Behemoth Furnace

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Encounter Conditions

None

Initial Text

In the depths of the maintenance level, you find a hulking behemoth of a furnace. Feeding into countless ducts, the ancient steel edifice rumbles loudly and flickers with internal flame.

Summary of Choices

1. Turn it down - reduces heat level (repeatable x3, resets daily)
2. Scavenge parts - gain steel ingot or, with salvaging tools gain 2-3 steel ingots
3. Hammer at it - gain 20 Storage Noise, 4 XP Strength
4. Climb in the furnace - take damage depending on heat level/fire defense or gain 2 XP Strength and Will
5. Explore the ducts take damage depending on heat level/fire defense and gain 10 Dust Covered, or further options:
   1. Keep climbing - 1 duration of Constrained, 10 HQ Alarm, fight a Duct Drone/Duct Spider, go to Call Center
   2. Slip out a vent - 10 duration of Dust Covered, go to HQ Lobby
   3. Head back down - 2 XP in Strength, 10 duration of Dust Covered
6. Leave it be - walk away

Choice Text and Results

Turn it down

1st time per day:

You find some dials and start turning them down. There's still actual fire in there, so you must have missed something.

2nd time per day:

You find some more dials to turn down. There's still flame in there, although it's looking manageable.

3rd time per day:

You turn down the dials as much as you can, so just the pilot lights are on. Give it a bit to cool down and you could probably crawl in there.

Scavenge parts

The outside of the furnace thankfully isn't all that hot. You don't have the right tools for the job, but you are able to pull off a hunk of metal.

You found: steel ingot

Or, with salvaging tools:

The outside of the furnace thankfully isn't all that hot and you have decent tools, so you're able to pull back some vintage metal plating.

You found: 2-3 steel ingots

Hammer at it

You hammer on the furnace. Booming sounds echo through the ducts until you're satisfied.

You've gained 20 duration of Storage Noise.

You've earned 4 XP in Strength

(No change with hammer weapon/slegehammer weapon equipped)

Climb in the furnace

You fearlessly crawl into the furnace. It's as bad an idea as it sounds.

At least you manage to pull yourself out before you're burnt to a crisp.

You take 36 damage. (Tested with 22 Fire Defense)

Or, if the furnace has been turned all the way down:

You fearlessly crawl into the furnace. It's still unpleasantly warm on the inside, but you sweat it out.

You've earned 2 XP in Strength

You've earned 2 XP in Will

Explore the ducts

The first stretch of the ducts is painfully hot, searing into you as you attempt to climb. That doesn't seem very safe, but the dusty tube obviously isn't intended for human occupation.

You take 7-13 damage.

You've gained 10 duration of Dust Covered.

Or, with 6+ Fire Defense, and you haven't turned down the heat all the way:

The first stretch of the ducts is painfully hot. You're well-protected enough it isn't really a problem, but it doesn't seem like that's how HVAC is supposed to work.

Although they're filled with dust and staples, you're able to find your way up enough that you can peek into the lobby.

Or, after turning down the heat all the way:

You climb up the ducts, thankful they've cooled down. Although they're filled with dust and staples, you're able to find your way up enough that you can peek into the lobby.

Keep climbing

If you are non-Etheric:

As you continue up the duct, doing your best to avoid the jagged staples that keep the thing together, red lights flicker in the dusty corridor above you.

A spidery drone that fits snugly in the duct stares down at you, its eyes glittering with activity.

You've gained 1 duration of Constrained.

You've gained 10 duration of HQ Alarm.

(Fight Duct Drone - go to Call Center if you win)

Or if Etheric:

As you continue up the duct, doing your best to avoid the jagged staples that keep the thing together, eyes glitter in the dusty tunnel above you.

A spider, snug in the duct and perfectly at home, stares down at its new prey.

You've gained 1 duration of Constrained.

(Fight Duct Spider - go to Call Center if you win)

Or, after dealing with the drone / spider:

With the duct's guardian out of the way, you're able to push through the dust and past the jagged staples to a vent. You wait until nearby employees clear out and let yourself into their break room.

You've gained 10 duration of Dust Covered.

(Go to Call Center)

Slip out a vent

You wait for people to clear away and push your way out of the air vent. Although nobody seemed to notice where you crawled from, you're covered in dust.

You've gained 10 duration of Dust Covered.

(Go to HQ Lobby)

Head back down

You carefully head back down to the maintenance level. It's pretty good exercise, but dusty work.

You've gained 10 duration of Dust Covered.

You've earned 2 XP in Strength

Leave it be

As much as it looks like they could use, you're not here to modernize their HVAC.

(Walk Away)

Halloween 2022 Choices

1. Leave a pile of skulls (with a skull pile) - makes party more spooky??
2. Scatter plastic coins (with plastic coins) - makes party more dragon's lair?

Leave a pile of skulls

You carefully arrange your pile of skulls near the furnace, letting the fire light add shadows to the sockets.

You've earned 10 XP in Perception

(Lose 1 skull pile)

Scatter plastic coins

You scatter the coins around artistically. Between them and the fire, it looks a bit like a dragon's lair.

You've earned 3 XP in Perception

(Lose 1 plastic coins)

History

Before the Call Center level was unlocked October 2023, trying to "Climb Further" gave:

It doesn't seem like these ducts go any further up. They're probably in the middle of repairs or something. Someone's bound to need heat on the upper floors eventually.

You've gained 10 duration of Dust Covered.