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Message: <blockquote data-quote="not-so-newguy" data-source="post: 9027841" data-attributes="member: 6786140">Oooooof, this one was brutal. A near TPK.Palimdybis Strikes Back![Spoiler] [ATTACH=full]285752[/ATTACH]Encounter 0 Cut Scene: Intro of New Characters 0xpSweeney Todd the Barber (Neutral Thief) was performing a simple reconnaissance job that involved posing as passenger on a caravan traveling to the of south Iruk. He was required to take note of the route the caravan followed. The higher-ups in the Smuggling Ring find this type of info important for some reason. He was kidnapped by Grey Robes while sleeping within the caravan encampment near Huary. Apparently he had been poisoned because he awoke confused and had a splitting headache. He was also chained and stripped of everything except a loincloth.__________Lester the Jester (Cleric) was escorting a potential acolyte of Ildavir. Her name being Wuzra the Ropemaker and their destination was a cave complex in the Blood Plains of Esh where Lester's mentor lived. They journeyed south of Iruk which brought them near the village of Huary...They were kidnapped while camping outside of Huary, but there was struggle. The last thing that Lester heard before he was knocked unconscious was that the cultists were planning to save Wuzra for a special sacrifice to Palimdybis.__________Lester and Sweeney were paired together and both chained to a device. It was two pieces of lumber that were crossed to form a + and set horizontally on a round platform. There were six other people chained to each end and they pushed the crossed timbers counter-clockwise. Broad chains attached to this device were connected to gears on a heavy millstone which slowly ground something into a grey dust.Nearby was a circular pit, spanning about 40 feet across, that was filled with a huge tentacle. Rope ladders were attached to it. Occasionally groups of robed people used the tentacle as an elevator, somehow magically commanding the tentacle to raise or lower. Sometimes Sweeney and Lester would see a solitary grey robe just use the attached ladders to travel up and down.The pair both looked up as the chained Halfling in front of them collapsed from exhaustion.  "I think the little guy's dead" muttered a dwarf, who plodded next to the dragging corpse. Encounter 1 Egg Teleport 1xpThe party had just been transported via the Maze (see Encounter 5 from "Cult of Palimdybis" recap).They found themselves in a circular room with the same exact Maze as before. A clear path encircled the Maze with 7 egg-shaped doors exiting the room. The gang started inspecting the doors. When the door was opened, they discovered a closet sized room with another door on the opposite side. Foddir and Dwight deduced that the room was used for teleportation.The gang decided to open the door on the opposite side and found a circular corridor. Holding hands, they traveled single file. The corridor started to shift randomly: up, down, left and right. This shifting happened gently at first, then increased the further they went. Until finally the shifting became so severe that people took some damage. They all retreated back into the circular room.They decided to to use the teleportation rooms. They discovered that by concentrating, a person could teleport into a different room that had an exit. So everyone teleported and they moved on to the next encounter.Encounter 2 Exploring the Shrine & Yellow Robe's Bedroom 1xpThe gang walked down a hallway into what appeared to be a Shrine to Palimdybis with a weird Tentacled Beast statue at the other end. 3 grey robes were lying prostrate in deep meditation. They were quickly dispatched, along with the face hugger octo-mass things that popped out of them.They explored the room and soon discovered that topaz gems decorated the statue. Out of the 30 or so gems, 10 were pried off of it. Two concealed doors were discovered while getting these gems. One door led to an empty attic space above the statue. The other door led to a bedroom.This  room  contained a  simple  wooden bed with  mattress, a  writing desk and chair, and a large round-topped chest.  Shelves on the wall held  small  clay  figurines,  and  a  crude  wooden  frame  held  an  ink drawing Palimdybis (presumably). Eni took the figurines and the drawing (sans wooden frame). Someone also took the 3 yellow robes in the chest.The gang return to the Shrine room, salvaged two grey robes, and took an unused door. It opened into a hallway.Encounter 3 Exploring the Grey Robes' Sleeping Quarters 1xpThe gang explored the hallway and open a couple of doors. They came across the unoccupied sleeping quarters of the Grey Robes. The pilfered some robes. A grinding noise could be heard, so they decided to discover the source.Encounter 4 Machinations of Palimdybis 1xpC&P from adventure: "A monotonous grinding noise comes from  this irregular cave, which contains  a contrivance  designed  to turn  a massive millstone. Two pieces  of lumber are  crossed  to form an X, set  horizontally  on a round platform.  An exhausted-looking team of  peasants is chained to each of the four ends, and they push the crossed  timbers in a counterclockwise  direction.  Broad chains  connect  gears  on the platform’s base to a huge  millstone nearby, which  rotates laboriously, crushing some  gray  substance beneath it.  As you  enter, the peasants look  up but do not stop pushing the wheel."To the party's right, they could see the Tentacle Elevator described in Encounter 0. The substance being crushed was the dessicated skin, teeth, and suckers of Palimdybis. The slaves silently point to the exiting cave mouth on the other end of the room and motion the PCs to be quiet. The gang backed off and deliberated. Many different schemes were discussed. Unfortunately the party lacked a Thief, so sneaking in there to spy was near impossible. Breaking the slaves chains was discussed, but then dismissed. Finally they decided to approach in disguised Grey and Yellow Robes and pull some Star Wars "we brought a prisoner" shenanigans. Encounter 5 Showdown with the Yellow Robe 4xpC&P from adventure: "The  cave  widens  into  a  large  space  filled  with  activity.  In  one  corner, several cultists practice mock  combat  maneuvers. In another corner they weave mats, and in another corner they read parchments."[sigh]Their disguises were quickly discerned when the enemy spotted the PC in a Yellow robe. The fight was on and the party rushed forward. The enemy had 1 Yellow Robe, 3 Red Robe, and 6 Grey Robe. Apparently more cultists were on the way because Yellow Robe yelled for reinforcements.The fight was on! Swords swung, arrows plucked, patrons invoked, tentacles summoned, and it was a bitter, bitter fight. Unfortunately your DM rolled a crit every round (I think 4 in total, maybe more). Reinforcements rushed in. It was a bloodbath and not the super kewl "we kicked butt!" kind of bloodbath. Nope it was the "Oops, the Cleric just got crushed by a giant tentacle. Oops, that 1hp mook just shoved a rusty dagger in my heart. Now I'm dead. I hate this game. Oops... and there goes the wizard." kind of blood bath.Aftermath: Five of Six PCs laid dead or dying on the cavern floor. Turmus the Warrior was the only one that remained standing. Lester the Jester rushed for to try to save the dying. He was only able save Eni, who had been crushed by a summoned tentacle. [This is not exactly how the dying rule works, but close enough. I didn't want spend 30 minutes trying to find it in the book.]Epilogue:Turmus and Eni freed the rest of the slaves. The bodies were carried by the former slaves as the Warrior and the Cleric led the way back. They returned to the circular room and traced the Maze and then eventually exited out of the Pit.In Huary, Eni reported their deeds to the the village leaders and promised to return in two weeks. A brief ceremony was held for the deceased in Huary.RIP Foddir the ElfRIP Don Keykong the WarriorRIP Kane the ClericRIP Dwight the Wizard.Total Session xp: 8 New Characters The circled one is WuzraThe crossed out one is the dead halfling from Encounter 0[ATTACH=full]285753[/ATTACH][ATTACH=full]285754[/ATTACH][/spoiler]</blockquote>

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