Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

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Zhym
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#321 Post by Zhym »

"Would you leave an innocent to a horrible fate out of fear, paladin?" Grothnak chastises. "If someone has been trapped in the mirror, we must find out who and how and help."

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#322 Post by SocraticLawyer »

Urdur waits for a response from the "person" in the mirror. He has a bad feeling about all this. He draws one dagger, keeping it ready in one hand, torch in the other.
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#323 Post by ChubbyPixie »

Telkis glances in Urdur’s direction, then back at the mirror, sharing his fellow gnome’s unease. ”It said it wants to look at us. Why would it want to look at us? Pelias, can't you tell if it's some kind of devil in there? Ingrid?” he says.

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#324 Post by Inferno »

Within the Hell Mouth, the Rushmoors, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Ten. Late afternoon. Tuesday, October 25th, 576 CY
Cloudy, damp, cold, foggy








In the eerie cavern of abominations, Pip speaks to the unseen mirror: "Plead your case... what are you, and what are you doing in the mirror...?"

The weeping, echoing words sound like they are being stretched. "...Iiiiii.... ....aaaaaammm... dead."

Long Bo says: "Tell us of your plight, mirror. Do you have a name?"

"...Tthheeeeyyy.... ....kkiiiiilllleeed... mmmeeeee... ...Tttooorrrrtttuuuurrreedd... ...mmmeeeeeeeeee... uuunntttiiiilll... ...Iiiii... ...ccaaannn... ...nnooo... ...lllooonnnnggggeeerr... ...rreecccaaaaallll... ...mmyyy... ...ooowwnnn... ...nnaaaaaammmmmmeeeee..." the voice sobs.

Telkis says, "It said it wants to look at us. Why would it want to look at us?..."

"...Iiiii... ...ccaaannn'ttt... ...rreeemmeeemmmbbbeeerr... ...mmmyyyy... ...ffaaaacccceee... ...Aaannyyyy... ...fffaaaaacccceeeeeee.... ...Ppplleeeeeeaaaaaassssssseeeeeee...??? Iiiii... ...bbeeeeeggg... ...yyoooouuuuuu...! ...Llleeeeettt... ...mmeeeeee... ...ssseeeeee... ...yyyooooouuuurr... ...ffaaaaccccceee...!!!..."

"How would you help us?" repeats Pelias.

"....Iiiiii... ...ccaaaaann... ...aaaaaaiiidd... ...yyyoooouuuu....
....Lllloooookkkkk... ... ... ... ...bbeeeehhhiiiiinnndd... ...tthhheeee... ...aaaallttaaaaaarrrr..."


Nearby, something abhorrent and wrong takes root within the minds of Hoom and Mouser... and blossoms.



They try with all their might to close their eyes against the inconceivable implications on the page. Instead they open them wider.

Unthinkable, forbidden knowledge transforms them. Transforms everything. Forever. The pair visibly wither before the harrowing truth. (Hoom, permanently lose 2 points of Strength. Mouser, 2 points of Constitution.)

Reeling in the deathgrip of vertiginous deja vu, they remember with sickening horror that which they have seemingly known all along:

Mouser says, distantly, as if to himself: "...The Dark Mother's true name is Shub-Niggurath.... Ai! Ai! ...She is an Outer God... a perverse fertility deity... an enormous liquid miasma from which extrudes black tentacles, slime-dripping mouths, and countless eyes. She endlessly births worse horrors..."
Mouser vacantly looks at and through the ghastly statue. "...Its terrible name is Ayi'ig... Granddaughter of the Dark Mother... and a serpent goddess..."

Hoom, his eyes focused upon infinity, detachedly says: "Ai! Ai! Shub-Niggurath! ...The Church of the Dark Mother was born thousands of years ago... near here... in the forbidding mountains to the east and north..."

Upon these words being spoken, the blurring acoustic distortions of the mirror suddenly fall silent.

Hoom and Mouser close the ghastly, skin-bound book and are themselves once more. Mercifully, to defend against unimaginable meaning and ramifications, the conscious mind cannot remember anything that was read.

However, the subconscious mind cannot forget.


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. Z = the undead. C5 = Pelias' unconscious, bound captive.

Cutaway View:

West is left. East is right.
PCs are near the red "X." The oozing horror is at "O." A dead cultist is at "C."






PC Status:
  • Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 19/27
    Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC 5, HP 9/15, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
    Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 20/28
    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, 1/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
    Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 3: Move: 6", AC: 2(0), HP: 19/30, 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: 17/28
    Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC 6, HP 9/9, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl and 0/1 2nd lvl, Torch
PC Magic:
  • Protection from Evil (Pelias): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Pelias.
Player Resources:
Last edited by Inferno on Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:23 pm, edited 1 time 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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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#325 Post by OGRE MAGE »

Bo visibly shivers at the latest proceedings, no longer certain of anything that is happening around him. He walks past the abhorrent sculpture and the sacrilegious altar, to the gigantic diptych of free-standing murals that obscure the southern wall.

"What was that voice in the mirror saying about something behind the altar?"

He inspects the area closely, looking in between and behind the horrific murals for any further clues.

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#326 Post by wolfpack »

I do not like any of this. Let us destroy the mirror, burn the damn book and go kill all those who dwell here!

Brevos says as he begins to grow more perturbed by the situation.

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#327 Post by ravenn4544 »

Mouser looks visibly frail from the brief nightmarish episode with the book. He exchanges hesitant glances with Hoom. He makes not other actions as he slowly, hopefully, recovers.

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#328 Post by ChubbyPixie »

”I’m more worried now that it’s stopped talking,” says Telkis. ”Wait a minute. How is it that whatever’s in the mirror hasn’t seen a face in so long they forgot what a face looks like? Don’t the cultists use this place? One of em must have looked. I don’t trust it... What’s got into those two?” he says, noticing the thieves have gone pale.

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#329 Post by Zhym »

Grothnak keeps watch, wondering what the hell just happened.

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#330 Post by DadsAngry »

Hoom Feethos:

He looks back at Mouser and says nothing. Hoom then walks slowly away from the book to the rear of the group and remains silent, for once.
Last edited by DadsAngry on Fri Jan 19, 2018 4:29 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#331 Post by drpete »

Pip is not moved to show the mirror anything.

"The risk of showing it our faces is too great. The cultists must always be hooded, maybe for this reason. Maybe a prison that holds the last one to be reflected in the mirror...? I think we can ...." Pip mimics smashing the mirror "... help set this poor soul to rest, if it is still there. Let's see what is behind the altar, first."

To the mirror, still hoping it is a real person that just got quiet, he will say "What do you remember? What can you tell us about your tormentors?"

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#332 Post by SocraticLawyer »

Urdur joins Bo in the search behind the alter.
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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#333 Post by AleBelly »

Pelias shakes his head at Hoom and Mouser, and keeps an eye on them. He dares not venture behind the altar - the aura of evil is too much for him to bear.

He feels slighted at Grothnak's earlier remark. "We can tend to the mirror later. After we have gotten to the bottom of these mysteries. We have enough trouble as it is without risking our trust in a talking mirror..."

He continues to think.

"It's anyone's guess when the search party we fooled returns to look for us. We should consider resting somewhere, waiting for their return. We do not want them to return while we are busy with other foes."

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#334 Post by Scott308 »

Ingrid Esthof

Seeing Hoom and Mouser are visibly shaken after looking at the book, the cleric quickly berates the pair. Why would you try reading a book we know is utterly evil? There is literally no good that can come of it. Have you never heard what curiosity does to cats? That said, are you ok? Please do not tell us what you saw. The fewer that know what evil secrets are hidden in that book, the better.
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.

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#335 Post by Inferno »

Within the Hell Mouth, the Rushmoors, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Ten. Late afternoon. Tuesday, October 25th, 576 CY
Cloudy, damp, cold, foggy








In the dread-filled subterrane far beneath the swamp, the foul taste in the mouths of Hoom and Mouser, left there by forbidden words seemingly uttered by others, increases their sense of nausea and loss.

Pip and Telkis ask the dead woman's voice in the mirror about her tormentors. The mirror is deathly silent and then, distant faint sobbing can be heard by those closest to it. "...tthhheeeeyy... ...ddiiiiiddd... ...tteeeerrrrriiiibbllle... ...tthhhiiiiiiinnngggss... ...ttooooo... ...uuuuuuusss... ... ...Aaaaannnndddd... ...ttooooooo... ....oooooouuurr... ...fffaaaaaamiiillliieeesss..."

Following the counsel of the anguished thing in the ornate mirror, Long Bo moves behind the unholy altar and hefts the gigantic diptych screen of the demon gods Orcus and Lolth bowing before the heinously beautiful statue of Ayi'ig the abomination. Behind the profane graven image is a rock wall.

Urdur joins the grey druid and holds his torch out. His sharp gnome eyes perceive duplicity. A concealed door is made of canvas over a wooden frame, painted with mud to blend into the chamber walls. Urdur parts the curtain, revealing a low dark tunnel behind it.



Bo and Urdur cautiously advance a few steps, the druid crouching low.

The tunnel opens into a large cave. The torchlight reveals an immense stockpile in the center of it. A hoard of coins, jewelry, weapons and possessions stripped from the cult's sacrifices and from its unwilling inductees.



All the wealth of Briarsgate, and of those unfortunate enough to pass through Briarsgate, is slowly accumulating here.

Bo and Urdur quietly call back what they've found.

"...Nnnooooowwww... ....dddooooo... ...yyooooouu... ....ttrruuuuusssssttt... ...mmmeeeeee?... ... ...Nnnooooowww... ...ccaaaaaaannnnn... ....Iiiiiiii... ...ssseeeeeee.... ...yyyooooouuurrr... ....ffaaaaaaaccccceeeeessss?... ... ...Ppppllllleeeeeeaaaaassssssseeeee?...." the grief-stricken woman pleads.


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. Z = the undead. C5 = Pelias' unconscious, bound captive.

Cutaway View:

West is left. East is right.
PCs are near the red "X." The oozing horror is at "O." A dead cultist is at "C."






PC Status:
  • Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 19/27
    Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC 5, HP 9/15, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
    Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 20/28
    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, 1/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
    Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 3: Move: 6", AC: 2(0), HP: 19/30, 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: 17/28
    Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC 6, HP 9/9, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl and 0/1 2nd lvl, Torch
PC Magic:
  • Protection from Evil (Pelias): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Pelias.
Player Resources:
Last edited by Inferno on Sun Nov 17, 2019 11:29 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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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#336 Post by ravenn4544 »

Mouser - ill in his soul from a forgotten horrible memory - sees a glimmer of hope pierce that horror with the riches before him... With a glance at Hoom he moves slowly forward to investigate for items of particular value and usefulness.

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#337 Post by wolfpack »

with increasing agitation

we can collect these things later, there is no time for this. let us go put down our enemies.

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#338 Post by OGRE MAGE »

Hearing the wisdom of Brevos, Bo initially blocks the opening of the secret cavern, preventing the mentally deranged thieves from entering.

"We don't know that the two of you are well enough in the heads to trust searching the pile. I agree with the Ranger. We can't have you both stocking up on magic and weapons, only to have you turn to use them on us. If the pile is to be searched for anything we can use against our enemies down here, then it will be done by Pelias or Grothnak. And before you greedy thieves start stuffing your pockets with ill-gotten gold, you should know that it is my intention that every copper piece in this pile will be returned to its rightful owner in Briarsgate, or at the very least, used to rebuild what these damnable cultists destroyed throughout the surrounding lands and towns.

As his annoying lecturing reaches its end, the mighty druid has an epiphany.

He looks to the party members near the pleading mirror and holds his index finger to his lips, hoping they will not speak of his new idea out loud. He then points to Pelias's unconscious cultist, mimicking that he could be the one to offer his face to be seen by the voice from beyond.

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#339 Post by DadsAngry »

Hoom Feethos:

With his spirits lifted with the sweet shine coin Hoom moves forward to examine the loot. "Agreed Bo. Every copper piece goes to the inhabitants of Briargate. Let it be used to rebuild the village. Mouser and I will take the remaining platinum, gold, electrum, silver and any gems or jewelry about." He then dives in not caring about Bo directive on who is to search the pile.

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Re: Chapter 13: Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother

#340 Post by AleBelly »

"Let us leave that fool to his gold. He's done nothing but cause problems then used us to shield him from them. He will meet his just fate soon enough."

Pelias prepares to delve deeper into the belly of the malevolent cave. But first he addresses the mirror:

"We shall destroy your tormentors. Then we will be worthy of your gaze."

The paladin shakes his head at Bo's silent suggestion. He will not use the villager as an unwilling experimental subject, no matter how tempting (and logical) it may be.

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