Chapter 29: Sacrament of Blasphemy

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

I'm sorry, Telkis. We'll come back for you, but you are likely the safest of us all right now. In the meantime, take this to keep yourself from hearing the creature's awful screeching.

She'll cast Silence 15' Radius on a stone before dropping it into the pit for Telkis. She will then let the trap door close again. Backing out of the room, she will close the door and try to secure it as best she can to prevent the creature from pushing it open. When finished, she will move quickly as she can for the ladder.

I know she can only move 10 feet after casting, but if this will cover a couple rounds of movement, her intention is known.
Edit: Now that there is a rescue attempt, Ingrid will only go as far as her 10' movement for the round before reconsidering.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur tosses the rope to Jerome. We can use this to get him out, he says. Before heading out to join Long Bo, Urdur helps Mouser finish opening the contents of the chest. Regardless of what they find, Urdur moves to rejoin the druid as quickly as he can.

Improved Phantasmal Force and Invisibility both require material components that Urdur does not currently have access to, right?

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome's eyes blaze as Ingrid prepeares to abandon Telkis. I should have expected as much. Faithless bitch. He continues searching for a way to rescue Telkis.

[OGRE MAGE]

When Bo's urgent pleas are answered with only more random talking and......is that......spellcasting, the druid can do nothing more for his indecisive friends.

He takes his torch and rocks, fleeing away from the dead end hallway, retreating back to the ladder as quickly as possible and descending it into the darkness below.

Sorry for the hassle of splitting the party again. I know you hate it when I do that. But Bo wouldn't know there was a pit for everyone to hide in, so he is going to do what he said initially and hide out below.

[Urson]

Jerome Addendum

When Urdur passes him the rope, Jerome will begin trying to rig a way to get down to Telkis. Priority is to get him out, then Lay Hands on him.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser will quickly glance at what is found when they untie the bundle. He'll help take it if needed before heading off with the others..

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis hears Bo yell that the thing is returning and then... nothing. He examines the walls of the pit to see if an attempted climb would be realistic or an impossibility.

If he is stuck until aided, he'll examine the spikes to see if one might be broken off and used as an improvised weapon.

[Inferno]

The Labyrinth Beneath the Church of Saint Pentival, The Ashblood Colony, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-seven. Night. Saturday, December 17th, 576 CY
Cold, overcast







Long Bo hears the piteous voices of the heinous atrocity echoing from the western regions of the labyrinth and flees for his life and his sanity!

The grey druid reaches the ladder, throws his rocks into its shaft and then begins to climb down one-handed into the darkness below!



(Next round!)

When Long Bo reaches the bottom of the ladder, his blazing torch reveals an alcove with a slime trail running through it! He gathers the rocks in his free hand and carefully peers out to discover a slime-filled corridor winding off into darkness.

Suddenly, behind and above him, he hears someone clambering onto the ladder... and the rising crescendo of the unspeakable, horrific thing!


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. Darker grey shapes on the floor are slime trails.

Behind the DM Screen:

This post covered two rounds of actions.
Descending the ladder one-handed takes the better part of one round.

PC Status:

Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 12", AC: 9, HP: 38/38, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch

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)

[Inferno]

The Labyrinth Beneath the Church of Saint Pentival, The Ashblood Colony, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-seven. Night. Saturday, December 17th, 576 CY
Cold, overcast







Deep in the hellish catacombs, Ingrid utters divine orisons to Trithereon and shrouds a dungeon cell in silence! The focus of her prayer is a pebble that she tosses down to Telkis, pierced and bleeding at the bottom of a spiked-filled pit.

Telkis then examines the iron spikes that impaled him, and pries one free with his bare hands! (treat as spear)

Ingrid stands up and the trap closes, plunging the gnome back into darkness. She leaves the dungeon cell and readies to seal it when Jerome confronts her. The paladin still does not forgive her unholy desecration of the dead that has damned her immortal soul.

Mouser and Urdur untie the large bundle in the ancient chest and find it filled with many things. Weapons in scabbards, small boxes, cylindrical tubes, arrows in a quiver, and more! They throw Jerome the rope that had bound the secret treasure of the Knights of the March.

(Next round!)

Jerome enters the dungeon cell, pushes open the trap door and casts the rope down to Telkis. The paladin hauls the grievously wounded gnome up out of the killing shaft. Telkis still holds the spike and the enchanted pebble of silence!

Nearby, Mouser and Urdur close the treasure chest and slowly drag its immense bulk north as they feel their way through the darkness! Suddenly, they hear the ghastly shrieks of the sanity-shattering thing, echoing ahead of them!


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. Green exclamation point = the direction the sound of the horror is coming from.
Lighter areas are visible, all else is from memory. Darker grey shapes on the floor are slime trails.

Behind the DM Screen:

This post covered two rounds of actions.
Telkis Ability Check vs STR: [1d20+4]=1+4=5 Success.

PC Status:

Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 25/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 2/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch, Deaf and Mute
Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 1/1, Deaf and Mute
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 23/34, Deaf and Mute
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 11/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Find Traps (Ingrid): Duration: 46 rounds.
Silence, 15' Radius (Ingrid): Duration: 8 rounds, Target: Pebble in Telkis' possession.

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
When he's sure Telkis is out of the pit, Jerome will (silently) pray to St. Cuthbert and Lay Hands on the gnome for 6hp healing.

IF he is sure of which direction, he'll lead the way away from the pit. IF he's not 100% sure, he'll stay put.

[ChubbyPixie]

In the darkness, Telkis feels the healing rush into him. He pats Jerome on the shoulder in thanks, then does what gnomes do best: he senses direction underground ( ). Guiding the human, he hurries them along as quickly as he is able in the silent darkness, towards the ladder he had mentioned previously.

[OGRE MAGE]

Not sure if the noise above is his friends on the ladder or the beast, Bo doesn't stick around to find out, wasting no time exploring the ongoing passages.

He rushes to the first corner with his torch and peers around it, continuing this routine along to the next hallway he sees. Without turning back to the hellish noise behind him, the druid strains his ears to hear anything ahead of him as he explores this lower level all alone.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Seeing that the others are NOT fleeing despite Bo's warning, the cleric moves back to help get Telkis out of the pit.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser, with Urdur's help, continues to drag the chest of much-needed items away from the unholy noise and hopefully towards the rest of the group.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur helps Mouser with the chest of items, heading towards the group and away from the horror that pursues them.

[Inferno]

The Labyrinth Beneath the Church of Saint Pentival, The Ashblood Colony, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-seven. Night. Saturday, December 17th, 576 CY
Cold, overcast







In the pitch darkness, the obscene clamor of the monstrosity's all-too-human voices grows louder!

The unholy thing draws near! Bo, Mouser and Urdur flee for their lives in different directions!

On the third level, Long Bo takes flight, torch aloft, racing through the winding, desolate and slime-covered corridor of the hell-labyrinth!



On the second level of the ancient catacombs, Mouser and Urdur drag the treasure chest back the way they came! They turn two corners and come into Ingrid's torchlight in time to see Jerome miraculously heal Telkis of his brutal injuries from the pit! (+6hp)

Mouser and Urdur no longer hear the detestable cries of the heinous abomination! And then they realize they are deaf.


Actions?!


Maps:




One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible, all else is from memory. Darker grey shapes on the floor are slime trails.

Behind the DM Screen:

This post covered one round of actions.

PC Status:

Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 19/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Deaf and Mute
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 25/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 2/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch, Deaf and Mute
Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 0/1, Deaf and Mute
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 12", AC: 9, HP: 38/38, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 29/34, Deaf and Mute
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 11/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl, Deaf and Mute

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Find Traps (Ingrid): Duration: 46 rounds.
Silence, 15' Radius (Ingrid): Duration: 8 rounds, Target: Pebble in Telkis' possession.

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 unfurls the newly found items for the group to take quick stock of and, hopefully, find use for. He'll look for any weapons or items that will replace his lost loved blade and dagger.

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome looks wildly around, trying to watch in all directions for The Abomination. He grips the blade from the trap awkwardly, wishing it had a proper hilt. He yells something that can't be heard.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur looks through the items from the chest, hoping to find spell components, a scroll, or something else useful.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo stays put for a moment, listening for his friends that he is hoping will be right behind him any second now. They are smart folks, right? They knew they were in a dead end situation, right? They will be here any moment now.......right?

When he doesn't hear anyone coming up behind him, another thought suddenly occurs to the druid. Did he just inadvertently place himself in the role of the hunted party? Is the monster now following him alone, giving the others a chance to escape their fate?

He continues to listen intently from where he is, this time for any slithering or gibbering noises. At the first indication that his new theory is correct, he sprints ahead again, taking a left at the chamber leading north, the one without the slime marks on the floor.

If he hears nothing coming from behind, he slowly makes his way back to the ladder for another listen.