Chapter 22: Underworld

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra quickly picks her way through the maze of fungi, heading to the western end of the chamber. Her main intention is to find a clean area where Dahinna can be tended. She holds her light high, and DOES NOT go further than the (13) on the map.

[Inferno]

The Caverns of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Eleven. Past Midday. 21st day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia







Eyes wide, pupils fixed, Dahinna falls stricken atop the bed of strange, subterranean fungi!

In horror, Amethu the sorcerer-priest realizes he has no more prayers to slow the poison that courses through her body!

Torix is unfamiliar with the unnatural venom, and cannot effect a cure!

Dahinna's breathing slows. Will the Zamoran rogue join her lover, Iago in death?

Meanwhile, Zahra and Grigor edge west through the toxic flora with a borrowed torch. The unearthly darkness slowly yields and reveals the boundaries of the ancient chamber, and the last infested creature (X2), standing before a barred door! It turns to face them.



Uncaring Crom ignores Grigor once more and then the spectral hammer dissipates with the Fist of Uthoth!


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.

Behind the DM Screen:

Torix: First Aid: Cure Poison: [1d100]=37 Fails.
Amethu already cast Slow Poison.

PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 15/17, Spells: 2/8 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, Lantern
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 30/45, Torch
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/25, Unsettled, Poisoned
Grigor: Zamoran Nomad Cleric/Fighter 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 19/29, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl, Torix's Torch
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 18/21, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 26/28, Unsettled
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 1, HP: 10/29, Unsettled
Gnasher: Grigor's Hound: Move: 12", AC: 5, HD: 2+2, HP: 10/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4

PC Magic:

Enlarge (Amethu): Target: Dahinna. Duration: 25 rounds.

Player Resources:

The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Bluetongue]

Grigor

Stands, holding out the holy symbols to ward the creature away.

"Get behind me. It should still be under my word of divine retribution. Better to keep distance so we too are not caught in a spore cloud.

Kiri, can you invoke any Mage Hand to push open or unbar the door? It might then flee from our presence.

Else we retreat a few steps and pin it with missiles."

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra nods and readies her dagger, prepared to throw it if the Infested moves to attack. Can you command it to retreat to a corner?

[ravenn4544]

Amethu leaves dahinna to see to this remaining threat.

“Stand back. I will try fire to finish off this abomination”

Amethu will step forward quickly and cast burning hands on the thing then retreat before any spores are released.

[jemmus]

Torix exchanges spear for bow and nocks an arrow. But he'll not loose it until Amethu has returned.

[ChubbyPixie]

Grigor
Kiri, can you invoke any Mage Hand to push open or unbar the door? It might then flee from our presence.

"Grandfather would normally assist us. But he has not yet returned," says Kiri as he, too, nocks an arrow to his bowstring.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Cruloc grimly attempts to resuscitate Dahinna.
Natural poison: 10%, known:50%+victim's CON [1d100]=54

[Inferno]

The Caverns of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Eleven. Past Midday. 21st day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia







As the unnatural darkness melts away, the last infested horror stands revealed in the torchlight!

Heeding Grigor's warning, the warriors ready arrows and daggers and form a line at a safe distance.

Suddenly, Amethu dares come within three feet of the thing! Chanting ancient words of unspeakable power, fire flies from his fingertips and engulfs the unnatural creature! It shrieks as its spore pods erupt in venomous clouds!

Amethu withdraws in the nick of time, and the fungal infestation is consumed in flame, leaving a bare, burned skeleton behind!



The fleshless bones fall to the floor with a clatter!

The danger is passed... except for Dahinna.

Cruloc does not recognize the strange flora that poisoned her, and is helpless to act! All hope is lost and then the barbarian realizes that she still faintly draws breath! The weird toxin is not fatal. It paralyzes its victim. But for how long?


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.

Map:


Behind the DM Screen:

Grigor: Turn Undead duration: [3d4]=7 X2 remains Turned until its death.

PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 15/17, Spells: 1/8 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, Lantern
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 30/45, Torch
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/25, Unsettled, Poisoned
Grigor: Zamoran Nomad Cleric/Fighter 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 19/29, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl, Torix's Torch
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 18/21, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 26/28, Unsettled
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 1, HP: 10/29, Unsettled
Gnasher: Grigor's Hound: Move: 12", AC: 5, HD: 2+2, HP: 10/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4

PC Magic:

Enlarge (Amethu): Target: Dahinna. Duration: 21 rounds.

Player Resources:

The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"Her fate hangs heavy in the balance. I know not what awaits her." Turning to Grigor, he adds "And I'll wager neither do the sundry rotating godlings of Zamora."
With a shake of his maned head, Cruloc stands, resignedly looking over the swollen cutpurse.

"Unless one of you carries a draft horse in your pocket, we are obliged to linger here."

He extinguishes his torch, intending it for later use.

[Bluetongue]

Grigor

"We should keep watch lest her infection causes her to rise as another Fungoid."

He investigates the room. If the door was barred from the inside, so it remains secure. Anything else that can inform us what the room was used for.

Can the fungus be burned away in a controllable way? At length using a torch? He hesitates to stay in a room where poisonous spores may float about and put us all to sleep permanently.

[Urson]

Zahra
Lend a hand. Zahra moves to drag Dahinna out of the mess of fungus. She uses a piece of cloth to cover her nose and mouth.

[jemmus]

The hair on Torix's arm stands as he witnesses the powerful sorcery. Does it come from a god, or from some other mystical force? Yet the wizard Amethu used the power of sorcery for good, and not evil. How was that possible? Because he had thought that sorcery requires making a pact with a devil. Would a devil allow its minion to use its power for doing good? He says to the Verulian with a look of wonder on his face, You have great power, Amethu.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu nods gratefully at Torix’ acknowledgment of his sorcery. “I am blessed with knowledge. Though the drive for more can be a curse…”

He’s reminded of his ancient tome in his backpack and that it is time to soon review its ancient pages.

But first, the door. If the spores are not a danger he will examine the door carefully. “I remind you all that I can lend no aide until we rest. But perhaps we continue a bit further?”

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Looking askance at Amethu and Kiri, Cruloc whispers a warning to the Pict.

"They are potent, aye, but never forget that they are not men. They are spirits. They assist us, but have yet to name their recompense. Hide your soul from them, lest it be snatched away to feed their sorcer...."

He is dumbstruck by the realisation that Grandfather is a spirit in the service of a spirit. The walls of this world fall away, and the barbarian catches a fleeting glimpse of infinity. His head hurts. Riddles such as this are the domain of Munga the Knowing, wisest man of his village.

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri politely nods at Cruloc's assessment, then silently moves to aid in moving the giant Dahinna away from the spores.

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

The rogue of Zamora dreams...
The earth moves beneath her as she floats on ochre clouds...she sees the clouds turn green and form into faces...faces of her comrades flit before her eyes, grim and silent, worry creasing their brows. She thinks she hears voices...muffled and garbled...and she tries to respond, but her mouth is filled with dust...dust so dry she can't even work up any moisture. What she'd give for a sip of water...or wine. She tries again to say so, but nothing comes out of her lungs except a dry hacking cough...

[Bluetongue]

Grigor

"Look, even as a giantess the fungal dead are reborn!"

The Gypsy priest raises his holy symbols to Turn UnDahinna,

Grigor Turns Undead [1d20]=2 [1d12]=8

Gnasher on the other hand sniffs the Zamoran's body and wags a tail.

[Inferno]

The Caverns of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Eleven. Early Afternoon. 21st day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia







Black clouds from the conflagration of the infested horror fill the ceiling vaults of the ancient chamber.

Fearing their toxicity, the explorers of Thracia are careful to keep their distance. Beneath the roiling billows, Grigor considers igniting all the fungal growth. He then ponders the history of their obsidian environs, but their original purpose is lost to antiquity.

At a safe length, Amethu observes the double door set into the western wall and barred. He finds no sigils upon it.

Overcome by the strange sleeping sickness of the fungi, Dahinna dreams fitfully. In her delirious visions, Iago comes to her and holds wine to her parched lips.

Kiri and Zahra drag Dahinna's gigantic form onto clear ground. Grigor holds his holy symbols before her but the slumbering giantess neither stirs nor awakens.

Cruloc mutters, "Unless one of you carries a draft horse in your pocket, we are obliged to linger here."

Amethu disagrees. Even as he admits he can lend the group no further aide until he rests, the hungry seeker of forbidden knowledge cannot help but add, "But perhaps we continue a bit further?”


Actions?! (What's the plan? Stop and rest? Continue exploring while bearing Dahinna? Something else?)


Map:





PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 15/17, Spells: 1/8 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, Lantern
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 30/45
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/25, Unsettled, Poisoned
Grigor: Zamoran Nomad Cleric/Fighter 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 19/29, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 18/21, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 26/28, Unsettled, Torch
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 1, HP: 10/29, Unsettled
Gnasher: Grigor's Hound: Move: 12", AC: 5, HD: 2+2, HP: 10/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4

PC Magic:

Enlarge (Amethu): Target: Dahinna. Duration: 20 rounds.

Player Resources:

The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Bluetongue]

Grigor

"We can make Dahinna comfortable here. I can tell Gnasher to 'stay and guard', so he will watch over her body and should any creature enter the room from the chasm end, can bark a warning to us.

Without an evening of rest and prayer, we cannot do anything for her. Exploring further has risk and reward. We came scouting for a place to rest, lets us continue for a short while."

He offers his assessment and suggestion, willing to press on.