Session Start: Sat Jun 21 17:42:51 2008 Session Ident: #castlevania * Logging #castlevania to 'logs\080621.Sandwich.Net.txt' [The intrepid party finds itself on the edge of a dark jungle within sight of ruins in the distance.] * NinjaDebugger is now known as Biff * Cheeseball is now known as Nyyx * Demota is now known as Charlotte * Nyyx wipes the sweat out of her eyes as she continues on toward the ruins. "Not far now, it seems." * Theodore has joined #castlevania I'll be glad to get out of this damn jungle for a while. * Nyyx nods. "Me, too. I prefer colder weather, myself." * Olivia also nods agreement. "I just prefer beds. Remember beds?" Other than the hammocks we've been sleeping in? I dunno, Nyyx's legs are just as comfortable as ever. * Nyyx laughs. A bed? What's that? The sooner we finish our business at those ruins, the sooner we can get back to proper beds, eh? * Nyyx pushes on through the vegetation. I'll scout ahead Thanks, Charlotte. Let us know if there's anything that needs taking care of. * Charlotte nods [The party continues to advance through the strangely quiet jungle for several hours. The travel is slow through the underbrush, but eneventful. Eventually, rocky outcroppings of worked stone appear along the way.] * Nyyx studies the rocks for any familiar carvings and makes note of anything interesting in her journal. [The stonework, to the extent that it is still visible, depicts a variety of creatures, from snakes, to humans and elves and even aquatic beings.] * Charlotte looks around, carefully. I wonder what sorts of people live here. Or lived. * Nyyx nods thoughtfully. "How close are we to the water from here?" She holds out the map to Charlotte. * Charlotte looks at it. I'm just curious. I'm not sure. We're close to the bottom of the map... Almost into uncharted territory. Are we even still on the map? Hard to say without stars. * Olivia mms quietly as she looks at the symbols, then says, "Maybe the aquatic creatures used to live in that lake." Beat. "Or still do." A lake is awfully small Let's keep going * Nyyx completes a few rough sketches of the carved figures in the stone, pockets her journal, and keeps going. * Charlotte moves on, taking careful watch [The party continues toward the ruins at a steady pace. Suddenly, a rumbling can be heard overhead. Is it a storm?] * Nyyx looks up immediately. * Rudyard has joined #castlevania [Through the breaks in the brush (which are more frequent now that they being shoved aside) a large, angular humanoid can be seen bearing down on the party. It is weilding a huge slab of worked stone.] is that... is that a giant? What is a giant doing in the jungle? Doesn't look like a stone giant. Has the wrong texture, bearing, and size. I've no idea what it is, though. * Nyyx draws her sword and prepares to do some damage. [The creature swings its weapon through the foliage and knocks Biff's mount out from under him. She lands prone in the brush a dozen feet away. Biff lands on his feet.] Crap, he's got a lot of reach! Good thing she's dead! * Nyyx slashes twice and snags only air, but she manages to recover somehow, catching flesh and ripping a big gash in the creature as she makes a third, last-second swing. * Biff launches a ball of glowing dust up into the giant's eyes, but does naught but anger it. * Skip somersaults forward, then leaps far to the left, finally landing next to the creature. Drawing his handaxes, he takes a wide swing and chips off a bit of the creature. [The creature takes two wild swings at Nyyx, destroying trees, but missing the fighter.] * Theodore casts magic missile at the beast. 5 missiles strike the target * Olivia says something gutteral as it makes its swings and then she disappears, not-so-visibly moving around it. * Charlotte darts off to the side towards cover and unleashed three arrows at the creature. * Charlotte fails to land any of them, though * Nyyx 's sword flashes another two times in the weak jungle sunlight, and another two cuts open on the creature's body. * Biff darts in behind Skip, lays a paw on his leg, and then Skip vanishes. * Biff looks up, up, up at the giant. "Uh, howdy. Don't mind me." * Olivia appears behind the giant with a wand in hand, not using it as she starts making a clear chant, spreading a very familiar glitter over its upper regions. She frowns a bit to herself as it doesn't seem to take. [Rudyard leaps into the air, swinging wildly. He misses, but sticks the landing.] [The beast clobbers Nyyx in return.] * Theodore launches five more magic missiles into the beast * Skip leaps into the air and attempts to make two deeps cuts in the creature's side. Unfortunately, he misjudges the monster's size and slashes the air. * Nyyx is now known as NyyxFeed * Charlotte continues running and fires two arrows at the thing * Charlotte misses both times * Nyyx lashes out again, carving a great hunk out of the giant's leg. * Biff leaps back out of the giant's reach, raises a paw, and sends out his own volley of magic missiles. [The creature falls to its knees and then face first into the dirt.] fft * Biff goes to check on his pet. That thing was rough.... what IS it? * Olivia walks over to it and says slowly, "That... was one sneaky abomination-giant." [Biff's pet is sprawled in a bush, beaten but still in one piece.] Some sorta crazy mutant giant, or something. Right, then, up with you, back on y'feet. [The Rose Madel member stands.] * Biff hops back up onto his ride. That thing probably wasn't here by accident. * Skip has quit IRC (Quit: Skip) You think they're intentionally hunting us? Nah, this is probably where they're made * Theodore has quit IRC (Read error: Connection reset by peer) * Olivia mms, before saying, "Hopefully were made." A weak smile. "Put enough of those together, they could be real trouble." I hope they're not self-propagating Amarette: "That depends on who made them. If they can make themselves..." [Amarette walks up to the corpse.] Amarette: This one was made. See there's a seam. [She runs a finger along a crack in its leg.] ... eew. Amarette: Alexander used to know a trick to this... We might be able to break them back up. He did it in Kronnenburg to some tentacled creatures. He didn't know what they were.... * NyyxFeed is now known as Nyyx Charlotte, you'll have to keep a closer eye out. * Nyyx rubs at her many bruises. Right. Who's making these? Amarette: "Someone very skilled. But the variation and abandonment indicates experimentation. If this was an army, I'd expect more control and more uniformity." We won't need to worry about too many others, then? Amarette: "That depends on how long they've been working. A vampire blacksmith could forge a great many blades...' * Nyyx frowns. "This is true." yeah... At least it's all done one at a time Can we learn anything else from dissecting this one? * Rudyard has joined #castlevania * Olivia chimes up with, "Probably help us figure out weak points, if we're gonna fight any more of them." A dagger appears in her hand. * Nyyx nods and joins Olivia in studying the aberration. * Nyyx whips out her book to take notes. * Rudyard is now known as RudAFK * Olivia starts cutting along seams, and exposing whatever serve as 'internal organs' for this thing to Nyyx, a very unbothered look on her face as she does so. [The party proceeds to start carving up the giant carcass slowly. As the abdomen is opened, Olivia can see the expected organs crowded with extra human-sized limbs, torsos and heads. Tracing the torsos back into the creatures limbs, Olivia can see how then were forced together and can even locate some of the 'seams' Amarette was talking about.] * Nyyx methodically jots down diagrams. [After the creature is thoroughly gutted, Olivia counts a dozen distinct 'donors' for the creature.] [A study of the corpse reveals that the underarms, and groin are particularly vulnerable while the gut, a perennial assassins favorite, it a poor choice.] * Nyyx makes the appropriate annotations in her journal. * RudAFK has quit IRC (Quit: RudAFK) This thing's got more meat donors than your average sausage factory. * Rudyard has joined #castlevania * Rudyard is now known as Skip No joke. I think we counted twelve. * Olivia made a whole lot of fake daggers doing that! She finally flips the last one into the air and it disappears, as she says, "Abomination's really the right word for it." * Nyyx nods as she makes a few final notes and puts the book away. We'll know what to do next time. Right Shall we keep going? [The party packs up and continues south.] Yeah * Charlotte moves along [Near dusk with the sun casting a red hue wherever it can reach, the party breaks into the clearing leading up to the ruins.] [The main structure still intact is a large granite affair, overgrown in places and fronted by a steep staircase leading to an entrance about forty feet up. The structure continues to a partially collapsed roof some thirty feet higher and reaches back into the jungle an indeterminate amount.] Well, it's an impressive structure. [The party can see what appear to be small humanoids about thirty feet up the stairs. There appear to be about twenty of them lounging about near the entrance.] Well, isn't that just picturesque? What are they? Hell if I know. I bet they burn, and I bet they're not friendly. * Charlotte frowns Charlotte, go see if they're friendly. * Charlotte nods. * Charlotte approaches. Carefully * Biff mutters to Nyyx, "Well, I didn't think she'd actually DO it." [As Charlotte reaches the foot of the stairs, several of the figures turn and look at her. Their eyes are red like the creatures in the villiage.] [village, whatever.] ... uh oh Let's hope she doesn't get eviscerated before we can save her. * Charlotte RUNS FOR THE SAFETY OF THE GROUP * Nyyx draws her sword. * Biff preps a fireball. * Skip has quit IRC (Quit: Skip) I say let 'em have it, Biff. Do I look like Theodore, firing balls of fire from my eyes and bolts of lightning from my ass? Well, I can do the balls of fire part. * Rudyard has joined #castlevania * Rudyard is now known as Skip * Biff shoots a ball of fire out of his eyes to engulf the undeads. * Biff stares in shock as his fireball incinerates every last one. Well hot damn. Look, Ma, I'm a battlemage! Hm. Well, that was easy. * Nyyx scratches Biff between the ears. [The fireball lights up the evening with a brilliant flash, charring the crowd at the entrance to cinders. Some scream like children, others like birds and some like an empty rattle. It all lingers for far longer than it should. After a minute or so, the entrance is quiet and dark.] Eugh. We need to know what happened here Shall we take a peek inside? * Nyyx starts up the stairs. * Olivia nods and follows up, saying, "Well, if we didn't know this place was where we were headed, that'd give it away." [The party walks up the wide staircase as the sun slips beneath the horizon.] [The dark entryway, a 10' by 10' cut in the stone of the structure, beckons.] * Charlotte treads lightly [The shaft cut into the stone goes back twenty feet and then cuts 90 degrees to the right.] * Nyyx takes an everburning torch out of her bag and holds it out. * Olivia pulls out an everburning torch as well! Sweet. [Around the corner is a small room that must have been an antechamber at one point. The leftmost wall has been removed exposing the darkness beyond.] Anyone know the story behind this place? Skip? * Skip shakes his head. "This is all new to me." Estivan, do you know anything about this temple? Estivan: "Only that it is here and is the source of this sickness." * Nyyx nods. "Did you recognize those small figures that were at the entrance earlier?" Estivan: "They looked kind of like monkeys, but clearly wrong." Yeah.. Hmm. Well, I'm glad you're all right, Charlotte. So am I. I was a ltitle worried * Nyyx looks around the room for any other hints of the temple's history. [Any sculpture has be variably stripped or smashed. The openning where the left wall is interesting though.] * Nyyx continues through the hole in the wall. [It appears that the majority of this section of the ruins have been gutted. The ceiling of the floor below has been removed except for support pillars and a walkway leading to the left supported by a wall from the lower floor. The rooms below have been gutted and the closest contain large wooden cylinders.] Odd * Nyyx continues along, looking for a way down. [As the party looks closer, the nearest cylinders appear to be about ten feet in diameter and about ten feet tall. These also appear to be empty.] those are really big. [Apart from jumping to the floor below, the only passage is along the narrow walkway continuing over the cylinders.] want me to jump down, take a look? Will you be safe? What, me? I'm the safest person in this whole group. Sure. Yell if you need help. I wonder what they were used for. fft. If I get in trouble, I'll be back here in a trice. * Nyyx nods and watches. * Biff hops down off the ledge onto the edge of a barrel. * Charlotte watches careuflly. [The barrel is some kind of wood, although the local varieties would not be very useful for this kind of structure. The barrel likely either came in on a ship from the south or was part of one in the past.] * Biff takes a sniff, to see if there are any lingering odors of what it once held. [The barrel itself is empty but smells of salt water and a faint organic scent like cooked flesh.] Anything, Biff? Salt water, cooked meat, lavender. Just traces, y'know? Weird * Nyyx nods. "Anything else down there?" * Biff looks around for anything else unusual, hopping from barrel to barrel. [The next barrel over is one-third full with salt water and has several dead monkeys with physical mutations floating in it. The next is filled nearly to the top with murky salt water. Biff stops short of jumping to that one.] Something wrong? ...ew. Dead mutant monkeys, nasty salt water. Looks like it's raw materials. * Biff heads back over to the closet and jumps back up. Thanks, Biff. I was thinking maybe food storage when you reported on the first barrel, but I guess I was wrong. Eew * Nyyx heads cautiously for the next doorway. "Before we leave, we'll probably want to destroy that before those monkeys, ah, ripen." * Olivia murmurs, "I doubt they are... ripening." [The party proceeds across the walkway and through the passage beyond.] [On the other side of the passage is a small chamber and a stairway leading down. A passage leading off to the right has collapsed and appears abandoned.] * Nyyx takes a brief look at the collapsed passage before heading for the chamber with the stairs. [The hallway is filled with rubble from above. It looks like something may have struck the building from above at some point in the past.] * Nyyx wonders a bit at that, but she keeps going for now. * Charlotte steps along. Hope it doesn't choose now to collapse Me too. [The stairway spirals down around a solid cylinder carved with stern-looking faces and comes to a doorway one floor down leading into the barrel room and continues further down.] Was there anything else on this floor besides the barrels? not that I saw. We might as well keep heading down, then. * Nyyx keeps going down the stairs. [The stairs wind for several dozen feet. The stone becomes damp and clammy to the touch.] * Nyyx watches her step as she continues. [Eventually, the party reaches the bottom of the stairwell. It opens into a large chamber approximately sixty feet on a side. Growths of luminesent matter hang from the ceiling and stick to the walls and floor.] If we get out of here, we need to take some of that The glowing stuff? Yeah. It looks useful [While clearly mined out, the stonework here is rough and crude. The party must have climbed some while walking to the ruins because there is an inlet from an underground stream at the far end of the room. Irrigation has been cut from the stream to feed the growths and lead to several large mounds in the center of the chamber.] Sure, we can do that, if you like. I don't know how long it'd glow after collected, but I'd like to study it, anyway. And keep an eye out for that cave fungus the alchemist mentioned. We wouldn't want to step in that. * Nyyx takes some samples of the glowing stuff and puts it into a vial. The explosive stuff? Yes. wait, explosive cave fungus? why didnt anybody tell me about this? * Nyyx nods. "The herbalist at Rotten Fen mentioned it when we chatted with her." [The growth slices off cleanly with a little bit of glowing fluid dripping from the wound. It looks a bit like rotten or pulped spinach.] * Nyyx frowns a bit as she slips the growth and liquid into the container and seals it up. "Not terribly pleasant looking." * Nyyx lifts up the vial to see if it's still glowing. * Charlotte looks [It keeps glowing.] Hm, let's see how long it can keep this up. * Nyyx puts the vial in her pocket. About the explosive cave fungus - it explodes if you step on it, and if you breathe it in, it coats your lungs, and you die. It's apparently a jungle cave specialty. Oh wonderful. Hey Charlotte, why don't you take the lead? Sure * Charlotte steps ahead * Nyyx smirks a bit and heads to the mounds also being irrigated by the inlet. What do you suppose these are? * Olivia replies, dryly, "Nothing good." You're probably right. [The mounds, upon closer inspection, are composed of some hybrid of plant and animal matter. Roots sink into the rock and surround the irrigation tracks. Greenery ropes up from the central mass of the mounds toward the luminensence. The body of the mounds is dominated by large tumerous growths of varing sizes.] [The growths break from the fibrous surface of the mounds as some mix of crown gall and twisted flesh.] ... creepy [Amidst all of this, nothing in the room appears to respond to you.] Definitely creepy. I assume it's not natural. I don't really want to touch that. * Nyyx makes a face. "As much as I'm curious about what's in there." * Olivia flips a dagger into her hand and replies, "I love curiosity... but maybe we should destroy them first, and dissect them second, mmm?" That sounds fine by me. I've only got so much fire, here. [END OF SESSION.] * Holmes has left #castlevania Session Close: Sat Jun 21 22:31:52 2008