realsorien (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
realsorien) wrote2010-09-21 08:26 am
realsorien) wrote2010-09-21 08:26 am
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Desert World the Fourth!
Here's the latest run of the Desert World 'dungeon hack' that the Sunday Group is playing in. Enjoy!
In the last episode, Our Heroes returned to the mysterious Dwarven edifice wherein they had previously nearly died. This time around things went much better, with the discovery of a strange dwarven machine and the defeat of many strange creatures. Bizarre web-spinning crustaceans, odd dwarflike plant-beings and a group of goblins rounded out the conflicts, and as we return Brahma and Nerash have recruited... Well, blackmailed, the one goblin they allowed to live.
Surveying the situation, Brahma watches Nerash and the goblin- he’s certain that he can trust the Gnoll, but dislikes not being able to understand what the two say. “Well?” He asks.
The goblin, who has just finished stripping things from the corpses of his former comrades, gibbers something to Nerash, who gets a disturbing grin. “He asks, ‘Where to, boss?”
The minotaur snorts and nods his acceptance of the situation. At his direction, the group return to the room in which they’d found the goblins. There is one passage they have yet to explore there, as well as several they’ve left behind them. “Ask him what’s behind the door.”
Nerash growls to the goblin in his own tongue again, the sound canine and gutteral. “He says its the kitchen.”
The door is soon open, revealing an unpleasant larder with meat hung from the ceiling and a rude trench used as a firepit. Nerash and Brahma aren’t particularly bothered, but Ravenae is a bit disgusted.
“Not too far gone,” Nerash opines, which doesn’t help Ravenae’s stomach one bit. He growls again at the goblin, who responds in like kind though with less facility. “I asked how many of his kind are here; he says he doesn’t know.”
There is another door leading out of the room, and it’s been rudely barricaded.
“Ask him what’s behind that door.”
Nerash nods to Brahma and does so. The goblin becomes agitated, almost shaking as he replies. “He says to not open it.”
“Why?”
The question is passed. “He says there is death for goblins there.”
Brahma just glares disgustedly at the goblin; so far he’s seen little to convince him that he needs to fear something that frightens goblins. He goes to the door, kicks the barricade aside and yanks it open. Anticlimactically, all that this reveals is another corridor. “Tie him up,” he growls to Nerash, who complies... Inexpertly. Brahma picks the creature up, and the ropes promptly fall off. He gives a questioning look to the gnoll, who shrugs. “Sorry.”
The goblin is re-tied, and with the creature bound satisfactorily they go down the newly revealed passage. Not too far down it opens into a large chamber, wider than it is deep. In the center of the room something is standing; it looks manlike, vaguely, and glints of metal. To Nerash the goblin gibbers, “That! That’s it! The goblin-killer!”
Nerash passes the terrified babble on to his companions, Brahma not at all impressed. He clomps forward, but the thing doesn’t move. He gets still closer, and still it stands impassively. Finally, he’s muzzle-to-helmet with the thing, and it seems to be a suit of armor?
The others catch up, the goblin staying as far from the thing as he can, tied and tethered as he is. They look the thing over, and Brahma learns that it’s NOT a suit of armor when he tries to lift it; its far too heavy to be hollow, and the thing has a bizarre backpack-like box on its back that looks like steam-technology. “Priestess. What is it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can you activate it?” With Brahma’s question, Nerash tenses a bit; he really isn’t interested in the damned thing being active, especially as he expects that it will become ‘active’ on their own breakable forms. He doesn’t say anything, however.
“I can try.” With that, Ravenae starts poring over the strange automaton, examining the device in minute detail. Eventually, she stops. “I can’t. This thing is beyond my abilities.”
“I know what it is for,” growls Nerash.
“Oh? What?”
“It is for making us wealthy.” He laughs. Ravenae just glares a bit, Brahma gets a grim smile.
Finishing with the inert ‘goblin-slayer’, they look around the room. Along the walls there are small cots and a great number of shelves laden with cogs and gears. The cots look too small for a dwarf to use, or even a goblin.
Nothing of use is found, and they make their way down the passage leading out of the room, on the wall opposite where they came in. The lights dim as they progress, until at the far end there is no light at all from the ancient sconces. At that point of faded lighting the passage opened into another room, and it’s not quite empty. On the eastern side of the room a creature, vaguely humanoid can be seen. Somehow it gives the impression of being startled, and advances on the creatures that have disturbed... Whatever it was doing. As the thing moves, it shouts something; none of the adventurers can decipher its words. Nerash shouts back, but the thing is obviously advancing to attack and so does Brahma.
Closer, they see that the thing looks like a starfish standing upright on two if its five appendages. It is wearing a rough, odd-looking harness and draws an axe, a strange ball on a tentacle lashed out at Nerash as it prepared the more mundane weapon. It misses, and the fight begins in ernest.
The blows fall on either side, but while Nerash and Brahma were able to strike the creature, their blows seem to slide off without harm. The creature’s strikes, however, do not; focussed totally on Nerash, the creature eventually batters him unconscious. Ravenae is able to heal and rouse him, but this is both good and bad. Good, as he can defend himself. Bad, because when he fell it started to shift to Brahma, but returned to attack him again when he moved! However, Nerash is able to heal himself while blocking its strikes against him.
During this, Brahma changed tactics. Abandoning the axe, he decided to attack in the manner of his people- charging with head and horns. Apparently the gods did not smile upon this, because charge after charge misses the thing as it adroitly avoids him while still striking at Nerash. FInally, inevitably, Brahma hits. The force of the impact lofts the creature into the air, slamming it into the wall where it stands, stunned. Brahma then ends the fight by grabbing the creature and slamming it into the wall until its barely more than mush.
The three gather themselves in the aftermath, their prisoner/guide staring wild-eyed at both his captors and the thing they’d beaten. For the first time there is a gain from the fight- a large, perfectly cut faceted black gem and the creature’s hand axe. Brahma gives the gem to Ravenae, and as nobody objects Nerash takes the hand axe.
On the same side of the room where the creature first stood another chamber abuts the first; there are a pair of large steel doors here, and ignoring the steel-grating that makes up the floor Brahma impatiently clomps over and tries to force the doors open, first by pulling, then pushing. They don’t budge in the least. Ravenae and Nerash both notice that the doors are mounted on tracks, and open by sliding to either side.
Beyond the unusual doors is what could easily be a gladitorial arena. While Brahma and Ravenae can see decently, Nerash can’t quite get the details. Brahma has him light a torch, and with the light from the brand they see stone benches ring the central area, which at its center is dominated by a huge rectangle of stone. To the casual eye there are no seams or cracks in its surface, and to the side there are four levers just begging to be pulled, all in a ‘down‘ position. Overall, the ceiling domes up to at least twenty feet.
They all enter the room, Nerash approaching the stone block first. It looks like it could be a sacrificial altar, but without any mountings for manacles or grooves for blood. He sees some stains, but they’re so old he can’t determine whether they were from blood. As he steps back, Brahma approaches in turn, dragging the goblin along with him. The creature is obviously well past being able to deal with his situation- he’s seen the immobile killer of his people and all else his captors have encountered, and can’t even manage to squeak.
Looking at the levers, Brahma throws the first without consulting anyone. There is a strange metallic grinding sound that seems to come from below. A hole opens in the center of the slab, where there were no seams whatsoever. He sees this, then throws the next lever, Nerash wisely edging back out of (he hopes) range of what may be about to happen. From the hole, chains erupt out of the hole like inanimate tentacles, landing in a heap on the cold stone.
Of course, Brahma notices Nerash moving back. Purely out of spite he throws the third lever. When he does, a cage rises out of the hole, forming out of curved bars that rise vertically until their upper ends mesh together, creating a seedlike shape. With a sneer he looks at Nerash then moves away from the altar.
However, Ravenae then approaches. This is an amazing device, and she wants to know all of what it does! She reaches for the last switch, but hesitates. With a grunt of impatience Brahma stomps over and throws it.
This time, the rumbling hum that had been present from the start suddenly builds into a crescendo; a crackling, boiling field of brilliant energy forms around the cage, snapping and sizzling in the air of the chamber. Ravenae tosses a rock at the field, and it rebounds as if it struck something solid; when it hits the ground its smoking.
Seeing this Brahma hefts the terrified goblin. Before anyone can say a thing, he lobs the unlucky creature into the field! There is a horrible electric sizzling sound and the corpse rebounds from the field, landing in a seared, smoking heap on the ground. Ravenae is shocked by this; Nerash isn’t pleased with the event either, but knew that the goblin wasn’t going to be leaving their company alive anyway. At least it was quick.
Operating the levers in the reverse order shuts everything down, and once again they’re left with an unmarked, seamless block of stone. as Brahma does this, Nerash gives a blessing to the deceased creature; Ravenae does the same as they’re about to leave the room.
Nerash and Brahma proceed through the room with the grated floor, but Ravenae stops- something looks odd to her, and she soon determines that the room is a mechanism of some kind. After a short time she finds a pair of buttons in one corner. “Are you coming?” Nerash asks.
“I think the room moves!” Is the answer. With that, Ravenae pushes the lower button and the room shudders, moving downwards! Nerash leaps to try and stay with her, but actually lands on the roof of the lift room as it comes even with the floor.
“Priestess.”
Ravenae looks up at Nerash, the ceiling a metal grating like the floor, grinning. “Yes?”
“I cannot protect you if you do things like this. Isolated and cut off you face whatever is there alone.”
She doesn’t reply, simply hitting the other, upper button. Nerash manages to scramble clear as the room rises once again and she rejoins them. “There is another set of doors down there,” she reports.
While the temptation is there to follow the lift down and see where it leads, Brahma wants to check the passages and doors that they’ve bypassed. “I do not wish to leave foes at our backs,” he says.
Backtracking, they find their way to the room with the catwalk. Following one of the doors off the metal walkway leads to what may have once been a throneroom or audience hall. The walls are lined with what might be the rotted remains of chairs and tapestries, and there are corroded metal pillars supporting a canopy-like structure that also has balcony seating areas like in a theater. At the far end of this is a raised dias where two chairs sit, one larger than the other. Both are as ruined and rotted as the rest of the room’s contents. The floor is unusual; it is lumpy, white and reeking. Nerash recognizes it- bat guano. “There may be many bats here with this much waste.”
As none of the creatures can be seen, it’s decided, perhaps foolishly, to burn them out of the room. A torch is lit and applied to the guano, which splutters and spits its way into an eerie, smoky flame. There is an almost instantaneous reaction, as high-pitched squeals of animal outrage echo throughout the room! A moment later a huge swarm of bats form into a cloud and dive towards the passageway. Nerash dodges into the room, finding a corner to evade the creatures, while Ravenae falls back into the corner of the hall. Brahma just stands there as the swarm whips past him.
The screeching winged horde blast past him, tiny claws raking along his form; bloodied but unbowed he clomps into the room, just as another, louder squeal cuts the stilling air. From atop the canopy he and Nerash see a huge, monstrous bat staring down at them. It shreiks again, and dives to attack Nerash. As it closes, he swings his axe and slices into the things face, the pain causing it to retreat from him.
It lands once again on the canopy, and lets loose a hellish screech- it doesn’t seem to affect either warrior, but something about the sound hints at something more than noise. Nerash draws his bow, nocking an arrow to feather the creature; however, Brahma makes his way up the corroded stairs and punches the creature- the force of this as well as the cruel spikes that adorn his cesti drop the thing to the floor. Out of principle, Nerash fires his shot into it.
The conflict ended, the trio gather and inspect the chamber. Nerash heals Brahma’s wounds, then goes to inspect the thrones. Brahma goes back up the stairs to see what he can find there, while Ravenae waits.
Their luck for profit is improving- Nerash finds 9 gems in the rotted ruins of the thrones, as well as an oiled-leather case like that used to hold scrolls or messages. Brahma makes a find as well- bas relief plates of silver and gold hanging on the walls. All this is gathered and they make their way back to the entry room. Nerash is about to open the scroll case when Brahma speaks up. “Let her do it- her hands are better suited to preserving it.”
Nerash raises an eyebrow, but hands the case to Ravenae. She looks it over, and determining that its fairly sturdy for its apparent age, pulls the cap off. The moment she does, Brahma shouts, “BOOM!” at the top of his voice! Ravenae yelps and jumps, and Nerash breaks out laughing! The priestess glares at Brahma, who has a grin plastered across his muzzle. Finally opening the case, she finds a scroll within, covered with indecipherable lettering. Its age is tremendous as well- the scroll is papyrus, which is a plant that vanished along with the waters of the world long ago. SHe carefully replaces it within the case.
Realizing that they’ve actually a reason other than injury to return to Oasis, they pack up their gains and make their way back instead of simply resting. They’re not molested by anything on the way, a bright full moon lighting the way. Soon they are once again within the city walls. The proceed to the temple to report their progress, and each has at least some treasure: Nerash the nine gems and the hand-axe of the star-shaped creature, Ravenae the black faceted gem and Brahma the bas relief plates.
Brahma leaves his companions at the temple and makes his way back to the Inn. Before he quite reaches it, he’s challenged: “Halt and identify!” He recognizes the voice as of his men. “It is Brahma.”
“Sir!” The warrior snaps to attention. Looking around, Brahma sees several other members of his group standing watch where their enhanced night vision allows them to see while remaining concealed. “Give me a hand with these.”
The guard does so. “What are these?”
“Wealth!” Brahma grins. “Secure this. I go to rest, as we return to the expedition tomorrow.” The guard gives an affirmative, and Brahma goes to his room.
The next day comes and much of it is taken up with various tasks. Nerash talks to one of the Temple staff and learns where to go to get the gems appraised; he does so, and an hour later he’s learned that they’re worth quite a bit. He trades several of the stones for the appraisers fee, then takes the rest to sell at the jewelers. In the end he has a letter of marque for 2000 gold. He also takes time to finally get the hole in his chain mail fixed.
While this goes on, Brahma has his own chore to complete. he makes his way to the tower of the Techno Mages, and bangs on the door. A small peephole opens. “Who goes... Oh, Greetings, Ambassador... What do you want?”
“We found a steam-powered suit of armor.”
There is the sound of latches being quickly thrown, and the door swings wide. Inside is a man just past his prime dressed in robes, his eyes alight with desire for the device just described. “Really? Where?”
“In the place we are exploring.”
“I knew it. I KNEW it! (shouting to someone further in) Didn’t I TELL... Oh.” He turns back to Brahma. “Here. This should be a fair price for the discovery.” He hands Brahma a hefty bag of coins. When Brahma looks at the bag and back to the man, a second bag is added. Brahma grins and nods.
As he turns to leave, he hears the man shouting behind him: “Get the camels boys! We’ve got a recovery operation!”
Once Nerash returns to the temple, he turns the letter over to the church as a line of credit to be shared amongst the three adventurers. Brahma uses his share to obtain more healing pills and they once again head back to the abandoned stronghold.
It is dusk by the time they reenter, and shortly the outside door is closed again. They consider where to go next, and decide on the remaining catwalk door. Instead of the usual handle, this has a wheel mounted on its center. Turning the stiff wheel, the door soon comes open. Steam pours out, the dampness perhaps becoming too familiar to the trio. Within is a strange metal contraption with pipes running from it in many directions- Ravenae recognizes it as a steam power plant.
Fiddling with the device, she manages to increase the brightness of the lighting in the halls and rooms nearby. Following one of the halls, they soon find themselves in some kind of laboratory- glassware and instrumentation of all kinds line the walls, seemingly of an alchemical nature. As they search the room, Nerash finds what seems to be a candle sculpted of metal. When he tries to pick it up, the wall swings open to reveal a concealed chamber!
Its not much more than a closet. Within are jar after jar of black powder, which Ravenae identifies as powdered coal.
“Why would they store powdered firestone like this?” Asks Nerash.
Nobody knows. Brahma collects a jar and they return to the main area; Ravenae’s sharp eyes then spot two more concealed doors flanking the entryway. These are checked in turn, and are found to be each storing another chemical. In one is saltpeter, and in the other is a strange silvery powder.
Curiosity piqued, Brahma gets a jar of each and a large bowl from the lab equipment. He mixes the three in equal amounts, then scoops out a small amount. “Move away and light a torch, Nerash. With some trepidation he does so, handing the brand to Brahma in such a way as to keep it well clear of the bowl. Brahma puts the small scoop of powder on the floor, then touches it with the torch flame. There is a WHOOMPH! as the material bursts into a fireball, leaving the minotaur blackfaced and singed. Despite the pain he grins! “I know why they store them separate.”
Ravenae heals his wounds, though his chest is bare of fur. “Does anyone else feel a draft?” He quips. He fills several jars with the substance, and he and Ravenae each take some; Nerash doesn’t, especially since he’s the one usually bearing the torches.
Returning to the hallway and previous rooms, they discover, now that the lighting is bright, that everything is amazingly clean. As in spotless clean. There is no dust, no dead insects, no nothing. They follow a corridor extending south. This is also a sparklingly-clean area, and partway down it jogs to the southwest with an opening to the west. However, the room that it leads to isn’t empty. Brahma smells... Something. Vaguely like acid and meat. This slight clue gives him the ability to avoid the gelatinous mass that suddenly slams towards him!
In response, Brahma slams his gauntleted, spiked fist into the thing. Goo splashes from the impact point, leaving a craterlike scar in the face of the wall of... Whatever it is. Nerash swings his axe, but instead of harming the thing his weapon sticks in it. He growls in frustration and backs off. The thing squidges forward again, but its slow enough that its attack is once again avoided. Brahma punches it several more times, and Nerash retrieves his weapon, failing in another stirike. The thing doesn’t seem to have the intelligence to flee or fall back, and eventually the relentless pounding of the minotaur’s fists literally tears the creature apart.
Ignoring the sight acidic tingling on his hands, Brahma stomps into the now slime-coated room followed by his companions. Nothing is here aside from the remains of the creature, but Ravenae spots a door on the far wall, roughly the same size as the creature itself. It opens via a pressure plate in the floor, and the corridor behind leads to another chamber. One wall is lined with workbenches, and the room is warm and muggy though not fogged with steam as with some of the chambers they’d explored. At the end of the room there are two large glass jars or urns, within which resides some kind of green growth. Seeing it twitch and quiver, they decide that they really don’t need to know what it is, and return to another unexplored door behind them.
This leads to a Y-shaped passage. Down the southeast branch there is a bizarre hammering sound. Naturally curious, they decide to check it out. The scene is hardly what they expected- there is a swarm of almost-birds pecking furiously at a massive-seeming door! Unfortunately, the creatures notice the trio, and flock to the attack.
Each of the things is about the size of a large pigeon, with batlike wings and a disturbingly long, slender beak. They dive to the attack; as they do Nerash lashes out with his axe, neatly bisecting one of the things. All the creatures miss their own swooping attachs save for one which embeds its beak into Ravenae’s chest. The slender proboscis sinking in deep, and she shrieks as she feels this horrid implement within. She shudders with revulsion as she feels it start to draw blood from her body into its own! Nerash grabs ahold of the fiendish thing to yank it loose, but its stuck fast to her and he drags her forward with the force of the tug.
One of the things manages to impale Brahma, but with a snort of disgust he crushes the creature, smashing a second with his other hand. Unable to pull the creature loose of Ravenae, Nerash resorts to biting it; his other hand holds the axe, and he’s not about to drop that. He misses, and soon two more of the creatures attach themselves, one to his back, and another fastens itself to Ravenae.
Intervening, Brahma pulps the things clinging to his companion’s backs, then manages to also crush the one on Ravenae’s chest. The last of the things dies soon after.
“I have not seen such things before,” says Nerash.
Brahma snorts in disgust. “Stirge. Blood feeders.”
“Is that what they’re called. Foul things.”
They take the time to bind and heal their injuries, then turn their attentions to the door the things were pecking so madly at. Its a stout door, made of ancient, heavy hardwood, but with a hard shove Brahma is able to force it open. As he does, once again thick steamy fog rolls out- the room is filled with it.
“Nerash. Give me your shield again.”
The gnoll hands the device over, more comfortable with his great-axe now that the rent in his armor has been mended. Brahma steps into the room, using the shield once again as an improvised fan to clear the fog. At first he has little luck, but when he does manage to clear the air somewhat both Nerash and Ravenae spot a misty form moving towards him! They shout warning and he backs away. When he reaches the door it fades once again from sight, lost in the steamy mist.
Hefting the massive door instead of the shield, Brahma advances once again, fanning with it as he did with the shield. The misty creature reappears, but it cannot approach the minotaur past the door fanning at it. Nerash makes a lunging strike with his axe, missing, and the duel continues- both Nerash and Brahma failing to land blows.
At this point the situation becomes dire- Ravenae dodges into the room! She has realized that there must be controls for the steam output and is attempting to find them! The creature slips back into the fog with her entrance, and the two warriors glance at each other in consternation, following to protect the priestess. Ravenae does find the controls, but only to shut off the flow of more steam- she succeeds in the shutoff, then drops prone, shouting that she’s done so.
Brahma shouts to Nerash to protect Ravenae, but there is the problem that Nerash doesn’t know where she is! The creature reforms right in front of him, and he swings- his blade whips through its form, but he has no way of telling whether he’s managed to harm it at all. He swings again, then the thing flows around him and blood is pulled through his very flesh into the cloudy thing! Its color becomes pinkish with its meal, and Nerash collapses!
As Brahma re-engages the thing, Ravenae reaches Nerash and heals him. As the gnoll returns to consciousness, Brahma snarls, “Get out of the room!” An order that Nerash isn’t willing to follow- first he’s injured, second he doesn’t wish to abandon a companion! He heals himself and returns to the fray to the consternation of Brahma.
The Minotaur has managed to strike (he thinks) the thing a time or two, but his luck runs out- it surrounds him as it had Nerash, draining blood and becoming more red. Another attack of draining and the Minotaur falls, the cloud now dripping with gore. Ravenae manages to heal him, and this time they all head for the broken doorway. “Light a torch!” Brahma growls and Ravenae does so. He throws the jar of powder directly beneath the creature, then Ravenae throws the torch at his order- Nerash and Ravenae dive for cover just as he lifts the door between him and the flaring blast that results!
It is unknown what the blast has done inside the room, but the door is shattered in protecting Brahma from the blast; He gets the other jar from Ravenae, and the fiery attack is repeated; while both Ravenae and Nerash evade harm, Brahma catches part of the second blast and drops.
“Heal him as we go,” Nerash rasps, and starts dragging the Minotaur away from the room as quickly as possible. Ravenae, her power exhausted manages to feed Brahma two of the healing pills, getting them down his gullet with water. Shortly thereafter he revives, and once he’s on his feet they decide to see if the thing still lives. They make their way cautiously back to the room, the stench of copper and fire still in the warm, damp air. They see no sign of it, and when they enter the room they discover why- the walls are painted with it. It’s been completely blown apart.
Brahma turns to Nerash. “Why didn’t you go when I said?”
“Because I don’t abandon allies.”
The Minotaur’s ire is rising. “I was going to use the powder!”
“I didn’t KNOW that. If you had said, I would have gone.”
Brahma snorts, to his mind Nerash should have simply obeyed.
They find nothing of note other than the horrid splatter about the chamber, and return to the entryway to recover.
And with that climactic battle we break, to continue next time.
In the last episode, Our Heroes returned to the mysterious Dwarven edifice wherein they had previously nearly died. This time around things went much better, with the discovery of a strange dwarven machine and the defeat of many strange creatures. Bizarre web-spinning crustaceans, odd dwarflike plant-beings and a group of goblins rounded out the conflicts, and as we return Brahma and Nerash have recruited... Well, blackmailed, the one goblin they allowed to live.
Surveying the situation, Brahma watches Nerash and the goblin- he’s certain that he can trust the Gnoll, but dislikes not being able to understand what the two say. “Well?” He asks.
The goblin, who has just finished stripping things from the corpses of his former comrades, gibbers something to Nerash, who gets a disturbing grin. “He asks, ‘Where to, boss?”
The minotaur snorts and nods his acceptance of the situation. At his direction, the group return to the room in which they’d found the goblins. There is one passage they have yet to explore there, as well as several they’ve left behind them. “Ask him what’s behind the door.”
Nerash growls to the goblin in his own tongue again, the sound canine and gutteral. “He says its the kitchen.”
The door is soon open, revealing an unpleasant larder with meat hung from the ceiling and a rude trench used as a firepit. Nerash and Brahma aren’t particularly bothered, but Ravenae is a bit disgusted.
“Not too far gone,” Nerash opines, which doesn’t help Ravenae’s stomach one bit. He growls again at the goblin, who responds in like kind though with less facility. “I asked how many of his kind are here; he says he doesn’t know.”
There is another door leading out of the room, and it’s been rudely barricaded.
“Ask him what’s behind that door.”
Nerash nods to Brahma and does so. The goblin becomes agitated, almost shaking as he replies. “He says to not open it.”
“Why?”
The question is passed. “He says there is death for goblins there.”
Brahma just glares disgustedly at the goblin; so far he’s seen little to convince him that he needs to fear something that frightens goblins. He goes to the door, kicks the barricade aside and yanks it open. Anticlimactically, all that this reveals is another corridor. “Tie him up,” he growls to Nerash, who complies... Inexpertly. Brahma picks the creature up, and the ropes promptly fall off. He gives a questioning look to the gnoll, who shrugs. “Sorry.”
The goblin is re-tied, and with the creature bound satisfactorily they go down the newly revealed passage. Not too far down it opens into a large chamber, wider than it is deep. In the center of the room something is standing; it looks manlike, vaguely, and glints of metal. To Nerash the goblin gibbers, “That! That’s it! The goblin-killer!”
Nerash passes the terrified babble on to his companions, Brahma not at all impressed. He clomps forward, but the thing doesn’t move. He gets still closer, and still it stands impassively. Finally, he’s muzzle-to-helmet with the thing, and it seems to be a suit of armor?
The others catch up, the goblin staying as far from the thing as he can, tied and tethered as he is. They look the thing over, and Brahma learns that it’s NOT a suit of armor when he tries to lift it; its far too heavy to be hollow, and the thing has a bizarre backpack-like box on its back that looks like steam-technology. “Priestess. What is it?”
“I don’t know.”
“Can you activate it?” With Brahma’s question, Nerash tenses a bit; he really isn’t interested in the damned thing being active, especially as he expects that it will become ‘active’ on their own breakable forms. He doesn’t say anything, however.
“I can try.” With that, Ravenae starts poring over the strange automaton, examining the device in minute detail. Eventually, she stops. “I can’t. This thing is beyond my abilities.”
“I know what it is for,” growls Nerash.
“Oh? What?”
“It is for making us wealthy.” He laughs. Ravenae just glares a bit, Brahma gets a grim smile.
Finishing with the inert ‘goblin-slayer’, they look around the room. Along the walls there are small cots and a great number of shelves laden with cogs and gears. The cots look too small for a dwarf to use, or even a goblin.
Nothing of use is found, and they make their way down the passage leading out of the room, on the wall opposite where they came in. The lights dim as they progress, until at the far end there is no light at all from the ancient sconces. At that point of faded lighting the passage opened into another room, and it’s not quite empty. On the eastern side of the room a creature, vaguely humanoid can be seen. Somehow it gives the impression of being startled, and advances on the creatures that have disturbed... Whatever it was doing. As the thing moves, it shouts something; none of the adventurers can decipher its words. Nerash shouts back, but the thing is obviously advancing to attack and so does Brahma.
Closer, they see that the thing looks like a starfish standing upright on two if its five appendages. It is wearing a rough, odd-looking harness and draws an axe, a strange ball on a tentacle lashed out at Nerash as it prepared the more mundane weapon. It misses, and the fight begins in ernest.
The blows fall on either side, but while Nerash and Brahma were able to strike the creature, their blows seem to slide off without harm. The creature’s strikes, however, do not; focussed totally on Nerash, the creature eventually batters him unconscious. Ravenae is able to heal and rouse him, but this is both good and bad. Good, as he can defend himself. Bad, because when he fell it started to shift to Brahma, but returned to attack him again when he moved! However, Nerash is able to heal himself while blocking its strikes against him.
During this, Brahma changed tactics. Abandoning the axe, he decided to attack in the manner of his people- charging with head and horns. Apparently the gods did not smile upon this, because charge after charge misses the thing as it adroitly avoids him while still striking at Nerash. FInally, inevitably, Brahma hits. The force of the impact lofts the creature into the air, slamming it into the wall where it stands, stunned. Brahma then ends the fight by grabbing the creature and slamming it into the wall until its barely more than mush.
The three gather themselves in the aftermath, their prisoner/guide staring wild-eyed at both his captors and the thing they’d beaten. For the first time there is a gain from the fight- a large, perfectly cut faceted black gem and the creature’s hand axe. Brahma gives the gem to Ravenae, and as nobody objects Nerash takes the hand axe.
On the same side of the room where the creature first stood another chamber abuts the first; there are a pair of large steel doors here, and ignoring the steel-grating that makes up the floor Brahma impatiently clomps over and tries to force the doors open, first by pulling, then pushing. They don’t budge in the least. Ravenae and Nerash both notice that the doors are mounted on tracks, and open by sliding to either side.
Beyond the unusual doors is what could easily be a gladitorial arena. While Brahma and Ravenae can see decently, Nerash can’t quite get the details. Brahma has him light a torch, and with the light from the brand they see stone benches ring the central area, which at its center is dominated by a huge rectangle of stone. To the casual eye there are no seams or cracks in its surface, and to the side there are four levers just begging to be pulled, all in a ‘down‘ position. Overall, the ceiling domes up to at least twenty feet.
They all enter the room, Nerash approaching the stone block first. It looks like it could be a sacrificial altar, but without any mountings for manacles or grooves for blood. He sees some stains, but they’re so old he can’t determine whether they were from blood. As he steps back, Brahma approaches in turn, dragging the goblin along with him. The creature is obviously well past being able to deal with his situation- he’s seen the immobile killer of his people and all else his captors have encountered, and can’t even manage to squeak.
Looking at the levers, Brahma throws the first without consulting anyone. There is a strange metallic grinding sound that seems to come from below. A hole opens in the center of the slab, where there were no seams whatsoever. He sees this, then throws the next lever, Nerash wisely edging back out of (he hopes) range of what may be about to happen. From the hole, chains erupt out of the hole like inanimate tentacles, landing in a heap on the cold stone.
Of course, Brahma notices Nerash moving back. Purely out of spite he throws the third lever. When he does, a cage rises out of the hole, forming out of curved bars that rise vertically until their upper ends mesh together, creating a seedlike shape. With a sneer he looks at Nerash then moves away from the altar.
However, Ravenae then approaches. This is an amazing device, and she wants to know all of what it does! She reaches for the last switch, but hesitates. With a grunt of impatience Brahma stomps over and throws it.
This time, the rumbling hum that had been present from the start suddenly builds into a crescendo; a crackling, boiling field of brilliant energy forms around the cage, snapping and sizzling in the air of the chamber. Ravenae tosses a rock at the field, and it rebounds as if it struck something solid; when it hits the ground its smoking.
Seeing this Brahma hefts the terrified goblin. Before anyone can say a thing, he lobs the unlucky creature into the field! There is a horrible electric sizzling sound and the corpse rebounds from the field, landing in a seared, smoking heap on the ground. Ravenae is shocked by this; Nerash isn’t pleased with the event either, but knew that the goblin wasn’t going to be leaving their company alive anyway. At least it was quick.
Operating the levers in the reverse order shuts everything down, and once again they’re left with an unmarked, seamless block of stone. as Brahma does this, Nerash gives a blessing to the deceased creature; Ravenae does the same as they’re about to leave the room.
Nerash and Brahma proceed through the room with the grated floor, but Ravenae stops- something looks odd to her, and she soon determines that the room is a mechanism of some kind. After a short time she finds a pair of buttons in one corner. “Are you coming?” Nerash asks.
“I think the room moves!” Is the answer. With that, Ravenae pushes the lower button and the room shudders, moving downwards! Nerash leaps to try and stay with her, but actually lands on the roof of the lift room as it comes even with the floor.
“Priestess.”
Ravenae looks up at Nerash, the ceiling a metal grating like the floor, grinning. “Yes?”
“I cannot protect you if you do things like this. Isolated and cut off you face whatever is there alone.”
She doesn’t reply, simply hitting the other, upper button. Nerash manages to scramble clear as the room rises once again and she rejoins them. “There is another set of doors down there,” she reports.
While the temptation is there to follow the lift down and see where it leads, Brahma wants to check the passages and doors that they’ve bypassed. “I do not wish to leave foes at our backs,” he says.
Backtracking, they find their way to the room with the catwalk. Following one of the doors off the metal walkway leads to what may have once been a throneroom or audience hall. The walls are lined with what might be the rotted remains of chairs and tapestries, and there are corroded metal pillars supporting a canopy-like structure that also has balcony seating areas like in a theater. At the far end of this is a raised dias where two chairs sit, one larger than the other. Both are as ruined and rotted as the rest of the room’s contents. The floor is unusual; it is lumpy, white and reeking. Nerash recognizes it- bat guano. “There may be many bats here with this much waste.”
As none of the creatures can be seen, it’s decided, perhaps foolishly, to burn them out of the room. A torch is lit and applied to the guano, which splutters and spits its way into an eerie, smoky flame. There is an almost instantaneous reaction, as high-pitched squeals of animal outrage echo throughout the room! A moment later a huge swarm of bats form into a cloud and dive towards the passageway. Nerash dodges into the room, finding a corner to evade the creatures, while Ravenae falls back into the corner of the hall. Brahma just stands there as the swarm whips past him.
The screeching winged horde blast past him, tiny claws raking along his form; bloodied but unbowed he clomps into the room, just as another, louder squeal cuts the stilling air. From atop the canopy he and Nerash see a huge, monstrous bat staring down at them. It shreiks again, and dives to attack Nerash. As it closes, he swings his axe and slices into the things face, the pain causing it to retreat from him.
It lands once again on the canopy, and lets loose a hellish screech- it doesn’t seem to affect either warrior, but something about the sound hints at something more than noise. Nerash draws his bow, nocking an arrow to feather the creature; however, Brahma makes his way up the corroded stairs and punches the creature- the force of this as well as the cruel spikes that adorn his cesti drop the thing to the floor. Out of principle, Nerash fires his shot into it.
The conflict ended, the trio gather and inspect the chamber. Nerash heals Brahma’s wounds, then goes to inspect the thrones. Brahma goes back up the stairs to see what he can find there, while Ravenae waits.
Their luck for profit is improving- Nerash finds 9 gems in the rotted ruins of the thrones, as well as an oiled-leather case like that used to hold scrolls or messages. Brahma makes a find as well- bas relief plates of silver and gold hanging on the walls. All this is gathered and they make their way back to the entry room. Nerash is about to open the scroll case when Brahma speaks up. “Let her do it- her hands are better suited to preserving it.”
Nerash raises an eyebrow, but hands the case to Ravenae. She looks it over, and determining that its fairly sturdy for its apparent age, pulls the cap off. The moment she does, Brahma shouts, “BOOM!” at the top of his voice! Ravenae yelps and jumps, and Nerash breaks out laughing! The priestess glares at Brahma, who has a grin plastered across his muzzle. Finally opening the case, she finds a scroll within, covered with indecipherable lettering. Its age is tremendous as well- the scroll is papyrus, which is a plant that vanished along with the waters of the world long ago. SHe carefully replaces it within the case.
Realizing that they’ve actually a reason other than injury to return to Oasis, they pack up their gains and make their way back instead of simply resting. They’re not molested by anything on the way, a bright full moon lighting the way. Soon they are once again within the city walls. The proceed to the temple to report their progress, and each has at least some treasure: Nerash the nine gems and the hand-axe of the star-shaped creature, Ravenae the black faceted gem and Brahma the bas relief plates.
Brahma leaves his companions at the temple and makes his way back to the Inn. Before he quite reaches it, he’s challenged: “Halt and identify!” He recognizes the voice as of his men. “It is Brahma.”
“Sir!” The warrior snaps to attention. Looking around, Brahma sees several other members of his group standing watch where their enhanced night vision allows them to see while remaining concealed. “Give me a hand with these.”
The guard does so. “What are these?”
“Wealth!” Brahma grins. “Secure this. I go to rest, as we return to the expedition tomorrow.” The guard gives an affirmative, and Brahma goes to his room.
The next day comes and much of it is taken up with various tasks. Nerash talks to one of the Temple staff and learns where to go to get the gems appraised; he does so, and an hour later he’s learned that they’re worth quite a bit. He trades several of the stones for the appraisers fee, then takes the rest to sell at the jewelers. In the end he has a letter of marque for 2000 gold. He also takes time to finally get the hole in his chain mail fixed.
While this goes on, Brahma has his own chore to complete. he makes his way to the tower of the Techno Mages, and bangs on the door. A small peephole opens. “Who goes... Oh, Greetings, Ambassador... What do you want?”
“We found a steam-powered suit of armor.”
There is the sound of latches being quickly thrown, and the door swings wide. Inside is a man just past his prime dressed in robes, his eyes alight with desire for the device just described. “Really? Where?”
“In the place we are exploring.”
“I knew it. I KNEW it! (shouting to someone further in) Didn’t I TELL... Oh.” He turns back to Brahma. “Here. This should be a fair price for the discovery.” He hands Brahma a hefty bag of coins. When Brahma looks at the bag and back to the man, a second bag is added. Brahma grins and nods.
As he turns to leave, he hears the man shouting behind him: “Get the camels boys! We’ve got a recovery operation!”
Once Nerash returns to the temple, he turns the letter over to the church as a line of credit to be shared amongst the three adventurers. Brahma uses his share to obtain more healing pills and they once again head back to the abandoned stronghold.
It is dusk by the time they reenter, and shortly the outside door is closed again. They consider where to go next, and decide on the remaining catwalk door. Instead of the usual handle, this has a wheel mounted on its center. Turning the stiff wheel, the door soon comes open. Steam pours out, the dampness perhaps becoming too familiar to the trio. Within is a strange metal contraption with pipes running from it in many directions- Ravenae recognizes it as a steam power plant.
Fiddling with the device, she manages to increase the brightness of the lighting in the halls and rooms nearby. Following one of the halls, they soon find themselves in some kind of laboratory- glassware and instrumentation of all kinds line the walls, seemingly of an alchemical nature. As they search the room, Nerash finds what seems to be a candle sculpted of metal. When he tries to pick it up, the wall swings open to reveal a concealed chamber!
Its not much more than a closet. Within are jar after jar of black powder, which Ravenae identifies as powdered coal.
“Why would they store powdered firestone like this?” Asks Nerash.
Nobody knows. Brahma collects a jar and they return to the main area; Ravenae’s sharp eyes then spot two more concealed doors flanking the entryway. These are checked in turn, and are found to be each storing another chemical. In one is saltpeter, and in the other is a strange silvery powder.
Curiosity piqued, Brahma gets a jar of each and a large bowl from the lab equipment. He mixes the three in equal amounts, then scoops out a small amount. “Move away and light a torch, Nerash. With some trepidation he does so, handing the brand to Brahma in such a way as to keep it well clear of the bowl. Brahma puts the small scoop of powder on the floor, then touches it with the torch flame. There is a WHOOMPH! as the material bursts into a fireball, leaving the minotaur blackfaced and singed. Despite the pain he grins! “I know why they store them separate.”
Ravenae heals his wounds, though his chest is bare of fur. “Does anyone else feel a draft?” He quips. He fills several jars with the substance, and he and Ravenae each take some; Nerash doesn’t, especially since he’s the one usually bearing the torches.
Returning to the hallway and previous rooms, they discover, now that the lighting is bright, that everything is amazingly clean. As in spotless clean. There is no dust, no dead insects, no nothing. They follow a corridor extending south. This is also a sparklingly-clean area, and partway down it jogs to the southwest with an opening to the west. However, the room that it leads to isn’t empty. Brahma smells... Something. Vaguely like acid and meat. This slight clue gives him the ability to avoid the gelatinous mass that suddenly slams towards him!
In response, Brahma slams his gauntleted, spiked fist into the thing. Goo splashes from the impact point, leaving a craterlike scar in the face of the wall of... Whatever it is. Nerash swings his axe, but instead of harming the thing his weapon sticks in it. He growls in frustration and backs off. The thing squidges forward again, but its slow enough that its attack is once again avoided. Brahma punches it several more times, and Nerash retrieves his weapon, failing in another stirike. The thing doesn’t seem to have the intelligence to flee or fall back, and eventually the relentless pounding of the minotaur’s fists literally tears the creature apart.
Ignoring the sight acidic tingling on his hands, Brahma stomps into the now slime-coated room followed by his companions. Nothing is here aside from the remains of the creature, but Ravenae spots a door on the far wall, roughly the same size as the creature itself. It opens via a pressure plate in the floor, and the corridor behind leads to another chamber. One wall is lined with workbenches, and the room is warm and muggy though not fogged with steam as with some of the chambers they’d explored. At the end of the room there are two large glass jars or urns, within which resides some kind of green growth. Seeing it twitch and quiver, they decide that they really don’t need to know what it is, and return to another unexplored door behind them.
This leads to a Y-shaped passage. Down the southeast branch there is a bizarre hammering sound. Naturally curious, they decide to check it out. The scene is hardly what they expected- there is a swarm of almost-birds pecking furiously at a massive-seeming door! Unfortunately, the creatures notice the trio, and flock to the attack.
Each of the things is about the size of a large pigeon, with batlike wings and a disturbingly long, slender beak. They dive to the attack; as they do Nerash lashes out with his axe, neatly bisecting one of the things. All the creatures miss their own swooping attachs save for one which embeds its beak into Ravenae’s chest. The slender proboscis sinking in deep, and she shrieks as she feels this horrid implement within. She shudders with revulsion as she feels it start to draw blood from her body into its own! Nerash grabs ahold of the fiendish thing to yank it loose, but its stuck fast to her and he drags her forward with the force of the tug.
One of the things manages to impale Brahma, but with a snort of disgust he crushes the creature, smashing a second with his other hand. Unable to pull the creature loose of Ravenae, Nerash resorts to biting it; his other hand holds the axe, and he’s not about to drop that. He misses, and soon two more of the creatures attach themselves, one to his back, and another fastens itself to Ravenae.
Intervening, Brahma pulps the things clinging to his companion’s backs, then manages to also crush the one on Ravenae’s chest. The last of the things dies soon after.
“I have not seen such things before,” says Nerash.
Brahma snorts in disgust. “Stirge. Blood feeders.”
“Is that what they’re called. Foul things.”
They take the time to bind and heal their injuries, then turn their attentions to the door the things were pecking so madly at. Its a stout door, made of ancient, heavy hardwood, but with a hard shove Brahma is able to force it open. As he does, once again thick steamy fog rolls out- the room is filled with it.
“Nerash. Give me your shield again.”
The gnoll hands the device over, more comfortable with his great-axe now that the rent in his armor has been mended. Brahma steps into the room, using the shield once again as an improvised fan to clear the fog. At first he has little luck, but when he does manage to clear the air somewhat both Nerash and Ravenae spot a misty form moving towards him! They shout warning and he backs away. When he reaches the door it fades once again from sight, lost in the steamy mist.
Hefting the massive door instead of the shield, Brahma advances once again, fanning with it as he did with the shield. The misty creature reappears, but it cannot approach the minotaur past the door fanning at it. Nerash makes a lunging strike with his axe, missing, and the duel continues- both Nerash and Brahma failing to land blows.
At this point the situation becomes dire- Ravenae dodges into the room! She has realized that there must be controls for the steam output and is attempting to find them! The creature slips back into the fog with her entrance, and the two warriors glance at each other in consternation, following to protect the priestess. Ravenae does find the controls, but only to shut off the flow of more steam- she succeeds in the shutoff, then drops prone, shouting that she’s done so.
Brahma shouts to Nerash to protect Ravenae, but there is the problem that Nerash doesn’t know where she is! The creature reforms right in front of him, and he swings- his blade whips through its form, but he has no way of telling whether he’s managed to harm it at all. He swings again, then the thing flows around him and blood is pulled through his very flesh into the cloudy thing! Its color becomes pinkish with its meal, and Nerash collapses!
As Brahma re-engages the thing, Ravenae reaches Nerash and heals him. As the gnoll returns to consciousness, Brahma snarls, “Get out of the room!” An order that Nerash isn’t willing to follow- first he’s injured, second he doesn’t wish to abandon a companion! He heals himself and returns to the fray to the consternation of Brahma.
The Minotaur has managed to strike (he thinks) the thing a time or two, but his luck runs out- it surrounds him as it had Nerash, draining blood and becoming more red. Another attack of draining and the Minotaur falls, the cloud now dripping with gore. Ravenae manages to heal him, and this time they all head for the broken doorway. “Light a torch!” Brahma growls and Ravenae does so. He throws the jar of powder directly beneath the creature, then Ravenae throws the torch at his order- Nerash and Ravenae dive for cover just as he lifts the door between him and the flaring blast that results!
It is unknown what the blast has done inside the room, but the door is shattered in protecting Brahma from the blast; He gets the other jar from Ravenae, and the fiery attack is repeated; while both Ravenae and Nerash evade harm, Brahma catches part of the second blast and drops.
“Heal him as we go,” Nerash rasps, and starts dragging the Minotaur away from the room as quickly as possible. Ravenae, her power exhausted manages to feed Brahma two of the healing pills, getting them down his gullet with water. Shortly thereafter he revives, and once he’s on his feet they decide to see if the thing still lives. They make their way cautiously back to the room, the stench of copper and fire still in the warm, damp air. They see no sign of it, and when they enter the room they discover why- the walls are painted with it. It’s been completely blown apart.
Brahma turns to Nerash. “Why didn’t you go when I said?”
“Because I don’t abandon allies.”
The Minotaur’s ire is rising. “I was going to use the powder!”
“I didn’t KNOW that. If you had said, I would have gone.”
Brahma snorts, to his mind Nerash should have simply obeyed.
They find nothing of note other than the horrid splatter about the chamber, and return to the entryway to recover.
And with that climactic battle we break, to continue next time.