Chapter 17: The Island of Death

[Inferno]

Chapter 17: The Island of Death

The Black Lake, 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. Late morning?, 23rd day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






Deep in the bowels of the earth, the pilgrims to Pandemonium have taken the Dark Ship. She sails a subterranean sea for their frightful destination: the Island of Death... and Zargoth.

Long has the demon god of the underground city haunted their darkest nightmares.



Onboard the creaking, listing ferry of the damned, Amethu identifies Xorzen's mysterious token, taken from the corpse of the heinous sorcerer-priest.

It is an accursed unholy symbol. The all-seeing eye of Zargoth.




Nearby, Zahra the amazon rests languid as a cat, dreamily watching the underworld constellations of the cavern roof and their rippling reflections on the black water below.




Across that writhing, shifting abyss lies their dread terminus.

In the distance, they see it.



The Island of Death. There looms brooding ruins out of a distant unfathomable past; a megalithic architecture that is inhuman, monstrous and oppressive.

A forlorn, empty pier juts forth from the deep shadows, as inviting as a web to a fly.



Actions?! (Garrin, Kiri and Mako may make Ability Checks vs Int on 1d20 to dock)



Underground City Map:

Red S = The Dark Ship


Behind the DM Screen:

Zahra failed her Saving Throw vs Poison. The low dose of mushrooms renders her sleepy, at peace.

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.
  Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 13 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

Cruloc was raised in the looming shadow of the great mountains of northwestern Cimmeria - the towering Eiglophian Range. Yet even their clouded blue-grey peaks never penetrated his heart with the deep foreboding that do the curved talons of the approaching island.

The island of Zargoth.

"I’ll hack my way to you," swears the blood-spattered warrior, "– and tread a pathway of skulls if I must!"

[ravenn4544]

Amethu studies the city as he can in the shadows. Looking for movement. He will lower his lamp to allow for docking but hopefully to prevent unwanted eyes from seeing them approach. He realizes that may inevitable...

[Urson]

Zahra
As the ship crossed the water, Zahra gradually calmed down, then relaxed across the bench. She lies there, a blissful half-smile on her face. The stars... move. Do the stars above move, too?

[Scott308]

Loche

The Pict is content to take it easy while he has the rare opportunity to do so.

[ChubbyPixie]

"Grandfather! Hold the wheel here, please, sir, while I make ready," Kiri says in a low urgent command.

He then not only deftly hoists the mizzen mast, but also adjusts the bowsprit and swivels the yardarm as they approach the dock. ( )

INT Check (15): [1d20] = 3

[AleBelly]

Zahra
As the ship crossed the water, Zahra gradually calmed down, then relaxed across the bench. She lies there, a blissful half-smile on her face. The stars... move. Do the stars above move, too?

"Osorus is blessing you with a most vibrant vision! What is this 'above' you speak of?" asks Tjoruy.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen stocks up on any food he can carry as well, so he doesn’t have to keep asking the others to feed him. He takes a little time to meditate along the voyage, trying to clear his mind of the horrors they have seen already.

Once the ship nears the island, he climbs back into the rigging to help with the sailing and to get a birds eye view of anything he can see.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako maneuvers close to the dock under sail power. He calls out "Kiri use the skiff and get to the dock. Bring the messenger lines with you. Secure them once the heavy lines are on. Garrin, throw the heaving lines to the dock once Kiri is there and lock them down. Now you others pull on the hawsers when I tell you to bring us close to the dock. Lock the lines down when I call for them."

Int 16 [1d20] = 3

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra smiles. You're cute... but you smell funny. I mean out of the caves and tunnels- the open air. I don't think I've ever seen... She half-frowns, knowing she's being strange but unable to fight it off for the moment.

[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. Midday?, 23rd day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






And so the adventurers have come willingly to the Island of Death, where others are dragged screaming.

They come in good spirits, whistling past the graveyard. The merry sounds can't help but remind Xorzen of his sect-brother whose singing in the bowels of the Great Pyramid attracted the terrible attentions of a shapeless writhing mass that emerged from the ancient darkness to take him away.

The Dark Ship sails nearer, through the mist on the underground lake, and the first true glimpse of the isle of lost souls is unveiled. If Zargoth's very presence could warp animals and men across the lost city, at this fearful proximity it seems the demon-god can warp reality itself!

For in the shadows of the looming, claw-like pylons, they realize with horror that impossibly, the monstrous necropolis is larger than it should be!



Dimensions and proportions here are unnatural and uncertain. Their very surroundings are treacherous, suspect.

The pier they spied at a distance was merely a reflection in the darkness. They cautiously dock the ship in a desolate, covered harbor, luminous with eerie fungi that casts a ghastly pall across a vast cavern of towering primal monoliths.



The alien architecture is greater than Verulia at its zenith. But its geometry is somehow wrong and loathsome.

The ship is tied off. All is still. A wide path leads from the stone dock into the dark cyclopean ruins of ageless stone... and whatever fate awaits them there.


Actions?!






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)

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"Crom's teeth!"

Cruloc's eyes take in the glowing, unearthly architecture, but his soul stares into an abyss of beckoning, warm madness.

"Poor devil!" he mutters, reflecting on the state of Tjoruy's mind. He has a new appreciation for the type of waking hell the ramshackle cleric must have endured over dark, trackless stretches of time.

The Cimmerian pauses - for what seems like days - waiting for another to be the first to step foot onto the Isle of Death. Finally, he determines it must be him, and he sets a booted foot upon the unnatural verdigris stone dock.

"My god asks for no prayers and makes no promises… and neither do I - save this: Doom comes for you, Zargoth. Slink back into the abyss while you can!"

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra shakes her head and scowls, trying to fight off the unnatural calm of the mushrooms. She still feels loopy, no matter what, so she draws her sword and stays close to the main group, watching the buildings for any movement or threat.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen rapidly shakes his head back and forth, trying to get his vision to work properly in this place. He concentrates all his minds effort on looking the area over again, wondering if any of it is simply a powerful illusion created by the one who shan't be named.

If there is no change in what he sees after his disbelief, he cautiously follows Cruloc off the vessel, keeping a sharp eye out for any hidden dangers.

[Scott308]

Loche

The Pict will quietly exit the ship with the others, an eye out for trouble, sling at the ready.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin exits the boat, sword and shield ready. When everyone has joined him, he leads them into this necropolis.

[AleBelly]

Tjoruy is last off the seaship, finding every reason to delay setting foot on this terrible place. The fluorescent light is reflected as a pale, sickly green off his alabaster skin.

His voice shakes..."Osssorrrussss, I-i-i-is th-th-there no oth-th-ther w-w-way in this acc-cc-ccursed metropolis?"

He will search briefly for other paths leading off the dock but if he finds none will follow the others.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako debarks the ship leaving behind the most enjoyable part of this journey so far.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu takes in the ancient vista. Unbelievable that such things exist. But here it lies... and certainly the eyes of Zargoth lie upon us....

[Inferno]

Sorry, Pixie. It's been three and a half days. Moving it along....