Sunday 1 August 1280, Late Afternoon (All My Children)

Gaven uses the scroll of Cure Light Wounds to heal Almo (OOC: Almo regains 5 hp, and is back up to 10/10 hp). Almo thanks Gaven. In a matter of seconds, he looks to be perfectly fit.

"Shall we see what is behind the door?" the cleric asks.

"I believe it is time to face whatever is behind this door," Duran says to the others.

"Death, in one form or another, is behind that door." Oloc shifts uncomfortably in the passage, holding the torch high. "If it must be done, then so be it." The Mage fingers the magic ring on his hand and prepares to call forth his magic missile at the slightest provocation.

Before opening the door, Gaven casts Protection from Evil on himself.

The halflings and hirelings look nervous, but ready to follow. Filbert and Almo each give a nod that says "let's do this."

Duran and Gaven heave open the door. Oloc's torch flickers as a stinking breath-like gust of air pours forth. The room beyond is illuminated with a faint garish glow that seems to have no source.

Looking into the room, you see a 30' x 30' space. The dim red glow reveals a closed wooden door opposite you, and another puddle of the crimson liquid against the east wall. A stone altar stands mid-way across the room to your left (west).

Eight skeletons turn with an agitated movement toward the door you have just opened.

Near the altar stands a wavering man-like figure in long black shroud that obscures his face. He bends over the altar with a silver hammer and chisel, tapping into the top of the altar. The figure stops his task, rises from his bent posture, and turns to look at you.

A low, raspy voice emanates from his cowl: "My children here told me you were coming. It seems you weren't very nice to them. No, not at all." The figure shakes his covered head in a scolding manner. "I do not appreciate your mistreatment of my sons and daughters."

The skeletons clatter with menacing irritation at these words.

"I am Rottblood," the figure continues. "Who are you who invade my home and harm my family?"

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OOC: Actions?

Time: 17:30
Current Torch Expires: 18:10

HP Update:
Gaven: 10/12
All others: Full

Gaven is protected by "Protection from Evil" (giving his opponents -1 to hit him, and giving him +1 to all saves against them)

Sunday 1 August 1280, Late Afternoon (Getting Colder, Getting Fouler)

Gaven binds Almo's and his own wounds, and Duran helps tend to the others' wounds were he can. (OOC: Almo regains 1 hp and Gaven regains 3 hp).

Gaven then prays to the Light to thank for the power to turn the zombies.

Once done Gaven says, "let us explore the foul area we have been avoiding. I suggest we take the path south of this room to the west. If we must fall back, we should fall back to Abbot Michael's tomb. Perhaps it is warded."

A big grin spreads across Oloc's face as he pockets the ring and pendant. He passes the scrolls to Gaven before lighting a new torch.

"Looking at the map, I think we know where this door leads," Oloc says, pointing to the rusted door. The Mage agrees with Gaven's suggested approach.

"I agree Gaven, let us move that way as soon as we are able," says Duran.

The party leaves Elizabeth's tomb and moves south of it down the west-heading corridor. As you pass near more red ooze creeping up through cracks in the floor (along the north wall of the corridor) you notice that the air gets coldest and foulest near a door in the center of the north wall of the hallway. There is a tension emanating from the door that makes it seem almost to shiver on its hinges.

Peering farther down the hall, you see that this tunnel links up with several others you saw before, further west, and you note one other tunnel branching off far to the west turning north.

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OOC: Actions?

Since the map's getting a bit more complicated I've marked on the revealed area all currently unexplored corridors (two locations) and unopened doors (two locations).

Time: 17:20
Current Torch Expires: 18:10

HP Update:
Gaven: 10/12
Almo: 5/10
Everyone Else: Full

Monster and Treasure Page Updated.

Sunday 1 August 1280, Late Afternoon (Fish in a Barrel)

In their panic, the zombies struggle unsuccessfully to open the door in the far wall.

Duran shoots into the backs of the zombies striking another one down with an arrow to the kidneys. Oloc hurls his magical throwing dagger, unfortunately missing.

Gaven and the hirelings rush into melee after missiles are fired. Gaven smites one zombie with his club splattering the creature's head like an overripe melon. Almo slices the legs out from under another and finishes him off with a thrust to the torso once the creature is down.

Filbert and the hirelings are unable to do any damage to the undead with their attacks, but Gaven and Almo both step up and finish off the panicked creatures.

A calm settles in, everyone catches his breath, and Oloc searches the chamber. Rummaging in the tattered zombies' clothing he finds two scrolls, each containing one clerical spell (one "Cure Light Wounds" and one "Light"). In the pocket of one, he collects a plain copper ring, that looks to be worth about 10 gp at best. Around the neck of another, he finds a chain with a pendant. Wiping the zombie filth from it, he discovers it is a thing of beauty. The chain itself is gold, and the pendant is a glittering blue gem, probably worth an easy 400 gp.

The only other thing the mage notes is that the iron latch on the far door looks to be rusted shut.

Seeing the torch about to go out, Oloc lights another.

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OOC:  Actions?

Time: 17:10
Current Torch Expires: 18:10

Current HP:
Gaven: 7/12
Almo: 4/10
Everyone Else: full

Let me know what binding or healing you want to do, any other actions you want to take in this room, and which direction you'd like to go when you exit.

*****

Fish in a Barrel Details:

Round 2 Initiative: Zombies 4 – Party 3

Zombies

Zombies (five remaining) attempt to open door (6 required due to panic): d6 (x5) = 1, 1, 3, 5, 5 (fail)

Duran
d20 =  14 + 2 (short range) + 1 (hit bonus) +2 (rear) = 17 (hit); d6 = 6 (zombie killed)
d20 =  4 + 2 (short range) + 1 (hit bonus) + 2 (rear) = 9 (miss);

Oloc
d20 = 5 + 2 (short range) + 2 (rear) = 9 (miss)

Gaven
d20 = 16 +1 (Maggie's ribbon) + 2 (rear) = 19 (hit); d6 = 6 (zombie killed)

Almo
d20 = 18 + 1 (hit bonus) = 19 (hit); d6 = 5 (zombie killed)

Filbert
d20 = 4 (miss)

Gweneth
d20 = 7 (miss)

Jack
d20 = 9 (miss)


Round 3 Initiative: Zombies 4 – Party 2

Zombies

Zombies (two remaining) attempt to open door (6 required due to panic): d6 (x2) = 2, 5 (fail)


Gaven
d20 = 13 +1 (Maggie's ribbon) + 2 (rear) = 16 (hit); d6 = 2 (zombie killed)

Almo
d20 = 10 + 1 (hit bonus) = 11 (hit); d6 = 5 (zombie killed)

Sunday, 1 August 1280, Late Afternoon (Zed Men Walking)

Gaven hefts his club: "Likely more ghouls." Gaven readies himself to enter the room.

Oloc shudders at the thought of facing more ghouls. But the Mage summons forth what courage he can muster. He pulls out his magical dagger and prepares to throw it at whatever foul undead lies beyond the door.

Duran nods and pushes the door wide open.

Through the doorway you see a 20' x 30' room, as anticipated, with another door directly across from you in the opposite wall.

Near the north wall is a stone sepulcher, similar to the ones you've seen before with the following inscription:

The lid to the sepulcher has been cracked and thrown aside, and you see six slavering zombies in torn, ragged clothes groaning over the abbess' remains, voraciously sucking marrow out of the bones. Their expression is as close as a zombie's face can come to delight.

As you open the door, however, they drop what they are doing and turn toward you moving in to attack.

Zombies (red) jump down from the tomb to attack the party (blue).

One zombie claws at Gaven, cutting the cleric fairly badly (OOC: damage = 5 hp; Gaven is now at 7/12 hp). Two others gang up on Almo. The halfling is able to dodge one attack, but the second attack finds its mark, and Almo staggers backward a step as the zombie strikes him (OOC: damage = 3 hp; Almo is now at 4/10 hp).

As the zombies clash with Gaven and Almo, Duran is able to jump back from the door and get off two shots with his bow before the melee becomes too confused for further missilery. One of his arrows strikes the zombie from which Almo recoiled, wounding it severely, but not quite killing it.

Oloc, too, is able to throw a dagger through the gap opened by Duran's movement, targeting the zombie wounded by the fighter's arrow. The thrown blade spins through the air, slices through the undead creature's throat, and returns to Oloc's hand.

The zombie crumples to the floor, as another steps up to take its place.

Recovering from the pain of the zombie's clawing attack, Gaven raises his hand to turn the foul creatures.*  The zombies stop in their tracks suddenly, as if in agony, then spin around and begin to rush for the door on the opposite side of the room.

Zombies (red) in flight from the party (blue).

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OOC: Actions?

*I took the liberty, as Gaven did this against the skeletons, and it seemed the most sensible course of action here as well. If you would have attempted some other action, let me know and I'll edit accordingly.

Current Situation:

The five surviving zombies now have just turned their backs to you; they are still right in front of you, maybe about 10' from the doorway.

Gaven is in the doorway; he is currently at 7/12 hp.
Almo has recoiled away from the door after being hit; he is currently at 4/10 hp.
Duran stepped back to get off his shots before melee was engaged.
Oloc has stepped up to a position through which he can throw through the doorway.

Given this position...

Gaven (I believe he still has a spear, no?) and two others could make missile attacks from the doorway (or just outside the doorway). It could be Oloc and Duran, but doesn't necessarily need to be since the mage and fighter are not actually in the doorway, like Gaven is.

Alternatively, any number could press into the room to try and make any combination of missile/melee attacks (once through the bottleneck of the doorway, there is no hindrance to any combination of missile/melee for one round, after which, if melee is engaged, missilery would likely be blocked by those in melee).

All attacks you choose to make against the zombies are at +2, since you're behind them.

Since the zombies have been turned, they cannot attack at all – the zombies are allowed no action other than flight for the next 3d6 rounds.

*****

Time: 16:55 (combat time, no significant change after 1 round)
Current Torch Expires:17:10

*****

Combat Details

Round 1

No surprise for either side.

Initiative: Zombies 5 – Party 4

Zombie 1: Attacks Gaven
d20 = 18 + 1 = 19 (hit); d6 = 5

Zombie 2: Attacks Almo
d20 = 4 + 1 = 5 (miss)

Zombie 3: Attacks Almo
d20 = 16 +1 = 17 (hit)

Zombie 4: Cannot attack, no room.
Zombie 5: Cannot attack, no room.
Zombie 6: Cannot attack, no room.

Duran:
d20 = 17 + 2 (short range) + 1 (hit bonus) = 20 (hit); d6 = 1 (zombie wounded)
d20 = 1 + 2 (short range) + 1 (hit bonus) = 4 (miss)

Oloc
d20 = 13 + 2 (short range) = 15 (hit); d6 = 3 (zombie killed)

Gaven
3d6 = 11 (successful) All zombies flee!

Party Henchmen: Cannot attack, no room.

Sunday 1 August 1280, Late Afternoon (A Sound Beyond the Door)

Duran gives the parchment to Gaven for keeping, and makes ready to move out.

Oloc scratches his head as he considers the parchment. "It is only speculation, but I think perhaps someone of great evil tried to read this prayer and was duly punished." He then looks to Gaven for his thoughts.

Gaven replies: "I wonder if this prayer has some importance as to what is happening here. I also wonder if this hand was affected by the same holy fire that flared when I pulled the lever upstairs, though how it would make it so far into the chamber is puzzling. There are no burn marks in the room, so it doesn't seem something was attacked here. Let us keep investigating."

The Mage looks about the chamber. "This place appears untouched by the evil presence. Perhaps perhaps Abbot Michael was a great man, indeed."

Oloc looks for secret doors, but finds none. He then suggests the party moves out to the corridor heading north.

Duran and Gaven both agree, and the party moves on.

Heading north, you follow a corridor that branches off to the west in two separate spots. In both cases, the air in the westward leading pathways feels cold and smells foul, just as in the corridors you had previously explored to the west.

The westward passage situated farther the north turns southward after about forty feet, while the one situated just south of it continues westward, eventually before splitting at a T-junction north. Between the two westward corridors is a door in the west wall. Judging by the blank spot on your map, you estimate a 20' by 30' room on the opposite side of it.

Listening at the ordinary wooden door, Duran notes what he believes to be the sound of a faint moaning on the other side. The sound is very indistinct and sporadic. As best Duran can tell, it is more a moan of despair than of pain or fear.

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OOC: Actions?

Time: 16:55
Current Torch Expires:17:10