Miss Puzzlewell. If you don't mind me asking, I had heard that you had died after meeting with the Nameless one after he answered this very riddle.

What really happened?

>>22158194
"Died I did, and a long sleep it would have been, were it not for a final kindness from my pretty, poor, broken thing. A single seed pressed into my hand... but the rest is not for you to know, oh no, no, no, no."

>>22158122
>can the Command Crew figure out puzzles
Oh come on! The last time this happened, we neede the face-palming ghost of an elf giving us the answer to figure it out.
And at least back then, we didn't allow an obviously hypocritical answer or a Kamen Rider's answer to kill members of our team.

Anyway, we need to answer the question.

At the end when we finally started thinking, experience, a person's history, came up as a possible answer.
Are we all agreed on this? Any other thoughts?

File: 1356134901189.jpg-(13 KB, 512x384, RikerWhatTheHell.jpg)

>>22158122
"Oh hey guys what's going on in the floaty abyss we're in agai... Oh, hi Ravel! Nice to meet you. Now which one of you chucklefucks started her on her damnable riddles? When we get our bodies back, you're so going out the airlock for this one. Or maybe to InfiniCon's UnderCon. Not sure which yet."

But yeah. There's a couple of thoughts of how her riddle works out; from my point of view. She's either looking for a common thing that changes all men, or individual answers from each of us. For the common answer... Maybe Experience or History? Which do you guys think?

The personal answers are too myriad and varied; as differing as grains of sand on the beach. So that leaves us with no real single answer to give her.

But yeah. Let's try not to lose any more dudes, please?

>mfw the stuff that happened at the end of last thread

>>22158221
It's still possible that any answer is wrong, for two reasons. Since what can change the nature of a person is different for each person, and only they can change their nature, there is no answer.
Second, Ravel might only be interested in the answer of the Nameless One, and any answer we give, no matter how honest, is doomed to failure.
We could call her on that, but I don't know what would happen if we did.

>>22158221
Experience works. We've grown and people have changed.

>>22158221

There was a general consensus on answering "experience" as an answer. Some explanations are as follows:

>A good man can be turned to evil because of a sufficiently traumatic experience, or because he feels that he was cheated by fate. Similarly, an epiphany can lead a vile entity to sincerely repent their actions and try to reform or undo the harm that they've inflicted upon others. One's life experiences influences their beliefs, which can move planes and change people profoundly. Experiencing pain can lead a man to withdraw from society, or to grit their teeth and press on. Experiencing a taste of high society or wealth can inspire envy in a man, or drive their ambition to attain such things.

It is true that you might get mentally scarred and become unreceptive to anything around you. But an experience had to occur for such a change to be brought about in a person.

Experiences shape peoples' nature throughout their entire lives. It changes their perception of reality, how they act, and why they act. Thus, experience can change the nature of a man.

>>22158287

FINAL CONFIRMATION: Y/N?

I answer: yes, let's give it a try.

>>22158251
>>22158277
But maybe we should demand from her that this isn't the same test tht she gave to the Sensates or to the Nameless One. That she is looking for an actual answer, not just the one that the Nameless One provides.

>>22158306
+1 to yes.

If it doesn't work, we may have to do the "risk one of our big three in this group" option.

>>22158306
I answer no, not until we know there's a point to this game and its not just her taking our dudes because of a technicality.

>>22158317

If she's answering questions, then it may pay to ask her about this first. We may lose people either way, but this way we might be sure.

Once you've got an answer phrased, speak it and we'll see what happens, be that calling her out or telling her "Experience".

>>22158317
Also does she already know the answer, and wants us to figure it out?
Or does she just know a wrong answer when she hears one?

I'd like to say the ability to choose is the answer.

You wanna know why? Its real simple. We chose to ram the Relentless into Kane's temple in Sarajevo. Space Marines of the Knights Inductor, you chose to work together with those you call xeno for a greater purpose, rather than killing them. Pelleon , you chose to join us. Yes I know that choice was made on your deathbed, but you could have said no. That was an option too, you know.

It has been said "What we do in life echoes in eternity." and we choose to fight. We choose to defend the realities from NuChaos, from SUEs and even from ourselves if we have to. So that is my answer. If I die fine, at least I've made my choice.

Okay, How does this sound:
"You know us pretty well, Puzzlewell, so you know we know about you. The last time we met, you were only accepting the answer from The Nameless One, who might have figured it out, and anyone else trying to answer the question, honest or not, was only doomed to failure. I feel that you are playing the same game with us."

>>22158449
Except it's not your life on the line here, it's that of one of our soldiers, or even the non-combatant Kanako.
Choices are just informed by Experience, they're just the mechanism by which a person's nature can be changed, not what catalyze a the change.

So no, I don't believe this answers the question and we shouldn't use it for an answer.

>>22158496
Yeah I feel like that's something worth saying.
Like what makes her think we're even remotely qualified to know the answer, when we haven't exactly been going on a journey of self discovery?

>>22158555
If you vote not to use my answer its fine. just giving an alternative, thats all.

>>22158496
CLARIFICATION:
"You didn't accept the answers of the Sensates because they were not honest. The Nameless One, depending on the playthrough, might have figured out that you only wanted his answer and no one else's. I feel that you are playing the same game with us, that our answers, no matter how honest, will not be the answer you seek because they are not coming from him."

>>22158449
"Choice! Choice is a dangerous word... When confronted by so grave a threat to the worlds they claim to protect, what choice could the half-men have but to help you? What choice did you have but to fight? No, no, no, no choice in nature, your nature drives and you must obey. What choice did Pellaeon have when his body failed him. What other choice could've been made when the mad one took the doctor's daughter, hm? If another choice was made, a father he would not truly be. What choice given to those slayers of corpses when fate forced them to fight? Hm hm hm, no. No choice, but the illusion of choice. And so your nature has a-driven you to loss again."

Another column of vines and thorns engulfs a Knight-Inductor, who does not scream, but stays silent, struggling against his unnatural bonds to the very moment he vanishes into the floor.

>Lose 1 Knight Inductor.

>>22158496
Ravel laughs, a shrill, unpleasant sound that gives way to a rasping cough.

"Ah... ah, an answer at last. Yes, knowing the question you should've known that its only answer was not one you could give. A riddle inside a riddle was this, and at last, you have solved it. And having given me my answer, so Ravel will respond in kind."

>Experience would've also worked, but for different reasons.

>>22158704
>choice
What?! We said not to use choice as an answer for obvious reasons!

>>22158704
>Yes, knowing the question you should've known that its only answer was not one you could give
You know, guy who answered with "nothing can change the nature of a man, Ravel", you obviously played the game since that answer was taken from the list of dialogue options. Why'd you give an obviously wrong answer and doom Kitsune to eternal torment?

File: 1356137104610.jpg-(20 KB, 353x630, Ravel2.jpg)

>>22158704
"Asked you what you were doing here, and an answer to that I can give," Ravel says, rubbing her hands together. "Your flying ship struck more than the old one's Temple. The great Device housed within suffered a jarring blow as it began to channel potent energies through it. Without a guiding intelligence, all those energies were released at once, and pulled all fighting into one of the higher realms it attempted to access. Now afloat all of us are in a sea of potential, a wellspring of Creation, the primal Font of the planes, and yet still the war is waged."

>>22158737
The retraction wasn't up when I began to write the update, but you did shoot it down before the consequences went live, so you can disregard that part.

>>22158809
Beautiful.

"We had others with our group.. Can you tell if they're nearby and all right? We need to know what we have to work with to fix what is clearly some sort of meta-clusterfuck."

Well guys. Looks like we have another reality-ending situation on our hands. This *has* to be a Monday.

>>22158845

Thank god?

>>22158809

Another war? Between whom or what?

>>22158809
So what you're saying is, ramming a Star Destroyer into a very potent reality altering device wasn't exactly one of our smarter moves?

>>22158845
Okay. It's just that I felt the guy at least deserved a thought out reason why his answer was bad, rather than a quick 30 second "STFU you retard".
And that my rebuttal was 10 minutes before your post, too, I felt needed to be addressed.

>>22158867

Nah. Just another tuesday.

>>22158867
"Your companions drift and wander through this great Sea. There are islands of form on it other than my own of course, all swimming around what remains of the Nod Temple and the Device housed within. It is mostly intact. The Device, I mean, the Temple was shattered and pulled apart like the Lady herself tried to make a Maze of it. A good thing, that. I a-feared it was destroyed at first, and that would mean making all this whole again would be impossible."

>>22158868
"All those fighting over the Device came here too. They fight on."

>>22158874
"A talent for understatement, you have."

>>22158809
"Font of Creation? Then we must be in the pure Meta. And we brought EVERYONE to the party.
"So now that we're here, I suppose we are to fight it out to see who rules Creation, or some other cliched trope of fiction."

I don't suppose we could negotiate for the release of our soldiers and Kitsune. I don't know of what we could safely offer in exchange.

>>22158989
>"A talent for understatement, you have."

In our defence, it was either that or let Kane have his way with the machine. I'm not convinced that would have been a good alternative, see how the machine was already spinning up.

>>22158989
Wait, wellspring of Creation, primal Font of the planes?
Are you telling me there's only one of those?
I can count like... five things that meet that description off the top of my head.

>>22158989
>>22158874
Apparently doing something the DM doesn't expect can lead to worse situations than originally anticipated.

File: 1356138330363.jpg-(73 KB, 960x643, ShitJustGotReal.jpg)

Putting this out there as conjecture..

We may be in the Akashic Records.

Expect EVERYTHING to go wrong. *EVERYTHING*.

Remember Cybuster? The final piece of Kane's gizmo? Guess what it's linked to? Yeah...

>>22159090

So all the realities will get lost?

>>22159042
"Another in the vast reaches of infinity there might be, but this is the only one you'll ever find in your little life. And, this is the source for all you see in your corner of reality."

>>22159032
"Not the worst move, true, no no no no. But not the BEST. In any case, you have walled yourself off from other options. Only that Device can undo what it has done, and you will not be the only ones seeking to claim it."

>>22159139
So... what, it's a race to the finish to see who can be first to re-make this sector of space-time in their image?

File: 1356138817390.jpg-(116 KB, 550x697, 1240770723190.jpg)

>>22159164
Space and time in our image.

This will end either horribly or awesomely.

>>22159205
Well if we win, we're bringing everything back to normal.
Because that's how the Transpace Guard rolls.

>>22159205

By bringing back everyone?

Including Kitsune as a drinking partner for Holtz?

>>22159139
"Any ideas on how to get right on that? Because I'm pretty sure time is painfully precious right now."

>>22159205
Down, Codeki! Down! Fix first, Spiral Power later.

I'll have someone make you the glasses when we get our bodies back.


So yeah.. We need to link up with our other groups and get this show on the road. Like; now. Paelleon, Holtz, Doctor Cossack? Any preliminary ideas?

>>22159230
Or. . .

Hear me out.

We'll make ourselves gods and spend the rest of eternity trolling assholes while erasing distortions as they occur.

We can be the "Universe Self-Repair function"

>>22159270
That sounds like what New Chaos became to me.

>>22159305
In any case, we're getting ahead of ourselves.
We've gotta find the device first and make sure Kane/SHODAN/New Chaos doesn't use it first.
...Does anyone know what the Void Engineers or Great Crusade would do if they found it?

>>22159259
I don't think that Ravel will give up her prizes so easily. We can attempt to bargain with her again. If we had the Spear of Destiny maybe we could use it in trade. Or some of the SUE's we'd captured.

>>22159323
Void Engineers would basically make themselves the sole arbiters of what is allowable and what is not, in terms of reality.

The Great Crusade would use it to pass judgement on this entire sector of the Meta.

>>22159347
So... more or less what we'd do, give or take godlike power?
I think we might be able to work out an accord between mutual parties.

>>22159392
I don't think so...

Our mandate is to ensure that the canons remain the way they are.

Which means we might just hit the big reset to put things back the way they were.

>>22159139
"I don't suppose you'd take some New Chaos space marines or daemons in trade for Mitsune and the others you took from us?
"Otherwise, I think we best soon be on our way. Before we go, did Kane survive the blast? And you said that there were Watchers out There. Can they reach us now, in this plane? Because I know we've made some enemies among those with many Fingers."

>>22159305
I don't mean as an army. I mean the command crew itself.

Permanently become insubstantial wisps who watch over the meta and smite reality distortions.

And screw with Ahriman forever.

>>22159440
"Oh my poor pet, they are already HERE," Ravel smiles. "No, no, no trades. At least, not with that currency, perhaps not even those wares, though I've answers a-plenty to trade."

>>22159564
>Orz are here
"Welp. They're gonna be pissed. And I suppose the man in the blue suit is going to be making an appearance."

>Kitsune and others not for sale
"What? Are you saying that the souls of New Chaos are no good? That they have no value? Are you saying that Mitsune and the others are not for sale? Or that you desire a different currency?
"But I suppose we should work on repairing reality first. Where are our people, how do we get to them, and where is the Device in all of this? I suppose it's easy to see, yes?"

File: 1356141078172.jpg-(6 KB, 164x200, pst-book-cover.jpg)

>>22159564
Miss Puzzlewell, would you be willing to trade a copy of a certain book for our allies back?

File: 1356141138668.jpg-(187 KB, 796x1004, Ravel__s_Torment__Colour_(...).jpg)

>>22159706
"Hmhmhmhm, if you wish to barter, tasks and things I need a-doing would serve you best. But that is for another time. In that other time, I will seek you out and we can trade, but for now, all I can sell you is more answers. Though I'm not sure what you have to offer me."

>>22159706

At least not for grunts.

I guess we'll need Named Characters and artifacts to get them back.

>>22159796

I hope for your sake that it's a novelized version of the LP, and not the "official" novel that was released. It was not great, to say the least.

>>22159862
I know the novel isn't very good, but she may want to know all about what happened to her loved one.

Although, I suppose we could give her a laptop and a copy of Planescape Torment. We'll throw in Baldur's Gate and Neverwinter Nights.

>>22159817
>don't call me, I'll find you
"If it ever got back to the public that we were dealing with someone like you, the mass media would crucify us in a heartbeat. Fucking Fox News. Should get them all drafted, see how long their idiocy lasts when faced up against the Combine.
"Anyway. I believe the only things we need to know right now are: where are our troops, how do we get to them, and who do we shoot to get to our objective, it being the Device."

We really can't be wasting much time here.

>>22159796
"Books? Books I can seek anywhere. Know you not the currency Ravel trades in, child? Riddles for riddles, puzzles for potions, knowledge for power, the MIND is the marketplace I buy and sell at... usually."

>>22159817

>Ravel

Well, discounting tasks, what are you really looking for right now? I suppose we could tell you much information about differing cultures, or even figures that have been speculated to have been aspects of yourself that spread to different realities and taken root there.

>>22159909
"Ravel can, will open the door for you. At least, for this lot before me. But your nascent *fingers* have already reached out to touch your other companions, and you will be going to them soon when we are done. But this much, opening the door for these here, these sole souls, that you have paid for," Ravel says.

>>22159924

>to OP

Just out of curiousity, OP, how would Ravel have reacted to the "Experience" answer?

>>22159975
>these sole souls, that you have paid for
Wait a minute.
Does that mean that there are others of our task force in this maze, that she won't be releasing to us?

>>22160019

I think that she means that we've already paid for passage for Group #6, through either our wrong answers or for figuring out her riddle.

>>22159975

At this time, at least.

I respectfully ask that they be treated decently. The Transpace Guard looks after its own and we will want to barter for their return before our journey is done.

>>22159986
It would've passed, though not as neatly.

>>22160019
"In the maze? Yes. In my maze? No. I... eye? Eye said before there are other islands than mine in this sea. Your companions wander there now, remembering times not guided by a disembodied hand. Still you pull to each other, invisible fingers clutching. Patience and you'll see them soon."

>>22160095
Dammit, did the Wishgranter get here too? I hate that fucker!

Ravel has been watching our journeys, but she may not know about the nature of SUEs and such (maybe). Should we offer to trade her what we know of SUEs and how to create the SUE-cure for power and/or lost characters?

>>22160162

If she has been watching our journeys, how would she not know about SUEs?

>>22160162
I'm not sure if she'd care.
The only thing I can think of that she could use would be our vast compendium of every 3.0-3.5 spell.
Even if she's from an earlier edition, I don't think giving her those spells would be a good move.

. . . We have a full set of ALL D&D spells.

Miss Puzzlemaker. Are there any spells you do not know but wish to?

>>22160209
It's not every 3.0 spell. It's every D&D spell. We can trade on a spell by spell basis.

>>22160231
Are you sure that's wise, giving her that much power?

>>22160249
We'll offer some spells. She'll need a fair trade to get them.

Also, she gets nothing from beholder magazine.
NO IFS ANDS OR BUTS. NOTHING FROM BEHOLDER!

>>22160162
>>22160209
>>22160231

She already said she doesn't want to, at least at this time. Can we stop pushing the lady?

>>22160289

Yes. Because I'd rather not piss off one who came make our folks disappear with a snap of her fingers.

>>22160289
Yes, let's be on our way. We're already down precious time, and the Orz are apparently already targeting our troops.

>>22160319
>>22160309
OK, so not going to ask her anything else, full steam ahead?

>>22160463

No breaks on the reality train.

(yes).

>>22160463
Does she have an answer to "how do we get our task force reassembled in the shortest time with minimal casualties"?

>>22160463
Nah, there's nothing worthwhile left to ask of her.
Also, are Kitsune and the others dead?

>>22160527

Taken by her not dead since she is open to the idea of trade. Just not right now.

>>22160463
Who presents the greatest threat to us now? Who is closest to acquiring the Device? What is the best way to throw a Blue Shell into this race?

>>22160463
Yeah. But she should be aware we're coming back for those we lost just now. Once we get things set back the way they're supposed to be we can all sit down and discuss prices and/or terms.

For now, though? We need to get going. Too much to deal with and we don't have our big guns. I would suggest full stealth protocols whenever possible, but speed is preferable over it.

File: 1356144626335.png-(423 KB, 650x550, Mordin_Character_Box.png)

>>22160478
>>22160492
>>22160527
Not really, so...

Ravel chortles.

"Always looking forward, always the mission, just as they made you. Well then, I look forward to seeing where your nature takes you, Task Force 38. An' the way be OPEN."

A split in the air appears beside Ravel, pulling your troops into it as you black out for a second time...

...only to regain consciousness floating around a different set of your comrades in battle.

"I'm just saying that the available data does not match up with what we've seen," Data says, your vision locking onto him and slowly panning out to see Douglas, Vitun, Solus, Doctor Lazarus, and others all walking in a loose formation through what looks like to be a cavern system. Occasionally a crack in the cave floor or a natural 'window' of rock allows a view of the spiraling abyss you saw before.

"Perhaps we had insufficient data," Solus says, continuing. "Very few are the times you can claim to account for all variables."

"This is true," Data admits. Douglas groans.

"Look, I can appreciate the ramifications of what happened, but can you two save the science talk for when we're not trying to figure out where we are and where everyone else is?" Douglas asks.

>Team 4
Douglas, Data, Solus, Vitun, Doc Lazarus, Three Gurus, Delta Greens, Prawn B, X-Com Elites B.

>>22160835
Hey guys. We kinda destroyed the metaverse. We're on a chunk of it.

>>22160835
Glad to see you guys are still alive.
Apparently plan 'ramming speed' wasn't quite the home run we thought it was.

>>22160835
"Douglas, Dr. Mordin, Commander Data, great to be with you. Vitun, Guru's, we'll try to be brief.
"We're currently in some higher-dimensional plane. The Command Crew has been made incorporeal. The other members of the task force are scattered about, but so are all of the forces that we were fighting.
"Kane's reality altering Device is still here; whoever gets it first, gets to rewrite reality. And everyone's trying to get at it.
"Time is of the essence, let's go."

>>22160863
>>22160870
>>22160897

What they said. We've already been in contact with a group headed by Holtz, Paelleon, and Cossack. Everyone, eyes sharp. Stealth about as best you can, but speed is a really good idea. Keep an eye out for anything useful.

>>22160835

What are our other team assignments?

We'd better sort them out before we lock in another team against changes.

>>22160863
>stuff

We didn't destroy the metaverse, the collision merely moved all the battle to a central wellspring of creation or something. The battle has been moved, but the stakes are still as high (if not higher).

And there's a good chance that we'll see a lot of old enemies looking to get their hands on the damn thing as well.

>>22160835
Alright, let's get to work.
Delta Green's, look ahead of the group using the exographic scanners on your rifles.

Dr. Lazkowicz, do you have a Federation medkit with you?

File: 1356145489785.png-(287 KB, 633x383, DouglasMall.png)

>>22160863
>>22160870
>>22160897
>>22160930
"That's... quite an update," Douglas admits, scratching his head. "The feeling of being in over my head just keeps growing and growing. "

"If that's true, then why are we in a cave?" Data asks.

"More to the point, if that's true, you won't like what we have to report," Mordin states. "We found the corpses of several Black Operations powered armor troops back down the way, along with signs of a struggle. Apparently their strike team headed this way and fought with something. We found no trace of more corpses, but the team obviously survived, we are tracking them now."

>>22161065

Wound patterns? Bolters? Lasers? Tib weapons?

>>22161065
"Commander Data, can you modify one of the Exographic Targeting Sensors of the Delta Green Squad to actively scan 30 meters in front of the group, preferably including the infrared and ultraviolet ranges.
"Dr. Mordin, what kinds of weapon traces did the Black Ops soldiers have on them?"

>>22161065
"Can we salvage or cannibalize the powered armor in some way, even some components, as protection?"

>>22161170
Actually, if we could cannibalize their power cores to recharge the Mass Rifle energy packs, that'd be even better. The Mass Rifles are the best weapons we have, short of the Lance of Longinus and Cheryl, but their ammo is limited.

>>22161170
"We could. Do we have two or three hours to spare?" Lazarus asks. "And yes, I have a medkit."

>>22161121
"Claws, bitemarks, lacerations from bladed weapons, burns, acid burns, electrical burns, and one was literally torn apart," Douglas says. "I don't look forward to meeting who or what did that."

>>22161156
"I think I can handle that. It will take ten minutes," Data says, gesturing for one of the troops to give over his sensor.

>>22161219
"That would take far less time. I could whip up a few recharge packs in ten, fifteen minutes."

>>22161065

All of you, as well as the rest of the crew, are stuck on "islands" or "pockets" of reality in this sea of creation. There's a way out that may lead to a nexus where the STOB or whatever is. Of course, absolutely everyone who wanted to get their hands on it is here, so that's something to mull about.

>>22161272

>Death by many things

No bullet wounds or laser burns, though? Sounds like we might be dealing with enemies of a more medieval/fantastical bend. Have you seen any footprints or clawprints or any sort of symbol from these new enemies?

>>22161272
Sounds like daemon work to me.

>>22161272
>>22161289
Alright, I say we do it.

I don't think we have the time to rest on our laurels while these modifications are made.

What do people think about this:
Have a pair of Delta Greens with their stealth on active, scout a little bit ahead of the group, using their exographic scanners to look ahead before moving up. Have the X-COM NOVA Elite B Squad keep up with them, but stay about 10 meters behind them, in case they run into trouble.

>>22161357
"No, no modern weapons."

>>22161421
That sounds like a good idea.

Should we have Douglas summon Okku right off the bat? He seems to have a nose for sniffing out evil things.

>>22161440
"Could be the Zerg.
"Guru's, Vitun, did you detect any magical residue, indicating that it might have been caused by a magic-using group?"

>>22161608
Yes.

And since we're sending those Delta Greens right into danger, have Vitun given them a Bit of Luck.

Vitun should use Channel Energy (Luck). It's a bonus to them.

Rolled 24, 71 = 95

>>22161421
You send the Greens up ahead to scout, backed by the X-COM NOVA squad.

>>22161682
Vitun and Aeshma's rerolls really earn those Desna shrines built on our ships, don't they.

>>22161619
"Yes, a few," the Gurus nod.

>>22161682
>>22161676
>+25 to roll.
>96.
Some times passes before the Delta Greens manage to sneak up on a group of sixteen Black Ops soldiers pausing to tend to wounds, the two designated medics administering shots and medipacks to several injured soldiers. There are signs of a struggle around the troops.

The Delta Greens stop short, as they see several tripmines disguised with optic camouflage set up before the approach to the Black Ops' position.

>>22161836

They deserve more.

We need more.

>>22161880

DGs aren't good for a standup fight.

What do?

Wait for something else to eat them?

>>22161880
>>22161905

If they're Black Ops, they may have magic-users amongst them along with other power-armored troops. Maybe they still have the Dark Force-infused serum to make them all crazy and stuff.

>Delta Greens

Could you give us a description of the troops located there? Any power armored troops? Or lightly-armored ones with lots of pouches and such?

>>22162112
All of them are wearing powered armor, though three are wearing lighter variants. Two of those are medics. Most carry rifles of some sort, though one has a shoulder-mounted cannon and one has a rocket launcher of some kind. Another has a sniper rifle.

>>22162192

Helmets on/off?

DGs, use directional voice pickup. Lets hear what they're talking about.

Is it possible to disable the mines easily?

Rolled 24

>>22162335
Possible, but unsure about easily.

Your Delta Greens try to listen in.

>>22162192
>>22162112

Hmm. There's obviously other things in the cave here that was hunting the Black Ops troop contingent. If we're reluctant to snipe the Black Ops guys with the exographic sniper rifles (which could be some distance away, given that we are in a cave that might have lots of twists and turns), we might try to use our snipers to activate the tripmines via shooting them. It'll wear out the trap, but also attract the attention of whatever else is in the tunnels.

Of course, that won't guarantee that we're going to run into whatever shredded the other Black Ops group.

>>22162375
Unfortunately, they can't make anything out except the words "Ta'anari and Baatezu" being tossed around a few times.

>>22162406

Oh... oh dear.

>>22162406
God I hope there are Yugoths around. They take orders from the highest bidder.

>>22162406
I am not familiar with either of these names. Can anybody give me a quick rundown?

>>22162470
Devils and Demons from D&D

>>22162470

D&D universe and cosmology. Lawful Evil demons (Ta'anari) and Chaotic Evil demons (Baatezu). Though they HATE each other, they both compose the entirety of the demonic forces at play in all D&D settings, pretty much. It would make sense that either of those factions would want to get in on this STOB thing going on.

>>22162406

OP, are the Black Ops troops blocking the way forward completely? Or could we maneuver around them using some other tunnels?

I'm wary of being drawn into a protracted fight. Baatezu and Ta'anari are rarely seen in few numbers.

>>22162519
Most of the demonic.

There's Demons (CE), Devils (LE) and Daemons (CN).

Demons and Devils are fighting a bloodwar. Daemons are mercenaries for the highest bidder.

>>22162519
>>22162566
Awesome, thanks a lot. Also which book has most of that lore?

>>22162542
There are a few side tunnels your DGs could scout, see where they lead.

>>22162585
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_War

>>22162595
We should have them search the tunnels.

>>22162595
>>22162626

Seconding the search for alternate routes.

>>22162626
>>22162704
The same 2 or a different pair?

>>22162844

I'd say a different pair of Delta Greens. We need to keep an eye on Black Ops.

As soon as Black Ops starts to move again, we may want to recall the other DGs not tailing Black Ops and have them form up and retreat back to the main group. The DGs currently spying on the Black Ops group will keep observing them from a safe distance away.

Rolled 66

>>22162985
You send out another pair of DGs.

File: 1356154383041.jpg-(136 KB, 640x855, alumni_glabrezu_3rd.jpg)

>>22163106
The Delta Greens remain stealthed and manage to find three more tunnels. One dead ends in a pile of rubble, and the DGs stop advancing down the other when they see a pair of huge humanoids with pincer claws and dog-faces messily cutting up and devouring what remains of several power armored troops. Six vulture-like beings pick at more corpses behind them. The tunnel continues past them.

The Greens stop scouting the final tunnel when they encounter a large pit between them and the rest of it. Several small floating rocks and bits of debris are scattered around the pit at ground level, and below, the swirling abyss waits.

>>22163358
6 vulture like beings.

Look at them more closely. are they all eating or does it just look like it?

They sound like Vrocks, but Vrocks have mirror image.

>>22163358

So much nope.

Are we able to project a EMH? I wonder if we can lure them to eat the Black Ops.

>>22163494
They are all eating.

>>22163507
None of your EMHs are with this group and the Delta Greens' armor wasn't eligible for the powered armor refit.

>>22163824

Well at least we have the prawns with us.

I say our best chance would be to neutralise the Black Ops. We have the drop on them and the Prawns can take and give back them rounds/rockets.

>>22163960

And we have blaster bombs on the Elite X-COM squad.

We can fuck them up, easily.

>>22163358
Let's have Vitun cast an AOE spell into the center of the Black ops. One with enough range to stay the hell back while he does it. Hopefully the noise should attract the Demons. We get Black Ops stuck between our crossfire and a pack of demon, and then finish of both

I suggest sound burst: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/sound-burst
It gives the added bonus of stunning targets.

>>22164038
Well I'll pick this up early at 6 or 7 tomorrow. I'm feeling the all nighter I pulled for this yesterday, so I'm calling it here. Sweet dreams, all.

>>22164120
On second thought, fuck it, I can get this battle done at least. If you get the plan ready before I leave, I'll resolve it.

>>22164172

How far away is the demon's location from the Black Ops resting point?

>>22164202
The demon's location is about ten minutes away from the Black Op's location.

>>22164246
How close together are the Black Ops agents?

>>22164264
They're all scattered around in a 80 foot radius spherical formation.

>>22164246

>Black Op corpses found earlier.

Lets do a puppeteer dance.

From those corpses we should be able to piece together maybe a single suit of Armour.

Program it to accept commands remotely, say one of the XCOMers. Then we have it 'run into' the demons and hightail it back to the Black Ops.

>>22164369
Power Armor cannot move independently. At least, Black Ops' can't.

>>22164409

Curses. foiled.

Then we have vitun control one of the corpses?

I'm unfamiliar with DnD. Perhaps someone else can pinpoint a spell that can do that.

>>22163990
The problem with using blaster bombs is, will they cause a cave in?
Remember, we're inside of a cave structure right now.
Explosives are generally a bad idea.

>>22164709
Given that you periodically see the abyss outside the 'cavern walls', you estimate there's only a few feet of stone forming the 'tunnel'. The risk of cave ins should be minimal.

>>22164825

Well, with the lack of a spell to lure the Demons, I say we hit the Black Ops.

Use the DGs to give instructions on where to place waypoints for the blaster bombs.

We can then cast that spell: http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/sound-burst
to disable them and then have our troops assault the surviviors.

>>22164908
Won't the commotion draw the demons?

I think we should account for that somehow. Like, could the micro missiles from the Prawn suits or some blaster bombs be set up as traps we can place to prevent the demons from coming at us unharmed?

>>22165090

Since the walls of the tunnels are thin, couldn't we just drop the demons should they get curious?

They start walking, our DG scouts call in the blaster bomb to make a hole.

>>22164825

only a few feet of stone

>>22165090
>>22164908
>>22165117

Or we can just air walk/mass fly across the pit.

Rolled 65

>>22164908
Your Delta Greens get into position and begin spotting Blaster Bomb volleys...

>>22165457
The initial volley of Blaster Bombs tears apart a full eight of the sixteen Black Ops soldiers, but the remaining ones quickly scatter to cover. There is confused chatter before the Delta Greens clearly hear "TARGET!"

A bolt of green plasma slams through one in the chest, dropping him as several grenades tear apart the other. Just as your two forward men die, you see the second volley of Blaster Bombs blow apart another three Black Ops, dropping their number from 16 to 5.

>Lose 2 Delta Greens.

>>22165754

Was vitun not able to cast or something?

>>22165821
No, I was a derp and posted before I was done.

Vitun advances and casts the sound blast, but it has almost no effect on the Black Ops, and he takes several shots to the torso from rail and plasma weapons before he can take cover. Despite the skill of the wielders and the power of the weapons, Vitun's superhuman endurance and the magical Sylph Clothes win out, and he only takes moderate wounds.

>Vitun at 75% HP.

Vitun can make a LISTEN CHECK by rolling a d20.

Rolled 19

>>22165886
Well I was going to let you roll for once, but since no one did...

Rolled 100

>>22166081
Vitun can clearly hear the Black Ops yelling into communications gear.

"Repeat, Vitun Lartiet confirmed on enemy force, Task Force 38 is present in ruins, Task Force 38 is present in ruins, we have hostile Guard troops adhering to profile one three three seven!"

>>22166120
As the rest of your force advances on their position, the Black Ops look about to flee, but before they can, a blur of rainbow fur and claws smashes through their ranks, leaping onto a previously cloaked soldier and tearing him apart before lifting his head and bellowing a roar of feral rage that triggers impossibly powerful explosion to rip apart the area. Beset by the god-bear and supporting fire from the rest of your troops, the Black Ops are overwhelmed in a matter of moments.
>100
>Okku/Douglas get a new skill!

"Well that's one bunch of assholes we don't have to worry about," Douglas says, nudging the smoking corpses of a Black Ops with his boot. From down the tunnel where the Greens had scouted the demons comes a cacophony of screams and evil laughter. Douglas blanches.

"So... get a move on?" he asks.

>>22166184
And NOW I have to go to bed. See you tomorrow, all.

>>22166184
>>22166189
Have the X-COM Elite B Squad pick up the bodies of the Delta Greens, and the Prawn Battle Suit B Squad pick up the bodies of the Black Ops soldiers.
Take the Type 2 Phasers from the two dead Delta Greens to Dr. Mordin and Dr. Lazarus. Take one of their Mass Rifles and equip it on Data.

We'll take the Black Ops bodies with us because we can break their power armor down for Mass Rifle recharges. We take the Delta Greens with us for later revival.

See if Mordin and Lazarus can salvage the medkits that the Black Ops medics were using.

If the trip mines that the Black Ops were using to guard their rear are un-detonated, can the Three Gurus deactivate them, have the team go past them, then reactivate them to protect the team's rear from the approaching demons?
Explosions aren't going to do much to a ghost, after all.

>>22167136

They still have their RED-2s. They should be getting up again soon.

>>22167226
Mordin and Lazarus are unarmed though. Thy should at least get phasers.

>>22169234
Mordin, unarmed? That's funny. He was a member of the Salarian Special Tasks Group.

He has, at minimum, a Heavy Pistol (from ME3) and his Engineer powers.

Lazarus, while human, was also a member of a group like that. He's also likely armed.

>>22169375
Likely to be armed, yes.
Likely to be armed with a weapon designed to attack spirits and such by having a proton beam modification? Not so much.

>>22166184
>Okku/Douglas skill
Alright, any ideas on their new skill?
Since this is the climactic battle, I'm thinking something combat oriented. Like:
"Da Bears": Okku and Douglas have been through a lot, and their teamwork shows. Okku and Douglas receive a large bonus when fighting together.

>>22172675
We could also go with something like:

You hurt our friends, prepare to die: Whenever an ally is injured or killed in combat alongside Douglas/Okku, the man and god-bear become intensely focused and driven to defeat all enemies in the area.

>>22172675

Surely you mean DA BURRS?

>>22172758
>>22172675
A general combat bonus or a skill that grants bonuses the more allies die/are KO'd would both work. Choose one, and let's get rolling.

>>22167136
The Black Ops gear has been thoroughly wrecked by the Blaster Bombs. "Remember commander that explosives, though effective at killing foes, also destroy the artifacts we are trying to recover."

The trip mines can be disarmed and rearmed with the expertise of the Gurus, Data, and Mordin. They are able to do so in short order. Good idea.

Vitun uses his first level spells and half his channeling to speed up the process as the blood nanites reconstruct the two fallen Greens. He also drops a few spells on himself.

>Casualties resurrected, RED-2 expended. Vitun healed.

>>22173800
Well, a channel does 9d6 so it wouldn't be that many heals.

>>22173800
We should really only need 1 channel, since they're 9d6.

Data's modifications to one of the exographic scanners should allow the group to see further ahead, in infrared and ultraviolet. That should help the group avoid trouble.

So let's get moving before the demons catch up.

After healing everyone, have Vitun cast "Protection from Evil, Communal" on the group.

Rolled 98, 36, 15, 73, 97, 26, 46 = 391

>>22173870
>>22173825
My bad, 1 channel then.

Your group begins to move out.

>>22173952
This is going to hurt.

File: 1356223511385.jpg-(97 KB, 400x465, Tata.jpg)

>>22173952
>98, 73, 97.
It isn't long before you leave the tripmines behind you that you feel the ground shake and hear several loud explosions mixed with outraged howls.

"I just want to say again, nice work on the mines," Douglas nods to Mordin, Data, and the Gurus.

Moving further down the tunnel, you soon begin to find more than one branching off, though nearly all end in dead ends of one sort or another. More than once you pass the site of brutal battles, Black Ops corpses scattered around piles of sulfurous ash which you assume to be the remains of some sort of demon.

Passing through a large cavern, your Delta Greens stop everyone, holding up a hand. Thanks to Data's enhanced scanners, they pick up several Black Ops in ambush positions hiding with optic camouflage behind rock formations. They quickly relay the information and another volley of Blaster Bombs stops that ambush before it can even begin. It comes with a price, though.

Before you can make it through the large cavern to the other side, several demons, the frog-like Hezrou appear from thin air around your group, lunging forward with clear delight in their burning eyes.

It doesn't go well for them.

They hiss and roar as Vitun's barrier deflects their claws and bites. Before they can adjust tactics, the X-COM Elites' Heavy Plasma guns have reduced several to smoking craters, Vitun's blessed mace caving in the skull of another as Okku mauls one more. The Prawns fire lightning guns to no effect, but it hardly matters. The demons are overwhelmed save for a handful who teleport away.

"Now I'm in my element," Okku rumbles. "Long as it been since I dipped my claws in foul Ta'anari blood, but I find I relish their destruction still."

(Cont.)

>>22174420
Prawns, most demons have resistance to lightning. Instead, use mini-missiles and your chainguns, as well as your TK fields.

>>22173800
I'm sticking by "You hurt our friends, prepare to die."

File: 1356224605103.jpg-(465 KB, 1260x977, dabears.jpg)

>>22174420
>15, 26, 46
Moving quickly through the tunnel network, the team runs into trouble shortly after their stunning victory. A high-powered rail gun round takes the head off of an X-COM Elite, the shooter unseen as several Black Ops troops emerge from hiding, their presence not detected by even Data's advanced scanners. Several spheres fly through the air, exploding among the group to send waves of acid onto them. Several X-COM operatives die screaming as a Prawn suit is disabled by the potent yellow liquid, the stuff eating through metal in micro-seconds.

"Warning!" Data states, backing up. "That appears to be molecular acid, grade nine. A single drop is sufficient to kill an unshielded organism!"

"Great!" Douglas curses, ducking behind a stalagmite and firing a grenade from his Pulse Rifle only to have it explode uselessly against a cavern wall. "Well why have it easy?!"

Okku roars and the familiar chain of explosions rip apart a handful of Black Ops behind an outcropping of spiky stone.

Another Prawn suit drops to the ground, a hole burned clear through the pilot compartment.

"There are at least two snipers present, and I cannot detect them," Mordin reports, activating his Omnitool to Incinerate a charging Black Ops armed with some sort of Vibroblade. "Recommend extreme caution."

>Lose 2 Prawn suits.
>Lose 6 X-COM NOVA Elites.

>>22174670
In addition, Vitun feels strange and can tell the Protection from Evil effect has just been dispelled.

>>22174670
>>22174694
Well shit, that means they've got a caster on their team.

Guru's, fall back. They could try to dispel you. Hide inside of the rock if you can.

Douglas, switch from your pulse rifle to the Caster Pistol; we'll need its Silence effect.

I'll go with the "You hurt my friends, prepare to die."

>>22174670

Vitun, cast <Spark> to see if your magic works or if you're in an anti-magic field. You could also try a spellcraft check if it would apply.

>>22174670
Solus, try using Incinerate or Overload on the Black Ops with the grenades, it could cause the explosives to detonate.

Rolled 14

>>22174774
VITUN uses SPELLCRAFT!

>>22174860
"It's Dispel Magic, not a Field," Vitun reports with certainty.

>>22174670
>>22174694
>>22174774

Vitun could try casting "Invisibility Purge". It would de-cloak any stealthed Black Ops in the area, as well as any demons.

>>22174670

Data, the Black Ops still use the high powered Sniper Rifles as standard. That means that their Ballistic trajectory can be calculated.

Your tricorder should have at least recorded the shock and sound waves of the round. Based on that, the direction and location of the sniper can be extrapolated.

Vitun, coat the entire hallway ahead of us with a <Fire Storm>

It's an instant duration so it's not dispellable, and it has 2 10ft cubes per level, so we get 40 10ft cubes of undispellable fire.

>>22174670
>>22174694
Since there's plenty of Black Ops.

Have our team fall back to cover.

X-COM, fire Blaster Launchers at the Black Ops forces.
Prawns, use micro-missiles and set up your TK fields to act as barriers against more thrown acid grenades.

Data, patch in to the ART HUD's in our troops and pull the audio data for the last minute. Remove all audio except for that of the gauss sniper rifle and use the sound data to triangulate the position of the snipers.

>>22174919
+1 to this.

Killing stuff with fire works fine for Cheryl; no reason Vitun can't get in on that action.

Also, I approve of >>22174910's idea. This place needs to be cleared.. NOW.

I would suggest also that we see if we can help them target by incorporealling over to where the places they are that our guys can see and look for details that can help them. Possible, but I'm not holding my breath... Worth a shot though; right?

>>22175038

Our vision is like a third-person camera centered around a certain crew member. We might be able to peer around corners and such, but no scouting ahead.

File: 1356226777271.jpg-(63 KB, 194x205, 1343124810217.jpg)

>>22175068
Corner peeking is just fine with me. We can abuse that.

Time for meta-meta! Haha!

But yeah. Ruling on this, OP?

>>22175068
>>22175106

I am just waiting for the ladies to take centre stage.

>>22175164
I know that we can change the camera angle, but if Cheryl "hears" us thinking about upskirt shots, she'll tap into the Noosphere to erase us.

>>22175181

Elaine will not suspect a thing.

Rolled 69, 14, 28, 84 = 195

>>22174910
>>22174956
>>22174919
>>22174956

Data goes to work on trying to locate the position of the Snipers as Vitun calls down a Fire Storm

>>22175106
I have no problem with attempts to peer around corners, but it will be tricky.

In retrospect, perhaps we should be using more double-rolls from Vitun. He still has a fair amount left, doesn't he?

>>22175253
Great. More losses. The X-COM squad might be able to fight after they get back up, but the Prawns need their suits to be useful.

Something that came to mind.

Do we need to distribute the VE, GC and TSAB survivors we picked up?

>>22175332
He's got Probably 14 more left. Remember that there's still the main last boss battle left. This is just getting our teams back together.

File: 1356229950107.jpg-(352 KB, 601x806, xcom_by_christiankaw-d5f83m8.jpg)

>>22175253
Data completes the calculations, pointing towards a rocky shelf a little elevated from the rest of the battlefield.

Vitun's Fire Storm engulfs the battlefield, sending a number of Black Ops screaming as their armor glows red hot, fusing to the flesh beneath in a fatal manner as others are simply reduced to ash. A few manage to roll behind rocks or cover and barely escape demise, doggedly continuing the fight. Several throw acid-grenades, which the Prawns catch with their TK-fields and toss back, though the Black Ops leap out of the way in time.

One of the X-COM Elites suddenly shakes as if going into a seizure. Then he screams and points his Blaster Launcher straight down, annihilating himself and several of his squadmates. The ground shakes with the explosion as Vitun feels a lightning flash of pain drive through his chest. When he looks down, there is a large hole punctured through his abdomen, pumping blood.

Most of your troops suffer wounds as they fight. Despite the losses inflicted, it looks like the Black Ops are losing ground fast, down to under a quarter of their starting strength. This is mostly thanks to the Firestorm and scattered Blaster Bombs from the surviving X-COM Elites.

>Vitun at 50%.
>8 X-COM Elites lost beyond RED-2 activation.
>3 Prawn suits destroyed.

>>22175810

Son of a fuck.

Someone, get me a blaster bomb on that sniper.

Mind control, what do, command crew?

>>22175846

The moment he started showing signs, he should have been shot.

That's like, day 1 X-Com protocol.

>>22175810

The DGs saw which way the remaining Black Ops dodged to, right? Keep them off balance via exographic sniping.

Does Vitun have any potions or stuff of the sort in his inventory? If so, he might want to chug one. Or cast a healing spell on himself to bring him to 75% HP or so.

>>22175891

Vitun may also want to summon some monsters/celestials to flush the Black Ops troopers out. Any leftover summons can help escort our teams while they traverse through the caverns.

If Okku's roar can affect the Black Ops guys while they're hidden behind the outcroppings of rock, he might be able to finish them off due to so many allies being dead or wounded.

I'm going to trigger Vitun's Caster Tattoo to apply the Silent and Still metamagic feats to the spell <Earthquake>.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/e/earthquake

Aim this ahead of us, and stay behind the rocks. I don't want you hit again.

>>22176117
At minimum 90 ft or more ahead of us to keep us out of the shockwave's range.

Rolled 5, 56, 15 = 76

>>22175891
>>22175949
>>22176117

Your Delta Greens keep the heat on with their exographically equipped guns as Okku roars and Codeki casts.

File: 1356231802256.jpg-(62 KB, 800x529, aughcat.jpg)

>>22176274

>5, 15

FFFFFFFFFFFFFF

>>22176274

Oh son of a bitch...

I hope this team doesn't wipe.

And >>22175846 ?

> blaster bomb on that sniper.

>>22176274
Vitun uses Flash of insight for a +25 to his roll.

>>22175846
That's telekineses, our guys are immune to mind control.

File: 1356233111361.jpg-(47 KB, 550x412, onlywithaleapfromthelions(...).jpg)

>>22176274
Vitun casts I mean. They're not the same person. At all.

A precision shot by the unseen sniper strikes a spare Blaster Bomb on an X-COM Elite's belt, causing it to detonate. The explosive-laden soldier virtually flies apart as the blast wave takes out some of his companions along with a nearby Prawn suit.

Okku's roar, empowered by the loss of comrades, rips through half the remaining Black Ops, the power of Megidola piercing all defenses as it sends them to hell.

Vitun's Earthquake has less beneficial effects as the tunnel shakes and breaks down underneath the remaining Black Ops. A twenty foot wide fissure spanning the whole cavern opens up, causing the soldiers to scream as they plummet into oblivion. A few activate jump packs or flying devices in an attempt to regain ground, but the collapsing ceiling pummels them back down into the swirling abyss below.

The enemy seems to be defeated, but now there is a 20 foot gap between you and your destination.

>2 X-COM Elites lost beyond RED-2.
>3 X-COM Elites recoverable with RED-2.
>1 Prawn suit lost.

Vitun Channels to heal everyone. Afterwards, he casts <Wall of Stone> to create a bridge across the chasm.

>>22176623

>Ways to get across the span.

Hmm. Vitun could cast "Air Walk" on people to have them run across the span fairly easily. He may also be able to summon some large air elementals or flying creatures to grab and carry people over.

However, we may want to ensure that demons cannot get to where we are, or that we can get across real fast. They could ambush us while crossing, or a real powerful one could cast spells to disrupt us.

>>22176737

That also works.

Do we want to summon some monsters to bolster our ranks and/or delay any demons that want to pursue? Not gonna lie, some Solars would be pretty spiffy right now, but we may want to conserve Vitun's higher level spell pool.

File: 1356234448763.jpg-(127 KB, 700x590, TUUUUUUBES.jpg)

>>22176737
It takes Vitun two uses of his Channeling to heal everyone even with his incredible ability.

The X-COM Nova soldiers that are left state they are running low on Blaster Bombs, and that many of those wielding the weapons were slain during the attack by the Black Ops.

Vitun creates the stone bridge with Wall of Stone, and the troops manage to cross without incident.

The team continues through the tunnels for quite a while before they begin to branch out, becoming a honeycomb of interconnected tunnels. Shortly after starting into this new cave area, the team comes across a small cave chamber with what appear to be numerous shattered glass and metal cylinders.

>>22176847

I'm for that. A few red shirts would be good.

MetaOP, what are our remaining forces now?

Doctors, did anyone of you happen to have spare shots of RED-2s on your persons?

>>22176950

Did we have any spare nannybags with which to bag our dead?

File: 1356234732224.jpg-(454 KB, 1440x900, 5150914630_ea6458f0d3_o.jpg)

Seems to be the Hybrid tanks from the bonus level on Starcraft.

Be prepared for Zerg/protoss hybrids and other nasty creatures.

And I don't think summoning is a very good idea right now. I doubt most of them will work short of <Gate> and even that is a crapshoot due to the teleportation issues that affected the area.

I'd rather not get "most" of a Solar with a <Summon Monster> spell.

>>22176950

Those look awfully like test tubes from the Starcraft II mission that involved Raynor's discovery of the Zerg/Protoss hybrids.

>>22176950

Seems like this might be a run and gun segment. Or just plain RUN.

Do we have anything on hand that can detect psionic signatures?

>>22176950

Mr. Data, can you get any readings of the immediate area? Are there any lifesigns nearby or any particularly strong psionic emanations around us?

Okku, what can you pick up with your divine senses?

File: 1356235921905.jpg-(17 KB, 320x240, Data.jpg)

>>22177239
Data pulls out his tricorder and frowns.

"There is something in the cave walls that is distorting my sensors. I cannot get a precise lock on anything, but there are definite life signs in the area," Data states.

"I smell something... unnatural," Okku rumbles.

>>22176950
Did Doc Lazarus make sure to dig out the Cortical Stacks on the dead X-COM members if we're not carrying their bodies?

>>22176994
>>22177017
"We only have four nannybags, it's what was with us when... well, this happened," a Delta Green speaks up.

"Nope, no extra RED-2," Lazarus says with a sigh. "I didn't really expect to be on the field, or I would've grabbed a few syringes of the stuff."

You have 2 Delta Greens and 3 X-COM Elites regenerating with RED-2.

You have 10 full active Delta Greens, 34 Prawn Suits, and only 7 X-COM Elites left. (1 with Psi-Amp, 2 with Blaster Launchers, 4 with Heavy Plasma.)

Douglas/Okku, Vitun, Mordin, Data, and the Gurus are all fine.

>>22177318
EBOCs attempt to beam out, so there shouldn't be anything left to recover.

>>22177433

Dammit.

Well at least we have their backups on the fleet.

If not it be another dip into the diamond vaults.

I want Vitun to cast the spell Shambler.

This will summon 1d4 + 2 Shambling Mounds.
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/bestiary/monster-listings/plants/shambling-mound

Shambling Mounds have the ability that their gain 1d4 temporary Con anytime they are hit with electricity. We'll have the Prawn shock the fuck out of them and use them as nearly unkillable meat shields. (plant shields?)

>>22177433
Are you saying that the cortical stacks are now with Lazarus, since the heuristics would identify him as the nearest beam-to target, or that there was a transporter mishap?

>>22177296

DGs, start sweeping around the area for heat signatures or life-signs with the exographic scanners.

Should we have Vitun cast "Detect Evil" or "Detect Chaos"? After 12-18 seconds, he should be able to pinpoint where any entities of those alignment are within the area, as well as the number and direction.

>>22177492
It'd try to beam to one of the ships and that's impossible, so mishap.

>>22177399
That should be 11, not 7 X-COM Elites. Sorry.

Rolled 90

>>22177491
Vitun attempts to summon Shamblers!

>>22177564
The exposure to the primal stuff of existence has an odd effect on Vitun's spell, and instead of normal Shambling Mounds, he manages to bring forth 6 especially potent creatures, Paragon Shamblers.

File: 1356237293591.jpg-(137 KB, 658x800, shambler_0.jpg)

>>22177630
Unfortunately, this causes the OP to forget the pic.

>>22177549
>Imminent Death Heuristic not properly identifying the situation
Wait a minute. If the EBO Cortical Stack can't find or lock on a destination for a beam-out, it would go with the nearest Task Force subspace beacon, which would be Doc Lazarus' ART specs.
The transport process won't go through if it can't get a lock on a destination.

>>22177651
Even if something went wrong, we should still have back-ups in the fleet.

>>22177651
They appear to be malfunctioning.

>>22177685
Back ups, sure.

>>22177651
The prawn will start zapping the shamblers to increase their health, and the Shamblers will lead the way down the hall.

Vitun will use <Detect Chaos> to search for nearby creatures. He will also cast the spell <Nine Lives> on himself when he gets the chance.

>>22177924

Have him also replace the disspelled protection spell.

>>22177630
Have the Shamblers move out in front of the group, with 6 of the Prawns ready to fire electricity at them to boost their Con.

Delta Greens to continue scanning ahead, above, below, and to the sides of the group with their exographic scanners.

>>22177817
>They appear to be malfunctioning.
Then have Lazarus and Mordin use medical tricorders to reprogram the remaining EBO Cortical Stacks to either set Lazarus as the destination point, or disable the transport function entirely until we can get somewhere where we can use the transport function.

>>22177924
Or Evil. One of the detect spells should find that stuff.

Rolled 52, 73, 89 = 214

It appears I was yet again mistaken on how Trek tech works, so you manage to recover about half the EBOCs, the rest DO malfunction as described.

>>22177945
With your plant vanguard you begin walking through the tunnels, the Delta Greens scanning ahead.

>>22177924
Vitun does not detect any chaotic creatures nearby.

>>22178109
Cast to detect evil. Hybrids are undoubtedly evil.

File: 1356240186974.jpg-(266 KB, 543x768, tts02c.jpg)

>>22178037
They take a moment to do so.

>>22178109
The Delta Greens manage to detect something a few moments before they burst from the cave walls, scrabbling towards your troops on long limbs ending in pincers and scythe-claws, purple carapace glinting in the low light. Horrible worm-like appendages flail from their backs and a terrible grimace seems set into their faces.

A murmuring like a thousand and one voices whispers at the edge of your mind, but the Advanced Bio-Stabilizer Masks worn by your troops seem to keep whatever is happening at bay.

Several of the creatures immediately fall to plasma and lightning fire as others begin to grapple with your Shamblers. A single unlucky Delta Green is pulled from his position despite cloak and screams as two clams plunge into his chest. He begins shaking, convulsing, his form twisting and bulging.

"CHRYSALLIDS!!!" an X-COM Elite shouts.

"Wait, those aren't normal... what the hell's wrong with them!?"

>>22178347

Still the same thing thing. Burn him!

All elements, fall back to the tunnel by fire and movement, bottle them up and drop 'em.

>>22178347

Gurus, they shouldnt be able to harm you, can you float through the room and see if the equipment screens tell us anything about the monsters or how to purge them?

Vitun, cast <Stormbolts> modified by Lingering spell.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/stormbolts

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/lingering-spell-metamagic

That'll fry most of the Chrysallid/Mind Worms and take out most of the ones next turn too.

>>22178485
>>22178487

Should the Prawn exosuits start firing lightning bolts? Or should they attempt a more conventional weapon in case the Chrysallids have been engineered to be immune to/benefit from electricity

>>22178347
6 Prawns keep firing electricity into the Shambling Mounds to keep their Con up.
1 Prawn use your TK field to twist that infected Delta Green's head off so we can stuff it in a nannybag.
All other Prawns, use ARC guns and TK fields to keep the enemy from approaching.

Delta Greens, switch to blaster rifles.

Have the group fall back, so that we're not being attacked on two sides.

File: 1356241157751.jpg-(58 KB, 772x800, Chryssalid-side.jpg)

Rolled 85, 85, 72 = 242

>>22178448
Your X-COM plasma gunners oblige, sending a spray of burning star-stuff the Green's way. The bolts burn through the man, but this instead seems to accelerate the transformation as something inside him erupts from his flesh, bits of gore grossly hanging on it as some begins to fuse with the new creature.

>>22178485
The Gurus float through the chaos and back to the shattered stasis tubes.

Vitun casts his devastating spell...

>>22178592
Prawns! TK that thing to shreds! Grab body parts and tear it limb from limb!

Then fire the claws at whatever Chryssalids survive Vitun's spell like javelins!

>>22178592
Prawns, use TK fields to push the Chrysallids away.
The 6 that were on Shambler duty, continue pumping electricity into them.
Another 6, concentrate TK fields on that necromorph and tear it apart while firing ARC pulses into it.

Data, set your phaser rifle to maximum setting, and disintegrate the Chrysallids.

>>22178561
The Prawn finds it cannot forcibly remove the head with telekinesis.
>Lose one Delta Green beyond RED.

Due to the Shamblers taking hit after hit and having no recognizable biology to transform, and due to the Prawn's diligent efforts pushing the enemy away with telekinesis fields, your forces manage to hold the line without further losses for a while.

Vitun's spell cascades across the battlefield, but only manages to kill a few of the creatures. The NOVA Elites's Plasma guns also rarely get a kill, only headshots and burning off limbs seem to work. With their ability to blow up their target, the ARC guns seem to be working the best. It's tough going, but you begin to whittle down their numbers.

The Gurus see the following on one of the tubes.
"Experimental BioWeapon 36563: Chr/MinW/Nec Strain. Codename 'Contagion."

Vitun, we need some assistance here.

Cast Call Construct with a Bit of Luck.

http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/c/call-construct

METAL MAN, I SUMMON THEE!

>>22178692
X-COM NOVA Elites, Delta Greens, switch to Phaser Rifles set to maximum. Let's see how these things handle having their Strong Nuclear Force forcibly disrupted by high-energy nadion particles.

>>22178692
Headshots and limb destruction? Shit, sounds like Dead Space necromorphs. Everyone, try and aim to take off the limbs specifically!

Rolled 88, 84, 7, 7 = 186

>>22178749
>>22178787
>>22178762
You hand out these orders and your troops spring into action.

>>22178820
>7,7
Even as this shitfest continues, we need to go over the team roster again and fix it.

-Team 1
Tosh, Cheryl, Farseers, Avatar, Char, Lyla, SCP Squad, X-COM Squad, Prawn A, Devastator Squad A

-Team 2
BLU, Star Fox team, Spike, Seifer, Fujin, Ryu, UNIT Squad, Shadowrunners A and B, Psions, Dystopian Squads, Metpharm Secs, White Mage Squad A

-Team 3
Star-Lord, Agrias, Lavian, Alicia, Sonia, Aeshma, KI Tactical Squad A, Abjurers, Techno-Wizards, X-COM NOVA Veterans, MI Squad A, White Mage Squad B

-Team 4
Douglas, Data, Solus, Vitun, Doc Lazarus, Three Gurus, Delta Greens, Prawn B, X-Com NOVA Elites A and B

-Team 5
Elaine, Redemption Squad, Marc Lecointe, Mouse, Isel, Rodger Young Crew, Yuna, Aurors, TG Soldiers, X-Com NOVA Commandos, MI Squad B

-Team 6
Holtz, Finalon, Mustadio, Pellaeon, Doc Cossack, Jack, Mitsune, Kanako, Zombie Hunters, KI Squad B, Confed Marines

File: 1356242937055.jpg-(170 KB, 600x800, MetalMarkII.jpg)

>>22178820
Vitun manages to pull Metal Man Mk.2 from the depths of space and time, the Robot Master hitting the ground with burning eyes as he analyzes the situation.

Meanwhile, things are not going well for your troop. Though your tactics are dead on, several of the Contagion Chrysallids slip past your lines and drive claws into Prawn pilots in what seems to be a concentrated effort to weaken your ability to pin them down. The Prawns utter high pitched shrieks as their flesh is devoured, torn apart, and assimilated from the inside, several suits ruined as newly born Contagions claw their way from the interior. Their ability to cloak useless, some of the Delta Greens are added to the enemy ranks in this manner, the foe's numbers swiftly replenishing.

Phasers are fired and reduced their targets to ash when they hit, but in the tight confines of the cavern, with the numbers involved in the battle, and with the increasing agile movements of the enemy, it is getting increasingly difficult to land shots.

>8 Prawn Suits destroyed.
>2 Delta Greens down.

>>22178943
Metal Man; those creatures are your targets! Maximum force authorized! Headshots and dismemberment will bring them down reliably. They must be kept away from biological allies.

Weapons free, and happy hunting!

>>22178943

Vitun. We need an AOE spell.

Firestorm, centered on the enemy. Burn them.

>>22178943
Everyone, fall back! Toss down the land mines while you do. Can Vitun cast another firestorm?

>>22178943
Metal Man, dismember the enemy for maximum effect.

Douglas, you'd better switch to your phaser rifle, set it to cut through limbs and get to cutting.
Okku, can you fire off a Megido, please?

>>22179048
He has a couple lvl 8 spells left, so he can cast another one.