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Chapter 5: Subterrane of the Cyborgs

The Dead Wizard's Skyscraper
Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Three. Late Morning, March 27th, 912 CY







In the bizarre skyscraper of science and sorcery, Chaka the ape-boy scampers back to the seeming safety of the doorway as the other adventurers secure their metal gear and advance.

The eerily weightless steel pyramid looms over them like the executioner's ax as they slowly venture to the white stairwell, to begin their descent up into the tower.



Jeojand approaches first. Testing cautiously, the curious cat-mancer carefully pads down the glossy white stairs. His tethered pack becomes light as air, but it doesn't send him plunging to the ceiling. Whatever strange enchantment brings their iron possessions to life must be shielded in part by the massive inverted pyramid in whose shadow they now creep.

Tullia, Fiefo and Ko-Nan follow Jeojand down the stairs with trepidation and without mishap. Their iron possessions become more lifeless with every step, gradually returning to their normal, inanimate, unhexed state. Seeing no danger, the rest of the adventurers soon follow.

Far below, at the bottom of the spiraling stairwell, more witch lights have flickered to life.

The stairs finally end in a glossy white octagonal room with two large identical doors.



Against the wall between the twin doors, slumps an iron skeleton with a glass orb for a head (at 'G'). Encased within that dome is a human brain. It lacks the color, eye and tentacles of the Dalek creature in the vat that Ko-Nan slaughtered in the alchemist's laboratory. The machine creature slowly stirs!



Actions?!



Map:

One square = 10 feet.





PC Status:

• Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 3/17
  Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 20/20
  Jeojand: Cat-Man Magic-User 2: Move: 6", AC: 7, HP: 2/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 5/32
  L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 7/8, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 9", AC: 8, HP: 7/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Tullia Galena: Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 16/24

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)

In his nearly dead condition, Chaka stays behind the others as they investigate this new found oddity.

"Chaka not like this place either. Did.....did that thing just move?"

Maskelyn
I'm with you, Chaka! We seem to be going from one demon's lair to another..... Maskelyn flattens against the wall when he sees the metal monstrosity move.

The scrawny metal armature moves haltingly and without apparent purpose—until it shudders with some internal shock and suddenly reacts to your presence.

One metal hand flies to its narrow torso, pincers splayed out. The other presses against the transparent dome of its head. "Rescue! You've found me!" It then looks around, whipping its head back and forth to take in the environment and its own form. Dipping its head, it says, "I... I do hope you can forgive my state of déshabillé."

It reaches out one pincer-grip, clearly asking help to stand.

Tullia

She tentatively holds out her hand, Ummm, do you need help? Or are you planning to kill us all, like those metal monsters?

Splindly Robot: "Monsters?! My god, I... I..." The metal creature seems to be attempting to approximate deep breathing, like a human on the verge of being overwhelmed. "What fresh torment is this?"

The creature starts again: "My companions! There should be others, my boon brothers and sisters, torches of light in the umbral vastness, here... right here! Where are they?! Have you seen them? Slender of limb, smooth of chassis, possessed of great charm and daring, brimming with the art and knowledge of a bygone age?"

The robot continues to sit, extending an arm up for assistance.

Ko-Nan resolves that the metal monster is friendly enough as the others interact it. He also sits and rests his wounded self against a wall in the relative safety of the room.

Tullia

She reaches down and helps the metal creature to stand.

The monsters we met were conical with round bumps, and kept yelling "Exterminate' all the time. As far as your companions, we have not seen any others that look like you.

She pauses for a moment, then says, I feel that much time has passed since your friends were here. There once was a great civilization which was destroyed, but a few buildings survived, including this one. Much has changed since this ancient tower was built. It now stands on a blasted, barren plateau, on an island with huge lizard creatures and strange ape-men.

In contrast to the cold mechanical pincer-grip in Tullia's hand, the robot's voice is warm and effusive: "Your grip... it's so strong and firm. I..." It's blank, expressionless dome seems to be trying to convey a state of being flustered.

The metal framework rights itself with Tullia's help. "The Cataclysms, yes. We were commissioned to preserve humanities literary heritage in the Chaos to come. We are the Biblio-Borgs, each a vessel for a different precious parcel of poetry or prose. I am AG-4476, but I hope you will call me Garamond Antiqua."

In response to the description of the Daleks, Garamond says, "They sound awful!"

Maskelyn

Getting the sense that this is no monster, Maskelyn relaxes a little. You store poetry and prose, eh? Good, rousing tales of heroes? Or tepid romances, full of shy glances and all that rut?

Garamond: "Oh! Both! Each Biblio-borg was tasked with a different oeuvre. My charge is the complete line of Hellequin Romances—over 12,000 tales of daring adventure, breath-taking romance, and steamy conjunctions of mammalian reproductive processes! In ancient times, they were called 'Bodice Rippers,' a term denoting their aesthetic refinement and literary achievement. Anytime you would like me to recite one or two or three, just ask! It is literally my entire reason for being."

Jeojand moves around the metal skeleton with interest, wondering how it sees without eyes. "Verrry interesting. Verrry interesting."

For a moment during introductions his attention wanders to the doors, checking to see whether they contain windows.

Chaka cocks his head back and forth from speaker to speaker as the conversation continues, not exactly sure what to make of this newcomer. He crouches down on his haunches, shuffling to the northern door and looking it over for a minute.

The hair on Fiefo’s neck bristles at the first signs of life from the metal skeleton, then relax slowly as he realizes there is no particular eminent threat from this creature, who, by all accounts, is only slightly weirder than any of them. His interest is piqued by the offer to recite ancient lore. “What’s this Hellequin stuff? Could we get a sample? What does it do?” he says.

Garamond Antiqua joins the others exploring the nearby doors. "Tower? No, I know nothing of a tower. But my model-mates should be nearby. We were all together just a... a moment ago? Or maybe longer? It's hard to say?"

ChubbyPixie wrote:“What’s this Hellequin stuff? Could we get a sample? What does it do?” he says.

"Ah! Of course! Accessing sample passage."

As it pokes at a nearby door, the biblio-borg recites in a pleasant reading voice:
"His joy in her enthralled him as they began to move together and he had the intense pleasure of knowing she had slipped beyond all reality but him and was giving from the depths of her being. Their senses rose together on the crest of a passion—wild beyond anything they could have imagined. Caught in wave after wave of gloriously exultant pleasure, Kairee could only cling to the solidness of his huge frame as their bodies, their passions, and their completion, molded them into one."

"That's from 'Wild Wyoming Heart'."

Tullia

She rolls her eyes. Thank you for the sample.

Why couldn't we have found the map or history creature? This one is almost useless.What drivel.

Maskelyn

Be nice. He can't help that it's drivel. "Don't mock the fish because he can't climb trees", you know.

The Dead Wizard's Skyscraper
Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Three. Midday, March 27th, 912 CY





In the white octagon chamber, the adventurers introduce themselves to the spindly machine creature, Garamond, who recites a passage for them from the long lost manuscripts of the ancients.

Jeojand the cat-mancer examines the twin doors and finds them windowless. But both have a small dot of mystical green light glowing on their doorframes.

Chaka the ape-boy, still curious, investigates the northern door. Suddenly, WHOOSH! it disappears, sliding itself into the adjacent wall!



In the room beyond, beneath brightly colored witchlights, are several gigantic eggs, each taller than a man! They all have a large oval etched into their glossy white surface. A thin path wends among them, and another identical door is set into the far wall.


Actions?!



Map:

One square = 10 feet.





PC Status:

• Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 3/17
  Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 20/20
  Garamond Antiqua: Cyborg 2: Move: 12", AC: 8, HP: 20/20
  Jeojand: Cat-Man Magic-User 2: Move: 6", AC: 7, HP: 2/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 5/32
  L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 7/8, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 9", AC: 8, HP: 7/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Tullia Galena: Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 16/24

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)

Ko-Nan raises his head from the hard metal wall as the new strange creature recites a story of passion and vigor. It reminds him of the stories sung around the fires in the mines. Stories of warriors and maidens riding the crest of life through battle and glory. This new creature could be a welcome addition to the group...