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Chapter 24: Domain of the Dead

The Caverns of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Twelve. Late Afternoon? 22nd day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia






Freely and of their own volition, the explorers venture deeper into this spine-tingling realm of unnatural darkness and death. Perhaps the Oracle was right. Perhaps they truly do belong to Thanatos now; unable to resist his call no matter the peril to their immortal souls.

As ever, Grigor leads the way into the jaws of danger. Amethu, Cruloc and Dahinna fall back, beyond the lashing gale, to the benighted chapel of the dead. They get torches alight and Dahinna returns north as far as her flickering brand will allow.

Zahra bares the fabled Sword of Xuthalhotep, older than the Hyborian Age itself, and its lambent blade adds to Grigor's feeble light. Together with Kiri and Torix they advance into the teeth of the wind storm, the sound of flapping cloth growing louder, and the stench of death stronger, with every faltering step.

Torix and Zahra swallow their ominous dread as they help push back the supernatural blackness to discover a towering hall (area 10) whose vaults lie beyond their sickly luminescence. The obsidian walls bear age-worn murals that give praise to Thanatos, the Atlantean God of Death.

Against their every instinct of survival, the explorers edge further still and their light unveils a looming figure, nearly as large as Grigor! (X1)



Its writhing, wind-tossed shroud is the sound that besieged them. Zahra wonders if this fearsome entity is the apparition that she and Amethu half-glimpsed whenever one of their number neared death?

If this spectral harbinger of doom was one and the same, then what dire omen does it portend for them now?!


Actions?!


Map Detail:

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

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Grigor

Instinctively strikes out as the figure looms upon them.

Grigor scimitar+2 in melee [1d20+2]=9+2=11 damage [1d8+2]=7+2=9

Dahinna

Since she doesn't know what's in the chamber beyond the corridor, the rogue will continue backing down the passage, her torch as close to her as possible and yet trying to keep it lit.

Zahra
Zahra steps forward, drawing even with Kiri. She holds her sword ready to defend herself, and waits to see what this thing does.

The hair on the back of Torix's neck rise. "Could this be... the god of death these corrupt people worshipped itself?" he thinks. But he pushes further thought away and leaves it unconsidered. A warrior or a fish on a hook must put aside fearful or hopeless thoughts and act. He slings his bow, grasps the shaft of his flint-headed spear, and grimly rushes forward to giant Grigor's side.

Cruloc

Cruloc cannot see beyond the glare of Dahinna's torch in the narrow hallway. No shouts or sounds of battle alert him to the danger Grigor and the others now face.

"What is going on, thief?"

He looks for a way to prop his burning torch erect so that it may act as a beacon should the lights in yonder chamber fail.


OoC: If he succeeds in propping up the torch, he'll leave it there and advance to the northern end of the hallway near Torix.

Kiri will step forward five feet and towards the left wall, hoping the wind will be less there than in the center. He glances about the figure, looking for any inscriptions he might decipher with his helm that would give a clue to who or what this is...

Amethu nods at Cruloc's wisdom to place a torch safely down. Seeing the lights in the distance now leading the way, he resumes his advance north to unravel this next mystery of death and darkness.

Yrkoon wrote: ↑Tue Feb 28, 2023 2:36 am Cruloc - "What is going on, thief?"

Dahinna shrugs. "How the hell am I supposed to know? I can't see anything! I can barely keep my torch lit. Have you seen Grigor?"

The Caverns of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Twelve. Late Afternoon? 22nd day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia







With only the light of their shimmering blades to guide them, the explorers behold a fearsome spectre of death looming out of the unnatural darkness, its black shroud swirling in the icy gale!

Kiri quickly deciphers the Atlantean words within the murals. They venerate Thanatos, god of death, destroyer of all life.

Cruloc leaves his torch and joins every adventurer in advancing north, except Dahinna who dares not risk another step else her fluttering light be extinguished.

Reckless, Grigor slashes at the ominous harbinger of doom with his scimitar and cuts its cloak away, revealing a great statue of Thanatos beneath! (at X1)



Then everything happens at once.

The windstorm instantly dies as secret doors yawn wide all around them, and from their black maws burst a legion of dead Thracians from beyond the grave!




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One square = 10 feet.



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Torix hears a door open behind him and the clatter of moving armor. He stares in shock for a moment, then hastily drives his spear at the dead warrior. The point and shaft pass harmlessly under the skeletal fighter's arm.

THAC0 20 [1d20+1]=3+1=4 s-m [1d6+1]=6+1=7 l [1d8+1]=1+1=2

Grigor

Keeping the torn cloak on the tip of my sword I will use the bone wand we found. Hoping his giant form and extra curved scimitar might impress the boney Legionnaires, he shouts in a loud voice to rebuke and Turn them, pointing the skull carved implement at them.

"We who conquer Thanatos command thee to flee in fear or kneel"

Grigor Turns Undead [1d20]=5 [1d12]=12

I had in my mind's eye to flick the statue's cloak around me as a cape, we might be similar in size and stature and thrust the wand rather than sword at them, thinking it might help me turn them more powerfully. Though by that roll I might need to work on a few my authoritative sounding prose.

Amethu also calls upon the ancient gods of Verulia to strike down the undead who should thwart the quest laid before them.

Turn Undead [1d20]=9 / Affected [1d12]=5

Dahinna

When the gale abruptly ends, the rogue turns around, holding her torch high.
When the doors open and dead Thracians pour out upon her companions, she curses and takes off at a run.
When she reaches the room, she draws steel and wades in to attack.

(Not sure she can do all of that in one round, but here is her attack roll just in case: Short Sword: [1d20+2]=16+2=18 Damage [1d6+2]=4+2=6)

Reacting instinctively, Kiri lunges for the figure threatening Torix, attempting to shove the Claw through it with blunt force:

Attack with Trident +1, Claw of Chobek (THAC0:18): To Hit: [1d20+4]=6+4=10 Damage vs. s/m: [1d6+8]=2+8=10, vs. Lg: [3d4+7]=6+7=13

Cruloc

"The gale is no more!"

Cruloc still cannot see, but he can hear movement in the darkness before him. Figures are visible in the light which emanates from the weapons at the northern end of the chamber. As the sounds of battle begin, he jams his right foot against the wall of the corridor, raises his shield, and slashes at the nearest noise.

Attack w/ +1 longsword [1d20+3]=14+3=17 *
+1 Thracian Longsword vs. S/M opponent [1d8+4]=2+4=6, vs. L [1d12+4]=11+4=15

*OoC
No doubt there is a -4 penalty to hit to be subtracted from Cruloc's roll of 17.

Zahra
Zahra attacks (S4), snarling her war cry!
att [1d20+4]=13+4=17 Sword vs sm, med [1d8+5]=7+5=12

The Caverns of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Twelve. Late Afternoon? 22nd day of the month of Qrot, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia







Like a dam bursting, the shrieking cadavers of the death-cult warriors of Thanatos descend upon the invaders (S1-9), with yet more still emerging from out of the the obsidian walls! (S18-20)

But the adventurers are ready for them, and grimly meet them in kind! The maelstrom of wind dies as a new storm of iron and death is erupts!

Dahinna races forth, bearing torchlight, and Cruloc and Amethu discover with alarm that they too are surrounded by the living dead! (S10-17)

The stench of death thick, Amethu and Grigor pray for mercy. But the gods of the Hyborian Age are distant from this unhallowed realm of the Ancient Age, and only five bloodless Thracians are driven back by Amethu's unswerving piety (S10-S14), recoiling into the hidden door from which they had lunged.

What the explorers cannot do with faith and the unnatural wand of bone, they must now do with steel.

Snarling a leonine war cry, Zahra the amazon cleaves asunder the nearest horror with one stroke of the fabled Sword of Xuthalhotep! (S4) Its foul necromancy instantly broken, bones clatter lifeless to the floor!

Cruloc's murderous, disemboweling thrust succeeds only in shattering ribs of one fleshless warrior that does not fall! (S17)

With a deafening crash of steel, Torix's spear and Kiri's trident are beaten back by Thracian sword and shield!

And then the relentless dead are upon them!

The grisly warriors from beyond the grave reap a cruel harvest, hacking and hewing skin, tendon and muscle with all the bloodthirsty ferocity they had in life! (10hp, 8hp, 5hp, 3hp and 1hp damage to Grigor, Dahinna, Amethu, Torix and Cruloc respectively!)



The gigantic gypsy priest falls beneath the merciless assault!

Then, in horror, Amethu and Cruloc glance back and see the shrouded corpses from the Chapel of the Dead behind them have risen! A pageant of the damned extends as far as the eye can see!




Actions?!


Map Detail:

One square = 10 feet.

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Amethu, out flanked and in trouble, turns to protect the rear to seal off the passageway behind - for now - so the adventurers can face what comes from the north.

Cast burning hands into the undead to the south (X2)

Zahra
Zahra backs up one step to the East, putting her back to the wall. She attempts to attack (S8), but misses, giving a snarl of irritation.