Chapter 24: Human Sacrifices

[rredmond]

Rudolf will nod at the paladin and follow him out, dropping into the pack into whatever marching order they had. "Yes," he agrees quietly, "let's keep moving."

[OGRE MAGE]

Feeling uneasy about everything they have discovered so far, an unsure what to do about any of it, Bo follows the others into the disturbing face room again.

He moves to the doors on the opposite side of the room for a closer look.

[wolfpack]

Brevos moves with Bo to check the doors

[ravenn4544]

Mouser pats the ancient volume one last time as he passes by - making sure it's sitting safe and secure - until they return to retrieve it. He follows the group to the next terror.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The priestess mutters a quick prayer, beseeching her god for assistance. Holy Tritherion, please grant us the strength we will need to succeed in our quest to rescue a little girl, and put an end to the evil that has infested this part of the world. Holy symbol in hand, she follows along with the others.

[ChubbyPixie]

After one long glance back at the hand (it was moving!) Telkis also follows along with Bo to the doors. He'll take up a position opposite Brevos and prepare Cranach to thump any thing that might come through them once opened.

"Remember the good old days when all we had to deal with was a town full of insane, murderous cultists?" he says.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur shivers in the cold, despite the warmth from his torch. He heads to the next room with the others.

[Inferno]

Within the Lost Shrine of Ancient Evil, the Dark Mountain, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Twenty. Long after midnight. Thursday, December 1st, 576 CY
Freezing cold, clear.








Leaving behind the severed hand, and other unsettling occult objects, the heroes move through the devil door into the hellish hall of screaming faces.

"You are a gift to The Nothing! The Nothing!"




The willing offerings to The Nothing slowly traverse the twisting, tormented, shrieking visages that cover the floor.

Ingrid reverently prays to her almighty god, imploring that they and the little girl they seek somehow survive this.

The human sacrifices cautiously approach the southern door, a fearsome portal identical to its northern twin except no key rests within the keyhole inside its ghastly leering mouth.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 5 feet. Asterisk by the door, and dot by the '4', don't represent anything. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Map:






PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 22/22, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 14/20, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 30/30, Spells: 5/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34, Torch
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl and 2/2 2nd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

• Find Traps (Ingrid): Duration: 21 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)

[rredmond]

Rudolf steps up to the door to check for traps and hinges. "Let me take a peek before you all use magic or any... more brutish, methods on the door," he says with a smile at the ranger.
Check for traps, listen at the door, check whether the door has a lock and which way it opens. If the party takes to long discussions, Rudolf also checks the bottom of the door to see if there's anything to be gleaned by looking through the crack between the floor and door.

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome takes his usual job- providing security. He posts himself near where Telkis is shown on the map, his primary focus being the unexplored corridor or niche to the east.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser wonders aloud if the key from the norther door will be needed.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo moves to the east side of the door to give Rudolph the room he needs to work his trade, his back to the wall and his eyes on the rest of the room.

"It is clear to me that they know we are here, with all this damn crazed shouting about the nothing. So where are our enemies now? And why all this mystery?

[wolfpack]

Brevos stands back out of the way and keeps watch

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric scans the door for traps. My spell is still active. She will then wander over to the doors to the southeast and scan for traps there as well.

[ChubbyPixie]

Bo moves to the east side of the door to give Rudolph the room he needs to work his trade, his back to the wall and his eyes on the rest of the room.

"It is clear to me that they know we are here, with all this damn crazed shouting about the nothing. So where are our enemies now? And why all this mystery?

"Maybe there's no one left here and it's just a mindless alarm," Telkis says hopefully.

He keeps guard with Jerome. "Any regrets tagging along? We may still yet accomplish something good. That or our ghosts will haunt this place for all eternity," he says

[Urson]

Jerome
I have the power of St Cuthbert behind me. I feel confident we will succeed. As for 'tagging along', your mission is pure, and I am certain I made the right choice.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur remains near the back, dagger and torch ready. Perhaps this whole place is ought but sophistry and illusion, devoid of any true enemy but what we bring in with us.

But probably not.

[Inferno]

Within the Lost Shrine of Ancient Evil, the Dark Mountain, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Twenty. Long after midnight. Thursday, December 1st, 576 CY
Freezing cold, clear.







The secrets of the two remaining devil doors stand revealed before the holy sight of the human priestess and the expert knowing fingers of the halfling rogue. No death traps are detected lurking within either daemonic-visaged portal. And Rudolf hears no sounds emanating from the southern door.

Like its fearsome twin, the southern portal also opens inward, and the crack beneath it is occluded by the heinous tortured heads of the ghastly floor.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 5 feet. Asterisk by the door, and dot by the '4', don't represent anything. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Map:






PC Status:

• Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 3: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 31/31
  Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 4: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 22/22, Spells: 4/5 1st lvl and 4/4 2nd lvl
  Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 14/20, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Long Bo, Human Druid 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 30/30, Spells: 5/6 1st lvl, 3/3 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch
  Rudolf Rassendyll, Halfling Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/16
  Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34, Torch
  Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl and 2/2 2nd lvl, Torch

PC Magic:

• Find Traps (Ingrid): Duration: 20 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)

[ChubbyPixie]

Continuing to interact with Jerome in low tones, Telkis goes on “I do believe our mission is good, and worthwhile, though I find it difficult to remain hopeful that the missing girl is still alive. Or if it is even best that she is. The rest of us have all seen what happens upon long exposure to such elemental evil. It’s... er... not good.” He trails off, dwelling on something unpleasant in his mind.

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome says nothing, but pales slightly at what Telkis is implying.