Episode 1

Kray and Thorn step closer to check on Rutcranna. Her eyes have a look of distraction, as if she is looking off at something that she sees, but is not here in this place. And her eyes widen in either surprise or fear. This is over quick though, and she snaps back, looking at Kray and Thorn.

"They are coming. We must hurry." she says quietly, short of breath, almost whispering and looking down again weakened briefly.

Who?

She resets again. In a firm voice, "All of the Deep Ones, converging here. And Glaaki is sending all of his forces."

What forces?

"The entire Hive. His lieutenants and all of the newer slaves. The beasts, even Titan. And ... others..." swooning and looking a bit distant for a moment, "...the Skybreakers." Then looks up coherent again with clear eyes, but widened with the edge of fear, "Powerful creatures that can bend space. We are in great danger."

She looks around to the others too, "We must find Rhone. With her at my side we can escape, but we must hurry!"

With the girls Muirne and Naohm leading the way, the party moves down the hall, into and through the other chambers.

They quickly pass by:
A storage area with benches and shelves, near a set of water flooded stairs. Looks like a download spot for incoming supplies.
A drier storage area
A larder, kitchen and food prep area with work tables, pottery, some roughly built ovens.
Up a large flight of stairs to a large hallway, then back down another set of stairs.

Rutcranna continues to falter intermittently. When asked, she says "Glaaki seeks to assault my mind. He knows that I can open the great cube door on the higher floor. He will try to fatigue me so that I cannot master the ritual. Come though, we must press on. Stand near me, Maeriks Mac Hannoc, that I might seek your support if I need it."

Now in a large open oval shaped room (60' long ways, 40' short ways), torches burning in sconces on the walls. Around the oval walls are old statues facing inward, of figures with large head dresses and many with symbols carved into their chests. Many of the statues are broken. Almost all of them are smoothed down and cracked, with features that have apparently been worn. Despite the disrepair of the statues, the floor is perfectly clean and swept. That goes for all of the chambers seen so far.

The group enters this room from one of 2 curving staircases (coming down into this room). On the other side, in the middle of the "close diameter" of the oval wall is a large archway.

A strange smell is in the air. Through the archway into the room beyond is a glaze of thin whispy smoke. All that can be seen in the room when looking in is a misty thicket of thin fog.

Naohm and Muirne look confused and falter. They say they are not used to the smoke. They say the great living hall is the next chamber, the one that looks covered in smoke.

Rutcranna, leaning briefly on Maeriks, looks into the smoke. "They are burning large crops of molua leaf inside. The two hybrids... they lurk inside in the smoke...to the left and right of the entryway. They are armed and will fight to the death."Everyone notices that Rutcranna is flushed with color and is sweating. She sniffs her nose and wipes it. Blood comes up on her hand.

She dismisses it, wiping the blood on her shoulder bag. She pushes free of Maeriks to stand on her own and draws her knife. She stands looking at the entrance to the smoke filled room, with a hard look of grim determination.

"My daughter is in that room. I enter to claim her. Will I go alone?"

Seeing the warriors stacked up with positions and strategy, a true raiding party if there ever was one, Rutcranna's attempt to hide her feelings fails and her satisfaction betrays her. Her eyebrows raise and she smiles ever slightly.

As the men are talking about whether or not to use the krekutils, she sheathes her "hidden word" knife back in her bag.

"Leave the krekutils in their nets, you war dogs! No one in the swamp has enough molua to smoke up more than a doter's thatch cabin. We will press through that haze in a half dozen strides."

She looks at Kray with an alluring look, a bold look of certainty. "You want to see our enemies, Kray Mercon? Let it be done, I say: I bring them forth and you kill them. What say you?"

She lets the question hang in the air as she trails backwards two smooth steps of her bare feet, a graceful turn, and then she strides into the room, into the smoke. Just inside she stops, in a low stance like a cat poised to leap.

From both sides, two hulking forms dive in towards her. They are huge, muscular juggernauts - grotesque monstrosities, a true mix of fish and men. They drive in towards Rutcranna with their heavy corral spears.Rutcranna: Dodge Action

Results: Miss and Miss

The hybrids!




Two of these big creatures, one to left and one to right, are surrounding Rutcranna in the haze of smoke.Background Music as you guys charge into the smoke!