Chapter 8: Alien Invasion

[Inferno]

Chapter 8: Alien Invasion

'Astro-Medicine' Chamber, 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 star-faring shaman says, "No... the invaders aren't giants. They're man-sized... evolved from the Reptila class I believe... perhaps distantly related to the Gorn. They're all identical... to our eyes at least. And there are a lot more than six."
"Look. Thank you for answering our distress call. I have a lot of questions about who you are and where we are, but I should get to Engineering if I can. Will you come with me?"

The questers of The Kirk are honored to accompany the magical healer to the mysterious Engineer Ring.

Chaka the ape-boy asks the healer about the steel piece on his simian skull.

"Experimental brain surgery? Barbaric..." McCoy mutters ruefully.

Monique Quan proclaims, "YES! I too am with the fleet of stars!"

"Really? You're out of uniform, "Lieutenant"," McCoy says good-naturedly.

The star voyager gathers more wondrous artifacts for the journey. "We may not be coming back this way," he says ominously.

Then McCoy grimaces. He doubles over and a groan tears from his lips. "...something's wrong..." The kindly healer clutches the edge of a table with his hands, knuckles whitening. His face becomes a mask of agony as he trembles violently from head to foot.

McCoy collapses to the floor, screaming.




Suddenly, a splatter of blood explodes on his chest.





McCoy writhes and spasms and the crimson fabric of his shirt is ripped open... from the inside! Bursting outward in an eruption of blood!









McCoy's screams reach their harrowing crescendo as a ghastly creature emerges from the fluids and gore of his sundered body!






Actions?!


Map:

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


Behind the DM Screen:

The alien is born...
Party surprised? (1-3): [1d6] = 5 No.

PC Status:

Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 17/17
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: 18/25, Spells: 3/4 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: 10/14, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
Monique Quan: 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: 11 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)

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

She has remained quiet until the McCoy collapses. When the monster errupts from his abdomen, she looks on in horror, then quickly pulls her sword to kill it. Brief visions of the terrors in the wizard's tower motivate her to "stop this now."

What sort of roll to hit?

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn jerks back, ducking under a table or desk to get further from this little horror. He draws a dagger, holding it awkwardly.
Trickster, we follow you! We are respectful and cautious of your many wonders! May we always be the beneficiary of your pranks, and never the victim!

Suddenly connecting the dots, Maskelyn looks stricken and begins poking at his own chest, opening his shirt to examine the area where The Makoy stabbed him with his device.

[Scott308]

Jack

Horrified at the creature that burst from the chest of McCoy, the cleric will nevertheless attempt to bash the horrid little beast.

Mace +1 (20): [1d20+1] = 13+1 = 14; Damage: [1d6+3] = 2+3 = 5; Damage Large: [1d6+2] = 4+2 = 6

[Yrkoon]

Hans the Shrewd

Hans' squealing rivals that of the newborn abomination. Nevertheless, his hands are moving with purpose even as he screams, and he launches a sling bullet at the evil slug before his friends close to melee range.

Sling attack [1d20+2] = 13+2 = 15
Sling damage vs. S/M [1d4+1] = 4+1 = 5

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan roars at the foul thing in disgust, "CROM!!" He brings his wicked blade down upon the thing - cutting the McCoy nearly in half as he does so!

Attack: THACO (20): [1d20+2] = 17+2 = 19 / Damage: (S/M: [2d4+3] = 3+3 = 6 / L: [3d4+3] = 5+3 = 8)

[max_vale]

Monique Quan

Upon seeing the creature burst from poor McCoy's chest, Monique yelled out, "NO!!! HE'S A DOCTOR NOT FOOD YOU INFERNAL, GREEN-BLOODED, INHUMAN MONSTER!" and she took up her spiked mace and attempted to smash the thing to bloody bits.....and promptly missed the monster in question.....


1d20+1 for STR 18 (I think? Let me know if I missed something here): [1d20+1] = 3+1 = 4

[ChubbyPixie]

With a squeak of alarm, Fiefo draws his scimitar. If there creature isn't killed outright by the others, he'll take a swing at it, attempting to cut it in half.

Attack with Scimitar (THAC0 18): To Hit: [1d20+1] = 11+1 = 12 Damage, s/M/L: [1d8] = 8

[wolfpack]

LL jumps in terror and retreats to the back of the group confident the fighters can handle the creature.

[Inferno]

'Astro-Medicine' Chamber, 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







Astonishment. Shock. Horror.

The star-shaman's screams have died but his limbs still twitch uncontrollably.

Ignoring its dying host, the horrific, blood-soaked thing slowly looks around.



Then suddenly, it lunges from McCoy's spurting chest, trailing a thick, wormlike tail, splattering blood and gore, scurrying away toward the door when Hans and Jack quickly smash and hammer it to bits! The heinous newborn shrieks its last breath.

Hiding beneath a table, Maskelyn examines his own chest and finds no sign of parasitic organisms lurking beneath his flesh.

The explorers sadly confirm that McCoy's crimson ruin is devoid of life.

Suddenly the flickering witchlights go out! The corridor is plunged into darkness and so too would be this chamber were it not for Adrock's sorcerous illumination!


Actions?!


Map:

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


Behind the DM Screen:

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 4, Monsters: [1d6] = 5 Monster wins.
It races for the door, passing Maskelyn, Jack and Hans who get opportunity attacks.

PC Status:

Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 17/17
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: 18/25, Spells: 3/4 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: 10/14, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
Monique Quan: 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: 10 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)

[Valdus]

Chaka stands in absolute shock, totally immobile. Once for the news he received the other for what has occurred before him.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan brings his bloodied cleaver down again and again on the mutilated corpse. "Only way to be sure..."

He steps back and checks his chest for any strange feelings. He bludgeons the gore once more for good measure.

[Scott308]

Jack

This is scary. How do we know if somebody has one of those things inside them? He didn't look like he had some creature in his body. And now we don't know how to find the enjin earring.

[Yrkoon]

Hans the Shrewd

Hans gives the slain monster a wide berth while searching for the sling bullet he helped kill it with. He is careful not to get too close to Ko-nan as he pulversises it into the floor.

How could such horror exist in this world, or in any?

[wolfpack]

NO! MAN OF BONES!

LL runs over to mccoy and checks to see if a healing spell would have any chance of saving him. If not he picks up the silver tube mccoy was using and pockets it.

[ChubbyPixie]

“Well, he seemed nice..” Says Fiefo. He cleans off his blade and puts his scimitar away.

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

Apologies for not whacking the thing, but others got there first.

Eee-uck. Is that what happened to the others of his "crew" here? Can one attack us like that? She shudders, and has more flashbacks to the wizard's tower.

[Inferno]

'Astro-Medicine' Chamber, 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







Adrock confirms that the kindly, celestial healer, companion to The Kirk on his star-spanning ship, is dead.

The historian-priest reverently collects the strange silver wand for safekeeping.



Young Jack exclaims, "This is scary. How do we know if somebody has one of those things inside them? He didn't look like he had some creature in his body..."

"Is that what happened to the others of his "crew" here?" Tullia asks, aghast.

Ko-Nan's ruthless cleaver hacks asunder the remains of McCoy, just in case. The barbarian's skin crawls, but not due to parasites writhing beneath it... he thinks.

Suddenly, Tullia's cybernetic ears hear movement in the unlit, unwatched corridor! She warns her companions as dark horrific shapes slither from the shadows at the edge of Adrock's light!



Sleek, black, glistening, serpentine, inhuman, they resemble the heinous newborn whose slaughtered remains lay at the questers' feet!


Actions?!


Map Detail:

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


Map:



Behind the DM Screen:

Party surprised? (1-3): [1d6] = 6 No.

PC Status:

Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 17/17
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: 18/25, Spells: 3/4 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: 10/14, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
Monique Quan: 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: 9 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 half-sees the beasts in the hallway. He shouts sonitus falsum! audible glamer and re-creates the sound of the Godzilla he saw in the jungle room. This sound is centered behind the beasts.

[Scott308]

Jack

Seeing the strange creatures in the hall, Jack wonders aloud, What are those? Is that what that little thing would have grown up to become? The wolf cub nervously readies his mace in the event the creatures come into the room.

Mace +1 (20): [1d20+1] = 10+1 = 11; Damage: [1d6+3] = 3+3 = 6; Damage Large: [1d6+2] = 4+2 = 6