Episode 11 "Entombed" by Matt Grossman and J. Sage Schreiner (c) 2000 Tron Malkaszar, Crusader of Knobbyfoot -- Matt Grossman Norel Bolderdash, hulking woodsman of the Adri forest -- Tom Morin Nigil Palom, noble from a far-distant land -- Kevin Osborn Aran, a beefy Paladin from Tenh -- AJ Drexel Vuz, an engimatic druid -- Corey Paganucci All others -- Sage Schreiner The party spends six weeks at Shalister's keep, training. Norel shows up in this time, but Vivek and Lynndor leave for greener pastures. Aran: It turns out that in the southern dialect that assassin was speaking, "four weeks" means "just show up whenever", so we have time to train before going to Bellport. After fully training they set off for Bellport in late summer. Jola and Mira accompany them, riding behind Nigil. Norel: I wish I had a horse. Vuz: I don't want to enslave animals. Tella: It's not slavery. It's for their own good. Without us, horses would be -- Vuz: -- free. Tron: I'm glad to leave that place. I haven't dared take a bath for weeks. Skanda: We noticed. Nigil: That's why I keep my soap on a rope. Vuz: What's "soap"? Tella: What a strange man. After traveling for several days, they see a pillar of smoke on the horizon. Continuing down the trail, they see two soldiers in an unfamiliar blue and green livery. Soldier#1: Halt! Who are you? Aran: We're travelers, just passing through. Soldier#1: Why are you traveling? Tron: We have private business in Bellport. Soldier#1: We have business with Shalister. Soldier#2: Heh heh. Nigil: Who do you work for? Soldier#1: Count Higoth, from the south. Aran: Well, we'll just be on our way... Soldier#2: First you must pay the toll! Aran: (laughs) Nigil: (laughs) Norel: (laughs) Tron: (laughs) Vuz: (laughs) Tella: (laughs) Skanda: Heh. Jola: (realizes she is among lunatics) Mira: Da-da kill! Da-da kill! Soldier#1: Umm... actually, you can just go on. It's sort of an optional toll. They ride on, and soon see ahead a small village that is in the process of being pillaged by the soldiers of Count Higoth. Tella: Yuck. Mira: [bounces up and down with excitement] The party sees a small number of men standing on top of a nearby hill, guarding a bunch of horses. Nigil: You know, if we could drive off the horses these guys would be trapped behind enemy lines. Tron: (dismounts and starts sneaking up the hill) Tron sees that there are eight men guarding the horses. Furthermore, they are in full view of the approximately 100 soldiers in the village below. He goes back and reports this. Norel: Maybe this isn't such a good idea. Nigil: It would be suicide. Aran: (mutters angrily and slaps the hilt of his sword) They circle the village and continue down the road. Soon they see two more soldiers, obviously the sentries watching the road in this direction. Soldier#1: Halt! Tron: [twang twang] Soldier#1: Urk. Soldier#2: (rides for his life, with Tron in hot pursuit) Tron: Faster, Gilead! Gilead the Horse: (runs fast) Soldier#2: (rides like the wind and outdistances Gilead) Tron: Stupid horse! [smack] Aran: Great, now they know we killed one of their guys. Nigil: That little #$@%@! Norel: Nice horsie...(mounts the horse of the dead soldier) Let's get out of here. Tron: What are you all looking at me for? We wanted another horse, right? They hurry along the road, but as the day goes on it becomes apparent that there is no pursuit. The next day a massive thunderstorm hits. There is no shelter and they ride on through the rain, lightning, and hail. Tella: Ow! This sucks! Vuz: Actually, these summer thunderstorms are critical for the ecology of the northeastern Flaeness... The next day, they come over a rise and see the great blue expanse of the Solnor Ocean, stretching on into the unknown east. At the shore below them sits the city of Bellport. Tella: Wow. I've never seen the ocean. It's kind of like the sky... sparkly and blue. Skanda: Humph. Norel: Civilization. Ancient and wicked. Vuz: What's that smell? It's not so... fresh. Aran hails a passing merchant. Aran: Tell me, sir, do you know of a good inn in Bellport? Merchant: I always stay at the Dragon of Corusk inn. It's expensive, but worth it. It's in the center of the city, opposite the temple of Hextor. Nigil: Do you know anything about an abandoned church nearby? Merchant: If you mean the old cathedral of Rao, it's about a mile to the north of the city. Some weird people have set up there recently. They're armed, and they don't talk to strangers. Tron: What the... hey, there are orcs down there! Right by the city! Merchant: Yes, those orcs are in the service of Patriarch Hallderm, Archpriest of Hextor and ruler of Bellport. Norel: How is it that people allow orcs among them? Merchant: Well, quite frankly a lot of people are unhappy about it. There's supposed to be some sort of protest today. Times are hard around here, with the barbarian raids and all, and those orcs aren't exactly helping. But don't say I said that! Tron: Protest... what a bunch of wusses. The only protest I give an orc is cold steel. Nearby Farmer: Heh. Aran: This is what happens in a city ruled by the degenerate priests of the bastard god Hextor! Nearby Farmer: (hastily leaves) Merchant: I'd advise you not to say things like that in the city. (leaves) Aran: (pulls his cloak over his head) They ride down towards the city. As they ride through the suburbs outside the city walls, the full force of the stench strikes them. Tella: Does it always smell like this? Vuz: How does the wind ever get in here? Nigil: Not all cities are like this. In my country of Keoland there are many fair cities. They ride past a house obviously inhabited by orcs. As they pass it a woman leaves, adjusting her clothing and looking from left to right. Jola: I don't like this place. A mute child runs up and grabs Aran's stirrup. He points and gestures towards a nearby hovel. Aran: (dismounts and goes inside, cautiously) Crone: Heh. I have a message for you and your companions. I will tell your fortune! All of you must come in. Party: (looks dubious) Crone: It's free. Vuz: But I like using my shiny things. Eventually all of the party except Tella, Jola, and Mira, is crowded into the hovel. Tella: (chases off beggars and would-be horse thieves with her mace) Jola: (cringes) Mira: Horsie. Inside, the disgusting old woman delivers a long and rambling speech. Crone: I see... death! Death walks behind you! Tron: Yeah? Well, maybe _we_ walk in front of him. Crone: I see... demons! I see a girl... a demon... watching you still. Tron: Tell us something we don't already know, withered hag. Crone: Heh. I see... dusty darkness. Death walks behind you. Nerull laughs at you! I see... brittle fire... immortal strength from the lightning fisted god... brittle fire shattered against stone to raise the dead! Aran: Thank you for your prophesy, old woman. (gives her gold) Crone: And for you, elf, I see great change or death! Tron: Whatever. (tosses her a copper piece) Crone: Heh. Aran also gives some money to the mute boy, and they continue to the city gates. Outside the gates they see a human guard fighting an orc, while a bunch of guardsmen and orcs watch. Orc: (knocks guardsman to the ground and cuts his throat) Orcs: Yeaaaa! Woooooo! Guards: Damn. Sergeant: He deserved it for not thinking that that orc might know some Aerdi. Moron. They ride into the city. There are a number of people heading towards the center of the city. They see a child writing on the wall. Norel: What do the sounds he draws say? Vuz: Hmmm... "Angry army sux!" Norel: "Angry Army"? Those are the same orcs that attacked the keep. Tron: They must be orcs from the same tribe. Let's hope that that song hasn't spread to here. As they ride into the central square of the city, they see that a protest is in full swing. A mob of perhaps 1000 residents mills around in front of the massive, heavily fortified temple of Hextor. Protester#1: With the barbarians raiding, I can't go fishing! Protester#2: The orcs ate my baby! Protester#3: The guards do nothing to protect us! The party force their way through the press to the inn. This is a substantial building surrounded by a wall. Aran bangs on the gate. Innkeeper: Customers, eh? You can put your horses in back. I sent the staff home already, but there might be some soup. They stable their horses and return to the front courtyard of the inn to watch the protest. A man in elaborate priestly regalia, presumably Patriarch Hallderm himself, is speaking from the battlements of the temple. Hallderm: Hextor has no patience for the weak, for the complainers - you are my people, thus you are Hextor's people. Find strength in your adversity and your suffering so that you may serve Hextor better. There is a ripple through the crowd - guardsmen are marching down the streets surrounding the square. Shield to shield, they block all exits to the square except one. Hallderm: It is only through blood and war that true suffering that may be found. Right now, you are not suffering. You are uncomfortable in a pathetically vague sort of way. Your true suffering begins NOW! (raises his arm in a signal) Suddenly heavy cavalry charge into the square through the one unblocked entrance, hacking into the crowd with their swords and trampling men, women, and children beneath the hooves of their massive war horses. Most run in panic, attempting to climb the sheer walls of houses, hide in the fountain or cower under bodies. The cavalry is merciless and efficient. Some of the crowd escape by climbing over the wall of the inn. Innkeeper: No! Stop! If the guards think I am helping these people escape, they'll kill me! Aran: And I will kill you now if you don't help them. Peasant Woman: Somebody, please catch my baby! (tosses baby over wall seconds before she is trampled to death) Vuz: (catches baby and gives it to passing peasant) The cavalry ride back and forth through the square, until it is filled with the dead and wounded. Then the orcs come. Patriarch Hallderm watches impassively. Tella: This is awful. I can't watch any more. Skanda: (watches the massacre silently) That night the mood inside the inn is somber. The occasional wail of wounded can be heard from out in the square, only to be cut short by an orc blade. Nigil: I'd like to go over there and waste that patriarch. Aran: Unfortunately, we wouldn't stand a chance. Not only does he have lots of magical power from his god, but that temple is also a fortress, guarded by an elite force of crack troops. Tron: How do you know so much? I thought he was your enemy. Aran: Hextor and my god Hieroneous are similar in many ways. They are both war gods, and both praise courage in battle, discipline, and patriotism. But while Hieronyous also believes in compassion and chivalry, Hextor stands for hatred and oppressive rule. Even their symbols are similar; Hextor's is a fist holding a sheaf of arrows, and Hieronyous' symbol is a fist holding a lightning bolt. Both god's temples are heavily fortified, and an important temple like this would be impregnable to us. Nigil: Do you know anything about Rao? Aran: Although Rao is an ally of Hieroneous, he is a god of contemplation and serenity. The interesting thing from our point of view is that the followers of Rao are buried in crypts beneath his temples. Nigil: So it makes sense that these guys would set up there, given that they are undead fans. Tron: So who's this Nerull guy who's following us? Aran: Nerull is the evil god of death. The man of the couple we are chasing is a priest of Nerull. The woman in red is a priestess of Erishkagl. She is demon-goddess whose specialty is corrupting paladins. The next day, they decide to leave Jola and Mira in the inn while they head to the ruined cathedral of Rao. On the way, they pick up a sack full of melons, which they drench in chicken blood. Norel: We'll say they're heads. We'll be bounty hunters, bringing back our own heads. Tron: We could have just got real heads from the square. Tella: That's horrible. That's not funny at all. Tron: What? The cathedral of Rao sits on a hill, with a good view in all directions. One wing of the cathedral has fallen into rubble, and the windows are smashed and boarded up, but it is still a massive and impressive building. Tron sneaks up and scouts it. Tron: There are five guards outside. Mostly they stay at the main entrance, but occasionally two of them patrol around the building. They seem alert and well-disciplined. There is a main door and side door. Eventually, the party decides on a plan. Tron and Norel will sneak up to the cathedral, wait for the guards to patrol around the building, then take up positions covering the door. Meanwhile, the rest of the party, with the bag of melons, will go up to the door and distract the guards. When they are close enough to melee, Tron and Norel will open fire. Tron: So this time I really can shoot first and you guys won't bitch about it? They execute this plan. As Tron and Norel watch from cover, the rest of the party rides up. Guard: Hold! Who are you and what do you want? Aran: We bring this (points to bag of melons). We want the reward. One guard goes to the door of the cathedral and talks to someone inside. Guard: Come closer, just you. Aran: (walks up) Guard: Get 'im, boys! Tron: [twang twang] Norel: [twang twang] Guard: Urk! [thud] Guard: (stabs at Aran with a shortsword) My sword will slay you! Aran: No. (draws his two handed sword) _This_ is a sword. [cleave] Guard: [spuck] The rest of the party charges into battle and kills one more guard. The other two run inside. Tella and Tron run to cover the side entrance, while the rest of the party charge inside. As their eyes adjust to the dark, a hail of arrows meets them from inside the cathedral. Miraculously, they almost all miss. Vuz: Ow, that arrow actually slightly injured me. They see that a wooden wall has been erected in front of the dais at the far end of the cathedral. The wall is studded with spikes, and the floor in front is covered with caltrops. There are seven guards with bows shooting from behind this wall, and two more guards shooting from the left-hand balcony. An archery duel began inside the cathedral. Aran and Nigil run up to the right-hand cross, and see that the side door is blocked with rubble braced with timbers. Outside: Tron: I can't get this door open! Something must be blocking it! Tella: Let's go inside. They run around and join the fight inside. Tron runs up a stair onto the right-hand balcony. The stair to the left-hand balcony has crumbled, and it is inaccessible without a ladder. *=guards A=Aran and Nigil N=Norel and Tella S=Skanda and Vuz T=Tron (on balcony) '=caltrops door ----==---- |]S N [| |T [| |] [| |] [| |] [| |] [| |] [| |] [| |] [| |] [| |] [| |] *| | | ----- ------- rubble %= door (blocked) A | ----- ------- |''''''''| |''''''''| |--------| |********| ---------- Nigil: Cover me! (shoots at guards) Aran: (grabs Nigil's and his own shields and forms a one-man shield wall) Tron: This balcony is kind of rickety, but... [twang] Norel: (shoots at guards) Vuz: (tries to run forwards, and is riddled with arrows) Urk. Skanda: Pholtus heal this druid! Tella: (shoots at guards) I hate this archery stuff. I just wanna wack things with my mace. Guard: (hit by several arrows, plunges off the balcony) Aaaaa... [splut] Nigil: Yes! Railing death! Skanda: Enough of this sniping. Pholtus, show your power and hold these unbelievers in place! (two guards are frozen in place) Aran: Great! Tron: [twang twang] Guard: (railing death) The balcony is now clear. Aran shouts orders and coordinates the assault. While the archers keep the guards busy, Skanda freezes some more in place with her magic, and also heats up one of the metal spikes on the wall, making it so hot that the wood begins to smolder. The return fire is heavy and accurate, however, and most of the party is wounded. Vuz is seriously injured. Aran: (throws a grappling hook over the wall, snagging it) Nigil: Gnyaarr! (muscles rippling, he pulls the right-hand section of the wall down) Aran: (tosses a large piece of rubble into the middle of the caltrop field, making a stepping stone) Yaarrgh! (leaps across the caltrop field and onto the dais) The one remaining unfrozen guard is quickly cut down. The frozen guards are taken prisoner. The party loots the bodies. Tron: This guy's shortsword is pretty nice. Think I'll take it. Nigil: Hey Norel, you wear chain mail, take this suit. Norel: Finally, I can stop wearing the chain mail I got off that orc! Tron: You mean THE orc? Norel: Yeah. THE orc. Tron: Damn. Vuz: What do you mean? Norel: I've worn this armor since I killed an orc, many moons ago. Vuz: Hey, Tron, why don't you look for secret doors on the outside. Tron: Huh? Ok. (wanders outside) Vuz: Now we can question the prisoners. It turns out that these guys are mercenaries belonging to the Splintered Fist, the same group that was with the orcs that attacked the keep. They were hired by a red-cloaked woman to guard the cathedral and kill the party when they showed up. Guard: She gave us a good description of you. Hey, we were just doing our job, nothing personal. Will you let us go now? In the middle of the dais is a set of stairs leading down into darkness. There is a massive stone lid nearby, far heavier than the party could lift. There are also two statues of Rao on the dais. One is ancient and cracked, but the other is in decent condition. Aran: Do you know what's underneath? Guard: I dunno. Joe there went down once and came up screaming something about walking bones. He had nightmares for a week. After that the woman told us not to go down there. But Joe was kind of a wuss. Say, can we have our weapons back now? And how about some of the money she paid us? Aran: You can have your weapons but not the money. Guard: Ok, we're out of here. Outside, Tron finds a broken statue of Rao. Tron: Hmm, I guess this one was outside. This Rao sure is a wuss god. No secret doors though. The mercenaries leave, and the party considers the stairs. Tron: I say we go down and get them now. It's a pity the stone is so heavy, or we could just bury them down there. Norel: No, there's probably another way out. Aran: I say we attack now. Vuz: I dunno, I'm pretty badly wounded. On the other hand, I don't like waiting. Nigil: I agree with Aran. We must keep the initiative. They bring the horses into the cathedral and bar the doors. Then the entire party descends the stairs, with Tron in the lead checking for traps. After going down about seventy feet, they come to a closed door. Tron: (listens, hears nothing, and grabs the door handle) Nigil: Aren't you going to check for... Door: (snick) Tron: Ow! A poison needle trap. Bastards! Vuz: I think that's the least of our worries... There is a sudden rumbling in the earth. From above, they hear the sound of massive stone footsteps. A voice booms down the stairs. Voice: Die in the darkness, unbelievers! Nerull will kill you! Erishkagal will flay you! You will be buried alive! There is a crash of the stone slab being placed over the top of the stairs. As monstrous laughter rings in their ears, the earth shakes violently, and the stairway collapses behind them. They rush through the door, and both lanterns go out. Then there is darkness and silence and thick, choking dust. Norel: Anyone there? Nigil: Yo. Anyone hurt? Aran: I'm fine. [cough] Is it just me or is it dusty in here? Tella: I'm ok. Skanda: This whole thing was a trap. Vuz: I'm fine. Tron? Tron: Yeah, I'm ok. That needle trap in the door stings though. Nigil: Tron, when we get out of here I'm going to kill you. Tron: It wasn't my fault! I can't detect magic. Aran and Norel light lanterns. The air is thick with choking dust stirred up by the earthquake. The lanterns glow dull and red, barely lighting the walls. Tella: This is not good. They are within a massive ossuary. The walls are lined with bones of all types and sizes. Bone dust is everywhere, and fragments of bone crunch underneath. Tunnels lead off into darkness. There is a great rift in the floor, torn by the recent earthquake. A narrow piece of stone bridges it. Skanda: We can't get out the way we came. I think the whole cathedral collapsed. Nigil: That's the third horse I've lost! Vuz: I hope my falcon was outside. Aran: Hmm... based on the style of the cathedral I'd say this place is about 800 years old, maybe more. There could be a lot of tunnels down here. They decide to explore the catacombs and try to find a way out. They have enough oil to burn both lanterns for about 20 hours. Nigil: We better find a way out by then, or we're screwed. Tron, you take point. Tron: Ok, ok. But if I check everything for traps, it'll take forever. They move into the tunnels, stepping over bones. Everywhere they see "boneslides"; areas where massive piles of bones and rock have collapsed from the earthquake. As they go down one tunnel, they hear in the distance a blood chilling laughter. Tella: (drops her mace) [clang] Oops. Skanda: (puts her hand on Tella's shoulder) Steady. Nigil: Great. There's something down here with us. Aran: Probably undead. We can handle it. Vuz: Why did I leave the woods again? They continue their explorations, carefully mapping the labyrinth of bones as they go. Suddenly they hear the laughter again, much closer and much louder. Tella: Urk. (her heart stops from sheer terror, and she falls to the ground dead) Tron: (paralyzed with terror) Vuz: (paralyzed with terror) From behind the party a hideous creature rushes into the lantern light. It is built entirely of mismatched bones, stolen from different skeletons. The skull of a cow grins from atop a human ribcage mounted on a giant's pelvis. One arm is a human arm, the other is some kind of wing. It runs with amazing speed on bony feet. Monster: (claws Norel) Norel: Aaagh! (hits the creature with his ax) Monster: (flees back into the darkness) Aran: Stand and fight, hellspawn! Nigil: (picks up Tella's body) We can't leave her here. The party has to wait several minutes for Tron and Vuz to recover from their fear. Tron: That... I've never felt fear like that. Never. It made me feel like a wuss. That sucked. Vuz: I wish I was back in the forest. Aran: I don't know why you guys were so scared by it. It's just laughter. They continue deeper into the ossuary, and come across a tunnel that cuts back beneath the room where they first entered. From the crack in the ceiling they hear the laughter again. Skanda: Aaagh! (falls dead in fright) Aran: (grabs her body) Nigil: Run! They hurry down the passage and emerge into a large chamber with a crevasse in the floor, another reminder of the recent earthquake. Aran: My god protects me from this evil laughter. All of the party, except Aran, plug their ears with wax, so as to provide some protection from the laughter. Although they have to shout to talk to one another, this seems like the best course of action. Nigil: How are we going to get this stuff out? Tron: Worry about that later. Norel: I have a potion which gives the person who drinks it the ability to breathe fire. Aran, you should drink it now, then wait for that creature to show up. Aran: I agree. [glug glug glug] Meanwhile Tron has been scouting the chamber. He sees a glint of metal in the bottom of the crevasse, and climbs down to investigate. The crevasse has cut through the middle of a small chamber holding a sarcophagus. A gap has opened right through the middle of the sarcophagus, and the contents have fallen to the bottom of the crevasse. Among the bones and rotted clothing, a longsword gleams. Tron: Wow, that's a nice sword. He climbs back up and shows it to the rest of the party. Nigil: Nice sword. Aran: I'll hang onto it for now. Who was that guy? Tron: Some kind of knight. It looks like the entrance to the chamber was completely sealed with stone, by magic. Aran: We could try and bust it down with the sarcophagus lid... The laughter sounds again. None of the party dies, but some are paralyzed with terror. Tron: Let's... let's hurry up and get out of here. There's got to be another way out. They explore further. Again they hear the terrifying laughter. Tron: The horror... the horror... the horror... urk. [thud] Vuz: Damn. (picks up Tron's body) Nigil: "A great change or death", huh? Norel: Why won't the thing attack? It's like it knows we're waiting for it... The endless walls of bones and the horrible creature lurking in the dark begins to depress them. Nigil: We're never going to make it. Aran: Have courage! Oh Rao, this monster lurks beneath your cathedral. Help me to defeat it. The longsword begins to glow in Aran's hand. Crackling energy runs up and down the blade. Aran: See? The god stands with us! Monster: (laughs) Vuz: Aiiee! [thud] Norel: (paralyzed) Nigil: (paralyzed) Monster: (charges out of the darkness and claws Aran) Aran: Woooof! (breathes fire) The blast of fire sweeps the corridor for 60 feet. But when the flames subside, the monster is still standing. Monster: (claws Aran) Aran: (swings and misses) Monster: (flees) Aran: Come back and fight me! Nigil: It'll be back. Norel: We can't handle it for much longer. They leave Skanda's and Tella's bodies behind, and continue exploring, carrying Tron and Vuz. Monster: (laughs and rushes into view) Norel: (paralyzed) Nigil: (paralyzed) Aran: (swings and hits, nicking the creature's shoulderblade) Monster: (claws Aran, wounding him near to death) Aran: By the power of Rao! [crunch] He shatters the creature's ribcage with a mighty blow. It falls to the ground, now a motionless pile of bones. Aran: Let's make sure. (burns the skeleton where it lies) Norel: I guess only the strong survive. They continue their exploration of the catacombs. Eventually they come to a passage from which a moist warmth issues. A deep pit filled with refuse blocks their path. Nigil: If only Tron were alive, we could get across this pit... Aran: Hieronyous give me guidance, what should I do? He prays. Aran: Of course, the old woman! What was it she said? Dusty darkness...brittle fire..."brittle fire shattered against stone to raise the dead"! That's it! They collect the bodies of their companions and return to the sarcophagus the sword came from. Aran: It must have belonged to some mighty warrior of Rao. Now, we return this sword to the god, and in return the god will revive our companions. He tries to smash the sword on the sarcophagus, but instead takes a chunk out of the rock. Aran: It's no good, I can't break it. Nigil: Wait... remember, "immortal strength from the lightning fisted god". Aran: Hieronyous, give me strength! With a mighty blow he shatters the blade. Shards of steel fly into the darkness, reflecting torchlight. There is a long pause. Aran: Tella? Tella? Wake up, Tella. Oh no, it didn't work. Nigil: Yes it dead. She's got a pulse. Indeed, the four dead party members are now in deep sleep, with all wounds healed. Norel: Now we just have to get out of here. TO BE CONTINUED...
