Chapter 24: Human Sacrifices

[wolfpack]

You should not lead the way, we need your powers it is to risky. I will lead

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur keeps his torch and dagger ready, bringing up the rear.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis will move forward, also in the second rank, near Jerome.

[Inferno]

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







At the threshold of the corpse bridge, Ingrid, Mouser and Rudolf find no insidious devices, neither mechanical nor magical to threaten them.

Thus the heroes steel themselves and proceed deeper into the shrine of heinous atrocities.




Their footfalls echoing in the vast ageless magnificence, they walk the towering corridor of the lichway, beneath looming ominous vaults and between countless sorcerous slabs.




The haunting, everlasting tone seems to grow louder with every step.

Darkness evaporates before the advance of their torchlight and a crossroads materializes in the pitch shadows' wake.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 5 feet. Asterisks and black dots by the room numbers 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: 3/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/20, 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: 6 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 holds his place. Any.. he croaks, then clears his throat and tries again. Anyone have chalk? Or a crayon?

[rredmond]

"Maybe a bit of burned out torch?" Rudolf offers helpfully. Anticipating the party discussing their next move, he'll say "I bet that right hand corridor will let us know if we missed a secret door or not," and then he'll check the floor and walls closely, just to get a sense of what they are made of, and what he can see. Screaming torturous faces??? Also check to see how high the ceiling might be, and if there's anything up there.
After that 10 or 15 feet, the bridge ended, yes? We are in a proper hallway?

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo looks around wearily, listening for which direction the irritating noise is emanating from the most.

“Right seems to be the wise choice, if there is such a thing in this terrible place.”

[ravenn4544]

Mouser agrees with right. He'll pause to listen at the darkness for any other sounds than what he can hear at the moment.

[wolfpack]

Brevos will check for any signs of movement or tracks

[1d100] = 48

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur follows along with the group, checking the stonework as he goes.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

I have some candles. We could drip tallow on the floor to mark the path we take.

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome nods. Good ideas, both of them.

When the group reaches the crossing, Jerome will post himself facing the opposite way from the one being searched.

[Inferno]

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







The voluntary human sacrifices inch deeper and deeper into the shrine of unholy atrocities.

Unopposed, they willingly walk the path by which the dead are carried to their grave, a towering lichway of heinous magnificence.

From the crossroads they can see the dead end of each branch. There too are vast walls lined in stone slabs etched with occult designs of profane geometry.



The main path continues straight on into shadow.

Urdur concludes this unhallowed structure is solid as a fortress. Rudolf confirms the floor and walls to be made of stone, and estimates the vaulted ceilings to loom fifty feet high.

Mouser hears no sound beyond the eerie, reverberating note. The grey druid believes it emanates from the darkness directly ahead. Brevos finds disturbances in the dusty floor. They too lead straight into the waiting black.


Actions?


Map:

One square = 5 feet. Asterisks and black dots by the room numbers don't represent anything. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.





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: 3/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/20, 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: 4 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]

Tracks lead this way straight, perhaps our girl.

[rredmond]

"We can always come back and check for secret passages or doors," Rudolf adds, "if we aren't running for our lives back this way; which considering our recent history would be the usual." He smiles, looks forward steeling himself, taking a place near and a little behind the ranger, "straight into the unknown it is."

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis squints and looks around, his facial expression betraying some mental math going on behind his eyes.

"I recon the way this place is laid out, there's sure to be a door hidden from sight, probably, down that right hallway, that leads to some sort of space there. Otherwise the architecture makes no sense at all. Still, if you tracking types are seeing tracks, perhaps it's best we follow? Or not. Could've been made by anything," he says.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser looks up at the intersection for anything interesting.

[Urson]

Jerome

Jerome shudders. I've seen this layout before- one of the Major religions has their cathedrals in a cross shape. Just another profanity in a sea of profanities.

He takes his place near the front of the group as they move forward, muttering prayers.

[SocraticLawyer]

Let's follow the tracks, says Urdur. He continues exploring with the group.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

My spell will end soon, so we should get moving. I don't have a strong preference which path we take. If the girl is still alive as we believe, I doubt that will change soon given the time she has been missing. If we wish to search these side halls, I do not feel it to be a bad idea.