Chapter 29: Sacrament of Blasphemy

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo quickly leads the way back to the stairs leading up, chanting a quiet mantra as he rushes along. "E N W D W D W U S S W D W W U E N D E S"

If all of his friends are able to follow before being gobbled up by the approaching monster, He calls out as they climb the steps.

"Remember your letters and make sure you don't look at the ceiling in this next room."

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur does his best to remember his letters. He is too weak to do anything else. He hums an old Gnomish drinking song as they move through the dungeon.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser is dragged along. He lacks the strength to look up at any ceiling.

[Inferno]

The Labyrinth Beneath the Church of Saint Pentival, The Ashblood Colony, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-seven. Night. Saturday, December 17th, 576 CY







In the dank, dark labyrinth, the doomed heroes flee for their lives before the great amorphic horror traps them in the dead end!

Piteous, harrowing voices, as if from the condemned souls of Hell, swell in volume, reverberating all around them as they stagger barefoot through the slime trail! North! Then west! Then south!



Long Bo leads the way down the long straightaway but soon outruns Ingrid's torchlight! He turns to find his friends far behind him, slowed by having to bear Mouser and Urdur!

Earlier, they were able to outrun the unspeakable, tentacled thing. Now, it might be able to catch them!


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. Green exclamation point = the direction of the sound of the horror.
Lighter areas are visible, all else is from memory. Darker grey shapes on the floor are slime trails.





PC Status:

Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 7/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl (-12 to STR and CON)
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 25/25, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl, 2/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch
Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 0/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 12", AC: 9, HP: 38/38, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 34/34
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 2/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl (-9 to STR and CON)

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Find Traps (Ingrid): Duration: 28 rounds
Obscurement (Bo): Duration: 6 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)

[ChubbyPixie]

"You are much heavier than you look, Urdur!" says Telkis with feigned lightness as he attempts to block out the horrific screeching and wailing behind them.

"If we get out of this, you're going on half rations," he says. He redoubles his efforts.

[Urson]

Jerome
Jerome says nothing, concentrating on moving forward carrying Mouser.

[ravenn4544]

Mouser is starting to drool on himself from the exertion.

[OGRE MAGE]

Bo decides to continue running at the outer edge of the torchlight, staying just in front of the lagging group.

He remains as quiet as possible, watching the dark passages for any more glowing notes scribbled on the walls.

His mantra continues. "E N W D W D W U S S W D W W U E N D E S"

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur is carried along, doing his best to remember his letters. He tries wiggling his toes, to no avail.

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric brings up the rear, periodically looking behind to make sure the creature is not getting too close.

[Inferno]

The Labyrinth Beneath the Church of Saint Pentival, The Ashblood Colony, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-seven. Night. Saturday, December 17th, 576 CY







In a nightmarish chase through darkness and slime, the sacrificial captives of the Ashblood Colony run for their lives.

Mouser and Urdur are devoid of all strength from the horrific encounter with the ghastly, ancient revenant. Bearing their dead weight slows the doomed heroes and the heinous sounds of Hell overtake them! Grown men weeping, women screaming, children crying, pigs squealing, dogs barking, and horses shrieking in unimaginable terror echo all around them from out of the black shadows that trail them!

No further messages in the darkness are discovered as they fly up the steep stone stairs!




Panting for air, thirsty, hungry, cold, they stagger back into the chamber whose crystalline ceiling mesmerizes all who gaze upon it.




Looking away from it, all eyes turn to Mouser whose turn it is to lead them. The next segment of the labyrinth key was his to memorize. But the stricken, trembling figure lacks the strength to speak! (Mouser please make an Ability Check on 1d20 to talk. A 1 succeeds.) Mouser and Urdur desperately need healing.

Unspeakable sounds of torment and horror emanate up the stairwell behind them, growing louder with every agonizing second of delay!

The others frantically wrack their memories trying to recall Mouser's piece of the puzzle in order to save their lives! (Ability Check vs INT on 1d20 to do so.)


Actions?!


Map:

One square = 10 feet. Green exclamation point = the direction of the sound of the horror.
Lighter areas are visible, all else is from memory. Darker grey shapes on the floor are slime trails.





PC Status:

Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 7/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl (-12 to STR and CON)
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 25/25, Spells: 2/5 1st lvl, 2/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl, Torch
Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 0/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 12", AC: 9, HP: 38/38, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 34/34
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 2/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl (-9 to STR and CON)

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)
Find Traps (Ingrid): Duration: 24 rounds
Obscurement (Bo): Duration: 2 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)

[ravenn4544]

Mouser continues to gurgle and droll.

[1d20]=5

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

The cleric attempts to recall what Mouser's part of the puzzle was, but cannot quite remember- was it north or south? East or west? She decides to risk the time it will take to cast a spell, hoping in the long run it will turn out to benefit the party. Placing her hand on Grey Mouser's shoulder, she summons forth the healing power of Holy Tritherion. Bo, can you heal Urdur?

Intelligence Check (12): [1d20]=13
Cure Light Wounds [1d8]=3

[OGRE MAGE]

Int Check (9) [1d20]=11

Even though it was the first 4 letters they needed to remember, Bo stands there dumbfounded. "I think it ended in D."

He continues running anyway, hoping that someone coming up from behind will remember.

"I would love to heal them both, Ingrid. But you might remember that we were stripped of our possessions once we were dropped down here, so I have no missletoe at my disposal. I doubt we will find any growing wild down here either."

[ChubbyPixie]

In desperation, Telkis wracks his brain for the next set of directions...

Save vs. INT (10): [1d20]=5

"E N W D!" he shouts, suddenly, tearing the sequence from his subconscious. He begins heading east, Urdur still slung over his shoulder.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur wracks his brain to remember the correct sequence.

INT check (15) [1d20]=8

From Telkis's back, he conveys the information as best he can recall.

[Urson]

Jerome
Can someone else take this poor fella? I will fall back to rear guard.

INT 9 Stat check [1d20]=12

[Inferno]

The Labyrinth Beneath the Church of Saint Pentival, The Ashblood Colony, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Thirty-seven. Night. Saturday, December 17th, 576 CY







Bloodcurdling sounds of the agony of tortured souls besiege the fleeing captives!

Long Bo keeps running though he doesn't know the way, hurtling headlong into pitch darkness!

Ingrid stops and lays her hands upon Mouser to heal him of his dire condition (+3 to HP, STR and CON). The nigh-ruined thief can walk again. He croaks the next four directions of the labyrinth key as Telkis wrests them from his memory. Urdur also remembers them but is too weakened to speak!

The crawling, loathsome horror is almost upon them when Mouser joins the nightmare procession! They catch up to Bo at a crossroads and head north, then west, to the distant hymns of the noble sacrifice of Saint Pentival.

With only Urdur to bear now, they gain speed and outdistance the inconceivable thing that stalks them through the ancient hell-maze, plunging precipitously down a steep flight of steps.




The doomed heroes follow the verbal map through twisting catacombs and tunnels, countless stairwells and ladders; the obscene terror ever behind them somewhere in the blackest shadows.




Lost and disoriented in corridors without end, they cling to the memorized labyrinth key for dear life.

Lungs burning, feet sore, lips parched, they may have run a mile when they reach the final puzzle sequence, Urdur's. But like Mouser before him, the stricken gnome has not the strength to speak! (Urdur please make an Ability Check vs STR on 1d20 to talk. A 1 succeeds. Anyone else may attempt an Ability Check vs INT on 1d20 to recall Urdur's fragment.)

It is then that their only torch goes out.



In the absolute darkness, they can hear the heinous thing that hunts them, echoing in the endless catacomb of eternal night.


Actions?!





PC Status:

Grey Mouser, Half-Elf Magic-User/Thief 3/4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 10/19, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl (-9 to STR and CON)
Ingrid Esthof, Human Cleric 5: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 25/25, Spells: 1/5 1st lvl, 2/5 2nd lvl, 2/2 3rd lvl
Jerome, Human Paladin 3: Move: 12", AC: 10, HP: 20/20, Laying Hands: 0/1
Long Bo, Human Druid 5: Move: 12", AC: 9, HP: 38/38, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl, 1/2 3rd lvl
Telkis Brassfang, Gnome Fighter 4: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 34/34
Urdur Shimmerstone, Gnome Illusionist 4: Move: 12", AC: 7, HP: 2/11, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 2/2 2nd lvl (-9 to STR and CON)

PC Magic:

Protection From Evil, 10' Radius (Jerome)

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)

[Scott308]

Ingrid Esthof

NDES! NDES! shouts the cleric, recalling the final sequence of letters. Then, suddenly, a light flares in the darkness, illuminating the torch in Ingrid's hand.

Intelligence Check (12): [1d20]=9
She casts Light on her torch.

[SocraticLawyer]

Urdur tries to speak, but weakly points to Ingrid and nods instead.

STR check [1d20]=3