Chapter 17: The Island of Death

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen dives to the side, behind Loche, does a summersault and hops to his feet again, lofting his magic javelin at the approaching monster behind them.

Javalin Attack [1d20+1] = 2+1 = 3 Damage [1d6+2] = 3+2 = 5

If the beast is already too close, the masked monk simply attacks it hand to hand with his favored weapon.

Attack w/ +2 Javelin of Men-khetu [1d20+2] = 7+2 = 9 Dam [1d6+3] = 6+3 = 9

[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





There are no words for such abysmal shrieking, such abominable contradiction of life.

The abhorrent handiwork of Zargoth... was this the adventurers' dark fate? To be warped and twisted beyond all recognition, all memory, all hope?

The heinous horror (F4) drags its revolting bulk closer and Xorzen lunges back and hurls his enchanted javelin at the ghastly atrocity! Disgust and loathing ruins his aim.

Cruloc, Loche, Zahra and gigantic Amethu descend upon the last faceless man (F3) but none can land a blow! With a great sweep of its dripping ax, it clears a space around itself in a deadly arc that slices open Amethu's colossal fist! (3hp damage)

Suddenly, Tjoruy awakens from his psychedelic, disembodied reveries and pulls Garrin's broken body back in order to miraculously heal it with a hieroglyphic scroll of lost Verulia! (+10hp) The son of Atlantis awakens, returning to the waking nightmare of the Island of Death.

Behind them, the winch crank seemingly turns itself, raising the portcullis and locking it open!



Kiri releases the gate and stumbles blindly up the stone steps, feeling his way, following the desperate cries of his beleaguered friends, and the inhuman gibbering of that which his mind can only imagine.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet.

Map:



Behind the DM Screen:

Monsters attack last in round.
F3 attacks Cruloc, Loche, Zahra or Amethu? [1d4] = 4, to hit: [1d20] = 13, damage: [1d10] = 3 Hits for 3 damage.

PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 6/14, Spells: 6/7 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl, Lantern on ground
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 28/45
Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 9/26, Laying Hands: 1/1, Torch left at gate
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/19, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, Blind
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: 2/5 1st lvl, 2/4 2nd lvl
Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 14/16
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 18/29

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: 163 rounds.
Enlarge (Amethu): Target: self. Duration: 16 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

With a wide-eyed frenzy born of desperation and midwifed by shuddering, unreasoning fear, the Cimmerian brings his blade down in a murderous arc, cleaving the horror's exposed, tumour-ridden neck.

Attack w/ longsword [1d20+2] = 15+2 = 17
Longsword vs. L opponent [1d12+3] = 10+3 = 13

His sword and self bespattered with viscid blood and pus, he utters a challenge to the fiend before him and to the elephantine obscenity which shambles nearer:

"Come, you lowest of misborn curs! I’ll splatter your brains all over these dank walls!"

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra snarls and shrieks as she charges (F4).

att [1d20+4] = 5+4 = 9

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen leaps towards the beast again, stabbing out futilely with his javelin as he lands.

Attack w/ +2 Javelin of Men-khetu [1d20+2] = 3+2 = 5 Dam [1d6+3] = 4+3 = 7

[SocraticLawyer]

With a nod of thanks to Tjoruy, Garrin rejoins the fray, attacking the large horror.

To hit with +2 Longsword [1d20+2] = 1+2 = 3; damage sm [1d8+2] = 2+2 = 4; damage l [1d12+2] = 6+2 = 8

He trips on a stone instead.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako returns to Kiri.
"Fear not I have returned for you. Take my arm and I will guide you."
Mako leads him past the gate and halts behind Tjoruy.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu seems to take stock of his new found bulk and settles himself enough to make a worthy attack.

To Hit (THACO 20): [1d20+2] = 13+2 = 15
Staff of Uthoth - Damage: = S/M/L: [1d6+2] = 5+2 = 7

[AleBelly]

Tjoruy watches agape as Garrin stirs again. "O Osorus! You have filled this empty vessel with the gift of resurrection! If you are with me, I fear none who are against me!"

With a maniacal glazed look, he pulls his mace and charges into the fray.

Mace of the Old Kingdom attack [1d20+2] = 9+2 = 11 damage [1d6+3] = 5+3 = 8

[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






Writhing, gibbering, flailing, lunging, the monstrous abomination lurches closer and its grotesque immensity becomes more shocking with each shambling step! (F4)

Garrin, Tjoruy, Xorzen and Zahra steel themselves and launch at the nauseating, unimaginable horror but their weapons are battered away by countless thick, scabrous arms that hammer them with inhuman strength and cruelty! (5hp damage to Tjoruy. 2hp damage to Xorzen. 6hp damage to Zahra)

Behind them, invisible Mako patiently leads the blind Kiri up the stairs toward the towering Amethu who crashes his gigantic staff into the last warped, faceless man (F3), shattering its twisted, malformed skull! Simultaneously, Cruloc reaps a crimson harvest of its steaming entrails and the tainted, warped Verulian is dead before it hits the ground!




Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet.


Behind the DM Screen:

Monsters attack last in round.
F4 attacks Garrin, Tjoruy, Xorzen and Zahra: [1d20] = 3, [1d20] = 20, [1d20] = 20, [1d20] = 15 Thank the gods, no critical hits in this game. Tjoruy, Xorzen and Zahra are hit.
Damage to Tjoruy, Xorzen and Zahra: [1d8] = 5, [1d8] = 2, [1d8] = 6

PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 6/14, Spells: 6/7 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl, Lantern on ground
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 28/45
Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 9/26, Laying Hands: 1/1, Torch left at gate
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/19, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, Blind
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: 21/31, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl, 2/4 2nd lvl
Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 12/16
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: 162 rounds.
Enlarge (Amethu): Target: self. Duration: 15 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)

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra dances around the beast, trying to find an opening to attack. She sees a chance and takes it-
att [1d20+4] = 16+4 = 20
sword vs lg [1d12+3] = 9+3 = 12
She gives a triumphant snarl, and moves on.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu will lumber around the melee of human and inhuman flesh to try to land an attack.

To Hit (THACO 20): [1d20+2] = 10+2 = 12
Staff of Uthoth - Damage: = S/M/L: [1d6+2] = 6+2 = 8

[AleBelly]

Tjoruy staggers from the blow. But he seems to relish it. "A test of my will! Yes, Osorus! I will prove myself worthy of your light!"

He swings his mace at the multi-limbed monstrosity again.

Mace of the Old Kingdom attack [1d20+2] = 10+2 = 12 damage [1d6+3] = 3+3 = 6

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin attacks the foul abomination before him.

To hit with +2 Longsword [1d20+2] = 5+2 = 7; damage sm [1d8+2] = 3+2 = 5; damage l [1d12+2] = 10+2 = 12

He trips, again, on the same rock. That shouldn't be possible, he thinks. The geometry of this place is simply ... wrong.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

"Oh, Kiri only if you can see this glorious battle. Zahra is cutting the huge beast, dancing as she goes and Garrin...well lets say sinister divine forces are against him. How did he trip over that rock yet again? Did he not don his boots correctly this morn?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Not sure what else to do, Xorxen twirls his javelin again, striking out at the mass of deformity before him.

Attack w/ +2 Javelin of Men-khetu [1d20+2] = 13+2 = 15 Dam [1d6+3] = 3+3 = 6

[Scott308]

Loche

The Pict tries to use the chaos of battle to stay low and sneak around behind the horror, using his companions as cover.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"Darker than Crom's codpiece in here!" he growls. "With more light, we'll be better able to fight this foul turd, and the ill-starred paladin may bungle less!"

He swiftly frees his blade of the slain brute's encumbering flesh and, like a wolf of the mist-shrouded north, the sinewy Cimmerian stalks to his left, behind Garrin and Tjoruy.

"Behold!" he thunders, striking a torch which further illuminates the ulcerated fiend. "The pigpen cunt of a Zamboulan trollop come to life!"

[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





Mako describes the wild, deadly fray to the blinded Kiri who asks, "What... What are they fighting?" The question gives Mako pause.

Loche and Cruloc circle the writhing, indescribable thing out of deepest nightmare. Cruloc gets a torch alight revealing more strangely angled cyclopean pillars, stagnant puddles, and the sundered ruin of an ancient temple wall.

Disoriented by the unnatural geometry of the ageless stones, Garrin's sword cannot find purchase. Likewise, Amethu and Tjoruy hammer only empty air.

But the the denizens of the Great Pyramid, Zahra and Xorzen plunge blade and spearhead deep into the monstrous corpulence of the unspeakable atrocity!



It shrieks in many alien voices and its blood is that of a man!

The ghastly anathema retaliates with mangled fists that brutally bludgeon Garrin, Tjoruy, Xorzen and Zahra! (5,2,6,1 damage respectively!)


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet.

Map:



Behind the DM Screen:

Monster attacks last in round.
attacks Garrin, Tjoruy, Xorzen and Zahra: [1d20] = 19, [1d20] = 16, [1d20] = 16, [1d20] = 11 All hit.
Damage to Garrin, Tjoruy, Xorzen and Zahra: [1d8] = 5, [1d8] = 2, [1d8] = 6, [1d8] = 1

PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 6/14, Spells: 6/7 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl, Lantern on ground
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 28/45, Torch
Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 4/26, Laying Hands: 1/1, Torch left at gate
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/19, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, Blind
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: 19/31, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl, 2/4 2nd lvl
Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 6/16
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 11/29

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: 161 rounds.
Enlarge (Amethu): Target: self. Duration: 14 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)

[ravenn4544]

Amethu's magically enhanced size and perspective suddenly seem to find alignment as the sorcerer priest strikes out!

To Hit (THACO 20): [1d20+2] = 18+2 = 20
Staff of Uthoth - Damage: = S/M/L: [1d6+2] = 6+2 = 8