[Taocow PBEM] Book 3 - Chapter XII - Journey to the Millennium Tree

[Aaron Clausen]

>> [GM]
>> When they get into the ATV, the company sees the girl moan and
>> move slightly. There is a faint aura around her, and a sharp,
>> ozone-like smell coming from her.
>> [/GM]

> [Oz]
> Oz gets on the guard channel to his people. "At the first
> opportunity to stop I need the heavy weapons team in this APC. The
> demon looks like it's waking up."
> [/Oz]

>> [GM]
>> At the top of the hill, it looks as if the Kydians are setting up
>> their mortar emplacement. A few start firing on the convoy, and one
>> of the shots hits the ATV while several others strike the troop
>> transport.
>>
>> The convoy pushes through the drifts of snow and over the rough
>> ground underneath. Soon, everyone is out of range of the Splugorth
>> minions' fire. However, Oz's men report siting scouts trailing
>> them, so wherever they plan on going, the Splugorth army will
>> certainly know of their whereabouts.
>>
>> And then the lake comes into view. It is fed by a wide river,
>> winding through the snow-covered landscape lake a black snake. The
>> lake itself lies between the shoulders of two ridges; the one the
>> caravan is driving on the shoulders of, and another. Between them
>> is a narrow gap which is bridged by an old dam. The dam stands
>> perhaps one hundred feet high, and is about six or seven hundred
>> feet wide. Beneath the dam is the valley of the millennium tree.
>>
>> The tree itself is visible from their vantage, surrounded by the
>> Splugorth army. The tree stands on a hill, but most of the
>> defenders and the Splugorth army are at the feet of the hill.
>>
>> The dam is being guarded by what looks to be a contingent of
>> Splugorth Minions, perhaps twenty; mainly Kydians but with a few
>> Kittani on hoverbikes. They appear to be guarding the dam. There's
>> no sign of the newcomers; Miles and Thodin, and the scouts that
>> went with them
>> [/GM]

>> [Jacek the Borg]
>> Jacek the Borg stops his ATV and gets out. "So, my good friends,
>> what is the plan here?"
>> [/Jacek the Borg]

>> [GM]
>> As Jacek is talking, the girl suddenly cries out, her voice half
>> that of a little girl, and half like something out of the
>> underworld.
>> [/GM]

>> [Jacek]
>> "What is that?" Jacek says, starting to walk towards the company's
>> ATV.
>> [/Jacek]

> [Oz]
> "Everybody out of the vehicle!" Oz hops out of the APC, trusting his
> trio of assistants to follow. "Heavy weapons to this position,
> now!"
> [/Oz]

[GM]
As Oz's assistance drop in formation behind him, three heavy weapons 
soldiers surround the ATV, setting up two tripod-mounted railguns and a 
tripod-mounted plasma cannon.
[/GM]

> [Oz]
> He glances over at Jacek. "She's waking up." Oz gets on the guard
> channel to the scouts. "Give me your positions and a status update.
> We're here, what's the situation?"
> [/Oz]

[GM]
"We can see you." the scout responds over the radio. "We're about seven 
hundred meters due south of you. We're going to make our way down closer 
to the lake to see if we can get a better view of the Splugorth minions 
guarding the dam. Any instructions, Sir?"
[/GM]

> [Ted]
> "If she wakes up, maybe we can talk her into clearing the bridge for
> us," Ted offered matter-of-factly.
> [/Ted]

[Louissa]
Louissa nods. "I don't know if this Borg or his friends would like it, 
but I think that has the sounds of an awfully good plan. She seems to 
like causing mayhem."
[/Louissa]

> [Vesper]
> Vesper looks to Alex, "Do you still have that iron spear head,
> sounds like we might need it very soon."
> [/Vesper]

> [Alex]
> "Of course I do," the red haired ranger responds. "Could we instead
> however give her a shot to keep her asleep. If we have a medic with
> us, they should have something."
> [/Alex]

> [Vesper]
> "Most beings like her are notoriously resistant to medications,
> drugs and poisons. If we do have something we may have to give her
> massive quantities of the substance."
> [/Vesper]

> [Alex]
> "Is it worth a try?" Alex asks. "Sorry about jumping the gun back
> there. Got confused what the plan was."
> [/Alex]

> [Vesper]
> "We can certainly give it a shot, or give her a shot at least. As for
> you, I am just glad your safe. It turned out alright just some extra
> dings in peoples armor." He smiled to Alex and let those skilled with
> medicine handle any sedating of the creature.
> [/Vesper]

[GM]
One of the soldiers, a medic by his insignia, fetches a medkit from the 
APC and goes to the ATV. He gives a nod to Ted and Louissa, and then 
pulls out five needles and five vials.

"This is amobarbital." the medic says. "Strongest stuff I've got. This 
much of it would kill a normal humanoid. We'll see."

He jabs the first needle in, then the second, third and fourth. The girl 
moans and moves a little, but does nothing else. He grabs the fifth 
needle and is about to jab it in her arm when her eyes open. There's a 
loud squishy popping sound and the medic falls over, blood and brain 
matter spewing out on to the back seat of the ATV from suddenly empty 
eye sockets.

The girl's eyes open and she roars like she was fifty feet tall and 
then, just as quickly, her eyes roll back into her head and she seems to 
lapse into unconsciousness.

Unfortunately, that roar was loud enough to be heard a long ways away, 
and the scout reports to Oz "It looks like the Splugorth on the dam have 
been alerted to our presence. The skycycles are heading in your direction."
[/GM]


-- 
Aaron Clausen
mightymartianca at gmail.com