Post by hubertbartels on Jul 18, 2020 15:30:37 GMT -5
The village was on a hill, about 120’ away; the riverboat was drifting closer. 3 witches were watching the river as their Maraxes – a type of predator dinosaur – stalked behind them. Istovar, at the helm, powered up one of the engines to bring the riverboat closer.
One of the witches snarled an order and one of the Maraxes ran up the hill to drive the villagers back into their palisade. Their leader spoke a spell to try and command the party to bring their riverboat closer to the shore. The party resisted the charm and threw Evarad’s Black Tentacles upon the witches. Choking in the embrace of the tentacles, the witches were unable to get Astrovel drop the spell or the others to leave the safety of the riverboat. The party soon finished them off.
In the village, the lashunta villagers came out, persuaded by Erasmus’ speech. The elder told them that the witches controlled the village for Colonel Kurtz and punished anyone that questioned them by tying them to the riverbank to slowly drown. The party was welcome to use the large hut to rest and enjoy the hospitality of the freed lashunta. They feasted that night on roasted dinosaur meat.
The next morning, the party returned to their riverboat and continued downriver. The pump station marked the end of the river where water fell into a deep catch basin to be pumped back to the head of the stream. As the riverboat approached the pump station, the air was filled with the sound of massive pistons and the rush of water; the pipes rose up into the sky.
Entering the pump station, Amelina and Erasmus were easily able to approach the rear of the building. They called everyone else inside to confront 3 lashunta guards and a heavily corpulent Colonel Kurtz. Colonel Kurtz fell first, followed soon thereafter by his three fanatic guards.
In digging around his bed of pillows, blankets and clothes, the party turned a backpack which contained much of the loot from Colonel Kurtz’s former command. They also found a Black and a Prismatic Access Card. This was the first of five cards they needed to find.
Casandralee was consulted as where they were and what to do next. Casandralee consulted her memory files of the ship and told them that by using the stairway in the pipes leading out of the pumping station, they would climb into the recreation deck. From there, the party would be to access the monorail.
Using the black access card, the party unlocked the hatchway to the stairs. On the other side was the body of one of Kurtz’s men. He had used the remaining charge of his laser pistol to carve “Curse you, Kurtz. Curse you to-”. Amelina pocketed the laser pistol.
At the top of the stairs, the party found themselves in a small, overgrown park. Before they could exit it, they were attacked by three Viper Vines. Having put them down, they discovered more of Kurtz’s former command.
Leaving the park, the parry found themselves on a balcony overlooking a small town square. Hundreds of androids were walking around, shopping or talking. A blue sky panel shone down on a slice of life of Androffan life far removed from the rest of the ruined ship.
A particularly perky android stopped in front of them and exclaimed, “Visitors! And it’s not even Visitor’s Day.” Her name was Judee Perlok and her job was to greet visitors and bring them to their leader, Deacon Hope. As she led the party down to the town square, Judee explained that visitors came through monthly. They would meet with Deacon Hope, explain how things are going on the outside, and then, after a relaxing stay in the Quiet Garden, presumably, return to the outside. Judee was quite concerned about the outside, worrying that wild beasts and fierce barbarians would make establishing a community impossible.
An older man, darker in skin and with a well-trimmed beard rushed up towards them and introduced himself as Deacon Hope. He thanked Judee for her help and dismissed her.
Deacon Hope welcomed the party to the small town and offered them food and a place to stay. Erasmus wondered when the androids would be allowed to leave the small town and enter the city of Starfall.
Deacon Hope looked a bit disturbed at this, checking to see if any of the other androids could overhear them. “They are not ready for the outside,” he began.
By this time, they had entered the former holo-theater through double doors. At the back was hung a large sawtoothed gear with a staring eye. There were cushions on the floor for Deacon Hope’s congretation to sit while he preached from a pulpit. Erasmus repeated his question, “Why not?” while Amelina mentioned that she would like to see the Quiet Garden. Deacon Hope sputtered a few words before saying that it was not ready. Then he straightened up his resolve and said,”But why not – you can see it now.”
The curtains at the back of the theater parted to allow two large kytons with surgical claws and two smaller kytons to enter the room. The party immediately swung into action, hitting Deacon Hope over and over again. Istovar made one and then the other smaller kytons disappear back to their native planes. Obin hit Deacon Hope so hard that he had to dimension door away. The first surgeon kyton fell and the second kyton was also banished.
Isotvar cast a locate creature to find where Deacon Hope had gone to. The party rushed from the holo-theater through the back stage area, all filled with signs of the kyton bloody medical practices into the Quiet Garden.
This room had been constructed by ripping out the floors and ceiling of several rooms. It contained thousands of thousands of brains in jars. 120 bays each containing a capacity of 120 brains. It was controlled by a controller sitting on a raised platform in the center of the room. This is what had happened to the slaves brought into Silver Mount by the gearsmen and the Technic League. Year after year, the slaves had been brought here, had their brains ripped out of their bodies and placed on a shelf.
Three more large kyton surgeons were here along with Deacon Hope. One of the surgeons had several access cards hanging around its neck including a prismatic card.
Erasmus cast invisibility on himself. Istovar began sending kytons back to their native plane while Obin finished the job of slicing and dicing Deacon Hope. Under the onslaught, Deacon Hope’s boy finally dissipated. Amelina and Obin kept the one kyton busy until Erasmus stepped behind him and lifted his access cards. Then Istovar banished him from this plane.
The prismatic card was marked Medical Bay. It had been looted from the medical area along with the surgical tables and other machinery by the surgeon kytons. A quick survey of the brains in the jars showed them all to be drugged up and singing prayers to Unity. Erasmus made the decision and turned the power off to their life support systems.
Back in the town of androids, the party explained the truth about Deacon Hope and what was actually happening to the Visitors in the Quiet Garden. Even after a tour of the bloody surgical area backstage, a few android refused to listen to Erasmus’s words.
One of the witches snarled an order and one of the Maraxes ran up the hill to drive the villagers back into their palisade. Their leader spoke a spell to try and command the party to bring their riverboat closer to the shore. The party resisted the charm and threw Evarad’s Black Tentacles upon the witches. Choking in the embrace of the tentacles, the witches were unable to get Astrovel drop the spell or the others to leave the safety of the riverboat. The party soon finished them off.
In the village, the lashunta villagers came out, persuaded by Erasmus’ speech. The elder told them that the witches controlled the village for Colonel Kurtz and punished anyone that questioned them by tying them to the riverbank to slowly drown. The party was welcome to use the large hut to rest and enjoy the hospitality of the freed lashunta. They feasted that night on roasted dinosaur meat.
The next morning, the party returned to their riverboat and continued downriver. The pump station marked the end of the river where water fell into a deep catch basin to be pumped back to the head of the stream. As the riverboat approached the pump station, the air was filled with the sound of massive pistons and the rush of water; the pipes rose up into the sky.
Entering the pump station, Amelina and Erasmus were easily able to approach the rear of the building. They called everyone else inside to confront 3 lashunta guards and a heavily corpulent Colonel Kurtz. Colonel Kurtz fell first, followed soon thereafter by his three fanatic guards.
In digging around his bed of pillows, blankets and clothes, the party turned a backpack which contained much of the loot from Colonel Kurtz’s former command. They also found a Black and a Prismatic Access Card. This was the first of five cards they needed to find.
Casandralee was consulted as where they were and what to do next. Casandralee consulted her memory files of the ship and told them that by using the stairway in the pipes leading out of the pumping station, they would climb into the recreation deck. From there, the party would be to access the monorail.
Using the black access card, the party unlocked the hatchway to the stairs. On the other side was the body of one of Kurtz’s men. He had used the remaining charge of his laser pistol to carve “Curse you, Kurtz. Curse you to-”. Amelina pocketed the laser pistol.
At the top of the stairs, the party found themselves in a small, overgrown park. Before they could exit it, they were attacked by three Viper Vines. Having put them down, they discovered more of Kurtz’s former command.
Leaving the park, the parry found themselves on a balcony overlooking a small town square. Hundreds of androids were walking around, shopping or talking. A blue sky panel shone down on a slice of life of Androffan life far removed from the rest of the ruined ship.
A particularly perky android stopped in front of them and exclaimed, “Visitors! And it’s not even Visitor’s Day.” Her name was Judee Perlok and her job was to greet visitors and bring them to their leader, Deacon Hope. As she led the party down to the town square, Judee explained that visitors came through monthly. They would meet with Deacon Hope, explain how things are going on the outside, and then, after a relaxing stay in the Quiet Garden, presumably, return to the outside. Judee was quite concerned about the outside, worrying that wild beasts and fierce barbarians would make establishing a community impossible.
An older man, darker in skin and with a well-trimmed beard rushed up towards them and introduced himself as Deacon Hope. He thanked Judee for her help and dismissed her.
Deacon Hope welcomed the party to the small town and offered them food and a place to stay. Erasmus wondered when the androids would be allowed to leave the small town and enter the city of Starfall.
Deacon Hope looked a bit disturbed at this, checking to see if any of the other androids could overhear them. “They are not ready for the outside,” he began.
By this time, they had entered the former holo-theater through double doors. At the back was hung a large sawtoothed gear with a staring eye. There were cushions on the floor for Deacon Hope’s congretation to sit while he preached from a pulpit. Erasmus repeated his question, “Why not?” while Amelina mentioned that she would like to see the Quiet Garden. Deacon Hope sputtered a few words before saying that it was not ready. Then he straightened up his resolve and said,”But why not – you can see it now.”
The curtains at the back of the theater parted to allow two large kytons with surgical claws and two smaller kytons to enter the room. The party immediately swung into action, hitting Deacon Hope over and over again. Istovar made one and then the other smaller kytons disappear back to their native planes. Obin hit Deacon Hope so hard that he had to dimension door away. The first surgeon kyton fell and the second kyton was also banished.
Isotvar cast a locate creature to find where Deacon Hope had gone to. The party rushed from the holo-theater through the back stage area, all filled with signs of the kyton bloody medical practices into the Quiet Garden.
This room had been constructed by ripping out the floors and ceiling of several rooms. It contained thousands of thousands of brains in jars. 120 bays each containing a capacity of 120 brains. It was controlled by a controller sitting on a raised platform in the center of the room. This is what had happened to the slaves brought into Silver Mount by the gearsmen and the Technic League. Year after year, the slaves had been brought here, had their brains ripped out of their bodies and placed on a shelf.
Three more large kyton surgeons were here along with Deacon Hope. One of the surgeons had several access cards hanging around its neck including a prismatic card.
Erasmus cast invisibility on himself. Istovar began sending kytons back to their native plane while Obin finished the job of slicing and dicing Deacon Hope. Under the onslaught, Deacon Hope’s boy finally dissipated. Amelina and Obin kept the one kyton busy until Erasmus stepped behind him and lifted his access cards. Then Istovar banished him from this plane.
The prismatic card was marked Medical Bay. It had been looted from the medical area along with the surgical tables and other machinery by the surgeon kytons. A quick survey of the brains in the jars showed them all to be drugged up and singing prayers to Unity. Erasmus made the decision and turned the power off to their life support systems.
Back in the town of androids, the party explained the truth about Deacon Hope and what was actually happening to the Visitors in the Quiet Garden. Even after a tour of the bloody surgical area backstage, a few android refused to listen to Erasmus’s words.