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Recap 48 Supplemental: The Sword in the Desert

June 2, 2012


Yes, We Can Read a Map

After receiving her gift of a bow from Sehanine Moonbow, Alana asks Otter if he would be willing to train her. Agreeing, the two remain at the oasis while the rest of the Motley Crew heads to a cave rumored to contain a piece of Cervantes' sword, which Beeblebrox charged Brecaryn with finding.

Along the way, black scorpions like the ones seen in the Oblivion King's dungeon spring out of a bubbling black pool, but Malouf and Narasimha easily avoid them. By evening, they reach the destination marked on the map - a village bordered on all sides by four small pyramids, the granite ground in the center shaped like a trapezoid.

As Narasimha flies over the village, a cry goes up. The square fills with humans pointing at the sphinx.

Narasimha: I will terrify these people.
Malouf: (unsure if Narasimha was warning Malouf or relishing the idea) Um...why don't we land outside of the village, and I'll go in by myself?

Inside, Malouf is greeted by the villagers who assume the barbarian has traveled all this way to visit the famous pyramids of Rohri. Malouf wisely chooses not to disabuse the them of this notion. Although the village was built to hold hundreds, the entire populous only numbers thirty.

Malouf's gregarious nature quickly puts the people at ease. He is soon learning that the pyramids were built to house the remains of great leaders of the desert and is brought to each of them in turn. The villagers are happy to see a visitor, especially when Malouf brings up the possibility of trade. However, they do find some of his behavior a little odd.

Malouf: I must....consult!...With my...supplies! Yes. And I will need rest. And privacy! Lots of privacy.

On his visits to the pyramids, Malouf notices a section on the southern pyramid looks like it had been repaired. He reports this to the group in the mirror. This coincides with the map's information on where to find the sword piece. They decide he should leave the village, ostensibly to retrieve his goods, but in reality to deposit the mirror on the outskirts of the town. Later, when he returns to Rohri, he tells the villagers he has companions who will soon be arriving. Thus prepared, they are not unduly surprised by the appearance of five more people.


That's What Happens When You Have Too Much Taco Bell

The next day, as the Crew is touring the pyramids and Flerm is engaging in theological discussions with their shaman, Malouf takes the opportunity to chat up the guards standing at each pyramid's entrance. He learns from one guard, Hani, that they have a legend that warns of the appearance of a man in galoshes. Should this man come to the village, they are to run away.

When Malouf imparts his information to the party, Snow laments the lack of galoshes in the inventory. Chasing the villagers away would make it alot easier to get into the pyramid. Instead, Flerm casts Darkness and Josy Silence to hide their actions. Using the spring sword, now powered by one of Wayfoodle the Gnome's power rods, they blast a hole through the pyramid wall.

Inside, they find a manhole decorated with a Jolly Roger. The room below is full of dusty, broken construction equipment. Opening a door, Malouf finds the first of many swarms of giant beetles.

Malouf: Come, friends! The battle is joined!

Flerm: Bring the battle to us!

Malouf: The battle is joined!

After slashing their way through this first wave of beetles, the Crew enters a room with a closed door to the south, north, and west. In the center of the room, on a pedestal, rests a door with a brass handle. On the southern side, the door is painted and opens in that direction. On the northern side, it's plain wood. Obviously magick.

Leaving that for the time being, they try the other doors in the room to discover...MORE BEETLES! They learn the hard way that if they don't kill the beetles quickly, the insects will explode a red gas from their bottoms, causing paralysis and deafness.

They also realize that all of the doors seem to open to the same exact corridor and room. Although Flerm entered the west door, he feels he is facing north. Malouf, walking through the door to the north, suddenly materializes next to Flerm. Looking through the door on the south, Snow sees both of them appear before her. The direction the center door faces seems to correspond with the direction to which all the doors will open.

Chasme
Turning the center door west and north, they are able to access other parts of the dungeon. They fight more beetles and some phase spiders (except Flerm, of course; Drow have a religious aversion to killing spiders). The beetles killed before they could emit their red gas have glowing, gem-sized orbs in their posterior.

Everyone: Alana's going to want those.

So they cut the orbs out to bring back to Alana. (You're welcome)

Moving on, they make it through some traps, bursting through a door. To their surprise, on the other side of the door is a set of stairs leading to a glowing door. The door opens and out walks three large, talking flies.

Fly: I told you it wasn't just the beetles. Look! A follower of Lolth.

When killed, the fly-men fade out of existence. Lieralyn notices the buzzing of their wings were starting to have an adverse affect on them. Josy recognizes them as chasme demons - low level demons that usually work for a higher demon. Oh good.

Through another trap and another room, they find a hill giant skull sporting an eyepatch and a pirate's hat. Moving the eyepatch, Malouf finds a glowing key. Glowing key...glowing door...hmm...

The key brings down the force field around the door and it opens, revealing more stairs. Not exactly relishing the idea of encountering the demon in charge of the chasme, the party forges onward anyway. Josy warns them that the demons have probably taken over this entire area, but Malouf's not worried.

Malouf: You will turn them. (picking Josy up and moving her closer to the front of the line)

Damn Straight, Our Strategy Is Excellent

RutterkinAt the bottom of the stairs is a crossroads leading to a corridor walled in mirrors. Chasme and winged imps (quasits) await them. Gangly monsters (rutterkin) appear from the far side of the corridor.

Rutterkin: Ey! What're you guys doin'? Those are our buddies. You like pullin' wings offa flies? Well, we're gonna pull the legs offa you.

As the group fights, more demons are gated in. This time it's vrocks, vulture-headed demons. Seeing they are about to be outnumbered, Brecaryn uncovers the Mirror of Thought and turns it to face the demons. Five mirror fiends jump out and attack, evening the odds.

Once the battle is over, the mirror fiends jump in and out of the mirrored walls, stopping in front of a particular section, looking expectantly at Brecaryn. Checking it out, she discovers she can push through the mirror to a hidden room full of silver and potions.

Roper

The party kills more demons, a gelatinous cube, and some monsters posing as stalagmites (ropers). They also come across several areas that looked like they had been trapped, but the traps were destroyed - most likely by the demons inhabiting the area. At the end of the last corridor, Josy senses a supernatural evil and stops the group before they proceed down the stairs so she can cast a prayer over them.

DretchAt the bottom of the stairs is a large room full of chasme, vrocks, rutterkin, and dretch. In the back of the room is a chaos beast and a huge, orange demon. The orange demon bleeds as it talks, its forked tongue whipping back and forth.

Reading a Spell of Demon Protection off of a scroll, Brecaryn is able to cast a 10' radius sphere around the party that prevents any of the demons from entering or casting spells into the sphere.

Orange Demon: So...this little spell will not protect you forever.

Brecaryn: You're probably right.

It isn't their intention to wait forever. Using the shield to keep the demons from harming them, the Crew pushes forward slowly, forcing the demons to retreat, picking them off from a distance. The mirror fiends rush out to attack whatever they see. Unfortunately, the demons are too much for them and two end up destroyed.

Orange Demon: Your strategy is excellent.


Tearing a hole in reality, something drops out while the orange demon steps through and leaves. The "something" looks like a frost giant but with shorter legs and yellow skin.

Giant: What goes on here? Who has summoned me? A follower of Lolth?

Ordering the other demons to stop fighting, the giant questions Flerm. Upon hearing Flerm's description of the orange demon, the giant says its name, speaking slowly and clearly as if to ensure that the party hears and remembers it.

Giant: Ah... that was C'nway. And I am Kostchtchie. This is my outpost. But, I see you have a barrier, so there is no point in fighting.

Then Kostchtchie ports out, taking the lesser demons with him.

Relieved at having a plan work, the party moves forward to the next room. Inside are six vats housing sleeping mind flayers. Mounted on the wall is half a sword blade. Scattered around the room are various items including a clothing chest and potions.

As they pack these things into the Mirror of Thought, Malouf comes across a totem suit. Putting it on, it turns him into a Malouf-sized beaver. Despite the group's urgings, Malouf oddly chooses not to keep wearing the suit.

With nothing left in the room to scavenge, the Crew braces itself as Malouf takes the sword piece. A voice fills the room.

Voice: If you've made it this far, please know that all traps were designed by Wunderbar.

The mind flayer cylinders slide down and open. The mind flayers are now awake. After their experience with these creatures on the Isle of Dread, the group knows not to hesitate in their attack.

As she's getting ready to attack, Lieralyn hears a voice in her mind.

Mind Flayer: We not fight you. You too strong.

Uncertain, Lieralyn tells Flerm what she's heard. They decide not to attack and let Snow what they've heard. Fearing it to be an attempt to trick them into letting their guard down, Snow continues fighting and the rest of the group follows her lead.

Seeing the party is not surrendering, the mind flayers charm Lieralyn and Malouf. With no choice, Flerm re-enters the battle, this time with his secret weapon - Turtle the dog! After all of the mind flayers are slain, Flerm expresses his displeasure at the group's dishonorable act.

Unhappy that they might have killed an opponent who had truly surrendered but unsure if the mind flayers were being honest, Snow signals the Crew to exit the pyramid.


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Tags: Brecaryn, C'nway, Flerm, Josy, Kostchtchie, Lieralyn, Malouf, Narasimha the Sphinx, Nightshade, Snow, Turtle the dog


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