DRAMATIS PERSONAE:
Zeke Broda (Grease Monkey / Mechanic)
Ivy Guinness (Outsider / Nurse)
Oz the All Knowing (Mystic / Entertainer)
Nigel Thorne, VC, DSC (Thrill Seeker / Explorer)
Reaching open ocean, the team is perturbed by three things. First, a rising storm. Second, the absence of anyone with nautical skill. Third, Nigel's inability to navigate due to the thick storm clouds and lack of a reliable compass. So the night is spent on the tossing waves, half the team too seasick to function, until dawn finds the skies clear, sea calm, and boat in the middle of the ocean with no land in sight. After some time, Ivy sees smoke on the horizon, so the they steam towards it and set off flares. The horizon soon resolves into ships, and Nigel through his binoculars identifies them as US Navy warships.
A ships boat approaches and takes them in tow once Zeke identifies himself as a former Navy man in need of help. Reaching the flagship USS Salt Lake City, the team is brought aboard under the careful eye of armed sailors, and brought to the bridge to meet with the captain. Once given their names, Captain Martín Watt turns sharply to Zeke and announces "Lieutenant Commander Broda, welcome aboard. As per Executive Order 33-12, Task Force 11 is ready, willing and able to provide whatever assistance you require to complete your mission." Retiring to the captain cabin, Zeke fills him in on what is happening, and the team gets to to business with plans. Captain Watt does caution them that any direct armed involvement by he and his men could be problematic from an international relations perspective, invading sovereign nations and all, but he has orders to do whatever the Lt Cdr deems necessary.
Having reviewed the charts of Snake Island, the team decides to land on the cliffs below the lighthouse with the help of some sailors and a lot of rope work. And since they will be doing this in daylight, a second Navy boat will cruise the opposite side of the island to drawn attention away from the landing. In addition to a few extra weapons and ammo, the team takes the Haftorang Device and a fistful of flares which they will use to communicate with the fleet should any further help be required once they are on land.
The plan goes into action. As the team's boat approaches the rocky reefs that surround the island, they hear scattered gunshots on the far side, indicating their decoy was in place. At this point, Ivy notices a massive shape moving through the waves towards them; a giant sea serpent! Oz brings this creature under control with the Cobra Crown, sending it to attack the Caduceus ship The Ascelepius on the far side of the island.
The sailors bring the boat in and start securing ropes up the steep slope. Suddenly, bolts of fire leap out of the scaggy brush above them, and in the ensuing firefight one sailor is cut down and Zeke burst into flames from the strange weaponry. But good shooting by the team take out the ambushing serpent people, and the landing proceeds. The first thing they note are snakes. Everywhere. The island is crawling with golden vipers, and Oz has to use the Crown and continually switch control from snake to snake to keep them from poisoning his companions,.
Climbing the cliff, Ivy notes there had been others lying in wait for them as well, so it seems their decoy ship was a success. Peering up at the lighthouse, the sharp eyed nurse also notes activity there. About 10 serpent people, plus Joshua Meadham and Dr. Gonzales. Dr. Gonzales seems to be preparing a party of serpent people to come their way, so Zeke leads them in a wide loop to the south to approach the lighthouse from a different direction. There they see a handful of serpent men and Meadham clustered near what seems to be a hole in the ground. Fearing Meadham is up to no good, Nigel takes an aimed shot to disrupt any sorcery thing their former employer might be performing; they assume it is he that is controlling all the snakes on the island. Meadham is hit, but he then pulls out of sight behind a building as the serpent men open fire with their flame pistols. As the team engages, Zeke rushes forward towards the cover of the lighthouse to keep an eye on Meadham. Whom he sees transform into a huge, dragon-like creature, which shuffles over the the 'hole' and slides in. The remaining serpent people follow their leader into the 'hole', as does the now returning Dr. Gonzales and his men. And if that wasn't enough, the team now observes a series of round glass spheres containing other serpent people come whizzing in from the north end of the island, and these likewise drop into the 'hole'!
The rest of the team, having run across the open fire-swept field, join Zeke and they so over the to 'hole'. It is in fact a grey swirling vortex about 10 yards across. While some of the team thinks the best course of action is to just dump in the Haftorang Device and hope the ensuing explosion seals the gate, Zeke convinces them the only way to proceed is to go through the gate and destroy the citadel of Mu itself. So one after they other, they all jump into the mists ...
The passage through is a kaleidoscope of flashing lights and images that sears everyone brain. Ivy, however, senses a pattern and notes the passing images are showing a narrative. The images tell the tale of the serpent people of Mu, and the fighting between the three factions of Yig, Tsathoggua and Ghatanathoa for control of the Citadel of Mu. And how the followers of Tsathoggua won, and were preparing to use the power of the Citadel to create a doomsday device that would destroy all life on earth. However, to prevent their own death in such a doom, a race of winged barrel-like aliens dwelling on the earth tore Mu out of the world using alien science. In doing so, they also trapped themselves and the other residents of Mu (a dragon like race) in a separate reality. These two races have since guarded the Citadel to prevent the serpent people from returning and harnessing its' power.
Emerging on the other side, the team find themselves on a blasted plateau, where rages a fearsome battle of seven great dragon-like creatures like those Ivy saw in her vison. Scattered around were bodies of serpent people, torn to pieces, as well as the body of Dr, Gonzales. Oz used the Crown to gain control of three of the beasts (which he learned were called lloigor), for once the creatures had finished with the one the team assumed was the transformed Meadham, they turned on these latest human intruders. Oz's controlled lloigor defeated the others leaving the team in command of the blood-drenched battlefield.
Now looking around, they see the sky is a great swirling mass of dense gray fog, with strange strands reaching down like writhing tentacles. The peak of a mighty volcano is seen across a swamp filled valley. Atop the volcano is a strange, spired structure that glints like steel and glass, while flashes of light and fire cut through the surrounding fog from around the base of the volcano. The team also observes a line of the flying glass spheres racing over the swamp at high speed, just about the alight at the Citadel itself. And so they prepare to mount the tamed lloigor and make their own way towards the mighty Citadel of Mu.
No comments:
Post a Comment