Chapter 16: Beneath the Starless Sky

[Scott308]

Loche

Island o' Death? That's juist pumpin' bonnie! Urr ye sure we hae tae gang thare?

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra looks a bit baffled at the term 'boat', but lets it pass.

Of course, Loche. Do you want to live forever? she tries to smile at her horrible joke, but fails.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako looks around the lake's edge while the others contemplate building a boat. "Surely there is a boat to be found along the shore," Mako thinks to himself.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen looks the situation over for a moment.

“We have had little sleep in this underground world without being found out and attacked by the one who shan’t be named and his minions. Perhaps we climb back down below into the lair of the ants to take another day of rest?”

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Cruloc nods at Xorxen's suggestion.

"We return to the anthill or," motioning doubtfully toward Tjoruy, "our rescued friend leads us back to the Temple of Osorus."

Tucking a half-eaten wedge of mushroom into his belt pouch, the lusty savage adds, "We’d better sleep tonight or be stupid and ugly in the morning!"

[Scott308]

Loche

Some o' us wull be glaikit 'n' hackit na maiter whit we dae. Bit a'd aye lik' tae gang back tae th' ant tunnels 'n' stairt fresh th' morns mornin'. Ah kin nae wantae bide forever, bit a few mair days wid be crakin'.

[Inferno]

The Underground City, Beneath the Great Pyramid of Xuthalhotep
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Nine. Long after Midnight?, 22nd day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






Within the giant mushroom forest at the edge of the Underground City, Tjoruy says, "Ah! Thy important quest! Art thou ready, my brethren? Come, let us journey to the Island of Death."
The ramshackle prophet pulls himself up into a standing position. "His wicked priests need not bear us away. Nay. We shall walk willingly where others are dragged screaming. Let us go before He who is death to the Soul, to the Body, and the Name. Come, let us sail to the Eye of darkness and horror and thus pass from all memory."

At Tjoruy's kind invitation, the explorers' resolve falters. They discuss alternatives without immediate resolution.

Then Amethu, Garrin and Xorzen begin to notice a dreamy euphoria overtake their companions.

Cruloc, Kiri, Loche, Mako and Zahra feel content and at peace as the colors of the towering fungi expand with their consciousness.



Tjoruy sits down and yawns. "Hmmm... Perhaps we shouldn't go to the Island of Death after all... Perhaps we'll just rest here awhile... ...and dream."



Actions? (and Cruloc, Kiri, Loche, Mako and Zahra, please Save vs Poison.)




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 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 39/45, 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: 1/3 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

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: 7 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)

[ChubbyPixie]

Save vs. Death/Paralysis/Poison (13): [1d20] = 1

Kiri feels... weird. He looks around and is surprised by something he never noticed before, how the forms of the other party members extend backwards and forwards through time, infinitely. "We're all ...We're all Masters of the Universe!..." he says with dawning realization.

His gaze then turns to the barbarian who stands holding his sword, surrounded by a nimbus of light radiating in all directions. The pieces fall into place, clicking together like a wooden puzzle from the toy vendors in the markets of his youth. "How did I not see it before, Cruloc! ...You have the Poooweeer!... I... I need to sit down...." he says.

[Yrkoon]

Cuclor

"Power? What power do I have which does not come from my thews and loins?" The barbarian ponders the words which emanate from Kiri's shimmering form. "Powerrrr. Pow. Errrrr...rr..r." The sound is birthed deep in his chest, rises, and reverberates at the back of his throat. If he knew what the letter R was, it would be his favourite. "Powerrr... sworrrd..." He savours the resonance it produces in his gullet, altering modulation and pitch until it fades to evanescence. It is a good sound, necessary to make important words. But why does his name have but one? Why did his parents not give him a name with more of this sound? Did they think him unworthy of more?

He silently appeals to the gigantic mushrooms, which are now shiny and slowly undulating like fields of wheat, for an answer. But neither they nor the pink fractals which were once his comrades have one.

"Morrre! Rrrr!" A functional illiterate, he is not aware of R's existence as written script. He only knows its sound. "Morrre Rrrr! Morrrre Rrrr!" His pleading eyes search the distorted faces of his companions for... for... rrr...

He has forgotten.

Cruloc falls to his knees, chest heaving, rugged hands grasping the soft loam of the cavern floor. He begins to weep - not because he is sad. His tears are gifts to the beauty of the world.

Save vs poison [1d20+4] = 13+4 = 17

OoC: Ishtar's girdle! Cruloc made his save, so where did all that come from?

[ravenn4544]

Amethu raises an eyebrow at the seemingly odd behavior of his comrades. He thinks that the mushrooms may have something to do with it....

He will try lend immediate physical aid if needed. Knowing that most of the group feasted on the fungus, he will be judicious on his spell for slowing poison.

[Urson]

Zahra

Save Vs Poison: 14 Roll: attribute check [1d20] = 20

Zahra feels a strange fuzziness begin to wrap around her head, beginning at her spine. She shakes her head, snarls, and fights it off.
She scowls blackly at Tjoury, suspecting treachery.

[Scott308]

Loche

Staring at the mushrooms, Loche grins like a madman. Sitting down, he starts weeping with joy. Th' colors! Ah ne'er knew sic colors existed! 'N' doon here...how did ah nae see th' colors afore? They're sae bonny! Wha wid hae guessed orange-purple wid be sae bonny? A'm waantin' tae tattoo mah coupon that color. Ah want...no, Xorzen, we shuid tattoo yer coupon that color! A' o' oor faces! Bit efter; richt noo ah juist wantae keek at th' colors. As his babbling runs out of steam, the Pict lies on the ground, curling up as he continues staring at the marvelous mushrooms.

Save vs Poison (13): [1d20] = 6

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Save vs Poison (14) [1d20] = 5

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin gets a sick feeling in his stomach, mushroom-free though it is. Even if the poison if the mushrooms is not fatal, the group is now ideally situated for an ambush from their enemies.

He draws his sword. To his sober companions, he says, Be on your guard. We are in grave danger. The paladin does his best to shepherd his dreaming companions to one area.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen shakes his head but doesn’t lay blame. He nods at Garrin, attempting to keep their tripping cat herd in check. “We should try to get back into the anthill where they can sleep this off.”

The masked monk attempts to cajole his freaking friends in that direction again, tempting them with more of the meaty flesh and watching out for oncoming trouble as Garrin suggested.

[Inferno]

The Underground City, Beneath the Great Pyramid of Xuthalhotep
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Nine. Long after Midnight?, 22nd day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






Beneath the towering mushrooms, Tjoruy sits down and yawns. "...Perhaps we shouldn't go to the Island of Death... Perhaps we'll just rest here awhile... ...and dream." The pale underdweller closes his eyes, blissfully unaware of Zahra's suspicious glare.

Kiri, Loche and Mako open their eyes wider and hear the beautiful colors grow, and see their music blossom brighter with each intensifying instant.




Cruloc and Kiri shout, the sound spiraling outward in writhing kaleidoscopic tentacles of hue and harmony.




Their clamor attracts the attention of some of the wandering subterranean denizens. Garrin struggles to corral his friends inward while watching for threats from without. "Be on your guard. We are in grave danger," he warns.

Meanwhile, Kiri looks at the stars in the starless sky.




In a flash of insight and enlightenment, he suddenly realizes that the position of the three pyramids of the Lost City are in the exact positional sequence as the stars that form the belt of the constellation of Osorus.





Sobbing with joy and wonder, Loche wanders off in curiosity. Xorzen tries to lead the Pict in his direction, to no avail. Loche looks directly through him, continuing on toward the Underground City that now burns bright with color and light...





...joining the wretched legion of walking dreamers that haunt those ruins, their horror and anguish forgotten forever.



Actions?!



Underground City Map:



Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Kiri, Loche, Mako, Tjoruy: Stay? (1) or Leave? (2): [1d2] = 1, [1d2] = 2, [1d2] = 2, [1d2] = 1
Moving in Dex order, the impaired Loche can move away before Garrin can corral him this round.
Kiri, Loche, Mako, Tjoruy: Bad trip? (5%): [1d100] = 93, [1d100] = 11, [1d100] = 90, [1d100] = 86 No.
Loche lured by Xorzen? (1): [1d2] = 2 No.

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 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 39/45, 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: 1/3 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

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: 6 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 barbarian shrugs off the effects of the mushrooms as he would a cheap Zingaran trollop.

"Ho, Pict! I'll not have you escape back over the Black River before you've answered for your crimes!" Cruloc guffaws as his powerful arms lock around Loche's midriff, pinning his arms to his sides.

"There, there, little pickpocket. No wandering off until your head is clear! We may need you and your natural-born deviousness before the day is through."

Loche is the only one who trips while Cruloc carries him back to the party.

[Urson]

Zahra

Zahra helps Cruloc keep the dreamers coralled, knowing this will be a long night. She'll stand up, keeping an eye out for any threats drawn by the noise and nonsense until the mushrooms wear off.

[ChubbyPixie]

"I know the secret, Grandfather! The belt! The belt!" says Kiri. Grandfather, clearly visible in the spectral mushroom light, nods and smiles. "All spirits know this, Kiri," says the old man.

Suddenly startled by a sound, his gaze lowers from his ancestor to the chattering pict. For the first time ever, he understands perfectly what the man is saying.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu also helps to keep the affected party members from wandering off and creating too much noise. If they start to get out of hand, he will silence them like he did the screaming ants.