WttSS session 31: 'Ah, but We've Got a Djinn in our Back Pocket...'

General Summary

From a safe vantage point behind the Gambler building, the party listens to Legionaries attempting to break in through the front door. If they were to set off all the explosives now then there would be casualties. Not that they care much for the Legionaries, neither Company nor Fleet, but the three Foundation scientists have yet to do any more than be sent on an expedition.   As the party discusses their next move those very scientists send another message: "we're having trouble getting in to reach you; can you help from inside?" This gives the party an idea. They make a run for the treeline, during which Zarzur sends a reply: "we're coming but we're having trouble...", at which point Kerman blows the explosives on the building's lower levels.   The Gambler building shakes from its core and the reverberations carry through the ground enough to make everyone stumble. The building remains standing however, as all buildings on Ghodar are built to withstand its high tectonic actvity. That said, they weren't expecting concentrated activity within their own basements and destabilising cracks creep up the walls.   In the chaos of the explosion, Zarzur uses her established link to the Legion base to mask the party's location. The Legion had a digital eye on the location of the party but Zarzur wipes this and the party appears to vanish in the blast. (GM note: Zarzur spends 1 of her 5 rolled successes when hacking the Legion computers in a previous session.) The Foundation can only look on in horror.   But their mission is clear: they need to get the secrets from the building. Unable to move forward but unwilling to leave the Foundation and Legion remain dangerously close to the building: scientists and Company soldiers somewhat stunned and only the three Fleet Legionaries trying to get the group back into action.   The party then blows the explosives at the back of the ground floor and the building starts to fall. This finally gets the Legion and Foundation moving, Fleet Legionaries having to pick up and help one of the scientists who had fallen to the floor. As they flee into the facility's central garden the party sets off all the remaining explosives. All technology and science that remained within the building is now lost to time.  

A piece of history

  As the explosions go off, Masruq takes advantage of the chaos. He uses one of the favours owed the party by Jihan, asking her to recover the Al Sharaf scimitar that one of the Legionaries had found but which she will currently be distracted from protecting. Masruq asks that it be done surreptitiously, without being noticed and as soon as reasonably possible.   (GM note: I really couldn't think of a way to make this request go wrong in any way, so just went with it. I wanted to bring a Legionary with the sword or something but there it is... :)   Unable to think of a way of complicating the request, Jihan engages the matter of the crumbling building. She amplifies the dust cloud and spins it into dust devils to distract the Legionaries and then grabs the blade within one mini tornado. The Legionaries have real human lives to worry about and don't notice the blade being dragged away through the dust.   In a huff, Jihan gives the blade as much of the wind's energy as she can and throws it towards the trees within which the party is now hiding, and the blade embeds itself up to the hilt in a tree trunk just millimetres from Masruq's head.   Kerman however, pulls the blade clear with one hand and makes to present it to Masruq. In the brief moment he wields it he appreciates its quality: no mere trinket to be worn in court to attract attention, the blade is perfectly crafted and possibly the best weapon Kerman has ever held. Moreover, Kerman somehow feels that the blade wants to be used, that it doesn't believe its destiny is to remain quietly sheathed but rather to be borne in combat to alter the Horizon for the better.   Unable to resist, Kerman gives the blade a few sample swings to properly appreciate its crafting but then picks up the sheath that Jihan had dropped unceremoniously on the ground next to the tree and presents the sheathed sword to Masruq.  

A desperate search

  As the dust settles, the Legion report in and ask for orders. As yet, none suspect foul play from any source other than the forces already in the valley. After the Valley of Madness incident, the Company Legionaries fear the forces are those of the Darkness and demand the Seekers be brought in. The Foundation and Fleet Legionaries are dubious but don't object and the group's Youtab Class ground assault ship - line breaker is summoned. When it lands, three Seeker initiates are marched out by a third Fleet and two more Company Legionaries.   Over the next hour or so the Foundation searches the facility's remaining intact buildings, hoping to find one that contains even a small fraction of the scientific treasures of the Abouelkassem now lost with their main laboratory building. The Fleet manages to keep the Company soldiers in line but only through threat and fear, emotions that the Company Legionaries are happy to take out on the Seekers, pushing them around impatiently.   The Company soldiers remain afraid of Dark creatures and so constantly push the Seekers before them, who do their best to ward off evil. Though they have none of the equipment they would normally use for such a rite, as they are driven forward they feel the energy of the site and visibly relax. They would have been happy to fight the Dark even in such brutal circumstances but it seems their efforts are not needed here.   Khalil still has his drone on site, hidden atop the Abouelkassem Messenger building. He records the Legion's treatment of Seeker initiates. This also allows the party to see the faces of the Legion. Murad recognises one of the Fleet Legionaries: Jauhar of the Dawoudi of Algol, the Risen Slaves, a soldier who never rose beyond lieutenant because of his disrespectful attitude and gambling habit - a habit that means he owes a debt to Murad.  

Rescuing the Seekers

  The party discusses a plan to save the Seekers and move around the tree line to enact it. Kerman's rifle fire catches the Fleet Legionaries by surprise and he even manages to down one even through their advanced armour. His fire allows Zarzur to run from the trees up behind the Judge building and use her power to control its defences, bringing the chain lightning cannon to bear on the assault ship. Two blasts tear it to pieces.   The scientists among the party notice that the Ghodar lightning doesn't behave normally, penetrating the ship and then pushing outward once inside; but that's a story for another time.   Under serious fire from unknown sources in a place that previously saw the deaths of two full squads the Company Legionaries flee. The Fleet Legionaries remain professional and recognise that they are the targets of the attack and try to draw fire away from the civilians. This allows the Seekers and Foundation scientists to be led by a sign from Khalil towards the treeline. He projects an image of the flower representing the Lady of Tears he saw in the Ghodar Seeker Sanctuary and they recognise it. In fact, they see it as a sign from the Icon herself, as they previously felt her presence and know that she is the reason there are no longer any creatures of Darkness here.   A few shots from Murad get the Foundation scientists to flee in a different direction to the Seeker initiates, whom the party then picks up at the treeline before retreating to their shuttle. On the flight away, the party reports their success to the desert tribes and share the footage of the Legion activities with their allies back in Juldizin Demalisi.