Chapter 22: Underworld

[Bluetongue]

Grigor

Using his scimitar to dice and slice any smaller critters.

Grigor scimitar+2 in melee [1d20+2]=6+2=8 damage [1d8+2]=1+2=3

"Blasted things, just swishing thin air. Let us go before any more giant ones come to feast in us."

He urges the group forward while he checks that altar area out. He doesn't want to go too close to the chasm mind, just check between the pillars.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra heads North. Once she's in the corridor, she'll stop and crouch
This may be two turns worth of movement...

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

Satisfied with her sword skills, the rogue moves quickly to the closest column (north on the map?) and gets behind it, holding her torch high and peering into the corridor beyond.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Cruloc follows, stopping to treat his minor wounds.

[jemmus]

Torix takes his torch from the floor and walks around the room, retrieving his crow feather-fletched arrows he can find. He ends before the north passageway, torch held high to illuminate it.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu also heads further toward the chasm to investigate - and keeping his distance from the edge while the bats are raging.

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri heads north, sticking close to Zahra while trying to keep the bats out of his hair. They always fly in your hair.

[Inferno]

The Caverns of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Eleven. Late Morning. 21st day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia







In the whirling vortex of screeching bats, the explorers' vision is impaired. Torix recovers only one of his flint-headed arrows.

Grigor and Kiri stagger through the flapping torrent to where the sacrificial altar had been. They crouch beneath the chiropteran storm and find the ground scarred with grooves, marking the altar's path to the precipice where it plunged into the bottomless chasm below.



Cruloc staunches a bite wound on his arm (+1hp) and follows the others north. At the edge of the screeching cyclone, their torchlight illuminates the stone bridge that crosses the abyss (24) into a dark tunnel. Where the smooth, subterranean passage turns right, there is another guardpost armory, empty of its weapons.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas were visible this turn, all else is from memory.

Map:





PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 15/17, Spells: 3/8 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, Lantern
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 30/45
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/25, Torch
Grigor: Zamoran Nomad Cleric/Fighter 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 19/29, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 17/21, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 28/28, Torch
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 1, HP: 9/29, Torch
Gnasher: Grigor's Hound: Move: 12", AC: 5, HD: 2+2, HP: 10/11, 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 rogue quickly follows the pair of Verulians and the Pict into the corridor and, hopefully, away from the bats. Torch in one hand, short sword in the other, she hugs the right side wall and slinks along as quietly as possible.

[Bluetongue]

Grigor

"Dragged away. Like those bodies. Something is cleansing the place of the statues and artefacts to do with the worship in this evil place."

He speculates that whatever the creature is, if it hates the cultists with such a venom as to go about destroying statues and tossing altars over chasms, then it might prove an ally of some kind if we ever get to encounter it and can demonstrate we too are against such gods of death and the underworld.

Not wanting to get separated from the group, even by a short distance, he will hurry after them and out of the bat storm.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"Brave Zahra, allow me to staunch your bleeding."

Cruloc disinfects her wounds as best he can before tying a snug dressing.

"There. Ready to send more souls to whatever sallow godling once watched over your race, eh?"

He attempts a smile.

[Urson]

Zahra
Thank you Cruloc- Zahra begins, then scowls at his insult to the Gods.
She moves across the bridge carefully, trying to look out for any threats.

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri doesn't give much thought to the implications of the destroyed altar before turning to follow the others into the corridor. Swarms of bats always made it hard for him to concentrate.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu also presses forward into the darkness.

[jemmus]

I try to help, warrior, Torix says to Zahra. The savage again produces dry aromatic leaves from a pouch, chews them, applies the poultice onto the amazon's wounds and wraps them.

[Inferno]

The Caverns of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Eleven. Late Morning. 21st day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia








The raiders of lost Thracia cross the northern bridge of the ancients, that spans a bottomless abyss.




On the other side, Cruloc and Torix bind Zahra's wounds (+1hp) and then the explorers venture deeper into mystery. Past a guardpost armory emptied of its spears, they trod down a towering passageway whose stones were laid before the dawn of the Hyborian Age.

The din of the bat swarm falls away and soon the only sound is their own echoing footfalls; the only light, that which they bear.

At the end of the subterranean hallway is a great double door hanging open like a broken jaw. Its shattered timbers are riven with mighty ax blows.

They warily cross the sundered threshold. Beyond it, the ceiling is lower, the walls grow coarse, and a stone stairwell descends down into darkness.




Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible, all else is from memory.

Map:





PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 15/17, Spells: 3/8 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, Lantern
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 30/45
Dahinna: Zamoran Southwoman Thief 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/25, Torch
Grigor: Zamoran Nomad Cleric/Fighter 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 1, HP: 19/29, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 17/21, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 28/28, Torch
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 1, HP: 10/29, Torch
Gnasher: Grigor's Hound: Move: 12", AC: 5, HD: 2+2, HP: 10/11, 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 contemplates their path at the head of the stairs. It's a minute or two before he speaks. "Our quest likely lies deeper. I wish to press on but we likely will face additional foes that could overwhelm us in our weakened state. Perhaps it is wise to explore this level and rest before venturing deeper into the caverns of the death cult."

[jemmus]

Torix's tattooed face shows disappointment at the results of his and the Cimmerian's dressing of Zahra's wounds. She doesn't seem much stronger or in less pain. Uhn, he says, Rest is good maybe.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

The Cimmerian continues to provide essential first aid in order to keep his companions on their feet.

Dahinna's wounds are bound tightly in a clean dressing.

[hedgeknight]

Dahinna

While Cruloc binds her wounds, Dahinna glances up at the barbarian's face now and again. "What does Crom think about all of this delving underground for lost treasures? He sits silently on his mountain...does he ever hear your battle cries?"
She hisses as he cleans her wounds, takes a sip of water, and waits for an answer.