Tag: dungeon

Gnolls, Zombies, and Skeletons

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, PandoraLeave a comment

Back at the Keep, Laramond figures out what the Goblinoid sign said: Comrades, join the cause, repel the loathsome invaders who profane our ancestral caves with their sacrificial alters. All humanoids welcome. Well, that is very well written for goblins, and it gets everyone curious. The discussion at the table over what to do next is rather lively bouncing between gnolls to goblins to a lady necromancer who has gone missing.

The lure of gold and reputation wins out, and in the morning we head south the investigate the gnolls in the forest. Who, for my money, are doing good work of attacking bandits instead of caravans. It’s a long hot walk in the forest and we have to backtrack a couple times. Just so we can get attacked by big furry spiders. Yuck! They party kills some and chases the rest off before we can continue on.

I’m still hidden from the spider fight when the gnolls arrive, surround the group, and take them prisoner. Gideon is quite polite though, so they are escorted to their camp instead of killed outright. There are several dozen gnolls and hyenas there. The three largest come out to meet the party, one of which can speak the common tongue. They are killing the bandits because they are among the invaders who took their caves from them. Others came in robes – the cultists, likely – as they say those kidnap and kill people. Laramond asks if they’ll help us get rid of them, but they want proof we mean to help. They do share a map of the area with a few things marked that we did not have – one with a letter Laramond says is a Q. I lost track of the conversation at that point because a hyena got too curious and I had to feed it my jerky rations.

The party is walking away when I’m done with that, so I join back up. We check out the flooded road area, but it seems fine. Then head up for the Q place, which is just south of all the caves, up on the higher land around the valley. Turns out it is a big stone door in the back side of the hill. Terak finds skeletal footprints heading inside. Ard lifts the door open to find an antechamber with a couple dozen skeletons standing in rows. Gideon and I set a tripline in front of the door, but the party ends up going inside to fight them, and also scaring them further into the cave instead of pulling them out. They make such a racket that a bunch of zombies come out to join the fray, but the holy folk and Laramond turn and take control of enough to handle everything.

Once everything is under control, we discover barrels being stored here with false bottoms, with A.K. burned into the bottoms. The cooper is Asham, maybe this is what he’s grumpy about. Putting Laramond’s new pet skeletons in front, we head down a very long tunnel. The first room we find holds skeletons kneeling in worship to the most beautiful woman in the whole world. Terak and I go and join them, but Tala pulls me away and then things get fuzzy for a few minutes. When I come back to my senses, the group is talking about putting a tent in front of the lady, but decide not to waste the time and tent.

The next room is some sort of mausoleum with robed bodies in open graves. They begin stirring, but the holy folk go in and shut them up again so the swordsy folk can cut their heads off. There isn’t much to find in there. So, we head back and try a different path, which leads us to one of the entrances into the valley. Further along this path there are a few more doors. The first one leads to stairs, but the group wants to finish up here before going down.

The next door leads to a lavishly decorated room, where the toady merchant Mendel is sitting, with his two guards and the latest of women serving him sweet treats. He tries to get us to go away and leave things be, but the group is having none of that. I enjoy a few snacks while Gideon asks him his business. Gideon doesn’t like his answers and throws a couple darts into his chest, which signals Ard to promptly cut off his head. This convinces his guards to immediately surrender, and also causes the two women to come out from under a charm spell.

They admit he was supplying people, mostly off caravans, to the cultists. This included the cooper’s daughter to keep him quiet, and the necromancer lady who had disappeared, and the last two women he’d had with him in town. They offer to take the women back to the keep, but Tasha doesn’t trust them. She pays them a handful of gold to officially ‘hire’ them for this task. They take off and we take a look around, and I take as many sweetmeats as my pockets can hold.

Tasha finds a secret door in the back of the fireplace. It leads to a very strange twisting tunnel. We decide to investigate, and I try to lead the way, but I keep running into the walls and it feels terrible. A loud thumping begins further down the tunnel and we decide that leaving might be a better choice at this point, and head back to Mendel’s sitting room for a quick breather.

Report 17: Into the Undercroft

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, SvalaLeave a comment

Meeting with the Keeper of Tomes

  • Keeper Janussi summons me to his office.
  • He has a writ of permission for myself and the group to go down into the Undercroft in search of information on mythals.
  • He tells me that the magics down there respond to those who come, and rise to challenge them.
  • He cautions that we must be mindful of Miirym and play into their beliefs.
  • He warns that while we should not be able to get close to the Library’s mythal, that should it happen anyway, we should be very careful.
  • He asks I give him a full report when we return, and should it be good enough, he might be able to get me access to nearby mythals of slightly less power.

The Basement of Doors

  • We gather up in the morning and head to the Restricted Section of the Library.
  • The guard there inspect our writ, and advise me to give one tassel to each party member, who must stay within 120 feet of me at all times.
  • We head down into the catacombs and first come upon a high vaulted room filled with shelves, crates, case, tables and chairs.
  • An altar to Oghma is at the far end, I offer a prayer to guide our quest for knowledge.
  • The rogue crew begins checking the doors for our path further down.
  • The first is full of pots and pans, the next door reveals a ratman bathing, the third door leads to stacks of books.
  • We find a path leading east and down, to a glass-domed laboratory.
  • Here, the doors lead to falling wine racks, an impossible decrepit tavern, and people who try to pull Questdrone in until he slams the door.
  • Shohei objects and disappears into this room for a short while, returning unhurt, but very tired.
  • Ms. Lendiel finds us a passage going further down to a room with statues eerily resembling golems.
  • The doors here lead to a narrow hatch going upward and a room full of buttons, and a passage further down.
  • Heading down we find a room full of mist, with several doors.
  • One to a room with a spying coin on a table, and one with a small dark floating sphere of annihilation in it. Mr. Darkfoot must be convinced to leave it be, and I fear he may try to come back for it another time.
  • There is also a stairway up, but it leads us to an airvent overlooking the Court of Air, but is magically protected from being used as an exit.
  • Having to backtrack at this point, we search more carefully, and Ms. Lendiel finds a moving bookcase with a downward chute behind it.
  • We all feather fall down together, a total of thee hundred feet to the bottom, into a room full of socks.
  • This room has but one door with a stone carving of a dragon attacking a keep, perhaps this is the greath Miirym’s battle against Candlekeep.
  • Mr. Darkfoot disarms and unlocks this door, and we head further on.
  • There are several passages and a door beyond, this doorway revealing a vast chasm with a singular bridge guarded by a minotaur, who appears to be feasting on part of a horse.
  • Questdrone speaks to him and discovers he his guarding the bookcase on the far side and will not be moved from his task.
  • Mr. Darkfoot and Questdrone begin to cross, but the minotaur shakes the bridge so badly, that Mr. Darkfoot must enter his book.
  • Questdrone is able to duck and dodge his way past the minotaur to the far side, though I worry they are getting outside the protective range of the writ.
  • They take all of the books they discover on the far side, including a Tome of Clear Thought, and make their way back, quite injured by the minotaur, but he stays his post on the bridge and does not pursue them.
  • I fear we are taking things that would rather stay in their places, but the others assure me that locked away is no place for such a powerful Tome.
  • We head down again, and the air grow hot and dry, and there is the sound of breathing.
  • Perhaps we have found Miirym at last.

Madness Incarnate

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, NetherdeepLeave a comment

We feel them. They are coming. A few are tricked, talking to friends who are not there, family they don’t even really like. Talking. Then Questioning. The Balhannoth’s don’t like questions and they don’t like the Balhannoths. Gone. All gone. The Catonoctrix come, come flying in taking minds, but too late. Too slow. Powerful these new minds. They will come to us next. They will listen. They all listen to Them. Hear Them.

Into the hive. They come to us. Slowly. Confused. Pliant. They come.

“Come, come. Time is nigh. Hurry. Come, come.” And they come. We will protect them. Protect them from the worms below. The burrowing ever deeper worms. Eat right through you if you’re not protected. They resist our protect, but they come with us. The others are waiting, but The Holy One is almost done. Almost done.

They still come, the Neothelids and our beloved Core Spawn Worms. Good pets. They listen. Won’t attack us. Not when we bring minds to The Many. Brilliant minds, careful minds, tasty minds.

Down and down and down we go. They hide below. Far below. Minds scattered, but body below. Bring the body first, the minds will follow. Down into the temple. Temple to Ceratos, The Many, destruction and rebirth shall come.

Join the Circle!

They are hesitant.

Join the Circle!

They go, slowly around the circle. Stopping finally and joining the circle. Kneeling to The Many as he feasts and Rises!

Retreat, but not far. Don’t disturb the ceremony. See through the others. Watch.

The new minds attack! Upset by Their rise! Attack The Holy One and her Acolyte! The Many will take them, will eat them, take them, eat them! They shall be reunited with the Many. Their minds to bring together. Reunification for Rebirth! The Holy One falls, the Reunification incomplete! The Many eats, but They wane. Retreat!

Must retreat, They fall, but will rise again. They will lead us Home one day. Falling is not the end, still scattered. Scattered still.

~Core Spawn Seer Hive Minds

Down and Around

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, NetherdeepLeave a comment

Almost. Got. One. More. Slaadi. More. Less. No. More. Why. All. Gone. Gone. Gone.

KILL THEM! I’LL KILL THEM. EAT THEM!

The Eyes. The Eyes Will Get Them. All The Eyes. So Loud. Stepping In Them. Get Them!

BiGGeR eYeS! THeY WiLL TaKe THeM! All thE bIg EyEs! Zap tHem! tAke tHem! nO!

gonE agaiN? whY? wherE? hoW? resTing iN anoTher plAce! coMe bAck!

there they are here they come one more level. my precious reality warpers. trick them. take them. you will see.

~Ceratos, the Many

Ghosts and Ghoulies

On By ravonlockeIn Journal, NetherdeepLeave a comment

First there were ghosts and huge bat things who brought darkness with them, all screaming and shrieking. Then we went inside and there was even Louder screaming. Master said it was just coming from the wall. The walls are screaming? No time to think about that though, a bunch of really disgusting creatures are answering the scream. The little metal man turns them to dust though, good man.

Off to the right, always right, Master tells me. But what if the designer knows that, maybe we should go left this time? Right we go. The dark one says there’s traps, so Master makes them not traps anymore. And we find a door with a bunch of slightly more put-together gross creatures. These have weapons and armor, but the metal man takes care of a bunch of them, too. We make quick work of the ones that don’t fall apart. They take the thing’s big mace, and find a bit mirror and cloak in a closet. Seems like the mirror’s real bad, but we bring it along anyway.

Up a tower that doesn’t have stairs all the way up. Some of the folk just want to leave, but the others convince them to stay. And some tiny flaming skulls bomb us about halfway up. They’re real bad, but they break pretty easy. Don’t know how I survived that, but Master takes care of me. Up top there’s a very sad looking ghost lady, but they all kill her before she screams at us. They seem real scared of her. Maybe she looks familiar to one of them and they know what they did to make her sad. Master’s cousin finds a pretty bottle and opens it and a big angry airy lady comes out. She wants to leave this place. Me too, lady, me too. There’s a weird argument before they give her the bottle and let her go. She just flies out the arrow slit or something, and we head back down.

The other side of this floor has a room full of mummies. Do not like! They’re rotting and gross and almost kill the big human. He does not look good when it’s all done. They take a cloak made of rats and insects from the big one’s body. It might be magic, but it’s real disgusting. They don’t even put it in the bag with the rest of their stuff.

There’s another tower, and more people think it’s time to leave, but metal man and dark man once again convince them to stay. I guess it’s magic and not what they actually feel. I don’t need magic to want to leave, though. This one has ghosts that come out of the walls to try and possess folk, but nobody wants to talk to them. Up top, a big chest attacks Master, so they break it good. A skull and onyx dog are all they find inside. It’s a little girl apparently, and her pet Cerby. The holy ones do a whole big funeral ritual for her, to set her spirit to rest, and Master’s cousin promises to take good care of her dog. Then everyone rests and they figure out what all the things they stole were. They get even more nervous about the mirror, though some want to open it up and let the demons out. So glad they don’t.

They find a set of stairs going down next, but when they go in the first room, I get pushed back home. I hope they’re alright.

~Juxua