Chapter 17: The Island of Death

[Inferno]

The Island of Death, 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. Afternoon?, 23rd day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






On the Island of Death, rotting corpses lumber forth, jerking and staggering like ghastly marionettes with writhing black vines as their strings and their stuffing!

Without hesitation, the adventurers descend upon the cadaverous scarecrows! Loche's hurtling sling stone, Xorzen's piercing javelin, Zahra's glittering sword, Kiri's thrusting trident, Amethu's hammering staff and Garrin's slashing blade quickly reap a gruesome harvest. The four heinous hosts are mercilessly rent asunder!

Horrifically, instead of blood, thousands of tiny seeds spill forth, released into the air as the vines and the dried husks of men collapse! Deathly clouds engulf the adventurers!


Actions?! (Everyone except Loche, Mako and Xorzen, please Save vs Poison on 1d20 to avoid inhaling the seeds)


Map:

One square = 10 feet.


Behind the DM Screen:

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 5, Monsters: [1d6-2] = 5-2 = 3 Party wins.

PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 11/14, Spells: 7/7 1st lvl, 2/3 2nd lvl, Lantern
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 31/45
Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 21/26, 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: 24/25
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: 26/31, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl, 2/4 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: 17/29

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)

[AleBelly]

Tjoruy

Save vs poison [1d20+2] = 8+2 = 10

[ravenn4544]

Amethu

Save vs Poison (10) [1d20] = 20

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Save vs. poison [1d20+4] = 12+4 = 16

There exists no poison which can fell a Cimmerian.

[Urson]

Zahra
attribute check [1d20] = 13

Save vs Poison: 14

[AleBelly]

Tjoruy

The cleric stands, immobile, in the cloud of seeds. It settles, then he taps the adornment on his face. In a rare moment of clarity, he announces "Masks save lives."

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen remains on his elevated perch, keeping his distance from any airborne contagions, watching all around for more trouble before rejoining the others again.

[SocraticLawyer]

Try as he might, Garrin succumbs to the seeds.
Save vs poison (11) [1d20] = 4

[Inferno]

The Island of Death, 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. Afternoon?, 23rd day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






Within the blasphemous ruins of the Island of Death, the sundered vine horrors rupture like seed pods, releasing clouds that engulf the adventurers in dread and ruin!

Kiri and Zahra inhale the tiny seeds! They can taste plant matter... and death. Suddenly, they are wracked by a violent fit of coughing. The vile seeds take root and they scream as something terrible grows inside them.



They spasm involuntarily as black vines writhe out from their mouths and nostrils, smothering their agonizing cries. (3hp and 1hp damage respectively, so far)

Horrifically, they are changing, transforming into vine horrors, while their bodies are still alive!


Actions?! (...for everyone except Kiri and Zahra please)


Map:

One square = 10 feet.


Behind the DM Screen:

Kiri: Save vs Poison: [1d20] = 3 Failed.
Damage to Kiri and Zahra: [1d6] = 3, [1d6] = 1

PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 11/14, Spells: 7/7 1st lvl, 2/3 2nd lvl, Lantern
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 31/45
Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 21/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/19, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/25
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: 26/31, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl, 2/4 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: 16/29

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)

[ravenn4544]

Amethu looks horrified but intrigued at the manifestation of such a virulent attack. With years of prayer and history, he favors without even thinking his Verulian colleague. He will weave a prayer to counteract the poison in his body.

Cast slow poison on Zahra.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra's eyes bulge with fear as the transformation begins. She claws uselessly at the vines, accomplishing nothing.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:
Mako watches in horror. Helpless to change the fates of Zahra and Kiri.

[Scott308]

Loche

Loading up another sling stone, the Pict beseeches others for guidance. Whit dae we dae? Kin we hulp thaim? End thair misery? Whit?

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

The barbarian has witnessed horrifying events in the cold northern hills and on his journey south, but none such as this. He shrinks away, filled with superstitious dread and mind-numbing fear.

"Mother of Mitra! What earthly plague could bring down a lion such as Kiri?!"

[AleBelly]

Tjoruy enters a hallucinogenic fog, trying to remember if he has heard of these seeds and their effects. He doubts his divine power would do his companions any good, so he watches with hope that they can defeat the roots taking hold in their systems.

[SocraticLawyer]

Hoping that Amethu's magic will save Zahra, Garrin approaches Kiri. He beseeches Mitra for aid, that Kiri's body might be cleansed of impurity.

Uses paladin's Cure Disease ability on Kiri.

[OGRE MAGE]

Thinking this situation would make for a pretty good early warning system for any inhabitants of this accursed place, Xorxen stays put at his elevated position, watching all around himself and the group for any trouble that might be closing in.

[Inferno]

The Island of Death, 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. Afternoon?, 23rd day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






The adventurers watch helpless and in horror as Kiri and Zahra undergo a ghastly transformation! A gruesome infestation of thick black vines burst from their mouths, nostrils and wounds, writhing and threshing like sentient tentacles!

Tjoruy wracks his addled brain but recalls nothing of the vile seeds. Xorzen remains vigilant as Cruloc staggers back in superstitious terror of the frightful becoming.

Then Noble Garrin summons the grace of holy Mitra and miraculously cleanses Kiri of the foul blight! The heinous tendrils wither and die as Kiri is cured!

Amethu invokes a sacred prayer to slow the insidious effects of the venomous seeds upon poor Zahra but he cannot lay hands upon the amazon to heal her!

The devil roots grow ever larger within Zahra's beleaguered frame and she screams in agony again! (4hp damage)

Seeing the paladin heal Kiri, Loche is reminded of how Tjoruy was cured of a parasitic infestation by an ancient scroll. Suddenly, the Pict remembers the scroll case he carries, found days ago in the food stores of the gigantic anthill! (listed here, under chapter 15)


Actions?! (...for everyone except Zahra please)


Map:

One square = 10 feet.


Behind the DM Screen:

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 4, Monsters: [1d6-2] = 6-2 = 4 Tied.

Slow Poison and Cure Disease both require touch. Amethu and Garrin need to contact a hostile target:
Amethu and Garrin to hit: [1d20] = 1, [1d20] = 11 Garrin connects. Amethu misses, but may try again as the spell remains active.

Zahra Vines attacks Amethu: [1d20] = 13, [1d20] = 1: damage: [1d6] = 2, [1d6] = 4 Both miss, thanks to Garrin's aura of Protection From Evil. No critical fumbles in this game.

Damage to Zahra: [1d6] = 4

PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 9/14, Spells: 7/7 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl, Lantern
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 31/45
Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 21/26, Laying Hands: 1/1, Cure Disease: 0/1
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/19, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/25
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: 26/31, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl, 2/4 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: 12/29

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.
Slow Poison (Amethu): Target: none yet. Duration: 179 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)

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri is stunned for the moment as his mind is snapped back to reality. He had thought he would suffer for eternity, and indeed has trouble understanding how little time has passed.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu, frustrated at his inability to immediately cure his comrade, he attempts again while the spell still remains alive...

[1d20] = 7