British Pounds
ROUND 1: THE STORY CONTINUES
The forested foothills of Great Mznuua rang with gunfire, as crews of greedy and desperate treasure hunters vied for the fallen chunks of the star. Kalla`Qua scowled with disdain as she gripped a slippery rock face, hauling her weight up over the cliff edge. Her reptilian lips pursed with concentration as the mountain rumbled, handfuls of loose shale falling all around her, like sharp, black rain.
The rest of her village had fled, not from angry Mznuua, but when the outsiders had come. They had tore the village apart, attacked their chief, all to find information on the falling star, but also concerning several other matters. The Chief had remained silent on all subjects. Now they fled, but Kalla`Qua had duties to attend to. The mountain must be appeased, and the Cave must be guarded… And also, the other matter…
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It had been a day and a night of violence. The crews which converged on the mountain side fought for territory, claiming as many fragments of the fallen object as possible. Most of what was retrieved was low level junk, but one thing is now clear: the rumours were right. Whatever the falling star was, it is technological in nature. What though? Some sort of ancient satellite? These wonders of the ancient world were known to exist, and the force of hundreds of years of gravity were known to occasionally pull them out of the sky. If so, and any of the wreckage had landed intact, it was easy to imagine what marvels lay on the top of the mountain!
Additionally, it was rumoured that the Skyton Militia had found something more interesting than useless junk…
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Juchita’s eyes were glazed, as she wiped the mud from her rifle. She had survived quite the onslaught, taking on three enemies single handedly, so that her leader could secure the last fragment of treasure. It had been a short, brutal battle, but they had been victorious, and the battlefield, such as it was, now belonged to them. She heard Kraytssk shout in surprise, and used a fortuitously placed vine to swing from the second floor building she stood in, over to where the Sorrian mech. She gasped as she saw it: a jump-suited corpse, strapped to a metal chair. The chair was attached to a larger piece of mangled metal- a bulkhead wall perhaps, wires spraying out from it like a verdant weed.
“What in the name of the Builders is that?” Forek grunted, emerging from the undergrowth. Juchita looked over to him, eyes white with surprise.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Hove said. “The debris must be from a fallen Orbital Satellite, and this unfortunate fellow died up there, hundreds of years ago…”
“But it’s not rotten!” Juchita replied, face all consternation. “How an ancient corpse from an orbital satellite be uncorrupted. What can it mean?!”
“Maybe nothing” Hove continued. “Air makes things rot. The skies are a vacuum if you go high enough”. However certain he sounded though, Juchita could tell that Hove was as intrigued as the rest of them.
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With the debris identified as technology, the only thing to do is to venture further up the angry mountain to the crash site itself. However, the cliff face known as the Rocks of Tanna are just the beginning of an arduous climb. It will first be necessary to establish a base camp, and preferably one with a defensive position. Not only is the mountain rife with competition, the local wildlife is just as eager to flee as the sentient locals, and as they do so, savage anything which might lie in their way.
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- The image of the volcano has haunted Sage since he arrived. But why? Has he been here before? Is there some significance to the Mountain? Will getting closer to it lift the shroud of his amnesia?
- Ranelle had seen Sage many times, and yet this time there was something different about him… A far-off light in his eyes. It reminded her of something… someone… but what?
- After a colossal feat of endurance and skill, Gersla is more valued by Limossk than ever. But at the same time, her hatred for him has never burned so brightly…
- Kaneda’s plans are not going well, and Hosk is to blame. The clumsy ape has succeeded in ruining their ambush against the Militia, meaning they have lost the field of battle, and not some little pride. Someone will have to pay…