Chapter 5: Subterrane of the Cyborgs

[Urson]

Maskelyn

Maskelyn swings awkwardly at the beastie, trying to kill it.

att [1d20] = 20 Maskelyn !!

staff [1d6] = 2 x2= 4 damg.

[Inferno]

Beneath the Dead Wizard's Skyscraper
Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Three. Midday? March 27th, 912 CY





Chaka and Tullia safely reach the floor of the glossy alabaster chamber. The dangling cage towers high above them, and the trapdoor higher still. They are confronted by two more identical doors of ivory-colored iron, facing north and south.

Meanwhile...



Eerie high-pitched screeches abate as the clinging vampiric bat-things feed upon the blood of their prey! (Fiefo: -3hp, Jeojand: -1hp, Ko-Nan: -4hp, Maskelyn: -4hp, Garamond: -1hp!)

Overcome at last by his many injuries, Ko-Nan the barbarian collapses to the latticework floor, the thing still attached to him, drinking!

Another incandescent mutated insect-monster impales Adrock's neck (-2hp)! The ravenous viridian creature inadvertently vomits the luminous contents of its stomach into the priest's jugular (-2hp more)! Adrock brings his mace to bear but fails to connect!

In gushes of bright green blood, Fiefo and Garamond each kill the blood-sucking bat-creatures affixed to them!



Maskelyn's staff bludgeons the glowing green predator draining his life away, but the hideous thing keeps feasting!

The horrific emerald vermin attached to the fallen adventurers, Ko-Nan and Jeojand, continue drinking their blood!


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. X = Dead or unconscious. Lit areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 4, Monsters: [1d6] = 5 Monsters win.
S1, S2, S3 drink blood: [1d4] = 3, [1d4] = 1, [1d4] = 4
S4, S5 drink blood: [1d4] = 4, [1d4] = 1
Effects? (1): Fiefo: [1d6] = 5, Jeojand: [1d6] = 6, Ko-Nan: [1d6] = 2 No effects.
Effects? (1): Maskelyn? [1d6] = 3, Garamond? [1d6] = 4 No effects.
S6 attacks Adrock: [1d20] = 19, damage: [1d3] = 2 Hits for -2hp.
Effects? (1) Adrock: [1d6] = 1 Adrock suffers an effect.
Adrock: Save vs Poison: [1d20] = 7 Fails.
Adrock effect result: [1d6] = 4
Extra damage to Adrock: [1d3] = 2 Adrock takes another 2hp damage.
Adrock attacks S6: [1d20] = 5, damage [1d6+1] = 6+1 = 7 Misses.

PC Status:

• Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 3/17, Torch
  Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 7/20
  Garamond Antiqua: Cyborg 2: Move: 12", AC: 8, HP: 9/20
  Jeojand: Cat-Man Magic-User 2: Move: 6", AC: 7, HP: -1/10, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
  Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: -1/32
  L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 3/8, Spells: 0/5 1st lvl
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 9", AC: 8, HP: 2/10, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
  Tullia Galena: Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 16/24

PC Magic:

• None currently.

Player Resources:

• End of the World (game description)
  Strange New World (maps and realms)
  Memory Tapes (the story so far)
  Viewscreen (the story so far in images)

[OGRE MAGE]

Chaka uses his torch to check out what he can see of the large room and doors. He listens at the northern door, checking the southern one next if he hears nothing from beyond.

"Chaka badly hurt, Tullia. It best if we can find others without attracting any attention."

[wolfpack]

screaming adrock tries to knock the thing off of him

[1d20] = 11
[1d6+1] = 6+1 = 7

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

I know, Chaka. I am guessing we should try the northern door first. The others had to go east, so they should be to the north or northeast of this room. She will first listen at the door to hear any activity from the next room.

[Urson]

Maskelyn

Maskelyn drops to the floor, intending to crush the nasty beast between himself and the lattice.

[Pulpatoon]

Garamond rushes over to Ko-Nan and Jeojand, and attempts to kill the creatures attached to them.
Drill Attack (THAC0 18): [1d20] = 5 Dmg: [1d6+1] = 4+1 = 5

[ChubbyPixie]

The collapsed cat-man being nearest, Fiefo rushes to skewer the green blood sucker attached to him: Attack with Scimitar (THAC0 19): To Hit: [1d20] = 16 Damage, s/M/L: [1d8] = 1

He timidly pokes the creature just a little bit...

[Inferno]

Beneath the Dead Wizard's Skyscraper
Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Three. Midday? March 27th, 912 CY





Beneath the dangling cage, Chaka and Tullia move toward the northern door searching for their lost companions. Instantly, the portal opens before them, revealing a swarm of insect-like chiropterans assailing their friends in a viridian maelstrom of glowing, winged shapes!



The floor is covered in water and an iron ladder follows a thick pipe up to a second level where, crashed against the catwalk floor, Jeojand and Ko-Nan have fallen and their strange unrelenting attackers continue to gorge themselves on their blood!

Fiefo slashes at the mutated vampire insect draining Jeojand's life away, grazing it with his accursed ancestral fork and sending it airborne again, screeching! It stabs at Fiefo but the nimble rat-man evades its spear-like bill!

Pale and lightheaded with blood loss, Maskelyn the gnome collapses to the floor, trying to crush the bat-winged parasite that is slowly killing him! He injures the verminous bloodsucker but doesn't finish it. It keeps draining away Maskelyn's life essence! (-1hp)

Garamond the cyborg leaps over Maskelyn's prone form and rushes to the aid of the fallen barbarian, Ko-Nan! His drill does not land but he drives the winged leech shrieking into the air! It dives and pierces him with its razor sharp proboscis! (-1hp)

As the magic white door shuts of its own volition behind him, Adrock screams and hammers the bat-like fiend on him with a bone-crunching blow of his mace, killing it in an emerald harvest of blood and gore!


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. X = Dead or unconscious. Lit areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 6, Monsters: [1d6] = 1 Party wins.
Maskelyn attacks S4: [1d20] = 13, damage: [1d3] = 2 Hits for 2hp damage.
S4 drinks Maskelyn's blood: [1d4] = 1, effect? (1): [1d6] = 4 1hp damage. No effect.
S2, S3 attack Fiefo and Garamond: [1d20] = 9, [1d20] = 7, damage: [1d3] = 2, [1d3] = 1 Garamond is hit for -1hp.
Garamond effect? (1): [1d6] = 6 No effect.

PC Status:

• Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 3/17, Torch
  Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 7/20
  Garamond Antiqua: Cyborg 2: Move: 12", AC: 8, HP: 8/20
  Jeojand: Cat-Man Magic-User 2: Move: 6", AC: 7, HP: -2/10, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
  Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: -2/32
  L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 3/8, Spells: 0/5 1st lvl
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 9", AC: 8, HP: 1/10, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
  Tullia Galena: Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 16/24

PC Magic:

• None currently.

Player Resources:

• End of the World (game description)
  Strange New World (maps and realms)
  Memory Tapes (the story so far)
  Viewscreen (the story so far in images)

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

She sees the big bugs, and swears, and waves back Chaka. Holy crap! Chaka, stay back!

She gets out her longbow and an arrow, and looks for the best bug target.


The map is flat, but she is looking up, so I am not sure where to aim.

[wolfpack]

LL runs over to help Maskelyn

[1d20] = 9

[1d6+1] = 2+1 = 3

[ChubbyPixie]

Fiefo will lash out at the hovering green bug with his scimitar (he dropped his fork on the catwalk) feinting upwards and to the left, then immediately following with a continuing slash to the right to try to catch the thing's counterattack.
Attack with Scimitar (THAC0 19): To Hit: [1d20] = 3 Damage, s/M/L: [1d8] = 4
As the blade slashes only air, he thinks to himself that blood sucking bugs probably do not fight tactically...

[OGRE MAGE]

Chaka prods at the water with his sword, trying to determine if there is a floor below it or possibly see how deep it is.

“Chaka can try to jump for ladder if Tullia think its a good idea.”

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

Well, arrows won't go through through those gratings. She puts the bow over her shoulder, and re-quivers the arrow. Back to the sword, I guess

No, Chaka, those things suck blood. We need figure out how to get there up to our friends, without getting ourselves hit. I also think the water may be poisoned. Don't get it on you. She examines the room for a safe way to get up to the catwalk.

[Pulpatoon]

Garamond attempts to drill the creature mid-air. "I don't like you at all!" it wails.

Drill Attack (THAC0 18): [1d20] = 16 Dmg: [1d6+1] = 6+1 = 7

[Urson]

Maskelyn

Maskelyn rolls over, continuing to try and smash this creature.

[Inferno]

Beneath the Dead Wizard's Skyscraper
Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Three. Midday? March 27th, 912 CY







Beneath the catwalk battle, the urgent cries of the fight echoing all around him, Chaka tests the floor's dark waters with his sword, finding the liquid only an inch or two deep.

Peering over the crouched ape-boy, Tullia cautiously examines the room before setting foot in it. The moldy, rank, deteriorated chamber is two stories tall and illuminated by flickering witchlights in the ceilings. Its center is dominated by a 10' wide glass pillar rising from floor to ceiling, filled with a glowing green liquid. The walls are also lined with a variety of glass pipes. Some of these are full of the green liquid, some are broken and empty.

An iron ladder ten feet away from her leads up to the catwalk balcony above, where rages the wild fray. The floor between Tullia and the ladder is covered in opaque water; yellow torchlight swirling among black, brown and green. The last could be the color of the water itself or the reflection of the glowing pipes and the swarming bat monsters above.

Meanwhile, high above them...



Screaming, Adrock imagines himself soon sharing the same fate as Jeojand and Ko-Nan. Both adventurers have fallen to the flying green scourge that wreaks havoc among the wounded party.

The half-elven scholar-priest is wrong. It is Maskelyn who falls next, overcome from blood loss. (4 hp damage) The pallid gnome conjurer stops thrashing on the floor as the vampiric insect-bat affixed to him keeps drinking and drinking!

The viridian winged thing attached to the organic components of Garamond keeps feasting as well! (3 hp damage) "I don't like you at all!" Garamond wails as it drills the parasitic creature tapping its bloodstream! Impaled through its misshapen head by the cyborg's spinning blade, the bat-winged predator dies horribly.

Fiefo feels a thin sharp beak sink deep as the mutant monster that had been draining Jeojand's lifeblood turns its voracious appetites on the ratman warrior! (1 hp damage) Fiefo retaliates with his scimitar but his curving blade cuts only air!

Adrock ceases screaming and charges to Maskelyn's aid, smashing and bludgeoning the insidious insectoid on the gnome's chest to luminous emerald bits! When Adrock is done, his dripping mace glows bright green.

Only one of the pestilent swarm remains (S2). Attached to Fiefo's furry hide, it greedily quaffs his crimson blood.


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. X = Dead or unconscious. Lit areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 3, Monsters: [1d6] = 4 Monsters win.
S3, S4 drink blood: [1d4] = 3, [1d4] = 4 Garamond loses 3hp, Maskelyn loses 4hp.
S3, S4: Effects? (1): [1d6] = 2, [1d6] = 4 No further effects.
S2 attacks Fiefo: [1d20] = 20, damage: [1d3] = 1, effect?: [1d6] = 3 Hits for 1hp damage. No further effects.

PC Status:

• Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 3/17, Torch
  Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 6/20
  Garamond Antiqua: Cyborg 2: Move: 12", AC: 8, HP: 5/20
  Jeojand: Cat-Man Magic-User 2: Move: 6", AC: 7, HP: -3/10, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
  Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: -3/32
  L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 3/8, Spells: 0/5 1st lvl
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 9", AC: 8, HP: -3/10, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
  Tullia Galena: Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 16/24

PC Magic:

• None currently.

Player Resources:

• End of the World (game description)
  Strange New World (maps and realms)
  Memory Tapes (the story so far)
  Viewscreen (the story so far in images)

[ChubbyPixie]

“Gahhhhhh!” hisses Fiefo as the thing latches on to him. He spins and grasps its needle-like beak with his left hand as he attempts to rake it with the scimitar in the other:
Attack with Scimitar (THAC0 19): To Hit: [1d20] = 17 Damage, s/M/L: [1d8] = 2

[wolfpack]

LL starts binding the unconscious

nervously singing

in the jungle, the mighty jungle, the lion sleeps tonight...

[Urson]

Maskelyn

Bleary-eyed and too weak to function, Maskelyn lifts his head. No, mama- don' wanna go Grammy's. Smells funny....