Chapter 4: Battle in the Ruins

[Longman]

Farewells are made and plans put in place...and then Jaali and Kanya go down into the dungeon and the little thief closes the heavy door and reverse-picks the lock, sealing them inside. The rope is placed as indicated. Kanya's message is removed from the door. The rangers try to remove all tracks leading up to the door by sweeping the sand level.

The monk buries himself...he uses a reed to breath with, given by one of the villagers. (Mind Over Body doesn't say you can go without air, by the way). His presence is also hidden by Kanya and the native rangers. He can't actually hear much at all, sorry...

The rest of the party all leave. Saracen walks barefoot several others ride Kyo and the villagers all walk alongside, making obvious tracks. They head south-east through the desert, towards the jungle. The strange jumble of white concrete cubes (the ruins) recede into the distance...

For a long time (an hour and a half?) there is still no sign of any pirates showing up, and everyone at the ruins is starting to wonder if they are even coming at all, when some voices are heard, right outside the main dungeon door. They are speaking Siamese, but J and K can't hear exactly what they are saying.

The footsteps and grunting of the camel are not heard.

The monk is still buried and does not seem to have been discovered.

What do you do? Stay put down there? Sneak up the stairs and eavesdrop on them?

Everyone else is still travelling through the desert. Please hold tight for a bit til we work out this scene.

[Woe]

Sonja will let them pass. We are after the ship pirates, not the hunting party.

[mTeasdale]

Jaali don't recognize the language, so there's no point for him trying to listen at the conversation. He will stay hidden with Sonja.

[Longman]

A few minutes later, there is a very loud explosion from the top of the stairs.

It sounds as though the pirates have tried to blow open the dungeon door, with gunpowder.

YC can hear this through the sand. There is still no one above him.

Jaali and Kanya can hear this too, from their hiding places down in the hall of the apes. Jaali is pretty sure the door has been blown down, because he can hear shards of concrete flying down the stairs, and a pretty noticeable change in sound level and air pressure.

Now what?

[quozl]

YC will poke his head up.

[Longman]

You have been buried quite deep, so as to hide you well. Poking your head out of the sand will take 2 rounds. It will also not be possible to re-bury yourself without leaving any trace, once that has occurred. Fully getting out of the sand will take 6 rounds.

You are also not sure if you are visible, at this point.

Do you still want to do that?

[Woe]

Map time (rather, indication where we are -- don't need a new map). Which ruin did we hide ourselves in, the temple of the monkey staves? We're at the bottom with the rope in the middle of the stairs?

[quozl]

YC will wait 2 rounds and then start digging himself out.

[Woe]

I'm thinking the pair will retreat further in, but not quite sure where we are (which is probably appropriate since Sonja didn't enter the ruins before).

I wonder what would happen if we fight in the well of healing.

[Longman]

I've been saying "the dungeon door" but reality it is a large metal hatch, inside one of the largest of the concrete cubes. Jaali picked the lock previously and you found the stairs and the monkey men with staves in the stairwell. That leads to the hall of the apes. Jaali has just picked it shut again and you are hiding at the base of the stairs.

It sounds to Jaali like the hatch has just been blown open...

If you want to retreat further in, fine with me. Where do you go?

CURRENT MAP: download/file.php?id=2084

EDIT: the "hatch" is at the north side of H02, on the surface. The stairs go down 10' to a landing on H01, then another 10' to a landing on J01, before a final 10' stair takes you down into the hall of the apes. You are both at I05, right now.

The white areas are full of monkey people, all in suspended animation. The shaded areas are 10' wide walkways. You are in a walkway.