Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Ten. Mid morning?, 23rd day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia
The fight becomes a slaughter.
Loche and Tjoruy brutally massacre the two fleeing beastmen before they can take a step and the battle is ended. The adventurers have taken the Dark Ship.
Mako the conjurer steers her out onto the vast subterranean lake, unseen behind the wheel.
Kiri works the surging sails as Cruloc binds the adventurers' fresh wounds. (+1hp each)
Tjoruy the ramshackle prophet brews a healing draught of mushrooms in an ancient goblet and drinks of it. (+7hp) More remains, which he offers to his companions. "Brethren, the power of the chalice is waning. Drink from it, if you need healing. And enter the dream world with me." Cruloc and Zahra hesitate, despite their grievous injuries.
Xorzen searches the slaughtered dead. He finds nothing of use on the primitive beastmen. But from the dead sorcerer-priest he recovers a dozen Verulian silver coins minted millennia ago, a ghastly mask, a ring of keys, and an ebon stone disc carved with the all-seeing eye of Zargoth.
Loche drags the heavily muscled cadavers and hauls them overboard into the waiting water below.
Then, by the light of his lantern, Amethu sees something his eyes can't believe!
Gigantic glistening tentacles rise up from the black lake! They greedily seize the bloody corpses and take them back down into the stygian depths! As quickly as they appeared, they are gone without a trace!
Midship, Tjoruy enters a trance and divines that no dangers lurk below decks. He shares his prophecy with the adventurers but Xorzen listens at the hatch nonetheless. Hearing nothing, his keys open up the hold where he and Garrin find a lantern, chains, shackles and little else.
Only the captain's quarters remains. Garrin and Xorzen cautiously investigate and find it also empty of life. But wine, mushrooms and some kind of smoked meat are discovered in the dilapidated disheveled cabin.
On deck, beneath the eerie lichen stars, the adventurers see their frightful destination looming ahead in the distance: the Island of Death... and Zargoth.
Actions?!
Underground City Map:
Red S = The Dark Ship
Behind the DM Screen:
PC Status:
- Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 11/14, Spells: 7/7 1st lvl, 2/3 2nd lvl, Lantern
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 24/45
Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 21/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/19, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/25
Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 12/12, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Tjoruy: Verulian Osoran Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 26/31, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl, 2/4 2nd lvl
Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 16/16
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 11/29
- 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 (Garrin, Kiri, Loche, Mako and Xorzen have breathed of the mists): 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."
Invisibility (Mako): Target: self.
Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 28 rounds.