: @chris.stuart rolled 11 + 1 = 12
STORY: Jesus.
STORY: Well! What happens?
TUELLER: Well, then I guess I’ll choose “Capture/Disable them” and knock him out quietly.
STORY: Perfect. I forgot Tueller was sneaky like that.
STORY: Describe that shit for me!
TUELLER: Tueller opens the door, knocking the guy off his balance, quick as he can be, slips in and picks the guard up with his hand, and holds him up against the wall, one arm on his neck and the other hand over his mouth until stops struggling….then, Tueller eases him down, catching his firearm from falling from his limp hand.
STORY: Alejo, a guard is being gently handed down to you.
STORY: Veni looks up. “Well, that’s one down. There are twenty two guards on payroll, gentlemen, get to work.”
STORY: Veni sits down on the bottom step and takes out a small notepad.
TUELLER: “Challenge accepted.”
ALEJO: Alejo takes the guard and moves him quietly and gently to a resting spot on the stairs beneath them. He lays the guard’s head down at a comfortable position.
TUELLER: “So? Where now?”
STORY: Veni pats the spot next to him. “Dr. Breedlove, I take it you’re not the combatant type.”
MILLICENT: Millie sits down. “I don’t know, I did shoot a couple of people earlier.”
TUELLER: “Yes she did.”
TUELLER: Tueller has a very dark look on his face all of a sudden.
TUELLER: It passes quickly.
MILLICENT: “But I do like to let the boys do their work.”
ALEJO: As Alejo steps back towards the group he says, “Killed more folks that Tueller and me put together, I think.”
TUELLER: Tueller looks at Alejo. “Not overall. Not overall.”
MILLICENT: Millie frowns at Alejo. “I didn’t write that security protocol, Mr. Soto.”
ALEJO: He shrugs, giving a dubiously look.
STORY: Veni raises his eyebrows.
STORY: Ok! Here’s how I’d like this to go. Alejo and Tueller sweep the grounds, dealing with the guards I have set out for you. Meantime, Millie gets to have one exchange with Veni for each encounter to gather information. Dig?
TUELLER: “Now that I think of it, Doc, you’ve shot Loll multiple times.”
MILLICENT: “Oh yes, I suppose I have.”
MILLICENT: “Do you think I should get her a present?”
TUELLER: “Do I think…? Yeah, probably.”
MILLICENT: “An extra leg, perhaps?”
MILLICENT: “A back up.”
ALEJO: Alejo looks wounded. “Prolly, you should get everyone you’ve shot a present.” He then pauses to consider. “Well, call it even with me, I guess. I did get your stuff blow out into space, I guess.”
TUELLER: “Later, guys. We have work to do.”
TUELLER: “We can go Christmas shopping later.”
TUELLER: “Keep quiet and don’t get caught. Ejo and I will be back.”
TUELLER: Tueller gets into his I’m Sneaky! stance and starts heading off.
TUELLER: He’s surprisingly sneaking for a mountain!
ALEJO: Alejo follows, sneaky as well.
ALEJO: Less surprising because, well, he’s a stick of a thing next to Tueller.
TUELLER: And Ejo does this as a hobby.
STORY: All right! First off, Alejo, can you describe for me the general layout of the main floor?
STORY: And while he does, Millie, let’s hear what you’d like to talk to Veni about.
MILLICENT: “What type of work do you do, Mr. Veni, aside from disastrous insurrections?”
STORY: Veni rests his hands over his knees daintily. “Oh! Well, I’m glad you asked. I am a teacher when I’m not being a freedom fighter. I must be honest, this is more of my first time as a freedom fighter.”
STORY: “Typically I am a tutor for young students, much like my work with Teka.”
MILLICENT: “What was the nature of your work with Teka?”
STORY: “Training and development of her psychic abilities. She is a Sensitive, which means she’s able to access the weave, so we train young Sensitives to ensure they are able to safely do so.”
MILLICENT: “I take it this hasn’t happened before. So how is Teka different?”
STORY: “Once basic defense and ethics is complete, we work on developing her more creative skills.”
MILLICENT: “You didn’t really answer my question, Mr. Veni. How is Teka able to do this?”
STORY: “She hasn’t finished basic defense and ethics.”
ALEJO: The main floor is a maze of hallways. We enter it in what appears to be the servants’ entrances to the many rooms of this mansion. The corridors are, accordingly narrow and surprisingly utilitarian. Every few meters, however, is a door that leads into one room or another. At first, the rooms are, like the corridors, spare and functional — working rooms. But soon, we start to find the more posh and expansive formal rooms of the mansion. The whole place is eerily dark, however, and, save for the guards we encounter, quiet.
STORY: All right! Tueller, you’re both sneaky gentlemen, so you reach the first guard outpost without detection. Lay out the scene for me, please!
TUELLER: The first guard outpost is set up in a kitchen. A trio of guards are eating some cold meat directly from a refrigerator, their movements both greedy and weirdly mechanical. They are not talking, but sharing food with each other, making just enough noise so that Tueller and Alejo know they’re there and can sidle up a corner and see them without being seen.
STORY: All right! Alejo is effectively invisible once hidden, so I’m not going to make him roll – Tueller, let’s have another Sneak Attack
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: @chris.stuart rolled 8 + 1 = 9
STORY: All right! Tueller, with Alejo’s help you can rob/disarm or capture/disable this pack
STORY: Choose one and the two of you describe the encounter, please
TUELLER: Disable!
TUELLER: Tueller points out the one standing on his own to Alejo, and nods. Alejo gets into place in a fashion that even Tueller watching can’t quite understand how he does so. Then Tueller nods, and simultaneously…
TUELLER: Alejo disables his guy in a way to be determined by him.
TUELLER: And Tueller charges quickly and silently up on the other two guards, grabbing both of their heads at the exact same time—one of them manages to get out an “urrrrch…” before Tueller slams their heads into each other.
TUELLER: Tueller manages to grab the slab of meat before it hits the ground and tries it. It has a funky cumin-y taste to it and a lingering building spice that Tueller is going to be tasting for hours.
STORY: Tueller, it’s a very rich and earthy meat. Would make an excellent cargo for trade, if you get around to that.
ALEJO: Alejo slips behind the lone guard, reaches over his head and captures him in a headlock that stifles his ability to shout. He struggles for forty seconds or so before slowly going limp. Alejo holds onto him for another thirty seconds and then, when he is clearly incapacitated, lowers him to the floor.
STORY: “Nahar are not the only creatures in the weave.”
STORY: Veni shakes his head. “I’ve never heard of this happening before, but it’s… well, it’s certainly -possible- she met something there that appealed to her enough to want to stay.”
MILLICENT: “What does her wanting to stay have to do with infectious psychic rage?”
STORY: “Well, most of the creatures who live in the weave are… creatures of instinct.”
STORY: “Look, the weave is, well it’s like a psychic web of ideas, emotions, and psychic ideas. We can travel through it, on it, in a way. When you dream, you contribute to the weave. It’s best if you don’t think about it too much, it makes more sense on an instinctual level.”
STORY: “The weave also includes a corrupting side. You understand?”
MILLICENT: Millie frowns. “Bodiless creatures of instinct and emotions?”
STORY: “I’d hesitate to call them creatures. Spirits, maybe? Psychic shadows?”
STORY: “Either way, it’s very appealing to someone traveling inside the weave to stay there, and staying there means bad things.”
STORY: “Sensitives typically aren’t susceptible to it the same way, but –” Veni stops at your question.
MILLICENT: “Is it possible some collection of instinctual violence is trying to use Teka as a door out of the weave? Broadcasting itself in an attempt to reach our world?”
STORY: “Yes, very astute, Dr. Breedlove! That’s likely exactly what is happening. But I’m surprised this is happening to Teka. Typically a Nahar sensitive isn’t connected to the weave enough to be at risk of such a thing happening.”
STORY: Tueller, Alejo, you’re 4 for 22. Where to next?
ALEJO: Alejo gives a bright thumbs up and points towards the neighboring room.
TUELLER: Tueller nods and moves towards it.
STORY: It’s a small storage room, with a half dozen large barrels marked MORKFISH.
STORY: There is another door at the end of the hallway.
TUELLER: Was Morkfish what I had a bite of?
ALEJO: Alejo peeks at the Morkfish barrels quickly, as he moves down the hallway and posts up at the door.
TUELLER: Tueller’s heading to the door. Not having morkfish for now.
STORY: — yes, now that you mention it it did taste sort of fishy!
STORY: Geez, you sure hope that cute farting animal you met wasn’t a morkfish.
TUELLER: Tueller likes cows. He still eats them.
STORY: Tueller, Alejo, it’s the barracks! You peek in briefly and count seven sleeping guards, one sitting at the foot of his bed getting dressed, and shadows of another being cast from the bathroom at the end of the barracks.
TUELLER: Well. Okay. Tueller points out the bathroom to Alejo, and points at himself, then the guy getting dressed. LET’S SURPRISE THESE GUYS!
TUELLER: —My luck can’t last forever, why not in a room with half the remaining guards?
ALEJO: He nods and edges into the room, against the back wall, keeping to the shadows and working towards the bathroom.
STORY: Let’s have it! Alejo, you can get to the bathroom with your ghost powers, Tueller let’s have a Sneak Attack and see what happens.
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: @chris.stuart rolled 9 + 1 = 10
ALEJO: –Yes!
TUELLER: Oh. Okay.
STORY: Alejo, what do you do to the Nahar currently pooping?
TUELLER: Tueller eases the guy getting dressed down into unconsciousness like it’s no thing.
TUELLER: —-SWIRLIE!
ALEJO: Alejo zaps him with his stun baton, and moves in somewhat disgustedly, to cover his mouth so he can’t call out.
MILLICENT: “That’s an interesting problem. Teka leaves the door of her psyche unguarded and a home invader is trying to force its way through. So, how would you normally keep your body safe from such dangers while you travel the weave? Is there anything these instincts react to negatively? Anything they particularly like or prefer?”
STORY: Veni leans on his knee and takes out his little notebook, drawing you a diagram. “It’s helpful if you think of the weave as a dream. It can be quite pleasant and empowering, a place where you can be or do whatever you want, or it can be a nightmare. It isn’t a literal place, and our experiences there don’t follow literal progressions. Again, it’s very unusual, unheard of even, that a Nahar would be at risk for this, but… well, it’s possible for a spirit, an energy, a creature as you call it, from the weave to trap and infect someone traveling through the weave so it can escape and live in their body.”
STORY: “If Teka is trapped, she’s living a nightmare right now while something else is in her body.”
MILLICENT: “So, our task is to repel the spirit energy creature back to the weave and to guide Teka from her nightmare back to her body so she can protect herself from its further intrusions.”
MILLICENT: Millie brightens. “You’re going to need to go into the weave! And you’re going to need some protection, like some conveniently non-psychic aliens who aren’t at risk from the spirit energy creatures!”
TUELLER: I think we’ll knock people out.
STORY: “Dr. Breedlove, no. Our task is to kill Teka and stop her domination of the Nahar people.”
STORY: “I’m sorry. I don’t wish her harm. But we cannot solve this problem. I cannot go into the weave after her.”
TUELLER: Is there only one door in and out of this room?
STORY: No! There’s a second door.
STORY: Alejo, it smells very bad in this room. Morkfish does not smell good coming out.
TUELLER: Okay. Tueller goes to the door we came in at, closes it very quietly, and mangles the lock mechanism so it’s unopenable.
STORY: Just quietly squeezing it until it’s crushed?
TUELLER: Yes.
ALEJO: He tries to move as quickly as possible and get back out to join Tueller.
STORY: Yeah, that works. Tueller has extra squeezy hands.
STORY: Alejo, the pooper is asleep.
TUELLER: Going to just basically trap the guys in here for now.
STORY: Oh, I see! You’re not even knocking the other seven out, your’e just going to break the door?
ALEJO: Alejo comes out, holding his nose and frowning. He looks to Tueller, sizes up the plan and moves to the next door.
STORY: Yeah, that works.
STORY: 13/22 done.
MILLICENT: “You’re ready to commit treason and execute the governor, but you’ll balk at entering the girl’s psyche?”
STORY: “No, that is not.. I cannot enter her psyche.”
MILLICENT: Millie waves her hand. “The weave, her nightmare, whatever it is. It’s a metaphysical place, you’re a metaphysical guide. You can’t take us there?”
STORY: “I can -send- one of you there, but I’d have to channel through one of you. That person would die. It won’t work, Dr. Breedlove. We shouldn’t trade one of your lives for the chance to save Teka’s.”
STORY: You step out into the hallway to smash up the other door mechanism and find yourself standing before four guards who you definitely do not have the drop on.
STORY: What do you do?
ALEJO: Alejo has his stun baton out, so he lunges at them, hoping to give Tueller time to get that door jammed up.
TUELLER: Tueller will jam the door!
STORY: All right! Alejo, let’s have a Launch Assault
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: @ablair01 rolled 6 + 1 = 7
STORY: Tueller, a Face Adversity + physique!
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: @chris.stuart rolled 4 + 2 = 6
ALEJO: -Wait! Did I roll that right.
TUELLER: Oh fuck nuggets.
ALEJO: Yes. I did. Sorry.
STORY: Oh boy!
ALEJO: — I mean, I rolled it shitty. But right.
ALEJO: — please let us roll again, soon, please let us roll again soon!
STORY: Alejo, you tag the first two guards neatly in the neck, dropping them easily, but as you turn to face the third, the fourth runs down the hallway. You catch the third in the gut with your baton as he lurches toward you and hear the fourth guard shouting as he runs.
STORY: Tueller, you punch the lock quickly and with force, and catch the reinforced edge, smashing your own hand. Roll brace for impact!
ALEJO: “Incoming. Got that door locked down?”
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: @chris.stuart rolled 6 + 2 = 8
STORY: You take a Minor injury as you bruise up your poor knucks!
TUELLER: Quietly, “oww.”
TUELLER: Tueller turns around.
TUELLER: “Weren’t there four?”
ALEJO: Alejo slips the stun baton back into its holster and draws his pistol. He nods. “Shit just went loud.”
TUELLER: “That’s a silenced pistol, Ejo.”
TUELLER: Tueller runs off where Alejo is pointed.
ALEJO: He shrugs bashfully. “Kinda loud.”
ALEJO: He follows Tueller.
TUELLER: Towards the shouty guard, at least.
STORY: 16/22 down.
MILLICENT: Millie turns to regard Veni. “You are sure there is no way to enter Teka’s dreams without more death? If I suspect you’re lying to me I will take your vital signs until I have uncovered a baseline and then fashion a crude lie detector.”
STORY: Veni places a hand on his chest, horrified. “I would not lie, Dr. Breedlove, please. Lives are at stake.”
STORY: “The only way to– no. We couldn’t.”
MILLICENT: Millie puts a hand on her knee and leans forward. “Now, you don’t know me very well, but I live to find out what’s at the end of an explanation that is self-censored. _What’s the scary science you don’t want to do?_”
MILLICENT: Millie’s eyes gleam
ALEJO: If Alejo can get a clean shot, he’ll try to tag the running guard in the leg.
STORY: You run down the hallway, chasing after the fourth guard, and reach what looks like a throne room, and you assume is the main office.
STORY: One wall is lined with computer banks, lights blinking on and off here and there. There is an enormous heavy wooden table along the back wall, and a dais with a drink cart to the right. Five guards stand ready, with the one you were chasing joining them and drawing his weapon. Lt. Rax stands just before the large table, drawing her stun baton and staring down Alejo. A four foot child sits at the desk.
STORY: https://the-peregrine.obsidianportal.com/characters/teka
STORY: You have moments before the six guards fire their drawn weapons. Alejo, Tueller, what do you do?
TUELLER: Tueller takes a quick look, turns, grabs Alejo, and says, “Nope not yet,” and runs away.
ALEJO: Alejo, pistol in hand, pivots quickly and runs with Tueller.
TUELLER: Tueller’s retreating only back to the end of the first hallway, pulling around the corner, and listening for pursuit
STORY: Two guards chase after the two of you, firing.
TUELLER: Well, I guess we’ll hear pursuit.
TUELLER: “Doc, we got her. Well. Found her.”
STORY: Let’s have a Launch Assault from Tueller, with assistance if needed from Alejo
STORY: I think running counts as assault
TUELLER: /roll 2d6+2
STORY: @chris.stuart rolled 10 + 2 = 12
STORY: (this is before you get back)
TUELLER: Tueller’s using the ear comms
STORY: Oh yeah, you dodge out of the way as they fire. They don’t pursue beyond the long hallway you came down.
ALEJO: Once around the corner, as Tueller uses the comms to reach Doc, Alejo drops to a knee and covers the corner.
STORY: Millie, Veni looks like he’s weighing saying more, and opens his mouth to speak when Tueller comes in over your intercom.
MILLICENT: “Hold tight, gentlemen. No unnecessary violent actions, if you please.”
TUELLER: “Six guards left in the throne room, plus the Lt., plus a pissed off girl.”
STORY: Veni narrows his eyebrows. “I thought you said you weren’t psychic.”
TUELLER: “We’re being shot at, so “unnecessary violence” might be a bit violent.”
STORY: Tueller, Alejo, the two guards who pursued take up cover on the other end of the hall and continue to fire.
STORY: They don’t hit either of you, with that 12, this is just ambiance.
MILLICENT: Millie frowns. “Mr. Veni, I believe you know a way out of this situation that you’re not telling me.”
ALEJO: Alejo fires, not aiming to hit them, but just to keep them from getting too bold.
MILLICENT: “Furthermore, I believe you feel shame for your failure in training Teka and for running when you could have helped her.”
TUELLER: —If only your gun were louder and scarier.
MILLICENT: “I don’t need to be psychic to know that, Mr. Veni.”
STORY: Pew. Pew.
ALEJO: — He definitely makes the noise.
MILLICENT: “If I were psychic I’d be searching your mind to find out whether I should be trying to shame you or scare you into talking. But I’m not psychic, so I hope you’ll forgive me for doing both. You failed your charge.” Millie narrows her eyes. “You don’t want to fail me.”
STORY: Veni sighs. “It’s not an option, Dr. Breedlove, I’m sorry. The grell will not help us. They should not.”
MILLICENT: “Use more words, please.”
STORY: He shakes his heads. “I cannot. I’m sorry.”
MILLICENT: Millie throws her hands up. “What is this hand wringing about? Did you make an unbreakable psychic promise? Are you possessed by a spirit of discretion? Why won’t you tell me how we can help?”
STORY: He stands, a bit tetchy. “We can help by putting Teka out of her misery. Now please, stop asking me for another solution! This is all we can do for her.” He starts to pace.
ALEJO: Alejo fires off another couple of rounds, then calmly frees a new clip from his belt and prepares to reload. “Doc better come up with a solution soon. This could get ugly,” he says to Tueller, not turning fully.
ALEJO: “Any ideas for a plan B?”
TUELLER: “The usual. Punch them till they stop moving, then move on to the girl.”
MILLICENT: On comms, “No, I’m afraid Mr. Veni is reticent to help us. Do you think either of you can walk me through how to torture him for information?”
ALEJO: “Best bad idea I’ve heard, I suppose.” He fires the last of the current rounds and then reloads.
TUELLER: “Don’t like the idea of having to the LT, but needs must.”
STORY: Veni runs up the stairs.
STORY: Millie, what do you do?
MILLICENT: “I’m afraid I’ll make a mess of it, to be honest, oh doggone!” Millie stun batons him.
STORY: Let’s have a Face Adversity + Mettle, please!
TUELLER: “Did I hear that right, Doc?”
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6+1
STORY: @josh rolled 10 + 1 = 11
TUELLER: “Ejo, go back and help the Doc.”
STORY: Millie reaches out and taps Veni on the back of the leg, stunning him. Millie, as you make contact with him and he locks up, shaking for a moment before passing out on the stairs, a strange sort of shimmer passes over his body and you swear you see tentacles for a moment, moving like a wave through his body.
TUELLER: —Guy obviously doesn’t like being touched.
MILLICENT: Millie examines him
ALEJO: Alejo gives Tueller a “no way look” briefly and then hits his comms. “Doc. You there? Got Veni under control?”
MILLICENT: Distracted, “Hmmm? Yes, fine. I just had to briefly incapacitate him.”
ALEJO: “Well done. Slippery bastard.”
STORY: Millie, are you touching him?
MILLICENT: “Yes, in more ways than we thought.”
MILLICENT: FIRST
MILLICENT: I’m using deduction
MILLICENT: WHAT CAUSED THIS?
STORY: You did, with your stun baton!
STORY: Sorry, what caused what?
MILLICENT: The shimmer and tentacles
MILLICENT: I’m making a Deduction
STORY: Oh! He’s disguising himself somehow, and those tentacles being his body are what caused the appearance of tentacles.
MILLICENT: Millie reaches out and touches his shoulder to confirm.
STORY: You do some cursory examination, but it gets confusing pretty fast. You just feel a little weird about touching him, like it’s wrong and you shouldn’t be, and also sometimes when you touch him it seems like maybe you’re feeling it wrong?
MILLICENT: Millie snaps her visor down and scans his body for alien tech, including psychic tech
MILLICENT: —going for it!
TUELLER: —I don’t see how this could backfire.
STORY: Let’s have an Assessment + Influence, please
MILLICENT: /roll 2d6
STORY: @josh rolled 4
STORY: hahahahaha
MILLICENT: —god dammit
STORY: Everything seems fine!
MILLICENT: —why can’t I roll this one fucking thing?
STORY: This is definitely Veni, a normal Nahar, laying before you.
STORY: No alien tech or psychic tech involved!
MILLICENT: Fine.
MILLICENT: Millie hauls him up the stairs and down the hall, asking the boys for directions
MILLICENT: “Gentlemen, I’m bringing him to you. I’m out of options here.”
TUELLER: Tueller directs her, skirting the barracks room.
ALEJO: Alejo will fall back to help her. He offers Tueller the pistol before he goes.
TUELLER: Tueller waves it off.
ALEJO: He nods. “Stay safe. Back in second.”
STORY: When Alejo leaves, Tueller, one of the remaining guards leaves. The other stays, but stops firing, peering at you from his cover.
TUELLER: Hmmm.
TUELLER: Tueller waves at the guard.
STORY: He watches you.
STORY: Alejo, you catch up with Millie near the entrance to the kitchen. What do?
MILLICENT: Millie pants and leans against the wall.
TUELLER: Tueller waves at the guard, gesturing for him to come here.
MILLICENT: “Like a heavy middle schooler.”
ALEJO: He rushes up to her and takes Veni from her.
ALEJO: He hands her his pistol. “Don’t shoot me this time.” He smiles coyly.
MILLICENT: Millie takes the pistol and breathes heavily.
ALEJO: Alejo starts hauling Veni back towards Tueller’s position.
MILLICENT: “I don’t intend to. I was hoping I’d done my share of violence for the day and then he started running.”
TUELLER: Tueller makes obscene gestures to the watching guard.
STORY: He keeps watching.
STORY: Alejo, there’s a weird shimmer.
STORY: You swear Veni’s leg is a tentacle for a moment, then a leg again.
ALEJO: Alejo pauses. “What the hell?” He looks at the leg again. “Did his leg just… ” he trails off, uncertain how to continue. He looks to Millie, puzzled.
MILLICENT: “Did.”
MILLICENT: “Did you see a tentacle?”
MILLICENT: “Or maybe a bunch of tentacles?”
MILLICENT: “I think his body may be a bunch of tentacles.”
ALEJO: He nods absently. “His leg.”
ALEJO: He shakes it off and starts moving again. “What the hell is going on, Doc?”
MILLICENT: “Wild supposition, but I’ve been wondering if he’s not some kind of Weave native who manifested in this plane to train promising psychics to keep them from disrupting his home.”
TUELLER: Tueller yells obscene things down the hall at the guard about the guard’s mother, or whatever fertilized the guard’s egg, or however reproduction works on this planet.
STORY: The two of you reach Tueller as he’s yelling.
MILLICENT: “There’s probably some politics in there as well and some reason why weave natives don’t want us on their plane, but I don’t care for that NIMBY nonsense and also he was running so I stunned him.”
ALEJO: “Sounds like things are going well,” Alejo says to Tueller as he sets Veni down nearby, and eases up to look down the hallway.
TUELLER: “Hey, what’s up?”
TUELLER: “YOUR PARTHOGENESIS IS SILLY AND DISGUSTING!” down the hall.
ALEJO: Alejo defers to Millie to catch Tueller up, but Alejo does take his pistol back.
TUELLER: “So I’m just going to beat the shit out of these guys, anything else I should know?”
TUELLER: Tueller settles down like a sprinter waiting for the starting pistol.
ALEJO: “Take out the guards? Stun the girl?”
MILLICENT: “These insults are demeaning to both of you.”
ALEJO: He looks to Millie and then Tueller.
MILLICENT: “You should know that first.”
MILLICENT: “Secondly, I believe our friend here is a weave native who came here to keep these people from his home. But getting there is our only chance to end this without killing.”
MILLICENT: “And he ran when I threatened torturing him.”
MILLICENT: “Also,” leans in, “he’s made of tentacles.”
TUELLER: “Oh.”
TUELLER: Tueller reaches out to touch him himself.
STORY: Tueller, a glimmer, and a tentacle.
TUELLER: “Oh yeah. that does feel rather tentacular.”
ALEJO: Alejo nods. “I’d be happy to interrogate him more, uhm, vigorously, if we think that’d save lives.”
MILLICENT: “I believe it may, but if I’m right he’s a spy, so he’ll be trained.”
MILLICENT: “So how do we convince a spy to talk?”
TUELLER: Tueller picks him up by the tentacles and squeezes quite hard.
STORY: “Ow OW!”
TUELLER: Holding him upside down.
ALEJO: “Depends on how well trained he is.” Alejo watches this. “Or, we just squeeze him real hard.”
STORY: “OW STOP PLEASE. Put me down!”
ALEJO: “Nope.” Alejo steps forward while Tueller has him upside down.
MILLICENT: “Oh I didn’t try squeezing.”
TUELLER: “I am not going to put you down just yet because Millie tells me you’ve not been forthcoming with her.”
ALEJO: “You’re gonna help us.”
STORY: You all get clearer glimmers as Tueller keeps squeezing Veni and holding him upside down. Tentacles, maybe – a beak where his face should be? Something squishier on that end, too.
STORY: The tentacles end in little leaflike extensions.
TUELLER: Tueller squeezes harder. “I don’t know what the Doc asked, but answer her damn question.”
TUELLER: “Doc, what did you ask?”
ALEJO: Alejo will use the threat that Tueller is exacting plus whatever persuasive and interrogation techniques he has to inspire Veni to answer Millie’s questions.
ALEJO: –Yeah, pretty much what Tueller just said, plus data points.
STORY: Ok, let’s have a Face Adversity + Influence from Tueller, with a Get Involved from Alejo
ALEJO: — And interrogation.
STORY: You can only use one data point for a move, so you can spend one on this
ALEJO: –Cool.
TUELLER: —Sorry, had to look up my Influence.
TUELLER: /roll 2d6
STORY: @chris.stuart rolled 6
STORY: It’s 0, right?
STORY: hahaha
STORY: Okay! Hopefully Alejo can help.
MILLICENT: –aw dang
ALEJO: /roll 2d6+3
STORY: @ablair01 rolled 7 + 3 = 10
#ERROR!
ALEJO: –yes?
TUELLER: Would literally trying to beat things out of him be Physique?
STORY: Most likely, yeah – but Alejo turns this failed metaphorical squeeze into a partial success. Veni blurts out, “Please! Fine, I’ll tell you everything if you just STOP. TOUCHING ME.”
TUELLER: “In that order, yes.”
MILLICENT: “Mr. Veni, I hope you’ll accept the sincerest apologies I can muster at this moment.”
TUELLER: Tueller eases his grip a little bit.
MILLICENT: “I had to do physical violence followed by physical labor and it did not make my day better.”
TUELLER: “Oh doc, you have to join us in the gym sometime.”
MILLICENT: “So, can we please return to the subject of the alternate method we broached on the stairs.”
MILLICENT: “Light cardio is all a body needs to maintain a healthy heart rate.”
STORY: “Put me down. Then I’ll talk. Not before.”
MILLICENT: “Mr. Veni, will you give us your good word that you won’t run?”
STORY: “I will not run.”
TUELLER: Tueller will put him down but not release his grip.
STORY: “Let me go, please, large man. You can see that it hurts me.”
TUELLER: “Fine.”
MILLICENT: “Thank you, Mr. Ya’Makasi.”
TUELLER: Tueller lets him go but does not back off at all.
STORY: He looks calmly at the three of you, observing your faces closely. Then, his appearance changes.
STORY: https://db4sgowjqfwig.cloudfront.net/images/4474330/adeel.jpg
STORY: “This seems a better fit.”
TUELLER: Wilson Wilson
STORY: “Now. What was your question. You’ll forgive me for forgetting, it was before you attacked me.”
MILLICENT: “Yes, of course, I quite understand.”
MILLICENT: “You were going to tell me of another way to stop this psychic attack that didn’t involve killing Teka.”
MILLICENT: “You mentioned the grell.”
MILLICENT: “Please tell me what you meant.”
STORY: “Yes.” He sighs. “My people.”
STORY: “The grell power…” he gestures all around. “This.”
MILLICENT: “Oh! I had a guess about this! Are you weave natives?”
STORY: “No, we are natives of the planet below this moon. We are the psychic connection to the weave the Sensitives feed from. We are also slaves. I was sent here to send a message.”
MILLICENT: Millie snaps in irritation.
MILLICENT: “I thought I had that one.”
STORY: “But I did not lie, I do not mean Teka harm. I simply do not see a way to free her without killing another, and I will not make that choice.”
STORY: “A more skilled grell, maybe.”
MILLICENT: “So, the Nahar use your people as a doorway to the weave. You came here to kill the governor and deliver a message, but you found that Teka was an unusually powerful psychic. She found a dream to fall into in the weave, leaving her body open to a psychic energy instinct creature who is trying to broadcast its way out of her body, using her prodigious psychic powers to turn this moon into a killing field.”
MILLICENT: “Did I miss anything?”
STORY: Veni nods along. “…More or less, yes. You are a good student.”
MILLICENT: Millie smiles. “Thank you, Mr. Veni.”
STORY: “Certainly. Shall we kill her, then?”
MILLICENT: “I don’t think so. I’ve been hearing about the Nahar’s psychic technology for so long. I can’t imagine we can’t find or alter a machine that would give you the power to get us into the weave so we can solve this from the inside.”
STORY: “Okay, look. I’ll make you a deal.”
STORY: “You handle the rest of these guards and get me safely out of here, and I’ll introduce you to Zura. Maybe she can do something.”
STORY: “But we’re not getting to her without you securing that room,” he points toward the main office. “The shuttle controls are in there, and we’ve got to get aboard the Rookery.”
STORY: “So?”
TUELLER: “Time to go to work, I guess.”
MILLICENT: Millie frowns. “You grell have got a natural talent for scope creep, I’ll give you that.”