Chapter 13: Underground City of the Demon God

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin charges forward, attacking the first beast-man he can.

To Hit with +1 Long Sword: [1d20+1] = 12+1 = 13; Damage: sm - [1d8+1] = 2+1 = 3; lg - [1d12+1] = 5+1 = 6

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako will follow Amethu but at a distance to avoid any boulders that are launched towards him.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen stays behind the monsters, but he doesn’t attack. Instead waiting to see if any of the more dangerous spell casters show themselves.

He hopes to use his advantage of being unseen upon them if they are indeed nearby, but will aid his friends from behind the enemy ranks once the fighting commences.

(fancy way of saying.....he holds his attack for now.

[Inferno]

The Vast Subterranean Caverns Beneath the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Seven. Evening?, 19th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






The primordial creatures of Zargoth see the explorers ascending the switchback with weapons drawn and they charge down upon them with wild fury and savagery, nearly stampeding Xorzen! The invisible monk clings to the cliffside to avoid being overrun and trampled underfoot!

Garrin and Zahra beat back the roaring, snarling onslaught with shields and swords, but Kiri is hammered by the bone-crunching blow of an immense club! His enchanted helmet is all that saves his skull from caving in! (-9hp damage)

Loche the Pict whirls the fabled Sling of Sutekh over his head and unleashes a whistling stone that breaks the jaw of the nearest murderous subhuman! (B4) Garrin seizes the advantage and slashes his three-foot blade, gutting and killing the carnal creature, drenching the path with hot blood!



With Mako following invisibly behind him, Amethu advances up the boulder-strewn path and gets his lantern alight as Zahra is forced to drop her torch and fight. She yowls a feline battle cry and splits a broad sloping skull with the Sword of Xuthalhotep! (B6) Her enemy is dead before it hits the ground.

Aside the fierce pale amazon, Kiri impales another ferocious primitive with a terrible disemboweling thrust of his magic trident, killing it instantly! (B5)

In the blink of an eye, three of the powerful, bestial servitors were rent asunder, broken and smashed.


Actions?!


Map:

The lower part of the map is lower in altitude. The upper part of the map is higher in altitude.
PCs are climbing the path upward. Lighter rocks are the path. Darker rocks are the steep cliffs. Each character is ~5' diameter.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 1, Monsters: [1d6] = 2 Monsters win.
B5 charges Kiri with club: [1d20+2] = 15+2 = 17, damage: [2d4+1] = 8+1 = 9 Hits Kiri for 9hp damage.
B1, B2, B6 charge Zahra: [1d20+2] = 4+2 = 6, [1d20+2] = 1+2 = 3, [1d20+2] = 1+2 = 3 All miss Zahra.
B3, B4 charge Garrin with spear and ax: [1d20+2] = 5+2 = 7, [1d20+2] = 3+2 = 5, damage: [1d6+1] = 4+1 = 5, [1d8+1] = 2+1 = 3 Both miss Garrin.

Because the monsters preempted the PCs actions, Kiri didn't end up close enough to a cliff edge to throw his dead enemy over it, unfortunately.

Because the monsters closed this round, it didn't count as 'firing a missile into a melee' for Loche. But it will next round.

Zahra can't fight with sword, shield and torch, so I had Amethu get a lantern alight.

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 14/14, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl, Lantern
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 26/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 5/14, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 18/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl,
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 16/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 18/21

PC Magic:

• 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."
  Invisibility x2 (Mako): Targets: self and Xorzen

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Urson]

Zahra

Zahra barely hesitates, stepping forward to attack (B2)as her first victim hits the stone.

att [1d20+4] = 12+4 = 16
Sword vs sm, med [1d8+5] = 2+5 = 7

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin attacks the nearest fiend B3 I think.

To Hit with +1 Long Sword: [1d20+1] = 16+1 = 17; Damage: sm - [1d8+1] = 2+1 = 3; lg - [1d12+1] = 9+1 = 10

[ChubbyPixie]

Shocked by the severe blow, Kiri lunges at B1, but finds he is unable to connect solidly through his suddenly hazy vision.
Attack with Trident +1, Claw of Chobek (THAC0:19): To Hit: [1d20+4] = 5+4 = 9 Damage vs. s/m: [1d6+8] = 6+8 = 14, vs. Lg: [3d4+7] = 6+7 = 13

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen sees the fighters tearing through the ranks of the beastmen, so he decides to keep his distance.

Remaining unseen and as quiet as possible, he continues searching the area for any other threats. He watches up the passage for others who might be about to show themselves.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

The Easterner watches at a distance as the party slaughter the beastly creatures who wished them harm.

[Scott308]

Loche

The Pictish rogue moves a bit closer to the beasts even as he sends a bullet hurtling toward one of the foul creatures.

Sling of Sutehk (20): [1d20+3] = 10+3 = 13 Bullet Damage S/M: [1d4+3] = 3+3 = 6; Dam L: [1d6+3] = 5+3 = 8
Loche knows he's firing into melee, but with his awesome new magic sling is unconcerned with such petty matters. He attacks B3 if it is still alive.

[Inferno]

The Vast Subterranean Caverns Beneath the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Seven. Evening?, 19th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






As the explorers under the earth fight the subhuman servants of Zargoth, around them are strewn slashed and shattered bodies like wreckage from a storm. The maelstrom of violence rages on.

Then suddenly, the pale, powerful primitives break. Their second ambush has failed. Not wishing to join the mangled ruins of their bestial kin, they plunge headlong up the switchback path, fleeing the battle.

As they bolt, Loche and Garrin take down one of the savages (B3) by stone and by sword, and Zahra nearly cuts down another (B2)!

Invisible Xorzen lunges aside again, avoiding the stampede, and then the beastmen are gone from sight! They are no match for the outlanders armed with the fabled Treasure of Xuthalhotep.


Actions?!


Map:

The lower part of the map is lower in altitude. The upper part of the map is higher in altitude.
PCs are climbing the path upward. Lighter rocks are the path. Darker rocks are the steep cliffs. Each character is ~5' diameter.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 1, Monsters: [1d6] = 6 Monsters win.
Monsters: Morale check: [2d6] = 10 Fails.
The PCs' attack rolls are used as opportunity attacks on the monsters fleeing the melee.
Also, Loche is able to get a clear shot with his sling as B3 moves from melee.

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 14/14, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl, Lantern
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 26/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 5/14, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 18/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl,
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 16/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 18/21

PC Magic:

• 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."
  Invisibility x2 (Mako): Targets: self and Xorzen

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Scott308]

Loche

The Pict kicks one of the dead creatures before spitting on the corpse.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu moves forward to study the corpses.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra studies the cliff face above them, anticipating a second attack.

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri breathes heavily, looking a bit worse for wear but remaining stoic. “Yes, we’d best be ready for a second encounter with the evil priests. I fear they are nearby,” he says.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako stands quietly in the back of the party keeping a look out behind them.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin keeps watch at the front, sword drawn, while the others survey the carnage.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen checks around on their ambush ledge to see if the monsters left anything important behind.

[Inferno]

The Vast Subterranean Caverns Beneath the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Seven. Evening?, 19th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia



Outmatched, the surviving beastmen break and flee! The adventurers do not give chase. Instead they survey the battlefield where the dead eyes of butchered simian brutes stare glassily into infinity.



Amethu finds no sign of life in the bodies. Their only possessions are loincloths and large primitive weapons.

Garrin and Mako stand guard as Loche kicks one of the massive corpses.

Zahra's crimson eyes scan the cliff face looming above for another lurking ambush on the switchbacks. She sees nothing lying in wait for them. And Xorzen finds nothing in the ambush nest.

Kiri was badly wounded in the beastmen's ill-fated attack. But he does not request aid.


Actions?





PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 14/14, Spells: 4/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl, Lantern
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 26/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 5/14, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 18/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl,
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 16/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 18/21

PC Magic:

• 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."
  Invisibility x2 (Mako): Targets: self and Xorzen

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[ravenn4544]

Amethu, surveying the (visible) party, attends to Kiri's wounds before proceeding. From behind his mask, "That is the last of my healing prayers for now"

Cure Light Wounds [1d8] = 6