Expedition: Ablesforth: The Demon Hole - 14 July 2021

[Rusty Tincanne]

I PM'd siravd. Since it is his character like lo y dying, i thought he should have a say. Able thinks heading to the entrance and getting the attention of a patrol is the best idea. Then we can send Grimble back without ending the adventure. Maybe send the mask back with Grimble since he will be heading to the Infirmary.

[Spearmint]

Idriss

"Returning to town to lick our wounds and restock supplies or even men should not be seen as a failure. At least we have encountered the demon heads and so can return more in expectation than hope. Our first duty is to Grimble, the demonic gave been there centuries so another few dates won't hurt them at all."

[Zhym]

Pendleton spends the night before the party rests drawing maps of the rooms he has seen. In the morning, after he has prepared his spells, he joins the debate over the party's next action.

"I am entirely in favor of returning to town to restock and recuperate. But opening the door to a room that was flooding with blood seems unwise. Unless we can be sure that that room has drained, we may have no other option than to seek some other route of egress."

I finally got around to making an updated map:

Demon Hole.png (138.26 KiB) Viewed 383 times

Marullus: I think I have north right. You've occasionally given locations using cardinal directions. Could you either confirm that I have north pointing the right way or give me alternate descriptions of where the table in the "Trash Room" is and which way the skeletons were pointed in the Mural Room? Thanks!

[Spearmint]

the very SW corridor is not like that. The hallway ends in the two doors and heads straight (eastwards by your map) for 70+ feet. An archway leads to a small room on the left where Foxy and Idriss barricaded themselves.
A fire hearth and bunks, now burned and some cursed jewellery were there.

[Zhym]

Marullus, can you confirm/deny? What I have is based on descriptions in this thread.

[Marullus]

Your map is accurate. Idriss is describing the next room which lies beyond your archway drawn at the hallway's end. You haven't gone there again yet this expedition.

[Zhym]

Which is why Pendleton hasn't mapped it yet.

Thanks.

[Rusty Tincanne]

Able recommends crossing the sea goddess room, following the direction of the sniffers. We can try an' cut right, back to the room Idriss was describing, and find our way out that way. Maybe we'll find out more 'bout then sniffers as we go. pointing out that there is likely danger involved, Able recommends the party rest more.

Let's sit tight for another 8 hours so our fighters aren't fighting at a penalty, and Able can restore his healing spells. I believe Able has one more CLW. I'll roll that before we rest.

We'll let Able, Dolph and Neegan rest for 8 hrs, assuming all the injured folks are rested well enough to absolutely a penalty and they have a full compliment of spells.

Edit: See next post down for a more complete version of this.

[Zhym]

Did anyone kill the purple mushrooms in the next room, or do we need to plan a way to shut those up when we leave?

[Rusty Tincanne]

I forgot to hit reply earlier today. Here is a more complete version of where Able is at. And thanks for the map. I was thinking we were through the archway (where Spearmint was saying he and Foxy had bunked) for some reason.

Seeing as it has been a couple day without word from Siravd, so we'll find a back way out.

Able listen's to Pendleton's reasoning. Aye. Who knows how deep that blood is now? Pointing out that the group has three people that sniffers cannot touch, it makes sense to follow their last known path, across the sea goddess room. We can try an' cut right, hopin' t'get back to the room Idriss was describing. Find a way to that hallway, and maybe learn more 'bout then sniffers as we go. If we do come up on them, Idriss, Dolph and me'll make a wall they can't get through. The rest of you can take pot shots at'em from behind us. When their down, toss the holy water on 'em and watch'm boil. Pointing out that there is likely danger involved, Able recommends the party rest more, letting those that were last on watch to rest, and he can regain his healing spells.

[Spearmint]

Idriss

"Okay, well for weal or woe we should go forward with the decision to press on inside."

[Zhym]

"I can also ward off the infernal, once a day," says Pendleton, fiddling with a gold ring on his right middle finger. "I suppose we do have better odds against the sniffers."

[Marullus]

Did anyone kill the purple mushrooms in the next room, or do we need to plan a way to shut those up when we leave?

The mushrooms in the sea goddess room are smashed. The ones in the mandala room were silenced and then resumed, now drowned.

[Mister-Kent]

"Just lead the way," Dare says to Able with bow ready and dagger sheathed at his side. "I've followed you this far, I'll follow you to the inferno itself, should it come to that."

[Dram]

Neegan nods in agreement with Dare. We have your back in what ever decision you make.

[Marullus]

(GM Kindness: I'll count it as a "day" and give everyone +2hp for natural healing.)

After much deliberation, the group decides to not open the door to the room flooding with blood and instead cross the sea goddess chamber and explore through the door where the half-headed sniffers fled. Grimble is groggy and feverish, but ambulatory and follows along with the plan. The party rests a bit longer, allowing Ablesforth enough time in meditation and prayer to once again recover himself and summon the blessings of Eruanna for their route ahead. After resting most of a day, the rest of the party feels a bit more buoyed in body and spirit as well.

About halfway through their rest, they hear scratching at the stone door, then scrabbling and screeching. The sound of giant rats squabbling over the fleshy remains of both goblin and demonspawn corpses left dead in the room outside makes those on guard a bit queasy, but no threat pushes through the spiked door.

After Ablesforth has finished his prayers, the group unspikes the door and peers carefully into the room outside, assaulted by the fetid, pungent smell of offal and death. They note the torn, squelchy mess that was the dead bodies, now with intestines and meat gobbets strewn across the chamber floor, but no sign of threats.

Ablesforth lights a lantern and hurries across the sea goddess chamber and peers through the now-splintered door of warped wood which lies on the opposite wall.

(Since Pendleton invested in carrying a full surveyor's kit, I'll provide accurate measurement and cardinal vice relative directions. It makes both our lives easier.)

Part of the ceiling has collapsed into the room, once a fresco mural, now gaping plaster exposing raw bedrock behind it. The north and east walls have been engraved with arcane runes. The floor is clear and empty, polished stone with an engraved knotwork pattern. You are entering at the north end of the west wall - immediately to your left is an archway leading into the next chamber. The room's dimensions mirror the one you're leaving - it extends 30 feet across and fifty feet to the south. A stone door stands closed in the southeast corner of the southern wall to your right. A stone door stands closed at the northern end of the far (east) wall as well.

You can see only partway into the next chamber through the northern archway with your lantern's light, as its dimensions both north and east exceed the light's reach (more than 30'). You take note that the floor is mounded more than a foot deep with bleached-white bone shards and detached teeth.

Before Ablesforth can step further into the new room, the party behind him in the sea goddess room is interrupted by the nasal tone of a goblin voice. They turn to see two goblin heads peering around the corner from the northern doorway, where they were before, keeping the relative safety of that cover. Grimble and Neegan can translate their words from the goblin tongue.
"Ah ho! The demon knockers emerge. Braver, then, than the salty ones."
"Less dead, at least."
"Don't be hasty. We don't know that they're alive. Nor that they will remain so."
"True, true. That one is demon-formed. Watch him, perhaps. He seems... spindly, now."
"Is that one carrying the accursed face? Ugh. Troublemakers."
The goblin raises his voice, calling to you.
"You! You there! Demon-worshipers! Don't make more mess for us. Get out before we do you good!"

(Subtract 1 flask of oil, please)

Date: 15 July 2021, 12:10pm
Light: Lantern (until 4:00pm)
Effects: None
Injuries: Idriss (Severe wounds), Dolph (severe wounds), Pendleton (moderate wounds), Ablesforth (minor wound), Grimble (Diseased)

[Rusty Tincanne]

Anyone have a good CHA and want to try talking them up? Explain that we are trying to get rid of the demons and just need a way out for now?I've got no idea what to tell them about why we took the mask and flooded a room with blood...

[Zhym]

Pendleton has good charisma, but he neglected to learn to speak goblin. Too busy studying dragons.

[Spearmint]

Idriss

coughs,"I can speak goblinish.". The mage steps forward ,"We are here under the auspicious of the Templars of Gaul. We are here to focus solely on these demon bred half heads and their access to this plane. I meant you no harm last time I came here and we mean you no harm now."

[Marullus]

[4d6] = 14 CHA

Idriss steps forward, his old habits of circus performance are still ingrained and he projects his voice dramatically. "We are here under the auspicious of the Templars of Gaul. We are here to focus solely on these demon bred half heads and their access to this plane. I meant you no harm last time I came here and we mean you no harm now."

The goblins scoff openly. "You! Who transform into a demon? Ha!" Two spears poke out around the doorway to make their now clearly-unfriendly position clear. "Get out of our tunnels and cause no more problems!" The poke dramatically at the air with their spears to show what your fate might be should you come closer, or transform again into a hideous demon, but remain half-hidden in their doorway, not impeding your progress to the east.
"...and don't go summoning any sea goddesses or flaming-skins, either!"
More voices join in, amongst themselves.
"Fecking humans, nothing but trouble."
"Tell 'em we'll feed them to their enemies!"
"Shhh... we can't ever tell which ones ARE their enemies. No guessing."
Then, yelling at you again:
"Get on with it, then! Go into your squabbles! You'll all be half-heads soon enough!"

Date: 15 July 2021, 12:20pm
Light: Lantern (until 4:00pm)
Effects: None
Injuries: Idriss (Severe wounds), Dolph (severe wounds), Pendleton (moderate wounds), Ablesforth (minor wound), Grimble (Diseased)[/quote]