Chapter 27: Mark of the Beast

[Urson]

Jerome
Shouting something incoherent, Jerome steps from his hiding spot and shoots (V6) twice. Hoping for a surprise benefit

[1d20] = 17 Arrow [1d6] = 4

[1d20] = 16 Arrow [1d6] = 6

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur does his best to stay out of the way of the melee. If he can do so, he creeps around the corner into the other room. He says as quiet as he can, ready to cast a spell if necessary.

[wolfpack]

Brevos fires 2 silver arrows

[1d20] = 12
[1d20] = 1
[1d6] = 3

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Ingrid casts Prayer, hoping Tritherion's Grace can make a difference in the outcome of this desperate battle.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser takes advantage of the melee and the shadows to sneak behind V1

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo tries to get past the sudden unannounced melee and into the room beyond to watch the reaction of the rest of the villagers and to see if anyone moves to the back door.

If he cant get there without a fight, he attacks the nearest cannibal with his spear.

Spear Attack [1d20] = 8 Damage [1d6] = 5

[Inferno]

The Wolfpack's Lair, The Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-three. Night. Wednesday, December 14th, 576 CY
Freezing cold, clear







Angry men holding knives and cleavers rush headlong into the heroes' ambush!

Ingrid prays that Trithereon guide their aim as Brevos and Jerome feather the grisly butchers with a hail of merciless arrows! Then Mouser, Bo and Telkis finish them with blade and spear and bludgeon!



In an instant, the slaughter is complete!

Invisible, Urdur creeps into the ghastly kitchen of unspeakable horrors. There, the nearest woman (V5)...



...witnesses the massacre in the storeroom and screams bloody murder!


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. X =dead.


Behind the DM Screen:

PCs Surprise the men.
PCs get bonuses to hit for Prayer spell, charging, and striking at their backs. So Bo hits with spear. (He couldn't squeeze past)
Telkis charges: [1d20+3] = 6+3 = 9, damage: [2d4+1] = 6+1 = 7 Hits V4 in the back.
Mouser backstabs: [1d20] = 5, damage: [1d8] = 7 Hits V1 because of Prayer spell, charge, and bonus to striking to the back. (Needed to charge to reach target this round)
Brevos fumble result: [1d8] = 1 "Stumble: Move 1 hex or square in a random direction."

PC Status:

Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 36/36
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 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 25/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 1/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 38/38, Spells: 3/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

Invisibility (Urdur): Target: self.
Prayer (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)

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

As soon as the woman starts screaming, Ingrid casts a Silence spell on a small stone, tossing it into the kitchen.

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome hestiates for a split second, surprised at how well the ambush worked. Hearing the woman scream, he runs for the "kitchen", heading for (h2). When he gets there, he holds an arrow at about half-draw, ready to shoot if one of the women attack.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser continues to use the shadows. He moves forward along the left wall ducking behind barrels and other horrible things while trying to keep focused on the targets.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo walks into the doorway brandishing his bloody spear to apply his druidic charm.

"What are you screaming about, lady? Think of how much more food we just provided for you and your fellow cannibalistic cultists!"

He watches their reactions closely as he awaits the results of Ingrid's spell, tossing his weapon at anyone reaching for the back door.

Spear Attack [1d20] = 8 Damage [1d6] = 1

[wolfpack]

Brevos covers the room shootign at anyone heading for the door or rushing them

[1d20] = 3
[1d20] = 20

[SocraticLawyer]

Unseen Urdur does his best to stay out of the way and unheard. He prepares to cast a spell if needs be.

[Inferno]

The Wolfpack's Lair, The Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-three. Night. Wednesday, December 14th, 576 CY
Freezing cold, clear







Bloodshed and carnage and murder. And then dead bodies lay all around.

The grisly butchery of the cannibal men is complete. Suddenly, a hysterical shrieking pierces the storeroom!

Before the heroes can act, the heinous women and children in the kitchen of horrors flee, leaving behind their ghastly feast!



The heroes burst into the ghoulish cooking room and are overwhelmed by the stench of roasting flesh! (Please roll an Ability Check vs (Con+Level) on 1d20 to not lose an action wretching)

The horrid chamber's only other door stands ajar. Beyond it echoes the bloodcurdling screams!


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. X =dead.

Map:



Behind the DM Screen:

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 5, Monsters: [1d6] = 6
Monsters win, preempt the heroes' actions and flee, rendering many of the PCs' actions moot. Ingrid may still cast Silence if she wants but because the source of the screaming is now beyond the spell's area of effect, I held off.

Also, friendly reminder: no one may move more than 1" and attack with a missile weapon. 'Charging' only pertains to melee weapons. Thanks.

PC Status:

Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 36/36
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 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 25/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 1/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 38/38, Spells: 3/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

Invisibility (Urdur): Target: self.
Prayer (Ingrid): Duration: 3 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
Con+ Lvl: 15 [1d20] = 17
Jerome gags, the mixed stench of blood, offal, and burnt bacon churning his nearly-empty guts. He retches, accidentally releasing the arrow he held ready. It 'plonks' into a beam, harmlessly.

[wolfpack]

[1d20] = 7

decades spent on the fringes of civilization fighting evil has harded Brevos to the point he is unphased by the smell. he quickly moves tot he door

[ravenn4544]

Mouser freezes as the women scream and flee. The physical torture splayed around him is equal to the twisted splinter that had pierced his soul for what seemed a lifetime.

Ability Check (Con+Level (14)) [1d20] = 11

He continues along the wall to silently and stealthily take position by the door.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The reek of the roasting corpses and the terrible tableaux arrayed in the room, while horrific, just add to the litany of atrocities the cleric has encountered in the past year. Tritherion provides the strength for her to continue on; Ingrid moves into the room, trying to get a better look through the doorway.

Con (10) + level (5): [1d20] = 14

[OGRE MAGE]

Con Save (10) (+5 =15) [1d20] = 14

Bo ignores the horrific room of death as he sprints inside behind the fleeing woman, trying to get to the hallway to see where they might be running to.

"Dammit! We should have tried to block this door somehow before we started our diversion. No use worrying about it now, but I think they know we're here."

[Inferno]

Urdur ability check: [1d20] = 12 Urdur succeeds.

Onward...