[Gaming] The Adventures of Rupert Bulmer, Esq. - Session 21

[karohemd]

In the evening, we collected our findings. In one tent, Alex had found the diary of a Prof. Forbes, an Australian anthropologist, containing ramblings about skulls and odd things and the phrase "They are coming" was repeated again and again towards the end. Whoever "they" were, they were threatening to "breach the fissure". The diary also mentioned that the expedition had found a "gate" in the side of the mountain, with no cracks visible and no way of opening it.
We assumed the "fissure" meant the cave in the back of the dig and had a good look. Indeed, the rubble in front of the cave looked like it was seemingly pushed out from the inside but whoever or whatever had done that had left no trace.
We set up camp on the other side of the ramp, leaving four Askaris to guard the fissure. 
During the night, I woke up to the tent and even my blanket on fire. I tried to make it out but the fumes overcame me, I choked and fainted before I can make it out...
Then, I wake up again, with a throbbing pain in my palm. Oh, just a dream, phew. The brandmark was bleeding, there were shouts outside so I stumbled out of my tent. A bright light was falling from the sky. The Askari had fired a flare from the other camp! Thomas was screaming and rambling about snakes and was behaving like a lunatic. Then there were gunshots from the direction of the dig. We headed out, the Askari were gathered by the fire doing something with something on the ground. A warthog! It was just a warthog that had crashed through the bushes and frightened the Askari so they shot it. Oh well, there is good eating in one of those. While the Askari were cooking the hog, we went back to our camp to share what had been going on. The others had dreamt as well, but of more frightening things. Some were being pulled into the ground by claws, others had seen snakes attacking them, Dr Parsons and Jim had appeared in somdreams as well, attacking, dismembering and killing everyone in the camp. There was nothing left to do so we went back to sleep.

The next morning, we made plans for surveying the area. We went all the way up the ramp, where a wide ledge lead around the mountain. Having arrived at the top of the ramp, we saw a large intendation in the shape of a gate, just like it was mentioned in the diary. Familiar symbols were carved in the surface which Prof. Carter translated as talking about a key. At the end of the description was a circular indentation, exactly the size of the ominous ball...
We left the gate as it was for the time being and walked around the wide ledge. There was nothing else in the side of the mountain, the large mountain range in the distance was quite normal. Having arrived back at the gate, we had a closer look. It was as if it was carved out of the side of the mountain, there were no cracks, hinges or other features visible. It was all smooth except for the carved inscriptions. I put my left hand on the key symbol (the ear symbol) and felt a strange sucking sensation or if something was trying to crawl out of my hand. I let go.
After a short discussion, we decided to use the ball. We got ready, I had my rifle cocked, prepared to fire and pushed the ball into the hole. There was a loud thunderclap and the gate simply vanished. On the other side was a dark tunnel and there was ... Jim! He was holding a staff over which green snakes were writhing. Without a second thought, I raised my rifle and shot Jim straight in the chest. He crumpled to the ground. Robert emptied his guns into the body as well which started to disintegrate. Green smoke was billowing up. Prof. Carter dismembered the body and threw the body parts over different sides of the ramp. I think he'd seen too many opponents come back to life... The ball had fallen onto the ground so Alex picked it up.

We continued into the tunnel, down a long slope. After we'd had walked for a good 10 minutes, we realised we were past and below the mountain. Our ears kept popped. Finally we reached the bottom where there was another gate with similar inscriptions and a place for the ball as on the first one. Alex used the ball, there was another thundercrack and the gate opened. Immediately, our senses were assaulted by a loud, screeching, howling "music" which was oddly familiar. Beyond the gate (which seemed to hang in mid air seen from the other side), steps led down into a huge, cyclopean, ruined city, much like the one we had visited in our dreams but even more ruined. The four towers had almost collapsed and also the huge building in the centre had disintegrated more. It was there from which the horrible music emanated. There were unfamiliar stars in the night sky but thankfully no horrible flying monsters. I checked my watch to see it had stopped at 12.

We headed down into the city towards the river or canal which was now dry, with just some black sludge in a few places. We climbed up the other side and continued towards the cacaphony. By now, we could make out the odd shape of the undulating mass we had jokingly refeerred to as bagpipes.

Suddenly Alex shouted “We've got company! I believe it's Jim!” - How can that be? I mused that there might have been more of him, which would explain why he had been both outside and inside the mountain. Indeed several figures appeared, all looking like Jim, carrying staves made of snakes and odd sticks with crystals at the end,
Pro. Carter started to throw rocks, Alex ran back into the direction from where we came, Thomas took a shot but missed. One Jim fired a snake at Carter momentarily immobilising him, another hits me with what I can only describe as electricity from his crystal staff, another snake staff missed Alex. We returned fire and eventually managed to defeat them all. The dying "Jims" transformed into snake-headed humans. Carter again dismembered them.

Onwards towards the big bagpipe building we walked. The atmosphere was constantly changing, our ears were popping. Coming closer, we saw four figures like in our original dream guarding the huge contraption. There were solid parts of stone, moving parts of metal and a giant, undulating, slightly translucent mass. Inside the almost organic appearig mass, I could make out a gigantic egg shaped object. Slowly sneaking closer, Robert and I took at the one pair of guards, who seemed to almost deflate and collapse to the ground. While the rest examined the huge contraption, Robert and I made our way to the other side of the thing and take out the other guards, which collapse as well, only empty shells of snake men. When we returned to the others, Carter and Nicholas had deciphered some of the markings on various parts of the eldritch organ, explaining that they stood for sounds, describing how control the "music". He pressed an organic part and the notes lowered. I pushed my walking stick into the mass but nothing happened except that contact with the mass had melted the end off.
Then Prof. Carter pushed a dismembered hand of the snakemen in and seemed to fall in some sort of trance for a while. After coming to, he said he knew how to switch it off, if Nicholas and he were doing something with their "essence". Alex wanted to help them so the three of them stand around the thing. Alex pushed the ball into the thing and all hell broke loose. There was more writhing and the cacophony was even louder and more horrible and the egg inside slowly started to split open.

Alex screamed "I can see God! It is my child, born into the world ... Jesus to cleanse the world of our sins." and similar nonsense. "If you touch me you will speak in tongues." - "The mushrooms are coming, I made them come with my brain!"

Down below, more Jim/snake men appeared and there was another fire fight from which we emerged victorious. With the hellish contraption behind us disintegrating, we headed back towards the gate, helping heavily injured comrades along. And then, I could not believe my eyes, there were indeed giant mushrooms falling from the sky. None of us were hit by them, except Prof. Carter who could not avoid a chunk of falling masonry and fell to the ground, unconscious. I picked him up and we continued. More Jims appeared but by sheer luck, a huge mushroom hit a wall behind them, dislodging it and crushing them beneath the rubble. We skirted around it and hastened through the gate which closed behind us.

Alex saw to the Professor's wounds but it was too late, Professor Jeremy Carter had succumbed to his injuries. HOwever, there was no time to mourn. Cracks had appeared in the ceiling and walls and rubble started to fall, the mountain was collapsing! With the last of our strength, we managed to get out shouting at the camp to get up and out as we ran down the ramp. Only after a considerable way into the savannah, I dared look back. The mountain had turned into a volcano, spewing lava and collapsing slowly under its weight.

Hoping that this was the end of the wretched ball, Jim, and the whole dreaded business on the Isle of Wight, we moved back to Nairobi. On the way, Diana was finally with me and I managed to bag two elephants.

A good week's rest in a hotel in Nairobi sounded like a brilliant idea to all of us because most of us had sustained some injury or other and there was obviously the business of taking care of yet another death in our group.

To be continued...

OOC: So yes, we did it, we finished the first major chapter of robinbloke's campaign. vyvyan lost his character but will continue playing Nicholas.

Comments

[devalmont.livejournal.com]

Thomas was screaming and rambling about snakes and was behaving like a lunatic

That was a BAFTA winning performance you just condensed into one sentence!

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Sorry!

[elani.livejournal.com]

My lot have just got to Cairo. :)

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

What's their destination?

[elani.livejournal.com]

They've been there about 3 sessions now - likely heading off to investigate the dig site in tomorrow night's session. :)

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

So which adventure are you running?

Did they burn down Paris on their way out, too? ;o)

[vyvyan.livejournal.com]

Isle of Wight, not Isle of Man!

But yes, an excellent end to this part of the campaign, even if Carter did perish in the process. He was largely insane by this point anyway; one might say it was a blessed release.

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Argh, of course. Will edit.

Rather crushed by a piece of rubble than spending the rest of your days wibbling in an asylum, eh? ;o)

[robinbloke.livejournal.com]

You did all initially leg it from the camp when the flare was seen, the gate opened into the city from nothingness.

But otherwise, excellent.

Many thanks again for writing this up, it's been invaluable for keeping on track with what's going on and recapping each time; horah!

It's been great fun running it so far, and now; the next chapter!

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Rupert chose not to mention that moment of cowardice. ;o)
Ah yes, I'll put something in about the gate.

Thank you!
It's been a pleasure for me, too, and a good way to practice my writing. I'm still mostly rubbish, though.

Can't wait! Yay, luxury steamer to America. :o)

[wintrmute.livejournal.com]

Man, I just went back and re-read the early chapters, and then all the rest through from there to here. What an epic!

[karohemd.livejournal.com]

Well, it was over a year in the making. :o)
I didn't run a wordcount last time (and don't have the full file here) but I think it's something close to 25,000 words now.

I still can't believe Rupert survived so far (curious daredevil he is) but that thing in the well at the plantation was a close call.

Many thanks for reading!

[wintrmute.livejournal.com]

Mainly it just makes me envious :)

And I'm in awe of anyone who can concoct such adventures!