Chapter 21: The Caverns of Thracia

[ravenn4544]

Amethu maintains his focus on the prisoner and steeling himself to the practicality of the battle of the bridge. Time for healing prayers is near.

He peers at the bound figure and questions him on his name and where he hails. He has a spell that could perhaps gain more info but that would require rest - and time that they likely don't have.

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri moves back along with Amethu to where Zahra stands guard in the east. As they walk, he shows him the keys that he found, saying nothing, but giving him a meaningful glance before replacing them in his pouch.

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

"Grigor!" Dahinna screams, his name echoing off the cavernous walls. Filled with fury and frustration at the death of her fellow Zamoran, the little rogue steps over Grigor's body and lunges with her sword. "Crom take you, you bastard!" she cries as she feels steel sink into flesh.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Seeing the thief step into the breach, Cruloc seizes the moment. He tosses the torch to Iago and pulls the unconscious Grigor to safety.

"Behave, boy," he commands Gnasher, never releasing his grip on the anxious hound. "Wait for your moment."

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra keeps most of her attention on the East bridge. She keeps her sword in hand, occasionally glancing at the prisoner and smiling a deadly smile.

[Inferno]

Beneath the Forbidden City of the Dead, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Nine. Morning. 19th day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia







"My name is Death and I hail from Hell," the captive answers Amethu's interrogation in a lost language of an ancient age.

Elsewhere, Grigor falls beneath Thracian steel!



Faithful Gnasher can't stop barking. Cruloc and Iago make room to allow Dahinna to retreat from her sudden position at the front line. But the little rogue is having none of it.

With a scream of vengeance, Dahinna lunges forward and buries her sword to the crosspiece into the Thracian's gut! Its crimson point bursts from his back in a grisly rupture of blood and gore. And then her foe, already nigh unto death from Grigor's scimitar, plunges headlong to the floor.

The battle is ended. The bridge is taken. But all around them looms the ominous darkness of the caverns of Thracia.




Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. X = Dead or Unconscious. B = Bound.

Behind the DM Screen:

Initiative: Party: [1d6]=3, Monsters: [1d6]=6 Monsters win.
T6 attacks Dahinna with sword: [1d20]=6, damage: [1d8+1]=3+1=4 Misses.
Because T6 won initiative and advanced to Dahinna', Cruloc couldn't pull Grigor's body back. But now the battle is over and he can reach Grigor if he wants.

PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 15/15, Spells: 6/7 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 37/45
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 14/19
Grigor: Zamoran Nomad Cleric/Fighter 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: -1/29, Spells: 3/4 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Iago: Zingaran Southman Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 24/32, Torch
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 10/21, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 26/29
Gnasher: Grigor's Hound: Move: 12", AC: 5, HD: 2+2, HP: 6/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4

PC Magic:

Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 56 rounds, Torch

Player Resources:

The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"Hreh!" chuckles Cruloc in admiration of Dahinna as he works to staunch the flow of blood from the temerarious Grigor's near-fatal wounds. "I've yet to see a Zamoran wench leave a job unfinished."

[ChubbyPixie]

Seeing the battle over, Kiri shows the others the keys he discovered. "These may be useful," he says. "Perhaps we should search the others - particularly the captain."

[Paladin]

Iago Velazquez de Quesada

The pirate' s eyes widen and his grim face dissolves into a lop-sided grin. "Nevermind," he declares and moves to search the bodies as Kiri suggested, rummaging through belts, packs, pouches, clothing, and anything else that looks promising. He begins with the captain.

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

The Zamoran rogue jerks her sword free, expecting more Thracians to emerge from the tunnel. When none do, she quickly wipes the blood off her blade using the dead Thracian's cloak and quickly begins to rifle the bodies.
"How is Grigor?" she asks over her shoulder. "Will he survive?"

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra gives the prisoner a solid kick in the kidney. Answer the question, troglodyte. We don't have time for your wasted bravado.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu tried to question him once more. “Speak of what lies beyond these bridges and we will grant your wish for death. Otherwise your soul will linger unfulfilled. Speak quickly.

[Inferno]

Beneath the Forbidden City of the Dead, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Nine. Morning. 19th day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia







Suspended above the bottomless crevasse, the invaders' voices echo in the vast, hollow darkness of the Underworld.

Dahinna and Iago edge north to loot the dead, and the pirate's torch unveils a great magnificent hall lined with towering Atlantean columns!



Large wooden doors loom before the lovers, framed by empty guardpost armories. The majestic pillared corridor ranges east to matching doors and west into shadow.

Cruloc advances with them and remembers two spearmen lay in ambush here earlier. (T9, T10) Of them now, there is no sign. Nor are their bodies among the dead.

The Cimmerian binds Grigor's wounds (+1hp), saving his life. The gypsy's eyes do not open and Gnasher howls piteously.

Quickly, Dahinna and Iago search the corpses and find them riddled with battle scars. They recover knives, swords, spears, shields, ancient coins (78sp), a ring of keys identical to the one Kiri found, and charms of silver from around the necks of the dead.



The slaughtered captain grips an exquisite long sword, forged in Atlantis by craftsmanship unmatched and long forgotten. (+1 sword, non-magical)

To the east, Zahra gives their lone prisoner a brutal, iron-shod kick. Amethu compels him, “Speak of what lies beyond these bridges and we will grant your wish for death. Otherwise your soul will linger unfulfilled. Speak quickly."

The bound Thracian replies evenly, "All that awaits you beyond these bridges is Death."


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. X = Dead or Unconscious. B = Bound.





PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 15/15, Spells: 6/7 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 37/45
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 14/19
Grigor: Zamoran Nomad Cleric/Fighter 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 0/29, Spells: 3/4 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Iago: Zingaran Southman Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 24/32, Torch
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 10/21, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 26/29
Gnasher: Grigor's Hound: Move: 12", AC: 5, HD: 2+2, HP: 6/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4

PC Magic:

Unseen Servant (Kiri): Duration: 55 rounds, Torch, near Amethu

Player Resources:

The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

His crude binding of Grigor's wounds complete, Cruloc searches the priest for items of fearful arcane power which may restore him to consciousness.

A personal grooming kit? Heh. A Cimmerian bathes in rivers, cleans his teeth with cattails, and untangles his hair with the claws of beasts he has slain.
Charm bracelets? Bah. Useless baubles carried by robed wanderers hawking empty blessings and cheap trinkets for coin.
A clear orb which contains within its glassy walls the snows of winter? The barbarian pulls his hand back as if his fingers had been frostbitten.

Fear swells in his chest, and he is hesitant to explore further the priest's occult collection of esoterica.

Momentarily forgetting Grigor is alive, the Cimmerian out of habit examines his mouth, intent on extracting any gold teeth within. His hand glides toward the hilt of his dagger, but Gnasher's growling reminds him of his purpose, and he at last locates the mysterious life-giving dram inside the gypsy's belt pouch. After a wary sniff, he pours it down Grigor's throat.

"The Thracian nearly split your skull. It is fortuitous that you Zamorans are a hard-headed lot!"

[ravenn4544]

Amethu sighs at the Thracian's response. "Predictable. How many of your brethren remain in these halls?"

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

Glancing at Iago every few seconds as they search the bodies, Dahinna can't help but think how close she was to dying...actually dying. "This silver...I hope we live long enough to spend it," she whispers to her lover. "Perhaps I can buy some fresh clothes...and buy you some soap." She grins and looks at the charms. "Do you think those will help us pass through this place? What could they mean?"

[Paladin]

Iago Velazquez de Quesada

The Zingaran wrinkles his nose and masks a grin. "Soap? Why, the natural scent of my skin is far beyond any--" he catches a whiff of himself while digging through the corpses and grimaces. "Okay... soap."

He will glance at the charms and take one for himself, hanging it upon his belt for the moment. "Who knows what they mean? Perhaps they will be of use. If no one objects, this trinket will stay with me." He appraises the sword and admires the fine workmanship.

"As much as I desire such a blade," he says, "others did more to win us through." He will lay it aside for the others to fight over.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra makes an angry sound in her throat. She shuffles her feet loudly, getting ready to kick the prisoner again.

[ChubbyPixie]

Letting Grandfather range ahead of him as he explores, Kiri will search the hall for any inscriptions or clues he might decipher with the Helm of Uthoth. If he doesn't encounter an end to the arcade to the west soon, he'll await the others before proceeding further.

[Inferno]

Iago Velazquez de Quesada

"Soap? Why, the natural scent of my skin is far beyond any--" he catches a whiff of himself while digging through the corpses and grimaces. "Okay... soap."