Death Defied

[size=16]Death Defied
So a quick shift change required before we could continue the mission, apart from offloading our mechanical friend we also sent Phredd back with the manacled Miken, so just back to the simple task of slipping into the beholders’ planet and finding the mysterious meteorite. Still the bosun had joined us armed with her patented anti beholder cigars, or so we hoped, plus I was relieved of navigation duties by an apparently more competent pilot than myself.

The flight took several days, well actually just a quick dissolve and we were approaching the discworld of H’Cath, dominated by an impressive thousand mile high (I kid you not) slender mountain that towered impossibly from its hub. Slipping through an imagined cordon of watchful eyes we all hoped that the classification of this world as dead was correct.

The ship descended into the atmosphere towards the search coordinates we had been provided with, the bosun took time out from one of her mega cigar chomping sessions to provide us with a sending stone for screaming for help, and a bag of holding to fill with the swag. She then sent us scurrying down a rope ladder to the surface as the ship hovered as daintily as you might expect for a giant roughly hollowed-out rock. The overall impression of delicacy and style only enhanced by the site of a giant gif leading the way down.

We reached the surface without incident and my comrades proceeded to throw mud over themselves in an effort to blend in with the bleak landscape. And bleak it was: flat rocky terrain gently undulating up towards the base of the vast spire which disappeared into the sky above. We made our way through the lifeless rocks, the only sound the rumble of rumbling waves as the ocean crashed on the distant shore of the ocean that surrounded this planet’s central land mass.

The central spindle or spire had a large number of caves at its base making the improbability of the millions of tonnes of free standing rock even more unbelievable.* As we moved towards the centre of the search area we caught sight of a scar on the rock face which had clearly been recently formed. As we closed with it, aiming for the direction the furrow pointed we could see that whatever had struck and created the deep gash had struck at such speed that the very rock had melted under the impact.

* Elethiel the Battle master speculated that it might be pumice, or possibly polystyrene.

Eventually we reached the apparent terminus of the object; the good news was the angle of impact was such that the target body had not driven itself possibly kilometres into the planetary crust. The less good news was that at the spot where we had hoped to come across a completely safe, easily transportable meteorite covered with helpful signs such as ‘Please apply your bag of holding mouth here,’ there was nothing.

Nothing but a suspiciously meteorite shaped indentation in the ground and some faint tracks leading towards one of the many distant cave mouths. Our tracking skills were sadly lacking in terms of identifying what kind of creature we were dealing with but we were at least able to follow to the likely cave entrance.

Despite the fact that Pablo was a noted expert in stealthing that considerable body with unfeasible aplomb, it was I who was elected to scout on account of my dark vision and chameleonic ability. I entered the cave and edged along one wall until a large chamber opened before me. In its centre: A large metallic meteor like object, by shape and size, certainly the meteor we were questing for. It was bluish in colour, faintly illuminated by a ray of light that penetrated some crack in the ceiling high above.

Less happily, there were also several creatures in the cavern: two large floating spheres loaded with eye stalks and a giant eye dominating the bulbous bodies.* There were also six smaller globular horrors, which I was reliably informed were grapefruit sized, though I am not at all sure why the comparison was made with something that I severely doubt any of us had ever seen or even heard of.

*Whatever could they be?

The cavern was set in a depression with a ledge running around and several ominous shadowy exits. This meant that entering the chamber involved clambering down to the main floor level several feet below. To my left resting on the ledge like a handy seat was a giant yellow skinned humanoid, an ogre sized creature with a cyclopean eye to match the two beholders. The cyclops seemed dazed or exhausted, slumped awkwardly and making sluggish movements that seemed to betray discomfort and fatigue.*

*It was unkindly suggested that it may have been recovering after exposure to my Dyson joke.

Having cunningly concealed myself I was somewhat crestfallen to be addressed by the two spectators, (for such they were) who were able to communicate mind to mind with me and my colleagues hanging back at the cave entrance. So much so a discreet approach. It transpired that these two, er, gentle creatures were engaged in a dispute as to the guardianship rights to the meteorite. Apparently they had strict protocols for solving disputes, one of which allowed for sentient third parties to adjudicate from a neutral perspective in the absence of their top dog beholder king, Kurzot.

Apparently as they patiently explained, the ogre had found and dragged in the fallen sky boulder, incapacitating himself in the process. The two spectators, Grelob and Orlob had then both arrived, Grelob with his entourage of gazers. Convention demanded that only one could undertake the duty of protecting the fallen star and we were invited to decide on a resolution. They made clear to us that combat or spells were forbidden as a method of settling the issue. After some debate we issued our VAR decision: The Ogre/ Cyclops as the original finder had the rights to the meteorite. We awaited the response, if we had misread the situation we had pissed off both of the deadly beasts.

The spectators seemed quite happy with the logic of our choice and withdrew from the field down separate tunnels. That just left the ogre…which was now gently snoring. Not ones to look a gift ogre in the mouth we manhandled the rock into the bag of holding and legged it as fast as we dared. Pablo used his one daily call on the sending stone to request pick up though he failed to give any details and we headed back the way we came hoping that we would be spotted.

Fortunately there were no issues with the pick-up and soon we were back aboard our stony space hulk and after some gentle evasive manoeuvres we successfully broke orbit unhindered with the booty safely stowed. We resumed the ship board routine of playing the bosun at dragon chess (she cheats) and I spy (something beginning with S). It is almost a relief when the monotony is broken after a few days as apparently so much better than me helmsman Sereth reports an asteroid in our path.

We go to the hollow deck to view the offending obstacle. The asteroid is amongst quite a considerable debris field that will require a considerable detour. However before we can consider further a huge shark like creature with two sets of wings bearing a fearsome looking armoured humanoid with a huge lance appears at the open base of our ship. He demands that we surrender the traitor Miken Havenstance to him.

Pablo immediately launches into a deception stating that Miken was turned to stone on H’Cath and we are returning to get reinforcements to recover him. Asking the question why is Miken a traitor brings the response that he cannot be doing a very good job if we were unaware. His attitude is one of recovering a comrade, (‘to return to his employer’) not seizing a hostage. I point this out to him which triggers his attack.

We engage, Pablo using his arquebus, Elethiel her bow and I fire a ray of sickness but fail to poison the shark creature. Our elf then takes a heavy hit from the creature. My Chill touch fails and the bosun arrives and opens musket fire. The star lancer disappears on his wounded beast and where he has gone no one can tell.*

*Another 1 rolled

Ten days later we put back in at the academy. The bosun conveys the news that Vocath has operatives looking for Miken, currently under heavy guard in his quarters. We are assigned back to the Flighty Foundling where we are set to carrying out the traditional vital tasks that keep any disciplined organisation at peak efficiency.* So scrubbing decks it is.

*If it moves salute it, if it doesn’t move, clean it

We are studiously performing our vital maintenance tasks around the stern catapult when a damsel fly like space craft appears and wheels round slowing as it passes overhead. Two jifs descend rapidly on ropes and invite us to leave the ship immediately. Pablo, perhaps assuming some sort of racial brotherhood from his fellow hippos challenged them and got a grenade thrown at him for his pains. Clearly these guys meant business.

Pablo kicked the grenade over the side where it exploded harmlessly as the Foundling was docked several hundred feet up the tower. We exchanged fire and Elethiel in particular staggered under a heavy hit. I fired off a thunderwave spell hoping to topple one of both over the handrail but although one was pushed back the one closest to the guardrail resisted successfully. Elethiel went down critically wounded after receiving more powerful hits. Pablo somehow managed to conceal himself and let fly with a devastating blunderbuss shot further wounding both hostiles.*

*And incredibly remained in concealment. Presumably he blinded them both

Then a six foot bolt from the forward catapult slammed into one of the gifs, pinning it to the aft catapult. The cry of triumph from the fo’c’sle was unmistakably female and cigar flavoured. Elethiel managed to get healed but the transfixed jif managed to free himself. I fire off a flaming sphere injuring both jifs and Pablo manages one of his sneaky back stab attacks. Our elf scrambles up the catapult and finally Pablo kills both assailants with minor assistance from a ray of sickness.

Pablo strips the bodies of ammo and muskets, the bosun appears and orders us to stay put and she takes the few other maintenance crew members and heads off to investigate the explosion that has occurred during all this from the area of the cadet quarters…where Miken was being held and the damsel fly vessel had seemed to be heading. I’m all for disobeying orders and following the action, but what do you know? The action comes to us…all too much action in fact.

Two armoured figures looking suspiciously like our shark flying lancer emerge from the tower and board us. Both figures look to be wounded, and between them they are dragging the unmistakeable figure of Miken, our recent betrayer. He does not look happy to be there. One of the Githyanki misty steps and is suddenly amongst us attacking our luckless elf. I helpfully miss as usual with my chill touch. And again.

Miken casts a couple of spells himself in his efforts to break free, he too is clearly injured. I manage a hit on the githyanki but our elf is down again. Pablo finishes the fiend and Miken breaks free but is decapitated for his trouble.* In order to make sure he doesn’t feel left out both I and the elf have further near death experiences before Pablo (who else) kills the second creature and Mirt arrives with reinforcements now that it’s all over. The damsel fly roars off a few passengers short.

*So perish all traitors

Mirt recognises a sigil on the hands of the fallen as the mark of Vocath surprise, surprise. Pablo somewhat disturbingly has taken to removing the ears of his victims, presumably as some sort of trophies.* And that as they say is that. Two weeks later we graduate with full honours and a rousing round of applause minus Princess Leia but with Mr Blip representing the robot comic relief and Pablo doing his best Wookie impression. Pablo and Elethiel are given the pick of the armoury and choose choice weapons each, an automatic rifle and a magic longbow. I get a bag of holding, so somewhere to keep my lunch and insect repellant. Handy.

*Or possibly for late night snacking

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