Chapter 10: The Crypt of Everlasting Life

[Inferno]

Chapter 10: The Crypt of Everlasting Life

Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Dawn. 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia







"Zargoth!"

And then the explorers woke up, his name upon their lips.

The nightmare had been so real, they check their bodies for the fatal wounds they had suffered.

It is soon apparent that they all had the same dream, even those who slept earlier and are now on watch; they didn't remember the dream until this very moment when they heard his name and it all came flooding back in a powerful wave of deja vu.

Night has passed without earthly incident. Everyone who had breathed the Mists of Osorus is completely healed, at least in body.


Actions? Amethu, please roll to heal a hit point. Casters may now study and replenish their spells. XP awards to come tomorrow.


Map Detail:

Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.





PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 6/10, Spells: 3/6 1st lvl
  Arthfael Griogarach: Cimmerian Northman Druid 3: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 17/17, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 3/4 2nd lvl and 1/2 3rd lvl, Lantern
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 2: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 18/18, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 7/7, Spells: 0/2 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 18/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 2: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 6/6, Spells: 1/2 1st lvl
  Soruk: Verulian Osoran Cleric/Fighter 1/1: Move: 12", AC: 6(5), HP: 9/9, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 2: Move: 16", AC: 8, HP: 12/12
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 2: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 16/16

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Healing Mists of Osorus (All except Amethu and Zahra): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[wordoftheoracle]

Loche awakens with a start! He jumps up and whips out his dagger.

If ye a' dreamed whit ah did, we need tae git th' hell oot o' 'ere!

Translation:

If you all dreamed what I did, we need to get the Hell out of here!

He looks around desperately for agreement among the party. He doesn’t even know how they’d leave the pyramid. He is truly shaken.

[ravenn4544]

Amethu simply stares out of the eye holes of his mask and tries to fathom what had happened. Such a vivid nightmare.... he tries to shake that off and rest his mind to try and recover what strength he can muster to face what must be inevitably coming to consume them.

Con (8): [1d100] = 27

[ChubbyPixie]

HAHAhahaaaaah! So good.

Kiri is shaken by the vision as well, but, as usual, his expression remains neutral. He sits quietly for a moment in contemplation before saying "Zar... the fiend may have unintentionally aided us by revealing the extent of his power. Though it is little comfort, at least we now know how prepared we must be before we face him for real." He looks down at his grandfather amulet peering back at him for a moment, then adds "You know, with magic hats and swords and stuff."

[Urson]

Zahra

The albino Amazon has turned an odd shade- more green than pale. This is the enemy, and he taunts us. Let us learn from this horrid dream, and use it to strengthen our determination. If there was any doubt that we need to seek powerful weapons, this ends that doubt.

She smiles- it should be a fierce smile, showing her courage... but it seems a bit timid.

[Monsieur Rose]

Soruk

He wakes up with a start. That wasn't the first time Zargoth visited him, but it felt the most real. "We art a threat. Zahra is right, we must equip ourselves and taketh the fight to that beast." As he looks around at the group, he sees instead the vicious deaths that were portrayed.

Soruk gets ready for the day and tries to shake off the vivid dream.

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorzen keeps his head low to hide the concerned expression under his mask. He double checks that his forehead is not actually caved in to his teeth, glad to feel everything still in its place. He finally speaks once he is sure the fear has left his voice.

"Agreed! We could either turn around now, and saveth ourselves from that horrible fate, or use this experience to our advantage. It is clear to me that none of us will survive our final battle with the beast without some form of protection. Let us goeth forth now and find what we seek before it is too late."

With that, the monk quickly goes through his morning stretches before leading the group back out of the narrow hall and down the southern passage.

[Zhym]

Arthfael wakes with a start, then shakes his head sadly. "The spirits of this place are tortured," he says. "There is no balance. It must be restored."

[wordoftheoracle]

Loche is taken aback by his companions brave words.

Bugger it. I’ll die wi' th' rest o' ye. Better tae die th'gither than bide alone. Let’s shaw this dick-headed demon whit we kin dae!

Translation:

Fuck it. I’ll die with the rest of you. Better to die together than live alone. Let’s show this dick-headed demon what we can do!

He pauses.

Juist sae wur absolutely clear, you’re a' doolally as jobby!

Translation:

Just so we’re absolutely clear, you’re all crazy as shit!

He pauses again.

That bein' said, let’s send this unicorn demon back tae hell.

Translation

No translation needed. I don’t like TPKs as much as the next guy, so let’s roll a d10 and crank it to 11 and kick some demon ass!

[SocraticLawyer]

Garrin takes a moment to gather his bearings.

"The foul demon fears us," he says with a grim smile. "It tries to scare us away with bad dreams. Truly, we are on the right path. Let us continue. "

When everyone is ready, Garrin leads the group through the west door, to explore the unknown southern hallway.

[Urson]

Zahra

Zahra pauses for a moment, then nods to Garrin. You may be right. If he had no reason to fear us, he would not attempt to frighten us away. Let's continue.

She smiles again, the ferocity back in he eyes.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Mako is quite disturbed a the realistic vision of his nightmare. He take some comfort that he is not alone in this. Speaking to Garrin
"That door? It's the large room with army of skeletons we fought earlier. Loche and I have already travelled through it. It just loops back around."

[SocraticLawyer]

Mako:

Mako is quite disturbed a the realistic vision of his nightmare. He take some comfort that he is not alone in this. Speaking to Garrin
"That door? It's the large room with army of skeletons we fought earlier. Loche and I have already travelled through it. It just loops back around."

Sorry, I meant the door on the west wall from the room with the carrion crawlers. Not our current position.

[Inferno]

Fourth Tier of the Great Pyramid
Lost City of Khemsa, Forgotten Kingdom of Verulia, Great Eastern Desert, the World of Hyboria
Day Four. Morning. 16th day of the month of Yuluk, 1279th year of the Age of Aquilonia







The shocking dream memories of their own brutal slaughter echo powerfully in the adventurers' minds. But Zargoth's nightmare assault has the opposite of its intended effect.

The stalwart explorers are heartened that the demon god of the Great Pyramid fears them and their efforts. Thus emboldened, they do not yield to terror and despair. Instead they are determined to press on, their steadfast conviction only strengthened.

Priests and sorcerers prepare arcane magicks, warriors sharpen steel, and disciples train their bodies. No new plague of undead guardians descend upon them. Soon, they are ready to delve deeper into the maze-like tomb of the ancients, to find the means of Zargoth's destruction.

Xorzen of Osorus joins the front ranks as the explorers tread southward down the silent corridors of antiquity in the wake of the gigantic boulder that had been unleashed by another diabolical trap.



At a turn in the timeless hallway, they find that massive stone sphere, and an open door.


Actions? And casters, if you haven't already done so, please choose your spells. Thanks.


Map:

Lighter areas are visible. All else is from memory.


Map detail:






PC Status:

• Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 2/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 7/10, Spells: 6/6 1st lvl
  Arthfael Griogarach: Cimmerian Northman Druid 3: Move: 12", AC: 6, HP: 17/17, Spells: 5/5 1st lvl, 4/4 2nd lvl and 2/2 3rd lvl, Lantern
  Garrin Locke: Argosian Atlantean Paladin 2: Move: 12", AC: 4(2), HP: 18/18, Laying Hands: 1/1
  Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 1/1: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 12/12, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl
  Loche: Pict Savage Thief 3: Move: 9", AC: 5, HP: 18/18
  Mako: Khitan Easterner Illusionist 3: Move: 12", AC: 7(5), HP: 10/10, Spells: 2/2 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
  Soruk: Verulian Osoran Cleric/Fighter 1/1: Move: 12", AC: 6(5), HP: 9/9, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl
  Xorzen: Verulian Osoran Monk 2: Move: 16", AC: 8, HP: 12/12
  Zahra: Verulian Amazon Fighter 2: Move: 12", AC: 3, HP: 16/16

PC Magic:

• Protection from Evil (Garrin): -2 to AC and +2 to saving throws against evil, in a 10 foot radius around Garrin.
  Healing Mists of Osorus (All except Amethu and Zahra): All lost HP recovered with 8 hours of sleep. Wakeful rest, or sleeping less than 8 hours, enables recovery of 1 HP per hour. Duration: "months."

Player Resources:

• The Struggle To Survive (the story so far)
  Mysteries Strange and Deadly (player clues and notes)
  Hieroglyphs (the story so far, in images)
  An Age Undreamed Of (maps and realms of the World of Hyboria)

[OGRE MAGE]

Xorzen investigates the open doorway for traps on his way past it, then moves to the boulder to determine if it is stuck in place where it sits.

[Urson]

Zahra

Zahra moves to the back of the group, providing security against anything that may follow them down the corridor.

[SocraticLawyer]

After Xorzen clears the doorway, Garrin steps in to the room, ready for danger. I hope!

[wordoftheoracle]

Loche diligently checks for any traps on the door.

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri will flank the door, ready to rush in should it prove to be filled with what now seem to be the inevitable horrors. ”Watch out for bugs,” he says.

[DadsAngry]

Mako:

Waiting for the path to be cleared Mako strikes up a conversation with Soruk. "Soruk do you think Zargoth has his minions reset his traps after they are sprung? I wonder how many minions he would need to move that boulder back into place?"