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

[Yrkoon]

Hans the Shrewd

Hans is awed by all he has seen on this day, but by nothing more so than this fantastical garden. Perfection. Verdancy. Dumbfounded, he enters a state of religious near-ecstasy, dropping to his knees and mumbling prayer while holding his small earthenware jar with shaking hands.

"I am in heaven! Ilthius' plane of infinite smoothness and gardens!" He chokes with emotion, barely able to utter the most holy words known to those of his order. "Beauty beyond boundaries!"

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan stands alert and ready in the alien jungle. "Don't...touch....anything..."

[Scott308]

Jack

Jack will kick at one of the skulls to verify that what they see is in fact real and not imaginary.

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

She looks at the remains, poking gently at a skull with her toe. We saw such creatures on the beach, but they wore different clothing. Was this a diffent group? And what ate them? And how long ago?

She looks around for tracks in the jungle follage. If this were an ambush, what ever it was likely came out of the jungle, rather than just bopping along down the path. Well, unless it was very fast.

I think this area is likely unsafe. I would suggest looking for doors in the other room first. If we don't find one, then the jungle it is. I just don't like the claw marks here. She indicates the rip in the wall.

[Captain Kinkajou]

Moniqua

Moniqua agrees with < FRIEND = TULLIA'S. > assessment of area safety.

< THREAT ASSESSMENT = HIGH. THREAT PROXIMITY = UNKNOWN. ALERT STATE = HEIGHTENED. >

Proceeding onward would seem at odds with the mission objectives.

< MISSION = GET TO SOMEWHERE SAFER FOR ALL OF US. ADDITIONAL MISSION PARAMETERS = FIND SOMEWHERE COOLER. FIND WATER. FIND FOOD. > 

Equally, though there had been no visible access to the previous room, it made no sense to have a sealed antacid storage compartment with no means of reaching the antacid or the antacid reaching structure occupants with severe acid indigestion. Surely, there must be some egress, otherwise where had the antacid gone?

< DOORS DETECTED IN ANTACID STORAGE COMPARTMENT = 0. NO VISIBLE ACCESS OF ANY KIND. RESULT DOES NOT COMPUTE. PROBABILITY OF OCCUPANTS WITH SEVERE ACID INDIGESTIION NEEDING ACCESS TO ANTACID STORAGE COMPARTMENT = HIGH. >

Further assessment before continuing was logical.

Still scanning the bright foliage for threats, Moniqua prepares to return to the previous room with the others.

[Inferno]

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






At the sight of the cherished alien flora, Hans falls to his knees in religious ecstasy. The mole-man priest believes he's found paradise.

Maskelyn however believes he's found Hell. In fear that the foliage will swallow him up, the little gnome quickly scurries back to the iron chamber.

Jack the wolf cub kicks a simian skull...



...and watches it clatter down the smooth hard path into shadow.

Tullia finds an old half print in the underbrush. It is too smudged to identify, but it is large.

Ko-Nan the barbarian and Moniqua the robot stand alert, ready for anything. Nothing comes.

Then suddenly, the vast, featureless ceiling flickers to life with illuminating light! The starving explorers see the forest is actually some sort of otherworldly garden with areas grown wild and tall, and others low and manicured. Along the fantastic park's edge, many doors are set into smooth walls. And to the southwest, surreally, there stand a table and chairs, as if in some strange unearthly tavern!




Actions?!



Map Detail:

Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.

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: 25/25, 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: 4/5 1st lvl, Light spell
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/2 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: 76 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 move to the table and chairs and examine the table for any items

[ChubbyPixie]

Grasping his tribal fork, Enard, Fiefo will glance back towards Masquelin in the room they came from, then scurry after Adrock to the oddly placed table. Whatever ripped that hole in the wall would come for them, that was sure. It was just a question of when.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan stays strictly on the path - avoiding as best he can touching any of the alien plants. He does notice any plants that look like food - he needs to eat after all....

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn holds his place for the moment, watching from the opening in the wall. He's still pretty sure the plants are carnivorous. He grips his staff tightly, trying to work up his courage.

[Yrkoon]

Hans the Shrewd

Were Hans any less wise, he would immediately begin taking samples from the wondrous collection of plant life in the chamber. The concern in the eyes of his compatriots is evident, and for the moment, he pulls himself back from indulging his curiosity. Rubbernecking longingly at each new, marvelous plant he passes by, the moleman follows the others towards the peculiar table by the garden.

[Scott308]

Jack

Pulling out his Cub Scout Handbook, Jack leans in close to some of the plants, examining them and going back and forth from plant to book. If I ever am fortunate enough to find Akela, I can ask her sign my Handbook so I can earn badges! In the Old Days, it seems Pack Mother would commonly go to Meetings and something called "Jamborees." One day, if I am worthy, maybe Akela will bless me with her presence!

[Inferno]

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








In the bizarre jungle terrarium of the ancients, young Jack studiously examines the alien plants to earn his Botany badge. Afraid those selfsame flowers are carnivorous, Maskelyn trembles in the empty iron chamber.

The rest of the explorers of the fantastic Castle U.S.S. Enterprise follow the smooth path toward the surreally out of place table.

But before they reach it, from out of the overgrown foliage, strange creatures suddenly rise!

A startling giant horned lizard, over 15 feet long! (Ba)




With the thunderous buzz of insect droning, an immense moth with a 20 foot wingspan takes to the air! (Mo)





A gigantic turtle monster, 8 feet in length, rears up on its hind legs and bellows! (Ga)





A black shadow soars across the ground and the adventurers look up! A prehistoric flying reptile with a 30 foot wingspan hurtles beneath the towering ceilings! (Ro)




The adventurers are surprised, flat-footed, except for Ko-Nan and Tullia!

The barbarian and the ranger eye the strange mutated animals of the irradiated post-apocalyptic wastes. They've heard of apex predators in confined territories, unable to kill each other or drive each other off. They forge an uneasy alliance of coexistence, a makeshift pack. But which monster is the 'alpha wolf?' They don't wait long for an answer.

From the east rises a terrible thunder lizard, 9 feet tall! (Go)



The king of the monsters unleashes a defiant, deafening roar!


Actions?!



Map Detail:

Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Behind the DM Screen:

PCs surprised? (1-2): [1d6] = 2 Yes. Well, mostly.
All PCs are surprised except Ko-Nan and Tullia. Rather than a full round of only the Monsters, Ko-nan and Tullia acting, I'll assume Ko-Nan and Tullia warn their friends.
This means, next round, initiative will work like this:
I'll roll initiative to see who acts first: Ko-Nan and Tullia, or the monsters.
Then the loser of that roll will act.
Then finally, all PCs except Ko-Nan and Tullia will act last in the round.

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: 25/25, 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: 4/5 1st lvl, Light spell
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/2 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: 75 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)

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

Astonished at the size of the creatures, but not completely surprised, under her breath she mutters, Holy gods!

Take defensive cover, if you can! she yells.

-edit-
Run for cover!

She pulls her bow off of her back and knocks an arrow. She intends to shoot at the moth thing, if necessary, while letting the other party members exit towards the table and hall. Then she is going to run after them.

long bow/arrow-to hit [1d20] = 16

[Scott308]

Jack

Seeing the giant monsters suddenly appear, Jack breaks for the metal room they were in previously.

If engaged by the turtle creature, Jack will stand his ground and fight.
Mace +1 (20): [1d20+1] = 8+1 = 9; Damage: [1d6+3] = 1+3 = 4; Damage Large: [1d6+2] = 6+2 = 8

[Yrkoon]

Hans the Shrewd

Less convinced now than he was before that he had stumbled upon Nive-ana, the fabled paradise of Ilthius, Hans clenches so as not to expel the contents of his scent glands into his ivory-white armour. He hustles after the group heading toward the weird table and chairs.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-nan follows the party with a smile as he sees the beasts converge."Dinner has just arrived......"

[Urson]

Maskelyn Edit
Maskelyn actually relaxes a bit when he sees the mini-Kaiju. Thanks, Doc! These I can deal with!

Ateş duvarı!

Maskelyn casts Phantasmal Force creating a wall of fire as close to (Ga) as possible. He watches the creature- not just how it reacts to the fire, but how it interacts with the plant life. Are there any indications that it is an illusion of some sort?

[wolfpack]

LL breaks for the hallway by the table

[Captain Kinkajou]

Moniqua

As the array of large creatures rises in unison from the undergrowth, Moniqua quickly reasseses her threat calculation.

< MULTIPLE LARGE CREATURES DETECTED. THREAT ASSESSMENT = VERY HIGH. THREAT PROXIMITY = CLOSE. ALERT STATE = IMMINENT DANGER. >

"< DANGER FRIEND TULLIA. DANGER FRIEND MOLE-HANS >" the robot warns somewhat redundantly, though with good intention.

< FRIEND = TULLIA'S > proposed course of action is logical and in full alignment with overall mission parameters...

< MISSION = GET TO SOMEWHERE SAFER FOR ALL OF US. >

"< PLEASE PROCEED TO THE NEAREST EXIT. RUN. RETREAT. FLY YOU FOOLS. >" she adds, rapidly downselecting a handful of appropriate terms from her biblio-database.

However, as Moniqua starts to comply, making haste for the exit to the southwest, CLANK...CLANK...CLANK... she observes that < FRIEND = TULLIA > is hanging back slightly and drawing her bow to cover the retreat. Reassessing her own optimum course of action, Moniqua pauses on the edge of the undergrowth between < FRIEND = TULLIA > and the exit, where she has some cover and is close enough to act to protect her friend if needed. She stows her spiked mace and draws a javelin, ready to hurl it at one of the creatures should they attack. Not that she envisages it doing a lot of damage but, if necessary, a well-timed throw might perhaps deter or distract one of the creatures enough to allow< FRIEND = TULLIA > to escape.

Javelin ToHit (THAC0=18): [1d20+1] = 2+1 = 3 if needed.

Ah... let's hope Tullia doesn't need to rely on that roll then! Couldn't hit the side of a kaiju