Chapter 15: Empire Under the Earth

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin continues along the eastern tunnel near the front. He frowns slightly, pondering what Cruloc did to his enchanted blade. To be fair, that was the blade that Garrin stabbed him with, whilst under the influence of the beast-men's magic. Surely that is the reason for wanting to destroy such a fine weapon. He is happy to have given his old blade to Loche.

The paladin lumbers on, sword and shield ready.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen walks up to the pupae cautiously, poking at them with the butt of his javelin to see if any remain alive.

[ChubbyPixie]

“Don’t poke the pupae, Xorzen,” says Kiri, uttering perhaps the only instance of that sequence of syllables in the history of Oerth.

[Inferno]

Hatching Chamber, Giant Ant Colony, Beneath the Underground City
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Nine. After Midnight?, 22nd day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia




Xorzen carefully examines the forsaken field of giant ant pupae.



The hawk-masked monk finds none alive. An entire future, abandoned.

"How frail a thing is society," rasps Tjoruy.

The explorers continue onward through the winding ruins of the overthrown collective, torches and candle lighting the path before them.



They enter a chamber whose purpose before the collapse of the giant ant civilization they cannot guess at (room 16). More aimless insect leviathans haunt these forlorn, vacant territories.

Amethu says, "Where are we? Tjoury - do you recall or know where we could possibly be?"

The wild-eyed ramshackle prophet absently touches his pale throat, through which giant ant eggs had been laid by the hideous bloated queen. "I hath only just awoken from darkest nightmare, by the blessed mercy of Osorus and all of thee. I hadst hoped that thou wouldst know!"

Following a faint breeze, they continue onward through the circular shafts of the once-industrious nest and come into a vast, high cavern (chamber 17).



The towering domed ceiling would be a wonder of architecture and engineering had it been erected by Men.

In its center, looming forty feet above them, is a large hole!



It glows with the cold blue light of the lichen constellations of the Underground City!


Actions?!



Map:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Underground City Map:







PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 6/14, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 29/35, Torch
  Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 26/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, Torch
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 25/25, Torch
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 12/12, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
  Tjoruy: Verulian Osoran Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 7/31, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 16/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 16/29, Candle

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Healing Mists of Osorus (Garrin, Kiri, Loche, Mako and Xorzen have breathed of the mists): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."
  Invisibility (Mako): Target: self
  Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 57 rounds.

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

The savage is glad to be out of the claustrophobic tunnels and into a place which approximates the outdoors. He gazes upward at the soaring vault of the cavern, and admires its raw, yawning majesty.

A climb to the ceiling's orifice would be a welcome challenge for a Cimmerian, and possible even perhaps for a Pict, adept as they are at ambushes from treetops, outcroppings, and other high places favoured by a breed whose sole attribute is cunning. He regards Loche dubiously, recollecting childhood tales of villages in the Cimmerian west ravaged by marauders of his ilk.

However, Cruloc has no doubt that it would be child's play for He Who Climbs Like a Spider, and casts an expectant look at the extraordinary - nay, amazing - Kiri.

[Urson]

Zahra

Gods be praised! Zahra says, seeing the hole. I never would have believed I'd miss that strange glow.
While others make preparations to get up to- and out of- the hole, Zahra does a careful search of the chamber. She keeps one eye on the others, in case of insectile ambush.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

"Thank the Gods. Let us get out of this whole."

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri peers up at the hole in the ceiling and scratches his chin. If the hole seems narrow enough to brace himself in, or seems to have a ledge he can find purchase on, he'll take out his rope and grapnel, hooking the implement over his belt and prepare to cast Spider Climb.

He feels strangely self-conscious when he notices the Cimmerian staring at him so intently, but he's learned it's best not to return the gaze, barbarians being so inscrutable and easily offended.

[Inferno]

The adventure continues in... Chapter 16: Beneath the Starless Sky