Chapter 24: Human Sacrifices

[wolfpack]

once again Brevos tries to pick up a trail


[1d100] = 37

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis trundles along, Cranach in hand, trying not to think, but just to be alert and ready for the inevitable.“Witches!” he says, under his breath.

[rredmond]

"I guess we need to know where that sound is for now," Rudolf mumbles... loudly. He checks the ceilings and walls as they go, trying to note any discernible changes - and figuring the ranger has the floor covered.
The sound kind of reminds me of the Fafhrd and Gray Mouser story about the mega dungeon. Crap, I can't remember the name, great story. But there's a dude with a mega dungeon and his son's wrestle for control of the mega dungeon, the younger son has the lower more dank level. Each son hires a "hero" to help them gain control of the whole place - unknowingly the heroes are Fafhrd and Mouser But anyway there are generators that hum and keep air pumping through the dungeons, makes me wonder about this sound.

PS: How do you do these awesome maps 'ferno? I'm setting up to do the Illhiedrin Book with my buddies over Skype, and want to figure out some sort of fog of war, or pumping up those simple maps to another level. I'm pretty good with PPT and have done all my tinkering (with some success) there. But when I realize you are casting freakin' shadows
on your maps (so dang good!) I wanted to ask. I'd love to take the dungeon maps at least (and maybe the wizard's tower maps, but I've got time for those) up a notch so that when I paste snippets in the Skype chat they'll look cool.

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome shakes his head. Better to listen to that noise than to hear nothing at all.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo presses on with the others, watching their backs often after leaving unexplored hallways behind them.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur continues forward with the rest of the group. He wishes, again, that Mittens were still here.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser follows along keeping his eyes peeled.

[Inferno]

The Lichway, The Lost Shrine of Ancient Evil
The Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Twenty. Long after midnight. Thursday, December 1st, 576 CY







With mounting dread, the heroes creep deeper along the colossal pathway of the dead.

Brevos discerns faint traces of disturbance in the dust and they continue straight through another imposing crossroads. Eyes wide, Mouser and Rudolf scan the ornate, dizzying ceilings and slab-lined walls.



The eerie atonal sound grows louder still. Louder than a human voice.

Their torches disperse the hungry shadows and they see ahead, the monumental corridor is choked with a great mass of strange, vine-like fibers.



The lichway is blocked but, as the heroes fearfully approach, they can see through the thick web of twisted branches into a vast chamber of horrors beyond.

There, the walls are comprised entirely of human skulls.



There, upon the floor are two withered corpses in black robes. (at the X's)

There, an occultic altar looms, its base inscribed in gold with the same blasphemous language that the heroes dare not decipher. Upon it sits two golden chalices and a book.

There too, upon the unholy altar, atop a cloth of purest white, lies the lifeless form of an innocent, showered in pentagram stars of gold and silver.



'Tis the child Amity Mantle, the devoted heroes' ardent charge.



Actions?!



Map:

One square = 5 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.
Asterisks and black dots by the room numbers don't represent anything.

Map Detail:






PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 22/22, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 30/30, Spells: 5/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34, Torch
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl and 2/2 2nd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

• None currently.

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
  Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
  Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome gets as close to the vines as he can without touching them, and studies the girl. Is she alive? He fidgets with his sword, clearly tempted to start slashing at the vines, but wary of the consequences.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo speaks up from the back, trying to get a better look at the obstruction.

“Careful now! Those vines can’t be natural. How could anything grow naturally in a place such as this?”

The lanky human starts fidgeting with his wooden holy symbol. “I will call on my enhanced sight before we enter to see if any magic exists here.”

Casting Detect Magic (looking at the vines first)

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Her holy symbol out and ready, the priest concurs with the druid. Bo is correct, of course. We should trust nothing in this cursed place. Now that it appears we are close to rescuing young Amity, we can not become reckless. I feel that this is a trap to draw us in. I fully expect that those dead bodies will animate when we get closer, and these vines may serve some foul purpose as well. If we always expect the worst from these vile agents of evil, we will be less likely to fall prey to their dark plans.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser watches Jerome fidget at the idea of slashing the wicked vines. Considering that these could be particularly nasty to wrestle if entangled, he will lend magical aide to him should this go poorly.

Cast strength on Jerome

[wolfpack]

Brevos goes forward to check the child and see if there is any chance of saving her

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur inspects the chalices and book, but does not touch them yet. He uses his magic ring to detect magical auras on the book and chalices.

[ChubbyPixie]

"Is that really her...?"

Telkis fights his urge to swing at and smack the vines, trusting the wiser types to check it out with their magic first. It was magic saved them the last time, and he supposed now things wouldn't be any different. If there even is a chance of escaping this mess, that is.

Considering the vines, and then the blunt end of Cranach, he switches to his hand axe.

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome nods. I know this is likely a trap- in fact, it's entirely possible that isn't Amity. I am beginning to gain a little wisdom...
He stays right where he is, clearly planning to charge in as soon as he has _any_ idea what they're facing.

[rredmond]

Rudolf takes a closer look at where the extreme edges of the vine meet the wall. "This is certainly NOT good," Captain Obvious says, "any way to pass through without touching it?" He muses aloud, "really we only need to get the girl, then we can get out of here and cure our furry ailment." Without moving from where he is, he looks at where the plant meets the wall, but not touching it in any way, to see if he notices anything. Is the atonal sound in this upcoming room? Just beyond it?

[Inferno]

The Lichway, The Lost Shrine of Ancient Evil
The Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Twenty. Long after midnight. Thursday, December 1st, 576 CY







At long last, the unwavering heroes stand within sight of their sacred duty: the little girl they have sworn to return safely from this darkest of unspeakable places.

The saviors edge closer to the impassable web of vine-like tendrils that choke the lichway. They dare not touch them.

Peering through their small gaps, they see Amity Mantle laying atop a profane sacrificial altar in a heinous chapel of skulls.



Shouting to be heard above the inexplicable, haunting sound, the heroes quickly confer as Telkis readies an ax.

Jerome can detect no sign of life at this distance. The child's pale fragile form is as still as the grave.

Through the mesh of branches, Urdur expends more energy of his otherworldly ring and suddenly knows the goblets are untainted by deviltry, but the large old tome is rife with it.

The grey druid and the Grey Mouser intone mysterious incantations. By the power of the Shalm, Bo is imbued with sacred sight to divine the natural from the unnatural. He casts his enchanted vision upon the strange tangled labyrinth of stem and stalk...



...and finds no witchcraft infused therein. Mouser continues his sorcerous chanting.

Motionless, Rudolf scans for the source of the eerie sound but cannot find it. The loud atonal song emanates from somewhere in front of the heroes, and now reverberates through their very beings.


Actions?!



Map:

One square = 5 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory. Asterisks and black dots by the room numbers don't represent anything.

Map Detail:






PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 22/22, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 30/30, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34, Torch
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl and 2/2 2nd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

• Detect Magic: (Bo): Duration: 11 rounds.
  Strength (Mouser): Target: Jerome. Casting time remaining: 9 rounds.

Player Resources:

• Tale of Terror (the story so far)
  A Dark and Terrible World (maps)
  Blasphemous Iconography (the story so far in images)
  Desperate Struggles (clues and player notes)

[wolfpack]

Bo can you control the branches and vines to move, if not I will hack through them

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

It appears there is nothing left to do but do what we came for. If the bodies move, I'll call upon Holy Tritherion to drive them back. Does anyone want to get Amity if that happens? If the bodies do not move, I'll happily get her. If everyone is ready, Telkis, I guess you may begin cutting.