SESSION 235: (Micro-Side Session): Siege on the Gangrenous Pt. 8 – Ahhh Crud!
Around they went thirstily, time was not the only enemy.
Day 179 continued Pt. 2 (not of this world); Status: Stage I dehydration; water supply – critical < ¼ day; Food – low 2 days: With three fish in their hungry hands they decided to set a fire to both cook an early dinner and try getting water (salty) from the blood/water of the lake (crater). After some mucking about they were eating and had produced a limited volume of separated liquid content to add to the very meager water supply. During this time something was attracted to the light, smoke and scent of their activities. It could be heard grunting and such in the darkness on the far side of the bloody pond. They never figured out what it was and the thing did not enter the blood/water to initiate anything.
Mini-camp ended and they took the rocky corridor that went ‘north’. Hiking for a couple of hours for an indeterminant period until they finally approached something marginally interesting – a corner! And then light from beyond. Boris called out a parlay to the unknown source of illumination from around the corner. Four weirdo gladiators came around and into the light. Wearing sandals, loin cloths, full helmets and bearing small buckler shields in one hand and gladiuses in the other. Boris continued his attempt at parlay but these guys were simply jock(straps) fixing for a fight and did not give a hoot about odds. They launched into Sloth and Boris. Willy (Agolloch) teleported behind to shiv one it worked but the outcome was paltry. It seems that these guys were well greased and Agolloch sliced rather than pierced. It was around this time that it was realized that Agolloch’s handler was nearly dead and would likely not survive a single hit but Agolloch did help out as the wound was enough to paralyze gladiator 3. The greasy gladiators were a quick bunch and our team were notably off their game due to dehydration, it looked like Willy was doomed as gladiator 4 turned towards him. Miracle of miracles the hobos gained initiative. Wendull charmed the mook on Willy all was well, or so they hoped. Wendull had just made a new personal friend of G4 but that did not change G4’s perspective on the rest of the hobos and Wendull had not had any chance to manipulate this, he had not had an opportunity to speak yet and even if he had one would ‘think’ that communication might be difficult over the din of combat and his actual position down the line (~30’ from his new chum). This was all moot though as each group acted simultaneously. Camillus recognized the situation and took out G4 with a wonderful spear toss, we won’t mention that she had mucked up the same action the previous round. They then finished up G1 & G2 before turning to the paralyzed G3. Boris attempted to interrogate the jerk but he was straight up a jerk. Agolloch terminated the conversation before handing control back to Will, “It was a boring conversation anyways”. Boris’s next ‘A+’ idea was to collect the gladiator’s gross loincloths and have Camillus carry them that went over as expected, “Suck a goat’s nipple runt”. Instead they cleaned up drank the last of their salty water/brine and pressed on. Once more a corner was found. Something had been here somewhat recently and had pissed on the wall leaving a sizable puddle, “That bastard ain’t thirsty”, Gurn lamented. Walk on, ding-dongs.
A short while later a light could be seen from way down the corridor. It ended up being from a laboratory, focused on experimental biological enhancement procedures. This ancient laboratory has wicked instruments lining the shelves.There are dissected cadavers stretched upon the sturdy wooden tables. The lone occupant was Doktor Vod, a wrinkled old man with spectacles and a blood-stained apron. “Ah vello vriends, I am Vod. Could I vinterest any ov you vith Vod pervorming an enhancing surgery? Vod has the cutting edge ability to enhance the liver, brain, kidneys, muscles, stomach, or lungs! Step vright up the first in your group to ve enhanced”.
Boris quickly refused the gracious offer and moved to blathering about his problems, “ Have you gots any water man?” “No zorry my vriend I do not, perhaps you should reconsider enhancement to alleviate your problem?”
“Nope. Have you got any food?” Rammer simultaneously threw a question, “ Hey man how the hell do we get out of here?” “No food either my vriend but again I zink enhancement may resove your problem. And you mister limpy lisp, you can plainly see two passageways. Zat is both how you get in and out”. Boris stewed as Ramrod began turning apoplectic, “No no no! Where is the sky you withered old grape!?!” “Oh I have not zeen the sky for quite zome time. I work in my laboratory don’t ya know? I zink that maybe a brain enhancement would ve most beneficial to you”. “Arg. No”.
A conclusion began to bubble up from many the murderous mind - Doc Vod only conducted surgeries. Ramrod began the storming out, down the other passage heading ‘west’. “Oh vell, I vill be here if you change your minds, good-day vriends”.
They marched for some time, just enough for Rammer to simmer down and then lose it once more. The corridor ended or was more accurately blocked by a huge boulder. Beside the chunk of stone was a small non-descript altar. Rammer quickly began to boil as things were revealed to likely be a puzzle. Behind the boulder was a door. How do we get to the door? How do we deal with a boulder that fills a 10’ corridor? The fiddled and stuff until the final act of violence, smashing the altar, left them with the distinct sense that they had removed one of the pieces from the challenge – effectively ending the ordeal. They were now both thirsty and exhausted and decided to camp at this monument of hobo misery. In their diminished state they did not even post guard simply ate the last of the giant bass and passed out.
Day 180; Status: Stage II dehydration; water supply – none; Food – low 2 days: Hours later it appeared that things worked out. Nobody was killed during their sleep. They marched back to Vod’s. “ Ah vello vriends you have returned because you vrealize the benefits of experimental enhancement surgery!” “No no no! You must have water for us. You must clean your tools with water” “Vater on my tools why would I do that?” drawing attention to his crusty bloody tools. “We need to search you laboratory then” “Now vriends that would not be polite and I vill not allow it” “We don’t care” “Vriends. I must tell you that disturbing my laboratory vill not be tolerated”. Ramrod ever the paragon of virtue, “Screw you ya old goof! Sloth, Camillus keep an eye on him”. The two lunks stepped towards Vod as the rest went to commence the search. Like a cobra Vod struck out with his scalpels at the ‘protection’. His aged shell was not only lightning fast but strong. “Take care of him”, shouted Rammer. Sloth and Camillus pulled their weapons as Boris moved towards the entanglement. Vod pointed a finger at Sloth, “Die you behemoth, Die!” as sickly green energy roiled from the doctors finger and into Sloth who’s giant heart was able to resist the finger of death. It now appeared like this could be serious. Wendull released a wave of magic missiles they were ineffectual the swords however were drinking deeply into Vod. It looked like he was not long for his mortal coil and he was not. He was however once more far faster to act than our gang. Vod threw his scalpels and then vanished in a cloud stinking of brimstone. They concluded the search of the laboratory eventually finding a secret door behind a life-sized chart of a human skeleton (ya, there was a reason it kept being pointed out as ‘life-sized’)… Additionally one of the cadavers wore an interesting multi-coloured belt. They took the belt and scalpels and egressed via the discovered portal.
Another passage that just went that way for far too long without anything worth noting. Well until they heard the bleet of a goat or similar animal of burden. A light gently swaying, as if affixed to a pack animal, appeared and then a greeting, “ Ahoy you travelers of the fourth dimension how fair you?”. The caller sounded friendly enough and so he was engaged with pleasantries. Out of the darkness came a man of significant size and strategically placed whip, and strangely again limited clothing, leading a bighorn sheep laden with ceramic jars. He was Monster Honcho and made it immediately clear the jars on his sheep were definitely his. Everyone has their peculiarities I guess. He was friendly nevertheless, even when Boris grovelled for water. “Sorry chum nothing extra, grain for Gertie and Get-up-and-go-juice for good ol’Monster Honcho. I did just come from a chamber with a lake or pond or something. Gotta admit I didn’t look too close Gertie doesn’t like getting her hooves wet”. “Was it full of blood?! Did you see a pile of cloths?!”, an exhausted and exasperated Boris. “Don’t reckon whether it was blood, would not be surprised if it was the Fourth Dimension just doesn’t subscribe to convention if you know what I mean. The cloths hmm… we just might have seen that”. “Crap. Crap. Crap!”, exclaimed your pick of or maybe multiple hobos. They considered asking Honcho to join and then thought otherwise, “Well it was nice to meet ya big guy best of luck with your jars”. “Yes, my jars indeed. Keep on rolling little dudes and you to big fella. Just remember the jars are mine and the 4thD behaves as it will”. They parted and not too long later the B-Team were once more standing on this side of the blood lake.
This room smells like copper and salt. The ground here resembles a moon. It is difficult to move quickly through the various craters and boulders. The largest crater is filled with thick, viscous blood. There is a pile of clothing next to the lake but no sign of any people.
“Well, let’s go”, came from the ever impatient Ramrod. Once more they were attacked midway across the lake. This time a singular ravenous giant blood bass leapt from the water attempting to gobble up Wendull’s face. Raul made quick work of the damn thing and they then pressed hard for the (not so) far-shore. This time they took the ‘other’ passage.
It lead to a largish irregularly shaped chamber that was outlined with a line of salt. The walls are covered with crystals of all sizes and colors and emit a faint humming, in the middle of the chamber was a Crystal Sword. “Well, I would guess that is for keeping something in or something out”, posited Wendull. “Thanks Poindexter”, came from Rammer. “Step over it”, directed Boris. Once inside the humming crystal chamber Camillus was directed to pull the sword from the ground. She could not do it. Sloth followed up and yoinked the thing right out with ease. The sword began singing and Sloth began dancing as the rest of the gang searched the chamber without disturbing the salt ring. The outcome was nothing. They exited via a passage on the farside of the chamber.
The marched except for Sloth whom pranced along waving his newly acquires singing crystal sword. This went on for 15 or so minutes until it got irritating (maybe someone even realized that it was an encounter magnet but I would not count on it). Boris directed a sack be placed over the sword. The singing was now somewhat muffled but Sloth still danced. They turned around and returned to the crystal chamber. “Sloth stick it back in the ground” “Aww Boris I like dancing” “I know big guy but we need to be sneaky right now, maybe we will come back for it when we feel better” “Ok”, Sloth nevertheless danced his way back to the centre of chamber and jammed the crystal sword into the slot with dramatic flourish. The singing stopped this allowed the mob to hear the groaning and weak scream whence they came. Some 40 or so feet back was a puddle of a man. The poor man’s body was stretching, melting, sizzling, and folding in upon itself. Next to him was an empty bottle.
Baffled by this predicament they stood slack jawed watching the grotesque process.
ROLECALL
Raul the Voyager (MD9) 254688 xp +10% <360000> CRT 1d12/III
Fezzi-Gig (Neut: XXXX) Sword
Serious wound: permanent loss of CHA -4,
Removed one of his own nostrils.
Boris the Dwarven Lord (D9) 356613 xp +10% <400001> CRT 1d20/IV
Serious wound: permanent loss of CHA -3, carved up face
Wound: Bad leg (-5’ MV)
Multiple Injuries: lost 25 teeth (7 remaining), drools a lot CHA -1
Serious Injury: Brain Drain -2 INT
Serious wound: permanent loss of an eye (-1 to missile fire)
Ramrod the Cloned Magsman (T8) 157794 xp +5% <160001> CRT 1d20/II
Serious wound: Bad Back (-1 stone CC)
Scars: Neurological damage to hip, noticeable limp (-5’ mve)
Missing eight teeth talks with a lisp
The Henchmen
Sloth the Bopper (L7) 173261 xp +10% <178800> CRT 1d20/IV or 1d6/G (vs. s, m)
Missing ten teeth
Sasha Plasha the Warden (R8) 119090 xp +10% <200000> CRT 1d10/III
Gurn Hammerhand the Dwarven Swashbuckler (D4) 23778 <36000> +5% CRT 1d12/III
Wendul the Magician (W6) 45526 <80000> 5% CRT 1d8/I
Camillus the Myrmidon (F7) 83707 <120001> +5% CRT 1d20/IV
Willy the Reformed Burglar (T6) 23914 <40000>10% CRT 1d14/II
Agolloch the Eye of Purity (Lawful; XXXX) Sword
Ike the Duck (DF6) – AVATAR form.
RESERVES
BoB is the lone lawn ornament for the Basilisk Knights.
Brett & Jermaine Kobold Cooks & Eavesdroppers Extraordinaire – Cooking & Cleaning
Chung Li needs 12 weeks (74 days) and a stack of coin to rewrite his lost spell book.
Elapsed: 33 days (from day 600)
Elapsed Campaign Time
604 (624) days at beginning of session (also applies to recuperation)
Join us for session Two-Hundred-and-Thirty-Six when we ask the questions:
What is going on with ‘puddle-man’?
How much longer can we go on without potable water?
Where did Vod go?
Why wouldn’t that stupid sword shut up?
What is and how did we get to this purported Forth Dimension?
Tale of the Tape
Location hex: ??dreamlands??
KILLS
Gladiators (4)
Giant Blood Bass
Doctor Vod (gone but not defeated)
LOOT
Zilch.
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