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Encounter Conditions
None?
Initial Text
In one corner of the basement, you find a console of controls… dials, switches, indicator lights, and the like. They're old fashioned, like the sort of lab equipment you'd see in a pre-war horror movie.
The impression isn't helped by the ravaged corpses slumped over the controls and sprawled on the floor. A little ways further off, there are a few disabled hound drones, some of them spattered with blood as well.
Beyond the carnage, the controls themselves have taken a beating as well, although they still spark with electricity, so at least the power's still on.
Summary of Choices
- Check the bodies - gain buried lab notebook, or: 1-2 of: bloody shirt, bloody pants, ripped containment pants, ripped containment top or: 1 of: egg salad sandwich, half of a sandwich and 1 of: cup of joe, horrible black coffee
- Try the controls - gain 4 XP Perception or fight 3 Burning Specters
- Replicate test gamma (after getting the drone message from the buried lab notebook) - gain 4 XP Perception
- Play Emerald Gift (after getting the Emerald Gift message from the buried lab notebook) - gain 4 XP in Perception
- Smash it up - gain 3 XP in Strength, more effective with crowbar/sledgehammer
- Patch it up - (after trying the controls, with an electrical kit or salvaging tools) - gain 4 XP in Perception
- Back away slowly - walk away
Choice Text and Results
Check the bodies
You check over the bodies. They're pretty torn up, like they were mauled by wild animals, although one that doesn't seem to have been interested in eating them at all.
(And one of:)
Regardless of the cause of death, one of them still clutches a lab notebook like you've seen some of the students here on campus carry. It's a bit stained, but should still be readable.You found: buried lab notebook
(Or:)
A few have tattered scraps of clothing left on them, but only bits and pieces are salvageable.You found 1-2 of: bloody shirt, bloody pants, ripped containment pants, ripped containment top
(Or:)
It must have gone pretty quickly, because someone still left most of their lunch on the controls. Ugh, coffee's cold.You found <1 of>: egg salad sandwich, half of a sandwich
You found <1 of>: cup of joe, horrible black coffee
Try the controls
Man, it's like someone went down the line of controls with a hammer or crowbar or something. This thing will need some serious repairs to get back in working order.
You've earned 4 XP in Perception
Or, once enough lasers were installed:
The controls are definitely cobbled together, although they're in generally working order.
As far as you can tell, there are a number of dials to set frequencies, a switch below each dial with an indicator light, and a huge switch to start the whole thing up. Well, only one thing to do.
You choose some settings that sound interesting and flip the huge switch. You notice you have to put your back into it, as though it's counterweighted to swing back.
The trivia that switches set up like that are called "dead men's switches" seems suddenly very important as pale flame washes over you, forming into the reaching hands of the dead.
(Fight 3 Burning Specters)
Replicate test gamma
Man, it's like someone went down the line of controls with a hammer or crowbar or something. This thing will need some serious repairs to get back in working order.
You've earned 4 XP in Perception
Or, once enough lasers were installed:
You replicate the final experiment performed here as best you can, setting the dials then flipping the immense dead man's switch. A haunting sound, like the sound of ice breaking underfoot, pulses through the room.
When its joined by a crystalline howl, you glance behind you to see crystalline shapes loping from the shadows. In the distance, you can hear their claws clicking against the bare floor… dozens of them.
As the three nearest you leap to the attack, you have to release the switch. Thankfully, the first sound stops. Unfortunately, the hounds seem no less aggressive.
(Fight 3 Twisted Hound)
Or, if not Etheric and enough lasers installed
You replicate the final experiment performed here as best you can, setting the dials then flipping the immense dead man's switch. A haunting sound, like the sound of ice breaking underfoot, pulses through the room.
When its joined by the slithering sound of polysteel rubbing against polysteel, you glance behind you to see several of the shattered drones reconstructing themselves. In the distance, you hear more of it… dozens of drones.
As the three nearest you leap to the attack, you have to release the switch. Thankfully, both of the sounds stop. Unfortunately, the drones seem no less aggressive.
(Fight 3 Hound Drones)
Play Emerald Gift
Man, it's like someone went down the line of controls with a hammer or crowbar or something. This thing will need some serious repairs to get back in working order.
You've earned 4 XP in Perception
Or, after fixed:
You do your best to replicate the settings they spelled out to get the frequencies of an Emerald Gift song. You're not sure it was ever intended to be used, but the Gift's haunting music rises through the bare lab.
An emerald light shines out from within the machinery promises… something beautiful, but hemmed in by dark shapes of crystal. It's easy to believe you're hallucinating… maybe from the strange hum you feel all around you until the crystalline shapes tear their way out of the machinery, snapping at your arms.
You've gained 20 energy of Drawn Onward.
(Fight 3 Twisted Hound, with 4 extra XP?)
[6 XP in Perception, 1 XP in Reflexes, 5 XP in Strength, 1 XP in Will ]
Smash it up
With a battered crowbar or The Hammer's Sledge equiped:
You brutally smash the controls, pouring out sparks and fragments of electronics onto the floor. Damn that's satisfying.
You've earned 3 XP in Strength
You've earned 3 XP in Will
Otherwise:
You batter at the controls. They're surprisingly solid for as damaged as they've obviously been… whoever went through here before you must have been a beast.
You've earned 3 XP in Strength
Patch it up
You pop off a few panels and take a look.
Hmmmm, well, the good news is that the controls themselves are really basic. You should be able to fix those, no problem.
But the controls are connected to a fragile network of lasers, many of which are damaged or missing. You could probably replace them, but even the central ones… that's a lot of lasers.
You've earned 4 XP in Perception
If you have a Homemade Laser and have received the above result at least once
You pop open some of the paneling and replace one of the damaged lasers with your homemade one.
It's… strangely easy, easier than slotting in most manufacturer replacement parts. Its tests great and you have some time to repair to superficial damage to its controls
Back away slowly
Yeah, there are certain bears it's better not to poke.