Barrowmaze: beyond the Ritual Baptistry

[Spearmint]

"Do you have a name that you are known by here? Like Gabby or Jerome?"

"I am called Totenkopf.

"Do you desire to see the outside? View the sky and see all its stars with your own eyes? To feel the grass and hear water? We could show you the way..... if you desire."

"A longing yes though I fear my days are bound within these hallowed chamber. So I travel inside, metaphorically of course, through such as these inducements and minor pleasures."
he sats, tapping the ashes in the waste bin.

he probably 'trips' on the hallucinogenic qualities of the tobacco smoked

"Are you involved with the skeletons we've encountered in here? With the sapphire gems or the black hands on their skulls?"

"Those who serve the ancient mysteries here involve themselves in many arbitrary experiments. Raising such to bolster their factions or just to wreak havoc on those Tomb Raiders who come to seek earthly treasures."

He infers that the distinctive skeletons are made with nefarious rituals by the cultic aligned priesthoods. He does not do them, instead 'specialising in 'whole' specimens and the willing or not so willing participants in 'stepping into the Afterlife'.

"So, they will enter the pit then? To be reborn? Is that how it works?"

"They are as reborn again believers now. But they can assist you entering the Pit if you so desire and complete you sojourn for knowledge and an epiphany of the eternal states."

The Coffin Wights stand, they salute in the same way, grunting and growling. They seem to understand a directive to lead you somewhere and head out of the door. Smokie goes invisible as his ability, Yardie braces himself, taking a step back too. The two Wights wait for you to follow.

Actions please.

[OGRE MAGE]

The waste bin has ash in it which has a distinct pungent aroma, some type of tobacco.

Sven will attempt to go back through his memory trying to figure out what this burnt tobacco might be.

Hard Int Check (15) [4d6]=14

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth backs up to give the wights room to lead them away.

[Spearmint]

Sven will attempt to go back through his memory trying to figure out what this burnt tobacco might be.

you could ask Yardie ...

[OGRE MAGE]

I thought of that, but wanted to make sure I wasn't forgetting something we found earlier.

Sven will take one last good look around the room before following the.......I can't believe it either........undead wights.

"Your hospitality has been a pleasure. May we visit you again, Totenkopf? Is there anything you desire that we could bring you if we can? More of this mind altering leaf, perhaps? Anything for your electrifying friend up there?"

[Spearmint]

"Your hospitality has been a pleasure. May we visit you again, Totenkopf? Is there anything you desire that we could bring you if we can? More of this mind altering leaf, perhaps? Anything for your electrifying friend up there?"

https://www.unseenservant.us/forum/view ... 96#p627096

Yardie, street fighter and one time 'herbalist', camp aide specialising in Jerk Chicken or Goat Curry and never without a pouch of 'reefers', a relaxing aromatic tobacco with sedative or hallucinogenic side effects.

you can check out his npc profile above.

Figuring a trade, the mercenary can be cajoled into handing over his tin of waccy-baccy or rolling one up for Totenkopf.

"Well, my work seems over for today. May your sojourns and pilgrimages come to fruition.

May that which is dead never die."

The flesh-golem 'medical practitioner' takes the gift in lieu of the Wights help and directions. Lighting a smoke up, he goes into the corner cubicle, fixing the strange headphones over his cranium and stands motionless as if in some re-energizing stasis or trance. The Quasi-lightening cackles and dims, pulsating its essence and power into the medical practitioner.

You can snatch the scribbled notes and algebraic formulae notes if you wish.

he doesn't mention the Quasi-lightening as needing anything, perhaps viewing it as integral to the room's function. You can conclude Totenkopf has never experienced life outside the Barrowmaze, being created somehow as a bizarre experiment himself and then tasked with the continuation of 'Undead supply' on behalf of cult factions or some other devilish enterprise. While he looks and may indeed radiate on any detection casting as some 'evil' entity, through the high reaction rolls generated and non-combative approach, he has not reciprocated any hostility in return.

You might also think it not beyond his conscience (if golems have a conscience) that he would just as much taken you as the next 'coffin participants' given the opportunity or cause.

Once you leave the room, the door locks itself. The human and dwarven Wights star at you with feral, gleaming red eyes, drooling slobber from gnashing jaws and grunting as if to say "This way".

The Wights & the Pits knowledge vs 50% [1d100]=29

The lurch northwards, past the next door on the right and the open archway, stopping after 60'ft to look at the ground then leaps over the flagstones, another on tip-toes edges around the wall. The passage continues northwards into the silent, fetid darkness. To the right, another passage which the Wights look to take, halting to make sure you follow.

actions please

[OGRE MAGE]

I have never been so unsure about any in-game idea before in my life. Following these two seems insane, yet I somehow feel compelled to do so.

It is not far but those who seek it may be forever changed. It spews forth the craven filth of the Abyss and swallows the souls of those who look into its depths, though treasures and eternal glories lie at its heart."

Probably because of this. Surely the tattoo hook on one of the earliest NPC's introduced wont be some kind of instant death trap.......right?



After grabbing up the notes and drawings, Sven looks apprehensive, but follows along all the same. He peers through the arched opening as they pass, trying to get an idea of what might be in that room.

When the wights step around the likely unseen pit trap, the mage scribbles notes on his map, marking the exact location where they crossed. "Careful here, fellas. Let's jump over this spot like they did." Roll?

As they walk along, Sven fills in his map. "I wouldn't mind checking out a few of these areas marked on the map, but we might need to come back here to do that after we've seen this pit."

back map.jpg (83.3 KiB) Viewed 94 times

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth follows along, very much unsettled and ready for combat at any moment.

This is borderline suicidal but not sure what isn't at this point. Not sure we have any chance against the 2 wights. No way would NG Orgoth jump in any evil pit to be "Changed" so expecting this to turn very ugly at some point.

[Spearmint]

This is borderline suicidal but not sure what isn't at this point. Not sure we have any chance against the 2 wights. No way would NG Orgoth jump in any evil pit to be "Changed" so expecting this to turn very ugly at some point.

Certainly thoughts echoed by Yardie.

The tattoo map is possibly a little out on scale, but gives tye correct details otherwise. The two doors (Totenkopf room & the next) are 20'ft apart, two squares to the archway, two more to the pit (standard 3d6 vs Dex to jump/tiptoe across pit when not under stress), two more squares to the left passage turn.

Pit stop: vs Dex: Sven [3d6]=6 Orgoth [3d6]=6 Yardie [3d6]=10 crossing with ease ...

There is a door immediately on your right, a standard crypt door. Opposite that is an L shaped wall, lined with small burial alcoves stuffed with bones and rotted linens. In the corner of the L, opposite the door is an open pit that emanates a heady, sweet smell. The two Wights pause on the edge as you keep up, looking in and pointing to some feature of interest below.

Across the hall is another crypt door and a passage to the south that ends abruptly with a mouldy thick curtain hung across the passage blocking any view beyond. R.I.P area

Clinging to the top of the curtain pole is a dark halfling figure, as rotted and bleak as your two undead companions. It to has feral red eyes and gnashes its teeth, gibbering in infernal tongues. It seems to have retained a portion of his former vocational gifts while alive, practising climbing the curtain and pole in primate fashion and jumping down to tumble in rogue fashion and sneak on tiptoes along the wall before leaping upon the curtain again.

It sees you with the two Wights, snarling but not directly aggressive and keeps to his repetitive sneak skill practises.

Smokie remains invisible, empathetically communicating his own discomfort and growing unease of the current area and encounter.

Yardie strings his bow, nocking a silvered arrow, thankful for an effective weapon if needed. He nods to Orgoth suggesting a 'Shield Bash' solution to halve any problems if you want to knock one Wight into the pit.

actions please

[Rex]

Orgoth

Does Orgoth know if Yardie is proficient with the spear or long sword?

Edited question.

[OGRE MAGE]

I think these pits are in the correct locations on the map.

back map.jpg (84.88 KiB) Viewed 86 times

Again, lets see what the DM has laid out for us before jumping to any conclusions.

Sven shakes his head at the proposed nudge, thinking aggression here will bring the third wight upon us as well. He tries to determine if this former halfling looks familiar.

"It looks like our guides will be more beneficial than we thought," he says weakly, as if he didn't really believe the words himself.

He looks into the pit after the wights motion in that direction, hoping to find anything that may help them escape eventually.

He looks to the wights and points at the filthy curtain. "Do you know what lies beyond?"

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth stays back from the pit edge, keeping the wights between him and the pit for now. Waiting to see what happens next.

[Spearmint]

Yardie can use a spear and longsword without proficiency penalty.

Pit pictures are accurate.

You cannot tell at this range of any familiarity regarding the Wightish halfling. another Seeker
from Totenkopf?

He looks into the pit after the wights motion in that direction, hoping to find anything that may help them escape eventually.

He looks to the wights and points at the filthy curtain. "Do you know what lies beyond?"

You look into the pit which descends perhaps thirty feet and a set of mossy covered sharpened spikes. The moss, a gaudish purple colour ehects the heady spores that carry the sweetened and soporific scent. On the edge if the pit, the Undead are unaffected by such perils, pointing to the impaled body below that the mossy growth covers. A former comrade perhaps?

Still living, Sven and Yardie do come under the effects though the enchanted mask allows Sven to breathe at ease and not be overcome. The mercenary however droops quickly, dropping the bow at his feet and swooning head over heels below. He is abruptly shocked awake as he falls upon a spike that skewers him through the chest and Yardie gasps his last, -10hp, bleeding out below.

Yardie: 14+ Saving Throws [1d20]=6 Pit stop spikes [3d6]=10

Actions please



The two Wights gawp, unable to communicate to Sven, gibbering in some Infernal tongue. They remain impassive to the mercenary's plight.

[OGRE MAGE]

Yardie gasps his last, -10hp

So, Yardie is dead?

If not, can we get a Hit Point update, please?

[Spearmint]

No, he is on -1hp/9hp.

He is a 1st level Fighter, his profile in the NPC thread. Injured npc's use the same dying house rules as characters do, so bleed out and die at -10hp.

Current Health Status:

Sven: 16/16hp (20/20 with Smokie)
Orgoth: 33/33hp
Yardie: -1/9hp

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth's only available healing is 2 first aid kits requiring a roll against his 10 Wisdom (with his helm on). He is also not likely to be immune to the odor that got Yardie and would also need to make a saving throw.

[OGRE MAGE]

We don't really need help burning through our limited resources, so can we have the NPC's remain in the background from now on like they are in the other threads? Though this actually strengthens my belief that there must be some important reason to locate this Pit, even if it seems suicidal to us as players.

Sven tosses one end of his rope to Orgoth, certain he understands what to do by now, since dropping into pits seems to have become our specialty down here.

He casts his spell of Levitation upon himself... 2nd Level Spell Retention (INT 15) [4d6+2]=13+2=15 ...and drops over the edge, preparing the potion he was safekeeping in case Orgoth ever went down.

Pulling their faithful henchman off the spikes and securing the rope around him, Sven floats his friend back up to the top with the aid from Orgoth, moving him out of the spores range before administering the healing liquid.

If possible, Sven will return to the pit with the rope to secure the other body for recovery. If the mold doesn't attack in any way, he searches the pit thoroughly, securing a sample of it in an empty jar for future study.

Potion of Healing removed from sheet

[Spearmint]

Yardie was just inquisitive ...

Spell retention in the Barrowmaze incurs a +1 from eerie atmosphere on top of the +1 per spell level.

The Purple Moss is 'a creature', once a victim falls within its region, it grows to spread over them, affecting their breathing until suffocated. But you can levitate up and down over the spell duration to bring Yardie out, treat him on the sides and recover the other body and gear. You can shake off any clinging spores.

Roll the Potion Healing, then I will update.

[Rex]

Orgoth

Orgoth anchors the rope as Sven works. Trying to keep watch as he does.

[OGRE MAGE]

Damn stoner!!!

Potion of Healing [2d4+2]=7+2=9

Levitation spell marked as used