"They went in there like rats they scurried. Your kind will die in there. The ghosts will eat you."
He says all this in broken Common, points to the metal wall, and sneers. Afterwards, he laughs.
The gray man has hostility in his voice but does not seem aggressive. You believe he is truthful.
Thera raises her eyebrows, "Well I guess we better not disappoint them then...shall we Solaria?"
You climb up the side of the metal wall, and find yourself in a metal room.
The walls, floor and ceiling of this slightly curved hallway are made of smooth dark gray metal. Panels of lighter material run along the ceiling eight feet above. To the north and south the tunnel is blocked by walls of metal junk and rubble, while open doorways yawn to the east and west.
On the ground is a fairly busted construct, with four arms and three legs, though some of its appendages are severed from its body. Its chest has several large dents and a gash across it.
To the East you hear talking, it sounds like its only a few rooms ahead. A female voice followed by two male voices. They are talking about some kind of machine in the room they are in.
Thera heads off in that direction, making sure Solaria is close behind
As Thera and Solaria enter the metal room, they see three people in heavy conversation discussing the strange metal objects in front of them.
One is a female gnome with red hair and a large beetle tapping its mandibles by her legs. A long hammer with a hook is attached to her back.
Another is a three foot tall white hamster wearing a hot weather outfit.
He has a small light crossbow at his side.
And the third is a middle aged looking man with tufts of hair at the sides of his chin that serve as a beard and a pistol by his side.
Watching them is a half orc leaning against one of the walls, with a greatsword sheathed behind his back. He nods as they talk but doesn't say anything.
When you step into the room, they turn around and see you.
Linpul looks up and her right hand reaches for her hammer.
"It would appear that we have guests. But they are neither skulk nor gremlin."
Addressing the newcomers even in her tiny voice she speaks up.
"And who might the two of you be?"
Seeing the gnome and her beetle, Solarioa scan the room taking in the others there, she speaks. "Let me introduce my companion Thera Flidias and myself, Solaria Jesari. We learned of your expedition, headed into the heart of the earth led by a flamboyant Tiefling cleric. Though I don't see her here?" the cleric looks at Thera. She lets her hand hang loose, exposing her leather grip on her morningstar, it's vicious ball still covered in the remains of the ooze. Her leather covered shield, with Desna's design is lowered, so that she might appear less threatening. Her long dark brown hair, rests on and down her shoulders, as a coloured wooden butterfly hangs around her neck, resting on her breasts.
"We have come to offer our assistance, should you need it? Our interest, like yours is in returning Torch's light if we can. I cannot speak for Thera, but I have some skill in healing, which you might find useful." she bows her head, as though punctuating her words with a full stop. Although it may be seen as a dismissive act, her demeanour lets you know that she does not cede to the group.
Dr Lendaro - the middle aged scholarly-looking fellow - wears well-worn light leather pants and vest, with a crisp white shirt. He has several pouches and a pistol holstered on a low slung wide belt. He relaxes... moves his hand from his weapon, and nods.
"I expect a healer will come in use. Lady Rosa was bound to a prior obligation, and compelled to take her leave. I am Dr Lendaro."
He then gestures to the others - allowing them to introduce themselves.
Tarphesh, the half-orc with the greatsword, grunts.
"Name's Tarphesh. I'm a half-orc. I hit things. Big brother of this gnome here, I guess, also one of Khonnir's adopted children."
He grins at Linpul. "I meant height, Lin. Haha."
Giving a short glare to Tar, the gnome proceeds to introduce herself after a quick bite. She bites into some kind of jerky, it didn't taste too good but it wasn't supposed to. Reaching into a pouch she draws out some kind of over ripened fruit, probably a banana, and tosses it to the beetle.
"My name is Linpul, Linpul Mushiha. Like Tar over here said, one of the adopted children of Mr. Baine. I might not look it but I should be turning fifty five in the next two months."
She grins and taps on the beetle's shell, in doing so it opens up its shell enough for the gnome to scratch under one of its wings. A few clicking noises of approval come from the beetle's mandibles.
"And this prize winning beetle here is Tetsuda. He doesn't bite, well okay he does, but only when I tell him to. He's a good beetle, yes he is. But in all honesty, his hard shell has been saving our bacon more than we'd like to admit. All in all, well met new friends."
Linpul scratches underneath Tetsuda's mandibles almost like she were petting a dog.
Thera smiles "You all know my name - Solaria and I share similar interests, so we stuck together". At this Thera hesitates slightly, "I don't heal like she does, but I am a decent spellcaster in my own right, and I can give you guys a boost during combat"
You set up a temporary camp using your tents and bedrolls, and any other equipment you have. After waking, it is some time in the afternoon. The metal walls of this area, and the underground cave do not allow you to tell exactly what time it is.
You pass the two broken machines and your environment changes drastically.
A gray metal door (the one you came from) sits in one wall of this short stone tunnel that curves north before opening into a vast sand-filled cavern.
Dr Lendaro pauses where the tunnel widens, and scans the cavern.
He rubs his temple and a swirling tattoo glows faintly and briefly under his hair.
The desert seems to span 100 feet to the north, east and south. Around the edges of the desert are mountains and ridges. Above is a dark sky.
About twenty feet past the tunnel, is a strange, large white stone. It has several holes that poke into it, and other similar white, jagged pieces of rock that surround it in a circular pattern.
You hear the sound of wind, like an ocarina or flute, escape from the large coral, yet feel no wind in this desert. In fact, you feel no heat or cold. This cavern seems to be at the same temperature as the caves and the metal rooms you passed previously.
"Hmm. The ceiling is composed of the same dark metal." Dr Lendaro then looks down, and gestures toward the ground.
"There are footprints... I believe they lead toward the ridge in the center."
He readies his pistol.
"Any thoughts what we are seeing here?"
Seeing the footprints Linpul sets to tracking down what this could be.
"What concerns me are the larger foot prints, if only I knew what they could be from. Oh wait I know."
Linpul closes her eyes when viewing the tracks whispering a few words.
"Semita"
You see a half orc that looks like Tarphesh, wielding improvised metal weapons that likely came from broken machine parts. He is wearing masterwork studded leather armor and a masterwork buckler. There is a strange symbol on his chest, but you don't know if it is a religious affiliation or a clan tag.
Wind howls from the large coral. It almost blocks your path into the desert cavern, however, there is enough space, about 10 feet on either side, to proceed forward and follow the tracks.
As the sound escapes from the coral, you do not feel any wind in this stagnant desert landscape.
Covering her face with her duster and one arm to shield her eyes Linpul moves forward.
"The larger footprints belong to a half-orc. The man uses weapons he's either scavenged or built from broken pieces of various robots. In addition he wears some kind of symbol on his chest, I have a feeling he's one of the barbarians from outside the city, which is odd because normally they shun the use of technology and bury it to keep it away from people."
As she talks Linpul moves forward out of the small passage and towards the desert.
She moves close to the large coral and suddenly the sand slides away leaving a black tar-like substance. Linpul feels her feet stick to the ground.
Purple tentacles shoot out from nearly every hole of the white stone and begin to flail around in the air, closer and closer to the gnome.
1. Rakdon, Linpul, Thera, Solaria
2. Purple Tentacle Thing
3. Lendaro, Tetsuda, Tarphesh
"If Val were here she'd start calling you Lin-goo! Ha ha!"
Tarphesh laughs, the greatsword already appearing in his hands.
Thera runs forward, and screams loudly at whatever the thing is.
Feeling her feet stick to the floor Linpul reaches for her hammer.
"Uh-oh, this could be bad. Tetsuda defend me, get it!
Tapping herself on the chest her bronze skin seems to harden and form a carapace around herself.
Drawing the long hammer the gnome swings it with a surprising amount of strength for someone so small. Her voice rings out in a tiny battle cry.
----------
The beetle capable of flight hops over the slimy mess on the ground and tries to bite a tentacle but finds the waving movements and rough landing to be impossible for it to latch on..
From out of Thera's mouth comes an invisible wave of sound that buffets the creature and bounces into the rocky shell. It pulls back a few of its tentacles, wrapping them around the coral in a defensive embrace.
Linpul's hammer crashes against one of the purple tentacles and slams it against the coral, causing green ichor and broken shell to drop to the floor. You hear tones of wind, sharp and high pitched like a scream shoot out of the coral holes.
Solaria watches these new companions as they fight the strange creature. "What is that thing?"
The purple alien aberration's tentacles wave in the air. It seems like it doesn't do anything.
Linpul feels a small needle stab into her foot. She can feel hot liquid being sucked out of her.
Solaria, looks to move around the creature, so she might have an opportunity to hit it soon, but trying to keep out of the way of the beetle and the half-orc with the great sword. AS she moves she waves her weapon at the thing, snarling through her teeth, hissing and spitting as she goes.
Solaria approaches the tentacle beast from behind, hoping to flank with Linpul.
She steps on sand and avoids the black mud beneath her feet, getting in a position to later flank the enemy. One of the smaller tentacles darts past her and slides across her face leaving a clear mucus on her cheek. It does not seem intimidated.
Dr Lendaro tries to line up a clear shot... takes aim, and fires.
"Guh... tentacles never fail to unnerve me."
"How are you holding up Linpul? Do you feel as though you are gaining the upper hand?"
Lendaro's bullet stabs through multiple purple tentacles as it flies off towards the mountains. Green ichor splatters across its coral shell, on Linpul, Tetsuda and Solaria, covering them in green goo.
Acid hurled from the hamster wizard burns the purple tentacles causing all of them to withdraw within the shell. You hear the wind that comes from the coral die down until the creature is silent.
Linpul cannot seem to pull herself from the sticky substance.
"I don't like this, I don't like this one bit, being stuck is one thing but having something drain blood from you is another. A little help please?"
As soon as the tentacles retract into the shell, Linpul feels the needle pain removed from her foot.
Tarphesh moves over and cuts into the muck with his greatsword.
He flings the black muck away from your feet.
"There, you're free, Linpul. I didn't get a chance to whack that monster. Maybe next time." The half orc sheathes his greatsword behind his back.
Solaria makes her way to Linpul, "Are you hurt much?" she bends to look at the gnome's wounds.
Keeping her hammer out she shrugs at the cleric's question.
"I've been hurt worse, nothing my own magic can't take care of. We should probably keep moving through the desert, the half-orc made his way through here."
"Very well. I am ready." Dr Lendaro reloads. He keeps his eyes on the terrain as they advance.
Solaria nods, "Tracks, yes follow them."
You move deeper into the desert following the many sets of tracks that slice across the area's center. The tracks move along the bottom part of the central ridge.
At first glance, this cold cavern presents a strange and disconcerting vista-that of a desert valley under a starless, night sky. A stretch of sand covers the ground, a vista broken here and there by bits of strange, spiky shells or contorted, dead fronds that look like branches.
Without warning, the ground begins to shake and seven skeletal figures with four arms and elongated heads emerge from the ground south of you. One of them, despite looking the same as the others, has glowing green eyes.
1. Alien Skeletons
2. Everyone
Their claws dig into your flesh drawing fresh blood across the desert sands.
Lendaro takes 4 damage.
Solaria takes 5 damage.
Tarphesh takes 4 damage.
Thera takes 2 damage.
Linpul takes a step back. Being near the Dr. and Rakdon was a problem as they were lightly armored. She vertically swings her hammer at the one in front of Lendaro and misses.
"Lendaro, Rakdon look out! Tetsuda defend Dr. Lendaro."
Tetsuda skitters around the skeletons to attack the one on the Dr.
Thera unleashes a wave of plants, as she casts Entangle
Tetsuda stabs his horn into the four armed alien skeleton and the undead creature breaks apart easily. The undead's fragments collapse into the sand.
"My lady, protect your travellers with your holy grace and sweep their enemies from the path ahead." as Solaria calls down her holy energy to engulf the area with a wave of golden light (positive energy), ripping into the undead's bodies.
HPs:
Channel 1 used of 7 today