Assassin! – Attempt 1, Part 3

As the trapdoor / entrance closes behind me, I have no option other than to keep going, rather than retreat. Feeling like the groom as he enters the church on his wedding day, I cautiously move forward.

I peek around a corner into a huge cavern, and see over 50 goblins working a mine.  Just to really rub it in, I’m spotted by a ‘sharp-eyed nipper’, and before long the whole posse is chasing after me.

I sprint past and see, on my way, a charming carving in the rock depicting the demented demon to whom the goblins apparently sacrifice victims.  I come to an abyss and turn, having to fight for my life against the mob of goblins running at me.

I have seemingly trespassed on the goblins’ ‘sacred shrine’ and two of them hurl themselves at me, trying to throw me off the ledge.  I have to test my standing with Fate, but I manage to confirm that Fate is smiling upon me.  I cast my foes into the abyss, although I suffer the minor loss of 3 Endurance.

I flee from the oncoming horde, and follow the narrow tunnel as it twists and turns deeper and deeper.  In a development worthy of Wile E. Coyote, I hit a dead end.  As I whip around, a ‘barbed metal grille’ slams down, blocking my retreat. Because things weren’t difficult enough, the goblins start dumping water, in buckets and other vessels, into my sealed chamber, gradually rendering me short of, you know, air.

If this was an episode of the old 1966 Batman show, this moment here would be the ‘To Be Continued’ cliffhanger.

With no other choice, I ask for the literal deus ex machina, as I pray to Kwon to save me. I am teleported to another part of the  mine, and informed that Kwon, for reasons of his own, will not assist me again until I have returned to the Island of Tranquil Dreams.

I am transported (by Kwon) into another cavern where I see, dangling from a vine above a pool, what is left of a goblin who has been denied his body and legs.  A ‘Primordial Terror’ emerges from the water below this carcass, which is apparently some living mass of slime, eyes and acid.  I have to make a critical decision to survive.  I can either force myself to ‘disbelieve’ the apparition before me, recite my Ninja Creed or call on Kwon to save me (ineligible for reasons of him already saving my ass).

Since I think that this monstrosity is not exactly an illusion, I recite my Ninja Creed and now have the options of using yet another Poison Needle (!!), using a flaming torch on this monstrosity or casually swinging over the monster on the vine.

Do you really need to ask?

I jam a poison needle into the nearest ‘lidless eye’, but only get a moment’s grace to decide whether to swing away on the handy vine or use a fiery torch to attack this creature.

I thrust my fiery torch at the creature, but it has little effect.  In a last ditch effort, I grab at the vine to swing away, but am almost too late.  The disgusting creature burns me like acid, to the tune of 9 (!!) Endurance.

On the far side of the chamber, I drag my wounded body up the stairs and, after a multitude of wrong-turns, find my way back to the surface.

Fresh air, I’ve missed you.

Status : Endurance 8, Punch Modifier : +1, Kick Modifier : +1, Fate Modifier : +1, Throw Modifier : 0, Inner Force : 5