Ant growled after the phantom appeared. The fear passed over my body and I let it go with easy. But Ant and Nox looked terrified frozen in their places. I didn’t hesitate and pulled the calming aura around me and reached into the apparition and calmed it.
Alex moved to pry the crystals and I had no choice but to try and kill the creature before Ant ravaged us with his terror. The blood rage would begin and we might not get a chance to save him. I attached the ray to my blaster and fired. It was my hail marry, I prayed it worked on the phantom. The energy blast radiated from the hit point and the apparition dissipated in a second shot from the blaster.
There was a large popping sound as Alex pried the crystal lose from its entrapment on the cave wall. Nox and Ant shook themselves awake and we were safe for the moment. Nox looked worse for wear. He slumped to the cave wall and slide down. “I think I need a nap.”
Alex was at his side quick. “This work?”
Nox handed him the device he’d acquired and Alex looked dumbfounded by the device. I took it from him. “I’ll look. Let’s see if we can get a room or something, and if not we can drift back home.”
But first I examined the old crystal and the new one. There was little difference, except when I shoved the new one in, it powered right up. The lights weren’t lit but there was a slight hum and a vibration in my hand.
I handed it back to Nox. “Do you know how it works?” He shook his head. “No. But we can find someone at the Nexus who knows what it does.”
Alex helped Nox up and he walked without the grace of his prior self, he was injured? “You hurt?”
“No. Not really. Just drained — mentally.”
I nodded. “Let’s see if we can get out of here.”
Ant lead the way his goggles placed over his eyes and headed towards the cavern entrance. We’d killed their slime monster. “The monster is dead.” Ant said and the guards looked shocked. They pointed their spears at us.
They shouted in their foreign language and my translator didn’t pick it up. But because a boy went scrambling from a nearby hut, I assumed that he went to get someone of note since we weren’t dead.
Nox slumped against Alex. And the blue eyed man looked smug. I rolled my eyes. They weren’t at least enjoying each other’s company. Ant looked at them warily but he stood closer than I expected. He didn’t touch, but he was drawn to them as much as he hated it.
Oddly enough I didn’t feel like the odd man out. I felt their joy or whatever it was. It was like coming home.
The same warrior from before came towards us without an entourage. He was alone save for the boy who had fetched him. “I am Lucius Amon. The creature is dead?”
I nodded. “As a door nail.”
“More like disintegrated into mush.” Alex said.
“True. It did go pop all over you.” Ant snickered.
“It’s dead.” Nox said at the very confused person in front of us.
Lucius waved at the men in front of us barring our exit. “Let them through.”
The guards stood their positions again, their spears at the ready pointing straight up in the air, allowing us to pass without incident. We followed the man through to the back wall to a hut that did not have a door — much like the rest of the village.
“This is my wife, Estella, and our daughter, Vanessa.” He looked towards the door. “You’ve met our son, Luka. Though he has been honored by Aethe to be his host.”
“Who is Aethe?” Nox asked.
“Our savior and sovereign.” Lucius spat the words out. Obviously unhappy about the whole thing.
“We aren’t here to save them.” Ant said with a growl.
“Then why bother killing the creature at all?” Nox asked standing up straighter than he had before, Ant was standing toe to toe his goggles and face rap removed since entering the building. “We should help them. There are clearly bad vibes here. You can feel them.”
Ant growled. “I want to go home.”
“So go.” Nox said without backing down.
“We came here to get you, nothing more.” Ant stepped into Nox.
“Ant.” I said.
But it was Lucius who stepped between them. “There is no saving Luka. He’s taken — gone. He was honored. Just go.”
Nox looked at him. “There is evil about Aethe.”
He nodded. “Please. My son. Just go.”
Nox backed down. “Fine.” Nox looked at me. “Can you get us back to your home?”
“I am still anchored at home.” I confirmed.
“Will he take us?”
“If we go now.” Ant said.
Nox looked at Alex. “Up to you. What do you want to do?”
“I can’t go home. So I’m stuck wherever I am. There is better than here.” Alex said.
Ant sighed and grabbed Nox’s shoulder, and Nox held his hand out to Alex. I put my hand on Alex’s shoulder and I Ant drifted.
Ryan Elliot is a Intelligent Former Chevalier Warrior with a PhD who Slays Monsters and is an Anchor from Purple Shift #45
Effort: 1
Armor: 0
Recovery:
ā ā” ā” ā”
Damage:
ā” ā”
ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
Speed: (2)
ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā
Intellect:
ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā ā” ā” ā”
XP:
ā”
Abilities: calm, bond, mental link with drifter, create anchor
Weapons: unarmed 2 – eased, long sword 4, blaster 4 long range
Setup
Phantom inspires fear L3
- Ryan 1d20: [10] = 10
- Ant 1d20: [8] = 8 -> Terrified (-3 Int)
- Alex 1d20: [17] = 17
- Nox 1d20: [5] = 5 -> Terrified (-3 int)
Initiative:
- Phantom 1d20: [5] = 5
- Ryan 1d20: [15] = 15
- Alex 1d20: [12] = 12 -1
- Nox 1d20: [8] = 8 -1
- Ant 1d20: [9] = 9
Order: R AB AG N P
R tries to calm the phantom: 6 roll 18 Phantom is calm
Alex pries crystals
Ant is terrified 1d20: [19] = 19
Nox is terrified 1d20: [10] = 10
Phantom is calmed – does nothing
Ryan uses deathbringer and attacks P: 6 roll: 1d20: [13] = 13 hit (Phantom HP 12 – 8) Second attack: 1d20: [15] = 15 hit Phantom dies
5 hours the Phantom can reappear
Cypher System disclaimer and Open Game License
Numenera, the Cypher System, No Thank You, Evil!, Invisible Sun, and their respective logos are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. All Monte Cook Games characters and character names, and the distinctive likenesses thereof, are trademarks of Monte Cook Games, LLC. Content derived from Monte Cook Games publications is Ā© 2013-2023 Monte Cook Games, LLC.
The Mind of Nox 