Surviving Castle Heterodyne

[Alaen]

"I believe we should bring back at least some of these things first. Afterwards we can explore a bit more if you wish. I do not care either way."

[BadgeAddict]

"Perhaps we can roll one of these barrels back. Between you and Charlie I think you could handle it, I'll hold the light."

Sam waits until August picks a barrel and then holds the light and leads the two of them back to the gates, then through those and back to the workshop.

[Alaen]

"I would suggest we take the boxes first, food seems more useful than wine."

[spiderwrangler]

Sam and August debate whether and what to take back to the workshop.

[Synch]

► Show Spoiler

Shit sorry! I knew I had a large chunk of work coming up with the hive and was planning on how to start, and forgot to post!

Enoch suddenly remembers the hive he was planning on building, and throws the book onto his desk and gets to work on the task at hand. He grabs 10m of frayed rope from Gabe's bench, the hammer and some screwdrivers from his workbench, and with a quick "Off to find a door, back soon" to the others, he makes his way to the entrance of the old rat room.

((I can't remember if the door was still attached for this room or not?))

Enoch sizes up the door to see if its an identical size to the 'X' door, measuring the rat door using the length of rope as an impromptu ruler and comparing if need be. If it is of similar size, he will begin attempting to remove the pins from the hinges with his screwdriver and hammer.

If the door no longer exists, Enoch will make a measurement of the X door with the rope, making notches to measure length and width of door, then tentatively approaching the room with the hole and checking that door for comparison. At all times he will be cautious in that room, keeping one eye on the hole, remembering full well what happened to his leg!

[BadgeAddict]

Sam shrugs at August "Don't much care which one you decide to take, but come on, lets go, with some help we can get everything."

[Alaen]

"Charles, would you be so kind and help us carry these crates back to the workshop?"

He will then get a crate he can comfortably carry on his own, and go back to the workshop.

[BadgeAddict]

Sam will lead the way, though somewhat impatiently, holding the light so that the others can see.

[spiderwrangler]

As the clank moves to assist August, Sam impatiently waits by the door, waving his torch to urge them on. The only crate of non perished goods that looks like it can comfortably be team carried by August and Charlie is the with the shriveled white orbs.

They grasp it on either side and scoot it forward. As they do, they hear a *ping*click*whirrrrrrrrr*....

From the desk at the end of the room booms a loud voice... * UNAUTHORISED INVENTORY REMOVAL. UNAUTHORISED INVENTORY REMOVAL. COUNTER MEASURES DEPLOYED. * The top of the desk retracts back, and gears engage and raise up a turntable on which is mounted a series of gears and joints that allow a series of narrow tubes to orient in their direction. With a *pfft*pfft*pfft*, three darts whistle towards the trio, Sam getting stuck in the left thigh, August in the right shoulder, just beyond where he's covered in armor, and Charlie in the back... though his bounces off, leaving only a minor scratch in his plating. Sam managed to twist aside slightly, such that the dart caught mostly skin, the tip poking out the other side. Once sunk in their flesh, they feel a searing pain as barbs spring from the main part of the dart tip, anchoring them in place. [Sam and August -1 HP each]

The darts don't seem to have any liquid payload, but do have a dense tassel at the end that seems... damp.

"Heheheeee, you've stepped in it now, you little shits!"

August and Charlie can hear the metallic patter of feet on stone, but from where Sam is standing, he sees a bizarre clank rushing towards him from a newly opened section of wall farther down the hallway. The main body is approximately 10 meters long, about as long as the store room they were in the process of leaving, and is low slung to the ground, supported by more metallic legs than he can count, rather like a centipede, if not for the addition of arms protruding from each segment on the upper edge. At the front of the clank is a raised portion, lacking arms on the back, but the legs on the underside seemingly replaced or modified into arms, many ending in various tools or weapons. The head of the creature is a perfect sphere, marred only by two extensions protruding forward and to the left and right, further adding to the arthropod-like appearance. These wiggle about as it undulates forward on its many legs, currently still some distance down the hallway, but closing fast.

Layout of the hallway

[BadgeAddict]

Sam's eyes go big in horror at his impending doom. He knew what he had to do to save his metal friend, he only hoped that what he was going to attempt would work. He slams the door shut, trapping August and Charlie inside and then turns and throw one of the grey bars of dried food at the large clank in an attempt to get its attention. He then turns and runs back toward the workshop. As he runs beneath the gate into the fountain room he yells loudly toward the workshop for help while he waits for the centipede to catch up and then hits the latch on the door, trying his best to time it so that the gate comes down on the clanks head/body, trapping it until something further can be done to it. (Note, each time he rounds a corner, he'll look back to make sure he's still being followed and will antagonize it further as needed.)

(Alaen, I would suggest you try to put the crate back where you found it)

[spiderwrangler]

Sam vs The Clankipede

Sam yanks the door closed, behind him and chucks a bar of food at the oncoming clank. While trail rations aren't intended or made for throwing, Sam manages to land it in front of the clank, which waves its 'antennae' at it before scuttling down the hallway towards him. Confident that he has its attention, Sam hustles as quickly as his little legs can carry him towards the hallway leading back towards the workshop. As the clank gets even with the door, its antennae wave wildly, before pointing directly at Sam and it increases its speed, starting to gain on him.

"THIEVES DETECTED... ONE. PUNITIVE MEASURES ACTIVATED."

Inside the storeroom, August and Charlie are plunged into darkness, still holding the crate, as the door slams shut and they hear a scurry of metallic feet and a booming voice rush past the door.

"Oh, dear, dear..."

((Sam and the clank have gone, August and Charlie have actions before Sam can move another round's worth towards the Fountain Room.))

Turn Order:
Sam
Clankipede
August <----
Charlie

[Alaen]

August sighs deeply.
"Why can things never be simple? We need to put that box back, and then deal with that damn clank."

He then tries to put the box back in its place and waits for a reaction. If nothing happens, he goes after Sam and the clank.

((We're still basically next to where the box was, right? So even without light we should be able to get it back. Also, didn't I have a torch as well?))

[spiderwrangler]

August and Charlie and Sam vs Clankipede

Charlie assists August in replacing the crate, but nothing seems to happen. They make their way to the door and open it, seeing the hind end of some metallic monstrosity disappear around the corner of the hallway as Sam presumably leads it farther away. August pulls out his torch and strikes it back to life (it got put away when you were lifting the crate).

Sam has made it close to the place where the spiked net trap once resided, with the curving hallways headed back to the fountain room. He begins to head to the left... wait, right...no, left. Definitely left.

The clankipede has lost a bit of pace as it rounded the corner, but he can still hear it clicking along behind him.


Turn Order:
Sam
Clankipede
August <----
Charlie

[Alaen]

August chases after Sam and the clank.

Figuring out this damnable security system would take too long, and was not really his strong suit. A murderous clank that wanted too kill him was much easier to handle.

[spiderwrangler]

Sam, August and Charlie vs The Clankipede

Sam continues rushing into the Fountain Room, and begins hollering for help. As he passes under the gate, he grabs the stonework and manages to swing himself around to the side, hustling towards the gate mechanism located between the two gates. He looks over his shoulder, trying to time it for JUST when the clank has started moving the first section of its body under the gate before mashing the gate mechanism. There is a *shhhhufff* of metal on stone as the pointed gate sections descend, and a *clang-screeeeech* as they impact the clankipede. Sam peeks over and sees his timing was good, but only one of four spikes of the gate has managed to penetrate the armored back to any degree, the other three leaving dented gouges but not breaking through. The one that has has only sunk in a few centimeters in the center of the back, not even beyond the taper of the point. Even as he watches, a few of the arms at the front of the metal beast drop their tools/weapons and twist to try to reach back and grasp the bars, while the myriad of feet struggle to get under the body in good position for thrusting.

August and Charlie arrive at the dirt floored cross section, a clatter resounding from the hallway heading to the left, and silence from the right.

---

---

"It sounds as though Mr. Sam has gotten himself in a predicament again. He is calling for help from the far side of the Fountain Room.", Castlina announces to the sparks toiling away in the workshop.

[Synch]

Enoch enters the fountain room with his rope, hammer and screwdrivers, stopping in shock at the clankipede squirming under the gate.

"What in the Dickens?! Here, I have rope! Quick, take away its weapons!"

Enoch drops his tools and rope next to the fountain. If any of the clank's tools or weapons appear to be out of reach of the clank, Enoch will scurry forward and grab them before quickly retreating. If all the tools or weapons are in reach, Enoch will keep hold of the rope, ready to trip the clankipede if it gets free.

[Alaen]

August follows the noise, and attacks the clank if he can see it.

[spiderwrangler]

August and Charlie and Sam and Enoch vs Clankipede

August hurries towards the left, with Charlie shuffling along behind. When he arrives, he attacks with both saber and hatchet, but both his blades skitter off the armored backside as the 'arms' flail in his direction, but don't manage to grab onto either him or his weapons. Charlie arrives, and jabs his spear at the beast, managing to get the tip past the plating before the entire body shifts, wrenching him to the side and nearly throwing him into the wall before his spear dislodges.

Enoch scurries towards the Fountain Room, getting as far as the fountain itself and seeing Sam hunkered by the controls while some metallic clank monstrosity thrashes about under the gate bars. He does notice that it looks like it was based on a centipede, and that the two antennae are pointing at Sam.

Battlemap!

Turn Order:
Sam <----
Clankipede
August
Charlie
Enoch

[BadgeAddict]

With the creatures attention averted to the gate, if there's a chance, Sam will dart forward and use his hammer to smash down on one of the clank's many limbs, he tries his best to hit it right at the joint.

[WearsHats]

Gabe sighs. "Not again. I'm tempted to let him deal with his own mess, but I guess we'd best be sure nothing gets through to the workshop. Sorry to leave you with the project half finished. I'll be back as soon as I can." Gabe grabs a weapon (do I have one? If not, I'll take the forge hammer) and heads to the fountain room.

[spiderwrangler]

August and Charlie and Sam and Enoch and Gabe vs Clankipede

Sam darts forward, and swings his hammer at the clankipede's leg. It hits with a *ting*, but otherwise seems to have no effect. The antennae strive for the dart still embedded in the flesh of Sam's thigh.

The clankipede gathers its might and heaves upward on the bars, both with its legs gathered under it, and the arms grasping the bars... but it doesn't manage to budge them, and remains pinned in place.

Gabe sighs and grabs his trusty knobbed mace and heads towards the source of the ruckus, making as far as the end of the hallway between the workshop and the fountain room.

Battlemap!

Turn Order:
Sam
Clankipede
Gabe
August <----
Charlie
Enoch

[Arch Lich Burns]

Ziou grumbles and hesitantly gets up. He puts the book down. "What did you do.?" He looks at the mechanical beast. "You know it might be best to go for the joints."

[spiderwrangler]

August and Charlie and Sam and Enoch and Gabe and Ziou vs Clankipede

Ziou grumbles and heads towards the fountain room, catching up with Gabe.

((OOC: You're not there yet, and that's not how your ability works. ))

Battlemap!

Turn Order:
Sam
Clankipede
Gabe
Ziou
August <----
Charlie
Enoch

[Alaen]

"It seems to locate us by those darts. But I don't dare just rip it out. "

August lunges deep, trying to hit a gap in the clank armor. (+2ATT/-2 DEF)

[nikohl]

Ursula puts her book down with a long-suffering sigh, far too distracted by the yelling to continue, and goes to find Hiero.

"Mister von Morgentag? Your, um, charging devices... could you deploy them against this clank I can hear the others have riled up please? Perhaps we can disrupt it's control mechanisms or short it out?"

Regardless, she picks up a weapon and a few first aid-y items, sticks them in her trusty Situation Bucket that she used last time, and hustles off after the others.