Episode 2

Cool stuff J. Imagery is always appreciated. Definitely gives me a much better idea of what we're seeing.

The group drives onward up the stairwell. Again they hear the sound of a horn from the upstairs. From the lower stairs opposite in the room they hear another sound - the barking of dogs, the braying of hounds on the run, on the hunt. Bryn is the last to ascend the stairs, he can hear the pitter-patter of clawed feet from the other stairwell. He hears a loud bark from a dog that shoots out of the echo chamber of the lower stairwell with a boom. The beasts are right on their heels.

The swordsman presses them onward, to the upper floor, and on to the next room east. This room has openings on both sides (north and south), like balconies that overlook the lower levels of the palace. Over the side of the railings - insectoid legs! The long legs of a spider, but a giant one!

First to the right, a giant spider clamors over the railing and onto the balcony. It is just like the spiders seen on the day prior at the gladiator fights at the Circle of the Valiants, but at this close vantage point it is all too clear how much larger the spider is.

Then to the left, two sets of legs are wrapping around the handrails, hauling up bulbous arachnid forms. The path of escape is closing fast!

Just ahead the group sees a fortification of some sort, in the transition from the balcony central room to the next room to the east. It is as if this room has often been a battle site. There are remnants of obstacles - cut metal bars and wide bands, wooden boards hammered together, rubble of broken statues stacked as barrier walls now partially toppled.Within the wreckage of the threshold is a black-robed figure. "Hurry! Get in!", the robed man calls.

His features are hidden mostly, but his hand beckons everyone towards him and the threshold. He stands next to a makeshift cage gate of some sort, one that has been buckled and crammed in among the other wreckage of obstacles and defenses, like the latest form of continually wrecked defense measures.

"Quickly!" says the swordsman from behind, "Through the gate!"

The swordsman draws a short javelin from a tight holster hanging down from the small of his back. He casts it with incredible force and the bolt slams into one of the spiders on the balcony, burying deep within its torso. The creature springs back and rolls, it's legs writhing in pain.

Dogs barking. Growling. From behind. A quick glance back - the beasts are up the stairs. The hounds are here. Only seconds before they will catch up.


One of the spiders is scurrying in, from the north. Kray and Thorn both, in the lead, begin to unconsciously calculate the angle and distance. Can they make it, or must they turn and fight?

Out from the barricade gate, two more figures burst forth.
Another black-robed figure. Features hidden. He holds some sort bow mounted broadways on a wooden plank.

A twang of the string. A large arrow springs forth and hits the giant spider in its down-slanting face, splattering just offset from one of its eight eyes.


In the same instant, a hulking warrior, covered in armor and helm. Heavy shield forward like a plow. A towering myrmidon.

The shield crashes into the spider first, knocking it back. A huge morning star type mace, a heavy burden of steel flowering with spikes, crashes down onto the spider, tearing it asunder. Without delay the armored myrmidon moves on, shield forward, a mobile bulwark wall, taking position to receive the oncoming dogs.

The first robed figure, who appears almost identical to the second one that has emerged, steps out at the gate and raises up another plank mounted bow, the same as the other. He points it in the direction of the group. Kray throws up his shield instinctively.

Another twang of the strange side-carried bow and it is clear that the arrow was not meant for Kray or Thorn. The bolt sails by, a close call, but behind them the men hear the yelp of a hound. Bryn can almost feel the breath of the dog as it rolls forward just behind him, growling and stumbling from the arrow impaled in its shoulder.

"Go!" the swordsman shouts, the sharp tone of battle commands, "Behind the barricade!"


There it is. What do you do?

The group stumbles in past the barricade, pushing themselves to the physical limit to keep moving fast enough.

And just in the nick of time. The cloaked figure at the gate yells out at his matching counterpart, "Fall back! I'm closing the gate!"The other cloaked figure responds, drawing back the plank-mounted bow as he moves and backs towards the barricade and the makeshift iron-band gate door.

The swordsman gets to the barricade threshold, and shoves the cloaked figure in just as he launches another arrow from the twanging bow string that suddenly releases as he brings the wood beam to his shoulder. The arrow flies into an injured dog, killing it.

The swordsman stands a moment longer at the barricade gate. "Fall back, Namtur! Rally in!", he shouts out at the tall armored man.

The myrmidon is laying waste to the spiders and dogs in the center of the balcony room. As the beasts come up and clash with him, they are unable to land a strike, crashing into this giant's armor and shield like waves crashing on an outcropping rock along a shoreline. Shouting out in rage, the big warrior strikes his long-shafted spiked mace down into the beasts again and again.

"Namtur, hurry!," says the robed gatekeeper.

"NARAAAAMM!!!" the myrmidon shouts at the top of his lungs. He swats aside another spider and strides away from the gate, towards the adjacent room with the stairwell. Giant spiders lurch towards him. Now they are trying to spin a web on him, and he is tearing through it, though slowed and harassed. "Naram, I will crush your beasts, and then I crush YOU!!!" He is shouting as he swings and chops tirelessly, moving forward step by step.

"He is assaulting. He knows Naram is beyond," says the robed gate keeper to the swordsman as they both look out in concern at the forward-marching myrmidon.

The swordsman takes one strong step forward and throws another javelin at a straggling dog. The dog yips out as it flips backwards and dies.

Two dogs laying on the ground suddenly ignite into flames. In a sickening display, the burning animals stand up and start loping towards the myrmidon.

"Namtur!!" the other robed figure yells. This one is standing right beside Kray now, back within the rubble and obstacle wall of the barricade.

One dog explodes into a rolling wave of flame. Then another.

The myrmidon is engulfed in fire. A nearby spider is as well. The spider rolls and curls its legs, squirming and thrashing as it melts. Another spider scampers away, it's lanky legs carrying it over the balcony even as a stream of fire licks along its back.

Covered in flames, the towering myrmidon stumbles into the next room. "Naaa-RRAAAM!!", he growls out in hate. Stumbling forward, the flaming man disappears around the corner, the light of his fire still shining out and illuminating the room.

Another set of spiders emerges from the balcony, scanning around briefly and then clamoring towards the barricade gate.

The swordsman wastes no more time, he pulls the gate door closed with a loud crashing bang. The robed gatekeeper throws over the locking lever. The other robed man uses a set of keys to clasp the bolt in place.

The swordsman gives one more look out the gate as the spiders crash into it. The gatekeeper reloads his wood plank bow, fitting another arrow.

The swordsman turns and signals to the others, "Go," he says, pointing further back into the room, "Follow through the door."

The other robed figure is there, pulling in a massive and exotic door made completely of iron. It groans as its heavy hinges rub loudly against one another. "Come on," he says, motioning the group to come through behind the great iron door.

The group passes through the passage, one by one, transitioning to another room.

Bryn sees the robed figure spring one more arrow through the gate and into the belly of a clinging spider on the other side. The swordsman shoves the man away and towards the door. The robed man casts off the cowl of his hooded robes as he moves. He is a rather young man, bald and covered in tattoos.



The group moves through the iron door. The swordsman and the tattoed man pull the door closed and seal it with a great bar bolt and then the turning of a half-wheel handle. Another bolt clacks into place with a clunk.

The swordsman points, motioning for everyone to continue.

The athletic tattooed man crosses the room, strapping his cross plank bow across his back, and begins a downward climb on a steel rung ladder that is bolted into the west wall, disappearing into a hole cut into the floor.

"We descend," the swordsman says, driving everyone over to the ladder.


The other robed man pulls back his cowl as well, another young man covered in tattoos.



He too climbs down the ladder.

The group climbs down the ladder, following the two robed and tattooed men, and in turn followed by the swordsman.

You descend one ladder to the room below. It is a bit larger than above. This room is barred at every door. Steel bands block all entrances/exits. Shudders on the north and and east wall are bolted closed. Reinforced with wood boards and iron brackets. It is as if it is barricaded, permanently perhaps.

A few steps over, and another ladder, another hole in the floor. Again, climbing down.

This brings you to the ground level. It is another large room. Similarly, barred shuttered windows. The door to the south seems permanently closed. The door to the east is heavily fortified with multiple bars and bolts.

Three large fire places are along the walls. Two anvils and a large work bench are offset towards the center. The room overall is outfitted as what seems to be a smith station on one side and over on another wall there is some other kind of furnace and workplace. All sorts of metal shafts and rods, hammer and anvils. Large blocks of raw iron, bands, partially completed constructions.

Also though there are racks and shelving that are quite odd in the south part of the room.. You don't have long to study, but at a glance it seems that it is a station that makes glass. You see some glass panels of different colors and strange glass bulbs that look like pottery or containers.

There is a lift and pulley system that is rigged up to raise cargo from this floor, through openings in the ceiling above and in the floor to chambers below.

To the chambers below, you continue as well.

Another ladder. Another hole in the floor, cut in rugged utilitarian workmanship. You are descending again, this time you can tell you are going underground into a basement. It turns out to be well-built below-ground structure, dark and perhaps crypt-like, catacombs.
But masterful architecture from a bygone era.

...more to follow next entries...

You follow the guides through a few short passages and rooms. Along the way you see the continued trend of options for barricading and locking passages. It seems that almost every threshold has some sort of heavy door or cage gate door, some fine workmanship while others rugged, that can shut down access to and from each location.

There is a hallway that shows signs of battle and fire. Scarring and markings. It becomes clearer that several of these passages and rooms throughout the palace have been actual battle sites. Border regions of territorial skirmishes?

Before long the group is invited to stop and sit. Rest and drink water. There is a living quarter of sorts. A place with chairs and tables, mattresses and benches, a countertop with marble bowls and pitchers of water, a few small bowls of rugged bread and dried figs.

"We are safe now," says the swordsman. "This can be a time of recovery for you."

The two younger tattooed men separate and move off to other rooms, taking their strange cross-plank bows off with the straps that they have used to hang them over their backs.

Another man comes into the room with some bags over his shoulder. He starts to unpack the bags on a table and sift through the supplies. He is a bearded man, you think a Heshbaan by his features, but you cannot be completely sure. In any case, he dresses more like the locals of the city and wears similar grooming.

"Iasu is skilled in medicine, herbs, bandaging flesh and bracing bone," says the swordsman as he nods to indicate the bearded man as he works. "He can treat wounds and help purge the poison from your chest air and marrow."

The medical worker brings forth a bowl to burn oil-soaked dried leaves and shreddings. It begins to smolder with a low smoke. He spreads out a rolled bag of wraps and tan cloth bandages on the table, and sets out some small gourd containers with pastes. He turns to look at your group as the swordsman speaks once again.

"I suggest that you accept his treatments. You need to recover the use of your body and mind quickly. This momentary safety will not last. The Rabisu will try again to assault us, in an effort to kill or capture you," he says, in a matter of fact tone.

"I understand that you may refuse aid, because of a lack of trust. That is acceptable as well, but you must choose. I will say clearly once that we do not intend to hurt you, unless you pose yourself a threat to us. I would wonder if we might find a common ground for cooperation, and on that we shall speak soon. In truth though, you are invaders. Armed raiders. Perhaps you are assassins and thieves. It remains to be seen if my company and I are free from your threat. I am willing to extend good will, but I do not wish to be long in speech at this moment, and I am not one to be trifled with, especially not in my own domain."

The swordsman gives a short pause, then continues, "So decide, visitors. Choose to receive wise Iasu's care or do not. Either way you choose, you will be given a short rest to clear your minds and gather your resolve. After that we shall talk about intentions, as you asked and I agreed to."

With that the swordsman turns and walks away, disappearing into an adjacent room.

The medicine man nods and gestures to his medical gear, awaiting an answer to the question posed. His eyes are strong and steady.

Dark Health Care it is. Red or blue pill, as long as the benefits are skewed to benefit Yuoricans.

As far as player participation, we could definitely use some of that.