Continued Adventure

The party continues their delve of the abandoned temple. The adventurers carrying their wound ed and incapacitated comrade. Will they find what they came for?

Berith makes her way slowly and carefully up the stairs. Her careful examinations don’t seem to identify anything particularly untoward and nothing ill befalls her.

As she makes her way up, she stops part way to motion Elspaeth forwards with the lamp as the light is blocked by the ceiling of the hall leading to the stairs.

With Elspaeth standing near the base the stairs Berith can see the full length of the stairs and makes it high enough up the stairwell to see above the level of the landing.

It is another hallway, 10’ across, but it turns immediately to the right. You can only see about 10’ down that way.

Thak, still carrying the unconscious Goblin, follows behind Elspaeth so that both are near the base of the stairs.

Berith continues up and into the hall. Elspaeth's light from below fills this portion of the hall but doesn't travel far along it's length and casts a harsh shadow diagonally across the floor and up the wall about 10-15 feet along it's length. Berith will need to light her own torch or call the others up after her. The dull sound of her boots on the stone make her think that the way ahead can't stretch too far into the darkness.

The light pushes away the darkness revealing a short passage which dead ends after about 25'.



Berith stands in the hall just in front of the stairs. Elspeath stands at the top of the stair on the left so her light can spread down the length of the passage.

As Berith gets about halfway down the hall, something tugs at her attention. Kneeling down she can see a fine and straight crack or seam extending across the width of the hall from wall to wall. She can't quite tell if it extends farther down the sides of the hall as well, but she can't rule it out. There doesn't seem to be a significant difference to the floor on either side of the seam, but you haven't noticed anything like it elsewhere.

The floor doesn't give to her pressing, but she does notice a slight an odd quality to the sound her sword makes as she probes the floor. They don't sound as flat as she might expect.

If the this is a trap door of some kind, it isn't set to give way at the slightest touch. She's going to have to apply quite a bit of force or weight.

The floor appears devoid of anything manipulable along the seam of the floor or on the walls near it and there are no visible hinging further along the floor.

Berith finds that while she can get the edge of her crowbar into the narrow gap, she cannot get enough in gain any real purchase. The crowbar simply comes loose and mars the seam where she made the attempt, making more plainly visible. Even if it had grabbed she's not entirely sure she could prize up a door, stone or not, which seems more likely designed to drop down. Her iron spikes do have a finer chisel point, but are too short to use as a lever.

The seam goes across the entire 10' of the passage and you aren't sure how far down the passage it goes, but given things your've heard of you can assume about 10'. Dwarves are capable of very cleverly hiding such hinges and such, but given you've encountered one magical pit drop it's not unlikely you'll encounter the more mundane variety as well. Though Berith and Eslpeath may hope for a

Unable to pry anything open, Berith gives up, not willing to risk another drop down into the unknown. Putting away her crowbar, she shakes her head at Elspaeth and heads back toward the stairs. "You're right, better not to chance it. We'll let Borgo know when he's up and we can always try again later."

"Down we go," Berith mutters as she draws her sword again and slowly starts down the stairs. Elspaeth's lantern casting some light to guide her way.

The party make their way back down the stairs to the crossbow room, with Elspeath's light pushing the darkness back. Stopping at the bottom of the stair, they can see it as they left it. Dwarven doors closed, shattered bones scattered on the floor, crossbows poised. The silence is oppressive as the soft clicking has long since stopped.

Crouching down to crawling, the party make their awkward way across the room below the invisible plane which triggers the traps. Knowing the trick, it doesn't take them much time to get across with their Goblin cargo. Which is fortunate as it would be problematic to be set upon in such a situation.

Upon reaching the stairs, the party starts down towards the room where the limb beasts were destroyed. From the top of the stair, Elspaeth's lantern easily illuminates the full length of the stairs and a goodly portion of the the floor below. Bits of detritus and scattered papers can been seem as well as some black fluid from the felled creatures to the left.

I'm making the presumptions that you guys don't want to hand out in the trap room. Feel free to post something that contradicts the above and I will readjust it.

As for the room below, you remember that you slew the two creatures to the left of the stariwell as you look down it. The fluid is some of what leaked out of them upon death. You can even see some of your foot prints as at least some of you trode in it to get to the stairs. You remember that you came from the left and had entered the room from a small vertical shaft with a ladder leading up. You also remember a 10" stairwell to the right which lead down.

Not a worry!

While there are certainly places and pile of broken furniture that would keep you out of immeidate view from some directions; similarly to the first creature you encountered, your light would stand out. If anyone or anything passed by one of the two stairwells or happened to look into the open chest that hid the tunnel down, they would almost definitely see your flickering light. They might also be able to creep up on you unawares.

While there are no immediate threats, I would not consider it safe and certainly not secure. Functionaly, what that means is more frequent random monster checks. You guys have been very lucky with your checks so far.

The only places that you can think of that you might be able to make safe would be the fountain/anvil room or the scribe room with the tunnel in the chest. The fountain/anvil one had a door you could close (and secure using the ring pulls) and no other apparent entrances. The scribe room had only two apparent entrances but you could close and secure the doors and find some way to secure / block the chest?

Faced with the prospect of spending the night in this foul smelling place and uncertainty about whether that tarry creature could slip through some crevice to assail them while sleeping, the group decides to leave the temple and return to town. After carrying the unconscious Goblin out to the edge of the woods you decide to make camp with Elspeath taking first watch, Thak the second and Berith the last watch.

Berith startles awake in mild confusion with the early morning sun warming her face. Thinking, "Why didn't Thak wake her? Even though we are only a half a day's walk to the village, he should have..." Then she notices that Thak is not around the campsite. As she rises, Borgo sits up groaning and holding his side. Waking Elspeath to check on Borgo, Berith leaves to scout around the campsite.

Returning after a few minutes late with Thak's sheathed sword, Elspeath points out Thak's pack against a fallen log. Berith throws down his sword next to it and reports that she found some tracks leading back in the general direction of the temple. Unsure what has happened to the warrior, the group eat a quick and quiet meal before making their was slowly back to the village.

The party trudges into the village and the first villager they see, initially smiles broadly and waves. Taking in the sight of you, disheveled, harrowed, he drops his rake and runs towards the village inn. Other look out to see what the urgency is about and stop to stare. Some go back into their homes and close thier doors or shutters. Others call out weakly in greeting. Some hurry to the inn, which must be your destination. One old woman brings you a skin of light beer and hurries back into her home.

You complete your procession at the inn, where you collapse into chairs around a table. The room is already filling by the time you get comfortable and the innkeeper has brought you mugs of ale and plates of cold meat, cheese and bread. The villagers wait with only a few whispers to each other, waiting for you to finish your meal, but you hear their questions. What of the missing? Where are the other adventurers? What happened? Will they leave us?

Just as your eating slows, a way is made as the Village Head Man enters and slowly sits at your table. The expression on his face is all the prompting you need as you recount you bitter travails of the temple in the wood. There are gasps and protestations to the Gods at the mention of Albrecht's fate. Mutters of quiet praise for the Priest's bravery and self-sacrifice. And worry and horror at the dissappearance of Thak.

When you finish, the villagers become louder and more agitated, their voices growing in volume and pace as panic begins to build, the Head Man stops this cold with resounding shoult of his voice. With quiet mostly restored, he gives you additional news that another family had been discovered missing in the time you were away and that some folks were talking of leaving. The situation was dire.

Two days have passed since, the three became six again. It was agreed that the shares in the venture held by the three who were lost would go to Marev, Vennok and Nord. With Borgo, Elspaeth and Berith rested and restocked from the towns holdings and the new comers ready we find the party having finished breaking the morning fast. Sailie, the inkeeps wife collects your dirty plates nervously, but quietly. You can see the doubt in her eyes, she weighs your fortunes and her own lifes future in her mind and you can tell she has no answers.

You have spent the last two night telling and retelling the new members of what you saw and encountered in the temple, so they should have some idea of what may lay ahead so you begin your trek back to the forest and the temple entrance. The trek to the forests edge is prosaic. You pass the fields and paddocks of village folk, and as you follow the path past the last homestead in this direction, a boy in the distance waves. A few hours later you find yourself at the edge near where you came out a few days ago. Marev easily finds the exact spot you came out, and you head towards the entrance.

After 30 minutes, Marev notes things seem unusually quiet here. Unnaturally quiet. No bird noise or rustle of small animals in the undergrowth. After a few more minutes Marev points out indications of others travelling around. It wouldn't normally be unusual given the proximity to the village, but you know the townsfolk haven't been coming into the forest for weeks and these are fresh. There are at least two sets of booted prints and one set softer footware. They seem to cross your current path of travel to the temple from the right, and head off towards the left, but are going in the same general direction.

The party moves more carefully now, following behind Marev, who picks a path for them through underbrush. With his skill and guidance the party still makes a good pace even while stalking through the forest must more quietly than before. Though he leads you a on a more circuitous route your progress towards the temple remains steady. After about an hour, Marev holds up a hand and gestures ahead. After watching for a moment, you make out two people in the distance, partly obsured by the interevening trees.

Both appear to be villagers or travellers of some sort. They appear to be dresed in commoners clothing, one male wearing a brown hood. One female female with long dark hair and a stoop or hunched back. The woman appears to be pacing back and forth uncertainly. The male, currently facing away, is still and seemingly looking off into the distance at something you cannot see. Neither appears armed.

They do not appear to have noticed you yet.

These guys are a FAR distance from you (effectiavely 'triple' near or about 100'). They are ahead of you but off the general line of your travel by about 50' to the right. At this distance you could easily avoid them if you wished, without delaying your arrival at the temple by much.

In answer to Borgo's question, at this distance and with the intervening bushes and small plants, you can't really make out footware. The man seems to be wearing pants and could be wearing work boots of some kind. The woman is in what seems to be a drab rough spun dress with lighter colored pinaifore typical of what the local women wear. You have no idea what is on her feet, but you wouldn't assume it would match the size of the boot prints Marev pointed out.

Marev and Borgo fairly melt into the forest ahead. The others are easily able to follow their movements at first, but even through you aren't being hidden from, you begin to loose them periodically behind the trunks of trees and thicker bushes.

The two scouts advance slowly and carefully, easily making it to within about 30' from the duo before stopping. Neither seem to have noticed your approach and arrival at all. The man and woman, now definitely appear to be local farmers or villagers of some sort and are engrossed in whatever it is they are doing or thinking. The hunched woman continued her nervous pacing while fidgeting with dirtied pinafore while you appoached. She stopped now and again seeming to mumble to herself and perhaps speak to the man. The man mostly seemed to remain still and silent, though he did look towards the woman a couple of times. Perhaps in respose to her words. Neither appears armed that you can see.

Something about this situation seems odd, and you wonder what they are doing or who they must be waiting for when you hear a rustling. Holding your breath you wait and it comes again and is followed by the snapping of twigs. Between the two, in the underbrush, you notice something moving or slowly writhing there. You see a booted foot rise up and jerk back down with a soft thud on the earth. The man turns his head to look that way, but slowly looks away again. The woman doesn't seem to notice at all.

Borgo there is something about the boot that pulls at the back of your mind, but you're not entirely sure what it is.

The people left behind following further behind have a pretty good idea of the above. They hear some rustling that doesn't coincide with the woman's movements.

Oops. Misread what people were doing. The rest of the party is following behind at a distance. Going to say they are double near the three people, while Borgo and Merv are near.

If Borgo, Merv attempt to move closer than 30' or any of the others attempt to move closer than the current 60' please ensure you include dex checks. Everyone, depending upon what you guys do next, please include any other rolls if applicable. If I don't need it, I will ignore them.

You tell me. :) I am just trying to interpret what you guys are doing. If I have made a mistake and Berith actually hangs back at the ~100' mark you can just say so in your post and it will "override" my assumption. I'll go back and edit my post.

You quickly think back to Lattremond and his heroic actions in the face of that abomination. You think to the much smaller limbed horrors and wonder if any of the Cleric would have been left protruding but mind immediately cringes away from that thought. ...Thak! You didn't spend any great time studying his boots, but he did just seem to dissappear in the night without his kit...

The four party members see Marev start forward, moving closer to the two people. You hear nothing from his movements, but you can make out a frustrated gesture from Borgo just before Marev seems to slip badly and quickly catch his balance. The wild movement draw the attention of both people. The woman gives a small start and turns to Marev, and apparently saying something to him. The hooded man turns to look towards them both, and then faces them.

Having been spotted, Marev stands tall and can see that someone is laying in amongst the underbrush and writhin slowly and jerkily as if in some pain or other extemis.

Borgo, their eyes are on Marev. You are fairly sure you haven't been made yet. You are sure that should you wish to move from your location, exceptional care will have to be taken.

Any of the four in back want to do anything before, we start the interaction.

Marev's delicately places his foot down as he makes his way forwards and while watching the two villagers for reaction, steps onto some damp leaves which slip unexpectedly as he puts his weight down. The Ranger flails momenarily but rights himself in an instant. Unfortunately, his movement have drawn attention.

The woman, with thick wet looking black hair covering her hump, stops pacing and turns to Marev, calling out questioningly, "Balick?" The man with the stout build of a farmer or other laborer, just stares while shifting his gaze between Marev and the woman. He shifts his weight from side to side, but otherwise seems to stand there as if waiting with hands by his sides. Both look unkempt, as if they've been out in the forest for a number of days.

The woman's half-smile falls as her eyes meet your face but is almost immediately replace by a look of grief and then hopefullness. She shifts hesitantly as if getting ready to walk in the direction of the temple and says, "You will help me find Balik? My son, Balik?"

Niether pays any immediate attention to the figure writhing slowly on the ground. There a few particularly jerky movements, while the woman spoke, before they seem to quiesce.

As the dwarf starts moving purposefully forwards from farther away, the man shifts his gaze there for a moment, but remains silent.

So we have the the man and woman, someone on the ground, Marev and Borgo together withing close of each other. Borgo has heard the whole exchanged. We have

Nord just moving into that range as well, so he can catches the woman saying something about "Balik" and sees the person laying on the ground, now quietly.

Vennok, Elspaeth are unseen squatting low at about double near away with Berith almost another 20 or so feet behing guarding the rear.

The name stops the woman in her tracks. She looks at Marev confusedly for a moment as she moans, "Balik? Come...." As if summoned, you see the person on the ground begin to lever themselves up onto hands and knees with head hung low. Their back is to you but in a moment they stand with the back of their dark hood plastered with twigs and leaves. It is wet and filthy with a foul grease which has collected detritus from the forest floor. The man and the woman pay him, for it is a man, no mind but he remains the center of your attention as, one, then two, then many small eyes open on the back and sides of his... No. Not a hood. Something black and tarry sits over or where his head used to be. It turn towards you and as it steps forwards small seams open to reveal little mouths with begin murmuring.

Almost in unison the man and woman's faces go slack and they lurch towards Marev as well.

Okay! Marev, this is definitely unsettling and the abomination with the black slimey head immediately sets the hairs on the back of your neck to standing and it... they are coming quickly. Borgo, you know what this is. You have faced it before and now that it stands, you know who that used to be for sure. Nord, you can see plainly that the thing that has risen is not natural or right and that something is wrong with those two people.

The three in the back can see the third person rise from the ground and see the immediate change in your companions postures. It screams danger. Berith and Elspeath know this thing even from this distance.

The slack faced hooded man and hunched woman, the slimey head, Marev and Borgo are together within close of each other. Borgo is effectively hidden.

Nord just moving into that range and is near to Slimey Head, the woman, Marev and Borgo.

Vennok, Elspaeth are unseen squatting low at about double near away with Berith almost another 20 or so feet behing guarding the rear.


Initiative Order:

Vennock 5/5HP
Nord 9/9HP
Marev 7/7HP
Elspeath 6/6HP
BerIth 10/10HP
Borgo 3/3HP
Slime Head
Hunched Woman
Hooded Man


NOTE:The party goes first. Don't mind the order above. Post as soon as you are able. I will adjudicate the result and try to massage it into the order above.

The string of Vennok's bow hums and his arrow sprouts from the center of the glistening black mass before Marev finishes drawing his bow. The things head rocks back, but it's pace doesn't falter. Nord reaches his side as Marev looses his own shaft, striking the head just rocks forwards. Life leaves the abomination like a snuffed candle, but as it falls the black goo springs free of the corpse towards Nord.

Borgo can hear someone charging through the forest towards him, but isn't worried as it is likely Berith and Elspeath. As his target falls, his aim instinctively follows the black blob at it springs free and his shaft pierces it mid-leap leaving Nord spattered by droplets of black acrid fluid.

The abomination has been slain as is the thing that was the head. The man and woman each take aim at the two they can reach. Borgo is hidden behind the trunk of a Near by tree. Vennok and Elspeath are double Near. Berith has charged forward through the underbrush and has almost reached where the fight is; she'll be able to move in and attack next round if she likes.

Elspaeth is still to go, so I see what she does before continuing with the adversaries in the morning.

Changing something, I'm going to assume Borgo would prioritize shooting at the blob as it sprung, given that he was aiming at it's host to begin with. It is a difficult shot, but Borgo has seen this happen before and was perhaps expecting it.


Initiative Order:

Vennock 5/5HP
Nord 9/9HP
Marev 7/7HP
Elspeath 6/6HP
BerIth 10/10HP
Borgo 3/3HP
Slime Head
Hunched Woman
Hooded Man

Elspaeth's shot is a difficult one with a few saplings and members of her party in the way. Her bolt strikes, but only seems to pull a the woman's sleeve.

Nord sees the spot of blood grow on the woman's sleeve as she closes with him. Her face, like the man's seems to switch between slack jawed stupification and abject fear as they both lunge forward swinging their arms with unexpected might.

Even with Nord speckled in black goop, you can tell there is an faint acrid stench about them.

Elspaeth's shot is a difficult one with a few saplings and members of her party in the way. Her bolt strikes, but only seems to pull a the woman's sleeve.

Nord sees the spot of blood grow on the woman's sleeve as she closes with him. Her face, like the man's seems to switch between slack jawed stupification and abject fear as they both lunge forward swinging their arms with unexpected might.

Even with Nord speckled in black goop, you can tell there is an faint acrid stench about them.

Nord easily blocks the blows from the woman with his shield but is impressed with the force with which she struck. He knows she had to have broken her hand with at least one of them but she didn't make a sound.

Without shield, Marev attempts to dodge the man's clumsy blow but it's speed was unexpected. Trying to protect his bow, Marev take a powerful but glancing blow on the shoulder.

Marev takes 1HP damage.

Nord, Marev and the two villagers are within Close of each other. Borgo has retreated to where Vennok and Elspaeth are at double Near (assuming I read that correctly). Berith is now within a Near distance of the fray.

It's the top of the order again, party is up.

Initiative Order:

Vennock 5/5HP
Nord 9/9HP
Marev 6/7HP
Elspeath 6/6HP
BerIth 10/10HP
Borgo 3/3HP
Slime Head
Hunched Woman - 1HP
Hooded Man

I will count that bit of questioning as a "free action" for Nord; yelling out a question in the hopes for guidance. You can post what you want to do given Marev's answering skidaddle. :P

There isn't a formal Disengage mechanic in ShadowDark because there are not Opportunity Attacks. You just move and you still have your attack. :) There is no formal Ready Action either, but it works for me. Can you give me the condition for which Marev shoots? Only if the man closes with him?

Also, please add the attack roll and damage to your post. If the conditions aren't met, we won't use them.

If you want to have sneaked back, in this instance give me a stealth roll. Before they were occupied or oblivious, now they are not.

As Vennok's arrow flits into the distance, Nord catches the woman a glancing blow with his mace. A massive egg immediately begins to form on her forehead but by pulling the force back at the last minute he prevents her skull from being crushed and she falls down face first, but not before Elspaeth's arrow pierces her shoulder. Instead of snapping off, the shaft is pushed out the back of her dress, like a red little flower sprouting tall and wet from her back.

Marev looses an arrow at the man's legs but it passes between them to sink into the forest floor behind him, but Berith charges up whacks him full across the face with the flat of her blade. The force of the blow takes the man off his feet and nearly ass over tea kettle. He lands heavily on his back, nose and lips broken and bleeding.

Neither moves or otherwise looks to be trying to get up.

Borgo and Elspaeth have their actions this round to go, if they want to do anything in particular in this period of time?

Borgo finds moving unawares easy with the fighting. Moving around and towards the fallen person, he's sure it's Thak before he even reached him as he easily recognizes his own bandaging handiwork. When he arrives he sees that Thak's head and shoulders are coated in a rank smelling dark wetness. Borgo can tell plainly that the Half-orc is dead. The eyes are missing and thick black fluid leaks from the sockets and open mouth.

Both the man and woman seem to be down for the count. You're sure they won't wake anytime soon if left alone, but you could likely rouse them with a bit of face smacking or spashes or water. The woman is injured, but nothing looked immediately life threathening.

What do you do?

Berith sheaths her blade and bends down to examine the man she's layedout. The blood on his face has already thinkened and stopped flowing freely. As she looks around the man's waist, she finds a small belt pouch and begins to fish around inside when she notices he seems to be moving his head. She's surprised even this big man should rouse after the smack she'd given him, but something raises the hackles on the back of her neck and she stands reflexively. His head isn't moving. ...It's being moved.

Something slick and black flows out from his hood and onto his neck and jaw. As it flows, eyes begin to appear and it flings itself up at her with a strange multitonal squeal.

As, Berith starts up everyone is alerted that something is amiss. Borgo and Nord see the blackness flip up toward Berith and the hump on the woman's neck roils and springs as well.

Everyone can see Berith step back in shock as something dark flips up from where the man lay and smacks against her chest and neck as Nord lurches to the side as something black sails past him. Berith grunts loudly as if in pain.

Berith saw it reaching out for her as it leapt at her and she can feel the wet black thing at her throat. It is cold and clamny as if it absorbed no heat from the man's body and she can feel icey fluid dripping down under her armor. It it at her neck and she feels several savage bites as it locks small jaws onto her flesh. It's acrid odor fills her nostrils as she realizes how close it is to her mouth.

Berith takes 1 HP of damage as several small jagged mouths bite into her neck.

Nord dodges the thing and it lands just behind him and to his right.

Borgo, Berith, Marev and Nord are withing Near of each other and the two things. Borgo and Marev can see the creature that jumped at Nord. Vennock and Elspaeth, at double near, saw what happened but cannot see the black thing on the ground near Nord due to plants and such. Both have a good idea where it landed though.


Initiative Order:

Vennock 5/5HP
Nord 9/9HP
Marev 6/7HP
Elspeath 6/6HP
BerIth 9/10HP
Borgo 3/3HP

Black splodge
Black splodge

Everyone moves quickly as the new danger emerges. Borgo moves quickly to reach Berith and Nord quickly turns to smash the black thing into the dirt. He's sure it's finished as he's covered his boot in foul smelling muck from it's insides. A moment later Marev's arrow plows into the soil a good 10' away from Nord.

Borgo makes a quick dash to Berith's side and reach up to help her, slide his blade into the mass pulling at her chin. He can feel small mouths attempting to latch onto his hand and fingers, but it pops like a thin sack of filth and drops off Berith which he quickly flings aside.

Many small bite marks are evident on Berith's neck, some trailing blood where the mouths had fangs.

Stillness returns but for your heavy breathing. The two villagers lay still. Thier only movement the slow rise and fall of their chests.

Okay, that seems to be the end of it. The remnants of the creature begin to putresce almost immediately. Solid components disolving into a foul dark foamy substance staining the forest floor, Nords clothes and Berith's armor. Yum.

What do you want to do now?

Marev makes a slow circuit of the nearby area searching for anything that might indicate danger hides in the undergrowth. Soon after Borgo finishes his examination of the two on the ground, Marev returns shaking his head at the questioning looks from the others. He's seen no sign and burning tang in the air is centered around the battleground.

Borgo sits up after finishing his brief examination of the man's wounds. The broken nose and lips were nothing. The real damage delt would be inside his skull. Only time would tell whether he'd have any lingering wound. He'd heard of men being left addled after heavy blows to the skull, but this guys face seems to have absorbed much of the impact. The worrying injury was found at the back of his neck, similarly to the woman. Borgo had patched her cut and stuffed her puncture with a poltice, but the neck wound had initially set him back on his heels. On their necks, Borgo found large raw patches with several holes where the skin and muscle had been chewed through. Around these were several small holes or cuts. Maybe the things were feeding off them; draining their blood and using the wounds as a way of controling them? After rinsing the wounds with water, the rank fluid gave way to bright red blood, and Borgo felt confident in bandaging them as well.

Though he was not sure these people would be the same as they were before. Borgo felt confident the things left nothing behind and they would likely not be any real danger when they woke.

After Borgo and Marev’s tender ministrations, the two begin to rouse, but whether it’s the healthful benefits of the salve or its smell that finally brings them to lucidity is up for debate.

The woman wakes faster than the man and is immediately fearful of you strangers after coming to in a strange place, but when she lays eyes upon the man, she instantly launches into hysterics which sends the man lurching to his feet in a semiconscious search for danger.

It takes a good 10 minutes to calm and settle the both of them without coming to blows again, but you eventually get out of the woman, Tula, that it was the man who attacked her in her homestead, striking her down and dragging her into the woods. Handy, initially disputes this vehemently, but goes silent for a moment as if remembering something. Gandry takes two stumbling steps as if to off but collapses to his knees lamenting that he remembers but that it wasn’t him and that the last thing he remembers from before was milking his cow.

You spend more time explaining to them what you think happened. At the mention of the things on their necks making them do things, both grow silent and uneasy. Borgo assures them the they are gone and nothing remains. This eases their anxiety somewhat and Gandry begins repeating, "See? It weren’t me", as if still pleasing his innocence.

Information you glean from these shocky and confused people:

Both seem to have been taken from their farms. Tula by Gandry.

They have both been party to at least one other abduction and taken their victim(s) to some dark place with stairs. They point in the direction of the Dwarves tomb you were headed to when queried, but aren’t able to provide and information about the place or what fate befell those they brought, though you can guess. They don’t ask and you spare them the details.

They do indicate that there were …others. Tula, thinks she recognised two: Mordel from the next farm over and Bowlrel her oldest son. Maybe. Gandry mentions things in the dark, and gags when you ask him to describe them. He refuses to speak of it, but waves his arms vaguely. He doesn’t mention it again.

They have both been "away" for several days. Gandry for almost a full week; though a large man, he does look half starved.

They aren’t sure about Thak, and refuse to look at the corpse.

They are both immediately concerned for their families once their heads clear enough to make room for thoughts of others. They are both fearful to try for their homes now and agree to head back to town. Both are fearful of going alone, but will NOT, go towards the temple. You notice they both avoid even looking in that direction.

They will pass along any message you want to give to those in town. And thank you profusely once they begin to be able to think about what has happened to them.


What do you do now?

After seeing the pair off and waiting a bit to ensure they kept going, the party reached the hill and its entrance with little effort and no more inconvenience.

Elspaeth, Borgo and Berith immediately see that the doors have been forced open more widely and the ground in front disturbed since third passing.

There seems to have been some traffic and evidence of some animals present. Some very large.

Marev makes out some wolf prints near but not entering the opening, as if a few investigated but did not like what they smelled. They bear seemed to have been bolder but likewise left tracks moving away after having at least coming into the entrance.

The human prints are mostly ruined. He can see evidence of older passage, but can make nothing significant of the newer prints other than that more than one person has been in and out. One print could have been Gandry’s or maybe Thak’s.

The open stairway itself lay before you. Stale air with a slight tag wafts gently from the entrance. Dappled light from the afternoon sun partially illuminates the stairs down to about 10’. Borgo describes the wide room with the patterned floor to the new folks.

What is adventure still awaits below?

After seeing the pair off and waiting a bit to ensure they kept going, the party reached the hill and its entrance with little effort and no more inconvenience.

Elspaeth, Borgo and Berith immediately see that the doors have been forced open more widely and the ground in front disturbed since third passing.

There seems to have been some traffic and evidence of some animals present. Some very large.

Marev makes out some wolf prints near but not entering the opening, as if a few investigated but did not like what they smelled. They bear seemed to have been bolder and to have been what widened the entrance but likewise left tracks moving away after having at least coming into the entrance.

The human prints are mostly ruined. He can see evidence of older passage, but can make nothing significant of the newer prints other than that more than one person has been in and out. One print could have been Gandry’s or maybe Thak’s.

The open stairway itself lay before you. Stale air with a slight tag wafts gently from the entrance. Dappled light from the afternoon sun partially illuminates the stairs down to about 10’. Borgo describes the wide room with the patterned floor to the new folks.

What is adventure still awaits below?

How Borgo and the rest describe what they found below the stairs.

To save you going back through the posts....

Borgo, Elspeath and Berith give you the following rundown as they remember it.

First level (image above):
Main pattern room: killed skeletons, seems empty, thuroughly searched.
Right Room with Giant Anvil: seeming empty, source of clean water, Anvil and it's alcove thuroughly searched.
Left room: old library/apothecary, found two potions and a bit of cash and a hidden way down through a box.

Third level:
Big room: destroyed study/office area. Killed two abominations. One stair up and one unexplored exit.

Second Level (from stairs):
Trap room: Crossbows! We able to crawl undereath firing line.
- Left Room: False Treasure: Illusion covering a chute down to a cave or lair. The beast took the priest and they fled.
- Tunnel and stairs across the trap room leading too? Seeming pit trap of some kind.

I'll create a new thread to post images, I think...

Leaf litter, dirt and dust has been carried down the stairs by the winds since the doors to this place been opened and in them Marev can tell the bear came almost fully down the stairs. He can see signs that it was cautious or uncertain and near the bottom of the stairs, it seemed to have gotten spooked as it hurried back up and out.

Concerned the creature might be near, Marev check back up top and finds its tracks leading around the hillock and away to the North at a fast pace. It sends it didn’t like what it sensed below and you don’t think it will return.

Borgo and Nord head down the strairs almost together. Borgo is in the lead, but Nord follows a few steps behind and to the right. Berith follows behind providing close behind to light the way. Reaching the bottom step the expanding crescent of torchlight brings some of the room into view.

There is a bit more detritus on the floor than before but the still surface remains largely clean and clear but for the scattered bones from the skeletons you defeated. The acrid tang you all remember from the creatures above faintly permeates the thick musty air. 10' in front of the stair begins the massive angular pattern of inlaid silvery metal and stone. The light only reveals the closest portion of it but you know the pattern nearly fills the room. The room itself is silent with the only sound coming from the party.

Giving it hardly a second look, Borgo waves the rest of the party down and then leads them off to the right. The huge double door come into view and the one you struggled to open remains ajar. It is open wide enough to allow any of you easy entry, as you left it.

You stand grouped before the right hand set of double doors (as you come down the stairs). The door is partially open. You can see your light passes through illuminting part of the floor inside and the base of the cistern on the right side.

Borgo enters the room with Berith standing in the doorway for light and Marev close behind. The other stand arrayed behind awaiting Borgo's verdict.

The room looks similar to before with the two rune carved cistern on either side. The sight of the silent water greets you but it is so still and clear you almost cannot see it but for the reflected torch light. And across from you, the might Anvil remains.

You sense no immediate danger. No sounds can be heard other than your own quiet steps, the soft pop and crackle of the torch and the creaking from those outside the room.

As the scrawny silhouette of Borgo creeps back into the chamber, those of you watching from the doorway see his massive pack bobbing with his gait, making him look for all the world like a large tortoise navigating the stoney depths. Marev stands steady at the threshold, his dancing crescent of torchlight carving a path through the pitch-black gloom, illuminating the way nearly 30 feet ahead.

The small chapel or prayer room is fully illuminated by the torchlight and measures roughly 30 feet wide by 25 feet deep. Along the left and right walls sit two low, semi-circular cisterns of dark stone. They are wide, about 15 feet across, and centered in each wall. Their two-foot-high walls are carved with geometric patterns and runes that speak of purity and order. The water inside is so clear it’s almost invisible until the light hits it, and it smells as fresh as a mountain brook. You have all already heard from those who came before that the waters are crisp and clean as icy snow melt.

You have time for only the briefest inspection of the waters as your eyes are immediately drawn to the far wall, where a gargantuan Anvil sits inset within a wide alcove. The Anvil is a staggering 20 feet wide and 10 feet high, so massive that its top surface rests within a single inch of the ceiling. Its silvery, polished steel surface glints brilliantly in your torchlight, banded with symbols and runes in praise of the god, Ord.

As Borgo approaches the anvil, a strange sensation washes over him. He remembers the relic's mystical density; it seems to draw in and deaden nearby sound. The soft noise of his gear feels swallowed by the metal, as if the anvil is rooted in the very bones of the world and Borgo looks back reflexively to make sure the others are still there as their soft noises grow more distant.

The room is empty and quiet, and for those of you who follow the Law, you can almost feel the presence of Ord like a soft breeze drifting in from a far horizon.

The air is still and moist. The rank odour remains, but is not a sharp. What do you do?

After peering into the doorway past Marev and Berith, Elspaeth turns to nod Nord and Vennok forwards but she stops in her tracks and immediately raises her crossbow in alarm. Neither Vennok or Nord is there to be seen.

You heard no sound. You felt nothing. They did come down with you but you aren't sure whether they slunk off in fear, were snatched away into the darkness or... simply fell through the floor.

You see only the silent darkness, scattered bones and forest detritus, and the patterned floor.

Reaching behind to paw at Berith, you draw her and Marev's attention to your missing companions.

Borgo's voice does sound flatter to his ears his voice doesn't seem any quieter persay. Perhaps it might not carry as far as normal, but maybe it's just because they are in a place of obvious sanctity.

Ignoring the conversation at the door, Borgo proceeds to one crystal clear cistern and dips his small hand into it's chilly waters. Withdrawing his hand and holding it up he moves to the other cistern and does the same before approaching the Anvil and making his plea to Ord. The smooth metal of Anvil is cold to Borgo's wet touch, as the water runs down it's surface. His words seem to be drawn down into the anvil and away as all sound seems to. Standing a few moments with his hands against the great Anvil, Borgo begins to wonder if Ord would deign to respond to an infidel making pleas for gifts in his temple. Perhaps the silence is Ords answer.

Marev closely examines the stone floor in the arc of Berith torchlight. Here by the door to the Anvil's Chapel dust and detritus hasn't had time to accumulate to and siginficant degree. He thinks that if stone doorways above remained open anther season it would be easier. As it is, he move to the edge of Berith's light where it mearges with the dim arc of light shining down the stairwell. As he draws closer, the thin accumulation dust and ditritus and specks of shattered bones make things easier. The parties tracks are plainly visible overlaying older foot prints. It's difficult, but he thinks Nord at least seems to have balked at the bottom of the stairs and crept away. The Kobold seems to have come back this way as well, but his foot prints seem to end in a kind of leap or jump towards the stairwell, but you can't tell what became of him after that.

This reminds you of those jumping slimes and you quickly scan the floor for any sign something like that may have been there. Seeing none but not knowing how far they can leap, you quickly move back towards the others by the door and their brighter light.

As Marev returns to the group, he abscently reaches out to the door's large pull ring which makes a soft metalic chink agains the stone of the door. The sound is muffled as it there were padding between ring and door as the sound is drawn into the Anvil.

To Borgo, the soft sound sustains unnaturally. It continues and grows louder, quickly rising in volume to an ear splitting atonal keening. Borgo smashes his hands to his ears to block the noise and it immediately stops as does the pain. Something pulls his attention to the right. Looking to the left hand side of the cistern there, he's sure he can detect a seam in the wall.

As he takes a couple of steps closer, the seam fades from sight. Perplexed, he makes his way to the wall and looks closely where he thinks it should be. After a moment, he sees it. It is very well camouflaged in the joins in the walls stonework and he knows there is no way he should have noticed it from that far away. Without that prompt, he's sure it would have been difficult to find except through a thurough search.

He traces the outline of what must be a hidden portal and now that he knows it is a door, he can tell just where to push... and with a gentle touch the door slides gently open just a crack into the room. The motion is fluid and soundless. The door seems weighty, but Borgo know he can easily push it fully open himself. Though without the torch light brought close, he'd be unlikely to be able to see what was inside.

The three remaining party members move closer to stand near Borgo with torch held high, illuminating the room fully. The deep shadows the cisterns cast are banished and the clear waters reveal their plain bottoms to any who bother to look.

The doorway is visible to all. It stands about 4.5 feet high and about 3 feet wide. The taller of you will need to duck to enter but otherwise nothing seems to bar your entry. With the door only just barely ajar you cannot see anything inside as of yet.

Marev, Elspaeth and Berith stand back as the goblin slowly pushes the door open. It move soundlessly to reveal a small 10' by 10' room with three medium sized wooden chests. Standing in the now open doorway, two chest are against the wall to Borgo's left and a single chest is agains the wall on the right. Each chest looks sturdy and well made but none appears to be locked that you can see.

The room is otherwise unadorn but for the ubitquitous blocky designs you have seen throughout this temple so far.

With the close proximity and full illumination of the flickering torchlight, you don't see anything that might lead you to believe there are any illusory floors or chests. Each seems solid, as does the floor. Your tentative steps confirm that much. Each chest casts proper shadows in response to the dancing flames.

Each chest is wooden, flat topped and utilitarian in appearance, though well crafted. They are approximately 4' in length and 2-3' deep and about 2' high. Each chest has a sturdy wooden handle built into each side for transport. Looking from the side, there are simple metal hinges at the back, bronze you guess. All the lids are all closed and having no handles or lips, you presume they open by simply grabbing the lid and lifting.

Borgo's footing remains sure and solid as he takes careful steps up to the first chest. He lightly places his hands on the lid. It is solid and real. Lifting the lid requires both hands, and inside he sees a well preserved suit of leather armor. Turning to the other two chests which he is sure are just as mundane, he finds other potentially userful gear.

Having found a small cache of sealed away equipment and found nothing else of interest after some searching, the team finds themselves back near the door in the Anvil Room, preparing to enter the main room for further exploration.

Berith Torch: 30 Mins

While Marev dons the armor found in the secret room, Borgo take some time to look at the far side of the Anvil room. Elspaeth and Berith stand near the exit to the main room keeping a eye out and trying not to let pitch drip on their fingers.

Marev's movements are ungainly and heavy with the added weight at his waist and the rope in his pack. His light-step feels slow and awkward as he makes his way out to the extent of the torchlight where it merges with the dim light coming down the stairwell to his left. He crosses over onto the central pattern and ends up near the mid-line of it. To his right, the empty center of the pattern is partially illuminated. Nothing moves in the light of Berith's torch but Marev and the dark does not divulge it's secrets easily.

After placing the rope down and reassuring the party that the way seems safe, Marev stands waiting for the others...

Berith begins to make her way carefully into the main room, moving off to the right of Marev at about 45 degree angle to keep him illuminated. She moves slowly with her torch held high studying the floor carefully. Slowing lest she miss something hidden in the floors design she deliverately makes her way onto it and beghind to traverse each row of glyphs towards the opposite side of it's central space.
Wondering if she should feel something after passing through the broad expanse of symbols, she suddenly freezes in place. There. Just ahead. Taking a few steps to the side, and bringing the torch closer to the floor makes her certain. A crack or seam in the running across this far side of the central space and into the border ahead and possibly behind.

Sweat beading her brow, Berith slowly kneels close to the seem and tracks it back where it enters the engravings and signs when she see that it turns away from her (towards the wall opposite the stairs). She is not encompassed by whatever this is. Signalling to the others that she is not in immediate danger, she moves forwards to the other side of the central space and see that the seam goes a short way into the engravings on that side as well before turning away as well. So this side at least is about 10' across. Given that the far wall is only about 15' away, she can guess this crack outlines something 10'x15' at most, unless it has some irregular shape.

Most of Marev's attention has been on Berith and her findings, but as her light came forward, an irregular patch glints in the light near door. It has the look of something wet and perhaps dark.

Creeping carefully forward towards the dark maw of the partially opened doorway. One large door opens to blackness with the torchlight failing to illuminate the interior. The pool of dark fluid is approximately the diameter of his opened palm, and Marev sees that is obviously blood. Relatively fresh blood. Blowing on it softly he can tell it has thickened, but as no crust has formed it is likely no more than about 30 minutes since it was spilled. Not necessarily a big enough puddle for whatever was wounded to have been struck a mortal blow but they would likely be needing immediate medical treatment.

Recalling his missing companions, Marev reckons that it's been around that long since they'd noticed them gone.

Scanning around, he doesn't see any more blood (or black fluid) nearby; only this small pool and a few drops but the traces of past traffic in and out are present. Not much trace given the stone floor, but the scant dust accumulated since whenever this place was first broached was enough for his trained skills to reveal that many shod feet had passed in and out of this portal. Who or what though, he cannot say but he assumes at least some of them are from the first group to come down here.

With careful observation, Borgo is able to circumnavigate a 10' by 10' square, well short of reaching the wall. After a few moments consideration he decides it's most certainly a pit trap of some kind. The size and position alone are big indicators, but the lack of any method for opening it, other than presumably stepping out into the space bounded by seams, clinches it in his mind. He expects that the application of enough pressure would trigger the trap, dropping whoever stood on in down a deep hole to who knows what grisly end.

Or, remembering Berith's slide into the Black Horror's lair, it might lead some where. But perhaps somewhere, you might not want to go in that much of a hurry.

Berith Torch: 20 Mins

....Borgo remembers the previous trap as an open pit with the only covering being an illusory floor. This one has a very solid looking slab of stone. He wonders how it returns to place and how quickly. The massive doors in this room swing quite easily once you get them moving. ...If the Dwarves were just as clever with this then perhaps the answer is immediately; would it jam on the rope or cut it? ...or him?

You gather by the door to the library as Berith's torch illuminates the way inside. The musty scent of old paper still hangs heavy in the air and the acrid tang some of you know so well wrinkles you noses, but there is also a slight undercurrent of something putrid. You think of death and remember how you left Albrecht's corpse laying on the floor around the corner.

The room is unusually shaped, approximately 30 feet wide at the entrance with a slanted wall that extends into a darkness which hides the remains of your old companion from view.

The Bookshelves to the left of the entrance, are as they were before, filled with a mix of bound volumes, scrolls, and fragile yellowed bundles of paper.

The flat wooden top of the stone chest to the right of the door is open as it was when the party first retreated from here. Entering, you see the metal rungs of the ladder down to the next level as you look inside.

Passing the open chest and moving further into the room, Borgo moves close to the extremity of the torchlight.

He can see part of the blackened splat that was the small blob which had engulfed Albrecht’s head, and perhaps a hint of the booted foot of Albecht’s corpse laying in the darkness.

…As the goblin moves to the right, Marev heads to the bookshelf immediately to the left. It is filled with aged books, phylacteries, scrolls and other reading materials. Much of it looks long past being useful, with cracked leather covers and heavily yellowed and brittle pages.

Before he can make much headway in his investigations, everyone hears what sounds like something, or a jumble of somethings falling or being thrown to the floor in the darkness.

Looking in that directions, away into the dark recesses of the room, Borgo is sure it came from the direction of the far left corner. No other sound immediately follows.

The others behind Borgo and Marev are also quieted by the noise, but likewise hear nothing.

Elspaeth and Berith, standing just at the entryway to the room, can see nothing amiss in the area ahead illuminated by the torchlight. The far wall is angled away from you and lined by long discheveled workbench littered with papers and scattered alchemical apparatus. You know the sound came from further in the room, around the corner and stand ready with crossbow ready.

Borgo remains motionless with bow held ready with arrow knocked, as Berith moves forward with the torch to the edge of the corner and holds it out above and behind Borgo's head as she leans out to look.

The light slowly creeps acoss the far wall slowly bring Albrecht's corpse into view where it lay in a now dried pool of blood. Borgo's eyes are momentarily drawn to his ruined head, now dry streched. As the far corner comes into view, he sees what he thinks was the source of the noise. It looks like someone small has fallen over on the left hand statue in the corner. The Kobold! But he's nearly upside down and his hear is hung up on part of the statue and he's pulled it over, as the statue now leans against the back wall.

As Berith's torch fully emerges and Marev come up behind, Borgo can see that Vennok appears lifeless. The odd angle of his limbs and lack of movement are enough, but his head appears tilted fatally to the side and his neck and shoulder are a bloody ruin.

A second later, flashes of reflected light draw all of your attention as four disks reflect the torchlight and a very large archnid is exposed on the ceiling near the right hand corner. The creature is very large, perhaps massing as much as two large dogs or a small pony. Two glossy plate sized eyes reflect the torchlight, with one smaller eye on each side. The creature was motionless until the Berith and Marev appeared. It's body shifts fractionally closer to the ceiling and you can see the torchlight shift in the glossy spheres. You know it is looking around and at you when suddenly, it quickly skitters back into the corner where you can no longer see it. As you know it has nowhere to go you assume it must be attempting to hide.

Borgo slowly edges back and move behind the corner, locking eyes with Marev as he does and the Ranger moves back as well with arrow ready. Elspaeth, lowers her crossbow and stalks back towards the door after the others and Berith brings the torch with her as you all gather around the chest.

As before, Borgo takes the lead. After listening a moment, he clambers into the chest and part way down before taking Berith's torch down with him. Berith follows after the Goblin is half way down. Then Elspeath and finally Marev who starts to pull the wooden lid down after himself. He stops briefly to listen and look into the black; as the dim light of the torch only illuminating a very small area he can barely even see the bookshelf. Then he catch the sound of metal scraping against stone. Maybe a buckle or clasp on Vennock's body scraping against something? Closing the lid so as not to pinch his fingers, he climbs the rest of the way down.

After the 50' climb, you find youselves arrayed at the bottom of the stair. Borgo and Berith stand just outside and on either side of the small alcove in which the ladder ends. Elspeath stands in front of the doorway with Marev behind her just stepping down.

The air is thick with an acrid tang and you can see the large black stains and the mismatched limbs strewn about black coagulated mounds where the creatures were slain. It appears tacky and dry now and you're sure you won't be carrying around on your boots this time. The earthy undertone from before is now replaced with the smell of turning meat.

The room itself remains much as you left it, a 50' x 30' rectangle littered with overturned desks, chairs, stools, and cupboards. Scattered amongst the furniture are papers, scrivener’s supplies, and the remains of at least one bed. The room contains two massive stone statues of dwarven religious or scholarly figures mounted on intricately carved columns. One is robed like a priest or monk and features a runic plaque at its base.

Other than the vertical tunnel the party used to enter from the room above, you know from before that there is a set of massive double doors on the wall opposite, but it is lost in darkness at the moment. Elspeath reminds you that one was previously ajar and you had seen that a staircase lead down. You also see the staircase on the right-hand wall (as you see from where you stand) that leads upwards, some 40 feet you know, to a room containing crossbow traps. And the door you closed to escape The Abomination.

Marev, it might be a trick of the wavering torchlight, but you swear can a change in you compatriot's eyes when they look at those stairs.

Level 3

After some brief discussion about which route to take, the torch light begins to gutters briefly and begins spit fitfully, but still provides adequate light.

Berith's torch: 10 mins remaining

The party walks over to the stairway leading upwards. The clutter about the place casts eerie shadows, but nothing moves or disturbs the silence but your footfalls. These two quieten as you step through the tacky black mess. You take care not to step on any lumps or remains as you move past and array yourselves on either side of the stairs, Borgo on one side and Marev on the other with Berith with Borgo's earlier proffered torch tucked in her belt, and Elspeath, crossbow ready, arrayed behind.

As you take your stations, you can see the double doors further along the room and one remains ajar as you saw it before, and through the gap you catch glimpses of bare stone wall and the first few steps. The stairwell illuminated before you, is likewise empty. It stretches up about 20' and you can see some of the stone ceiling of the room above.

As you stand so near the dead things, your noses prickle with their pungent reek and find the need to blink frequently to clear your eyes of the irritating vapors. Surely, the air must be fresher upstairs? Perhap crawling across the floor with be a pleasant reprieve from inhaling the stench down here?

Two steps before the top of the stairs, Borgo knelt and then laid down on the floor of the crossbow trap room. He observed left and right before starting to slide on his belly across the room. He tried to keep the lowest profile possible with respect to the crossbows: that strategy had worked before. Of course, Borgo feared that Lattremond, or what’s had been Lattremond might be in the adjacent room, preparing to launch itself in a frenzy of hate on anything living that crossed its sight. So Borgo attempted to move silently across the room.