Alternate Realities--Portal R'lyeh, Party Kadath From: raven@clotho.acm.rpi.edu (Jennifer Lynn Piatek) Date: Wed, 04 Apr 1990 19:32:11 +0000 The party, with the exception of Serolli and Tarrin (who levitated), is slowly sinking into a large pit of quicksand. Hachiro, realizing his predicament, takes the yumi and attempts to reach a branch above him. It looks as if he snagged a branch, but the bow pulls right through it. Illusion!!! The samurai mutters something and then tries again, this time for Tarrin's foot. He catches the kender's foot, and raises himself a bit higher out of the mire up onto the bow. Tarrin sinks a bit ("Whoa!!!"), but stays in the air, while pulling a rope out of his pouch (some dice drop out onto Hachiro's helm--clank!) The rope is made of handkerchiefs, all tied together, and Tarrin attempts to loop it onto the nearest tree. He ties it on, and throws it down, and it lands close to Allison. She grabs it, but suddenly the tree branch it was attached to breaks. Midnight, Peter and Allison sink below the top of the quicksand, but just before they go under, you all can hear shouting from the opposit direction of the bluff. Many colorfully dressed men are running up to the edge of the quicksand. *****The Conscious Party--Hachiro, Serroli, Tarrin***** You are taken to the encampmment of the men who rescued you and your friends (the other party members were pulled from the quicksand). There are close to 50 men, women and children here, dressed in bright, gaudy clothing. You surmise, from the many wagons that are here, that they must be nomadic gypsies. Most of the encampment pays you little heed, as they go about their every day tasks, except for the two nearby. The most commanding figure is a huge man, perhaps 6 feet tall and 220 pounds, dressed in a bright yellow, satiny shirt, black pants and heavy leather boots. A vibrant green scarf is tied snugly about his head, and a gold loop hands from his left ear. His has a big bushy black moustache, and his breath smells of garlic. A magnificient parrot sits on his shoulder, wearing a cap made of the same vibrant green fabric as the man's scarf. His companion is a wizened, hunch-backed old crone of indeterminate age. She's dressed all in black homespun, and a black shawl drawn over her head hides most of her features, except for a few wisps of steel gray hair, and the beak of a nose that dominates her face. The man turns to you, "Well, my friends, and a near thing it was. We came up on that quicksand just as your friends there were going down. I don't know what kind of trouble you're in, but I'll suffer no man, or lady for that matter, to drown in a slimy bog. Four of our lads pulled your friends to safety, and brought you all here to our humble camp. Rest yourselves, now, while we build up the fires and feast. If you need anything, simply ask." Meanwhile, the rest of the party, who has been unconscious throughout this, begins to awaken. "Ah good! They're finally coming around" says the man "Esmerelda, gather the other women and cook some food. These strangers are cold and hungry, and that's a fact. Shoo now! go! GO!". The crone acknowledges him with a, "Yes, Mikhale" and leaves. After dinner, (which is decent food, much better than rations), Mikhale turns to you, "Feeling better now? Good! None the worse for wear, I see. I've beening icthing to ask you if you made a map of the wood, and if you did, if I could see it. I see you have entered the wood from the west, and we from the east. Interested in seeing what we've mapped?" (Midnight, you notice you are missing your belt knife, and any gold you were carrying. Peter, you are missing a healing potion, and all of your gold as well) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "I am an outcast on the path of no return Punisher and swordsman, I was born to burn. Black wind always follows, where my black horse rides. Fire is in my soul, steel is on my side." Referenced By Up