Chapter 32: From Beyond

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Now that Faron has successfully climbed through the trap door, Ingrid makes her way to the stairs with the rest of the party. We should move quickly. I don't like him being alone. The cleric readies her holy symbol just in case.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo watches the rest of the party joins him on the stairs, glad he wasn't the only one who didn't fancy a hard climb over a pile of dead bodies.

He cracks the door open again, peering out into the room beyond before turning to whisper to his friends.

"Lets wait for a signal or something from above. We don't even know what he's gotten himself into up there yet."

At the first sight or sound of danger above, Bo will be ready to charge into the next room and up the stairway.

[Urson]

Jerome
I cannot imagine anything good happening in this place. I'd suggest we not wait for a signal. Jerome fidgets, obviously ready to head upstairs immediately.

[Inferno]

The Accursed Mansion, The Dreamlands
Day Two. Night. Sunday, December 25th, 576 CY







Haunted by memories of heinous unliving horrors stalking him in the fog mere moments ago, the grey druid peers again though a crack in the concealed door.

The opulent entry hall of the accursed mansion (area 1) is still empty. The great double doors to the south, the most immediate means of escape from this hellish place, are still shut tight.

In the ghastly cellar, more doomed heroes join Long Bo near the secret stair with mounting dread.

Meanwhile, high above the corpse pile, Faron opens the trapdoor and crawls through it, up into the ceiling! The door swings shut behind him!



Alone in the pitch darkness, the foolhardy thief finds the rope around his chest and begins to work its knot by feel.

Suddenly, Faron is surrounded by the roaring squeals of vermin and the heavy scratching of claws on a wooden floor! The skincrawling sounds echo all around him!

Frightful visions are summoned unbidden into his mind's eye, of what might be encircling him in the darkness!



Never before has he heard rats this numerous, nor this large!


Actions?!


Map:

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





PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 5/22
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 8/19, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Sickened
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 14/25, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 3/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 4: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 10/23, Laying Hands: 0/1, Sickened
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 35/38, Spells: 3/6 1st lvl, 0/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, Torch on steps, Sickened
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 27/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl, Torch, Torch in sconce, Sickened

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)

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
The way is clear- for now. Let's go. Jerome leads the way to the stairs going up, sword in hand.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur follows Jerome.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Ingrid is quick to follow Urdur and Jerome. If we wait to hear something, it might already be too late.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo is about to suggest the group spend some unpleasant time searching through the mass of dead bodies in this room for any clues when he is somewhat startled to see the others take off up the stairs.

Grabbing his torch again, he follows the others, doubling back around at the top of the steps if possible, in the direction he thinks a room above the pile might be.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis hurries after the others, trundling his way up the stairs as fast as his little legs will carry him.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser follows quietly behind with weapons ready.

[jemmus]

Faron tries to open the trapdoor, close it behind him, and climb down the rope.
[1d20]=15

[Urson]

Of course he does!

[jemmus]

I forgot to mention that he does that at about twice his normal speed. There's a good gif out there somewhere for this....

[Inferno]

The Accursed Mansion, The Dreamlands
Day Two. Night. Sunday, December 25th, 576 CY





In darkness as black as his chances for survival, Faron's fertile imagination fills his mind with terrifying images.



Blind, the blood-curdling sounds of gigantic vermin are amplified by Faron's fear. Before he has time to untie the rope from around his chest, he is surrounded by things he cannot see! Faron bolts back through the trapdoor before he is eaten alive!

The trapdoor closes behind him, and he clings to the ceiling in time to see the last of his companions stampede up the secret stairs to rescue him!

They burst onto the ground floor of the accursed mansion, tracking blood onto the exquisite marble floor of the beautiful entry hall (area 1).



Long Bo readies to scale the grand, curving staircase, but then he recalls that Faron climbed through a trapdoor in the ceiling of the cellar. The reckless thief should be somewhere on this floor.

Suddenly, they hear a man's voice coming from the kitchen of horrors (area 3). From here, they cannot make out what it is saying.


Actions?!


Map:

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

Behind the DM Screen:

Initiative: Faron: [1d6]=5, Giant Rats: [1d6]=2 Faron wins, and flees before the giant rats can attack.

PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 5/22
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 8/19, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl, Sickened
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 14/25, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 3/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 4: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 10/23, Laying Hands: 0/1, Sickened
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 35/38, Spells: 3/6 1st lvl, 0/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, Sickened, Torch
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 27/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl, Torch, Torch in sconce, Sickened

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)

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 hears the voice in the kitchen, but rushes through the charnel room to rejoin his comrades.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser, quiet as his namesake in his elven boots, keeps to the shadows to listen to what manner of creature has appeared in the kitchens.

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome moves up a few steps, then hears the male voice, and stops. He waits.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo stops short at the sound of the voice.

He slinks back towards the wall where he found the secret door to the cellar and looks that area over even closer.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur stays by Jerome. He examines the stonework for signs if danger, recent construction, and the like

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

We need to find Faron! He is alone with who knows what! The cleric begins attempting to figure out where the trapdoor may have led, hoping that Faron will be ok until the party is able to find him.