Chapter 16: Beneath the Starless Sky

[ChubbyPixie]

Realizing one of them is a traitor in their midst, Kiri will try to locate and chop the turncoat mushroom in half with his two-handed sword.

[Scott308]

Loche

Not quite catching the gist of everything Cruloc was saying, Loche seems to be learning new things about the Cimmerian barbarian. Ah didnae ken Cruloc wis a Pict! He talks awfully funny fur a Pict, 'n' he's pure goofy looking...I dinnae think he kin mak' a living as a whore, though. Likelie how come he's crawling thro' caves wi' us instead.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen continues to wait, keeping the wandering oddities away from his party members if he can.

"They have been gone a lot longer than I would have thought it would take to find our missing mage, even if he is unseen. I am starting to wonder if we should have stuck together."

[ravenn4544]

Amethu considers, "It is a worthy consideration. However, i don't think we could have kept the rest of these folks who are still under the effects of these mushrooms any safer. We'll give them some more time and hopefully the effects will wear off - if they do we can follow"

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra nods. I hope it passes soon. she says through gritted teeth. She's almost given up on being gentle- the last time one of the sleepers got up, she tripped him so he'd fall.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"Mako makes for the Island of Death! Run, Garrin!" he barks at the gleaming paladin. "Before he sets sail! We must save him so that I may hurl the fool from the highest battlement of the city!"

With the force of a thundering chariot, Cruloc launches himself toward the lone sail floating in the inky expanse of the underground lake.

[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






Under the towering mushrooms, perception is expanded.

Still armed, Kiri suspects a fungus tree of treachery and swings his great sword in a deadly arc at its colossal trunk! Loche babbles merrily about the absent Cimmerian. Tjoruy dozes off yet again.

It is all Amethu, Xorzen and Zahra can do to keep Loche, Kiri and Tjoruy together and awake.

It seems like twenty minutes have passed since Cruloc and Garrin have left in search of Mako.
25...
30 minutes...!


Actions?!









Beneath the vast subterranean sky, the savage barbarian and the civilized knight are led in a merry dance by the unseen sorcerer.

Half lost and half dead from exhaustion, Cruloc and Garrin ready to resume the wild goose chase when the Cimmerian realizes something is very wrong. The tracks have suddenly disappeared without a trace! The seasoned outdoorsman quickly backtracks and picks up the trail again:

Two footprints in soft earth, standing not running, toes pointed west toward Cruloc and Garrin.


Actions?


Underground City Map:

M marks the location of the mushroom forest. X marks Cruloc and Garrin. S marks the ship.





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
  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
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 25/25
  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

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)

[Scott308]

Loche

Aye, Kiri! We kin bring th' mushroom wi' us! Tell it tae claise tis een- Ah dinnae lik' it keekin at me! 'N' keep edgy fur th' wallies. Thay keek pointy!

[ChubbyPixie]

"I wonder if grandfather has found Maako yet?" says Kiri to the the air. "Invisible finds the unseen. Wise men say this."

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen is worried about how long the others have been gone.

He slaps Tjoruy hard across his face to see if that has any effect on his inebriation.

“It’s been too long. Something is wrong. Do we try to follow? Or continue to wait?”

If the slapping has no effect, the trained monk attempts to cut the man slightly to cause him a minor wound, hoping the pain will snap the cleric out of his sleepy funk.

(If possible, he will try to do 1 point of damage.)

[ravenn4544]

Amethu considers but watches Kiri hack at a mushroom with his sword, "how do we corral that in enough to follow the trail quietly? I have a spell that will slow the poison maybe on the worst of the three. Then we each take one and follow the others?"

[SocraticLawyer]

Mako? Is that you? asks Garrin to the footprints (or rather, to where the face of one making the footprints would be, were it visible).

Sorry for the delay!!

Also, am I understanding correctly, that we found a set of footprints that are not ours, but are pointing towards us? If so, it seems we found our guy.

[Urson]

Zahra

how do we corral that in enough to follow the trail quietly?

We don't. Trying to go anywhere with these dreamers would be like falling on our swords. We need to hold position.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

The barbarian, with one eye on the footprints and the other on Garrin, conspicuously points at his belt pouch and slowly grabs two handfuls of dirt from it. He waits for the paladin to do the same.

He mouths "One... two... three!", tosses the dirt into the air above the footprints, and lunges at whatever figure is thereby revealed.

[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






In the fathomless depths of the underworld, Mako's awareness keeps expanding.

The unseen arcanist sees all. His eyes pierce the fragile veil of this reality and gaze upon otherworldly dimensions that lie beyond.

"Mako? Is that you?" comes a strange disembodied voice.

Yes. Mako. He remembers his name.

Sand sprays his invisible skin and then strong hands take hold and carry him away.







Cruloc the barbarian and Garrin the paladin return to the mushroom forest, carrying something imperceptible and alive!

The explorers of the Underground City are reunited.

Xorzen slaps Tjoruy hard enough to free his mask and the dilapidated priest of the unknowable sun stands up in bewilderment. He holds his head and croaks, "Verily, I doth need to dream. Let us return to the temple of broken hope, my brothers... and its divine sanctuary from the Eye of the Name-Eater."


Actions?



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
  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
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 25/25
  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

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)

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

"Yes, it is me, Mako. Can you taste the colors? They are wondrous."
He feels a hand take him but doesn't resist.
"Where are we going? To find more colors and shapes? Hmm shapes. Shapes are good."

[ravenn4544]

Amethu is grateful for the return of the group. It seems as if 10,000 days have passed since they left. Those that remain with untainted disposition have managed their best to keep the schism within those infected under control.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra continues her babysitting, but relaxes when she sees that everyone is in one location.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin returns with Cruloc and Mako.

To his sober companions, the paladin says, We should return below to the ant colony to rest before venturing onward. Yet we cannot risk that trek whilst some of our number are in this ... state. Hopefully these effects will wear off in time. Until then, let us be on our guard.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"These milksops are in no condition to walk, let alone descend on ropes. I wouldn't trust them not to piss into their own mouths!" snarls Cruloc.

"We must linger here until their delirium abates."