Chapter 21: The Caverns of Thracia

[jemmus]

Torix's reaction at the sight of the human growing into a giant is similar to the Cimmerian's. His eyes widen and his lips part in awe and dread. Shamans did auguries with cast bones and by reading the writhings of gutted kings. But they didn't effortlessly change not into a hill giant, but grow to twice their size while keeping their own appearance. But the city people don't react much to their war companion's sorcerous transformation. He does nothing and watches, for now.

"So, the custom is to leave the battle dead behind," he thinks. "Well, good enough. When you're slain you're slain, and your spirit goes to wherever it's going to go. No use to you for your body to be a load for your war mates to haul around." He stands as rear guard while the Cimmerian opens the door and the giant carries the unconscious.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu, his new found size and strength a temporary boon, carries the bodies of the wounded and broken to their respite. He doesn't make eye contact with the barbarian who refuses to accept the magical bounty he has provided. He will make a second trip as necessary. He also has no qualms about piling the dead cultists in a defensive wall to protect the group - being dead doesn't mean one can't be helpful...

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri has a dream he will never remember: Grandfather, grown giant in size, or perhaps Kiri is small?, carries him across a field of waving grass towards a set of magically suspended stairs of perfect proportions that rise into the sky. As they near, he sees that each one is inlaid with a depiction of a different fantastical beast done in calcedony and obsidian, the craftsmanship unmatched. A soothing bowl gong rings continuously, though he cannot see its origin.

Grandfather sets him down gently in the grass at the foot of the stair.

"I have to talk to someone. Wait here, Kiri." he says, and mounts the steps one by one...

[Urson]

Zahra
Would you think me disrespectful if I took things from Iago's body? Zahra asks to the group in general. She won't take his weapons or armor, but will (if no one objects) collect any food, water, and torches.

When the group gets settled in the small chamber, Zahra curls up in a corner to rest. I will stand whatever watch I am woken for.

[jemmus]

Torix didn't know the slain man and doesn't know the customs of the city people, so he says nothing. But he finds it interesting that the question was asked.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"Take what the dead don't need," Cruloc grunts.

[Inferno]

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







Not unlike Kiri's near-death experience, there are steep stone steps in the Underworld. Cut into the living rock, they rise some hundred feet into daylight.

The surviving adventurers carry the wounded up the stairwell, moving backward in time through murals detailing the cataclysmic fall of ancient Thracia into death worship and madness after the oceans swallowed Atlantis.



They find the notch Zahra carved in the wall to mark the secret door, bear the injured into the cramped priest hole, get a candle alight and seal the door behind them.

Overhead looms the fathomless darkness and the rope ladder that ascends into the spider-haunted temple of dead, forgotten gods.



At last they rest and recover from their grievous wounds. Gnasher licks his master's lifeless face, to no avail. Zahra places Iago's lucky ring on her finger. Amethu returns to human proportions. Had he really become a giant?

Afternoon turns to night and then morning. During the night watch, no frightful denizen of the mythic Underworld finds them here, hidden in the walls between the Caverns of Thracia and the Forbidden City of the Dead.

Dahinna awakens with the dawn. But Grigor and Kiri remain stricken by their fearsome injuries.


Actions? (Please mark off one day's rations.
Nightly healing and first aid is accounted for below. Please roll for additional healing as per the house rules.
Casters may pray and/or study for new spells.
And a new Experience Point award is here!)


Map:

One square = 10 feet. The white X marks the location of the adventurers.





PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 12/15, Spells: 0/7 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 19/45
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 1/19
Grigor: Zamoran Nomad Cleric/Fighter 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: -6/29, Spells: 3/4 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: -4/21, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 28/28
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 1, HP: 8/29, Candle
Gnasher: Grigor's Hound: Move: 12", AC: 5, HD: 2+2, HP: 8/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4

PC Magic:

None currently.

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)

[ravenn4544]

Amethu prays for enlightenment from the gods of Verulia. He gratefully accepts the infusion of healing powers once more.

He scans the party and quickly passes on his prayers for their recovery.

Cure Light Wounds [1d8]=1 -> grigor
Cure Light Wounds [1d8]=5 -> grigor
Cure Light Wounds [1d8]=8 -> grigor
Cure Light Wounds [1d8]=6 -> kiri
Cure Light Wounds [1d8]=5 -> dahinna

The breadth of the party's wounds remain great. "Even with the bounty of the gods I can not heal all of us. We should invest another round of rest ere we set forth into the darkness. Our great quest is urgent, but we must not throw our lives away in haste. Let the cultsits bent on death do the dyeing"

[Inferno]

DM:

Grigor and Kiri awaken in the small, secret chamber.

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri sits up slowly. He scans the room, taking in the others, but finds he is too weak to talk. He sees Grandfather is still hanging around his neck, smirking up at him – for some reason he feared the old man would be gone, though he cannot remember why – then lies down again and rests for a moment.

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

Dahinna awakes, blinks a few times, and realizes she isn't dead...even though it hurts to breathe and she can still taste blood in her mouth. When Amethu prays over her, she gasps as some of the deeper wounds close...and she sits up.
"Where...where are we?"
Once she realizes the damage done to her companions...and the loss of Iago, she hugs her knees to her chest and cries silently. Then she eats and drinks and checks her gear.

Healing chance (30%): [1d100]=57

[jemmus]

Torix sits and drinks from his water skin, lays it on the floor. He takes iron rations out of his pack, lays them on a square of tanned deer hide. He gestures to the food and waterskin. Please have water if you need it. Let us eat as friends together.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra shares her rations as well. She remains quiet, for the most part, trying not to jostle the wounded.

Healing: 1 hp. 30% chance of a second hp- pecentile [1d100]=68 Nope. XP updated.

[Bluetongue]

Grigor,

Awakens with several wet licks on his face. Gnasher at least pleased to see his survival though he fares badly. Shorn of blessings, he needs to meditate and pray, not least giving thanks to his many gods and comrades for pulling through.

[jemmus]

Torix applies chewed leaves and strips of cloth to the Kambujan fighter Kiri's partially healed wounds.

Barbarian first aid, +1 to healing. I'm guessing that this is a long turn and Torix can do that this morning, in addition to eating. If there's time in this round, he'll also apply first aid to every other PC.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Cruloc grunts, accepting Torix's offer of his spartan rations. He too provides the benefits of his primitive, yet strangely effective, medicinal know-how to the wounded.

He is glad to see the others awaken, yet anger seethes in his gut like a pit of snakes. Descending into the earth again was unwise. The fools ought to have listened to him and gone for the easy pickings of the harpies' nest. Iago too had wanted to explore above ground, but the whiny scholars had wanted to harvest the foul book-knowledge of this fallen kingdom for their own self-indulgence. Naturally, none of them had paid the price that the concupiscent Zingaran had.

"At least he lies prone, with women hovering over him," Cruloc muses. "He would be pleased."

He glowers at the candle, wishing it were the sun.

[Inferno]

Beneath the Forbidden City of the Dead, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Ten. Dawn. 20th day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia







In those tight quarters, by pale candlelight, the pilgrims to the Underworld break their fast, dividing dead Iago's rations among them. (one day's worth each) Torix and Zahra share what little food they have in an offer of fellowship.

Cruloc and Torix change bandages and clean wounds.

Amethu bestows blessings of sacred healing to Dahinna, Kiri and Grigor, and counsels that they all remain in hiding another full day.

Amongst some, grudges are harbored and seeds of division are sown. What deadly fruit will they bear amidst those whose only hope for survival hinges upon cooperation and trust?


Actions?


Map:

One square = 10 feet. The white X marks the location of the adventurers.





PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 14/17, Spells: 3/8 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 21/45
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 12/25
Grigor: Zamoran Nomad Cleric/Fighter 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 8/29, Spells: 4/4 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 2/21, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 28/28
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 1, HP: 8/29, Candle
Gnasher: Grigor's Hound: Move: 12", AC: 5, HD: 2+2, HP: 8/11, AT: 1, D: 1-4

PC Magic:

None currently.

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)

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

The Zamoran rogue watches the newcomer, the Pict warrior, alongside Cruloc and wonders if the gods sent him in their darkest hour or did he just happen to be following them all along. Regardless, the trail rations taste bland and she still aches from the deep scars of her wound.
"Remind me again, why are we here? Perhaps we should climb outta here and go home before more of us die in this hell-hole."
Dahinna hugs her knees and somewhat dozes, trying to ignore the pain in her back.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu's mask turns slowly to listen to the questions posed by Dahinna. "Do you not recall Zargoth and the scourge his cult has unleashed upon the lands? His foul ilk has erased the history of our peoples from the earth. It is only through this quest that we may find the lost histories and return our people's heritage to its rightful place!" His voice starts calm but his excitement, with a bit of impatience, rises as he recounts the story of the fell demon-god.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra smiles her thanks as she is healed. She replies to Dahinna. Leave if you must. I have seen too much death and pain to abandon the quest now. She speaks calmly, but her voice betrays a struggle for control.