Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Grothnak watches ahead until the illusionary wall is ready. When it is, he steps back behind it, holding Vadok at the ready in case the party's presence is detected.
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Ingrid Esthof
The cleric takes her place behind the illusory wall.
The cleric takes her place behind the illusory wall.
Sometimes this summer I will most likely be participating in another 24 hour game of Dungeons & Dragons as part of Extra Life. This organization uses gaming to help raise money to donate to children's hospitals. I'm raising money for Marshfield Children's Hospital in Marshfield, WI, and all money I raise will go to that hospital. All donations are tax-deductible. Please take a moment to check out my donation page below. Thank you.
https://www.extra-life.org/participant/Scott Peterson
https://www.extra-life.org/participant/Scott Peterson
Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Pip lines up with the others against the wall. He whispers to Mouser "Awesome! Send 'em up the rope, or over by it, at least, so they think we left..."
Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Inside the Hell Mouth, the Rushmoors, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Ten. Early Afternoon. Tuesday, October 25th, 576 CY
Cloudy, damp, cold, foggy
When they retreat back to the cliff, the heroes find all the dead cultists are missing. So is the other living, bound one.
Hoom Feethos lights a candle and searches the dark, dead end tunnel. He finds ten spears, four daggers, and a shortsword protected from dampness by oilcloths. The crates contain dried beans, wheat flour, cornmeal, potatoes, corn, turnips, lard, and salt. Several dozen fresh torches are stored in a barrel. Four shovels lean against the wall. He blows out the candle and returns to the others.
Meanwhile, the Grey Mouser and Urdur Shimmerstone weave deceit out of thin air.
The little, magic-dabbling thief conjures up duplicitous torchlight in the hell mouth.
The dark gnome douses his torch and fabricates the falsehood of a mud wall to deny the existence of the heroes and Pelias' bound captive.
They stand silent and wait.
Three hooded figures enter from the east with urgency.
One points at the illusory flames in the sinkhole shaft. They pass by the heroes at a proximity of mere inches.
Soon, five more hooded figures follow in their footsteps. Beneath their robes can be seen iron armor and swords. One stops to look down the dank channel to the barrels, crates and weapons. Then they continue on.
Within sight of the heroes, they confer at the edge of the precipice overlooking the bottomless pit. Their eerie, dead voices form words distant, detached and strange, like a corpse being made to speak by a necromantic puppeteer. The chilling sounds make one's skin crawl.
"Where are they?"
"There was light in the shaft. They've fled back to the surface."
"How did they survive the swamp creatures?"
"They are strong. Soon their strength will be ours."
"Find them. Secure the entrance above. I will inform our masters."
Seven hooded men climb the thick knotted rope back to the surface. The eighth moves east, back the way they came, in haste.
The heroes are alone. All is quiet. For now.
Actions?!
Map:
One square = 10 feet. X = Dead or Unconscious. O = Oozing horror's last known location.
Black area to the west of the PCs is the cliff into the main shaft of the hell mouth.
PC Status:
Day Ten. Early Afternoon. Tuesday, October 25th, 576 CY
Cloudy, damp, cold, foggy
When they retreat back to the cliff, the heroes find all the dead cultists are missing. So is the other living, bound one.
Hoom Feethos lights a candle and searches the dark, dead end tunnel. He finds ten spears, four daggers, and a shortsword protected from dampness by oilcloths. The crates contain dried beans, wheat flour, cornmeal, potatoes, corn, turnips, lard, and salt. Several dozen fresh torches are stored in a barrel. Four shovels lean against the wall. He blows out the candle and returns to the others.
Meanwhile, the Grey Mouser and Urdur Shimmerstone weave deceit out of thin air.
The little, magic-dabbling thief conjures up duplicitous torchlight in the hell mouth.
The dark gnome douses his torch and fabricates the falsehood of a mud wall to deny the existence of the heroes and Pelias' bound captive.
They stand silent and wait.
Three hooded figures enter from the east with urgency.
One points at the illusory flames in the sinkhole shaft. They pass by the heroes at a proximity of mere inches.
Soon, five more hooded figures follow in their footsteps. Beneath their robes can be seen iron armor and swords. One stops to look down the dank channel to the barrels, crates and weapons. Then they continue on.
Within sight of the heroes, they confer at the edge of the precipice overlooking the bottomless pit. Their eerie, dead voices form words distant, detached and strange, like a corpse being made to speak by a necromantic puppeteer. The chilling sounds make one's skin crawl.
"Where are they?"
"There was light in the shaft. They've fled back to the surface."
"How did they survive the swamp creatures?"
"They are strong. Soon their strength will be ours."
"Find them. Secure the entrance above. I will inform our masters."
Seven hooded men climb the thick knotted rope back to the surface. The eighth moves east, back the way they came, in haste.
The heroes are alone. All is quiet. For now.
Actions?!
Map:
One square = 10 feet. X = Dead or Unconscious. O = Oozing horror's last known location.
Black area to the west of the PCs is the cliff into the main shaft of the hell mouth.
PC Status:
- Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 23/27
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC 5, HP 9/15, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 24/28
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 17/22, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl and 2/4 2nd lvl
Hoom Feethos, Elven Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC 3, HP 11/12, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 6, HP: 23/30, Spells: 1/6 1st lvl, 2/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 3: Move: 6", AC: 2(0), HP: 29/30, Laying Hands: 0/1
Pip, Human Monk 2: Move: 16", AC: 9, HP: 11/12
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 21/28
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC 6, HP 9/9, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl and 0/1 2nd lvl
- Protection from Evil (Pelias): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Pelias.
Improved Phantasmal Force (Urdur): Duration: special.
Last edited by Inferno on Sun Nov 17, 2019 3:32 pm, edited 2 times in total.
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Telkis is a bit disconcerted hiding behind the illusiory wall with the others until the cultists depart. He'd had to trust Urdur that it was even there - since he knew it was false, it didn't manifest for him. He felt like he was hiding behind... nothing... while the hooded figures stood just inches away. He shakes his head in amazement. "Magic!" he murmurs very, very quietly to himself. "That's how you do it. Nice work, Urdur."
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Mouser nods happily that the ruse worked. He whispers, "Do you think the towns people would be dressed in armour in swords? Did you catch that? Well, those few climbing the rope are fish in a barrel - i'm of a mind that we ought to shoot some..."
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Ingrid Esthof
Good observation, Mouser. I think we should be able to deal with these armored foes without worrying we may be hurting innocent villagers, the cleric replies softly. They would not expect us to come from behind them.
Good observation, Mouser. I think we should be able to deal with these armored foes without worrying we may be hurting innocent villagers, the cleric replies softly. They would not expect us to come from behind them.
Sometimes this summer I will most likely be participating in another 24 hour game of Dungeons & Dragons as part of Extra Life. This organization uses gaming to help raise money to donate to children's hospitals. I'm raising money for Marshfield Children's Hospital in Marshfield, WI, and all money I raise will go to that hospital. All donations are tax-deductible. Please take a moment to check out my donation page below. Thank you.
https://www.extra-life.org/participant/Scott Peterson
https://www.extra-life.org/participant/Scott Peterson
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
"You guys go ahead," says Urdur, still concentrating on the wall. "I'll keep this going in case they come back."
Urdur continues to concentrate on maintaining the illusion.
Urdur continues to concentrate on maintaining the illusion.
How do we know you're not a donkey-brained man?
Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Pip observes "Ummmm, guys...? The point of all this trickery was to avoid having to fight them. We've succeeded in that. Those guards will be up there for a long time. This is not an army. That may be a significant part of their armed force. Let's go deep, fast, and see if we can get to the heart of this place while the guards are deployed elsewhere!"
Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
I agree with pip Brevos voices quietly.
let us move forward quickly they will spend some time looking for us in the swamp.
let us move forward quickly they will spend some time looking for us in the swamp.
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Long Bo has seen illusions before, but he never imagined that one could work as well as this one just did. He steps away from the wall, and then back behind it, shaking his head in amazement for a moment.
"That was fricking brilliant! Very nicely done, friends! No way did I think that would work as well as it did!"
The druid shakes his head at the idea of following them up the rope.
"We already know what we will find out there, we need to find out what is in here. I must agree that we shouldn't follow them. Our concern is getting to the bottom of this cult and putting a stop to it. If we can avoid some of the heavy fighting and the casualties it will cause us, I think we should."
The druid turns to Brevos once again, hoping his tracking skills can be utilized here.
"The one that fled told the others that he was going to inform the "masters". If you could track his movements, he might lead us right where we need to go, no?"
Bo secures a half dozen torches from the barrel before leaving this area.
"If there is nothing in the crates that we need to take, we should get moving as quickly as possible before we are found out again. And can we please stop dropping things into shafts so we don't tip the cultists off to our presence again?"
"That was fricking brilliant! Very nicely done, friends! No way did I think that would work as well as it did!"
The druid shakes his head at the idea of following them up the rope.
"We already know what we will find out there, we need to find out what is in here. I must agree that we shouldn't follow them. Our concern is getting to the bottom of this cult and putting a stop to it. If we can avoid some of the heavy fighting and the casualties it will cause us, I think we should."
The druid turns to Brevos once again, hoping his tracking skills can be utilized here.
"The one that fled told the others that he was going to inform the "masters". If you could track his movements, he might lead us right where we need to go, no?"
Bo secures a half dozen torches from the barrel before leaving this area.
"If there is nothing in the crates that we need to take, we should get moving as quickly as possible before we are found out again. And can we please stop dropping things into shafts so we don't tip the cultists off to our presence again?"
Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
"A fine ruse," agrees Grothnak. He is usually not one to approve of trickery to avoid battle. But here, where his foes would not truly be fighting of their own accord, it is acceptable. His true enemies are the things controlling these people.
"But the men we deceived will soon see that we are not in the swamp, and will then be at our backs. We must make haste to use our advantage while we can."
"But the men we deceived will soon see that we are not in the swamp, and will then be at our backs. We must make haste to use our advantage while we can."
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Mouser shakes his head "It will take them about 3 seconds to figure out we aren't up there and come back down. We need to take them out. If they are down here there must be another way out, yes? Burn the rope!"
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Bo starts to wonder about this thief as well now.ravenn4544 wrote:Mouser shakes his head "It will take them about 3 seconds to figure out we aren't up there and come back down. We need to take them out. If they are down here there must be another way out, yes? Burn the rope!"
"They were instructed to find us and secure the entrance. I don't think they will be back anytime soon. Destroying the rope will only alert them that we are indeed still down here. We need to control our blood lust and stop looking for a fight around every corner. Our immediate attention needs to be focused on finding these so called masters that their leader spoke of."
The druid assists Brevos in any way that he can while he searches for the latest tracks.
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Mouser grumbles and turns away from the rope "Have it your way, Druid. If they come back and kill us, I'll haunt you with an 'I told you so' - you can mark my words." He clutches his favored weapons and is ready to delve deeper into the pit.
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Telkis shakes his head, confused. "I'm worried about you, Mouser," he says. "When this is over, we need to look into getting you some help. With the burning thing." He then moves into position and prepares to leave with the group.
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Before he leaves with the group, Urdur grabs the four daggers from the supply room, assuming he's been told of them and can get there quuckly.
How do we know you're not a donkey-brained man?
Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother
Hoom Feethos:
Hoom moves close to Mouser and speaks softly in their private cant.
he says with a smile.
Hoom moves close to Mouser and speaks softly in their private cant.