GOAL:
Investigate an increase in strange activity and map the unknown territory ahead.

 

SUMMARY:

 

When a distant broadcast caught the attention of Salus, a team was dispatched to find the source as it began to stir all sorts of guardian activity. With several days on the road ahead of them they excitedly raced each other across the desert, vehicles emerging mostly unscathed, before making their way up the slopes of a rocky plateau to The Outpost.

 

- THE OUTPOST -

The abandoned building, in great disrepair, did not deter the team from their investigation. Exhausted and wary, they searched the outpost for clues, parsing through the destruction inside. Where some found curious items left behind by those before them, things like preserves, metal feathers, and a pager containing a message, others found signs of a brutal death.The body of a G-Canid, buried beneath broken bookshelves. Nova was injured by glass.

 

Thoroughly unnerved, they gathered what they found. Shiv acquired the head of the G-Canid, while Aslan recalled a previous fight that took place at the outpost, and Darien examined the puncture marks on the canid. As the team continued, radios crackled to life with an unsettling, familiar broadcast, putting most on edge. 

 

When the thrum faded, the team made the choice to stay the night at the outpost. Intel agents worked to set up a drone for the upcoming days. No more dangers emerged from the dark.

 

- THE FAR DESERT -

After another long drive, the team arrived mid-evening at their base camp. Some went up to the nearby watchtower, while others began to unpack and settle around the campfire. Sunday, prepared with the ingredients for s’mores, taught some of the team how to make them, and with a bit of music a lively campout took shape. 

 

When the night came to a close, Aslan, Sunday, and Llew were able to spot a pair of G-Canid-156’s up along the canyon ridge, alerting the rest of the expedition to the threat. As they gathered, debating what to do, a giant guard joined the pair on the ridge, calling to the two and eventually retreating with them. It was suspected this creature was the source of the broadcasts. In the morning, the team headed off into the canyons to continue their investigation.

 

- DEEP CANYON -

The hike was long and, for some, treacherous, as the team struggled to cross a fissure in the rock. Niraya was able to react in time and rescue Sen from the danger, as was Llew for Sunday. Barber, Shiv, and Cal were injured in the fall. Once patched up, they moved further into the canyon, only to be ambushed by a single G-Canid. The team dealt with it swiftly, but before Barber could attempt to hack it they decided to quickly evacuate the area in case it exploded. Though it did not explode, the guard shut down some moments later, and was marked by the team on their map.

 

Later on, they came across a series of pathways in the narrowing rock, choosing to take the center path after some debate. The team argued with one another until hearing movement up ahead. Only Cal, Sunday, and Aslan were able to successfully hide, now given front row seats as the giant, saber-toothed guardian from the previous night emerged, lunging for the rest of their team.

 

•  Sen was bitten badly and thrown against the ravine wall.

•  Llew and Darien were clawed, and Niraya was hit by the guard’s tail.

•  Winston landed a shot on the guard.

 

Cal was able to locate an escape route for the team and they all fled down into a fissure in the rock. When they emerged once more, it was to a strange building down the hill, and the shattered husk of a biome days off into the distance.

 

- SENTRY BUILDING -

Careful, the group entered the building through the loading bay. They found on one side a Martian terminal, and on the other a wide array of different crates. Investigating the crates revealed an additional space, a workbench with a corkboard. 

 

•  It was discovered that one crate contained seeds, and that another contained weaponry and medkits. 

•  The third crate was revealed by Sunday, Shiv, Nova, and Sen to contain a blue whale jawbone, a relic belonging to Io Scoria’s previous settlement.

•  Llew, investigating the workbench, found a note from what seemed to be a worker looking for someone after an attack. They also found on the corkboard a few pictures, one which suggested that the guardian that had attacked the team was named “Stinger” by the workers.

 

While the crates were opened, half of the team went to investigate the terminal, successfully getting it to work with a bit of rewiring. They were able to locate the login credentials after some searching of the surrounding area, and were soon confronted with a maintenance system. As they reviewed the data, the group learned that the saber-toothed guard, “Stinger”, belonged to the class G-Therion-331, and was supposedly linked to a G-Canid. It was debated whether or not to use the terminal and recall the guard back to the building, where it could be taken down, but the team overall agreed on doing so.

 

Preparing for the fight, the team divided themselves into melee, long-range, and intel. Right off the bat, Sunday and Cal in intel managed to chip away at Stinger’s code, providing an advantage for those fighting. The guard collided brutally with the expedition team, severely wounding some while being damaged by the skillful attacks returned. During the battle, the G-Therion was joined by the surviving G-Canid-156 from the ridge, known during the combat as “Aardvark”.

 

• On a 30 Dexterity, Aslan was able to jump aboard Stinger and deter her from crushing his teammates.

• Sen acquired one of the saber teeth, having broken it off with a well-placed hit.

• Shiv finished off the G-Canid, shutting it down.

• With outstanding effort and rolls, intel secured a signal jammer on Stinger, stunning her.

 

As the battle continued, the team executed one last spectacular beatdown on the guards, running Stinger into the ground until she was unable to get visuals, thermals, etc. on any of them. Intel, continuing to hack, was able to prevent any last-resort mechanisms from triggering. Defanged, the G-Therion met her end by Aslan’s hand.
 

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OUTCOMES:

 

The expedition team secured all objectives and returned to Salus with additional supplies. Previously unexplored territory was thoroughly detailed and all active threats were terminated. The abnormal guardian activity has since ceased.

 

 Intelligence operatives were able to map the locations of the outpost, canyon creek network, and the remains of a biome.

 

Evidence and supplies varied, but retrieved items were as follows:

• Outpost: Metal feathers, fruit preserves, firecrackers, protein bars, pager.

• Sentry Building: Assorted weapons, medkits, seeds (produce, flowers), Balaenoptera musculus mandible, radio and note.

 

 The G-Therion-331 “Stinger” was secured and brought back to Salus for study. Field observations suggest that it was able to provide minor commands to the G-Canids present.

• Saber teeth were removed and placed in the care of Senreyl and Shiv.

• Accompanying G-Canid-156s, canyon guard and “Aardvark,” were retrieved.

• Guard remains from the outpost were retrieved.