The Unseen Servant forums

Marullus wrote:The room is a simple 30x30 chamber, extending forward and to the right from your doorway. A round half-orb embedded in the ceiling glows with a dull reddish light, providing an eerie but functional illumination to the whole chamber. A group of draconic faces have been carved into the wall to the right of the door, their mouths hanging open and fangs displayed. There are no other exits from the room, but there is a pair of bunkbeds along each of the far walls, a table and chairs for four in the middle of the room, and simple trunks and shelves with personal effects. Several pieces of blood-soaked clothing are scattered throughout the room and a wide, dried blood stain shows where bodies were dragged out the door.

Able helps get the wounded (and the giant mask) inside, then closes the door. He uses an old chisel to spike the door shut. Then adds a second for good measure. Then he drags the trunks in front of the door to further block it. He stares at the bloody tracks, Let's just hope it's better'n nothin'. Don't know if we'll be wantin' t'use the beddin'.

He asks Neegan and Dare to check the room for traps and passages while he lays out bedrolls for the wounded, making them as comfortable as he can. I got no more healin' t'day. We'll need t'rest eitehr which way, I reckin'.

"These are not the most gracious accommodations," says Pendleton, looking uneasily at the room, "but it has the distinct advantage of not currently being beset by goblins and demons. I'd give it three stars, under the circumstances."

He glances toward the door. "But the goblins surely know we are still here. Would be be setting ourselves up for an ambush when we try to leave?"

And them sniffers'll know, too. Able then points out that the room they were in had four exits. One with a rising tide of blood, one with goblins fleeing down it, one with sniffers fleeing down it, and this room. I'm all for finding somethin' safer, but with two folks unconscious and us two outta useful spells, this is 'bout as good as it'll get. We need to worry 'bout leavin' when the time comes fer that, I figger. Maybe some o'them sleeper spells you got'd get us out.

He points out to Brother Dolph that his bravery in the face of the demons was admirable, but in the future, he might rather use his holy ward in the group's favor. We could beat these things down, but they get right back up. Next time, you. me and Idriss'll form a wall they can't pass. These other'll splash holy water over us. Don't know what we'll do with them gobbers. Easy 'nough to squish if we can get close, but they're tricksy and mean spirited. We could'a done better if folks hadn't run at 'em and poked full of holes, an' that's the truth.

Dare nods in agreement to Able's words as he carefully searches the room for any hidden traps or tricks. "I don't s'pose I'd be so lucky to find a secret door around here," he muses.

Neegan begins searching with Dare for any traps or secret doors.

Search Check [1d6] = 5

Ablesforth spikes the stone door shut now that the latch is broken, barricading it lightly with the chests.

Neegan and Dare search the room carefully, checking each of the walls for both traps and secret doors. To their dismay, they find none, but thus also increase the confidence that the chamber is relatively secure. You spend a little extra time around the protruding dragon motifs -- though unnerving, you can find no amount of probing that reveals a trap within them. Except that, as they knock along the back wall opposite the door looking for hollows of panels, they are surprised to hear knocking in return. Not at first, but as they work down the wall, each of their knocks is answered by a flurry of knocks, faint but audible on the other side of the thick stone wall, almost as if mocking you.


Date: 14 July 2021, 4:40 pm
Light: Ablesforth's Lantern (until 5:30pm)
Effects: None
Injuries: Idriss (dying [stabilized], unconscious), Grimble (dying [stabilized], unconscious), Dolph (severely wounded, 10 rounds until can act), Pendleton (moderate wounds), Ablesforth (minor wound), Neegan (minor wound)

That's a might-bit unnervin', ain't it? Able sets two more spikes and his wallet at the door, instructing whoever is in watch to either add more spikes (if someone starts pushing hard) or get the other spikes out (if something comes through the walls). He asks Neegan and Dolph if they can do an 8 hour shift (taking us to about 1am) so the two casters can regain their spells, then Able can heal folks, then start a real rotation.

"The walls in this hotel are too thin, too," say Pendleton, trying feebly for a bit of levity. "I can hear the people in the next room knocking about."

"I suppose there is nothing to be done for it. But I would expect the room outside to be oiled and ready for lighting when we want to leave—or worse. Perhaps our best move is to ask the goblins for a mutual nonaggression pact while we focus on the demons."

Zhym wrote:"The walls in this hotel are too thin, too," say Pendleton, trying feebly for a bit of levity. "I can hear the people in the next room knocking about."

Reminds me of this inn I stayed at one time. Couple o' first timers in the next room kept me up all night with their racket. Never would've thought I'd more that place.

Neegan I can keep watch. but I have no Spikes. Neegan listens carefully for any voices on the other side of the wall.

Neegan and Dolph agree to do an eight hour shift, letting the casters and the others get some some rest. Ablesforth turns over a mallet and two more spikes to reinforce the door if necessary. Idriss and Grimble remain unconscious. Pendleton and Ablesforth rest to regain their spells, and Dare is free to rest as well.

The party is exhausted by their endeavors and quickly is off to sleep. Neegan and Dolph sit pensively. It is about 40 minutes later, shortly after Ablesforth's lantern is spent, that they hear movement in the chamber outside. Neegan is able to identify goblin voices through the stone door, but nothing specific about their conversation. No attempt is made to open the door and eventually the voices move on.

The dim red glow of the room provides a reasonable amount of light to see by, but doesn't disturb the sleep of the others. After eight hours, Dolph wakes Ablesforth and Pendleton so they can see to their prayers and meditations and after another hour, they find themselves restored.

Idriss still lies in a fitful sleep on the brink of death, his flesh pale and breathing shallow. Grimble looks far worse, however -- his flesh burns with fever and he has developed a hacking cough. You note swollen buboes distorting the beard on his neck.

Date: 15 July 2021, 2:00am
Light: Dim red glow (-1)
Effects: None
Injuries: Idriss (dying [stabilized], unconscious), Grimble (dying [stabilized], unconscious), Dolph (severely wounded), Pendleton (moderate wounds), Ablesforth (minor wound), Neegan (minor wound)

Able gives a deep sigh when looking at Grimble's condition, wondering if the group will have time to get the dwarf back to town before he succumbs to the poison in his system. We ain't got much choice about it. Grimble, here, needs more care'n I can give'm. We're gonna need t' leave for town, I reckon'. Ablesforth doles out healing to the most wounded, baring his innermost self with each prayer for curing: his frustration at how the fight went and that the mushrooms drew so much attention, that he feels both Idriss and Grimble were foolish when they charged into a shield-wall of goblins, that he feels he failed this group, leading them into near-certain death, and that he has just used all his healing for the day.

When he is done and folks are awake enough to walk, he asks if they can redivide belongings so they can walk a bit faster. Sloggin' through that blood's the fastest way outta here, I figger. Are you all game fer it? He looks around the room for anything else that might be valuable, offsetting the costs of coming back so quickly.

On Idriss
CLW [1d6+1] = 2+1 = 3
CLW [1d6+1] = 6+1 = 7
On Grimble
CLW [1d6+1] = 6+1 = 7
On Dolph
CLW [1d6+1] = 4+1 = 5

Are the draconic faces able to be removed in one piece? Might be valuable, if heavy.

Treasure Thusfar: Whoever has a low base weight can take the mask, perhaps. Able is at 60 lbs without any treasure. Adding 30# from someone else is possible, if needed to keep movement rates as high as possible.

oh. And I have finally deducted 3 spikes total, though he'll try and recover the two currently under the door.

Idriss

moans when he comes to and pouches away his mummery mask. His attempt to draw the demon half-heads away from the party and to attack the goblins obviously didn't fare so well. He surveys the injured and rightly agrees with Ablesforth's assessment of the situation.

"The guards ride close to the goblin hole. They came last time in response to a small bonfire. Maybe we can herald them again?"

Ablesforth applies ministrations to the most wounded party members and soon everyone is awake to discuss their pathway ahead. Grimble's physical wounds are completely healed by the ministration, but there is no longer doubt that he is diseased with some form of plague.

Ablesforth examines the draconic statuary - they are carved and mounted directly in the wall. While they would be object d'art, they would need to be chiseled free, which would take time and risk damaging them.

The group begins to discuss their plans for a way ahead. Your room remains secure the for moment. Pendleton suggests a truce with the goblins. Ablesforth suggests opening the door to the flooded blood-room and fording your way back straight to the exit, giving up with little progress made on finding the closure point for the suspected Hell Gate.

Date: 15 July 2021, 2:40am
Light: Dim red glow (-1)
Effects: None
Injuries: Idriss (Severe wounds), Dolph (severe wounds), Pendleton (moderate wounds), Ablesforth (minor wound), Neegan (minor wound), Grimble (Diseased)

Idriss

"We cannot take the plague back to town. Too much a risk. I cannot cure disease but Grimble must be disease free before we enter populated places."

Ablesforth is familiar with plague spreading where rats are present -- it has been half a day since Grimble was savaged by the rats, which shows that it is progressing quickly in his system, likely speeded by his compromised health while wounded. Some succumb quickly, others linger bedridden for a month and perhaps recover. With the speed of Grimble's onset, you'd suspect he has perhaps a few days, definitely less than a week. Being cured of the disease requires a potent blessing of Eruanna; the infirmary can certainly do so, but it is beyond Ablesforth's ability, himself.

(Yes, everyone please deduct one ration.)

Neegan starts dropping equipment from his person. Looks for a place to hide it. Items dropped so that may carry any treasures.


Items dropped
5 torches = -5lbs
1 shield = -10lbs
1 bedroll =- 5lbs
1 waterskin = -4lbs
1 50 ft rope = -10lbs 34 lbs dropped

1 day rations deducted also.

Able offers to carry the bed roll, torches and water skin. He straps the shield to his backpack. I already got a rope we can use.

Able is at 84# now.