Chapter 10: Secret of the Sleestaks

[ChubbyPixie]

Due to the Silence spell, Fiefo hears no commotion and continues sleeping. He dreams of cheese, obviously, but it is perched precariously on the arm of a giant mechanical rat trap.

[Inferno]

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








Before the adventurers can act, the malformed abomination lunges to its feet and eviscerates Draupadi with razor-sharp claws and a frightful double-row of fangs! (5hp damage)

Her spell destroyed, the priestess staggers back bleeding from the throat!

The blood soaked jaws of the feral reptile-thing let loose a savage roar! But the wild bellow is cut short. Mungo follows Draupadi's lead and the moleman priest smothers all sound with an arcane silence! The hideous monster, Draupadi, Maskelyn and Mungo are suddenly rendered deaf and mute!

While Fiefo dreams peacefully, Yul takes aim, Connak slowly rouses, and Maskelyn retreats through the sundered gate and his hearing returns!

Ambrose the ape races to the eastern portcullis and finds it immovable. He turns to Ko-Nan, "We need to open this now. That diseased thing could kill us all."

Alone, Finver charges into the fray! Leaping into the sonic void of the prison cell, one slashing dagger cuts the hulking monstrosity! Green blood is drawn and some of the many large warts that infest its misshapen hide are rent open, releasing a cloud of spores into the air! (Draupadi and Finver, please Save vs Poison, and post an action regardless of the outcome)


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. PCs are purple. Sleestaks are green. Altrusians are orange. Ambrose is brown.

Behind the DM Screen:

Initiative: Party: [1d6]=3, Monsters: [1d6]=6 Monster wins.
Abomination attacks Draupadi (claw/claw/bite): [1d20]=7, [1d20]=17, [1d20]=13 Claw and bite hit.
Damage to Draupadi: [1d8]=1, [1d10]=4

To move that far and still attack, Finver is Charging.

PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19
Draupadi: Human Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 29/34, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, Deaf and Mute
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 26/26
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 3: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/31, Deaf and Mute
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 32/39
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 34/34, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, Lantern at feet, Deaf and Mute
Sheriff Yul: Robot Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 31/38

PC Magic:

Silence, 15' Radius (Mungo): Duration: 7 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)

[Rex]

Draupadi

Save vs Poison (9) [1d20]=12

Draupadi attacks with her mace.

Mace [1d20]=2 to hit [1d6+1]=2+1=3 damage

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn shivers with fear and disgust, but casts Blindness on the creature. Et tu caecum!

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul

Having aimed at the beast he feels he has drawn a good bead to avoid any comrades in melee and fires at the creature.

Sheriff Yul. Handheld crossbow [1d20+3]=15+3=18 damage [1d6+2]=6+2=8

[redwarrior]

Realizing what's going on, Connak will run to just this side of the bars and attempt to put a couple of arrows into the creature while hopefully being protected by the bars.

Attack with short bow THACO 19 [1d20+1]=7+1=8 Damage [1d6]=4
Attack with short bow THACO 19 [1d20+1]=13+1=14 Damage [1d6]=4

[ChubbyPixie]

Fiefo stirs awake at Maskelyn's frantic invocation. He blinks as he takes in the bizarre sight of a violent, silent melee, before jumping to his feet and drawing his scimitar.

I assume he won't make it to melee this round? But if for some reason he can, here's an attack roll: Attack with Scimitar (THAC0 18): To Hit: [1d20+1]=1+1=2 Damage, s/M/L: [1d8]=7 Errr....

[SilverBen]

Finver fails his save

Save vs Poison (8) [1d20]=2

After hitting the creature and releasing the spores with his dagger, Finver will change stragtegy to evade combat and rescue Draupadi. He'll sheath his daggers and attempt to escape from the cell with his critically injured cleric companion.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-nan has had enough waiting. His wicked axe held high - he charges the foul beast with violent intent.

Attack: THACO (18): [1d20+2]=19+2=21 / Damage: (S/M: [2d4+3]=3+3=6 / L: [3d4+3]=9+3=12)

[Inferno]

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








Large pustules on the monstrous Altrusian-Sleestak rupture in a green spray of spores! The toxic vapor burns the lungs of Draupadi, Finver and Mungo! (-7hp, -14hp and -14hp respectively!)

Coughing, Finver grabs Draupadi by the wrist and drags her back in retreat as a powerful pincer-claw rakes his back! (2hp damage) Mungo also staggers backward, hacking the vile poison from his lungs! The trio regain their hearing.

Seeing an open target, Connak and Yul fire! Arrow and bolt impale the mutated abomination and another cloudburst of spores erupts from the onslaught! Mercifully, none of the adventurers are now near it!

Maskelyn the gnarled gnome casts a trickster spell, trying to blind the gigantic rampaging beast, but the incantation has no effect!

Fiefo and Ko-Nan charge the savage monstrosity that lunges forward to meet them in a clash of steel, claws and countless fangs!



His fearsome ax a blur of silver, Ko-Nan the barbarian decapitates the malformed atrocity in a vomit of green blood and vapor! The headless thing collapses to the floor and the battle is over!
(Fiefo and Ko-Nan, please Save vs Poison, and post an action regardless of the outcome)


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. PCs are purple. Sleestaks are green. Altrusians are orange. Ambrose is brown.
Everything south of 25 is from memory.

Behind the DM Screen:

Mungo: Save vs Poison: [1d20]=2 Fails.
Initiative: Party: [1d6]=5, Monsters: [1d6]=5 Tie!
Spore cloud damage: [3d6]=14 Half damage to Draupadi who saved.
Abomination: free attack on Finver's retreat: [1d20]=3, [1d20]=18, [1d20]=7 One claw hits.
Damage to Finver: [1d8]=2

Abomination: Save vs Spells: [1d20]=17 Saves.

Abomination claws Fiefo and Ko-Nan: [1d20]=4, [1d20]=6, damage: [1d8]=7, [1d8]=7 Both miss.
Abomination bites Fiefo? (1) or Ko-Nan? (2): [1d2]=2. Attack: [1d20]=1, damage: [1d10]=10 Misses. No fumbles in this game.

PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19
Draupadi: Human Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 22/34, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 26/26, Deaf and Mute
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 3: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 15/31
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 32/39, Deaf and Mute
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 20/34, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, Lantern on ground in prison cell
Sheriff Yul: Robot Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 31/38

PC Magic:

Silence, 15' Radius (Mungo): Duration: 6 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)

[Rex]

Draupadi

Draupadi falls back and tries to get some clean air into her lungs. "That didn't go well."

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul

"The spores might be some deadly fungus.
Hate to say this with do little privacy available, but you might need to strip and wash the bacteria away."

"I don't think concealing the body works in our favour. We should inform the guard too and complain the creature attached us in its madness."

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan breathes the spores in deep and spits it out in disgust, "Meat is spoiled."

Save vs Poison (13) [1d20+4]=17+4=21

He wipes the gore from his blade on the creatures flesh...

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Try and do a guy a favor.... Maskely says in annoyance. He stays well away from any remaining spores, and from the remains.

[SilverBen]

Draupadi falls back and tries to get some clean air into her lungs. "That didn't go well."

Sheriff Yul says "The spores might be some deadly fungus.
Hate to say this with do little privacy available, but you might need to strip and wash the bacteria away."

Finver wheezes from the spores before he becomes more setteled. He then moans in painful realization of his wounds. Heeding Sherrif Yul's suggestion, he twists trying to reach the claw injury on his back, tottering in an awkard pirouette until his back is towards Draupadi. He asks, "Does it look as bad as it feels?"

The intent here is to have Drapaudi examine him to confirm there is no continued risk of an infection from the spores, as Sherrif Yul suggests. If the danger has passed, then he'll turn to the entrance of the guest quarters.

He walks gingerly towards the southern portcullis, "No way, Sherrif, let's figure out a way to escape so that none of us wind up the next headless hulk with a bad case of blistering spores, or its late night meal.,"

He calls out to the ape-man, "Ambrose, what did you mean earllier when you said... disease? Was this fellow once a healthy companion to you? Or did you meet him in this terrible state?" He'll examine the integrity of the gate and try to pry it open or bend bars at a weak point.

[redwarrior]

Connak moves back from the cloud of spores, with his fur bristling. I wonder if those spores have something to do with the orange creatures turning into the green ones. Maybe this fellow's body couldn't adapt to them. I don't want my body to adapt to them!

[Inferno]

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









A pool of green blood grows around the headless corpse of the Altrusian abomination.




Ko-Nan and Fiefo cough on the spore cloud from the newly-ruptured pustules of the monster's infected hide (7hp and 15hp damage, respectively!). Everyone backs away from the mysterious contagion and their hearing returns.

Sheriff Yul grimly surmises, "The spores might be some deadly fungus."

His partner Connak says, "I wonder if those spores have something to do with the orange creatures turning into the green ones. Maybe this fellow's body couldn't adapt to them. I don't want my body to adapt to them!"

After Druapadi finds no immediate sign of blight in Finver's wound, the dwarf joins Ambrose at the eastern portcullis.



All is quiet outside. Mungo's prayer of silence worked. The Sleestak guards at the great northern doorway (S19, S20) remain in their weird state of half-hibernation. Finver asks, "Ambrose, what did you mean earlier when you said... disease?"

Anxious to flee the spreading plague, Ambrose fruitlessly tries the bars and replies, "He was in that dreadful condition when I was imprisoned with him. We need to get out of here!"

Finver agrees and attempts to bend the rusty bars of the locked portcullis... to no avail!


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. PCs are purple. Sleestaks are green. Altrusians are orange. Ambrose is brown.
Everything south of 25 is from memory.

Behind the DM Screen:

Fiefo: Save vs Poison: [1d20]=7 Fails.
Spore Cloud Damage: [3d6]=15 Ko-Nan saved and takes half damage.
Bend bars: [1d100-10]=79-10=69 Ambrose fails.
Bend bars: [1d100-10]=51-10=41 Finver fails.

PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19
Draupadi: Human Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 22/34, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 11/26
Finver Karstlander: Dwarven Fighter 3: Move 6", AC: 2(1), HP: 15/31
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 25/39
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
Mungo: Mole-Man Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 20/34, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, Lantern on floor of prison cell
Sheriff Yul: Robot Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 31/38

PC Magic:

Silence, 15' Radius (Mungo): Duration: 4 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

Fire! Who has a torch? One of the fellas back home opened the wrong mushroom cap- but the Wise Woman lit a torch and waved it through the spore cloud. The spores burned up. Let's try that!

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan peers past the corpse and the gate north to see what lies beyond the gate. (is that a door in the wall on the map in that alcove?)

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul

After the wound the Sleestak erupted with the spores. It reminds him of the acid spewing aliens. He watches to see if the fire from a burning torch dies anything to the spire cloud of if it settles as dust or dissipates.

He thinks making a straw dummy to cover for Ambrose is not needed now. We need an agreed action plan. Either we try to sneak out like nothing has happened or we inform the guard, complaining the creature literally lost its mind as well as it's head and attacked us unprovoked. It might 'go better' with any authority to try and prove your innocence by not leaving the scene of an alleged crime.

He shares that view with folk and tries to bend the bars back in to shape.

Sheriff Yul tries to bend the bars vs 7% [1d100]=80