CREATED by dsweet: 10/8/00 0a1,174 > 001007 -- Red Prison -- part IV > =============================== > > AUTHOR: dsweet > COMPOSED: 10/8/00 > STORY: > After the will-be heroes see the impressive defenses at the prison gate > they decide to walk back to Incantifer's Observatory. > It is a two day hike, but at this point everyone in the group is becoming > quite physically fit. > > Once back Jake tries his hand at repairing the balloon's platform's > diabolical control mechanism. > The damage done by the marine was all machanical. > The heart of the balloon's magic lies beneath. > Luckily the machinery in need of repaired is similar to that common to > Earth's Victorian era and Jake got what little machincal knowledge > he posses from the Old West. > He does and adequate job connecting up the servos and control rods. > The enclosure, which is made of wood, is another matter. > Not having exposure to carpentry, he only barely managed to attach > a flimsy wooden lid over the gaping hole left by the Marine's > blaster action. > Atop this he places the assembly which will hold the navigational > crytal. > There is little left of the assembly, but if someone holds the crystal > in place perhaps the balloon will yet fly. > > Speaking of crystals, the group still needs one. > Fortunately, the Uril the Ape Druid might know of the place Incantifer > was speaking of before Jay started blasting. > > Another day and a half of walking brings the group to the entrance > of a cave carved out of sand stone at the base of the prison's > mountain walls. > In front of the cave on both sides are totems with the heads of > Malarites attached. > > The group stands at the entrance and calls in. > Rick's keen sense of sight spot three creature meandering along the > caves walls towards them. > Just out of the site of ordinary men the creatures stop, but Jay can > see they are bi-pedal female humanoids covered by mottle fur. > Each one has a long tail and cat like facial features. > > Rick does most of the talking and the closest cat purrs out their > replies. > He wants the creatures to step aside so he and the rest of the group > can investigate the caves. > The kitties don't want that. > They agree that the group should come in, but they do not want to step > aside. > What they want, what they really, really want is to be close to the > men of the group. > Meanwhile they lick their lips and run their paws across their curveous > bodies suductively. > Strangley, this doesn't do it for any of the men. > The Ape is asked if he detects the cats as being evil. > Since he says they are not the group decides to makle every effort to not > put the cats down. > > A plan is hatched and a few of the group wander off to go hunting. > Rick presents the a couple slain bunnies to the cats as payment > for unmolested passage. > The cat excepting the gift try to reach past the bunnies to touch > Jake but he will have none of that. > The cat eventually gives up and takes the bunnies to her gal pals. > > They eat and then groom themselves. > When the group tries to enter again it all starts again. > Whatever the cats desire it wasn't satisfied by bunnies. > The marine and Jake aim at the cats as Rick approaches the cats. > When Rick is very close to the lead cat his animal magnetism is too much > for her. > She leaps at him attempting to wrap her arms around him in a loving > embrase. > Sadly she is cut in two by blaster fire. > The other two scamper off down the second passage way to the left. > > The cats are scared, but after the group members armed with blasters > pass the cats leap out. > Armed with hand axes the group defeats them easily, but not before one > of the paladin's gets a big kiss on the lips. > > During the discussion with the cats it is learned learned that something > smelly lives in the alcove furthest from the cave entrance. > The group heads that way. > The passage way opens into a twenty foot in diameter room. > On the farside is a chest. > The room indeed smells and the floor is covered with a flim of sticky > slime. > The group decides that it would be best to lasso the chest and drag it > to them. > Jake and the marine take this time to aim at two of the many holes in > the ceiling. > > Rick manages to a get rope around the chest after many tries. > As soon as the chest begins to move a Jar filled with a translucent > liquid inside falls from one of the holes not being aimed at. > The large wine jug like bottles smashes against the floor depositing > a blob on the rope. > This slows Rick's prgress. > The blob immediately starts to reform in a large bi-pedal creature made > up of the clear sticky material that fell from the roof. > It starts moving toward the three of them. > Jay and the Marine aim at it while Rick pulls on the rope for all he is > worth. > After a short period of time when the creaure is nearly in striking > range Jake fires missing the creature. > Was is a warning shot, who knows? > The marine is more decisive. > He fires a deadly bolt that would have killed any of the will-be-heroes, > but it still coming. > The large hole in the creature's chest begins to reform. > The marine fires again. > This rocks the creature but it staggers forward. > With the creature's large sticky apendages which are poised for an > attack only inches from the group, marine fires a last time. > It's enough; the creature drops to the floor into a shapeless mass. > > Rick drags the chest the rest of the way out of the room and immediately > begins to work his lock picking skills. > He has it open in no time. > Quite a bit of loot is found in the chest: > 6 prismatic crystals > 50 light blue bells > (each wrapped carefully so they do not clang against each other) > A scroll > A jar of thick milky stuff > Some notes > A set of thieves' picks > The crystals are obvious what they came for but the group doesn't know > what to make of the rest. > The Ape is asked to determine if anything is magical. > Sure enough the bells, the scroll, and the stuff in the jar are. > > The notes simply state information about spell keys. > Apparently divinations must be accompanied by a bloody sacrifice and a > wizard must spit on the ground before performing an alteration spell > in this world. > > A day and a half later the group are all sitting around with needle and > thread sewing in the last giant lemur fur into one of the platform's > balloons. > The marine don's an environmental suit which is attached to the platform > via a air hose. > He seems facinated by the garment and studies it quite a bit. > The marine is going to stand on deck and hold the crystal in place when > they launch the platform. > > Studying incantifer's ballooning instructions Jake loads each crystal > into observatory's telescope viewing different heavenly bodies. > This encodes the destination into the crystal. > He also point the telescope at the valley to encode their present position > just in case. > > When all the work is done the now exhausted will-be-heroes load onto the > platform. > Each member is eager to regain their freedom. > The marine loads the crytsal into the platform's control mechanism. > He carefully holds it in place as the balloon's quickly load up with some > sort of gas. > The rest of the group steps into the platform's storage hold where there > will be plenty of air for the trip. > The balloon lifts off and as it does so constantly excelerates. > Before long it is travelling at a dizziing speed yet still excelerating. > If any one was on deck to attempt to breath without an environmental suit > they would realize that long before the balloon reached the tops of the > mountains breathable air ceased to exist. > > Shortly after the balloon travels above the many mile high mountains two > time/space portals opens up on the platform. > The one the marine sees block the entrance to the down below. > The other's see one leading to the top of the platform. UPDATED by dsweet: 10/8/00 5a6 > UPDATED: 10/8/00 7c8 < After the will-be heroes see the impressive defenses at the prison gate --- > After the will-be-heroes see the impressive defenses at the prison gate 16,18c17,19 < Luckily the machinery in need of repaired is similar to that common to < Earth's Victorian era and Jake got what little machincal knowledge < he posses from the Old West. --- > Luckily the machinery which is in need of repair is similar to that > common to Earth's Victorian era and Jake got what little machincal > knowledge he posses from the Old West. 46,47c47,48 < Rick does most of the talking and the closest cat purrs out their < replies. --- > Rick does most of the talking and the closest cat purrs out her > companion's wishes. 59,60c60,61 < Since he says they are not the group decides to makle every effort to not < put the cats down. --- > Since he says they are not so the group decides to make every effort to > not put the cats down. 63,64c64,65 < Rick presents the a couple slain bunnies to the cats as payment < for unmolested passage. --- > Rick presents a couple slain bunnies to the cats as payment for > unmolested passage. 72c73 < The marine and Jake aim at the cats as Rick approaches the cats. --- > The marine and Jake aim at the cats as Rick approaches the lead cat. 80,81c81,82 < The cats are scared, but after the group members armed with blasters < pass the cats leap out. --- > The cats are scared, but after the members armed with blasters pass the > cats they leap out. 85c86 < During the discussion with the cats it is learned learned that something --- > During the earlier discussion with the cats it is learned that something 90c91 < The room indeed smells and the floor is covered with a flim of sticky --- > The room indeed smells and the floor is covered with a film of sticky 110c111 < Was is a warning shot, who knows? --- > Was is a warning shot? who knows? 113c114 < but it still coming. --- > but the creature still lurches forward. 116,118c117,119 < This rocks the creature but it staggers forward. < With the creature's large sticky apendages which are poised for an < attack only inches from the group, marine fires a last time. --- > This rocks the creature but it staggers forward anyway. > With the creature's large sticky apendages poised only inches from > attacking the group, the marine fires a last time. 132c133 < The crystals are obvious what they came for but the group doesn't know --- > The crystals are obviously what they came for but the group doesn't know 143c144 < thread sewing in the last giant lemur fur into one of the platform's --- > thread sewing the last giant lemur fur into one of the platform's 149c150 < they launch the platform. --- > they launch the balloon platform. 154,155c155,156 < He also point the telescope at the valley to encode their present position < just in case. --- > He also point the telescope at the valley to encode their present > position just in case. 165,166c166,167 < The balloon lifts off and as it does so constantly excelerates. < Before long it is travelling at a dizziing speed yet still excelerating. --- > The balloon lifts off and as it does so it constantly excelerates. > Before long it is traveling at a dizziing speed yet still excelerating. 174c175 < The other's see one leading to the top of the platform. --- > The other's see one leading to the top of the platform. UPDATED by dsweet: 10/8/00 143c143,148 < A day and a half later the group are all sitting around with needle and --- > The day and a half long trip back to the observatory is uneventful other > then the recently kissed paladin begins to turn into a female sex > starved cat. > The gang ties him up while the Druid Ape cures him with magical healing. > > When they return to the observatory they all sit around with needle and 147c152 < via a air hose. --- > via an air hose.