Conquering the Barbarian Altanis: Session 170
Adventurers
| Character | Race | Class | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnulf Hetzer | Human | Thief level 1 | A highly ambitious young man, aiming for great riches, awesome adventure, and not get broiled. |
| Ambros | Human | Cleric level 6 | Follower of Aniu, Lord of Time. |
| Ignaeus | Elf | Fighter level 4 / magic-user level 5 | A slightly weathered looking elf with dull blonde hair and chiseled features. Seeks wealth and knowledge. |
| Syd Grundy | Human | Ranger level 2 | Tall, middle aged and scruffy looking man of the wilderness. |
| Thorinda Bung | Human | Monk level 2 | She has blonde hair done up in a tight pony tail and wears light, loose suit. |
| Kenso San | Human | Fighter level 3 | An arrogant and self-assured sellsword wandering Wilderlands to prove he can best anyone. |
| Tam o' Shanter | Human | Cleric level 4 | A boisterous wine-lover of Losborst on a Great Crusade of the Grape. |
| Idris | Elf | Fighter level 1 / magic-user level 1 | An elf wielding a greatsword. |
Willowind 3rd, Earthday
Tam fondled his grapes as he called upon Losborst to turn the skeleton cheerfully approaching him. Idris rushed toward the undead, wielding his greatsword. Awed by such display of power, the skeleton jumped, as if spooked, and ran as fast as it could into the darkness.
At the same time Ignaeus and Thorinda choked the doors leading into chamber with thirty-six rotten zombies. Ambros's holy voice thundered, and soon all the zombies crawled away, seeking respite from such awesome divinity.
Elf and monk each managed to kill naught but one zombie. Then the party shut the doors.
“Somebody else can deal with THIS problem.”
The party returned to the grinning gnome statue chamber. This time they went for south doors, following another long corridor. They reached a T-junction splitting left and forward. Doors to the left led into web-ridden chamber. Tam managed to stumble through and straight into thick webs.
“Help...”
Ignaeus, Arnulf, and Kenso stepped in to help. Thief quickly abandoned poor Tam, opting to focus on various silver and gold pieces strewn around. Returning to the corridor, adventurers turned left, and faced a statue of a warrior holding morningstar high above its head.
Ignaeus led the way, for he recognised the statue. Tam stumbled right next to him, careless and carefree. Statue guarded the staircase leading further down. Stepping on the first step produced an audible clang as statue shook. Nothing ill happened. Adventurers descended.
After some time they reached a landing adjoined to a corridor. To their left the corridor turned left again. To the right the corridor stretched some fifty feet, turning right. There were also doors straight ahead.
Exploring the right turn led to another door and a left turn leading to dead end. Elves sensed something might be there. Arnulf and Idris went to investigate the dead end. Ignaeus explored the space just before the dead end. Others listened at doors.
“Ah, here it is.”
Ignaeus found a flagstone that stuck out. He pressed it, opening sliding secret doors in front of him. Alas, same flagstone also opened the pit trap underneath Arnulf and Idris. The duo fell down and got proper messed up. Idris broke his tailbone, while Arnulf shattered his ego. Doors in front of Tam swung open—and four ravenous ghouls assaulted him.
No dead are much of a threat in presence of Ambros. When he gets to act in time that is. He turned three of four, leaving one to face Ignaeus and Tam. The duo managed to dispose of it, but not before Tam went paralytic.
Idris massaged himself. Then he moved to jumping jacks. Arnulf rummaged through his backpack, red in cheeks. He recovered the rope and then threw it up to Ambros. He missed. Twice. During that time Ambros was passed the rope from another adventurers and lowered it down. Idris used the opportunity to climb up. Arnulf threw the rope again. It did reach above.
“See. I could have done it.”
“AAAAAAAAAA!”
Thorinda screamed as two more ghouls charged from the darkness, from whence they earlier had arrived from. Ambros turned them, sending them back to darkness.
Adventurers consolidated in the corridor. Both Arnulf and Idris have been pulled up. Tam was still stiff on the ground. Secret doors led down a corridor. Ghoul chamber was a dead end without any treasure. But there were just one more doors to be checked.
Forcing them open led into an elongated rectangular chamber. As few adventures stepped in, Ambros heard two “woosh” and then “thwack” sounds just above him. Two broken arrows fell to the ground just behind him.
The party flooded the chamber, fanning out. There was no one to be seen. They spread out to seek secret doors and passageways, for elves' senses were tingling. Alas, nothing was found. Ignaeus did hear something that could best be described as footsteps.
“Hiya!”
Kenso started jumping right and left, swinging his sword into nothing.
“Let's spread out and swing left and right!”
The plan to find the invisible assailant was put in place.
And then Arnulf heard the sound of stone sliding over stone. And then a horde of giant rats flooded the chamber. There were dozens of them. Dozens of dog-sized, disease-ridden, starved rodents.
Kenso and Arnulf were closest to the source. Each soon had a dozen of giant rats badgering them. Idris legged it, fleeing the chamber. Then he felt bad for the paralysed Tam that was eaten alive so he went back in and dragged him out.
Kenso dropped his blade due to surprise. He stomped on rats right and left, but recognised the untenability of his position. He fled, shedding last shards of honour that might have been attached to him.
“Mess with the Ratmaster” a hoarse whisper followed him “and get ratted!”
Ignaeus, Ambros, Syd, and Thorinda retreated from the chamber as well. Arnulf, having recently suffered a great physical trauma, miraculously dodged many rats. He too fled. Then he felt sharp pain in his back. His legs gave in, and he felt to the ground face first. He blacked out for a moment
Arrow in his back must have severed some of the nerves, for his body did not obey his mind anymore. He could feel burning, sharp pain, as dozens of giant rats feasted upon his exposed flesh. He watched his allies shut the doors, leaving him in darkness, to be consumed alive.
Arnulf Protects by Jan.
“AAAAAAAAAA!”
Thorinda screamed again as the ghoulish duo returned. Both assaulted Idris, whom managed to dodge and parry the attacks. Ignaeus decapitated one of the ghouls with a single swing. The remaining ghoul was turned. In an act of surprising heroism, Idris went around and blocked the undead's path. He attacked with his greatsword. Alas, the pain from his broken tailbone was too distracting, and he failed to do any damage.
Ghoul reciprocated by jumping at the elf, tearing off both of his ears with its sharp claws. Then it proceeded to jam its rotten, bulbous, festering thumbs into Idris's eyes. The elf fell down on his back as the ghouls gored his eyes. Then it smashed his head upon the stone floor. And then it fled into darkness.
“Pick up Tam and get out of here!”
Ambros led the retreat out of Castle Yukanthur. He led the party into a dead end chamber, where they were attacked by three giant rats. Syd took over and successful led the party outside. Then they found a safe spot an hour or so away from the ruin and camped there.
During night they spotted a goblin warband counting hundreds advancing toward the castle.
“I am convinced they are having raves down there.”
“We should have killed those gnomes when we had the chance.”
The party reached Ironburg by noon of Willowind 4th.
Will they ever recover the many riches resting within the Castle Yukanthur?
'Rapping' Syd presents Leave and Let Die by Lord Jubalon Flux.
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