Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Sunset, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia
From the doorway of the ancient crypt, Loche urges the others to join him in fleeing for their lives into the ageless shadows of the Great Pyramid's labyrinthine tombs.
Mako stands his ground. Freed at last from the prison of his own fear, the Eastern conjurer begins weaving a sorcerous incantation.
Amethu holds his position as well. The sorcerer-priest of Uthoth tries to douse the unliving pharaoh of Death with oil, spraying a flask-full over the heads of his companions. But none of the combatants become coated in the flammable liquid.
Once more, the weapons of Kiri and Garrin cannot land upon the ancient majesty of Xuthalhotep! Accursed Xorzen reconsiders his chances and withdraws as Zahra enters the fray, covering the doomed monk's retreat!
The ferocious amazon charges in, stabbing the black javelin with all her strength as she snarls triumphantly. "Die, false King!" Her mighty thrust would have impaled a man. It has almost no effect upon the god-king from beyond time itself! He suffers only a minor graze, but the blow dislodges his golden death mask, revealing a horror unimagined beneath!
Savaged by the immense gulfs of unending millennia, the deathless king had become like unto the image of Death itself. A pale, fleshless skull leers at them from beneath the ancient crown of Verulia!
And then all hell breaks loose.
Just to the southeast of the deadly encounter, the floor suddenly, silently explodes upward in a violent upheaval of ancient stone blocks!
Before the dust can settle, from out of the jagged maw in the floor bursts Zargoth the Destroyer, demon god of the Great Pyramid!
The atrocious elder thing is even more terrifying in life than in their nightmares.
His gigantic, thickly muscled frame fills the eastern alcove. In the place of limbs writhe countless tentacles, each ending in a wicked hook. His teeth are like knives. His horn, a long spear. And his single malevolent eye sees all, piercing shadow, flesh, dreams, and the minds of Men.
With merry hatred, the horrifying demon turns its terrible gaze upon dread Xuthalhotep! A direct challenge between the two would-be masters of the ruined city of the trackless wastes!
Xuthalhotep strikes at Zahra in order to clear a path to Zargoth! The amazon narrowly avoids his bone-splintering blow!
The mighty challenge is accepted, the epic battle joined, between god-king of Death and demon-god of Chaos! The prize: the ruins of ancient Verulia itself!
Actions?!
Map Detail:
Map:
One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.
Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):
PC Status:
- Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 6/11, Spells: 3/7 1st lvl
Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 12/26, Laying Hands: 0/1
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 10/14, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 8/18
Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 8/10, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl,
Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 7, HP: 4/16, Candle, Cursed.
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 11/21
- Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
Healing Mists of Osorus (All except Amethu and Zahra): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."
