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Far in the back, Pip watches for signs of danger. He will advance a bit into the right-hand tunnel, to see if it connects around to back of the room the fight is breaking out in.

Ingrid Esthof

Seeing the martially oriented members of their party rush forward, the cleric prepares herself for whatever may be ahead. Holding her necklace of Tritherion in front of her to confront any obscene parodies of humanity, she slowly moves forward to banish any lurking undead.

Urdur draws a dagger, switching the torch to his left hand. He waits anxiously near the back.

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







In the twilight of the subterranean netherworld, Pip of Hochoch advances into the black maw of the right hand passageway and discerns profane chanting and pallid candlelight dead ahead.

Upon hearing the blasphemous chorus, Long Bo wheels around in time to watch Hoom and Mouser cry out against their will, “’Ai! ‘Ai! Shub-Niggurath!” ruining the element of surprise had the warriors hesitated but a moment longer.

Telkis lunges forward, smashing his morningstar into the goat-headed man (C2), silencing but not felling him.

Grothnak rushes up, swinging the flat of his new halberd’s blade across the head of the heinous goat’s assistant (C1). The blindsided acolyte does not fall.

Pelias charges in and the relentless precipitation of the cavern roof loosens his swordarm's grip. Before the end of its slashing arc, the blade flies free from his hand and embeds itself point first into the top of the unholy altar! (behind C2)

The two attendants turn and Grothnak, Ingrid, Pelias and Telkis can see beneath their hoods.

There, lurk inhuman faces.




Peering out from under the frayed mantles are the macabre visages of dead men that still live against all laws of nature; ghastly revenants with gruesome, worm-eaten skulls. Alike but different, one spews a swarm of buzzing insects from the nauseating ruin of its rotting chest cavity (C1). The other (C3) has vicious eyes that burn from the shadows of its malevolent brow with an unquenchable malice for the living.

The air here is like ice. And the stench of death, overpowering. (Grothnak, Ingrid, Pelias and Telkis, Save vs Poison. Please post your actions regardless of the roll's result.)


Actions?!


Map:

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

Cutaway View:

West is left. East is right. PCs' front rank is near the red "X."
Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Rolls and Rulings (non-required reading):


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:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far, in words)
  Graven Images (the story so far, in pictures)
  The Innocent and the Condemned (npc's)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
  Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

Now that he can see that he's fighting yet another enemy that is already dead, Grothnak knows that he does not need to pull his blows. He strikes with the full force of the edge of his borrowed blade.

Mystery Halberd (THAC0 18): [1d20] = 20, Dmg [1d10+2] = 7+2 = 9 (S/M) [2d6+2] = 7+2 = 9 (L)

Save v. Poison (13): [1d20+1] = 4+1 = 5

Save vs. Poison (14): [1d20] = 17

Telkis grimaces when the things reveal themselves to be undead abominations, angry he ever thought to pity them. He swings again at the leader, as hard as he can, the pointy end of Cranach whistling over his head as he brings it around in a deadly* arc.

Morningstar +1 (THAC0 18): To Hit:[1d20+1] = 13+1 = 14, Damage: vs s/m [2d4+1] = 4+1 = 5, vs L [1d6+2] = 5+2 = 7 *potentially deadly

Pelias draws his fancy new sword. He will attack the goat-man if he tries to chant or cast. Otherwise he attacks nearest opponent.

Attack with spear [1d20] = 12, damage [1d6] = 3

Damage roll with mystery sword [1d8] = 7

Save vs. Poison (11): [1d20] = 3

sorry big project at work been working 16 hour days

Brevos grits his teeth and draws Brood from it's well worn scabbard and hefts the new shield form the treasure room and rushes in to aid Pelias

[1d20+1] = 13+1 = 14
[1d8+1] = 2+1 = 3

Ingrid Esthof

Her suspicions now confirmed, the cleric summons the power of Tritherion. Begone, unholy abominations! You offend Tritherion, who shall not suffer your existence!

Mouser huddles in the back watching the rear while those upfront battle the undead once again...

Seeing only the backs of his friends jammed into the narrow tunnel ahead of him, Long Bo decides to follow Pip instead.

He brushes past the domonic chanting pair of thieves, violently if necessary. If they aren't willing to help out in a fight, he doesn't care if he bumps them a little on his way to the battle. He makes sure they don't get their hands in his pockets as he passes, though.

"Trying to give us up now are we? Am I the only one seeing this? I suspected that you were somehow involved with this business, Hoom! And you've denied every bit of it! Well......if you two aren't involved with these cultists, then how do you know all the words to their creepy songs?"

Despite the ribbing, Bo remembers to always keep one eye on the backstabbing specialists, just in case his suspicions are accurate. He signals for Urdur to follow behind he and Pip with his torch to light the way. If he doesn't, Bo will begin a spell once he reaches Pips position. (Produce Flame)

The druid wonders how there can be drops of water falling in here when the air is cold enough to chill his very bones. He shudders at the thought of what they will find inside the chamber.

I will assume that Bo can't attack this round either, but maybe he can get close enough to see what is actually happening.

Urdur follows the druid, torch in his left hand, dagger in his right.

Pip pushes forward into the darkness, hoping to come around to the back of his friends' opponents.

Hoom Feethos:

Hoom looks at Mouser confused at both their outburst. "What in the abyss was that? What did we just say? Why did we say that?"
Perplexed Hoom remains with Mouser while the other move forward.

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







In the chilling vestry of the faithful accursed, the eldritch chanting abruptly stops as the heroes attack!

Grothnak and Pelias retch from the unimaginable charnel house stench, but are determined to fight on. (at -2 to hit)

The profane goat-masked priest (C2) begins crooning new blasphemies. "'Ai! 'Ai! Ftaghn! Tharanak! Ftaghu!..."



The goat's ghastly skeletal adherents both feed on the living. One devours human flesh. The other, human souls.

The first carrion horror (C1) suddenly lunges at Pelias with an unspeakable hunger that can never be sated. Vile fangs and claws, encrusted with human blood, slash savagely as the feral revenent tries to eat Pelias’ face. The paladin's blessed shield, emblazoned with the symbol of his faith, repels the undead cannibal's wild onslaught.

Telkis is not so fortunate. The other unliving acolyte (C3) merely grasps Telkis and chills him to the soul. The hell fiend's bony hand is as cold as the grave. The valiant gnome feels his very life force being stolen from him, seemingly strengthening the malicious, vampiric carcass!



Trembling with cold, Telkis remembers with dread the old dwarven tales of barrow wights; undead damned to feed forever upon the life essence they no longer possessed. (-4hp, and lose one level! Please see spoiler below)

"…Thanarak! Vulg'th! Shogg-Shuggli! Zhro!"
The vile goat-masked priest finishes uttering the forbidden syllables of his dread, unspeakable masters. The arcane spell impossibly alters the immutable laws of Time Itself and plunges the three rampaging invaders into a temporal prison of corporeal paralysis. Grothnak, Pelias and Telkis are frozen, mid-swing; expressions of valiant determination locked on their fixed visages. But horribly, their caged minds can still perceive everything transpiring around them.

Far behind them, Hoom and Mouser evince no desire to move toward the battle.

Long Bo and Urdur follow Pip’s advance into the muddy, right hand channel. The dark gnome’s torch casts their long shadows before them.



The mud in the tunnel is much deeper than it looks. Pip and Bo’s feet are instantly swallowed up! Both men are quickly sinking into the thick hungry muck!

(Bo and Pip, I need Ability Checks. Please roll your Dex or lower on 1d20 in order to free your feet. If you succeed, please post your Action as normal.
Urdur, please roll the same die to avoid following Bo and Pip into the voracious sinkhole. Thanks.)

To the north, Ingrid advances into the fray and finds her friends motionless as statues, helpless before the malignant power of these nightmarish devils. Defiant, she calls upon her god: “Begone, unholy abominations! You offend Tritherion, who shall not suffer your existence!”

The two hellish assistants wither before the might of her virtue. They shriek, hands raised before them, reeling as if consumed by unseen flames of righteousness and wrath.



Swearing bitter curses of murderous revenge, the fleshless cadavers flee in fear down the northern tunnel.

Brevos, Hoom and Mouser hear their agonizing howls, as if from the tormented of Hell itself, heralding their fearsome arrival. Suddenly, out of the dark left-hand tunnel, two demonic skeletal horrors burst forth, screaming, hurtling, barreling down upon them! (C1, C3)

(Brevos, Hoom and Mouser, please Save vs Poison. Please post your actions regardless of the outcome.

Also: Brevos, Hoom, Mouser and Ingrid may elect to use Opportunity Attacks as the two fleeing undead pass.
Brevos may also elect to use his regular attack for this round here, or at the front line as originally written. Up to you, wolfpack.
These attacks will precede all other actions next round.
Then please also post your regular actions for the coming round. Thanks.)


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. Black PC initials = Held. C5 = Pelias' unconscious, bound captive.
Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.

Cutaway View:

West is left. East is right. PCs' front rank is near the red "X."


Rolls and Rulings (non-required reading):


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 2: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 13/28
  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:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far, in words)
  Graven Images (the story so far, in pictures)
  The Innocent and the Condemned (npc's)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
  Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

Mouser clutching his head at the memory of the vile shout, he recalls nothing about what it means - or why he shout out like that.

The skeletal horrors approach from the muddy darkness and illicit an effect that seems to stave off!

Save vs. poison: [1d20] = 20

He takes the opportunity to attack one of the undead evils as it passes...
Scalpel (THACO 20) To Hit [1d20] = 4, S/M/L Dam. [1d8] = 1

Hoom Feethos:
Hoom quickly moves out of the way of the flee skeletons. He wants nothing to do with such creatures and does make any aggressive movement against them. He presses his back as close to the wall as he can to give them enough room to pass without interference.

Urdur manages to avoid getting stuck in the muck .

Dex check (17) [1d20] = 9

He helps his companions out of the mud.

Pip races forward through the mud. He rushes forward as best he can, trying to get to the altar to smash some of the unholy relics. If there isn't any valuable looking stuff between him and the goat man, he'll make for him, instead, hoping to crush him with his quarterstaff.

Dex Check: (15 dex) [1d20] = 7

If he can get there:
Pip Quarterstaff +1 (ThAC0 20) [1d20+1] = 6+1 = 7 Damage [1d6+2] = 1+2 = 3

Brevos will use his attack from up above on the priest that is still hanging around. do I need to also roll another attack?

save:[1d20] = 13