Chapter 10: The Crypt of Everlasting Life

[wordoftheoracle]

Loche looks down the unexplored hallway. An idea is budding that maybe we should put them in the bottleneck that is the end of this hallway...

[ChubbyPixie]

Dang. Sorry, guys. Didn't realize how far behind I was posting this week...

Kiri, after swinging wide twice, glances down at his grandfather amulet. Its disbelieving expression seems to say "What on earth is wrong with you, boy? Focus!" Looking back to the skeleton before him, he uppercuts with the tip of his trident, striking fluidly up through its sternum and face. "Kyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!" he exclaims.

Attack with Trident (THAC0:19): To Hit: [1d20+3] = 20+3 = 23 Damage vs. s/m: [1d6+7] = 1+7 = 8, vs. Lg: [3d4+6] = 8+6 = 14 YEAH!

[Inferno]

Tombs of the Ancients, Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Mid-Morning, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia








The archaic Verulian hieroglyphs had said that Xuthalhotep's slaves were without number. In truth, as quickly as the crypt explorers slaughter one ghastly living skeleton, another emerges to take its place! The inexorable tide of ancient bones, notched shields and rusted sabers is relentless.




Loche the Pict thief looks down the unexplored hallway to the south. An idea blossoms in his devious mind.

Soruk the hawk masked warrior-priest holds forth his ankh and commands the undead slaves to return to their eternal rest! None will comply. (Soruk cannot attempt to Turn again) It would seem they fear their master the great pharaoh Xuthalhotep more than they fear the god Osorus!

The evergrowing mounds of shattered bone fragments give way underfoot, ruining the aim of Amethu, Mako and Zahra.

Xorzen of Osorus finds an opening behind Zahra's advance and stabs his javelin through it and into the skull of a walking cadaver (S18)! Then Garrin's blessed straightsword sunders its spine, instantly reducing it to lifeless bones shards, adding to the piles at their feet.

With a bonecrunching blow, Kiri's trident brutally dismembers another animated skeleton (S12)!

Unable to join the fray, Arthfael the Cimmerian keeps watch on the eastern fork and cries out to Amethu: "Wizard! How much longer will your spell keep the Balance Floor tilted?!"

As Mako the Easterner slips on bone shards beneath his feet, an age-worn blade (from S16) slices through the air where his head just was a moment ago. And yet another undead slave emerges from the mass grave into the corridor (S19).


Actions?!


Map Detail: (Fyi, I've removed the dead skeletons because they've been reduced to disconnected bones)

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.

Map:



Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 6, Monsters: [1d6] = 1 Party wins.
S16 attacks Mako: [1d20] = 9, damage: [1d6] = 2 Misses.

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 7/10, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl
  Arthfael Griogarach: Cimmerian Northman Druid 3: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 14/17, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl, Lantern
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 2: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 18/18, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 12/12, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 12/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Soruk: Verulian Osoran Cleric/Fighter 1/1: Move: 12", AC: 6(5), HP: 9/9, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 2: Move: 16", AC: 8, HP: 11/12, Candle
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 2: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 10/16, Torch

PC Magic:

• 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 (All except Amethu and Zahra): 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."
  Enlarge (Amethu): Target: floor. Duration: 1 rounds.

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[ChubbyPixie]

“Garrin! Can you reach the door?” shouts Kiri as he swings again with his trident in a brutal downwards arc:

Attack with Trident (THAC0:19): To Hit: [1d20+3] = 13+3 = 16 Damage vs. s/m: [1d6+7] = 4+7 = 11, vs. Lg: [3d4+6] = 5+6 = 11

[ravenn4544]

Amethu states “it will fail imminently!”

[Urson]

Zahra
The albino Amazon forces her way to the door and attempts to close it AGAIN.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen

The masked monk sees the others going for the door and knows that he must continue the fight. He swings his magic javelin again at the skeletal monstrosity in front of him.

"Is there not some wayeth to secure yonder door closed? Jamming thine broken bones in the cracks to wedge it tightly, mayhap?"

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Frantically he swings his quarterstaff again at the skeleton (S16). "I don't know what's happen. I was doing so good in the beginning."

Staff, Quarter THAC0 20 [1d20] = 18 S/M/L [1d6] = 3

[Monsieur Rose]

Soruk

The mass of humanity, alive and dead, effectively reduce the large man to a bystander. This makes him uncomfortable. And restless. "Magus! Falleth back! I shall taketh thy lodging." Soruk shouts at his new ally in a rougher manner than he intends.

[SocraticLawyer]

If he can do so without provoking a free attack, Garrin attempts to close the door.

Using the Open Doors stat from Str. I also include a regular Strength roll:

Open Doors (1-2) [1d6] = 2

Save vs Strength (13): [1d20] = 19

[Inferno]

Tombs of the Ancients, Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Mid-Morning, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia







There is no end to the dead men of ancient Verulia. The explorers' swarming undead foes continue to amass, hungering for their deaths. Four more walking cadavers of slaves (S20-23) try to join the crushing throng in the corridor, but cannot fit! Their ghoulish vanguard (S16, S19) attack with abandon but in a clash of steel, their rusted, age-old swords are beaten down by Kiri's trident and Mako's staff!

The two Easterners counterstrike with murderous ferocity! They hack and bludgeon their bloodless attackers (S16, S19), brutally dismembering them to the sickening snap and crack of splintering bones!

Seeing their chance, Garrin and Zahra leap forward over the newly scattered human remains and seize the door to the mass grave of slaves and pull it shut! SLAM! Amazon and Atlantean hold the handle with all their strength and can feel dead hands, deprived of their prey, frantically pulling on the door from the other side! Garrin slips atop sliding ribs, jawbones and teeth but regains his footing for the moment. They dare not let go, lest the endless flood of death and bones resume! But now what?!

Masked Amethu tells Arthfael that his spell has died. Sure enough, to the north, they hear iron spikes popping from their placements in the stone wall as the monolithic slab slowly tilts back into place, neatly flush with the floor.

The tattooed, barbaric shaman, who had previously marveled at the ingenious balance trap, snarls: "If we can balance the floor and gain the secret door, then we can escape this horde. These mindless creatures will never be able to navigate the tilting floor. But we can."

Loche the Pict answers with well-honed skepticism, "Aye. Mibbie, Cimmerian. Bit how do we reach th' tilting flair alive?!"


Actions?!


Map Detail: (Fyi, I've removed the 19 dead skeletons from the map because they've been reduced to disconnected bones)

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.

Map:



Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 3, Monsters: [1d6] = 3 A tie!
S16 attacks Ki (1), Am (2), or Ma (3)? [1d3] = 1 S16 will attack Kiri.
S19 attacks Mako (1) or Zahra (2)? [1d2] = 1 S19 will attack Mako.
S16, S19 attack Kiri and Mako: [1d20] = 9, [1d20] = 6. Damage: [1d6] = 5, [1d6] = 1 Both miss.

PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 7/10, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl
  Arthfael Griogarach: Cimmerian Northman Druid 3: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 14/17, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl, Lantern
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 2: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 18/18, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 12/12, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 12/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Soruk: Verulian Osoran Cleric/Fighter 1/1: Move: 12", AC: 6(5), HP: 9/9, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 2: Move: 16", AC: 8, HP: 11/12, Candle
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 2: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 10/16, Torch

PC Magic:

• 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 (All except Amethu and Zahra): 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."

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Urson]

Zahra

Zahra holds the door's handle in a deathgrip, her knuckle bones showing clearly through her pale skin. She grits her teeth and says Someone Block This Door! Can't Hold It Long!

[Monsieur Rose]

Soruk

Soruk pushes his way to position himself behind the door holders. He quickly kneels and hammers a spike into the floor at an angle. "Rope! I needeth rope!" Soruk hopes to tie one end to the handle, and the other to the spike. Hopefully creating enough tension for the door to stay shut.

I didn't just spike the door, because I've had mixed success trying that with inswing doors. If you want to rule it works, then that's up to you.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu stands out of the way of the attempt to bar the door. There isn't much he can do to help. He moves back to watching the southern passage.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako backs away just in case the door burst open. He doesn't want to be on the front lines again.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin continues to hold the door.

https://goo.gl/images/ogJeG8

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorzen contemplates the teetering floor trap as the others try to secure the door to certain death.

"What if 2 of us, close to thine own same weight, try stepping onto the swaying floor simultaneously? One at each end. Should that not create a balance of sorts?"

"If it worketh, they could slowly meet in the middle, until they maketh the doorway."

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri will move between Mako and the door, just to the east of Zahara, to lend aid if the spiking fails to hold the door. He’ll be prepared to cut off a length of his rope to give Soruk should simply spiking the door not suffice.

”Would that I had prepared my door-holding spell again today! It seems to come in useful in this place,” he says.

[Inferno]

Tombs of the Ancients, Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Mid-Morning, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia







In an ancient corridor, whose walls are etched with slaves without number, Garrin and Zahra hold a tiger by the tail; they pulled shut the door to a mass grave of living skeletons, but dare not let go! Zahra snarls through clenched teeth, "Someone! Block this door! Can't hold it long!"

Amethu and Mako make room as Soruk pushes away mounds of bones to find the floor beneath. Then, with his legendary strength, the mighty warrior-priest of Osorus hammers an iron spike into the ageless stone floor. KANG! KTANG! KANG!

Kiri quickly cuts a length of rope and he and Soruk frantically tie the door handle to the spike and pull the line taut. Garrin and Zahra feel the dead hands on the other side of the door abate. They slowly, carefully let go of the handle. The door holds!

Xorzen urgently agrees with Arthfael; the deadly balance trap could be their escape from the ceaseless horde of undead skeletons!

Then suddenly, rusty tips of sword blades burst through the planks of the wooden portal as the charnel house slaves start hacking the door apart from the other side!

CHUNK! CHOK! THUNK! CHOP!



The door won't hold for long!


Actions?!


Map Detail: (Fyi, I've removed the 19 dead skeletons from the map because they've been reduced to disconnected bones)

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.

Map:






PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 7/10, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl
  Arthfael Griogarach: Cimmerian Northman Druid 3: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 14/17, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl, Lantern
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 2: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 18/18, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 12/12, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 12/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Soruk: Verulian Osoran Cleric/Fighter 1/1: Move: 12", AC: 6(5), HP: 9/9, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 2: Move: 16", AC: 8, HP: 11/12, Candle
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 2: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 10/16, Torch

PC Magic:

• 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 (All except Amethu and Zahra): 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."

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[wordoftheoracle]

Loche points to the darkened hallway to the left:

Mibbie we shuid advance? it can’t be worse then haudin' aff a horde o' thae bones.

Loche advances south, down the darkened hall, looking for any hazards all the while.