Drone Hound chasing worker (nonetheric)
A panicking construction worker tears past you, ducking into a recently completed dorm room. The reason for his panic quickly becomes apparent as a hound drone lopes behind him, preparing to corner him in the room.
Odd… Midgard is always bragging how good the target selection on its security drones are. Then again, Midgard says a lot of things.
Join The Drone
Between you and the drone, it only takes moments to finish him off. Once his body is cooling in a pool of blood, the thing turns on you without a moment's hesitation.(fight Hound Drone)
Help the worker
You leap between it and the worker. After taking a moment to compose himself and choke out a sobbing "thank you," he evacuates the scene. (fight Hound Drone)
Twisted Hound chasing worker (Etheric)
A panicking construction worker tears past you, ducking into a recently completed dorm room. The reason for his panic quickly becomes apparent as a warped shape lopes behind him, preparing to corner him in the room.
Join the hunt
Between you and the hound, it takes only moments to tear him limb from limb. Once it seems satisfied he's dead, it turns on you in one fluid motion. (Fight Twisted Hound)
Help the worker
You leap between it and the worker. After taking a moment to compose himself and choke out a sobbing "thank you," he evacuates the scene. (fight Twisted Hound)
Just Watch
You watch as the hound tears him limb from limb. Once it seems satisfied he's dead, it glances up at you with its empty eyes and leaps at you without hesitation. (fight Twisted Hound)
Walk Away
You walk away, the sounds of sobbing and flesh tearing quickly fading as you move through the halls.
Looks like you're next.(fight Twisted Hound)
Ask about the dorms
"Ha!" He looks around nervously as the sound echoes through the sparse halls.
Dropping back to a whisper and looked abashed, he continues. "Fucking Midgard. They want to get their project on schedule, get the Dorms up by the new term or whatever."
"But, classic Midgard, they call us in a couple weeks ago. Nothing's done. They've had a shell here for months, but no floors, no wiring, no internal walls, even the elevator stacks aren't in… I'd like to punch whoever made that call."
"It's like whoever the brought in first thought they were building a warehouse instead of a dorm. That's why they should be hiring guys with a lick of common sense instead of the kids here."
The drones
He shakes his head. "Gone crazy, that's what's happened. The construction drones are fine… were fine… the hounds went for them first, damnedest thing watching drones tear apart other drones. Like a fucking nature program."
"Couldn't tell you why, though. Before things got real bad, a couple of the other boys and I thought it might be because of that new computer thing they're doing… novice or whatever."
"You and I, though, we'll never find out. Way above our pay grade, even getting double time for shit like this."
The Guards
He shakes his head. "They're alright enough, just wish they'd get the drones off our backs."
"They keep saying that it's isolated incidents and there's nothing to worry about it, but you don't need a diploma to know what shit smells like."
Midgard
"Midgard?" He shakes his head. "What's there to say?"
"I mean, they're the only game in town. They say jump, everybody jumps. My boss calls our team off this site, he never gets a contract again… bankrupt before the year's out. Merry fucking Christmas."
He sighs heavily. "I walk off this site? I get fired, unless my boss wants to lose his contract… toss me or everybody's kids get half-eaten sandwiches instead of those creepy singing Idoru dolls for Christmas."
"Hate to say it, but you and me? We're expendable. You go to Southside, get a dozen guys that can do our jobs fine. Need a project like this, two hundred, two thousand guys? Hire some sucker to post fliers out in the flats or talk to some highwayfolk. Pay half what we're getting, have twenty thousand starving bastards beating down your door."
He deflates a little, as though he's been holding that in his chest, and rubs at his eyes. "Sorry, sorry. I've been thinking about Midgard a lot lately… it just always ends the same way."
He forces himself to smile. "But at least they gave us these sweet hats, right?"
Combat encounter (not in full suit)
Making your way through the claustrophobic unpainted halls of the incomplete dorm, you come face-to-face with a Midgard Security patrol. They look about as happy to see you as you are to see them.
That doesn't explain why one of them is wearing a containment suit… unless things here are even more seriously wrong than seems at the surface. (fight 2 midgard security, 1 slags guard)
Combat encounter (etheric)
You come across a dumpster filled with dust, rubble, and some parts that look like they might have belonged drones once. As you consider digging in, two forms rise from the rubble, reaching out towards you like vengeful ghosts. (fight two Trash Golems)
Wall segment
add to the wall
You look around some, but there don't seem to be any bricks. You could scavenge some from the wall, but that seems a little self-defeating.
You've earned 4 XP in Perception
Combat encounters
You hear a clank… clank… clank behind you. After wishing for a moment you didn't have to turn around, you see that a Midgard hound drone is following you, striking the exposed pipes as it passes them.
Drones don't normally try to intimidate people, so it's possible its targeting routines aren't working properly. Judging by the way its glassy optical sensors focus on you, you're about to find out if it's still combat ready.(fight Hound Drone)
You hear a clank… clank… clank behind you. After wishing for a moment you didn't have to turn around, you see that a pack of hound drones are following you. From the looks they're giving you, you're almost ready to believe the urban legends that they've grown intelligent and have begun to hunt those they should be serving.(fight three Hound Drones)
You hear a click… click… click behind you. After wishing for a moment you didn't have to turn around, you see that a pack of dogs following you.
Well, not really dogs… twisted things made of crystal that faintly resemble the canine form. They… aren't just hunting, they don't want you here.
You're not sure how you know that, but the knowledge doesn't prevent them from leaping to bring you down.(fight three twisted hounds)
You hear a click… click… click behind you. After wishing for a moment you didn't have to turn around, you see that a hound-like shape of twisted crystal shards is prowling down the hall after you.
It pauses for a moment, as though drinking in your awareness of it, then leaps to the attack. (fight one twisted hound)
Noncombat
You make your way gingerly through the shell of the dorm, listening to the groaning and popping of the walls. This place is in really bad shape, as if the campus needed another dorm collapse.