The Refracting Trees

They ride the elevator in silence except for an outburst of anger from Naida. Flux climbs onto Azure to comfort Cataract. They leave the observatory and Azure prepares the funeral ritual for Sarqo in which the body is consumed by blue flames.

Back on the road they traverse the Gall Grass where they are pursued by a Cold Vome Patrol but Naida takes them out with her sniper rifle. A hypo-psychic miasma rolls over the landscape an dampens the spirits. During camp Saffron inspects the strange looking puncture marks that Azure and Naida display and concludes that they are a sign of some kind of machine parasite infection.

On the horizon strangely bent lights announce the Refracting Trees. Inside the forest of tree-silicon symbionts Naida is hit by a shard of broken light that lodges in her eye. They follow the ditch road carved through the forest by centuries of heavy vechs. One of these gargantuan creatures can be seen from afar crushing through the trees apparently possessed by some kind of Phosphor Ghosts who only Naida can see through her newly acquired vision. Saffron harvests a bloom of chitinous flowers before they leave the forest.

Aurorae of light dance in the sky when they approach the Spectrum Palace, an unassuming drum-shaped building of dull metal and rivets that is guarded to the South by a wall of rainbows. They arrive at the visitor camp between two hills where they are welcomed by a  smiling woman in ceremonial robes.  Before they settle down in the cube shaped building that they are assigned to Naida hands over Satrap 88’s crystal snail in order to update their memory.

Actual Play: https://youtu.be/ODy8c8eP8rI

Vicar's Beach IV

Sarqo sends Flux into the keypad to unlock the vault door but the bone and wire salamander returns with the message: +++unable to interface +++ no electricity +++. They decide to scout the corridors and find another locked door to the left and a big room to the right with vomes crawling around a giant maggot-like creature they identify as the vome mother. Some of the vomes display weird behavioral ticks like moving in circles, repeating actions etc. There is an exit leading to a paternoster lift, vomes suspended in gelatinous cubes in one corner and an old fashioned diesel generator in another. Naida sends Ajax to reconnoiter the other exit from the pool room. 

The cat lord reports that the corridor leads to an airshaft. Naida takes position at the junction and equips everyone with grenades while Saffron sneaks into the room mimicking the behavior of the vomes. When they activate the generator the vome mother immediately releases a pheromone that whips the vomes into a frenzy. Combat vomes surround the mother while white crab vomes begin to block the corridor where our heroes await Saffron’s return. A small service drone makes its way towards the pool room but is struck down by Azure. Saffron pretends to fill the gap between the crabs using the maneuver to slink back towards the other party members.

With the electricity restored they finally manage to open the vault door, which opens into a large room with irregular white walls. There is a coffin and three gilt ornate boxes that indicate to Sarqo that it contains robot spare parts. When Saffron opens the coffin they stare into the familiar face of a fellow machine human who they assume is Vicar. They carry the body and all the boxes to the elevator when the cold vomes who lurked under the water awake, alerted by the noise. They throw grenades into the pool and retreat towards the closed elevator door. Saffron and Sarqo are dragged underwater while a cold vome blocks the door. Naida sends Ajax to rescue  her companions but for Sarqo it is too late: He stares into black impassive eyes while his life is squeezed out of his body. Ajax shoots a barrage of poisoned needles into the cold vome holding Saffron until they manage to break free. They recover Sarqo’s body and retreat into the elevator. When the doors close elevator music starts to play.

Actual Play: https://youtu.be/JH7POIu-wR8

Vicar's Beach III

Characters in Season 11:

Naida: A  Deft Yellowlander Climate Refugee and Scope (member of the Legion of the Far Sight). The Legion is a semi-secret society that tries to fight crime on the roads of the Grasslands and around the Circular Sea. Bone grenade aficionada. She is accompanied by Ajax, a grumpy exiled Cat Lord with a serpent tail and Otis, the animatronic bear. 

Azure Dee: A Deft Blue God Cultist on her journey to the Black City where she is supposed to bring the apocalypse by sacrificing Vile organs. The Vile are a species of (demonic?) rulers from the Long Long Ago. She is accompanied by Cataract, a Wire-and-bone biomechanical salamander, who has been impregnated by Flux, Sarqo’s Salamander. She has undergone mutation after being exposed to a vome infection that made her muscles grow uncontrollably. The mutation has slowed down after a week of therapy sessions in the solarium of the Pylon Kraal.

Saffron, a Wise Black Gold Industrialist Machine Human whose personality was uploaded to a cybernetic prairie dog after being killed by Johnny-7's auto immune system. Outfitted with positronic double brain, extendable limbs and laser eyes. Accompanied by a furry animate kite. Seeking a prosthetic body for mother.

Sarqo, a Deft Purplefolk Doghead Anarchist, looking for a clue to abmortality in order to break it. After disappearing in the Maze of Light for what felt like a lifetime he is able to cast Full Spectrum Radiation Blast. Honorary member of the Clan of Sanitation in Red Bear Village.  

 

Previously in the UVG:

Our heroes entered Vicar’s Ear an ancient complex in a remote area North of the Ultraviolet Grasslands known as Three Sticks Lake. They have heard rumors that deep under the structure the body of a machine human can be found. The ventured into the dungeon, restored power to the system and now stand in front of a closed elevator door, talking to Belle, the artificial elevator operator.

 

Vicar’s Beach III

Belle whispers in a frightened voice: “There is someone inside of me. They are unwell…” Sarqo asks Belle to open the door just wide enough to allow Flux to enter. When Flux returns he spits out a slip of ticker paper reading: +++ woman inside w/ backpack and spear +++ foul smell +++ golden cube projecting swirling geometric lights+++.

Sarqo enters the elevator protected by the mask of a porcelain prince and spots the woman, who is slumped against the wall and unmoving - apart from her twitching skeletal fingers. Sarqo carefully approaches the robed figure, removing her hood which reveals a ghoulish dried face with flickering eyes. He spots a golden puzzle box lying inn her lap and slips it into his sack just before it starts to solve itself. There are symbols above the opposing doors reading:

• Top Floor / Maintenance 6 (personnel only)
• Exit / Observatory
• Visitor Center
• Reactor / Maintenance 7 (personnel only)

Belle announces that Vicar, the steward class machine human who is supposed to greet visitors is currently undergoing maintenance and therefore unavailable. They decide to take the elevator to the visitor center. The doors open to a lush and colorful lounge with silver flying-saucer-shaped lamps and a bar, staffed by an animatronic bar keeper, who serves Azure a fancy cocktail. There is a gift shop to one side behind a glass wall and doors to the Media-Library and Cinema 2000.

Their exploration of the rooms is first interrupted by a slightly disoriented, shoe box sized insectoid drone vome belching black smoke and later by a spidery detona-vome. Azure tries to grapple the creature but it wriggles out of her grip and explodes, severely wounding her. Before they retreat to the elevator Saffron grabs a bottle of champaign from the bar and Sarqo a mobile baby toy with satellites and space stations. Sarqo patches Azure up while they descend to the bottom floor.

Saffron peaks into the dark room with her multi spectrum vision that reveals a pool with a strange current and six immobile figures floating under water. Led by Saffron they hold hands like children and tiptoe to a corridor. Inside they come upon a junction where Saffron senses warmth coming from the corridor to the right. and a heavy vault door ahead.

Actual Play: https://youtu.be/2U48vKZ6Z8s