Mission File 006: Tablet Of Terror

July 22nd, 1990: Chris Tain and Derrick Torg decide to head off on their own, leaving Thorin, Anastasia and Tor-o to themselves. The trio travels to the Nile Empire. Captain Ace Rogers had decided against going back to America, and instead flew to Cairo. In Cairo he met up with and befriended the other heroes. The four of them ended up in the jungles of Ethiopia, in a region known as the Land Of The Dead. They stay in the area for a couple weeks helping out the locals, doing what they can to keep them safe. One day they get a strange message asking them to meet in an abandoned diamond mine. Once there they give the password and they meet with the mousy Luther Hill. He seats the heroes at a table, lit only by a small lantern. He slides them a manila folder. Inside they find a picture of an older man with a younger woman dressed in jungle clothes. A handwritten note inside tells that the picture is of the Harlovs. The archaeologist in their family discovered a tablet that has caused fear in Pharaoh Mobius. He has sent shock troopers to deal with them. The two had gotten word and were able to get into the Land Below to escape. The shock troopers went down after them. That was 8 days ago. There has still been no word. A man called The Whisper who supplies aid to Mystery Men and Storm Knights alike wrote the note. He requests that they use the entrance into the Land Below located in The Land Of The Dead (the same entrance the Harlovs had used), to try to track them down and recover the tablet. Through some quick thinking the heroes are able to bluff their way into the Land Below. After securing the lone shock trooper left to guard the exit of the tunnel, they hear the shouting of a human. They follow the voice and find a young naked boy who has been treed by 3 arhet crom. The beasts are quickly defeated, but the heroes are unable to communicate with the boy who gathers his foraged goods and heads back into the jungle. They find their way back to the trail and head towards the mountains. They stop several days later in a savannah where twenty Keefee warriors who are angry that the heroes picked berries from their sacred tree confront them. The heroes leave the berries and avoid a fight by continuing towards the mountains. They can see smoke on the other side. Near the mountains they avoid a confrontation with both a smileodon and Ungrosh, the gigantic ape beast that calls this area his home. After making their way across a river they enter a village that is home to a clan of Pyrian Fire Tamers. Through a gesture of peace, the party is taken to see the leader of the clan, Tora Sil Kel. He is the only person they have encountered so far that has been able to talk to them. He tells them that the man in the picture is in their town, but is afflicted by madness. He will be sacrificed to their god Karruk to keep the madness from spreading. After several moments of talking and pleading, Tora offers to release the old man into their custody if they can defeat a beast that has been killing off their villagers. The “Beast Of Flame” lives in a nearby lava pool. The heroes agree, not realizing just how tough the fight will be. The battle rages on and on with the large orange caleacon, and the lizard delivers many good blows. Most of their attacks do little to nothing because of the beast’s thick hide. Tor-o is able to finally bring the beast down with a mighty bolt of magical lightning. The savage world around them begins to rub off on them and they hack the beast into little more than parts. They continue back to the village with proof of their victory. A feast is prepared for the heroes and Thorin finds that one of the female fire tamers has gained a romantic interest in him. The native, Sala Tel Bora decides to accompany Thorin on the rest of his journey in the Land Below. They are soon united with Maximillian Harlov who tells them that his daughter Sandra is a captive of the Darooni, a race of wasp tamers. On their way to the Misty Gorge, where the Darooni call home, they stumble across a recently ended battle. The battle took place between the Darooni and the Leopard Men. There is only one survivor, a Leopard Man named Saka Ata. Anastasia does what she can to patch up his wound and in thanks he offers her the ceremonial garb of one of his fallen tribesmen. She accepts the clothing and weapon. When Saka learns that they are on their way to challenge the Darooni, he readily joins them. On their way they run into more trouble. Field Marshall Achmed Tunakakan approaches them and demands the tablet. He is all that is left of his troops, who were killed by a Darooni raiding party looking for victims for their hatching ceremony. He is easily beaten by the heroes who tie him up and hang him from a tree. They make it the rest of the way to the gorge without further complication. Once there, they realize that most of the Darooni and wasps are gone, more likely foraging or looking for more victims. Anastasia uses her telekinetic powers to lower them all into the gorge. Everyone decides to head straight for the village except for Captain Ace Rogers. He decides to take his two Molotov cocktails and head towards the giant wasp nest. Not knowing his intentions, the other heroes let him go. As they get to the village, they realize that there is no one in it. Just as they notice some movements in the temple, there is a large explosion. Captain Ace Rogers sacrifices himself to destroy the wasp nest and all the wasps on it. The Darooni warriors rush out and immediately notice the trespassers. The Priestess of the Darooni immediately uses her miracles to summon another wasp to the fight. The battle is fierce, and it causes the death of Sala Tel Bora, but the heroes are victorious over the Darooni and their priestess. If not for Captain Rogers’ sacrifice, they might have all fallen to the wasps. The heroes free the captured people, including Sandra Harlov. They make their way to where she had hastily buried the tablet. Once they are safely away from the Misty Gorge, she translates the tablet for them:

None of them understand why Mobius feared this tablet so, but perhaps the future will reveal that answer. . .