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






Hideous corpses stagger forth, lurching, jerking, lumbering in a ghoulish parody of life. The infestations of insidious vines that have burst from their chests and entwined their fleshless bones animate them like heinous puppets! They close in on the visitors to the Island of Death!

"Run quickly, while we can... into the ruins!" shouts Mako's ghostly voice! Unseen, the easterner flees to the towering steps.

None take heed. Instead, the explorers fire a volley at the grisly marionettes of the vines. Kiri's arrow, Loche's slingshot and Zahra's black javelin slaughter one of the shambling horrors before it can take a step (X6). It ruptures and collapses in a cloud of deadly seeds.

Cruloc's arrow impales an empty eye socket but the macabre cadaver (X5) still advances. It and a third, uninjured abomination (X7) descend writhing and threshing upon Garrin who bares steel and rises to meet them!


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet.


Behind the DM Screen:

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 4, Monsters: [1d6-2] = 2-2 = 0 Party wins.
Kiri: Shortbow: [1d20] = 13, [1d20] = 11, damage: [1d6] = 5, [1d6] = 6 One arrow hits for 5 damage.
Cruloc, Kiri, Loche and Zahra hit X5? (1) or X6? (2): [1d2] = 1, [1d2] = 2, [1d2] = 2, [1d2] = 2

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
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.
Slow Poison (Amethu): Target: none yet. Duration: 176 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)

[AleBelly]

Tjoruy quickly reads through the rest of the papyrus Loche handed him to better understand the blessings Osorus has bestowed upon him.

[SocraticLawyer]

Stay back! says Garrin to the others.

He attacks the wounded vine-creature.

To hit with +2 Longsword [1d20+2] = 10+2 = 12; damage sm [1d8+2] = 2+2 = 4; damage l [1d12+2] = 1+2 = 3

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri does not need to be told twice to stay back. He pulls a torch from his pack and lights it, thinking perhaps flame might burn the spores prevent them suffusing the air.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu also heeds to warning and stays clear - his spells will likely need to be brought to bear once more to try and heal the foul damage from these unholy attacks.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra hreadies another javelin, but holds her fire, waiting for an opening.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen heeds the words of the paladin, going back to his 360 degree lookout for any more encroaching dangers.

[Scott308]

Loche

Knowing he risks hitting his teammate with an errant shot, the Pict decides to roll the dice and fire his sling at the shambling vine creatures. When he sees the bullet ping off of Garrin, however, he quietly tucks his sling away and draws his dagger, hoping nobody noticed anything.

Sling of Sutehk (20): [1d20+3] = 1+3 = 4 Bullet Damage S/M: [1d4+3] = 4+3 = 7; Dam L: [1d6+3] = 3+3 = 6

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Springing to his right and positioning himself halfway between the valiant paladin and Xorxen, Cruloc attempts to draw away from Garrin the attention of the undead.

"Ho, dung rats! You are but garden variety skeletons!"



OoC: Cruloc hopes at least one of them will peel away from Garrin so that he may attack it from behind (+2 to hit) and the others may pepper it/them with missiles. He will maintain a healthy distance from any who advance toward him.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako investigates the ruins with his eyes.

[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 evil vines' wretched hosts are propelled forth even beyond death!

Garrin the Atlantean selflessly urges the others back, lest they risk becoming vine horrors themselves! The valiant paladin enters the fray alone, swinging his scarab sword in great glittering arcs, decapitating one of the grisly foes! (X5)

Loche hurls a sling-stone into the battle and it sails high! Cruloc the barbarian tries to taunt the last deathless atrocity away from its prey, to no avail!

Mako and Xorzen scan the eerie brooding ruins that surround them but spy no further perils.

The rest of the explorers stand ready, weapons poised, watching helplessly as the thorny tendrils of the skeletal symbiote slash and rend Garrin without mercy! (3hp damage)


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet.


Behind the DM Screen:

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 3, Monsters: [1d6-2] = 2-2 = 0 Party wins.
Cruloc succeeds in drawing X7 away from battle? (25%): [1d100] = 72 No.
X7 attacks Garrin: [1d20] = 19, [1d20] = 3, damage: [1d6] = 3, [1d6] = 4 Hit once for 3hp damage.

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: 18/26, 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, Torch
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.
Slow Poison (Amethu): Target: none yet. Duration: 175 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 attempts With his torch to set alight the vine zombies they’ve already killed, lest they sprout new aberrations.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako stands watch.

[OGRE MAGE]

Seeing things nearly under control now, Xorxen drops from his elevated position and searches the area around the broken pillars.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin grunts in pain and annoyance, before slashing at the creature with his blade.

To hit with +2 Longsword [1d20+2] = 9+2 = 11; damage sm [1d8+2] = 5+2 = 7; damage l [1d12+2] = 2+2 = 4

[Scott308]

Loche

Dinnae breath, Garrin! Th' hings cannae infect ye if ye dinnae breathe in th' foul jobby! Loche shouts advice to Garrin, unwilling himself to get close enough to the creatures to test his theory.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

The muscled barbarian seethes at being denied a part in this fight, but Garrin's command and his fear-born superstition keep him away from the action. He moves closer to Xorxen, and his bow is drawn - if only a shot would present itself. Crom's sack, paladin! Finish them or move out of the way!

"Blast these marionettes! They annoy me more than do even the accursed white-faced pantomimes of Shadizar!"

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra, unable to assist with the vine skeletons, keeps a watch toward the stairs, hoping nothing worse comes along.

[AleBelly]

"Great gift of Osorus!" exclaims Tjoruy after examining the parchment. He will continue to heed the paladin's wishes and stay out of the fray. He doesn't like the sight of Mako standing alone, so he runs around the melee to join him at the top of the steps.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu also stands back while the foul thing is brought low. He keeps his eyes out for further intruders.