Chapter 2: Pyramid of the Dead

[OGRE MAGE]

Gronda doesn't even have time to thank the unseen Biblo. When the spiders rush into the room, she retreats backwards, towards the other door.

If you cant get the door closed again, maybe we can lure the hairy monsters into the last hallway? Let the glop get em?

[Grognardsw]

Biblo Phyle, libriomancer

My eyes widen at the monstrous spider and I back away to let the fighters engage. I almost forget my invisibility and swing wide away toward the door from which we came.

[Zhym]

Arthfael marvels at the diversity of nature's wonders. He gives this wonder a wide berth, backing away and hoping the barbarian can close the door. But he readies a flask of oil in case the barbarian fails.

[Starbeard]

Attila's save vs Strength 15: [1d20] = 8

[Inferno]

Day One
The Great Pyramid of the Lost City, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
13th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia
Evening. Hot, arid, cloudless







In the secret temple of the Oracle of Osorus, Mako, a conjurer of the distant East, fills his waterskin with the miraculous, life-giving elixir. Strangely, the water level in the font has not fallen.

Arthfael, Biblo and Gronda retreat as Roan advances, throwing down his torch and swinging his great sword at the terrifying, monstrous arachnid that lurches forward on its eerie, eight-legged gait!



A plague of spawn abandon her immense, hairy frame in a crawling, writhing tide that threatens to flood the shrine!

Attila, Garrin and Kiri push the ancient, stone door shut, trapping the gigantic tarantula on the other side, away from them and her young! She shrieks horrifically at the realization that her ghastly offspring have been separated from her. It is all the mighty warriors can do to keep the enraged behemoth from re-invading the chapel!
(anyone holding the door this coming round: please save vs Strength on 1d20)

The scuttling spiderlings sense their horrific mother’s agonizing screams and frantically attack each other and anything else they collide with, biting Attila, Kiri and Roan!
(-1hp, -3hp and -1hp respectively. All three please Save vs Poison once, at +Con/2 (round up) to your dice roll, due to the tiny size of the spiderlings.)


Actions?!


Map:

Pyramid Tier 2.12.jpg (471.77 KiB) Viewed 2927 times

One square = 10 feet.


Rolls and Rulings:

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 5, Monsters: [1d6] = 3 Party wins
Spiderlings attack Mako: [1d20] = 2, [1d20] = 10, [1d20] = 12, [1d20] = 3 All miss
Spiderlings attack Attila: [1d20] = 3, [1d20] = 19, [1d20] = 2, [1d20] = 3 One hits
Spiderlings attack Garrin: [1d20] = 10, [1d20] = 7, [1d20] = 5, [1d20] = 4 All miss
Spiderlings attack Kiri: [1d20] = 16, [1d20] = 6, [1d20] = 18, [1d20] = 20 Three hit
Spiderlings attack Roan: [1d20] = 16, [1d20] = 7, [1d20] = 9, [1d20] = 4 One hits

PC Status:

• Arthfael Griogarach: Cimmerian Northman Druid 2: AC 6, HP 7/12, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl and 2/3 2nd lvl
  Attila: Hyrkanean Nomad Barbarian 1: AC 1, HP 11/12, Torch
  Biblo Phyle: Zamoran Southman Cleric/Fighter/Magic-User 1/1/1: AC 3, HP 7/7, Spells: 3/4 1st lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 1: AC 5, HP 8/11, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Gronda: Zembabweian Savage Ranger/Thief 1/2: AC 7, HP 8/17
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: AC 4, HP 3/7, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 3: AC 5, HP 15/18, Torch
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 2: AC: 7, HP: 5/6, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Roan, Son of Rune: Vanir Northman Barbarian 1: AC 4, HP 11/12, Torch

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.

PC Resources:

• An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)
  Men of the Hyborian Age (races of men)
  The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)

[Mant72]

Garrin Locke:

Garrin desperately tries to keep the door closed, stomping any of the tiny arachnids that come near; however, his divided attention causes him to fail to maintain weight on the portal.

Save vs Strength (13): [1d20] = 15

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako retreats to the nearest corner with his newly filled waterskin. He divides his attention between the large strong fighter holding the door closed and the scholars who retested to the secrecy door. Will stay and fight or will we flee through the secret door?

[ChubbyPixie]

Smarting from the bites, Kiri pushes hard on the door, ultimately deciding he'd rather be nibbled than slashed open...

Save vs Strength: [1d20] = 12

His skin tingles uncomfortably, but he fights off a feeling of nausea and keeps pushing. The sickening rhythmic thumps on the other side are motivation enough.

Save vs Poison +Con/2 (Target, 14): [1d20+6] = 19+6 = 25

[hedgeknight]

Roan, Son of Rune

The barbarian barely feels the tiny bite, but he knows that even tiny creatures can carry enough poison to kill a man. But he shrugs off the nausea and kicks at the spiders, trying to keep them away from his legs. He grabs for his torch and swings it around at the baby spiders.
Save vs. Poison (14): [1d20+7] = 11+7 = 18

Do I roll to hit or will the flames keep them away? Here's a roll in case you need one:
Hit with torch: [1d20+2] = 8+2 = 10

[OGRE MAGE]

Gronda stomps on any eight legers that get too close. She attempts to flick away spiders that are trying to climb up the others as best she can with the haft of her spear without getting too close to the biomass.

Attack w/ Spear [1d20] = 7 Damage [1d6] = 3

[Grognardsw]

Biblo Phyle, antiquarian arcanist

Thank Ibis for sorceries to blind sight against me. It is keeping him at bay. I feel him pushing, casting doubts on my control.

I move toward the door and nock my bow, preparing for the worst.

[Inferno]

Secret Shrine of the Oracle of Osorus (3)
The Great Pyramid of the Lost City, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day One. Evening. 13th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia





Attila, Garrin and Kiri throw their muscled frames against the secret door with all their strength, struggling to hold the leviathan tarantula at bay!



They falter and the titanic horror is able to thrust its shrieking, hideous face through the ever widening portal; eight inhuman eyes frantically searching for her bloodcurdling children!



Mako of the East retreats from that gruesome visage. At the far side of the shrine, Loche curses, unseen Biblo nocks an arrow, and savage Gronda stabs her spear at the advancing spiderling swarm.



Roan, son of Rune, brandishes his torch at the writhing, growing pool of tiny arachnids. Between his fiery assault and the pitiless screeching of their ghastly mother, the crawling plague retreats back through the cracked door, to their monstrous parent.

The warriors slam the secret door shut as the gigantic spiderbeast withdraws, reunited with her loathsome offspring.

All grows quiet.

Kiri Khutan warily removes one hand to test for pressure on the stone door and finds none. The giant Kambujan warrior-wizard glances at the glimmering waters of the sacred font of the oracle and suddenly, a mirage of ancient eyes appear within the bright liquid and meet his gaze!



A disembodied voice that burns like roaring flames pronounces in an archaic form of the common tongue:

"SPEAK PETITIONER AND HAVE THY SAY,
THAT I MAY ANSWER YEA OR NAY."


Replies? Every PC that hasn't already done so may ask one 'Yes or No' question.
Also, our first experience point award of the game is here. Congrats, Garrin and Roan.


Map:

Pyramid Tier 2.13.jpg (465.76 KiB) Viewed 2895 times

One square = 10 feet. Monsters are shown in their last known locations.


Rolls and Rulings:

Attila: Save vs Poison (10): [1d20+7] = 7+7 = 14 Saves.
Attila: Save vs. Strength (15): [1d20] = 12

PC Status:

• Arthfael Griogarach: Cimmerian Northman Druid 2: AC 6, HP 7/12, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl and 2/3 2nd lvl
  Attila: Hyrkanean Nomad Barbarian 1: AC 1, HP 11/12, Torch
  Biblo Phyle: Zamoran Southman Cleric/Fighter/Magic-User 1/1/1: AC 3, HP 7/7, Spells: 3/4 1st lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 1: AC 5, HP 8/11, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Gronda: Zembabweian Savage Ranger/Thief 1/2: AC 7, HP 8/17
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: AC 4, HP 3/7, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 3: AC 5, HP 15/18, Torch
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 2: AC: 7, HP: 5/6, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Roan, Son of Rune: Vanir Northman Barbarian 1: AC 4, HP 11/12, Torch

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Invisibility (Biblo): Ingested one dose of potion. Duration: unknown.

PC Resources:

• An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)
  Men of the Hyborian Age (races of men)
  The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)

[OGRE MAGE]

Gronda tires of always feeling tired. She overcomes her fear now that she sees that the others didn't die from the healing waters.

She moves to the font and cups her hands, enjoying a long drink of the special water.

We probably should have killed that vile creature. It seems that we may now be trapped in here on all three sides.

[Mant72]

Garrin Locke:

Finding a reprieve from the onslaught, Garrin finds a quiet corner and commences praying to Mitra.

The holy knight is desperately thirsty and knows the waters have healing properties, but he is unsure about partaking of their ancient magicks. "Would this be a transgression in the eyes of The Lord? If I perish from thirst, how will I continue to spread His word?" he wonders silently as he scrutinizes the white blemish on the back of his hand.

He tries to seek the divine wisdom of Mitra for guidance.

[Grognardsw]

Biblo Phile, unseen sorcersage

I breath a sigh of relief at another danger avoided. This place will be the death of us. I put my bow away and try to calm my mind so that he may be supressed.

"Can we secure that door so the spider doesn't come out?" I ask from thin air.

The Zembebweian's comment catches my attention. "Why do you say trapped on three sides, Gronda? Is there another threat about?"

Another disembodied voice speaks and I am awed but then wary. I've heard of magickal mouths voicing trickeries or beguilements.

"Has this voice spoken before? Have any of you gave question and been answered true?"

[Zhym]

Arthfael does not drink the water. He wants no god's symbol on his decorated flesh. And water is not a problem for him.

Is there a handle on the door? Maybe we could tie a rope to the door and pour oil into the room with a trail leading out of the room. We'd open the door from the hall and light the oil.

[Inferno]

No handle. There is a concealed inset to slip your hand in, to pull the secret door open.

[Starbeard]

Attila the Hyrkanean

"What a great beast. Let it rot in there and devour its own children." Attila makes a face and wanders the room, listening at the doorway they came through.

[OGRE MAGE]

Gronda

The gnarly, dark female answers the unseen Biblo.

Yes. Did you not see the large cube of sticky membrane in the hall when you entered? It nearly entrapped us in its mass just before we escaped into this shrine.

[hedgeknight]

Roan, Son of Rune

Wiping the sweat from his eyes, Roan breathes a prayer of thanks and cautiously searches the floor, torches in hand, for any leftover spiders. Seeing none, he then goes to each wall and tries to find another way out of here...preferably one without something that is going to eat them waiting on the other side!