Chapter 15: Empire Under the Earth

[Scott308]

Loche

Returning to the others, he announces, Na sign o' Tjoruy yit, bit ah did fin' this! Mibbie a scroll or something... He holds the case aloft.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Cruloc does what he can for Xorxen.

"It's not much, but neither is the mercy of Crom."

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen gratefully accepts the aid from Cruloc.

“I would like to hear more about this Crom you serve sometime. If his worshippers are all men like you, his power must indeed be great”.

The masked monk continues to keep a watch on the smaller chamber where the fire keeps the ants at bay, for now.

[ChubbyPixie]

Glad to see Amethu up and about, Kiri also moves further to the west, after the hovering torch.

Using the power of his magical visor, he examines the tube held by Loche for any inscriptions that might belie its contents.

[SocraticLawyer]

Not wanting to waste time, but also wary of passing up a potentially useful item or clue, Garrin stops to investigate the silver trinket.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako stays with the main body of the group to keep them lit.

[Inferno]

Giant Ant Colony, Beneath the Desecrated Temple of Osorus, The Underground City
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Eight. Dawn?, 21st day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia




Beneath the underground city, the adventurers search the vast food store of the giant ant colony for Tjoruy. To no avail. But strange artifacts are discovered within the larder of the immense arthropods.



Kiri examines the cylinder that Loche found. His wondrous helm, recovered from the fabled treasure of Xuthalhotep, allows him to read the ancient hieroglyphs etched upon it that honor the speed of the falcon and the cheetah. Within the hollow cylinder is rolled an aged parchment of papyrus.

By the wisdom of Uthoth, Amethu the masked sorcerer-priest heals himself (+6 hp) with words of prayer. Cruloc the barbarian offers what aid he can to Xorzen of Osorus (+1 hp). "It's not much," the Cimmerian grunts. "But neither is the mercy of Crom."

In the last food pile of the colony, Zahra the amazon sees a canoptic jar, still sealed against the endless crawl of time. It resembles her tribe's ancestral enemy, Sutekh the jackal-headed god of death and eternal life.



Garrin investigates a glimmer of silver in another large mound and is surprised to discover a sword from the Old Kingdom of Verulia, held tight in the mummified grasp of a desiccated skeleton the giant ants must have disinterred from some timeless crypt in their unrelenting, voracious foraging. The son of Atlantis unsheathes it and wipes free the dust of the centuries and it shines clean and bright. Its blade is etched with hieroglyphics, and the hilt guard is sculpted like the wings of the scarab. The sword feels light in Garrin's hand, and right.



Xorzen watches the flaming barricade. Soon it will fail. Time is running out. They can't stay here.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

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

Map:






PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 7/14, Spells: 2/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 16/35, Torch
  Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 13/26, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, Torch
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 11/25
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Light Spell
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 5/16, Amethu's Lantern
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 8/21

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 (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."
  Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 58 rounds
  Light (Mako): Duration: 10 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]

“This will confer speed to the user, I believe. Very useful. Though I do not know if it must be imbibed, or if it is topical,” says Kiri as he hands the tube back to Loche. Turning to the group he continues:“We cannot go back, let us go forward. Grandfather can light the way.” He moves towards the eastern tunnel and urges Grandfather to move further inside to illuminate their path.

[Urson]

Zahra
I have found a jar- possibly a potion that may help us. I would guess it is either a powerful healing potion- or a potent poison. She passes the jar to Kiri, then trots toward the eastern tunnel, ready for whatever comes next.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Seeing as the party is moving on, Mako follows.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen nods his thanks to the stoic barbarian before he heads into the larger chamber with the others.

He moves towards the outside walls of the place as he makes his way around to the next passageway, kicking through the death and decay to see if he can uncover something that will aid his group on their dangerous trek.

"That fire wont hold those huge ants back for much longer. We need to move, and cover our trail from behind once we do!"

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"Come!" growls the Cimmerian, spear in hand. "We’ll slip like mice from between the devil’s fingers!"

He casts an eye backward at the raw carnage filling the dusky chamber.

"May Mitra mate with Set before I lay eyes upon this place again."

[Scott308]

Loche

The Pict will slip the silver tube into his beltpouch as he joins the rest of the group on the quest to find their missing companion.

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri will examine the jar as he goes.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin joins the group as well, keeping his new blade drawn as he goes.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu, on his feet but spent of healing magic follows the group. Before doing so, he tosses one more oil flask on the fire behind them to give them possibly a few extra minutes.

[Inferno]

Giant Ant Colony, Beneath the Desecrated Temple of Osorus, The Underground City
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Eight. Dawn?, 21st day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia




With his enchanted helm, Kiri deciphers the ageworn hieroglyphs on the canoptic jar that Zahra discovered. They are devout orisons to Sutekh the usurper, ancient Verulian god of chaos, storms, serpents, violence, deserts and death.



No more treasures are found in the food store of the colony. Before the ants to the northwest burst through the flaming barricade, Amethu smashes another crystal flask of oil on the conflagration and the adventurers flee!

Following the fiery torch held aloft by the ghost of Kiri's ancestor, the explorers urgently make their way eastward, continuing their search for lost Tjoruy. They race through a winding giant ant tunnel, the darkness melting before their strangely hovering light.




Just when they feel there is no end to this labyrinthine underground warren, the circular channel unexpectedly opens into a great, high chamber teeming with frenzied gigantic ants without number!





In horror and loathing, they see countless giant worker ants scurrying frantically around their hideous gargantuan queen!




The ghastly queen ant's immense bulk looms over the swarm of endless subjects that serve and protect her with their lives.

Awareness of the invaders ripples through the startled collective! Colossal soldier ants bristle to the adventurers' left, ready to charge with unbridled fury! The vast crawling host, a legion to match the armies of Aquilonia, shall fight them to the death!


Actions?!



Map:

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

Map Detail:






PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 7/14, Spells: 2/7 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl, Lantern
  Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 2: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 16/35, Torch
  Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 13/26, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 14/14, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, Torch
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 11/25
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Light Spell
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 5/16
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 8/21

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 (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."
  Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 56 rounds
  Light (Mako): Duration: 8 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)

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"Slay the bitch!"

Cruloc's launches two wayward arrows in the direction of the gargantuan queen.

Arrow shot [1d20+1] = 2+1 = 3
Arrow shot #2 [1d20+1] = 2+1 = 3

"Bah! A coward's weapon anyhow!" he rages as he puts away his useless bow and readies his spear.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu curses their luck and throws another oil flask to hopefully soak the queen and allow it to be burnt to nonexistence.

as needed:
[1d20] = 9

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen panics slightly when he sees the number of ants surrounding their queen. He is about to run back out of the room until he sees the others attempting missile attacks on the huge beast. As if a light suddenly turns on in his mind, he knows they must cut this head from the deadly snake before they are all eaten alive.

Still moving slightly back towards the opening, he pulls out his backup javelin again and gives it a toss at the queens huge head.

Javalin Attack [1d20+1] = 17+1 = 18 Damage [1d6+2] = 2+2 = 4