263.5

You roll the machine over to the reactor. It latches itself to the side of the overgrown ruin, extending and connecting its proboscis to a hexagonal port in the reactor's side. A few moments pass as it whirs incessantly.

Suddenly, there is a loud abrasive sound of metal grinding on metal as the upper portion of the reactor turns, slowly rising upward to reveal a hidden layer of the structure. There, in the newly exposed cylinder, you see several spheroid shapes spaced evenly upon its surface, nested in circular sockets engraved with Estian script.

Slowly, the script fills with rich golden light. There is a hiss of air as steam ejects from edges of the spheres. They dislodge from their sockets and roll down the slope of the reactor to come to rest at the base.

The custodian then ambles over to each, running its feelers over them one by one as they unfurl to reveal themselves to be mobile custodians themselves. All gathered, the machines chatter in their odd insectoid speech, discussing who knows what after perhaps hundreds—or even thousands—of years since they last spoke with one another.

The machine wasn't looking for any old power source, after all—it was looking to reuinite with its kin! It must have activated some kind of protocol within the ruins.

You watch in amazement as the machines say their goodbyes and roll through the muddy waters heading to destinations unknown. You wonder what function they might serve.

Maybe next time you spot one, you should interact with it and see what happens…

Return Mobile Custodian and HELPING HAND to the collection and permanently move Mobile Custodian to the Swamp terrain set. Record RELEASED THE CUSTODIANS on the campaign tracker. Each Ranger soothes 2 fatigue.