Chapter 32: From Beyond

[ravenn4544]

Mouser nods and Long Bo's spell use, "Nice job! Let's head up the stairs and make sure the evil hear is dead for good?"

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Clapping Bo on the shoulder, the cleric congratulates him on his ingenuity. Your spells may be depleted, but that was a great idea to trap them in there. Now, I think we should check the one room on this level we haven't really seen yet before heading upstairs.

She then casts Cure Light Wounds on Faron.

Cure Light Wounds [1d8]=3

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur agrees with Ingrid's suggestion.

[Urson]

Jerome
Yes, well done!

[jemmus]

Friend Telkis, Faron says, The room was full of rats the size of dogs. A scampering horde of them. That's what I saw by just the glow of my sword. But I'll admit, I didn't stick around in the place very long at all.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo breaths in deeply once his spell is completed.

Unsure how to react to the sudden high praise from his friends, he simply nods his head and smiles.

"Too bad we couldn't get the damned spiders inside there too."

When Telkis pronounces his desire to seek out a room beyond the area the zombies were in initially, the druid agrees, allowing the others to lead the way.

He keeps his eyes on the lookout for the brood of baby spiders they had to deal with earlier.

[jemmus]

Faron follows along.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Uh, Faron? When you came back down, did the trap door close behind you by any chance, or is it still open, showing the undead we trapped a possible way out? They'd have to climb up each other to get out, but they may be able to do it. Either way, I'd like to spike the door shut just to be safe.

[Inferno]

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







Mouser begins to ascend the grand curving staircase. But the other doomed heroes would prefer to stay on the ground floor, and cautiously move through the immense fireplace (A). Mouser sheepishly follows.

Together they reenter the kitchen of horrors (3).




Its fine floors are still covered in overturned cauldrons, blood, and the skulls of children.




Ingrid heals Faron with holy blessings (+3hp).

Long Bo peers into the crimson dining room (2) and finds the carcass of the great spider demon, Ariadnax...




...almost completely devoured by her ghastly writhing young.




Meanwhile, Telkis ventures west toward a darkened chamber that still reeks of the stench of death (4). His gnomish eyes discern no warmth within its forbidding shadows.


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: 8/22
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: 0/5 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, 0/2 3rd lvl, 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, 1/2 2nd lvl, 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
Jerome follows Telkis, to his left and one pace behind.

[jemmus]

Faron follows Jerome and Telkis, glowing longsword unsheathed and held aloft, as always.

[OGRE MAGE]

Long Bo makes sure everyone is ready to head into the next room while he lights another torch. He throws 2 flasks of oil at the wall above the spiders, trying for maximum splash effect, before tossing his torch onto the horrid pile from a distance.

Then he hurriedly follows the others into the former zombie room and beyond.

Dex Check (15) [1d20]=8 Will this roll suffice?

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur lights a torch and follows Jerome and Telkis. He watches Bo burn the spiders from a respectful distance.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser keeps watch towards the main room.

[Inferno]

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







In the blood soaked kitchen of horrors (3), the explorers quietly edge west into a chamber that reeks of death (4). Bloody footprints trail behind them.

Away from the execrable Almost Men and the heinous corpse mound in the cellar, the sickening nausea of Bo, Jerome, Mouser and Urdur subsides... for now.

Urdur gets a torch alight and they see that the rank, charnel room (4) had once been a pantry. But now all its cupboards are bare. Whoever or whatever lives in this mansion now has no need of food... as Men define it anyway.

Set into the northern wall (at B) Faron and Urdur recognize a dumbwaiter, a moveable platform for carrying food and dishes between floors. A corridor ventures west.

Suddenly, from behind them, the crash of glass breaks the tense stillness. Long Bo had hurled two flasks of oil into the crimson dining room and throws a torch in afterwards! The carcass of Ariadnix and the brood swarm that feasts upon her are engulfed in flames!

Surviving spiderlings frantically scuttle away from the bright flames, with some swarming directly toward Bo!




Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. Red area is the spiderling swarm.





PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 8/22
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
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 14/25, Spells: 0/5 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
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 35/38, Spells: 3/6 1st lvl, 0/4 2nd lvl, 0/2 3rd lvl
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, 1/2 2nd lvl, Torch

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)

[OGRE MAGE]

Long Bo

When he sees the spiders coming for him, Bo unstoppers a third flask of oil and begins splashing it out on the floor as he runs back towards the others again.

"I think I've upset the brood by trying to burn them away. I should have known that wouldn't work."

He tries to stay in front of the swarm, looking to Urdur and his burning torch once he rejoins the group.

1 torch and 3 oil removed from sheet.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis edges toward the western hallway to peer down it, so focused he barely registers the commotion with Long Bo and the spiders.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser will slide back and out of sight of the horde!

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome says nothing, just moves to the undead pantry.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur is intrigued by the dumbwaiter, but hurries over towards Bo when he sees the spiderlings. He uses his torch to keep them at bay if he can.