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The Accursed Mansion, Blackchapel, Hookhill, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Two. After Nightfall. Sunday, December 25th, 576 CY







On the trail of the Hookhill Ripper, the doomed heroes have entered a house of horrors that is a gateway to the Dreamlands when the stars are right.

The Dreamlands! A mysterious realm that coexists beside, or between, the spaces Men know. One half of a bifurcated reality across which Men live the entirety of their lives.

Long Bo concentrates and tries to control the "dream." The grey druid fails and learns that, despite its name, the Dreamlands is not imaginary; it has a physical existence, independent from those who venture there from the "waking world," if such terms are even accurate.

His companions move now to surround the inhuman, depraved thing called Arthur who skulks unseen, taunting them in this hellish chamber.

Mouser weaves a sorcerous glamour as Ingrid defiantly commands the villainous fiend to show himself.

Edging nearer, the investigators circle the macabre charnel mound until they can see Arthur! He is one of the blood-soaked, grub pale horrors known as the Almost Men! (A)



Jerome says, "You seem very confident for something that lurks in a dark corner."

Arthur hisses, "Yes, mate. Welcome to my parlour."

And suddenly, across the ghastly corpse pile, unspeakable shapes begin to rise up! (at each "?")

Ingrid lashes out and smashes one with her blessed mace and still, the heinous thing rises!




Actions?!


Map Detail:

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





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Urdur knows better than to engage Arthur or his minions in combat. Instead, the gnome remains in the corner, hoping that his invisibility isn't affected by the strange physics of the dreamworld.

Horrified, yet nonetheless relieved to have a clear and direct opportunity to act, Telkis drops his bow ad attacks the nearest ? with Cranach:

Morningstar +2 (THAC0 17): To Hit:[1d20+2]=19+2=21, Damage: vs s/m [2d4+2]=3+2=5, vs L [1d6+3]=6+3=9

Jerome
Jerome actually gives a small sigh of relief. He steps forward to engage the (?) in front of him and attacks.[1d20+1]=2+1=3 melee His nausea betrays him, and he misses.

Bo helps Telkis battle the nearest monster. (help being a relative term)

Spear Attack [1d20]=6 Damage [1d6]=4

Faron doesn't much like being in a corner with a monstrosity both before him and behind him. He hopes his friends can cut an opening for escape. He thrusts his glowing longsword at the one in front.

THAC0 19 +1 Longsword [1d20+1]=17+1=18 S/M [1d8+1]=5+1=6 L [1d12+1]=7+1=8

Ingrid Esthof

Now that she has had a moment to see what the newcomers actually are, the cleric quickly grasps the Holy symbol around her neck, displaying it to the almost-men near her- and the abomination calling itself Arthur, as well. Tritherion commands you- begone!

Mouser readies his weapons, and while he attacks the closest abomination, he implores, "Arthur - lend us aide against these foes!"

Scalpel (THACO 20) To Hit [1d20]=10, S/M/L Dam. [1d8]=7
Cat's Claw (THACO 20) To Hit [1d20]=4-2=2, S/M Dam. [1d4]=1, L Dam. [1d3]=1

The Accursed Mansion, Blackchapel, Hookhill, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Two. After Nightfall. Sunday, December 25th, 576 CY







In a realm where Men dwell in dreams, the doomed heroes are besieged by unimaginable horrors out of darkest nightmare.

Unwavering before the unholy spectacle, Ingrid Esthof cries, "Tritherion commands you- BEGONE!" and her prayers are answered. Two of the appalling Almost Men (A, ?5) recoil in terror, cursing and snarling, as if scorched by Ingrid's faith!



And Arthur is one of them!

Faron drives his lambent blade deep into a rotting grey heart (?1) as Telkis' morningstar shatters an exposed ribcage! (?3) But the hideous things of graves and mortuaries take no notice. They feel no earthly pain.

Urdur watches helpless as Jerome, Long Bo and Mouser cannot land a telling blow, their aim betrayed by nausea and horror. The paladin drops his torch to fight and it is drowned by the unspeakable liquid that covers the floor.

The Grey Mouser, rendered fair by a spell taught to him by Sheelba of the Eyeless Face, tries to beguile Arthur into aiding them. But the depraved fiend cowers before Ingrid's fearsome piety!

Then blasphemous atrocities, forged from the dead by hellish necromancy, arise from the ghastly corpse pile...



...to bludgeon and strangle the investigators to death! (Faron, Ingrid and Jerome take 2hp, 5hp and 4hp damage respectively)

The third Almost Man (?4) had been playing dead on the grisly charnel mound. Suddenly it lunges at Faron with a feral hunger that can never be sated!



Its bloody claw rakes Faron's flesh as its jaws move ever closer to his throat! (Another 3hp damage. And please Save vs Paralyzation to act!)


Actions?!


Map Detail:

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

Behind the DM Screen:



PC Status:
PC Magic:
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Faron bleeds from gashes inflicted by foul claws. His impulse is to fight back to repel the thing coming for his throat. But he remembers a lesson from more senior thieves at his guild. "If you have to fight and you wound a foe, don't change targets. Finish the first and get its sword, talons, mandibles, stinger, spells or whatever out of the fight." He lunges again at the rotting thing he just skewered (?1)

ST paralysis 12 [1d20]=13
THAC0 19 +1 Longsword [1d20+1]=9+1=10 S/M [1d8+1]=8+1=9 L [1d12+1]=10+1=11

Ingrid Esthof

Letting her triskelion fall back to her chest, the stalwart cleric doesn't hesitate, swinging her mace at the foul parody of life before her.

Mouser spins quietly to the right and plunges his blade into the back of one of the - things...

Scalpel (THACO 20) To Hit [1d20]=2, S/M/L Dam. [1d8]=6
Cat's Claw (THACO 20) To Hit [1d20]=7, S/M Dam. [1d4]=4, L Dam. [1d3]=3

I didn't add in any bonus for a backstab as I'm not sure it matters or if it would apply for the second attack.

Telkis swings again, aiming for the spine this time (at ?3) hoping to drop this one so he can turn to help Ingrid.

Morningstar +2 (THAC0 17): To Hit:[1d20+2]=14+2=16, Damage: vs s/m [2d4+2]=7+2=9, vs L [1d6+3]=4+3=7

Bo continues to attack any horrors near him that still stand, protecting himself and his friends as best he can.

Spear Attack [1d20]=15 Damage [1d6]=6

Jerome
Jerome grits his teeth against the pain and shouts By the powers of Order and Law, get thee gone, foul creatures! ,attempting to Turn Undead. turn undead [1d20]=16

Urdur grabs Jerome's fallen torch. If he can do so this round, the gnome tries to relight it from the torch in the wall sconce. He steers clear of Arthur and any abominations as he does so.

The Accursed Mansion, Blackchapel, Hookhill, Gran March, Greyhawk
Day Two. After Nightfall. Sunday, December 25th, 576 CY







Lost in reality's dark parallel, the doomed heroes are beset by unspeakable things made of human corpses!

And a heinous Almost Man (?4) rips Faron's throat with merciless claws and fangs! (7hp damage)



The thief is stricken by a necromantic paralysis! The depraved Almost Man readies to devour him alive!

Nearby, Telkis breaks a spine with another fell-handed strike of his morningstar! The macabre monster falls lifeless to the cadaver mound! (?3)

Mouser's spell of beguilement fades. He tries to backstab one of the loathsome abominations, but his enervated, queasy hand ruins his thrust!

Jerome's extinguished torch hovers over footprints in the vile fluid, and then ignites itself from the blazing brand in the wall!

The grey druid impales the exposed entrails of a gruesome atrocity (?6) that does not fall! Ingrid crashes her holy mace into a disfigured abhorrence, breaking one of its jaws! (?2) It still endures.

Young Jerome, prematurely aged by the horrors he has seen, holds forth his holy symbol and commands, "By the powers of Order and Law, get thee gone, foul creatures!"

All the ghastly revenants are wracked before Jerome's burning devotion!



The blood-soaked Almost Man (?4) hisses and snarls with hate! The grotesque, mangled cadavers moan and wail like the tortured souls of Hell! They stagger back behind the grisly corpse pile.

Desperate and craven, the three cunning Almost Men (A, ?4, ?5) glare about for means of escape and find none! The adventurers block the secret stair. And they cannot reach the trap door set high into the ceiling.

"Stop, mate," Arthur pleads.


Actions?!


Map Detail:

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

Behind the DM Screen:



PC Status:
PC Magic:
Player Resources:

Mouser takes advantage of the fleeing things to attack from afar (7)

Sling (THACO 20) [1d20+2]=20+2=22, damage [1d4+1]=2+1=3

Jerome
I will show all the mercy you have shown- none at all, "Mate".
Jerome readies his bow, and shoots (?5).
[1d20]=12 Arrow [1d6]=2

[1d20]=7

Long Bo cringes when he sees his friends attacking the abominations that were just turned away, worried about the unmoving Faron's current predicament.

He takes up his torch again and stays near the exit for now, hoping none of the others attack the cowering Arthur yet.

"Say Arthur, since you seem to be having second thoughts about us killing you, why don't we make a little compromise? You seem like the brains of this outfit so far, so I would like to propose we come to a less deadly agreement. What do you say to that?"

Exaggerating his somatic hand movements so the others nearby understand the druid is attempting a mind spell on their adversary, Bo tries casting a spell that might give them a few more answers about this strange world they have been thrust into.

Casting Charm Person or Mammal