Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

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Pulpatoon
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Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#1 Post by Pulpatoon »

The party and surviving pirates are captured by the Eld.

Horton's entreaty to rescue Flintlock is ignored, although the Eld register surprise to hear their own language come from the clanking maw of a wooden soldier. A sack is thrown over Horton's head, and he is brusquely rushed along, through the rag room, tripping up stairs, through the thick scents of honey and horseflesh, turning at odd intervals, along hallways, more stairs, waiting at a door, being shoved forward.

Horton hears several exchanges between Eld:
"We have retrieved the interlopers."
"Strip them down and render them to the protein vats, then."
"Sir. They appear to have activated and passed through the Exigent Membrane.
"Is this true?"
"There is some evidence of secondary spatial transfer. Furthermore, you will observe that two of the creatures appear to be analogical constructs."
"Very well, this does warrant additional attention. Strip them, wash them down, and effect minimal repairs."
"A final point, sir. At least one speaks out language. The taller of the two constructs."
"WHAT?! Fool! That should have been the first item reported! Consider the security implications!"
"Yes sir."
"We can conclude that they are cross-planar spies. Perhaps Medved has has new allies. I will request priority interrogation."
Something happens to the back of Horton's head, and he joins is compatriots in unconsciousness.

The party awakes, sore and cold, their skin still ruddy from a rough scrubbing and their wounds mended. The are naked except for a simple gown of material that feels more like paper than cloth. All equipment is gone. Your wrists and ankles are bound with loops of blue goo.

You have been dumped unceremoniously in a pile in the corner of a white-tiled room. The room is quite large—larger than any of the rooms you have encountered in the strange structure, so far, although, without access to the Crooked Theodolite, you can't be precise. White steel tables run along two of the walls. Piled on top is a strange array of rubbery hoses, bulbous lumps that could only be described as flesh sacs, transparent pieces panels, and weirdly curving silver-metal tools

Deet and Schroff are not present, nor are the pirates.

Two Eld, unarmored, but dressed in billowing jumpsuits that seem to move with a life of their own, are working at a nearby table. A third Eld, the one in cucumber-and-rose notes your awakening.
Screen Shot 2017-09-15 at 8.49.31 AM.png
Screen Shot 2017-09-15 at 8.49.31 AM.png (230.9 KiB) Viewed 3667 times
He addresses you in Eldish (Horton and Wikerus only):
"Finally. Listen closely. You have one chance to explain your presence in Eld territory before we apply our extraordinarily effective means of information extraction."
EDIT: HP restored and 2 STR restored to each PC.

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Urson
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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#2 Post by Urson »

Jake
Jake jerks awake, rudely torn from a dream about the lovely and voluptuous Jasmine.

He shifts his head to get Horton's elbow out of his eye, and looks around. His eyes keep shying away from the stuff on the tables- it looks too much like a hunter's gut pile for his comfort. "Hope that's not going to be us..." ,he thinks.
He tries to break the bonds on his wrists. Failing that, he brings his wrists up to his face and begins trying to gnaw through the blue gunk.
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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#3 Post by coil23 »

The svelte, martial, otherwordly feel of the eld keeps making me think of githyanki- probably yet another sign of a poor prognosis for our group.

Horton clears his throat and attempts to sit up, rubbing the aching back of his head. Sir, cooperation was given to you from the outset- there was no need for this rough treatment. In fact, despite of it, I am still willing to answer your questions.

Our group was exploring a castle on the other side of the void. We were betrayed by wooden soldiers there. I, alas, was reconstituted in the shape of them in an effort at enforcing humility, no doubt. On this side of the void we were forced by the bandits to show them the void and then they set about to killing us off to show their thanks. We serve no master other than our own curiosity. I am a librarian by trade and sought to find new knowledge in this wonderland. From the outset we have sought to harm no one and yet have been attacked and betrayed at every turn. What is it you wish of us? We seek only to go our own way in peace.

By the way, we were initially taken to the bandit leader, a shark-headed thing. Are you after this beast?

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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#4 Post by ChubbyPixie »

"Yes, he's the worst. Just the worst, the shark captain fellow." agrees Wikerus. "What kind of place is this? Very tidy. I like your aesthetics - could use some ornamentation, though."

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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#5 Post by Starbeard »

The Princess Dormillon regains consciousness delicately, coming back to the world like the unfurling of a flower in Spring. The activity of waking from slumber is a subtle drama that she performs with intuited perfection, such that one would swear that there must be a Muse of Napping.

To the dismay of her subjects, the demonstration is cut short when she discovers that her scepter is missing. "Where is my royal scepter? Someone has stolen it! A piece of the Royal Regalia! A head will roll for this."

Looking about she spots the Eld and addressing them. "You there, in the unusual garments. Do you know who is responsible for this basest of acts?"

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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#6 Post by Pulpatoon »

The armored Eld listens to Horton and Wikerus, his face a symphony of contempt—he presents a profligate fluency in the shades and tints of disdain beyond human comprehension.

When they are finished, he inclines a head to one of the other Eld, who looks up from his work (revealing that he is examining Jake's Phase Key), and a brief exchange follows:
Horton and Wikerus:
"Shark-man?"
"They must mean Ondrj. Several of the captured did bear signs of allegiance to the demi-apostasis."
"Analysis?"
"Admirably violent, cleansed of sentiment, but unstable. Chaotic. Oppossed to Medved, but unsuitable for alliance under current conditions."
When the Princess Dormillon speaks, he fixes her with his withering attention, and says to Horton, in the common language, "Your hetaera should refrain from polluting Eldish ears with animal-tongues, except when addressed, and then should confine herself to succinct and relevant summaries of the information desired."

Continuing in Common, he says to the party in general, "You have activated a portal thought permanently closed, and bring with you specialized means of spatial-membranic manipulation. You were found in Eld territory, fighting with parties known to be inimical to Medved. All of this now, when proceedings are so delicately poised. Clearly you are in league with Medved, brought here to buttress his position and interfere with our work. Do not bother to deny it! How did he contact you? What is your grid of origin? What were your instructions?"

Jake thinks he might, with a single concerted burst of strength, be able to snap his bonds (STR check when you feel the moment is ripe).

The Princess spots her scepter and a few other items of party equipment, splayed out on the table. The Crooked Thedolite has been partially disassembled.

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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#7 Post by coil23 »

To the princess, Your highness, the gentleman offers a veiled threat that you should only speak when spoken to and even then succinctly.

To the eld: I see. This is the same tack the wooden soldiers took with us. You have already made up your mind, spinning yet another paranoid fantasy. You ask for the truth but only hear your own twisted lies. It continues to astound me why people bother to ask the questions in the first place- just another act in some grand play of asinine mummery. You clearly have already made up your own answers but project them onto us. Cowardice? Probably not- just a monstrously large deficit of insight. No idea who this Medved is but that is just more wasted breath on my part. I seek new wonders and wisdom. But, just like with the wooden soldiers and the pirates, all we find are yet another bickering tribe's machinations and frightened lashing out at anything new. If only I were back in the library, I would kindly ask you to leave. As it is, just make up some more shit and do what you will. But don't you ever pretend to be seeking the truth with me again. That is a step too far, sir.

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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#8 Post by Urson »

Jake

When the Eld seem to be thoroughly preoccupied with Horton, Jake makes his attempt to break free.

[1d20] = 19

If he succeeds, he will stay in position, ready to act.
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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#9 Post by Pulpatoon »

There is a long pause as the armored Eld studies the party, suddenly broken when Jake begins exerting himself to the utmost to break his gooey blue bonds. The gummy bonds refuse to snap however, and Jake falls still and resigned.

The armored Eld plays out a long, nuanced, and multi-layered sneer, an opera of dismissal, and says, "You have convinced me. You are misadventurers, who have stumbled amongst great deeds by happenstance. As such, while you possessed accoutrements of interest, there is no need to keep you around."

To the other Eld, in Eldish:
"Protein vats."
The two Eld at the table put down their instruments and rush over. They grab the Princess first, forcing her to her feet, and begin to drag her out of the room...

...when the door busts open, and one of the great white apes bursts in, singed and bleeding. It bellows in pain and looks pleadingly at the Eld as it collapses to the floor. Almost immediately, there is an explosion, outside the door, which knocks the Princess and the Eld off their feet.

In the clearing smoke, a figure appears. It is Deet, dressed in piratical garb and bearing a cutlass. A bandaged Schroff sticks close to his feet.
Image
"We need to go, yup yup."

The Princess and the Eld skip a round, having just been knocked down. Those of you already on the floor can act, although your hands are bound.

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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#10 Post by Urson »

Jake
Jake struggles to his feet, swearing at the goo that seems so rubbery- but won't break.

Deet! I thought... well, never mind what I thought. Can you cut me loose?

Assuming he does, Jake will look around for his maul- or a suitable replacement.
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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#11 Post by coil23 »

Do we know where the protein vats are? If so, are they open-air...such that Horton could rush an eld and try to shove one into the vat? Is there anything debilitating an eld could be shoved into?

P.S. "opera of dismissal" is such a delicious phrase

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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#12 Post by Pulpatoon »

Deet rushes over to cut your bonds with a knife. The blue goo is simultaneously pliable and resistant, making it very difficult to sever, but he is able to free Jake and Horton. Schroff attempts to gnaw at the goo holding the Princess' hands, but the little dogs teeth are not the right tool for this task.

You do not see evidence of protein vats in this room. Along with the rubbery hoses, flesh sacs, transparent panels, and silver-metal tools set out on the table, you also see a partially-disassembled Crooked Theodolite, Splinter's Mirror Engine, Jake's Phase Key, and the Princess' Crystal Wand. The Phase key has a number of small, transparent panels set up around it. There is also a recognizably cylinder of Eldish design, about 3' long, and 3" diameter.

Propped against the wall are three Eldish pole-arms.

There are two exits from this room: a door that leads to a small vestibule—currently on fire—through which Deet entered; and a ladder leading a trap-door in the ceiling.

The 3 Eld, having recovered from their falls, dash for weapons—two Eld for the the polearms, and the armored Eld for the cylinder on the table. If you wish to attempt to outrace them, please roll DEX.

Deet continues to hack away at the goo-bonds on the rest of the party.

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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#13 Post by Urson »

Jake
DEX: 16
[1d20] = 18

Failing to outrun the Eld for the cylinder, Jake attempts to tackle him.
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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#14 Post by coil23 »

I think Horton's stats changed when he became wooden but I do not remember what the new ones are.
Dex roll [1d20] = 3

Horton dashes to grab a polearm and use it on the nearest Eld.
[1d6] = 5

If he has a chance, he will then swing the polearm to knock the second Eld off its feet.


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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#16 Post by coil23 »

ChubbyPixie wrote:Wikerus, "Gyaaaaaa!" he says.
:lol:

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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#17 Post by Starbeard »

"Such insolance! How dare they speak down to royalty!" cries The Princess. She looks around for a way to free her gooed hands. Perhaps the recent explosion has left a small fire that can burn the goo away, she thinks.

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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#18 Post by Pulpatoon »

Jake dashes towards the table, hoping to beat the armored Eld to the mysterious tube. He is not fast enough, and the armored Eld grabs it first.

Horton sprints over and snatches an Eldish polearm. The weapon is light but balanced. Compared to his army-issued wooden sword, it feels exquisitely responsive and deadly. (1d8 dmg.)
I'm pretty sure that Horton's sheet reflects the changed stats—high STR and much lower DEX and WIS look more like Wooden Soldier stats than Librarian stats.

The second Eld grabs one of the two remaining pole-axes.

Wikerus flings himself at the third Eld, knocking him down on the ground and landing on top of him.

Deet continues to make the rounds with his knife, freeing the Princess and Splinters.

Since I have actions for two PCs, I'll go ahead and stage a mini-round:
Jake switches his dash into a tackle, knocking into the armored Eld before he can bring the mysterious cylinder to bear.
Unarmed attack: [1d4] = 2 -1 (armor).

Cucumber-and-Rose is able to rebuff Jake's attack, but it prevents him from bringing the cylinder to bear, this round.

Horton applies his pole-arm to the nearest Eld.
Pole-arm: [1d8] = 6
The Eld strikes back.
[1d8] = 1
Horton parries a blow from the Eld, knocking the slender creature back a few steps.

All part members are now free. Horton and Jake are locked in combat. Wikerus is sitting on top of a prone Eld. Fire and smoke are choking the door to the vestibule. Schroff is barking loudly in the direction of the door.

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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#19 Post by ChubbyPixie »

Wikerus isn't sure what to do now that his barreling into the Eld plan has worked so well. He glances in the direction of the glaives, thinking how nice it would be to have one right now, then tries to knock out his victim with a double-fisted overhand Kirk-chop to the noggin:
Double Fisted Pummel: [1d6] = 5 or [1d4] = 2 or [1d2] = 2
Not sure what the appropriate roll is on a fist attack.
He then jumps up and sprints for a free glaive.

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Re: Chapter 4: The Cold Chains of Hell

#20 Post by Pulpatoon »

I will hold off updating until Friday to allow some more time for posts to roll in.

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