TBSI Episode 6: Robot Rodeo

## The Story

Phoebe is looking at the ceiling, admiring the mental connections in her brain. She is very overstimulated and high after consuming the magic cookie that has made it possible to join the Mooshrim mental network. Misha sets cross-legged on the floor of the passage and tries to connect deeper with the Mooshrim network. Mirabella regrets sugaring up the party before a battle.

As Misha connects, she realizes how many of these creatures there are and that there is another strand of consciousness much further away. However, she is close to possibly getting lost in the connection.

Lumi starts tuning their lute and thinking to themselves. Phoebe crawls over to Lumi, having heard her thoughts, and responds in her mind, asking if that's Lumi's voice. Lumi is very surprised. Phoebe is thrilled to be able to hear Lumi's true voice through the network. Valen, hearing very little of this exchange, is befuddled. Mira volunteers narrating things to Valen. Lumi remarks audibly that the adventure just keeps getting crazier and crazier, and the people connected to the Mooshrim network are able to see Lumi thinking of the moment where Misha said it before. Phoebe gets distracted once again.

The Mooshrim chime in via the network, saying "Clunkety Clunkety" over and over again - their way of referring to the automaton they're going to deal with in the tunnel ahead. The sound seems to be louder in their minds. Mira asks if they want to deal with it there or do they want to move to meet it. Lumi expresses concern about Phoebe's condition if they go to meet it. Phoebe is able to focus by concentrating on the library system and is able to shake off the negative effects of consuming the spore cookie. Lumi tries to tell Valen that it might be best if Valen sticks by Phoebe while she's effected by the spores by using the phrase "Druid married", to which Valen replies, "I just met her yesterday. I don't think I wanna druid marry her, if that's okay." Mira questions what the difference is between being regular married and druid married, but Misha suggests they discuss that later and focus on the automaton situation at hand. Mirabella translates Lumi's prior statement for Valen but suggests perhaps Phoebe should stay nearest to Patch, but Phoebe pipes up that she is good to go now. Valen offers Phoebe some water, which she happily accepts.

Valen offers to scout ahead to get a look at the automaton. Patch checked in with the group and warns them that about 50 yards ahead of them, the tunnel opens up and the automaton is in that area most likely. The party agrees Valen should scout ahead, which Valen does while hidden in shadow. Lumi worries that if they move forward with light, she'll be very visible as she's an all-white creature. Phoebe worries that Valen can't report back as they aren't attached to the network. The party can only see a shadow where Valen is as they go down the tunnel. Phoebe tells the Mooshrim not to reveal Valen's location, which Mira repeats by thinking of the image of Valen in total darkness. The Mooshrim intentionally avoid shining light on Valen, creating a bubble of darkness around them as they sneak toward the automaton. The rest of the party stays put for now.

Valen gets to the area that Patch described. Mooshrim cling to the ceiling with their blue glowing light. On the far side of the room, Valen sees the automaton, which is unmoving. The automaton is a blocky shape that is about 6' 4" tall, which is about as tall as Valen and the height of the room. It has a humanoid torso with large gears for shoulders and two arms. Below the torso are a platform with four robotic legs, ending in circular feet with claws for gripping into stone. It is facing a stone wall of the cave. Valen decides to throw a rock another area of the cave to see how fast the automaton is. The automaton whirrs to life, spinning around. The room lights up as it activates, showing a glowing yellow crystalline mass at the center of its torso. Valen is now able to see that one hand is a pickaxe and that it moves fairly slowly. Valen heads back with the information they've gleaned.

After returning, Valen attempts to pop out of the shadows but is unable to due to the Mooshrim diminishing their glow around Valen. Mirabella warns the party via the mental network not to tell Valen that the Mooshrim are still there but are just hidden. Valen explains what they observed about the automaton to the party when asked. Lumi presumes via the network that the crystal is the power source of the automaton. Valen says that they assume the rest of the party would know more than they would about that kind of thing and Mirabella says that while she was growing up, her mom used to build magical things and she learned not to touch the glowing things because they're usually magical.

The party worries again about the Mooshrim helping to pop the crystal out of the chest of the automaton. Mira projects an image of a Mooshrim fighter as big as the automaton for a fighter. Phoebe asks the Mooshrim if they are still willing. The Mooshrim are still okay with helping and are not worried about casualties, saying that they will endure. Lumi asks if Misha can grow plants quickly, perhaps making a Mooshrim or a seed larger to pop the crystal from its enclosure. Misha, who has some familiarity with forest mushrooms, suggests that perhaps if they get some spores in there, Misha can make them grow more quickly. Phoebe asks how quickly the Mooshrim grow and the Mooshrim reply with "Bloom! Bloom!" There is a feeling it will take an hour or two. Phoebe then offers to be a distraction. Valen suggests possibly setting up some kind of trap, though that might present some difficulties. Lumi thinks of a memory of hands reaching out for a small robot toy in small human hands which are playing rough with the toy. When it bends too far backwards, it breaks and small pieces pop out.

Patch suggests hurrying up or moving further back down the tunnel due to the proximity to the automaton. Lumi asks mentally if they should keep planning or if they should just go for it, which Mira parrots to Valen. Phoebe suggests she use her telekinesis. Misha suggests either using the spores or starting a physical fight with the automaton. In the room down the hall, the Mooshrim have begun to surround the automaton, ready to go when needed. Phoebe pulls out their rope from their supplies. Valen suggests using the rope to immobilize the pick axe to prevent it from hitting them. They suggest making a rope grid to get the automaton caught in the rope. Mirabella suggests trying to trap only the upper body portion and suggests that Valen, who has some training in urban warfare, might be the best person for setting up such a trap. Phoebe asks if maybe the Mooshrim could hold the rope and they tell her they cannot as they would be ripped off the wall. They then decide to just go for it and do the best they can with the plan at hand, knowing there is a chance things are going to change once the battle starts anyways.

The party gives Valen a five count head start before the rest of the party follows. Valen opts to place the rope across the middle of the room at their neck height, knowing how tall the other party members are and that the automaton is the same height as they are. Mira, Lumi, Phoebe, and Misha move down the tunnel in that order. Unfortunately, Misha stubs their toe in the tunnel, alerting the automaton with the sound.

Valen ducks behind some rock cover and keeps the rope. Mirabella moves to slide under the automaton, projecting her thoughts to those who can hear it. Phoebe uses magic to rust up an arm joint in the automaton, pulling the moisture from the stalactites and stalagmite. Lumi enters the room, making their ticking sound from the trap in the tunnel, and avoids Valen. The Mooshrim begin to descend on the automaton.

The automaton moves slowly to meet Mirabella running toward it, lifting its second arm that appears more like a hammer. Valen uses the rope on hand to lasso the hammer arm from behind to prevent it from being swung at Mirabella. Mirabella, meanwhile, slides beneath the automaton and jams a spell of disrupting communication directly through the center of the machine to mess with it's ability to communicate with itself. The automaton begins to tremor and vibrate. Misha uses her knife to try to remove the crystalline drive, moving a few Mooshrim for their safety. Once Lumi is a reasonable distance away from the automaton, she uses her instrument and some magic to channel a wave of vibrations at the crystalline drive in its chest, trying not to hurt Misha. She misses slightly, hitting Misha, but is able to correct enough to avoid harming her companion. Phoebe notices how the body can swivel and decides to oxidize the joint that allows that at the base of the torso. However, Phoebe is unable to use that spell again in the fight due to a feeling of magical feedback. The Mooshrim have crept into the housing of the crystal and are spreading their tendrils. The automaton attempts to slam itself against the wall to try to dislodge Misha. Lumi calls out to Misha to warn her, magically shielding her on accident, and prevents some of the harm of being slammed into the cavern wall. Lumi is surprised by the effect and unsure of how she did that. The automaton also damages itself in the attempt.

Valen decides to use the other end of the rope to lasso the other immobilized arm and uses the rope to tip it over backwards with an assist from Mirabella, who trips up some of the legs with her staff. Phoebe, recognizing that Misha is still on the automaton, sends a mental projection of heroism from all the books she's read to send to Misha to give her a boost of strength. Phoebe unfortunately pulls a muscle while doing so as a side effect. Misha rides the automaton down and uses the impact and the boost from Phoebe to use her knife to do more damage to the automaton and its core. The core dislodges from the housing. Misha hits the floor. The Arcane Core appears to flicker and dim as it goes out. The Mooshrim use the opening in the core and rush in, chanting "Bloom" in the mental network. As the Mooshrim surge in, they pop out the arcane core, deactivating the automaton. Phoebe, being cautious of her pulled muscle in her arm, begins to examine the arcane core, trying to establish who the Automaton belonged to. Valen kicks the head of the Automaton to ensure it's dead before they whistle for and call for Patch. Phoebe sends a signal through the network to any listening that the automaton has been defeated. Lumi goes to check on Misha. Misha, while damaged, is fascinated by the blooming of the Mooshrim.

The Mooshrim which have gathered in the housing of the automaton have formed a blue sludge. Others are sticking their tendrils into it. This is the process of making more of themselves by sacrificing those who became the sludge. This comes as an understanding to those in tune with the network.

Phoebe locates a sigil on the Arcane Core, which is central to four other sigils around it that are identical. Phoebe chooses to move the Mooshrim sludge gently to get a better look at the housing. Valen is horrified Phoebe would touch the sludge.

Mirabella looks at the automaton, and then looks where the automaton started. Mirabella is concerned something is off about the situation since the automaton is supposed to be for mining but used it's abilities to attack people. She also points out that it reacts to any stimuli and isn't sure how the others from Augustus's Commune managed to get so close to it without setting it off.

Patch arrives and is directed to Lumi and Phoebe for healing. Phoebe directs Patch to Lumi first since they took more damage during the fight.

Phoebe discovers that there are four sigils in the housing that match up to the four sigils on the back of the arcane core. However, the sigil in the center is a different sigil and is someone's personal sigil. Mirabella and Phoebe take a look, combining their personal knowledge bases, but are unable to determine whose it might be. Phoebe records the sigils in her notebook, as well as describing the arcane core and the automaton. Valen sets to work stealing the crystalline eyes from the deactivated automaton.

Misha asks Lumi what happened during the fight, referencing when Lumi used magic to protect Misha without knowing they were using magic. Lumi had been surprised and is still confused as to what happens and how she had done it. Lumi focuses on a memory where a child also seems to come out of a bad situation unscathed, though details are fuzzy. Lumi says that she is told white Kenku are lucky. Patch is doing some basic first aid on Misha, but warns she might be still the following day.

Valen is able to remove the citrine crystal eyes and realizes that the sigils on the back are likely what Phoebe is working with. Valen hands them over to Phoebe, saying, "I want those back," before heading over to the wall where the automaton was originally standing when they first saw it. Phoebe eagerly examines them. As Valen approaches the wall, Valen realizes there is a small hole in the wall on the floor approximately 2.5 ft tall by 3 ft wide. The hole has masoned bricks in it which form the top of a doorway or window. There is a sloping passageway going down which is narrow and tight, leading into darkness.

## Notable Characters

* Lumi
* Mirabella Rosehip Heartblossom
* Misha van Dyne
* Phoebe Leandre
* Valen Aloro
* Patch

## Notable Places

* Scholar Tunnels
* Augustus's Commune