Expedition to the Barrier Peaks: Chp. 3

[greyarea]

Asherrion extends a hand to the two newcomers. Well met. We too find ourselves trapped in this place. Perhaps we can help each other.

[AleBelly]

Wulfhart takes an immediate shine to their new companions. Now this is a guy he can relate to! "Greetings, Thundarr! I am Wulfhart, of the north wood Asgerrion clan. From which clan do you hail?"

[Grognardsw]

"I was born in the land of Nordway in my world, a distant place of savagery, super-science, and sorcery," Thundarr answers Wulfhart. The barbarian nods at the others in greeting.

"We were magically banished to this place by an evil wizard," says Ariell to Wrenly. "Aye, let us work together to survive. We would find our way back home."

Fingal, who had checked the body of Ookla, found no belongings at all on the hairy man-ape. The thief watches the surrounding jungle greenery for signs of immediate danger and sees none. There are a half-dozen sleeping vegenoids who were effected by Fingal's magic gas ball. Beyond the jungle stretches far, though exact distance is indeterminate due to trees. Given the balcony view from the third level, the jungle must be a good portion of this lower fourth level.

Up on the balcony, Swilbosh and Andover watch and guard the rear. The living vines to the immediate north and south will be a problem to get by, but don't seem able to move and attack in the adventurers' current position.

[Pulpatoon]

Porphyry's ears perk up even more: "Super-seance, you say?"

[greyarea]

As would we, agrees Asherrion. I will work to get you home, you have my word on it.

Have you any healing magics or super-whatever. We have friends who could help but have been made idiots by a strange being.

Asherrion will use his ESP to determine if they are trustworthy. He will also use it on their friend Ucla to see if he is truly deceased.

[OGRE MAGE]

Fingal checks the sleeping veginoids for any interesting possessions they might be carrying.

He wonders if he should even bother with eliminating them all together.

[Hotgoblin]

Groyn Shortbeard is me name, sorry about your friend...I too lost a trustworthy friend, me dog Bene, his wisdom and quick thinking saved me/us numerous times!!! He nods at the two new additions to the group.

[ChubbyPixie]

"Are you familiar with the workings of the various artifacts in this structure? The Metal Golems? The Death Ray Devices? The Mystical Screen of Showing? ...What about these thingies?" He shows them the "gems" retrieved from the ro-bot's innards. "As you can see, we've figured out the Orbs of Sleep Inducement. These items do not seem to fall within any realm of magic with which I am familiar. Which is saying something, considering that I am a fairly "dope" magician, as it were..."

[Inferno]

Swilbosh stoically serves as rearguard, lizard eyes scanning for trouble or any sign of the elusive, strangely booted healer.

[Grognardsw]

Responding to Porphyry the satyr, Ariel says: "Super-science in our world is magic of old, when machines and the spells of the mathemagicians held sway. So great was their power that they lost control and destroyed their own world. Remnants of this science can still be found. Some even seek to harness the old power. This place we are in now reminds me of such science."

Asherrion the gray elf, whose mind as well as body has undergone changes after his abduction by the gray saucer-eyed humanoids in their flying sky ship, focuses his extrasensory perception upon Thundarr and Ariel. The barbarian and sorceress think thoughts that are true to their words, and are not holding deceit in their hearts. Thundarr is glad to have have fighting comrades. Ariel, after some fleeting licentious thoughts for Candidiasis, focuses on the people before her wondering who and what their talents are. After a few minutes of mental probing, Asherrion feels a wall suddenly erect around Ariel's mind. She glances at him with suspicion.

The grey elf also feels something unidentified at the edge of his perception. It is flutters and fades and the elf stops his probing.

Fingal examines the sleeping bodies of the vegenoids. They have crude weapons made of wood, stone and random pieces of metal. Several have tubers and unknown fruits hanging from their bodies. The thief recalls Gryev eating a tuber after their last battle.

"It is good to meet you," says Thundarr to Groyn the dwarf. "What race are you? I have not seen your kind."

Ariel looks at the dull eyes of the loitering Gryev, Getafix, Puddington and Guido.

"What is wrong with them?" she asks. "These are the idiots you spoke of?"

Ariel puts her hand up against Brother Puddington's forehead and concentrates. "There is nothing left to restore," she says sadly.

Then Ariel notices the necklace of beads that is around Guido the cleric's neck. "I know of these. The beads contain healing powers that may help your wounded. This poor man will not be able to use them. Would you like me try bring forth their power?"

Wrenly the magic-user quizzes Ariel. "We have encountered the robots, and sundry monsters. I do have some knowledge of lost science from my home world. Though I have not seen this Screen of Showing."

[greyarea]

Asherrion smiles at Ariel. It is good to know you are congruent. My apologies if I caused offense. Did you also sense the brief presence after your put up your shield? I fear that may be the creature that emptied our companions of their minds. I also fear that we have little if any defense against it. As you were able to easily buffet my clumsy attempt to ensure you were friendly as you claim, perhaps you have the ability to fight the brain creature and perhaps you can teach me how to defend against it myself.

[Zhym]

Andover peers over the balcony. "Are you coming back up?" he asks those gathered below.

[Hotgoblin]

Groyn

You ain't never seen a stoutly dwarf fighter like me-self before!! Groyn Shortbeard at your service!!

[ChubbyPixie]

"Well, it's a delight to have you in the company... or to have us in yours, as the case may be. You seem perhaps more qualified to navigate the dangers of this place than our rag-tag collection of misfits and half-wits," says Wrenly. "Speaking of which, they are unrecoverable, you say? This state is permanent? What are we to do? We can't just leave them, but we can't very well tote them around, either, can we? I, for one, am at a loss."

[greyarea]

Asherrion agrees with Wrenly. I'm not sure how we should proceed. If their minds are truly gone, then are they but husks?

[Inferno]

Swilbosh tasted the air with his forked tongue, smelling the sweet, hot blood of mammal husks.

[OGRE MAGE]

Fingal climbs back up the rope after finding nothing of value, to him anyway. He addresses the princess once again.

If you cant help our brainless idiots here, by all means, use their magic to help the rest of us! Startin with yers truly!

[Grognardsw]

"Yes, I sensed an outer awareness for a moment," Ariel says to Asherrion. "Something far away but possessed of strong psychic power. Let us hope it keeps its distance. I am not sure if I could teach you disciplines of the mind. We could try."



Thundarr the barbarian looks up at the balcony to the inquiring Andover.

"You have more comrades up there?" he asks Wulfhart. "Are those pointy ears he has?"

For a moment Swilbosh the lizardman feels an instinctual, racial tug to visit the jungle. The green, the water, the smells remind the reptilian of his home. Vines slithering nearby north and south on the balcony bring Swilbosh back.



Two bright colored birds flap overhead. Something squeels like a monkey. There is a splash of water. Bird calls, a hoot, and other sounds of the jungle are heard.

Ariel takes the necklace from Guido, who smiles at the pretty lady. The other-world sorcereress grasps a bead tightly in her hand and places it on Fingal's forehead, reciting words in an unknown tongue. The thief feels warmth spread through his body as many of his wounds magically heal (10 HP.) She repeats the process with Asherrion (9 HP.)

"There is one magical bead left, to heal disease," says Ariel. "I have a few healing spells myself."

She steps over to the gravely wounded satyr. Porphry's injuries have made him taciturn of late, his mind perhaps grappling with the gargantuan oddness of this strange metal dungeon and the jungle within. Ariel lays hands on the psychopomp and again speaks in strange syllables. A tingle is felt and the deep and festering gash from Andover's sword, and the punishing bruises from Swilbosh, disappear some (6 HP.) Ariel turns to Candidiasis and performs her healing again (6 HP), her soft supple hands perhaps lingering a moment too long on Candi's muraled body.

Wrenly the Brown watches Ariel closely. Does the woman possess both arcane and divine magics?

"We are stronger as one," she replies to Wrenly. "I can give counsel to your leader, if you have one, and contribute as we all do. I am not sure what you should do with your mind-addled companions. They possess rudimentary intelligence to get around, much like animals."

Dumb but ever hungry, Gryev the Ravenous, who has not eaten for some time, spots a rabbit on a tree stump. His stomach growls and he... (Wis. check Pulpatoon, otherwise go race to catch/eat it, including a To Hit roll.)



As those on the jungle floor look about, they realize their position under the balcony may put them near to the north wall of this jungle (assuming the floor is shaped like the one above it.) They cannot see the north wall due to trees and vegetation.

Getafix the druid, dull-witted yet still a lover of nature, experiences an instinctual longing for the green, to feel dirt again in his toes, to smell flowers.

- Ariel cure beads [2d8] = 10, [2d8] = 9. 10 to F, 9 to A
- Ariel heals [2d8] = 6, [2d8] = 6. 6 to P, 6 to C
- HP status: viewtopic.php?p=59033#p59033
- XP award time. 20,000 xp each. You can add that to your current XP list here:
viewtopic.php?p=57280#p57280

[Inferno]

Swilbosh resists the insidious temptation of the artificial jungle imprisoned in iron. "Perhapssss the idiotssss would be happy to dwell here?"

As the party is healed, the barbaric reptile pulls a potion from Guido's pack (Extra Healing) and noisily guzzles to slake his thirst and treat his injuries.

"Where now?" he grunts as he hand the unfinished elixir to Andover.

Heal self: [1d8] = 4 Heal self some more: [1d8] = 2

[Pulpatoon]

Porphyry winces as the magic heals him. "That is... mildly better. I, as you no doubt could tell upon first inspection, and the leader of this expedition, despite a recent and deeply unfortunate lapse into mutiny."