Chapter 14: Things From Another World

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan follows down and away from the wretched slime.

[jemmus]

Mungo Keeps his beady, thick-goggled eyes on Maskelyn. There seems to be a concerned expression on his moleman face, but it's kind of hard to tell, since he has no eyebrows to raise, lower, or scrunch up.

[ChubbyPixie]

Fiefo looks comically surprised when Maskelyn steps into the slime. He remembers swimming in the mind pool.

"I thought we dreamed all that..." he says.

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Both of us, Doc? I don't think so...

[Inferno]

Caveman Dwelling near the Starfall, Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Morning. Saturday, April 14th, 912 CY








Seeking a fallen star, the explorers of the primitives' caves find a tunnel entirely coated in slime!

Connak, Finver and Ko-Nan back away from it and safely descend the stone steps to the south. At its bottom they discover a forking path.

Above and behind them, Maskelyn prays to the Grey One. Then, as Fiefo, Mungo and Draupadi look on in horror, the trickster conjurer ascends the path into the tunnel of slime!

The green mire is an inch deep. Maskelyn's boots keep it from touching his flesh. The illusionist's faith in his delirious visions is not yet tested.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

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: 22/24
Draupadi: Human Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 41/41, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 29/29
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 4: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 35/35
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 45/51, Torch
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 18/18, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 39/39, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 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

As she looks on in horror, "Maskelyn! What are you doing?"

[redwarrior]

Connak, realizing that that the party has spead out stops and guards the intersection, trying to find some nice shadows to hide in while listening in case there are sounds of combat or emergency behind him.

[ChubbyPixie]

Fiefo is 100% unsure how to react to Maskelyn's bold move. He is equal parts fascinated, horrified and resigned to whatever horrible thing is about to happen, as it inevitably does...

[Urson]

Maskleyn
Maskelyn relaxes, just a bit, and walks forward. He doesn't hurry, but he moves confidently. Don't worry about it, Doc! I'll be back in a minute!
Maskelyn will keep an eye out for shapes he recognizes under the slime, and will (If nothing goes sideways) stop when he can see around the bend.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan waves the torch further into the opening south.

[jemmus]

Mungo worriedly plays his headlamp's beam on Maskeyln, watching for any signs of bodily sliminess.

[SilverBen]

Finver turns on his heels, startled by Draupadi's call of caution,

Draupadi As she looks on in horror, "Maskelyn! What are you doing?"

He gasps and bellows to Maskelyn wide-eyed and anxious, "Ya confounded fool! Get outta that muck before it consumes ya!" He too watches in horror, too distant to help his gnomish friend.

[Urson]

Maskelyn
The Gnome just replies with a bizarre laugh- the signature of another famous Trickster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3XaPVpm6eo

[SilverBen]

Maskelyn
The Gnome just replies with a bizarre laugh- the signature of another famous Trickster.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3XaPVpm6eo

[Inferno]

Caveman Dwelling near the Starfall, Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Morning. Saturday, April 14th, 912 CY








Connak stands guard as Ko-Nan's writhing torchlight reveals a cave to the southwest where the river of slime emerges again from the rock wall. Now devoid of life, the cave might have been a bathing area, downstream from where the doomed tribe once drank from its clear, clean waters... before the coming of the fallen star.

Above and behind the post-apocalyptic barbarian, the others watch in horror as Maskelyn ventures deeper into the slime-coated tunnel! His deranged laughter evokes another enigmatic animal-totem trickster from ancient Earth That Was.



Mungo aims the beam of his lantern-helm at the cackling gnome and sees no Void Slime infestation taking root in his flesh. His boots still protect him from the shallow ooze.

Maskelyn turns the corner and discovers a vast, slime coated cavern! At its heart is a lake of slime that glows green with an alien luminescence! Cliffs loom over it to the northeast. To the northwest, a tunnel disappears into darkness. And to the west, stone steps ascend into daylight!


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: 22/24
Draupadi: Human Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 41/41, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 29/29
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 4: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 35/35
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 45/51, Torch
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 18/18, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 39/39, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 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

"What do you see Maskelyn?"

[SilverBen]

Finver watches with trembling anticipation each moment his gnome companion amazingly proceeds further into the slime river without becoming consumed.

When it seems safe to assume Maskelyn will remain unharmed in the pulsating slime, the dwarf repeats aloud, "Follow it upstream! UPSTREAM ...ta tha source Master Maskelyn! Where does it lead ya? That shootin' star will be near tha surface..."

As Maskelyn disappears around the corner, Finver turns to his two companions nearby, "Ko-nan! Connak! If ya need me, I'll scamper back here as soon as I can. I gotta see this fer myself! Like I keep saying, if we're gonna find a shootin' star, we best search higher ground first, but if ya fancy it, then just keep an eye on these tunnels fer enemies. Or are ya comin over here ta see this too?" Pointing to Draupadi, he darts across the room, coming to a gawking stance at the priestess's side.

[redwarrior]

Connak Not seeing our intrepid friend around the bends, Connak is highly nervous, but decides to follow Finver, accepting a risk of something at our back in favor of keeping as much of the party as possible at least in sight of one another.

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn turns back so that he can tell the others. I see daylight! He hears the echoes of his shout, frowns, and moves closer to the others, so he can be heard clearly. There's a big cave back here, and daylight coming down a flight of stairs!

[Rex]

Draupadi

"Do you think it is safe for us to come to you?"