They travelled by night and slept under tarps in the daytime to hide from the screw galley. When the party reached Gorovaan, they freshened their food supplies and purchased Barsoomian digging tools that would not interfere with the magic of James and Reginald. Unfortunately, they were ambushed during the day by Skylords, who took them to their village. When called before the chief, Hester headbutted him and gained his respect. James called for him to kill him, and was sent to the Ordeal, where he refused to cry out and kept spitting on his attackers. This won him their admiration. Reginald and Kabdab were both sent to the battle circle. Kabdab emerged victorious against his foe, while Reginald was defeated but then put his foe to sleep. Reginald was immediately declared an evil sorceror and tied up for the next six months, while the others helped gather liftwood for the village. All were released at the end, having learned 4 points of Barsoomian language. Reginald was told he would be burned alive if he was ever seen again by them, while the other three were rewarded with liftwood spears.
They walked from there to Sabal, an ancient holy city and therefore known as a place of great evil. Kabdab remembered the part about it being holy but not that the gods to which it was holy were ancient evils whom his people no longer followed.
The party was captured outside Kraag Barrovaar and taken before King Hattabranx, who sentenced them to be sacrificed to the Worm God. When they were about to be sacrificed, the god spoke and called for them to be cast down alive into the Hell Maw. The Worm Priests complied.
They survived the fall and found themselves in an ancient settlement filled with advanced technology. They explored and found several dead bodies that had not decayed and still bled when cut. They were four feet high, furry, and had faces like apes, but wore silvery clothing of unknown design. The party found a strange food machine, a projector, an ancient flier, and many emeralds, of which they took as many as they could hold. Believing they would be stolen, Reginald swallowed a large emerald.
They then met Kleuht na Vriss, a tiny hairy man with a beast’s face who told them of a people who became immortal only to tire of it and commit suicide, all but himself. He agreed to train the party in his science and to repair the flier with them, and left them to get some sleep. They would start on the morrow.
The next day, Kleuht na Vriss confessed over the loudspeakers that:
“I sent that foolish antique dealer the map to Djor Xabshang III’s tomb, and I had him killed”
“I had you chased by screw Galley by my servants”
“The Skylords stymied for me for a time but then my servants found you once more and took you to Kraag Barrovaar and King Hattabranx”
“Finally I had my Worm Priests cast you down because I wanted to meet you. I knew you were from Jasoom and had come through a dream gate, as my people did.”
“But now you must die. You know too much.”
He gave them five minutes to hide and then he would begin hunting them. Instead, they jumped into the ancient flier and lifted off. None knew how to fly it, but James threw Kabdab out of the console and smashed it upwards, tearing bits off of it as he rose. They escaped but the flier crashed soon after.
They then walked to the location of the Tomb. Their pockets were full of emeralds, but the only weapons they had were broken femurs from ancient sacrifices.
We’ll pick it up there next week.