Session 64 – July 8, 2015
Fulbrecht is pounding on the glass, as we approach the southern locker room. A klaxon can be heard from above. Our lead group ascends to the Human research gallery where the klaxon is blaring over a familiar scene. Talon and the Mercs have recovering from a melee with the Undead Ogre last seen behind the west vivisection room. Talon reports the Mercs’ success, an unconscious Xelina was the price. He also point to one pedestal near the glass. Its’ ethereal display now says in ancient dwarven “ unauthorized tampering, desynchronized cells detected, security has been notified, if this is an error access the security program.” We did it again….
On top of the cacophony, a thudding is coming from the east. THorfus examines the open doorway to the west, while Chuq sees a human standing beyond the east vivisection room door. No doubt, like the Ogre, this body was last seen lying on a slab. His scars are visible now, he looks like the top of his head was shorn off then reattached. Unexpectedly, the door rises – there is an undead kobold moving to attack. We fell the kobold and the human with little effort.
Now it’s more babel in ancient dwarven. Looming over Thorfus, the articulated floating cylinder says “New dissection candidate identified” – back to work! Spying something on the slab farthest from the doorway, Chuq shadow steps across the room and dons a golden crown/helmet. Thinking himself clever he yells in modern dwarven “Stop!”
Ftiz contains the murder automation by sealing the door, with just a few saps on the wrong side.
Belroar slips in the room before the door slams shut, brandishing his Silverthrone card and barks “Halt”. Thorfus tries a command in ancient dwarven. The dissector ignores everyone, turns and advances on Chuq. It’s attack is quick and true. Close to death, the Monk shadow steps behind Thorfus by the doorway. Axel and Talon charge – Talon hits! Belroar raises the door allowing Chuq to scurry to Brice. Uthruk enters as Fitz closes the door again. The fight is in earnest now! Our muscle takes some licks but answer back in kind!
Brice soothes the monk’s aches, so he returns to the fight. Belroar begins to fashion a connections between a javelin and rope hoping to bring down the dissector in a trap. Before he can attempt his plan, Thorfus takes out the machine.
Before Fitz can seal the door again, the Boyz all retire to the gallery. After our post battle clean up, we opt to exam the west vivisection room.
Belroar wants to euthanize the single thrashing human body lashed to a slab. Chuq senses someone else’s feelings as he enters. Taking off the golden helmet, he loses the sensations. Donning it again, he speaks to the thrasher, expecting some acknowledgement. The body continues to thrash, but now Chuw “hears” a wailing voice in his head. Not understanding the words, he mimics the sounds out loud. Finkelmur recognizes it as ancient common. Handing over the golden helmet, Finkelmur hears the same cry over and over again. “Stop the cutting”
“We will ease your pain” Belroar whispers as he stabs the thrashing body.
Finkelmur and Chuq search the drawers as Thorfus collects the strange metal instruments on the slabs. Belroar searches the nest of junk and drawers in one corner. He finds some trinkets and many clean bones.
The drawers contain organs that have been dressed and appear to be freshly butchered. We find Kidneys, hearts, lungs, intestine, stomachs, spleens, back bones, brains, feet & hands( the limbs separated by races – lizard men, elves, humans, kobolds & ogres). Thorfus tests the cube and gold amulet found in the rubbish heap with the raised pedestal in the gallery room. The amulet causes the ethereal message floating above the pedestal to be replaced with a new interface. In ancient dwarven it lists “Security; Holding Cells; and Cube Interface”
Touching CUBE INTERFACE the message changes again to a list of five options of random ancient dwarven letters and numbers. The first choice yields to an image of a dwarf that is perfectly alive and healthy. Dwarf moves about and a detached voice from the pedestal says in ancient dwarven “So they’re here now. They’ve made it into the portal system. Don’t know what the chief is going to do, continue work, security on high alert” then the dwarf looks at something to his side then freezes.
Second option shows the same dwarf speaking “Odar I don’t know if you are receiving these. No attacks here but the battle is not going well. They should have better luck at Pathogens. This stuff is hundreds of years old don’t know if it will help fighting the rebels.”
Third option shows same dwarf. He appears not as well groomed previously with more haggard look in his eye. “Now we’ve done it. So, the chief bio forgers sent some of the specimens through the portal. It failed! A whole wing is now quarantined. Security keeps us in our rooms with only one bathroom for everyone.”
Fourth option is the same dwarf bedraggled worse than before. ”Lost all communication with rest of the facility, on emergency power protocol. No portal, some have had an argument with security team to leave. Others will try again I will wait for the all clear. Maybe we can pull out”
The last and fifth option shows our dwarf disheveled and somewhat emaciated. “Most of the supplies are gone, can’t get to cafeteria, no hope of rescue. Looks away, static, much later he is hysterical “the dead, they have come back. It’s revenge for what we have done to them!”
After selecting the last option, the screen is now blank, Thorfus plays with the ethereal image until he finds and chooses “Holding Cells”. This list appears: Records of Current Occupants; Synchronization Status; Door Locks; and Sonic Control Deterrents.
Selecting Current Occupants shows:
1. Three lizard men
2. One elf
3. Three elves
4. One ogre
5. Two kobolds
6. Three lizard men
7. Four elves
8. One human
9. Three humans
10. Three elves
11. Two lizard men
12. One elf
13. Empty
14. Four elves
15. Empty
16. Two humans
17. Empty
18. Three elves
Next, Synchronization Status:
1. Synched
2. Synched
3. Synched
4. Desynched 100%
5. Synched
6. Synched
7. Desynched 100%
8. Desynched 100%
9. Desynched 100%
10. Desynched 100%
11. Desynched 100%
12. Desynched 100%
13. Desynched 100%
14. Desynched 100%
15. Synched
16. Desynched 100%
17. Synched
18. Desynched 100%
Thorfus changes number 4 from Desynchronized to Synchronized. Belroar take the elevator to check and finds a single naked ogre in one of the cells we could not open. Belroar slams the door shut on the Orger and runs back to the gallery to tell us what he found..
Thorfus now synchronize number 8 with Uthruk, Finkelmur and Fritz checking to see if there is actually one human occupant. They find a humanoid sitting with his back to the door. When spoken to, he doesn’t respond. He is before a makeshift altar and the walls are blood smeared. The old dark man turns and hoarsely barks in ancient common “Humans? Here? You come to free us? Are the dwarves dead? Did the dragon emperor send you?” Everyone is curious after Finkelmur translates.
Our interrogation of the man is far from one sided. Hardly fazed when we explain his time is long forgotten in our most dim past, he peppers his short answers with pointed questions about the dwarven people, the city of Xen’Kehl and our opinion of the Dragon Emperor (which is undoubtedly his patron hero and the architect of the downfall of the Dwarven empire). He encourages Throfus to kill Brice as an apostate, claiming her “Zen Tellar” is an imposter. He also is very interested in the SilverThrone company and their agent Marchmain Sivis.
Piecing his answers together, we know his mission was to poison this research facility from within. His magic seems to be a cross between Wizard and Cleric, perhaps he is a sorcerous witch? He calls his patron deity/hero Zen Tellar but insists the god known to the dwarves today as Zen Tellar is actually Zelina Tel. An evil personage that was cut off from the ancient dwarves and entrapped by some instrument of the Dragon Emperor of old.
His intents seem aligned with ours after we loosely sketched our suspicions of the SilverThrone and Empire conspiring to enslave Midmarkers. But he is reticent to assume the Dragon Emperor could be an agent of evil. Perhaps we should lubed his tongue with food and drink before exchanging information but we hoped he could lift the curse of undead from this place.
He claims he can help somewhat but insists on the boys killing Brice in return. We still look upon Brice as a dupe but maybe he is right and she’s the best actress we’ve ever met? We need to know more about him, his mission and his relationship with the last Naga before we have our meeting with her.
