Episode 5: Against the Slavers

Today's adventure was almost canceled due to the weather; as it was, the snow kept half the players away, which sucks. But we did finish the adventure, so that's a bonus. Hopefully we'll have better attendance for the next part of the campaign.

The party checked their resources one last time. Erf decided to down his potion of invisibility in hopes of  catching the slavers by surprise from behind. As their preparations were completed, they burst through the door at the end of the bridge. Upon entering, they found a large throne room, in which a pair of dwarves were haggling over a chained-up child. Three other children were chained to a post, and the dwarf in armor turned and glared at the newcomers.

"What are you doing here, interrupting my negotiations?" he demanded.

Thinking quickly, Arthur Morgan spoke first. "We're here to bid on the slaves," he said quickly, shaking a purse of money. Jax looked at him askew for a moment, but said nothing.

"Those three are already sold," replied the dwarf. "You can bid on this one." He shook the chain holding the boy. "What's your offer?"

Unsure of the going rate of a slave in this market, Arthur blurted out a price of one thousand gold pieces. Both dwarves' eyes widened in stunned amazement. Before the second one could speak, the armored one gestured to Arthur. "Show me the money," he said suspiciously.

Arthur stepped forward, flanked by the invisible Erf. As the gnome positioned himself behind the dwarf, the room was filled with the sound of a deep, bone-chilling howl. Turning quickly, Erf found himself under attack by a horrible cross between a mastiff hound and a porcupine. The porcu-dog leapt at the gnome, who sidestepped just at the last second. Before Arthur could react, the dwarf whipped out his battle axe and swung. The elf desperately dodged, but the axe struck true, and the elf fell, unable to stand.

Even as the blow was struck, the rest of the party rushed forward to engage the dwarf. The second dwarf muttered a few words in an infernal tongue and vanished from their sight. Their attention focused on the axe-wielding dwarf, they paid no mind to the would-be slave buyer. Erf threw a dagger at the porcu-dog, dispelling his invisibility but striking the hound on the flank. The howling beast shrugged off the dagger and struck, nipping the gnome and nearly taking his arm off.

Meanwhile, Alexandria and the dwarf faced off in a battle of axes. The dwarf was immensely strong, and his axe was unusually sharp. Jax was able to strike the dwarf, but the powerful foe struck back, nearly killing the paladin with a single blow. Yaervan was the next to strike at the dwarf, and he, too, was nearly struck down in return. Alexandria could not find a way past the dwarf's defenses, but struggled gamely to keep him occupied so as to keep him from finishing off her allies.

Erf found himself under assault from the porcu-dog as his allies were too busy with the dwarf. Gandolf, who had held back, now rushed forward as the battle moved away from the fallen elf, and handed him the last healing potion they had. The draught restored the elf, who struggled to his feet and turned to help the gnome. The howler then fired some of its quills at the gnome, who barely avoided being struck.

The bigger battle raged on as the dwarf got through Alexandria's defenses with a mighty blow. Staggering, she kept to her feet and finally found a hole in the dwarf's defense, returning his blow with one that, while it was not as strong as his, nevertheless found its way through his armor and bit into his flesh. The other warriors did their best to help her, but the dwarf was equal to all three of them.

The howler sensed Arthur's approach and turned to leap at him. Thinking quickly, the elf set his spear on the ground and met the beast's leaping charge, piercing it in the chest. The shocking blow caused the creature to miss the elf with its ferocious jaws, and Gandolf peppered it with daggers, proving to be surprisingly accurate as he whittled away at the creature.

Then, they heard the sound of booted feet, and a quartet of hobgoblins entered the room from where the party had come. Assessing the situation, they threw javelins at the paladin and the half-elf. Their aim proved to be inadequate, although the sudden reinforcements made their situation even more desperate.

Reluctantly, the injured Yaervan and Jax backed away from the dwarf and rushed toward the hobgoblins, leaving Alexandria to face the dwarf alone. The dwarf grinned in savage anticipation and renewed his assault. Bleeding but defiant, Alexandria fought on, holding her own against the mighty dwarf. She struck another blow, this one strong enough to stagger her opponent, and dodged his response before nearly slipping on a pool of blood.

Out of weapons, Erf quickly moved to the post where three of the children were still chained, feverishly working to pick the locks and free them. He was successful on the first attempt, freeing the dwarven boy. But before he could do anything else, three more hobgoblins entered the room from the opposite door, surrounding the party.

Then, there was a flash of bright light, and in the midst of the group hovered a creature out of nightmare: A beholder, its baleful eyes staring at the combatants. Even the dwarf took a step back in fear as the beholder scanned the room. In a guttural voice, it spoke.

"I have come for Terrem Kharatys. That boy should not have been taken from Cauldron. I intend to see that he is safely returned to his orphanage. You can keep the others. They are of no consequence. Come, Terrem – you will be safe with me."

The boy, who had been held by the dwarf, slowly stepped toward the creature. Behind it, a woman veiled to hide her face stood in a shimmering haze. She tossed a small sack to the floor as the beholder spoke again: "This will be sufficient payment for your troubles, Kazmojen. Dispense with these others as you will, and do not return to Cauldron's orphans again."

With that, the trio disappeared in a flash of teleportation magic, and the combatants all hesitated for a moment before resuming the desperate fight. Alexandria and the dwarf continued their fight, and though the dwarf was stronger and more experienced than she, the wounds he had received from the half-elf and the paladin had taken their toll, and Alexandria finally got through the last of his defenses and brought him down. Meanwhile, Arthur Morgan and Gandolf finished off the howler, the elf suffering a few more scratches in the process.

The remaining hobgoblins renewed their assault on the weakened party, until suddenly a new factor appeared behind them: A pair of half-elves slipped into the room and attacked them from behind, striking down two of them before they had noticed their presence. With the odds shifted again, and fresh enemies in the room, the remaining hobgoblins threw down their weapons and surrendered.

The half-elves introduced themselves as Fario and Fellian. Gandolf recognized their names as the investigators hired by the Lord Mayor, which they quickly affirmed. Finding a set of keys on the body of the dwarf, the party was able to free the remaining three children. They explained that they had been tracking the slavers' movements, but had not yet discovered Jzadirune. It wasn't until Ruphus returned with the first three prisoners that they were able to find the entrance. Accompanied by the cleric, they descended into the gnomish enclave and through the secret door to the elevator, arriving just in time to assist against the remaining hobgoblins.

One of the children asked if the party was going to free the other prisoners. Learning that they were being held in the western cells, the adventurers quickly went through the door and down the hall, leaving Fario and Fellian behind to guard the hobgoblin prisoners. Searching the southern hall, they found a cell block in which four more townsfolk were being held. Further seraching led to the discovery of a torture chamber in which another prisoner, an older woman, was suffering under the ministrations of a one-armed hobgoblin. He was quickly dispatched, and the woman released. She saw her walking stick in Arthur's possession, and upon receiving it back, she unscrewed the top and pulled out a small vial. Drinking it, she instantly shed some of the wounds she had received at the hobgoblin's hands. Erf muttered that he wished he had known the potion was there, but very quietly.

The woman introduced herself as Coryston Pike, a former adventurer who had been captured a few weeks earlier. She also informed them that there were a few other prisoners in the forge and the kitchen. Upon learning that the forge prisoners had been freed, she grabbed the hobgoblin's sword and led the party to the kitchens, where they found another townsman working as the dwarf's personal cook. The three goblins that accompanied him instantly surrendered at the sight of the battered but determined adventurers, and before long, the group was returning to the city, prisoners and freed kidnappees in tow.

Upon their return, they met Corporal Skylar Krewis, who had been sent to Keygan's Locks with a small patrol in hopes of joining the party below. They greeted him and turned over the prisoners and the freed slaves to the guards, then went back to the Temple of Diulanna to report back to Jenya.

The priestess was greatly pleased at their success, and informed them that Terrem, one of the children, had already returned to the orphanage, appearing on the front doorstep a short time earlier and seemingly none the worse for wear. With the return of the other children, she paid them the promised reward and said that she looked forward to working with them again in the future.

The party split up at that point; Alexandria, Arthur and Erf went to Skie's Treasury, a shop where they could get some of their magic identified and even purchase a few magical trinkets. Upon learning that the potion Erf wanted identified did not come from Jzadirune, she readily agreed to test it and inform him of its nature in the morning. Arthur purchased a magical arrow and a scroll that she had on display, using some of the treasure they had recovered from the dwarven stronghold.

The next day, the entire party received individual invitations to meet with one of the town's nobles: Lord Vhalantru, an elf who stood high in the city's political hierarchy. On the way there, Erf stopped at Skie's Treasury and learned that the potion he had found was in fact a potion of extra-healing. She offered to take the potion instead of charging him for the identification, but he paid the fee without complaint.

At Lord Vhalantru's estate, which was only a few houses away from Alexandria's home at the top of the cauldron's bowl, the six adventurers were brought into the elf's presence. He greeted them warmly, and informed them that as one of the Lord Mayor's advisors, he was always on the lookout for adventurers who showed promise and who would be helpful in dealing with the city's specialized needs. The meeting was brief, but Alexandria and Vhalantru got along very well.

And with that, the adventure was over, the party going their separate ways for the time being. Gandolf returned to the Bluewater Academy to continue his training, while Jax went to the Temple of Thor to report to his superiors. The rest of the party returned home, except for Arthur, who was staying at the Tipped Tankard most of the time.

The campaign continues in two weeks' time.

Episode 4: Into the Malachite Fortress (conclusion)

The party pushed through the pivoting secret door into a short, angled hallway. At the end were two doors. After a brief discussion, the party split into two groups to investigate both doors at the same time. Alexandria, Erf and Jax took the southern door, while Arthur, Yaervan and Gandolf took the western one.

The southern trio found a guard room with four alert hobgoblins waiting for them. The hobgoblins were tough and ready, but no match for the three adventurers as Jax and Alexandria quickly dealt with them. Saving his final spell for later, Erf contributed with a carefully-aimed dagger that struck one of the hobgoblins down.

Meanwhile, the other group found what was basically a bedroom/trophy room, with skins and skulls decorating the walls and the chair made of monster bones. A search of the room and a judicious use of the detection wand allowed them to find a secret door in this room as well, one that led to a room filled with treasure: Three chests, three casks, a heap of armor, a gong, two shields holding coins, a bowl of gems, a horn, and a bejeweled walking stick. Eagerly the trio began looting the place, but were suddenly confronted by the gong, which shapeshifted and struck at them with pseudopods. Arthur was struck with a powerful blow and knocked unconscious. Gandolf immediately turned and ran, leaving Yaervan to face the mimic alone.

The half-elf was up to the challenge, striking hard and fast while dodging to the best of his ability. However, his ability was not quite enough as he took several blows from the vicious mimic. Nevertheless, he gave as good as he got, dealing the monster grievous wounds of its own. Still, the outcome was inevitable...until Gandolf returned with the other group in tow. Jax wasted no time in slicing the mimic down with his bardiche as Yaervan staggered back, barely conscious.

The group rested a few moments, reviving Arthur with one of their few remaining healing potions and giving Yaervan one as well. Battered and beaten, the adventurers nevertheless resolved to continue on. They searched the treasure room, looting what they could, and found a crumpled letter addressed to 'Kazmojen', warning him to not get too enamored of his thus-far successful operation lest he draw the attention of do-gooders and assorted adventurers looking to rescue the many slaves. The letter was signed only with a kingfisher symbol, which Alexandria recognized as representing Kingfisher Sendings in the town of Kingfisher Hollow outside of Cauldron.

Pressing on, the group returned to the room with the hobgoblin guards, in which they found another door. Through it, they entered a long corridor, flanked by a pair of dwarven statues, male and female. Halfway down the corridor, they encountered a bridge over dark water that led back to the east, ending in a door. Consulting the map they had been making, they realized that it most likely led to the room they had been unable to breach after fighting the hallway full of hobgoblins. Taking stock of their situation, they grimly decided to press on, as Yaervan and Jax prepared to break through the door.

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To be concluded this weekend!

Episode 4: Into the Malachite Fortress (continued)

Pushing through the double-doors, the party found themselves in a wide, angled hallway. As Jax stepped around the corner, he spotted two more of the ugly hobgoblins at the other end, flanking another set of double doors. One of them banged on the door and shouted 'Croleks!', which Yaervan translated as 'Intruders!'. The hobgoblins then raised their bows, and seeing no point in attempting to negotiate, the party returned fire.

One of the hobgoblins cursed as his bowstring snapped, but the other one struck Yaervan in the arm. Alexandria and Jax rushed forward to engage them in melee, but the hobgoblins both pulled levers by the doors, and two pit traps opened up beneath the adventurers' feet. Jax was fast enough to avoid the first one, but tumbled into the second. Alexandria, a few steps behind, fell helplessly into the first pit. Yaervan skidded to a halt before the first pit even as Arthur shot at one of the hobgoblins with his own bow. Gandolf responded with another missile from his wand, while Ruphus used his sling. Erf hung back, unable to throw his daggers far enough to reach the hobgoblins, waiting for the opportune moment to cast a spell.

As Yaervan sought a way around the pits, four more hobgoblins came into view from the left-hand corridor, throwing javelins into the pits at the trapped party members. Alexandria deflected one of the javelins with her shield, but the second one sliced into her leg. Jax fared better, using his bardiche to knock one of the javelins away and ducking under the second one.

Throwing caution to the wind, Yaervan took a short, running leap over the pit, landing with such agility that he was able to strike at one of the hobgoblins. [Natural 20 on his roll to jump the pit; I gave him the bonus.] His sword quickly cut down the surprised hobgoblin, leaving him facing three by himself. Still under fire from the hobgoblin at the far end of the hall, Yaervan felt another arrow tear into the flesh of his arm. Ignoring the pain, he continued his struggle against the trio of enemies.

Then, there were two remaining, as a crossbow bolt came flying out of the pit and pierced one of the hobgoblins through the chest. Alexandria's shout of satisfaction followed the bolt, and she reloaded as quickly as she could. Jax, without any missile weapons of his own, was helpless in the pit. Arthur and Ruphus killed another hobgoblin, leaving Yaervan to face just a single enemy in between the two pits.

The second guard hobgoblin then finished restringing his bow. But before the pair could resume their firing, Erf cast a spell from the new book he had found: Phantasmal force. Suddenly, a wall appeared between the pits and the two hobgoblin archers, obscuring their view and preventing them from firing on Yaervan. Without the distraction of the archers, the half-elf was easily able to dispatch the single remaining opponent. He then reached down to grab the haft of Jax's bardiche, pulling him out of the pit while Arthur Morgan did the same for Alexandria. Just in time, as the pit lids suddenly closed up beneath them.

A moment later, the two hobgoblin archers came through the illusory wall, their swords drawn.  However, now faced with four determined warriors, they quickly fell beneath their weapons. Taking a moment to catch their breath, the party surveyed the carnage: Six dead hobgoblin guards, with their own wounds being relatively minor.

As Erf released his spell and the wall dissipated, the party now moved quickly to the double doors. However, these were securely barred from the other side, with no way to open them from this side. The party then went to some of the other doors they had seen, hoping to find another way through. Instead, they found a couple of empty bedrooms, including one with a large fire beetle trapped in one of the ceiling cages that gave off a cold, orange light.

They also found a barracks room where the four hobgoblins had clearly been staying; it was a dwarf-sized barracks, which meant the beds were too small for the hobgoblins to sleep comfortably. There was some brief speculation that the children might have been kept here, but there was no sign of their presence.

Across the hall from the barracks was another room. Just as Jax opened it up to investigate, the door at the end of the hall opened up, and two more hobgoblins came through, catching the party by surprise. Jax was struck down by two swords, his life's blood draining out rapidly. Only a rapidly-cast healing spell from Ruphus saved his life. Meanwhile, Yaervan, Alexandria and Morgan took the fight to the two hobgoblins, but to their surprise they were attacked from the side as well, as two demonic blobs of flesh came from the door Jax had opened. The hobgoblins proved to be easily dispatched, but the blobs were far more difficult, as the wounds they suffered began to heal instantly. Fortunately, Alexandria's axe and Gandolf's wand were up to the challenge, although Gandolf felt the wand disintegrate in his hands as he drained it of the last of its magical power.

Being (as they believed) so close to their goal, the party decided against resting, instead choosing to offer Jax what healing they could so he could get back on his feet. Unsteady but determined, he took his place in line and nodded grimly as the party investigated the room with the blobs. There they found a locked chest which proved impossible for Erf to open, as well as a bed and modest furnishings. There were also two fire beetles providing light above their heads, which cast a demonic glare throughout the room.

Ready to press on, the party went through the door through which the hobgoblins had ambushed them. There they found a forge with three shackled slaves, as well as four hobgoblin guards and three goblins working alongside the slaves. The goblins grabbed up their swords as the party stormed in, and before any of the goblinoids could respond, three of the hobgoblins were dead. The fourth was the next to fall, and the goblins threw down their weapons and cowered in a corner. Turning their attention to the three slaves, the party discovered they were kidnappees from Cauldron. One of them, Sondor Ironhold, said that her husband had been sold four weeks ago and had been taken into the Underdark, never to be seen again. Arthur Morgan, recalled one of the treasures they had found in Jzadirune, and pulled out a bracelet engraved with the dwarf's name. She accepted it gratefully as a memento of her lost husband.

Another slave, a halfling named Maple, informed the rescuers that there were many other kidnappees held in another part of the complex. She told them of a secret door that led to that part of the Malachite Fortress, and asked that the three of them be returned to Cauldron immediately. Unwilling to abandon any other slaves to their fate, the party refused to leave, but agreed that one of their number would accompany the three to the surface and Keygan's shop, where they could then go to speak to the authorities before returning home. Ruphus volunteered to go, casting his final healing spell on Alexandria before wishing the party good fortune and bringing the slaves back to the elevator.

To be continued...

Episode 4: Into the Malachite Fortress

 After a hiatus last weekend due to illnesses, we resumed our adventure today. We were still missing a couple of players, but we pressed on. I was wondering if we'd actually complete the adventure today, but it worked out that we had to cut things short, so naturally we are at a climactic point.

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At the end of the last episode, the party had retrieved and recovered Keygan's nephew (in the form of a rat), and brought him back to the surface. Having been gone three days, Jenya was both surprised and pleased at their return. She had feared that the party might have been captured or killed in Jzadirune, but their return was very welcome even though they had not yet located the children. The information received from the friendly mimic was very encouraging, and the party was given the opportunity to rest and recover at the Temple of Duilanna at no charge. As they did so, Jenya, in collaboration with a local merchant of magical repute named Skie, was able to identify the various treasures they had recovered, including a couple of wands and several potions.

[DM's note: I did this to help streamline play; I know that in 1st edition it's much tougher to ID items, but these are new players and I want to give them an opportunity to get back into the story right away without worrying about item testing and such. Also, after XPs were distributed, Alexandria and Yaervan had both leveled up, with Jax not far behind them.]

In the morning, refreshed and ready to go, the party returned to the depths of Jazdirune, hoping to find a way past the final gear door that led to their goal. It was one for which they still lacked a key, and they were concerned about the potential for traps therein.

However, their fears were for naught, as Arthur spotted something on the way down that had escaped his notice on their prior visit: On the second landing of the staircase leading into Jzadirune, there was a hidden door. Opening it, they realized that this short secret passage likely led to the very room they were trying to reach. Eagerly, they searched for another door without success. However, one of the wands they had recovered in Jzadirune was made for just this purpose, as it was capable of detecting both traps and secret doors. Arthur, possessing the wand, used it for the first time, and they were rewarded with a glowing outline of a door that did indeed lead into the room they were seeking.

Before they rushed through, however, Erf the gnome cautioned them that this seemed too easy, and he carefully examined the door for any traps. His sharp eyes spotted a slightly discolored line on the floor, and he realized that he was standing on a trap door. Reasoning that it hadn't opened yet, he surmised that opening the door would cause the trap door to fall away. The party spent a few minutes debating how to get past this final obstacle, until Gandolf suggested that they simply return up to the city and buy some planks of wood to lay over the trap door.

This last thing accomplished, Yaervan and Jax pushed on the heavy, pivoting stone door together, forcing it open. Their efforts were rewarded with a pair of javelins being launched at they by the two hobgoblin guards within. Yaervan was struck, but shrugged off the blow and returned the hobgoblin's blow with one of his own, mortally wounding it. Jax was equal to the task of dispatching the second one, and the party now found themselves in what appeared to be a room-sized elevator.

Pulling the lever on the wall (after Erf's inspection to determine there were no traps present), the party began to descend rapidly into the darkness below. As they reached the end of their vertical journey, they found themselves in a room no longer walled with the hewn stone of Jzadirune, but by walls covered with pure malachite.

Opening the single door in this room, the party found themselves in a large, vaulted hallway in which stood a strange sculpture that resembled modern art produced by a deranged mind. They quickly discovered that the sculpture was actually alive when it attacked, striking Jax and sending him spinning to the floor. The stony creature proved stubbornly resistant to their weapons, but they soon found a vulnerable spot as Alexandria finally shattered it with a blow from her axe.

Before they could regroup after the brief but intense battle, a door in the wall opened up, revealing a huge, filthy ogre that bared its fangs in a hideous grin as it said, 'More carrion for my larder! Very nice.'

With their weapons still drawn, the party prepared to face off with the horrible monster. But Erf quickly stepped up and blasted it with a magical color spray, stunning it momentarily and allowing the party's warriors to quickly strike down the creature before it could recover and attack them.

Searching the room the ogre had come from, they found a treasure-filled chest in a room that looked like a shrine to absolute filth. While profitable, there was no exit from the room other than the one they had come through, and they saw no other doors here.

Reasoning from the room's shape that there must be another secret door in one of the corners, they quickly searched it and were rewarded for their efforts. This door opened into a large, square room in which stood a tall, majestic statue of a dwarf. There were also four hobgoblin guards standing before two sets of double doors, and the battle was joined.

Gandolf used his own newly-acquired wand liberally, spraying magic missiles at the hobgoblins as the opportunity presented itself. The rest of the party were more than equal to the challenge of the hobgoblins, taking them down in short order.

Looking around the room, they decided to look at the doors to the northwest, which were barred shut. Jax and Yaervan easily lifted the heavy iron bar, and the doors slid open with only a little effort on their part. On the other side, they found a bridge over a water-filled chasm, which lead to a rough, natural cavern from which a tunnel led steadily downward.

Since this was obviously not part of the fortress itself, they returned to the dwarf statue room and prepared to try the other set of double doors.

To be continued...

Sleeping Dogs: Enterprise Retrospective

I find that Enterprise is at its best when it's tying into the greater Star Trek universe. I mean, obviously every episode has connections thanks to having a Vulcan on the bridge, but I'm talking about the rest of the story, the plotlines that hint at the future that is to come. Sleeping Dogs is the third episode to involve Klingons (after Broken Bow and Unexpected), but the first to truly feature them and give us our first hints at what their culture is like.

Here's the plot synopsis from Wikipedia:

After Enterprise drops out of warp near a gas giant, the crew detects an unexpected power signature and bio-signs in its lower atmosphere. Sub-Commander T'Pol, Lieutenant Reed and Ensign Sato take a shuttle to investigate and discover a Klingon vessel, Somraw, close to being crushed by the planet's atmosphere. On board, T'Pol finds three dying Klingons on the bridge, and further scans detect residual elements of a carbon dioxide-based neurotoxin. Bu'kaH, a surviving Klingon crewmember, escapes in the away team's shuttlepod. Enterprise traps it, but not before she broadcasts a distress signal. They then attempt to descend to rescue the away-team, but the pressure is too high.

Meanwhile, Sato finds the captain's log, which states that the ship was damaged in a skirmish with the Xarantine, and that the Klingon captain ordered his ship into the gas giant's atmosphere to effect repairs. Sato also locates the port fusion-injector on a schematic, and the away team make their way to Engineering to attempt repairs. On board Enterprise, Captain Archer talks to Bu'kaH in Sickbay. Doctor Phlox learns that the toxin was bonded to a molecule in Xarantine ale, which Bu'kaH confirms was part of their spoils. He convinces her to help them, citing the dishonourable deaths of her crew-mates.

On the Somraw, Reed uses shock-waves from photon torpedoes in an attempt to raise the ship and lower the hull-pressure. This allows Archer and Bu'kaH, in a reinforced shuttlepod, to reach them. Archer tells Bu'kaH that his team risked their lives for her ship, and that they are not leaving until it is safe. Archer arrives back on Enterprise just as the recovered Somraw hails. The now-revived captain orders Archer to surrender as punishment for violating his ship. Archer faces him down, noting that his ship is damaged and freshly out of torpedoes. Powerless to argue, the Klingon snarls and ends the transmission.

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It's important to note that these Klingons look like TNG-era Klingons, not TOS-era Klingons. This was a question that people had been debating since the first Star Trek movie back in 1979, which was the first appearance of the ridged forehead version. Speculation got even more intense when DS9 did the TOS crossover episode with the Tribbles, in which Worf states that the Klingons don't discuss how older Klingons look the way they did. It took the Enterprise series to finally answer that question, but it won't be answered until Season Four.

In the meantime, we meet the Klingons of the 22nd century, and they are a very ornery bunch. Crude, hot-tempered, and always ready for a fight, they make quite an impression in the Enterprise era. And this episode is the first real chance to see how these earlier Klingons are compared to what they would eventually become in Worf's time.

So, how is the episode? Quite good, actually. The initial mystery of just what happened to the ship is good, and the problem of getting them out of the planet's atmosphere before it crushes is worthy of this 'primitive' Starfleet era. The technobabble of later eras still exists in the 22nd century, but it's much less random and feels more believable. And lacking the technological prowess of even Kirk's time, Archer's crew is forced to work within the limits of not only their technology, but that of the Klingon scout ship as well. And while the Klingons are great at weapons, the rest of their tech is actually a bit lower-level than that of the Enterprise.

Archer's moment of realization when he finally accepts that he can't be so human around Klingons is worth mentioning. He tried to persuade Bu'kaH to help in his usual style, which of course a Klingon would perceive as nothing but contemptible weakness. It's when he finally starts to speak her language (figuratively; Hoshi is on the Klingon ship and unable to translate) that he gets through to her and she agrees to help prevent the dishonorable deaths of the entire Klingon crew. It's an important moment for Archer, learning that aliens really don't think the way humans do.

I'm going to rate this episode a 7 out of 10. Better would come, particularly in the Klingon part of the Star Trek protoverse, but this is an excellent beginning. Next time, however, we get back to the nascent building blocks of the eventual Federation. I can't wait.