Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

[Marullus]

Ablesforth's second ministration gets Dare stable, but does not yet revive him. (He's at 0 hp.)

(So, you're sitting 20 minutes/two turns for all the oil to burn off?)

[Rusty Tincanne]

I'll let the rest of the group chime in. Maybe it would be a good time to check out the writing/mural/skeletons.

But for a more complete picture, how long is that hallway? (i.e. could it be traversed without too, too much damage?)

What happens when you are magically healed? Will the arrow pop out of the eye socket and his eye heal up? Is it still in there? I don't think we are well equipped to take the arrow out, is all.

[Spearmint]

Idriss

"No we don't bargain with goblins and we don't promise them a lair to breed. Too many guards of Gaul died here to annexe the place for them. The demon portal gets closed and we collapse the caverns."

If folk want to rest and heal up it makes sense to use the upper cavern free of rats and zombies than down here. Idriss has few spells left so suggests that. Use a door over the burning oil as a bridge.

[Marullus]

But for a more complete picture, how long is that hallway? (i.e. could it be traversed without too, too much damage?)

You can only see 30' from the door to the corner.

What happens when you are magically healed? Will the arrow pop out of the eye socket and his eye heal up? Is it still in there? I don't think we are well equipped to take the arrow out, is all.

It is assumed that you remove it, and that, yes, magical healing repairs it right back up. The way the game works right now, permanent scarring and disability only come from rolling a "self-stabilizing" check against death when there's no magical healing available.

[Marullus]

*bump*
Actions?

[Rusty Tincanne]

Okay then...

With the goblins sleeping and the mushrooms quiet, and no input from the other players, Able recommends the group stay where they are, studying the room further. He asks the dwarfs to scout down the hallways as he administers his final prayer of healing to Dare.

Able then takes a closer look at the mural and the artifacts near the skeletons, looking for infernal writings or other things of interest.


CLW [1d6+1] = 3+1 = 4

[Marullus]

Ablesforth uses the last of his healing prayers to fully heal Dare. The acrobat's eye is fully restored and he is left with nothing more than a headache for his near-death experience. He then focuses himself on the task of reading the tiny infernal script worked into the wave pattern of the mural by the light of the oil fires. He relays it to Pendleton; between the two of them, they are able to intuit that it is a summoning ritual for Sesselenia, the Drowned Goddess. It requires spilling both blood and salt water on an altar (which is not present here) but which then opens the portal within this mural to allow interaction with the extraplanar being. The symbol of Sesselenia is the octopus within a triangle, as on the jewelry and coin that Idriss has already collected from the corpses and stowed in his pack.

Items:

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.

The small sack is full of silver coins, all roughly stamped with an octopus in a triangle. (20lbs)

Idriss examines the door, but it is currently spiked-open -- he is unable to detach it and use it as a bridge and there's nothing else suitable in the current chamber besides the dessicated corpses (which are likely quite flammable). Eventually the raging oil fires begin to dim to a flicker; Idriss is able to cross the floor with the aid of those who wish and he slits the throats of all the goblins to ensure none remain alive.

At Ablesforth's request, the dwarves Neegan and Grimble again check the exits. The wooden door on the right remains swollen and stuck in its doorjamb, but they think it might be possible to force it open. The stone door on the left remains locked. The wooden door on the far wall is open and leads to the hallway - they follow the hallway as far as the corner and peer around into the darkness with their sensitive eyes. They see another short hallway, 30' long, which ends at a wooden portcullis. Beyond that it opens into a large chamber forward and to the left which they cannot see the far dimensions of. They don't see or hear any activity there.

Date: 14 July 2021, 2:30pm
Light: None (-4 penalty)
Effects: Silence spell on Mask room until 3:30pm. Sleep on goblins until 4:01pm.
Injuries: Ablesforth (minor wound), Dolph (moderate wounds)

[Zhym]

Pendleton's attention is drawn to the pitcher. "I have heard stories of magical decanters that pour forth various kinds of water. If this is such a vessel, perhaps it is capable of pouring salt water, and these desiccated fellows planned to use it for the ritual described in the mural?"

[Rusty Tincanne]

I'd've bet good money that th'other room was a portal, but this mural's defintiely one. We ought to make sure it won't get open again before we leave. But I'm wantin' t'check on the blood room first. He heads to that room, his lantern refilled and lit, to inspect the sculpture, making sure he doesn't step in any blood as he goes about his business.

As he goes, he reminds Dare of the agreement for a truthful confession in exchange for the healing.

[Mister-Kent]

Dare nods, his head still swimming, and searches the blood room for any nasty surprises lying in wait.

"Thank you for the healing," the acrobat tells Able, gesturing to his eye. "I have nothing--well, very little to hide, as the goddess asks of us. What would you like to know then? My newest or oldest crimes?"

[Rusty Tincanne]

Able smiles at the acrobat. Anything you want, brother. The first time's always the hardest, 'cause it's all bottled up inside. So anythin'll do.

[Mister-Kent]

Dare nods, breathing slowly while checking for traps.

"Well, I got here illegally--how's that for a start? Stowed away in the back of a wagon. Had plenty of coin to pay fare, but--" He pauses and shrugs.

[Marullus]

INT check [1d20] = 4
Pendleton takes the pitcher from Idriss, examining its brazen form. It is engraved with prayers in flowing elvish script which the scholar is able to read: they entreat the Goddess of the Sea for her blessing, and purification. He intuits that the repeated words might in fact be command words for the vessel.

Dare and Ablesforth return to the Mask and Mandala room (taking the lantern light with them), continuing their conversation about contrition. Dare investigates the room for traps, satisfying himself that there are no surprises waiting for the group beyond the purple mushrooms pulsating in one corner under the field of magical silence.

Ablesforth investigates the horned demonic face hangs in the center of the wall. It is fashioned of silver and with horns of untarnished gold, red light glows balefully from the mask's eye sockets and from its mouth pours a rivulet of blood, which runs into a channel in the floor. The channel makes a geometric shape, the blood filling each line to its lip but not overflowing:


The mask is attached to the wall, but he finds that it could be removed, and even worn. He finds no other markings at the site of the mask. On the floor, winding among each whorl of the mandala, he finds writings written in the infernal tongue and the same miniscule script, which speak praises to Galfenus the Demon Lord, who desires blood as a blood god. His symbol a skull encased in flame.

Date: 14 July 2021, 2:50pm
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 encourages Dare to continue with his shedding of secrets. That's it, brother.
Let them walls you done built up just fall away. he also asks Dare to check the mask for traps. If none are found, he'll use a sack to prevent soon contact with it as he lifts the mask off the wall. He'll stow the mask in the sack, then have Pendleton copy down some of the script on the mandala, corrections the script as appropriate.

Able will explain that the artifacts used for summoning demons need to go to the Infirmary, along with whatever clues there are too how they work and what they summoned.

[Zhym]

Pendleton will explain that the artifacts used for summoning demons need to go to the Infirmary, along with whatever clues there are too how they work and what they summoned.

He will, will he?

Pendleton indeed takes notes and copies scripts.

[Mister-Kent]

Able encourages Dare to continue with his shedding of secrets. That's it, brother.
Let them walls you done built up just fall away. he also asks Dare to check the mask for traps.

Dare hesitates before continuing, taking the mask from Able and looking it over for secret harmful features. "I...I guess that's not the only thing I stole. Every single thing on my person was unlawfully taken from someone else." He hands the mask back to the priest after a careful assessment. "Even my name is stolen, but I've grown quite used to it now."

[Rusty Tincanne]

He will, will he?

fixed.

[Marullus]

Pendleton takes notes. Neither Dare nor Able find anything else suspicious about the mask.

Date: 14 July 2021, 3:00pm
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 removes the mask as described above, with a sack to prevent skin contact, and then slides it into the sack.

[Spearmint]

Idriss


Before you try to remove the mask, do you want to stop the bled leaking from its mouth?"

That it continues to pour is a concern. "I do have an idea but it might be foolish or risky?"

Idriss has his own mask ... a stage mummers one which looks like a typical stereotypical face. When he puts it on though it can become a goblin face, dwarf, human child or aged crone, etc. So if we fill the pitcher with blood that is pouring out and anoint the mask or some action, it might prompt something else.

If agreed, Idriss masks up as a half-head cultists.