Chapter 1c: The Fountain Room

[AleBelly]

Wenceslas, Xerxes, Bobwhite, and Rolf
Wenceslas with lantern, Rolf with torch

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[AleBelly]

For the four of the PCs in the room, please give me a DC 14 intelligence check. I will post an update late tonight or tomorrow morning on the room (including a map) and outcome of Bobwhite’s great chicken experiment.

[Marullus]

Rolf:
Int [1d20+1]=1+1=2

Bobwhite Ewell:
Int [1d20]=15

[AleBelly]

For Wenceslas, Xerxes, Bobwhite, and Rolf only
Wenceslas with lantern, Rolf with torch

Xerxes tugs on Wenceslas' cloak uneasily. "I have a bad feeling about this room!" he warns. He examines the tiles, looking for any similarities he may have seen in masoleums. This does not appear to be any sort of burial chamber...Wenceslas realizes immediately that this area, like the others, has been crafted with dwarven hands. The party steps into the room carefully, enough to illuminate its contents...I have the party stepping in about 10' into the room.

The room is just under 50' wide, and the far wall is 40' from the door in which the party entered. There is a door on each of the four walls. Numerous scattered bones lie close to the door on the far wall. In the far corner to the left a fountain protrudes from the wall in the misshapen form of a vaguely humanoid tree. It is carved of stone, and in its open cupped hands drops of condensation have formed a tiny pool. In the far corner to the right a small demon face juts from the wall. Its lower pool contains an equal amount of collected water.

Rolf is completely non-plussed by the hobbit-sized footsteps in the dust, but Bobwhite thinks he is able to discern the path they took. They appear to go from the door they entered to the fountain itself, then to the door to the left which appears to have been opened, but not entered (this door is slightly ajar). The footsteps then cross on the near side of the fountain to the door in the wall on the right, which remains closed. They then proceed to the door in the far wall, which is open to darkness beyond. Some dust appears to be kicked up in this area.

Bobwhite pulls a thigh off his chicken and tosses it into the strange column of water. It enters with a tiny splash, the water being absorbed back into the column. It remains suspended in the placid column, then sinks out of sight below, as one would expect a chicken thigh to do in water.

Map of the room attached below. The party entered from the door in the bottom of the image.

water room.jpg (383.82 KiB) Viewed 234 times

[Stirling]

W, X, Y, Z.

A strange and bizarre room indeed. "Let's go. Odlo isn't worth it ..." Xerxes digs his feet in, feeling over his head and mumbling about "Hobbit'ses delving too deep."

Reluctantly he will investigate the pile of bones as the bodies might be the only familial thing he can comprehend. He holds his holy symbol over them, muttering another prayer for protection and rebuking any lingering spirit of death and decay. He has an idea to sort through the bones if they are loose rather than wholely joined. To scoop some up and fling them into the column of water like a stoker shovelling coal into an engine.

"They can join the chicken in a watery but blessed columbarium."

Xerxes: swings his long shovel. [1d20+1]=6+1=7 [1d4+1]=2+1=3

Wenceslas delighted to find some ancient dwarven structures but less so to discover the carved demon face icon. It makes his blood boil, figuratively not literally and sets about the demon face, hacking bits off with strikes of his pick.

Wenceslas: swings his mining pick [1d20]=19 [1d4]=4

Yarnold & Zygmund arrive in the room shortly.

[AleBelly]

In case it changes Xerxes' action...

As he approaches the bones, they appear scattered, but there are many of them. Among the bones, about 10' away, he counts six skulls that look to be canine or lupine.

[Stirling]

Xerxes

Probably not. Not sure he would consider them in enough detail to suspect they are Kobolds (or Werewolves?). But he cracks one on the cranium before shovelling it up.

[Marullus]

Bobwhite plays a game of fox and goose, hopping from footprint to footprint to follow Odlo's exact steps. He pauses at each door and tries to discern what Odlo saw or knew, until he reaches the door on the far wall that stands open. He peers into the darkness.

Rolf is curious about the stone carved tree... he walks over to it and looks at it more closely. How is it like a human? How is it like a tree? How does the water gather in its hands? He smells the collected water, then dips in a finger and licks it.

[AleBelly]

Wenceslas smiles as he finds himself in a room of quality construction. But the smile turns to a frown as he sees a statue of a demon desecrating it. He marches over, swings his pick, and a horn is cleaved in a puff of stone!

Bobwhite hops in Odlo's footsteps over to the door on the left, peering inside.

Rolf heads over to the humanoid tree statue, tasting the minute amount of water collected underneath.

Xerxes intends to shovel the bones into the column of water, but not liking the look of the bleached-white skull he crushes one with the flat of his spade just as the bones begin to clatter. In a flash, blue runes appear on the bones and the quickly coalesce into three skeletal canine forms!

Skelehounds.png (832.08 KiB) Viewed 188 times

Two form into monstrosities with two heads, while the other has only one. The crushed skull vibrates slowly under Xerxes' feet. The heads snap as the canines' vacant eyes scan the room. One two-headed beast heads for Rolf, another for Wenceslas, and the one-headed skeleton snaps its jaws at Xerxes.

Yarnold and Zygmund appear at the door. They may act this round.

Map below...each square is 5'. Positions of the PCs are given by their first name. The bone-dogs are somewhere around the location of the scattered bones...right now Xerxes is in melee with them. For orientation, the party entered through the door at the top of the map.

2024-02-21_234505.jpg (388.55 KiB) Viewed 188 times

[Marullus]

"Zygmund! This has to be wizardly! Come check it out!" hisses Bobwhite in a loud whisper just as the bones begin to clatter. "...who builds a stone closet for just a full length mirror? Bet it does somenthin'."

"Lookout!" cries Rolf as the skeledog engages him. He stands firm and swings his axe, protecting the others.
Int [1d20+1]=13+1=14 Mystery [1d4]=1

Axe [1d20+1]=14+1=15 [1d6+1]=5+1=6

[Stirling]

W, X, Y, Z.

Arriving at the door to hear his name called, Zygmund, recognised for his brain power not his muscles, puts his wits to use. He goes to Bobwhite and the 'mage's closet', figuring it a dressing room or vestry of sorts. He will step inside, examining the mirror and walls, referencing his grimoire for clues on 'magic mirrors, reflections and glassy portals'.

Yarnold, not known for either brains or muscles hopes at least he gets a name for bravery, charging a skeleton dog with his longsword. "You crack one head Xerxes, I'll split the other." he says.

The shovel wielder and sword stabber team up on a hell-hound.

Wenceslas picks up the demon statue horn. "This will be a tribute to Ulesh, may he strengthen us." he waves the horn and swings his pick.

Xerxes: swings his long shovel. [1d20+1]=15+1=16 [1d4+1]=1+1=2

Wenceslas: swings his mining pick [1d20]=11 [1d4]=4

Yarnold: Longsword stab [1d20-1]=14-1=13 [1d8-1]=4-1=3

[AleBelly]

I haven't rolled for the skeleton creatures, but the to-hit target is 12 in case ol' Wency wants to use a luck point to make his strike a hit.

[Stirling]

but the to-hit target is 12 in case ol' Wency wants to use a luck point to make his strike a hit.

I think he would if it becomes an issue of survivability.

Wenceslas aims to crack open a skeleton hound fiend's skull, swinging his pick but unlike the stationary statue, the skeleton dodges the hacking strike. However he smashes the broad tines of the pickaxe through the ribcage of the beast, snapping the spinal column with a powerful blow.

-1 luck point reduced on sheet

[AleBelly]

The horror of the animating bones freeze the adventurers in their path, allowing the white-boned creatures to attack first!

Initiative:

Skeledog init [1d20+2]=12+2=14 atk Rolf [1d20+2]=10+2=12 atk Xerxes [1d20+2]=16+2=18 atk Wenceslas
Initiative [1d20]=7 Rolf [1d20-1]=5-1=4 Xerxes [1d20+1]=12+1=13 Wenceslas [1d20]=10 Yarnold

Darn

The two headed monster lunges at Wenceslas...the dwarf sees a bit heading directly for his midsection, but the dog-skeleton's other head gets in its way and the heads collide with a crack!

Skeledog attack Wenceslas [1d20-1]=1-1=0 damage [1d4]=2, [1d20-1]=20-1=19 damage [1d4]=3
First roll is a fumble, so I'll rule that negates the hit on Wenceslas.

This leaves an opening for the dwarf, as he swings his pick in retaliation. His strike looks off, but a sudden slip of his foot changes the pick's trajectory. Its flat head shatters the spine. The bones collapse onto the floor, the light of its blue runes extinguished.

The other two-headed skeleton bites at Rolf:

Skeledog attack Rolf [1d20-1]=6-1=5 damage [1d4]=2, [1d20-1]=20-1=19 damage [1d4]=2

He dodges the first bite, but the second catches the woodcutter in his ribcage. Critical hit! Effect: Crit effect [1d4]=2 Foe jabbed in the eye! Ugly bruising and inflict +1d4 damage. Extra damage: Extra damage [1d4]=2
The shock of the bite causes Rolf to pull back his arm, and he hits himself in the eye with the back of his axe! He is bleeding badly from his midsection and eye but the woodcutter fights on.

Rolf swings his hand axe mightily in retaliation. The slashing blow glances off both skulls, nearly finishing the enemy! Slashing weapons do 1/2 damage, so -3 hp)..

The one-headed skeledog bites at Xerxes. Its jaws snap loudly in the air as the nimble grave digger dodges. Yarnold strides in from the doorway, brandishing his longsword. Though his strike is somewhat feeble, it pulverizes a couple ribs. The one-headed dog lurches to the side and is met by the flat of Xerxes' spade. The skeleton crumbles to the ground, the light of its runes also extinguished.

Bobwhite alerts Zygmund to the wizardly room, piquing the apprenctice's interest.

Margit and Palermo appear at the door. One dog remains.

Actions?

[Stirling]

W, X, Y, Z.

Two things you cannot dodge, taxes and death. Like a strange ironic metaphor; the tax collector Yarnold and the grave digger Xerxes pile upon the skeleton-hound seeking a second victory over death, pounding the creature that seems to have survived its first.

Yarnold: Longsword stab [1d20-1]=13-1=12 [1d8-1]=4-1=3Xerxes: swings his long shovel. [1d20+1]=15+1=16 [1d4+1]=2+1=3

Wenceslas will collect a few rune inscribed bones, giving them to Zygmund for inspection in case he can learn anything from the sigil. The wizard apprentice is in the closet, checking upon the mirror.

Zygmund: 14 Intelligence: using Black Grimoire [1d20]=17

He wonders if the glassy panel has some magical qualities, testing the reflection that he sees is actually his, that it is accurately reflecting his actions and is not a circus fat/thin one. He gurns a few facial expressions, like one does when bored whilst looking into the concave and convex surfaces of kitchen spoons.

He holds his hand up in front of the mirror, speaking some arcane tongue gestures that any magical radiance might come into illumination.

[AleBelly]

W, X, Y, Z.

He (Zygmund) wonders if the glassy panel has some magical qualities, testing the reflection that he sees is actually his, that it is accurately reflecting his actions and is not a circus fat/thin one. He gurns a few facial expressions, like one does when bored whilst looking into the concave and convex surfaces of kitchen spoons.

He holds his hand up in front of the mirror, speaking some arcane tongue gestures that any magical radiance might come into illumination.

The mirror is so dusty that Zygmund can't be sure it's really his reflection. But his movements do seem to be matched in the mirror.

Zygmund consults his tome, scratching his head. He racks his brain. Something seems odd here. A closet with just a full length mirror? There is no wardrobe, so it's not a dressing room. He feels like a definitive answer is just out of reach but there is so much strangeness in this subterranean area that he can't quite seem to connect the dots.

[CAI4]

Margit doesn't have time to take in all the strange things in the room. He sees Rolf being attacked, and he rushes at it with his shovel. His battle cry is something of a whimper.

Initiative [1d20-2]=2-2=0

Margit Shovel Plunge [1d20]=13, [1d4]=4 damage

[OGRE MAGE]

Initiative [1d20]=6 (+2 Palmero)

When Palmero arrives on the scene, he helps out with the battle if he can get in a swing with his pitchfork.

Attack [1d20]=9 (Legless +2)

[AleBelly]

Rolf, already with a nasty wound in his side, is attacked again by the two-headed skeleton abomination.

Skeledog attack Rolf [1d20-1]=1-1=0 damage [1d4]=4, [1d20-1]=9-1=8 damage [1d4]=1 Whew!

The woodcutter uses his hard won experience to guess how the skeleton will move and deftly dodges its bites. Yarnold, attacking from behind, slashes the monstrosity's hindquarters. Whatever magical force was holding it together ceases as it collapses in a heap. The glowing blue runes carved into its bones dims, then goes out.

Xerxes, Wenceslas, Yarnold, Zygmund, Bobwhite, and Rolf all gain 1 xp. All players now have 4 xp.

Margit and Palermo appear at the door just as the battle ends.

Wenceslas carefully picks up a few inscribed bones and wanders over to the closet where Zygmund and Bobwhite are puzzling over a dusty mirror. He seeks Zygmund's input on the nature of the runes. The wizard's apprentice looks them over; these are runes that are not used in the arcane arts he's familiar with...whomever inscribed these comes from somewhere far away. But he is sure that it is dark magic that gave life to these skeletons.

Eventually, the party is joined by Ayre, Baye, Cotgric, Duala, Sisyphus, Radahn, Hailey, Sully, Rimilda, and Nordman. Those that were in the fountain room will notice the absence of six of their comrades.

A description of the room for those new to it:

In the center of the room, a circular column of water, six feet in diameter, rises from a well in the floor. It stands perfectly placid and still, defying gravity as it reaches all the way from floor to ceiling where it disappears into another hole above. Bobwhite had thrown a chicken thigh into the water column, and it sunk out of sight into the well below.

The room is just under 50' wide, and the far wall is 40' from the door in which the party entered. There is a door on each of the four walls. Previously animated bones, including five skulls and various shards, lie scattered around the room. In the far corner to the left a fountain protrudes from the wall in the misshapen form of a vaguely humanoid tree. It is carved of stone. Rolf has consumed drops of condensation that had formed a tiny pool, and it sits dry. In the far corner to the right a small demon face juts from the wall. Its lower pool contains a few drops of condensed water. This statue is missing a horn, which can be seen in Wenceslas's dwarven hand.

The door to the left is open to a small closet that contains only a full-length dusty mirror. Bobwhite and Zygmund puzzle over its contents. There is a closed door in the wall to the right. On the far wall is a door, open to darkness beyond. The floor is dusty in places but has been kicked up by recent events. Map is located here.

[Rex]

Rimilda and Nordman

Nordman, "What happened in here?" He moves over and examines the demon face.

Rimilda, She moves over and examines the water column, is it flowing up or just hanging there?