Barrowmaze: beyond the Ritual Baptistry

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth attacks once more.

Long Sword +1 [1d20+2]=14+2=16 to hit [1d8+4]=7+4=11 s/m damage [1d12+4]=3+4=7 l damage [1d100]=38 stun
Shield Bash [1d20+2]=18+2=20 to hit

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven is amazed at the effectiveness of his crew against this weird thing.

He gets in on the action too, saving his magic for later. Hitting hard, but not very accurately.

Staff Attack [1d20]=6 Damage [1d6]=6

[Spearmint]

Orgoth & Yardie, -7hp & -9hp shatter the 'flagstone golem' into separate tiles and portions of rubble, scattering shards like jigsaw pieces that roll noisily down the corridor.

The two humans dead, heads caved in. Each carried a Canopic jar, one suffering from the catastrophic blow and breaking, spilling its contents into the rut the Flagstone golem erupted from. There is nothing more to be done for them. Grumashk drags the bodies away, buying them under some rubble in the top corner of the hallway.

The Flagstone golem has no treasure or items of worth upon it. Examining portions of the 'head' stones, you can see engravings with look like runes and arcane inscriptions, jots and iotas that have an 'infernal' taint along with more tradition 'Nergal' symbols of skull and crossed rose thorns.

Grumashk: sledging [1d20+1]=4+1=5 [2d4+1]=6+1=7
Yardie: [1d20+1]=19+1=20 [1d8+1]=8+1=9 Berric [1d20]=14 [1d6]=2 Crippens [1d20]=1 [1d6]=2Crushing blow saves: Canopic Jars 12+ [1d20]=16[1d20]=1

This hallway is 20'ft wide and 120'ft long, not the diagonal one with the pit. There are two doors in this hallway, one noted on the map, 70'ft down on the left, the other is 100'ft down on the right. Rubble is in the top right corner, now with two bodies underneath, arranged as a little temporary cairn. Strangely in the bottom right corner another pile of rubble from an unstable wall and even more strangely, it has two bodies or at least legs and feet, poking out.

Despite recent activity and the constant paranoia of spooky things watching you, the group are not harassed further. Neither of the two crypt doors are locked.

Actions please

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth will say a prayer over the deceased.

"We should continue, any word from Moo-Moo?"

[OGRE MAGE]

Yes, what does the skull suggest?

Do the other bodies look placed there? Or do they look like they were buried by an accident?

[Spearmint]

Unless you speak Minotaur, then comprehending the thoughts of Moo-Moo is beyond you apart from the very generalised ' left, right, straight, door, pit, up, down'.

The wearer basically concentrates on a location such as 'nearest exit', Gabby's and it will give the general direction. For example having discovered Totenkopf's or the Pit of Chaos, it could lead you there though not necessarily by the most direct route.

So, the Pit Fiend mentioned you were two or three doors away from the other Nergal Nave and Moo-Moo could direct you there or either of the two exits, Silas Barrow or Set Cult Barrow.

Sven has a brass compass so can orientate North & South, so you can confirm if Yardie says "North" whether you actually go that way. (you do, there has been no element of being led astray).

As far as choosing one of the doors, the Yardie feels the bottom door 'heads further away but goes closer to the exits' whereas the nearer door 'is closer but the way is blocked'.

The bodies are much gnawed upon random hobo's of low consequence.

[OGRE MAGE]

I don't remember if I tried this yet or not but.....

Once the room is thoroughly searched, Sven casts his Comprehend Languages spell and asks for Moo-Moo back.

He puts the skull on his own head and tries to understand what it might be saying.

Barrowmaze 1st Level Spell Retention (INT 15) [4d6+2]=10+2=12



If that doesn't work.....

"Lets try the southernmost door first."

[Spearmint]

I don't remember if I tried this yet or not but.....

no, I don't think it was ever done. Hence my use of the word comprehend.

I am just going back to an archive post to check on what Gabby may have said about Moo-Moo and then I will edit here.

Okay so this was an earlier post:

I am going to assume you do indeed cast the CL spell. The Minotaur voice is complaining about being carried around random passages and is basically yearning for the outdoors rather than rotting in this labyrinth. It actually knows 'the location of the nearest or most accessible exit' from the Barrowmaze, so is instructing whoever holds it to 'go this way, turn that way, go through that door'. The nearest exit being via Silas Barrow.

So while you cannot communicate back, Moo-Moo could sense if you actually follow the directions (would this be a cow-nav opposed to a sat-nav or a Tom-tom?) and about turn to leave down the correct passages to the entrance.

from this interaction here:

viewtopic.php?p=626619#p626619

Ignoring the two random bodies and rubble strewn pile, more victims of the corridor guardian perhaps, the large bovine skull is traded, Sven packing his 'beaky mask' away since the Minotaur skull won't fit over it.

You go through the chosen door into another passage with many closed crypt doors and extra adjoining corridors.

Barrow Maze random vs 1: passages [1d6]=2 crypts [1d6]=6

All is as eerily grim and as unwholesome as the defiled haunted tombs normally are. Footsteps, receding away from you, echoing slowly in heavy stomps. They stop then echo louder as if clubfoot did an about turn.

Actions please.

[Spearmint]

Just a House Keeping note as I reconcile timelines:

July 11th 1066

6.00pm, approximate time.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Signals to Sven and the others that he heard something and then sheathes his sword to douse the light.

[OGRE MAGE]

I’m a little confused, but I’ll work it out.

I don’t trust these doors and I don’t necessarily trust what the demon told us was true.

Sven does the same with his lantern, pulling the others back inside the room so the hall can be monitored from a safe distance.

He concentrates on Moo-Moo, telling the spirit to ignore the closest exit and instead show him the fastest and easiest route to the long, wide diagonal hallway with the cultists and pit mentioned earlier.

[Spearmint]

'follow your nose' is the comprehension back, with you facing the door and east leading corridor.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven rolls his eyes and casts Invisibility on himself, motioning for Smokie to follow.

“Everyone stay here while we sneak up ahead to see what lies in store for us next.”

Barrowmaze 2nd Level Spell Retention (INT 15) [4d6+3]=17+3=20

[Spearmint]

You sneak along, quietly and look around the corner using the eyesight of Smokie to peer into the dark.

The first passage heads south coming to a crossroads junction after 50'ft. Walking up towards you comes another Flagstone golem and crossing the junction behind it, going east to west across is a second one. These look of lesser stature than the large monstrosity you just defeated but either still looks a granite hard guardian of the catacombs.

The corridor of doors you are in has a second passage, checking down there, it leads to another closed door after twenty feet.

[OGRE MAGE]

If possible, Sven will try to skirt past the first golem to get a look into the next hallway.

If that’s not possible, he will move to the door down the second hall, listening and checking it over.

[Spearmint]

You can watch the pair of Flagstone golems, marching it seems on a prescribed route back and forth. Staying silent, motionless and invisible and then creeping away when the nearest has his back turned to you and further down the corridor.

You go to the next door, Taking off the skull to listen at the door. You don't hear anything beyond. The crypt door is locked, not opening as you try the handle. You can creep back into the wider hall and report what you see to the others.

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven remains invisible, freaking out the others a little when he returns to tell them what he saw.

“Do you think we can lure one of them away at a time? Get them to follow you in here where we can fight them one at a time? They are obviously guarding something important, so we can’t make a lot of noise out there.”

If possible, Sven will try to sneak Penny across the open hall to see if she can spring the locked door.

[Rex]

Orgoth

"We can try. I would rather face only one at a time. The last one killed 2 of us right off. We need to keep the weaker individuals as far away as possible."

[Spearmint]

Escaping the Barrowmaze.

If possible, Sven will try to sneak Penny across the open hall to see if she can spring the locked door.

Penelope: move silently [1d100]=54

Trying to sneak from the wider hallway across to the second passage, Penelope scuffs her feet or something, the noise attracting the attention of nearest Flagstone golem. It turns and stops, cuffing a stone ear and places a palm upon the floor as if that will pick up any echo of footsteps or tremor-sense. Once the E-W golem crosses the junction below, it clicks his finger like giving a signal. The second steps backwards out of view as the N-S patrolling one stomps up the corridor.

“Do you think we can lure one of them away at a time?

Certainly one is lured towards the top of the passage. Meanwhile, Sven, Smokie and Penelope are in the second passage where she tries to unlock the crypt door quickly in order to escape the golem's attentions but her skill is not sufficient to pick the lock.

Penelope: Open Locks : [1d100]=46

The Flag G stops at the top of the passage in the T-section, listening again and looking left (at the door which Orgoth holds slightly ajar) and to the left (down the passage).

No intrusion comes from any side crypts but the fumble of not successfully picking open the lock means Penelope drops a pick to clatter upon the floor.

Actions please

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth takes a small stone from the floor and throws it past the golem's back down the hall. The Flag G golem. To draw it away from Sven and Penelope.

Thrown Stone [1d20]=4