The Unseen Servant forums

The Tomb of Xuthalhotep, Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Sunset, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia





From the doorway of the ancient crypt, Loche urges the others to join him in fleeing for their lives into the ageless shadows of the Great Pyramid's labyrinthine tombs.

Mako stands his ground. Freed at last from the prison of his own fear, the Eastern conjurer begins weaving a sorcerous incantation.

Amethu holds his position as well. The sorcerer-priest of Uthoth tries to douse the unliving pharaoh of Death with oil, spraying a flask-full over the heads of his companions. But none of the combatants become coated in the flammable liquid.

Once more, the weapons of Kiri and Garrin cannot land upon the ancient majesty of Xuthalhotep! Accursed Xorzen reconsiders his chances and withdraws as Zahra enters the fray, covering the doomed monk's retreat!

The ferocious amazon charges in, stabbing the black javelin with all her strength as she snarls triumphantly. "Die, false King!" Her mighty thrust would have impaled a man. It has almost no effect upon the god-king from beyond time itself! He suffers only a minor graze, but the blow dislodges his golden death mask, revealing a horror unimagined beneath!



Savaged by the immense gulfs of unending millennia, the deathless king had become like unto the image of Death itself. A pale, fleshless skull leers at them from beneath the ancient crown of Verulia!

And then all hell breaks loose.

Just to the southeast of the deadly encounter, the floor suddenly, silently explodes upward in a violent upheaval of ancient stone blocks!

Before the dust can settle, from out of the jagged maw in the floor bursts Zargoth the Destroyer, demon god of the Great Pyramid!



The atrocious elder thing is even more terrifying in life than in their nightmares.

His gigantic, thickly muscled frame fills the eastern alcove. In the place of limbs writhe countless tentacles, each ending in a wicked hook. His teeth are like knives. His horn, a long spear. And his single malevolent eye sees all, piercing shadow, flesh, dreams, and the minds of Men.

With merry hatred, the horrifying demon turns its terrible gaze upon dread Xuthalhotep! A direct challenge between the two would-be masters of the ruined city of the trackless wastes!

Xuthalhotep strikes at Zahra in order to clear a path to Zargoth! The amazon narrowly avoids his bone-splintering blow!

The mighty challenge is accepted, the epic battle joined, between god-king of Death and demon-god of Chaos! The prize: the ruins of ancient Verulia itself!


Actions?!



Map Detail:



Map:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Non-required Reading (rolls and rulings):


PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 6/11, Spells: 3/7 1st lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 12/26, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 10/14, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 8/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 8/10, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl,
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 7, HP: 4/16, Candle, Cursed.
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 11/21

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 (All except Amethu and Zahra): 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."

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)

Zahra

The amazon ducks and dodges, trying to stay clear of these two as they fight. She's intending to get to the door, helping any of her companions also escape.

Xorxen leaves the room, if he still can.

The monk silently looks upon his rotting flesh, knowing full well that his time in here will be short if a way to reverse this curse isn't found quickly.

Kiri feels no shame at all as he takes the distraction as his chance to turn tail and flee for the door. He gives a silent thumbs up to Loche for sound advice as he runs.

Mako:

Mako holds fast. He eyes transfixed on the gargantuan figure of Zargoth the Destroyer.

Loche

Just when he thought things couldn't get any crazier, fate proves him wrong one more time. Huh. Ah didnae see that comin'. Definitely time tae mak' lik' a tree 'n' git th' fook oot o' 'ere!

Amethu clutches his holy symbol in prayers to the ancient gods. He leaves the room in fear as fast as he can as the two unholy beasts battle it out...

When he is sure that everyone else has withdrawn from combat, Garrin backs away from the dead pharaoh at quickly and as carefully as he can. He keeps his sword and shield ready.

Something about the sudden appearance of Zargoth brothers the paladin, but he can't focus on that now. He hopes they are not being herded into a trap.

The Tomb of Xuthalhotep, Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Sunset, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia





Zargoth has come.

An epic battle is joined, between the god-king of Death and the demon-god of Chaos! The prize: the ruins of ancient Verulia itself!

In terror, the explorers run for their lives, plunging headlong into the shadowed maze of timeless catacombs!

Mako is seemingly paralyzed by fear, still staring at Zargoth! Zahra the amazon helpfully aids the Eastern conjurer to escape and his concentration is broken! Suddenly, horrific Zargoth evaporates into thin air as if he was never there! Then it hits them: the silent likeness of the fell demon-god was merely an illusion, cunningly wrought by Mako from the terrifying memories of darkest nightmare!

Xuthalhotep suddenly stands alone in his violated tomb, realizing the treacherous deception. Then the soulless mummy pursues the explorers... beyond the threshold of his crypt!

The adventurers race back toward the false tomb, the undying pharaoh stalking them through the ancient darkness of the labyrinthine Great Pyramid! Their only light is a flickering candle that Xorzen tries to shield as he retreats. (halves speed to keep candle lit!)

But ahead of them lies the thin crack in the wall, the hill of broken stones, and the low crawlspace. With a dreadful certainty, they know it is there that Xuthalhotep shall overtake them.




Actions?!



Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet. Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Map:






PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 6/11, Spells: 3/7 1st lvl
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 12/26, Laying Hands: 0/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 2/2: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 10/14, Spells: 1/3 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 4: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 8/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 8/10, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl, 0/1 2nd lvl,
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 3: Move: 17", AC: 7, HP: 4/16, Candle, Cursed.
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 3: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 11/21

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 (All except Amethu and Zahra): 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."

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)

Mako:

Drained of all his arcane energy, he runs for his life.

Zahra

As they approach the bottleneck, Zahra falls back to the rear of the group. She plans to make a stand at the doorway of the false tomb,The one that leads to the room with 'the crack' to delay the undead Pharoh and allow the others a better chance to escape.

Run! All of you, Run!

Loche

The Pict continues to flee, trying to stay right behind Xorzen and the candle.

Garrin does his best to help the others through the secret door, but he remains just across its threshold. If the undead pharaoh continues to follow the group, Garrin will be its rear guard. If they must continue to contend with it, he would much rather do so in this larger room, rather than the cramped space of the pharaoh's tomb.

Wasn't Garrin also carrying a torch at some point?

Edit: attack roll, as requested. Hope the new room improves Garrin's attacks....

To Hit with +1 Long Sword: [1d20+1] = 6+1 = 7; Damage: sm - [1d8+1] = 8+1 = 9; lg - [1d12+1] = 7+1 = 8
Nope.

Amethu runs in fear with the rest - trying to get through the crack.

Xorxen remembers the trouble he had crawling into this place. He knows they wont all escape the beasts clutches if they flee.

Already cursed to die in here, he knows what he must do next.

As soon as he gets through the door, (leading into 33) he sets down his flame and moves to the south. He hides (in shadows) there, instead of following the others out. He remains silent and readies his javelin for another attack in his weakened condition.

It is better to die on your feet, with weapon in hand, than to be struck down from behind while trying to run away. He thinks to himself.

If the monster makes it to the threshold of the next room, he attacks it again, alone if he has to. He knows that fire is the only thing that will likely slow this monster down, but with no oil or other flammables at his disposal, there is little else he can do.

Javalin Attack [1d20+1] = 3+1 = 4 Damage [1d6+2] = 6+2 = 8 +4 wont even help that roll.

Kiri will stop at the threshold as well, alongside Zahara and Garrin. He looks into the narrow passage, then turns to the others. “We’ll have a better chance in here. Let the others escape if they can,” he says. He then drops his trident and shield and pulls his last remaining scroll from his pack. In the dim light he reads the incantation, causing a spinning disk of force to appear, hovering in front of his chest. He then draws his odd, eastern two-handed sword. ”It’s been good fighting with you,” he says.

If he gets a chance this round: Attack with Two-Handed Sword (THAC0:19): To Hit: [1d20+3] = 4+3 = 7 Damage vs. s/m: [1d10+6] = 1+6 = 7, vs. Lg: [3d6+6] = 12+6 = 18

The Tomb of Xuthalhotep, Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Sunset, 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia





All hope is lost. The explorers of the Great Pyramid are scattered. Xorzen is doomed by the dread Curse of the Pharaohs. And none can land a blow upon eternal Xuthalhotep who stalks them now in the shadows of the endless labyrinth.

Amethu, Loche and Mako rush headlong into the pitch darkness beyond the feeble illumination of Xorzen's sickly candle. They feel their way blindly through the crack in the ageless stones, praying they can still escape with their lives!

The rest of the explorers make a desperate last stand, grimly sacrificing themselves that the others might have a chance to survive!

The unholy Pharaoh comes out of the darkness to claim their souls.

Suddenly, everyone can hear Amethu cry, "Enough!" and reality itself dissolves away!


To be continued in... Chapter 12: Time Out of Mind