Chapter 34: Nightmare World

[Inferno]

Blackchapel Manor, the Dreamlands
Day Nine. After Midnight. Sunday, January 1st, 577 CY







The undulating, amorphous atrocities of young Lord and Lady Blackchapel writhe in a hideous miasma of changing flesh! Their very existence threatens to break the doomed heroes' sanity!

Jerome, Mouser and Telkis feel their beleaguered minds overwhelmed by a nameless madness! Lord and Lady Blackchapel evoke within them long-buried fears from their darkest nightmares.



The Horror at Briarsgate! Had those terrifying events actually been an incursion from the Dreamlands?! The trio attempt to flee from dread remembrance and ominous realization, but there is no escape from their own minds.

As Jerome turns to take flight, Lady Blackchapel mercilessly savages him with a sacrificial dagger. Her shocking, monstrous strength strikes down the paladin!



Telkis flees eastward through a vaguely remembered door and into a familiar, candlelit hallway.

In the surreal grip of deja vu, he finds the accursed looking glass, still potent with hidden power!



It casts no reflection of him!

Meanwhile, Mouser bolts westward into an unlit corridor! There, in the darkness, he senses that he is not alone!

Mouser and Telkis, each removed from the sight of the writhing, living contagions of madness, recover their sanity, barely. (You both may act freely)

Meanwhile, at Urdur's command, the evil Ingrid silences the evil Urdur with an unholy prayer, and the dark gnome's litany of madness ends.

Then the evil reflections of Bo, Faron, Mouser and Telkis descend upon Urdur, weapons bared!



The mirror Telkis says to Urdur, "Það eru margar undur Í höfuðkúpu eg mun finna pig Í fjöru rúsínan Í pylsuendanum."

"You're dead."

The true Bo and Faron quietly creep up behind him, Faron poised to backstab!

Meanwhile, within the sacrificial chamber, Ingrid dares circle the profane altar and move toward the unspeakable horror of Lady Blackchapel to heal Jerome. But she finds her friend, the noble paladin, has gone to his final reward in a chilling synchronicity with his dark likeness. Had they become the reflections now?... their fates linked to their mirror images?!

The loathsome abhorrence of Lady Blackchapel says in a voice calm, melodic and lovely: "He should not have opposed us. We've waited too long."

The slithering madness of Lord Blackchapel joins them again and states in a cultured voice of refinement and beauty, "Here in the Dreamlands, beyond the waking life of Men, humanity spends the other half of its existence scarcely remembered. Tonight, the wheel turns. Our time has come. Give in to your other self. Lie back down upon the altar, dear Ingrid. It will all be over soon... and forever."


Actions?!


Second Story Map Detail:


Behind the DM Screen:

No initiative roll is necessary. The doomed heroes and their dark reflections move simultaneously. Initiative is tied.
Jerome: Save vs spells: [1d20]=5 Fails.
Lady Blackchapel dagger: [1d20+3]=6+3=9, damage: [1d4+6]=1+6=7 Hits Jerome's back for 7hp damage. NPCs are dead at zero hit points. RIP Jerome.

PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 2/22
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 4/5: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 16/21, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 10/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Long Bo, Human Druid 6: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 41/41, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, 1/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, 0/1 4th lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 33/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/15, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl, 0/1 3rd lvl

PC Magic:

Faerie Fire (Long Bo): Targets: The Bo, Jerome, Telkis and Urdur from the accursed looking glass. Duration: 14 rounds
Hold Portal (Mouser): Duration: 1 round
Hypnotism (Urdur): Targets: Evil Ingrid, Evil Jerome. 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)

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur looks over at Evil Ingrid. Hold that foul interloper!, he says, pointing at Welkis.

Assuming Urdur can both talk and attack this round, Urdur launches a flask of oil at Evil Bo.

Giving Urdur +4 for the Faerie Fire and Dex bonuses, hope that's correct:
Throw flask of oil at Evil Bo [1d20+4]=15+4=19

[ravenn4544]

Mouser stops himself from going any farther as the fear wears off and shakes his head to clear it out. He quickly recovers and casts a shocking grasp on his sword and moves back quietly to the doorway to find the right time to strike from the shadows!

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof - Human Cleric

Standing in front of Lord and Lady Blackchapel, Ingrid is naked but unafraid, for she knows that she still possesses her most powerful weapon- her faith! Raising the palm of her hand, emblazoned with the triskelion of Holy Tritherion in blessed ink, she calls upon the power of her God to aid in this dire moment! Holy Tritherion will not abide foul beings such as you! I command you, in His name, to leave this place! Go back from whence you came and never darken the world of the living, awake or dreaming, ever again!

[jemmus]

Faron stands behind the shadow fiend, glowing rapier gripped reversed, blade down, for a downward stab with all of his might.

THAC0 19 +1 Longsword [1d20+1]=19+1=20 S/M [1d8+1]=8+1=9 L [1d12+1]=2+1=3

[OGRE MAGE]

Long Bo can't hide the evil grin on his face once he sees the oil flask fly from Urdur, hitting his own long, dark reflection.

In a matter of seconds, the lanky Druid summons a handful of fire with his magic, hurling it in the direction of the oil covered enemy.

If Produce Flame requires a to hit roll: Random D20 [1d20]=11 (hopefully that lands within 3')

"Ashes to ashes, you pretentious bastard!"

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis flinches when he realizes where he is... then relaxes when he discovers the mirror seems already emptied of its evil contents.

He wishes he understood magic. He always seemed to guess wrongly. Downstairs, his bright idea for dealing with the mirror fiends proved futile. Humiliating. But here he was, in front of the accursed mirror with no one to oppose him. He supposed he had to at least try.

Truth be told, he was looking for any reason not to reenter the room with those things.

Hoping against hope, he raises his beloved morningstar, Cranach, and swings at the accursed glass...

Morningstar +2 (THAC0 17): To Hit:[1d20+2]=14+2=16, Damage: vs s/m [2d4+2]=4+2=6, vs L [1d6+3]=4+3=7

[Inferno]

Blackchapel Manor, the Dreamlands
Day Nine. After Midnight. Sunday, January 1st, 577 CY







With surreal and chilling symmetry, Jerome and his other self each lie slaughtered in a bloody ruin.

The true Jerome fell at the monstrous hands of the loathsome abhorrence of Lady Blackchapel. Her calm, melodic and lovely voice coos to Ingrid: "He should not have opposed us. We've waited too long."

The slithering madness of Lord Blackchapel joins them and states in a cultured voice of refinement and beauty, "Here in the Dreamlands, beyond the waking life of Men, humanity spends the other half of its existence scarcely remembered. Tonight, the wheel turns. Our time has come. Give in to your other self. Lie back down upon the altar, dear Ingrid. It will all be over soon... and forever."

Their infected flesh crawls and shifts with the taint of madness and death.



To the west, in a darkened corridor and not alone, the Mouser weaves an enchantment that electrifies himself! His sword serves as an effective conductor and lightning courses along its shimmering blade! Mouser steels himself and moves back toward the nightmarish fray!

There, he sees the true Urdur smash a flask of oil upon the sinister Long Bo, soaking him in the flammable liquid! Then the true Bo summons fire in his bare hand and hurls it at his evil reflection in a bright flash that consumes the wicked druid in a conflagration of merciless flames!



In the identical voice of their dear friend, the screams of the evil Long Bo are harrowing and blood curdling.

At Urdur's command, evil Ingrid the Damned intones satanic orisons to dark elder gods!




She imprisons the evil Telkis in the invisible, otherworldly tentacles of her dread summoning!





Then suddenly, a blade explodes from the chest of the evil Grey Mouser!




Dead before he knows it, the sinister simulacra of Mouser crashes to the floor, revealing Faron standing behind him, holding the bloody sword that killed him! The true Mouser cannot help but wonder what this bodes for him!!

Elsewhere, the true Telkis stands before the accursed mirror.




Hoping against hope, he raises his beloved morningstar, Cranach, and swings at the dark glass!




SKRAASH!! It shatters with a roar and a strange sense of vertigo with infinite reflections turning upon themselves! And then it subsides and Telkis stands unharmed before the smoking ruin of the broken mirror.

Suddenly, before all the doomed heroes' disbelieving eyes, their evil reflections impossibly shatter like glass and are no more!

Meanwhile, in the sacrificial chamber of unholy blasphemies...



... Ingrid stands alone, naked and unafraid. Against every fiber of her being, she does not flee. Ingrid holds forth her open hand, the holy symbol of her god emblazoned upon it in blessed ink!



"Holy Tritherion will not abide foul beings such as you! I command you, in His name, to leave this place! Go back from whence you came and never darken the world of the living, awake or dreaming, ever again!"

But the unspeakable abominations resist her exorcism and are not banished! "Your gods have no power here," chides the writhing horror of Lord Blackchapel in a measured voice of culture and refinement.

The crawling insanity of Lady Blackchapel ravages Ingrid's naked flesh with her sacrificial dagger (10hp damage) and, with a cry all her friends can hear, valiant Ingrid falls to the floor beside the warm corpse of her friend Jerome.

The heinous ritual to end the world of Men is now nearly complete.


Actions?!


Second Story Map Detail:


Behind the DM Screen:

No initiative roll is necessary. The doomed heroes and their dark reflections move simultaneously. Initiative is tied.
Flaming oil damage to Evil Bo: [2d6]=7
Evil Telkis save vs spells: [1d20]=9 Fails.
Ingrid attempts to turn Lord and Lady Blackchapel: [1d20]=3 Fails.
Lady Blackchapel dagger: [1d20+3]=15+3=18, damage: [1d4+6]=4+6=10

PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 2/22
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 4/5: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 16/21, Spells: 0/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 0/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Long Bo, Human Druid 6: Move: 9", AC: 3(2), HP: 41/41, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, 0/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, 0/1 4th lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 33/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/15, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl, 0/1 3rd lvl

PC Magic:

Faerie Fire (Long Bo): Targets: The Bo, Jerome, Telkis and Urdur from the accursed looking glass. Duration: 13 rounds
Hypnotism (Urdur): Targets: Evil Ingrid, Evil Jerome. Duration: 3 rounds
Shocking Grasp (Mouser): Duration: one touch

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)

[ChubbyPixie]

Hearing the sound of shattering in the next room, Telkis guesses what has happened and is shocked at his apparent success. He sprints back into the next room. If possible, he’ll launch a throwing axe at the count:
Hand axe, thrown (THAC0 14): To Hit:[1d20]=9, Damage: vs s/m [1d6]=6, vs L [1d4]=1
If not, he’ll run with a goal of getting within charging distance of the count and countess for the next round.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser moves east in the shadows….

[jemmus]

Faron sees Mouser's stealthy move. He's no real fighter, but he can provide a distraction and keep the things busy. And more importantly, perhaps prevent the lady-thing from dealing Ingrid a finishing blow. He rushes toward it, glowing rapier before him.

If he has an attack at the end of the move. THAC0 19 +1 Longsword [1d20+1]=11+1=12 S/M [1d8+1]=3+1=4 L [1d12+1]=3+1=4

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur runs into the room, posting up in front of the south wall. He pulls out another vial of holy water, throwing it at Lady Blackchapel She's in front, right?

Throw holy water at Blackchapel [1d20+2]=14+2=16

[Inferno]

Blackchapel Manor, the Dreamlands
Day Nine. After Midnight. Sunday, January 1st, 577 CY







Hearing Ingrid's cry, the doomed heroes burst into the unholy chamber of occult atrocities!

There, they find virtuous Jerome is dead.

The heinous crawling things that were once Lord and Lady Blackchapel place the broken, lifeless form of Ingrid back upon the altar. Standing over her, they raise their beautiful voices in song, like a choir of angels.



"Y'ai'ng'ngah, Yog-Sothoth Uaaah Y'kaa haa bho--ii, Rhan-Tegoth--Cthulhu fhtagn--Ai! Ai! Ai!"

Unprepared for what they see, Faron and Long Bo feel their sanity slipping away! (Faron and Long Bo, please Save vs Spells to act freely. Wisdom modifiers count)

The bloodcurdling Blackchapels lift sacrificial daggers above the final victim in their arcane ritual to overthrow reality, and prepare to mutilate Ingrid in accordance to their blasphemous liturgy! The doomed heroes have witnessed firsthand what unspeakable rites are about to be perpetrated:



The ghastly couple cry in exaltation,"At last, the Great Old Ones awaken from their sleep... inside all of us!"


Actions?!


Second Story Map Detail:





PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 2/22
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 4/5: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 16/21, Spells: 0/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 0/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Long Bo, Human Druid 6: Move: 9", AC: 3(2), HP: 41/41, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, 0/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, 0/1 4th lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 33/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/15, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl, 0/1 3rd lvl

PC Magic:

Faerie Fire (Long Bo): Targets: The Bo, Jerome, Telkis and Urdur from the accursed looking glass. Duration: 12 rounds
Hypnotism (Urdur): Targets: Evil Ingrid, Evil Jerome. Duration: 2 rounds
Shocking Grasp (Mouser): Duration: one touch

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
Save vs. spell 13 [1d20]=7

[ravenn4544]

Mouser takes advantage of the horrific distraction to slink behind the curtain to get a better shot...

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur throws a vial of holy water at Lord Blackchapel.

Throw holy water at Lord Blackchapel [1d20+2]=8+2=10

Shit.

[Scott308]

Mary Jane Kelly Ingrid Esthof - Ripper Victim #5

The unconscious cleric lies silently, unmoving on the altar.

[OGRE MAGE]

Long Bo seems to be lost in his own questionable sanity, no longer able to cope with this altered reality.

Save vs. Spells (14) [1d20]=7

[Inferno]

Blackchapel Manor, the Dreamlands
Day Nine. After Midnight. Sunday, January 1st, 577 CY







The unspeakable abhorrence that was once Lord and Lady Blackchapel lift their voices in ecstasy! "At last, the Great Old Ones awaken from their sleep... inside all of us!"

They prepare to mutilate Ingrid with sacrificial daggers in strict accordance to their unholy ritual to end the world. The ritual vivisection of flesh requires time and concentration. The heinous Blackchapels must eliminate all distractions. Namely, the doomed heroes.

Faron and Long Bo are stricken by a formless madness, induced by the sight of the Blackchapels, and flee that their sanity might survive! They retreat to the balcony railing and recover (Both may now act freely). Suddenly, they hear something below them. The opening of the secret door beneath the staircase, that leads to the hellish cellar that they remember with a shudder!




From the door creeps an Almost Man (A1) investigating the sounds of pandemonium.





And he is not alone (?1).




High above, Faron and Long Bo are not discovered by the blood-curdling things... yet.

Meanwhile, behind them in the occult chamber, Urdur hurls a vial of holy water at Ingrid's would-be butchers and it crashes against the curtained wall!

Mouser quietly disappears behind the scarlet drape and slinks along the wall, behind the writhing madness of the Blackchapels. His blade bare and eager, the thief knows he would be stabbing blind.

Telkis lunges headlong and fearless at the indescribable monstrosities! His faithful morningstar hammers Lord Blackchapel with a blow that would break a man's spine but Blackchapel seems unaffected!

As Lady Blackchapel shields Ingrid from harm, her loathsome husband remains serene, noble and motionless as the writhing tentacles that sprout from his infected body seemingly act of their own volition to strangle Telkis to death! (6hp damage!)!




Actions?!


Second Story Map Detail:

Lit areas are visible. All else is from memory.

Behind the DM Screen:

Initiative: Party: [1d6]=3, Monsters: [1d6]=3 Tied!
Almost Man surprised? (1-2): [1d6]=3 Yes.
Telkis charges Lord Blackchapel: To Hit:[1d20+2]=11+2=13, Damage: [2d4+2]=5+2=7 Charge adds another +2 to hit, and Telkis hits!
Lord Blackchapel attacks Telkis: [1d20]=6, [1d20]=12, damage: [1d10]=5, [1d10]=6 One tentacle hits for 6hp damage.

PC Status:

Faron, Human Thief 5: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 2/22
Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 4/5: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 16/21, Spells: 0/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 0/25, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Long Bo, Human Druid 6: Move: 9", AC: 3(2), HP: 41/41, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, 0/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, 0/1 4th lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 27/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 5: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 15/15, Spells: 2/4 1st lvl, 1/2 2nd lvl, 0/1 3rd lvl

PC Magic:

Shocking Grasp (Mouser): Duration: one touch

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)

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur lobs another missile at Lord Lady Blackchapel, hoping to soak the monstrosity in flammable oil.

Throw flask of oil at Lord Lady Blackchapel [1d20+2]=20+2=22

With any extra time this round, Urdur gets makes plans to get a torch and flint ready.