Settlement

The party were able to get away from the tower and have a long rest in a secluded grove. It is greener than the rest of the area. Aria and Vae are both unconscious. The area in the surrounding forest is quite dangerous.

Sakiran salvages some half-inch thick bark to use as a sledge, as well as some sticks. She finds some vines that she can use to tie them together and uses them to make the sledge and transport Vae. She picks up Aria and carries her while Tasu helps her to drag the sled.

As they move through, they hear smaller predators skittering through treetops. They move out of the way of whipping vines. As they move further out, the tower is almost completely covered in fleshy material with mist and tendrils reaching outwards. It is making deep whale-like noises that reverberate throughout the island.

Trees are being pushed upwards as nanophage tendrils work their way through the ground, pushing upwards. As they look forward, there is smoke in the distant. It looks like a settlement bonfire.

The forest is thinning out into a sparse woodland. They hear from the sky a boom and a thunderclap. Several flying machines that are sleek and white fly above. One larger craft is followed by four smaller ones that seem to be heading towards the tower. The tower lashes out at them with a sticky glob of energy that is fired out of the ports. It melts the larger craft completely, and the other ones are splashed. They tumble down. One of the craft is spiralling towards the party. They hear a massive crash as the ship crashes. It is about 100m away. It erupts into a blue flame. They hear what sounds like a pulsed, concentrated firing coming from that direction.

They creep up behind them. A humanoid has been bifurcated and is still firing his gun. On top of the crashed craft is a man firing his large rifle in concentrated bursts. His armour is more ornate and heavy. He is firing bursts all the way through the nanophage creatures. He obliterates all of the beasts.

He turns towards them and fires a warning shot, hitting the ground in front of them. It explodes into blue bolts, kicking up dirt. He tells them to halt criminal scum. He throws a longsword towards Tasu, right between his legs. He screams with righteous indignation. The man cannot hear them and places a hand next to his ear.

While all this is happening, the ship's parts are streaking off and impacting around the island.

Sakiran takes a proper look at his armour, and then at Vae. The design is similar. She deduces he is Altarnie and drops the vines. She walks towards the man, hands up. There are a lot of dead people around from the crash. He is the only survivor.

The man says "that's far enough". She says his voice sounds Elvish, and he immediately changes his voice while he denies this. He sends his arctic fox towards her with a piece of parchment. It is written in Elvish and asks if she is friend or foe. She ticks friend and hands the parchment and pen back to the fox. The man looks back and forth from the parchment and group. He jumps down from the burning shuttle and looks around. He sees that one of his team mates look like they're just about to die. He has been almost torn in half. The man asks if he would like to be put out of his misery. He takes his helmet off. He reaches up for him and he goes limp and dies. He takes his weapon and places his helmet on top out of respect. He finds a medical kit and rations in a locker.

The party watch on in confusion. They go closer to him. The man recognises Vae as a silver guardian designed to run covert missions. Aria is a scrawny Eladrin girl.

The man sees this and confronts them, asking where they got them. The fox is growling as well. Sakiran asks what and they point towards the Altarnie. She explains they were within the tower. He addresses her by name and she goes in circles with him asking how he knows her name. He deflects by introducing his fox.

Sakiran goes to pick up the sled again with Vae on it. She starts walking off without him. The man buries the dead. As they drag Vae and Aria, they come across a settlement. It looks like walls that have been braced with metal and wood. There are separate buildings, some quite high, with what looks like a symbol of circles around them. In front of them is a moon shaped gate, and there is a guard on top of the wall. He is dressed in normal civilian clothing and has a cobbled together gun.

He spots them and shouts out "what are you doing here?"

Tasu responds back and asks if he has been running. Another voice tells him to open the gate. He pulls the lever open with several tugs.

In the town square centre, there is a well with sheet metal and wooden buildings. There is a man with a leg and arm missing. He looks old and wizened, and turns to them, greeting them as travellers. Tasu holds Leoric's hand and he catches on, saying they are a family looking for a place to rest. He recommends they rest at the bordello. Leoric looks skeptical. He notices Sakiran dragging Vae and asks what it is. She says it is a robot. Leoric says they use it for performances. The townsmaster sees through his lie, but decides not to pursue it further.

He tells them the town was set up by an Elvish fellow. They call him the Town Greeter and his name is Arden. He shakes his arm stump. Arden moves in closer to him and Leoric can smell beer on his breath. He recognises the brand as Shmella Hartoir. He asks where he got it from. Arden points his stub towards the bar named "Barr". He says it's run by a fellow named Alex, who lacks creativity. He says they look like they could use some rest.

Sakiran asks if they do whiskey. Arden looks uncertain.

They enter Barr and it smells like illicit drugs with beer and whiskey. People look impoverished. A dwarf barmaid looks over at them, hair bound up in ribbons. She says she'll get to them in a second and they take a seat. The table is covered over with laminate over rotten wood. They jostle Vae into a seated position and see wisps move throughout her body again. She requested that she placed down. She touches her face and asks for cloth. Sakiran hands her bandages and she bandages her face where it is broken.

She sits at the table staring into the distance. Aria looks very rattled and covering her nose, cowering next to Sakiran. They sit down at the table comfortably. The barmaid asks what they want. Leoric asks if they have a certain brand of beer. She tells them it is four rands and Leoric tries to haggle, but Sakiran places the rands in her hand. She comes back a few moments later with drinks on a tray. She hands Sakiran whiskey, Leoric Bodwesser and Aria a pale yellow drink. Leoric offers Aria some of his beer and Sakiran tries to swat it away.

It is the first time they've been able to sit in peace for some time. Leoric leans back. Sakiran asks what a bordello is.

Vae asks if she would like to join the whorehouse. Sakiran looks vaguely disgusted and says no. Leoric says it would be a good opportunity. Sakiran snaps at him asking why doesn't he do it. Vae says male ones are less popular but well paid.

Aria writes in her notebook asking if she can join the bordello. Sakiran asks how she knows common. She writes again and says she has been listening to them talk. She has learned primitive common in 4 hours. She writes a large essay on its language origins. Sakiran is amazed, and hands it over to Vae as she takes larger and larger gulps of her whiskey. Vae scans it quickly and hands it to Leoric.

Vae tries to order from the bar and asks for sustenance of liquid. Leoric says beer and whiskey. She parrots it back in an unnatural voice.

Sakiran tells Aria she cannot join the bordello. Vae asks why, and Sakiran explains she is fragile and could break. Vae says some enjoy that. She asks Aria if she has ever copulated, and Aria hides behind Sakiran with a blush. Vae says she cannot understand why organics are so embarrassed about simple questions.

Vae and Sakiran talk about how she could kill her and how her mission is to destroy the tower. Vae tells her that she drinks a lot, since the average is 1 drink of whiskey, but Sakiran has drank two in ten minutes. She looks defensive and caught.

Leoric is accosted by a prostitute and he walks in, looking horrified. Aria asks why her breasts are so low.

They have a conversation in the bar covering many topics.