Chapter 2: Escape From the Island of the Apes

[Urson]

Maskelyn

The gnome rolls to his feet and runs for the woodline, hoping none of the primitives get a decent shot at him.

[OGRE MAGE]

Buck looks down at his limp and bloodied arm again and decides to try to heal up a bit before entering the fight with the now waking primitives.

CLW [1d8] = 5

[Inferno]

Beach of the Towering Goddess, Eastern Coast of the Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard
Land of One Thousand Towers
Day One. Mid-Morning. March 25th, 912 CY





The primitive ancestors from out of the fathomless depths of time awaken in shock and bewilderment.



Astonished and confused at how they landed on the ground or why the rest of their tribe has suddenly vanished, the primordial humans cautiously retreat in fear and superstition.

Their wide eyes never leave the shipwrecked adventurers as they guide their blinded brother back with them, edging into the shadow of the ancient iron colossus born of the pre-cataclysmic age of Earth That Was.



Chaka the ape-boy, Fiefo the rat-man and Ko-Nan the barbarian cautiously advance in their wake. Chaka holds a weapon; Fiefo, an open furry palm; and Ko-Nan, an armful of coconuts.

Maskelyn the gnome races to the threshold of the thick jungle. Tullia the ranger emerges from that verdant density, near the newly discovered trailhead.

Buck the mole-man devotee of Starrk the iron golem prays reverent orisons to the Nanites, immortal female spirits of the forge, that they might "self-repair" his bloodied arm. His boon is granted. (+5hp)

L.L. Adrock works another miracle. The learned scholar of the past recites ageless hymns from the Before Time, enigmatic words of mystery and power. "Blinded by the light, revved up like a deuce another runner in the night!"
Philosophers, priests and wise men have long debated the meaning of the perplexing word "deuce" in that sacred passage out of unknowable antiquity. It remains a mystery of faith.

Adrock concludes the venerable holy psalm and an area at the base of the Towering Goddess suddenly erupts with scintillating light!



To the southwest, more ominous thunder echoes. And in the distant west, summer lightning strikes the soaring pinnacle of the dead wizard's tower.


Actions?


Beach Map:

The PCs are blue. Houdin is green. Cavemen are orange.
X = Unconscious or dead. B = Blinded.


Island Map, to date:

The position of the dead wizard's tower is visible from the beach.


Non-required Reading (Rolls and Rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 4, Monsters: [1d6] = 6 Monsters win.
Caveman 5 saves vs spell (17): [1d20] = 19 Saves vs Adrock's Light spell.

PC Status:

• Buck Russellswart: Mole-Man Cleric 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 15/18, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl
  Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 17/17
  Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 13/20
  Jeojand: Cat-Man Magic-User 2: Move: 6", AC: 7, HP: 5/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 32/32
  L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 6/6, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 9", AC: 8, HP: 5/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Tullia Galena: Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/24

PC Magic:

• Light (Buck): Duration: 73 rounds
  Audible Glamour (Maskelyn): Duration: 1 round
  Light (L.L. Adrock): Duration: 79 rounds

PC 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)

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

Hey, guys, hanging out on the beach with lightning is a bad idea. We may as well follow this path for a while and see where it goes. Those riders can't go fast in there. She nods at the trees.

[Mant72]

Chaka nods with assent to Tullia’s suggestion. ”To trees,” he grunts and makes his way to the safety of the canopy.

[ravenn4544]

Ko-Nan drops the pile of coconuts and starts to tear one open to drink. It quickly becomes more difficult to do and he get's even more more pissed off thinking about the cowardly magic using COWARDS! His anger quickly starts to become a rage.."Hanging's too good for 'em. Burning's too good for 'em! They should be torn into little bitsy pieces and BURIED ALIVE!!"

With that he smashes down the coconut and heads of down the trail cursing and spitting all the while.

[Starbeard]

Jeojand looks over the trailhead. "It would be foolish to take the more used trail. It bends to the south, in the direction of those idiotic primates. We should take this smaller trail west straight to the tower."

He stays to the rear of the party, scanning for followers, and keeps the reagents for his leap spell at hand.

[wolfpack]

LL will join the others and Heal Feifo

May the power of Tee Em Zee bind your wounds

[1d8] = 4

[ChubbyPixie]

LL will join the others and Heal Feifo

May the power of Tee Em Zee bind your wounds

[1d8] = 4

Sweet, thanks!

Fiefo looks up at LL, somewhat surprised at the healing. He can't get his head around why someone would help him, a rat man. No one likes rat men. Rat men don't like rat men. He doesn't trust it. What is he after? he wonders. Out loud he repeats a phrase he believes he's heard the healer spout in the past, "Uh... Thanks. Don't stop believin,' or whatever... " then turns away. He walks off to examine the trail head.

"The cat is right, we should get to that goddam tower before we get blasted by one of them ancient blasting sticks. What a bunch of a-holes..." he trails off.

[OGRE MAGE]

Buck bursts through the trees again to join the others. He looks a bit better than the last time the group saw him. He winks at Fiefo when he spots the rats confusion, sure the big fink is up to no good.

After assessing the situation for mere seconds, he tends to agree with the idea of going straight to the tower next.

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

Cool. To the tower, it is. She points to the westward path.

[Urson]

Maskelyn

The gnome pauses at the woodline and looks back, a single tear running down his gnarled face. I'm sorry, Houdin. You deserved better. I'll see you at the Rainbow Bridge.

He then hustles forward, finding a spot in the middle of the group. Occasionally, his hand reaches out to pet a spiny neck, but then drops back to his side.

[Inferno]

Beach of the Towering Goddess, Eastern Coast of the Forbidden Island of Xygax the Wizard
Land of One Thousand Towers
Day One. Mid-Morning. March 25th, 912 CY







Maskelyn mourns the death of his faithful pet, Houdin. The courageous mutant iguana died defending his master.

The primitive humans retreat to the shelter of the towering goddess as the adventurers regroup in the wake of the ape onslaught.

L.L. Adrock calls upon the grace and mercy of his divine lord, Tee-Emez-Ee, to heal the wounds of the misanthropic anthropomorphic rodent. (+4hp)

Then the shipwrecked castaways strike out for the dead wizard's tower, following the disused trail into the dense inland jungle.



The thick canopy above shields them from the heat of the rising sun and conceals the dizzying spire of the wizard tower from their questing eyes. But the overgrown trail leads steadily westward.

The echoing thunder of the human hunt soon fades, along with the horns of apes communicating across great distances.

Within an hour of walking, the only sounds are the buzz of large glittering insects, the birdsong of bright colorful avians, and the howling of small monkeys leaping in the branches far overhead.

The pristine jungle is teeming with strange flora and fauna.



An immense boa constrictor watches languidly as they pass. Colossal trees, cloaked in vines and moss, tower high above. The scent of the earth is rich, and fragrant with exotic flowers.

Deeper they go.

With every step, the unimaginable scale of the jungle, and the adventurers' place within it, becomes more apparent. And more humbling.



Over two hours on the trail and the rainforest is so primeval that the tread of a boot is a startling disturbance to their ears.

Midday approaches. At this pace, the adventurers estimate they will reach the wizard tower by dusk.


Actions? Marching order, please. You may walk two abreast. Thanks.


Island Map, to date:

X = The adventurers' current position. The approximate position of the dead wizard's tower was visible from the beach.





PC Status:

• Buck Russellswart: Mole-Man Cleric 2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 15/18, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl
  Chaka: Ape-Boy Thief 3: Move: 12"(6"), AC: 6, HP: 17/17
  Fiefo LeBratt: Rat-Man Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 17/20
  Jeojand: Cat-Man Magic-User 2: Move: 6", AC: 7, HP: 5/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Ko-Nan: Human Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 32/32
  L.L. Adrock: Half-Elf Cleric/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 2, HP: 6/6, Spells: 1/4 1st lvl
  Maskelyn: Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 9", AC: 8, HP: 5/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Tullia Galena: Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/24

PC Magic:

• None currently

PC 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)

[wolfpack]

Perhaps we should find a sheltered place to make camp for the night close to the tower. I don't know if entering it in the evening is such as good idea.


Like the great book says

If I don't get some shelter
Oh i'm gonna fade away.

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

She is somewhere near the front of the group, being a Ranger.

Picking somewhere to get some rest sounds good to me. That tower is strange enough in daylight, getting there at night sounds positively unsafe. I am not sure about the jungle being very safe at night, but we can set up watches.

[ChubbyPixie]

”We’re probably all going to get parasites,” says Fiefo as he takes in the jungle surroundings. He’s hot and itchy. What he wouldn’t give for some sweat glands right about now. But basic comfort is too much to ask for a guy like him, he supposes, and trudges along, miserable as always.

He scans the trees for the inevitable attack from gods knows what.

[Starbeard]

Jeojand purrs, "Don't stop me now. I was just getting used to the walk. I say we keep moving forward, and if we reach the tower too late in the day we can double back to find a safe camping spot."

The mutant felinoid continues to paw at his whiskers and observe the trail and treetops behind them.

[OGRE MAGE]

Buck twitches his long whiskers nervously as he takes in the impressive sights.

"If we can get to the tower before dark, we might be able to find adequate shelter of some kind. I am all for pressing onward."

[SpinwardMarch]

Tullia

Alright, let's continue.

Ya' win some, ya' lose some.

[Mant72]

Chaka agrees with moving on while there is still daylight, ”Getting to tower during day is best.” He continues on stealthily, keen to any ominous sights, sounds, or smells.