S1E17 [Mu]: What Lurks Beneath the Citadel

23 August, 1933: As they stand upon the plateau and gaze upon the barren landscape, Porter offers to carry Oded’s backpack. “No thanks. I’m responsible for the Haftarong (nuc) device; wouldn’t want it damaged.” Meanwhile, Mira inventories her own backpack, “Both flame-pistols, 4 sticks dynamite. Yeah, I’m good to go.” With binoculars, Isaac scans the base of the Citadel, “Hundreds of serpentmen along with those helmeted T-Rex. Outnumbering their foe which look like multi-eyed abominations. Yeah, we can just slip right past them. What are we waiting for? In fact, there’s a trail.”

A winding trail thru a field of bubbling pits. Sulfur stench. Till a muddy flow intersects the trail. Paulo stooping to test, “Yeah, boiling hot too.” Cliff nonchalantly, “Hold this end of the rope” as he jet-packs over the obstruction. A double-take look at the mud as he swears the mud was staring back at him. Soon all back on the trail. Till a whimpering sound alerts them of something/someone ahead. A serpentman stuck in another mud flow, (in Nacaal), “Help. I only want to get back home. Under the mountains. HE is not a true follower of Yig; he wants to replace Yig. Meadham? No, he is Ssulitan; a false prophet. He is at the Citadel now. I can teach you the spell needed to open the door.”

While Paulo, Porter, and Cliff learn the chant, Oded simply records the chant on his snake-figurine device for a later time. They actually aid the serpentman who scurries on his way, “Is the dimensional gate still at the top of that plateau?” They continue toward the mountain, now on a slow rise along rocky footing. Pause and a gasp as they come upon a clearing, evident of a pitched battle. 3 dead elder things intermingle with the bodies of 5 serpentmen. A 6^th serpentman nothing but a red smear upon the ground. A pool of brackish water… ripples suddenly ebb away from an elder body that stirs. Then a flurry of splashes from eyeball fish nibbling on the elder.

Mortally wounded. 2 tentacle arms struggle to move; each clutching a metallic object. Cliff drawing his pistols to blast away at the fish. Porter stooping to touch the elder: psychic link, “We hate serpent too.” The elder manipulates the device in its left tentacle till all hear, in English, “Humans. I was not sure your language. We of Mu created all kinds of things. To include you. But the snakes want to destroy all. Destroy our computer and you will stop their doomsday plan. Under the mountain is a volcano. And a horrible creature. Here, take this cube in my right hand. It is…”

“What? It is what?” Silence as the elder is dead. Oded stares at the irregular indentations and carvings on the cube. Isaac reaches for the bronze cube and studies it [Electronics]. Oded realizes [Mythos], “It’s a gravity manipulator.” About the same time…Isaac aims at a dead serpent and presses two panels (with his index and ring fingers): the body rises at the rate of pressure on the panels. He switches to 2 other panels using his thumb and pinky: the body slammed to the ground in a bloody smear.

And that’s when all hear a faint cry, “Tekeli-Li, Tekeli-Li.” Getting closer. Doppler effect…getting louder…moving quickly. The sense of something large…HUGE! “RUN! HIDE!” Paulo too slow and stealthless, caught in the open when the monstrosity appears. [Sanity 1d20] As the others run, Paulo [Failed – 4 points] screams in terror, “Use the device. Smash it, fly it. Get it the hell away!” Cliff on the other-hand [Failed – 8 points: Insanity – Phobia (Hoplophobia: fear of firearms)] drops his pistols and runs for dear life. The Shoggoth swinging a tentacled appendage at Paulo…that slams just short as the Shoggoth is penned to the ground. Isaac standing defiantly pointing the cube, “Run! I don’t know how long this effect lasts.” Mira tossing a lit stick of dynamite as her parting gift. [Throw: 93 versus 22] That lands short.

They climb monster-size steps. The Citadel before them, phasing in and out. Visible long enough to see one strut damaged and with a door in its side where serpentfolk step inside. A pitched battle: the elders and their Shoggoth being thinned by the onslaught of serpents and T-Rex. Circumventing the battle, the team rushes toward the door. Porter chanting. The phasing slowing, then stopped with the door visible. “Inside; quickly.”

Walls and floor of stainless-steel construction. Muddy 3-toes prints. Mira tracks [001]. They come upon a large foul-smelling hallway where a hundred-plus degenerate serpent strut on all 4 legs. They push past them only to come to another room. What can only be described as “sphincters” on the walls birth grotesque creatures. That fall to the floor only to be consumed by the 4-legged serpents. “That’s disgusting.” [Luck burn to avoid a 000 fumble] Mira pulls her flame-pistols and torches a sphincter. The serpents scream and stampede. Oded flatfooted [DEX-fail] and almost trampled till Paulo steps in front to brute-force [Insane STR] to turn the stampede aside. “You interrupted the food line.”

Mira continues to track the faded mud trail [Fail]. Turning the corner to confront 10 of those sphincter births snuggling. “Eeuu.” She stomps the mass. Now leaving her own gooey trail. Choking at the foul smell on her shoes. Then realization the smell is coming from the next room. Row upon row of football-size eggs. Pulsing. The others turning to leave when Paulo and Cliff turn their laser-staffs upon the eggs. Too focused to see the large snake coming down the walls. Shimmering as if made of mercury. Porter warning, “Lookout” as he fires his own laser-staff. Mira stepping back in, only to be attacked. The snake coiling around her, then parts slowly flowing into her orifices (nose, mouth, ears). Mira gagging for breath. Oded and Paulo firing. Isaac stepping forward with the cube: the snake lifting. Mira too lifted…on her tiptoes…till the mercury flows back out of her orifices. Mira collapsing as she gasps for breath.

Another corner. A procession of snakes slithering on their stomachs. Surrounding Cliff whom they recognize with scales/tongue/slanted-eyes, “Praise. You blessing from god.” Cliff almighty, commanding his flock, “Be gone.” Cliff walking haughtily till he loses footing in the next room where the floor seems to phase in and out. The walls like water parted by Moses. And the next room even more spacious. Metal tentacles descend from the ceiling with sucker-ends attached to the heads of more serpents in the room. Oded reaching for his backpack, “Setting the bomb for 12 hours; just in case.”

The next room can only be described as a ‘Hospital Ward’. Mechanical arms with needles swing over beds filled with injured serpents. [Mythos] Porter recognizing the potential, “The quicksilver injection could reverse your ‘Curse of Yig’.” Cliff scoffing, “I’m fine like I am. Didn’t you hear; I’m a god.” Isaac steps forward but after surmising the equipment, Porter ops not to try, “Even with my electrical background, it’s too risky.” [No one pays attention to Porter hanging behind; last to exit the ‘Hospital Ward’.]

Ahead, they can hear a distance din of chanting, “Yig.” Oded stealths forward finding a large arena with circular stairs rising around a center dais. An obvious Temple of Yig. Serpent statues randomly intermixed within the crowd of worshipers and on various rows. Hundreds of degenerate serpent sway and chant, focused on the figure center-stage. 

The clothing suggests Meadham but the body slowly grows and morphs into a Yaun-ti abomination. Oded returns to the group, “Meadham is transforming. And just beyond him is a door labeled ‘Control Room.’ I think we can use the ceremony as distraction to sneak around the upper seats to get closer to the room.” Cliff offering, “I can provide cover.”

The serpents so deep in their chant ignore the humans weaving around those serpents on the upper row. Oded stealthing ahead, followed by Isaac, then Paulo, Mira, and Porter. Halfway there, when, “ZAAAP!” A laser blast. Mira twisting around to see which serpent short her in the back. Momentarily locking eyes…on Porter! His clothing but a serpent form. But definitely HIS eyes. “You bastard!” She raises her flame-pistols to retaliate but Porter is already diving into the lower rows to mingle and hide among the true serpents. Another “ZAAP!” This time Cliff shooting at the Meadham Yuan-ti.

[If only they’d paid attention to Porter’s actions throughout those earlier months. His scouting Meadham’s estate from day one. His desire for early advancement and higher Tier status. Him the first initiate at Meadham’s temple for conversion to Yig. If only they could read minds. To learn of Porter’s willingness to do anything to end out on top. His personal plan to supplant Meadham and take over Caduceus. And the ‘Hospital Ward’ providing the needle injection that began his rapid transformation into a serpentman.]

Chaos as the chanters boil into mass confusion. Meadham locking eyes on his attacker 80 feet away. Surprise when Meadham spits at Cliff from that distance! The acid burning clothing that reveals Cliff’s own snakeskin scale (armor). Oded hellbent to get to the ‘Control Room’ to plant the A-bomb; Mira but a sacrifice who provides a necessary distraction. He remains in hiding and stealth-mode even when Caning exits the room and looks for the human threat. Spotting Mira.

Mira blasting pockets of serpent where she thinks Porter hides. Howling in pain as Caning flicks his tongue at her from 20 yards away! The tongue coiling around her chest. Acid burning and cauterizing her breasts. Paulo between Caning and Mira and thus able to raise his laser-staff and slice the tongue clean thru. Oded using the opportunity to slip into the ‘Control Room’. Isaac raising his tommygun to spray Caning…[001 Critical] the stream of bullets slicing Caning in half...twice…like an “X” pattern.

No one seems to pay much attention to the missed laser shots. That melt holes in the arena floor. Providing venting for the volcano beneath the Citadel.

Cliff using his jetpack to arc over the panicked crowd of snake worshipers to land closer to Meadham and blast close-range with his staff [Extreme]. Meadham retaliating with a swing of his arm; Cliff ducking just in time. The arm obliterating (8d6) a serpent statue just behind Cliff. Mira switching to a laser-staff but Porter already upon her with his machete. And that’s when Isaac displays the cube, points toward Porter, and activates crushing gravity (40 points). Porter’s eyes pop out of his crushed sockets. If the eyes were still functional, they’d see Mira’s foot descending.

Meanwhile, Oded enters the ‘Control Room’ finding banks of buttons and dials. Curious ponder at the sight of 2 serpentmen strapped to the wall with wires plugged into their heads. Do the serpents power the computer? A holographic image floats within the room observing all. Oded tries to blend into the corner shadows. To then pull out the Haftarong device and reset the timer for 75 minutes. Hopefully enough time to escape. And that’s when Paulo enters the room, spots the wired serpents, and blasts them. Oded standing to order, “The bomb is set. Get out.” Oded then lasering the computer. And that’s when…

Cliff makes one more jet-jump toward the door, blasting Meadham in passing. Meadham’s body collapsing. Acid flowing out, burning more holes in the floor. Cliff and Isaac making it to the door about the same time. In time to see 3 lasers in the ceiling blasting at Oded and Paulo diving for cover. Holes in the floor revealing more of the volcano beneath the Citadel. Enough closely spaced holes that seem to collapse upon themselves. Or maybe it was the unspeakable entity rising from the volcano. Enough pictures from their serpent-faction-research to recognize the hideous ‘Ghatanothoa’.

[POW check to resist the ‘Gaze of Ghatanothoa’] Paulo, Isaac, and Cliff divert their eyes. However, Oded’s stare lingers too long; his muscles begin to harden [3d10 DEX loss: 18 points]. The angered elder rises thru the floor. “RUN!” Out of the ‘Control Room’ and into the arena. Mira already at the top row clearing a path with sticks of dynamite. Cliff grabs Oded to then jet over the crowd, while Paulo uses his Insane-Strength to bull his way to the top with Isaac following close behind. They run thru the Citadel in what they hope is the right direction. Walls and ceiling falling apart around them as the building slowly collapses into the volcano.

Suddenly flooring upheaves as ‘Ghatanothoa’ rises in anger at her interruption. [POW check] This time Cliff failing to avoid eye-contact. The gunslinger turned to stone except for his pleading eyes darting left and right…as if the mind still in escape mode. Oded tries to drag his teammate along, back into the ‘Moses’ room. Just as the water-walls collapse in a torrential flood. The Cliff statue abandoned as they swim for their life. Just exiting the Citadel as it falls into the volcano, with Ghatanothoa rising to thesurface.

Huffing and puffing along the path back towards the plateau. “Where is it?! Where is the gate?” Realization they are trapped in Mu. All is lost till the insane Oded speaks up, “Don’t worry. I’ve escaped from another dimension before. I wonder if Mu connects to Carcosa? That would make our return easier. Besides, the serpents are gone. We’ve got nothing but time on our side.”