Chapter 15: The Slime God

[jemmus]

Mungo's beady eyes behind his thick goggles may widen in alarm-- it's kind of hard to tell. Maskelyn, that sounds very risky. If the slime god catches you alone, it could be very bad. Do have an idea for a way to distract it, without getting too close? Also, we don't know how fast the thing can move. And it detaches monsters, correct? We don' know how fast they can move either.

I believe what you say is wise, Draupadi. Seal the exits one by one. We know of three. But we don't know if there are others. Should take the time to scout that first?

[Rex]

Draupadi

"I think taking the time to scout just gives it time to expand its power base and potentially move out of the caves, then we wouldn't be able to seal it in. I think we stay focused and try and seal it in as quickly as we can."

[Urson]

Maskelyn
I didn't mean all alone, Doc. I don't know how I'd distract him- I always make that stuff up as I go. He looks around. Do you tactical types think we can split into two teams safely? One team to make a bunch of noise at one opening while somebody seals a second one?

[redwarrior]

Connak I can guard the spell-casters or I can scout, whichever is most effective!

[jemmus]

Mungo thinks back on his readings as an amateur strategist and tactician. He says, The master strategist Clowzsveech said in the Art of War... or the War of Art, or the War of Writing about War.... It seems that he can't exactly recall at the moment. As the old Moleman saying says, "Fere baanan ki ba adag ni abich lagarow e gamaniman ra abich e darii." Roughly translated into Common and made a little more refined, that's "The mole who smells two Giant Windowpane Moth grubs and tries to dig for both at the same time, won't eat either." Those grubs are amazingly fast at tunneling through humus soil, you wouldn't believe!

He ponders the calculations. The tunneling speed of a mole with four limbs vs. the speed of a Giant Windowpane Moth grub. Something doesn't seem to add up in this ancestral calculation. Eureka, I've found it! The mole's trips back and forth to empty the soil from its tunnel weren't included! By holy professors (Verne and Wells), the equation has been balanced!

The old Moleman squints around at the other members of the party facing the advancing slime and the slime god. Err... We follow Drapaudi's suggestion and all stay together and put the seals on the entrances we know, for now?

[ChubbyPixie]

"We should all stick together. Draw it to one entrance and seal it before it can escape, then rush to the next. If we distract it at an entrance we aren't ready to seal, it might just exit the caverns, and then we're as good as paste," says Fiefo.

There's a slight pause and then he adds, "Did I just say something? I blacked out for a second..."

[redwarrior]

Connak Are you ready with your magic man stuff? I dislike giving it more time than we must!

[Urson]

Maskelyn
No, Doc! Seal an exit, THEN draw Slimy to it. Let him fight the seal while we're busy with a different entrance. I'll throw in a patch of Darkness to cover one hole, and an illusory wall of fire at a second.

[jemmus]

Mungo
Yes, very ready. Should we start with the exit in the pit? To get the hardest one to flee from out of the way, before we rile old ugly up?

[Urson]

Maskelyn

Ready when you are, Doc.

[Inferno]

The Jungle Primeval
Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Morning. Sunday, April 15th, 912 CY








The shipwrecked explorers of Xygax's Island re-enter the blighted domain of the fearsome Slime God!

No flora survives the viridian infestation that coats the landscape, nor fauna it would seem. Ko-nan finds no game to hunt in these eerily silent territories.

Progress is slow in the slippery terrain, though none of the adventurers seem to be re-infected by the alien ooze. After a day-long journey through the expanding realm of the Slime God, they believe they are some hundred yards from the impact crater.

Assuming the inconceivable Slime God from another world still lurks in the caverns of the lost tribe, they know of three passage-ways that must be warded with the strange sigil from the iron fallen star: the crevasse at the bottom of the crater (1), the northern cave mouth (2) and the southern cave mouth (3).

Night is falling and all is quiet.


Actions?! (and light sources?)


Cavern Map:

One square = 10 feet. All is from memory.

Island Map:

White X marks the PCs' location.





PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/24
Draupadi: Human Cleric 5: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 41/41, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 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: 30/35
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 51/51
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: 3/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl

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]

Alright then, this is it, Mungo says and hitches up his belt, in reverse order. Night's falling, and it seems that ought to put us Molemen, Dwarves, Gnomes, Elves, Half-Elves, Half-Orcs and such right in our element. But no, maybe that for the future generations. He scribbles his scroll of random thoughts to self, before he forgets.
Names for the Potential and Prospective Ability to See in the Dark
See in the Dark
Cat's Eye Some's love cats, some's hate them.
Wake Up and Find the Slop Bucket in the Dark Probably couldn't get past the candlemakers', flint and stone merchants', and magic users' guilds.
Dark Vision Sounds kind of ominous. Lot of "dark." People might object.

The moleman draws a line under "See in the Dark" entry as an emphatic reminder to himself and others and stashes his paper and graphite stub in his pack. Alright then.... Err, I'd say we go to the crevasse first and seal it tight. Worst, first. It would be Draupadi and me in the hole for some holy seconds, and you guys with boots on stakes and hauling ropes up quick. Unless there's a better way, involving talented thieves, strong human barbarians such as Ko-Nan, wizards, more and such... In any event, by Verne and Wells, Slimey God-- your first exit is as good as sealed!, the moleman cleric proclaims. He looks around to the rest of crew for support. Three exits that we know of-- I think we ought to move fast. Eh?

[Rex]

Draupadi

"Agreed Mungo a good plan. Lets get to it then."

She readies herself to descend into the crevice.

"I will cover you while you set the ward, if it goes wrong I will try."

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Let's do this.

[SilverBen]

Finver kneels and rests his elbow on his knee listening intently. He breaks in when the plans seem to come to conclusion omitting him. In a tone of righteous indignation, Finver blurts out rather gruffly, "So, what's an able dwarf ta do in this plan, eh??"

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan growls, "Be quick with your sorcery! The foulness below us is likely sleepless!"

[jemmus]

Mungo
You know I had no intent to offend, friend Finver! It was you who explored the crevasse initially and found the glyphs of warding. In addition to a lot of other feats along the way. The old moleman claps a paw on the dwarf's back. Luckily they're both of similar height, so he can manage to do that.

[SilverBen]

"Yah, and there's no better pair than a moleman and dwarf if yer headin' underground. Just let me know what I can do ta be helpful an wash this slimy pit clean or seal it shut fer good." he replies wrapping his arm around the elder cleric's shoulder

[redwarrior]

Connak Let's move quick. There's no telling how fast this thing can move if it figures out what we're about!

[jemmus]

Mungo borrows the spike and rope, drives the spike into the ground, and descends the rope into the crevasse. He looks for the slime god's egress spot and hopes that he can cast a glyph big enough to completely cover it.