Chapter 17, Part 1 "The Acid and Radiation Storm"

The Adventurers:
Buzz Brazelhach - Womanizing Australian Fightin' Bloke
Corporal Radar O'Reiley - Naive Earth Boy Rocket Soldier
Dickie Dee - Bone Man Sorcerer Junkie
"Doctor Death" - Mutant Sorcerer
Jedediah - 1850s Hayseed Southerner Fightin' Man
Jek-Mor - Creepy Hyperborean Sorcerer
Mookla - Reeking, Deformed (yet very intelligent!) Mutant of the Slime Lands
Nigel Nightbreaker - British Beefeater
Rodan the Scrounger - Zermish Green Man Fighting Scavenger

The party arrives at the northern gate to Kharhem and sees that two different factions of guards are engaged in a heated squabble. Pink bald Agog men in advanced armor are arguing fiercely with mixed-race mail-clad soldiers who bear serpent designs on their shields and harness. The group takes advantage of the distraction to sneak the two mutants, Mookla and Doctor Deatg, into the non-slum region of Kharhem.

However, as they make their way by the escalating dispute violence breaks out between the two groups of guards, and in the confused fleeing that ensues the green-skinned Rodan the Scrounger and the Earth youth Radar O'Reiley are separated from the rest of the party.

The main group of the party does not notices as they hustle to the bazaar plaza and the adjacent hostel "The House of the Seven Precious Metals." As they make their way through the press of the market Buzz Brazelhach and Jedediah are suddenly addressed by an mottled red-and-black skinned child in the rags of a beggar:

"Ah it is my old friend, the puissant amulet crafter Kruzz Krazelhack! And his companion Quederdier the Usurped Baron who seeks to reclaim his stolen throne!"

The two are nonplussed but the similarity in names is uncanny...

"It is I the legendary sage Bortholoz returned in the body of a youth! It is so good to see you two old friends, especially as I have need of your aid in the aternal struggle against Chaos..."

At this point both of the sorcerers, Dickie Dee and Doctor Death, recognize the name as that of a legendary sage of some repute from the lost ages of the Ancients.

Buzz inquires as to what aid is needed and Bortholoz informs him that he needs "One of Kruzz Krazelhack's most potent luck amulets to aid me in the next stage in my crusade againts Chaos!"

Buzz informs Bortholoz the reincarnated-legendary-sage-in-the-body-of-a-child? that they meet here again in a few days where he will provide the amulet. The party continues their journey and soon arrives at the familiar, comfortable hostel "The House of the Seven Precious Metals." Anticipating liquor, hot food, and the tales of lost treasure and monster lairs from the host Cultan the cheerful party enters the clean, well-lit inn.

Mookla, as his horrid stench renders him unfit for civilized accommodation, lurks outside and takes note of the ugly dirty stormclouds gathering above Kharhem.

Meanwhile Rodan the Scrounger and Radar O'Reiley are lost and wandering through what seems to be a district for foreign mercenaries. Hard-faced armed men of all races dressed in fighting leathers and tattered trophies spit and stare.

There is a horrid grating screaming from the clouds as if planet sized teeth were grinding each other into dust. A poisonous purple radiance slowly descents from the clouds and large viscous clear droplets fall burning skin when they strike.

Mookla recognizes the tingling of strong radiation in his nerves as he flees the acid raid and enters the inn. Meanwhile Rodan the Scrounger and Radar O'Reiley find refuge from the corrosive precipitation inside a rough fighting-man inn called "The Hyaenodon."

Inside both establishments the staff hurriedly close lead shutters and inform the clientele that "A Radiation and Acid Rain Storm" is occurring and everyone needs to stay inside until it abates.

Rodan and Radar immediately pay for food and a private room for several days and nervously lurk in their chamber with weapons ready while considering the unsavory looking crowd or fighting men trapped with them in the inn.