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.







Rushing in where angels fear to tread, none of the heroes are killed during their reckless advance into the gallery of horrors. It would seem the only deathtraps lurking here are for their souls.

Jerome cannot avert his eyes from the heinous nightmare depravity of color and form that overwhelm and engulf his perception.



Searching for secret paths and snares, the cautious heroes find none hidden within the architecture, and dare not look for them among the occult symbology of the ghastly masterpieces that glare down upon them from every direction.

Nevertheless, something is discovered. At the center of the spiral of outward-facing pews, Jerome finds a low table holding a strange black powder upon a large shard of glass. He does not recognize it.



But Mouser, Rudolf and Urdur do, if only by reputation. The silky ebon powder comes from the ground petals of the fabled Black Lotus. The legendary substance is a psychedelic drug without equal. It is said that just one sniff will transform Men into Gods, or annihilate them to Hell in the space between seconds.


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: 18 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]

Brevos backs away form the powder not getting near it

[ChubbyPixie]

“Why are the pews facing outward, I wonder?” says Telkis. “I suppose everything they do must be a mockery of the decent and wholesome.”

[ravenn4544]

Mouser considers the lotus curiously, "or perhaps that is a pathway to the Nothing? Consume some of that and enjoy the show as it were?"

[rredmond]

"It's probably worth a decent amount to the right buyer," Rudolf comments from the doorway, "but not worth the trouble."
As Rudolf looks in he takes in the room.
My first thoughts on the room are different now I think. Are the pews just facing the southern, eastern and western walls? There are no pews facing, or murals upon, the northern (door) wall?
The pews are wooden? Originally I thought they were just three straight bench pews, one facing each wall. But now I wanted to ask about the "spiral" comment. Are they three semi-circular pews facing the back three walls? One long semi-circular pew facing the back three walls? Or one big circle of pews, facing all four walls, with the lotus table in the middle? Thank you!

[rredmond]

"On second thought," says Rudolf as he takes in the spiraling, outward facing, pews, "I say we check for any secret exits and if there aren't any we get out of here. That table placed in the middle of that spiral looks like a spider in it's web waiting for prey. We still have one more set of doors to investigate. Hopefully that one leads somewhere without the wonderfully inspiring things we've seen thus far."

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo enters the room next, moving in for a closer look at this black powder, knowing something about the many different types of lotus.

From a distance, and without touching it, or sniffing any, the old human examines the glass shard on the table to see if it appears that it could be picked up without difficulty.

"Perhaps one of you who is better trained in such things wouldn't mind taking a look at this? I know that this stuff can be incredibly deadly when used in the correct fashion, so I believe that we should take it along with us if we can. And what were you saying about a spiders web again? I missed that."

[wolfpack]

we should leave this be and move on

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome studies the odd arrangement of pews, puzzling at what its purpose is.
If this is as powerful as you say, it is valuable to the worshippers here. Destroy it.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur nods in agreement. This is a trap, as surely as a pit full of poison-soaked spikes. It must be destroyed, lest it consume us.

If no one stops him, Urdur very carefully puts his torch to the powder, slowly but methodically burning the entire pile. He is careful not to inhale any smoke.

[wolfpack]

Brevos moves even further back away form the powder

don't activate it

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Being unfamiliar with the powder, but not the evil that permeates everything here, Ingrid requests caution. Just be careful with anything in there, she calls from outside the room. We know things tend to be more dangerous than we might expect.

[Inferno]

Gallery of Horrors, The Lost Shrine of Ancient Evil
The Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Twenty. Long after midnight. Thursday, December 1st, 576 CY







The fabled Black Lotus holds a deadly allure few men can resist.

A powder rendered from its crushed petals sits at the center of a spiral pew in the gallery of horrific masterpieces.

As Brevos and Ingrid counsel caution, Bo, Mouser and Urdur move closer to the seductive substance, seemingly unable to withstand its siren call.



The grey druid believes the piece of glass upon which the ebon grains sit can be lifted up.

Urdur lowers his torch, intending to burn the evil powder away, slowly and methodically.

But upon the first contact with the flame, it suddenly ignites in an unexpected flash!




An ominous cloud of fumes roils forth from the burning Black Lotus powder!




The nearest heroes desperately try to avoid the writhing tendrils of smoke, but the spiraling pew that surrounds them inhibits their most direct path of escape!

While, beyond the chamber's threshold, the ghastly tormented faces in the floor laugh in unholy joy!


Actions?! (Bo, Jerome, Mouser and Urdur, please make an Ability Check vs Dex to avoid the expanding cloud (Mouser at -2 to the die roll). If you fail, then please Save vs Poison to take an action. Good luck.)


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: 17 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)

[rredmond]

"Nobody listens to the wise halflings, as my mother used to say," Rudolf murmurs, eyes wide. If the smoke looks like it's spreading, Rudolf will move further away, out of it's range, stomping his leathery soles on the laughing faces harder than he needs. As best as he can, without putting himself in the area of effect of the black cloud, he keeps an eye on his party mates in the midst of it. He also prepares his rope, uncertain how else he'll get anyone out if they can't leave on their own. "At the Slovenly Trull, one of the, ahem, dance places in the Jade Streets of Dorakaa," he says to Telkis and Ingrid, then catching himself as he looks at them, uncoiling his rope, "not really a place you want to visit, Dorakaa, definitely not a place to sleep... ever. Safer in the woods, anyway, at the Slovenly Trull the," he looks up again, with a wink, "dancers used these concertinaed thick papers, or were they thin boards," he shrugs, "no matter, they used to hide their faces, and fan themselves with them. If only we had a big one of those..." his story without a point ends as he prepares the rope with a loop.

[wolfpack]

Why do they refuse to listen.

brevos prepares his rope as well

[ravenn4544]

Mouser raises his eye's at the burning and starts to move away. I think you are supposed to chew this stuff - not burn it!

Dex (17) [1d20] = 15

OOC: was the -2 to save intended to make it harder or easier. I think if it moves to a 17 it's still a save (even at a tie?)

[Urson]

Jerome

Stat check [1d20] = 16 Dex is 9

Jerome holds his breath as he attempts to escape. He steps up onto the pews, using the seats and backs to try and get away more quickly. He won't stop until he's back with the floor faces.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo is shocked when Urdur lights the powder with all of them so close by. He holds his tongue and spins around towards the doorway, trying not to breath in any of the poison fumes.

Dex Check (15) [1d20] = 6

Using his height to full advantage, he tries to straddle or leap the pews to get through the door and out into the larger room beyond.

[SocraticLawyer]

Dexterity check (17) [1d20] = 8

Urdur jumps back and over the pews, trying to get away from the smoke.

[ChubbyPixie]

“C’mon out of there!” shouts Telkis while taking a step further back from the doorway himself.