RMJ 2-11: Meeting Elara and Witnessing Gavchelkar

Mission Report

Sunday, March 14, 2027 ((2023-12-17))
Team: Balto (Cael), Pebble (Basil), Ragdoll (Keneux), Skadi (Aslene)

Our force recon of Cloud Lab 3 was interrupted by the Humbled Crone. She put the entire lab into stasis, except for four marshals and Togo. An ivy jumpgate opened and we traveled to a memory(?) of a pre-Freeze forest. We briefly interacted with a manifestation of the Crone, and then she directed us through another jumpgate. We met Dr. Elara Morganstern, a Talarin cyberneticist. Elara and her lab were relocated to an icy cave by the Crone. Elara has been working on a device she calls the Crone Link, to better understand the nonverbal deity. Elara told us about Kalvekia, a Reaver prison ship buried under the ice and claimed by the Crone.

Another ivy jumpgate opened. It transported us far back in time, or at least to a very vivid memory. We were in the battle at Gavchelkar Ranget, where the slaves tried to rebel but were slaughtered. We defeated several enforcer RTec drones. We observed Izros Tear Miser feasting on the slaves’ misery, including the catatonic despair of one man. Yet another ivy jumpgate opened and we returned to a cave in the present. The cave has been remade as a courtroom. The Crone is sitting as judge and Izros is trapped in the defendant’s box.

Details

• It's Friday, March 12, 2027, 10 am.
• It's been 35 days since the Wall went up (2/7/2027).
• The staff have also been searching for something deep underground, on a set of specific electromagnetic and gravimetric wavelengths.
• Stasis freezes almost everyone and everything. These 4 marshals and Togo are not affected
• Balto: "Togo, now, relax, brother mine. This ain't hostile, but it sure as shit is strong..."
• Balto: ",....HElluva sky. Damn. Beautifuk."
• Skadi cringes as she steps on the stick and looks down at it like she can't believe it's there. She shudders, and refocuses - the sense of a guilt and apology leaking into the chain for a moment.
• Balto: In the chain, there's a feeling ,like a headbutt on her thigh, friendly and reassuring- in concerto, from both Balto and Togo.
• The Crone has built her domain with centuries of powerful, pacifying magic
• Skadi: As the information from each person comes in, Skadi pauses for a moment. Then she moves closer to a tree (an actual, non-iced full trunked healthy huge tree!) and presses her back against it, taking a moment to recenter. She breathes in - takes in all the scents - and then breathes out the fragmentation of battle and anxiety and fragmented focus. When she opens her eyes, she's calmer, more balanced, ready.
• Balto: Balto sucks in a slow, delighted breath. Oh, oh those beautiful, beautiful stars.
• Ragdoll gives his runic phone number to the Crone
• Crone gives Togo some fresh meat
• Skadi made an offering of tea leaves.
• Balto: Balto seems like she has some food for thought from Skadi now. There's thinking going on behind her chestnut eyes.
• Teaching the Crone that humans need company
  • 3 Unbound, total 45, with 7 PP spent
  • Doubled because Crone Link
• Balto: "Someone work up on the right side of the intubation tank," Balto says, grinning.
• The Gavchelkar Ranget Work Camp, nestled in the dense forests of pre-Freeze Sihblos, has become a battleground under the starlit sky. The night air is thick with the scent of burning wood and electric sparks, as flames begin to lick the edges of prefab trailers and advanced cybernetic machinery. The heat from the fires clashes with the cool forest air, creating a swirling mist that adds a haunting ambiance to the scene.
• In the midst of this chaos, the camp's metallic structures, once symbols of oppression, now reflect the eerie glow of the fires. Humanoid Reaver drones, equipped with high-tech weaponry and armor, move with ruthless efficiency, their forms casting long, sinister shadows against the burning backdrop. The slaves, a diverse group of beings bound by their shared plight, rise in rebellion, their improvised weapons and sheer determination creating a stark contrast to their oppressors' calculated brutality.
• Izros Tear Miser: He appears as a humanoid man with a distorted skull and long, multi-jointed fingers. He has dark, greedy eyes and slicked-back hair. Izros wears fancy, anachronistic clothing. Shadows and dread cling to him like sticky fog. Black acid pools and drips in the corners of his mouth.
• The ground, littered with debris from the ongoing battle, trembles under the weight of heavy machinery and desperate combatants. Makeshift barricades, crafted from scraps of metal and fallen trees, dot the landscape, providing temporary shelter amid the chaos. The forest itself seems to be an unwilling participant in the conflict, its trees scarred by stray blasts and its wildlife scattered by the uproar.
• In the heart of the camp, a focal point of the struggle emerges around a large, commandeered trailer. Here, the slaves have managed to integrate stolen cybernetic technology into their defenses, turning the oppressors' tools against them. Holographic displays flicker erratically, showing both tactical data and messages of defiance. The air is filled with the sounds of clashing metal, desperate shouts, and the crackling of fire, painting a vivid picture of a fight not just for survival, but for freedom.
• Gavchelkar was a total massacre. Even the slaves who didn't rebel were executed, on video, as an example
• Skadi (Unbound card): recognizes this location and can help the Mother's Children find it again
• Elara: This is new
• Pebble: Pebble giggles at "This is new"