Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

[Dram]

Neegan watches the room for any surprises. He is just the muscle in this adventure knows off magic and demon summoning. I know nothing of things.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Able looks dubiously at Idriss. Why would you want t'pretend t'be a demon? And t'risk openin' a portal t'hell? But if you think it'll work, go ahead.

[Spearmint]

Idriss

"Well I am not sure we have found everything or anything yet. We have two different gods here, the sea god and the demon god. The suggestion is that both have portals that may be opened to netherworlds. We should close them both of course. Maybe we should take what we have found and search for the altars first then before we try to re-enact any ceremony and trap the infernal beings?" Idriss suggests. If there is nothing more to be gained from this room then we should press on. Can someone skilful unlock the stone door?

[Marullus]

Ablesforth pauses before unmounting the mask, listening to Idriss's suggestions. Neegan watches for trouble. Idriss dithers on what action to commit to while the group waits.

Date: 14 July 2021, 3:10pm
Light: Ablesforth's Lantern (until 5:30pm)
Effects: Silence spell on Mask room until 3:30pm.
Injuries: Dolph (moderate wounds), Ablesforth (minor wound)

[Spearmint]

Idriss suggests we unlock stone door, search more rooms. If nothing found try alternative suggestions with the items.

[Marullus]

Idriss requests Dare go look at the lock on the stone door.

So, does Ablesforth go ahead with removing the mask, then? Or leaving it on the wall and returning back to the room with the stone door to light the way for Dare? The mask and the stone door aren't in the same room.

[Rusty Tincanne]

With Idriss deciding to forego his plan, Able takes the mask from the wall, using the sack to prevent skin contact. As long as blood has stopped flowing from it, he shows it in a sack.

[Marullus]

Ablesforth carefully removes the mask, being sure not to touch its silver or gold metal as he drops it into a large sack. It essentially fills the whole sack (53lbs). To his relief, the blood does stop flowing out of the wall, and the mask's mouth, when he removes it. As he adjusts the bag, however, he is met with consternation as he realizes his boots are beginning to squish. The mandala on the floor has begun to overflow, blood now sloshing around his feet as it continues to rise and spread in the room. The door to the hallway remains shut. The door to the dead goblins in the trash room hangs open. The door to the sea goddess mural is spiked open to prevent its closure.

The sticky red fluid spreading in the room also disturbs something else - the group sees the corner with the mushrooms light up and begin to glow. Five two-foot long beetles with glowing round orbs on their tails burst forward, quite hostile at this change in their living conditions, and come at the group with their mandibles clacking.

(Five fire beetles attacking: Round one!)

Date: 14 July 2021, 3:20pm
Light: Ablesforth's Lantern (until 5:30pm)
Effects: Silence spell on Mask room until 3:30pm.
Injuries: Dolph (moderate wounds), Ablesforth (minor wound)

[Zhym]

"Disturbing the demonic-looking mask hanging on a room full of evil portents may not have been advisable," observes Pendleton, way too late.

"Somnolence! Morpheus decendus!"

Sleep: [2d8] = 11

[Marullus]

(Well... spells win initiative...)

Pendleton finishes his incantation, the five beetles toppling over sideways, their glowing abdomens casting a strange glow on the walls as the blood begins to rise around their torpid bodies...

Date: 14 July 2021, 3:21pm
Light: Ablesforth's Lantern (until 5:30pm)
Effects: Silence spell on Mask room until 3:30pm.
Injuries: Dolph (moderate wounds), Ablesforth (minor wound)

[Rusty Tincanne]

Wasn't the blood coming out of the mask?

Able looks at the wall where the mask was, looking to see if the hook it was on might move, thinking it trigger a drain. If so, if he will hang something else on it. A sack with a couple dead rats in it, perhaps.

[Mister-Kent]

Dare sloshes through the pooling blood and will execute sleeping fire beetles. "We should leave this chamber quickly, don't you think?" he asks the group.

I think the mask was mounted over a blood spout on the wall, is this right?

[Marullus]

Dare executes the unconscious beetles, their glowing abdomens shedding enough light for the task. Ablesforth takes time to investigate the wall, but finds no aperture from which the blood could have flowed. With the mask removed, it is just a plain wall. Where the blood flowing in the mandala remained within its channels previously, it is steadily overflowing. It is now approaching two inches deep and beginning to spread into the two adjoining rooms through their open doorways.

You are startled as the shrieking sound of the mushrooms abruptly resumes as well - the invocation of silence having just expired.

Date: 14 July 2021, 3:30pm
Light: Ablesforth's Lantern (until 5:30pm)
Effects: Silence spell on Mask room until 3:30pm.
Injuries: Dolph (moderate wounds), Ablesforth (minor wound)

[Rusty Tincanne]

Able attempts to place the mask back on the wall, lest the entire cave be flooded in blood. None of this's goin' as planned.
If he can't hang the mask, he will slosh to the door to the goblin room and close it, then leave through the doorway to the hall, closing it behind him, hoping the doors hold back the blood.

[Stirling]

Idriss

Still will take time for the level of blood to drown everyone in the caverns. Maybe cast a 'purify water' spell on it or apply a healing spell?

Idriss will harvest the light glands of the fire beetles to use inside the lantern and save the the oils.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Assuming that was said out loud...

The sea demon needs a mix of saltwater and blood. Not worth the risk. He asks Idriss if he can cast purify water, because if not, Able needs 8 hours of rest before he can gain that miracle.

[Dram]

Neegan problably the shortest of the group. Where we be headed thru the closed door or from where we came?

[Spearmint]

Idriss

studies the rate of overflowing blood from the mandala and tries to compute how long it will take to flood the complex lower levels. Intelligence roll check [4d6] = 14 vs 18 intel ?

"Can someone try to open this stone door? Anyone got any lock-picks?" he asks amid the cacophony of mushroom squealing and boot squelching.

[Marullus]

Idriss is able to collect five glowing glands from the tails of the beetles, each gland casts light in a 10' radius. He knows so little of the dungeon, he is unable to account for how long it would take to flood. The blood, however, is rising very slowly.

The door to the hallway remains shut. The door to the dead goblins in the trash room hangs open. The door to the sea goddess mural is spiked open to prevent its closure.

Idriss requests Dare go look at the lock on the stone door.
The mask and the stone door aren't in the same room.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Was Able able to rehang the mask? If not, he'll move to close all the doors to this room,
including removing spikes.