Chapter 32: From Beyond

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis, not for the first time, feels his muscles seize up sickeningly. Anger mixes with dread as he realizes these revolting creatures may be his end.Save vs. Paralysis at +2 (11): [1d20+2]=1+2=3

[jemmus]

Faron grips his glowing longsword and swiftly moves in an arc to approach behind the thing fighting Telkis (A4) from behind.

Sorry, I looked but I couldn't find the bonus(es) for an attack from the rear.
[1d20+1]=19+1=20[1d20+1]=19+1=20

[ravenn4544]

Mousers soul is somehow tainted from the presence of these unholy creatures. He tries to endure this and make attacks on their unprotected rear!

Save vs Poison (13) [1d20]=2

Scalpel (THACO 20) To Hit [1d20]=13 +4 bonus = 17, S/M/L Dam. [1d8]=5 x2 bonus = 10
Cat's Claw (THACO 20) To Hit [1d20]=11 -1 offhand = 10, S/M Dam. [1d4]=3, L Dam. [1d3]=2

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo steps forward, retching at the stench in the room.

Save vs. Death, Paralysis, Poison (9) [1d20]=7

He drops his torch and steps up near Jerome, attacking the creatures alongside the paladin.

Spear Attack [1d20]=20 Damage [1d6]=6

[jemmus]

Faron poison save Poison ST 12 [1d20]=17

[Inferno]

The Accursed Mansion, Blackchapel, Hookhill, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Two. After Nightfall. Sunday, December 25th, 576 CY







Stricken by the deathly touch of the heinous Almost Men, Ingrid and Telkis fall to the floor!

Bo, Jerome, Mouser and Urdur struggle against the unspeakable stench of rotting corpses. (-2 to hit)

With mounting dread they watch the lurid cannibals lunge at Bo and Jerome with bloodthirsty abandon! Filthy nails rake Jerome's face (3hp damage) but the valiant paladin does not succumb to the icy horror that grips his friends!

Faron and Mouser charge into the fray, backstabbing the feral atrocities, running them through with cold iron, as Bo impales one through the vitals with his long spear!



The hateful things, damned to Hell, cry out in bone-chilling agony and remorse, and crash to the floor dead! (A2, A4)

As suddenly as the life and death struggle had erupted, it is ended! But Ingrid and Telkis still lie motionless.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory. Red area is the Brood Swarm.

Map:


Behind the DM Screen:

Jerome: Save vs Paralysis: [1d20+2]=18+2=20 Saves vs attack from last round.
Initiative: Party: [1d6]=1, Monsters: [1d6]=6 Monsters win.
A4 already charged, so must take movement as its action to close with Bo.
A2 attacks Jerome: [1d20]=15, [1d20]=3, [1d20]=9 One claw hits.
A2 claw damage to Jerome: [1d4]=3
Jerome Saves vs Paralysis again: [1d20+2]=18+2=20 Saves vs attack from this round!
To reach their foes, Faron and Mouser will charge, fyi.

PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 19/22, Glowing Sword
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Sickened
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 12/25, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Stricken
Jerome, Human Paladin 4: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 14/23, Laying Hands: 1/1, Torch on ground, Sickened
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 35/38, Spells: 3/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, Torch on ground, Sickened
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 17/37, Stricken
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl, Invisible, Torch, Sickened

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Invisibility (Urdur): Target: self.
Faerie Fire (Bo): Target: Ariadnax. Duration: 6 rounds.

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)

[jemmus]

Faron rushes over to Ingrid and tries to revive her. He has no training whatsoever in medicine or the healing arts, so he can only gently shake her and raise her hand.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis lies utterly motionless...

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome winced, fighting nausea. He turns toward Telkis, feeling worse than when he found that jug of hard cider hidden in the beech tree.
He'll stumble Telkis' way, unsteady as an aspen sapling.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur checks to make sure that there are no more of the foul creatures about before rushing to help his immobile comrades. He also keeps an eye on the spiders. If they come closer, Urdur will warn the others.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo looks over to the area where the other monsters ran away under the stairs, making sure the group isn't in immediate danger.

If the coast is clear enough for action, and the druid can control his retching long enough to pray over their injured gnome, he attempts to heal some of the worst wounds on Telkis.

CLW [1d8]=5

"Watch out near those stairs over there. If magical healing works to revive them, I will see to Ingrid next."

[ravenn4544]

Mouser sees his fallen comrades being attended to. He quietly shifts to the bottom of the staircase to get a peak at what lies above...

[jemmus]

Faron also takes a look up the stairs.

[Urson]

Jerome

I didn't post this, because I wasn't sure if Jerome could actually do anything in his sickened state

IF Jerome is capable, he'll Lay Hands on Telkis. (8 hp)

[Inferno]

The Accursed Mansion, Blackchapel, Hookhill, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Two. After Nightfall. Sunday, December 25th, 576 CY








It is Winter Solstice End. On the trail of the Hookhill Ripper, who murders and mutilates prostitutes on pagan holy days, the doomed heroes have entered an opulent mansion that exists beyond the laws of Time and Dimension, and is infused with sorceries arcane and invisible.





Within, loathsome horrors from darkest nightmare beset them. After an ambush of Almost Men is survived, Ingrid and Telkis are left stricken, eyes wide with terror, overtaken by the netherworldly chill of death that seizes them, body, mind and soul.





With dread, Faron and Mouser creep to the grand curving staircase and glance up it at the sublime balconies and vaulted ceilings beyond.




Nothing descends upon them yet, despite the noise of their intrusion.

Urdur peers into the crimson dining room of unspeakable feasts.



He beholds the countless oversized spider-young devouring their unholy mother, the Queen of the Brood Swarm in a ghastly feeding.

Sickened by the heinous fragrance of rotting flesh, Bo confirms that the Almost Men that took flight fled through a secret passage beneath the stair. They have yet to return. The grey druid joins Jerome in healing Telkis with blessed orisons (+13hp) and the gnome is miraculously freed from his necromantic paralysis. But Ingrid remains locked in its insidious grip.

Suddenly, from out of the immense, smoke-filled fireplace (A), the grisly legion of unliving horrors from beyond the grave lurch forth, howling in hellborne agony and malice! (D1-30?!)




Actions?! (everyone except Ingrid)


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory. Red area is the Brood Swarm.

Map:






PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 19/22, Glowing Sword
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 19/19, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Sickened
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 12/25, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Stricken
Jerome, Human Paladin 4: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 14/23, Laying Hands: 0/1, Torch, Sickened
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 35/38, Spells: 3/6 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, Torch, Sickened
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 30/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl, Invisible, Torch, Sickened

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Invisibility (Urdur): Target: self.
Faerie Fire (Bo): Target: Ariadnax. Duration: 4 rounds.

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 struggles to maintain himself. He holds his cudgel above his head and shouts Begone, servants of the Unclean! Take your final rest and bother us NO MORE! Turn Undead turn undead [1d20]=13

[ChubbyPixie]

The relief and gratitude Telkis feels when he realizes his life essence hasn't been permanently drained once again is short lived as the horde step from the fireplace.

He jumps to his feet as Jerome speaks his holy command. Grasping Cranach, he will swing only if attacked, fearful of disrupting the paladin's prayer...

Morningstar +2 (THAC0 17): To Hit:[1d20+2]=3+2=5, Damage: vs s/m [2d4+2]=5+2=7, vs L [1d6+3]=5+3=8

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo rushes across the room to see if he can find the secret door the Almost Men went through.

"If we hurry, we might be able to escape these horrors through here! Maybe we can find out what this place really is."

[jemmus]

Faron runs to the left side of fireplace, ready to use his glowing longsword on the walking corpses from the side.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser seeing the tide favoring the secret egress will lend his deft fingers to finding a way out. He eye's the stairs as the next best option - if there is even a 'best' option...