Chapter 9: Abyss of the Xenomorphs

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan examines the door. He looks over his shoulder to see if anyone may be better at working with the magical contraptions in this accursed temple of metal.

[redwarrior]

Connak is still a bit confused on what's going on, but he doesn't like these monsters one bit! With bow out and arrow ready, he'll continue to scan and search the area. Do we have a way to destroy all those eggs - fast?

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul

Guards those trying to open the resin stuck door, pointing his weapons at any shadowy movement his eyes detect. He stands silent and observant.

[Inferno]

Engine Earring, The Castle U.S.S. Enterprise
The Barren Wasteland, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Five. Night? March 29th, 912 CY







Fiefo and Maskelyn slowly chip away at the resin that seals a door, hacking with daggers as Connak, Ko-Nan and Yul stand guard.

The sounds echo for long minutes (DM rolls for wandering monsters) until they finally free the portal of the choking amber and suddenly it opens of its own volition!

Through the door lies more of the misty, shadowed labyrinth of strange formations that veil the ancient superstructures of the gods!




Actions?!


Map:

One square = 5 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory. X = dead. H = host. e = egg.





PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/19
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 26/26
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 13/32
L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 9/9, Spells: 0/6 1st lvl, Lantern
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 10/14, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Sheriff Yul: Robot Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/38

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)

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn stands in this new doorway, apparently thinking. I'm not sure if Bugs is offering to help-or to prank me.

He casts his Invisibilty spell on himself Non Videbunt . If you hear me scream, The Gray One decided to prank me- come a' running!

Moving as quietly as possible, Maskelyn enters the door that's just been uncovered.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan seeing no other way to go will try the door.

[ChubbyPixie]

Fiefo enters.

"Well, they sealed this off for some reason," he says. "Maybe none of them are still in here..." As he says this, he knows deep, deep in his soul that it cannot be true. His bad luck just wouldn't allow it.

[redwarrior]

Connak comes along with the group, bow at the ready. He's really nervous about all those ... things in the incubator room and keeps spinning his head towards it to make sure there's no sudden movement from that direction.

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul

Nods to the spell caster and watches him fade from view. He covers the group with his drawn weapons.

The nursery provokes him. More resin stuck victims incubating junior alien raptors. We need to find some explosive way to immolate all at one time. He muses as he guards, wary of threats.

[Inferno]

Engine Earring, The Castle U.S.S. Enterprise
The Barren Wasteland, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Five. Night? March 29th, 912 CY







The ghastly nursery plagues their thoughts as the explorers follow the voice of the suddenly unseen conjurer deeper and deeper into the demon labyrinth.

They move through a tight tunnel of resin-encrusted, ancient artifacts of the gods and ahead, at the edge of their light, they see another grisly host pinned against a wall in amber. From a distance, he appears Elvish. (at S)



Horrifically, his chest is already ruptured from within. From the gruesome stains, his blood must have been green.

The explorers creep forward and find another wretched, dead host beside him, and three that still seem alive! Struck as if by a holy vision, they realize one of the hosts that still draws breath appears to be The Kirk, hands outstretched as if in crucifixion! (at K)

In religious ecstasy, Adrock the historian-priest kneels before the sainted demigod, barely able to speak! "Our sacred quest is at an end!"

All of a sudden, The Kirk's eyes bolt wide open and he lurches forward!

"Please..." he rasps.



"...help me down..."


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 5 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory. X = dead. H = host. S = Spock. K = The Kirk. e = egg.





PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/19
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 26/26
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 13/32
L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 9/9, Spells: 0/6 1st lvl, Lantern
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 10/14, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl, Invisible
Sheriff Yul: Robot Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/38

PC Magic:

Invisibility (Maskelyn): Target: self

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)

[ChubbyPixie]

Fiefo looks at the others and shrugs, then takes his fork, Ennard', and sees if he can, without harming The Kirk, pry him loose from the resin, one limb at a time.

"I was expecting you to be... glowing... or ten feet tall... or something..." he says.

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul

"The host bodies have hatched their reptilian spawn. The fledgling raptors must be scurrying about."

He goes over to check on the orc-blooded elf man and the second deceased to see if he can determine how long they have died from the congealed blood or rigormortis set in and searching the bodies wuth one hand while training a weapon on the bloody trails left by the creatures erupting from the stomachs to see if they lead to a hiding place.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan whispers hurriedly, "Do what you mean to do and let us move!" He doesn't trust this Kirk-thing enough, or at all, to ask for a safe place to defend. He looks left and right for the best way forward. Right seems more open to opportunity. He thinks the others are right and those eggs will need to be destroyed - and soon.

[Inferno]

Engine Earring, The Castle U.S.S. Enterprise
The Barren Wasteland, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Five. Night? March 29th, 912 CY







Overcome with euphoria, Adrock can scarcely believe his eyes! "Jesus Christ!... Superstar!..." the historian-priest sings in veneration and praise.

Deep in the ghastly spawn-pit of the demon abyss, the questers have found the angelic The Kirk! Fiefo works to free him from his resin prison.

Yul determines that the elvish orc, and the corpse beside him, have been dead for a day or less. Grisly trails of blood and gore lead southward through tunnels parallel to the path that brought them here.

With Ko-Nan urging them to swifter action, Fiefo hacks free The Kirk, and the sainted demigod falls to the ground, disoriented and lost.



Adrock reverently helps the weakened angel to stand. In grief, The Kirk touches the dead elf-orc. He regains his composure and turns to face his strange saviors. "Thank you. You've... saved my crew... from a fate worse than death." The Kirk touches his chest. "Not much time left... to do what I must. Then I can get you out of here. Please... follow me!"

Weakened, The Kirk staggers back the way they came and stares disbelieving at the bizarre formations that have transformed the environment of the Engine Earring! Yul's trail of blood ends here.

"Computer," he croaks and suddenly, a strange musical humming emanates from within the labyrinth walls! The Kirk recites magic words of power that the explorers do not fully comprehend!



"Computer, this is... Captain James T. Kirk of the USS Enterprise. Command override... Destruct sequence 1... Code 1-1A."

The walls themselves miraculously answer in a woman's voice, emotionless and stilted! "Voice and code 1-1A verified and correct. Command override authorized. Destruct sequence completed and engaged. Awaiting final code for countdown..."

Suddenly, a great black spear bursts out of Adrock's chest!



It rends him asunder in a brutal harvest of blood! Adrock falls dead and his lantern shatters on the ground! As they are plunged into darkness, the explorers catch a fleeting glimpse of terror. The black spear is the serpentine tail of a gigantic demon horror that descends hissing from the camouflage shapes of the ceiling! (at QA)



And then darkness falls.


Actions?! (Infravision cannot detect the Alien Queen. It is not warm-blooded.)


Map, last known positions:

One square = 5 feet. Ki = The Kirk. X = dead. H = host. S = Spock. e = egg.

Map Detail:


Behind the DM Screen:

Completely distracted by the beatific Kirk, Adrock is Surprised, I will rule.

Similar to the Assassin class, Aliens can automatically kill an unsuspecting target if the difference between their HD and their target's HD is wide enough. The Queen's HD are high enough to do this to the PCs. The drone warriors' HD are not.

The Queen targets Adrock because he holds the only light source.

PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/19
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 26/26
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 13/32
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 10/14, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl, Invisible
Sheriff Yul: Robot Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/38

PC Magic:

Invisibility (Maskelyn): Target: self

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)

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan ROARS as he attacks the darkness!! "DIE FILTH! DIE!" and unleashes his wicked axe where Adrock was just murdered!

Attack: THACO (20): [1d20+2]=11+2=13 / Damage: (S/M: [2d4+3]=7+3=10 / L: [3d4+3]=8+3=11)

[redwarrior]

Connak realizes that this "Kirk" is important, though he's not sure why... He'll step in front the Kirk, on the chance that he's still alive in any case, he should still be radiating some heat , shielding his body and shooting an arrow at roughly where he thinks the creature should be. Kirk! I think we need to leave! What way is out?

Random shot at the ceiling...
Short Bow to hit [1d20]=8 damage [1d6]=6

[Bluetongue]

Sheriff Yul

Fires at the ceiling with his crossbow and the ballistic relic.

"Kirk spoke and the atmosphere changed with the voice of an angel. Did not our ears resonate with sound, surely this is a holy chapel." He seems distracted by the surround sound which skews his aim in the darkness.

Sheriff Yul. Handheld crossbow [1d20+3]=4+3=7 damage [1d6+2]=3+2=5
Sheriff Yul triggers the ballistic relic [1d20+3]=7+3=10

[Urson]

Maskelyn
Maskelyn screams in sheer terror as the monstrosity kills Adrock. Forgetting that he's invisible, the Gnome hides in a corner, between a couple of the resin extrusions.

[ChubbyPixie]

Patting himself and realizing he has no way to make light, Fiefo cries “Aw, s#!%,” runs toward the last place he remembers the monster being and jabs hard with his fork:

Attack with Fauchard Fork (THAC0 18): To Hit: [1d20+1]=4+1=5 Damage vs. s/M: [1d8]=8, vs. L: [1d10]=1

...turns out his memory is kind of s#!%.

[Inferno]

Engine Earring, The Castle U.S.S. Enterprise
The Barren Wasteland, Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard, Land of One Thousand Towers
Day Five. Night? March 29th, 912 CY









A glimpse of horror and then complete darkness!




A screech sears the air!

Suddenly, Fiefo and Connak are rent open by unseen claws and teeth! (1hp and 8hp damage respectively!)



Maskelyn shrieks and feels his way into a corner! Yul and Connak shoot bolt and arrow into the Stygian pitch! Ko-Nan and Fiefo blindly hack and thrust, crashing only the resin walls!

The catman growls, "Kirk! I think we need to leave! What way is out?"

The wounded angel's cracked voice says, "I can show you... But I'll need some light..."


Actions?!


Map:



Behind the DM Screen:

Initiative: Party: [1d6]=3, Monsters: [1d6]=4 Monsters win.
Queen charges Fiefo, Connak and Ko-Nan: [1d20+2]=10+2=12, [1d20+2]=16+2=18, [1d20+2]=7+2=9 Misses Ko-Nan.
Damage: Fiefo and Connak: [1d8]=1, [1d8]=8

PC Status:

Connak: Cat-Man Fighter/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 5/19
Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 25/26
Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 13/32
Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 10/14, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl, Invisible
Sheriff Yul: Robot Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/38

PC Magic:

Invisibility (Maskelyn): Target: self

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)