[Taocow PBEM] Chapter XIX - Rath-Iren

[Aaron Clausen]

OOC1: Many apologies for taking so long.  I had a long four day
weekend filled with home reno work and was too exhausted to post.  As
well, I'm still trying to get the new players to where you guys are.

OOC2: A slight correction here.  I rolled Talas's strikes with the wrong weapon.

> > > [Talas]
> > > Once off the skycycle Talas draws his weapons. A Katana in one
> > > hand and a P-Bean pistol in the other. Talas begins to move up the
> > > path towards the temple. Taking pot shots at anything that gets too
> > > close [Strikes: 19, 13, 12].
> > > [/Talas]

> > [GM]
> > Talas hits three of the blue dwarfs trying to make their way to
> > the temple [Damage: 16MD,20MD,21MD].  The shots causee the
> > blue dwarf a great deal of damage, searing its bluish skin.  In short order,
> > Talas finds himself face to face with two very animated statues.
> > [/GM]

OOC: Still waiting for Talas's post.

[...]

> > [GM]
> > The shots strike three of the dwarfs [Damage: 16MD, 23MD, 33MD].
> > Killing one of them, and forcing the other two to leap under some of
> > the ruins for cover.
> >
> > Suddenly the pterodactyl launches into the air with incredible speed
> > and launches itself at Carlos.
> >
> > The brave adventurers are now confronted with blue dwarfs, two
> > walking statues and a pterodactyl, and one of their number, Koba,
> > has been thrown inside the temple.
> > [/GM]

> [Ted]
> "We need to get to Koba," the lizard man thought aloud. He turned to Owen.
> "I want us to get past those statues. Can you make us invisible?"
> [/Ted]

> [Owen]
> "Unfortunately, no.  What about this?"
>
> Owen will attempt throw up a wall of fire between them and the statues
> so they can make a break for the stairwell without interference from the statues.
> [/Owen]

[GM]
Owen's wall of fire doesn't erupt quite where he wanted, but due to the
proximity to the nexus, that is more than made up for in effect.  The
statues are faced with a forty foot wall of fire.
[/GM]

> [Alex]
> Hopefully having enough time, Alex will pick up Osiris once again and
> then will open fire with her rifle [Strike: 13, 18, 14], slowly retreating
> back to the temple.  She will radio to the rest of the team, "Any
> suggestions"
> [/Alex]

[GM]
Alex's shots hit three more of the blue dwarfs [Damage: 70MD apiece!].
The three dwarfs are cut down.  Between the wall of flame and the
groups impressive defensive fire, the dwarfs seem a great deal more
cautious.  Even the pterodactyl moves back, seemingly unwilling
to share in the punishment being levied against the blue dwarfs.
[/GM]

[Carlos]
Carlos follows Alex and the others past Owen's wall of flame and
into the temple.
[/Carlos]

[Meanwhile, in the temple...]

> > [GM]
> > The other statue moves quickly to cover its partner, as the
> > partner flings Koba into the temple.  Koba finds himself falling
> > down a long flight of stairs and, despite body armor, hits the
> > bottom, feeling dazed and bruised.  As he comes to his senses
> > he finds himself next to a stone door with runes on it, slightly
> > ajar.
> > [/GM]

> [Koba]
> After his sudden landing, Koba takes a moment to regain his senses.
> Shaking off the momentary dizziness he takes a moment to look around
> his surroundings. Taking a knee he keys his radio.
>
> "Alex, Carlos,Ted, Talas I am inside now. Shaken but ok. There is
> something going on in this room here. I'll investigate but I don't
> want to go any further alone."
>
> With that he hopes the sounds of a full grown man tumbling down stairs
> in MD armor didn't draw much attention with the battle outside.
> Seeing the crack in the door, Koba takes his camera out and attaches
> the data cord to his display. Sliding the camera through the door, he
> makes use of his improvised periscope and broadcasts the images to
> anyone in the group who can receive them.
> [/Koba]

[GM]
Even as Koba radios, he hears Alex's transmission "Any suggestions?"

Koba's makeshift periscope gives a reasonable view of the room, which is
a round chamber about forty feet in diameter, and ten feet high.  The walls
and ceiling are made of a beaten bronze-like metal that reflects Zandeeli's
flashlight along its dimpled surface.  Along the wall, at even intervals, are
nine boxes that look a lot like sarcophagi, about seven feet tall.  Eight of
the sarcophagi are closed, but one is open.

In the center of the chamber is a round stone platform.  There may have
been writing on it at one time, but it is so cracked and worn that only
the faintest remnant of runic script and perhaps pictures can be seen.
Above it is a small hole in the ceiling, no more than an inch wide.  A
faint beam of bluish energy exits it and hits the table.  The energy
is clearly that of the ley line.

Standing in the room are three figures; a young brunette haired woman,
a young man who looks to be a Cyberknight, and another man, African
by appearance, in what looks like some sort of medieval armor with a
lion crest emblazoned on it.  This man points straight at the periscope
and says in an unfamiliar accident "We have company."

It is at that moment that the rest of the company arrives at the top of the
stairs.
[/GM]

-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com