Chapter 11: The Parallax Reality

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul

"As a cyborg I must breathe and drown as easily as other living beings. Let's take of the blue potions. If it helps to give us gills then we can go further."

I would also suggest that a lung full of air could be sucked out from empty wineskins or water canteens if the potions do not cover everybody.

He fastens his waist belt around and clip a lantern and flask of oil in a pouch so that he could light up any cave we enter later. I have 50'ft hemp rope (lasso rope) in my pack. So I figure on swimming to the junction, tying the rope to a rock and laying it as a guideline.

With a left or right choice at the junction, he will choose to go right.

[Rex]

Draupadi

"We should try and stick together. Who can hold there breath longest? They should get go without the potion if we don't have enough to go around and someone with a potion stays with them in case they can't make it."

[jemmus]

Mungo

I can hold my breath pretty long. And I've already had a portion of a potion.

Constitution 17 - For holding breath?

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan over hears the discussion occurring close by. "I will not drink the brew born of wizard filth. I will swim by my own strength."

[Rex]

Draupadi

"Perhaps you could scout which route is better Mungo since you have already drank the potion."

16 Con, seems the best choice

[jemmus]

Mungo
I can try. Or perhaps we should follow Finver, who already knows the route? By the way, I think there's a third of the potion left. Someone should use it.

[redwarrior]

Connak looks up at that. If I could breathe, it would be a bit less terrifying. Do we know how long we must swim?

I don't remember, but I think we might be able to share a potion at lessened duration?

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Ok, you talked me into it. If we don't meet up with something that eats our faces, the tunnels would be a good place to hide until the heat's off.... assuming it's not just flooded caves.

[jemmus]

Mungo takes one of the recently found potions. If no one minds, I'll take a swallow of this. Mole-men aren't good swimmers. To tell the truth, I've never swum in my life and I hope I never have to again after this.

Mungo drinks half.

[Rex]

Draupadi

Draupadi will drink half a potion. "Lets do this." She heads into the water.

[redwarrior]

Connak drinks a half a potion, looks at he water with revulsion, and gets ready to follow the leader.

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul

Drinks a swimming potion, a half measure.

[jemmus]

Mungo prepares to follow the leader into the water. He's not much looking forward to this. But on the other hand, if it will get them out of Sleestak land, he's all for it.

[Inferno]

Unknown Cavern, The City of the Sleestaks, Deep Beneath the Forbidden Zone
The Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Ten. Night? April 5th, 912 CY






In the unknown cavern (area 21), the adventurers each quaff a half bottle of the glimmering brew that is the color of the sea. Not wanting to be left behind, Ambrose and the Altrusian elder drink as well. In astonishment, their necks sprout gills!

Ko-Nan refuses, emptying a wineskin and filling it with air.

And then they dive!



Of those that drank, their possessions and hair somehow retain the appearance of remaining dry!

Finver and Yul lead them down to a large tunnel mouth. They swim inside, scattering a school of tiny albino cave fish. The tunnel forks and Yul guides them to the right. Weightless, they paddle on, miraculously breathing underwater as Ko-Nan pulls air from his wineskin.

The right hand shaft opens onto a vast lake, over which flickers light!

The adventurers cautiously surface in deep shadow, and peer out.



They are in the subterranean lake at the center of the City of the Sleestaks! ...in the exact area where Enath had indicated! (area 18)

They have not been spotted, yet. But the shore is abuzz with urgent activity as Sleestaks and Altrusians search the city...



...hunting for them!


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas were visible this post. All else is from memory.
PCs are purple. Altrusians are orange. Ambrose is brown.

Map:






PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 10/19
Draupadi: Human Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 17/34, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 26/26
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 3: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 15/31
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 12/39
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 9/14, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 16/34, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl
Sheriff Yul: Cyborg Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 27/38

PC Magic:

Light (Draupadi): Target: Finver's dagger. Duration: 91 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)

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul

Swims to the left hand side, sticking his bald head very slowly above water so as not to create lots of tell tale ripples. He takes stick of the situation and submerges himself again.

We can't communicate much by speech but he goes to Finver, signing for him to sheathe the dagger with the light spell in case that gives us away. The cave lights might be enough to navigate by.

[jemmus]

Mungo points an index claw at the passage behind Ambrose and the elder Altrusian. He starts going that way as smoothly and quietly as he can, avoiding making any ripples in the water.

[Rex]

Draupadi

With their heads just above the water, whispering, "Maybe we should try the other underwater tunnel?"

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn grins and shakes his head. Well played, Grey One. You got me. he thinks, then turns to swim toward the other fork of the tunnel.

[redwarrior]

Connack growls low in the back of his throat and dives after Maskelyn.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-nan scans the enemies for any sign they have been detected. He too moves smoothly and quietly in the still water. He is reminded of a time seemingly long past. A retributive raid on a rival mining tribe found him moving through still water on a dark night in a similarly dim chamber. That mission ended in the spilled blood of the enemy. He smiles. Something likely to happen yet again, here, soon....