Chapter 14: Abyss of the Damned

[Zhym]

The pain in Grothnak's mind sharpens his focus. It's like a bracing wake-up call to the Uruk—his morning cup of coffee.

Wis (9): [1d20] = 12
Halberd +2 (+3 v. Evil) (THAC0 18): [1d20+3] = 15+3 = 18, Dmg [1d10+5] = 2+5 = 7 (S/M) [2d6+4] = 11+4 = 15 (L)

[ChubbyPixie]

Save vs. WIS (8): [1d20] = 12

Telkis winces, grits his teeth and shoots two more magic arrows at R3, hoping to silence him before he can draw reinforcements:

...if he's not incapacitated by the mind bullets.
Short Bow (THAC0 15): To Hit: [1d20] = 14, Damage s/m/L: [1d6] = 5
Short Bow (THAC0 15): To Hit: [1d20] = 1, Damage s/m/L: [1d6] = 2 Sheesh! He should stick with Cranach.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Feeling physically ill and at the same time suffering intense pain in her mind, it is almost enough to drop the cleric to her knees. However, her path is clear- she must not let the Paladin fall! Gritting her teeth, Ingrid lurches toward Pelias, summoning her last bit of healing magic from Tritherion. Placing her hand upon his shoulder, she feels life giving power flow through her touch- and then stop suddenly. In this cess pit of evil, her connection to Tritherion's power is faint. Nevertheless, the brave cleric stands her ground, side by side with the holy warrior, presenting the abomination one other target. Perhaps the chance to finish off a weak opponent will be too much to pass up...

Cure Light Wounds [1d8] = 3

Wisdom Check (18): [1d20] = 19

Figures, low roll to heal, and then rolls high, blowing a 90% chance of saving vs the mental attack.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur grits his teeth against the mental assault. He takes aim at the fiend across the water (R3) with his last two daggers.

Wisdom check (13) [1d20] = 4

Throw dagger at R3 [1d20+2] = 15+2 = 17

Throw dagger at R3 [1d20+2] = 10+2 = 12

Damage from dagger [1d4] = 2

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo shakes off the effects of the horrid attacks on his mind.

Wis Check (15) [1d20] = 8

Seeing all of the creatures now engaged, he decides to stop firing. Securing his spear again, he almost cries out himself when he hears the monsters start to shriek. It is obvious to the druid that this is clearly a call for help and that more trouble will surely be coming along soon.

He starts down the lower tunnel, going in about 10 feet. He looks and listens carefully for anything that might be advancing on the group.

[wolfpack]

Brevos blood lust fills his mind fending off any mental attack

[1d20] = 12

he spits in the reptilians face as he swings Brood in an overhand arc attempting to bring the magical blade down on top of the things skull.

[1d20+1] = 17+1 = 18

[1d8+1] = 4+1 = 5

[ravenn4544]

Mouser becomes more physically ill from the nausea from the unholy figures - dry heaving into the muck. The twisted and vile voices in his head do even more damage - Wis(9) [1d20] = 14 - pummeling his already fragile psyche with relentless images of horror and obscenity.

Is his next missile attack aimed at the beast across the water (R3) or is it some unseen atrocity that only he can see?

Sling (THACO 20) [1d20+2] = 9+2 = 11, damage [1d4+1] = 2+1 = 3

[Inferno]

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





In the nightmarish underworld, demonic shrieks of hideous triumph exalt over fallen humanity and echo in unseen black gulfs beyond human understanding.



Unwavering, the swords of Brevos and Pelias clash against alien, hooked spears, and beat them back.

Ingrid humbly prays for Pelias that her god may show him mercy in this darkest of places. (+3hp)

Then the chilling inhuman laughter turns to hellish shrieking and sudden silence as the last two abhorrent serpent things are brutally cut apart by Brevos, Grothnak and Pelias in a gruesome reaping of black blood and gore.



In the chaotic maelstrom of the fight, Pelias had taken one of Urdur's daggers in the back (-2hp) and one of Telkis' new arrows in the shoulder (-8hp!) The paladin is only standing by the grace of Ingrid's invocations.

All goes quiet except the rushing of the waterfall. The heroes suddenly realize the piping must have stopped during the battle! Then the pregnant silence is broken by loud, repeated gonging, in a pattern different than before, coming from the eastern tunnel!

GONG! GONG! GONG! GONG!

His strength waning, Hoom lowers an iron cage to the ground and looks inside at its prisoner, a terrified teenage boy. By his clothes, he is a farmer's son from Briarsgate. (P1)
"Wh-what is happening?" the boy begs of his hooded rescuers.

Pip remains imprisoned in a noose of subterranean flora. And Brevos, Hoom, Ingrid, Mouser and Urdur cannot shake the sickening dread. (Each loses a third point of Strength!)

Long Bo the druid races ten feet down the lower tunnel. The gonging isn't coming from this shaft and no horrific shapes lunge or dart within its shadowy depths... yet.


Actions?!


Map:

The towering waterfall is a 5' diameter column in the center of the pool.
Grey squares are hanging cages. Black squares are lowered cages.

Cutaway View:

West is left. East is right. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Rolls and Rulings (non-essential reading):

Wisdom Checks for Pelias and Pip: [1d20] = 8, [1d20] = 5 Both succeed.
Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 2, Monsters: [1d6] = 3 Monsters win.
R6 attacks Brevos (1) or Grothnak (2)?: [1d2] = 1 R6 attacks Brevos.
R3, R6 attack Pelias and Brevos: [1d20] = 7, [1d20] = 4, damage: [2d4] = 7, [2d4] = 5 Both miss.
Firing into a melee: Does Telkis hit Pelias (1) or R3 (2)? [1d2] = 1 Telkis hits Pelias.
Telkis Crit Fumble result: [1d8] = 3 Distracted: Add +1 to your AC for the rest of this round and all of the next.
Firing into a melee: Urdur hits Pelias (1) or R3 (2): [1d2] = 1 Urdur hits Pelias.
Pelias attacks R3 with mystery sword: [1d20] = 18, damage: [1d8] = 7 Pelias hits R3.

PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 19/27
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 2/3: Move: 9", AC 5, HP 5/15, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
  Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 12/28
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 13/22, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl and 1/4 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: 0/6 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl and 1/2 3rd lvl
  Pelias Blanchflower, Human Paladin 3: Move: 6", AC: 2(0), HP: 3/30, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Pip, Human Monk 2: Move: 16", AC: 9, HP: 5/12
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 9/26
  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.
  Entangle (Bo): Duration: 7 rounds

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)

[DadsAngry]

Hoom Feethos:

"We are getting you and the others out of here. What's your name?"
He says as he works on the lock on the cage with his dagger and dart.

48% - Open Locks [1d100] = 92

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur searched the dead for his thrown daggers, as well as anything potentially useful. "Sorry," he says sheepishly to Pelias, as he pulls the dagger from the paladin.

To the group, he says"we cannot remain here. My strength diminishes by the minute. We must free these unfortunates and rest in the forest before we succumb to injury and undeath."

[ravenn4544]

Mouser's soul clutches for a breath of sanity. The butchered carcasses relinquish their hold on him for a time as he moves to lower the remaining cages. "I'd rather die trying to escape then dieing in a hopeless cage. it could be now or never for them"

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric helps the best she can to lower the other cages. Urdu is not the only one growing weaker. My strength is fading fast as well. Can somebody please cut Pip free so we can get out of here before anything else arrives?

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis gathers as many of his arrows as he can:

Retrieve Arrows (50%): [1d100] = 39, [1d100] = 56, [1d100] = 36
Retrieve Arrows (50%): [1d100] = 18, [1d100] = 35, [1d100] = 15

As he gathers them, he says, ”My apologies, Pelias, when I took aim he was nowhere near you, then in the confusion... are you ok? We need to get moving.”

If we need to leave sooner than it would take for him to gather all of them, he’ll just get as many as he can...

[wolfpack]

the blood lust fading, Brevos breathes rapidly. As the adrenaline dump stops he feels himself weakening.

I to am weakening, I do not think we can stand here to face what is coming. We should move back either up above or into the hidden treasure room to regain our strength.

[drpete]

Pip tries to free himself... finding himself stuck fast, if he is not being pulled down into the water, he will first calm himself down.

Then he will break out an incense stick and try to light it. Maybe the smoke will dispel the vegetation... Maybe it will clear up the stench from the horrible lizard men.

Does Pip have any mobility...? Could he... I dunno, get into the water to hide there if everyone abandoned him (sorta going *with* the plants efforts to pull him), or is he just rooted in place? He's focused on his incense thing right now, and not trying to get in the water, but can he tell if there is any freedom at all?

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo rushes back to the others.

"We must get out of here! NOW! We won't survive another attack in our condition! Everyone get back up the rope and head for the secret room!"

The druid takes the time to drag two of the dead bodies into the western passage, positioning them as if they were following the group in that direction. He rushes back to the boy, who is hopefully released by then. "We are here to free you, but we must hurry! Do you know where these passages lead? We can get you to a safe place if you are willing to trust us! But we must climb up these ropes to get there! You must come with us if you want to escape!"

The druid does what he can to help anyone willing to escape up the rope, even offering to carry the boy if he must, but he will not wait for any more cages to be lowered and sprung before climbing up the rope himself.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Fortunately, the cleric sees the logic in making a hasty exit. Those still in cages will need to wait until the party has recovered some of their vigor, or any attempt at freeing the prisoners will end in their total extermination. The druid is correct. Come with me if you want to live. Ingrid waits for the stronger members of the party to climb first, as she doesn't want to slow anyone down in her enfeebled state.

[wolfpack]

brevos moves to cut pip lose

[AleBelly]

Pelias thanks Ingrid curtly, then advances upon Urdur and Telkis. "F*cking dullards! Thrice now I've been struck by friendly missiles. You are more dangerous than my enemies! I can handle myself in melee...if you fire again you'll feel my wrath!" he threatens, rage in his eyes as he brandishes his sword. "My threats are not idle." It is quite clear the paladin is about to lose control of his temper.

He swigs his potion of extra healing to hopefully repair the damage his friends have inflicted upon him.

Potion of extra healing [3d8+3] = 9+3 = 12

[ChubbyPixie]

"Hmmm." says Telkis, neutrally, in response to Pelias' outburst. "I said I was sorry. I understand you're angry, and that's justified, but don't threaten me, Pelias." He continues gathering his arrows.