Chapter 24: Human Sacrifices

[rredmond]

"Stupid screaming faces." Rudolf lets the others know that the doors appear safe, adding under his breath "just hoping we get out of here still alive.". Then, unless someone stops him, he motions the others away from the front of the mouth. After that he also gets out of the way of the front of the mouth, standing off to the side, and gives the door a push to ensure it's locked.

If it opens he'll say "sometimes the easiest way is the best way."

If it doesn't open he'll say "yup, I think we do need that key."

[ravenn4544]

Mouser hangs out by the book and watches the door opening process.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric waits to see if the door opens for Rudolph.

[Inferno]

DM:

Rudolf's experimental push confirms that the southern demon door is locked.

"Yup, I think we do need that key."

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo retrieves the key from the other door and tosses it to Rudolph.

"Lets get this over with, shall we?"

[rredmond]

If everything is the same as the other door (ie: the hobbit's hand doesn't enter the mouth ) and he has time, then Rudolf puts the key in, takes a breath, turns the key, and does the same side pushing maneuver... you know just in case.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur waits nervously, torch and dagger ready.

[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.







As Mouser retreats to the comfort of the skin-bound tome of Those That Were Given, the grey druid fearlessly retrieves the key from the northern devil door without incident.

Standing to one side, Rudolf plunges the bronze key into the southern portal and turns it. A click reverberates up his trembling fingers. The hobbit rogue takes a breath and throws the door inward, unleashing a wave of frigid stale air.

Rudolf summons his courage and peers into the southern demon door. There he finds a literal gallery of horrors. Pews face mural-covered walls. Each painting is crisp and highly detailed, as if observed from life. But given the subject matter, that is not possible... they hope.

The southern wall holds a mural of the Dark Mother, known by some as Shub-Niggurath, the Black Goat of the Woods with a Thousand Young. An unimaginable towering horror of writhing tentacles, mouths within mouths and eyes within eyes.



Surrounding it are three demon gods of Oerth, all bowing down before the Dark Mother.

Orcus, bloated goat of Hell.




Lolth, hideous empress of all widows.





Demogorgon, iniquitous prince of demons.




An homage to this fearsome masterpiece, fashioned into a devotional triptic, was found deep within the Hell Mouth near Briarsgate. There too was found madness, depravity and horror.

Other walls hold murals depicting unimaginable violations. One shows hundreds of women hanged from a single spreading tree.




Another shows countless men impaled on pikes.




The pikes fill an endless field of agony and death.

Yet another mural depicts acts too vile and unspeakable to describe.

Each heinous work of art bears arcane inscriptions in the same forbidden language etched into the stonegate.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 5 feet. Asterisk by the door, and dot by the '4', don'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: 19 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
Jerome walks through this gallery in apparent shock. His face goes from dead-white to greenish, looking as if he might retch. He whispers prayers to St. Cuthbert as he walks.

[wolfpack]

Brevos shakes his head at the horrors.

try not to touch anything and for the sake of the gods do not read the words.

he will search for secret doors

[rredmond]

"Be careful," Rudolf whispers at Jerome, not moving from the depressing safety of the screaming faces, but watching the paladin (as well as scanning the other 3 exits in the room) carefully for any changes.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser inches into the room, unable to restrain himself from what interesting things could be here. After examining the 'artwork' he'll try and focus on searching for any secret compartments and exits.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur helps search for secret doors.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Having seen some of these images before, the cleric has no interest in entering the room. She will wait with Rudolf.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser notices that Ingrid stays back, "Ingrid - is your find traps spell still active? It may be of use in here...."

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric moves to the threshold of the room, scanning for traps. A few moments ago, nobody wanted me to enter a room with a painting, now we can't have enough people in a room with many paintings.

I don't know the range of the spell. If it will not reach everywhere in the room, she will advance in far enough to cover the entire room.

[Urson]

Jerome
As the others enter, Jerome seems to realize he has a job to do. He tries to keep an eye out for threats to the people searching, but his eyes keep sliding back to the awful images on the walls- morbidly fascinated.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo stands in the doorway for a moment, looking around at all the fine artwork.

"Well, isn't this is a lovely room of death. If there is nothing for us, I believe we should press on. This whole area seems to be nothing more than a damned distraction."

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis will hang by the door with Long Bo. He has no desire to enter this room unless he must.

[Inferno]

Ingrid Esthof
A few moments ago, nobody wanted me to enter a room with a painting, now we can't have enough people in a room with many paintings.