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<blockquote data-quote="the Jester" data-source="post: 3916768" data-attributes="member: 1210"><p>The light is grey and thin. Our heroes can barely tell that it is morning. The smell of ash clings to their nostrils. </p><p></p><p>They do not take their time rising; they get up, albeit a little stiffly from the cold, uncomfortable flooring, and shake a few of the kinks from their limbs. They take a few minutes to eat some trail rations, dried fruit and jerky. Then they turn their attentions towards continuing their explorations of the ashen palace that they are trapped within. After only the briefest of discussions, they decide to investigate the dining room that they had previously spotted. A strange table, made from a single flat slab of what appears to be polished black glass, dominates the chamber. Cracked clay plates, pots, bowls and other dishes are set as if a large party was expected for dinner. Several covered plates are set in the center of the table, and the smell of cooked meat wafts from underneath.</p><p></p><p>“That isn’t beef,” Tempeh says, lifting one of the covers from its tray. “It smells good, and it looks like a nice cut of steak, but I don’t know what it is. No way am I eating anything in a place like this!”</p><p></p><p>“No kidding!” agrees Romdar. “This place isn’t exactly... wholesome.”</p><p></p><p>Barouk, meanwhile, is examining the exits. There is a door, as well as two different archways leading out. He moves around the corner of one to take a look and sees a hallway with at least one branch and one doorway in it. <em>Too many choices.</em> He decides to go back and open the door in the dining room. It reveals another hallway with doors on either end. <em>More choices!</em> he grumbles to himself. Skaal moves to join the dwarf as he peers out the other archway. Beyond it is a kitchen. However, despite the hot food under the trays in the dining hall, the kitchen doesn’t seem to have a fire going. On the other hand, there is something spitted over the empty, cold fire pit. Cabinets of ash are along the walls, and metal cooking instruments are strewn about, twisted by heat until they almost resemble torture implements. </p><p></p><p>“Hey,” both Barouk and Skaal say together. They both see it at the same time: the cupboards are moving. The dwarf pulls out and loads his crossbow while Skaal alerts their companions. Everyone stands ready as the cabinet door continues to clatter and shake. </p><p></p><p>Suddenly it bursts open to reveal- a burning rat! Smoke pours out of the cabinet, and flakes of hot ash burst up from the creature. </p><p></p><p>Barouk fires, his crossbow bolt transfixing the creature for a moment before it collapses. Its fire goes out.</p><p></p><p>From the various cupboards and cabinets, three more of the creatures pour forth! They are the size of small dogs. Chittering and squeaking, they rush forward, tearing into Zelda’s flesh. Another spits a lick of flame at Barouk, who dodges nimbly out of the way. But the party is far from helpless in the face of this assault; Tempeh <em>mind thrusts</em> one of the rats, but it remains conscious. Skaal has more luck, slashing down with twin sickles and cutting one of the weird ash rats in two.</p><p></p><p>Romdar observes carefully. <em>They are burning,</em> he thinks, <em>so maybe cold will affect them especially well.</em> Unfortunately, as he fires a <em>ray of frost,</em> he cannot get a clear shot in; there is too much movement, too much action going on! <em>Curse it!</em> he exclaims inwardly. He moves around the dining table, trying to get a better shot, but misses with his second spell too. “Dexter’s eyes!” he swears. Cooper pulls out his sword and jumps up onto the dining room table, moving across it, also trying for a better position. </p><p></p><p>Skaal’s kocho* screeches and steps up, kicking at one of the ash rats. It misses. Then it slashes its beak down, axe-like, and skewers it. The rat squeals and dies.</p><p></p><p>Barouk, meanwhile, is having an interesting contest, wherein he tries to back up, load and fire his crossbow while the ash rat tries to eat his legs. Barouk leaps up as the rat charges in, and it rams its head into the wall, knocking itself senseless! Quickly, Barouk takes advantage of the situation and administers a quick coup de grace. Relative silence falls across the kitchen, broken only by the panting breath of our heroes. </p><p></p><p>“Is everyone relatively okay?” asks Zelda.</p><p></p><p>Nobody denies it. “Then let’s move on,” Romdar suggests. </p><p></p><p>Barouk gestures to one of the kitchen’s walls, which shows a curve. “That has to be another tower,” he announces. “The door out of the dining room leads to a hall with doors at either end. I’d wager that the door to the left goes into that tower.”</p><p></p><p>“Good thinking!” exclaims Romdar. The others nod, and Barouk moves to the door that he believes leads to the tower. He presses his ear against it at first, straining to hear any sounds, but there are none that he can discern. He gives the others a warning look, and then hurls his shoulder against the door with a smash!</p><p></p><p>Unfortunately for him, the door holds. Barouk curses in Dwarven, then tries the knob. The door opens easily. </p><p></p><p>Barouk’s deduction proves correct: the party is staring into one of the palace’s towers. A stone staircase ascends from the level they are on, going out through the ceiling 30’ above. Cold air wafts down from above. Near the exit, about 20’ above them on the stairs, the party can see what appears to be an open chest of gold.</p><p></p><p>“Hey!” exclaims Barouk. “Gold!”</p><p></p><p>He begins to advance up the stairs immediately, but just before he reaches the chest, the stairs twist into the wall. With a wail, Barouk falls with bone-jarring force on the ground.</p><p></p><p>“Are you all right?” cries Tempeh. Skaal hurries over and casts a <em>cure light wounds</em> spell on his dwarven friend.</p><p></p><p>“I’ll live,” Barouk grunts. He climbs gingerly to his feet, testing his ankles; he sprained one in the fall. Fortunately, the druid’s spell seems to have repaired the damage easily. He glares at the chest above. After a moment, he says, “Well, I can climb up there... anyone have a rope?”</p><p></p><p>“I do,” nods Skaal. “I can throw it to you once you’re up there.”</p><p></p><p>“I’ll tie it off, and we can all climb up,” Barouk declares. Carefully, he feels the ashen wall for cracks and slowly begins to ascend. When he reaches the level of the chest- and the stairs above it- he tests it gingerly with one foot before stepping on with his full weight. Then he ties the rope around the chest itself, as well as around the stub of one of the steps that has twisted, and then tosses it down to his companions. Within a few more minutes, the others have all climbed up to the chest and the non-trapped stairs, either via the ramp or the rope. Several of them take a few falls on the way, but nobody is badly wounded. </p><p></p><p>Tempeh examines the coins. “I’d say that there are about 500 coins here...” She pauses, squints and picks one of them up. She scrapes a fingernail across the surface and frowns.</p><p></p><p>“What is it?” asks Cooper.</p><p></p><p>“We’ve been suckered,” she sighs. “These are copper pieces painted gold.”</p><p></p><p>Barouk barks a laugh. “Well, I got hurt for that copper. We’re going to take it anyway!” The party dumps out the chest and divides the coins amongst themselves. </p><p></p><p>The party continues their ascent. As they ascend to the second level of the tower, they pass arrow slits in the walls that allow them to see a little bit of the courtyard outside, though the view is somewhat obstructed by ash. The party continues up through the third tower level, which is also cut by arrow slits. At the top of the stairs is a doorway. Barouk throws it open- and our heroes find themselves looking out at the burnt rooftop of the weird palace. The footing looks treacherous and uncertain here; the ‘floor’- really the roof- is burnt to ash and holed in places. Two catapults rest on the ceiling before the party; beside each is a pile of good sized stones, clearly meant to be used as shot. A visible, open trap door is also in the center of the rooftop. Although our heroes can see all four towers surrounding the roof, only one- the one that they came out of- seems to have an entrance.</p><p></p><p>Laughter rings out. “At last you have come!” cries a voice. Our heroes whirl.</p><p></p><p>There are five goat-headed figures standing on the rooftop. One of them is wearing the open robe and has the same markings as the Mouth of Bleak.</p><p></p><p>“Now, my minions, we feast!!” </p><p></p><p><em><strong>Next Time:</strong></em> Our heroes fight for their lives on the rooftop against the Mouth of Bleak!</p><p></p><p>*Kocho are flightless war birds. Skaal has one as his animal companion; though it technically might deserve to be a slightly above 1st level companion. But oh well. <img src="data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7" class="smilie smilie--sprite smilie--sprite1" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" loading="lazy" data-shortname=":)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="the Jester, post: 3916768, member: 1210"] The light is grey and thin. Our heroes can barely tell that it is morning. The smell of ash clings to their nostrils. They do not take their time rising; they get up, albeit a little stiffly from the cold, uncomfortable flooring, and shake a few of the kinks from their limbs. They take a few minutes to eat some trail rations, dried fruit and jerky. Then they turn their attentions towards continuing their explorations of the ashen palace that they are trapped within. After only the briefest of discussions, they decide to investigate the dining room that they had previously spotted. A strange table, made from a single flat slab of what appears to be polished black glass, dominates the chamber. Cracked clay plates, pots, bowls and other dishes are set as if a large party was expected for dinner. Several covered plates are set in the center of the table, and the smell of cooked meat wafts from underneath. “That isn’t beef,” Tempeh says, lifting one of the covers from its tray. “It smells good, and it looks like a nice cut of steak, but I don’t know what it is. No way am I eating anything in a place like this!” “No kidding!” agrees Romdar. “This place isn’t exactly... wholesome.” Barouk, meanwhile, is examining the exits. There is a door, as well as two different archways leading out. He moves around the corner of one to take a look and sees a hallway with at least one branch and one doorway in it. [i]Too many choices.[/i] He decides to go back and open the door in the dining room. It reveals another hallway with doors on either end. [i]More choices![/i] he grumbles to himself. Skaal moves to join the dwarf as he peers out the other archway. Beyond it is a kitchen. However, despite the hot food under the trays in the dining hall, the kitchen doesn’t seem to have a fire going. On the other hand, there is something spitted over the empty, cold fire pit. Cabinets of ash are along the walls, and metal cooking instruments are strewn about, twisted by heat until they almost resemble torture implements. “Hey,” both Barouk and Skaal say together. They both see it at the same time: the cupboards are moving. The dwarf pulls out and loads his crossbow while Skaal alerts their companions. Everyone stands ready as the cabinet door continues to clatter and shake. Suddenly it bursts open to reveal- a burning rat! Smoke pours out of the cabinet, and flakes of hot ash burst up from the creature. Barouk fires, his crossbow bolt transfixing the creature for a moment before it collapses. Its fire goes out. From the various cupboards and cabinets, three more of the creatures pour forth! They are the size of small dogs. Chittering and squeaking, they rush forward, tearing into Zelda’s flesh. Another spits a lick of flame at Barouk, who dodges nimbly out of the way. But the party is far from helpless in the face of this assault; Tempeh [i]mind thrusts[/i] one of the rats, but it remains conscious. Skaal has more luck, slashing down with twin sickles and cutting one of the weird ash rats in two. Romdar observes carefully. [i]They are burning,[/i] he thinks, [i]so maybe cold will affect them especially well.[/i] Unfortunately, as he fires a [i]ray of frost,[/i] he cannot get a clear shot in; there is too much movement, too much action going on! [i]Curse it![/i] he exclaims inwardly. He moves around the dining table, trying to get a better shot, but misses with his second spell too. “Dexter’s eyes!” he swears. Cooper pulls out his sword and jumps up onto the dining room table, moving across it, also trying for a better position. Skaal’s kocho* screeches and steps up, kicking at one of the ash rats. It misses. Then it slashes its beak down, axe-like, and skewers it. The rat squeals and dies. Barouk, meanwhile, is having an interesting contest, wherein he tries to back up, load and fire his crossbow while the ash rat tries to eat his legs. Barouk leaps up as the rat charges in, and it rams its head into the wall, knocking itself senseless! Quickly, Barouk takes advantage of the situation and administers a quick coup de grace. Relative silence falls across the kitchen, broken only by the panting breath of our heroes. “Is everyone relatively okay?” asks Zelda. Nobody denies it. “Then let’s move on,” Romdar suggests. Barouk gestures to one of the kitchen’s walls, which shows a curve. “That has to be another tower,” he announces. “The door out of the dining room leads to a hall with doors at either end. I’d wager that the door to the left goes into that tower.” “Good thinking!” exclaims Romdar. The others nod, and Barouk moves to the door that he believes leads to the tower. He presses his ear against it at first, straining to hear any sounds, but there are none that he can discern. He gives the others a warning look, and then hurls his shoulder against the door with a smash! Unfortunately for him, the door holds. Barouk curses in Dwarven, then tries the knob. The door opens easily. Barouk’s deduction proves correct: the party is staring into one of the palace’s towers. A stone staircase ascends from the level they are on, going out through the ceiling 30’ above. Cold air wafts down from above. Near the exit, about 20’ above them on the stairs, the party can see what appears to be an open chest of gold. “Hey!” exclaims Barouk. “Gold!” He begins to advance up the stairs immediately, but just before he reaches the chest, the stairs twist into the wall. With a wail, Barouk falls with bone-jarring force on the ground. “Are you all right?” cries Tempeh. Skaal hurries over and casts a [i]cure light wounds[/i] spell on his dwarven friend. “I’ll live,” Barouk grunts. He climbs gingerly to his feet, testing his ankles; he sprained one in the fall. Fortunately, the druid’s spell seems to have repaired the damage easily. He glares at the chest above. After a moment, he says, “Well, I can climb up there... anyone have a rope?” “I do,” nods Skaal. “I can throw it to you once you’re up there.” “I’ll tie it off, and we can all climb up,” Barouk declares. Carefully, he feels the ashen wall for cracks and slowly begins to ascend. When he reaches the level of the chest- and the stairs above it- he tests it gingerly with one foot before stepping on with his full weight. Then he ties the rope around the chest itself, as well as around the stub of one of the steps that has twisted, and then tosses it down to his companions. Within a few more minutes, the others have all climbed up to the chest and the non-trapped stairs, either via the ramp or the rope. Several of them take a few falls on the way, but nobody is badly wounded. Tempeh examines the coins. “I’d say that there are about 500 coins here...” She pauses, squints and picks one of them up. She scrapes a fingernail across the surface and frowns. “What is it?” asks Cooper. “We’ve been suckered,” she sighs. “These are copper pieces painted gold.” Barouk barks a laugh. “Well, I got hurt for that copper. We’re going to take it anyway!” The party dumps out the chest and divides the coins amongst themselves. The party continues their ascent. As they ascend to the second level of the tower, they pass arrow slits in the walls that allow them to see a little bit of the courtyard outside, though the view is somewhat obstructed by ash. The party continues up through the third tower level, which is also cut by arrow slits. At the top of the stairs is a doorway. Barouk throws it open- and our heroes find themselves looking out at the burnt rooftop of the weird palace. The footing looks treacherous and uncertain here; the ‘floor’- really the roof- is burnt to ash and holed in places. Two catapults rest on the ceiling before the party; beside each is a pile of good sized stones, clearly meant to be used as shot. A visible, open trap door is also in the center of the rooftop. Although our heroes can see all four towers surrounding the roof, only one- the one that they came out of- seems to have an entrance. Laughter rings out. “At last you have come!” cries a voice. Our heroes whirl. There are five goat-headed figures standing on the rooftop. One of them is wearing the open robe and has the same markings as the Mouth of Bleak. “Now, my minions, we feast!!” [i][b]Next Time:[/b][/i][b][/b] Our heroes fight for their lives on the rooftop against the Mouth of Bleak! *Kocho are flightless war birds. Skaal has one as his animal companion; though it technically might deserve to be a slightly above 1st level companion. But oh well. :) [/QUOTE]
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