Barrowmaze: Crusaders and the Hand of Nergal

[gurusql]

Cadeweed

"Works for me as well"

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven certainly seems excited to eventually find out what lies at the end of the maze that nearly killed them earlier.

“We need to remember the shadow issues we had last time.”

[Spearmint]

are you happy to go straight to that crypt via the 'metal door' room or do you wish to investigate any of the side mausoleums which line the corridor (74) as you go along?

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven is still interested in attempting to recover some of the sleepy sand from the floor of the portrait tomb, but I don’t think that is the area you are referring to.

I am inclined to think we may either find a second escape (like Pete) teleporting from another area, or that Cadeweed might have something on him that we didn’t possess last time we were here.


Sven shrugs at the groups sudden stop in action.

“Why don’t we just check them all again?”

He opens the first crypt as they head towards the metal door.

[Spearmint]

some of the sleepy sand from the floor of the portrait tomb, but I don’t think that is the area you are referring to.

yes, that is 74 - d


Mausoleums
a. Kali's snake emporium
b. Sticky webs and maggot infested elven mage
c. Two open stone caskets
d. Dusty floor and magic stone face
e. Single grave decorated by bones
f. Poseidon gate
g. Trapdoors on ceiling, alcoves in eastern wall.

[OGRE MAGE]

Then let’s start with g and peek inside each one.

Taking the obvious precautions at d so we don’t breathe the sand.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth will cover the others as they check out the sleepy sand room. Covering his mouth and nose with a cloth, just in case.

[Spearmint]

So I have to trawl archives, set in the Bmze 3: Grave Returns to keep some continuity as you explore old ground.

Initial inspection of (74) corridor:

More graffiti declaring "the stones live and the living are stoned", "dress for the occasion", "Rolf and his son are returning", scrawled on the ceiling or in the short passages between the mausoleums. each little passage between the doors are only 10'ft deep. The one between E&F has hand prints waved in bloody streaks which go along one wall then up and across the ceiling and down the other side. They end abruptly with a human hand pinned to the wall by a dagger.

A detailed inspection was here:

Mausoleum a) the door is open. But you quickly shut it closed. Inside the small chamber is a multi-armed female statue. The place crawls with large snakes which entwine with each other in large wriggling masses on the floor and over the statue.

a-b alcove: expedition equipment, ropes, sledgehammers, picks, sacks, 5 x torches. Also contains the body of an adventurer. A dried husk, withered and decayed seated back against the wall.

Mausoleum b) Inside this room, the webs continue, thick and silky. A bloated stinking body, maggot infested, leans collapsed against a wall. By the dress style you may think the body is of a slim female humanoid, possibly elven. A 'stars & moon' patterned black and silver cloak wrapped around her. On the floor a goblet, filled to the brim with a now green liquid. The goblet is held in the grip of some carved claws. (See pics)

b-c alcove: sticky webs, these take twice as long to cut indicating they have been more freshly spun though no spiders are present. Graffiti proclaims,

"She's just a devil woman. With evil on her mind.
Beware the devil woman. She's gonna get you.
She's just a devil woman. With evil on her mind
Beware the devil woman. She's gonna get you from behind

Give me the ring on your finger. Let me see the lines on your hand.
I can see me a tall dark stranger. Giving you what you hadn't planned.
I drank the potion she offered me. I found myself on the floor.
Then I looked in those big green eyes. And I wondered what I'd come here for."

Mausoleum c) two open stone caskets. Inside lie two figures wrapped in shrouds. The stone has pastoral designs on, carved horse heads, flourishing trees.

c-d alcove: contains more webs and entangled detritus. A scroll case contains a parchment and a gold ring.

Mausoleum d) as soon as this door is opened, a strong but foul smelling breeze blows like a gust of wind, scattering dust and cobwebs into the corridor. roll a d20 please Orgoth & Isvand. Amos and Treyvor 74-d dust [1d20]=2 [1d20]=3 Both NPC's suffer a prolonged bout of coughing and sneezing from the dust but eventually it clears though they get reddened eyes from the irritating dust.

d-e alcove: detritus of tossed aside gear, rags and rubbish.

Mausoleum e) this room has a single stone casket on a raised dias. Around it are piles of skulls, deliberately placed in a neat formation which encircle the casket on the raised steps. Bones, probably arm and leg ones are scattered on the floor in disorderly piles. Dangling from the ceiling are spinal columns, some with skulls still attached.

e-f alcove: graffiti, had severed hand and dagger

Mausoleum f) white marble statue of Poseidon(?) decorated in gold. Rotten fish and kelp line the floor: Access to Barrowmere.

f-g alcove: used as cooking spot.

Mausoleum g) trapdoors on ceiling, alcoves in eastern wall.

Door 74-h. Opposite mausoleum A is closed. A skull and crossbones scrawled on the cracked panel which simply warns not to go beyond. Dried blood pooled on the floor and the door handle. The door has been wedged with spikes and signs show someone or something has at least attempted to push through from the other side.

Starting with the larger mausoleum, (G):

Sven enters, backed up by a few others. The wooden trap doors are flush against the ceiling and there is no sign of the room being disturbed. The alcoves in the east wall had been searched prior but one or two check again in case anything was overlooked. Your last effort at tomb robbing here seems to have garnered every trinket of worth.

The Poseidon Crypt, so named for the marble statue that dominates the room is still in place, unlike much of the various religious edifices about such as the Efreeti altar in the hallway, it is not dented or vandalised. A pool of water a few millimetres deep marks the centre of the crypt, covering a few flagstones underneath. The pool turned into a portal after divers had swallowed a Potion of Water Breathing. With no spell cast or potion used, the portal remains closed. one might suspect a person who has gills and no need of such enchantment might have another way if opening the portal, perhaps a trigger word? But no inscriptions or command rituals are on the statue to evidence that.

Again this second crypt is much the same as before. So far so good ...

The next crypt was used to pile body upon body, all the deceased skeletons and figures (pitfall Pete, dry husk of adventurer, hanging Mongrelmaid, etc).

Before you go further, the intrusion into the crypt provokes some harsh and rabid squeaks and snarling. Several large rats, unusual in size since they are 'enormous' rather than 'giant', grown into beasts the size of dogs. They lift up fang toothed snouts, chewing upon the rancid rotten bones and nibbling the pile of charnel. As happened in the Charnel Crypt of the Long Corridor, so to, the feasting upon the dead and undead has mutated these into voracious rodent ghouls.

They charge from under the pile of bones towards the door.

Actions please

[Spearmint]

Barrow R.O.U.S: [3d4]=7

Seven critters emerge from under the bones.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth attacks the nearest rat.

Blessed Silver Spear +1 Melee [1d20+3]=10+3=13 to hit [1d8+4]=7+4=11 damage

Shield Bash [1d20+2]=9+2=11 to hit

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven will cast his Web spell at the oncoming group of rats, hoping to ensnare as many of them as he can. He uses the door frame for anchor points, if necessary.

“Rats!”

Barrowmaze 2nd Level Spell Retention (INT 15) [4d6+3]=12+3=15

[Rex]

Orgoth

Does Orgoth get 1 attack per level against them due to HD?

[Spearmint]

Does Orgoth get 1 attack per level against them due to HD?

, no they are mutant sized, as big as a dog, so more than 1HD in physique or challenge.

[Rex]

Does Orgoth get 1 attack per level against them due to HD?

, no they are mutant sized, as big as a dog, so more than 1HD in physique or challenge.

Thanks, thought I should ask.

[gurusql]

Cadeweed

Cadeweed not wanting to get into hand-to-hand with these beasts will pull out his blow darts and fire.

Blowdart [1d20+2]=3+2=5, Damage [1d2]=2
Blowdart [1d20+2]=19+2=21, Damage [1d2]=1

[Spearmint]

Exploring the Mausoleums.

The feral mutants spring from under the pile of bones once the crypt door is opened. There are seven enormous rats and a swarm of lesser kin. As soon as the creatures pounce, Sven invokes his Web, hoping to snare several in the thick, sticky strands before they emerge into the corridor.

R.O.U.S: 16+ saves vs Web spell: [1d20]=11 [1d20]=8 [1d20]=4 [1d20]=15R.O.U.S: 16+ saves vs Web spell: [1d20]=20 [1d20]=10 [1d20]=14 17+ lesser Swarm [1d20]=13

In an unsurprising loss for the Barrowmaze critters, just a single corpse fed mutant escapes the burst of threads which fill the small mausoleum from floor to ceiling and wall to wall.

Orgoth skewers it upon his spear, -11hp and then it stills as a blow-dart puffed out by Cadeweed doses it with debilitating poison. -1hp It can be summarily despatched, Grimaldi whacking it senseless with his Warhammer.

The Web will remain potent for well over an hour and half, enough time for you to cut free the crypt door and close it, spiking it secure or stand there at the threshold and just pepper arrow after arrow or slingshot until those trapped and entangled are slain.

The next Mausoleum along had the strange, forgetful sandy grains (at least that is what Sven says, Orgoth cannot remember himself).

actions how do you investigate inside there and as you advance up the corridor, any other actions or precautions you may like to take.

[Rex]

Orgoth

"Nice work Sven. Do we want to spend the time to clean this up and search or just lock them in for now."

[gurusql]

Cadeweed

"I would vote to help clean when up, otherwise they will just be here in the future to hurt us again."

[OGRE MAGE]

Sven agrees.

"Slings and arrows from a distance it is!"

If the threat can be eliminated without combat, Sven could dispel the webs afterwards so the room could be searched properly again.

As far as the room with the memory sand next, Sven would open that door with his mask on this time, telling the others to remain far enough away so they don't succumb to the effects.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth will kill any he can reach with his spear, without getting it stuck.