GRDR (Gardener) class gardening-automata are the pride and joy of the Aotora cybernetics, specifically developed to maintain the vast public parks on the World of Dreams. Working tirelessly, these large and long-limbed machines weed, prune and water the creations of the Bayushi and Tokagure gardeners with a near-surgical precision. Built in accordance with Imperials edict forbidding true artificial intelligence, a GRDR-unit can operate almost independently, requiring a remote connection every six hours or so to update its task-list. Sporting no fewer than nine modern Soshi cybernetics camera-eyes and equipped with state-of-the-art computational devices, the automata are an engineering marvel that pique curiosity across the galaxy.

Even if the loud hailers built within their frames constantly remind visitors to keep a 'polite distance', the GRDR-units are considered safe and reliable, having been in use for almost a decade without an incident. Today, however, something has gone terribly wrong. A singular gardening automata has gone amok, charging at a group of Soshi children visiting the Illusionary Gardens, their sensei laying bleeding on the ground as the characters stumble upon the scene.

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This thread is considered closed after three Characters have posted in it, confirming their participation. It should be noted that this thread has potential to be fatal and participants face a considerable risk of death. Your initial post should include your character's reaction to the situation as well as your initial Initiative Roll and your unarmoured TN to be hit (No character can be assumed to wear armor within the city). You should also roll for Engineering / Intelligence against TN 30.

Two Scorpion kids are huddling by their dying sensei 30' left of the robot, the characters roughly 60' away from both the children and the automata.

A chat with Seika, we'll it probably needed to be done and they gardens were probably the best place for it. They were a lot safer for a few reasons.

Still he put some effort into his appearance, dressing in the suit he'd been gifted back at New Kalani. He wasnt sure it suited him, but it was what it was.

Other thoughts were pushed away as he heard sounds of violence and rushed towards the source. Hopefully Seika wasn't in any kind of danger.


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Stance: Attack
Atn: 20
Day 8 EE Agressive Gardening. Initiative | 5k3 ⇒ 25 (TN: ?)

day 8 agressive gardening: Engineering/ Intelligence | 6k4 ⇒ 25 (TN: 30)

Seika had been hoping for a quiet word with Jun in a neutral location. Someplace they might talk with a bit of privacy, but not too much... because with a solid door closed between the two of them and the rest of the world, she's not completely sure that any talking would happen, at all.

But it's not to be--or at least, not in the slanting late-day light of the Garden of Mists this evening. Instead, shouts and children's screaming draw her to a scene that is creepily similar to the trompe l'oeil holorecorder shots of gardener bots trampling picknickers that she'd snapped as a lark nearly a week ago--except that this is real, really real.

"What the hell is wrong with that thing?" she snaps as her hands fly to the pockets where her densai, sidearm, and other less useful articles are stashed.

---
The crunch:

Stance: Defense
ATN: 24 (20 + Defense Stance bonus)
Initiative: 22
Failed Engineering check

Wounds: 0/57 (Healthy)


D8 EE Aggressive Gardening-- Init | 5k3 ⇒ 22 (TN: ?)

D8 EE Aggressive Gardening-- Engineering/Int | 5k3 ⇒ 16 (TN: 30)

Edited again to add: ghosting instructions are in Seika's PF!

Dai, out for a walk in one the place that doesn't charge cover, avoided combat where possible but he also wasn't going to run away and let a bunch of kids be slaughtered. At least he knew weapons worked against creatures of the material world... and surely gardening robots don't have that much armor....

(D8, EE: Initiative | 5k3 ⇒ 17 (TN: ?)
D8, EE: Engineering unskilled | 4k4 ⇒ 13 (TN: 30)
TNtbH: 20
Stance: Attack
Wounds: 0
Ghost instructions if needed)

Gardening automata turned some of it camera-eyes to face the samurai, its bladed appendages whirring menacingly.
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Two Scorpion kids are huddling by their dying sensei 30' left of the robot, the characters roughly 60' away from both the children and the automata.
Initiative | 5k2 ⇒ 16 (TN: ?)
Initiative | 6k3 ⇒ 18 (TN: ?)
Initiative | 4k2 ⇒ 16 (TN: ?)
GRDR-4S has three parts that act independently of each other - and that can be attacked independently.

Jun: 25 <- is up!
Seika: 22
GRDR-4S Spider-like legs: 18
Dai: 17
GRDR-4S shearing tools: 12
GRDR-4S control module: 12

Well this was certainly a problem, a big ugly metal problem. "Get out of there!" He shouted at the kids as he stepped forward and drew his firearm. Letting off a shot towards the robots legs in hope of crippling it.

Stance: Attack
Free action: Draw sidearm
Free action: move 5 feet towards kids
Complex: bang bang


Attacking a gardening bots spooler legs. Unknown tn firearms/reflexes. Nothing special. | 6k3 ⇒ 22 (TN: ?)

Attacking a gardening bots spooder legs damage if I hit | 5k2 ⇒ 20 (TN: ?)

Reactions: leadership on Dai.
Reactions stage: leadership on Dai | 1k1+2 ⇒ 7 (TN: ?)

+7 to his initiative next round.

Jun's shot went just a little wide of the legs!

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Two Scorpion kids are huddling by their dying sensei 30' left of the robot, the Dai and Seika roughly 60' away from both the children and the automata, Jun is 5' closer.

Seika is up!

Seika whips out her densai and triggers the shortcut that opens her incantation list on emergency mode. Unfortunately, her wits are still scattered trying to make sense of the bizarre situation unfolding before her, and the power of the Sun’s cleansing heat eludes her grasp for now.

She lurches toward the wounded samurai and the kids, internally cursing her short legs (as usual).

“Scatter! Call medical help!” she hollers at any of the students still hesitating to follow Jun’s order.

Free action: draw densai

Complex action: cast a spell
D8 EE Aggressive Gardening-- Round 1, cast Fires from Within (fire r2, raise for speed). Sweep the leg! | 6k3 ⇒ 17 (TN: 20)
fail!

Free action: move 5’ toward the children

Free action: yelling!

Stance: defense
ATN: 24
Void: 3/3
Wounds: 0/57

Sensing new danger to its existence, GRDR-4S scuttled towards Jin, it's long, rickety legs carrying it towards the Firely with ease. "Bleep!" the machine bleeped indignantly, its many appendaged whirring and buzzing as it looked to weed the uppity Jin-shaped plant that had dared to oppose it!

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Two Scorpion kids are huddling by their dying sensei 90' left of the robot, the Dai and Seika roughly 5' away from both the children and the automata, Jun is next to the automata

Jun: 25
Seika: 22
GRDR-4S Spider-like legs: 18
Dai: 17 <- is up!
GRDR-4S shearing tools: 12
GRDR-4S control module: 12

"Lead it away from them!"

Dai draws his side arm and fires at the amok automaton as he follows his own advice in falling back.

(
Free action: Speak five words
Free action: Draw sidearm w/ Firearms 3
Complex Fire at control module
Free action: Move back fifteen feet
D8, EE: Round 1 - Firearms/Reflexes targeting GRDR-4S control module | 6k3 ⇒ 21 (TN: ?)
D8, EE: Round 1 - Damage if hit | 6k2 ⇒ 25 (TN: ?)

TNtbH: 20
Stance: Attack
Wounds: 0
Initiative: 17/24 next round
)

Dai's shot hit the thorax of the gardening automata, sparks flying from the blackened and dented metal!

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Two Scorpion kids are huddling by their dying sensei 90' left of the robot, Seika roughly 5' away from both the children and the automata, Dai 20' feet away and Jun is next to the automata

Jun: 25
Seika: 22
GRDR-4S Spider-like legs: 18
Dai: 17
GRDR-4S shearing tools: 12
GRDR-4S control module: 12

Automata swung its shearing tools in wide arc, scoring solid hit , the buzzing blade cutting into his shoulder.

_______
Jun takes 17 damage.

"Bleeeep!" the gardener swore, aiming one of its many hoses at Seika, sickly green liquid barely missing the Mantis priestess.

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Two Scorpion kids are huddling by their dying sensei 90' left of the robot, Seika roughly 5' away from both the children and the automata, Dai 20' feet away and Jun is next to the automata

Jun: 25 <- is up!
Dai: 24
Seika: 22
GRDR-4S Spider-like legs: 18
GRDR-4S shearing tools: 16
GRDR-4S control module: 16

Grimacing, the hunk of a Firefly took a step backwards, aiming a shot at the rampant machine, his shot striking true, more sparks flying in the air.

_____
OOC: Jun spends Void to reduce damage!

Two Scorpion kids are huddling by their dying sensei 90' left of the robot, Seika roughly 5' away from the automata, Jun is 15' away, Dai is 20' away.

Jun: 25
Seika: 22
GRDR-4S Spider-like legs: 18
Dai: 17 <- is up!
GRDR-4S shearing tools: 12
GRDR-4S control module: 12

Dai continues falling back while focusing fire on the same spot he had struck earlier - continuing to send radiant energy into the module.

(
Complex Fire at control module
Free action: Move back fifteen feet
D8, EE: Round 2 - Firearms/Reflexes targeting GRDR-4S control module | 6k3 ⇒ 27 (TN: ?)
D8, EE: Round 2 - Damage | 6k2 ⇒ 11 (TN: ?)
TNtbH: 20
Stance: Attack
Wounds: 0
Initiative: 17
)

“Oh shit, Jun! Be careful!”

Seika scrambles further away from the mad bot herself, then repeats her incantation to the Sun. This time a glowing yellow star forms in the palm of her hand, and she sends it streaking true at the robot like a miniature solar flare.

D8 EE Aggressive Gardening-- Round 2, cast Fires from Within (fire r2, raise for speed). Target control module. | 6k3 ⇒ 33 (TN: 20)

D8 EE Aggressive Gardening-- Round 2, spell damage (fire ring) | 3k3 ⇒ 18 (TN: ?)

Free action: move 5’ away from bot

Complex action: cast Fires from Within, causing 18 damage to the control center.

Free action: yelling!

Stance: defense
ATN: 24
Void: 3/3
Wounds: 0/57
2 fire spell slots used

With its robotic brain turned into fried mush, the gardener automata took a few stumbling steps before collapsing at Seika's feet, one of its eyes coming loose and rolling pass her. "Bleeeeeep...." a mournful sound echoed from the unit's loudhailers before the spirits bound to the machine escaped the iron shell if form of smoke rising from the exhaust vents.

____

OOC: Combat over!

There were no medical supplies on hand but Dai hoped against hope that maybe they could at least stabilize the older samurai until true aid could arrive.

"Yoritomo-sama, any healing magic?"

(D8, EE: Medicine/Intelligence, Void for phantom skill | 5k4 ⇒ 24 (TN: ?)
Can't restore wounds but maybe it will help? If not Soft Hearted at least tried)

The older samurai was very much dead by the time Dai got to him, the two children staring at the smoking automata their eyes wide open.

"That lady was so cool." one of them managed before she started to sob uncontrollably, her friend quiet, the older girl biting her lip as she kept tugging the sleeve of her dead sensei as if moving the woman would bring her back to life.

"Never mind... it's too late. But at least the children are safe."

Dai, realizing he was a ronin around imperiled children and a dead body, stowed his sidearm quickly to avoid being perforated by any over enthusiastic guard response.

"Are either of you hurt?"