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

[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 first sign of bloodshed, the uneasy truce of the mutant apex predators is broken! The king of the monsters makes a nauseous meal of the gargantuan insect corpse, ignoring the adventurers!

Ko-Nan and Moniqua work to add more blood to the gruesome feast.



The prehistoric flying reptile tries to escape but, by ax and by sword, the post-apocalyptic barbarian and the robot huntress sunder it from the air!

The great bat-winged monster crashes to the floor in a brutal spray of crimson!



Then the adventurers scatter. Hans slips into the shadows of the dense alien jungle. Adrock sings an ancient hymn and runs for the table. Moniqua helps free Tullia from the adamant gossamer. Ko-Nan advances on the king of the monsters. Fiefo and Maskelyn rush to Jack's side as the wolf scout strikes a hammering blow to the turtle leviathan!

The nigh-impregnable armored behemoth ignores Jack, Fiefo and Maskelyn and lumbers to the broken carcass of the fallen terrordactyl and feeds!



Likewise, the thunder lizard king doesn't bother looking up from his grisly repast.

The strange irradiated monsters of the wasteland are as famished as the adventurers. The fight is over. ( ...if the PCs wish it to be. If not, Jack gets a free opportunity attack on Gamera in addition to a regular action next round.)


Actions?!


Map Detail:

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


Map:



Behind the DM Screen:

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 2, Monsters: [1d6] = 1 Party wins.

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: 72 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)

[Scott308]

Jack

As the gigantic beast turns to leave, Jack swings his mace once more, but yet again is unable to penetrate the creature's massive shell. If the goliath continues to ignore him in favor of a giant carcass, the wolf-man will let him go.

Mace +1 (20): [1d20+1] = 14+1 = 15; Damage: [1d6+3] = 4+3 = 7; Damage Large: [1d6+2] = 3+2 = 5

[wolfpack]

Adrock begins to search the table

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn looks slightly nauseous at the spectacle of Kaijun feasting on Kaijun, but hurries for the 'picnic table' near the end of the room, hugging the wall as he passes the Great Turtle. He studies the movements of the great beasts, intending to sharpen the detail of any future Illusions.

[Yrkoon]

Hans the Shrewd

Obscured from all eyes by the thick greenery, Hans remains as motionless as a heavily made-up face which has undergone multiple plastic surgeries. He is content to allow his friends to momentarily guess at his whereabouts and to observe in pious awe the movements of the skyscraping Sugar Daddy.

"A butterfly will touch you," he intones, and a smile crosses his cracked lips.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan will also back away watching the creature feast. It is time to do the same. He will move closer to the table area and butcher the creature there for the choicest meats.

Unlike the slower moving beasts that would be used to feed the miners of the Urgosh clan, these strange beasts still beat with life from blood and muscle.

[ChubbyPixie]

Fiefo doesn't need a formal invitation to stop fighting these brutes. Once attention is off the party, he scampers for the table, staying as far away from the feeding frenzy as possible while he does so.

[Captain Kinkajou]

Moniqua

Having successfully freed < FRIEND=TULLIA > from the web, Moniqua looks for them to progress towards the mission objective.

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

The annoyingly repetitive warning message stops. Though, with other monstrous creatures still active in the vicinity, the local threat level remains high.

< IMMEDIATE THREAT TERMINATED. THREAT LEVEL REMAINS HIGH. >

"< FRIEND=TULLIA, THIS SYSTEM PROPOSES WE MOVE FROM THIS AREA AND GET TO SOMEWHERE SAFER FOR ALL OF US >" Moniqua states, looking to move away down the pathway to the southwest, though waiting for Tullia before she does.

As they move, she looks for < FRIEND=MOLE HANS > and does not see him. She worries the curious mole-man may have been squashed under one of the huge beasts.

< FRIEND=MOLE HANS LOCATION UNKNOWN. CALCULATING POSSIBLE LOCATIONS. >

"< FRIEND=MOLE HANS, PLEASE SPECIFY YOUR LOCATION. WHAT IS YOUR STATUS? IS YOUR STATUS=DEAD? >"

[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





The battle becomes a feast.




Hidden within the alien jungle foliage, Hans watches the king of the monsters' grisly meal in terrified adoration. The towering thunder lizard raises its immense head to let out a deafening roar of triumph!





Nearby, unaware of the mole-man and ravenous, Ko-Nan wields his fearsome ax to butcher the four-legged gargantuan lizard for a feast of his own. The barbarian will not starve to death today.





The other adventurers hunger for treasure instead. They regroup at the strange table and chairs, near a shut door. Moniqua calls out, "< FRIEND=MOLE HANS, PLEASE SPECIFY YOUR LOCATION. WHAT IS YOUR STATUS? IS YOUR STATUS=DEAD? >"

Adrock the historian-priest projects his mystical radiance toward the table and examines its enigmatic contents.




Upon it is an antique diversion called chess, three thin square blocks, and several small God's Eyes! - miniature versions of the massive crystal walls that all temples possess through which a god may directly observe its followers, and appear to them!

All the holy eyes are dark. The ancient priests of 'Earth That Was' had a ritual of activation to summon forth their mysterious magical power! (Any Cleric, Paladin, Druid, Monk or Robot may roll an Ability Check vs Intelligence on 1d20 to remember it)


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: 71 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
Maskelyn stands near the table, watching Ko-Nan butchering the beast, ready to produce an illusion to cover his escape if the other Kaiju show interest in him.

[Scott308]

Jack

Examining the items on the table, Jack's eye is drawn to the God's eyes. Ooh. I've heard of these. Let me see if I remember how to summon their power...

Intelligence Check (9): [1d20] = 4

[wolfpack]

Adrock excitably touches the gods eye

I always feel like somebodies watching me, I have no privacy

the ritual is really quite simple

int check [1d20] = 3

[Yrkoon]

Hans the Shrewd

The ear-splitting roar of the mighty lizard sends Hans sprawling backwards out of the foliage and into the clearing at the feet of the party. After lying prone for a moment, he inhales sharply and springs to his feet, eyes wide and arms outstretched.

"Status report: DAZZLED!" he exclaims.

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

Thank you, Monique. What ever those webs were made of, they were strong. Let's take a look at this table, and then get out of this... greenhouse of horrors. She will join Adrock again, and examine the table and what is on it.

Strange that there are game boards here.

[ChubbyPixie]

Trusting no gods, Fiefo will walk to the corner and peek around it to the south to see where they may need to run if the beasts take note of them again.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-nan takes what slabs of meat he can and urges the others to do the same. He regroups at the table - covered in blood and gore - with a nod to acknowledge the success of the hunt.

[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








Hans the Shrewd joins the party at the bizarre table as Fiefo LeBratt peers south into the mysterious darkness.

Under Maskelyn's watchful eye, Ko-Nan finishes the butchery and offers raw lizard meat to his starving companions.

Adrock and Jack correctly perform the ancient blessing of activation, genuflecting with open hands across the sacred diadems of the holy relics, and the hallowed God's Eyes all blink to life with wondrous color, light and sound!

An image slowly takes shape on the flat rectangular crystal balls! Behold! A majestic figure of great power and charisma miraculously appears!



And lo, the heavenly God's Eyes speak with one divine voice, like an angelic choir!

"This is Captain James T. Kirk of the Starship Enterprise. I am transmitting an urgent request for aid on all channels. To any who receive this message, my crew is under attack. Our hull is penetrated and we have sustained many casualties. We have initiated emergency landing procedures and request your immediate assistance. Our position is Gamma Hydra, Section Ten. We are attempting to hold off the invaders, but I don't know how much longer we can last. Can you help us?"

The celestial plea for aid begins anew.

Many of the astonished adventurers have heard this mighty name before! The Kirk, sometimes known as Kirk Douglas, is a legendary champion out of ancient mythology. A ship's captain renowned for guile, bravado and charm, his adventures took him to many strange lands where he outwitted cyclopes, witches, whirlpools and other monsters after Trojan World War II. Many modern-day religions claim the Kirk as demigod, angel, hero and saint!


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: 70 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)

[Scott308]

Jack

Does anyone think Captain Kirk and his crew might still be alive?

[ravenn4544]

Ko-nan will gather some dead kindling and wood to start a small fire to cook small portions of meat. It should also work to keep away the beasts roaming the strange forest.

[ChubbyPixie]

The Kirk, sometimes known as Kirk Douglas, is a legendary champion out of ancient mythology. A ship's captain renowned for guile, bravado and charm, his adventures took him to many strange lands where he outwitted cyclopes, witches, whirlpools and other monsters after Trojan World War II.

...History becomes Myth. Myth becomes Legend. And Legend becomes Dubious Hodge-Podge.

"Is this a message from the Gods asking for help?" says Fiefo. "I think they'll be disappointed," he adds after a pause.