“Nom and Fay, please follow me for your upgrades.” Benny then gestures to a large metal door on the southernmost wall of his facility. Nom eagerly walks forward, Fay follows at a slightly more uncertain pace. Alora and Dorus do not agree with their friends' choices, however, they do want to be close by in case the procedure goes awry. Mokon, the most upgrade-uninterested in the group, decides to play around with their new swamp gas powered mode of transportation and how his immovable rod would fit into the equation.
Upon entering a small fully-metal room, the large iron door closes quietly, the floor rumbles slightly. Benny reminds Nom and Fay that there will be some discomfort for the upgrades to be installed. The iron door then opens once more revealing a large almost barren room. The walls, floor, and ceiling are fully constructed with what appears to be thick metal. A few pipes worm their way into floors and walls. Benny gestures to the group once more as two of the iron floor tiles shift and then slide upward revealing thick green bubbling green-hued liquid. Benny once again turns toward Nom and Fay. “Fay you have opted for the mechanical legs upgrade correct?” Fay pauses, but eventually says Yes. “And Nom, you are receiving the artificial hand, eye stalk, and absorption lungs correct?” Nom, almost too excited, replies with an enthusiastic “YES!”. Benny then asks them both to remove their clothes and submerged themselves in the umbral liquid -- a liquid that is very similar to embryonic fluid in an expectant mother. The liquid is thick and warm as Nom and Fay submerged neck-deep into the under-floor vat. Almost immediately the two begin to feel prickly pincers all over their body -- there is not pain, just a feeling of concern. “Please open your mouths as you have opted to be sedated.” Fay tried to make eye contact with Nom for support, but she is too deep in the floor. Nom and Fay open their mouths as a spider like mechanical device instantly climbs into their mouths and down their throats followed by a thin tube. They can both feel it climbing around their stomachs. Fay begins to gag and squirm as fear takes hold. Nom embraces the discomfort. The spider like device then splits apart and climbs partially up their airways once more before relocating the lungs. Fay fear increases as her eyes go wide. “We appear to have an issue,” Benny says calmly. Dorus and Alora watch unwavering in slight shock and amazement. Nom and Fay then feel a sharp discomfort in the base of their skull. Their vision fades to red. They feel nothing. “Can you hear me?” Benny’s voice reverberates in their head. Yes, they both try to speak, but are unable. “Good. You do not have to try to speak, only think of the words you would like to say. I can hear you.” Fay asks if Nom could hear her too. She could not, but Benny easily makes the requested alteration. “Your upgrade procedures have begun.” Nom and Fay do not hear, feel, or see anything. For them, the entire procedure feels as though it only takes moments during which time they effortlessly speak with each other and Benny. Dorus and Alora have a different view. Watch intently into the green liquid Dorus and Alora watch tendrils of metal, razor, and spines wrap, cut, and remove sections of their friends. Blood splurts into the otherwize lime-green liquid, and is quickly washed away. Alora hears deep within the brine the sound of bone and metal at which point she walks away with an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Dorus continues to watch as he sees Nom’s chest cavity splayed open revealing her lungs which are quickly cut away and replaced with two large silver bags. Another metallic tendril makes its way toward Nom’s eye where it begins to cut. At this point Dorus too decides to leave the procedure to the imagination and walks away.
“The procedures are complete.” The entire group (minus Mokon) hears these words. Nom and Fay wake from their trance -- they feel no pain. Fay is the first to be removed from the surgical vat. Looking down, where Fay’s legs once were, are instead two thin black-metal strips that bend in the opposite direction of a typical leg. “Let’s test your new legs.” Benny urges. Fay tried bending her knees -- which she does effortlessly and at an extreme depth. She then runs and jumps testing her new appendages.
Nom is next removed from the thick green liquid. The feeling of an artificial hand is familiar albeit with a hidden secret within. Her new thermal vision is then activated. Nom can see the outline of internal organs and heat signatures from mechanical objects in the walls. As she takes minutes to test her new upgrades she does not once take a breath and has no urge to do so.
Benny appears to be happy with the success of the upgrades. He informs the group there is an overcharge feature, but forcing the upgrades past their intended point may result in failure. “Use the overcharge feature at your own risk.”
After a short discussion Nom, Fay, Alora, and Dorus make their way to Mokon and their new swamp gas balloon.
Benny explains how the balloon works. “The purple berries, when fed to the swamp grubs, will allow them to produce more gas. The white berries will cause them to produce less. It will take approximately 10 minutes for the balloon to fill when the grubs are at full gas production. The balloon will gradually deflate over time if no gas is being produced by the grubs. However, if you would like to descend at a faster rate someone must climb to the top of the balloon and open the vent. I have also included small leather strips and adhesive in the event the balloon endures any damage that would cause leaks.”
As Benny is instructing the group on proper balloon usage and maintenance Alora notices Merrylegs is doing his best to climb atop a resting Alejandro -- with minimal success. Alora watches to see what happens as Merrylegs continues to… try… and fail. Asking Nom’s permission, Alora begins to pull down the satchels of unicorn parts from Alejandro’s back. Instantly, Merrylegs focus changes as he begins to root around in the satchels. Not interested in having small horse drool all through her business, Nom askes Alora to try a different tactic. Alora decides to show Merrylegs (that’s short for Merrylegs) one item at a time starting with the unicorn horn. One item is all it took. Merrylegs begins to root and push on Alora. As Alora lowers the horn to Merrylegs she feels a pull. Merrylegs dips his head. As he does so a small opening appears on his forehead. The unicorn horn pulls harder as if magnetically tethered to the small steed. Alora allows the union. As she does so, the horn attaches firmly to Merrylegs' forehead. A burst of magical energy radiates outward. The once small, gray, disproportionate, awkward, homely, pitiful, sad steed now stands taller, more muscular, and vibrantly white. A pearl white horn protrudes strongly from his forehead. Alora’s jaw stands agape. “How? Why? What?” she stammers. The transformation has taken the entire group by surprise. Fay, being well read, believes Merrylegs may have been a unicorn born missing a horn and the union made him complete. Merrylegs is still not large suggesting he is still quite young. Alora’s heart swells. She will NEVER leave Merrylegs' side.
Alora then hops on a balloon and leaves Merrylegs' side, but not until after a very labored discussion about some of the group going on foot vs the balloon, but it would take too long… yadda yadda yadda. The group amazingly opts to NOT split the party. (Will wonders never cease?) Alora flings a few final veiled threats toward Benny as the BOP (since no new name has been chosen and the group is absolutely fine with being synonymous with a pack of bloodthirsty gnolls) rise into the air in their new swamp gas balloon. Benny watches and waves as a tear falls from Alora’s eye. As the balloon drifts upward, Benny’s gaze slowly drops, resting firmly on a pristinely white unicorn named Merrylegs.
It is dark. The air is cold. The wind is howling. The gas balloon floats quickly through the air directly toward the Alterspire volcano. Dorus is starving. Nom is cooking unicorn meat on a magical fire created by a sad Alora. Fay is content. Dorus is vomiting unicorn meat over the side of the balloon. Mokon, well Mokon is climbing around the balloon like a spider monkey testing his air-legs. Unfortunately, air-legs he has not as Mokon almost falls several times. Eventually, he does make it upward, stopping to open a vein to create some Ilmater blood art on the side. Dorus’ pupils dilate as he smells something delicious. His nose begins to dance through the air trying to find the source. Without thinking Dorus springs to his feet, throwing himself over the side of the balloon’s basket to climb upward. Dorus' large structure and low dexterity do not lead to a successful attempt as he large Loxodon body detaches and falls from the balloon. Fay does not hesitate, as she had previously noticed his strange behavior, and rushes to the side casting feather fall on her descending companion. Then, without a second thought jumps from the balloon herself speeding directly toward a falling Dorus. Trunks and limbs flail wildly as Fay and Dorus free-fall toward one another. The two collide in mid air. Fay’s deft hands find purchase on Dorus’ trunk, almost instantly, as she swings atop his large frame and grasps tightly.
Mokon rapidly makes his way back to the basket as his companions yell in disbelief. Alora and Nom watch over the side trying to follow the path of their falling friends. Without thinking (of which Mokon excels) he pulls out his immovable rod locking it in place. The massive balloon comes to a screeching 30 miles per hour halt. Nom goes crashing to the floor. Alora, being lighter and with a weaker build, is thrown over the side. Luckily, Mokon, almost instantly realizing he had made a mistake in stopping a quickly moving balloon so abruptly, grabs Alora by the arm, pulling her back to safety.
A second cast of feather fall allows Dorus and Fay to land safely, deep in an unknown forest of Grimshackel. The two allies lie in a heap on the dark ear. Lucky to be alive. Fay feels a small burn on her skin. She looks down to see a single small bleeding scratch on her skin. Presumably from their fall through the canopy of the forest. Dorus eyes go wide a second time focusing directly on Fay. Dorus lunges. Fay is fast, even faster with her new legs, and is able to jump across the root covered forest floor -- away from Dorus. But Dorus is fast too, almost too fast. Fay feels a sharp pain on her forearm. Then… floating. A euphoria takes over her mind and body. She is light, happy, and free. Her whole body tingles as Dorus feeds.
Nimbly manning the gas balloon. Nom, Mokon, and Alora manage to land the gas balloon on a road that runs through a dark forest. They had lost track of Fay and Dorus in the dark night in hopes they have landed in proximity to their falling friends. Mokon secures the balloon as Alora sends out a beacon of daylight into the night sky.
Dorus recoils as he wipes the blood from his mouth. Large fangs regress back into his jaw. Fay begins to regain focus as her head stops spinning. “I’m sorry. I don’t understand what came over me. I’m sorry.” Dorus apologies profusely as Fay regains her senses. “What to hells Dorus?!” Fay is not excited about the fact her friend just had her for dinner. A concerning conversation is had, with no real answers. They begin to walk in the direction of the wind.
Dorus and Fay walk only a short time before a bright light shines through the trees. Dorus’ skin burns. He continues his path toward the light doing his best to stay in the shadows.
The group reunites once more. Dorus and Fay eagerly retell their tale as Nom, Alora, and Mokon stand quietly. They conclude that Dorus' condition may have been due to Alora’s magical coin. While Dorus does still feel a hunger, it is not of the insatiable kind. Still… he could eat. Nom is quick to offer her carotid artery to which Dorus accepts. Dorus feeds until his hunger is satiated as Nom enjoys that sweet, sweet euphoria.
The group then takes to the skies once more toward their volcanic destination.