The Unseen Servant forums

Within the Hell Mouth, the Rushmoors, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Ten. Early Afternoon. Tuesday, October 25th, 576 CY
Cloudy, damp, cold, foggy







By the eerie green light of the phosphorescent fungi, the unseen heroes quietly confer. Then, believing they are safe for the moment, they emerge from out of Urdur's wondrous, illusory wall.

Brevos the ranger tracks the lone hooded figure east, and the others quietly follow him. Merciful Pelias drags the last surviving cultist behind him as they descend deeper into the hell mouth.

Their path follows the edge of the fetid, opaque water and the terrain becomes more rocky. The tunnel opens onto a small cavern with a hole in the floor. A thick, knotted rope, tied to an iron spike set into a stone wall, trails down into the dark, dank maw. The 5' diameter shaft winds beneath them, to the west, and out of view.

The dripping frigid water from the stalactites above does not relent. Neither does the alarm gong.


Actions?


Map:

One square = 10 feet. X = Dead or Unconscious. O = Oozing horror.
Black area to the west of the PCs is the cliff into the main shaft of the hell mouth.


Cutaway View:

West is left. East is right.
PCs' front rank is near the red "X." The oozing horror is at "O." The dead cultist is at "C."





PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 23/27
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC 5, HP 9/15, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 24/28
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 17/22, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl and 2/4 2nd lvl
  Hoom Feethos, Elven Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC 3, HP 11/12, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 6, HP: 23/30, Spells: 1/6 1st lvl, 2/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
  Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 3: Move: 6", AC: 2(0), HP: 29/30, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Pip, Human Monk 2: Move: 16", AC: 9, HP: 11/12
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 21/28
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC 6, HP 9/9, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl and 0/1 2nd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

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

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far, in words)
  Graven Images (the story so far, in pictures)
  The Innocent and the Condemned (npc's)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
  Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

Telkis gestures over his shoulder towards the hole. ”Shall we?” he says in a whisper, then turns to inspect the floor immediately around the hole, so that no one should slip and fall down unintentionally.

"We shall" says Pelias confidently as he makes to proceed down the rope first. If he can do so with a villager over his shoulder, he will. If not, he'll try to secure him to his own body using the rope that binds the enchanted villager, then climb down the rope.

brevos will go down next

Mouser waits quietly in the shadows of the cavern for his turn to descend. He keeps a watchful ear and eye to the main cavern and the probable return of the armed guards...

Hoom Feethos:

Hoom waits along side Mouser.

Urdur goes down the hole next, not wanting to be last.

Did Urdur manage to snag those extra daggers from the supply room?

Grothnak spares a glance at the party's flank before climbing down the rope.

Pip follows that group down the rope.

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric climbs down the rope with the others.

Long Bo does not like the idea of leaving passages behind the group unchecked. As the others make their way down the rope, the druid takes the opportunity to have a closer look at the pool of water, trying to determine if anything has been dumped in there anywhere or if there are any signs of life below the surface.

He also has a quick look up the northern passage as he waits for his turn to descend last. If he finds nothing, he follows behind the group as they all climb down.

Within the Hell Mouth, the Rushmoors, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Ten. Afternoon. Tuesday, October 25th, 576 CY
Cloudy, damp, cold, foggy







In the subterranean tunnels beneath the accursed swamp, the heroes grip the knotted rope and descend into the torchlit hole in the rocky floor.

Long Bo leaves them awhile, moving off to examine the opaque black water. Standing at its stagnant edge, the grey druid of the Shalm takes a closer look and sees nothing rising from its surface, nor penetrating it, not even the green light of the weird fungi.

Suddenly, something explodes out of the fetid pool!



To the druid's astonished eyes, the ghastly, writhing horror appears to be some sort of giant blood leech, no doubt warped by the same sinister, supernatural force that has altered this region of the marsh, and the village of Briarsgate itself.

The hideous thing rears up, towering over the druid, and its mouth unfolds open to reveal rows and rows of tiny, razor sharp teeth!

Actions?!

Meanwhile, the other heroes have plunged deeper into the pit. Pelias was first to delve, carrying a bound, unconscious cultist; a burden almost as heavy as the paladin's guilt.

Brevos follows closely, then Grothnak, then Urdur as he secures his new daggers. Telkis and Ingrid next. Then Pip, then Hoom and Mouser.

The channel is tight, winding, steep, and lit by torches mounted to the rock walls. The glowing toadstools don't grow here. The thick rope descends to the bottom of the rocky shaft where an open, ramshackle door stands, beyond which more torchlight flickers.



Pelias, Brevos, Grothnak and Urdur are the first to cautiously enter the gaping door into a dank, tall cavern.

It is filled with dead men and women.



Horrific, ripe carcasses, animated by the powers of Hell.

Unspeakable rituals and blasphemies have been cruelly performed upon some of their bodies.



Whether these atrocities were perpetrated upon them while they still lived is unclear.

The grisly, tormented corpses are all facing the door. They must have heard the adventurers' descent. They watch. And then, as if awoken with a start, they suddenly lunge forward to attack the heroes with wanton savagery!


Actions?!


Cutaway View:

West is left. East is right.
PCs' front rank is near the red "X." Bo is at "B." The undead are at "U." The oozing horror is at "O." A dead cultist is at "C."

Upper Map:

One square = 10 feet. L1 = The Leech Monster. O = Oozing horror.
Black area to the west of the PCs is the cliff into the main shaft of the hell mouth.

Lower Map:

One square = 10 feet. Z = the undead.





PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 23/27
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC 5, HP 9/15, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 24/28
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 17/22, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl and 2/4 2nd lvl
  Hoom Feethos, Elven Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC 3, HP 11/12, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 6, HP: 23/30, Spells: 1/6 1st lvl, 2/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
  Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 3: Move: 6", AC: 2(0), HP: 29/30, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Pip, Human Monk 2: Move: 16", AC: 9, HP: 11/12
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 21/28
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC 6, HP 9/9, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl and 0/1 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

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

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far, in words)
  Graven Images (the story so far, in pictures)
  The Innocent and the Condemned (npc's)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
  Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

Fury grows within Pelias as he imagines the horrors these corpses suffered. He gently sets down the fallen cultist and raises his shield towards the zombies, channeling the power of Heironeus to turn them away.

"Go" he says quietly.

Turn zombies (13) [1d20] = 2

Mouser swallows at the horrors before him. With little room to melee he weaves magical assistance to buy the group some time.

cast push at Z1 in an attempt to topple him and trip up those that are following it.

Pip makes his way down, space permitting. Unless he hears something of the troubles up above...?

Long Bo jumps back with his spear held out in front of him defensively once the giant slug pops out of the water. Knowing enough about such creatures, the druid finds himself in a perfect predicament to put his money where his oft used mouth is.

Hoping the possessed beast is confined to its watery area, and isn't exactly a quick mover, Bo assumes that the smartest approach to this dilemma is to simply flee the area and avoid combat all together. He immediately steps backwards, moving away from the monster as quickly as possible. If he can do so, he flees the area all together, watching behind him to see if the beast is able to follow.

If it does indeed follow him out of and away from the pool, Bo gets himself to the rope and joins the others. If it is not able to follow, the druid takes a quick look down the northern passage before descending into the hole.

Brevos spits at the sight of the twisted horrors.

None of this cult deserves to live

He lifts his shield and draws Brood from it's scabbard letting the warmth of the the soft blue light hum of the magical blade sooth him he stands shoulder to shoulder with the holy warrior striking down the first zombie that gets near them.

[1d20+1] = 5+1 = 6

Mouser nods at Brevos and speaks definitively, "Next time I burn the rope."

Urdur lobs two of his newly acquired daggers at the nearest standing zombie.

Throw dagger at zombie [1d20+2] = 14+2 = 16

Throw dagger at zombie [1d20+2] = 11+2 = 13

Dagger damage [2d4] = 5

Unaware of Bo's predicament above, Telkis continues down the hole. Being no dummy, when he hears Pelias shout "Go." in a commanding voice, he assumes trouble ahead and scrabbles down to help. If he can get there in time and find room to do so, he'll attack whatever zombie he can reach: