Lost in the Abyss – Episode 1.1

*** NOTE THAT THIS GAME WAS DONE AS A SPIN-OFF FROM THE END OF SEASON ONE OF THE WAR WITHOUT END, SO IT’S BEST TO READ THAT FIRST IF YOU WANT TO KNOW THE BACKGROUND TO IT ***

The field of white, that is all that can be seen, gradually collapses in on itself and there is a sensation of falling. The motion continues until it is ended by a sudden impact with a hard surface.

Winded by the heavy landing, Tanemous Deathblade of the Eleventh Tribe, looks around trying to take stock of his surroundings. Wherever he is, it is incredibly hot.

Sprawled on the floor a short distance away from him is the woman Blanca. He knows her as one of the Med-Jai of the Second Tribe that fought with him against the Daelkyr. The flickering light, emanating from her amulet, reveals that somehow the explosion has flung the two of them into a cavern, with unnaturally smooth walls. The rock itself seems to be volcanic. Off to one side is a passageway.

As Tanemous struggles to his feet, he realises that he and Blanca are not the only creatures that the explosion has deposited in this place. Scattered around the cavern are a Minotaur, a Human, a Beholder, some of the squid-heads and a pair of ghoulish creatures with tentacles for arms.

Hurriedly he makes his way over to Blanca. She is the only occupant of the cavern that he recognises. Unfortunately, she is also the only one who has yet to stir.

Before he can reach her however, the Beholder opens its central eye and the light from Blanca’s amulet goes out. Darkness envelops the cavern. Since Tanemous’s own Goggles of Night are also magical they are of no help. Blindly he stumbles forward, feeling his way across the floor. Then, without warning, a tentacle snakes out and wraps itself around him, pinning his arms to his torso.

Deprived of his magical abilities by the suppression effect of the Beholder’s ray, Tanemous can do little but struggle ineffectually as the tendrils that cover the surface of the tentacle begin burrowing into him and sapping his life away.

Growing increasingly concerned about his situation, Tanemous offers up a prayer to his goddess Wee-Jas, The Lady of Bone and Law. It is seemingly answered when the Beholder closes its eye and his magic powers are restored.

First he attends to his own predicament, dealing with the ghoulish, tentacled creature that has a hold of him by blasting it with a couple of shout spells. Then he rapidly takes stock of his and Blanca’s situation. Blanca is still unconscious, though seemingly safe for the time being, the Minotaur has remained prone but is striking out at the aberrations that surround him, and the Human is attacking a pair of the squid headed creatures with a large double-bladed sword.

Reassured that these two at least are potential allies, Tanemous begins targeting the aberrations with his spells.

Between them, he, the Minotaur and the Human despatch all of the aberrations except the Beholder.

Suddenly noticing that one of the walls is starting to glow red, as if something incredibly hot is gradually burning its way through it, Tanemous puts Blanca’s safety first and momentarily leaves the others to carry her out of harm’s way. He drags her out into the passageway that leads from the cavern.

Although Blanca’s eyes are open, she doesn’t seem to be conscious, and it is beyond Tanemous’s meagre healing skills to ascertain what is wrong with her. He leaves her there and returns to the fray, where he discovers that the Human has been struck by the Beholder’s “Flesh to Stone” ray and petrified. Taking a chance that the young man is an ally as he has surmised, Tanemous uses magic to break the enchantment and return him to his natural state.

Freed from the petrification, the man obliges by casting a spell that scorches the Beholder with fire. Tanemous follows up with an Orb of Cold and the Beholder dies.

With the battle over, the three survivors warily introduce themselves and exchange their stories. It appears that the plane-spanning explosion that resulted from the destruction of the portal, not only affected the Med-Jai, but also snatched Shaaaarghraio the Minotaur from his hunting party and Marcus from his fight against brigands in the tunnels under his father’s castle.

After Tanemous has given a brief description of the battle with the Daelkyr and shared what little healing magic he has left, the group are forced to relocate due to a lava flow breaking through the cavern wall.

Recognising the benefits of co-operating, the trio elect to remain together and head off uphill away from the increasing lava flow. Shaaaarghraio takes the lead, his massive bulk filling the passageway, followed by Tanemous with the unconscious Blanca floating behind him on a magic disk he has created, and Marcus bringing up the rear.

They wander through the tunnels for some time. The heat is stifling.

Eventually they come across the corpse of one of the crab creatures. It has been disembowelled. Shaaaarghraio examines it and points out that something has been gnawing on it. The Minotaur also asserts that there is an underlying smell of death there that is altogether different from the stench of the corpse.

Troubled by this declaration, Tanemous considers the possibility that the aberration might have been slain by Undead creatures such as Ghouls or Ghasts, but he cannot explain why the corpse is only partially eaten as these creatures are driven by an all-consuming hunger. Also the wounds on the body look to have been inflicted by something much more powerful.

With no answer to hand, the group continues onwards.

As they are walking, Marcus observes that if they encounter any intelligent creatures, they might be able to learn something about where they are.

A short while later they spot movement down a side tunnel and go to take a look.

Shaaaarghraio leads them down the passage and into a chamber where they find three Wights feasting on the body of one of the scaly squid-headed creatures. Driven into a feeding-frenzy by the prospect of having more flesh to dine on, the Wights immediately attack.

The Undead creatures are tougher than is normal for their kind and momentarily get the upper hand. They succeed in draining some of Shaaaarghraio’s life force, but the Minotaur fights back, striking at them powerfully with his Great axe and quickly brushes them aside. With the aid of Tanemous’s and Marcus’s magic, the Wights are soon destroyed.

Once the fight is over, Tanemous uses a spell to restore the life force that Shaaaarghraio has lost. The Minotaur is extremely grateful. Then the companions take a look around the chamber.

In one wall they find a doorway carved in the stone, but no door. Frozen into the wall, as if stepping from it, is a Mind Flayer, a true Illithid. Its squid head bearing a striking similarity to the squid-headed creatures they have already encountered.

From its sunken appearance Tanemous concludes that the Wights slew it with their life-sapping powers, and he is concerned that it will rise again as a Wight itself. Consequently the companions go to some pains to insure that it does not. Tanemous uses a vial of Axiomatic Water and Shaaaarghraio dismembers the corpse.

Afterward they experiment with activating, what they assume is a portal, but they can find no means of doing so. In the end they have no choice but to continue their slow march through the stifling heat in the tunnels.

Some time later they come to a slightly cooler area and stop to rest for a while.