Chapter 32: From Beyond

[ChubbyPixie]

"Garl's Pristine Jeweler's Implements, that hurt," says Telkis.

He will rise and stumble to the doorway, ready to duck through if the spider brood ebbs in his direction.

[Inferno]

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







The voracious, spine-tingling swarm of gigantic spiderlings scurries down the crimson walls, leaving in its terrible wake ghastly corpses picked to the bone, still decorating the towering ceilings amid the sprawling webs.

Telkis and Faron pull themselves from the floor and Ingrid heals the injured thief with a holy miracle (+8hp).

Mouser reaches the ground before the swarm and joins Telkis in peering through the western doorway. Beyond lies a vast, fully stocked kitchen (room 3). Great cauldrons simmer in an immense fireplace that is shared with the grand entry chamber (room 1).

With a crash of fine china, Bo leaps atop the beautiful dining table and counsels that they stay put. Ingrid advises that they should flee. "They're not coming for us, right?" asks Urdur's disembodied voice as the crawling doom descends upon the heroes, surrounding them!



The teeming swarm reaches the ground! The newborn spiders near the carcass of their mother, Ariadnax, begin devouring her! Those elsewhere ripple and writhe from the walls toward the center of the room... and the heroes!


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Grey 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
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 18/25, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 4: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/23, Laying Hands: 1/1, Torch
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 35/38, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, Torch
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 18/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl, Invisible, Torch

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Invisibility (Urdur): Target: self.
Faerie Fire (Bo): Target: Ariadnax. Duration: 14 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 feels much better after Ingrid's god's healing. Thank you, sister Ingrid, he says. Then to the rest of the group, I don't think we have any choice but to burn them! Or flee. And either way, right now!

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome heads for the kitchen doors. This way!

[OGRE MAGE]

If he thinks he can do so without incident, Bo leaps from the table into the kitchen, moving as close to the roaring fire as he can to prevent the spiders from crawling upon him.

If the leap seems to dangerous, he stays put at the top of the table, sprinkling his oil around him in a circle. If the spiders attempt to advance upon him, he lights the ring of oil, hoping it will buy him enough time to think of something else to get out of this multi-legged mess.

"Are the fires in that room real, Jerome? Do they give off heat that will keep these damn spiders at bay?"

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur follows Jerome and Long Bo? into the kitchen, and hopefully away from the spider horde. Urdur keeps hold of the torch. If any arachnids get close to him, he attempts to burn them with it.

[jemmus]

Faron runs after Urdur at full speed, glowing longsword held aloft.

[ChubbyPixie]

Telkis gives one glance at the teeming mass, then hi-tails it for the kitchen as well.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser dashes into the kitchen and takes stock of the cauldrons and if they can be tipped over to boil the spiders.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric makes her way to the kitchen with the others.

[Inferno]

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







In a horrific scene that won't soon be forgotten, the piteous hosts of the Brood Swarm screamed their final breath during the ghastly hatching. Devoured alive by the unholy spawn of Ariadnax, their fleshless faces are now locked in a rictus of horror and death, still hung from the dining room ceilings.

The crawling swarm descends next upon the carcass of its mother, and the doomed heroes who flee for their lives!

The guests of The House Beyond The World plunge into a kitchen of unimaginable size and opulence, juxtaposed surreally against the frantic terror of the moment.

Bo and Mouser crowd the immense fireplace, close enough to feel its scorching heat. The little thief believes the two covered, simmering cauldrons could be overturned if enough strong backs were brought to bear! (Two PCs may attempt to overturn one cauldron. If attempting, please roll a STR check on 1d20 to do it and, if successful, a DEX check on 1d20 to avoid being burned.)

At their heels follow the probing, writhing tendrils of the demonic spiderling swarm!


Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Grey 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
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 6", AC: 3(1), HP: 18/25, Spells: 3/5 1st lvl, 4/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 4: Move: 9", AC: 3(1), HP: 20/23, Laying Hands: 1/1, Torch
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 9", AC: 2(1), HP: 35/38, Spells: 4/6 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl, Torch
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 5: Move: 9", AC: 0, HP: 18/37
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 11/11, Spells: 2/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl, Invisible, Torch

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Invisibility (Urdur): Target: self.
Faerie Fire (Bo): Target: Ariadnax. Duration: 13 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 sweeps his lit torch across the floor, hoping to ignite part of the Brood without setting the whole house on fire. Whether this works or not, he'll drop it and head for the cauldrons.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur continues into the kitchen. He lets his stronger friends work the cauldron if they are willing and able. He moves closer to the fireplace. If the spider horde gets too close, Urdur attempts to burn them with his torch.

[ChubbyPixie]

On Mouser's timely observation, Telkis runs to one of the cauldrons and attempts to heave it over in the general direction of the approaching swarm:

STR Check (14): [1d20]=5

He deftly avoids getting burned, actually working a tumbling handspring into his evasion of what he assumes to be boiling ghost soup:

DEX Check (18): [1d20]=1

[Urson]

DUH! Sorry, Inferno!

[1d20]=12

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

Fleeing from the advancing horror, the cleric tries to slow down their pursuit. She casts Create Food and Water, placing a pile of raw meat right in front of the mass of spiders.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser protects his hands from the heat of the cauldron as best he can before heaving one as best he can.

Str (12) [1d20]=3
Dex (17) [1d20]=13

[OGRE MAGE]

Long Bo

The old man in the group decides not to show off his strength, or lack thereof. He lets the stronger members near the cauldron while he moves to the western portion of the room, staying away from the gathering brood while taking a peek through the next doorway.

He uses his torch on any spiders that break away from the others or try to attack.

[jemmus]

Faron is impressed by the idea to use the cauldrons against the arachnids. We watches from the kitchen, seeing if there is anything he can do to aid anyone's efforts.

[Inferno]

DUH! Sorry, Inferno!

No apologies necessary!

Also, Scott: I just realized that spell takes 10 minutes to cast. Ingrid would know this, so I won't have you waste the spell slot. Great idea, though!

Onward...