|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Apr 16, 2011 9:20:37 GMT -6
With a stomach-dropping lurch, the MONORAIL leaves the station and continues its Eastward journey. Comprised of three carriages pulled by a gleaming metallic “Engine,” the Monorail moves swiftly along its single elevated track with no visible source of propulsion. Grinding noises and thick plumes of black smoke emanate from the infernal Engine; what sorcery is this?
All of you are crammed into the crowded Coach carriage. To comply with Transit regulations, your weapons are stowed in an overhead compartment (except, perhaps, for a dagger or other small weapon hidden on your person). Your fellow Coach passengers represent a dozen races of Man (all colors save Green, who travel in First Class) and a dazzling riot of clothing, adornment, appearance, and culture. The chatter of a dozen foreign tongues blends with the precise yet flatly non-poetic common language of Babel.
For many of you, this is your first journey away from home. For all of you, this is your first time aboard the Monorail and your first trip over the Mountains to the East and the great cities of the Coast. Each of you has your own reasons for travel: adventure, riches, destiny, scholarship, fame, revenge, or perhaps an overpowering desire to gaze upon the Sea and dream of the far-off lands beyond. But that is a story for another day; for now...
As the afternoon fades to evening, you observe the changing landscape as the Monorail climbs from the Plains to the foothills of the great mountain range separating West from East. Behind you, sunshine and the first mushrooms of spring; ahead, the snows of winter linger in foreboding ravines and a gray mist covers the peaks.
The persistent, cyclical humming of the Monorail is seductively soporific; despite the excitement of your journey, sleep is inevitable. As your head comes to rest against the throbbing glass window, you have the strangest dream...
|
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Apr 16, 2011 9:53:55 GMT -6
THE DREAM A strange party of adventurers stands atop a rocky, windswept ridge, overlooking a bleak and ancient sea. On a lifeless island of black stone stands an alien city. A soft whisper calls to you from across the dark waters... or perhaps the voice speaks directly to your mind? Along the shore the cloud waves break,
The twin suns sink behind the lake,
The shadows lengthen
In Carcosa.
Strange is the night where black stars rise,
And strange moons circle through the skies,
But stranger still is
Lost Carcosa
Songs that the Hyades shall sing,
Where flap the tatters of the King,
Must die unheard in
Dim Carcosa
Song of my soul, my voice is dead,
Die thou, unsung, as tears unshed
Shall dry and die in
Lost Carcosa
[Out of Character: Poem by Robert W. Chambers] You awaken with a start, clutching at the vaporous, precious dream lest it fade from your memory. You are startled to realize that the strange characters of your dream are mixed among your fellow passengers: Look there! A majestic and compelling Ulfire Man; who could forget such exquisite appearance? A cadaverous Red Man, barely recognizable as living. A masked and regal Purple Man. An enormous Jale Man with skin like water, who dwarfs the mysterious Bone Woman sitting nearby. An intimidating Yellow Man who regards the other races with suspicion. An Orange scholar drowning his sorrows in drink, seemingly oblivious to the Orange warrior woman who stares at him intently across the carriage. A young White Man with a shock of red hair and a hand like a lion’s paw. And, perhaps, others... Each of them looks a little different when seen with waking eyes, rather than the distorted fun-house mirror of sleep, yet the resemblance is unmistakable. “Who are you,” you think, “and what were you doing inside my head? And where, or more precisely WHAT is this CARCOSA???” [OOC: Your adventure begins NOW! Feel free to hang out in-character and introduce yourself. Something exciting will happen Monday...] |
|
|
|
Post by Professor P on Apr 16, 2011 17:59:09 GMT -6
THE EYE OF THUNDERA
Shaking away the last remnants of sleep, TEoT mutters, "What an odd dream, if only I had sight beyond sight..."
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 16, 2011 23:37:05 GMT -6
The Yellow man's hand darts to his waist as he starts awake, but slowly comes away empty. He has a disappointed look of concern as his eyes go up to the overhead compartment. His narrowed eyes scan back and forth across the crowded carriage.
"You.. White man.. does the rail always give strange dreams?"
|
|
|
|
Post by vito on Apr 17, 2011 4:15:14 GMT -6
The Mirthful Doomed
awakens, his throbbing head assailed from within by liquor and strange dreams, and from without by the clamour of many people around him. He starts to take a swig from his flask when he notices an orange warrior woman staring at him.
"Want some?" he says.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2011 8:45:06 GMT -6
You see a slim young man, Dolm in color, holding his head. "Uhhh...where am I?"
His pupils are dilated, a tell-tale sign that he is under the influence of some foreign substance. His clothes are not terribly functional, more designed to impress than anything.
He smooths his longish, auburn hair -- a futile gesture, since it seems to assume the wild, fly-away position it had before.
He opens his wineflask, and proceeds to sip. His attention is drawn to the Bone Woman, and he cracks a weak smile. He addresses her:
"I'm Thaimos, any idea what just happened?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Apr 17, 2011 9:00:22 GMT -6
The Mirthful Doomed awakens, his throbbing head assailed from within by liquor and strange dreams, and from without by the clamour of many people around him. He starts to take a swig from his flask when he notices an orange warrior woman staring at him. "Want some?" he says. The lithe, middle-aged Orange Woman pushes through the crowd and squeezes onto the bench next to you. In the distinctive tones of the Orange language, she introduces herself. "I am the Delectable Shade of the Cosmic Tree." (Her tattoos confirm the truth of this statement.) "I will drink with you, brother." She slugs down a hearty gulp of your liquor (you notice she does not gag or cough at its burn) and offers forth a pouch of exotic pingo nuts to share with you. |
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Apr 17, 2011 11:04:44 GMT -6
"You.. White man.. does the rail always give strange dreams?" "I say, Good Sir, are you speaking to me?" says the White Man seated across from you, mistaking himself as the target of your query. He is small of frame, fashionably dressed in civilian clothes, and clutches a bulging carpet bag tightly to his lap at all times. "'Tis true the song of the open rail may have a powerful liberating effect on a man's psyche... though I suggest you lower your voice..." he whispers, leaning towards you conspiratorially. |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2011 11:20:40 GMT -6
"You.. White man.. does the rail always give strange dreams?" "I say, Good Sir, are you speaking to me?" says the White Man seated across from you, mistaking himself as the target of your query. He is small of frame, fashionably dressed in civilian clothes, and clutches a bulging carpet bag tightly to his lap at all times. "'Tis true the song of the open rail may have a powerful liberating effect on a man's psyche... though I suggest you lower your voice..." he whispers, leaning towards you conspiratorially. I raise my eyebrow and look around, then lean toward him, saying "point taken." |
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Apr 17, 2011 11:39:34 GMT -6
"I say, Good Sir, are you speaking to me?" says the White Man seated across from you, mistaking himself as the target of your query. He is small of frame, fashionably dressed in civilian clothes, and clutches a bulging carpet bag tightly to his lap at all times. "'Tis true the song of the open rail may have a powerful liberating effect on a man's psyche... though I suggest you lower your voice..." he whispers, leaning towards you conspiratorially. I raise my eyebrow and look around, then lean toward him, saying "point taken." "This is your first time, isn't it?" inquires the dapper White Man. "Why, I rember my first time vividly. My sisters and I were traveling under the Mountain to Aylesbury to visit my Grand-mama. I was dressed in my finest jale knickers, which was the fashion at the time. My mother had taught us a game to pass the long journey. 'I spy with my little eye, something beginning with A;' A of course being the first letter of the giant Amanita muscaria towering above the tracks, releasing their spores into the crisp autumn air..." He rambles on and on, subjecting all seated nearby to his trip down memory lane... |
|
|
|
Post by tombowings on Apr 17, 2011 11:40:19 GMT -6
The masked and regal Purple Man an awakens, having nodded off to sleep. A slow sweat, makes its way down his masked face, disappearing beneath an intricately forges, copper sheet.
"What sorcery is this--the invasion of dream? What lurks confounding the soul beyond the astra rim?" he mutters to himself. "Have the omens chosen us? The sign of the Broken Bow, floating in a sleeping daylight, would not have foretold such. There is more at work here than meets the eye."
|
|
|
|
Post by crusssdaddy on Apr 17, 2011 13:45:04 GMT -6
Fated to Die awakens from his dream and lazily closes his eyes. An odd custom, to sleep with eyes open...
|
|
kipper
Level 3 Conjurer
Posts: 57
|
Post by kipper on Apr 17, 2011 15:39:19 GMT -6
<snip> His attention is drawn to the Bone Woman, and he cracks a weak smile. He addresses her: "I'm Thaimos, any idea what just happened?" The bone woman turns her skull-like face in his direction and watches him for a few dead moments expressionlessly ((her skin is invisible so if there was an expression you couldn't see it  ...)). "I do not know", she answers succinctly, but continues watching him as if studying him carefully. |
|
|
|
Post by ehiker133 on Apr 17, 2011 20:41:40 GMT -6
The Shadow awakens with a start, eyes opening wide, without really seeing.
Slowly, he scans the throng of figures before him, immediately recognizing those who stood beside him on the cliff in his dream. A wide smile splits his face and two jagged rows of filed teeth gleam in the light of the carriage.
He speaks, in a deep rumbling voice, "Ahhh... so we head to Carcosa!" His white eyes jump from face to face as he raises his right hand into a balled fist, "Can you not feel the change in the air? The power is ripe for the picking!"
His smile fades, mouth closing into a thin line, and his hand drops back to his side. "But only the fearless will receive their reward."
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2011 20:58:54 GMT -6
Thaimos lifts an eyebrow at the bone woman, wipes his lips after taking a heady draught, and breathes out heavily. He seems to return more or less to normal.
"Carcosa," he half mumbles, as if trying to recapture something forgotten. He rests his head against the seat lazily, but something in his manner indicates he's restless.
He stares the Shadow for a long moment with a faraway look in his eyes, as if there were some ancestral memory trying to make its way to the surface, but remains buried.
"Power? Reward?" Thaimos cries. "What are you going on about?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Apr 17, 2011 21:39:04 GMT -6
As the suns fade into a distant memory behind you, the monorail begins to slow and struggle as it climbs higher into the great mountain range. The single, narrow rail crosses a great ravine, a deluge of frigid runoff dizzyingly far below. Any trace of moon or stars is completely obscured by the oppressive mist that covers the craggy landscape. A chill runs up your spine as the rambling White Man leans in closer for a dramatic pause, then continues in a low whisper: "Now I consider myself somewhat of a railroad history buff, and let me tell you something the Greens don't want you to know. They'll tell you the monorail is the safest, most reliable form of travel there is. But if you talk to some of the old-timers who laid this track, they'll tell you some tales that will make you think twice next time you leave the station. "The monorail is an incredible invention, don't get me wrong! It's the only system of its kind; I've never seen anything like it. It travels faster than a bird, across dry land where no ship can sail. But the monorail itself is not the Miskatonic Transit Company's finest achievement, oh no no. "To connect West and East, there's the little problem of this here mountain range. No rail could possibly go over the top of the mountain, so they laid the track right through it! A tunnel carved miles through solid rock! A thousand men with steel pick-axes could not dig so far so fast; it took a secret technology from across the Sea to complete the project. So great was this engineering feat, connecting West and East for the first time, that the tunnel became the Company's official logo, stenciled on the side of each monorail carriage:"  "Digging the tunnel was a dangerous job; 193 lives were lost during construction. The secret new technologies used to dig the tunnel were inherently unstable; the wretched workers were plagued by unpredictable fires, collapses, floods, and worse. "But deadliest of all was the horrendous Central Shaft accident, leading to the nickname 'The Bloody Pit.' The accident occurred while digging the tunnel's 1,028-foot vertical exhaust shaft. Officially, the accident was caused by a lighted candle in the hoist building that ignited a lantern in the shaft, triggering an explosion. But some of the workers I spoke to hinted of a cover-up of an even worse truth. Either way, the hoist caught fire and collapsed into the shaft. The workers below were trapped, killed by falling flaming hoistworks and pieces of iron. The pumps were also destroyed, and the shaft began to fill with water. A worker was lowered into the shaft by rope the next day; he was overcome by fumes and reported no survivors. "Workers assumed that nobody at the bottom survived, so no further rescue attempts were made. However, when the first workers got to the bottom several months later, they found that workers had, indeed, survived and left a journal of their desperate struggle to stay alive. No trace of them was ever found, however, alive or dead, and the contents of the journal were never made public." As if on cue, the monorail squeals to a halt in front of a massive iron gate carved into the mountainside. It is illuminated by two giant torches and guarded by Green Men with crossbows. The monorail sounds its mournful whistle, the gate is raised, and slowly, you resume your forward motion into the belly of The Bloody Pit... |
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 17, 2011 21:51:04 GMT -6
I look at the talkative white man across from me. "And how long does it take from West to East?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Apr 18, 2011 7:30:58 GMT -6
I look at the talkative white man across from me. "And how long does it take from West to East?" "At our reduced speed, we will pass through the 5-mile tunnel in about an hour." |
|
|
|
Post by chicagowiz on Apr 18, 2011 7:49:28 GMT -6
The cadaverous looking Red Man remains still while his Yellowman mule sits on the floor, head bowed. You can barely see him breathing but there is a single tear coming out of his eye.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Apr 18, 2011 8:19:11 GMT -6
A half-hour passes uneventfully as the monorail grinds through the oppressive blackness. It is very disorienting to have no visual reference outside. By your estimation, you are at the half-way point of the tunnel.
Suddenly, disaster strikes!
A loud crash, the monorail lurches from its track, an explosion from the front of the train! The squealing sound of metal wrenched from metal, the smashing of glass, and the horrible screams from the first-class carriage ahead of you!
Back in the coach-class carriage, all of you are badly shaken up and tumbled from your seats. Many of the civilians around you are injured with bruises, broken bones, and cuts from the shattered windows (fortunately, your warrior training spares you all from serious injury). The lights flicker, then go out. All is dark save for a fiery glow from further down the track!
Fighting men and Sorcerers of Carcosa, how will you meet this crisis?
|
|
|
|
Post by ehiker133 on Apr 18, 2011 8:31:41 GMT -6
The Shadow, being so tall, reaches over, more than up, into the overhead compartment and drags out the weapons stowed, tossing them to the ground, until he finds his own flail. He calmly unslings his shield from his back and straps it on to his left arm.
Gripping his flail tightly in his right hand, he looks at the Dolm man and says, "THIS is the power of which I speak. And I'm of a mind to take it for my own."
That said, he begins looking for a way of exiting the compartment (ney, the train, even) to get a better view of what caused the explosion ahead.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Apr 18, 2011 8:36:44 GMT -6
That said, he begins looking for a way of exiting the compartment (ney, the train, even) to get a better view of what caused the explosion ahead. There are sliding doors at the front and rear of the compartment for access to the first-class carriage in front and the baggage carriage behind. Also, many of the glass windows are shattered. The monorail is leaning against the wall on its right side, but you should be clear to jump through a window on the left, if you choose. In fact, the Delectable Shade of the Cosmic Tree has already done so and is racing toward the front of the monorail. |
|
|
|
Post by ehiker133 on Apr 18, 2011 8:51:25 GMT -6
The Shadow of the Evermore follows the orange woman out the window and to the source of the explosion.
|
|
|
|
Post by tombowings on Apr 18, 2011 9:01:33 GMT -6
"Dread Lord, I’thaqua, what fate has been delivered?" mutters the Purple man, grabbing his sack belongs in his left and readying his flair in his right. The Sovereign Mask of All Who See calmly descends from the monorail window and begins moving towards the sounds of commotion, careful to keep his wits about him.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2011 9:46:01 GMT -6
Finding his sheathed tulwar on the floor, Servitor of The Yellow Sign buckles it back around his waist. He breathes easier now. He raises his eyebrow and smiles grimly as the other people from his dream rise unhurt, arm themselves, and start exiting the train.
"If someone here can help the injured, do it. This train isn't going to get any better."
He jumps onto the tunnel floor from one of the left hand windows, then begins cautiously heading forward.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2011 9:49:52 GMT -6
Thaimos grabs his flail from the passenger compartment, and uses the handle to clear away the shards of glass from one of the left-hand windows. Using the handrail, he vaults out of the monorail, trying to get a better look.
He cranes his head from right to left, like our prehuman ancestors anxiously scanning the area for danger.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Apr 18, 2011 9:59:19 GMT -6
The Shadow of the Evermore, Sovereign Mask of All Who See, Servitor of The Yellow Sign, and Thaimos the Seeker climb from the monorail window. There is a short drop to the tunnel floor, and a splash! You are knee-deep in a chilling slurry of water, mud, debris, and pollution from the engine's exhaust.
The coach-class carriage lists to the right, leaving a narrow passage to its left, wide enough for a single man to pass.
The first-class carriage ahead has not fared so well. It is completely derailed and tipped on its right side.
You do not have a good view of the engine from your current location, but the crackle and glow of flames causes you to fear the worst.
By the light of the flames, you can dimly see that the tunnel widens ahead, between the first-class carriage and where the engine should be. There is a circular chamber 30' in diameter, with a gaping opening above. Could this be the Central Shaft of which the White Man spoke? With the darkness and smoke it is difficult to see, but there is something moving in the shaft.
Ahead of you, the nimble, lightly-armored Delectable stands astride the overturned first-class carriage, striking a defiant pose.
"I banish you to the darkness! You shall not harm these innocents!" shouts the warrior woman, brandishing her obsidian-tipped spear...
|
|
|
|
Post by Mushgnome on Apr 18, 2011 10:06:00 GMT -6
Combat Round Zero
The Delectable Shade of the Cosmic Tree rolls for hit points.
Two dice are rolled: First, roll d10 to determine the die size. 1-2=d4, 3-4=d6, 5-6=d8, 7-8=d10, 9-10=d12. Delectable rolls 8 so she has d10-sized hit dice. Second, roll d10+1=4+1=5 hit points.
Missile fire is resolved before melee. Delectable hurls her spear at the THING in the darkness. She needs a 3 to inflict 1 die of damage (Chainmail p. 11) and rolls 3+1=4!
Like hit dice, damage dice are variable. d10=9 indicating we roll a d12=9. An unearthly howl fills the air as her spear flies straight and true!
In response, a glistening, arm-thick, black tentacle lashes out from the darkness above. It attacks as 1 Light Foot (LF) requiring a 6 to hit Delectable’s LF, and rolls an unlucky 6... she is hit!
The tentacle rolls for damage: 7 (d10), 9! The poor woman has only 5 hit points. Delectable is yanked off her feet and lifted into the dark shaft. Seconds later, her lifeless legs fall into the muck below with a sickening squish.
To the warrior woman’s eternal credit, she never once screams.
YOUR TURN!!!
[OOC: I will wait up to 24 hours for all players to announce their intentions before starting the next round.]
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2011 10:06:45 GMT -6
I climb up onto the Green men's carriage, then draw my blade and bring my shield off my back. Avoiding the windows, but glancing down into them as I walk, I approach Delectable's side.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Apr 18, 2011 10:17:07 GMT -6
Thaimos whips his head from side to side, scanning the darkness, slogging through the debris.
He makes his way onto the carriage where Delectable once stood, wary of any danger, to stand with Servitor.
His flail is readied for whatever lies ahead.
|
|
...)). 
