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Encounter Conditions
Only on fifth floor, if you haven't yet passed it
Initial Text
The fifth floor is all but gone here, but you're fairly certain you'll have to get past this stretch to get to the eastern stairs. There appear to be two paths.
The higher path goes along the ruins of a wall, should be fairly stable… but you can hear something moving up there. You can see the entire lower path, but it's vanishingly small and gusts of wind blow over it almost constantly.
Summary of Choices
- Take the high road - Fight three helidrones (or flying eyes if etheric, slags poisoning or equivalent) to cross floor
- Take the low road - Complicated series of attribute tests. See below.
- Check for wireless (with Juryrigged Antenna active) - hack Piecemeal network
- Leave both roads - Nothing
Choice Text and Results
Take the high road
(If etheric)
At the crest of the higher path, you're greeted by the sound of leathery wings. Three great winged eyes break from a larger group to dive at you..
(Fight 3 flying eyes)
If you lose:
Your world goes dark as you tumble from your lofty perch, falling down to the fourth floor with a resounding crash.
(Otherwise)
As you make your way to the crest of the high road, you see what was causing that sound: a small swarm of Midgard helidrones. Three of them break off to rain bullets down on you.
(Fight 3 helidrones)
If you lose:
Your world goes dark as you tumble from your lofty perch, falling down to the fourth floor with a resounding crash.
Take the low road
READ FIRST
All attribute tests are often passed with 12 in the appropriate attribute (buffed, not base), but failure has been reported with an attribute as high as 14, and success with an attribute as low as 8 (though only once each). There are probably other, unknown factors involved, but if you want to be sure I'd try with 13 or 14 in all stats at lesat.
NOTE - Kinak has confirmed that passing tests makes that test easier? If I've understood correctly…
Certain tests can be bypassed by other means (most of which have probably not been discovered.)
INTRO
You make your way out into the open air, clinging to a narrow path, all that separates you from tumbling a story to the floor below. You can hear the roar of the winds as they claw at you, almost as though they're pitting their will against you.
Continue to the "Test 1" section that describes your situation best.
TEST 1, WITHOUT ETHERIC, WITH AIR FILTER (or sometimes, without air filter too?? I had residual antidote if that matters.)
You steel yourself, stay low to the ground, and move forward slowly.
Tests your Perception.
If you fail:
All but blind in the dust storm, you tumble off before you even realize you've misstepped. On the way down, you have a few seconds to contemplate the downsides of relying on human eyes.
Fall (see end of page).
(This message implies you can get across by using non-human eyes, somehow? Need to test Ocean Sight, Fae Sight, eye equipment…)
If you succeed:
The dust storm is almost impossible to see through, but you manage to pick out a safe path, staying as near to the wall as possible.
Continue to "Test 2, Without Etheric, With Air Filter"
TEST 2, WITHOUT ETHERIC, WITH AIR FILTER
The wind howls around you, varying from a hard wind to a bone-scouring one. Even walking, it's daunting, but chunks have fallen from the path, demanding a leap through the wind.
Tests Strength, then Will. It's possible but unlikely that Reflexes is also tested.
NEEDS TESTING: Does a jumpjet help?
If you fail the Strength test:
You cling to the rocks, but the winds tear you from your place of relative security and send you crashing to the floor below.
Fall (see end of page)
If you pass the Strength test, but fail the Will test:
You hook yourself to the rock and wait until you grow impatient. The winds apparently don't approve, knocking you from the ledge with their heaviest gust yet and sending you tumbling to the floor below.
Fall (see end of page)
If you pass the Strength and Will tests, but fail the Reflex? test:
You clutch the rock and force yourself to wait for the wind to reach its lowest point, then line up a jump. You half-stumble during the jump and, despite trying to turn it into forward momentum, end up with your fingers just brushing the other side. You have time to curse your lack of jumping practice loudly as you fall to the floor below.
Fall (see end of page)
If you pass the Strength and Will tests:
You clutch the rock and force yourself to wait for the wind to reach its lowest point, then line up a jump. You chose your moment perfectly, gliding through the air to land among the rubble on the other side.
Succeed (see end of page)
If you pass the Strength and Will test, but only because you have a bonus from trying and failing before?:
You hook yourself to the rock and force yourself to wait for the wind to reach its lowest point, then line up a jump. You glide through the air and land perfectly, with the grace of experience.
Succeed (see end of page)
TEST 1, ETHERIC AND/OR WITHOUT AIR FILTER
Intro, if you have no air filter:
Those toxic winds leave everything covered in a fine black dust that sparkles a vibrant green. The shimmering light spreads, becoming an enormous lightshow that dances, matched by the uneasiness in your stomach.
(Gain 10 energy of Slags Poisoning)
Tests Perception
Intro if you have an air filter but are etheric:
The winds claw at you physically, along with a lightshow that covers the bridge, leaving nothing but flashing lights and afterimages.
Tests Perception
If you fail:
Dizzied and confused by the lightshow, you only make it a few steps before something crumbles under your left foot and you find yourself drifting through empty air for a moment before landing with a sickening crunch.
Fall (see end of page)
If you succeed:
The lightshow makes it difficult to pick out any details, but your eyes are faster than the whirling lights. You manage to pick out the patterns of the bridge, making your way across cautiously.
Continue to "Test 2, etheric and/or without air filter"
TEST 2, ETHERIC AND/OR WITHOUT AIR FILTER
Tests Will.
Intro:
The wind roars in your ears and pulls at you like a great beast, but you remain in control of your thoughts. Perhaps you are already too mad for them to touch you.
or, with Ocean Sight?
The wind roars in your ears and pulls at you like a great beast, but you remain as steady as the ocean, letting it wash over you harmlessly.
If you fail:
?
Fall (see end of page)
If you have sufficient Will and succeed:
but you remain in control of your thoughts. Perhaps you are already too mad for them to touch you.
Continue to "Test 3, etheric and/or without air filter"
If you have Ocean Sight active (or possibly Ocean's Touch?)
but you remain as steady as the ocean, letting it wash over you harmlessly.
Continue to "Test 3, etheric and/or without air filter"
TEST 3, ETHERIC AND/OR WITHOUT AIR FILTER
Tests Reflexes, then Strength. (Though there are other ways to bypass it.)
If you fail the Reflexes test:
Just when you could hope to make it across safely, the pathway rears back like a serpent and knocks you off before you can react.
Fall (see end of page)
If you pass the Reflexes test but fail the Strength test:
Just when you could hope to make it across safely, the pathway rears back like a serpent, but you respond in time. Sadly, the fastest response in the world won't get you across the widening chasm.
You tumble down, wishing for more leg strength or, since you're wishing, the ability to fly. Both thoughts are jolted from your head by the cold ground.
Fall (see end of page)
If you pass the Reflexes test and pass the Strength test:
Just when you could hope to make it across safely, the pathway rears back like a serpent, but you react in time and hurl yourself to the other side of the resulting chasm.
If you pass the Reflexes test and pass the Strength test with Fae Sight:
Just when you could hope to make it across safely, the pathway rears back like a serpent, but you react in time. As you jump, the air seems to lift you as you all but float to the opposite side.
Succeed (see end of page)
FAILURE / FALLING
(The message is specific to which test you failed.)
Take 18-40? damage
if you have no air filter: Gain 10 energy of Slags Poisoning
Gain 4 XP in the attribute of the test you failed.
SUCCESS
You slump on the other side of the bridge, tempted to hug the solid ground, but far too tired.
You've earned 12 random XP
The stairs to the Sixth Floor are now unlocked (and usually reached with a couple Energy.)
Check for wireless
There's a strong signal coming from up ahead… several signals, actually, meshed together into one network. It's some sort of distributed computing, obviously, but it's approach to the Novos specs is… unique.
Hack Piecemeal Network. If you successfully "end" the encounter by redirecting drones, you get:
With them gone, you have a clear shot across the bridge and to the far stairs.
Leave both roads
History
On June 5, 2010, the high road was increased from 2 to 3 helidrones/flying eyes.
Later (July? August?), the low road was changed to what you see now.
There was also a minor change to the last sentence of the intro paragraph of the low road.