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Seeing things are not going well, Kiri decides to take a risk. Snatching out the scroll they found upstairs, he intones the arcane syllables for a spell designed to create an arc of fire that springs from his fingertips, hoping to catch as many of the fiends as he can at once.

Loche takes out two of his bone daggers and attempts to flank the enemy at S13.

Dagger, melee (THACO:20): [1d20] = 8 Dmg [1d4] = 2

The Hall of Heroes (31), Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Three. Morning. 15th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia







The undead guardians of the tomb of Xuthalhotep lunge forward, ready to slaughter the infidels who dare invade this hallowed ground.

The chaos of warfare rages around the explorers in a savage maelstrom of violence and mayhem.

The army of the dead's cadaverous general is still beset by Arthfael's droning swarm of locusts. But his soldiers draw more blood!

Perhaps seized by an occult premonition, Mako the sorcerer cries, "Feed me the font in my waterskin if I fall!" moments before he is silenced by a fell-handed blow. A charnel warrior's blade slashes down, cleaving the easterner's flesh and muscle. (-4hp) Mako slumps to the floor, a pool of crimson blood growing around his motionless body.

Garrin of Argos dodges the worst of a fatal, disemboweling thrust but is still wounded. (-2hp)

A Verulian ax shaves a lock of white hair from Amethu's head, and gashes his neck. (-1hp)

The four skeleton archers draw swords and race to join the battle. (S1,2,11,12)

Zahra hefts her new Black Javelin and sends it into the raging melee! It whistles between Roan and the ghastly general, narrowly missing both before clattering to the tiles.

With a black oath, Roan son of Rune shatters a leering skull (S16) but none of the other explorers can penetrate the dead men's defenses.

Desperate, Kiri unfurls a scroll recovered from the massacred wizards of Sutekh. With each syllable he utters, its hieroglyph disappears from the papyrus. Finishing the arcane incantation, he drops the now-blank parchment and holds both hands out as crackling flames roar forth from his fingertips, engulfing unliving soldiers in a conflagration of hungry fire!



When the inferno subsides, eight undead heroes lay incinerated.

(Next round...)

From the darkness to the west, more sounds come. Horse hooves. And something else. Wheels on stone tiles.

Three War chariots drawn by skeletal steeds burst from the shadows, hurtling to join the fray!




Actions?!


Map Detail:

S = Soldiers. H8 = General. C = Charioteers. H = Riderless Horses pulling Chariots. X = Dead or Unconscious.


Rolls and Rulings (non-required reading):


PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 9/10, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl
  Arthfael Griogarach: Cimmerian Northman Druid 3: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 17/17, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl and 1/2 3rd lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 2: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 16/18, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 5/7, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 18/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 2: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 0/6, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, Light spell
  Roan, Son of Rune: Vanir Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 15", AC: 4, HP: 23/23, Torch
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 2: Move: 16", AC: 8, HP: 12/12
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 2: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 15/16

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Healing Mists of Osorus (All except Amethu and Zahra): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."
  Summon Insects (Arthfael): Target: The general (H8). Duration: 1 round.

Player Resources:

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

Zahra

[1d20] = 20+2
[1d8] = 4+3

Zahra moves to attack <s17>, her charge a mix of dance and tumble. She keeps the blade turned, striking with the flat.

Garrin sees the oncoming horde, and knows that the group must strike quickly before they are overwhelmed. He attacks the general again, this time without swallowing a bug.

To Hit with +1 Long Sword: [1d20+1] = 20+1 = 21; Damage: sm - [1d8+1] = 5+1 = 6; lg - [1d12+1] = 8+1 = 9

Kiri is delighted by the results of the flame spell, but his celebration is brief. Seeing the chariots bearing down, he imagines putting a pillar between himself and a direct charge to be the best tactic - he takes off sprinting southwards. If he can cover the distance and is not run down first, he’ll come up on Arthfael’s left and attack S10 in a surprise end run:

Taking down two of the undead feeds the already burning fire of battle in the Vanir's heart. Roaring with maniacal glee, Roan, Son of Rune, charges through the smoldering remains of the undead, heading straight for the chariot and its skeletal steeds. "Back to hell where you belong!" he yells, letting the steeds pass, before delivering yet another crushing blow of his axe to the spear-wielding charioteer! (S23?)
Battle axe: [1d20+3] = 15+3 = 18, [1d8+5] = 4+5 = 9

"Blood, guts, and glory today, my friends!" Roan yells, as he prepares to attack again.

Amethu observes the flames sputter out and thinks "I need to learn that spell...". Mako being too far away to help at the moment, he thrusts again with this staff to stem the tide of undeath (S9).

To Hit (THACO 20): [1d20] = 15
Quarterstaff Damage: = S/M/L: [1d6] = 1

Xorzen is both shocked and in awe from the intense fire spell that Kiri uses to destroy several of these creatures at once. If we all had more power like that, this battle might just be survivable. He thinks to himself.

The monk sees the prophetic Mako fall in front of him just as he spots the chariots enter the area. As badly as he wants to continue his attack, the masked man knows what he must do.

He reaches forward and pulls the prone form over to the safety of the side wall, hoping the chariots cant maneuver so close to solid walls. Removing Mako's flask as instructed, he pours the contents down the unconscious mans throat, hoping it will revive him quickly.

He keeps a close eye on Loche who he had to leave all alone with two adversaries. As soon as he can, the monk will rush back to aid the Pict.

The Hall of Heroes (31), Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Three. Morning. 15th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia







As the trio of war chariots come thundering down upon them, Roan, son of Rune, charges forward without fear to meet them, weapon in hand and a heathen battle-cry on his lips!

"Blood, guts, and glory today, my friends!"

The Vanir barbarian swings his great ax in ruinous arcs among the unliving legions of Xuthalhotep.



A fleshless charioteer of yore (C23) breaks and shatters on Roan's steel. Hurtling down, its ruined frame smashes on the stone floor and is trampled beneath bony hooves; crushed and splintered like a mangled scarab beetle.

Xorzen the Verulian drags Mako to the wall, hoping it will shelter them both from the barreling charge of the deathly steeds. Following the unconscious conjurer's last instructions, the masked albino pours the contents of Mako's waterskin down his throat. The cold, clear water of the Oracle of Osorus miraculously heals all of Mako's wounds and the little Easterner awakens! (+7hp)

Zahra the amazon gracefully dances around a cyclopean stone pillar and her sword shears clean through a neck, decapitating a shrieking skeleton. (S17)

Kiri marvels momentarily at the power of the scroll's sorcery. Splayed around his feet are a wave of fire-blackened corpses. The mountainous spellsword suddenly charges south, fleeing the galloping skeletal horses. He races behind the line and turns on its edge, driving his trident into Arthfael's cadaverous foe. The shoulder bone of its spear arm is rent in twain, and the cloven warrior falls. (S10)

Amethu's staff glances off a helmeted skull (S9), Arthfael shatters a rib with his scimitar (S18) and Loche severs a bloodless hand at the wrist (S3), but none of their enemies fall.

The undead host's General (H8) is still beset by Arthfael's plague of locusts. The supernatural insect swarm begins to dissipate and the General regains his bearings.



Suddenly, Garrin the Atlantean thrusts his sword into the General's shrieking mouth, driving it up into his skull, silencing it forever.

Loche's new dagger fends off two ancient swords from the north. On the southern flank, the shields of all four explorers are hammered but withstand another ferocious attack.

Three roaring war chariots bear down on the defiant Roan. Their long spears savagely cut, pierce and hack the barbarian asunder as they pass! (-20hp)



Gravely wounded, the fierce barbarian of the northlands still draws breath, still holds his ax.

The two lead charioteers pull up on their reins, lest they crash headlong into the eastern wall, and the dead horses scream!


Actions?!


Map Detail:

S = Soldiers. H8 = General. C = Charioteers. H = Riderless Horses pulling Chariots.
Lit areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Rolls and Rulings (non-required reading):


PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 9/10, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl
  Arthfael Griogarach: Cimmerian Northman Druid 3: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 17/17, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl and 1/2 3rd lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 2: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 16/18, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 5/7, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 18/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 2: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 6/6, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, Light spell
  Roan, Son of Rune: Vanir Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 15", AC: 4, HP: 3/23, Torch
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 2: Move: 16", AC: 8, HP: 12/12
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 2: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 15/16

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Healing Mists of Osorus (All except Amethu and Zahra): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."

Player Resources:

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

Amethu, still blocked from helping his comrades, lunges with his staff once more (S9):

To Hit (THACO 20): [1d20] = 11
Quarterstaff Damage: = S/M/L: [1d6] = 1

Garrin almost shrieks out when he sees his northern companion nearly impaled to death. He hopes the group can survive this fight.

The paladin attacks his nearest foe (S12). To Hit with +1 Long Sword: [1d20+1] = 12+1 = 13; Damage: sm - [1d8+1] = 6+1 = 7; lg - [1d12+1] = 9+1 = 10

Zahara

Zahara assumes a defensive stance, her back to the column, as she quickly changes from her sword to her mace. She snarls and spits epithets at the skeletons.

Xorzen is thrilled to see the stored healing waters still work on Mako.

He uses his speed to his advantage again, staying to the side or back of the oncoming chariot. He doesn't think that the old vehicles will be able to turn sharply, so he lets the one closest to him proceed towards the line of fighters to the south.

The masked monk rushes to the side of Loche, as promised. He strikes out at one of the monsters there with his magical javelin, hoping to take a wounded one down if he can. S3/S1

Javalin Attack [1d20] = 15 Damage [1d6+1] = 3+1 = 4

Mako:

Unsure of where he is or how he moved, he quickly picks himself off the ground and takes a wild swing with his quarter staff at the closes foe.

Staff, Quarter THAC0 20 [1d20] = 7 S/M/L [1d6] = 2

Changed action

Roan, Son of Rune, sways and blinks the sweat out of his eyes. The pain of his wounds is already beginning to dull and his Vanir's heart cries for more bloodshed, whether it be his or the blood of his enemies, no matter. He glances toward his companions, seeking Garrin and Loche, the only two he really trusts. And then catches Zahara's eye and grins.

"Carry my bones out of this hell hole! My spirit needs open air to soar to Valhalla!" he shouts, and then turns to face the chariot and leaps into the fray!
Battle axe: [1d20+3] = 8+3 = 11, [1d8+5] = 1+5 = 6

Loche silently keeps at it with his daggers!!! His silence betrays his concentration in destroying the undead on S3.

Dagger, melee (THACO:20): [1d20] = 18 Dmg [1d4] = 3

Arthfael steps back, hoping that the line can close in front of him and protect him while he calls to the spirits and the elements.

He reaches a hand toward the fastest of the oncoming chariots. "Cuimhnigh nuair a bhí tú crainn," he says, calling to the spirits of the wood in the chariot's wheel. "Análaigh, agus briseadh saor in aisce do bhannaí."

Kiri lashes out from behind his shield at the skeleton that moves up in front of him, but in his haste to destroy another of the vile undead, he flubs it: