Itai the Oracle
RoomDCC 87 · p.9
Open source p.9Area 2-11 – Itai the Oracle
After descending the spiral stair, you enter a short corridor leading east to a steel door. Beyond the door is a small, dark room with a ladder climbing 20’ to a small platform and another door.
Assuming that the PCs are here willingly, they are allowed to climb the ladder and enter the door at the top.
Hostile PCs can enter the ladder room, but both doors lock (DC 25 Pick Locks check) and the compartment floods with knockout gas (DC 25 Fort save or fall unconscious for turns). If any PC saves, she remains conscious, but extremely groggy ( to all attacks, saves, skill checks, and spell checks). In either case, Urah storm the compartment (they are immune to poison) and bind the PCs before taking them up the ladder.
Once they are in Itai the Oracle’s chamber, read or paraphrase the following:
You enter a room with more guards, behind sandbag fortifications. Beyond them, a round platform rises from the center of the room, and metal boxes covered with colored, blinking lights and spinning discs stand along the walls. Before you have time to take it all in, a disembodied voice emanates from a small box on the front of the central platform. “Welcome. It is good that you are here. I have awaited your arrival.”
The following framework provides a brief guide for the PCs’ conversation with Itai the Oracle:
• Itai speaks in terms familiar to the PCs, with no ref-
erences to technology or other anachronistic turns of phrase. For example, Itai claims to be a spirit imprisoned in the box from which it speaks, but can project itself elsewhere, where similar artifacts reside.
• Itai wants them to quest for a device it calls the “Great Egg.” It provides a device to lead them to its location: a small box with a black glass panel. A red dot on the panel represents the direction of the missile silo (Area 4). The PCs must decide how best to reach it, starting in the bottom of Area 2-8.
• Itai also provides a key card for the silo holding the Great Egg (Area 4-6) and the Gold Line of the monorail (Area 3-12), and a “magical” artifact they can use to help Itai speak to them (remote uplink module). Itai has lost control of the silo, but once the uplink is connected to the command center controls (Area 4-2), it can access the computers. Once it does so, Itai becomes aware of Da’brok and his korgu followers, and attempts to parley with Da’brok, if the PCs have not already done so.
• Itai also reveals the presence of the monorail and explains how to use the “demon carriage.”
• If the PCs seem reluctant, Itai offers to provide a translator box, “magical” light sources, and arms to supplement their own: 4 spring guns and 80 bolts.
• Itai promises rich rewards from the Spider Goddess, Atraz A’zul (or another patron), who has promised a favor to anyone aiding this quest.
• Itai warns them of the presence of korgu in the Undercity, and that there are many other dangers.
• Itai shows them the symbol for mutagenic radiation (player Handout C), and explains its significance in terms they can understand: Magical corruption.