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Olaf the Stout's Story Hour - "Shackled to the Age of Worms"
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<blockquote data-quote="Olaf the Stout" data-source="post: 6230611" data-attributes="member: 13703"><p><strong><u>Session 6 - The Whispering Cairn</u></strong> </p><p></p><p>As scribed by Roku Gimball</p><p></p><p>We continue forward – past 2 small alcoves in the walls which seem built to hold clothing hanging from pegs. There have been several similar findings to this since we began this strange journey. We carefully descend the steps ahead, to find our way barred by floodwater before we reach the stairs base.</p><p></p><p>A large wall blocks our view just a few feet ahead, so Aramil moves into the water to try and see around it. He is attacked by a small water elemental but kills it easily – and is able to report back to us that there appears to be a small opening in the side wall of the room – perhaps a way through. Traeven refuses to join us as we swim and walk clumsily through the 8 foot deep water. He is clearly terrified down here in these dark and sinister passages.</p><p></p><p>We find another small room with niches in the walls – it appears to be yet another area for the changing of ones vestments. There is another dead Seeker in here – long passed some half a century. And we also find the missing red lantern which I happily stash in my pack.</p><p></p><p>As we leave Aramil is attacked by a ghoul, and goes down before Ezio is able to kill it. We search the area thoroughly, finding some coins and a ‘Seeker’ ring.</p><p></p><p>We return to the ‘sarcophagus’ room, collecting Traeven as we go – and decide to investigate the Blue corridor more carefully. Earlier we had noticed a dead body at the end – with many fractured bones as if it had fallen some distance.</p><p></p><p>We collect dry fuel and light all the lanterns, but aside from a disorienting effect from the multi-coloured lights flashing, this elicits no change at all.</p><p></p><p>The ceiling appears somewhat higher over the end of the Blue corridor, where the broken body lies, so Ezio throws his grappling hook up to see if we can ascend. It holds- so we climb up to find a narrow passage some 70 feet long ending in a large human statue. The walkway appears to disappear into its silent screaming mouth.</p><p></p><p>Drag marks in the floor leading back over the edge to the Blue corridor below make us very wary of what lies ahead. Clearly we must be most careful not to follow in the path of the unfortunate corpse below us.</p><p></p><p>Traeven finds a pressure plate trap in the floor beneath our feet, some 10 or 20 feet before we reach the mouth of the statue. He uses all his considerable ability to disable it, but is still unsuccessful.</p><p></p><p>There seems no way forward – so we return down the rope. We move the sarcophagus around to all the points – cylinders rise at the Indigo corridor where we find a few more coins and a ruby gem stone, and at the Yellow corridor where we find the wolfs body untouched. We place it in the Indigo cylinder and the cylinder descends. We hear crunching noises, and rotate the sarcophagus fully again to check the wolfs body. It has been crushed and broken by a great force.</p><p></p><p>With no better idea as to how to proceed, we return to consult with Allustan. He is intrigued by the copies and rubbings from the small arcane symbol we found earlier and offers us some gold for them and the shards of broken black glass. He suggests the following – we should keep the lanterns. They may be ‘the key to unlocking another area’.</p><p></p><p>Allustan says he will investigate the Vaati, and tells us of other cairns in the area, the Cairns of the Wind Duke, known to be trickily built to hide the true tomb from raiders and looters. He he suggests the sarcophagus is likely to be a false tomb, and there are probably many false leads in these tombs.</p><p></p><p>Perhaps the area downstairs is the real tomb, perhaps the upper area. The sophisticated traps suggest we may be on the right track – but he counsels to be wary that a strong wind may emanate from the mouth of the statue, blowing intruders over the edge to their doom.</p><p></p><p>Allustan is also concerned about the growing number of ‘Seeker’ bodies. The Seekers have clearly been on this hunt for decades and they must surely be aware of the loss of a large number of their companions. There is no time to lose.</p><p></p><p>We must rest for the night however. </p><p></p><p>One of the rings we found earlier is identified as a “Ring of Feather Fall” – and we decide that Traeven is the logical member of the party to hold this precious item. We make haste early the next morning, buying torches and lamp oil and quickly returning to the sarcophagus room.</p><p></p><p>We spend a frustrating time lighting the lanterns, turning the sarcophagus to the correct orientation as depicted by the fresco – for no effect at all.</p><p></p><p>We return up the rope to the statues mouth – and this time Traeven is successful in disabling the trap – but still our way is barred. The statues mouth, which appeared to be a tunnel, is actually completely blocked and we can find no way through.</p><p></p><p>But finally, when we re-light the lanterns below and return, the blockage is gone and the way forward revealed.</p><p></p><p>A 3 foot wide beam stretches before us, spanning an open chasm. We can vaguely discern small fist-sized spheres below, but have no idea how far below us is the floor. The beam stretches some 50 feet across to a portal of some kind – and the walls on the sides are pocked with dozens of holes, suspiciously similar in size to the spheres we see below. This appears very like a fairground shooting gallery, and we the hapless targets.</p><p></p><p>Traeven's acute sense of danger warns him against traversing the beam too far – and we decide instead to lower him slowly down to see if he can find the floor. He sinks a foot or so into the spheres and finds a solid surface – but as he moves across the balls begin to fire out from the walls and he must shelter under the beam. Then he is attacked by a grick – a disgusting beast with flailing tentacles.</p><p></p><p>We pull Traeven out. The grick follows and we kill it after a brief, bloody battle.</p><p></p><p>Then, we suddenly hear an eerie voice, seeming to materialize from the air around us. The translucent body of a young teenage boy shimmers into existence in the room, saying “I thought you would all die just like the others”.</p><p></p><p>He has long black fingernails, tattered farmers clothing and a crazed demonic look in his eye.</p><p></p><p>He attempts to make a deal with us. He tells us his name is Alastor Land. He says he’s been here for decades, trapped by a curse and punished for abandoning his family in need.</p><p></p><p>He tells us that beyond the portal we see at the other end of the beam, is a ‘pillar of air’. The portal will only open from the other side – and he will open it for us if we will collect his bones from this place and return them to his family’s farm – to be interred there with the rest of his loved ones. This will free him from the curse.</p><p></p><p>He directs us to where his bones lie and as we search we find a few more coins and some useful armour. Apparently his family farm is only some 10 minutes walk from Diamond Lake.</p><p></p><p>We seem to be out of options. There is no other way through the portal we see ahead, and I have sympathy for this tormented soul. We agree – gather up his remains as best we can and make our way to the farm at our best speed.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Olaf the Stout, post: 6230611, member: 13703"] [B][U]Session 6 - The Whispering Cairn[/U][/B] As scribed by Roku Gimball We continue forward – past 2 small alcoves in the walls which seem built to hold clothing hanging from pegs. There have been several similar findings to this since we began this strange journey. We carefully descend the steps ahead, to find our way barred by floodwater before we reach the stairs base. A large wall blocks our view just a few feet ahead, so Aramil moves into the water to try and see around it. He is attacked by a small water elemental but kills it easily – and is able to report back to us that there appears to be a small opening in the side wall of the room – perhaps a way through. Traeven refuses to join us as we swim and walk clumsily through the 8 foot deep water. He is clearly terrified down here in these dark and sinister passages. We find another small room with niches in the walls – it appears to be yet another area for the changing of ones vestments. There is another dead Seeker in here – long passed some half a century. And we also find the missing red lantern which I happily stash in my pack. As we leave Aramil is attacked by a ghoul, and goes down before Ezio is able to kill it. We search the area thoroughly, finding some coins and a ‘Seeker’ ring. We return to the ‘sarcophagus’ room, collecting Traeven as we go – and decide to investigate the Blue corridor more carefully. Earlier we had noticed a dead body at the end – with many fractured bones as if it had fallen some distance. We collect dry fuel and light all the lanterns, but aside from a disorienting effect from the multi-coloured lights flashing, this elicits no change at all. The ceiling appears somewhat higher over the end of the Blue corridor, where the broken body lies, so Ezio throws his grappling hook up to see if we can ascend. It holds- so we climb up to find a narrow passage some 70 feet long ending in a large human statue. The walkway appears to disappear into its silent screaming mouth. Drag marks in the floor leading back over the edge to the Blue corridor below make us very wary of what lies ahead. Clearly we must be most careful not to follow in the path of the unfortunate corpse below us. Traeven finds a pressure plate trap in the floor beneath our feet, some 10 or 20 feet before we reach the mouth of the statue. He uses all his considerable ability to disable it, but is still unsuccessful. There seems no way forward – so we return down the rope. We move the sarcophagus around to all the points – cylinders rise at the Indigo corridor where we find a few more coins and a ruby gem stone, and at the Yellow corridor where we find the wolfs body untouched. We place it in the Indigo cylinder and the cylinder descends. We hear crunching noises, and rotate the sarcophagus fully again to check the wolfs body. It has been crushed and broken by a great force. With no better idea as to how to proceed, we return to consult with Allustan. He is intrigued by the copies and rubbings from the small arcane symbol we found earlier and offers us some gold for them and the shards of broken black glass. He suggests the following – we should keep the lanterns. They may be ‘the key to unlocking another area’. Allustan says he will investigate the Vaati, and tells us of other cairns in the area, the Cairns of the Wind Duke, known to be trickily built to hide the true tomb from raiders and looters. He he suggests the sarcophagus is likely to be a false tomb, and there are probably many false leads in these tombs. Perhaps the area downstairs is the real tomb, perhaps the upper area. The sophisticated traps suggest we may be on the right track – but he counsels to be wary that a strong wind may emanate from the mouth of the statue, blowing intruders over the edge to their doom. Allustan is also concerned about the growing number of ‘Seeker’ bodies. The Seekers have clearly been on this hunt for decades and they must surely be aware of the loss of a large number of their companions. There is no time to lose. We must rest for the night however. One of the rings we found earlier is identified as a “Ring of Feather Fall” – and we decide that Traeven is the logical member of the party to hold this precious item. We make haste early the next morning, buying torches and lamp oil and quickly returning to the sarcophagus room. We spend a frustrating time lighting the lanterns, turning the sarcophagus to the correct orientation as depicted by the fresco – for no effect at all. We return up the rope to the statues mouth – and this time Traeven is successful in disabling the trap – but still our way is barred. The statues mouth, which appeared to be a tunnel, is actually completely blocked and we can find no way through. But finally, when we re-light the lanterns below and return, the blockage is gone and the way forward revealed. A 3 foot wide beam stretches before us, spanning an open chasm. We can vaguely discern small fist-sized spheres below, but have no idea how far below us is the floor. The beam stretches some 50 feet across to a portal of some kind – and the walls on the sides are pocked with dozens of holes, suspiciously similar in size to the spheres we see below. This appears very like a fairground shooting gallery, and we the hapless targets. Traeven's acute sense of danger warns him against traversing the beam too far – and we decide instead to lower him slowly down to see if he can find the floor. He sinks a foot or so into the spheres and finds a solid surface – but as he moves across the balls begin to fire out from the walls and he must shelter under the beam. Then he is attacked by a grick – a disgusting beast with flailing tentacles. We pull Traeven out. The grick follows and we kill it after a brief, bloody battle. Then, we suddenly hear an eerie voice, seeming to materialize from the air around us. The translucent body of a young teenage boy shimmers into existence in the room, saying “I thought you would all die just like the others”. He has long black fingernails, tattered farmers clothing and a crazed demonic look in his eye. He attempts to make a deal with us. He tells us his name is Alastor Land. He says he’s been here for decades, trapped by a curse and punished for abandoning his family in need. He tells us that beyond the portal we see at the other end of the beam, is a ‘pillar of air’. The portal will only open from the other side – and he will open it for us if we will collect his bones from this place and return them to his family’s farm – to be interred there with the rest of his loved ones. This will free him from the curse. He directs us to where his bones lie and as we search we find a few more coins and some useful armour. Apparently his family farm is only some 10 minutes walk from Diamond Lake. We seem to be out of options. There is no other way through the portal we see ahead, and I have sympathy for this tormented soul. We agree – gather up his remains as best we can and make our way to the farm at our best speed. [/QUOTE]
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Olaf the Stout's Story Hour - "Shackled to the Age of Worms"
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