Chapter 2: Dynamite with a Laser Beam

First, retcon time.

Deleted: It was then that they decided to make camp there and have strawberries for breakfast in the morning.

Added: They decided not to make camp and forged ahead courageously! Hooray!

Also: Nalied's story revealed! He's a doppelganger who can't remember his/her original shape. It... really bugs him, and he'd like to find out. Yep, another character who doesn't remember something. Well, anyway.

Party leadership and command of Chrome passed to Nalied for the day. After resting up and feeling refreshed and ready, the party decided to... go back. There was another door back there, and dagnabbit, they were gonna try it. On their way past the room with the big shiny door, they saw two of the silver records were now glowing gold. Aha! Just two more challenges before we go through the big shiny door, they thought correctly.

The room they chose had an older lady in it, sitting in a chair by a small table, smoking a long pipe and drinking wine. She was dressed in royal reds and violets, and atop her head was a simple silvery crown. On the table were a wine bottle and three red candles, only one lit.

The Pushermen tried talking to her, and she was happy to tolerate their conversation, but her intense stares put them off, and she quickly grew bored. Guaranteed to blow their minds, however, she started slashing wildly with her previously concealed short sword. Indeed, from nowhere, Killer Queen started playing, and the battle began.

Though difficult to hit, they maneuvered around her, pushing her where they want her to be, finally living up to the Pushermen name. This battle was the site of the party's first critical hit. As a last resort, she ran for the candles on the table, dynamite in disguise, but was too slow. She was surrounded and knocked to the ground and killed before she could utter a final word of hatred. For their efforts, the party won a shiny crown! Whee!

Wanting to hasten their progress to the final room, Ka-Moh and Nalied agreed to light and throw the dynamite into the fourth room so they wouldn't have to deal with hound dogs crying all the time. Samel wanted to be far away when this happened, so he took Chrome to hang out by the big shiny door to see if the fourth record would turn gold. After the large rumbling explosion, they sent Chrome in, who wouldn't be affected by all the smoke. Had there not been a ton of rubble in the way, he'd have noticed a large eagle made of sequins up on the wall. But there was nothing useful to find, so they moved on to the final encounter.

The big shiny door unlocked itself in an impressive display of light and magic. Inside was a simple wooden coffin up on a raised platform with stairs leading up on all sides. Cautiously approaching, they were knocked away as the stairs came to life and connected together with the coffin as a body and two far-reaching arms to pummel our heroes into the ground.

Except in the entire battle, the coffin golem monster only got one hit off, and it was nothing that couldn't be ignored. I would describe this fight in greater detail, but it was over a week ago now, and I really only remember that they gave the thing a good thrashing.

After the golem's magic dissipated, the coffin floated back to solid ground unscratched with the symbol of Arcanus carved into the wood. Pulling it open, they find the perfectly preserved body of the great sorcerer himself. The tangible feeling of wonder that radiated from him left no doubt of his identity. And in his hands was a box of mahogany also carrying his symbol. Samel opened it carefully and found a wand and a book, but neither could be removed from the box. It would need to be analyzed by someone who knows about unlocking magic. The Council of Ioun would have the means, of course. Time now for the Pushermen to return to the center of wizardly studies, the city of prophecy... the Prophecity.

*snicker*

End Chapter.