Finding themselves at the landmark Halkueem Zen identified as the ruined obelisk, the party agrees to take a closer look at the ruins. Nict begins clearing some of the foliage that covers the structure, while Yiris stands guard. Bratrizik uses his jetpacks to go higher and get a better view. Clearing the tree tops, he takes a look around him and sees the mountains in the distance. They are still eight to ten days away.
With much of the obelisk cleared, Nict finds a few ancient Elven letters. Using his computer's translation abilities, the mechanic determines that the ancient Elven appears to be some sort of warning, about “Loskialua, monastery of starsong, embassy of the spheres, and Temple of the Twelve.” Several other series of Elven runes are nothing but fragments that refer to paying respect, messengers from beyond, an academy, and “interpreters of the beacon.”
With the sun setting in the distance, Bratrizik uses his jetpacks to return to the ground. As he lowers himself, he catches a glimpse of something shiny. He lands back near it, and finds what appears to be a ruined estex suite I of a fairly recent vintage, with several large lacerations on the chest and arms, rending it unusable. As he bends closer to inspect, he is attacked by a strange plant, and his environmental suit is damaged. Yiris determines that the plant is a vracinea. The android casts arcing surge, severely damaging the vracinea. Nict and BARGO, his drone (Battle And Roving Ground Operations) are unable to score hits, while Bratrizik casts mind thrust. The vracinea is finally killed.
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| vracinea |
Noticing another shining reflection about twenty feet near the armor, Bratrizik rushes in and stumbles into another vracinea. Thinking himself outside its reach, he casts mind thrust and inflicts some damage, followed by Nict and his drone. The plant fights back, however, and Bratrizik was not in fact out of its reach. It shreds another part of his armor. The combat is quickly over, and Bratrizik takes this opportunity to heal himself. Near the root of this vracinea is a frostbite-class zero rifle with a chewed battery. Nict takes it and replaces the battery. The rifle is operable but will need a good cleaning.
Bratrizik spots one more shiny object. This time, Yiris heads carefully and shouts a ray at the area, hoping to trigger a reaction. There are none. The vesk walks over and finds a silvery credstick holding 290 credits laying on the ground. The kaukarikis have exploded in shouts of anger following the deaths of the plants, but increase the distance between themselves and the party. They decide to spend the night here so that Bratrizik can fix his suit as best he can, while the others heal the damage they suffered during their confrontation with the Vracineas
After the Gap - March 8, 317 @ 6:21
The night passed quietly, and as soon as they pack camp the party resume their chase of Paqual's group. The trail left by the larger group remains fairly obvious, with large cuts through the underbrush. The fourth day is quiet, but the air is infected with millions of mosquitos, though they are still trailed by the kaukarikis who periodically pelt them with small stones and rotten fruits.
After the Gap - March 9, 317 @ 9:04
On the fifth day, they begin feeling like they are spied upon. Yiris is the first to notice that a ksarik is trailing them. She recalls that this is a semi-intelligent aggressive plant, but she cannot recall specific details about its diet. Brat takes a picture. The kaukarikis give it a wide berth.
Find a clearing, they walk the edge and set a trap. The ksarik fires a blob of acid at Bratrizik. Yiris casts arcing surge and wounds it, which is enough to scare it away. Within an hour, however, it has returned to trail them. They set another trap. The ksarik enters and seems to sniff the air, but this time its attention seems drawn to Bratrizik. Yiris casts two arcing surge spells and manage to slay the beast. Nict uses his medical skills to pull the thorn out without doing much damage to the vesk.
After the Gap - March 10, 317 @ 11:55
On their sixth day on the trail they come across a humanoid laying down on the edge of the path, in the middle of a clearing. This female lashunta is badly sun-burned and has suffered the bites of thousands of mosquitoes. She is also clearly wounded, having been gored by some large animal. She can barely breathe, and it is clear she has not much time left to live.
Bratrizik questions her. She identifies herself as Ralkawi, a member of Paqual's group, and she confirms that Dr. Solsistarni is still with the group. Yiris asks her what happened, and she tells them she was attacked the night before by a ksarik and left behind by Paqual because she had become a liability.
Nict attempts to heal her, but is unable to do more than alleviate her suffering. Bratrazik suddenly notices that her eyes roll back in her head. Another ksarik emerges from the jungle and charges the group. Nict receives a thorn during the combat. They successfully wound the ksarik, which runs away back in the jungle. Bratrizik pulls it out, and heals the mechanic. A loud moan emerges from Ralkawi's lips, and they watch with horror as ksarik seedlings emerge from her stomach. Yiris fires her gun, while Bratrizik uses a flare to kill the seedlings, but Ralkawi dies in the process.
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| ksarik |
After the Gap - March 9, 317 @ 12:41
Midway through the seventh day, both Nict and Bratrizik begin to feel their skins erupt on fire. They use antitoxins to attempt neutralizing the ksarik seedlings inside them, without success. That afternoon, the wind shifts direction, carrying with it a tangy scent. The kaukarikis which had been following them since the Rune Obelisk scatter through the canopy and hide in large flowers, wrapping themselves shut. The first pink flakes begin to fly through the skies. Yiris identifies this phenomenon as a moldstorm, a particularly deadly strain of mold. They all climb the trees, and wrap themselves as much as they can in the flowers.
Yiris’s internal clock tells her about an hour and a half has gone by before the kaukarikis emerge from their shelters and begin their chatter again. They spend some time looking for the party, but not being able to find them, the monkeys return towards the obelisk. Only then do Yiris, Nict, and Bratrizik emerge from their flowers, and they move on. Nict feels a little off, and he notices that the holes in his environmental suits are covered in pink spores.
As evening falls, they are attacked by a renkroda which has been rendered mad by the moldstorm. Bratrizik is badly bit before they are able to defeat it. The party decides to shelter for the night and attempt to shake off the effects of the storm and of the ksarik attacks.
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| Renkroda |
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