Chapter 8: Alien Invasion

[wolfpack]

Putting the creature into his backpack


excellent! let us continue our quest

humms to himself


sliky slinky for fun it's a wonderful toy
fun for a girl and a boy

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn glances around, almost surprised at the amount of rope he's managed to produce. He tries to shoulder the coil- and nearly falls over from the weight.
Ok, Doc- now we can take a try at that long shaft.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan scans the corridor before proceeding back to the dark pit. He'll slowly approach it's gaping maw to sense and listen if anything newly lingers.

[Inferno]

Castle U.S.S. Enterprise
The Barren Wasteland, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Five. Afternoon? March 29th, 912 CY






The holy questers of The Kirk return to the precipice of the bottomless pit within the castle-ship of the gods!

Ko-Nan the barbarian's sharp ears hear nothing lurking within the shaft to Hell.


Actions?! (Descending order? Light sources? How do you use the rope? Thanks!)


Map:

One square = 5 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.





PC Status:

Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 26/26
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 30/32
L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 9/9, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, Lantern
Malga: Mok Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 32/32
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd 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)

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn leaves the rope in the corridor, well away from the opening. (He knows how capricious The Bugs can be, and doesn't want to see his hard work trailing away down the shaft). He looks into the shaft, studying both sides for a place the rope can be tied off.
IF he finds one, he'll point it out to the burly barbarian types, so they can do the tying off properly.

[wolfpack]

while the others deal with the rope LL looks a the rea around the shaft for signs or buttons of any kind

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan tests the strength of the strange rope before descending. He looks around then down then calls over his shoulder, "Keep that lantern pointed down! Do we have more light for this descent?"

[Inferno]

Castle U.S.S. Enterprise
The Barren Wasteland, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Five. Afternoon? March 29th, 912 CY








In the short corridor, the adventurers stand at the edge of the bottomless pit and prepare the kaleidoscopic rope to descend into regions unknown.




Steel poles and outcroppings jut from the cold, iron walls of the dark shaft. They could serve as handholds in the endless descent into the lowest bowels of the Castle Enterprise. Maskelyn spies several upon which he could anchor their multi-colored lifeline.

Adrock finds darkened mystic diadems on the wall near the precipice.

Ko-Nan snarls, "Keep that lantern pointed down! Do we have more light?"

Suddenly, two figures turn the corner behind them and show themselves! The explorers of the strange castle recognize them! A pair of fellow adventurers from the doomed ship! The party thought these companions lost at sea!

Connak, cat-man rogue! (redwarrior)




And Sheriff Yul, robot law-man! (Bluetongue)




Connak and Yul recognize:

Fiefo LeBratt, pessimistic rat-man fighter! (ChubbyPixie, returning to the game in January)

Ko-Nan, savage post-apocalyptic barbarian! (ravenn4544)

L.L. Adrock, hymn-quoting sorcerer-priest of antiquity! (wolfpack)

Maskelyn, gnarled trickster prestidigitator! (Urson)

But they don't recognize the large creature with them that they've startled. (an NPC)



Fiefo smirks, "Relax Malga. They're with us!" and the powerful beast-woman stays her ferocious attack.

Against all odds, adventurers that set out from Denethix together are reunited!


Introductory Posts and Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 5 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.





PC Status:

Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 26/26
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 30/32
L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 9/9, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, Lantern
Malga: Mok Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 32/32
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd 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)

[ravenn4544]

Ko-nan looks back at the newcomers over his shoulder. He grunts, "You're late." He gets to the business of climbing down...

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Ko-Nan's comment is so perfectly a "Bugs" thing to say, Maskelyn can't help but laugh. Good to see ya, guys.

He busies himself with the rope, making sure it doesn't tangle while Ko-Nan makes his descent.

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul bending over on one knee, he is checking the floor as if scanning for footprints and signs of tell-tale passage. He looks up and follows the unseen marks raising his head as the marks stop at the legs of the characters. A smile curls as he is greeted.

"A wizard is never late or early. He arrives precisely when he wants to." The cyborg gives an expected implacid faced response.

Standing.

"We drifted upon destiny's waves. Unsure wether we would find land or succumb to a watery grave. Our flotsam driftwood deposited us finally upon shore and relentless we followed in your footsteps wake.

We pay our respects to those who walk no more."

He takes off his black stetson placing it across his chest and bows his head, standing silent for a minute as he remembers the mole man, ape boy, cat man, robo girl and others.

Casually glancing at him as he stands you can note a large sword strapped to his back, the hilt poking out from under the collar of a leathery duster. A bandolier of thick crossbow bolts is across his chest and from a loose waist belt a hand held, quick-draw crossbow is holstered. Spurs fit his calf length worn boots. A satchel contains his meagre personal possessions, flasks of lubricant oil, a hemp rope tied with a noose end, momentos of implanted memory of a childhood he never lived.

Finally a flicker of emotion crosses his face and his eyes lighten. He greets his comrades in a more friendly fashion.

"So the posse grows. What is the plan."

[redwarrior]

Connak shrugs and says "I haven't missed feeding time, have I? What is down that shaft, is it interesting? Or tasty? Or fun to slay? Maybe it is fun to slay and tasty?" He'll draw his saber and give it a few wide swings while he looks expectantly at the group.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan can lead the way down - with the proper light guiding him. He'll stick to the hand holds as much as possible saving the rope for escape if needed.

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn lies flat, looking over the lip of the pit. He watches Ko-Nan's descent intently, his muscles tight and his fists clenched.
He'll go down near the middle of the group, using the rope and handholds as he can.

[Inferno]

Castle U.S.S. Enterprise
The Barren Wasteland, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Five. Afternoon? March 29th, 912 CY








Deep within a bizarre fortress, the shipwrecked explorers of the Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard reunite at the precipice of a bottomless pit.

Fiefo the rat-man merrily answers Connak and Sheriff Yul. "Turns out this ain't a castle. It's a ship! Fer sailing ta the stars. Its captain is an angel, see. Or a god. Or a space-pirate angel. Anyway, him and his crew are trapped in an Engine Earring, whatever that is. We're going down this bottomless pit ta save 'em! Also, there's monsters. And treasure. All clear? Good. Let's go!"

Adrock the mostly-human historian-priest sagely clarifies as he places his lantern at the edge of the iron shaft. He tells of their miraculous visions of James T. Kirk Douglas and their earthly encounter with a Celestial Star Shaman. (click the links to read all about it)

Impatient, Ko-Nan the barbarian foregoes the rope of many colors and descends the outcroppings on the pit wall 30 feet down to the utmost reaches of the light, under the squinty, watchful gaze of Maskelyn the gnome conjurer.


Actions?! (Marching order in the descent, please? Any more light sources?)


Map Detail:

One square = 5 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.





PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 6, HP: 19/19
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 26/26
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 30/32
L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 9/9, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, Lantern
Malga: Mok Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 32/32
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Sheriff Yul: Robot Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 38/38

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)

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul

Will check the tension and strength of the many corded rope and once content it is secured will descend by abseil method, rappelling in small bouncy leaps of the shaft wall.

He has a lantern which he can tie to the end of the rope before it comes over the edge so that the shaft is illuminated.

How long is the rope? (don't want to run out of length .....)

[redwarrior]

Connak Well, a boat you say? with a well in it? Well, well, let's see what we have! Connak will defer to the party on order, but is eager to follow Yul. That hasn't gotten him killed. Yet.

[wolfpack]

LL will tie his ln tern to his pack and descend in the middle of the order

Your timely arrival reminds me of Tee Em Zee hymn 1 9 7 3

Reunited, and it feels so good
Reunited 'cause we understood
There's one perfect fit
And, sugar, this one is it
We both are so excited 'cause we're reunited, hey, hey

[Inferno]

Boldly going where no one can hear you scream, in... Chapter 9: Abyss of the Xenomorphs