Chapter 2: Escape From the Island of the Apes

[Inferno]

The Inland Jungle, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day One. Early Afternoon. March 25th, 912 CY
Hot, humid, clear







The shipwrecked castaways quietly follow the overgrown trail deeper west into the primeval jungle. Beyond the path, no gaze can penetrate the emerald tangle for very far in any direction.

Bottomless chasms are crossed atop fallen thousand year old trees.



The cool moist shade beneath the rainforest canopy protects the adventurers from the rising heat of the day.

After another hour surrounded by the staggering wonders of the primal jungle, they find fresh water.



Ko-Nan and Tullia judge the icy, clear river to be clean. The water is so cold that drinking it too fast causes a blinding headache.

The explorers slake their thirst, fill their waterskins and press on, each step bringing them closer to the mysteries of the dead wizard's tower.

Then suddenly, ahead of the main group, Chaka cries out! The ape-boy urgently warns Ko-Nan to go no further! "Quicksand!"


Actions?! (Ko-Nan, please make a Dex check on 1d20 to avoid the camouflaged quicksand in your path.
90 feet back, the main group is unaware of this, and will reach Chaka and Ko-Nan next round.)


Island Map, to date:

X = The adventurers' current position. The approximate position of the Dead Wizard's Tower was visible from the Beach of the Towering Goddess.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Chaka and Ko-Nan save vs Int: [1d100] = 3, [1d100] = 20 Chaka succeeds!

PC Status:

• Buck Russellswart: Mole-Man Cleric 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 15/18, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl
  Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 17/17
  Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 17/20
  Jeojand: Cat-Man Magic-User 2: Move: 6", AC: 7, HP: 5/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 32/32
  L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 6/6, Spells: 1/4 1st lvl
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 9", AC: 8, HP: 5/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Tullia Galena: Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/24

PC Magic:

• None currently

PC 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)

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan

Dex (14): [1d20] = 13

[Inferno]

The Inland Jungle, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day One. Early Afternoon. March 25th, 912 CY
Hot, humid, clear







Hearing Chaka's warning in time, Ko-Nan the barbarian narrowly evades being swallowed alive by quicksand!

The two scouts stop dead in their tracks and scan the area as the other adventurers catch up to them.

The surface of the deadly pool is remarkably similar to the dirt path, and its borders remain unclear. Luckily, Chaka's keen eyes saw an errant ripple created by a giant dragonfly alighting on its surface.

In his tribal lands, swamp-dwelling Chaka had seen firsthand the dangers of quicksand:




Actions?


Island Map, to date:

X = The adventurers' current position. The approximate position of the Dead Wizard's Tower was visible from the Beach of the Towering Goddess.





PC Status:

• Buck Russellswart: Mole-Man Cleric 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 15/18, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl
  Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 17/17
  Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 17/20
  Jeojand: Cat-Man Magic-User 2: Move: 6", AC: 7, HP: 5/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 32/32
  L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 6/6, Spells: 1/4 1st lvl
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 9", AC: 8, HP: 5/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Tullia Galena: Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/24

PC Magic:

• None currently

PC 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)

[ChubbyPixie]

"What's going on up there?" says Fiefo peering around those ahead of him. "The dirt's trying to kill us now? Figures." He'll keep an eye on the canopy above and the surrounding trees, wondering if this obstacle is natural or put there by those rotten, pathetic ape men.

[wolfpack]

perhaps with some branches we can build a bridge.

[OGRE MAGE]

Buck sees the sand for what it really is after being warned by the smelly ape boy. He doesn't go any closer.

"Or, perhaps our scouts could search for a way around this sandy trap?"

He tries to find a long stick, say about 10 6 feet long or so. He begins prodding the ground with it, trying to find the outline of the danger area.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan watches Buck take a long stick to prod the earth. Being a practical idea to navigate this hazard, he does the same. He pokes and prods the earth with this branch in his left hand and moves to the right - weapon ready.

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

Seeing the quicksand, she also looks around for a stick. She suggests, I think walking sticks would be a good idea; we can test the ground before someone sinks. This island sure has some "interesting" creatures and geography.

She waits for the scouts to determine the edge of the quicksand, while considering how to get around or over the hazard.

[Urson]

Maskelyn

The gnome hangs back, well away from the quicksand. He keeps a wary eye on the path they've just travelled, in case of trouble.

[Mant72]

Chaka eyes the canopy, listening to the sounds of birds and monkeys. He knows these creatures will be aware of dangers and predators long before the group will.

”Careful of hungry earth,” he warns his comrades. ”It better we go around.” He snaps off a dead branch and proceeds to prod for the edge of the quicksand like the others.

[Inferno]

The Inland Jungle, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day One. Early Afternoon. March 25th, 912 CY
Hot, humid, clear







The breathtaking waterfalls of this region of the jungle have flooded it, creating deadly areas of quicksand.

As Fiefo LeBratt and others warily stand guard, Buck the mole-man, Chaka the ape-boy, Ko-Nan the barbarian and Tullia the ranger cut long walking sticks from the surrounding trees and, testing and prodding the ground before them, slowly, carefully circumnavigate the deadly field of voracious sinkholes.

The process is painstaking and slow. One wrong step means a gruesome, painful death of being buried alive.

But it proves faster than constructing a wooden bridge. After an hour and a half, the explorers pass the deadly territories of quicksand pits and resume their trek west through the vast jungle primeval.





The adventure continues in... Chapter 3: Yesterday is Tomorrow