Chapter 17: The Island of Death

[Inferno]

The Island of Death, The Underground City, Beneath the Great Pyramid of Xuthalhotep
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Ten. Afternoon?, 23rd day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia





His three-foot blade a blur of silver, Garrin smites the heinous mockery of Men! The last vine horror falls hard with splintered limbs and broken spine. A mist of insidious seeds engulfs the paladin, but he emerges unharmed.

The battle is ended. Kiri's fiery brand sets alight the ruined husks of men and the evil vines that overthrew them lest they sprout new life and deadly. Black clouds billow up.

Xorzen springs down from the strangely angled obelisk and searches the ground at its base. He finds a rock as large as his hand slightly askew, exposing a crescent of fresh earth.

Tjoruy follows the disembodied voice of invisible Mako to the towering stair that leads up to black abysses beyond.





Actions?!



Map:

One square = 10 feet.


Behind the DM Screen:

Initiative: Party: [1d6] = 5, Monsters: [1d6-2] = 2-2 = 0 Party wins.

PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 9/14, Spells: 7/7 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl, Lantern
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 31/45
Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 18/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/19, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, Torch
Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/25
Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 12/12, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Tjoruy: Verulian Osoran Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 26/31, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl, 2/4 2nd lvl
Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 16/16
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 17/29

PC Magic:

Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
Healing Mists of Osorus (Garrin, Kiri, Loche, Mako and Xorzen have breathed of the mists): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."
Invisibility (Mako): Target: self.
Slow Poison (Amethu): Target: none yet. Duration: 174 rounds.

Player Resources:

The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"Gallantry fills graveyards," he reminds the paladin.

The Cimmerian nods to Garrin and binds his wounds first in recognition of his selfless bravery. He then turns his not inconsiderable healing skill to himself and the others.

[Scott308]

Loche

Seeing Xorzen digging around at the base of the obelisk, the Pict wanders over to investigate. Whit urr ye daein'? Did ye fin' something o' interest?

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri will join the voice of Mako at the stairs in an effort to escape the smoke.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu with a respite from combat will study the stone work and architecture for any runes of interest.

[Urson]

Zahra
Zahra joins Armenthu on the stairs. She focuses her attention on the darkness beyond the doorway, listening for any telltale sounds.

[SocraticLawyer]

With a nod of thanks to Cruloc, Garrin heads over to the stairs.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen checks around the loose rock for anything that might represent a trap before investigating it further.

He looks up at Loche when he arrives, allowing him to do the same.

If no obvious threats are present, he removes the rock and takes a closer look at the dirt below.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

"Let us move along before more of those things arrive."

[AleBelly]

Tjoruy looks around for a loose stone or rock and throws it up the stairs and into the dark doorway...

[Inferno]

The Island of Death, The Underground City, Beneath the Great Pyramid of Xuthalhotep
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Ten. Afternoon?, 23rd day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia






The immediate threat is ended. But the aura of unnatural horror hangs over the explorers of the Island of Death.

Loche joins Xorzen as the masked monk lifts the misplaced rock, revealing a rough, four inch diameter hole that quickly curves out of sight.

Cruloc binds Garrin's wounds (+1hp) and then the paladin joins the others.

Following Mako's spectral, beckoning voice, the pilgrims to Pandemonium gather at the great stairway. Zahra listens toward the maw of absolute darkness. The eerie silence of the ages is deafening. Tjoruy slings a rock into the ebon portal. It is swallowed up by the pitch and its skittering echoes after it.

Behind them, Amethu studies the blasphemous, otherworldly architecture that surrounds them.



The disconcerting blocks and obelisks are disorienting to behold and their runes are not the hieroglyphs of lost Verulia. Something far older from across chasms of time unimaginable, the strange pictoglyphs suggest ancient and sinister secrets no man should see, unnameable sacrifices to indescribable gods. A malignancy of primordial necromancy seemingly resonates from the very stones themselves.


Actions?!



Map:

One square = 10 feet.


Behind the DM Screen:

This post covers one round of activity. First aid takes one round to administer.

PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 9/14, Spells: 7/7 1st lvl, 1/3 2nd lvl, Lantern
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 3: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 31/45
Garrin: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 3(1), HP: 19/26, Laying Hands: 1/1
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 3/2: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 19/19, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, Torch
Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 24/25
Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 12/12, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl
Tjoruy: Verulian Osoran Cleric 4: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 26/31, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl, 2/4 2nd lvl
Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 6(4), HP: 16/16
Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 17/29

PC Magic:

Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
Healing Mists of Osorus (Garrin, Kiri, Loche, Mako and Xorzen have breathed of the mists): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."
Invisibility (Mako): Target: self.
Slow Poison (Amethu): Target: none yet. Duration: 173 rounds.

Player Resources:

The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[ChubbyPixie]

"Let's see what it says," utters Kiri, not entirely sure he wants to know.

He gazes at the obscene picto-glyphs. Using the power of the Helm of Uthoth he attempts to impose order upon them and bend them into recognizable shapes in order that they reveal their secrets.

[Urson]

Zahra
The vine attack and the general opressive nature of the place have gotten to Zahra- briefly. She stands quietly, watching for danger from the darkness.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako watch Kiri as he tries to decifer the pictographs. He looks at them himself to see if they make any sense to him.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

The barbarian lags behind the group as they ascend the broad stone steps. He is not eager to enter the sinister-looking structure, and he uses the opportunity to bind his grievous wounds.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorxen motions to the others that they have found something of interest, not wanting to shout near the exposed hole in the ground.

He motions to Loche and points to his ear befor taking a quick smell and a long listen into the tiny curving tunnel.

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin lights a torch, ready to head into the cavern. He waits for those who will attempt to read the runes first.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu will shine his lantern into the darkness of the portal...

[AleBelly]

Tjoruy will remain alert on the steps, waiting for Xorxen to finish his examination of the hole he's uncovered.

[Scott308]

Loche

The Pict will stand by quietly, dagger drawn in case something should come out of the hole, while Xorxen investigates.