Chapter 21: Pact With The Devil

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo takes out a long strip of cloth that he sometimes wears as a headband. He finds some thick green leaves that he thinks might mask sound well and places them over each ear before tying the strip of cloth around his head, keeping his long hair in the mix for maximum hearing protection.

He sneaks up with the others for a closer look at what is going on near the altar, trying to determine a safe spell casting distance, if he can.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser asks Bo "Where you goin'? You can't wait a few extra minutes - they are probably just checking things out..."

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo looks down at Mouser with a concerned stare for a moment before pointing to his odd looking leafy hair buns spread over his ears and shrugging. He looks at Urdur and motions towards the thief with his head as if to say, watch out for this guy while we’re gone.

[Inferno]

Near the Strange Black Altar of the Haunted Wood, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Five. Midnight. Wednesday, November 16th, 576 CY
Cold, foggy, cloudy






In the darkness of the haunted forest, the heroes await the return of Rudolf and Hothhil. Inhuman crooning echoes all around them, emanating from the unholy black altar and distorted by the pale shroud of fog.

The grey druid uses what little green he can find in the cold autumnal wood to cover his ears and shut out the unholy psalms.

Time crawls on and dark blossoms of dread flower in the heroes' minds.

Bo, Brevos, Ingrid and Telkis can wait no longer when suddenly, from out of the darkness, Hothhil returns. Bo cannot hear him urgently whisper, "It's Rudolf! They have him under their spell! We must hurry or he'll be lost! Follow me! Quick!"

Without waiting for an answer, the elf rushes back towards the heinous black altar of the woods and the unknown terrors that await.


Actions?!





PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 15/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 18/22, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 4(3), HP: 20/30, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 17/32
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 5/9, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl and 1/1 2nd lvl

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)

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis grips Cranach and hurries after Hothil, anxious to pummel evil once again.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser shakes his head, picks himself up slowly, and follows...

[wolfpack]

weary of a trap brevos moves quickly but circles to the east towards the altar instead of directly following hothhil

[SocraticLawyer]

"hendi inni hægri of ioður, sol þat ne; uissi," whispers Urdur to Telkis. The little illusionist casts Invisibility upon himself, then follows his fellow gnome.

I'm right behind you, but you won't be able to see me, because, you know, magic.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo wonders if Hothhil could be under the influence of the evil alter chanters, and leading them into a trap. Then he remembers the elven races amazing ability to fend off such things.

He follows after the group without a word, keeping alert for anything unnatural or treacherous from their leader.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Concern for their companion showing on her face, the cleric of Tritherion sends up a quick prayer, asking holy Tritherion to keep her friends safe as she hurries toward the foul altar.

[Inferno]

Approaching the Strange Black Altar of the Haunted Wood, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Five. Midnight. Wednesday, November 16th, 576 CY
Cold, foggy, cloudy



Hothhil the elf plunges back toward the black altar beneath the midnight sky. Trusting in him, or at least in his blood, the others follow him into the dark unknown, all except Urdur who conjures a cunning spell of trickery and deception, rendering himself unseen to the naked eye. Then the imperceptible gnome follows, 100 feet behind the others.

The otherworldly chanting grows louder with the heroes every step toward the heinous altar in the haunted wood.



They spy bright firelight writhing near the altar!

Figures dance around it, chanting blasphemous words not of this world.

"'Ai! 'Ai! y'gatu l'il ro'kanah Shub-Niggurath! 'Ai! 'Ai! Shub-Niggurath!"



(Please roll 1d20 and post your intended actions regardless of its outcome.)

More vague shapes dance at the edge of the undulating firelight (at '?').

The tormented trees above moan in agony as the heroes scan for Rudolf. To their horror, they find him.

The hobbit lies motionless atop the black altar in the woods. His armor is unbuckled and his breast is bare that his blood might feed those dark unspeakable things that lurk beneath it!


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. Urdur is 10" to the south.





PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 15/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
  Hothhil Thornbush, Elven Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 20/20
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 18/22, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 4(3), HP: 20/30, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 11/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 17/32
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 5/9, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl and 0/1 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

• Invisibility (Urdur)

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]

[1d20] = 9

brevos quietly takes aim at W3 and fires 2 arrows

[1d20] = 16
[1d20] = 5

[1d6] = 1

[OGRE MAGE]

Keeping his hands over his ear buns as he walks for maximum effect, the lanky druid approaches the altar.

Random D20 [1d20] = 18

Bo motions for the others to avert their gaze as he begins a spell that should temporarily blind the cultists and extinguish their blasphemous flames in the process.

He only hopes that they aren't too late to save the Halfling.

Casts Pyrotechnics on the fire source. (fireworks effect)

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric casts Silence 15' Radius, centering it on the altar in order to try getting all the cultists.

Save vs...:[1d20] = 19

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur runs as quietly as he can towards Rudolf. He takes no action unless/until the cultists are distracted. If/when their attention is elsewhere, the little gnome does his best to free the hobbit.

Requested roll [1d20] = 13

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis cannot restrain himself - he fires two of his magical arrows at W3 as well,then looks away from the fire, hopefully in time.
Short Bow (Firing +3 Arrows) (THAC0 15): To Hit: [1d20+3] = 5+3 = 8, Damage s/m/L: [1d6+3] = 6+3 = 9
Short Bow (Firing +3 Arrows) (THAC0 15): To Hit: [1d20+3] = 12+3 = 15, Damage s/m/L: [1d6+3] = 3+3 = 6

[ravenn4544]

Mouser seeing they are in it again - and hearing that unholy speech from the muddy abyss - manages to shake off the memory and utter a spell to help them fend off this attach...

cast strength at hothhill

[1d20] = 10

[ChubbyPixie]

Mystery roll for Telkis: [1d20] = 7

[Inferno]

The Strange Black Altar of the Haunted Wood, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Five. Midnight. Wednesday, November 16th, 576 CY
Cold, foggy, cloudy






At midnight in the haunted wood of the dark mountains, witches dance around a fire crooning profane words older than Man:

"'Ai! 'Ai! y'gatu l'il ro'kanah Shub-Niggurath! 'Ai! 'Ai! Shub-Niggurath!"

At these eldritch syllables, Brevos and Telkis stand entranced! Their bows go unshouldered, their arrows unloosed. (please see your private forum)

Mouser the thief and Urdur the gnome rush toward the unholy black altar, the gnome unseen by mortal eyes. If the witches see Mouser, they don't let on.

When Mouser and Urdur cross the unholy shrine's threshold and enter the unhallowed ground within its eight pillars, the hair on the napes of their necks stands up and the low whisper of a hum is felt but not heard. Their breath quickens in ghostly clouds of frost against the chill air. The blasphemous altar's stone surface is covered in dried blood and demonic engravings.



Atop it is Rudolf the hobbit, awake and unbound!

"I offer myself freely," he says. "'Ai! 'Ai! Shub-Niggurath!"

To Urdur's further astonishment, Mouser nods, unsheathes Cat's Claw and raises it high over Rudolf's neck. The hobbit smiles peacefully as Mouser plunges the blade down with all his strength and cries something that never escapes his lips as suddenly everything is obliterated from Urdur's senses!

At Ingrid's prayer, all sound - the moaning trees, the chanting witches, Mouser's proclamation - all is smothered by an eerie silence that is absolute.

Simultaneously, the witches' fire explodes in a white flash at Bo's incantation, striking everyone blind except the grey druid who turns away, else risk blinding himself as well!




Actions?!





PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 15/31, Blinded
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl, Blinded and Deafened
  Hothhil Thornbush, Elven Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 20/20, Blinded
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 18/22, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl, Blinded
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 4(3), HP: 20/30, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl, Deafened
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 17/32, Blinded
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 5/9, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl and 0/1 2nd lvl, Blinded and Deafened

PC Magic:

• Invisibility (Urdur): Target: self
  Silence, 15' Radius (Ingrid): Target: the black altar. Duration: 7 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]

blinded Brevos crouches down and shuts his eyes waiting for them to readjust and keeps one hand on Brood as he focuses on listening