Chapter 6: Beneath the Inn of the Damned

[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 macabre manse known as the Golden Grain Inn, the 'master' of the house of horrors still 'lives!' Even now, ready to entertain his guests.



The evil, unknown forces that held Beswill in thrall aren't finished with him yet. Poor, doomed Bertram serves them even in death.

Grothnak stays his fell weapon in uncharacteristic mercy.
Telkis doesn't hesitate. The gnome warrior hurls his hand axe at the ghastly revenant, narrowly missing his skull and thunking deep into the mud wall behind him.

The abhorrent cadaver of the keeper of the Golden Grain Inn shrieks again in hatred and anguish. It sounds as if the scream came directly from the depths of his tortured soul.

Avril steps back to give the fighters room and options, while guarding the rear flank. Ingrid, Moogeye and Pelias watch the southern tunnels with Ingrid's lantern.

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It was good that they did.

Down those winding warrens, within this hellish underworld, the shadows stir at the furthest edge of the lantern's light!

They creep closer, out from the territories of darkness! Avril, Ingrid, Moogeye and Pelias all see unwholesome, crouching shapes, with skin as pale as death. (X1, X2 and X3)

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Their lower faces are comprised entirely of teeth and blood. Their body language differs from the damned souls of the Dim Forest and of Bertram Beswill himself. These charnel house horrors evince cunning and malevolence. The loathsome carrion hiss and growl, bare their heinous red teeth, and come lunging up the tunnel shafts at frightening speed, sometimes scrambling on all fours as they race with bloodthirsty abandon to devour the adventurers' flesh!

Actions?





Long Bo carefully advances alone through the tunnel's icy shallows.

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He splashes south, away from the shrieking, down the eastern, outermost tunnel of the eerie earthen labyrinth.

The warren ascends to drier ground and the stench of death grows stronger. The druid sees another juncture ahead, and that the constricting burrow winds further still.

Suddenly, a second, soul-piercing scream echoes from somewhere within the darkness! Then, distant feral growling and hissing refract all around him.

Actions, Bo?





In the unlit, stone dungeon of hung, iron cages, Hoom and Mouser hear a second bloodcurdling scream echo faintly through the open, southern door.

Hoom feels his way over to the table and lights the candle that sits upon it, weakly illuminating the chamber.

Grey Mouser motions to Hoom, holding up four fingers and pointing at the door, whispering "Four men or more. We may have to join the others." The little thief finds an iron poker behind the cages, climbs the ladder and slides it through the trapdoor ring and balances it precariously there. He descends the ladder and sees...

The secret door in the northwest wall is trying to open!

The bar across it holds it tight. Sounds of whispers and footsteps emanate through that door.
Again, someone tries to open it; more forcefully now. To no avail.

Mouser spreads oil on the secret door and the stone wall around it. He is poised to strike his flint and steel.

Suddenly, feral hissing and growling come from the open southern door behind him! It sounds much closer than the shrieks!

A sardonic voice calls through the secret door, apparently to Moogeye.
"You've opened the barred door, haven't you? Ha ha ha hah. They'll kill you, they will.
"And so might I," the voice said, with all humor gone but the darkness remaining.
Then, through clenched teeth: "For your sake, my sweet little dear, you'd better be back in your cage by the time we get in there!"

Actions, Hoom and Mouser?

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DM Notes:

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

As per last round's DM Notes, Beswill was surprised this round and cannot act.

But I'll rule that no one in the tunnel is surprised this coming round, because:

• X1-X3 see your light, and hear your voices and Beswill's shrieks.
  Not less than 3 PCs gave orders that they were standing watch in the very directions these things came from.

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 Candle
  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

[Fulci]

Ingrid Esthof, cleric

"What ghoulish abominations!!" hisses Ingrid.

Ingrid places the lantern on the ground next to herself (to allow for proper combat, with both weapon and shield), the cone of light still directed into the south tunnel. She meets the fiend (probably X1? Or X2, if there is better access) with a blow of her mace.

Mace (THAC0: 20): To Hit: [1d20] = 14, damage: small [1d6+1] = 4+1 = 5 / large [1d6] = 1

[ChubbyPixie]

"Gah!" yells Telkis as his axe sails past Bertram's head. He steps forward, loosing Cranach from the loop on his belt as he does so and continuing the motion attempts to connect with the abomination in the hip, swinging two-handed:
Morningstar +1 (THAC0 18): To Hit:[1d20] = 5, Damage: vs s/m [2d4+1] = 3+1 = 4, vs L [1d6+2] = 1+2 = 3
He sorely misjudges his footwork due to the muddy terrain....

[Starbeard]

"Some thing is headed this way up the tunnel! I will strike it down." She braces her stance against the back wall of the tunnel and sets her polearm to meet the creature's charge at full reach.

Glaive-guisarme To-Hit [1d20] = 18
Damage (small) [2d4+1] = 8+1 = 9,
Damage (big) [2d6+1] = 3+1 = 4

[AleBelly]

[dialog"Stay your charge, foul and unholy monstrosity!"[/dialog] bellows Pelias. He draws his sword and shield. "I have this hall covered; direct your efforts elsewhere!"

The paladin will stand his ground, only advancing if another party member tries to get past him to attack X1. He said he would guard that passage, and he meant it.

Attack with long sword in darkness (THAC0 19) [1d20] = 10, damage [1d8] = 2

[DadsAngry]

Hoom Feethos:

Hoom freezes in place. He slows his breathing as he glances at Mouser and then to the open door to the south.

[Zhym]

Grothnak, realizing that the un-Bertram isn't actually being held back, attacks.

Vadok (Halberd +1) (THAC0 19): [1d20+2] = 10+2 = 12, Dmg [1d10+4] = 5+4 = 9 (S/M) [2d6+4] = 9+4 = 13 (L)

FWIW, despite the DM spoiler notes, it wasn't clear to me that the previous round was a surprise segment. The way it was worded it seemed like something made the undead Bertram stop, which is why Grothnak paused to see if something was holding it back.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo nearly soils himself after hearing the terrible noises all around him. His bravery/stupidity has reached its limit. He moves ahead about five feet and peeks around the corner into the next tunnel before turning around to head back to the door.

[dmw71]

"Behind," Avril calls out after spotting one of the pale, crouching shapes approaching from behind her position in the rear rank. She beings to whisper a quiet prayer to Corellon as she raises her shield in front of her and rushes at the ghoulish abomination... and quickly regrets her decision to not attempt to turn the undead foe after her blade is unable connect.

+1 long sword (20): [1d20+1] = 2+1 = 3, s/m [1d8+1] = 3+1 = 4, l: [1d12+1] = 4+1 = 5

[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.





Avril, Ingrid, Moogeye and Pelias are surrounded by things from beyond the grave! In the subterrestrial crucible beneath the inn of the damned, three ghastly, pale abominations rush out of the darkness to kill and eat the adventurers! The horrors' breath is a mortuary and their eyes betray a feral madness and a hunger that can never be sated!

By the light of the priestess' lantern, Ingrid and Moogeye strike together at one lurid monster (X2) that might have been a woman in life.

The heinous mistress of tombs and graveyards (X2) is slain beneath the onslaught of Ingrid's mace and Moogeye's polearm!

Pelias' sword swings wide at another gaunt carrion (X1) that lunges for the paladin's face but is miraculously repelled by the holy protection of Heironeous! The cadaverous hellspawn snarls and hisses in impotent rage.

Avril misses a third macabre terror (X3) with her longsword, and the thing reaches out its filthy claws to slash her!

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The necrotic cannibal claws and bites Avril (-5 hp)! Its very touch is as cold as death, chilling the half-elven holy warrior to her soul! (Please Save once vs. Paralyzation)

Actions, Avril, Ingrid, Moogeye and Pelias?





Meanwhile, in the dim cave to the northwest, Telkis swings Cranach at the screaming, deathless husk of Bertram Beswill, and misses!

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But Grothnak's fell halberd smites the innkeeper's undead corpse, dismembering it horrifically and granting it release.

Beswill's agonizing shriek fades into a death rattle. Bertram's suffering is behind him at last. His tormented soul is finally beyond the reach of the sinister forces of Briarsgate.

Actions, Grothnak and Telkis?





In the candlelit dungeon beneath the inn, Hoom and Mouser hear more screams and growls from the open southern door! The two silent thieves point alternately at the unbarred southern door and then the trapdoor, back and forth until both are pointing at the trapdoor.
Mouser strikes his flint to set the oil-soaked secret door ablaze! FWOOSH!!



The secret door burns, and flames begin to spread to the wooden ceiling above it!

Mouser drops his caltrops on the floor, and then he and Hoom wordlessly race up the ladder to the trapdoor in the burning ceiling. (What do you do with the iron poker that was precariously barring the trap door?)

Then they hear:

THUNK! Someone is taking an axe to the other side of the burning, secret door!

THUNK! "I'm coming in, my sweet little darling." the voice calls through the door with gleeful malice.

THUNK! "Shan't be but a moment!"

THUNK! "I see you've prepared something for me. How thoughtful! Ha ha hah ha ha!"

THUNK! The axe blade emerges, penetrating the wood of the blazing door.

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"Fire!" Another voice is heard through the secret door. "Such resourcefulness will serve us well."

Hoom and Mouser scramble past the ceiling flames, up into Beswill's bedroom (5) which is now illuminated by the firelight coming through the open trapdoor. Black smoke follows them! Both doors and the window in this room are still shut.

Mouser goes to the locked window as both thieves hear a door opening directly to their west! (at '?', between rooms 1 and 4)

Actions, Hoom and Mouser?





The easternmost maze branch echoes with inhuman shrieks and growls, as Long Bo creeps further south, isolated from everyone else. The druid peers into an eastern shaft and is immediately assaulted by the stench and sight of grisly death!

The eastern path opens into a den, littered with bones (23). Human bones. They've been picked clean of all their meat; cracked open and the marrow sucked out.

In the corner, near a rib cage, is a decapitated human head. By his lantern light, Bo recognizes the face. It's Snigrot, the dirty, rat-faced cook of the Golden Grain Inn. Bo last saw him dead, at Pelias' hand, one entire leg hewn clean off by the paladin's righteous sword.
Now, his severed head has been picked clean of flesh.



But the eyeballs, still staring sightlessly in their sockets, have been spared, perhaps for a special occasion. Or a special guest.

Long Bo flees the den of horrors. In the cramped, winding mud warren, he detects the sickening fragrance of death again, coming fresh and strong from the south. The druid turns and sloshes his way north to escape this hell hole. At the intersection, he sees light coming from the northwest.

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The feral growling grows louder, as do the urgent shouts of his friends!
Down the long southwest channel, Bo sees flickering light and shadows (near 20).
And there is something new, coming from the north: the sound of an axe, chopping wood. And the smell of something burning.

Actions, Long Bo?

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DM Notes:

Map:

• Each square is 5 feet. Movement in the tunnels is halved.
  Only the illuminated areas, that were visible to any PC this round, are shown.
  With Beswill's death, red will now be used to indicate dead opponents.
  Brown-darkened areas are your recollections. Black-darkened areas are unlit rooms.

Dice:

• Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 3, Monsters: [1d6] = 1 Party wins initiative.
  
  X3: To hit Avril: claw, claw, bite: [1d20] = 12, [1d20] = 8, [1d20] = 18 X3 claws and bites Avril...
  X3 damage on Avril: [1d3] = 2 [1d6] = 3 ... for 5 points of damage.

Status:

• Avril Hollysword, Half-Elf Fighter/Cleric 1/1: AC 7, HP 1/9, 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

[DadsAngry]

Hoom Feethos:

Hoom raced up the ladder and tossed the iron poker to the floor away from Mouser. While waiting for Mouser to escape through the trap door. Hoom douses Beswill's bedroom door with the contents of one of his flasks of oil. He makes his flint and steal ready as he waits for Mouser to open the window for their escape.

OOC: Flask of oil deducted

[Fulci]

Ingrid Esthof, cleric

"Thank you, Trithereon," Ingrid whispers as the abomination collapses. In a different situation (that is, when not being assaulted by the undead in a dark tunnel), Moogeye might find this "personal" tone towards one's deity a bit strange, but right now there is no time for any distractions.

Ingrid's prayers are short for a reason too: there is still one more fiend in her very reach.

With Trithereon's holy name still on her lips, she strikes it (X1) with her mace.
Mace (THAC0: 20): To Hit: [1d20] = 5, damage: small [1d6+1] = 1+1 = 2 / large [1d6] = 5

[dmw71]

(Please Save once vs. Paralyzation)

Paralyzation save (10): [1d20] = 11

[OGRE MAGE]

Long Bo hurries towards the sound of battle, sure that his group is in trouble. Ignoring the sounds and smells from the door, he rounds the corner to the west, hoping he arrives in time to help.

Spear Attack [1d20] = 18 Damage [1d6] = 3

[Starbeard]

Moogeye motions to pull the blade of her weapon from the undead's skewered torso, but instead raises an eyebrow when the battering force from Ingrid's mace throws the abomination back, freeing the weapon without effort.

Seeing them assailed at both ends, the monk steps to her left, behind or next to Avril, and attempts to place her long glaive between her companion and X1, thrusting at the first opportunity.

Glaive-guisarme To-Hit [1d20] = 17
Damage (small) [2d4+1] = 4+1 = 5,
Damage (big) [2d6+1] = 8+1 = 9

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis runs over to retrieve his axe from the wall. "Nice... halberding, Grothnak. It's a good thing you're on your game. My aim is off." He can see that there's no way he'll be able to squeeze around Pelias to help in the narrow tunnel. He can't eve see what the others are fighting in there. "What are you facing there, Pelias? Fall back towards us if you need help!" With that he will inspect the rest of this godforsaken cave. Why was the undead Bertram in here?

[Zhym]

Grothnak grunts his acknowledgement. He keeps his eye on the combat(s) going on behind him and makes his way toward the new front if he can.

[dmw71]

Avril feels a chill run down her spine as claws and rotten teeth of the undead abomination tear through her flesh. Fighting off the urge to succumb to her wounds, with trembling arms, she slashes down at the ghastly form once again. Fear fills her soul as she witnesses another attempt miss its mark.

+1 long sword (20): [1d20+1] = 4+1 = 5, s/m [1d8+1] = 1+1 = 2, l: [1d12+1] = 3+1 = 4

[AleBelly]

Pelias thanks Heironeus for his ever-present protection, and attempts another attack worthy of his god.

Attack with long sword (THAC0 19) [1d20] = 8, damage [1d8] = 8

[Inferno]

fyi

Grog,

Whatever Mouser want's to do Hoom will follow. Right about now he wants to flee but he can't decided in which direction. In to the tunnels with the rest or out through the trap door. He's a deer in headlights right now.

House, family and work issues are preventing me from getting online. Hopefully will change later in week.

This is a tough decision. If we were all-for-one party, it'd be tunnels. But role playing to self-preservation, it'd be run.

The door may hold assuming 0 level villagers with average Str. But I guess run. Light oil, scatter caltrops, up through trap door, window in night and hiding in woods to later watch out for the party. If there is time I'll take potion of Clairaudience (to listen around 30' to act as radar for us, or maybe hang around and spy). Leave tunnel door open so they think Moogeye escaped through there.

Inferno please NPC Mouser to this effect, unless our actions can wait until Wednesday cause I really have to go. Thanks.