Chapter 21: Pact With The Devil

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo makes a mental note that Mouser just tried to kill him again as he continues to chant and summon electrical energy from the clouds above.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur waits with the others as Bo continues his spell.

[rredmond]

"Faoi mhóid bheith saor, seantír ár sinsear feasta Mouser, ní fhágfar faoin tíorán ná faoin tráill!"* Rudolph yells in Thieve's Cant as he takes time to shove wax from his candle into both his nostrils, before drawing dagger and magic short sword. "Feel a little better after Ingrid's blessing, likely not for long but one can't have it all."


*

"Mouser run!"
Why should the gnomes have all the fun?

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Growing weary of these damned beings, Ingrid once again attempts to rally holy Tritherion to aid their cause and turn back the forces of darkness that threaten them. Just go away already!

Turn undead [1d20] = 6

[Inferno]

The Strange Black Altar of the Haunted Wood, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Five. The other side of midnight. Wednesday, November 16th, 576 CY
Cold, windy, storming






The sky above is alive with writhing bolts of white-hot electricity!

Beneath the swirling storm, wretched soulless horrors leap out of the black altar and lunge ferociously at Long Bo!



"Protect the druid at all costs!" Brevos cries above the rising winds. He and Ingrid are all that stand between the heinous atrocities and their helpless quarry. The iniquitous undead things try to carve a path through them!

Ingrid's magic ring and shield defend her, but Brevos is bitten and slashed by one of the macabre devils! (-3hp) The grim ranger feels the icy grip of deathly paralysis threaten to take him, yet he resists its dreadful grasp!

The charnel reek of death assails Brevos and Ingrid! (Please Save vs Poison and post your action regardless of the result)
If the horrific things get any closer, the stench could threaten to overwhelm the grey druid!

By Urdur's flickering torchlight, Rudolf plugs his nostrils with wax as Telkis fires two arrows at the detestable blood-soaked cannibal wrestling with Brevos! Both missiles hurtle off into the dark woods.

Ingrid tries to drive off the undead once more with the power of her faith. One accursed degenerate (Z2) flies shrieking back to its tomb-like lair beneath the altar. But the other unliving abomination does not waver! (Z1)

Mouser retches from the putrid stench of corpses. Then he conjures a trick to lock the black altar shut upon the one living cadaver beneath it! (Z2)

Brevos grimly swings Brood in a devastating arc, nearly killing the murderous corpse with the arrow embedded in its eye socket! (Z1)

Then suddenly, from out of the darkness, one of the unveiled dead girls that had been driven off before, returns!



Longing to murder the grey druid, it tries to claw its way through Rudolf but the nimble rogue evades her feral attack!

"Protect the druid at all costs!" urges Brevos with mounting desperation!


Actions?! ...for one round please!


Map:

One square = 10 feet.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

This post covered one round.
Initative: Party: [1d6] = 5, Monsters: [1d6] = 6 Monsters win except for zombies (V1) which act last in a round.
Z1 attacks Brevos (claw/claw/bite): [1d20] = 2, [1d20] = 19, [1d20] = 19 Hits with a claw and bite.
Z2 attacks Ingrid (claw/claw/bite): [1d20] = 11, [1d20] = 8, [1d20] = 8 All three miss.
Z1 damage to Brevos: [1d4] = 1, [1d8] = 2 Brevos takes 3hp damage.
Brevos: Save vs Paralysis: [1d20] = 15 Saves!
Ingrid turns the ghoul (Z2) but not the ghast (Z1)!
Ingrid turns Z2 for how many rounds? [3d4] = 7
I'll rule that the lid on the altar counts as a portal. Pretty cool idea, Mouser.
V1 charges Rudolf: [1d20+2] = 8+2 = 10, damage: [1d8] = 1 Misses.

PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 4/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/19, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 7/22, Spells: 0/5 1st lvl and 1/4 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 4(3), HP: 20/30, Spells: 5/6 1st lvl, 0/3 2nd lvl and 0/2 3rd lvl
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 10/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 8/32
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 5/9, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl and 0/1 2nd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

• Call Lightning (Bo): Casting time remaining: 4 rounds.
  Turning Undead (Ingrid): Target: Z2. Duration: 6 rounds.
  Hold Portal (Mouser): Target: Altar. Duration: 2 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)

[ravenn4544]

Mouser seeing the fell creature trapped in it's tomb - for the moment - moves to recover his one remaining weapon...

Attack roll on Z1 if he can recover his weapon and still attack:

Scalpel (THACO 20) To Hit [1d20] = 13, S/M/L Dam. [1d8] = 6

[wolfpack]

save [1d20] = 18

attack [1d20+1] = 5+1 = 6

Stay with me and hold the Line, and if you find yourself alone in a green field with the sun on your face then fear not you are in the 7 heavens and you are already dead!

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Rolling her eyes as she sees yet another spawn of evil return, the cleric mutters, You have got to be kidding me! Holding her holy symbol, she once again tries to drive off an unholy being. Just. Leave. Us. A. Lone!

Save vs Poison (9):[1d20] = 7
Turn undead [1d20] = 11

[ChubbyPixie]

Trying to hold his breath against the stench he knows will assail him, Telkis drops his bow and, drawing Cranach, rushes to strike the ghoulish creature on Brevos:

Morningstar +1 (THAC0 19): To Hit:[1d20+1] = 6+1 = 7, Damage: vs s/m [2d4+1] = 7+1 = 8, vs L [1d6+2] = 1+2 = 3

Save vs. Poison (13): [1d20] = 12

[rredmond]

Rudolph looks up at the undead girl and smiles grimly, "see now, I've gotten rid of your sister, so you I know I can handle and launches an attack with his magic sword and dagger!

S. Sword [1d20+1] = 18+1 = 19, DAM sm [1d6+1] = 1+1 = 2
Dagger [1d20] = 9, DAM sm [1d4] = 2

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo shakes his head and continues chanting, watching as everything he proposed would happen, does.

He silently wonders how each of these mindless undead monsters could all know that he should be the target of their attacks. He makes a mental note to discuss the possibility of these evil creatures all being linked together by one central intelligence. He shudders, hoping his friends can continue to protect him form this onslaught in his extremely vulnerable position.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur positions himself slightly to the southwest to get a clear shot at the ghoulish fiend. He pulls a flask of oil from his pack as he does so, and throws it at the foul creature.

Throw flask of oil at Z1 [1d20+2] = 7+2 = 9

[Inferno]

The Strange Black Altar of the Haunted Wood, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Five. The other side of midnight. Wednesday, November 16th, 576 CY
Cold, windy, storming






In the face of tireless evil, Brevos cries above the storm, "Stay with me and hold the line! And if you find yourself alone in a green field with the sun on your face then fear not! You are in the seven heavens and you are already dead!"

Her holy symbol held aloft before her, Ingrid struggles to hold back the unrelenting tide of damnation and horror.

The lurid, nauseating scourge from beyond Death itself (Z1) continues to rip and bite with filthy claws and blood red fangs, tearing and slashing through Brevos' mortal flesh, to reach Long Bo! The valiant ranger courageously defends the druid with his body (-4hp damage) and falls!



The grey druid struggles to concentrate upon his orisons to the Shalm as he sees nothing now standing between him and the loathsome horror from beneath the altar!

Urdur lobs a flask of oil at the obscene thing but it crashes short, almost dousing the lifeless form of Brevos!

Ingrid battles through the stomach-churning stench of rotting corpses and drives off the unveiled revenant (V1) with the power of her faith! It flees shrieking back into the darkness of the haunted woods.

Rudolf and Telkis bravely move between Long Bo and the sickening hellion of death and blight! The hobbit rogue gashes it with his sword, but Telkis' strike is ruined by his nausea at the stench of the living cadaver!

The detestable atrocity (Z1) licks its hideous crimson lips in delicious anticipation of the dreadful things about to happen and suddenly, a dagger point erupts from its chest in a spray of rotten blood! Mouser, unable to safely retrieve Scalpel, had drawn Cat's Claw, crept up and backstabbed the hateful abhorrence! It falls to the ground, released from an eternity of torment without end.

Their enemies vanquished for now, Long Bo keeps chanting into the building storm!




Actions?! ...for three rounds please!


Map:

One square = 10 feet.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):

This post covered one round.
Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 5, Monsters: [1d6] = 6 Monsters win again, except for zombies like V1 who attack last in a round.
Z1 attacks Brevos (claw/claw/bite): [1d20] = 17, [1d20] = 14, [1d20] = 14 All three just hit.
Z1: damage to Brevos: [1d4] = 1, [1d4] = 2, [1d8] = 1 4hp damage total, almost min damage!
Urdur: Miss with oil flask: distance: [1d4] = 4, direction: [1d8] = 5 4 feet, "short left."
Ingrid turns V1: duration: [3d4] = 8 8 rounds.
Mouser's magic boots silence his advance on Z1.
Mouser backstabs Z1: [1d20] = 19, damage: [1d4] = 4 Hits, for max damage, doubled for backstab. 8hp total!

PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 0/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 13/19, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 7/22, Spells: 0/5 1st lvl and 1/4 2nd lvl
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 4(3), HP: 20/30, Spells: 5/6 1st lvl, 0/3 2nd lvl and 0/2 3rd lvl
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 10/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 3: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 8/32
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 5/9, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl and 0/1 2nd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

• Call Lightning (Bo): Casting time remaining: 3 rounds.
  Turned Undead (Ingrid): Z2: 5 rounds remaining. V1: 7 rounds remaining.
  Hold Portal (Mouser): Target: Altar. Duration: 1 round.

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]

After retching, Telkis nods at Mouser, then circles to guard Long Bo’s back, morningstar drawn, as the druid continues his spell.

[rredmond]

Seeing that the Ranger is stable, Rudolph still shaking from these creatures and the damage they are causing, drags the ranger back towards the cleric, to get him out of further harms way. Then, armed with Short Sword and Dagger, he positions himself about NE of the druid, to keep an eye on the less-treed forest, as well as the altar. His instincts are screaming for him to hide in the shadows, for better effect, but he know that not only does the druid need protection, but to finish the spell the druid needs to feel protected. So he remains in Bo's, and whatever other nasty, creepy crawlies are out there, eyesight.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo nearly falters his words when he sees Brevos fall so violently. When he notices Mousers blade rip through the undead abomination, he wonders if he will be next.

He stares at the altar as he continues chanting, waiting for the final monster trapped in there to spring out at his friends next.

I think there is still 1 ghoulish creature left in there, no?

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

As soon as the foul creature falls, Ingrid quickly calls upon mighty Tritherion to save the life of the brave, worthy Brevos. She then takes up a defensive position, holy symbol in one hand, mace in the other in case more hidden enemies appear.

Cure Light Wounds [1d8] = 6
Converting her last 2nd level spell into two first level healing spells. This leaves her with one CLW and she'll be completely out of spells.
Turn undead [1d20] = 1
We're in trouble when the next hidden undead arrive. Apparently, Tritherion has started screening his calls. He must be tired of Ingrid's constant requests for help.
Mace (THAC0: 18): To Hit: [1d20+2] = 18+2 = 20, damage: small [1d6+3] = 5+3 = 8 / large [1d6+2] = 1+2 = 3
I rolled for her attack against non-undead, so if she needs to attack an undead creature, add +1 to both attack and damage.

I think there is still 1 ghoulish creature left in there, no?

I believe there is, but it is turned and your spell will go off before the turning ends.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur keeps his dagger and torch ready, guarding Long Bo's 6. He hopes nothing else nasty jumps out at them....

[ravenn4544]

Mouser takes a few breaths and recovers his weapons. He eyes Bo and then his eyes slide away. He turns his attention to the creature held in the crypt. With a minute or two of clarity, he plucks some of the garlic and wolfsbane from his pouch and smears some on himself. Well, why not, he thinks.

[Inferno]

DM:
Brevos awakens, still denied the peace and serenity of the seven heavens.