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The Fall of Civilization
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<blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 5056310" data-attributes="member: 1210"><p>The other hallway quickly leads to doors and more passageways. Our heroes take to the right and find another bunch of the silver-skinned elf-things guarding a stairway up, alongside a terrible dwarven construct called a slaughterstone eviscerator. After a fierce battle, joined by a night hag from a neighboring room, the party overcomes their adversaries. </p><p></p><p>But it is a way up, and presumably out! The party heads up- but, to their disappointment, it leads merely to another dark chamber.</p><p></p><p>“Wait,” says Cook. “There is too much unexplored behind us. We should make an area safe in case we must rest here.”</p><p></p><p>This seems logical, so the party descends and goes back to the strange art gallery in order to follow the other passageway, one that they have not yet explored, exiting the chamber. This proves to cross over a large cavern <em>below</em> the passageway- it functions as a bridge. The ceiling is 10’ above the walkway, which is 40’ above the floor of the chamber itself, visible in the glow of Torinn’s sun rod. Bats hang above the party; below them, our heroes can hear the buzzing of strange, subterranean insect life. A rich rotten smell rises up from the lower area. Strange fungus grows abundantly on the floor of the cavern. A pool of water completes the chamber. Water drips down into it from the ceiling above. </p><p></p><p>The passage continues into the wall beyond the great cavern, and our heroes march out. After roughly another hundred feet, the passageway T’s; the right hand branch thrusts out about 10’ into another huge open chamber, and again the passage is located 40’ up in the air. Since it is so close (the left-hand passage turns right in the distance), the party steps out to the hallway’s final span and looks into the chamber. </p><p></p><p>Below, faintly lit by phosphorescent fungi, is a vast cavern. Milling restlessly around at the bottom is a mass of something... Torinn moves forward, casting light from the rod down below. It is a thick herd of bison-like beasts: rothe. The room is covered in fungus of all kinds. Moreover, half-devoured, rotting rothe corpses are spread throughout the room in about a dozen places. </p><p></p><p>“Cheerful,” comments Heimall.</p><p></p><p>Something in the shadows moves- and takes flight!</p><p></p><p>“What the-“</p><p></p><p>Suddenly the ground pitches, hurling those close to the end of the hallway to their feet and nearly tumbling them off the edge! </p><p></p><p>“What just happened?” exclaims Hkatha.</p><p></p><p>Vann-La cries, “Gargoyles!”</p><p></p><p>“Those aren’t gargoyles,” says Ligir, “those are <em>margoyles!</em> Except for that one wearing a cape- and I think it somehow made the ground quake!”</p><p></p><p>Indeed. The cape-wearing gargoyle hurls <em>stone bolts</em> at the party, and periodically it makes the ground twist and buck beneath them, trying to push them off the edge. The margoyles fly in and try to mash our heroes into the ground, attacking with tremendous fierceness. Both Shakgar and Heimall end up pitched down to the ground below, and the herd of rothe spooks and begins stampeding around them. </p><p></p><p>The fight is fraught with danger; the enemy can fly about the room, easily evading the party’s melee attacks. Even so, our heroes eventually prevail, slaying the gargoyle and margoyles. They take the cape- which Iggy, after a few moments, proclaims to be a <em>cloak of resistance +4</em>- and search the ledge that had been the lair of the monsters. There they find 1450 sp and 285 gp. Not bad for half an hour’s work!</p><p></p><p>“We should probably search down below as well,” comments Shakgar.</p><p></p><p>“All we’re going to find is dead rothe,” says Iggy.</p><p></p><p>“It’s worth a look,” opines Summer.</p><p></p><p>Their search actually turns up a secret door. “Told you so,” Shakgar says with a chuckle.</p><p></p><p>The secret door leads to a narrow passage that ends in another secret door. This opens on the floor of the other huge cavern that they passed over. So they return, then get back up on to the passageway and follow it back the other way. </p><p></p><p>The passage turns and empties into a room with a large number of beautiful crystal formations growing in it, resembling nothing so much as a bed of flowers. Then it connects to the night hag’s room. </p><p></p><p>“Now what?” wonders Summer.</p><p></p><p>“We can go up those stairs,” says Iggy.</p><p></p><p>“We still haven’t fully explored this level,” notes Vann-La. </p><p></p><p>“Do we need to?”</p><p></p><p>“Oi, before we do anything,” Cook declares, “we should freshen up. Iggy and Hkatha, do you not have the magical ability to remove the dirt and grime from us? Would it not be better if we smelled more pleasant?”</p><p></p><p>“Good point,” nods Hkatha. The two wizards use their <em>prestidigitation</em> to clean everyone up; only Shakgar does not seem refreshed by the act. </p><p></p><p>“Where,” wonders Torinn, “is Arawn? Do we need to go up- or down? Is he in this dungeon?”</p><p></p><p>The discussion resumes. Hkatha states, “If we go up, maybe we’ll be at the surface and will be able to tell more about what’s going on.”</p><p></p><p>“I bet he’s at the bottom of this place,” says Heimall. </p><p></p><p>“I wonder what this place was.”</p><p></p><p>Torinn cocks his head. “You know, it kind of reminds me of tales of Lester’s old School of Adventures. Maybe this whole place is a testing ground for adventurers.”</p><p></p><p>“It’s possible. A strange concept, but possible.” Iggy strokes his chin. “Why don’t we check and see whether the way up gets us anywhere? We know where it is, and it’s got to be faster than that elevator going down will be.”</p><p></p><p>“Let’s do <em>something,</em>” growls Shakgar.</p><p></p><p>Up the stairs it is, then. The party goes back to where they fought the slaughterstone eviscerator and its fellow guards and ascends. At the top, they find themselves in a 30’ square room. The walls resemble a concrete of soil, stone, clay and pebbles mixed together, along with bits of other stuff, including bones and tattered bits of leather. </p><p></p><p>“Ugh,” comments Torinn.</p><p></p><p>”This place has been reshaped by magic, I can sense it,” Iggy mutters. Torinn and Hkatha nod agreement. “And it seems... distasteful to me.” </p><p></p><p>Then, suddenly, the walls to either side bulge- and gruesome grey arms extrude from both of them! Rotten and foul, clearly not alive- a terrible stink now bubbling from the walls themselves- </p><p></p><p>“Ware the walls!” shouts Vann-La.</p><p></p><p>“They’re undead,” shouts Torinn. “So-called living walls!”</p><p></p><p>Something steps through each wall: a hulking abomination of fleshy parts sewn and bolted together. </p><p></p><p>“Crap,” moans Iggy. “Flesh golems.”</p><p></p><p><em><strong>Next Time:</strong></em> Our heroes try to fight their way up!</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="the Jester, post: 5056310, member: 1210"] The other hallway quickly leads to doors and more passageways. Our heroes take to the right and find another bunch of the silver-skinned elf-things guarding a stairway up, alongside a terrible dwarven construct called a slaughterstone eviscerator. After a fierce battle, joined by a night hag from a neighboring room, the party overcomes their adversaries. But it is a way up, and presumably out! The party heads up- but, to their disappointment, it leads merely to another dark chamber. “Wait,” says Cook. “There is too much unexplored behind us. We should make an area safe in case we must rest here.” This seems logical, so the party descends and goes back to the strange art gallery in order to follow the other passageway, one that they have not yet explored, exiting the chamber. This proves to cross over a large cavern [i]below[/i] the passageway- it functions as a bridge. The ceiling is 10’ above the walkway, which is 40’ above the floor of the chamber itself, visible in the glow of Torinn’s sun rod. Bats hang above the party; below them, our heroes can hear the buzzing of strange, subterranean insect life. A rich rotten smell rises up from the lower area. Strange fungus grows abundantly on the floor of the cavern. A pool of water completes the chamber. Water drips down into it from the ceiling above. The passage continues into the wall beyond the great cavern, and our heroes march out. After roughly another hundred feet, the passageway T’s; the right hand branch thrusts out about 10’ into another huge open chamber, and again the passage is located 40’ up in the air. Since it is so close (the left-hand passage turns right in the distance), the party steps out to the hallway’s final span and looks into the chamber. Below, faintly lit by phosphorescent fungi, is a vast cavern. Milling restlessly around at the bottom is a mass of something... Torinn moves forward, casting light from the rod down below. It is a thick herd of bison-like beasts: rothe. The room is covered in fungus of all kinds. Moreover, half-devoured, rotting rothe corpses are spread throughout the room in about a dozen places. “Cheerful,” comments Heimall. Something in the shadows moves- and takes flight! “What the-“ Suddenly the ground pitches, hurling those close to the end of the hallway to their feet and nearly tumbling them off the edge! “What just happened?” exclaims Hkatha. Vann-La cries, “Gargoyles!” “Those aren’t gargoyles,” says Ligir, “those are [i]margoyles![/i] Except for that one wearing a cape- and I think it somehow made the ground quake!” Indeed. The cape-wearing gargoyle hurls [i]stone bolts[/i] at the party, and periodically it makes the ground twist and buck beneath them, trying to push them off the edge. The margoyles fly in and try to mash our heroes into the ground, attacking with tremendous fierceness. Both Shakgar and Heimall end up pitched down to the ground below, and the herd of rothe spooks and begins stampeding around them. The fight is fraught with danger; the enemy can fly about the room, easily evading the party’s melee attacks. Even so, our heroes eventually prevail, slaying the gargoyle and margoyles. They take the cape- which Iggy, after a few moments, proclaims to be a [i]cloak of resistance +4[/i]- and search the ledge that had been the lair of the monsters. There they find 1450 sp and 285 gp. Not bad for half an hour’s work! “We should probably search down below as well,” comments Shakgar. “All we’re going to find is dead rothe,” says Iggy. “It’s worth a look,” opines Summer. Their search actually turns up a secret door. “Told you so,” Shakgar says with a chuckle. The secret door leads to a narrow passage that ends in another secret door. This opens on the floor of the other huge cavern that they passed over. So they return, then get back up on to the passageway and follow it back the other way. The passage turns and empties into a room with a large number of beautiful crystal formations growing in it, resembling nothing so much as a bed of flowers. Then it connects to the night hag’s room. “Now what?” wonders Summer. “We can go up those stairs,” says Iggy. “We still haven’t fully explored this level,” notes Vann-La. “Do we need to?” “Oi, before we do anything,” Cook declares, “we should freshen up. Iggy and Hkatha, do you not have the magical ability to remove the dirt and grime from us? Would it not be better if we smelled more pleasant?” “Good point,” nods Hkatha. The two wizards use their [i]prestidigitation[/i] to clean everyone up; only Shakgar does not seem refreshed by the act. “Where,” wonders Torinn, “is Arawn? Do we need to go up- or down? Is he in this dungeon?” The discussion resumes. Hkatha states, “If we go up, maybe we’ll be at the surface and will be able to tell more about what’s going on.” “I bet he’s at the bottom of this place,” says Heimall. “I wonder what this place was.” Torinn cocks his head. “You know, it kind of reminds me of tales of Lester’s old School of Adventures. Maybe this whole place is a testing ground for adventurers.” “It’s possible. A strange concept, but possible.” Iggy strokes his chin. “Why don’t we check and see whether the way up gets us anywhere? We know where it is, and it’s got to be faster than that elevator going down will be.” “Let’s do [i]something,[/i]” growls Shakgar. Up the stairs it is, then. The party goes back to where they fought the slaughterstone eviscerator and its fellow guards and ascends. At the top, they find themselves in a 30’ square room. The walls resemble a concrete of soil, stone, clay and pebbles mixed together, along with bits of other stuff, including bones and tattered bits of leather. “Ugh,” comments Torinn. ”This place has been reshaped by magic, I can sense it,” Iggy mutters. Torinn and Hkatha nod agreement. “And it seems... distasteful to me.” Then, suddenly, the walls to either side bulge- and gruesome grey arms extrude from both of them! Rotten and foul, clearly not alive- a terrible stink now bubbling from the walls themselves- “Ware the walls!” shouts Vann-La. “They’re undead,” shouts Torinn. “So-called living walls!” Something steps through each wall: a hulking abomination of fleshy parts sewn and bolted together. “Crap,” moans Iggy. “Flesh golems.” [i][b]Next Time:[/b][/i][b][/b] Our heroes try to fight their way up! [/QUOTE]
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