AAR: December 27, 2012 - Jailbreak Hijinx

Space marine forces in orbit have detected strange energy readings on the surface, and have determined that a kontrapshun of vile Orky design is the source!  Scans indicate that a large Ork warband is huddled around the device, which techmarines aboard the Storm Herald battle-barge Harbinger of Absolution have deduced is being used to open a rift to the warp...in an ill-advised attempt to bring their foul god Mork into being!  Needing a diversion to bait the hoard away from the device so that the space marines may destroy it, Captain Drakon suggests a novel idea: retrofit a drop pod to double as a containment cell, and drop the newly "incarcerated" Ol' Boomy down to the surface, in plain view of the Orkz!  When they invariably move to break their saucy komradd our of his prison, the space marine strike force will surge to the newly vacated Ork position around the foul device and smash it!  A clever plan...but will the execution prevail?

Crossover - Chapter 44

This is a disaster.  A disaster!

The Realm is a world based on sound illithid principles, but then the blueprints were torn to fragments and it has been finished by the insane and stupid.  And then!  Then it has run out of control, like a drunken troglodyte in a cave filled with shrieking mushrooms!

And Shaddar is stuck in the middle of this unstable matrix?  Oh.  My. 

“If this is record of how the world works, then perhaps I can glean something of the rules by reading what the four slaves created before they were consumed by the forces of the experiment,” he thinks with forlorn hopes.  How likely is it that the four tortured slaves would mentally co-operate, such that the chair and other magical equipment would understand and process their commands?

Crossover - Chapter 43

There is much groaning when Shaddar kicks the hobgoblins and slaves awake after their extravagant rest.

“Up!  We have much to explore and discover!” he urges.

A thought he had as he awakened is that Felinxtrath may have created a stash of powerful arms, weapons, or magical items for his own personal use in this world.  If so, he would have hidden it somewhere in the city.  If such a trove exists, Shaddar will have it for his own!

Even if this thought is a vain one, the work of centuries of illithid study were done here in this ancient city – stored away as a gift to ‘the long-tentacled one’.  Shaddar feels a burning need for the results and research that would have been collected.  He looks forward to finding it and…  What was the term the drow elders used?  Ah, yes…  Harvesting the knowledge.

These thoughts encourage him to be even more blunt than usual with his minions.

“We leave now,” he states simply and then walks off with Toothsnatcher.  The hobgoblins and slaves have to run to catch up with him, but none of them want to be left alone in this strange ruin.

Crossover - Chapter 42

After the excitement of the battle wears off, Shaddar orders his hobgoblin minions back to the task of breaking through the sealed archway.

There are four different layers of brick, each done with a different style of work.  This indicates that on four different occasions someone returned to this place to further seal whatever lays beyond.  Shaddar’s tentacles twitch with anticipation and other facial signs of speculation.

When the workers finally break through the last layer of the wall a rush of foul air blasts dust and brick chips into the hobgoblin’s faces.  Coughing and sputtering they back away from the hole.

“It has not been disturbed in all this time.  Nor has the chamber been breached anywhere else – otherwise there wouldn’t be the buildup of stagnant air pressure,” Shaddar thinks.

Shaddar walks forward to be the first to enter this new area.  His minions follow him with trepidation, murmuring many questions as they see what lies beyond.

 “I’ve never seen anything like it!”

“The curves hurt my eyes!”

“What is it?”  Many of the hobgoblins ask and think this question as they stare with wonder.

Shaddar puts his hands on his hips on the other side as he surveys the scene that he can see in the dim light.  He decides to grace his minions with an answer to their primary question.

“It is the ruin of an illithid city,” he says softly.

Mek Lab - Modular Chemical Plant

For a short, glorious time Warboss Chainsaw was in possession of a synth-meat factory.  The tasty additives turned out to be wildly addictive to orkish biology and the huge ork is going crazy with his jones for Imperial Green Dye #14.

Since Chainsaw is killing nobz who ask him what the trouble is, they have come to none other than Mek Gearsnik to solve their problem:

"Huh.  Datz why I only eatz grotz dat I seen growd up around me lab.  Whalp!  I kan help ya ladz - fer a small fee of teef dat iz...  Open wide now!  ...  Dat wasn't so bad, woz it?  Now den: Seein' az how diz cravin' might be building up ovar time, I'll git ya one betta - a modula' chemical plant that we kan add productshan onta laterz.  Dat's brillant!  No - datz wot yer suppous'd ta say..."

Modular Chemical Plant

A big pile of trash and some orkish no-wotz will make this a propa factory that will be suitable fer any need!  The steps below are a bit contrived as the project actually happened in kind of a wild ork-y spasm, but whadayaexpect?

Crossover - Chapter 41

Shaddar hurries his minions along the path.  It soon turns and dips, leading further down into the deep.  The remains of what look like an aqueduct emerges from one side of the hall and travels down with them, but no liquid flows from it’s broken pipework. 

A series of four holes run down one side of the tunnel.  The holes look like they at one time accepted some kind of geared device.  There are marks and scuffs that were some kind of wheels as well, bordering the holes.  Shaddar think that perhaps there used to be a slave-powered trolley to spare those of the race the tedium of walking up and down the lengthy tunnel.  Felinxtrath often spoke of his ideas for such devices.

The descent is long and tiring.  Too taxing on the slaves than Shaddar can believe as they must stop only partway down in order to allow them and the equally sore, but less vocal about it, hobgoblins to sleep.  Shaddar is appalled at the level of sloth the weaker races all share.  He orders that the slaves be gagged to quiet their obnoxious cries for food and water.

“We is hungry, too, master,” Kug explains.

Shaddar arches an eyebrow and looks over the exhausted slaves.  Yes.  A bit of a snack might be nice – and it might also encourage greater speed and fewer complaints if done properly.