Chapter 27: The Tower of the Ancients

[hedgeknight]

Asterion

The ranger peers into the darkness of the descending stairwell, sniffs a few times, lights one of his two torches, and looks at the rest of the group. "I'll lead. Best to be as quiet as possible. May the gods of this forsaken hole guide our steps."

Shifting his pack, Asterion eases down the stairwell. He will stop every five or six steps, pausing to listen.

Marked off 1 torch.

[Inferno]

The Ancient Marble Tower, The Ruins of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Twenty-four. Sunset. 3rd day of the month of Ublex, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia






The sun sets over the silent city of the dead.

After their hard work of harvesting snake meat and skin, the explorers of ancient history rest and recover from their lingering injuries.

The night watch passes without incident. A new dawn breaks.

The adventurers have an abundance of food, but no water. If Amethu's astonishing sorcery can resolve that, they could pass through the trapdoor and descend deeper into the tower this morning.




Or they could journey through the distant colonnade to the lake that lies beyond the eastern edge of the ruins of Thracia.




(What'll it be? Please be sure to state your preference.)


Actions? (Everyone heals 2hp overnight, due to Barbarian first aid.
Asterion is fully healed. Everyone else may roll to heal more, as per the house rules.
Amethu and Kiri may memorize or pray for new spells.)


Tower Map:

Tower's diameter is 35 feet.

Ruin Map:

X = Adventurers' position. A = Cliff face trail where the Harpies attacked. B = Ruined temple lair of the giant Cyclops and the unleashed Hydra. C = The Tower of the Ancients.



PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 14/17, Spells: 8/8 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl
Asterion: Argosian Atlantean Ranger 4: Move: 6", AC: 4, HP: 34/34
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 41/54
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 12/25, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 35/38

PC Magic:

None currently.

Player Resources:

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

[hedgeknight]

Asterion

Restless and eager to get out of this small space, the ranger paces like a leopard off and on throughout the night. His dreams are filled with serpentine terrors and foul smelling hags. He often peers through the strange lens, looking into the depths of the city. That is where his companions find him at dawns break. Gnawing on cooked serpent and sipping the last of his water.
"Time to rise and shine, ladies. Are we descending into the bowels of this tower or heading outside. If it's up to me, I'm for some fresh air and open streets."

[jemmus]

Torix again applies his herbal salve to the wounds of injured. We came here. Climb the walls, fight, and get hurt. I like to know what's inside before we go. Not fight and wait to heal just for meat and snake skin.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Cruloc nods in agreement with Asterion.

"A Cimmerian prefers the open sky above his head. But we have scaled the tower and littered its upper reaches with corpses. I would know what lies farther down - that is, if our supplies permit it."

*OoC: belated roll for extra healing: CON 17 = 70% chance to heal an extra HP [1d100]=98
I keep failing that roll.

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri also gets no extra healing:
Chance for Extra Healing (20%): [1d100]=98

And, incidentally, the dice roller erased all his primary info... again.

"If we have water now, I also would like to explore the tower. As we have witnessed, out there is equally dangerous. Let us finish what we started here."

[ravenn4544]

Amethu finishes his morning prayers and bids the group to gather as many water skins as possible. Any other receptacle they can find to catch any additional water would be of benefit - best get our fill before needing our reserves.

When all assembled he casts create water.

As the others organize the water he prays over Kiri to lend some vigor.

Cure Light Wounds [1d8]=4

[Inferno]

The Ancient Marble Tower, The Ruins of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Twenty-five. Dawn. 3rd day of the month of Ublex, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia






With miraculous sorceries of lost Verulia, Amethu heals Kiri (+4hp) and quenches the explorers' thirst, filling every vessel with clear, cold water!

Thus revived, the invaders of antiquity pass through the trapdoor and descend deeper into the mysterious marble tower of the ancients!



Down, down, down they go, following the tight, winding stair to a stone chamber with five identical wooden doors, all shut.

Asterion's flickering torch is the only light. The stale air carries no sound but their own footfalls.


Actions?!


Tower Map:

Tower's diameter is 35 feet.

Behind the DM Screen:

Torix extra healing (50%): [1d100]=12 Yes. And that extra point is doubled due to Barbarian first aid.

PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 14/17, Spells: 6/8 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl
Asterion: Argosian Atlantean Ranger 4: Move: 6", AC: 4, HP: 34/34, Torch
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 41/54
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/25, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 37/38

PC Magic:

None currently.

Player Resources:

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

[jemmus]

Torix's water flagon is taut and tight with Amethu's miraculous pure water. He looks around and sees that the same is true for all of the fighting companions. He thinks, "Five doors. Not four for the four prime directions, North, East, South and West. Not seven for the four and the Above, the Below, and the Center. Not six as the legs of an insect, or eight as the legs of a spider or the fins of a fish. Or none, as the legs of a serpent. Some flowers have five petals. But what druid of plants medicine keep giant snakes in their tower, and let bird-hags brood at the top? The four sacred directions of the Earth-- and one more odd one on top. Sorcery."

The chamber is dark, except for the light of the Argossian Asterion's torch. A frontiersman of the Aquilonians and their encircling allies. He says, Asterion of Argos, you take your torch and we go to the northeast door. What do you think? He looks around at the room-- a lot of strong muscles with a lot of weak heads. Amethu and Kiri warriors strangely dabbling in shamanism and sorcery skills. But no light foot or dexterous door locks fingers person still yet among them. It would have to be rush, hack and slash and slay and luck be damned, if the time came. But who knows what a sorcerer or shaman can do?

[hedgeknight]

Torix - Asterion of Argos, you take your torch and we go to the northeast door. What do you think?

"I think one door is as good as the other," Asterion replies and walks over to the northeast door. Holding his torch close, the ranger examines the door, its facing, and its knob. He looks for recent passage in the dust, whether the door opens inward or outward, and whether anything grows along the wood.

[ChubbyPixie]

Kiri hangs back and examines the ceiling from the doorway.

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

Cruloc slings his pack over one broad shoulder. He tests the heft, then scowls, yanking free a bundle of torches and a fistful of coins, which he drops like dice on an ale-soaked tavern table.

"Take what you will," he invites the party.

"These snakes did not thrive here by chance. Someone fed them, tended them. I'll wager they came up through one of these doors. Let the ranger study the stones and find where they tread."

[ravenn4544]

Amethu holds his position with staff in hand - ready to continue searching for the ancient library below.

[Inferno]

The Ancient Marble Tower, The Ruins of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Twenty-five. Morning. 3rd day of the month of Ublex, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia








Leaving most of their rations behind, the adventurers continue down the winding stairwell and into a chamber whose floor, walls and ceiling seem to be cut out of solid marble, and intricately carved in the masterful style of lost Atlantis.




The ghost-white walls writhe and glow, as if lent life and luminosity by the flickering torch. Kiri finds no lurking terrors lying in wait above.

Asterion, a son of Atlantis, dares enter the stagnant, windowless hall and examines it for telltale signs of life. In the dust on the floor his keen eyes discern strange tracks. Footprints of a man's bare feet, and the cloven hooves of an animal. But the latter do not move with a four-legged gait. Could it be one of the impossible creatures that the Pict savage had described?

Torix relates to the other explorers of Thracia what he and Amethu experienced moments ago:



Shocked at what they see, Amethu and Torix quickly pull themselves up the rope to ascend the white tower, with Torix bringing up the cord behind him!

The unnatural beastmen lope forth, that their prey should not escape!

Then, impossibly, one goat headed creature speaks! It is a language Torix does not know.

Amethu and Torix quickly climb beyond the reach of their axes as the goat thing speaks again!

The tracks strangely follow the walls at a slow pace, as if moving in darkness, and focus upon the stairwell and the northeast and southwest doors. The ranger examines the northeast door and sees that it opens inward. Its hinges are concealed but it holds an iron knob and a well-scratched keyhole plate.

The ranger quietly shares his findings.


Actions?!


Tower Map:

Tower's diameter is 35 feet.



PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 14/17, Spells: 6/8 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl
Asterion: Argosian Atlantean Ranger 4: Move: 6", AC: 4, HP: 34/34, Torch
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 41/54
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/25, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 37/38

PC Magic:

None currently.

Player Resources:

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

[ravenn4544]

Amethu urges caution. In the haste of climbing the tower and the battle at the top, Amethu's attention had been pulled elsewhere. Now, in the quiet of a held breath, he shares his learnings in a whisper.

"Those goat headed creatures from earlier, they speak of escaped slaves. I can only assume it is us they refer to. They refer also that death waits for us here....somewhere."

He pauses a bit as he examines the tracks and the ancient walls. "But if we, humans, are slaves, why do we see two foot prints here - slave and slave master? What waits in the darkness ahead?"

[jemmus]

Torix's slung shoulder satchel bulges with tightly packed giant snake meat. Steak fillets that he and Cimmerian Cruloc had carefully shaved off of the long, long row of ribs. It seems like Cruloc has a particular interest in the hide of the remaining big copper snake. Are there serpents in cold Cimmeria? Snow serpents? Caves of snow serpents, even? The hairs of the barbarian's nape rise with instinctive superstitious fear.

listens to Amethu and quietly asks the masked shaman-sorcerer, Amethu, you speak the language of the goat-head men? Is it Men language or a demon language? But the information is only important to his curiosity about the nature of the Hidden World. And not very important to the task at hand.

He quietly continues to all. Goat hooves and Men feet coming down. Not going up to snake room, to feed snakes. They feed snakes slaves? Snakes eat one time in half a month, maybe. So we don't see old tracks going up?

And goat-man and Men touch the wall going down? Goat-man can't see in dark? And don't have torch? Cages for Men slave food here, behind door? Five doors. He rubs the unshorn hair at his necks and thoughtfully strokes his pointed beard for a quick moment.

Asterion has held his torch close to northeastern door and thoroughly examined it. The Pict nods to the Argosian to acknowledge his noting that the hunter and fisher of the woods found nothing of note at this door. We go? he turns to ask-- only Cruloc and Amethu. Giant warrior wall spider-climbing sorcerer Kiri is not there. No hurry, we wait, he says.

[hedgeknight]

Asterion

The ranger pauses just past the door, waiting for his companions. He backtracks a bit to the door and asks, "Perhaps we should open the other doors and check before going beyond, yes?"

[Yrkoon]

Cruloc

"If we are to make this tower our redoubt, we must put all foes within its walls to the sword. Every door must be opened eventually; it matters not which," Cruloc growls. "We waste time like old men counting their regrets—forward!"

[Inferno]

The Ancient Marble Tower, The Ruins of Thracia, Pictland, the World of Hyboria
Day Twenty-five. Morning. 3rd day of the month of Ublex, 1280th year of the Age of Aquilonia







Surrounded by five identical doors, the five raiders of the ancient past contemplate the riddle in the dust.

Amethu counsels caution and Cruloc, boldness. Torix suggests they should leave and Asterion, that they should remain.

But no deeds are undertaken yet.


Actions?!


Tower Map:

Tower's diameter is 35 feet.



PC Status:

Amethu: Verulian Grand Magus Cleric/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 4, HP: 14/17, Spells: 6/8 1st lvl, 5/5 2nd lvl
Asterion: Argosian Atlantean Ranger 4: Move: 6", AC: 4, HP: 34/34, Torch
Cruloc: Cimmerian Northman Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 4, HP: 41/54
Kiri Khutan: Kambujan Easterner Fighter/Magic-User 4/3: Move: 9", AC: 3, HP: 16/25, Spells: 3/3 1st lvl, 1/1 2nd lvl
Torix: Pict Savage Barbarian 4: Move: 12", AC: 2, HP: 37/38

PC Magic:

None currently.

Player Resources:

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

[jemmus]

Torix, rebuffed by Cimmerian Cruloc's speech, sees the wisdom in it. He has seen forest ranger Asterion's inspection of the ancient towers northeast door. Time to go, he says. Spear in hand, he grasps the ring of the northeast door and moves to fling it open.