Chapter 4, Part 2: "A Cunning Scheme..."

New Party to this Drama:

MOZUG - Intoxicant distributor and wrestler

Part I Here, Part III Here, Part IV Here, Part V Here, Part VI Here, Part VII Here.

The party disarms, leaving their weaponry with Bull's Eye Buck, and enters the guard room. Inside are three rough looking armed men garbed in brass-studded canvas and leather. A tall humanoid creature with an iridescent green exoskeleton and a head much like that of a praying mantis glares at the party from the far side of the room. It is recognized as a Phraint by the Algol natives in the party and it bears a battle hardened two-handed sword. Buzz's jaw drops; he is stupefied by the insect-being as it is something completely alien to his experiences and he begins to babble exclamations of amazement.

The Phraint, it's bug-face devoid of expression, watches the party while the guards provide further instruction. The party must exit the room from a specific door, descend the stairs, travel down a narrow passage to an intersection and then turn left and not right as that way would lead to Mozug's Gyraphont (a soul-eating extradimensional lobster-ghoul with a multitude of limbs and sensory organs; most likely a relation to the Mi-Go).

The companions are not eager to make their acquaintance with such a being, and this time remember to follow their directions. They enter a large chamber dimly lit by lamps, the walls hanging with rich velvet drapes. Looming on a stone throne is a large figure, it's appearance occluded by an equally huge black silk robe.

"You have Gamma Orichalcum to sell to me?" it forcefully inquires.

Rygarr approaches the form and presents the lead dipped brick. Immediately, the enthroned figure grabs his wrist with a huge and hairy ape-like paw. It's other hand pulls out a curved ceramic dagger that strikes down at the brick, gouging the lead coating and revealing the lack of Gamma Orichalcum.

Roaring in outrage the figure begins buffeting Rygarr with it's huge fists. With quick response the party whips out their hidden daggers and attacks. Another roar echoes the chamber as their opponent's robe falls back, revealing the barrel chested form of an ape with the head of man silver-stitched onto it's body; Mozug the Wrestler.

Although the companions stab (and in the case of the dagger-less Buzz, punch) valiantly, Kalmor the Assasin and Rygarr are soon lying senseless on the floor, blood pouring from their ears and noses, laid out by the hammer-like fists and cruel body wrenching moves of Mozug.

Buzz and Mort quickly take stock of the situation, fall to their knees, and beg mercy. The powerful Mozug accedes. He quickly binds them and places hoods over their heads before summoning his servant, the Gyraphont. The bound adventurers are unable to see due to their hoods, but their heads are suddenly filled with the sounds of the tapping and clacking of a multitude of chitinous limbs coming across the floor.

Although the hooded party negotiate fiercely, Mozug demands that they either bring him a Glowing Ocher Slime Pod plucked from an Ocher Lotus in the Slime Lands or die. They find the prospect of adventure more to their liking than death, and so choose to find the Lotus pod. With that decision made, the Gyraphont approaches the party and cheerfully asks, "Who will be first?". With a mumbled nod of approval, Rygarr the Sorcerer shook his hooded head. "Off we go!" cried the Gyraphont and clacked quickly towards the Sorcerer. The next thing Rygarr feels is the sensation of being enveloped by numerous jointed limbs, pincers and feelers before a su........dden a............nd na\\\\\'\.useati\\\\\\\'\\\\\\\\\\\ng wre''''''''''''\\\\\\\\\\\\\\nch i.........nto no.......///////nbei\\\\\\\\\
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....Waiting outside the guard chamber, Bull's Eye Buck begins to get nervous. When the door finally opens he sees not his companions but the insect form of the Phraint, shimmering in the fire-light. Bull's Eye Buck immediately snatches up the magic silver sword (formerly the property of the good hero Gan-ron the Silver Man) from the pile of his companion's weapons and runs off into the darkness of the tunnels.

With frantic speed Bull's Eye reaches the trapdoor they entered through, yet it still resists being opened. Desperately Buck thrusts the sword through the slats and uses it as a pry-bar, bending and nearly breaking it as he wrenches the trapdoor open. With a look of wild abandon he runs through the Lead Cup saloon, disappearing into the streets of Pit....

...Nigel Nightbringer rides his zorse southward across the purple grasslands toward Agog City; the sorely wounded and comatose forms of his friends Dickie Dee and Monster Monagin draped across the zorses in tow behind him.

When Nigel again turns his head from the purple plains to that of his companions he is shocked to see a blasphemous form; a bulbous red chitinous being with a legion of feelers, eye-stalks, antennae, pincers, nippers, and jointed limbs is keeping pace right behind. Taking mere seconds, it renders both of the companion-burdened zorses into a red fountain of blood and tissues. Nigel immediately drives spurs into the flanks of his mount and rides heedlessly to Agog City without looking back, leaving both of his unconscious companions to the mercies of the multi-limbed monstrosity...

Part I Here, Part III Here, Part IV Here, Part V Here, Part VI Here, Part VII Here.