Conquering the Barbarian Altanis: Session 172
Adventurers
| Character | Race | Class | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tarkus the Promising | Human | Cleric level 5 | Follower of Bachontoi, God of Red Wisdom. |
| Beorg the Gravedigger | Human | Fighter level 5 | Inspired to adventure after burying several adventurers. |
| 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. |
| Jacob Vin | Human | Assassin level 1 | Slick black hair, inconspicuous dress, youthful for his age, and of keen instincts. |
| Kenso San | Human | Fighter level 4 | 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. |
Willowind 20th, Spiritday
“Close the doors, let's check the east ones instead.”
Adventurers had just spent hours in a circular chamber with a levitating fire and four doors—except that doors vanish once they are closed.
Ignaeus figured out the trick—one must approach the doors from the opposite side, walking through the flames—and he was now the true Doormaster.
The elf obliged and closed south doors. He then walked to the west side and crawled through the flames heading east. The doors appeared and did not dodge his opening attempt.
Before them was a short corridor, some forty feet, that turned right. The party moved forth, coming to a square chamber with a statue of an ugly, winged figure crouching atop of a stone pedestal.
“Haha, look, a gargoyle!” some of the adventurers laughed.
The statue opened its eyes, spread its wings, and bared its talons.
The statue was indeed a gargoyle.
It clawed and chewed on Kenso. Then it clawed and gored Beorg.
Adventurers' weapons did nothing to it.
So they did the next best thing.
Beorg, Tam, and Tarkus wrestled and grappled with the gargoyle.
Stone monstrosity cried out as it was brought down and pinned.
Ambros tried to burn it with the torch, but it hurt the creature not.
Then Ignaeus played shibari with it, while the brave trio kept it pinned.
Syd and Thorinda kept in the back, providing light from the furthest safe distance they could muster.
Ambros, never to be the one to miss out on good action, began canvassing the room for secret passages and doors. He begun with south-west corner.
Wall slid to the side, an a sea of giant rats fell into the chamber.
Rats swarmed the room. Beorg, Tam, and Tarkus let got of the tightly bound gargoyle, and began stomping. Crunch cracks echoed aplenty.
Gargoyle broke through the ropes, flew up, and escaped through the open secret passage.
Familiar husky voice spoke from the darkness, dripping with vitriol and contempt.
“I have traded rats for a gargoyle! Well, isn't that nice!”
Ignaeus cast Sleep, knocking out still intact giant rats, Tam, Thorinda, and Syd.
Insults could be heard no more.
Ignaeus instructed adventurers to wake up the sleepers and then fall back to the door leading into the circular chamber.
Then he walked up to the secret passageway and cast Fire Ball into the chamber before him.
Flames filled the volume of the large room, leaving the elf unscathed.
When everything calmed the party spilled in, weapons drawn.
At the far south side was a charred skeleton. The only thing that survived the Fire Ball was a melted sword inlaid with gems. Next to the charred remains were stone fragments, including a horn and an ear. Adventurers reasoned those must have belonged to the gargoyle.
Tam undid his pants in order to air his manhood. Then he proceeded to urinate on the blackened bones of the enemy.
“Come on, just one more door!”
Kenso pleaded with others as he put his ear against the south-west doors.
“No!”
But no came too late as the doors in front of Kenso swung open. Six confused pig-faced orcs stared at him. Neither side was surprised.
Ignaeus stepped in and slayed three, Beorg skewered one, Tam rushed in, dangling all around. Somehow he managed to miss. Orc, on the other hand, delivered a surgical strike, leaving Tam circumcised. While cleric sobbed other adventurers mopped up the survivors.
“Now, let's get out!”
They reached Ironburg by noon of Redleaves 1st, Airday.
Redleaves 4th, Fireday
Altanian sun still burned bright, as if winter were not just around the corner. Party of eight advanced to Castle Yukanthur.
Jacob Vin replaced Syd Grundy. The latter was badly wounded on recent expedition and must rest for at least two full weeks before adventuring again.
Specter of recent conversation haunted them all, but perhaps Ambros most of all. He was the one whom had commissioned Xaver, a cheerful dwarven junk trader residing in Ironburg, to travel to Hara and procure him a set of plate mail, two bastard swords, and few other pieces of gear.
Xaver was initially late, but did eventually return to Ironburg. He brought disconcerting news—chief among them that mentioning Ambros “opened doors” for him, and that he was able to get everything because of that.
Plate mail that he brought back was the ceremonial type that adventurers recovered more than a year ago from a tomb near Midway. They were the only ones with such armour. And the only remaining suites of it used to be stored in the vault beneath the adventurers' townhouse. Yes, same townhouse that first burned down to the ground, and was then flooded.
What that might mean was anyone's guess.
But that was then, and now was now—with adventurers descending into the ruins once more. Goblin corpses were still ever-present, albeit mostly consumed by carrion gobblers.
Party went straight down, to the first level. Past the warning statue, through the illusory wall, into the room with four doors, down the long corridor and into a large chamber, through two secret doors, past the shooting gnome statue, around the guardian with the morningstar, and down the stairs.
One the second level they turned right, through the doors upon which Arnulf's face was rotting away, then left where Tam left a piece of his skin, then right through doors yet unopened.
A square chamber, some thirty by thirty feet, with little to show for but a three-foot-tall pedestal in the center. Atop the pedestal was a gold statuette of a spider with glittering red gems for eyes.
Inspecting the statue revealed little information, for it had no inscriptions, writing, or symbols. Touching it triggered a horrific metamorphosis. Statuette shook and shivered as it molted and flaked away the gold. Long bristles emerged, and huge spider broke out.
It was promptly hacked by Thorinda, Beorg, Ignaeus, Kenso, and Jacob. The spider crumpled back into a gold statuette.
Adventurers touched it again. The process of metamorphosis repeated. This time Beorg, Thorinda, Tam, Ignaeus, and Ambros smashed it. Once more, the spider remains on top of the pedestal reformed into gold statuette.
“Wanna touch it for the third time?!”
“Maybe later.”
Party decided to proceed through north-west doors. This led them to an irregular corridor and another doors diagonally across. Going through they found yet another large square chamber. This one was completely bereft of anything. Another doors were at the far side, again diagonally across.
Breaking through led into a chamber that was not empty.
Fire crackled in a stone bowl resting in the center of the chamber. Besides it laid an unconscious woman. Above her crouched a monster most foul; beaked and spindly. It held a curved, glowing dagger high above, about to strike at the woman's exposed torso.
Behind it sat a stone statue of a lizard with two large green gems for eyes. Before them three similar beastmen laid prostrate. The chamber reeked of dried pus and vomit.
Adventurers charged in; monsters reciprocated.
Which side will emerge victorious?
Poster by Lord Jubalon Flux.
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