Chapter 24: Human Sacrifices

[Inferno]

Within the Lost Shrine of Ancient Evil, the Dark Mountain, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Twenty. Long after midnight. Thursday, December 1st, 576 CY
Freezing cold, clear.







Eyes riveted, Telkis takes a step closer to the severed hand. This time he is certain. Its index finger twitches!

Rudolf dares not open the door with the secret sigil. After propping the southern door ajar with an unlit torch, Jerome joins the hobbit at the eastern door. The paladin does not recognize the secret occultic symbol, but it fills him with a nameless dread. (Please see PM)

Under Brevos' suspicious gaze, Mouser leafs through the vast, thick tome. The top of each page reads "That Which Was Given" and each leaf is filled with different names. Among the countless epithets, the handwriting and the ink changes. Mouser recognizes one surname as being that of a prosperous noble house in Hookhill.

The grey druid pries the prehistoric stag's head from the wall.



It is heavy and freezing in his hands. Long Bo finds nothing upon the wall behind it. But the wooden plaque to which its thick neck is mounted has petrified with time.

Ingrid Esthof casts her holy vision across the rest of the room. Still, she discovers no threats laying in wait. Nevertheless, Urdur counsels retreat as he inches toward the demon-faced door.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

Asterisk by door doesn't represent anything. One square = 5 feet. Greyer areas are water.

Map:






PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 22/22, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 14/20, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 30/30, Spells: 5/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34, Torch
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl and 2/2 2nd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

• Find Traps (Ingrid): Duration: 26 rounds

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
  Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
  Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[wolfpack]

We have come to far to turn back

Brevos will open the door

[ravenn4544]

Mouser will examine the book and determine if it will fit in his pack.

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome makes a small noise of disgust. He pulls a large sack out of his pack and uses it to cover the symbol, nailing it in place with a dagger from his belt. He makes sure the dagger goes into the door _above_ the mark.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo lays the head on the floor and digs around at the petrified plaque with his blade, attempting to pry inside of the mount to see if there is anything hidden in the beasts skull cavity.

"This place is not right."

[rredmond]

Yikes, Rudolf thinks if the ranger opens the door. It swings away from us, out, correct? Just want to make sure I read that part of the post correctly Rudolf presses himself to the wall next to the hinges side of the door, short sword and dagger out. Hide in shadows, for what it's worth

Whether the ranger gets to open the door or not, Rudolf keeps an eye on the paladin to see what he has made of the runic sigils.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur waits to see what lies behind the door. Torch in one hand, dagger in the other, he wishes once again that Mittens were still with him.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric will step up beside Brevos, holy symbol gripped tightly in her hand in case she should need it to hold back the forces of darkness.

[Inferno]

Within the Lost Shrine of Ancient Evil, the Dark Mountain, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Twenty. Long after midnight. Thursday, December 1st, 576 CY
Freezing cold, clear.







In the Lost Temple of Abominations, Mouser examines the ancient thick tome of those that were given. It must contain thousands of pages and weigh over 60 lbs. It might fit in his backpack by itself, but would likely not survive rough handling or the rigors of arduous travel.

With effort, Long Bo pries the frozen mount from the petrified plaque, revealing only the handiwork of skilled, if antiquated, taxidermy.

Jerome struggles to spear a sack to the eastern, black door with his dagger. But its wood is petrified with age and as hard as rock.

Then, to Rudolf's alarm, Brevos throws open the eastern door and is immediately hit by a blast of frigid air!

...

The petrified portal swings inward and their torchlight reveals several benches facing an oil painting that covers the eastern wall.

The subject of this immense composition is the heroes themselves! But the painting is far older than any of them!

It depicts them genuflecting in worship before a black altar that dominates the foreground! The likeness is eerily uncanny. The heroes are portrayed in a crisp, highly realistic, detailed, masterful hand, exactly as they appear now, down to their exact attire and gear; even the lengths of their beards and the haggard cast of their weary eyes!


Actions?!


Map Detail:

Asterisk by door doesn't represent anything. One square = 5 feet. Greyer areas are water.


Map:






PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 22/22, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 14/20, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 30/30, Spells: 5/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34, Torch
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl and 2/2 2nd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

• Find Traps (Ingrid): Duration: 25 rounds

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
  Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
  Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[Urson]

Jerome
After knocking a chip out of the door, Jerome gives that up for a bad job. He looks into the room and gasps in fear. NO! Don't go in there! I don't know why- but it is a bad thing!
For his part, he steps back toward the middle of the room.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser sighs as he realizes he can't take the volume with him. He looks expectantly at some of the stronger figures but they are all busy engrossed in something else. He sighs and thinks, "Well, if we make it back out this way we can take it - it's probably worth a fortune to the right buyers..."

[rredmond]

Rudolf watches the ranger carefully, keeping tight to the wall, to make sure nothing takes control of him in any way. And keeps his sword and dagger ready for whatever may come out of the room. I've known elves who like chaos, he thinks to himself, and plenty of rangers who thrive in it... apparently combining the two is a impulse control disaster.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Remaining where she is, Ingrid lets her holy symbol fall back to her chest. With her free hand, she will carefully release the clasp on her cloak, allowing it to fall to the floor at her feet, never taking her eyes off the painting in the next room.

[OGRE MAGE]

Seeing nothing of interest with the stag mount, Bo leaves it on the floor and watches the actions at the newly opened door.

He moves closer to the center of the room, seeing Jerome doing the same.

"What did you see in there, my gallant friend? Wait.....what is Ingrid doing with her cloak?"

The druid takes a few more steps towards the others at the door with his spear at the ready.

[Urson]

Jerome An ancient, dusty painting- of us, as we are right now! I have no idea what Sister Ingrid is doing- or how the painting came to be- but I won't approach it any closer.

[wolfpack]

Brevos sticks out one arm to bock ingrid from moving forward and slams the door shut with the other

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur happily watches the door shut.

Let's try the southern door instead.

[ChubbyPixie]

After staring at the severed hand for what seems like an eternity, so intent he is unaware of the uncanny discovery in the next room, Telkis suddenly strikes at it with his morning star like a rat catcher clubbing a rat:

Morningstar +1 (THAC0 19): To Hit:[1d20+1] = 18+1 = 19, Damage: vs s/m [2d4+1] = 6+1 = 7, vs L [1d6+2] = 4+2 = 6

THWAP!!

“It moved! It moved! I saw it move!” he shouts.

[Inferno]

Within the Lost Shrine of Ancient Evil, the Dark Mountain, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Twenty. Long after midnight. Thursday, December 1st, 576 CY
Freezing cold, clear.








“It moved! It moved! I saw it move!” Telkis suddenly shouts as he strikes at the severed hand, knocking it to the floor!




Meanwhile, beyond the black door with the black rune, an impossible, ominous canvas depicts the heroes' imminent descent into madness and Evil. But it appears to have been painted hundreds if not thousands of years ago!

Consumed by dread, Jerome cries out, "NO! Don't go in there!" as he retreats from the fearsome image!

Eyes transfixed upon the painting, Ingrid lowers her holy symbol and her cloak. Her painted likeness does not change. But under her careful scrutiny, details emerge with every moment spent gazing into the distressing art...

In the shadows behind the heroes, there lurk menacing shapes. Horrifically, they are half-visible, damned ghosts... of their dead friends! These wretched spirits appear just as they did in death! The likeness, realism and detail is unnerving, triggering a disorienting sense of deja vu!

• Moogeye Comcra, murdered and raised from the dead as an unliving horror, haunts Long Bo.
  
  
  
  
  Avril Hollysword, transforming into a ghastly swamp ooze, lurks in the shadow of Urdur Shimmerstone.
  
  
  
  
  Grothnak Uthglukh, crushed to death in the collapse of the Hell Mouth, looms over Telkis again.
  
  Pip of Hochoch, every bone in his body shattered by a 100 foot fall, shadows his old friend Brevos.
  
  
  
  Pelias Blanchflower, also buried alive in the Hell Mouth avalanche, hovers behind fellow paladin, Jerome.
  
  Hothhil Thornbush, gruesomely murdered and cut apart in an occult ritual in the haunted wood, waits behind Rudolf.
  
  
  
  Hoom Feethos, blood-soaked from dozens of stab wounds, stands behind Mouser.
  
  And Elden Vodarte, poisoned by Bertram Beswill of the Golden Grain Inn, plagues his friend Ingrid Esthof.

All of them are here, cursed to haunt the living. The hair on the back of Ingrid's neck stands up.

Then Brevos slams the black door shut.


Actions?! (Ingrid, see PM)


Map Detail:

One square = 5 feet. Asterisk by door doesn't represent anything. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Map:






PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 22/22, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 14/20, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 30/30, Spells: 5/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34, Torch
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl and 2/2 2nd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

• Find Traps (Ingrid): Duration: 24 rounds

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
  Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
  Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Picking up her cloak, the cleric gives voice to her thoughts. The painting shows us as we were the moment the door was opened. I wished to see if it would change if we changed. It did not do so while we watched. She moves forward, opening the door as she continues. Let's see if it updated while the door was shut.