Chapter 27: Mark of the Beast

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric will investigate the room, seeing if there might be anything they could use against the lycanthropes. So much suffering and terror... She shakes her head, saddened by the atrocities that took place in this room.

[Inferno]

The Wolfpack's Lair, The Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-three. Night. Wednesday, December 14th, 576 CY
Freezing cold, clear





"Cuthbert crush you! Damned book, you will burn!" swears pious Jerome.

In the heinous lair of unspeakable abominations, Mouser hears those words and suddenly stops in his tracks, overcome with the dreadful memory of It...



...the fearful book that Mouser and Hoom found long ago in the Hell Mouth of the Dark Mother. Alas, poor Hoom!

A chamber away, Bo, Jerome and Urdur argue over forbidden tomes of blasphemy and Mouser remembers what It did to him. What It made him do. In a cold sweat, Mouser stops searching the piteous torture chamber and concentrates only on standing.

The queasy sorcerer-thief is distantly aware that Bo and Ingrid have burst into the room of torment. The grey druid examines the ghastly iron maiden.



The hair of a female victim sticks to its surface in her own dried blood.

Ingrid finds no silver weapons among the excruciating implements of pain and malice. But she discovers a dark bottle on a shelf.

Behind them all, in the chamber of the sundered pentagram, Urdur considers the three unthinkable tomes. As Jerome watches, one seemingly opens of its own volition, in mid-air!



The invisible conjurer finds it scribed in a sorcerous language he cannot decipher. The mysterious occult symbols are like those of the stone gate at the lost shrine of ancient evil. Masterful illustrations show devil worship and other heresies against Gods and Men. One peerless etching depicts arcane equations forming a portal between Oerth and Hell.

Near Mouser, and yet very far away, Brevos smashes opens the westernmost door, revealing a dark, cold cavern beyond it.



With the door open, the last echoes of screaming women can still be heard in the cave tunnel. But no other cries rise to meet them. No alarm is sounded!

Telkis joins the grim ranger and urges everyone, "Time is running out. Soon the full moon will rise," with the chilling remembrance of his own grisly death.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. X = dead.

Map:






PC Status:

Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 36/36
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 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 25/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 1/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 38/38, Spells: 3/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

Invisibility (Urdur): Target: self.

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)

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome takes another swig from his waterskin, fidgeting nervously. Take care, Brother Urdur! I worry about what these books may hold.
He watches where Urdur stands- obviously, he can't see the gnome, but he watches for trouble as best he can.

[SocraticLawyer]

This one must be destroyed, says Urdur to Jerome, handing him the book. I'll review these other two later. He puts the other two tomes in his pack.

Telkis is correct. Any who have not yet taken the wolfsbane elixir should do so. Urdur gives a potion to any who request it.

[wolfpack]

Brevos moves into the tunnel

[ravenn4544]

Mouser follows slowly, shaking the evil thoughts from his mind, not wanting to get too far ahead without the others.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo appears perplexed at the sight of the rough tunnel.

"Is this simply some escape tunnel or back door into this horror?"

He lights a torch and follows the others, wondering why everyone hasn't drank the healing elixir from Urdur yet.

[Inferno]

The Wolfpack's Lair, The Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-three. Night. Wednesday, December 14th, 576 CY
Freezing cold, clear







The profane tome of evil knowledge hovers aloft and open!

Suddenly it slams itself shut and throws itself into the fires of the kitchen of horrors!



Two other books disappear into thin air to be kept by Urdur the conjurer.

The grey druid gets a torch alight and Brevos leads the heroes into the cold tunnels, steel bared.



The women's shrieking ceases and an ominous silence befalls the unsettling underworld.

The subterranean tunnels wind, disorienting, dark and abandoned, for the better part of an hour; empty, eerie, devoid of life.




In time, the heroes reach the original opening in the jagged hill!




The frozen earth around the first cave mouth remains thick with footprints and wolf tracks.

Above them, the icy sky looms with infinite blackness, and there is no sign yet of the full moon.



But over the untamed woods to the south, there is a terrible, flickering light in the heavens that was not there before! And from that dread direction, a faint baying pierces the night.


Actions?!


Map:

X marks the heroes' position, northwest of the mountain pass.





PC Status:

Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 36/36
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 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 25/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 1/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 38/38, Spells: 3/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

Invisibility (Urdur): Target: self.

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)

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome squints toward the light in the sky. I am poor at reading the stars. Could that be Vicar's Head? And how long will it take us to get there?

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo uses his torch to quickly look around at the footprints, hoping to discern what direction the freshest lead off to.

"I believe it would either be Vicars Head, or the Ashblood Colony, master Jerome. Perhaps we can get a birds-eye view."

The druid looks into the eyes of his owl friend and points to the light in the sky. Then he makes the motion of flying with his arms before making a wide circle in the air with his finger, hoping the bird will understand his idea to do a bit of aerial reconnaissance.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Seeing the dark bottle, Ingrid will examine it before placing it in her pack. As the party exits the cave, realizing that the time for drinking the elixir may soon be past, she will take the cure.

[wolfpack]

Brevos will study the tracks trying to identify any that he thinks would belong to the child

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur skims one of his newly acquired tomes while the others perform reconnaissance or take wolfsbane elixir. If it contains similar information to the first one, he commits it to flame.

[Inferno]

The Wolfpack's Lair, The Dark Mountains, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-three. Night. Wednesday, December 14th, 576 CY
Freezing cold, clear







The grey druid sends the horned owl up to investigate the flickering light in the sky and the distant baying of wolves.

Reverent Jerome considers the unnatural heavens. By its color and its motion, the old youth believes the strange illumination to be reflected firelight.

Ingrid and Telkis, the last of the heroes to take the wolfsbane elixir, move away from the others and brace themselves for what is about to happen.

They drink and then they howl in piteous agony. They begin a harrowing transformation into things bestial, depraved and utterly inhuman.



Then, just when they can bear no more, the sanity-shattering horror abates and they return to some semblance of their former selves. They collapse in the snow, breathless, hearts pounding, but free of The Curse. For now.

Ingrid feels for the bottle she found in the torture chamber. The dark, dirty, plain glass vessel is unbroken.

Unseen, Urdur burns a second vile book with Bo's torch. But he keeps the final one for later, believing it to hold sorcerous incantations to warp the natural laws of the world.

Bo and Brevos examine the myriad confusing tracks. They are many, and layered over time, but the grim ranger divines their meaning. A large group of men recently left this cave and moved southward, in the direction of the writhing light. Buried under their footprints are half-glimpses of tracks the size a child would make. And they are barefoot.

Nicodemus the great horned owl soundlessly returns, sooner than expected, and alights upon the grey druid's shoulder.




Actions?!


Map:

X marks the heroes' position, northwest of the mountain pass.





PC Status:

Brevos, Half-Elf Ranger 4: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 36/36
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 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 25/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 1/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 38/38, Spells: 3/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 34/34
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

Invisibility (Urdur): Target: self.

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)

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome scowls at where Urdur should be, showing his disapproval of the mage's choice to keep any of those profane books. He waits for the 'report' from the owl, fidgeting with his need to do something.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis sits up and heaves a few deep breaths, relishing for a brief moment in the release from the curse. Again. He somehow feels this will not be the last time.

Approaching the party members outside as they decipher the tracks, he reflects and realizes he has been running on automatic for a long time, going through the motions, afraid. Has this whole experience too much for a warrior of the Brassfang clan? Would he like a someone else to show courage where he could not? By Garl's Unruly Beard he will step up to this challenge, be it the death of him!

Staring in the direction of the menacing glow he cradles his morningstar, Cranach. "Well, what's the owl got to say, Bo? These cannibals aren't going to bash their own skulls in," he says.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo meditates briefly, allowing him the power to speak with the owl once again in its own language.

“Whoooo are we up against, friend? What have you seen from above?”

[ravenn4544]

Mouser wonders about the caves they had left and it's vile purpose. He looks to the lights in the sky and his thoughts return back to the undeath of the town they fled from with their lives.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

After the cure runs its course, the cleric takes a few moments to recover. Getting shakily to her feet, she will pull out the bottle from the torture chamber end examine it.

[wolfpack]

The child demon went that way.