Barrowmaze: Of Where-Rats and Mongrelmen.

[Craigers07]

Rum

Rum nods at the mongrelmen at the suggestion of liberating themselves from the "evil one".

"I was hoping that's what you would say. I like the idea proposed by Sigrid to regroup and focus on reclaiming the barrowmaze."

[Spearmint]

Mongrelmen at prayer.

"Say, what about the gargoyle statue outside? You folks cut its arm or what?"

No, they say that the cultists did. "The arm of the gargoyle holds a trinket of power. Many do. They took it to use in their spells and come back to glue the arm on again in order to access the mystery."

The Mongrelmen do not know the exact nature of the trinket that the stone gargoyle held. Sigrid & Sundance will have seen that Sven had a stone gargoyle's arm, in whose palm was a box that when opened sprung out a conjured Troll. (The Troll-in-a-box).

Mongrelmen: reactions to encounter: [1d100]=75

The offer to join a larger group of 'friendlies' is considered. The Mongrelmen chatter in goblinoid patois amongst themselves and suggest that "If the Champion lead us, we will follow ", suggesting they take to Rum's dour and gruff charisma more readily than the comeliness of Sigrid & Sundance.

With a nod to Veryn and Callan, the group decide to retrace their steps rather than push their luck exploring further.

Losing Vann but gaining a contact with Mongrelmen in exchange.

Veryn can scout the way, checking for any return of the Sapphire Skeletons turned earlier. You retrieve the laid down Bear-clamps placed by the door into the hallway passage. He peers through the door, opening it slightly to quickly check if the coast is clear.

Barrow Maze random vs 1: passages [1d6]=1 crypts [1d6]=3

The three SS have in fact returned and wander in the long passage outside of the crypt they rested in. They appear agitated and spoiling for a fight, bashing their rusted weapons in the shields and gnashing teeth in frustration. One stands over its fallen comrade, the one slain earlier, as if recognising that he will never rise again.

Actions, you can straight on charge to attack them or, safe where you are, wait it out until they pacify and they return to their resting plinths so you can sneak by them later. Or use some distraction now.

Choices please.

[Kenjosephus]

Veryn

Veryn will hush at the party, informing them of the returning skeletons with hand gestures. He will wait until they returned to their crypt. Of course crossbow ready in case they go to the door where the party is.

[Spearmint]

He will wait until they returned to their crypt.

If this is the group's default action, you can wait out the Sapphire Skeletons until they pacify and enter the crypt with the plinths. They close the door, allowing the group to sneak to the right rather than cross in front of the door. You can then locate the illusory wall and enter the 'Wraith Statue' room, not dallying here lest it triggers another 'statue breath weapon' effect and causes your shadows to become murderously suicidal.

You can then go back through the 'Rat Room' and into the 'Long Corridor' area where the other team are concluding their own expedition and prepping for an evening camp in the crypts they have secured.

and with that: as the other team have a secure area and I am awarding some xp, I will do that here and then, subject to next exploration choices, may return here to carry on with aiding the Mongrelmen (and recovering Vann's remains if he can be found).

Actions, post any last ones here and please read the Territorial Gains expedition update as you guys rejoin them for the night.

[Spearmint]

Summary of preliminary expedition in the Barrow Mounds:

I will record here the total xp award for this first exploration phase, the total amount to be divided among surviving members once characters return to a civilized setting.

Huecueva: +240xp
Three Zombies: +150xp
Two Tree-muggers (Kampfult): +90xp

Encountering:

Wenceslaus excavation team: +50xp
Mongrelmen in Graveyard: +50xp

Total +580xp/ surviving group characters & npc shares. = +166xp per character share doubled for the overcoming of critical death saves and challenges you faced.

This was from the first trek, divided as follows:

Vann: missing, presumed dead
Rum Lightbender : +332xp +33xp prb, +100xp player participation. +465xp

Veryn: +332xp no prb, +100xp player participation. +432xp

Callen: +332xp +33xp prb, +100xp player participation. +465xp

Tamson: +166xp.

Martell: deceased

I will edit a new award to cover the exploration of the halls. Which will add +50xp for slaying a skeleton, +250xp for the explorations and roleplay and +250xp for locating the Mongrelmen

I will just add +110xp to each group member:

Rum: +110xp. (+575xp)
Veryn: +110xp (+542xp)
Callan: +110xp (+575xp)
Sigrid: +110xp (+110xp)
Sundance: +110xp (+110xp)
Tamson nil (+166xp)
Vann: missing, presumed dead.

Please add both amounts upon your character sheet records! I have updated the public thread.

We should congratulate Callan upon advancing to 2nd level cleric or, as a demi-human, you can choose to forego advancing en lieu of adopting a second character class.

[Kenjosephus]

Veryn

Veryn hold his breath in case the skeletons hear him breathing. Once the mockery of men leaves to their dwelling, he quickly moves, retracing all his steps back, and guided by the party recounts, returned to the large group as tension ease on his chest and mind.

[Craigers07]

Rum

Rum ceases his movement and remains still until the skeletons are no longer a threat. When safe, he will motion for the group to continue retracing their path to where they started.

OOC:

Before adding I would like to confirm by both amounts you mean these two amounts Spearmint?
Rum Lightbender : +332xp +33xp prb, +100xp player participation. +465xp
Rum: +110xp. (+575xp)
Total = 1040 XP

Congrats to Callan for leveling up!

[Spearmint]

Rum Lightbender: Fighter L1 1257/2001xp +10% prb.

This is my updated record for Rum covering all his adventures and any bonus xp to date. It is +575xp added to previous totals from the other dwarven rescue mission.

[Spearmint]

I will continue here with Veryn, Mongrelmen & Co continuing their exploration once I round up in the TG thread.

[Spearmint]

Veryn, Rum, Callan & Sigrid set forth and will continue but in the Where-Rats & Mongrelmen thread again please.

I will edit here with a resume and then call for actions.

[Spearmint]

Redeeming the Mongrelmen.

Veryn, Rum Lightbender, Callan, Sigrid & Sundance return with the four befriended Mongrelmen.

You return through familiar corridors and rooms, sneaking by the crypt you may suspect the surviving Sapphire Skeletons still reside in. The crypt door is closed and unless you want to confirm their attendance, I am happy enough for you to skip by. Accessing the lower hallways without issue, you can nip through the successive secret doors and return to the hallway with the large dominating Gargoyle statue with the missing limb.

Health Status:

Callan: 8/8hp (needs to roll next HD for levelling up!)
Veryn: 6/6hp
Rum Lightbender: 7/11hp
Sigrid: 10/14hp
Sundance: 8/8hp

Mongrelmen:



Nothing seems to have been disturbed since your last time year the previous evening. The side room used by the Mongrelmen is vacant and the dark passage to the north is full of impenetrable Darkness though you hear the echo of a steady 'thump', probably the miners in the other group trying to bash down a blocked wall.

From the triangular Gargoyle statue room, there is one door, closed. Listening at it does not gain you any knowledge or favours. The Mongrelmen ask to pray again before you progress beyond, citing some intrepidation and fear of what or who lies beyond.

Actions please Veryn, Rum, Callan, Sigrid

[Kenjosephus]

Veryn

Veryn will check the door if the door is rigged with trap. He will then take a peek at the keyhole (if any) to see what's beyond it.

Find trap vs 20% [1d100]=95

Looks clear to me. Let me check if i can see through this.


Question, what equipment that our mongrelfolks friend have?

[Darithe]

Sigrid

"One moment Rum," the northern seidr says to the warrior as she places a hand on each of his shoulders as she intones, "vǫxtr styrkr," feeling the strength from her spell surging into Rum's form.

Chance to Retain Strength spell vs. 14 Int.: [4d6+3]=18+3=21

[Spearmint]

Question, what equipment that our mongrelfolks friend have?

They have basic gear; patchwork leather jerkins, a dagger or club. The taller one has a rusty sword.

One other bit of equipment you have, perhaps given to Sigrid is one of Isvand's 'Elf-Ears', which are magical hearing devices. The halfling giving it so that the two Guild adventure groups can communicate over a short distance. You hold it up to your ear and then hear what the other person is saying abd can reply, in telephone fashion. The other group have asked if you noticed a rock tossed into the passage with Darkness, but you did not see it arrive in the statue room.

The Mongrelmen seem interested in Veryn's toolkit and his proficiency in thievery skills. You do not detect any traps upon the door and it opens into a chilly corridor that heads southwards down some steps to a landing that has more descents to the west and east, a crossroads junction. The Mongrelmen indicate that the right hand (western) passage leads to a large crypt with many undead. No one is seen in the corridor though many rats scurry away at the light that suddenly illuminates their presence.

A couple of doors are set further along. Blessed by extra strength, Rum can lead the way, cautiously stepping into the corridor with others filling behind.

next actions please.

[Kenjosephus]

Veryn

"Lads, let's be clear here. We're here to scout things in this crypt. I propose for our main goal is to find where "the evil one" lies, explore and map the crypt, and if could, do a head count of its force so we can have ourself and the whole Helix's boys strategize when we do the break-in. I will check the left stairs first and below."

" By the way, How many of them undead on the right stairs?"

Veryn then will tie a rope onto himself and ask someone (Rum preferably) to hold it tight and pull if the rope started to give in (i do not want to be Vann the II) and start checking for false stairs or traps by rolling pebbles or chunk of rock towards the left (eastern) stair and do a sweep and tap motion with his 10 foot pole. If the stairs is clear of trap, he will proceed to check for trap and what is in the corridor.

find trap vs 20% [1d100]=31 remove trap vs 25% [1d100]=33

[Darithe]

Sigrid

Sigrid will push the *ear*, assuming no one else prefers to keep it, into the sash of her robes. She wants it out in the open in case someone wishes to communicate, so that she may hear. She follows Rum at a bit of distance, keeping pace with the mongrelmen.

[Craigers07]

Rum

Rum thanks Sigrid for casting to spell to strengthen him.

He leads the way down the stairs with his axe in hand and coordinates his next actions with Veryn. He keeps the rope secure while Veryn carefully inspects the stairs and walls.

[Spearmint]

Exploring with Mongrelmen

" By the way, How many of them undead on the right stairs?"

The Mongrelmen chat together, one holds up a clawed paw, another adds a few fingers, one shakes his head side to side and flashes several fingers worth. Maybe mathematics is not a Mongrelman strongpoint but assume it most likely indicates several figures at least.

Callan shepherds the group from the rear Hadarai hasn't logged in for ten weeks plus so I will npc his cleric until he returns.

Strengthened, Rum belays the scouting Veryn. He advances down the corridor, wary of more pit traps and thus tap-tappity-tap prodding with a ten foot pole ahead of him. The corridor extends more than sixty feet joining another passage that goes north and south. At ten feet intervals there are large yellowed stained curtains raised over side alcoves or crypts on each side, blocking vision beyond. But the curtains do not muffle every sound and the trap-searching echoes noisily. Veryn stops with bated breath, listening intently. To the immediate right, behind a curtain you hear a squeak and hushing sound, a step forward and then a halt. Further down from under a curtain, a long whiskery snout pokes out inquisitively, a rodent of unusual size.

To the right of the platform, Rum can see that some double doors bar the way, thick Oak panels that have a ceremonial depiction though the designs are very scratched and defaced. Looking south, the corridor extends with more crypt doors inset into the side walls.

actions please

[Kenjosephus]

Veryn

From the curtain, what do i smell? Urine or mildew? Also, how big is the rodent?

[Darithe]

Sigrid

Her eyes fall upon the curtain and the movement behind. She stops in her tracks and merely watches as the nose pokes out, ready in case the thing starts towards them.