Monday, July 19, 2010

Dark Crystals Beneath the Pyramids of Visoko


last game ended with an exploration of Castle Dracula in Brasov, Transylvania. The investigators found evidence that the Migo moth men were mining there and the front company for the mining operation was run by Prince Hotep, a human looking avatar of the outer god Nyarlathotep (the same being you encountered on the expedition to the tomb of Nephren-Ka in Egypt).

Back in Rome, you wired Professor Armitage who is traveling to Europe to speak with the Romanian Royal Family about the happenings in Brasov. While in Brasov, you uncovered information indicating that the Migo will begin mining on Halloween (about one week from now) in the town of Visoko, Yugoslavia. Visoko is noted for it's giant pyramid-shaped earthen hills. Fearing the Migo may destroy the people of Visoko as they did the townspeople of Jenning, the Professor has asked you to travel ahead and investigate the mining site. He's traveling by ship and is worried he won't be able to make it there before the Migo hatch whatever they have planned.

Back in Rome, Sadie Benz has made a recovery at the asylum (though she is still troubled by her past experiences). Madeline Ramstein and Sister Agatha have both been committed. A partisan named Connell from Ireland joins them as a favor to Armitage.

The party arrives in Visoko. They talk to the locals and find them unhelpful when they mention the pyramids nearby. They travel on a dirt road to the fields near the smallest pyramid and find a sign on a fence that says there are mines in the field. A crackling silver orb on a pole rises up from the ground and attacks them with lighting when they approach a nearby tunnel. They blast off the top of the orb and icy mist begins to pour out of the device. They get into the truck and rush off.

As they are fleeing, three migo with armor and lightning guns and three byakee attack the truck. They defend themselves and take out all but one of the migo who flees. As the cold mist clears they return to the tunnel.

Down below they find several robots piloted by human brains. They destroy the robots and the brains inside. Two pinkerton goons with migo brains in them attack with tommyguns. They take them out. The goons are guarding a train and warehouse that leads to the larger pyramid.

They take the train to a series of mines. There they find dozens of byakee eggs and a small cthonian which they destroy. They also find large polished panes of black crystal are being mined. They seem to distort the passage of time when looked through.

They find a migo mining vehicle damaged by a dead cthonion. A large live cthonion rises up and attacks, crushing lord janedyce under its weight when he guns it down. Toni goes crazy and runs off, later gunning down Dr. Smithy when he comes to help him. Smith and Janedyce are resurrected.

Dr. Smithy leaves the party and is attacked by a large Frankenstein monster. He's crushed beneath some rubble and dies again. The rest of the party takes out the monster after a desperate battle and the ceiling collapses on the beast, crushing it to death. They dig out smithy's remains and resurrect him again.

They explore a great chamber where the crystals are being forged into giant hexagonal panes 50' across. They break the crystal forge with dynamite and explore another passage with a giant obsidian door. They knock on the door and it opens. They hear buzzing on the other side, but choose not to go down that way.

They check out the opposite end of the mines and find a prison. Inside are several other mythos creatures that have been experimented on or imprisoned by the migo. The party destroys all of them save a local village who escapes down a long passage.

They follow the villager down the passage where they begin to hear a terrible howling. They see the true form of Nyarlathotep. Toni goes mad, tries to kill the party unsuccessfully in desparation, believing they are monsters, and then flees. Outback jack tackles toni as he uses his genie lamp to wish for a way out and sanity. They both appear in Rome.

Dr. Smithy goes mad and begins to pray at the feet of Nyarlathotep, who assumes human form. Connel shoots him in the head with his rifle to save him from his fate. Lord Janedice pretends to pray to Prince Hotep, but then tries to stab him with Excalibur, but fails. He returns to his horrific giant form and dismembers the nobleman with his claws.

They see two hounds of tindalos in the corner chewing apart the villager. Connel and Prof. Greyson toss dynamite at Nyarlathotep, injuring him badly. Father Jonas uses the lighting gun as well, further injuring him. Nyarlathotep rips Father Jonas to ribbons then begins to crawl down the narrow tunnel after Connel and Greyson.

They drop dynamite behind them in the passage blasting his form to small bits. As he flies away he transforms into a new horrible winged shape and flies off past them down the hall, tiring of the fight. They feel relieved that he has been conquered but unsettled that he will fight another day. Retrieving excalibur and Father Jonas' remains they destroy as much as they can with dynamite and flee the complex, returning to the party in Rome where Armitage and Randolph Carter who congratulate them on a job well done. The priest is resurrected, but there's nothing left of Dr. Smithy or Lord Janedyce to bring back to life.

Survivors: Toni, Greyson, Outback Jack, Connel, Father Jonas
Dead: Dr Smithy, Lord Janedyce