Second Expedition

[jferngler]

Avery stands athwart the passageway, and in his boldest voice says: "Hellspawn, come forth to meet your doom!" He holds aloft both staff and holy symbol. Gift readies himself for battle just behind and Giant bristles and growls low in her throat.

[Raven Crowking]

"Hsssst!"

"Love, what isss.....?"

"Flessshhh oh love oh hot rich flessshhhh....!"

The hissing voice is eager, coming up from the eastern way.

From down the southern hallway comes a frightful, hungry howl, and the sound of fingernails clawing on wood.

[caveman]

"Oh Lordy..."

Silva aims his arrow at the darkness.

Milner hefts his Pitchfork and raises his torch high and advances behind the clerics, straining with sick fascination to see the horror beyond.

OOC: I went back through everything but I'm still a bit confused. I are we in the intersection or looking at a door or what? DM RC, would you mind recapping the set up for me? Much obliged.

[Raven Crowking]

You are at a four-way intersection.

To the north is the triangular room with the gargoyle statue, 20 feet from the intersection.

To the west the passage goes 30 feet, and then seems to enter some larger space.

To the south, there is ten feet, then one door to the right, another 10 feet, and then one door to the left. The door to the right is broken and hanging on its frame. Within is a 20 x 20 space with a setting sun in bas-relief upon the western wall. Howling and nails-on-wood sounds are coming from this direction following Avery's challenge.

To the east, after 10 feet there is a dirty yellow ragged curtain, north and south, concealing niches, spaces, or corridors. There seems to be another set of these curtains some 30 feet beyond the four-way intersection. The hissing voices came from this direction.

Indeed, as you are getting your bearings, the curtain to the south is pushed aside, and a comely young man steps forth. Or, he would be comely were his skin not ashen, and his body hairless. He is dressed in once-fine rags. He holds hands with a woman -- similarly garbed and also hairless and pale grey, but with very red lips -- who follows him from behind the curtain.

"Ohhhh, love," he hisses. "Sssssuch a bounty hassss come to ussssss....."

The woman's eyes positively glow with excitement. In the most literal way possible. She draws in a sibilant, lust-filled breath at the sight of you.

[caveman]

"Quickly lads, let us retreat into this northern corridor so we are not surrounded!"
Silva would like to launch an arrow at the hairless woman and then back back up 10 feet, guarded by Milner.

OOC: I know this might be out of order but I'll just offer my d20 rolls for initiative and attack: 17 Init, and 12 Attack.
And thanks for the recap

[Raven Crowking]

My pleasure!

[jferngler]

(Do I need to cast detect evil or is it clear to Avery that he can turn these hairless abomination?)

[Raven Crowking]

You need to use your own best judgement there....welcome to "the sense of the unknown" Joseph Goodman was talking about!

[caveman]

Forgot to call for a Mighty Deed! But I rolled a 2 anyways...

[jferngler]

You need to use your own best judgement there....welcome to "the sense of the unknown" Joseph Goodman was talking about!

(If it doesn't work, Avery is in deep doo-doo anyway, so might as well go down blastin'.)

"The power of Ulesh compels thee, Beasts of Hell, get thee gone!," Avery's face is a terrifying combination of jubilation and fury, of awe-inspiring conviction and bravery and bottomless fear, and his child's voice booms throughout the subterranean intersection. (1d20+ 4 (luck, personality, and blessing bonuses) = 15. In the face of all this opposition, Avery burns 10 points of his 14 Luck to bring the total up to 25 (or if burning the point removes the initial bonus, 24.)

[Raven Crowking]

Okay. Silva shoots, striking the woman with an arrow for 4 points of damage. She is wounded, but that only seems to increase her excitement.

As she begins to move forward, the man drops to all fours, like a dog.

Then Avery's command, channelling divine power, rings forth. A beam of holy power shines from the symbol of Ulesh, striking the woman of 1 point of damage. The creatures hiss and splutter in fear and anger, but turn from the party, fleeing down the eastern hall, running on all fours as would animals do.

Everyone gains 2 XP. Avery gains a point of Luck back, as Ulesh is pleased with him.

The howling and scratching from the south reaches a fevered pitch, and then there is silence. It is broken after a few seconds by noises like the whining of dogs locked in a kennel.

As Avery stands triumphant facing east, a sound to the west attracts his attention. The hallway there is now a sea of the dead -- a score of the creatures -- about half appearing to be broken and mummified corpses, and the other half having decayed to the bone (or near enough to). All wear the yellow-tan robes of the ancient Cult of Nergal, Lord of the Dead and Pestilence, emblazoned with Nergal's sigil -- a corrupted rooster astride a dunghill. Their robes are ancient and tattered. The nearest ones are about 10 feet away; the farthest still emerging from the space beyond.

About this time, Herman Longtooth reaches and skirts the pit. There is only one way to go forward here, and the dust has clearly been disturbed, so he begins to head toward the triangular room with the gargoyle statue.

[jferngler]

Girt places himself between the shambling figures and Avery, shield up. "Back to the gargoyle room, everyone! We must fall back to the pit trap that claimed Ballotelli!," Girt cries. "We can let the pit and the spikes do some of our work for us!" He backs himself and Avery into the northern corridor, the former herdsman herding his friend and the others to the northern corridor, Giant always near.

(Speaking of Giant, I never rolled his new hit dice - it's a d6, correct, on top of his original five?)

[caveman]

"Nergal! Blast it! That's a dirty god! Fall back! Fall back! To the other side of the pit!"

Silva knocks another arrow and sends it into the mass of undead as he retreats. He will attempt to pin a ghoulish foot to the ground, slowing the procession. (Again, for when his turn comes round, here are his rolls: Init: 12; Hit: 12!, but no Deed...

Milner pulls forth an oil flask from his friend's pack. He would like to hurl it on the ground in front of the horde, in order to light it with his torch. Then he will retreat.

[Lord Zack]

"You know, I have a general policy, Silva. Don't insult the Gods, even if they might, hypothetically speaking, deserve it." says Char as he retreats along with the rest, including Alexatros, George and Albert. Alexatros will fire an arrow, trying to slow down the enemies' advance while retreating, just as Silva did. (Init 8, Atk 17)

[Raven Crowking]

(Speaking of Giant, I never rolled his new hit dice - it's a d6, correct, on top of his original five?)

Correct.

[Raven Crowking]

The arrows and the flaming oil seem to slow the dead down....in any event, you make it back to the gargoyle room while the dead still linger beyond the flaming oil. As you crowd through the door, you can hear their moans over the noise of the flames.

And then, to your horror, you can hear something shuffling down the corridor with no door!

[jferngler]

(If this is who I think it is:) "By the Fates, lads, sounds like a battle going on down here!" Toothy Herman calls, shuffling out of the darkness. "Great Hurlbury's chortle, but you've found yourself some trouble," he cries, taking in the scene.

Girt reaches out and touches the arm of the warrior, Silva. "Ulesh guide your shots, friend!" (Bless spellcheck of 16 grants Silva +1 to attack rolls for 1 turn (about ten minutes).

Avery leads the party back into the corridor Herman's emerged from, and Herman follows along, shaking his head and clutching his mace.

(+4 hp to Giant.)

[caveman]

Wait? Shuffling from the direction we came? Ye gods! Do not forsake us now!
Silva throws Stuffs a rag in a flask of oil and throws it at the restless dead.
Trying to spread the flames o the tattered robes. Init4. Hit18! With 3 for the Deed! Many are splattered with fire!

[Raven Crowking]

A creature that looks and sounds like Herman Longtooth emerges from the passage.

In the other corridor, the Dead retreat around the corner and out of your sight. Some dark shapes seem to have been left behind -- presumably those slain as you retreated. Some of those dark shapes appear to be on fire.

[Lord Zack]

"Excellent, we've driven them back!" says Alexatros. Char says "So, should we see if their is any loot in the room those two were in, provided that horde retreats beyond that room? Or perhaps we should find some other route to take?"