Session 50.5: Bags and Bones

General Summary

• Now separated from the rest of the Crew, the Bags and Bones four strong proceeded further into the mountain.
• The corridor was damp and dark, conditions that hid the green slime from the adventurers. It was burning into their feet before they were able to scrape it off, but the damage had been done.
• A floating corpse was face-down at the end of the corridor. It was completely stripped of its gear, but via its clothes and physical traits, it was identifiable as an elf of the Enclave of the Valley.
• The first encounter was against an ogre and its two goblinoid goons - the first any of them had ever seen. The ogre didn't even get a single swing of its club before it was eviscerated, and the goblinoids made to turn and flee. Maleakos used a Dimension Door to pursue them.
• He entered a room with 5 fleshy individuals, each of which were numbered 5, 7, 9, 11, 13. The one numbered 5 said: "One of us does not belong with the others. If you can pick it out, it will serve you, and the others will allow you passage. If you pick the wrong one, we will kill you. You have sixty seconds." While the goblinoids continued to flee into another room, Maleakos quickly deduced that 9 was the answer, as the other bag and bones caught up. Sure enough, 9 began to follow them.
• Turning left, the group found an illuminated room with a table, with some candlesticks and a random book. Past this room was an odd room with a rotating cylinder, with dizzying black-and-white stripes. The vague outline of a warhammer could be seen at the end of the corridor.
• When the group entered into the room, the door slammed shut behind them. Thanos stepped into the cylinder as a flaming arrow went whizzing through a slit at the end of the room, lighting the slick cylinder ablaze. It burned brightly and burned out fast. However, arrows continued to fly through the slit. 9 was commanded to block the slit with his hand, which he obeyed with the occasional "ouch".
• Dooturr masterfully strung rope to the end of an arrow and notched it deep in the opposing wall for something to stabilize himself as he proceeded through the cylinder. It was then easy goings, and he reached the opposite end. The pedestal that the warhammer rested upon seemed ordinary, but when Dooturr grabbed the warhammer, a jet of flame ejected from it. Luckily, he ducked from it unharmed. Dooturr noted that the warhammer felt much lighter than he expected.
• The went to re-enter the room they were in and found that someone was waiting for them. A female werewolf, and armor-clad man, and the two remaining goblinoids were outside.
• The werewolf slung spells, but was no match for the melee might of the bags and the bones. As she fell, she reached out to the armor-clad man, saying their sacrifice would not be in vain - the man was her lover.
• The rest of the battle was cleaned up rather tidily. The armor-clad man was non-lethally knocked out and a key was found on his person that unlocked the northern door. It opened into a rather lavish living area with a bed, table, food, furnishings, and a chest. Dooturr discerned that the chest was trapped to fire projectiles if it was opened without saying a command word. So, Maleakos cleared the room, and summoned an unseen servant to open the chest and survive the barrage of canine teeth that flew out of the chest. A modest trove of treasure waited within.
• The warhammer they recovered was tried in the stone slab that marked the exit, but sure enough, it was a fake.
• The bags and the bones explored the eastern path that they didn't yet traverse after defeating the ogre. It was a room full of glass globes, and the door slammed shut when they entered. Three glass globes were destroyed with various contents - fake keys, worthless lead coins, strength-draining shadows...eventually, the true key was found, alongside a ring that promised incredible power. Maleakos eventually put the ring on, and confirmed that the powers did work - at least the invisibility did. And when he left the room, it seemed they ceased working. So, we returned to the room, and called upon its wish to make it work outside the room. The ring cried out that Maleakos had just created a paradox, and would suffer the consequences. The ring tightened around his finger. But, at the least, he was convinced he was invisible.
• Another northern path led to a turnstile. 9 and Ashpin passed through, right as an invisible force slammed into Maleakos. A horrified and strength-drained Ashpin could do naught but watch as the force slammed into Maleakos, and Thanos, and Dooturr, and 9 unsuccessfully tried wrenching the turnstile from its place.
• Dooturr was knocked unconscious, and started to be dragged away by invisible hands. Right at that moment, Dooturr felt a great strength rise from within, as he returned to full consciousness. As he had promised, Adam had returned to protect his brother one final time, so that his soul may pass peacefully into the afterlife. United as one, skeleton and ghost, the invisible attacker was shooed away.
• Ghost Dooturr returned to the rest of his group, to the relief and somewhat confusion of his friends. Adam explained the situation to them all. As they proceeded onwards, he told them - and specifically Dooturr - about the silver bracelets Adam and John used when they were boys. Adam then procured one such bracelet, saying it had been the only thing that came with him into undeath. This would be Dooturr's first Token of the Departed, and when Ghost Dooturr separated once again, Dooturr would be level 9.

Date begun:
18 Therendor, 998 YK
Date ended:
18 Therendor, 998 YK
Party level:
8.25

Report Date

05 Mar 2022