The Unseen Servant forums

Chapter 3: The Land That Time Forgot

The Inland Jungle, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day One. Afternoon. March 25th, 912 CY
Hot, humid, clear







The shipwrecked adventurers journey on through the strange, primeval jungle in search of the tower of the dead wizard, Xygax. Beneath the thick foliage, the cacophony of exotic lizards, insects, monkeys and birds is unceasing.

By late afternoon, the dense verdant jungle slowly gives way. From their vantage at the western threshold of the rainforest, the explorers look down into a swampy river valley, framed by the jagged spine of a distant, volcanic mountain range to the west and south.

The marsh valley is teeming with life of a different kind.







The adventurers had heard legends of mythical thunder lizards that lived 100 million years before Earth That Was, but they had never before seen one.

The trail leads west for three miles across the valley that time forgot, and into the mountains toward the dead wizard's tower.


Actions?


Island Map, to date:

X = The adventurers' current position. The approximate position of the Dead Wizard's Tower was visible from the Beach of the Towering Goddess.





PC Status:

• Buck Russellswart: Mole-Man Cleric 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 15/18, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl
  Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 17/17
  Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 17/20
  Jeojand: Cat-Man Magic-User 2: Move: 6", AC: 7, HP: 5/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 32/32
  L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 6/6, Spells: 1/4 1st lvl
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 9", AC: 8, HP: 5/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Tullia Galena: Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/24

PC Magic:

• None currently

PC 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)

Oh no there goes Tokoyo, Godzilla.

Allow me to consult the oracle of Tee Emez Eee to determine our best path


LL removes and iron box from his pack and unlocks it with a key around his neck. He removes a velvet ball and form it pulls and Item as dark and shiny as obsidian.

He closes his eyes as his hand rubs over its surface.

Oh great Tee Emez Eee shall we your most humble servants cross this valley of great beasts or should we traverse around and find another way.

He holds the orb above his head and shakes it as he hums. then pulling it down he peers at it intensely

"We'll be squashed like bugs," says Fiefo after LL's oracle has spoken. He gazes around but sees no better alternative. "...there's no way we're getting through there unsquashed," he adds, impotently, after an awkward pause. Sighing, he arranges his pack and prepares to descend. "Might as well get it over with," he says.

Maskelyn

The gnome has been fascinated since they first left the trees. Magnificent! Incredible! What a wonder! His eyes are wide and shining, like a small boy on Blackfriday Morning, ready to open his gifts.

All I see are plant-eaters. If we proceed carefully, as if through a herd of MegaBison, we should be safe. I believe they will avoid us, if we avoid them.

Tullia

She remembers the history lessons from her parents, who talked about what they knew of the planet's past. They had mentioned that in the long past, before humans and other peoples existed, there were huge creatures that walked the earth, and then had mysteriously died off.

Wow! Amazing! They are stuff of the history stories my parents told. They may be big, but I think they are not very bright or fast-moving. We may be able to avoid them. There are a few carnivores among them, so you know. They may be smaller and move faster.

Jeojand is not troubled. His spells will keep him out of harm's way in the valley. Still, he pauses to look up at the sky and make a rough guess of how many hours of sunlight are left in the day. "It is afternoon… This might be a good place to camp after all, where we can look over the valley and give ourselves a full day tomorrow to cross as carefully as we need."

Maskelyn

That is a very good point, my friend. Maskelyn says this without taking his eyes off the great beasts grazing the plain.

Buck gulps audibly......several times, while watching the many huge beasts.

He looks around at the ground closely to determine what type of soil is prevalent here before deciding if it's safe to sleep nearby.

"It appears safe to camp here. If we go now and we don't make the tower by nightfall, we will be setting up a camp in an unknown area in the dark. I say we find a spot to settle right here."

Ko-Nan hefts his mighty cleaver and surveys the land and beasts. "Meat," he utters. "That one, though,"as he points at the nature elf Tulia, "has the measure of them, I think"

"Die by squashing today or tomorrow? It's all the same to me," says Fiefo and throws down his pack. "Might as well get good and rested beforehand."

Valley of the Dinosaurs, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day One. Late Afternoon. March 25th, 912 CY
Hot, humid, clear







Maskelyn and Tullia are stricken agape with wonder and astonishment by the Valley That Time Forgot.

From the adventurers' vantage point atop a gentle slope at the western edge of the primordial jungle, a marsh river valley is laid before them, impossibly inhabited by mythical land leviathans from before the Dawn of Mankind!



After seeking wise prophecies from Adrock's ancient oracular orb, consensus builds to camp here for the night. The shipwrecked explorers of the unknown make their preparations.


Actions? (Night watch rotation, please. Campfire? Any other actions or preparations you'd like to make before I move to the overnight? Thanks!)


Island Map, to date:

X = The adventurers' current position.
The approximate position of the Dead Wizard's Tower was visible from the Beach of the Towering Goddess.





PC Status:

• Buck Russellswart: Mole-Man Cleric 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 15/18, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl
  Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 17/17
  Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 17/20
  Jeojand: Cat-Man Magic-User 2: Move: 6", AC: 7, HP: 5/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 32/32
  L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 6/6, Spells: 1/4 1st lvl
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 9", AC: 8, HP: 5/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Tullia Galena: Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/24

PC Magic:

• None currently

PC 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)

Camping is fine, but tomorrow I cross the valley rather than looking for another way around, it has been decreed by the goddess.

LL will use his last healing spell on Maskelyn

[1d8] = 1

Allow the power of Tee Emez Eee to course over you

I can feel it coming in the air tonight, hold on.

Ko-Nan shrugs. "Today or tomorrow is no difference" He will range northwards along the valley rim looking for food.

Tullia

We should set up a night watch. Given the "unique" creatures here, it would be prudent. I will be happy to take several hours in the night. Who would like to take first watch?

Do we need to have a small fire?

Buck looks around for some soft dirt to dig a hole. After making a tidy burrow to sleep in, he agrees to take a watch.

"I can stay up for the first watch, but I will need rest and time to commune before I can regain my magic."

He finds a good vantage point to plop down and continues watching around this strange environment, hoping none of the big monsters decide to come and have a taste. He looks to the groups hunters before settling in.

"Should we check the wind direction......or something?"

Jeojand offers to pair up in the first watch. "While it is still light, allow me demonstrate to you all the physical and ocular superiority of the cat-people. If one of you has parchment and ink, I will gladly put it to good use in making a map of our surroundings."

Standing below the tallest tree nearby, the beastman displays a small jar of harmless long-legged spiders from his pouch. He fishes one out and can't help but play with it a little before crushing it in his jaws with a dash of powdered asphalt, "for seasoning."

Having cast his spider climb spell, Jeojand scurries up the tree to get a lay of the land and draw up a map if the materials are available. He looks for major landmarks, including the tower and the statue of the green goddess, judging distance as best he can; he observes the length and breadth of the valley below, and tries to locate possible alternate routes to the tower. He also observes the wind and sky in all directions to get a handle on incoming weather, and to see if there are any flying thunder lizards. After making his observations, he stays up the tree until dark, watching the tower and the animal movements in the valley.

Tullia

Drat, I thought she had paper and pencils...
Anyway, she sees well in the dark, so her watch segment shouldn't be a problem.

Maskelyn

Thank you, Adrock. I'll likewise need some time to study, but I can take a watch. Just let me know.

I think we should have a small fire- even the tropics can get chilly in the middle of the night.

He sets up his tent, the settles down to meditate and regain his spell for tomorrow.

”Wake me up for second watch, if we haven’t been eaten by then,” says Fiefo, plopping his pack down and following immediately after.