Normont examines the text and it occurs to him he may be looking at this wrong.....the screen is just presenting words to him but behind the words are concepts he is more familiar with......cogs, levers, fulcrums.....not physical ones but they exist within the framework of how this arcane machine functions nonetheless....so to disable parts of a device he needs to look at the links that comprise the whole.
Basics......conditioning....but through arcane machinery rather than a spell or psychology.....so all he needs to do is throw a proverbial spanner into the works......and that part should stop functioning.....is that what he wants? What is the aim here? To stop the remaining servitors from killing people, to stop new faulty servitors being gated in, to stop the Dwendalians from taking over the place....well, that was his friends aim.....but his friend is gone now......or should he just find a way of destroying the place....or preserving it for Whitestone.....a war between Whitestone and Wildemount over ancient knowledge? There are a lot of big decisions to be made....
Looking over at Lokalia who appears to be thinking hard about something he figures something is better than nothing but which something?
Normont is fairly sure he can completely corrupt the conditioning program by layering basic over basic on a repeating loop.....which should put any servitor coming through into, essentially, a permanent fugue state, if the password works he can just shut off the gate, he still hasn't looked at engineering....
Remembering how Engineering blinked earlier, Normont wonders if that was due to some notification that he should be reading. He navigates to it to check whilst the others are mulling things over. He has deduced a lot, but having all the information is critical when determining a hypothesis after all.
Dev tries to conceal the satisfaction he feels in being given a full vote after a lifetime so far of being discounted or worse.
”Quinn, I agree with you that we don’t want any more creatures attacking us. But surveillance means, like, to look or watch, with eyes, not claws. So I think it won’t make things worse.
”But my real vote,” he turns shyly to Normont, “would be to ‘completely shut off the gate,’ or, I don’t know… ‘put any servitor coming through into, essentially, a permanent fugue state.’ I wish we could do that. To me the first goal is to stop the creatures from attacking us.”
(not sure if DMs post above was for Normont’s eyes only, but I’m quoting it IC as a shortcut to reference in a slightly meta way that post)
"I trust your judgement. After all, you jumped off the edge and floated into complete uncertainty and survived. And keeping us alive is a goal I can get behind", he says with a chuckle.
With that, he looks to do exactly as Dev asked, shut the gate and corrupt the programming of any servitors already here if possible.
Dev can hardly believe that Normont, whose intelligence he almost reveres, is doing what he suggested. But the teenager gets over himself and will Help Normont with the undertaking if he can.
Normont is able to take the gate offline and thoroughly mess up the training procedure.
As to how long it will be before- the Dwendalians return in force....who knows.
Activating the Surveillance brings a screen on the left to life with images of each level on a constant 360 degree pan, the companions can see themselves and, if the floor levels are in order there are at least six of the Shapechangers below them around the fan grid seemingly in some form of dormancy.
"Great job Normont," Lokilia says. "And you too Dev," she adds as she turns to give him a smile. "Now we... I'm not sure. Are we supposed to find information? Or just make sure the other folk don't get it? Whatever the case, let's do it and get out of here."
"I'm just glad it seems to have worked", Normont replies to Lokilia.
When she questions their next move, he frowns.
"There is likely a wealth of knowledge here, certainly enough to go to war over. But what sort of world would it lead to if they use abyssal creatures as their slaves. Nuts and bolts, I hate to say this, but I think we should try to destroy it all. Or most of it anyway. We could maybe take some crystals to Whitestone to see if they can unlock them, but even that may be enough to start a war".
"As for the how, look here. We can purge the database. That should be the knowledge removed from the library. We can then turn off the cooling fan. This whole place should then heat up to the point it is unbearable. Hopefully not before we have got out though".
"I just wish I had some time to look through some of this knowledge first".
Dev gasps in awe as Normont taps the final selection and the screen shows success.
“It worked? It worked!,” he chimes in, bouncing on his toes. His expression bathes Normont in admiration.
When the elation cools and Normont describes the situation and options, Dev feels overwhelmed by the idea that their actions could either lead to or divert a war between nations. But to his mind, such thoughts are almost ungraspable, while that which is foremost in his heart — seeing his parents again — could be within reach.
“Is there some way to see if the door is locked or not? Like, before we do anything else can we make sure we can get out?”
Dev doesn’t remember seeing any such choices in the display, but just to be sure… was there an option for escape? Dev takes a close look at the surveillance view of the entry, assuming there is one. Can he see if the door is open or shut, and if shut, if there is anything resembling a panel like this one that they might have missed on the way down that could potentially unlock it?
"Well there was a setting for Exterior Lock, and then status was Disengaged. I am assuming that means it is unlocked", Normont replies, waving away Dev's admiration a little self consciously. "Always good to corroborate though".
He navigates to that option to show Dev, under Security Protocols.
"What do you see on those monitors? You are right, we really can't find it locked if we turn off the Cooling Fan. We'd cook!".
"I say destroy it," Lokilia says. "None of this knowledge is worth a war. "We should just destroy everything." She watches too as Normont goes to check if the exterior door is unlocked - or however it is labeled. "Seemed all the creatures were below us, so at least the path up should be clear."
"Well there was a setting for Exterior Lock, and then status was Disengaged. I am assuming that means it is unlocked", Normont replies, waving away Dev's admiration a little self consciously. "Always good to corroborate though".
Dev’s eye falls on Normont’s clever flying artifice. “Could… maybe to be sure, could Amber fly up and try to open it? I mean there are no creatures up there so we know it’s safe. And flying up would be much faster than us walking or even running.” Dev doubts he could run all the way to the top.
Normont Arcana (with guidance): (
16,8)+5+3=16OOC: @DM - Any chance the below racial trait might be tweaked to apply, due to this being an old technological device:
Artificer’s Lore
Add twice your proficiency bonus to History checks related to magic items, alchemical objects, or technological devices.
( Oh. Nice. Sure, Why not.)
16,8)+7+3=18(OOC: Thanks @DM, shame about the disadvantage but 18 has a chance I hope :-) )
Normont examines the text and it occurs to him he may be looking at this wrong.....the screen is just presenting words to him but behind the words are concepts he is more familiar with......cogs, levers, fulcrums.....not physical ones but they exist within the framework of how this arcane machine functions nonetheless....so to disable parts of a device he needs to look at the links that comprise the whole.
Basics......conditioning....but through arcane machinery rather than a spell or psychology.....so all he needs to do is throw a proverbial spanner into the works......and that part should stop functioning.....is that what he wants? What is the aim here? To stop the remaining servitors from killing people, to stop new faulty servitors being gated in, to stop the Dwendalians from taking over the place....well, that was his friends aim.....but his friend is gone now......or should he just find a way of destroying the place....or preserving it for Whitestone.....a war between Whitestone and Wildemount over ancient knowledge? There are a lot of big decisions to be made....
Looking over at Lokalia who appears to be thinking hard about something he figures something is better than nothing but which something?
Normont is fairly sure he can completely corrupt the conditioning program by layering basic over basic on a repeating loop.....which should put any servitor coming through into, essentially, a permanent fugue state, if the password works he can just shut off the gate, he still hasn't looked at engineering....
Remembering how Engineering blinked earlier, Normont wonders if that was due to some notification that he should be reading. He navigates to it to check whilst the others are mulling things over. He has deduced a lot, but having all the information is critical when determining a hypothesis after all.
The Engineering Tab now appears operational.
Cooling Fan Power- Active.
Database Power- Active
Environmental Controls- Active
Surveillance Systems- Inactive
Conduits- Active
Database Purge- Inactive ( Password Required)
"Ooh, surveillance. Now that sounds handy, being able to see who and what is lurking here", Normont says, his finger inching towards pressing it.
(OOC: Happy for someone to shout stop haha)
Quinn grabs his hand, "I believe that this might make our situation worst. Would if it sends more monsters on us."
"I'd say try it," Lokilia tells Normont. She then turns to Quinn. "Perhaps you could take a look and see if you can get the machine working?"
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Normont looks between Quinn and Lokilia, before focusing on Dev, "You break the tie. If you say press surveillance, we press surveillance".
(OOC: If Dev agrees or doesn't choose either way, Normont will press surveillance)
Dev tries to conceal the satisfaction he feels in being given a full vote after a lifetime so far of being discounted or worse.
”Quinn, I agree with you that we don’t want any more creatures attacking us. But surveillance means, like, to look or watch, with eyes, not claws. So I think it won’t make things worse.
”But my real vote,” he turns shyly to Normont, “would be to ‘completely shut off the gate,’ or, I don’t know… ‘put any servitor coming through into, essentially, a permanent fugue state.’ I wish we could do that. To me the first goal is to stop the creatures from attacking us.”
(not sure if DMs post above was for Normont’s eyes only, but I’m quoting it IC as a shortcut to reference in a slightly meta way that post)
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Normont looks hard at Dev, and then smiles.
"I trust your judgement. After all, you jumped off the edge and floated into complete uncertainty and survived. And keeping us alive is a goal I can get behind", he says with a chuckle.
With that, he looks to do exactly as Dev asked, shut the gate and corrupt the programming of any servitors already here if possible.
Dev can hardly believe that Normont, whose intelligence he almost reveres, is doing what he suggested. But the teenager gets over himself and will Help Normont with the undertaking if he can.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
Normont is able to take the gate offline and thoroughly mess up the training procedure.
As to how long it will be before- the Dwendalians return in force....who knows.
Activating the Surveillance brings a screen on the left to life with images of each level on a constant 360 degree pan, the companions can see themselves and, if the floor levels are in order there are at least six of the Shapechangers below them around the fan grid seemingly in some form of dormancy.
"Great job Normont," Lokilia says. "And you too Dev," she adds as she turns to give him a smile. "Now we... I'm not sure. Are we supposed to find information? Or just make sure the other folk don't get it? Whatever the case, let's do it and get out of here."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
"I'm just glad it seems to have worked", Normont replies to Lokilia.
When she questions their next move, he frowns.
"There is likely a wealth of knowledge here, certainly enough to go to war over. But what sort of world would it lead to if they use abyssal creatures as their slaves. Nuts and bolts, I hate to say this, but I think we should try to destroy it all. Or most of it anyway. We could maybe take some crystals to Whitestone to see if they can unlock them, but even that may be enough to start a war".
"As for the how, look here. We can purge the database. That should be the knowledge removed from the library. We can then turn off the cooling fan. This whole place should then heat up to the point it is unbearable. Hopefully not before we have got out though".
"I just wish I had some time to look through some of this knowledge first".
Dev gasps in awe as Normont taps the final selection and the screen shows success.
“It worked? It worked!,” he chimes in, bouncing on his toes. His expression bathes Normont in admiration.
When the elation cools and Normont describes the situation and options, Dev feels overwhelmed by the idea that their actions could either lead to or divert a war between nations. But to his mind, such thoughts are almost ungraspable, while that which is foremost in his heart — seeing his parents again — could be within reach.
“Is there some way to see if the door is locked or not? Like, before we do anything else can we make sure we can get out?”
Dev doesn’t remember seeing any such choices in the display, but just to be sure… was there an option for escape? Dev takes a close look at the surveillance view of the entry, assuming there is one. Can he see if the door is open or shut, and if shut, if there is anything resembling a panel like this one that they might have missed on the way down that could potentially unlock it?
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer
"Well there was a setting for Exterior Lock, and then status was Disengaged. I am assuming that means it is unlocked", Normont replies, waving away Dev's admiration a little self consciously. "Always good to corroborate though".
He navigates to that option to show Dev, under Security Protocols.
"What do you see on those monitors? You are right, we really can't find it locked if we turn off the Cooling Fan. We'd cook!".
"I say destroy it," Lokilia says. "None of this knowledge is worth a war. "We should just destroy everything." She watches too as Normont goes to check if the exterior door is unlocked - or however it is labeled. "Seemed all the creatures were below us, so at least the path up should be clear."
Rabbit Sebrica, Sorcerer || Skarai, Monk || Lokilia Vaelphin, Druid || Liivi Orav, Barbarian || Vanizi, Warlock || Britari / Halila Talgeta / Jesa Gumovi || Neital Rhessil, Wizard
Iromae Quinaea, Cleric || Roxana Raincrest, Rogue || Meira Dheran, Rogue || Qirynna Thadri, Wizard || Crisaryn Melkial, Sorcerer
Dev’s eye falls on Normont’s clever flying artifice. “Could… maybe to be sure, could Amber fly up and try to open it? I mean there are no creatures up there so we know it’s safe. And flying up would be much faster than us walking or even running.” Dev doubts he could run all the way to the top.
DM for Candlekeep Mysteries // Dev Hornd in Curious Critters // Eclipse Faraway in Gallows Dancer