Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

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Rusty Tincanne
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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#141 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Able gently points out that the goblin is still unconscious.

Without a charm spell, I want thinking it would be worth it. Do you? It'll cost a CLW.

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#142 Post by Marullus »

The impetus for speed is really on whether Ablesforth chooses to use a CLW or not. I don't know that you can spend a turn debating doing so.

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#143 Post by Spearmint »

Idriss

"It would seem more prudent for the blessings of restoration to be cast on the faithful gathered here not on some scoundrels seeking our deaths. Eruanna's mercy extend to him beyond this mortal coil."Idriss says of the goblin, still poking him with the point of his sword."Now anyone beyond the door is already alerted, maybe we should pass through regardless into the yonder room."

Idriss will follow up on his thrown flask of holy water and if nothing is in the mushroom room, take a careful path through to the far door that he noted before. (the ones with the bodies.)

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#144 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Seeing his own reluctance to trust a goblin - a race of pathological liars - mirrored in the others, Able smites the near dead creature once more, finishing the job. As Idriss leaves, Able asks if it wouldn't be better to head to the last known location of the sniffers.

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#145 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Able actually has the spell Silence 15' radius... Probably could have used it already. Maybe next time we try to enter the room, we toss in a silence-stone first. or we could cast "darkness" on the mushrooms.

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#146 Post by Marullus »

Idriss is leading you through that room right now. I was about to post it. Are you taking an action against the mushrooms?

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#147 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Oh. I thought we were heading down the hallway, not through the demon-statue room.

As they pass by the mushrooms, Able casts Silence on the wall in the corner of the room near the mushrooms, hopefully encompassing them in a cone of silence.

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#148 Post by Marullus »

Sorry! I lost track of this and forgot you were waiting on me.

Idriss opens the door cautiously to the mandala and mask room from the trash-strewn room. Ablesforth callsnupon the mystical aid of his goddess to silence the mushrooms in the far corner before they can again begin their alarm. They undulate in silence.

Idriss does a left-face and opens the next door, leading out in that direction to the next room. You find yourself in the left corner of a room, the room extending 30' to your right and 50' in front of you. A mural of a sea goddess covers the ceiling, A mouldy odor fills the north side of the room. A stone door is in the middle of the left wall. A wooden door is opposite your current position, in the left corner of the far wall, and a second wooden door is on the right wall at the farthest end from you. In the corner to your right are more of the purple-creeping fungus runners, which begin to scream once more. Two fire beetles, each about two feet long, are startled at the noise and try to escape past you through the doorway.

The sea goddess in the mural appears in an underwater scene, dark storm clouds and lightening muted above the water's surfaces. She has tentacled hair and the lower half of an octopus, her top half human and unclothed. She raises a golden trident, exultant. You notice that it isn't heaps of rubbish on the far end of the room, but three desiccated corpses, each on their knees, lying forward, arms extended towards the north wall in a kow tow position. Their papery-skin clings in patches to white bones, the bodies undisturbed for what must be a very, very long time.

Date: 14 July 2021, 1:40pm
Light: Ablesforth's Lantern (until 2:00pm)
Effects: None.
Injuries: Ablesforth (minor wound), Dolph (minor wound)

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#149 Post by Marullus »

Sorry! I lost track of this and forgot you were waiting on me.

Idriss opens the door cautiously to the mandala and mask room from the trash-strewn room. Ablesforth callsnupon the mystical aid of his goddess to silence the mushrooms in the far corner before they can again begin their alarm. They undulate in silence.

Idriss does a left-face and opens the next door, leading out in that direction to the next room. You find yourself in the left corner of a room, the room extending 30' to your right and 50' in front of you. A mural of a sea goddess covers the ceiling, A mouldy odor fills the north side of the room. A stone door is in the middle of the left wall. A wooden door is opposite your current position, in the left corner of the far wall, and a second wooden door is on the right wall at the farthest end from you. In the corner to your right are more of the purple-creeping fungus runners, which begin to scream once more. Two fire beetles, each about two feet long, are startled at the noise and try to escape past you through the doorway.

The sea goddess in the mural appears in an underwater scene, dark storm clouds and lightening muted above the water's surfaces. She has tentacled hair and the lower half of an octopus, her top half human and unclothed. She raises a golden trident, exultant. You notice that it isn't heaps of rubbish on the far end of the room, but three desiccated corpses, each on their knees, lying forward, arms extended towards the north wall in a kow tow position. Their papery-skin clings in patches to white bones, the bodies undisturbed for what must be a very, very long time.

Date: 14 July 2021, 1:40pm
Light: Ablesforth's Lantern (until 2:00pm)
Effects: None.
Injuries: Ablesforth (minor wound), Dolph (minor wound)

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#150 Post by Zhym »

Pendleton perks up his ears and pops his head into the room. "Oooh, a cecaelia!" he exclaims, pointing to the octohuman painted on the ceiling. "Now that's interesting! I wonder, did the artist have a model, or was it purely a work of imagination?" He counts the octopus legs and human arms—does it have eight octopus legs plus two arms, or eight appendages in all? "A creature with eight octopus limbs and two human limbs would technically be a decopod, of course," he explains, as if someone cares.

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#151 Post by Mister-Kent »

"Right, of course," Dare agrees, pretending to know what Pendelton is talking about as he goes to examine the bodies even closer. He tries to pay attention to if they are wearing anything like priestly garments, or identifiable clothing of any kind.
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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#152 Post by Spearmint »

Idriss

Steps aside from the scuttling bugs, using his quarterstaff to prop the door open and herd them away.

"Mind they don't nip or fart out some napalm if we frighten them." he counsels.

Too much noise, no chance for surprise, we should keep moving.

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#153 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Able also steps out of the way of the beetles, allowing them to pass freely. The prostrate skeletons unnerve him despite their stillness. He produces his holy symbol and, calling upon Erruana's grace, attempts to make them flee - in case they are waiting to ambush the group. Go on, now. Get up, 'n get outta here. His words are almost lost in the fungal din.

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#154 Post by Zhym »

As almost an afterthought, Pendleton notices the beetles and steps behind someone to let them out.

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#155 Post by Marullus »

The party steps aside and the beetles scurry to the exit, passing beyond you into the mask and mandala room. The shrieking mushrooms continue their cacophony as the party enters fully in and Ablesforth's waning lantern shines upon them.

Pendleton remarks on the mural, investigating the ceiling closely. He notes that the figure does have eight octopus legs and two human arms. He also notes that there is miniscule writing within the waves, though not in a tongue he's familiar with.

Ablesforth abjures the corpses, bidding them to rise and flee, which they fail to do. Dare looks closely over the bodies, careful not to touch them. He sees that they are wearing priestly robes with salt-stains dried at the lower edges. The bodies are completely dessicated by age, merely paper-flesh over bone, still in their kowtowing position. One of the corpses has a brass brooch with the image of runes in Elvish, and an octopus within a triangle, and a full small sack on his belt. The second body has a beautiful copper periapt with the image of a skull encased in flame and set with three Moonstones. Sitting in front of the on the ground next to the wall is a golden pitcher, covered in a wave-like pattern of etched lines. It is of marvelous workmanship.

Date: 14 July 2021, 1:42pm
Light: Ablesforth's Lantern (until 2:00pm)
Effects: None.
Injuries: Ablesforth (minor wound), Dolph (minor wound)

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#156 Post by Zhym »

Pendleton looks around at the others. "Do any of you have skills in deciphering writings from unknown languages?" he asks. "I can do so, but if I read these, I will be unable to perform further translations for the rest of the day."

"In any event, I advise caution. The undersea motif and the salt on this deceased gentleman's robe suggest that this room may fill with water if a trap is triggered."

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#157 Post by Marullus »

Ablesforth recognizes the language as Infernal.
Looping and whorling in the wave-painting, it appears to be invocation rituals of some kind. It will take some time to study.
The exactness and detail of the artwork stand out to those examining it. Pendleton is certain it was magically created, rather than hand-done.

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#158 Post by Rusty Tincanne »

Before taking time to study the whorling writing, Able goes back to the doorway, asking the dwarfs to inspect it and see if there are trap doors that might seal the room. If they find any, he will offer his old chisels (spikes) to wedge the doors open. He suggests the group retreat to the hallway prior to the search, in case a trap is triggered. Maybe some folks'd want t'look in on the blood room? It's quieter...

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#159 Post by Zhym »

"I wonder if the pitcher is enchanted?" says Pendleton. "I have read about magical vessels that pour forth endless supplies of water. If such items are not pure myth, cursed specimens may also exist."

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Re: Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

#160 Post by Spearmint »

Idriss

"We can bag and tag everything, for future reference and inspection." says the mage and he closes the door behind the beetles. "Infernal noise, can you move that abjuration of silence to these squealers in the corner?"he asks.

The mould on the north wall, is that natural damp or some fungal spore? Does it cover anything as the men are kneeling facing the wall but no obvious statue, idol or picture has been noted. I believe the half-heads came from a room to the left, this stone one but my recollection my be sketchy. Idriss checks out the stone door. Why a stone one not a wooden one like the others?

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