Event:1925/05/07 Assault on Grey Dragon Island
We board the sub Isoge Taro readied for us at sunset and make landfall via boats at night. The island is mostly cinders and sand with stunted palm trees and sand crabs as the main residents.
We execute the plan. 20 crew including Isoge Taro remain on the sub. 5 Firmies stay at the shore to guard the boats, while the remaining 50 of us make our way through the vegetation of the island. At the point our approach vector is nearest the village, we see a lot of torchlight walking along the path. Jack, Anthony, Jack Brady, and Chu Min split off from the group to investigate. Anthony makes some noise and 3 members of the group split off. A scuffle ensues in which Jack decapitates one, but the others miss and then both Jack and Anthony take wounds. They notice that they have the ugly look that the crew of the Dark Princess had. Jack takes out another one and Anthony and Brady team up to take the other one out. About 7 cultists are headed up the trail to the mountain. We split the group to flank the cultists and strike. We take out 4 before they can react. They cut down five of the Firmies, and then we kill the remainder. We quickly hide the bodies and continue moving toward the volcano. We see a cave entrance decorated with symbols such as dripping fangs, touching tentacles, etc. and the smell of sulphurous gas as other noxious fumes emanates from it. We leave the rear guard consisting of two 3-man crews with machine guns and 6 snipers set up at the entrance, and the remaining 33 of us descend into the creepy cave.
We descend the slowly curving stairs and hear chanting coming from below. The group of us and Brady take the lead, followed by the rest of the Firmies. There's a hard orange light emanating from the slimy fungi growing on the walls and ceiling. Li Wen-cheng notes that the fungus is slimy[1]. As we descend, we notice a gleaming metal bullet, 23 meters high, suspended on sturdy girders above a magma pit. There are 6 cultists scattered around the girders performing repair activities, along with 10 fish-like humanoids moving between a dark pool and the magma, and 8 additional workers wearing dark headdresses. On the opposite side, there's a bubbling pool of seawater that can be seen. Far to the rear stands an immense statue 30' tall, but we can only see the back. It's a horrifying scene[2]. There are some chambers that can be seen as well. The orange glow of the fungi is coming from the magma. As we make it to the bottom of the stairs, we are noticed. A blob-like creature rises out of the bubbling pool, approximately 15' in diameter. It is horrifying[2]. Jack flies into an insane rage and 6 Firmies run away in terror. We begin exchanging fire with the blob. It gets horrific blows against Quinn and Jack Brady before devouring Jack Falcon and ripping him apart. Seeing this, Quinn lands an extreme blow against the creature, causing it to dissolve into effervescent fluids.
Although the Firm Action Faction has suffered heavy casualties, they have turned the tide against the cultists. Anthony murders a headdress-wearing cultist that was hiding behind the blob creature. We wrap up the fighting in this room and take count of our people. 14 Firmies remain including Min. Jack Brady is still alive, but badly injured as well. We clean people up as best as possible and deploy them about the cavern.
We check out a pile of crates. "Darwin, Australia" is stamped on them. It seems that tools, wire, cigars[3], and other supplies were being unpacked from them. We move on to the bubbling pool. It seems to have viscous goop floating in it. We believe that the fish men were moving viscous goop to the magma and that was making the orange light. We leave a couple Firmies to watch over it and head to one of the cavern doors.
Two thick lead doors cover the opening. Quinn tries opening the door on the right, and is thrown back by a burst of force, nearly killing him. Aubrey Penhew emerges from the room in Egyptian robes claiming we are too late. He appears impervious to regular attacks, but Anthony hits him with Jack's blessed hatchet, and that harms him. Aubrey Penhew blasts Anthony's mind, but Anthony still manages to land another blow and strike him down. We find the room he came from is a workshop. All the tools are very well made, very refined, made with a level of care and precision that we've never seen before. We find more copies of the huge bullet plans. Anthony notes that mounted on the wall is a marine chronometer of extremely high quality. It is correctly set to GMT. Li Wen-cheng takes it. There's also a lead case with a metal cylinder in it with bolts and pistons. Reviewing Penhew's journal, it seems the work on this "rocket" is nearly complete.
We move to the next room, which is a relaxing living room filled Egyptian artifacts.
On the other side of the statue, which we expertly avoid examining, there is a pen for holding something. We find traces of many people being held there.
In the large room in the back, there is a solid stone alter with weapon marks and dried blood, obviously where the cult made their sacrifices. Anthony checks out the statue and finds it horrifying[2]. It is a statue of the Bloated Woman.
Checking the "rocket" itself, it seems it is mostly finished and they were going over welds. The "rocket" is missing the warhead and instrument section (according to the schematics). Quinn believes that the payload of the warhead is in the workshop.
Hiroshi Isuma, one of the Firmies, comes forward to help us examine things. He believes the components on the table in the workshop are for triggering and guidance. He also believes the "rocket" is fueled. He believes he could use the alien tech to strategically drop the rocket.
Quinn grabs Brady and the others and suggests that they head to the top of the volcano and begin the ritual to make the symbol. We begin the ritual at moonrise.
4 hours into the ritual, the "rocket" falls into the lava and explodes.
5 hours into the ritual, we sight a ship coming unnaturally fast: The Dark Mistress approaches. Ahead of it, a tsunami forms, lifting the sub, and crashing it into the shore, killing the Firmies that were guarding the shore. We pile down the slope and form a defensive position and wait.
7 hours into the ritual, a black serpentine thing descends upon us and kills one of the machine gun crew. It is horrifying[2], and 3 Firmies flee into the night (21 Firm Action Faction members remain).
7.5 hours into the ritual, 3 deep ones emerge from the woods, one with a trident. We dispatch those without losing anyone.
8 hours into the ritual, Anthony's soul is assaulted with fear. We spot Ho Fong and a group of 4 cultists in the woods. Ho Fong casts a spell that turns his hands to snakes. It is horrifying[2], and Hiroshi passes out. Li Wen-cheng takes aim and blows Ho Fong's head off. 2 Firmies died (19 Firm Action Faction members remain). We send one of the remaining to get 4 reinforcements from the ritual site.
We make it to moonset. We head up to the ritual site and the eye opens and begins glowing a brilliant white light briefly, and then ceases. Li Wen-cheng treats the wounds of Quinn and Anthony[4], and then we sleep. The Dark Mistress has disappeared. We check the submarine for survivors, and find none. We gather together supplies and the rafts and return to Shanghai.
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