Chapter 1: The Heart of the Desert

[Vardaen]

Tik-Tik continues to smash the hatch with the pick, as sand pours down on him from above...

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Waiting on a reply about this from Tet.

[Iggy]

Felt watches the Thri-Kreen attack the hatch. "I hope you're right, but there could be tens of feet of sand above us. If so, we'll never be able to dig our way out and we'll die of starvation, if something else doesn't put us out of our misery first. But go ahead, it's worth a try."

[TetNak]

Felt speaks his objections and the trapdoor suddenly begins letting a constant stream of sand fall through it. A few second later the structural makeup of the door is ripped open by the weight and begins flooding down into the chamber.

Tik-Tik has to move away from the ladder and let it pour in, hoping it will finally stop. It does so, but not before if creates a three foot mound of sand at the bottom of the chamber. The wind seems to have died down above, but nothing can be told for certain.

[Bitom]

Tarl doesn't move. Maybe he's in too much pain, but more likely, his knowledge of the frequent cave-ins in the mines lets him know that the room is unlikely to completely fill with sand, even if there is enough sand to do it.

"So... up, yes?" He asks, although he doesn't look like he's in any danger of doing so.

[Vardaen]

Tik-Tik bashes the hatch until it breaks wide open and sand starts to pour down in a stead stream. He leaps off the ladder and gets clear of the filling sand. Eventually the sand comes to a slow trickle, just knocked loose from the wind above. The Mantis-Man gives the pick back to the Mul who is still in pain, before moving through the sand mound back to the ladder. He looks up into the sky above, the tent is likely lost or shredded so badly it provides no protection. "Up. Up." He gathers up all his gear, and climbs the ladder up to the surface.

First his antena stick up, and wiggle around, then his head and eyes as he looks for signs of danger reporting down the ladder to the others what he sees.

[Iggy]

Felt is relieved to see the sand stop flowing through the hole. "What can you see out there? Has the storm calmed down now?" he asks Tik-Tik.

[TetNak]

The surface has calmed significantly. There seems to be a wind still, which is expected, but nothing that will rip the flesh from your bones. Each of the trio wonders what happened to the other two that headed north, certainly if they did not find shelter that probably perished.

Certainly, now that the trap door and been broken apart, the group could make their way to the surface if so inclined.

[Vardaen]

Tik-Tik reports down, "Storm Gone." He climbs up the ladder and out to the surface scrambling over the sand dunes that encircle the hatch. With all four arms pumping he pushes sand around as he scampers into the village. Gazing around he searches for signs of survivors flippinf his gythka around at the ready, just in case. "Come", he calls down to Felt and Tarl.

[Bitom]

Tarl grunts and heaves himself painfully to his feet, then takes up his pick and stands there until Felt goes up the ladder, taking some deep breaths to see if they ease the pain.

[Iggy]

The rogue jerks his backpack around so that it sits more comfortably on his back. He makes his way up the ladder and through the hole, back outside again. Ahhhhh. Freedom! he thinks to himself. He watches Tik-Tik approach the village for a few seconds until he remembers the Mul is still down inside the hole. "Need a hand getting out?"