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Howard nods
"O'r cyfan i gyd, ewch ati i gael byrbryd! Rhaid i chi fod yn newynog - roedd yn hedfan eithaf hir wedi'r cyfan...... Rwyf wedi clywed gan rai Voonith fy mod yn gwybod bod Bupoth yn eithaf blasus."
"Yn fwy tebyg gyda'r holl drefoli, nid oes llawer o le ar gyfer nythod Shantak ar y clogwyni. Felly, yn y bôn, byddwch naill ai'n dysgu cyd-fyw â thrigolion Dreamlands, neu i chi ddod i ben heb gartref. Hyd yn oed ar y gorau o amser, nid yw Shantaks yn byw gyda'i gilydd mewn grwpiau mawr, felly mae'n debyg nad yw trefnu undebau yn dod yn naturiol i ni. Gormod o waith." The Shantak replies matter of factly.
It’s more like with all the urbanization, there isn’t much place for Shantak nests on the cliffs. So basically you either learn to co-habit with the Dreamlands inhabitants, or you end up without a home. Even at the best of times, Shantaks don’t live together in big groups, so I suppose organizing unions doesn’t come naturally to us. Too much work.
The Earth elemental goes off to make his reconnaissance run. He reports the following creatures from going from the ground.
P2 - 1
P3 - 0
P4 - 0
P5 - 3
P6 - 1
P9 - 0
P10 - 2
P12 - 0
P13 - 0
The cells in P10, it looked up from them and found that there were two dead mangled female human bodies, but no one else. The walls seem to be speckled with metallic impurities which prevented earthgliding through, and so did the stairs be made out of the same impure material.
Howard notices the two dead women, one of them has puncture wounds all over her cultist robes, her sightless eyes staring blankly and her pierced mouth open in a silent scream no one will ever hear. The other has her limbs lying splayed and floppy, pulled out of their sockets, with severe burns on her torso. Howard recognizes her as Kelvetta Brix.
Torture devices fill this large chamber, from racks and iron maidens to spiked chairs and vices. Most of the implements are stained with fresh blood, and a coppery tang fills the air. A wide staircase in the north east corner leads down. Double doors stand in an alcove near the staircase, as well as in the south and west walls. The western wall of the room is dominated by a large apparatus with conical brass horns, fluted pipes piercing the ceiling, and oily tubes snaking from the apparatus to each of the torture devices. An odd, low wailing emanates fro the machine like a faraway scream.
A dark skinned woman with short reddish hair and dark eyes is tinkering with the machines.
Howard attempts to open the door, only to find it locked. The woman turns around, alerted by the sound, and stares in Howard's direction, then steps back and undergoes a monstrous transformation, her back splitting to reveal ebony wings and neck elongating, her features becoming more draconic, and her limbs elongating into claws. An ebony dragon with red frills that trails red shadows now stares in Howard's direction. "I know you're there." The dragon threatens menacingly. "Now show yourself before I make you."
Howard recognizes the dragon as an adult nightmare dragon. They have DR 5/magic, Spell Resistance, and are immune to mind affecting effects.
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Howard oozes politeness, but remains firm.
"You will forgive me if I do not; I wasss hoping to give you plausssible deniability, and ssshowing myssself would jussst make that tasssk harder. I have no interessst in fighting with you; that will undoubtedly create quite a messss, and I have a feeling neither of usss really want that.
Inssstead, I propossse an alternative: I leave you a Rod of Lordly Might, asss an appropriate gift for one sssuch asss yourssself, you go back to your work, and I go back to what I wasss doing. Then, if anyone asssksss if you sssaw anyone, you can truthfully sssay no."
The dragon wrinkles her eyebrows. "The problem is firstly, I don't trust invisible creatures I can't see. Secondly, I was in the process of bottling up screams to be sold as sound theraphy. And after finishing calibrating this cannister, my next supply of screams is behind that door you're tinkering with."
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Howard sighs.
"If that isss what you wisssh, I will ssshow myssself, but I have a feeling that it isss not a good idea."
He then dismisses the Invisibility.
"Are you sssatisssfied, dear Lady? Now, sssurely, even if you do not wisssh to ussse the Rod yourssself, the value of the Rod (sssecondhand sssale value being 35,000gp) will outweigh the inconvenience of (potentially) losssing a sssingle sssource of ssscreamsss."
"Hmm...aren't you the colourful one." The dragon eyes Howard speculatively. "I wonder what kind of quality of screams you'd provide on my beauties here...probably good ones. Most mortals expire too quickly on them. You look different..." She gestures at the various bloodstained torture devices strewn about the room. "But ah well, that scientific curiosity that can wait. I'll take that rod."
Then she goes back into sniffing and poking the machine, but still in dragon form.
The dragon picks up the rod, then stows it on one of the compartments of the machines.
Howard tries to open the lock using knock, only to find that the lock is extremely secure.
As Howard opens the door and steps into the hallway, he feels the accursed place sap his strength though he partially resists it.
Eight barred, windowless metal doors stand in this grim and silent hall.
All of the cells are empty, except for one of them, containing the Yellow King. The Yellow King haggard and emaciated. He wearily looks at Howard and his eyes brighten up and he opens his mouth to speak, but no sound comes out.
Howard realizes the entire hallway and the cells are under a forbiddance, unhallow and silence effect.
Howard picks the lock of the cell door and helps the Yellow King out of the place, then Dimension doors out once he is out of the hallway.
"Oh it was a most fortunate turn of events that you showed up at that most abhorrent place. Why, there were two others besides me, at least at first, but alas, that dastardly dragon tortured them, delighting over their screams, gloating that she would preserve them for all eternity." The Yellow King shudders. "I cannot forget the sight as one of them having her limbs pulled out of their sockets. It was a most heinous act that shocked me to the core - for that foul fiend with wings, with a diabolical grin, told me I was next. Then she threw me into the darkness so I could contemplate my fate. Had you not come when you did, I fear I would not have survived long on those fiendish devices, and grateful I am, for your timely rescue."
The Shantak, however, upon the Yellow King's long winded speech, bored. "Felly, a wnewch chi eto? Da iawn doeddwn i ddim yn mynd i Mickey Ds, roedd hynny'n gyflym iawn."
So, are you done yet? Good thing I didnt go to Mickey Ds, that was really quick.
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"No trouble at all. I am glad that I arrived in time to prevent you meeting a sssimilar fate."
Once back with the Shantak, Howard smiles, and nods.
"Wel, dywedais na fyddai'n debygol o gymryd yr amser hwnnw. Rwy'n falch iawn fy mod i'n iawn, a bod pethau'n mynd yn esmwyth, heb orfod lladd unrhyw un. Nawr, rwy'n credu y byddem yn hoffi mynd yn ôl i'r man lle'r ydym yn dod, ond os ydych chi am wneud 'gyrru drwodd' ar y ffordd, mae hynny'n berffaith iawn!"
"Nah, ei hedfan awr allan o'r ffordd." The Shantak shrugs his massive shoulders.
Nah, it's an hour's flight out of the way.
With that, once everyone is in the Howdah, the Shantak beats its massive wings and starts flying back towards the Forsaken Caravanserai. The trip back from the moon is uneventful, except for more of those ominous dark galleys.
On arriving at the Forsaken Caravanserai,it is day once more and on landing Howard is thrust into vast and featureless desert under a blistering sun. The heat shimmers in the distance, creating an air of unsettling illusion when looking toward the horizon.vast and featureless desert under a blistering sun. The only structure in sight is a partially ruined limestone caravanserai. The Shantak deposits his passengers outside, then flies off on his happy way.
"So, are you ready to meet the Mad Poet?" The Yellow King asks Howard. "Do you have all your gifts ready yet? For he is a most pernicious, eccentric and particularly person who behaves in unpredictable ways. Going insufficiently prepared may result in him refusing to speak to you, or worse - I've heard of others spending their lives as frogs or sent Elsewhere, never to be seen again."
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Upon arriving back at the Caravanserai, Howard pats the Shantak affectionately on its flank.
"Diolch am eich holl gymorth. Rydych wedi bod yn help mawr. Nawr, gwn eich bod wedi dweud ei bod hi'n anodd dod o hyd i safle nythu addas, a bod y rhan fwyaf o anheddau'n annymunol. Os gwelwch yn dda, cymerwch hyn fel arwydd o'm diolch; gobeithio y bydd yn rhoi cychwyn da i chi a'ch cydlyniad nesaf, os ydych chi'n gallu ei werthu neu ei fasnachu."
Howard then gives the Shantak the Bracelet of Friends.
Once it has moved on, Howard turns to the Yellow King.
"I do indeed have numerousss giftsss for him. Hopefully, it will be enough. However, I expended a *lot* of resourcesss clearing your dwelling, and ressscuing you. I will need to depart, and then come back. In the interim, pleassse, take thisss back - you will probably need it; the fountain looksss pretty manky."
"Oooh sgleiniog! Chi yw'r unig berson sydd erioed wedi rhoi'r arteffact hudol i mi i'w ffero o gwmpas! Diolch!" The Shantak gushes exuberantly.
Oooh shiny! Youre the only person who's ever given me a magical artefact for ferrying them around! Thank you!
"Well, I wonder what it'd be like to spend your life as a frog. Would you become more frog like in thoughts and find insects a delicacy? If a transformed frog eventually regained his human form, would he maintain his froginess? A most interesting hypothesis certainly, but whist it would be an exercise in imagination to speculate, I suspect reality might not be so appealing."The yellow king mutters distractedly. " Ahhh, yes, yes, you say you must depart? Ahhh then so you shall depart and perhaps by the strands of destiny our paths shall cross once more. And a gift you give? Verily, I shall put it to good use."
Howard drifts through darkness and is faintly aware of the medicinal tang in the air, and his parched throat, as well as the sensation of being cocooned in something heavy and warm.“I think he’s coming round.” He hears a voice from far away. Then he hears footsteps approaching and sees a flash of blue as something peels open one of his eyelids while holding a bright light in front of him. After so long of being in darkness, the light sends a stabbing pain through head as he weakly tries to pull out an arm to bat the light away, from under the heavy blankets, only to realize that his arm feels as heavy as a bar of lead, and he feels strangely tired. Howard’s vision swims into focus and he finds himself looking at a man dressed in blue robes, with the silver symbol of an open hand at his belt, which Howard recognizes as the holy symbol of Irori.
”You’ve finally awoken. How are you feeling?” The man asks Howard.
Howard takes note of the room around him – he realizes that it is now night from the open windows and he is now lying on a bed with blue covers, wrapped in blue blankets. In the same white-washed room with him are 3 other beds which are all full. One of them has a man with his arms wrapped in bandages, another a woman with a broken arm in a sling, the third an old woman with a broken leg, who is being attended to by another man in white robes. Claude is lying in a basket at the base of his bed, who also seems to be stirring.
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Howard chooses his words carefully.
"Somewhat disoriented. This is, after all, not where I went to sleep... What happened?"
Panic suddenly grips him.
"Where is Claude? Without me to keep an eye on him, things could get... messy..."
When he sees Claude, Howard struggles over to the edge of the bed, and carefully strokes him.
”Well – your landlord said the delivery boy tried to deliver additional supplies, then found no one answering the door, and tried the next day, to find the same result. So he told your landlord – who opened the door with his spare keys and found you lying comatose in one of the rooms. He tried to rouse you, but to no avail and had your brought here for treatment, and you’ve been out for 5 days.” The man informs Howard. ”You mean you just fell asleep for a week?”
Claude stretches, then gives a croak, and points at his mouth.
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"Not quite. I am an Arcanist, with an interest in outer-planar theory; I was on a sojourn to the Dreamlands, and lost track of time. Interesting, that time seemed to pass nearly seven times as fast here, as it did there; I had not noticed that before... but then, this trip was a bit longer..."
He weakly staggers to his feet.
"Thank-you for your assistance. I take it that you have my possessions, as well...?"
Noticing Claude's miming, he nods.
"I think something to eat and drink for the two of us should be our first order of business, than we can look into other things..."
”Look – are you sure you’ll be all right? I mean had it not been for the delivery boy notifying Davor – you probably wouldn’t alive now.” The man states concerned. ”Not to mention the weird things we heard you talk about in your sleep, like giving someone a Rod of Lordly Might.”
”Yes we have your possessions – but if you want to get discharged, you have to sign your discharge papers.” Then he tells the other white robed man, ”Hey Balin – go get this man’s discharge papers – Howard Phillips Lovecraft.” Noticing Howard’s request for food and drink, he tells Balin, ”Get some porridge and some water from the kitchen as well.”
”We’ve been spooning broth and porridge into you for days. You really shouldn’t be taking any solid food – or too much fluids at one go. Your body will take a while to adjust.
Once the discharge papers have arrived, the man in blue robes provides Howard with an ink pen for signing. Howard is also offered porridge.
It’s pretty much rather bland and tasteless
Claude does lap water from the saucer he is given, but gives the saucer of porridge a disdainful sniff, and a wince.
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Howard nods his thanks.
"Much obliged."
He accepts the porridge hungrily; although it really isn't to his taste, he acknowledges that he needs the nourishment. Once he feels a bit better, he heads back to the place that he is renting, but takes some time to recuperate, before he decides to try his luck again.
When he *does* make ready to trial the ritual again, he makes a point of purchasing two Potions of Dream Feast, to at least *try* to give the two of them a fighting chance.
Whilst resting up, he pays to Scribe Sending into his spellbook, and sends the following message:
Found Kelvetta Brix. Killed by scream-extracting adult nightmare dragon at Dreamlands Lunar Prison. Do you want the body? I have split from the sociopaths.
Nestor replies back in kind. Who are you? Good that Kelvetta Brix is dead. She will harm no one. I don't need the body.
Late at night, Howard begins the secret ritual, with Claude and himself sitting opposite sides of the room.
"We, The Seekers, are bound by a common purpose - the thirst for knowledge."
Howard then tosses the miniature ivory and horn staircase to Claude, who feels eager of its 70 steps.
"We have gathered this very night in order to open the gate to the Dreamlands."
Claude tosses the miniature ivory and horn staircase to Howard ,who feels eager of its 70 steps. The miniature ivory and horn staircase is now heavier.
"For beyond lies the knowledge we seek."
Howard tosses the ivory and horn staircase to Claude, who feels eager of its 70 steps. Claude realizes the staircase has now grown bigger.
"Let the portal open between this world and the Dreamlands."
Claude tosses the now glowing with faint yellow light staircase back to Howard,who feels each of its 70 steps.
Howard takes a deep breath, then drops the stairs case in the center of the room.
Howard feels the staircase sap his life energy. The party sees the staircase sinks into the granite floor, expanding to the size of a normal staircase and leads downwards into darkness...
Howard finds himself at an enormous banquet. The table is laid with roasted chicken, pan fried beef medallions, deep fried pork knuckles, whole baked salmon in lemon butter sauce, brussel sprouts stir fried with bacon bits, a pot of lobster bisque, hazelnut pralines, pancakes with maple syrup, many loafs of bread of different varieties and many varieties of cheese. Claude is with him at the same banquet and Howard passes him a deep fried pork knuckle to gnaw on. After Howard and Claude have eaten their fill, they leave the banquet table.
Howard finds himself falling through cold darkness…then sees a speck of light in front of him. Moving towards it, he finds himself standing in a vast and featureless desert under a blistering sun, feeling slightly drained from the ordeal. He also finds the Yellow King waiting for him there.
”Ahhh so the threads of our fates have woven together once more. That was surprisingly swift before our mistress, destiny, spoke once more. Are you ready to see the Mad Poet now?” He asks Howard cheerfully.
"Ahhh, it must have been happy coincidence that you've given me some time to think about this, for I have concocted a liquor of most marvelous properties! For across the sea of sands we must cross, to the Mad Poet's abode reach."The Yellow King pulls out a gourd from beneath his robes, takes a swig of it, then passes it to Howard.
Howard uses his magical senses and determines the gourd holds 2 doses of endure elements.
Howard drinks from the gourd and finds that it tastes like honey, burning all the way down his throat, then passes the gourd to Claude so he can drink as well.
Then the party is away,tracking across the desert sands.
On the third hour of their travels, Howard sees an object drop from the sky,by a flock of nightgaunts.
Howard manages to get out of the way of the falling giant octopus.
Then the flock of nightgaunts wheel around seeing the party unscathed, for another assault.
The nightgaunts descend from the sky.
4 of them go after Howard, 4 of them after Claude, and 3 of them after the Yellow King.
Both attacks bounce off his reptilian hide. Seeing their attacks fail, they try to grapple him instead.
Howard claws at the orange Nightgaunt, injuring it and causing it to fail to grab him.
The light blue Nightgaunt manages to grapple him and tickles him with its tail.
Howard is not nauseated.
Seeing that like Howard, their claws aren't very effective, they switch their mode of attack to grappling.
Claude bites the green Nightgaunt, causing it to flinch and fail to grab him.
The purple nightgaunt manages to grapple and tickle Claude,but Claude is not nauseated.
The yellow king is clawed by 3 of them, but seems to have some kind of resistance to their attacks. However two of them grab him and tickle him unmercifully and he is nauseated.
The yellow king looks at one of the creatures grappling him, making it sleepy, but cannot escape the nightgaunts grasp.
Howard rips the light blue night gaunt apart, then hits the orange Nightgaunt.
Claude however is not so lucky and only manages to severely wound his attacker.
The nightgaunts land on the ground and attack their targets.
The red Nightgaunt tries to grapple Howard, who lashes out.
The claw makes the red Nightgaunt flinch and fail to grab Howard.
Howard is grappled and tickled by the orange Nightgaunt but not nauseated.
Claude is grappled by his other 3 attackers but is not nauseated by their tickling tails.
The nightgaunts release him and attack him with their claws.
As the yellow king badly clawed and collapses unconscious in one of their grasp, the dark green one starts trying to grapple Howard.
Howard is not nauseated by its tickling tail.
The yellow king begins to bleed out a little.
Claude severely wounds purple.
Howard manages to rip both dark green and orange apart. The red Nightgaunt tries to grapple Howard who lashes out.
Those attacking the yellow king turn to Howard, viewing him as the biggest threat.
Howard is grappled by three of his attackers and gets nauseated by one of their tail tickles.
Claude is nauseated by their tickling tails.
The red nightgaunt tries to grapple Howard.
The rest of the nightgaunts try to maintain their grapple on Claude.
Thankfully for them both, Howard and Claude are not nauseated by the tickling tails.
Howard rips Black apart, while Claude chomps off the head off purple, then lashes out at dark blue.
Half the flock of nightgaunts slain, the remaining nightgaunts continue to try squeeze the life out of Claude and Howard.
The turquoise nightgaunt is unable to maintain its hold onto Claude, and the pair are not nauseated by the tickling tails.
Howard bites red, wounding it further, but does not manage to hit red with his claws.
Claude manages to bite and claw at dark blue, wounding it severely.
The nightgaunts continue try to squeeze the life out of Howard.
Red loses grip of Howard, but the other two continue squeezing the life out of him.
Turquoise tries to grapple Claude again, managing it this time, with the other two maintaining their grip.
Claude is nauseated by one of their tickling tails.
Howard kills the unbordered Nightgaunt as well as the dark blue night gaunt.
The remaining nightgaunts decide they have enough, then release Howard and Claude and fly off into the desert sky.
The yellow King groans as he picks himself off the ground. "It appears that we've disturbed the proverbial Nightgaunt nest. And I must have lost track of quite a period of time. Why, the sky was filled with nightgaunts and now its all empty!"