Chapter 14: Abyss of the Damned

[SocraticLawyer]

Saving throw [1d20+4] = 12+4 = 16
I included Urdur's gnomish magic resistance and Ring of Protection bonuses in the roll. Hope that was right.

Urdur throws his flask of oil at the nearest squid-thing that he has line of sight on.

Throw oil at squid thing (THAC0 20) [1d20+2] = 9+2 = 11

[ChubbyPixie]

[1d20] = 18
Telkis is almost relieved when everything goes to hell - at least this will be an end to the interaction, for good or ill. He quickly sizes up the tactical situation, draws his short bow and fires two of his newfound, hopefully magical arrows at the blasphemous, tentacled lizard man thing with the twitchy eye. (R2)

Short Bow (THAC0 15): To Hit: [1d20] = 20, Damage s/m/L: [1d6] = 1 Woohoo... wait... aw, dang it.
Short Bow (THAC0 15): To Hit: [1d20] = 10, Damage s/m/L: [1d6] = 2 Both of these not including whatever bonuses the arrows may or may not impart... (cursed arrows!!? )

[ravenn4544]

Mouser's soul struggles to break through to normality... [1d20] = 5

He unfurls his sling and seeks to hurl a bullet at R2 :

Sling (THACO 20) [1d20+2] = 14+2 = 16, damage [1d4+1] = 4+1 = 5

[wolfpack]

Brevos struggles to throw off his robe and draw brood to attack the nearest lizard creature

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

d20 [1d20] = 2

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo isn't all that shocked that the ruse failed. These things happen when dealing with such evil incarnate. He is actually comforted slightly by the idea that his group isn't all that convincing when it comes to being evil.

He slowly pulls his hood back to start casting a spell. He mumbles to himself as he steels his eyes on the bizarre alien creatures. "You're one ugly mother fu...."

He lays down his old faithful at the back edge of the pool where the weeds are the thickest, hoping to at least slow down the mass of predators headed the groups way.

If only there were a way to take these creatures out without alerting the entire complex. He thinks to himself as he casts his magic.

His ears are tuned to the lower tunnel in case there are any surprises from below about to enter the fray.

Casts: Entangle

Random D20 [1d20] = 13

[drpete]

Pip tries to follow Grothnak around the pool to fight the abominations. Unsure how this will go, he checks how deep and horrible the water in the pool is...

"Your time is come! Go back to the shadows!"

Pip Quarterstaff +1 (ThAC0 20) [1d20+1] = 13+1 = 14 Damage [1d6+2] = 5+2 = 7

Pip save: [1d20] = 16

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Steeling herself for the battle against evil that is soon to commence, the cleric readies her mace and waits for one of the creatures to advance, a quiet prayer to Tritherion on her lips.

[1d20] = 6

[Inferno]

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







"What?! WE are your masters!" were the last words of one loathsome reptilian before Grothnak beheaded him.

"Wrong!" cries Pelias. "You are vermin, to be crushed beneath our feet!"

Disguised in the vestments of the enemy, and uttering the profane blasphemies of that abhorrent sect, the heroes surprise the heinous abominations!

Hoom and Ingrid draw sword and mace! Long Bo the druid chants mystical words of power to enlist Nature itself in their desperate cause!

Telkis nocks an arrow and pulls it back until its feather grazes his beard. Then he looses two of the enchanted missiles he recovered from the treasure hoard of the damned. Both arrows fly true, impaling one of the repugnant serpent men in its belly, killing it before it can cry out. (R2)



Mouser hurtles a sling stone that hammers into the inhuman skull of another nauseating malfactor! (R1) The strike is grievous but not fatal.

Unfortunately, no one else can seize the advantage given them by the element of surprise. The rest of the heroes fail to land a blow. Urdur's oil flask crashes into Pelias' back, soaking the paladin with flammable liquid!

Then the execrable stench of the detestable serpent men amplifies horribly. A deep loathing and disgust overwhelms the heroes, perhaps in response to the startling violation of nature and reality that the very existence of these vile atrocities represents. Brevos, Hoom, Ingrid, Mouser and Urdur reel. They retch their stomachs empty, but manage to keep their feet. (These five PCs each lose 1 point of Strength)

Pip of Hochoch peers into the fetid water to check its depth. The surface is coated with viscous green scum.



Suddenly, it leaps at him!

Slimy algae and weeds reach up from the pool and grasp Pip, trying to strangle him alive! (Please Save vs Spells!)

Gasps and cries emanate from the iron cages above as the reptilian demons ready their wicked, barbed spears to attack!


Actions?!


Map:

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

Cutaway View:

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

Rolls and Rulings (non-essential reading):

Serpentine atrocities surprised to be attacked by cultists? (1-3): [1d6] = 2 Yes. This post covers the surprise round. Monsters cannot attack this round.
Urdur's flask miss: [1d4] = 4, [1d8] = 1 Flask lands 4 feet to the right of R1.

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 9/15, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
  Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 20/28
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 17/22, Spells: 2/5 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: 19/30, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Pip, Human Monk 2: Move: 16", AC: 9, HP: 11/12
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 2: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 13/26
  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: 9 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)

[Zhym]

Grothnak continues to let his halberd to the talking.

Halberd +2 (+3 v. Evil) (THAC0 18): [1d20+4] = 7+4 = 11, Dmg [1d10+6] = 4+6 = 10 (S/M) [2d6+4] = 9+4 = 13 (L)
As before, the roll does not include +1 vs. evil.

It seems to have nothing to say.

[AleBelly]

Pelias grits his teeth and slashes at R1. He holds his shield prominently, turning the symbol of his god towards the serpentine abominations.

Attack with long sword +1 (THAC0 18) [1d20+1] = 13+1 = 14, damage [1d8+1] = 6+1 = 7

Again, this roll might need to be modified depending on the nature of his new sword.

[SocraticLawyer]

Embarrassed at his awkward oil throw, Urdur pulls out two of his daggers and takes aim at the creature across from him (R3).

Throw dagger at R3 [1d20+2] = 2+2 = 4

Throw dagger at R3 [1d20+2] = 18+2 = 20

Damage from dagger [1d4] = 3

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis fires two more of his new arrows, one at R3 and one at R4:

Short Bow (THAC0 15): To Hit: [1d20] = 4, Damage s/m/L: [1d6] = 5
Short Bow (THAC0 15): To Hit: [1d20] = 2, Damage s/m/L: [1d6] = 1
Uhhh... well. Hmmmm. Let's hope they are +10 vs. Abomination Arrows.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser fires another stone at the beast (R1). His already polluted soul seems to not be affected by their excretion of putrescence.

Sling (THACO 20) [1d20+2] = 18+2 = 20, damage [1d4+1] = 3+1 = 4

[drpete]

Seeing the vegetation move toward him, Pip tries to step away from the edge of the pool...

Save vs Magic (15+) [1d20] = 3

... without success.

Frustrated, he tries ineffectively to attack any of the inhuman creatures within range of his staff.

Pip Quarterstaff +1 (ThAC0 20) [1d20+1] = 2+1 = 3 Damage [1d6+2] = 5+2 = 7

[wolfpack]

Free of the robes Brood hums loudly and looks like a blue streak as Brevos lunges at the nearest reptilians chest

[1d20+1] = 14+1 = 15
[1d8+1] = 7+1 = 8

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Unable to do anything that can harm the evil on the other side of the pool, Ingrid will stand ready to react if the lizardfolk cross the fetid water.

Mace (THAC0: 18): To Hit: [1d20+2] = 2+2 = 4, damage: small [1d6+3] = 1+3 = 4 / large [1d6+2] = 1+2 = 3

Does not include the -1 penalty due to loss of strength, but it doesn't make any difference.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo pulls out his sling and fires a bullet at one of the monsters not engaged with a party member. He targets a wounded enemy if possible.

He continues to monitor the lower passageway as best he can while firing.

Sling Attack [1d20] = 14 Damage [1d4+1] = 3+1 = 4

[DadsAngry]

Hoom Feethos:

Hoom lowers the cage closest to him.

[Inferno]

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





Ghastly creatures, not of this world, lower their hoods, revealing horrific faces of macabre reptilians; each different, each twisted by dark powers.

One horned terror seemingly has no eyes. (R4)



They hiss and rasp to each other with a fearful intelligence in a chilling, inhuman language that makes one's skin crawl. Then, careful to avoid the writhing plantlife of the pool, the insidious abominations lunge upon the heroes! All-too-human hands wield jagged, barbed spears that savagely impale Pelias, Pip and Grothnak without pity! (-9hp, -6hp, -4hp respectively) Evil mocking laughter follows, that might have come from the lips of a demon in Hell.

Then things get worse. The heroes feel a dread malevolent presence inside their minds!
There, the detestable, otherworldly will of the eyeless monster creates agonies exquisite and unnatural!
(All PCs please make an Ability Check vs Wisdom on 1d20. Failure means you take 4hp damage worth of psychic pain.)

Hoom frantically turns the crank to begin lowering an iron cage!

Telkis, Urdur, Mouser and Bo loose more missiles at the only atrocity not engaged in melee with their fellow heroes (R4).

Both of Telkis' arrows, Bo's sling stone and one of Urdur's daggers, are swallowed up by the central waterfall that inhibits their aim.

But Mouser's dead-eyed stone hits the eyeless terror with bone-crushing force. Urdur's second dagger also strikes true, sinking to the hilt, and the malignant fiend falls to the cavern floor (R4). It dies hissing an inhuman curse from a time before elves walked the Oerth.

Bo the druid risks a glance down the lower passageway and finds it quiet. For now.

Pip can't get loose of the grasping flora of the fetid pool. He swings his quarterstaff at the nearest foe (R5) but the living algae and weeds ruin his aim.

Grothnak cuts only air as Brevos pushes past the entangled Pip and drives his longsword through a loathsome hellion, killing it in one blow. (R5)



On the battlefield's other front, Pelias' new sword disembowels a sinister reptilian in an ebon spout of inhuman blood. (R1)

Hoom lands a cage and he, Ingrid, Telkis and Urdur see a wide-eyed teenage boy inside, terrified for his life.

Brevos, Hoom, Ingrid, Mouser and Urdur feel another sickening wave of weakness (Each loses another point of Strength) as the two remaining serpent men begin to shriek for aid!


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):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 4, Monsters: [1d6] = 5 Monsters win.
R1, R3 attack Pelias: [1d20] = 17, [1d20] = 14, damage: [2d4] = 3, [2d4] = 6 Both hit.
R5, R6 attack Pip and Grothnak: [1d20] = 15, [1d20] = 12, damage: [2d4] = 6, [2d4] = 4 Both hit.
Psionic-ish damage: [1d4] = 4

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 9/15, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
  Grothnak Uthglukh, Half-Orc Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/28
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 17/22, Spells: 2/5 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: 10/30, 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: 13/26
  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: 8 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:

Hoom continues to lower the cage until it's on the ground.

Wisdom 8 [1d20] = 4