Expedition Stage 2: The Mountains of Madness pt 7

Jack hurried to Ben and Thorne, as Spider lobbed a flare into the darkness.  The fog recoiled, with an ugly oozing quality, peeling back from the light.  Ben was curled up tight from pain.  "It cast Wrack on me, I'm blind," their boss hissed, clutching his eyes with his hand.  "Don't let it get the first punch.  Hit it hard !"
Thorne's jaw was set and he was shielding Ben from further harm.  Once the Crux Ansata was activated, the wand glimmered with shifting light, each piece of inlay on it shining.  The wand felt heavier, somehow.

Spider raised Matilda, seeing the crepuscular mass seething down the corridor, maybe a hundred yards away.  Pops of reddish orbs came and went, as if primitive eyes were forming in the colossal ooze and blinking away from the flare's harsh light. The shoggoth wasn't coming closer, and it wasn't retreating either.  It was horrible to behold - costing him three points of Sanity to view it.   And what was worse, it wasn't behaving like an animal - it was weighing them up as much as he was weighing it up.

Fritz was muttering something that sounded like spellcasting, and fired his rifle again.  This time Spider saw the thing ripple from the shot, a shockwave, then draw back, its eye bubbles winking out in a huge wince.  Fritz laughed, a low evil sound, and fed another bullet into his rifle.

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GM:  Actions, etc, for the next minute of game time !  Please respond with your combat or non-combat choices by Saturday, 11 June, next post Sunday.
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Spider decided that he'd keep up his current course of action.  He ignited a second flare and threw it hard at the enormous oozing shape, hoping to actually sink the burning phosphorus into its mass.

If Jack can somehow use a spell to heal or relieve Ben while still maintaining the Crux Ansata, he will try to do so. If that's not possible, he will maintain and strengthen the protection from the Crux Ansata.

Expedition Stage 2: The Mountains of Madness pt 7

Spider threw another flare into the corridor, noting again that the shoggoth flinched back, oozing into a large mass about fifteen feet across.  Fritz casually shot it again, with the laugh.  It recoiled again, shaking in a disturbing manner, the red eye bulges narrowing.

Jack had only the idea that the caster of the spell would have the best ability to stop it or reverse it, and that Ben is still suffering, though Thorne is guarding him.   He faced the corridor, looking into the scene and (rolls dice, Jack makes his sanity roll so he loses less sanity (-1 pt).  The wand is heavy in his hand and he can see that whatever Fritz is shooting it with is affecting it, and that it does not care for flares.  The Fist of Yog-Sothoth ought to sort it out - though the Crux Ansata was apparently working.  The shoggoth had not attacked again and had even moved away.

The dark mass then rapidly flows, sloshing around into a coherent shape, though one that is markedly strange to see.   It condensed into the form of a human - a man about six feet tall, dressed in rugged cold-weather wear, a heavy sealskin hooded coat and trousers, a shaggy red beard hanging over the chest, goggles over the eyes.  The face was wind-chapped and rough.  It looked like a man - until the head slipped a bit, and was re-shaped.   "Stop," the thing said, in the glutinous voice of a shoggoth, then tried again, now sounding Scottish and much more human.  "Stop.  Stopping.  To stop."
One of the mittened hands waved in a complex gesture.  Ben gasped, unfolding and blinking.   "_I_ stop," the creature said, then observed its mittened 'hands' and carefully held them up.  As if a man was standing where the shoggoth had been.

Ben was sitting up, blinking furiously.   "Did it just speak ?  It's speaking ?"
"To speak, speaking," the shoggoth replied.  "D'ye ken ?"
Fritz settled another specially made rifle round into his rifle and raised it to fire.  Quick as a flash the shoggoth's human shape melted away, and it apparently disappeared, or had gone into some niche the agents could not see.
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GM:: Actions, etc., for the next minute of game time, please respond by Saturday 18 June, next post Sunday.
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In reply to The GM (msg # 27):

With the creature apparently gone, Spider retrieved the second flare and kept it held out in front of them as they continued to search this cavern until it went out.

“Wait, Fritz!” Jack urges. “Don’t shoot it again. It stopped hurting Ben.” He continues speaking rapidly. “Ben! Yes, it spoke. It’s clearly figuring out our language — and it must have encountered the Scots from the camp we found. It took on their speech and likeness. It’s trying to communicate with us. Maybe we can work with it, like Doane.”
Without waiting for Ben to recover, Jack yells down the corridor: “Yes, we understand you. There is no need for us to fight each other. We are here to look at the tools of your oppressors, to take them away and use them to fight those who would oppress us.”

Expedition Stage 2: Mountains of Madness pt 8

Spider went down the corridor about forty paces to retrieve the flare, noting it was still bright and happily, not hot.  As he did, there was a flicker of movement off to his left; a small red eyespot on an extension of black tentacle was observing him, with a suspicious squint.  It retreated into the shadows as he lifted the flare to get a better look.  He edged out of the corridor, but no other movement was seen.

Jack tried to stop the German from firing again; Fritz was searching for a target, though apparently the Shoggoth was good at hiding.  "Why not ?"  Fritz demanded, irritated to be denied his prey.
"Save some ammo," Thorne growled, as Ben unfolded and accepted a hand up to stand.  Their boss was blinking away tears but seemed to be out of danger.  "If it can speak, it's intelligent," Ben said, wiping tears from his face before they froze.  "I can see - getting clearer now."

Jack shouted down the corridor.  There was a pause, as Ben considered Jack's words and the Shoggoth considered the offer.
"Then no fighting," the Shoggoth responded, in the Scots accent.  "Passage; for passage, _I_ require service.  You provide service, _I_ permit passage.  D'ye ken me rightly ?"
"You are independent of the Elder Things ?"  Ben called.
"_I_ am that." the Shoggoth replied, gaining a better grasp of English by the minute.
"What are your terms of service ?  We want safe passage into the city, and to take whatever we want from it, and you will not harm us, our animals or our equipment."  Ben then looked to Jack, and whispered.  "I'm not sure we can trust it."
"Bollocks to you then, feartie," the Shoggoth replied, apparently having excellent hearing.  "Not sure _I_ can trust _you_ eejits."
Ben squinted down the corridor.  "I don't think you can leave," he said. "Or you would have, by now.  The man you are imitating, you consumed him ?"
"_I_ did that," the Shoggoth said, as if merely stating it was the same as giving out the time of day.
"You retain his memories, and that is how you know English ?"
"That is correct."
"All right; what do you want, for your terms ?"  Ben asked.
"Put away weapons.  No spells. No fires.  Remove shackles."  The Shoggoth seethed briefly in the corridor, a fearsome sight, a wave of ebony protoplasm, and slid back from view before Fritz could shoot.  Ben waved over the Agents to confer.
"We have to decide to trust it, or not.  It can spellcast at least as fast, or faster than me.  This seems to be a good way in if the Elder Things posted it here as a guard.  And it may have more information to give us."
"Seems like a Republican," Thorne agreed.
"If we agree to free it, we know what will happen to Captain Doan." Ben said.  "This decision will be reported as mine, and mine alone, and I will suffer the consequences for it.  Tell me how to word the contract and I will do what needs to be done."
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GM:  Bargaining with a Shoggoth ?  Please respond by Saturday, 25 June, next post Sunday.
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Spider suggested they make the thing stay while they are in the city, and cover their exit for a certain amount of time.  He examines the tunnel, obviously eying it for a possible cave-in, so as to trap this fearsome creature rather than keep their word and let it leave.  "If it is supposed to stay for a day or two, we might be able to leave it here regardless."

“I think we should trust it for a bit, to avoid fighting it and to learn what we can from it. We’ve worked with Doan before, although I imagine each has its own motivations and, um, personality. It mentioned shackles – do we know how it’s bound, and are we even able to free it? We can say we’ll try, but I wouldn’t guarantee success.
     “Also, it said no spells, but we may have to cast something defensive at any moment for protection or whatever, so I would just say we won’t cast spells to harm it intentionally.” He looks at Fritz and adds, “Or shoot it, unless it goes back on its word.
     “If it comes with us, we can ask it questions about what we find. I think that outweighs leaving it behind and knowing we’ll have to either fight it or give in to its demands to get out. Also, when we run into Elder Things or who-knows-what, it will probably help us fight them. Anything can happen in a fight...”

Expedition Stage 2: The Mountains of Madness pt 9

The Agents discussed their options.  "Then we will try to bargain," Ben said, "And whatever happens after we release it from whatever is holding it here, that's on me.  We should use every resource we can find to get the best possible outcome for this expedition."

Thorne made a point of standing in Fritz's way so the German couldn't get a clear shot at the monster as the Agents carefully approached the tunnel that held a Shoggoth.
"We're considering accepting your offer, to perform service for safe passage," Ben said carefully, "With the promise from you that you will not harm us, our animals, our equipment, nor will you encourage anyone else to do so.  You mentioned shackles.  Are these shackles magical or physical in nature ?"
"They are both.  You can approach me safely, Mage; I will show you.  Decide if you can break them.  If you cannot, we will have no bargain."  Now the Shoggoth was doing a pretty good imitation of Ben's Maine accent.
"I would regret leaving you chained, if we cannot free you," Ben said. "I think we might be able to come to terms in the matter of employment."
"Then approach." the Shoggoth said.  Ben took one of the glow sticks from his pack and snapped it, shaking it to produce a bright greenish light.

He slowly walked down the corridor, as the Shoggoth flowed along the walls of the construct, eyespots blinking.  Finally, just a pool of light showed where Ben was, with shifting shadows.  "I see the shackles," Ben called back to the rest of the Agents.  "They're definitely sealed with an enchantment and I can't translate the language.  But the anchor chain is bolted into the stone."
"If we use explosives to break the stone, will the tunnel collapse ?"  Thorne asked.
"No idea, not my area of expertise," Ben replied.  "Erm...Shoggoth...you can't change shape and get out of the shackles, but can you make your form harder, more resistant to damage, if we try to force the chain loose from the rock ?"
"The shackles are painful," the Shoggoth replied, "Our bargain is to remove them."
"All right, we'll need some help though.  Can you read the inscription ?"
"This servant is imprisoned to guard the entrance for eternity, for daring to defy its creators.  That is the closest translation in your language."
"Any suggestions on how to open the shackles would be welcome at this point," Ben said.
"I have pondered it for many centuries," the Shoggoth said dolefully.
"But now we're here.  Ben, come out and look at the box thing.  It's doing something, you need to see it," Thorne called.
The glowing light returned, with Ben looking somewhat unnerved by his close proximity to a Shoggoth.  "Two shackles, the size of Bruno's collar, each on a chain about four feet long and six inches thick, all made of some weird blue metal, inscribed with runes along the shackles.  There's no keyhole, no part that looks like it would be a hinge, and the chain runs directly into the stone floor.  What's going on with the box ?"
"Nothing, just wanted you the hell out of there," Thorne said under his breath.
"If we kill it, we can just go past it," Fritz said.
"We're not killing it.  It isn't an IT, it's an intelligent being and I think we have to save - the Shoggoth."  Ben said.
"OK, then, we have to get it loose.  Can we cut the metal ?"  Thorne asked.
"No idea.  I thought of trying to Cast Out the Shoggoth, but I think it would cause too much damage.  We need to disable the spell on the shackles or physically break them - maybe both."
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GM: Please respond with ideas, actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, by Saturday 2 July, next post Sunday.
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Spider shook his head, sighed and whistled.  "You lot deal with the magic.  I'll just be ready to do as much damage to it or the tunnel as possible if things go sideways."  It was obvious he had reservations about freeing such a monstrosity.

"The shackles' magic seems beyond my knowledge and ability," Jack says to Ben. "You can draw on my energy to help power whatever you think will work..." He hesitates, then adds, "...or I could try the wand. It could probably break the shackles, at some cost to me." He shrugs resignedly.
     "Wait -- what if I used the wand to release it from the shackles and bind it to ME? As a sort of safeguard. It might be safer for us than making it a free agent, and Athena might prefer to have its abilities working for her, through us, rather than causing chaos in the world at large. It might even cost me less, if she likes that trade-off."
     This idea seems fairly good to Jack, and he will try it unless Ben vetoes it, or unless someone has a more workable idea.

Expedition Stage 2: The Mountains of Madness pt 10

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"He's right,"  Fritz said, nodding at Spider.  "Why would we think that a monster would have any sense of honour ?"
"Go to Hell, you bastard," The Shoggoth snapped, clearly able to hear them. "Your sense of honour is to the highest bidder.  It's only because of that other man that you have any decency to you at all.  And you humans are right to fear me.  Had I not sensed the magic you have, I would have eaten you with no regrets."
"Whoa, hold on," Thorne again got in the way of Fritz's rifle.  "He's being reasonable.  I have a good sense for reasonable folk."

"All right," Ben leaned back on the stone wall of the tunnel, looking off towards the seething darkness that was the Shoggoth, "We're going to try to solve this problem.   I don't think it will accept new chains.  Am I right ?"  he called the last down the tunnel.
"You are correct," the reply came back.
Ben considered this, then looked back at Jack.  "I'm not sure what gods want, most of the time, I just know that it's smart to be careful when you bargain with them.  It's clear the binding spell on the chains is a major one.  If you can drain power off the shackles with the wand, while we try to physically break the shackles, maybe that will work.  Erm...Fritz, you got some explosives that you apparently sent to yourself, from the future.  Are any of them small, as in small enough to break open an inch or two of solid metal but not destroy a tunnel ?"
"There is no damned way -" Fritz started, only pausing as Thorne shook his shoulder as a warning. "I don't know.  Maybe.  Why ?"
"Because we know this Shoggoth, or more accurately, we've met him before." Thorne said slowly.  "I'll word the contract, if you don't mind, Boss,"
"Be my guest," Ben said, pulling out his Book of Shadows from a satchel and riffling through the pages carefully.  "I'll try to figure out an Unbinding that will include the shackles.   Fritz, put the rifle down and look at your explosives.  Spider, stay ready, just in case something else comes along.  Jack, hold up the wand, I need some light, and you need to read the spell."
"Ahem," Thorne cleared his throat, "Shoggoth, we are proposing an agreement, based on mutual consent, which is considered ratification and meeting of the minds, in this offer, as follows; You will be released from your shackles as swiftly and in as good as condition as our abilities permit, and thereby become a free agent, independent of our control.  This does not obligate us to permit any attacks or other damages arising from your actions now or in the future, and will void our agreement of mutual consent.  Our safety from harm covers ourselves, these four humans, and any other human you find on the landmass here, as well as any human or other racial equipment, and of course our dogs, as well as the creature that currently looks like a dog but is really not, we call him Bruno.  You will be freed to move and make choices as an independent being.  In this offer we are seeking your compliance with our work, you will hold us blameless should we be unable to release you from your shackles, and you will not disrupt, interfere with, or sabotage our further exploration of this area and landmass.  If your acceptance of these terms is agreeable, I would like to add terms that include your willing release of accurate information, such that you have, on the city we are about to search, including whatever we might encounter.  Are there any terms you wish to add ?"
"Terms of revocation; this agreement will persist until you or your agents deliberately cause me harm.  Any subsequent contract will be negotiated separately in good faith."
"He's good," Thorne said.  "Your offer is acceptable.  Do you find our offer acceptable ?"
"I find it acceptable."
"Then we have a contract.  I would shake on it but you don't have a hand - er - all right," Thorne said, as a slim tentacle curled out towards him.  He shook it.
"OK; Jack will cast the unbinding, while I cast Deflect Harm to stop the explosion from blowing back at us; Spider will watch the entrance, Fritz will set the charge and Thorne will stay with Spider, so there will be two people who can try to rescue us if this doesn't work out."  Ben said.  "Hopefully it will work.  Jack will try to siphon off the magical charge on the shackles with an Unbinding and the physical damage might be enough to snap them.  I don't know how much this will hurt, Shoggoth."
"I accept this," the Shoggoth said.
"Give me the rifle, go and set the charge," Thorne said to Fritz, staring eye to eye.  "It's no different from any other job.  We're professionals."
"I hate you," Fritz grumbled, but went and did as told.
"Beyond this juncture, there is a tunnel sloping downward.  It will fork to the South and the West.  The South fork will continue downward into the centre of the city.  You will know it by the panels on the wall.  Observe them and learn the history.  Below, there may be more creatures, less independent than myself, but I have only seen one Elder Thing in these past hundred years, and I ate it."   The Shoggoth spoke with quiet assurance.  "The food animals live off to the West."

"All right then; I will lead the way, Fritz will be right behind me, Jack will follow, and we will let Fritz set the charge before beginning the spells."  Ben said.  "Are we all Okay with this plan ?"
Anyone going into the tunnel by the Shoggoth will need a sanity check !

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GM: Actions, etc., it is up to you if you go along with the plan or modify it - or the contract, prior to actions.  Please respond by Saturday, 9 July, next post is Sunday
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Spider silently agrees with Fritz, that this plan may be the most insane thing they have ever done.  But he moves back with Thorne towards the entrance and keeps watch outside.

Jack replies to Thorne, "Met him before? What, you're saying this *IS* Doan? Did we meet a future version of him? Or am I missing something? Also, there are five humans here, not four, although your wording covered all humans anyway."
     Other than that, Jack has no comments. He does spare a word to Spider, saying "Yes, it seems crazy, but I think it will work. But thanks for having our backs, should it not..."
     Jack readies the wand to follow Ben's plan and steels himself for a close encounter with the shoggoth, trying to bear in mind the professioanlism and even personableness with which Doan conducted himself during their past collaboration.

Expedition Stage 2: The Mountains of Madness pt 11

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"And, technically, Thorne is correct," Ben said slowly.  "There are only four humans here at the moment.  Isn't that right ?"
"Hey, I had to look after the contingencies, and an angry Fritzi has the wrath of the gods, which is why he's leading the rescue team," Thorne said.  "Show him, sugar."
The last was directed at Fritz, who then changed, the form shifting within the furs and layers of clothing to a more feminine one, with a dark face and gold eyes.
It was the Djinn.  "He made me do this," she said, pointing at Thorne from the depths of the cave.  The Shoggoth's eyespots blinked.

"When I tell her, she'll contact Secret Base and send out the rescue team, which has equipment that was made in 2025." Thorne said.  "We'll get Ben out alive because I made a promise to Donald."

"Who, in turn, made a promise to you, because that's how you work," Ben said, in that quiet tone that said he was keeping tight control of what he said and how he said it.

Thorne chuckled smugly.
"I think Doan is this Shoggoth, or this Shoggoth will become Doan, because I know Ben's guilty look," Thorne said to Jack.  "He's already admitted that he's taking responsibility for what happens to Captain Doan.  Which is why I ended the contract at the land mass. Captain Doan will be on the ship.  And that's why Ben asked if this Shoggoth retained memories of humans they eat.  We already know that Spider's going to be heading the Temporal Agency, so he can just sign off on the expenses in a hundred years' time."

"And Fritz will be alive then, too," the Djinn said, striding out of the tunnel.  "It is done."
"So all right then, Boss. Carry on."  Thorne said, waving at the tunnel.
"How long has Secret Base been around ?"  Ben asked.
"Oh, they've been listening on that little box thing since we got it, and camping on the South side for about a week or so," Thorne said.  "It's not like it's a lot of trouble, as they had Fritz with them the whole time.  He has my journal and her memory for reference.  Honestly, you thought you were going to get into the South Pole, raid the Elder Things' city and get out with only six men and forty dogs ?  We already lost Nolan."
"Should I even ask what else is going on ?"  Ben asked.
"Saving the world, Boss," Thorne said, with a satisfied sigh. "We'll detonate the explosives on your command."
Ben paused, as if about to say something, then simply walked into the tunnel.

Spider took up position next to Thorne, who was still holding the rifle.  The Djinn trailed after Ben, holding a switchbox that fit in the palm of her mitten, and Jack tries to mentally prepare for seeing a Shoggoth up close - as in inches away.
(GM  rolls sanity for Jack - got a 77- Jack if you wish to re-roll, be my guest; if you don't, please roll the d20 for your sanity point loss).  As the expedition slowly moved into position, the wind began to stream past the basalt peaks, the horrible piping sound grating on their nerves again, driving home the thought that they were entering a forbidden place where unspeakable horrors may lurk.

GM:  Actions, rolls, please, respond by Saturday 16 July, next post Sunday.  Very nice catch, Jack !

Additional: Jack sent me email, his roll is 35%, so we will go with that one
This message was last edited by the GM at 20:38, Sat 16 July 2022.

Jack shakes his head at Thorne’s revelations and the Djinn’s transformation. Ever the polite Southerner, he greets her: “It’s nice to have you with us again, Miss.” Then he looks Thorne in the eye.
     “I don’t mind the time jumping too much any more. Frankly, I enjoy thinking about how it all works. But I’m not happy that you changed the plan — even if it’s an improvement — without telling us. You don’t need me to explain that we all have to trust each other. Going behind our backs undermines that trust.”
     Then he follows Ben down the tunnel to free the shoggoth.

Expedition Stage 2: The Mountains of Madness pt 12

The Djinn nodded slightly at Jack's greeting.  She didn't look particularly happy.  Somehow, Thorne had gotten control of her away from Cameron.

Jack challenges Thorne, who offers up a sly grin behind the grey-shot beard he's been growing the past weeks.  "Easier to ask forgiveness than permission," the Southerner drawled.

Spider and Thorne remained outside the main tunnel, where the piping could still be heard and the air was cold.  As Jack approached Ben, the Djinn and the Shoggoth, the air was notably warmer and the annoying sound diminished; but there was an odd aroma permeating the air, a chemical smell.  The Shoggoth had shrunk back from the site of the shackles, spreading itself across the floor, walls and ceiling in a thin paste, though two tentacles were anchored by the strange metal shackles that Ben had described.   The sight of it was horrible, as was the sudden feeling that it could immediately surround and engulf them all; only Ben's sudden grip on Jack's shoulder stopped him from running (-7 pts sanity).  The shackles were now precisely covered by a pair of neatly shaped grey claylike patches, linked to each other by a wire, and the Djinn was checking them carefully.
"Steady," Ben said.    His jaw was set and his blue eyes were steely; Jack understood then that Ben was pretty damned angry, probably at Thorne.  "Steady, now.  As we planned it, I will cast Deflect Harm and Jack will power up the unbinding with the wand, taking shelter behind the spell and then Ginny sets off the explosive.  Say when you're ready and we'll go on a count of three."
"Ready," the Djinn said.
"Ready, " said the Shoggoth.
"Ready," said Ben.

Outside the corridor, Thorne settled the rifle on his shoulder by its strap and got out his camera.  "Can't miss this.  Keep a watch for whatever, Spider," and faced the tunnel, ready to take a picture of the Shoggoth situation.  Ben's voice raised in the harsh Akkadian that he always used for the strongest spells, and Jack was intoning something in Latin.  A bright blue glare limned the three figures in the corridor, in a nest of seething darkness; then there was the loud crack of an explosion, a roar from the Shoggoth, and a gout of smoke billowing from the corridor.  Thorne laughed and set up the camera for another shot.  Spider, the more responsible agent, looked around, seeing only basalt stones and giant penguin footprints in the snow; at least his exposure to the monster was limited.   There was coughing, cursing, and a deep echoing groan that must be the Shoggoth, from the resonance of it.    Ben staggered out first, with Jack next, the Djinn helping him keep steady.  The unbinding spell had given Jack a splitting headache, and the explosive had covered them all with a fine grey powder.  Thorne taking a photograph of this did not improve tempers.  Back in the corridor, the darkness flowed and gathered, twitching as if in deep pain, but it was moving more freely now.   The sight of a Shoggoth would haunt Jack's nightmares for life.

"Well, did it work ?"  Ben called into the corridor.
"Yes. You have fulfilled your part of the contract, humans...and other."  the Shoggoth said.  "I will need to heal, but I am free now."
"I'll be interested in making another contract with you, Shoggoth," Thorne called out. "But it's a personal one.  When it's convenient for you."
"I will consider this," the Shoggoth said.  "Now, you wish to go into the corridor; do so, without concern about me.  I will go and eat some of the food animals and regain my strength." The shadows shifted and whisked away, with a slithering sound.   The corridor was empty, with just the sickly greenish lichen glowing in the ceiling to light their way.

The Djinn helped Jack lean against the basalt wall, leaning close to Jack's ear to whisper, "He is hiding something from you."  She seemed to mean Thorne, who was putting away the camera as Ben glared at him.   The Djinn rested a gentle hand on Jack's forehead, and the agony of the migraine began to ebb.
"Secret Base ?  And who exactly is at Secret Base ?"  Ben demanded, squaring off with Thorne.
"Fritzi, and some other people we know, and some agents," Thorne said, evasively.
"So, mercenaries and some of the office staff ?!  Or people from the future ?!"
"Well, yes.  It was hard to say no to them, after they got all that gear and set up the path for us.  Though I guess you could say some of them are from the past, but then, with the Temps, it's hard to call it.  They wanted to help."  Thorne was pouring on the charm.
"I spent hours...days... on the details for this trip, and you had it all organised behind my back and didn't say one damn thing to me ?"  Ben was incandescent with fury.
"I wanted my last adventure to be a good one," Thorne said, "And it has been.  Let that be an end to it, Boss.  You'll get what you want. Your son will get what he wants.  And I will get what I want.  Everyone wins."
"Except Nolan.  And Doan."
"I can't save everyone," Thorne said softly.  "But I do what I can."
Then there was a horrific squealing sound and a thunder of feet in the corridor, coming fast.
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GM: Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday, 23 July, next post Sunday
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Jack swipes feebly at the dust covering him and mutters to himself as the djinn helps him back down the tunnel, “What have we done?…”
     He is grateful for the djinn’s assistance and gives the briefest of nods at her whispered warning about Thorne. He sighs a heartfelt “Thank you” to cover everything she is doing for him.
     As he listens to Thorne and Ben, and his headache fades, he adds to their conversation: “Why are you assuming this is your last trip, Thorne? Have you seen something in the future?”
     When the noise starts, he shouts “Penguin stampede!” and laughs crazily. He steps into the nearest alcove and tries to pull the djinn with him, hoping they can take cover from whatever is coming.

Spider had said, "Blame me.  If they're from the future, most likely I had a hand in sending them.  Or I will have a hand...crikey, sometimes I really want to just chuck it all.  This time travel stuff gets weirder and weirder."  At the sound of the feet approaching, he readies the rifle and asks everyone in general, "Can someone shed light on what's coming?"

Expedition Stage 2: the Mountains of Madness pt 13

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Jack, stunned by his recent experience, is still laughing as the Djinn looks back at the cave.  She yelps as he pulls her towards the nearest wall, as Spider gets a shove from Thorne.   "Out of the way !  Stampede !" Thorne yells.  Ben scrambles past them, towards where the dogs are sheltered, and they can hear him chanting a spell as he goes.  Careening off the walls of the corridor in literally a blind panic, a dozen weird albino giant penguins gallop along, knocking into each other and tumbling before scrambling back to their huge feet.   They honk and squeal in distress, buffeting the agents but not doing any real harm.   Thorne holds the camera well out of the way, preferring to take a body check from a blind penguin rather than lose his photographs.   Spider is easily able to climb out of the way and Jack and the Djinn are holding onto the stonework for dear life.   And Jack noticed that Thorne had purposefully not answered his question.

"Eugh !  Ugly !"  the Djinn declared, once the penguins had rushed past and out into the plateau.   The sled dogs were barking, along with Bruno's deep voice.
"This may nullify our contract in regard to disruption or interference with our expedition," Thorne said with a sniff, testing his bad leg and wincing.  "Though I'm not entirely sure how to enforce it."

Ben came back, brushing snow off his furs.  "I blocked them from running over the dogs and our gear.  They went out onto the ice."
"Master, we need to fix that leg," the Djinn told Thorne.
"I told you before, you have to call me Thorne, or Trip, or Tommy," Thorne told the Djinn.  "No one in my house uses the word Master."
"Whatever."  The Djinn pulled off her fur mittens, revealing the taloned hands, and knelt by Thorne, settling them on his bad leg, a faint green glow emitting from her palms.  "The bullet's still in there.  Is that a good thing ?"
"We're not taking it out here," Thorne said.  "It's been in there since the War."
"Is there any end to the secrets you keep, Agent Thorne ?"  Ben asked, with a sigh.
Thorne grinned.  "Now we can get Bruno to pull the little sled," he said.  "And I have to get more film."

A quick recon of the sled dogs showed them to be in good health and spirits, and Bruno was now happy to accompany them into the corridor that led into the Elder Things' city.  Thorne refilled his camera and handed off the flash powder to the Djinn.
"Look at this from another point of view," Ben said to Spider, as he puzzled over the Temporal Agency's machinations. "You have a hundred years to figure out how to fix the paperwork.  And your employees seem loyal.  Maybe they won't lie to you as much as mine do."
"Oh, don't count on that, Boss," Thorne drawled, grinning again. "If we worried you with every little thing, you'd never sleep again."
"Why, may I ask, did you ever decide to work for me ?"  Ben asked him, regarding Thorne with a watchful look.
"It wouldn't be boring, mainly," Thorne replied. "I mean, the pay is peanuts, I usually run through my government paycheck just buying sandwiches for the staff and Phyllis' tuition.  But you really need to hire a typist.  My wrists are getting arthritic doing all the damned typing."
"Noted," Ben said, poker face on. "Anything else you'd care to share at this juncture, Agent Thorne ?"
"That would be boring," Thorne replied, smiling.  The Djinn made a miffed sound, and walked into the corridor.  Bruno, hitched to the small sled, trailed after her, as if going on a walk in the park.

The corridor sloped downwards at a slight angle, so it was easy enough to keep their footing.  The floor was clear of dirt, but some small debris was left from the shattered shackles; Thorne stopped to pick up a couple of pieces of the metal.  "It may be useful to know what kind of metal can tie down something like our Shoggoth," he said.   The corridor split, with the one path being the one the Shoggoth took, the other leading subtly downwards.  Above them, the strange green lichen gave off enough light that they didn't stumble, but seeing any distance was difficult.  There was a slight breeze from outside.  Lanterns were brought out.  The floor had grit and dirt on it, probably stone dust.  There were cracks in the walls here and there, nothing too large.  It was some way down in the tunnel that there began to be carvings on stone slabs set neatly into the wall.  Dot carvings indicating writing of some sort edged each panel; the first one was a depiction of Elder Things coming to what must be a new planet; the continents were not as seen today, but in some sort of twisting clump, set in the middle of a massive sea.   "Wegener's Pangaea theory," Ben said.  "All our continents were once joined, and the rest of the world was an ocean called Panthalassa.  If that's Earth then the Elder Things arrived in the Early Permian Epoch."   Thorne took a picture of that, and of the next panels: they depicted the building of the city, by Shoggoths and some other odd-looking creatures, while the Elder Things directed them.  Then, the quality of the panel changed; the carvings were not so cleanly made, more like cave art than engraving; the Elder Things were shown as being cut down by Shoggoths, then the Elder Things fled the city.  The next panel was blank.  The corridor then opened up into a five-way split, with a large round room full of panels of Elder Thing writing, with more geometric designs based on five-sided patterns.
"Marbles," Thorne told the Djinn, who dug into a pocket and pulled out some clay marbles. "We want downward."  She set a marble in each corridor, and two of them rolled away into the gloom.  The left corridor was less ornately marked; the right had a lot of fancy work on the walls.  Thorne checked his watch and noted the information in his notebook, and took a picture of each of the passages, and chalked a notation on the way they'd come thus far.  "We've been walking for close to three hours and I want a rest," he said.  "Then we can decide which way down we want to go, servant's entrance or owner's."
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GM:  Decisions, actions, please, by Saturday 30 July, next post Sunday
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Jack giggles a bit more as the penguins hurtle past, but then regains most of his composure.
     “That was smart, protecting the dogs and gear,” he says to Ben with sincerity. “That’s why you’re the boss.”
     He is intrigued by the historical wall panels. When he gets to the one in more primitive style that shows the elder things being attacked, he says, “History is written by the victors.”
     When Thorne calls for a break, Jack nods in agreement. “That will give us time for you to explain why you think this is your last outing.”
     Regarding which path to take, Jack says, “The powerful weapons were probably with the leaders, not the servants. Unless the servants were soldiers, I guess. We can’t know for sure. Either way, I vote for the more ornate path.”

Expedition Stage 2, Into the Dark City pt 1

Jack recovers from his shock and acknowledges Ben's quick thinking in blocking the penguins from their dogs and equipment.
"Thanks," said his boss.  "I'm not sure I could explain away damages caused by stampeding penguins."

The Agents paused at the pentagonal room, where Thorne sat down on the small sled and gave Bruno a piece of beef jerky.   He had already photographed each entrance point, making certain to get as much of the dot-writing as possible in each picture.  At Jack's query, the Southerner gave him the side-eye for a split second, then rallied with, "My goodness, how manners have taken a tumble.  Far be it from me to enquire about anyone's personal business."
"Oh that is just swell coming from you," Ben said, in that level tone that said he was holding down his emotions, "You're the biggest gossip in the office."
"A gentleman might take exception to that," Thorne said, pulling his hip flask out of its inside pocket and sipping it.
"We're not leaving this place until you confess, so out with it." Ben glared.
"All right.  I'm retiring from active service upon our return to Washington.  And I'd appreciate it if I could withhold some details as it would make the rest of our adventure damned depressing."  Thorne, immune to glares, insults and the like, sipped again and put the flask away.    The Djinn was pacing back and forth, looking miserable, looking like she wanted to speak.
"And you swore Ginny to secrecy - of course."  Ben rolled his eyes.
"And I can take the fall for whatever happens to Captain Doan, since you have a wife and children, Boss.  It will all work out."  Thorne looked very pleased with himself.
"I wonder what Fritz will have to say about that," Ben said, in that deceptively calm voice.
"We'll both find out, it seems.  Okay, girl, off you go - bring help." Thorne pointed to the way back out, nodding to the Djinn.  In a flash she transformed into a small black falcon, and zipped out of the tunnel towards the outside.
"It will take them a while to get here, even with the fancy rides," Thorne said. "Let's go find some treasure."  He got to his feet with a wince.  Ben shook his head and picked up his satchel and staff.   "And I think Jack is right; the Elder Things would want to keep the good stuff apart from their servants."

The ornately decorated corridor sloped gently downward.  The floor was clean of dirt and dust, and the carvings on the walls were a repeating pattern featuring five-sided objects.  It was darker, too; the lichen seemed less bright, more patchy.  A series of deep gouges in the stonework told a tale of long-ago violence, but there were no stains or debris.  The only sounds are the sled runners grating on the stone floor and their footsteps.  Bruno, ambling along next to the Agents, suddenly pauses, sniffing the air.

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GM: Please respond with actions, etc, for the next few minutes of gametime, by Saturday 6 August, next post Sunday.
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Jack’s demeanor softens a bit when Thorne hints at health problems. He plans to keep an eye on him from here on out anyway, since he has proven himself willing to go behind Ben’s back.
     “I’m confused,” he says to Thorne in a neutral tone. “Why did you send her for help? We’re making progress as planned, are we not?” His question is genuine.
     When Bruno stops, Jack does the same and immediately steps quietly to the nearest wall. He stands still, listening and inhaling slowly through his nose. He loosens a flare gun in its holster and looks keenly ahead.

Spider, seeing Bruno's inquiring stance, moved to the side of the tunnel, ready to brace himself against the wall while aiming the rifle.  He thinks, {Of course now that we've sent for help, trouble will arrive before the help does...even that doesn't change in the future...}