Turn 4 - Day 18 - The Temple of Sysyn

The impressive but ruined entrance to the strange building cleared of skittering spiders and giant bone-gnawing rats, the company had more time to look around as they caught their breath [Camp Event : Lay of the Land].

 

A strange and elusive pall seemed to hang over the place.  Parthoghimeos agreed that it was nothing to do with the tower's denizens, who could occasionally be seen scuttling along the ceiling high above.  The place was littered with tombs, covered in archaic, unreadable script.  Against one wall was a huge death mask that had once spat water - or something else ? - into a basin.  The weapons hung in the racks along the back wall had clearly been votive objects, and all bore crusted, fossilised stains of what must surely have been blood.  The chipmunk picked up a couple of objects, but his nose wrinkled up and he decided things were best left alone [Campaign Activity : Mystic Expedition, to no avail].

The imposing staircase leading up to the next level was strewn with hideous statues, intended no doubt to frighten visitors and still doing a good job of it centuries - millenia ? - later.

Leaving was not, however, an option.  If the Deep was not already at work here, when it did come it must find no allies.  Somehow that choice was the right one, and after making it, Godric felt a swift and elusive impression of well-being  [Campaign Activity : Pray]

To avoid unwanted attention, no fire, no noise, the evening meal would be as frugal as sleep would be scarce [Upkeep -1 Gold Mark].  After a few restless hours, Godric gave the order to move out.  Radovan was well enough to prop himself up in a dark corner against the cold wall, his sword across his knees.

 

The company tightened the straps of their armour, and began the long climb, towards whatever dangers lay ahead.

 

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Scenario Parameters :

This is Depth 2 of the Delve.

Foes are, once again, Giant Spiders [Giant Rats] p.180.  There are 11 of them.  There is however something much worse clinging to the ceiling high above a Great Spider [Ravening Beast Form, p.125], and it seems not only hungry, but made frantic by the loss of its kin.

These kin creatures are desperate for life and energy, hence the Lure of Magic (p.179).

To increase the danger, as Kehar scouts forward, he discovers some Suspicious Tracks (p.143).  Is the Deep here after all ?

Terrain is set up as per the generic rules (p.128-129).

This is a Site Battle, see p.142 for the rules concerning it.

Under Siege (p.219) is in effect, so should a Unique Foe appear during the battle, and is not slain, a roll must be made on the Enemy Plans Table (p.207).

A roll will be made after this scenario to see if the Delve is cleared out.

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At the top of the stairs, a long corridor led the adventurers into what looked like an antechamber of sorts.  Once again, they must have jiggled the strands of some webs, as waves of blood-hungry spiders washed into the room.  They were defeated by the close-knit cooperation between Godric's Seven.  Although Kehar was wounded, Parthoghimeos was able to Heal him.

The company stepped through the door, to confront another wave of spiders.  This time Godric was hurt, but some herb-steeped bandages were enough to staunch the bleeding and the pain.  Luckily these spiders were not venimous.

A far mightier foe, however, had ceased lurking in the shadows, and was upon them...

Despite fierce resistance, first Krik, then Kehar, and last of all Godric fell to its fangs.  Parthoghimeos had examined the scrying bowl in the middle of the room, and now he was trapped.  Even if he could have made the exit, the Great Spider was faster than he was.

In the desperate struggle that followed, Partho managed to deflect what would have been a lethal blow, that scraped without harm along the shell of his tortoise mount.  The spider went off balance, and the chipmunk was able to gain advantage in the following round of combat.  He lashed out in desperation...and his staff sunk deep into the enemy's abdomen, spilling out its life force !

Even through the panting that the effort had cost him, Parthoghimeos could hear chanting from the room beyond, some fell language that seemed to darken the very air.  The mage hesitated, then steeled himself, put away his staff and drew his sword, and had his mount take him to the door.

Inside, an altar, and upon it, a sarcophage, covered in the symbols that other rangers had already reported.  So the Deep was already here.  The chanting was the work of a mangy-looking Hu-Man, wearing the same black and red robes already encountered at the Shroud.

This one was a necromancer, and casting bones across the floor, he raised a skeleton.  Exploiting its stupidity, Parthoghimeos avoided it to confront the magician directly.  The Hu-Man came out the worse from the encouter, reeling back wounded.  The chipmunk laid low a skeleton, but another was forthcoming.  In a clash of steel it pushed the magician out of the room, and the chipmunk decided it would be better to retreat into the depths of the complex and draw the enemy after him.

He thus reached a room in which light streamed through the cracked window panes.  A quick look outside revealed....well, Partho would keep that to himself, for now.

Whatever it was filled the chipmunk with pluck, and he went back to the altar room, breaking the second skeleton into pieces on the way, to challenge the practitioner of the dark arts.

It was as he came closer that the enemy muttered a few words.  The lid suddenly blew off the sarcophage, and there was an odour so foul that Parthoghimeos' sight blurred and his lungs seemed unable to catch the air.  When he came around, the sorceror and the contents of the sarcophage had vanished.

The company Achieved their Objective thanks to the extraordinary feats of Parthoghimeos.  They had discovered yet more steps leading up, this temple, has not yet revealed all of its secrets.

Parthoghimeos was badly shaken by his brush with death magic, and suffered Moderate Injuries (Recovery Time : 4 turns).  Godric was surprised to awaken in one piece, but quickly realised why - by some Blessing, his shield had saved him from the bite of his gruesome foe, and there was even a long fang imbedded in it.

Krik was bleeding copious amounts of yellow ichor, and it took Silvertree Leaf to heal him.  Insect-folk do not, apparently, suffer overly from blood loss, as he was only Lightly Wounded (Recovery Time : 1 turn).

As for Kehar, he should have been dead.  Everybody had seen the fangs puncture him, two foot-long daggers driving into his shoulder.  By some miracle, the thin fabric of the cloak he had found in the temple entrance, stopped what his armour had not [use of a Luck Point to avoid Death].