Chapter 3.5: The Temple of Merikka

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Feb 17, 2026 10:55 pm
"May the gods favor your journey." Ferranzo bids a soft-voiced common (in his home town) farewell to Morton.

As he joins the others by the door, he can’t help but wonder. Am I much different, risking my life for a loved one? Well, with the craziness throughout the town, this is the best path for rescue. Or justice, if need be.
Feb 18, 2026 2:27 am
Ember sighs heavily. "Be well, Morton, and godspeed." She then turns to join the others in the room.
Feb 18, 2026 11:11 am
Being plunged into darkness Eugenios moved on from his study of the book, the defacing of "A MOST WORSHIPFUL GUIDE TO BENIGN MERIKKA," definitely held evidence of another entity taking over the Temple to Merikka. It also upset him that an amazing piece of literature would be treated with such disrespect, someone should be held responsible.

The Wizard moved out into the hall nodded to Morton and paused, "I have not know you long enough to pursued you not to leave Morton, nor should I presume I could. But instead I will make one suggestion, perhaps wait here and rest before heading out. Give yourself a fighting chance." He then approaches Morton pulling a small crumpled bag from an inner jacket pocket. "But I will offer you a gift before you leave. I can’t guarantee the taste, as with life we are never sure of what’s around the next bend. All I can offer is that it is given in friendship. May you travel well."

Opening the bag Morton sees five small humanoid shaped jellies of various colours, "Please take one, Morton"

OOC:
If Morton wishes to take the offered jelly baby, WanderOne. Please roll a d200 for flavour.
Last edited February 18, 2026 11:11 am

Morton

spaceseeker19 Inactive for 1 months

Feb 18, 2026 4:49 pm
Morton
Morton has softened a bit after the kinder words from Ferranzo and Ember, so the offer from Eugenios is not met with a retort. "Thank you." The elf shifts the weight of the dead woman in his arms so that he can open one hand. He waggles his fingers, indicating that's as far as he can go - he can't reach into the bag until Eugenios brings the back to him, essentially moving it right up and over his fingers. Having taken a jelly baby from the bag, Morton nods and repeats. "Thank you." He closes his hand on the sweet (he'll eat it later, when he can bring his hand up to his mouth), shifts the weight again, and continues walking out the western door. He pauses, and calls over his shoulder. "May the gods bless you and keep you safe. Once I have brought her safe to the Pelorites, I will come back with help, if I can." As he steps up to the door, he adds a final suggestion, nodding at the shield on the floor that is still illuminating the entire room: "Check with the others: someone in the group might want to use that. I think it will glow for a while longer." With that, he proceeds out the door toward the stairs, hoping that the party will prove him wrong, but afraid that they're all going to die.

Rolls

Jelly baby selection - (1d200)

(76) = 76

Feb 18, 2026 4:55 pm
Now down to six adventurers, the party gathers in the meeting room as Aanbo listens carefully at the fancy door leading west. Hearing nothing, he tries the door and finds it unlocked. Swinging it open, the party sees a long passageway with a tile floor. With their darkvision, Aanbo and Eugenios are able to see a bit beyond the torchlight where the corridor opens out into a larger room.

https://i.imgur.com/DQVSCIh.png


Aanbo (18/27)
Chase (6/17) Holding a torch
Ember (7/12)
Eugenios (4/8) Mage armor, Cursed
Ferranzo (8/8)
Myrtha (9/30)

Rolls

Goblin stealth - (1d20+6)

(14) + 6 = 20

Feb 18, 2026 5:17 pm
Chase will look to Aanbo"I will stay behind you with the torch to not mess with your dark vision."
Feb 18, 2026 7:11 pm
Eugenios thanked Morton for his advice and awkwardly picked up the shield having placed his dagger away. Having joined the other the Wizard was happy to place the shield down against the west wall before joining Aanbo in peering down the hall. "Maybe one of you could toss a torch or that shield down the hall to provide a bit of illumination."
OOC:
Morton’s Jelly Baby is Chamomile
Feb 18, 2026 8:09 pm
Aanbo considers the suggestion. "Not a bad idea," he begins, "but I'd be afraid of either lighting the place on fire or making a big clatter of noise... Well, more than what we've already done.

"Let me see what I can, first," he says, "and if there's trouble then tossing the shield near me won't make a difference. Otherwise, if it's clear I'll signal the rest of you to come up."

Aanbo tries to sneak through to the end of the hallway, where he will listen and peek around the corner for signs of anyone lying in wait.

Rolls

Stealth - (1d20+4)

(5) + 4 = 9

Perception - (1d20+3)

(4) + 3 = 7

Feb 19, 2026 4:17 pm
Aanbo makes his way down the hall as the others watch from the doorway.

https://i.imgur.com/sMHPs73.png

Feb 19, 2026 5:29 pm
Not seeing anyone sitting in the dark, Aanbo gestures behind him for the others to approach. As for himself, he steps further into the room to look around the south corner and crosses the table for what lies beyond.
Feb 19, 2026 10:17 pm
Chase will move up to Aanbo and then will let him move forward again if need be.
Feb 19, 2026 11:41 pm
Eugenios grabs the glowing shield and follows Chase.
Feb 19, 2026 11:58 pm
As soon as Aanbo signalled, Myrtha stepped forward, spear and shield held tightly before her. She tried to bleep her breathing regular, and tried to ignore the pain all over her body.
Feb 20, 2026 12:41 am
Ember closes the gap between herself and the others.
Feb 20, 2026 1:59 am
Ferranzo follows and takes up the rear guard.
Feb 20, 2026 4:12 am
Once Chase joins him down the hall, Aanbo proceeds further into the darkened room as the others move up behind them. Myrtha proceeds a few steps into the darkened room as the light from Chase's torch and Eugenios' Light-glowing shield illuminates the larger space: a table with straps on it is a rack, complete with a winch for stretching people who are bound. A smaller tray table next to it is covered with cruel instruments: small knives, drills, chains, needles, and even a cat o' nine tails. An iron maiden yawns open toward the back of the room, and several wooden boxes or crates (each roughly one pace by one pace by two paces in dimension) are stacked to the southwest, where Aanbo is going. Brownish patches on the tile floor and a strong iron smell in the room tell of how much blood was spilled here.

Aanbo sees that the room continues for another twelve paces to the left, and as he looks down that way, he sees closed doors that are set in the walls on his left and straight ahead.

https://i.imgur.com/INOYQtV.png
OOC:
As the party enters the torture chamber, every PC must roll initiative.

Aanbo (18/27)
Chase (6/17) Holding a torch
Ember (7/12)
Eugenios (4/8) Mage armor, Cursed, Holding the Light shield
Ferranzo (8/8)
Myrtha (9/30)
Feb 20, 2026 4:24 am
Round One
(this is followed by round two)

Before the party can really assimilate what they're seeing, secret doors open in the wall of the room and the corridor and many goblins come boiling out, attacking with surprise! More goblins rush into the meeting room behind them, cackling with glee!

https://i.imgur.com/5iwKcx0.png

Three emerge from a hidden panel in the torture room; two of them (A1 and A2) loose arrows at Ember, the third (A3) looses an arrow at Aanbo!
The first arrow takes Ember in the thigh!
Ember takes 4 piercing damage!
The second arrow follows the first and takes the rogue in the torso.
Ember takes 5 piercing damage and is dying!
Three more come boiling into the corridor behind the party! The first (B1) attacks Eugenios with a wickedly curved blade, while the second (B2) attacks Ferranzo with a serrated scimitar!
Despite holding the shield, the goblin is able to slash the Special Investigator across his belly!
Eugenios takes 3 slashing damage!
Ferranzo is able to dance out of the way of the serrated edge as it swings at him again and again!
The third goblin out of that door (B3) looses an arrow at Eugenios, taking the gnome in the neck!
Eugenios takes 7 damage and falls, dying! The Light shield clatters to the floor.
Coming through the door from the meeting room, three more goblins appear! One of them (C3) looses an arrow at Chase (visible over the heads of the shorter creatures in between them), but the other two Ready bow shots on the first party member they can see who attacks! The arrow wings over Chase's head and clatters into the torture room behind him.

https://i.imgur.com/OdaBGYC.png
OOC:
This ends the surprise round one.

22 - Chase (6/17) Holding a torch
20 - Myrtha (9/30)
18 - Eugenios (0/8) Mage armor, Cursed, Holding the Light shield, dying
18 - Goblins B1, B2, B3
12 - Goblins C1, C2, C3
7 - Ferranzo (8/8)
7 - Goblins A1, A2, A3

Aanbo (18/27)
Ember (0/12) Dying

Rolls

Goblin group A targeting (1 - Aanbo, 2 - Myrtha, 3 - Ember) - (3d3)

(331) = 7

Goblin B3 and C3 targeting (1 - Myrtha, 2 - Ember, 3 - Chase, 4 - Eugenios, 5 Ferranzo) - (2d5)

(43) = 7

Goblin group A initiative - (1d20+2)

(5) + 2 = 7

Goblin group B initiative - (1d20+2)

(16) + 2 = 18

Goblin group C initiative - (1d20+2)

(10) + 2 = 12

Secret Roll

A1 bow attack on Ember AC14, piercing damage - (1d20+4, 1d6+2)

1d20+4 : (16) + 4 = 20

1d6+2 : (2) + 2 = 4

A2 bow attack on Ember AC14, piercing damage - (1d20+4, 1d6+2)

1d20+4 : (15) + 4 = 19

1d6+2 : (3) + 2 = 5

A3 bow attack on Aanbo AC15, piercing damage - (1d20+4, 1d6+2)

1d20+4 : (5) + 4 = 9

1d6+2 : (2) + 2 = 4

B1 scimitar attack on Eugenios AC16, slashing damage - (1d20+4, 1d6+2)

1d20+4 : (18) + 4 = 22

1d6+2 : (1) + 2 = 3

B2 scimitar attack on Ferranzo AC13, slashing damage - (1d20+4, 1d6+2)

1d20+4 : (2) + 4 = 6

1d6+2 : (6) + 2 = 8

B3 bow attack on Eugenios AC16, piercing damage - (1d20+4, 1d6+2)

1d20+4 : (18) + 4 = 22

1d6+2 : (5) + 2 = 7

C3 bow attack on Chase AC16, piercing damage - (1d20+4, 1d6+2)

1d20+4 : (2) + 4 = 6

1d6+2 : (5) + 2 = 7

Myrtha-imposed DISADV on A1's attack - (1d20+4)

(8) + 4 = 12

Feb 20, 2026 5:46 am
OOC:
@CancerMan @rpgventurer @matmaisan @Mathfuric @WhtKnt @mathias0077 - If you roll initiative equal or greater than 18, go ahead and post your round two turns, too.

Of course, you can always post your round two turns out of sequence if you know that what you are going to do on your turn won't change based on other combatants' actions.
Feb 20, 2026 7:21 am
Seeing companions fall and at least three goblins way too close, Ferranzo moves to the empty space between Myrtha and Chase.
OOC:
Disengage action. He’ll move farther north if he can.

Rolls

Initiative - (1d20+2)

(5) + 2 = 7

Feb 20, 2026 8:47 am
'Goblins?!’ Myrtha thought, as all hell broke loose.

Rolls

Initiative - (1d20+2)

(18) + 2 = 20

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