[Taocow PBEM] [Koba, Justin, Ted, Carlos, Owen, Louissa] Book 3 - Chapter VI - Down Another Rabbit Hole

[Aaron Clausen]

>> [GM]
>> Suddenly the air around the little girl seems to shimmer, and then
>> standing there is an old woman, human in appearance, but with pale
>> flesh, long white hair down to the ground, her mouth like a jagged
>> maw in a sea of wrinkles.
>>
>> "Why don't you tell them, Ted Smythe!" she screams angrily. "Tell
>> them why you need to free me!"
>>
>> Then the air seems to shimmer again, and this time facing the
>> company is a horrifying create, like an octopus with too many eyes
>> (at least eight) and too many tentacles (more than twenty, most
>> long and spindly, but three or four looking thick and strong), and
>> with mottled yellowish glowing skin. It stands about man-height
>> and the main body is perhaps a little wider than the average man.
>> Beyond even its appearance, an almost tangible atmosphere of horror
>> exudes from the cell.
>>
>> Carlos keeps his calm, but Koba, Louissa, Ted and Owen find their
>> knees knocking.
>>
>> "Free me, and I will aid you." a voice that sounds somewhere
>> between gravel rubbing together and a thunderstorm says. "Ted
>> Smythe will die if you do not."
>> [/GM]

> [Justin]
> Justin recovers enough to stand up, though he doesn't draw his
> weapon. "That, at least by appearances, is an Old One. The fact
> we're still able to think our own thoughts probably puts it in the
> least ranks, unless that cell is a good bit more mystically secure
> than it looks. I suspect we've discovered why this delving is
> abandoned, and why our dwarven acquaintances left in such a hurry. As
> for what I saw, I can isolate myself from all external influences,
> but it makes me a bit polarized to Order when I do it. Encountering a
> strongly aligned Chaos entity can be nauseating in that state, even
> when the entity is attractive."
> [/Justin]

> [Ted]
> To the lizard man , that did not sound right at all. "If she were
> really an Old One, would we be able to endure her presence? I may
> not know what she really is, but we either need to let her out or
> destroy her."
> [/Ted]

> [Justin]
> "Old One describes an order of life forms, rather than a set power
> level. You're at least visually a reptile, and I'm a mammal, but
> we're both made up of the same sorts of cells and matter. Old Ones
> aren't. We're more closely related biologically to the Gods than we
> are to Old Ones."
> [/Justin]

> [Ted]
> "What is it with this world and all its self-proclaimed gods?" the
> lizard man snaps. "Kill her or free her--it is your decision now. I
> have other things to worry about."
>
> Ted walks past Justin and Koba toward the rear of the group.
> [/Ted]

[Louissa]
"If I have a vote, it's for neither." Louissa says.  "Unless someone 
tells me how this thing can help Ted... and the rest of us.  The dwarves 
obviously imprisoned this creature for a reason, and I'm not all that 
keen to second guess them."
[/Louissa]

[GM]
The creature laughs.  "Your friend Ted Smythe is dying.  Little by 
little, bit by bit.  But I have the knowledge to heal him, truly heal 
him, not just concoct some druid's potion to give the illusion of 
health.  More I will not say, lest you leave me here.  I will bargain my 
freedom for Ted Smythe's life.  Besides, he can prevent my flight or the 
use of my powers.  He has the D'kuram-roetha."
[/GM]

[Louissa]
Looking away from the hideous thing, she asks "What is this D'kuram-roetha?"
[/Louissa]

[GM]
"Don't worry your little head off about that, Lady Louissa of New 
Poughkeepsie." the creature says.  "Worry about Ted Smythe."
[/GM]

[Louissa]
"Well, I vote to bring it along, as long as Ted can control it." she 
says finally.
[/Louissa]

-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com