Chapter 13: Night of the Walking Wet

[SilverBen]

Finver cringes, "I'll pass on yer drinks if ya don't mind ol' buddy. Maybe next time, eh?"

[redwarrior]

Connak sets about gathering as many undamaged arrows as he can find, taking only those not covered with slime, while continuously looking down the corridor for the return of the three.... I hate to say I agree, but we may need to burn that ... stuff off. They clearly feared fire more than weapons.

Yay for US being back!!

[Rex]

Draupadi

"Yes, I think we must try fore. I will go first. I will brace myself and one of you can try burning it off with a torch. The sooner the better before it can spread I think."

[jemmus]

Moleman Mungo''s beady eyes behind their thick googles and spectacles of true vision widen, invisibly to everyone. By Verne and Wells! Wait! Wait! You are not applying the Scientific Method! That means where you test something, and if it doesn't work, you try something else! And follow a sequence of logic. He raises an index digit upward, the curved claw pointing downward. What we know:
a) Curing light wounds did not cause the slime to drop away, as hoped for.
b) We were attacked for no reason by quite a few slime-covered skeletons.
c) Things have been attacking us for no apparent reason for quite a while now.
d) It turned out that the Sleestaks had a reason after all-- They were mutant spawn of the enlightened and very good carpenters and furniture craftspersons the Altrusians;
e) Somebody was doing that to the Altrusians and Sleestaks for fun or profit (possibly both);
f) Any or all of the above brought us into their abode, charging us a tax of 10 gp to exit (which I have not been reimbursed for); it was high technology in the form of the chrono timpiece gold bracelet that saved us from an Sleestak onslaught (albeit, dropping us back to where we were, and moreover into cave/land leeches);
g)The slime covered skeletons we fought and burnt before were more well-formed than these ones.
h)The previous ones ended up racks of bones, whereas these ended up as mush; i) We have two party members with arms regrettably covered with slime.

That is the power of the Scientific Method! You cannot burn off or lop off Finver's or Draupadi's arms until you have waited to see what happens with k)! ::mumbles:: Unless you think better about it.
Oh, don't forget about k). The other slime things will probably be back pretty soon. He dramatically holds his flask of oil aloft like a heroic moleman, ready to smash it down. You dwarves might be surprised by the delicate nose and palate of a fine Inferno 15-year-old slugs wine.

Sorry, many poor jokes there. Its been a long couple of weeks on this side.

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn looks thoroughly confused by Mungo's list.

You forgot J, Doc. J is we don't know how long this goop takes to kill a person. I ain't sure we got time to wait for K...

[Inferno]

Caveman Dwelling near the Starfall, Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Night. Friday, April 13th, 912 CY








"Uhh, guys- Those things aren't going to stay gone forever," Maskelyn warns.

There are three ways forward from these caverns: western steps down, northeastern steps up, and scaling the cliff that is east of Connak. (see map)

Four minutes tick past as the questers of the fallen star debate their next move. The trickster conjurer looks west but his gnomish eyes detect no warmth in the darkness. Connak the catman finds two good arrows and might recover more, given time.

Mungo heals Finver and Draupadi with the holy blessings of Verne and Wells, but their slime infestations are unaffected. Fearing that she shares the same dire fate as the horrific creatures of ooze and bone, Draupadi asks that someone burn it from her flesh!


Actions?!


Map:

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





PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 20/24
Draupadi: Human Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 39/41, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, Continual Light
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 29/29
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 4: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 25/35
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 44/51
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 18/18, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 39/39, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Lantern

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)

[jemmus]

Mungo swallows hard, but says, I guess I'm the closest thing to a doctor we have. Draupadi, please sit down and don't move. The trick will be to burn the slime without also burning the skin. Hold this waterskin, and if you feel pain from the fire, douse the flame. Mumbling some kind of prayer or chant to himself, he pours a layer of oil onto the slime and ignites it. He continues doing that until most of the slime is gone. For the remaining spots, he a quill pen from his writing kit to "write" oil onto the slime, avoiding getting any on the skin.

Dex 10, if that's the appropriate attribute. [1d20]=13

[Rex]

Draupadi

"Thank you Mungo. May Dhianha guide your hand."

She sits and steadies herself, arm out for Mungo.

[ChubbyPixie]

Fiefo watches the slime surgery with morbid interest.

[jemmus]

Among his chanting, Mungo maybe can be heard mumbling goodthingstillhavecurelightwoundsleft, but it's hard to tell.

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn turns green himself, and turns away. He moves down the stairs, stopping about halfway down.

[redwarrior]

Connak wrinkles his nose at the stench or burning flesh as he searches for arrows, while keeping a weather eye on the passage the creatures came from, ready to bolt back to the party at the first hint of any movement. Once he moves back to the group assuming we're not in combat by then! he volunteers I like the idea of higher ground.

[SilverBen]

Finver considers their new surroundings for a few moments and agrees with Connak, "I'm with ya, Cat-man, if we're gonna find a fallen star, then we best stay near tha surface - at least that's where ya'd normally think ta find one of 'em."

Pointing to the northeastern steps going up, he continues "Let's check where those steps lead, Connak..." and begins moving that direction.

On his way northeast, he adds "Hey, Mole-man," calling back to Mungo attending to Lady Drapaudi in a tone of lighthearted mockery, "ask Lady Drapaudi ta drop all her goodies before she starts turnin' green... at least all her equipment won't go ta waste when she turns slimy" and chortles at his own morbid sense of humor.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan lowers his axe since no one appears interested in that solution. As the fiery surgery continues, the aroma of burning flesh can't be ignored. "That smell is making me quite hungry...."

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn, already looking sick, darts a look at Ko-Nan and retches.

[jemmus]

Mungo hears Finver and interrupt is chanting and experimental surgery. Finver, wait! You're still slimed! Suddenly, something dawns on him. The... the... the... the cave people! They're who, no whom, we've been fighting! They're the-- the slime skeletons! The slime took them over!

[Rex]

Draupadi

"Yes Mungo, I agree. Which is why I want this slime burned off of me now."

[Inferno]

Caveman Dwelling near the Starfall, Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Night. Friday, April 13th, 912 CY








Following memories that are not their own, the adventurers seek a fallen star. Near the starfall, they've entered a subterranean settlement whose primitive inhabitants are missing. The only living souls they find are horrific, hideous creatures of slime and bone.

Mungo echoes Draupadi's and Fiefo's belief: "The... the... the... the cave people!... They're the-- the slime skeletons! The slime took them over!"

Fearing that she and Finver share the primitives' grisly fate, Draupadi urges someone to burn the ghastly slime infestation from her flesh now!

"Hold still," says Mungo.



(2hp damage to Draupadi) Scorching pain and the savory aroma of cooking meat. Ko-Nan's stomach grumbles.

The ooze growth is unaffected! The clerics, Mungo and Draupadi, believe that divine aid is required. (i.e. Cure Disease?)

The others spread out and Connak recovers another arrow.

Suddenly, Draupadi and Finver hear a wet, alien voice... in their minds!

"Welcome to your new existence. Welcome to the Void Slime."

In horror, they tell the others.


Actions?!


Map:

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

Behind the DM Screen:

Burn damage to Draupadi: [1d6]=2

PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 20/24
Draupadi: Human Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 37/41, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, Continual Light, Infested
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 29/29
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 4: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 25/35, Infested
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 44/51
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 18/18, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 39/39, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Lantern

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)

[Rex]

Draupadi

Draupadi attempts casting Dispel Magic on it.

"I doubt this will work but I need to try. We must rest so I can pray for Cure Disease and Remove Curse. Those seem our best options now."

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan offers his axe solution once more. If no takers, then he'll explore the cavern walls to make sure they have no surprises waiting for them.