Failed Saving Throw
Explorer
It really is amazing that Korlick rolled better than everyone else that entire session and basically got a chomp in on everything: the iron cobras, the zombie pirates...
A Savage Tidings Tale
Failed Saving Throw
Explorer
Oh yeah:
Umber hulks are powerful subterranean predators whose ironlike claws allow them to burrow through solid stone in search of prey. Umber hulks are tremendously strong, standing nearly 8 feet tall and over 5 feet wide. Muscles bulge beneath their thick, scaly hides and their powerful arms and legs all carry great claws. They have no necks to speak of, but the head features a powerful maw with rows of triangular teeth and 8-inch mandibles capable of biting through any hide or bone. Most peculiar of all are the four round eyes, spaced evenly across each umber hulk's forehead. Umber hulks are black, shading to a lighter shade of yellowish gray on the front. Their eyes are mere blackened dots each the size of a small coin. Umber hulks have their own language.
Umber hulks are powerful subterranean predators whose ironlike claws allow them to burrow through solid stone in search of prey. Umber hulks are tremendously strong, standing nearly 8 feet tall and over 5 feet wide. Muscles bulge beneath their thick, scaly hides and their powerful arms and legs all carry great claws. They have no necks to speak of, but the head features a powerful maw with rows of triangular teeth and 8-inch mandibles capable of biting through any hide or bone. Most peculiar of all are the four round eyes, spaced evenly across each umber hulk's forehead. Umber hulks are black, shading to a lighter shade of yellowish gray on the front. Their eyes are mere blackened dots each the size of a small coin. Umber hulks have their own language.
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
I see FST is getting ahead of the story ... and enjoys reminding us of what no one around the table could remember.
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
The party entered a strange octagonal room beyond the narrow passage. The floor was paved with fine flagstone; the high ceiling was well illuminated with continual flame torches. Each of the walls was carved with a detailed bas relief of some fantastic creature -- a tentacled monster with one red eye, a dragon, a fish creature with tentacles and three eyes, a two-headed giant, a spherical creature with four eyes on stalks and a large central eye above a gaping mouth, a gorilla-like beast with four limbs and six insect eyes, and a strange seven-eyed spider creature. On the center of the room was a large carven pillar that stood upon a fresco of an eight-pointed star. Seven of the poitns were black, and one red.
The six adventurers stood gaping at the walls for a minute, before Morderas began searching the central pillar. Thalas pulled out the parchment they had found with Lavinia's signet ring. "Perhaps this is some sort of puzzle -- the red point on the star looks like a pointer." He reviewed the odd message:
"Does anyone see any of these monsters on the walls? I don't. The sunrise-sunset think probably means east or west, or left or right, but how to match the walls?"
"Hey, the pillar turns!" Morderas announced. He and Thalas combined their efforts and rotated it, tentatively, one turn. The pillar had eight defined stops, one with the red pointer pointing at each of the seven bas-reliefs and the entrance corridor. The rotated it back to its starting position.
"Well, it's some sort of combination lock, and the riddle is the combination, but Corellon be damned if I can match the monsters on the parchment to the ones on the walls," Thalas grumbled.
"It's eyes!" Athal announced suddenly. "Look at the monsters' eyes! One ... two ... three ..." He pointed at each wall in turn. "There's up to seven numbers."
Thalas looked down at the parchment. "Well, a chimera has six eyes, a cyclops one, a basilisk two, I think. Do a medusa's snakes have eyes? Or does a medusa count as two? And how many eyes does an umber hulk have?" He'd certainly heard of all the creatures and seen drawings in books he had studied, but he'd never really paid close attention to monster eyes.
No one else knew, either. "Why don't we try this combination idea," Athal suggested. "We may be able to figure it out."
Thalas and Morderas started by rotating the pillar six points to the east (right), listening intently, then one point west (left).
"I heard something" Arjan announced. Quinn nodded agreement. "Just then when you turned it. A soft 'click'." Thalas continued rotating, two right, two left, two right. "I heard a few more clicks," Arjan said, "but not on all the turns."
They retraced their pattern again, with everyone listening intently. "We've got it right, except for the umber hulk," Athal concluded. "It must not have two eyes."
"Well, I'll try three, then four," Thalas replied. He and Morderas went back through the sequence twice more, when Arjan suddenly exclaimed "I head it!" after the second try.
"Guess an umber hulk has four eyes. Or is wearing glasses," Thalas concluded, finishing the sequence. Nothing had happened. "Now what?" He returned the pillar to its starting position, and there was a sudden grinding noise as five of the walls slid aside, revealing five niches containing a number of large iron-bound chests. "Oh. Guess that's it."
The six adventurers stood gaping at the walls for a minute, before Morderas began searching the central pillar. Thalas pulled out the parchment they had found with Lavinia's signet ring. "Perhaps this is some sort of puzzle -- the red point on the star looks like a pointer." He reviewed the odd message:
"Does anyone see any of these monsters on the walls? I don't. The sunrise-sunset think probably means east or west, or left or right, but how to match the walls?"
"Hey, the pillar turns!" Morderas announced. He and Thalas combined their efforts and rotated it, tentatively, one turn. The pillar had eight defined stops, one with the red pointer pointing at each of the seven bas-reliefs and the entrance corridor. The rotated it back to its starting position.
"Well, it's some sort of combination lock, and the riddle is the combination, but Corellon be damned if I can match the monsters on the parchment to the ones on the walls," Thalas grumbled.
"It's eyes!" Athal announced suddenly. "Look at the monsters' eyes! One ... two ... three ..." He pointed at each wall in turn. "There's up to seven numbers."
Thalas looked down at the parchment. "Well, a chimera has six eyes, a cyclops one, a basilisk two, I think. Do a medusa's snakes have eyes? Or does a medusa count as two? And how many eyes does an umber hulk have?" He'd certainly heard of all the creatures and seen drawings in books he had studied, but he'd never really paid close attention to monster eyes.
No one else knew, either. "Why don't we try this combination idea," Athal suggested. "We may be able to figure it out."
Thalas and Morderas started by rotating the pillar six points to the east (right), listening intently, then one point west (left).
"I heard something" Arjan announced. Quinn nodded agreement. "Just then when you turned it. A soft 'click'." Thalas continued rotating, two right, two left, two right. "I heard a few more clicks," Arjan said, "but not on all the turns."
They retraced their pattern again, with everyone listening intently. "We've got it right, except for the umber hulk," Athal concluded. "It must not have two eyes."
"Well, I'll try three, then four," Thalas replied. He and Morderas went back through the sequence twice more, when Arjan suddenly exclaimed "I head it!" after the second try.
"Guess an umber hulk has four eyes. Or is wearing glasses," Thalas concluded, finishing the sequence. Nothing had happened. "Now what?" He returned the pillar to its starting position, and there was a sudden grinding noise as five of the walls slid aside, revealing five niches containing a number of large iron-bound chests. "Oh. Guess that's it."
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Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
Lavinia immediately began opening the chests, throwing open one after another.
"And I was going to suggest searching them for traps," Thalas began, but Lavinia's searchings became more frantic. In short order, she had opened all of the chests, finding all empty but one, which contained a fair amount of gold, a ledger, and a smaller locked chest.
"I don't know what has happened," Lavinia wailed, blinking back tears. "There should be far more than this. This little will cover my debt and expenses, but the majority of our fortune is gone."
"Could anyone else have gotten in?" Athal asked.
Lavinia shook her head. "No one else has been here."
"Are you sure?" Thalas asked. "How many of those rings are there? What about your brother, Vanthus? He could have gotten past the cobras, right?"
"No." Lavinia insisted. "That's not possible. But there are two signet rings."
"Who had the other one?" Morderas asked.
"Vanthus," was Lavinia's tear-faced reply. "Come, let's go. There is nothing left for me here." She turned to depart.
"We'll be just along," Athal responded.
"We'd better ask the clerk if anyone else has been here," Thalas suggested. The group followed Lavinia back out to the room with the spiral staircase.
The clerk was just coming down the stairs. "My Lady, we were growing worried, you had been gone so ...GAK!!!"
Morderas had both hands around the man's throat, lifting him off the ground and pinning him against the staircase railing. "WHO ELSE HAS BEEN IN THE VAULT!" he demanded.
"Gaaaakkkk" was the clerk's only reply.
"Morderas, release him," Athal commanded, and the half-drow slowly lowered the man back to the floor.
"I say, I've never been treated so ..." the clerk trailed off as Morderas stared daggers at him.
Arjan bounded up, and asked good naturedly: "Has anyone else been to the vault? There were things missing."
The clerk straightened. "I assure you, no one had been here who is not authorized. There was a young man, about four weeks ago, but he had the ring, and ..."
"Describe him!" Quinn demanded. The clerk spit out a description of a young nobleman, dark haired, goateed.
"You can never trust anyone with a goatee," Thalas remarked to no one in particular.
"Is that him?" Athal asked Lavinia. "Vanthus, I mean?"
Lavinia nodded silently. "it doesn't make sense. I don't know what to think. Please leave me -- you may meet me again at the manor in a few hours."
The party left the quivering clerk and departed Castle Teraknian.
"And I was going to suggest searching them for traps," Thalas began, but Lavinia's searchings became more frantic. In short order, she had opened all of the chests, finding all empty but one, which contained a fair amount of gold, a ledger, and a smaller locked chest.
"I don't know what has happened," Lavinia wailed, blinking back tears. "There should be far more than this. This little will cover my debt and expenses, but the majority of our fortune is gone."
"Could anyone else have gotten in?" Athal asked.
Lavinia shook her head. "No one else has been here."
"Are you sure?" Thalas asked. "How many of those rings are there? What about your brother, Vanthus? He could have gotten past the cobras, right?"
"No." Lavinia insisted. "That's not possible. But there are two signet rings."
"Who had the other one?" Morderas asked.
"Vanthus," was Lavinia's tear-faced reply. "Come, let's go. There is nothing left for me here." She turned to depart.
"We'll be just along," Athal responded.
"We'd better ask the clerk if anyone else has been here," Thalas suggested. The group followed Lavinia back out to the room with the spiral staircase.
The clerk was just coming down the stairs. "My Lady, we were growing worried, you had been gone so ...GAK!!!"
Morderas had both hands around the man's throat, lifting him off the ground and pinning him against the staircase railing. "WHO ELSE HAS BEEN IN THE VAULT!" he demanded.
"Gaaaakkkk" was the clerk's only reply.
"Morderas, release him," Athal commanded, and the half-drow slowly lowered the man back to the floor.
"I say, I've never been treated so ..." the clerk trailed off as Morderas stared daggers at him.
Arjan bounded up, and asked good naturedly: "Has anyone else been to the vault? There were things missing."
The clerk straightened. "I assure you, no one had been here who is not authorized. There was a young man, about four weeks ago, but he had the ring, and ..."
"Describe him!" Quinn demanded. The clerk spit out a description of a young nobleman, dark haired, goateed.
"You can never trust anyone with a goatee," Thalas remarked to no one in particular.
"Is that him?" Athal asked Lavinia. "Vanthus, I mean?"
Lavinia nodded silently. "it doesn't make sense. I don't know what to think. Please leave me -- you may meet me again at the manor in a few hours."
The party left the quivering clerk and departed Castle Teraknian.
Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
The six adventurers met again at Vanderboren manor some hours later. Lavinia, shaken, stood in the dining room staring at the painting of the young man on the back wall. It was obvious to Thalas that this was Vanthus. Figures, he thought, another noble scion gone bad. Typical. He deliberately did not think about how hypocritical his own thoughts were.
Lavinia was blinking back tears. "I think it's time you told us about your brother," Athal suggested quietly.
Lavinia nodded. "We were very close growing up, much as twins though we were a year apart in age. We often had fun by playing pranks on each other, or on others. We were inseparable. Then one day one of our pranks went wrong, when we poured some assorted elixirs down another family's well. Our parents decided to separate us. I was sent to a school here in the city, while Vanthus was sent to one of our plantations in the countryside. I didn't see him for many years. When he finally did return, he was -- changed, is the best way to describe it. He no longer had time for me; he moved out of the manor after a short time, and last I heard had taken up with a lover in the Azure District. Then my parents were killed in the fire, and Vanthus returned, changed even more. There was a, I'm not sure how to describe it, morbid streak in him now. We had an argument, he struck me, and he left. That was two months ago."
"And he started stealing the family's money a month ago," Thalas concluded. "He's into something, something not good, you can be sure."
"Please, you must help me find him!" Lavinia asked. "I need to know what he is up to, and restore my family fortune."
Thalas rolled his eyes -- this was getting too deep. Athal and Kyrsith rapidly volunteered, thought, as did Arjan, who'd apparently never had a roof over his head before. Quinn shrugged, then nodded.
Morderas asked: "I assume we're still getting paid?" Ah, an elf after my own heart, Thalas smiled.
Lavinia nodded. "Of course. With a bonus if you locate Vanthus."
"I'm in," Morderas said. Thalas wavered, then finally motioned that he, too, would join in. Pay is 30 times what the average Sasserine resident makes. I should turn it down on principle, but they'd start asking questions.
Lavinia excused herself. Athal looked at the others. "Now what?" he asked.
"I guess we go find this Vanthus guy," Quinn responded. "Start by checking the Azure district, and see what we can learn."
They decided to split up and blanket the Azure district, checking taverns, alehouses, brothels, and businesses.
Lavinia was blinking back tears. "I think it's time you told us about your brother," Athal suggested quietly.
Lavinia nodded. "We were very close growing up, much as twins though we were a year apart in age. We often had fun by playing pranks on each other, or on others. We were inseparable. Then one day one of our pranks went wrong, when we poured some assorted elixirs down another family's well. Our parents decided to separate us. I was sent to a school here in the city, while Vanthus was sent to one of our plantations in the countryside. I didn't see him for many years. When he finally did return, he was -- changed, is the best way to describe it. He no longer had time for me; he moved out of the manor after a short time, and last I heard had taken up with a lover in the Azure District. Then my parents were killed in the fire, and Vanthus returned, changed even more. There was a, I'm not sure how to describe it, morbid streak in him now. We had an argument, he struck me, and he left. That was two months ago."
"And he started stealing the family's money a month ago," Thalas concluded. "He's into something, something not good, you can be sure."
"Please, you must help me find him!" Lavinia asked. "I need to know what he is up to, and restore my family fortune."
Thalas rolled his eyes -- this was getting too deep. Athal and Kyrsith rapidly volunteered, thought, as did Arjan, who'd apparently never had a roof over his head before. Quinn shrugged, then nodded.
Morderas asked: "I assume we're still getting paid?" Ah, an elf after my own heart, Thalas smiled.
Lavinia nodded. "Of course. With a bonus if you locate Vanthus."
"I'm in," Morderas said. Thalas wavered, then finally motioned that he, too, would join in. Pay is 30 times what the average Sasserine resident makes. I should turn it down on principle, but they'd start asking questions.
Lavinia excused herself. Athal looked at the others. "Now what?" he asked.
"I guess we go find this Vanthus guy," Quinn responded. "Start by checking the Azure district, and see what we can learn."
They decided to split up and blanket the Azure district, checking taverns, alehouses, brothels, and businesses.
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Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
Arjan and Thalas paired up, and headed to the Sasserine Sleigh Ride, a well known brothel in the Azure District. A few questions to the disappointingly human hookers revealed a small tidbit of information: Vanthus had indeed frequented the place, in the company of a woman named Brissa Santos, who apparently considered herself a dancer of some skill. But as the perfumed whore had said, "She didn't have the skills for the Sleigh Ride. Too amateur, too plump. The madam sent her packing."
A few more hours and a few more taverns and brothels later, and the group rejoined, having learned little more. Vanthus had indeed been in many of the taverns in the district in the company of Brissa Santos, but no one seemed to know where he lived or where he could currently be found.
"So now what?" Athal asked.
"Well, perhaps we follow the woman," Thalas suggested. "She was trying to be a dancer. Maybe she went to get training, or tried to break into another type of entertainment, or perhaps she settled for working at a less savory place ..."
Morderas perked up. "Sounds like a trip to Shadowshore. I know the area."
Thalas nodded. eventually, the group decided that Athal, Thalas, and Kyrsith would check the Merchant and Nobles districts for evidence of Brissa Santos, while the others looked for Vanthus and Brissa in Shadowshore.
Thalas and his companions spent a day wandering in and out of businesses in the Merchant District and plying the art houses and opera houses of the Nobles District to no avail. Vanthus had bought a dress here, some perfume there, but had otherwise been little seen, and nothing was known of Brissa Santos. The three finally gave up and headed for Shadowshore to meet the others.
They stopped into a tavern called the Skinned Man as they arrived in Shadowshore, and were immediately approached by a disreputable looking man. "Name's Cheftan," he said by way introduction. "You 'n yer friends been looking fer Vanthus Vanderboren, ain't ye?" Thalas could only nod. Guess we've been pretty obvious, after all. Ah, well, stealth isn't my strong suit. Best stick to swords and spells in the future.
"I be needin' t' find Vanthus meself," Cheftan went on. "I knows where he is. If'n ye meet me tonight, I'll be showin' ye."
"Why should we trust you?" Athal asked.
"Ye needs him; I needs him. Not fer nothing good, I'll wager. Strength in numbers," Cheftan responded. "An' ye'll not likely find him otherwise. Ye've made enough noise he prob'ly knows yer lookin' for him."
They couldn't argue with that. They made arrangements to meet Cheftan at midnight outside the Skinned Man, then departed to find the others. They eventually found them walking down a Shadowshore street, and compared notes.
Morderas, Arjan, and Quinn had discovered that Vanthus and an associate Penkus had recently purchased a run-down ship and a massive cargo of lamp oil. Where the ship was or what the purpose of the lamp oil was was unknown, and they hadn't had much luck pumping the harbormaster for information. Vanthus could be involved in some criminal enterprise, or he could be doing some sort of legitimate import/export -- Thalas suspected the former.
But as their only lead was an untrustworthy rogue they had met by chance, they decided to do what any rational adventuring party would do -- assume their erstwhile "guide" would lead them into a trap, so they'd jump in and try to spring it from the inside.
Little did Thalas realize how prescient that decision would prove to be.
A few more hours and a few more taverns and brothels later, and the group rejoined, having learned little more. Vanthus had indeed been in many of the taverns in the district in the company of Brissa Santos, but no one seemed to know where he lived or where he could currently be found.
"So now what?" Athal asked.
"Well, perhaps we follow the woman," Thalas suggested. "She was trying to be a dancer. Maybe she went to get training, or tried to break into another type of entertainment, or perhaps she settled for working at a less savory place ..."
Morderas perked up. "Sounds like a trip to Shadowshore. I know the area."
Thalas nodded. eventually, the group decided that Athal, Thalas, and Kyrsith would check the Merchant and Nobles districts for evidence of Brissa Santos, while the others looked for Vanthus and Brissa in Shadowshore.
Thalas and his companions spent a day wandering in and out of businesses in the Merchant District and plying the art houses and opera houses of the Nobles District to no avail. Vanthus had bought a dress here, some perfume there, but had otherwise been little seen, and nothing was known of Brissa Santos. The three finally gave up and headed for Shadowshore to meet the others.
They stopped into a tavern called the Skinned Man as they arrived in Shadowshore, and were immediately approached by a disreputable looking man. "Name's Cheftan," he said by way introduction. "You 'n yer friends been looking fer Vanthus Vanderboren, ain't ye?" Thalas could only nod. Guess we've been pretty obvious, after all. Ah, well, stealth isn't my strong suit. Best stick to swords and spells in the future.
"I be needin' t' find Vanthus meself," Cheftan went on. "I knows where he is. If'n ye meet me tonight, I'll be showin' ye."
"Why should we trust you?" Athal asked.
"Ye needs him; I needs him. Not fer nothing good, I'll wager. Strength in numbers," Cheftan responded. "An' ye'll not likely find him otherwise. Ye've made enough noise he prob'ly knows yer lookin' for him."
They couldn't argue with that. They made arrangements to meet Cheftan at midnight outside the Skinned Man, then departed to find the others. They eventually found them walking down a Shadowshore street, and compared notes.
Morderas, Arjan, and Quinn had discovered that Vanthus and an associate Penkus had recently purchased a run-down ship and a massive cargo of lamp oil. Where the ship was or what the purpose of the lamp oil was was unknown, and they hadn't had much luck pumping the harbormaster for information. Vanthus could be involved in some criminal enterprise, or he could be doing some sort of legitimate import/export -- Thalas suspected the former.
But as their only lead was an untrustworthy rogue they had met by chance, they decided to do what any rational adventuring party would do -- assume their erstwhile "guide" would lead them into a trap, so they'd jump in and try to spring it from the inside.
Little did Thalas realize how prescient that decision would prove to be.
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Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
Just past midnight, the rag-tag group of adventurers congregated in the dark outside of the Skinned Man, waiting for Cheftan. The ragged man soon appeared, motioning with urgency for them to follow without speaking a word. They followed him through Shadowshores narrow alleyways, winding their way down close to the docks without seeing a soul. Eventually, they reached a run-down landing at which was tied a small but serviceable boat. Cheftan motioned them aboard, and he quickly poled them out into the harbor.
The headed for Parrot Island, a roughly half-mile long wooded hump of rock that jutted out of Sasserine harbor just off of Shadowshore. Thalas knew little about it, other than that it was uninhabited except for massive numbers of tropical birds. Arjan should enjoy this place.
Cheftan moored the boat at a small cove, and motioned them to follow up a long, winding path that led to the summit of the island. There, on the edge of a clearing, he rolled back brush to reveal a stone trapdoor, which he quickly opened. The yawning black maw had a rope dangling into it, but nothing could be seen in the pitch darkness below despite the nearly full moon.
"You're sure this is the place?" Athal asked.
"Yes," Cheftan whispered. "Hurry, down the rope! This is where Vanthus has been going."
Athal shrugged and grabbed the line, lowering himself down. Thalas followed, swiftly reaching the bottom where he quickly lit a torch to have a look around. He and Athal stood in a ten-foot diameter chamber, with an arched brick passageway leading away to the west. Nothing could be seen within the torchlight.
"All clear," Athal called to the party thirty feet above. Korlick was quickly lower down, followed by Arjan, and then a whispered argument broke out up top.
"I'll be last down," Morderas insisted.
"No, no," Cheftan responded, "I know how to close the door. Quickly, we must be down. I will follow. Down the rope!"
Quinn, who has just climbed to the bottom following Kyrsith, nocked an arrow and pointed upward. "Perhaps we're about to be betrayed."
Something in Cheftan's tone had obviously convinced Morderas, as the half-drow came speeding down the rope. There was a sudden cry from up above, and Cheftan arrived as well -- falling uncontrolled to land in a heap on the floor. His throat had been cut from ear to ear. The rope, cut, snaked down to land beside him.
A dark shape leaned over the trap door. "You found me, thugs! Say hello to Penkus for me!" Quinn's arrow sped by the man's head just before the trap door was heaved to and snapped shut, blocking out the moonlight.
"Guess that was Vanthus," Thalas mused. "We were a bit to obvious in asking after him. Now there's only one way to go." He pointed down the dark tunnel that led away from the deep pit.
The headed for Parrot Island, a roughly half-mile long wooded hump of rock that jutted out of Sasserine harbor just off of Shadowshore. Thalas knew little about it, other than that it was uninhabited except for massive numbers of tropical birds. Arjan should enjoy this place.
Cheftan moored the boat at a small cove, and motioned them to follow up a long, winding path that led to the summit of the island. There, on the edge of a clearing, he rolled back brush to reveal a stone trapdoor, which he quickly opened. The yawning black maw had a rope dangling into it, but nothing could be seen in the pitch darkness below despite the nearly full moon.
"You're sure this is the place?" Athal asked.
"Yes," Cheftan whispered. "Hurry, down the rope! This is where Vanthus has been going."
Athal shrugged and grabbed the line, lowering himself down. Thalas followed, swiftly reaching the bottom where he quickly lit a torch to have a look around. He and Athal stood in a ten-foot diameter chamber, with an arched brick passageway leading away to the west. Nothing could be seen within the torchlight.
"All clear," Athal called to the party thirty feet above. Korlick was quickly lower down, followed by Arjan, and then a whispered argument broke out up top.
"I'll be last down," Morderas insisted.
"No, no," Cheftan responded, "I know how to close the door. Quickly, we must be down. I will follow. Down the rope!"
Quinn, who has just climbed to the bottom following Kyrsith, nocked an arrow and pointed upward. "Perhaps we're about to be betrayed."
Something in Cheftan's tone had obviously convinced Morderas, as the half-drow came speeding down the rope. There was a sudden cry from up above, and Cheftan arrived as well -- falling uncontrolled to land in a heap on the floor. His throat had been cut from ear to ear. The rope, cut, snaked down to land beside him.
A dark shape leaned over the trap door. "You found me, thugs! Say hello to Penkus for me!" Quinn's arrow sped by the man's head just before the trap door was heaved to and snapped shut, blocking out the moonlight.
"Guess that was Vanthus," Thalas mused. "We were a bit to obvious in asking after him. Now there's only one way to go." He pointed down the dark tunnel that led away from the deep pit.
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Olgar Shiverstone
Legend
They followed the serpentine brick passage for some distance before it finally terminated in a closed wooden door. The moisture from the passage had swollen the door shut, and it took Athal, Thalas, and Quinn working in concert to force the door open. Beyond was a passage roughly ten feet wide and twenty feet long running perpendicular to the serpentine passage. Double doors hung broken from their hinges at either end of the passage, mold crusted the walls, and a rivulet of water ran down the center of the natural stone floor.
"I hear a moaning sound coming from the left," Athal whispered. Thalas drew Demonbane, and the others readied their weapons. Athal led, with Thalas following carrying a torch in one hand, and they turned left into the passage and passed through the swinging double doors beyond.
They found themselves in a large, damp, pillared chamber -- large enough that despite the torch and his elven sight, Thalas could not see the far side from where he stood in the doorway. Athal was glancing about, and suddenly the moaning grew louder as from the right, three figures shambled into the torchlight.
They looked like men, or could once have been men, but they were now clearly lifeless, with flesh drooping and dripping from their staggering carcasses. They were dressed as sailors, but where there once had been human mounths there now gaped gigantic maws that held long teeth set into slavering jaws.
Athal sprang into action, charging to meet the creatures, as Thalas dropped the torch and moved further into the room, channeling arcane energy to fire two bolts of green energy which struck two of the creatures, slowing but not stopping them. Athal struck true, but in turn received several bite as the creatures moved to surround him, and soon he was staggering. Arrows flew from over Thalas' shoulder and he could hear Korlick barking, and suddenly a faint light flashed and the three corpse-pirates were turning to retreat into the darkness. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kyrsith hoisting something in one hand that the creatures seemed to flee from.
Thalas and Athal pursued, each dropping a retreating creature as Korlick savaged the last until it moved no more. Then the group paused to catch their breath and consider their surroundings, and Athal downed a restorative draught.
"Zombie pirates," Morderas observed. "Good thing they weren't ninjas, or we'd really have been screwed."
The chamber extended to just beyond the torchlight. three other water-swollen doors led out of the chamber to right and forward, while to the left there was a large pool of water that had apparently seeped under the right-hand wall. Thalas could see a humanoid corpse floating in the water, and he sheathed his longsword, retrieving the glaive strapped to his back to reach out and pull the body to the flagstone.
The water beyond was obviously much deeper, and Thalas' movements had stirred it, disturbing something below, as suddenly giant crabs exploded from the pool, grasping at him with razor sharp pincers. Morderas, rushing to aid, was injured by one, though Thalas was able to dispatch one after another with mighty swings of his glaive, dancing back out of their grasp each time a crab closed with him. Korlick once again ran to his side, biting into one and causing its juices to splatter over the party. Everyone else joined in the melee as Thalas nearly disintegrated a crab with a well-placed blow [OOC: Full power attack crit with a glaive ... nasty!]. Soon the pool was silent again.
The corpse was half-eaten and had obviously been in the water for some time, yielding no clues. The party was just beginning to catch its collective breath when Quinn, who had posted himself in the entry corridor to provide warning, shouted: "There's more of them pirates coming -- I hear moans from the far corridor."
The group quickly resumed formation and marched back down the right-hand branch of the entryway, Athal leading with Thalas just behind carrying a torch. They entered a second large chamber, and through hanging double doors on the far side of the room they could hear more moaning, so they charged ahead, entering a narrow hallway where zombie pirates suddenly lunged out from a room to the right.
Athal spun this way and that, trying to keep the creatures from leaving the doorway, as Thalas dropped his torch and used the glaive to attack when Athal was clear. In the narrow hallway, the others had difficulty bringing their weapons to bear, and soon Athal was badly wounded with but minor wounds inflicting on the shambling enemy.
One surged past Athal's guard and closed on Thalas, even as he tried backpedaling to get clear of the creature, to no avail. The pirate's jaws clamped down on Thalas' neck, and Thalas could feel the blood begin to flow before he blacked out.
When Thalas came to, the melee was still ranging around him. Kyrsith helped him to his feet as he recovered some of his energy, and then immediately retrieved his glaive from the floor to step into line just as Athal was himself knocked unconscious. A zombie pirate stepped onto the downed elf's body, considering, and then bit into the unconscious warrior.
I've got to hold the line long enough for Kyrsith to pull Athal free, he thought. One well-placed spell and I could drop one or two, but taking the time to channel a spell in these close quarters and Athal will surely be eaten, and we'll all die.
Thalas instead attacked wildly, succeeding in knocking the pirate creature back away from Athal and stepping up to bar the doorway himself. He could hear a shout from Kyrsith just as another flash of light appeared, and the undead creatures began retreating. Thalas, Arjan, and Morderas pursued, striking the creatures' unprotected backs as they retreated and finally dispatching them all.
They dragged Athal's bleeding body back into the room, forcing a healing draught down his throat, and the elf eventually coughed and regained consciousness.
"I can still fight," Thalas said, "but I'm not sure if we can make it through another fight like that without a chance to catch our breath. The only escape is onward, but perhaps we'd better hole up for a little while before going onward."
The others nodded, and they began making plans to secure the area to attempt to recover some strength before proceeding on.
"I hear a moaning sound coming from the left," Athal whispered. Thalas drew Demonbane, and the others readied their weapons. Athal led, with Thalas following carrying a torch in one hand, and they turned left into the passage and passed through the swinging double doors beyond.
They found themselves in a large, damp, pillared chamber -- large enough that despite the torch and his elven sight, Thalas could not see the far side from where he stood in the doorway. Athal was glancing about, and suddenly the moaning grew louder as from the right, three figures shambled into the torchlight.
They looked like men, or could once have been men, but they were now clearly lifeless, with flesh drooping and dripping from their staggering carcasses. They were dressed as sailors, but where there once had been human mounths there now gaped gigantic maws that held long teeth set into slavering jaws.
Athal sprang into action, charging to meet the creatures, as Thalas dropped the torch and moved further into the room, channeling arcane energy to fire two bolts of green energy which struck two of the creatures, slowing but not stopping them. Athal struck true, but in turn received several bite as the creatures moved to surround him, and soon he was staggering. Arrows flew from over Thalas' shoulder and he could hear Korlick barking, and suddenly a faint light flashed and the three corpse-pirates were turning to retreat into the darkness. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Kyrsith hoisting something in one hand that the creatures seemed to flee from.
Thalas and Athal pursued, each dropping a retreating creature as Korlick savaged the last until it moved no more. Then the group paused to catch their breath and consider their surroundings, and Athal downed a restorative draught.
"Zombie pirates," Morderas observed. "Good thing they weren't ninjas, or we'd really have been screwed."
The chamber extended to just beyond the torchlight. three other water-swollen doors led out of the chamber to right and forward, while to the left there was a large pool of water that had apparently seeped under the right-hand wall. Thalas could see a humanoid corpse floating in the water, and he sheathed his longsword, retrieving the glaive strapped to his back to reach out and pull the body to the flagstone.
The water beyond was obviously much deeper, and Thalas' movements had stirred it, disturbing something below, as suddenly giant crabs exploded from the pool, grasping at him with razor sharp pincers. Morderas, rushing to aid, was injured by one, though Thalas was able to dispatch one after another with mighty swings of his glaive, dancing back out of their grasp each time a crab closed with him. Korlick once again ran to his side, biting into one and causing its juices to splatter over the party. Everyone else joined in the melee as Thalas nearly disintegrated a crab with a well-placed blow [OOC: Full power attack crit with a glaive ... nasty!]. Soon the pool was silent again.
The corpse was half-eaten and had obviously been in the water for some time, yielding no clues. The party was just beginning to catch its collective breath when Quinn, who had posted himself in the entry corridor to provide warning, shouted: "There's more of them pirates coming -- I hear moans from the far corridor."
The group quickly resumed formation and marched back down the right-hand branch of the entryway, Athal leading with Thalas just behind carrying a torch. They entered a second large chamber, and through hanging double doors on the far side of the room they could hear more moaning, so they charged ahead, entering a narrow hallway where zombie pirates suddenly lunged out from a room to the right.
Athal spun this way and that, trying to keep the creatures from leaving the doorway, as Thalas dropped his torch and used the glaive to attack when Athal was clear. In the narrow hallway, the others had difficulty bringing their weapons to bear, and soon Athal was badly wounded with but minor wounds inflicting on the shambling enemy.
One surged past Athal's guard and closed on Thalas, even as he tried backpedaling to get clear of the creature, to no avail. The pirate's jaws clamped down on Thalas' neck, and Thalas could feel the blood begin to flow before he blacked out.
When Thalas came to, the melee was still ranging around him. Kyrsith helped him to his feet as he recovered some of his energy, and then immediately retrieved his glaive from the floor to step into line just as Athal was himself knocked unconscious. A zombie pirate stepped onto the downed elf's body, considering, and then bit into the unconscious warrior.
I've got to hold the line long enough for Kyrsith to pull Athal free, he thought. One well-placed spell and I could drop one or two, but taking the time to channel a spell in these close quarters and Athal will surely be eaten, and we'll all die.
Thalas instead attacked wildly, succeeding in knocking the pirate creature back away from Athal and stepping up to bar the doorway himself. He could hear a shout from Kyrsith just as another flash of light appeared, and the undead creatures began retreating. Thalas, Arjan, and Morderas pursued, striking the creatures' unprotected backs as they retreated and finally dispatching them all.
They dragged Athal's bleeding body back into the room, forcing a healing draught down his throat, and the elf eventually coughed and regained consciousness.
"I can still fight," Thalas said, "but I'm not sure if we can make it through another fight like that without a chance to catch our breath. The only escape is onward, but perhaps we'd better hole up for a little while before going onward."
The others nodded, and they began making plans to secure the area to attempt to recover some strength before proceeding on.
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Failed Saving Throw
Explorer
I should note for anyone else reading that the combat sessions under Parrot Island were marked by amazingly bad rolls by the party. Back on board the Blue Nixie, Athal pulled off some pretty spectacular swordwork that left half the thugs who assaulted them dead. But in the caves, the zombies beat the party up pretty well...
