Journey to the Far Beneath, Part 2

Far Beneath the Mountains 


 * ''A river flows from a hot springs within this enormous cavern, which is occupied by an excessive amount of stalagtites and stalagmites. The air stinks of sulfur, and the blue glow of luminable lichen casts some lighting, however

dim. On the far end of the cavern is a set of pillars leading into a structure of man-made origin.

The crew of the Drill sits in silence as the dust settles outside. Glints of blue can be seen as rubble rolls off of the windows. Hal'liden grunts and gets up from the floor of the machine, grabbing the handle of the door and giving it a quick shove. "Onward, crew! Let's see where we wounderfied up."

Hal'gwynt wobbles out of the drill, shaking his head as if to clear it. "...Any landin' ye walk away from," he mumbles, as if to reassure himself.

Hal'emrys heads out after Hal'liden, peering outside with interest and cautious optimism. "What fun," is his input.

Oh sure, falling through darkness and being tossed around in a metal drill is easy to overcome. Well, so be it. Hal'ofan slowly uncurls from the floor of the drill before the panel and rises to her feet, shaky but unnharmed. She toddles out after the others, still looking for her landlegs.

After a few last-minute checks to his boomstick equipment, Hal'gus emerges from the drill, squinting his eyes as he peers through the darkness. Resting the barrel against his shoulder, he makes his way to follow off after the others.

Hal'liden steps out of the drill after the others, limping a little. He twirls at his moustache as he examines the surroundings. "Most curiositous. Shall we decide on a course of action?"

Hal'gwynt looks around. Up. Down. Points at the river. "Rivers go places," he says. "Follow it?"

Hal'emrys finally takes his eyes off of the drill and then tilts his head slightly. "Usually northerny or southerous," he says thoughtfully. "Why not?"

"So. We know it will lead somewhere? Better than usual," grunts Hal'gus in reply, trudging along after his compatriots as he peers alertly about the cavern.

Hal'liden nods and gestures for the others to follow his lead as he starts to trudge toward the river. "Smells, don't it?"

Off in the darkness, the sound of chitined feet skittering over rock echoes off of the cavern walls.

Hal'gwynt shrugs. "Water goes downish," he says. "Ain't a lake here, s'a river...." he follows its course, and frowns. Reaches over absently to grab the Oroficer's shoulder. "Who constructified *that*?" His free hand points to the distant pillars. "Those ain't cave-teeth, they're all regularish. Made." Feet, if they were noticed, are apparently of less concern.

Hal'emrys looks startled at the sound of feet. Oh, that sound. If he doesn't know THAT sound, it certainly reminds him of another sound. "...err." He looks around wildly. "Do you hear that?"

"Supposin' I did. Probably just water trickling," dismisses the Wrongstopper, peering somewhat at Hal'gwynt as he grabs his shoulder. "How would I know? I'm no engineerer."

The sound is heard a second time. Then a third. It seems to be coming from the end of the cavern where the hot springs is located.

Hal'liden's moustache frowns whilst he glances between the direction of the noise and the ruin entrance. "No good being out in the open. Let's make for that constructification over there that Hal'gwynt so kindly pointed out. Oroficer Hal'gus, do keep your boomstick ready."

Hal'gwynt looks kind of stunned for a moment, his whiskery face clearly saying 'wait - I did something right?'. Then he shrugs, and - rather sedately, as the landing was heavy on the knocks - starts wobbling his way pillar-wards.

Hal'emrys keeps glancing back, keeping a cautious look out, as he follows after the others towards the constructi...err thingers.

"I've been practicing, so if we run into one of those rocky biggeruns, should be able to atleast hit'em this time. Mayhap," ponders Hal'gus aloud, reading his boomstick in both hands as he carefully marches after the rest of the expedition.

The source of the noises emerge from the shadows as the team makes their way toward the ruins. Or, rather, the sources. Three in number, they look like larger spindlesteppers, with plates of shiny black chitin covering their bodies. Their long legs move over the stalagmites with ease as they close in on the Halaghi.

Hal'gwynt peers at the spidery things. "Hey, are these bigger spindles friendly?"

"Quickly now," Hal'liden says, his stubby legs picking up the pace. "Would you care to stick around long enough to find out, Hal'gwynt? Hal'gus, think you can frighten them off with boomstick fire?"

Hal'emrys seems to be of the same mind as Hal'liden, quickening his pace. "What'll we do, Hal'liden?" he asks as he eyes big spidery things.

"Only one way to find out," answers Hal'gus, stepping forward to take aim of his boomstick just over the heads of the beings. His face is relatively calm, though difficult to ascertain beneath layers of facial hair. He pretty much always looks disgruntled. "I wouldn't stand directly behind me, if I were any of you!" warns the Wrongstopper, easing a gloved finger on the boomstick's trigger-lever and attempting to brace for the recoil as he fires off a single shot.

The shot takes a chunk out of a stalagmite, missing the spindlesteppers but causing them to hesitate. They each take one or two steps backward, clacking their mandibles in confusion.

Hal'liden keeps running toward the ruin without looking to see if Hal'gus hit. "We're almost there! Maybe something in there to fend 'em off if they keep following."

Hal'gwynt is apparently bright enough to make sure he's a good way away from wherever a boomstick's being aimed. Wide circuit jog to the columns, clapping his hands over his ears at the booming echoes.

Hal'emrys seems to be running backwards, watching the action as he goes. "That'll show the spindley creatures," he says as he goes. "Hurry, hurry."

"Ha! That did the trick," pauses the Wrongstopper, moving along to follow after the group as he reloads the stick. "Ought to teach you, you glorificated goat-draggers! Next time, I might actually fire where I meant to!" threatens Hal'gus.

The spindlesteppers seem to have lost interest in the edible little explorers and start scuttling away back to their shadowy home.

Hal'liden starts slowing down once they reach the ruins, panting through his bristly moustache. "Woo. Made it. He takes a few cautious steps inside the ruin and then gestures for the others to follow.

Hal'gwynt doesn't take long to catch up. "Who'd be constructifyin' stuff way down here?"

Underground Temple 


 * ''The eroded stone blocks and rubble hint to the original function of this temple built within the volcano of Nu-Halagh. Some of the columns that stand within have collapsed, creating large piles of rubble. Faded inscriptions can be seen (with adequate lighting) on the columns that remain intact. On the

far end of the room, an enormous obsidian statue looms. The statue depicts a reptilian monstrosity resting on its haunches, four arms ending in clawed hands making gestures. Six elongated necks end in serpentine heads, each baring their serrated teeth and lashing tongues. A stone altar is placed before the statue, with rusted braziers on either side.

Hal'emrys waits for everyone else to enter before following into the ruins. He stops short as he looks around. "Incredifying structure," he says with wonder.

"If that moves, I'm going back to the drill," informs Hal'gus in a state of distinct unwonder, waving the barrel of his boomstick in the direction of the statue. "Spindlesteppers are one thing, but chasm take me if I'm shootin' at one of those."

"Magneriffic!" Hal'liden stares up at the statue. "Wonder what it was used for? Who would build such a representationism of such a monstrosification? Why?" He rubs his mitted hands together. "A glorificious new discovery for the High Cities of Halagh! We'll have to bring more teams down here, yes." He starts mumbling to himself, mentally plotting out the next six expeditions.

Hal'gwynt seems likewise amazed at the statue, staring up at it. "Who'd constructify anythin' so goatbuggin' UGLY?" he asks - right before he goes down in a dry crunchy clatter onto the floor. Seems the pilot was too busy looking up to look *down*. Taking the time now, he says, "Yerchh. Guess it was them." For, indeed, the fearless little Halaghi has tripped over...well, it *used* to be a body. Now it's just bones. Crunched, stepped-on, and landed-on bones.

Hal'liden moves quickly to where Hal'gwynt landed. "Remainy bits. Should explain a little bit about the dwellers of this place. We should get something from the drill to carry those..." He kneels down to sort through the bones, trying to fit different ones together.

Hal'emrys peers with interest at the bones. "Those are leg bits, and this is a back bit," he says pointing at the bones. "I could carry some."

"Just don't make a ruckus," warns Hal'gus, keeping a firm-enough hand on the boomstick as he peers over where Hal'gwynt fell. "So. Uh. Leaderator-guy? How are we going to get him up here, and how are we going to go back to Halagh?"

Hal'gwynt scoots out of the pile of bones. "We gotta make the drill work," he agrees. "An' how we gonna drill up when we can't reach the ceiling?"

Hal'liden stops rummaging through remains to consider the questions posed. "Er, I suppose we could... drill upward... through the wall near where we landed? Maybe that will bring us back close to where we started out. Yes?"

Hal'emrys stands up right, holding what looks like a few pieces of skull. "Have to find a place to drill down into and then up. Maybe through a side wall?" he suggests, peering at the skull. "How fascinimating..."

"I didn't know you could drill /up/," replies Hal'gus, shrugging his shoulders. "But I'm no explorineer. I'm sure that works."

Hal'gwynt shrugs. "Dirigibles, yeah. Drills, not so much. He says we can drill up, we can drill up." He looks up at the statue again. "What *is* that thing?"

"The drill has enough tracteration to move up'ard," Hal'liden replies. "As to that, Hal'gwynt, it is truly an engimery..."

He trails off as a raspy voice eminates from the shadows, speaking in a tongue no Halaghi has ever heard before.

Hal'emrys blinks and looks around and then up as he shifts the skull pieces in his mittened hands. "...hmmm?"

Hal'gwynt frowns. "Uh...anybody ferget t'eat?" he asks hopefully.

"Uh-oh," grumbles Hal'gus, turning around to ready his boomstick once again at the sound. "Water, mayhap?" offers the Wrongstopper, quirking a thick brow in the sound's direction.

Emerging from the shadows of the ruin is a tall cloaked figure. The hood of the cloak only partially obscures its face, which is covered in grayish-green scales. A low hiss emits from between two rows of serrated teeth while a scaly hand emerges from the folds of the cloak, brandishing a wicked curved dagger.

Hal'emrys doesn't look too keen at the dagger, but he does seem mightily curious as to what the person/creature/thing might be.

"Why's it never water?!" laments Hal'gus aloud, squinting his eyes and staring at the figure as he levels his boomstick in its' direction. "Normally, I'd give you a warnin', but what Chief Wrongstopper don't know, won't hurt Chief Wrongstopper." This said, he fires in retaliation with a resounding *boom*!

"Yer jus' gonna uglify it more," Hal'gwynt grumbles, getting well away from the boomstick. "We done marchified ourselves right in its front door."

The Oroficer makes a grazing blow, ripping through the figure's cloak. It grabs its arm with its non-dagger-brandishing hand, hissing in extreme annoyance and making a run for Hal'gus, dagger lifted.

Well, Hal'gwynt might not know anything about snakey gods, but the little man knows quite a bit about barfights. As the snakeman charges at Hal'gus, Hal'gwynt in turn charges for the biggerun's legs. Trip him, unbalance him...get him down to eye level.

Gus stands his ground, a bit panicked but otherwise resolute as he takes aim for another shot at the charging figure. "I won't miss next time! Maybe!" grunts the Wrongstopper, squeezing off another shot as the previously serene underground continues to sound with sudden booms.

Hal'Khan rolls for a Fair level with a modifier of 0. The result of the roll is Superb.

Hal'liden rolls behind a rubble heap once Hal'gus starts firing the boomstick. He reaches out to grab a hefty-looking femur before ducking back behind cover, brandishing it like some sort of cudgel.

The cultist seems to be made of sturdier stuff, and the weight of Hal'gwynt budges him not an inch. He stabs toward the dirigible pilot with the dagger, letting out a guttural noise.

Hal'gwynt avoids the dagger by hanging on to the inside of the cultist's leg - even insane cultists won't stab themselves that way. "Hah!" he says gleefully, hanging on for dear life.

The cultist, busy swinging wildly at the pilot between his legs, doesn't have time to notice or react to the stony projectile launched by the Oroficer, which impacts him smack in the face, then comes out the other side. An explosion of gooey bits covers the wall behind the cultist who, now lacking most of a head, slumps to the ground in a heap.

Hal'liden scrambles over the rubble and examines the corpse. "Shame he couldn't be reasoned with." He shakes his head, then looks toward the crew. "Well then. Collect the bones, I suppose we should get back to the drill and to the surface before we encounter any more of the far beneath's denizens."

Hal'gwynt nods. "An' just the bones, cos this biggerun'll stinkify the drill worse'n goat if we take him, too."

Return to Season 6 (2007)