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02:08, 9th May 2024 (GMT+0)

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 1.

Posted by The GMFor group 0
The GM
GM, 182 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 17 Oct 2022
at 01:29
  • msg #1

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 1


Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 1

-----Spider-----

"You're welcome Dad.  This is the first time I've been here, the paradox guidelines for this event are pretty dodgy." Dave said, tapping his wristwatch a few times; it too was a black rectangle shape with a glasslike facing.  "Everyone is back that way.  We seem to have destabilised the city structure.  You'll need to hurry to get to the main floor.  Three levels below here is an operations area for the Elder Things and it has some items you will need in 1937.  I sent a map to your plex with pictures.  You may want to draw the original today." There was a beeping noise from his watch.  "Instability spike....  Oi, Dad -"  his son tossed the flamethrower to him, and disappeared in a blur of shadow.  There was noise back towards the entrance, voices and footsteps, then a glowing light.  Bruno's ugly bulk loomed out of the shadows, definitely the worse for wear, near a slim person in clothes like Dave's.   They were standing by the corridor that Ben, Jack and Thorne had been trapped in.

---Nolan------

Nolan mentioned secondary falls just before a chunk of stone the size of a suitcase came out of the ceiling and smashed on the stone floor about twenty feet from them.
"Damnation," Ruby Rae muttered, stowing the black device into her coat pocket.  She didn't hesitate beyond putting up a cloth gaiter over her mouth and nose, and ran into the tunnel back towards the explosion site.   Fritz likewise hurried onward, with the masked 'TJ' and the German in furs.  There were definite cracks in the stonework and the stone floor was broken in places.

---Jack, Nolan, Spider ------

The stone wall had cracked in precisely the same pattern as the cord, and tumbled loose onto the floor.  The dust was settling, a white glow shining about three feet off the ground, with shadowy shapes around it.  There was a deep grinding sound of stone on stone, and dot-marked panel fell off of the wall, shattering on the floor.  There were footsteps from another section of the corridors.  Somewhere in the trap room there were coughing sounds and the whining of a very large beast.  Fritz stepped into the room, shining a tiny but powerful flashlight.  "TRIP !" he yelled.
"Hellfire," Thorne coughed.
"TJ -" Ruby Rae all but shoved the masked time agent into the room, then called, "Here, Bruno, good boy !"  Shaking off rubble and dust, the battered hellhound limped towards her, with a slight wag of his scaly tail.  The dust was clearing, revealing Ben and Jack prone, by the smallest sled, Thorne on the floor with TJ opening up his gear bag to reveal what was no doubt medical equipment, and Fritz, who was glaring at Thorne.   The stone ceiling above them all made a deep grinding sound and seemed to settle again with a fresh spray of stone dust.

Jack suddenly felt a lot better, the load lifting from him as fresh but dusty air rushed into the room, though the echoes of sound of the explosion were still ringing in his ears.  The blast had knocked him back towards the ground, but whatever barriers had been made, they had protected the agents against the worst of the blast.  Ben's badge on the floor stopped glowing and fell over, tarnished and scratched, but Ben was sitting up.   "Yes, the cavalry," he agreed.  A masked man had come into the room with Fritz and had some kind of medical gear, and a woman's voice had called to Bruno, and the hellhound had responded, leaving the room.
"Fritzi, I apologise," said Thorne, as the masked man sorted through his bag and came up with something that looked like an injector, and set up a lantern with strong white light.  Jack was suddenly aware that he was covered in splashes of black ichor and stone dust, and had several stinging reminders of stone shards, but nothing seemed serious.  Ben looked in similar shape.  Thorne looked worst of all, having been covered with Bruno's blood and slobber as well as tar and stone dust.

"We will discuss it later," Fritz said, with cold venom in his tone.
"Who the hell are you, and what do you think you're doing with that thing ?"  Thorne queried the masked man, batting away the injector.
"Eh, Sir, stop moving, please," the mysterious TJ said, trying to level the injector with Thorne's neck. "I'm a field medic.  I'm here to help."
Thorne's response was to fake a punch at the man and then wrench off his mask with the other hand, sending the field medic sprawling.  Even in the swirling dust, with harsh green of the glowsticks tinging the light in the room, it was notable.  The field medic was a dead ringer for Thorne, just about thirty years old.
"Touch him again and I'll shoot you myself," Fritz said, having drawn and aimed his Luger at Thorne with uncanny swiftness.
"Papa, it's okay, he'd figure it out," TJ said, rolling to his knees and rescuing the injector from the floor and facing off with Thorne.   He had the same accent as Thorne, too.  "I'm trying to give you a chemotherapy cocktail.  It won't cure you.  It will just help you live longer.  Then I'm giving all of you some stimulants and performance enhancers.  We can't stay long.  Just wanted to meet you."
"Opa," the woman's voice called, "I'm keylocking soon.  Dave's gone."
"Say hello to your grandfather, Ruby Rae," Fritz said, slightly lowering the Luger.
"Oh, my," Thorne said, looking more surprised than he'd ever been, looking at TJ, who took the opportunity to slam the injector into Thorne's neck and fire it.



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GM:  Everyone is together now in the same area.  Actions, please, for the next few minutes of game time.  Please respond by Saturday 22 October, next post Sunday.
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Nolan
player, 28 posts
Wed 19 Oct 2022
at 17:33
  • msg #2

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 1

Nolan studied the underground chamber they were in, looking in particular at the available exits and the state of the roof, trying to work out if any of it was going to further collapse, either trapping them here or crushing them to death. "Are we safe here?" he asked aloud as he looked at the crack in the stone wall. "Or do we need to get moving? And where do we go next? I was promised an underground city for a start."

He held his Thompson ready but pointed at the floor. The last thing they needed in here now was gunfire. Actually that wasn't true. The last thing that they needed was more explosives!
Jack
player, 130 posts
Sun 23 Oct 2022
at 17:02
  • msg #3

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 1

“We thank you, Great Athena,” Jack says in relief. As he pulls himself together, he clumsily retrieves a handkerchief from his inside pocket and offers it to Ben.
     “Are you all right? Here, wipe off some of that dust and.. that other stuff. Let’s make sure the flying bits of wall didn’t cut us up too badly.”
     Jack eventually gets to his feet and wipes feebly at the dust and goo splattered on himself, hoping the feeling is returning to his hands. Having met his own future self, he is rather blasé about the transtemporal family reunion going on. He continues to stand near Ben, making the Director’s well-being his priority.
     “Let’s get going as quick as we can,” he says to everyone in general. “The sooner we get what we came for, the sooner we can leave this place.”
Spider
player, 50 posts
Sun 23 Oct 2022
at 21:11
  • msg #4

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 1

Spider grabbed the flamethrower and donned it, adjusting the straps as best he could.  Dave was a little taller than Spider, but he had the same disproportionately long arms and legs.  He made sure he recalled the instructions to fire the thing and moved towards the others.  He just heard the tail end of some remarks indicating that his progeny was not the only one among their rescuers.  "It's a pleasure to meet you all, for at least my first time.  But I know you might, er, vanish at any moment.  So we need to move fast.  My boy says we need to go down 3 levels, to the Elder Things Ops Center, and grab some items we will need in 1937.  Let's go now.  The longer we're here the less I like it.  And that's saying something!"  As they began to move out he wondered how he would reconcile all he had learned about himself, his future and that of his children, with his promises to Cressida to keep them, and himself, safe.
The GM
GM, 183 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 24 Oct 2022
at 02:13
  • msg #5

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 2

Expedition Stage 4: the Secrets of the Elder Things

"Safe is relative," Fritz said to Nolan. "We will go soon, and we will be heading downwards."
He was all business now, the icy tone gone, the handgun put away.   Ben accepted the handkerchief and made a token attempt to clear the gunk from his face; he looked tired.  Jack was relieved to find that the wand still had a faint glow, but had not drained him of all his mana.  It seemed his worship of Athena had been noted.

The odd family reunion was a strange counterpoint to what had already been a weird day.  After Thorne was finished swearing, he accepted a hand up to stand from TJ.  Ruby Rae slipped into the room, satchel over her shoulder; she swung it down and set it on the floor by Thorne's feet.  "Um.  Grandfather ?" she said, taking down the gaiter to look at Thorne.  Fritz took the explosives satchel and went to get the small sled.

TJ moved on to help Ben and Jack stand up, and handed over two packages of some kind of medication to Jack.  The similarity to Thorne was uncanny, but his manner was professional and calm, unlike the polished mannerisms of Thorne.
"Red ones for Stimulant, good for four hours; Blue for Performance, metabolic stabliser, good for four hours.  Do not use more than four each per day.  Apply the patch to your neck.  Side effects include dizziness, tremor, nausea.  Director Weintraub, Director Sterling, pleasure to meet you in person."  TJ also threw a white box with a red cross onto the sled as Fritz dragged it outside the corridor.  Something beeped, and TJ looked at his wrist.  "Keylocking out."
"Take this," Fritz passed him an ancient-looking leatherbound notebook, as TJ faded into a wash of dark shadow.  Thorne suddenly recalled his manners and bowed to Ruby Rae.
"Ruby was my grandmother's name," he said to the young woman.
"I know," she said.  Despite the dirt, blood, slime and dust covering Thorne, she hugged him, then disappeared as her watch beeped.

"That was our only assistance on this expedition," Fritz said, checking his own watch.  "Lucius and Phyllis will remain for as long as they can but they will not enter the city.  That's their best chance to avoid timeline instability."
"And that's all you want to say ?"  Thorne had to ask.
"We will discuss it LATER, Thomas.  Bruno, where are you ?  Ah, what the hell did you do to Brunnzie ?"  Fritz fussed over the giant spiky scaly beast, who amiably slobbered and wagged his tail.  "Very well, I will pull the sled.   I also want to go, now.  Spider, David was to give you the map."

Without delay, with Spider leading, the agents headed towards the less ornate downward corridor.  Fritz followed next with the sled and the explosives, with Bruno limping beside him, and then Thorne, Jack and Ben brought up the rear.  They moved carefully past the charred husks of the Things that had chased after Spider; the rest of the corridor was empty.
"Where's my Ginny ?" Thorne wanted to know.
"She was sent to deal with a Navy spy plane," Fritz said.
"And why was my granddaughter here ?  This is no place for a woman !"
"She won the competition.  LATER, Thomas.  For now, be content."
"But -"
"Enough, Thorne," Ben said.  "Listen."
The corridor sloped gently downwards.  The grinding sound of stones cracking had abated, but there was another sound; running water, or some kind of liquid.  Above them, patchy pieces of the glowing lichen provided some light, though not enough to see further along the hallway.  There was another sound, too; something moving stealthily, out of range of their sight.

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GM: Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday, 29 October, next post Sunday
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Spider
player, 51 posts
Sun 30 Oct 2022
at 15:22
  • msg #6

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 2

Spider signaled a halt by holding up a hand, then muttered softly, "Let's shine a bit of light on things," and sent a stream of flame forward...
Nolan
player, 30 posts
Sun 30 Oct 2022
at 21:15
  • msg #7

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 2

Using a flamethrower to provide light was a little unorthodox but it seemed to do the job, although briefly. Nolan scanned around, looking for whatever they had heard moving stealthy off in the distance, his Thomspon held ready to engage any threats that he spotted.
Jack
player, 131 posts
Sun 30 Oct 2022
at 23:35
  • msg #8

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 2

(OC: Sorry I’m so late. Recovering from a Halloween party last night.)
Jack sticks close to Ben, and keeps a wary eye on the walls, floor, and ceiling, looking for more traps or other unusual features. He keeps the wand in his left hand, and keeps his right near a holstered flare gun. He draws the flare pistol when they hear stealthy movement, but he does ask, “Could that be the one we freed?”
The GM
GM, 185 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 31 Oct 2022
at 00:45
  • msg #9

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 3

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 2

Spider happily deployed the flamethrower, sending something pony sized with way too many legs skittering backwards with an eldritch screech.  Bruno, heeling alongside Fritz, added a few guttural barks.  Nolan, observing this from the back, jumped when someone tapped him on the shoulder.  It was a fur-dressed, dark-skinned woman with golden eyes, the one who had shapeshifted into a falcon.  "Pardon me," she said. "I want a word with someone."
"Oh, hell," Thorne muttered, spotting her as he looked back.
"Shush," Ben said.  He backed off as the woman pushed her way past Nolan, and let her pass him by, which put Ben next to Nolan and Jack.   She went to Thorne and began whispering in his ear, by physically grabbing his ear and dragging him down to her level.  Jack asked about the Shoggoth, noticing that the lichen in this part of the corridor seemed to be in better shape, giving off a faint glow, and the floor was very clean, apart from recent dashes of stone dust or small bits of stone from cracks in the ceiling and walls.
"I was wondering about It," Ben said quietly to Jack.  "But I'm not sure where It went."

"Nolan, I must apologise again," Ben said to Nolan, softly.  "We didn't know if you would recover, and it was too risky to drag you along with us on a sled.  So we left you with supplies and a dog.  I'm glad to see you back."

"OK, we go - carefully," Fritz suggested to Spider.  He clipped a flashlight to his weapon, some kind of Thompson - the light had to be from the future, as the beam was as strong as a lighthouse.  This tunnel was far less ornate, and the murals continued on a 'serve your masters' theme.   Quite a few of them had been defaced.   Cracks showed in the walls, also, with some small trickles of dust now and then, but the main shifting of the edifice seemed to have stopped.  Nothing more got near the strong beam of the light.  The downslope seemed more steep now, also.  After a few careful moments, they came to a junction point with three more corridors.  Two of them seemed level, and one sloped downwards.  Of the three, the leftmost one showed the most disturbing signs of damage, the middle and right one much less so.   It was the metallic panel inset in the downward sloping middle tunnel that was something to look at, though.  Thoroughly inscribed with the dots of the Elder Things language, it was clearly some kind of message or warning, and had some indentations in it that might be buttons.  The metal was a strange dark blue, with no sign of corrosion or patina, and had one raised area on the bottom left corner of the plate; it was about two feet wide and two and a half feet tall, and set about five feet up in the corridor.  (see uploaded pic, under Game Map, drop down box Select another map to view, click View button to see the panel)
"I'll take a picture of it -" Thorne said, looking happy to step away from the still-irate djinni.
"You wrote it in your journal," said Fritz quietly.
"Did I say what we did with it ?"
"No, you didn't.  We should all take a quick rest, anyway, while you write all that down," Fritz said, in a low voice.  "Food, water, and rest."
"He's right," Ben said quietly.  "We'll rest."  At his nod, Thorne got out his leather notebook, the much-newer twin to the one Fritz had been carrying, and began sketching out the panel.
Nothing seemed to be stirring, though the air seemed fresh and chilly.  A slight breeze rose from the lower level, then abated.
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GM: Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday, 5 November, next post Sunday.
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Jack
player, 132 posts
Sat 5 Nov 2022
at 05:01
  • msg #10

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 3

Jack is glad of the chance to rest. He examines the red and blue medicine patches given to him by TJ curiously, noting the futuristic packaging as much as the meds themselves. He carefully applies one of each, on either side of his neck, and sits down on a clean section of floor where he can lean against a wall for a bit and watch the tunnel they just came down.
     After a while (assuming no adverse effects from the meds) his curiosity gets the best of him and he walks over to the unusual panel and examines it for a while, then speaks to the group in general. "Controls or communications of some kind, perhaps? Or maybe a recording? This rectangle in the corner looks to me like a power switch. I am inclined to press it and see what happens. Any thoughts?"
The GM
GM, 186 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 7 Nov 2022
at 01:40
  • msg #11

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 4

Expedition Stage 4: Secrets of the Elder Ones pt 4

------------
Jack settled down to rest, and looked at the patches as the rest of the group drink from canteens and munch on rations. They were some sort of flexible tin foil, the writing on them in three different languages; English, Chinese, and some kind of glyphs.  As far as he could determine, the Stimulant and Performance patches were military issue, with an expiration date of June, 2087, and they were to be distributed by licensed medical personnel only.  He tries one of each, while Ben tries to speak to Nolan, as Fritz checks over Bruno, putting some kind of ointment on the beast's injuries, Thorne scribbles down the panel information, and Spider looks at the signage.  With a tired sigh, Bruno settles down on the sled and falls asleep.   Ginny sits down on the sled next to Bruno and watches Thorne draw in his notebook.  There is still a faint sound of water trickling, somewhere farther down the tunnel.  Fritz checks his ammo.

Jack, however, suddenly feels just fine, full of energy.  His heightened awareness also gains him the initiative; he has the feeling they're being watched, and turns his head quickly to see a small eyespot on a pseudopod extrusion hiding in a crack in the wall.

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GM: Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday 5 November, next post Sunday.
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Spider
player, 51 posts
Fri 11 Nov 2022
at 23:04
  • msg #12

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 4

Spider stares at the panel for a minute or so, then shakes his head.  "You know, with that star in the upper right, I had a thought that this is some bizarre form of a map.  The star has five points, so it might represent that big 5 junction spot.  And if you know how to read it, the assorted lines and dots might give us directions.  But if so, I can't figure it out.  I only know we need to go down another level, from what a future version of my son told me.  So I guess we head down."

OOC:  If Jack points out the eyeball, Spider will bring up the flaming end of the flamethrower and move it closer to the eyeball...
This message was lightly edited by the GM at 23:04, Fri 11 Nov 2022.
Jack
player, 133 posts
Sun 13 Nov 2022
at 12:57
  • msg #13

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 4

Jack readies the wand and speaks directly to the eyestalk, making sure Spider and the rest of the crew can hear him: "Come out and join us. We can help each other further. If you don't, we will assume you're hostile."
The GM
GM, 188 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 14 Nov 2022
at 00:30
  • msg #14

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 5

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 5

Jack and Spider square off at the eyespot; Jack challenges it.  It blinks once, then slowly flows out of the crack, and begins constructing a human shape from the boots up.  "You are very dangerous creatures," the Shoggoth declared, once it had reformed as the Scot. Bruno had retreated behind Fritz, but the hellhound's bulk was not easy to conceal.  "I won't eat that thing," the Shoggoth said.  "It can stop worrying.  I ate so many proto-forms I want to sleep for a year."

"It's part of the contract that you don't eat 'that thing'." Thorne pointed out.  "Now, didn't we discuss with you about providing knowledge of the city ?  Such as, read this sign out loud to us in English."

The Shoggoth turned awkwardly and looked at the plate on the wall.
"This commemorates the glory of the Elder Things, building this city in the epoch of - I have no way of translating the time period, it was when the land mass was all one big piece - when this planet was seeded with the creatures who would serve the Elders.  There are four levels dedicated to their purpose.  There is a list of Elder names that do not translate into anything close to your language, who were the overlords of this place.  The last part is a warning that the planet is becoming inhospitable due to an asteroid collision and this base will remain closed until it is required - and that it has been given- what is the word...snares ?"

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GM:  Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday 19 November, next post Sunday.
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Spider
player, 52 posts
Fri 18 Nov 2022
at 23:41
  • msg #15

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 5

Spider frowns.  "So does it say what needs to happen for the base to be re-opened?"  He pauses, then says, "I guess it doesn't matter much.  We still need to find the stuff we came for, and get out of here.  There's still much danger from the tarps and shoggoths, not to mention the giant blind penguins and the cold.  Let's go!"
Jack
player, 134 posts
Sun 20 Nov 2022
at 14:59
  • msg #16

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 5

Jack nods at the Scotsman (Shogsman?) when it reappears, and says simply, “Good.”
     He listens carefully as their (possible) ally answers Spider’s question and deciphers the plaque for them.
     “I guess I would have looked foolish trying to activate it, then. Anyway, Spider is right. We need to keep moving to our goal.”
     To the Scotsman, he adds, “Snares, yes. Like the moving walls. ‘Traps’ is what we call them generally. Please advise us if we approach any more of them that you are aware of. Also, how would you prefer to be addressed?”
The GM
GM, 189 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 21 Nov 2022
at 02:06
  • msg #17

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 6

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things

The Shoggoth attempted a shrug, failing to approximate a human gesture in a way that was completely unnerving to watch, the ersatz shoulders reaching high above the 'head'.

"I have not thought of a mode of address," the Shoggoth said. "This form was called "Vince'.   It was with a herd of creatures like you, including the smaller creatures with fur.  It followed a creature named 'Scott'.  Twenty-three revolutions of the star have occurred since then."

"The Discovery Expedition ?"  Ben asked. "Robert Falcon Scott ?"

"Yes, that was what it knew."  The Shoggoth ambled down the corridor, then abruptly dropped out of sight.  About thirty feet away, a hole was in the corridor flooring, with some dot writing on the walls next to it; the hole stretched from one wall to the next.  From the darkness below, the Shoggoth's voice drifted up.  "This might be a trap, I think."

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GM:  Please respond with actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, by Saturday, 26 November, next post Sunday.
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Spider
player, 53 posts
Sat 26 Nov 2022
at 22:26
  • msg #18

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 6

Spider exhaled almost with relief, that at last here was something where he could contribute.  He quickly readied his harness and climbing gear and had the others belay his rope.  "I'll give this a quick look-over.  Maybe it will get us down where we're headed quicker."  With his helmet lantern on he began to descend the wall of the pit.
Jack
player, 135 posts
Sun 27 Nov 2022
at 15:16
  • msg #19

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 6

Wand at the ready, Jack moves cautiously to the edge and peers down to see what is below. If Spider's plan seems feasible, he will help belay him, while making sure Ginny and Thorne keep a sharp lookout both ways.
The GM
GM, 190 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 28 Nov 2022
at 01:00
  • msg #20

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 7

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things

Spider happily got his climbing gear ready and took a look at the hole.  It was dark down there, at least thirty feet down, with a section that looked like it had broken away recently - but had been engineered to do so.   The edges of the floor were defined and the stone dust was fresh.  A murky ooze of darkness reacted to his helmet light, edging out of the way.  With Fritz and Ben being the anchor, Spider belayed down to the next level.  Tunnel stretched to the left and right, and the Shoggoth amused itself by reforming into the Scot.  It threw aside some long metal tines with a clatter, pulling them from its body with a distinctly unnerving squelch.  "They were supposed to harm me, but they didn't work," It said.  "At one time, they may have held a...power...if that is the correct word.  I was wondering how you creatures moved around.  Most interesting."  The Shoggoth looked up at Jack and flopped one arm around in what was supposed to be a wave.

A quick look-round showed that the tunnel did indeed lead onward, into the deeper levels.  The walls were plainer stone, with only a few plates of dot-writing set in them.
"It is a service tunnel for the slaves," the Shoggoth said.  "At one time, I was down here, but in the early days, before I became Me.  Not all of the city was built then.  This passage leads to the deeper chambers, if you go this way.  The other way, I don't know, it says 'Temple'."  It pointed in the two directions, carefully working out how elbows were deployed.

The sound of dripping water was louder here, too, and Spider noticed a thin trickle of liquid along one of the walls.  Then there was a shuffling sound, in the direction of the 'Temple', as if something alive was moving in the tunnel.

Above, an icy gust of wind was riffling down the corridor, bringing with it an acidic stench.  Ginny backed up next to Thorne, who drew the Le Mat.  Bruno growled, a deep rumble of menace and raised spiky hackles.
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GM:  Please respond with actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, by Saturday 3 December, next post Sunday
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Jack
player, 136 posts
Sun 4 Dec 2022
at 11:27
  • msg #21

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 7

Jack tries hard to focus on the benefits of their new ally's form, such as withstanding traps and bypassing crevices, and suppresses thoughts of its unsettling anatomical oddities. He waves back half-heartedly.
     "Ah. Good work. That is indeed a trap, and it might have injured us.
     "We're here to retrieve the Builders' weapons and other useful equipment that we can carry away. Which direction will lead us to such things?"
     When something is heard moving in the "Temple" hallway, Jack will attempt to fire a pre-emptive flare into the mouth of that tunnel from his vantage point above, if he can do so without hitting Spider or "Vince." If the angle is too risky, he will instead ready the wand to place a protective shield around Spider. Not knowing how the magic might react with a shoggoth, he won't worry about shielding Vince, who can presumably look after himself.
The GM
GM, 191 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 5 Dec 2022
at 02:00
  • msg #22

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 8

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 8

The Shoggoth seems harmless enough, but understanding the motives of a creature that has admitted to being very old and a prisoner are less than easy.  As far as Jack could tell, the Shoggoth was happy to be in their company for now, perhaps just to see what the humans might do next.

"Materiel and equipment was stored in the deeper chambers," The Shoggoth replied to Jack's question.  It too reacted to the sound of something coming from the Temple side of the lower tunnel, producing extra 'arms' from its body and equipping them with long claws.  Jack could not see a clear shot that would not endanger Spider or their weird ally, and again finds the wand in his hand.  The Deflect Harm spell settles over Spider with surprising ease.

From the upper hallway, the horrific acrid smell increased, prompting Nolan and Ben to cough, Fritz to set up his rifle, and Thorne to laugh, as Bruno growled and moved in front of him, hackles raised.  There was a distant rattle of automatic gunfire from a large weapon, in several bursts.   It was as if the horrid stench of an Elder Thing went rancid and it was getting stronger.

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GM:  Please respond with actions, etc, for the next minute of game time, by Saturday, 10 December, next post Sunday.  Looks like we lost Nolan again, I've messaged him.
The GM
GM, 192 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 12 Dec 2022
at 00:44
  • msg #23

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 8a

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 8a

In the tunnel above
--------------
The cold wind brought with it a horrific stench; Nolan gagged and dropped first, vomiting.  Thorne fired the Le Mat into the floating mass of rotten flesh, splattering the walls with it, and Bruno surged forward, jaws agape to attack.  Ben, to Jack's surprise, drew his .45 and aimed to fire at the thing, as Fritz took one look at it and raised his rifle.  It was an Elder Thing, but this one seemed already half-dead; one side of it was withered, rotting, and it moved clumsily.
Jack fired the flare gun with his off hand, the wand tight in his other hand.

In the tunnel below
--------------
Spider hears the shuffling sound getting louder, just beyond the limit of his sight, and it seems large.  The Shoggoth crouches, apparently ready to attack.  Then the sound blasts them both, a high keening that rips along the nerves, producing instant headache.

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GM:  Penultimate post of the year, please respond by 17 December, Saturday, next post is 18 December, Sunday, then we will have our traditional two week holiday from Mythos.  Hope you are all well and just busy with the season.
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Spider
player, 54 posts
Mon 12 Dec 2022
at 01:15
  • msg #24

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 8a

Spider grits his teeth and aims in the direction of the screech, hoping the massive report of the elephant rifle helps counter-balance the high-pitched whine that is causing him such agony.
Jack
player, 137 posts
Sun 18 Dec 2022
at 01:54
  • msg #25

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 8a

OOC: Sorry, busy indeed. I had cataract surgery on one eye last week, with the other this coming week. I’m sharing my dad’s old pickup because I hit a deer with my Prius and it’s been in the shop for weeks. I was a pallbearer for the mother of a good friend earlier this week, the same day my dad turned 80. Plus family drama over who’s going where for the holidays. One thing after another!
IC: Jack raises an eyebrow at the fresh horror of an undead Elder Thing, but after firing the flaregun, he turns his attention back to Spider, who is alone with a friendly-for-now shoggoth and some unknown hostile force. He maintains careful concentration on the Deflect Harm spell, and tries to move laterally to get a better view of (and shot at) whatever is approaching from the tunnel.
The GM
GM, 193 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 19 Dec 2022
at 02:11
  • msg #26

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 9

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 9

-----Spider, in the tunnel below------
Spider turns Matilda loose, the blast of the rifle in close quarters being enough to temporarily deafen him and make his ears ring for well after that.  Whatever it was seemed to move backwards, tumbling into the darker shadows.  Beside him, the Shoggoth lost its shape and sagged to the tunnel floor, the eyespots wincing, its amoeboid mass quivering like gelatin.   Distantly, Spider can hear some rapping sounds, but his ears are ringing, and something smells very rotten and scorched.  Jack eventually looks over the edge of the tunnel.  Everything above them seems all right, though the smell is horrific.


-----Jack, in the tunnel above----
Jack fires the flare into the Elder thing a split second before Bruno leaps at it.  Jack notices that his reaction time is good - better than even Fritz's, and that he feels very awake.  The Hellhound shreds the putrid flesh, liberally splattering the tunnel, himself, and Thorne, who started swearing.  The Elder Thing sagged down to the tunnel floor with the Hellhound's added weight and gestured vaguely with its few good tentacles, then Fritz fired on it.  It deflated and fell apart more, revealing a organometallic wire mesh flailing in vain to try to make it move again.   Ben stowed his .45 and went to pull Nolan away from the mess, while Fritz laughed at Thorne and the Hellhound chewed on the rancid, burnt Elder Thing.  Below him, Spider and the Shoggoth seemed to be fine, but rather hard of hearing; the Shoggoth had lost its shape and was splashed out on the tunnel floor, eyespots nearly shut, the most amorphous suggestion of a headache ever seen.

-----A few minutes later-----
The Elder Thing had clearly been controlled by some kind of wired device, which Ben insisted on packing up and loading into the sled.  Bruno was already horking up the bits he'd eaten, Nolan wasn't much better, and Thorne was livid at the mess of his fur coat.  Fritz was unpacking something from the future, which was another of the vivid winter coats the Temporal Agency wore, for Thorne to change into.  "You complained in the journal for three pages about that fur coat," Fritz said to Thorne, "So make sure you still complain."  Spider was settling Matilda back over his shoulder.

"You are even more dangerous than I thought," the Shoggoth told Spider, after it had recovered and reformed a human shape.  It seemed impressed.  "That creature was not very intelligent.  It has gone away.  Both this tunnel and the one above will lead into the lower levels, but this one may have more creatures in it, and there is water."  It indicated a new trickle of dirty water splashing down the wall, where a recent crack had formed.  "The ice is melting through the cracks."
"Hey," Ben said, leaning over the hole next to Jack in order to look down at Spider, "We ought to get moving.  There's water dripping from the wall now.  I think this structure's unstable."
"Your herd leader is not wrong," the Shoggoth agreed. "It will be very difficult to squash me, but not so much for you."
"Shoggoth, which is the quickest path to the lower levels ?"  Ben asked It.
"Both of these corridors lead downward.  This one has water in it also, and may have more creatures.  Probably not intelligent ones, though.  Above, there may be more traps.  The Elder Things had enemies.  Choose, and I will go with you."
------
------
GM:  Now, decide which way to go - the tunnel above, or the other one below it.  Hope you have a great Holiday Season !  Jack, Sorry about Life, think how great it will be to not have cataracts though.  We are going to have our two week holiday with the next post due on Saturday, 7 January, 2023, next post 8 January, on Sunday.
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Spider
player, 55 posts
Sun 8 Jan 2023
at 00:24
  • msg #27

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 9

Once Spider was able to join the conversation intelligibly he said, "I'd rather deal with creatures, than traps we don't know about.  And if we take the upper one we still might need to come down to this level.  Maybe there won't be an easy way down ahead.  That's my vote."
The GM
GM, 194 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 9 Jan 2023
at 02:22
  • msg #28

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 9

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 10

Spider's suggestion was duly noted and considered, as Thorne handed off a handkerchief to Fritz, where the unconscious Djinn was resting, and changed his besmirched fur coat for the fancy future one.   Ben leaned over the edge to discuss the choice.  "All right by me; we'll take the lower tunnel.  Bruno can probably jump down, we'll lower the sled.  Jack and Fritz can anchor for me and Thorne.  Nolan - go back out to the surface when you feel able.  It's too risky for you.  Spider, how much fuel do you have left in the flamethrower ? And....Shoggoth, how long will it take us to get to the lower levels ?"

"As far as I can grasp your time reckoning, one twentieth of one planetary revolution."  the Shoggoth replied.
"And you know other ways to the surface ?"
"There were many ways to the surface, but I have not been in them for a very long time."
"We'll need all the help you can give us, then.  Is there anything you want from us ?"
The Shoggoth thought, blinking twice.
"I want to see what you creatures do next."  It said.

With the application of a few medical patches, the agents revived enough to get their gear and themselves transferred to the lower level.  Powerful flashlights from the stash on the sled cut through the darkness; the glowing fungus was not growing down in the service tunnel.  The Shoggoth had personally taken charge of the sled, and was in the front with Spider, with Bruno sulking along at Thorne's side, at the back.  Ben and Jack were in the middle, with Fritz trailing to keep an eye on Thorne.

Some small scrabbling things like fat, multi-legged mice fled from the light, and a few puddles were forming  near cracks in the tunnel walls.  The tunnel sloped steeply downwards, so much so that a couple of times the Agents had to slide down for a while, bracing on the walls and floors.  At one point, something larger took notice of them and fled into a side tunnel.  About an hour and a half of dark tunnel, dripping water, sliding down sudden slopes and jumping at shadows, the Agents found themselves in an immense dark cavern, where a lake of icy water was covering a quarter of the floor.  Dark rock menhirs were stationed around the cavern in a five-pointed pattern, and a bank of black stone benches held some metallic structures - series of boxes with five sides, and a big cannon-like object festooned with large metallic rods, the same metal as the type used to shackled the Shoggoth.  Pale things like four-winged bats skittered around on the ceiling, easily two hundred feet above their heads.  Metal plates were set into the walls and in the menhirs, which were about thirty feet high, and these plates were full of the dot-writing, with some symbols besides.  There was movement deep in the shadows, but nothing came into the light the Agents used to sweep around the cavern.

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GM: Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time ?  Please respond by 14 January, Saturday, next post is Sunday.  Welcome back: this game has now been running for 25 years.  Yes,  25 years, beginning on quadrunner listserve in 1998.
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Jack
player, 138 posts
Sun 15 Jan 2023
at 08:22
  • msg #29

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 9

OOC: Sorry, I guess I took off an extra week. But 25 years, what a great milestone — Huzzah!
IC: Jack is unsure which route to take, so agrees with Spider and Ben.
     “I confess the water worries me, though, regardless of which way we go.” He decide to try out a name for the shoggoth in the hopes of further putting its alienness out of his mind: “Vince, was there always water here, or has something just started producing enough heat to cause this melting? Can you tell how long before the tunnel is flooded?”
     When they reach the cavern, Jack quickly looks for any equipment small enough to take, but doesn’t touch it yet. He also briefly looks for any other passages entering, and checks them for obvious threats. [Or if the room is too big, he just checks near where they came in.]
     “Do you know the functions of these machines, Vince? Are there portable weapons nearby? Please remember that we cannot tell what is on the other side of walls, and we don’t always recognize doors and moving panels that might be between us and what we seek. Any guidance you can provide will be most helpful in speeding our exit from this place. I imagine you are eager to leave and see what else our people have created during your long stay here.”
The GM
GM, 195 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 16 Jan 2023
at 02:23
  • msg #30

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 9

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 10

The Shoggoth didn't respond to Jack's question right away, but seemed intrigued to have a name.  "For a long time, there was no ice, then the land mass shifted and the ice formed.  There have also been - shaking times.  The land shook...what's it called; earthquake.  I saw a crack in the tunnel when I was being taken to be chained a long time ago.  The City is old, abandoned, with no maintenance.    The water will likely fill this tunnel in about one half of one rotation of this planet."

Far below, the Agents looked at the cavern, trying to determine what to plunder.  "That is a weapon," the Shoggoth said, indicating the big cannon-like object.  Fritz and Thorne hurried over to it immediately.  "This was a manufacturing...there is not a word I have for it, perhaps control factory ?  There should be power indicators, power storage.  From these...machines....the servitors were made.  But much is missing.  The growth vats are also gone. The tools are gone."  The Shoggoth turned around slowly, taking in the sight.  "There is another cavern this way, it was used for storage."  It walked towards the South East wall, past the counters, and touched the wall; there was no discernable door.   "There is water there now, a lot of it," the Shoggoth reported.  "It would not be safe for you creatures."

There was a sloshing sound in the water, ice chunks bobbing; a fresh influx of cold water.  The fluttering in the cavern's roof became more agitated; the creatures were about the size of seagulls, pale grey, with four wings dotted with red eyespots.  Bruno growled, eyeing them.

"Ow !" Thorne yelped as he jumped back from the big cannon. "It shocked me !"
"Oh good," the Shoggoth said, "That means it still has a power supply."
"Where are the records, information on the Elder Things...and their enemies ?"  Ben asked.
"Stored in the crystals in these machines," Vince the Shoggoth replied. "I can extract the crystals for you."
"Yes, please, thank you," Ben said.  "What machine can show the crystal's information ?"
"The flat one over there, next to you."
Jack mentioned leaving.  "Three of the tunnels will no longer be safe, they will be under water," The Shoggoth said, now looking upward.  The nervous bat creatures moved away from It, a few of them winging off into the tunnel the Agents had used to enter the room.  "There is an access tunnel up there, but it is steeply angled.  It will lead into the top level by a service doorway.  That is the fastest path upward."  It pointed up at a place on the cavern wall, about forty feet high, on the South wall.  A hatchway was there, partly open.  "You could also go back the way we came in; once there, there are three different ways to get to the surface using that tunnel.  I am pleased to be helpful, since you creatures released me from confinement, and yes, I will have a look at this world that has grown so well from the seeds of the Elders."

The Shoggoth turned to the nearest pentagram machine and pressed a few buttons on the dot-patterned panel.  A section of it popped open, revealing a clear tray of flat glasslike discs.
------
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GM: Actions, etc, for the next ten minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday, 21 January, next post Sunday.  I uploaded a new map of the cavern for you to look at.
-------------------------------------------------------
Spider
player, 56 posts
Sat 21 Jan 2023
at 23:20
  • msg #31

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 10

Spider, still unnerved by the entire adventure, once again found comfort in seeing something where he knew he could contribute.  He quickly roped up and grabbed some spike and his hammer and said, "I'll get some ropes up to that hatch.  The fastest way out sounds too right to me."  While the others began collecting information and equipment to take back, he worked on their exit, including a way to lift heavier items up to the tunnel, including the four-legged companion.
Jack
player, 139 posts
Sun 22 Jan 2023
at 21:57
  • msg #32

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 9

“We appreciate the help,” Jack replies to the shoggoth’s comments.
     Curious about the Elder Things’ pentagonal systems, Jack walks to the area roughly in the center of the five menhirs. “Was there anything here in the middle, Vince?” he asks.
Aside from that, he keeps an eye on the direction where the sloshing noise can be heard, and joins Ben in looking at the disks. “Can we take the.. player? reader? … with us?”
     Finally, he asks out loud, “Can we lift that cannon-thing? And will it fit through that hatch up there?”
The GM
GM, 196 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 23 Jan 2023
at 02:27
  • msg #33

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 11

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 11

The Shoggoth was dismantling one of the hexagonal machines, opening hidden panels and pulling out flat, glasslike discs, which it was stacking methodically into a bag Ben had set out for It.  It paused to watch Spider scale the wall, the weird bats fluttering out of his way, and again as Jack asked about the middle of the five menhirs.
"That was a Gate," the Shoggoth said, gesturing awkwardly to where Jack now stood.  "The summoning platform is gone.  It would take a great mage to use it now."    It slid open another panel and stacked up more discs into the bag.
"Oh, really ?"  Ben asked.
"Yes.  You have almost no mana left, but you seem skilled enough creatures.  I can fit the reader onto your...sled."  Vince the Shoggoth effortlessly lifted up the reader machine and carried it to the sled - it probably weighed about a hundred pounds.
"Jack, take this; press the button marked "Set Point" and keep it pressed until the screen flashes "Set Point Accepted."  Ben passed Jack the tracking device they had been given by the Temporal Agents.

More water sloshes in, chunks of ice bouncing around in it.  Bruno's attention shifts to the water, although the odd grey bats are still moving around, but not in any threatening way.

Spider is anchoring pitons into the masonry.    The tunnel is indeed steeply angled, round, about six feet in diameter; a tight fit.  But nothing lurches out of the darkness at him.  Most of the bats scramble out of the way as he sets more hardware into the stonework, though one of them is watching him curiously.  The bats make almost no noise, apart from faint chirping sounds.  The tunnel is dry and dark, without the luminescent lichen.  It was going to be a pain to lift the sled, which had about two hundred pounds of gear now tied to it, and Bruno besides.  Forty feet up was a long way to haul something heavy, and only Jack and Fritz would have enough strength to really help; Thorne and Ben were both poor climbers.  Spider begins to run the rope through the pitons and secure them.  (OOC: Spider, please make Climbing Roll, d100)

Jack asks about the weapon, which looked like a cannon of some sort.  Fritz and Thorne have been trying to move it.  "It's too heavy," Thorne complained.  "No wheels.  No skids."
"I think this is the control panel," Fritz said, looking at a part of the thing that seemed to open like a cabinet.  "Not sure how we can drag it upward."
"It uses magnetic....force.  It is anchored to the floor." Vince the Shoggoth said, still unloading crystals while Ben used some rope to tie the reader machine down.
"Can it be moved as far as there ?"  Ben asked the Shoggoth, pointing to the middle of the menhirs.
"Yes, if I can unlock it." the Shoggoth replied, glancing that way as It continued to pull crystals from the machines. "I have never done that task before, but I can read the writing of the Elders."
Jack, noting the extra interest Bruno was giving the water, saw something dark shifting the ice in the water as another wash of bitterly cold water came into the cavern.  Bruno's growl rumbled deeper and the Hellhound's hackles were bristling.  (Jack, please make Spot Hidden roll, d100).

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GM: Actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, please respond by Saturday, 28 January, next post Sunday.
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Spider
player, 57 posts
Sat 28 Jan 2023
at 00:40
  • msg #34

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 11

Spider continues with his preparations, making sure he can add his strength to lifting the heavier items and team members.

(rolled a 58)
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:41, Sat 28 Jan 2023.
Jack
player, 140 posts
Sun 29 Jan 2023
at 20:31
  • msg #35

Expedition Stage 4: The Secrets of the Elder Things pt 11

Jack does as Ben asks with the temporal gizmo. When Vince mentions the gate, Jack pokes around the central area quizzically. But he was keeping an eye on the ice-clogged pool, and something caught his eye as it moved [Spot Roll: 11, you should have received it by email].
     "Heads up, fellows!" he yells so everyone can hear him. "There's something moving under the water out there!"
     He instinctively starts backing towards Ben, whose safety is his priority, while continuing to watch the water. He draws the wand of his own volition, before it can leap into his hand unbidden, and prepares to put a protective barrier between his comrades and anything that emerges from the frigid water.
The GM
GM, 197 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 30 Jan 2023
at 00:56
  • msg #36

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 1

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 1

-------
Jack's shouted warning alerted everyone to the motion in the water; he backed up to stand near Ben, as both Thorne and Fritz drew weapons and trained them on the area.  The batlike things flapped about, blocking Spider's view, but other than being annoying, they seemed harmless.  Only Vince the Shoggoth seemed disinterested in the potential problem, as It continued to pull discs from their storage slots, swiftly tossing them into the bag.

Spider worked on securing the ropes, though he had to shove bat creatures out of his way more than once.  Finally, he was sure that the pitons would hold, the pulleys were secure,  and they could begin lifting.  It would not be easy, but he'd had plenty of practice.

Jack's wand gleamed in his hand, feeling warm, the tip glowing a bright white.  Ben tried to take back the device and key in the information as another wave of frigid water swept into the room, this time nearly to the middle of the cavern.  This time, a roil of black tentacles swept in with it, whipping in the water, reaching out towards Jack and Ben.   Gunfire echoed around the cavern as Fritz fired his rifle and Thorne fired a shotgun.  Bruno, barking ferociously, lunged forward at the closest tentacle, jaws agape.  It flowed into a oval shape and batted the big hellhound aside as if it was a kitten.   Bruno hit the cavern wall with a yelp and slid to the floor.

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GM: Actions, etc, for the next minute of game time, please respond by Saturday, 4 February, next post Sunday.
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Jack
player, 141 posts
Sun 5 Feb 2023
at 21:29
  • msg #37

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 1

[sorry so late]
Jack throws up a Deflect Harm around Ben and himself and anyone else he can fit in it, while calling for aid:
“Great Athena, your servants humbly beg assistance against this unholy foulness that is rising from the depths where it belongs. We ask in the name of all humankind as we work to protect them from these servants of chaos.”
Aside,  he says to Ben, “Can we use the central gate somehow, if there’s no other way?”
The GM
GM, 198 posts
aka, Maxwell
Sun 5 Feb 2023
at 23:55
  • msg #38

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 2

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 2

-----------
Jack casts Deflect Harm, invoking Athena, and notices that Ben is obsessively trying to make the future gadget work.   "I have almost no mana left," Ben said, finally shoving the gadget inside his coat.  "I couldn't cast a Gate Spell, I was hoping to lock this location so that Trevor's project might be able to - Hellfire, that's a Shoggoth !"  A huge black pseudopod splattered hard against Jack's spell and bounced off.

"Get Bruno !"  Thorne yelled to Fritz, and pulled a grenade from his coat.   Fritz did not hesitate, slinging his rifle and running towards the downed Hellhound, while Thorne moved into position to throw the grenade at the threat.

Vince the Shoggoth looked up, took in the situation, then closed the bag of discs, tossing it onto the sled.  A few more of the discs fell out of the casing It dropped as It turned to face the threat of another large Shoggoth.

The grenade went off as Fritz dragged Bruno away from the water, showering everything with ice, bitterly cold salt water, and fragments of Shoggoth.   The sound echoed, ringing in their ears, and the waters stopped churning so much.  Vince the Shoggoth stomped over to one of the menhirs and grasped it, plucking it easily from the stone floor.  It hurled the menhir in the direction of the gap in the cavern floor.  The impact shook the cavern floor and splashed more water and ice around.
"Tekeli," Vince said, making it sound like an insult.

The thrown menhir rocked, as the shoggoth on the other side tried to move it, wrapping thinner pseudopods around it to try to get more leverage.  "Go, now !"  Vince the Shoggoth said, pointing towards Spider.   "It is not intelligent, it is made to eat you !"

The ropes were hanging from the tunnel mouth, with Spider in position to brace for the weight being lifted, despite having a few weird bats flapping around.

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GM:  Please respond with actions, etc, for the next minute of game time, by Saturday, 11 February, next post is Sunday.
------------------------------------------------------
The GM
GM, 199 posts
aka, Maxwell
Sat 11 Feb 2023
at 21:49
  • msg #39

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 2


Spider first suggests that a blast of the flamethrower might clear the bat-things out (can't recall if Spider has it or someone else), then prepares to help hoist everyone and everything up and into the tunnel.
Jack
player, 142 posts
Sun 12 Feb 2023
at 08:51
  • msg #40

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 2

If he can do it while maintaining the Deflect Harm spell, Jack will grab the disks Vince dropped and put them in a pocket.
In any case, he will stick with Ben, moving toward their escape route, bringing others inside the spell as they come in range. He is unfazed by Vince’s display of strength — “Good job, throw another one on top!” he encourages.
[Keeper: FYI, I did not see an email if you sent one. I was a bit concerned eventually, so I came to RPOL and found your post as usual.]
The GM
GM, 200 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 13 Feb 2023
at 01:52
  • msg #41

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 3

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 3

Spider couldn't flame the batlike things and manage the ropes at the same time, and had to settle with swatting at the annoying creatures.  One dove into his coat collar and hid, while the others fluttered away, as he readied the biner and ratchet.  Down on the cavern floor, all kinds of chaos was happening.  He gave the signal, "Ready to haul !"

Jack scooped up dropped discs and shoved them in his coat pockets as Ben hurried for the sled and tried to hook up the ropes to it.  Fritz was faster, though Bruno wasn't helping any.  Thorne went to help Ben with the sled as Jack maintained their defenses, while Vince the Shoggoth shuffled to another menhir and threw that on top of the first.

"Okay, Spider, haul away !"  Thorne yelled to Spider, hauling on the ropes to pull the sled closer to the exit.  Fritz was making some kind of lifting sling for Bruno out of canvas and rope - the Hellhound was feebly moving.  Spider hauled on the ropes, the pulleys singing, and the sled tipped upwards.  "Hold !" Thorne yelled, and steadied it, testing if the knots were truly secure.  "Haul away !"  (and the GM rolls 9% for Spider's success).  The sled steadily rises, its progress at a good pace thanks to Spider's skill with climbing.

At the far end of the cavern, the toppled menhirs were shaking as the shoggoth tried to get past the blockage - then it began extending tendrils of pseudopods forward, which puddled onto the cold wet floor, apparently trying to bypass the obstacles by using its natural abilities to change its form.   A couple of thin tentacles got too close to Jack's Deflect Harm spell and drew back as if singed - the wand was glowing with strong white light.

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GM:  Apologies about not copying the email to both of you, it was just an oversight on my part.  Please respond with actions, etc, for the next few minutes of game time, by Saturday, 18 February, next post Sunday.
Spider
player, 58 posts
Sat 18 Feb 2023
at 12:15
  • msg #42

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 3

During the brief hold while Thorne adjusted the ropes, Spider tried to shoo the creature out of his coat, then once more turned his attention to their sled and its ascent.  He had to make sure he was also ready for Bruno, then the others.
Jack
player, 143 posts
Sun 19 Feb 2023
at 13:26
  • msg #43

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 3

Jack moves close to Ben. He continues maintaining the defensive spell around everyone and monitoring the shoggoth’s attempts to get through the piled menhirs. He also glances at the other entrances to the cave in case anyone else is coming to join the party.
The GM
GM, 201 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 20 Feb 2023
at 01:17
  • msg #44

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 4

Expedition Stage  4: Getting out with the Loot pt 4

Spider, in the tunnel above, took a moment to pull the four-winged bat creature out of his fur hood.  It whined piteously and clung to the wall he threw it at, blinking its red eyespots at him, but didn't try to go back to him.  The sled came up smoothly and surely, and he braced it inside the tunnel with a couple of spikes, then made ready to haul Bruno up, as Fritz and Thorne hurriedly tied the ropes below.   His gift, the flamethrower, was now on top of the sled.

Jack, down on the cavern floor, maintains his spell as the enemy Shoggoth continued to spool itself into the cavern; Vince the Shoggoth picked up one of the empty disc racks and went to smash it onto a portion of the shoggoth, violently chopping at it, sending big chunks flying off into the depths of the cavern.  Ben seemed to have come to his senses and went back towards Fritz and Thorne, Jack moving with him.   "We need to go - Fritz, do you have any grenades left ?"
"Haul away !"  Thorne yelled to Spider, raising the groggy Hellhound's harness. "Good boy, Bruno, lay down !"
"Incendiary; it will burn underwater." Fritz showed Ben a can-shaped grenade from his jacket.
"Keep it ready !"  Ben said.   Jack's vision blurred slightly and he noticed a tremble in his hand, the wand quivering.

Meanwhile, Spider began hauling up the Hellhound and found out that the creature was much heavier than he looked.  At this rate, knowing that both Thorne and Ben were lousy at climbing and would need help, Spider was running a risk of fatigue.

Just as this was happening, a dozen thin tentacles whipped out of the icy water and latched onto Vince the Shoggoth, hauling the creature towards the hole in the cavern floor.....

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GM: Actions, etc, for the next minute of game time, please respond by Saturday 25 February, next post Sunday.
Spider
player, 59 posts
Sat 25 Feb 2023
at 14:55
  • msg #45

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 4

Spider grimaced and muttered a few choice curse words.  He grabbed his flamethrower and sent a burst down towards where the shoggoth tentacles came out from under the stones, hoping to force the creature back, and to release their 'friendly' monster.
Jack
player, 144 posts
Sun 26 Feb 2023
at 19:30
  • msg #46

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 4

(Ugh, sorry so late.)
Jack focuses on calming his mind and maintaining the protective field around his group, prioritizing the humans. (He knows the hellhound can weather a lot, and imagines the shoggoth will be able to shapeshift out of the enemy creature’s clutches. Besides, we’ve apparently met his future self, so he must survive this, right? Best not to think too hard — focus on acting as a conduit for the divine power of Athena…)
The GM
GM, 202 posts
aka, Maxwell
Mon 27 Feb 2023
at 01:16
  • msg #47

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 5

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the loot pt 5

Spider clicked the ratchet closed, suspending Bruno in the air in his sling, and took up the fancy flamethrower.  It had a setting for distance, and he turned it on full blast.  The flame washed over the menhirs and the pseudopods pulling on Vince burst apart and recoiled.  Vince the Shoggoth likewise jumped back, and raised its arms, uttering sounds that resembled horrible radio static and animal shrieks; the air seemed to suddenly fill with ozone and the other shoggoth shrivelled and slunk back into the watery depths.  "Tekeli-li," Vince said, making it sound like a curse.   It apparently cast the same spell it had once used on Ben.

Jack struggled to concentrate, aware that he was losing strength and focus.  He tried to think about his patron goddess, and only vaguely registered that someone was trying to pull him by his coat backwards.  It was Ben.   "We need to go now."  It was then that Jack noticed that the water had spread farther into the cavern and was now lapping at his boots.  Jack let the spell go and nearly fell backwards onto Ben, who steadied him.

"Spider, haul away !  Hurry it up !"  Thorne bellowed.  "Bruno, lay down, good boy !"
"I will go last.  Make sure they get out," Ben said to Jack, who felt bone-tired.
Fritz was rigging harness for Thorne, who was leaning on a menhir, looking weary.  There was a tremble in the floor, with a deep thunderous cracking sound, more felt than heard.

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GM:  Actions for the next minute of game time, please respond by Saturday 4 March, next post Sunday.
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Jack
player, 145 posts
Sat 4 Mar 2023
at 15:00
  • msg #48

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 5

Jack moves toward the lifeline upward, keeping his eyes on the cavern as he waits his turn. He silently prays to Athena for strength and tries to mentally prepare himself for a last-ditch effort to use the wand, should it be necessary to protect Ben while he makes his escape after the rest of them.
Spider
player, 19 posts
Sat 4 Mar 2023
at 21:46
  • msg #49

Expedition Stage 4: Getting out with the Loot pt 5

Spider slung the valuable flamethrower over his shoulder to free his hands and began hauling for all his worth.  Depending on his progress, he was willing to throw his weight on the lines as a counterweight to help Bruno and the others ascend, fully confident in his own inherent climbing skills to ascend after everyone else, even if the cavern were collapsing.
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