Dungeon Crawl Part 3

Log Title: Dungeon Crawl Day 3 Characters:
 * Imager
 * Scales
 * Slugfest
 * Typhoon
 * Backblast

Location: Cybertron Underworld

Date: 6/19/2018

TP: Dungeon Crawl TP

Summary: Heroic Autobots beneath Valvolux.

As logged by Autocthon

Underground Conduits - Valvolux - Northeastern Cybertron
Below the factories of Valvolux are low power conduits connecting the various buildings. There isn’t a lot of room above and below the piping -- just enough for Micro Transformer workers to get in to fix things, and maybe larger bulk Cybertronians if they squeeze very very carefully. Regular lighting is built into the passageways, but whether they’re working or not depends on the level of the local brownouts. Under many of these lights is scribbled the following graffiti:


 * "The Founder Lives"

As Scales finishes removing the last of the bolts from the floor panel it becomes much easier to be lifted off the floor with some effort from a couple of the Autobots.

Once it is lifted and moved out of the way a passageway large enough to fit even Grimlock is revealed, though it is without it's own lights.

Backblast levers the panel up with his entrenching tool, now that Scales has freed the bolts.

Typhoon stands and limps over to have a look. She shines her forearm lights down into the space below to see what she can see, activating her advanced sensors as well.

Imager is there waiting nearby. When Backblast gets under the plate, she reaches out to take the plate and set it aside gently. Funny, the Autobots actually work together fairly well when needed. She looks back towards Typhoon and the others, "Looks like a big enough gap for me..." Her words come in a hushed tone, "Got anything down there?"

Backblast peers down the hole for a little while. "I got point." He decides, unslinging his huge 90mm rifle. It's really not suited to close quarters like this, but... it's the biggest gun they've got. He ignites his altmode's headlights - built into his chest, now - and drops down.

Typhoon's lights illuminate a ladder that descends down some sort of access tunnel with rungs inset against the wall. It's difficult to get an exact reading on where it may lead, aside from down, with the light provided.

Backblast used the ladder to slide down dramatically.

Typhoon's optics widen as Backblast bravely drops into the unknown. She looks at the others uncertainty.

Imager’s eyeridge raises at the hatch, then shrugs at Typhoon, "He's eager." She stands back up, and motions towards the ladder. "Whelp, better get on that, before the Cons get to wherever it is that they think they know about before us. She descends last down the ladder to join the others.

Typhoon nods, summoning her courage. "OK, Scales. Let's go." With infinitely more care than Backblast, Ty descends the tube.

Abandoned Repair Bay - Level 2 – Valvolux
This room could easily be a mile long, with a ceiling about two thirds of that. Giant cables hang disconnected from the walls alongside bundles of smaller feeds. A large bed easily fills the majority of the room, surrounded by discarded parts and tools. Half the lights in the room are long destroyed, and the ones that remain flicker in a way that doesn’t seem entirely random. A soft sigh hisses through the room from a light breeze that carries the scent of oil, rust, and dirt.

There used to be a door at one end, but it’s stuck half open and completely filled with rubble. A ragged, round tunnel pierces the room a dozen feet from the floor on one side, only to continue on to unseen depths on the other. There are safety lights visible on the ceiling outlining what might be bay doors overhead, large enough to let a shuttle enter or leave, or something larger.

Scrap is piled in walls and mounds at the edges of the room, and something moves among it with the click and scrape of metal against metal.

The access tunnel is useful in that it allows the Autobots to traverse between floors. Unfortunately it also comes out near the ceiling on one wall next to the remains of another set of rungs down. If someone wanted to be adventurous, or crazy, they may still prove useful, but the strength of the remaining rungs is unknown.

Backblast lands at the bottom of the ladder and scans around the full 360 with his rifle, the machine gun on his shoulder tracking around independently of it, covering the other angles. He steps out of the way of the ladder. "Clear!" he calls up to the others.

Ty follows Backblast down at a more careful, measured pace, dropping down the last bit onto the floor and staggering after putting too much pressure on her hurt leg. She limps quickly out of the way for anyone following, and then finally gazes around the room. Her optics widen and her mouth drops open at the sheer size of the underground area.

Imager is a bit ginger with the rungs, especially given the area's decrepit looks. She rests most of her weight on the strongest points of the rungs, nearest to the bolts. She settles on the floor, first investigating the next ladder down. Skeptically she surveys the spot, a hand on her chinplate. "......nope! Lookitthat, we fall down there, we ain't gettin up." She eyes Scales, "Well maybe you can, but..." Imager pauses as she notes the giant hab slab. She stands up straight and approaches the massive slab, a bit awestruck. "That..." She points forward, "Is a Titan slab." Imager looks back to the group, "I didn't even know cityformers had slabs."

Scales drops a few rungs at a time, gliding to a landing near the others. She stares around the room, optics spinning a little faster in excitement. "Think any of those conduits are live?"

Ty and the others have discovered a massive room beneath the factory conduits, accessed by a Jeffries-tube-esque ladder. Ty herself is wowed to silence by the size of the area while the other Autobots do more useful observation.

Scales squashes the urge to just run out and poke at things, tail thrashing.

Backblast blinks as he looks up at the big slab, nodding. "Yeah, that's a frackin' slab aw'right." he agrees, blining. "Look a' the bugger."

Imager gives a more thorough look around the area, then considers. "Well, okay so I have ideas, bad ones." She motions to the catwalk, "It’s pretty dark but I think there's at least one more platform straight below us. I was thinkin that we send down a scout...prolly Backblast here since he's all eager to get ahh.....Oscar Mirk or whatever you all call it. Now the rungs here may not handle...well, frankly me, but they're less likely to drop under him. I tie him up to a instacable, for a safety line, and Scales here goes with, since you got that flying thing. And I guess that means I play support from up here till you guys can verify the integrity of the next few landings. Soooo Ty's left to do the sig-scanning like before." She shrugs, "Worst case scenario, I use you guys as counterbalance when I rappel down.


 * GAME: Typhoon PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Average difficulty.

Ty nods sharply, getting her wits about her and scanning around for Slugfest before going back to tracing signals around the room, trying to get a circuit map of the area to supplement physical topography.

The power line Ty has been tracing does run through this chamber, and continues further along. There are other live wires that go off in various directions, but nothing quite like that one she's got her eye on.

Backblast grins "Scouting is what I do. Listen, you reckon that's far enough for a parachute pack to engage?" He motions to the floor. "Unless you want me to just go down the usual way?" Slugfest sits very quietly as the Autobots mill around. He rests his chin on his front feet.

Scales tilts her head. "If you don't use the rungs, how will Imager know if they're any good?" She pauses. "That sounds kind of.. mean.. when I say it that way."

Imager gives a cursory nod to Backblast, "Yeah probably, but that'd probably be best down to the actual floor and not the landings. We gotta ensure safe passage down for everyone. If something does give way down there, that pack'd be good to ensure you get down there to assist Scales in emergency repair." She clicks her insta-cable dispenser, which looks very much like a retractable tape measure. "I'm still expecting those rungs to give way beneath me, even if the rest of you are fine...besides Backblast can help steady the cable for Ty and myself after he secures."

Typhoon looks up from what she's doing, and tries to follow along with the plan. Typhoon blanches suddenly, and glances suddenly at Backblast with furrowed optic ridges.

Backblast grins and turns to Slugfest, crouching down to look at him. With the alloygator on his head, and energon still drying on his face... the smile he gives is a little scary. "You're going to be nice, and stay with the nice weaterbot, aren't you? Say yes Backblast. Cause... if you don't... they'll send /me/ to track you down. You don't want that do you? Say No backblast."

Scales tries not to roll her optics.

Imager sends a radio transmission.

Typhoon looks spooked

Typhoon sends a radio transmission.

Typhoon frowns deeply, as if trying to remember something...

Imager just puts her hand on her hipplate, and makes a 'let’s hurry this up' motion with her hand, "Come on, let’s hurry this up."

Slugfest curls up tightly, peering up at Backblast nervously. "Will be nice," he murmurs, looking something like a scared but tired puppy.

Typhoon looks at Slugfest sympathetically, but then focuses on her role in Imager's plan.

Backblast smiles and gently pats Slugfest's head. "Good. There'll be plenty of tea." He smiles and goes over to the ladder, making his way down to the first landing, making sure to really test the rungs.


 * GAME: Backblast PASSES a DEXTERITY roll of Very High difficulty.

Despite testing the rungs as he goes one still snaps beneath Backblast's weight, but he manages to push off the wall in time to rappel down to the next, solid rung.

Scales hops down from rung to rung, a few behind Backblast.

After a bit there's a solid sounding clang followed after a bit by a series of quieter and quieter impacts until the noise is swallowed by the enormity of the room.

Typhoon looks at the stegoloaf. "Need help climbin' down, little one?"

Backblast giggles "Whoopsie!" He laughs. "Okay. Yeah... that was hairy." He cackles, continuing downwards.

The line goes taut in Imager's hands, anchored to her shield. She skids a small amount before she braces properly to support Backblast's weight in the interim. Her gaze too goes to Slugfest, and despite being occupied, she points a finger of her free hand at the tape. "I done said I don't want ya here, but we're not gonna leave you stranded...so you're gonna have to tape up and ..." She suddenly rolls her optics, "What am I saying, all Decepticons can fly." She manages an 'off with you' gesture to the Cassettecon.

The rest of the descent to the next landing is uneventful for Backblast and Scales.

Imager nods to Typhoon, even as she sets up for her own descent. "This...is going to suck." She starts to build a network of cables around the upper catwalk, IDing stress points and spreading out the weight as evenly as she can. She tosses down the cable dispensor, ie: the other end of the rope. <<No other real fulcrums up here, gotta use the struc-supports....Nobody stand right beneath me, kay?" She looks down at the ladder, and exhausts. Instead of even bothering with the rungs, she tries to hold onto the ladder's supports itself as she slowly descends.


 * GAME: Imager PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of High difficulty.

Scales keeps a wary lookout even as she backs away from Imager's landing zone.

Backblast also keeps lookout, with his rifle.

Through judicious use, possibly over use, of cable Imager is able to get down to the next landing safely, and by repeating their process the whole of the Autobot team (and Slugfest) are able to reach the ground safely with no other major incidents.

Typhoon and the others chased a naughty stegotape and found a whole new area under the factories

Finally resolving a dispute up above, Grimlock catches up to the rest of the group. Of course he has to navigate his way down, which he eventually does, actually thinking to fly rather than just falling down. After all, there's no telling what's waiting for him down there, or if the floor can actually support his weight. So instead of possibly making a crater and ruining someone's day, Grimlock instead hovers down and lands with a still audible clank, peering at the large open room the rest of the Autobots are exploring.

"Me Grimlock say, what a dump," he rumbles eloquently.

Typhoon grins and hops up and down on the struts of her feet when Grimlock joins them. "Sir! Look what we found!" she squeals unnecessarily.

Backblast waves to Grimlock and continues looking around. "Grims."

Scales thumps her tail a few times and sulks a bit at Typhoon, glaring around to see if there's anything out there she can chew on to feel better.

Grimlock looks down at Typhoon when she comes running up. He doesn't react to the squealing, outside of a potent stare, then he redirects his attention to what remains of this... whatever it was. "Me Grimlock hope it better than first impression. First impression not good at all." A thought occurs to him, "Unless you refer to room. That might make Grimlock sad." He stalks forward then, around Typhoon, to begin looking around.

Grimlock notices others, nodding to Backblast and giving a wave to Scales. Familiar crew, all in one piece. Good start.

Typhoon resumes scanning around the massive room, looking for air currents, hot spots, movement, etc.


 * GAME: Mecannibal PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Immense difficulty.


 * GAME: Typhoon PASSES a TECHNICAL roll of High difficulty.
 * GAME: Scales PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Above Average difficulty.
 * GAME: Backblast PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Very High difficulty.

The room is no less daunting from the floor than it was high up on the wall. It might be more so actually, as at least being up high afforded a better view of the piles of rock, broken machinery, and piles of broken metal littering the place; as well as paths through them.

As the Autobots scan the area both visually and electronically nothing seems out of the ordinary, well aside from the scale of the room and it's ramifications.

"Me Grimlock just want to point out," begins the Dinobot Commander, "That this very big room. It seem odd to anyone else, that room this big be under Valvolux?" He glares about the room more, still not spotting anything of any particular significance.

Backblast nods "One of the theories was that this Founder is a Titan." He gestures to the massive slab. "Theory's got some pretty big evidence on its behalf right now."

Typhoon says, "We need Windblade fer this."

Scales slips forward and pokes at a bit of scrap with a paw. "I wonder if there are any records down here. Or useful parts!"

Grimlock says, "You got her in pocket, Typhoon?"

Backblast nods "Maybe. But... we ain't got Windblade. we got us. Maybe he speaks the same language? Remember, 'Plex could speak, before that Nazicon made 'is strike."

Typhoon frowns in embarrassment. "Uh, no, sir," she replies to Grimlock looking at the ground.

Grimlock pauses to take in Backblast's words just the same, recalling all of the chatter that he's heard about this Founder lately. "Founder, huh? Me wouldn't mind meeting someone that big. Be right at home with Grimlock." He glances back at Typhoon, "Bah, it joke, Typhoon. You no have pockets. Need fancy human pants for that." He stalks off, considering what Scales says, "You got point Scales, at least about parts. Me not sure if see any working systems down here." Not that Grimlock is the IT guy you want. Ever.

Amidst the various piles of detritus and debris a shadowy shape perks at the movement of the Autobots and begins scuttling their way. It may not be what others consider intelligent, but it is cunning enough to remain still until the prey passes by.

Mere moments after Backblast passes a pile of broken machinery the beast rises up; a flurry of amromerd plates, clacking legs, snapping mandibles, and swinging tail as it lunges towards him tail slicing through the air, stinger first.

>> Mecannibal misses Backblast with Claw. <<

Backblast yelps and drops his rifle, trusting it to land safely on its cushioned bipod. At the same time, he draws is energon khukri, igniting the blade in time to block that stinger. "No you don't!" declares Backblast, Cybertron's sociopathic answer to Steve Irwin.

Stymied, but not deterred the menacing mecannibal spits a gout of liquid at Backblast.

>> Mecannibal strikes Backblast with Acid Spit. <<

Scales jumps slightly to the side like a startled cat at the sudden appearance and attack, but then plants all four paws and just breathes fire right at the critter. No need to get close, just burn it all.

>> Scales misses Mecannibal with Fire . <<

Grimlock whirls around upon hearing the sounds of battle. He growls. "Puny beast think it can get drop on Grimlock? Pfah! Good! Me Grimlock HOPING for good time!" He slams his foot into the ground in front of him, for there is one very nice thing about this room.

It's large.

He bashes the floor with both fists, his body twisting around to form into the body of a giant dinosaur. "Me Grimlock coming!" he roars, bounding over and trying to punt their new friend with his foot. His very large dinosaur foot.

Grimlock raises his arms and begins to fold up as he leans back, rising up into his fearsome Dinobot mode.

>> Grimlock strikes Mecannibal with Kick. <<


 * GAME: Typhoon PASSES an INTELLIGENCE roll of Average difficulty.
 * GAME: Typhoon FAILS a COURAGE roll of Average difficulty.

Ty eeps at the monster attacks. After a moment of frozen horror, she gets her wits about her and looks over at the dinoloaf. "Sluggy! Get that platesaw goan!" she suggests. Instead of running at the monster with using Slugfest as a melee weapon, however, Typhoon THROWS the dinotape at the beast, not wanting to get too close and apparently just hoping for the best.

Slugfest squeaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaals as he's thrown, hesitating a moment before getting his chainsaw plates a sawin' as he hurtles towards the metal-munching monstrosity! He curls head-to-tail for maximum coverage along the way!

>> Slugfest misses Mecannibal with Chainsaw. <<

Backblast snarls as the acid splashes over him, burning paint and armour off his form. With a growl, the Autobot sniper backs away towards his rifle. As he does so, the machine gun on his shoulder wakes up, a laser-pointer showing his point-of-aim before the gun opens fire. "Someone distract it, I need space and I'm pretty fragile."

>> Backblast strikes Mecannibal with Ballistic . <<

Ty makes a face as her bad throw fails to hit the monster. "Sorry, Sluggy!" she calls out, drawing her Whirlwind Gun. "I'll try to move it away from you!" she calls out to Backblast. Setting the massive blunderbuss against her shoulder, she moves into position as close to Backblast as possible. She then takes aim and attempts to blow the beast as far away from the sniper's position as possible.

>> Typhoon strikes Mecannibal with Whirlwind-Gun . <<

The beast takes a pounding from Grimlock before a tiny stegosaurus is hurled its direction and bounces off the armored hide. That same armor gets pock marked by the bullets from Backblast's shoulder mounted machine gun. The only thing that seems to actually move it is Typhoon's gale force wind which forces it backwards, at least for the moment.

The thing screeches to a halt on the floor and regards the group with its multifacted eyes, mandibles clacking menacingly. Despite pushing the thing away Typhoon hasn't gotten it's attention, nor has Grimlock; instead it skitters back towards the one who hurt it the most... Backblast, tail whipping and swinging through the air.

>> Mecannibal strikes Backblast with Sting. << >> Backblast temporarily loses motor functions from the attack! <<

Scales huffs a few times at her prior miss, puffing smoke as she concentrates heat. If a small flame isn't enough to get to the creature, maybe a hotter one will.

>> Scales strikes Mecannibal with Fire Breath . <<

Grimlock growls. "Me working on it, Backblast!" He stomps at the mecannibal, clearly irritated that it's ignoring him. "You! Stingy thing!" he roars, "You no ignore Grimlock!" And he lunges down, hoping to get his point across the best way that a giant dinosaur knows how: His mouth. His jaws open and snap.

>> Grimlock strikes Mecannibal with Bite. <<

The spinning tiny stego bounces off the mecannibal and is lodged into the wall, stuck upside down, kicking little feets hilariously ineffectively like a turtle on its back.

Backblast snarls as the sting hits him. "Dammit... need more space, c'mon!"

>> Backblast succeeds with his generic combat roll on Mecannibal. <<

Ty eeks as the creature runs right past her and stings Backblast. "'Blast!" she calls out. "You OK?" Ty waits for Scales to bathe the thing in flames and Grimlock to chomp the thing. She then steps closer, attempting to simply bash the thing with the butt of her rifle. If she's learned anything from Commander Grimlock, it's that when all else fails, try brute force. "Scales! I think Backblast is hurt!" Ty seems callously unconcerned about Slugfest's ignominious fate.

>> Typhoon misses Mecannibal with Bash. <<

Beset on all sides the giant, armored scorpion... thing has been bitten and burned. There are various fluids leaking from the punctures and cracks in its form and at least a few of it's legs have been snapped, it is definitely not doing well right now.

It rears back and opens it's mandibles wide as it swings its head back and forth as another rain of acid issues forth.

>> Mecannibal attacks Typhoon, and Grimlock with Acid-Spray, striking Grimlock, and Typhoon. <<

Scales nods distractedly to Ty's shout and bounds closer to Backblast, swinging her own tail as she passes the creature.

>> Scales misses Mecannibal with Sting. <<

Grimlock is contemplating the taste of robotic scorpion when he gets sprayed with acid! Oh no! Yes, oh no, for the beast. You see, there is a list. This list is carefully kept, though he can't really find it right now. But if he could, that list of Grimlock's least favorite things would definitely have getting splorched by acid pretty high.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex looks perturbed to say the least, its blue eyes narrowing dangerously. "Me Grimlock," he snarls, "No LIKE YOU anymore!" Don't take it personally, scorpion, he never liked you. Lurching downward again, he opens his gigantic maw and tries to catch the Scorpion by the tail. If successful, he'd swing up, then swing down. Like a very large and powerful child deciding to break its yo-yo.

>> Grimlock strikes Mecannibal with Slam. <<

Slugfest continues to kick-kick-kick but is no closer to extricating himself from the wall...


 * GAME: Slugfest PASSES a STRENGTH roll of Average difficulty.

Slugfest finally kicks hard enough to loosen himself from the wall! But then he falls down, and lands on his head.

Backblast growls as he shakes off the venom, standing again and watching Grimlock slam the scorpion around. "Hold 'im still!" Backblast calls out to the big Autobot, carefully sliding a shell into his 90mm gun and working the bolt. He waits for the right moment, when the monster doesn't have any of Grimlock behind it, he opens fire. He's not using any of the speciality rounds; just a three and a half inch lump of metal moving at very high speed!

"I do NOT like bugs!" he growls. "Nuh-uh. Not bugs."

>> Backblast strikes Mecannibal with 90mm Gun . <<

Mecannibal is overcome by injuries, losing consciousness.

Ty curses as she misses the beast with the butt of her rifle, and curses more as she's sprayed by acid. Although her thick Weatherbot armor protects her from most of the effects, she still scowls in disgust, and winces as the corrosive liquid flows painfully into her joints. "Dammit," she calls out, using language picked up from Hurricane. "This is bullshit." She shakes and scrapes the residue off her limbs.

Typhoon belatedly looks around as the beast is killed. "Uh, thanks guys. Go team?" She searches for the poor head-bonked Sluggy.

The metal slug tears through the beast, scattering the torso and limbs hither and thither; just leaving part of the tail hanging out of Grimlock's mouth.

Scales sighs a bit of relief as the thing goes down, then inspects Backblast's injuries more carefully.

Grimlock spits out the tail in disgust and transforms after Backblast finishes off the scorpion, kneeling for a moment while growling with mild irritation still. He's basically unhurt, apart from a bit of acid scoring that you can see if you squint hard enough, but he looks rather furious. "Puny bug," he spats, hurling the insult making him feel marginally better. He rises, "This place full of ancient garbage and pathetic fodder not even worth for Decepticons."

Where all others cheer, Grimlock huffs.

Grimlock tilts his head down and raises up, unfolding and twisting into robot mode.

Backblast shivers, doing an almost Jim Carey-esque display of disgust before letting Scales look him over.

Scales considers the damage carefully. "It’s not -too- bad... jolts like that can really shake up yer system, though." She looks around. "I'll bet there's enough here to fix that properly, if you wanna take the time."

Ty scans around the large room, taking readings and walking carefully after the recent attack. "Well, I have good news, and bad news," she calls back to the others. "The good news is that, for when we're ready, I found another way out of here." She pauses and frowns, double-checking the readings from her forearm-mounted instruments.

"The bad news is that if my topographical maps of the complex are right, and I know they are, the pathway would lead right back to that leech-infested sewer." Ty makes a face, and glances over at Scales.

"Well that no good," remarks Grimlock, "We just go in circle then?" If he has an opinion on the leeches, he doesn't give it.

Typhoon says, "Well, there might be a way past it on the other side. I haven't been down there, m'self."

Scales says, "The leeches aren't that tough -out- of the liquid." She tilts her head in thought. "I didn't get to see much of the place before getting knocked down."

Backblast nods a bit "Go for it, but.. I hope we'll be able to fix the look when we get back to base. I'm... I like looking like me."

Grimlock has a momentary vicious streak kick in: "Could always send Imager." His voice rumbles with a chuckle.

Scales grins at Backblast. "With the parts down here, I can at least match the metal. Just not the paint." She gets to work.

>> Scales finishes the repairs on Backblast. <<

Typhoon can't help but smirks. "Yeah, that'll go as well as a screen door onna submarine!" She frowns. "I'll keep lookin'. I'm sure I can find anodder way outta here."

Grimlock grunts in assent, "Me believe that, Typhoon. Keep us posted."

Typhoon nods, and gets back to searching.