Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

Inferno
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Zhym
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#381 Post by Zhym »

"Good speech," says Grothnak, handing the paladin his ring back. "But the statue does not move. The secret door is behind it. And no one goes alone. No one. We need you alive, not in thrall of an evil demon thing! Now get your pushdug-hosh down the hole or I'll put you down there myself. Go!"

"Paladins," he mutters again under his breath.

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SocraticLawyer
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#382 Post by SocraticLawyer »

Urdur follows the others down the trap door.
How do we know you're not a donkey-brained man?

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ChubbyPixie
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#383 Post by ChubbyPixie »

"Thanks, Pelias, but I'm not really the shield type..." says Telkis, handing it back. "Anyway, meeting them outside the door will just make them certain we came this way. Plus, Grothnak's right, we need you with us. The girl needs you. There may come a time for you to sacrifice yourself, but this isn't it, I think. Safety in numbers, etc..." He'll try to get toward the front of the retreating group if he can, being the second or third one down, in case they run into something.

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rredmond
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#384 Post by rredmond »

Before his head completely disappears into the trap door Mouser adds his argument to the others, "it's not about whether or not they find that we've gone this way, it's about how much distance we can put between us and them before they find it, and..." he looks down into the dark and smiles grimly, "whether or not they'll be brave enough come this way. I think you'd rather die fighting the real evil, behind what is controlling these people, rather than be put in the spot to have to fight ensorcelled innocents who we may save yet!" Then he smiles a real smile, "of course, I'd rather not die at all, so there's that," he adds as he disappears into the dark.

Sorry if I'm retconning my original action post, figured just jabbering won't cost my PC too much. If it's too much and too late, just strike it. It's more just for AleBelly anyways! ;)
This is a game about killing things and taking their stuff so you can become more powerful in order to kill bigger things and take even better stuff.
Alethan: I'm good with NOT pressing our luck this time.
mjulius: That's how I know I'm home.
Pulpatoon: The whole point of PbP is to take the scheduling pressure off the game. We're just chatty because we're so eager!
Scott308: ...everyone should be reminded of just how wonderful the people they play games with here can be in real life.
Leitz: Quality and quantity wise, I think US is the best I've seen.
Paladin: I can promise terror, glory, and riches...or a quick and brutal death.
Inferno: Come on! That's was Vicar's Head, a completely different doomed village!
Rex: I can move to the wait list to let someone else into the game.

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OGRE MAGE
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#385 Post by OGRE MAGE »

Long Bo is pleased to hear the words of Mouser as they make their descent down. He is glad that he isn't the only one in the party that thinks killing every villager we come across is wrong. Why couldn't the others see that this mission obviously goes deeper than simply euthanizing an entire town full of frightened commoners? "These villagers are here to be saved, not slain." He mumbles under his breath as he descends.

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AleBelly
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#386 Post by AleBelly »

Perhaps a bit embarrassed, Pelias snaps back at Bo "I wasn't going to kill them, you godless faerie-humper. Just knock them out with the flat of my blade."

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Mant72
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#387 Post by Mant72 »

Ingid admires the paladin's valiance, but sternly adds, "It is settled, no one stays behind."

She rushes down the hatch with the frightened girl, continuing to try to soothe and assuage her fears.

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DadsAngry
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#388 Post by DadsAngry »

Hoom Feethos:

Hoom waiting at the bottom of the hole for the rest of the group with the half naked woman.
"What's taking them so long?" He turns to the woman. "So you from around here? Got a husband, suitor? What are your views on interspecies dating? Ever date an elf?"

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Inferno
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#389 Post by Inferno »

The Church of Merikka (21)
Village of Briarsgate, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Seven. Midnight. Saturday, October 22nd, 576 CY
Cloudy, damp, cold, misty






Dog barks and the iron shod footfalls of men come from the west (16? 17??).

The girl bolts and Grothnak pulls open the trapdoor behind the towering abomination, revealing a thin, clandestine stairwell spiraling down into darkness.

Image

"Down. Now," the half-orc barks. After a brief debate about valor and sacrifice, the party descends.

The tight stairwell forces them into single file as they wind lower and lower. Hoom leads. Followed by the girl, who took one of the candles. Then Mouser. Then Telkis, Ingrid, Long Bo, Urdur, Avril and Pelias, each in turn disappearing down the hole. Finally Grothnak is last, shutting the trapdoor behind him. The cramped, curving arc limits visibility to one person directly ahead and behind.

Image

"What's your name?" Mouser asks, trying to keep the trembling girl calm.

"Verity Clayborne, sir," she quavers. "My family owns the General Mercantile..." (building 12)

They follow the winding steps down. Grothnak hears nothing above.

Image

The stairs end on a small stone floor with a trap door in it. A rope ladder is coiled aside it.

Hoom whispers, "So you from around here? Got a husband, suitor? What are your views on interspecies dating? Ever date an elf?"

The sobbing, abused girl savagely slaps Hoom's face with all her might.


Actions?





PC Status:
  • Avril Hollysword, Half-Elf Fighter/Cleric 1/2: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 7/10, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl
    Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 1/2: Move: 9", AC 5, HP 8/10, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl
    Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 24/28
    Hoom Feethos, Elven Magic-User/Thief 1/2: Move: 9", AC 3, HP 3/8, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl
    Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 3: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 4/16, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl and 0/3 2nd lvl
    Long Bo, Human Druid 3: Move: 9", AC: 6, HP: 3/22, Spells: 0/5 1st lvl, 0/3 2nd lvl and 0/1 3rd lvl
    Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 2: Move: 9", AC: 2(0), HP: 4/19, Laying Hands: 0/1
    Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 5/28
    Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 12", AC 6, HP 4/6, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
Light Sources:
  • Verity's candle
PC Magic:
  • Protection from Evil (Pelias): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Pelias.
PC Resources:
Last edited by Inferno on Sat Nov 16, 2019 7:45 pm, edited 2 times in total.
DM:
The Horror at Briarsgate (1e): Lovecraftian Gothic Horror (N1, homebrew)
Lost City of Eternity (1e): Hyborian Age Sword and Sorcery (B4, JG102, homebrew)
Once and Future Earth (1e): Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Dungeon Crawl (X1, B1, ASE1, homebrew)
Sauron Victorious (1e): Dire Saga for the Fate of Middle Earth (homebrew)

Player:
Agax Gryyg: Gamer of Urth, Ravenloft
Azoth Al-Aziz: Lovecraftian Cultist, Tamoachan
Blodget: Foolish Young 9th Level Hobbit, Dark Clouds
Dredd Doomsmith: Dwarven Deathtrap Engineer, Tomb of Horrors
Elijah Crowthorne: Marooned Prophet, Pirates
Jack in the Green: Ancient Child, Giants
P.T. Codswallop: Larcenous Impresario, Dimwater
Sir Ugghra: Bestial Half-Orc Aristocrat, Brotherton
Swilbosh: Savage Lizard-Warrior, Keep
Tantos Vek: Failed Paladin, Under Streets
Ulfang Chainbreaker: Barbarian Liberator of Slaves, Tharizdun

DM bio is here.

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DadsAngry
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#390 Post by DadsAngry »

Hoom Feethos:

"I'll take that as a maybe." he says as he rubs his check. He then bends down and checks the trap door. "Looks like we go down folks. Could you bring that candle a little closer so I can get a better look. I want to make sure this thing isn't going to explode in our faces when I open it." Hoom checks around the perimeter of the trap door for any extra material between the door and stone work. If all looks clear he will slowly lift it up checking for hanging wire or other items that could suggest a trap.
Check for traps

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rredmond
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#391 Post by rredmond »

Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief
"Nice Verity! You got moxy," Mouser says with a chuckle, trying the lighten the mood as he draws both his blades. He stays armed until he gets the opportunity to look for traps. "You're spirit honors your family," he says quietly. "We've got to move quickly, he finishes quietly, somewhat anxiously, but imperitively to the rest of the party.
This is a game about killing things and taking their stuff so you can become more powerful in order to kill bigger things and take even better stuff.
Alethan: I'm good with NOT pressing our luck this time.
mjulius: That's how I know I'm home.
Pulpatoon: The whole point of PbP is to take the scheduling pressure off the game. We're just chatty because we're so eager!
Scott308: ...everyone should be reminded of just how wonderful the people they play games with here can be in real life.
Leitz: Quality and quantity wise, I think US is the best I've seen.
Paladin: I can promise terror, glory, and riches...or a quick and brutal death.
Inferno: Come on! That's was Vicar's Head, a completely different doomed village!
Rex: I can move to the wait list to let someone else into the game.

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Zhym
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#392 Post by Zhym »

Grothnak, now stuck in the back of the single-file line, keeps an eye and ear on alert for anyone approaching from above.

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OGRE MAGE
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#393 Post by OGRE MAGE »

Once on the next floor, Bo continues to look from Grothnak to the front of the ranks, wondering why the most hale member of the group is taking up the rear. He notices that the half-orc is thinking the same thing so he keeps his mouth shut this time.

"Would they bother to trap their own escape route? I find that unlikely. Mouser is correct! We must make haste! Open the door and toss down the ladder! We should let Grothnak lead us to our escape in case we find trouble!"

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SocraticLawyer
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#394 Post by SocraticLawyer »

While the tall folk see about opening the door, Urdur pulls a torch from his pack and lights it, hoping that having more light than just the poor girl's candle will help speed things along.
How do we know you're not a donkey-brained man?

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ChubbyPixie
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#395 Post by ChubbyPixie »

Telkis keeps quiet but frowns at Hoom's shenanigans and shakes his head. He pats the girl's hand in a fatherly way, then, for lack of something more useful to do, begins scanning the floor, walls and ceiling around the new-found trap-door, to ascertain its general structural integrity. "Whatchya think of this stonework, Urdur?" he says. "Those rats up there were real jerks, huh?... The mice in town are nice..." he adds, lamely.

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Inferno
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#396 Post by Inferno »

The Church of Merikka (21)
Village of Briarsgate, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Seven. Midnight. Saturday, October 22nd, 576 CY
Cloudy, damp, cold, misty






Near the top of the narrow labyrinthine stair, Grothnak and Pelias hear distant, obscure sounds from above. The top of the stair channel remains dark; the upper trapdoor must still be shut.

At the bottom of the crowded stairwell, Verity weeps softly as Hoom stops to examine the trapdoor by her trembling candlelight. Telkis soothes the girl and sees the stonework of the byzantine backstair is sound. Urdur gets a torch alight.

Hoom finds no snares waiting for him and slowly, silently raises the trapdoor far enough for one of his pale eyes to peer below.

Image


He is looking down from a high ceiling into a woman's bedroom that is black and empty of human life. (9)


Image


Unholy votaries illuminate the chamber from atop occultic altars.


Image

Profane symbols are etched upon the floor, though not in human excrement. Over them are scattered blood red rose petals from the briar wall that surrounds the village of the damned.

Hoom sees the bedroom has two doors, north and west. A wooden stepladder rests against a tall bookshelf. A stained glass window on the eastern wall is large enough to admit a man were it to be shattered.


Actions?!


Map:
Image
Hoom is peering down from "S."





PC Status:
  • Avril Hollysword, Half-Elf Fighter/Cleric 1/2: Move: 9", AC: 7, HP: 7/10, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl
    Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 1/2: Move: 9", AC 5, HP 8/10, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl
    Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 24/28
    Hoom Feethos, Elven Magic-User/Thief 1/2: Move: 9", AC 3, HP 3/8, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl
    Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 3: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 4/16, Spells: 0/4 1st lvl and 0/3 2nd lvl
    Long Bo, Human Druid 3: Move: 9", AC: 6, HP: 3/22, Spells: 0/5 1st lvl, 0/3 2nd lvl and 0/1 3rd lvl
    Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 2: Move: 9", AC: 2(0), HP: 4/19, Laying Hands: 0/1
    Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 5/28
    Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 2: Move: 12", AC 6, HP 4/6, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
Light Sources:
  • Verity's candle, Urdur's torch
PC Magic:
  • Protection from Evil (Pelias): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Pelias.
PC Resources:
Last edited by Inferno on Sat Nov 16, 2019 7:50 pm, edited 2 times in total.
DM:
The Horror at Briarsgate (1e): Lovecraftian Gothic Horror (N1, homebrew)
Lost City of Eternity (1e): Hyborian Age Sword and Sorcery (B4, JG102, homebrew)
Once and Future Earth (1e): Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Dungeon Crawl (X1, B1, ASE1, homebrew)
Sauron Victorious (1e): Dire Saga for the Fate of Middle Earth (homebrew)

Player:
Agax Gryyg: Gamer of Urth, Ravenloft
Azoth Al-Aziz: Lovecraftian Cultist, Tamoachan
Blodget: Foolish Young 9th Level Hobbit, Dark Clouds
Dredd Doomsmith: Dwarven Deathtrap Engineer, Tomb of Horrors
Elijah Crowthorne: Marooned Prophet, Pirates
Jack in the Green: Ancient Child, Giants
P.T. Codswallop: Larcenous Impresario, Dimwater
Sir Ugghra: Bestial Half-Orc Aristocrat, Brotherton
Swilbosh: Savage Lizard-Warrior, Keep
Tantos Vek: Failed Paladin, Under Streets
Ulfang Chainbreaker: Barbarian Liberator of Slaves, Tharizdun

DM bio is here.

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DadsAngry
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#397 Post by DadsAngry »

Hoom Feethos:

"A bedroom?" Hooms says as he opens the trap door fully.
"Pelias, you're going to love this place. There are two doors and a large stained glass window we could break through. How much knowledge of the floor below do we know?" he remarks as he kick (or pushes) the rope ladder down into the open shaft.
"After you." he motions to the Paladin.
Hoom moves back from the hole and stands next to Mouser and speaks quietly to him.
"Pure Evil that room is. No way am I going first into that."

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Zhym
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#398 Post by Zhym »

Grothnak makes his way to the front if he can. "The window is tempting, but we would be heard and followed. We should search the room. Our work here may not be done just yet."

He lowers himself into the room (assuming he can do so without taking falling damage; if he needs to have someone lower a rope of something, he'll do that) and begins seaching it.


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rredmond
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Re: Chapter 9: Temple of Fear

#400 Post by rredmond »

Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief:

Mouser moves to ensure that folks can get past, and down into the hole. "No worries Verity," he says quietly, "it's fully my intention to get outta here as well."
Hoom wrote:"Pure Evil that room is. No way am I going first into that."
Mouser nods at his fellow elf as he looks down. "When you meatshields, erm I mean stronger folk," he says with an obvious smile flashing in the dark, "are done clearing out the big stuff, we'll come down and search for the little things... of course I mean secret passages and ways out and the like!"
This is a game about killing things and taking their stuff so you can become more powerful in order to kill bigger things and take even better stuff.
Alethan: I'm good with NOT pressing our luck this time.
mjulius: That's how I know I'm home.
Pulpatoon: The whole point of PbP is to take the scheduling pressure off the game. We're just chatty because we're so eager!
Scott308: ...everyone should be reminded of just how wonderful the people they play games with here can be in real life.
Leitz: Quality and quantity wise, I think US is the best I've seen.
Paladin: I can promise terror, glory, and riches...or a quick and brutal death.
Inferno: Come on! That's was Vicar's Head, a completely different doomed village!
Rex: I can move to the wait list to let someone else into the game.

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