Chapter 7: The Castle U.S.S. Enterprise

[wolfpack]

The Kirk! This is the most amazing find! We have found the stronghold of one of the great heroes of ancient times!

[Yrkoon]

Hans the Shrewd

The moleman leans in and squints at the holographic image of The Kirk. The captain, despite the urgency of his distress call, retains an aura of unflappable cool. His skin shines, but it is not oily. The curl of sandy blonde hair lounging on his unblemished forehead is suggestive of Klarkkent, the Sun God. Indeed, he is touched by the divine. Hans grabs the folds of skin at the back of his own neck, pulling up and away to smoothen his face in a pale imitation of the demigod. He nods once in apparent satisfaction, grunts, and backs away.

"Help we shall. Where is this 'Gamma Hydra'?"

[Captain Kinkajou]

Moniqua

< QUERY: DOES ANYONE THINK CAPTAIN KIRK AND HIS CREW MIGHT STILL BE ALIVE? >

< QUERY IS ILLOGICAL. DOES NOT COMPUTE. >

Moniqua looks confused. "< QUESTION: WHY WOULD THEY BE ASKING FOR HELP IF THEIR STATUS <> ALIVE? >"

"< FRIEND=MOLE HANS, I HAVE FOUND YOU. I AM PLEASED YOUR STATUS <> DEAD >"

< ADDITIONAL QUERY: WHERE IS THIS GAMMA HYDRA? >

< ACCESSING BIBLIO DATA BANKS. GAMMA=3RD LETTER OF GREEK ALPHABET, COMMONLY ASSOCIATED WITH RADIATION OR BRAIN WAVES. HYDRA=MANY-HEADED SERPENT FROM GREEK MYTHOLOGY. ANALYSING. HIGH PROBABILITY GAMMA HYDRA= RADIOACTIVE MANY-HEADED GREEK SERPENT >

Moniqua wonders if this is another of the giant creatures they have recently encountered. She grips her shield and scimitar a little tighter.

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn studies the God's Eyes silently, hoping that The Gray One will make an appearance. He admires the quality of the image, and wonders what magick can endure so long.
He smiles in appreciation as the meat begins to cook. His empty belly growls loudly.

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

She listens to the message from what must have been the captain of a starship.

I think I have heard of this Kirk, from the books at home. Is this building the starship he is talking about, and if so, why is it in the middle of a desert? And why is it filled with monsters and strange plants?
Like the tower, there is so much really strange stuff here.

She shudders, thinking about the horrors of that cursed tower.

[Inferno]

Castle U.S.S. Enterprise
The Barren Wasteland, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Four. Night. March 28th, 912 CY








And lo, so it came to pass that an unlikely band of heroes were charged with a Quest of the Gods!

In the grip of a religious experience, Adrock is elated to be among the chosen! Hans looks upon the angelic adonis with envy and awe!

After The Kirk solemnly repeats his heavenly proclamation, the God's Eyes all fall dark and silent! The magnitude of this divine intervention weighs heavily upon the adventurers as they rest, recover and partake of Ko-Nan's cooked feast.

As the apostles break bread, Tullia ponders unknowable mysteries of faith. Could this strange, inexplicable castle really be a sailing vessel of the gods?

Doubting Jack asks whether The Kirk still lives. Moniqua answers, how could he be dead? He just requested our aid! The robot huntress watches the two ravenous monsters feed, wondering which of them could be the fearsome Gamma Hydra.

The feast ends. Starvation is averted and their strength renewed!

A half dozen doors beckon, and so does a darkened corridor to the south! Thus anointed and ordained, the holy champions of The Kirk may proceed on their sacred crusade, reborn with glorious purpose and sanctified with divine blessings!


Actions?!


Map Detail:

Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory. X = dead.

Map:






PC Status:

• Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 26/26
  Hans the Shrewd: Mole-Man Cleric/Thief 2/2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 16/16, Spells: 4/4 1st level
  Jack: Wolf-Man Cleric 3: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 17/25, Spells: 4/4 1st level, 1/1 2nd level
  Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 32/32
  L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 8/8, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl, Light spell
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 8/14, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Moniqua: Robot Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 32/32
  Tullia Galena: Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 31/31

PC Magic:

• Light (Adrock): Duration: 31 rounds.

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)

[Urson]

Maskelyn
As he eats, Maskelyn pokes and prods at the God's Eyes, still hoping for a view of The Trickster Bugs.

He prays. Gray One, Mocker of Reality- we thank you for your indifference to us. If you choose to notice our actions, we ask that you also choose to bless them, and not those of our enemies.

[wolfpack]

So we must search for the Kirk, he must be somewhere within this stronghold. we Should art down the hallway

[Yrkoon]

Hans the Shrewd

"Capricious and mercurial is the Sugar Daddy," declares Hans. "His volatility we dare not test."

The seminary-trained botanist looks wistfully at the lush indoor garden before turning his back to face the corridor leading away from it.

"That way our path lies." He lifts a wrinkled finger and points south.

[Scott308]

Jack

If the path takes us away from those, he says, gesturing back toward the giant beasts, I'm in favor of the path.

[ChubbyPixie]

"Let's go then," says Fiefo. "I can't see how we're going to succeed in this... I mean, look at us. But it's better than being eaten. I guess."

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn falls in with the group, having no real opinion on their direction for the moment.

Let me know when we get to Alba-koi-key. We have to remember the left!

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan finishes by cooking up the rest of the meat to take with them for as many days as can be carried away.

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

She watches the God-Eyes blink out, and continues to ponder the request for help.

She thinks aloud, Would the human-looking captain still be alive? What was attacking them, the giant beasts in the jungle, or something more fearful? To tear such a hole as we climbed through would indeed take a mighty being, perhaps with magics more terrible than the wizard of the tower.

Ah, well, I think we will find more answers if we keep looking. At least we have food and water. Thank you, Ko-Nan, for preparing the food. We may as well continue this way. She points to the corridor leading away from the plant room. She will keep her bow and arrows handy, just in case.

[Urson]

Maskelyn

From what little I remember of stories about The Kirk, it's probably something that could eat those beasts we just saw. I hope we see whatever-it-is before it sees us.

[Inferno]

Castle U.S.S. Enterprise
The Barren Wasteland, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Four. Night. March 28th, 912 CY





Charged with a holy quest by The Kirk, the unlikely heroes venture deeper into the mysterious domain of the gods!

As they delve southward, another vast, featureless ceiling flickers to life before them! An immense, curving room is revealed beneath its illuminating light!



The spacious chamber holds several empty tables and chairs, and four more doors.


Actions?!



Map Detail:



Map:

Lighter areas were visible this round. All else is from memory. X = dead.





PC Status:

• Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 26/26
  Hans the Shrewd: Mole-Man Cleric/Thief 2/2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 16/16, Spells: 4/4 1st level
  Jack: Wolf-Man Cleric 3: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 17/25, Spells: 4/4 1st level, 1/1 2nd level
  Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 32/32
  L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 8/8, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl, Light spell
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 8/14, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Moniqua: Robot Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 32/32
  Tullia Galena: Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 31/31

PC Magic:

• Light (Adrock): Duration: 30 rounds.

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)

[wolfpack]

Adrock will search around the room for lost artifacts or clues as to what happened.

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskleyn circles the room counter- clockwise, looking over the tables and chairs without touching anything.

[Captain Kinkajou]

Moniqua

Moniqua will scan the area, keeping an eye out for danger and ready to protect her friends.

< SCANNING FOR THREATS. SYSTEMS READY TO ENGAGE >

[ravenn4544]

Ko-nan let’s the others search the room. Don’t they remember the hidden dangers of that wizards tower?? He keeps to the entrance and an eye on the monstrosities he can see and understand.