Chapter 16: Beneath the Starless Sky

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen blocks his fear from the dreams and their dire situation from his strong willed mind.

The masked monk leads the others back out of the hole again, pleased that they have survived the ordeal from the day before relatively unscathed.

"Brother Tjoruy, do you know anything about this ship we seek?"

[Inferno]

The Underground City, Beneath the Great Pyramid of Xuthalhotep
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Ten. Dawn?, 23rd day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






The explorers of the underworld climb out of the colossal anthill and dwell again beneath the strange celestial sphere of the cavern vaults. They stand between the labyrinthine city, the fungal forest, and a tributary of the Black Lake.

Cruloc the barbarian swears a sizzling oath of vengeance punctuated by Zahra's riotous chorus. Kiri summons the spirit of his dead ancestor who is once more hidden from his earthly sight. Garrin suggests they make for the ship that he and Cruloc discovered.

Xorzen asks their guide to perdition: "Brother Tjoruy, do you know anything about this ship we seek?"

The mad dilapidated prophet rants: "Oh ye pilgrims to the realm of the dead, 'tis a vessel of nightmare and torment that doth service the dread appetites of the Devourer of Souls. His faithful servants feast like locusts in these streets, carrying the choicest prey across the starless sea, unto the very Island of Death, from whence none ever return."
A sudden clarity of fear grips Tjoruy's bloodshot eyes. "Art thou truly ready to pass from all remembrance? Or perchance thou wouldst rather partake of the merciful forgetfulness proffered by yon mushroom forest?"


Actions?!



Underground City Map:






PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 8/14, Spells: 7/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 42/45
  Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 26/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 25/25
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 12/12, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
  Tjoruy: Verulian Osoran Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/31, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 16/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 26/29

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 (Garrin, Kiri, Loche, Mako and Xorzen have breathed of the mists): 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 (Mako): Target: self
  Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 79 rounds

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)

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

His vocabulary temporarily spent, the Cimmerian silently listens to the shabby cleric and his lunatic offer of two varieties of oblivion.

In answer, Cruloc, eyes blazing volcanic blue, spits lustily at Tjoruy’s feet.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra thinks a moment, considering the priest's words. The boat is manned by worshippers? I know it is a foolish idea-fit only for children's tales- but if we can take the ship from them, maybe we can use their masks as disguises. Any sentries watching the shore would see nothing amiss.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin says, Let us head there now.
If any of these lost souls impede our quest, we will deal with them accordingly. The paladin begins the journey to the boat.

[ChubbyPixie]

"Good idea, Zahra," says Kiri. "And they all wear masks which we can wear to complete the disguise."

He ponders for a moment, then adds, "Why do strange cults always make themselves so easily infiltrated?"

[Urson]

Zahra
They are very sure they are right, and that they are smarter than all around them. So they are sloppy.

[Scott308]

Loche

Ah'ament eating ony mair o' they pumpin' mushrooms!

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen makes sure nobody eats any more of the magic mushrooms, ready to depart with the others to this island of death.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu agrees, "Let us investigate this vessel. It is perhaps the next step on our quest"

[Inferno]

The Underground City, Beneath the Great Pyramid of Xuthalhotep
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Ten. Dawn?, 23rd day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






The adventurers decline Tjoruy's invitation to escape and oblivion, and follow the river to the black lake. Thanks to Mako, Cruloc and Garrin already know the way.

The luminous tributary on their right, the ageless decay of the Underground City on their left, they soon reach the western edge of the ageless labyrinthine ruins. Beyond it, a great cavern looms over a vast subterranean lake. Where the city meets the water, a dark ship is moored. At the sight of it, Tjoruy shudders.



Some hundred feet from the dock, the adventurers take cover behind broken obelisks and straggling lines of crumbling walls. From their unseen vantage, they spot two of Zargoth's savage beast-men standing guard on the timeworn pier. Hideous half-breeds of animal and man, they serve as unsettling reminders of humanity's feral, brutal past... and present.


Actions?!



Underground City Map:

'S' marks the dark ship.





PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 8/14, Spells: 7/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 42/45
  Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 26/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/19, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 25/25
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 12/12, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
  Tjoruy: Verulian Osoran Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/31, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 16/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 26/29

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 (Garrin, Kiri, Loche, Mako and Xorzen have breathed of the mists): 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 (Mako): Target: self

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)

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

The silence of the underground city lies like a brooding cloak over the grim soul of the barbarian.

"I would lay low this tenebrous kingdom!" he growls.

Rounding a bend with the noiseless slouch of the hunting panther, he no sooner glimpses the horrid half-breeds than he lurches backward and presses his tanned brawn against a cracked obelisk. He raises a calloused palm to the party to stop.

"Behold!" he murmurs to Garrin, pointing at the degenerate guardsmen on the dock. "Their beast-natures are so strong that their very flesh conforms to the vileness of their souls!"

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin nods at Cruloc's words. Indeed. I would advise that we dispatch those two, but this reeks of a trap.
These beastmen are like vermin; for every one we see, there are others unseen.

Perhaps we could fire what ranged weapons we have at these two, thereby drawing out any others that remain hidden. When all are defeated, we can commandeer this vessel.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen looks around the immediate vicinity for a building or structure that he could climb up high enough to get a bats-eye-view of this death ship and the beast-men guarding her.

If such a structure exists, he begins climbing and observing.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra studies the guards, and the terrain between them and the group. She's looking for any sort of cover or concealment closer to the ship.
Tjoury- do you know how deep the water is along the pier? And does the water have any magic in it? She remembers hearing a story once about an underground river that wiped away all a person't memories.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu considers the two watchful apparitions on the dock. "Perhaps a spell woven with the persuasion of ancient Verulia may help us here - and create an ally that could lead us across the fell water...."

He opens an ancient tome of magic and studies what is in it, refreshing on the the ability and limitations of such enchantment. He ponders a few moments before proceeding.

[Scott308]

Loche

The Pict pulls out his sling. Juist say th' word.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

"There is sure to be more nearby. If only there was a way to silence their voices from calling for help."

[ravenn4544]

Amethu looks at the Easterner and nods contemplatively at the suggestion. "That is a good suggestion. It is a more likely solution to the challenge before us versus trying to ensorcel just one of them. That may be an option we rely on in the imminent future, however. Let's keep that option in reserve..."

Amethu flips the pages in his tome to land on another page. He reviews the characteristics of the spell - one he is more familiar with - to confirm the distance that such an enchantment can be effective. He looks back to the two creatures and judges them to be in range. He secures his precious book in his pack and moves to intone the phrases and make the movements needed to empower the spell...

Silence 15' radius (targeting the one on the right for a focus of the spell)

[Inferno]

Amethu
Silence 15' radius (targeting the one on the right for a focus of the spell)

Hi Raven,
The one on the left might be closer. Also, they are almost 15 feet apart now, fyi.
Have a look at the map to follow directly below, and feel free to modify your orders. Thanks.