Barrowmaze IV: Delving for Power and Glory

[sastaz]

Gerdal

"So someone sweeped the sarcophagus area totally clean, only to set up an exploding inferno that would ruin it all? I cannot think of any other reason that some entity viewing this place as some form of sacred place. To be kept clean and gurarded from intruders. The explosion looked like a gateway to some hellish dimension, so maybe that's what we're up against? Not too fond of that. Anyway, whoever did that either went through the swollen door (A) - you did see that it's open now? That, or they went behind the porticulis. Gnimish, you said you heard shuffling feet behind the curtains? Or maybe they're cultists, coming from the broad corridor over there. IV.

What do you all think? Isvand and Amos, care to have a look through the swollen door? (A)"

[Spearmint]

Isvand is currently outside door O, card playing room.

[Spearmint]

Exploring the Corridors

okay, I will move this on as the initial direction is to go into the card room and potentially do more 'deals with the devil'.

Isvand pockets a playing card and opens the door to the room. Behind him, Orgoth wields his spear, wary of skeletal threats. Maybe disappointingly for the warrior, the room is empty. Inside the coffin remains on a trestle, cleared of any cards and leftover glasses. The wooden chairs pushed aside. The room feels undisturbed from your last visit.

Amos opens door Q and is immediately assailed by the stinking corpse, still hanging in the room centre. (I will check the archives but I don't remember you cutting the figure down).

Treyvor studies the scarab stinging lock of the next room 'N'. He can attempt to unlock it if you wish. Drew confirms the spider webs at the top of the hallway are still cut back and a passage exists along that corridor towards the metal door room. At least you know that no spiders have repaired the webbing.

Gnimish reports to Gerdal that the portcullis up that passage could be lifted up if enough of you lift together.

Smokie howls a growling bark. It is directed at the sodden door and he nudges it with his muzzle. Truro follows up the corridor and gasps as he sees several yellowish skeletons who clamber over a table in the centre of the room. They strain to reach a demonically faced figure who is horizontal against the arched ceiling.
(picture the scene from Exorcist where the possessed girl is scuttling along the ceiling)

The unarmed skeletons reach to touch the figure, as if the focus of their necrotic worship. Two more lie prostrate on the floor, splayed out in awe while another wanders reaching out to touch his comrade-in-bones.

The dark clothed demon glances at the priest, a face of fiery burnished rage. It shakes the evangelist's faith and he loses morale, running for an exit. The group hear his alarm.

actions please

Truro gets Turned [1d20]=10

[sastaz]

Gerdal

"...you're right, we probably could lift it. But we need to prepare first. Perhaps the flaming knight has something to do with the fire explosion in the sarcophagus room? I know it's far fetched but.... hey what was that?""

"Orgoth! Isvand! Help over here!"

She waves Drew in and as soon as any of the fighter types join her, she sets off to peek around the corner of the w-e corridor we're in to look through door (A).

[redwarrior]

Isvand looks up at the call of his name, sliding the card into one of his many pockets, hefts his mace and comes run over, asking What is it? At Gerdal's urging, Isvand will look into room A,

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth comes running, shield and spear at the ready. "What the.."

[Spearmint]

Exploring the Corridors

A shout of fear from the young evangelist and several growls from Smokie alert the group that all may not be so quiet in the labyrinth. As folk sprint to the north-south corridor, they find Truro, lantern in hand running to retreat back up the spiral staircase clutching his holy symbol for comfort. He calls out, "The demon has been loosed, may Ygg save our souls.".

At the top of the corridor, the door A is ajar. Smokie growls across the threshold at the gathering of skeletons and the risen demon faced figure on the ceiling. As Orgoth, Drew, Gerdal and Isvand come around the corner of the junction, the wolf turns tail to lope big strides back down the corridor, on his tail though not literally come a trio of chasing skeletons.

The other hirelings are a round behind you.

actions please.

[redwarrior]

Isvand pointlessly throws his boomerang at one, and then gets ready with his mace, waiting for them to come in range.



Boomerang attack [1d20+2]=5+2=7 Damage [1d4+1]=3+1=4

[Spearmint]

Sastaz you can roll Drew's melee attacks.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth throws a javelin at the lead skeleton.

Javelin [1d20]=4 to hit [1d6+3]=2+3=5 damage

[sastaz]

Sastaz you can roll Drew's melee attacks.

Sure! It seems like this round is ranged phase, so no melee rolls until next round I guess?

[Spearmint]

The skeletons are going to close to this round so you can attack with missile or brace for the inevitable melee and get the first swing in.

[sastaz]

Drew looks to Gerdal for guidance, but when he reaches for his crossbow, Gerdal shakes her head as in "use the hammer instead you fool, the bolt will just pass through". He grabs his sledgehammer and waits for the first skeleton to approach. Visibly shaken, he swings wide:

Drew sledgehammer attack: [1d20]=3

[sastaz]

That's a 5, 4 and 3 for attack....good luck this turn

[sastaz]

Gerdal realizes she purchased two throwing daggers for exactly situations like this, and lets one of them go:

Thrown dagger, to hit: [1d20]=20 dmg: [1d4]=1

Ok thats a nat 20 to hit and a nat 1 for damage

Is "the demon" Truro is yelling about visible for them, or is it only skeletons as far as the eye can see?

[Spearmint]

still get the critical bonus, which is +4 damage. You also get two dagger attacks each round when throwing them, so post another please

You can only see the three odd looking skeletons running at you and Smokie dodging out of the way by the stairs.

[sastaz]

You also get two dagger attacks each round when throwing them, so post another please

Right! Unused to ranged combat... Need to carry more daggers!

Thrown dagger, to hit: [1d20]=7 dmg: [1d4]=2

Not so lucky this time.

[Spearmint]

Exploring the Corridors

Three yellowish skeletons come running full pekt down the corridor, emerging from the room (80) beyond door (A), chasing first the wolf then the characters who emerge from the side passage.

One get stunned by a blade which impales its skull. It jerks a little from the impact but its undead brain is mindless and it relentlessly continues to crash into Drew. These skeletons have strange flaky lumps of calcite all over them, joining rib bones together or plating parts of their boney frames. The Unliving fossils are not armed with any weapons, just clawed hands which they use to gore a strip from Orgoth -5hp

Reinforcements arrive and the hirelings pair up with you so across the corridor you form a flesh wall the skeletons seek to sunder.

next actions please

Isvand, your boomerang ricochets off the walls and returns to land at your feet.

Fossilized skeletons: vs Drew, Orgoth, Isvand [1d20]=5 [1d6]=3 [1d20]=16 [1d6]=5 [1d20]=2 [1d6]=2

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth attacks with spear and shield.

Magic Spear [1d20+2]=19+2=21 to hit [1d6+4]=5+4=9 damage

Shield Bash [1d20+1]=7+1=8 to hit

[sastaz]

Spurred on by Gerdals stirn look and Orgoth's fury, Drew crashes his hammer into the closest skeleton:

Drew sledgehammer attack: [1d20]=18

SM please roll for damage, I don't know the dice for a sledgehammer