Chapter 6: Beneath the Inn of the Damned

[DadsAngry]

Hoom Feethos:

"Hey were you going with that light. Come back!" he says with his hands full holding the large bar for the west door (secret door). "Humans."

[Zhym]

Grothnak keeps Vadok at the ready and follows Telkis.

[Grognardsw]

Grey Mouser, thief

Mouser looks at the underside of the trap door to see if there is a latch or metal loop that could be used to secure it from their side.

Then he listens at the trapdoor and secret door in the northwest corner. He secures the secret door.

"Well, here we are again."

[dmw71]

From her position in the order, Avril remains alert with her sword drawn and small shield strapped to her wrist. She attempts to focus on her auditory ability, listening for any sloshing of water or echoing sounds coming from outside their ranks.

[Fulci]

Avril, Grothnak, Ingrid, Moogeye, Pelias and Telkis make slow progress as they descend into the earthen labyrinth, trudging over uneven ground covered in standing water and mud. The tight, subterranean channel forces the heroes into single file. Bonechilling water rains from tiny stalactites and flows in rivulet tributaries down the walls to join the shallow, icy lake swallowing their feet. The sound of dripping water, splashing footsteps, and the heroes' whispers echoes along the winding tunnels. Ingrid's lantern casts black shadows before them as they venture deeper and further into the claustrophobic burrow. They find no sign of Finster or any other living thing. The air grows still and noxious with the smell of rotting flesh as the cramped, stifling passageway ascends to drier ground and another juncture of dark, dank shafts.

Ingrid Esthof, cleric

"Let's all quiet down now for some time," Ingrid whispers, so that Avril's elf eyes ears could monitor their surroundings. Ingrid pays attention to sounds and possible air streams from the tunnels as well.

[AleBelly]

Pelias will humor Ingrid for a minute or two, but the smell of death and feeling of evil will eventually get to him. He will continue to follow, guarding the passages not taken as they pass by.

[DadsAngry]

Hoom Feethos:

Grey Mouser, thief
"Well, here we are again."

"Yes, here we are and in the dark no less. I've lived among human most of my life but I still can't figure them out. Did I every tell you I was raised by humans? Good folks, caring and did their best to look after me." Hoom feels his way to the door and blindly places the bar in place. "I hope thats in the right place."

[Grognardsw]

Grey Mouser, thief

"It feels about midnight. Our night vision may help."

He puts an unlit torch, flint and steel, and oil on the table for quick access. Then waits and whispers thoughts on his mind.

"Someone created those zombies, probably the same person involved in ensorcerelling the townfolk. The tunnels probably lead to graves, the church, and the guilty party's house. We should burn them all down. Raid the sheriff's place, take him down and far from town and see if he becomes free of dark influence. Perhaps place him under a charm influence."

Did Mouser hear anything prior beyond the secret door or trapdoor?

[Starbeard]

Moogeye chokes up on her polearm to make room in the cramped tunnel as best she can, and as they move ahead she decides to keep her guard directed to the rear. "All these divergent passageways concern me. At any point we could be cut off from the cellar."

[AleBelly]

Pelias replies quickly to Moogeye. "They may try to block us off. But we will fight through it. Besides, our business is down here. There is little for us above ground."

[Inferno]

Day Five.
Village of Briarsgate, Beneath the Golden Grain Inn (6)
Between 10 and 11pm, Thursday, October 20th, 576 CY.
Full moon, partly cloudy, damp, cold, misty.





Beneath the house of horrors known as the Golden Grain Inn, the adventurers separate...


Hoom and Mouser remain in the dread prison of this village's victims, as Long Bo passes through the unbarred door into the stygian, twilight region of dank tunnels below.
By the receding light of Bo's lantern, Mouser sees an iron ring in the trap door above, but no latch or lock. The room falls into darkness.

Hoom bars the the northwestern door, as best he's able to in the dark.
Mouser feels his way to and up the ladder and listens at the unsecured trapdoor for a minute and hears nothing. He feels his way down and to the northwest door and listens there. He hears footsteps and whispers in the cellar beyond! (15) Enough for four men at least.

Suddenly, distant, inhuman screaming comes from somewhere deep within the tunnels!

Actions, Hoom and Mouser?


Long Bo enters the cold, wet, reeking shaft alone. The tall druid crouches in the constricting warrens and slowly creeps down the left hand channel through shallow, spinetinglingly cold water that sets his flesh acrawl with goosebumps. At the next fork, he raises his lantern against the chill, subterranean precipitation, to see what madness lies ahead. The beam reveals two long, cramped tunnels, filled with more shallow, standing water. One curves out of sight. The other eventually opens to a wider area (20) that has a sickly, unsteady light within it.

Suddenly, Bo hears an inhuman scream echoing from the dark tunnel to the northwest!

Actions, Bo?


Avril, Grothnak, Ingrid, Moogeye, Pelias and Telkis are six feet under; buried alive, entombed deep within the shadowy netherrealm far beyond the moon and stars.

Avril stops to listen and concentrate on the sounds that echo around them. She hears sloshing beyond their ranks, to the east.
Ingrid also grows still. She holds her lantern high at the crossroads and illuminates two long passages that wind south, one of which opens to a chamber (20). The priestess can tell that the breeze that carries the vile stench of death comes from the direction of that cavity.

Telkis and Grothnak slowly advance west across the uneven ground, continuing to follow the right hand paths. There, the tunnel widens into a dry-floored, man-made cavern (22) whose contents are obscured by shadow. Suddenly, something moves in there! The silhouette of a figure can be discerned. Telkis believes he recognizes the shape. It's Bertram Beswill! (BB) From beyond the grave! The gnome can clearly see the scholarly innkeeper in his mind's eye:



But something's wrong. Beswill turns and Telkis and Grothnak see he's drenched in blood, and grievously wounded from when Pelias slayed him. His motions are devoid of all the elegance and charm he knew in life.

Beswill's remains stagger forward further, toward the lantern light, and Telkis and Grothnak clearly see what Bertram Beswill has become!



Death has provided him no freedom, no release. Still in thrall to whatever mysterious, unholy power that enslaved him in life, the animated carcass of Bertram Beswill faithfully serves his dark master even now. He lets out an inhuman scream as he lumbers at Telkis and Grothnak! But suddenly, he pauses; perhaps from some vestigial memory of those who fought alongside the man who ended his life?!

Actions?

Beneath the Inn of the Damned 4.jpg (390.25 KiB) Viewed 1075 times

DM Notes:

Map: Each square is 5 feet.
Movement in the tunnels is halved.
Only illuminated, visible areas of the tunnels are shown.

Surprise: Party: [1d6] = 4, Monster: [1d6] = 2 Party surprises Beswill

Status:

• Avril Hollysword, Half-Elf Fighter/Cleric 1/1: AC 7, HP 6/9, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 1/2: AC 4, HP 10/10, Spells: 1/1 1st lvl
  Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 2: AC 4, HP 16/17
  Hoom Feethos, Elven Magic-User/Thief 1/2: AC 3, HP 7/8, Spells: 0/1 1st lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 3: AC 3(1), HP 14/16, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl and 2/3 2nd lvl. Lantern
  Long Bo, Human Druid 2: AC 6, HP 12/15, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl and 2/2 2nd lvl. Lantern
  Moogeye Comcra, Human Monk 2: AC 8, HP 11/11
  Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 2: AC 2(0), HP 16/19, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 2: AC 0, HP 18/19

Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Pelias): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Pelias.

Resources:

• Map of Briarsgate
  NPC List for Briarsgate
  The Story So Far

[AleBelly]

"You are up to this challenge, Telkis and Gurthak! I will watch for evil from the southern passages" calls Pelias. "If my aid is required, I will answer your summons."

[Zhym]

"Paladins," snorts Grothnak. "Always there for moral support."

"Stay!" he calls to Pelias. "We need you here, and we have split up too much already!"

The Uruk waits to see if the undead Bertram continues to hold its attack. If it advances, Grothnak attacks over Telkis.

Vadok (Halberd +1) (THAC0 19): [1d20+2] = 10+2 = 12, Dmg [1d10+4] = 10+4 = 14 (S/M) [2d6+4] = 11+4 = 15 (L)

I don't see Grothnak referring to an aura of protection from evil in-character, but just by standing near combat, Pelias is helping.

[AleBelly]

That's the idea. He's not proceeding down the hall, but he sees two passages heading south and is going to remain at the fork. Since it's just one foe, he assumes the pair up front can handle it. Otherwise, The two of you would have to enter the room, and Pelias would follow, leaving the rear of the party open to attack.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis doesn't hesitate. He launches his hand axe at the creature, then draws Cranach and closes the distance between them in a direct line to provide space for the others to move into the room. Hand axe, thrown (THAC0 16): To Hit:[1d20] = 7, Damage: vs s/m [1d6] = 3, vs L [1d4] = 4

[Starbeard]

Seeing that Pelias and Ingrid are guarding the south passage, and Avril is already listening to the east from whence they came, Moogeye turns to cover the southeast tunnel until her aid is needed elsewhere.

[dmw71]

Avril, from her position at the end of the ranks, feels her grip tighten on the hilt of her sword as she witnesses those in front of her grow excited, and even go on the offensive. She rises her shield in front of her as she takes a few steps back, allowing for some space in the event those in front of her need to fall back for any reason.

[DadsAngry]

Hoom Feethos:

Hoom feels his way over to the table in which the unlit candle sits. In the dark he attempt to relight it.

"Sounds like they found something or something found them." he says quietly to Mouser.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo does not like the sound of that scream!

He moves ahead, down the eastern most passage, first ten feet, then twenty. He holds his lamp out in front of him and strains his eyes and ears for any sign of his group up ahead.

[Grognardsw]

Grey Mouser slides a loose bar, poker, torture device or whatever he can find into the ring of the trapdoor and across the ceiling. Hopefully preventing it from being pulled up from above.

At hearing men beyond the secret door, he motions to Hoom holding up four fingers and pointing at the door, whispering "Four men or more. We may have to join the others."

Mouser spreads oil on the secret door and wall it is in. He puts his unlit torch back. He is poised to strike his flint and steel.

(The two can see each other via infravision.)