Session 17 - "By Glow of Corpselight, Ruins of Gauntlight - Part 4"
General Summary
Toliday, 4th of Desnus, 4721 AR
Mudlicker Throne Room
11.50a
Kalitos ignites a spellstrike and violently cuts down the first mitflit. He then moves to flank with Zor'ahn, but misses his target. Ehrn lashes out at the prone Boss Skrawng with her glaive with near surgical precision, but is unable to follow up. The third mite steps towards Boss and casts bane, catching Kalitos with its effects. Kaliff makes his way around the battlefield towards Tristan and quickly applies aid to the fighter's wounds. The second mite turns on Kalitos, slicing him with its rusty short sword, quickly following it up with another bane that the ranger succumbs to. The Smoking Sword leaves glowing tracers in the air as Tristan unloads attack after attack on the felled boss, opening wounds and simultaneously cauterizing them. "Me no, me friend," the mitflit manages to croak before expiring. The two remaining mites suddenly do not feel as brave. Zor'ahn steps around and lands a grazing wound on one of them, but leaves a splinter to worm into its flesh, "Noo! Not the thorn!" it cries. Kalitos takes a moment to recharge his spellstrike before felling the first mite. Ehrn strides and turns the remaining gremlin into a bloody pincushion. In the calm, the party begins examining the sand in front of the throne. The pieces seem to start to form some of shape that resembles a gameboard. Kalitos, with Zor'ahn's suggestion, is able pick out familiar shapes and locations corresponding to nearby Otari. Kaliff sees to his brother's wounds. The magus and ranger remark the strangeness of the boss's attempt to obscure the map in battle. Peering closer, a stick figure with a crude crown, riding some sort of flying creature is able to be picked out. Examining the crown, Tristan finds two pieces of dirty paper with scrawls of Taldane. Finger smears of mud appear to lay out some sort of map with scrawled with names. Zor'ahn attempts to detect magic, but finds no sign. With Kaliff's instructions, Kalitos begins toss the bodies out into the moat, hoping to appease the water dragon in the event it is encountered again. During the gruesome task, the party notices that the slurk corpse is now gone. Zor'ahn takes a mite hand in case additional appeasement of the dragon is needed.
Sinkhole
12.20p
Now having the time, the party notices this room bears the same scorching damage as the maggot hall. A rotting door opens into that same place. Office and Sanctum
Rotted books and papers are stuffed into bookcases lining the walls. A rotted desk and chair is noted in the northeast corner. A door is seen to the north. A rounded wall to the northwest shows no sign of the familiar damage, age, or vegetation. To the ranger's senses, magical energy emanates in this area. The door opens into a ruined, triangular-shaped sitting room. With little thought, Zor'ahn runs his tainted hand over the frayed tapestries, also detecting magic here as well. Maggot Training Hall
12.30p
Poking around in a pile of rubble, Kaliff finds only remnants of maggot slime. But looking up, he catches sight of a rock that appears out of alignment with the rest of the wall. He begins examining the area with interest and Kalitos calls the rest of the group to hold. 12.40p
Explaining to his brother the process he believes will open the hidden door, Kaliff steps back. A section of the wall slides in with a scraping sound, revealing a small angled alcove within. Arcane symbols adorn the floor, but appear to be quite damaged, as if tools were used to impart ruination. Peering more intently at symbols, Kaliff and Zor'ahn realize that this most likely was once a powerful circle for teleportation, but is now irreparably damaged. The runes themselves require special materials such as silver to impart their enchantment. Teleportation used in this way is normally tied to a set location. Zor'ahn begins to meticulously take charcoal rubbings of the remaining legible runes.
Gauntlight Base
12.50p
The party begins to gather outside the door from where the powerful magic appears to spring from, the walls around it likewise clean and unaged. Putting shoulder to the stuck door, the ranger is able to muscle it open. Revealed is a circular room with perfectly smooth walls with perfect seams between the stone blocks. A circular set of rusted iron stairs line the walls. In center of the room is a red bloodstain glistening on the floor, as if someone bled here recently. Zor'ahn uses his shadowy hand to put a rock and some filth in the pool of blood. He finds it is not deep, but it does seem completely fresh. By its size, he guesses that the volume of blood would suggest someone that was fully bled out. Zor'ahn enters, oppressive dread, looks up to see a massive stone cylinder towering above them. Out of the corner of the eye, he sees the blood pool ripple. He squats down closer to it and dips one Nhimbaloth tainted finger into it, expecting corruption to erupt from it, but it is unchanged. He brings it to his nose and smells, notes its coppery scents, and looks to Tristan. "It's warm." To the west, a door is visible.
Zor'ahn puts one foot on the iron stairs, causing a horrendous screeching sound to echo up the chamber. Once it passes, he continues to climb. After about 100 ft., the stairs end at an untarnished brass trap door. Kalitos begins to follow, noting how the stairs are set into the wall. Zor'ahn puts his hand on the cool metal door, but finds it locked. He ties his rope to one of the stair posts and throws it over to Kalitos, who ties his rope to it as well.
Ruined Boathouse
1.00p
Back at the base, the door is opened to reveal a rickety bridge leading to a small island to north. Nearby to the west is a small, dilapidated building with a decrepit pier and an old wooden boat. Free of the lighthouse's oppressive aura, Kaliff shares with the group that the painting and letter that they found with the kobold's in Undertown might reference a location somewhere with the keep. After regathering themselves, the Exterminators journey back in.
Maggot Training Hall
1.10p
Gathering outside the room marked "StingSting" on Boss's map, they find the way blocked by rubble from a collapse long passed. Setting to it, the party begins to clear away enough stone to reveal one soggy, rotting door Scorpion Kennel
1.20p
Putting shoulder to door, the clear sound of clicking like to ceramic cups clinking together rises from the space beyond. More rubble litters the small room with a low wall to the east, a set of double doors are visible to the north. The afternoon sky is brightly shines in through the collapsed ceiling. Turning in that direction, the group finds that the clicking sound is being caused by a giant scorpion clacking its claws together. It is fixed in their direction, but has yet to react to their presence. The wall appears to been some sort of paddock at one time, but now does little to hold the giant arachnid. Zor'ahn suggests gathering some of the mitflit bodies to feed to it in the hopes of safely passing it. The ranger returns and pushes the body towards the scorpion. With alarming speed, the creature rips the "meat" apart and quickly consumes it. Kalitos leaves and comes back with more offerings as well.
Nhimbaloth Shrine
1.30p
While occupied the scorpion is occupied, the doors to the north are more closely observed. They are found to be slabs of large iron-wrapped stone overgrown with moss and inset with a skull bearing a four-pointed star. Upon seeing the symbol, Zor'ahn involuntarily touches the tainted mark on the side of his face. With little regard, the ranger enters the room, walking past the feasting creature, and throws open the doors.
Unmistakably within is a large chapel, colder and more humid than the rest of the keep thus far. Condensed beads of water hang on the walls where countless skulls have been carved into the stone everywhere. Along the wall to the northwest is a moldering humanoid corpse, one hand wedged into a crack in the wall. Further in, three sets of short steps leading to a stone altar, illuminated brightly by light coming through 20 ft. tall windows of stain glass. The dark, yet stunning, pieces of glass depict a ghosts rising from a graveyard, over which hangs an orange, four-pointed star. As the party takes it all in, Zor'ahn stands fixedly at the entrance as if expecting a revelation that doesn't come. Everyone else hurriedly enters and Ehrn closes the doors behind them.
The body appears to be leaning up against the wall where it is ever so slightly leaning inward, indicating a possible hidden entrance. Kaliff steps up to it and finds the hapless adventurer had unlocked the door, but for some reason died right afterwards. Zor'ahn ponders what befell the man and where the supposed ghosts are.
The brothers carefully move the body and open the door into a small empty room. There are no additional runes as before, but another secret door is found that leads into the previously discovered sanctum.
As the group makes their way closer to the altar, they can see that it appears to be made of pure white stone. The air here begins to get colder and the feeling of an immense presence begins to prick the back of their necks.. Closer still, Zor'ahn feels the pit within his stomach grow. Now visible within the corners of the room are piles of mossy, humanoid skeletal remains. The ranger continues to cautiously move closer still to altar.
Ehrn suddenly sees something flicker in the colorful light to east, which she points out to the party. Looking in that direction, however, reveals nothing obvious. Just as Kalitos begins to carefully move towards that area, he spies another flicker and one of the mossy skeleton begins to move and rise with the crackle and crack of old bones. It races straight at him with its claws outstretched, an icy coldness following in its wake. He just makes out a flickering blue glow in the monster's ribcage. Enhancing his attack with a sure strike, Kalito's is still unable to land a blow against monster. Another skeleton begins to stand and Tristan lashes at it, scoring a hit with his sword. His foe launches claw and jaw at him, but the fighter's shield takes the blunt of the attacks. As Zor'ahn begins to move, Kalitos falls back and the ranger takes his place. He, too, is unable to smite the monster. Kaliff fires a phase bolt at the first skeleton, but misses. Neither he nor Zor'ahn can decipher the significance of the blue flame. Tristan activates his smoking sword and lands a shattering blow against the old bones. Ehrn strikes at it with her glaive.
The first skeleton moves past Zor'ahn and continues hounding Kalitos. He lands a powerful claw against him, dropping him to the ground. The second skeleton opens its mouth wide and a sickly blue beam of light blasts from its mouth. He is struck by a soul-quenching coldness and some of his essence is consumed. Zor'ahn moves up to Kalitos, drags his body back while infusing him with healing energy. Kaliff quickly patches up Kalitos and fires a phase bolt against his attacker. Tristan falls the second skeleton, its bone collapsing to the ground. But immediately a ghostly blue form rises up from it. Ehrn lashes out at the remaining skeleton but misses.
Kalitos rises and fires an electric arc at the ghost form and skeleton, the pale form immediately dissipating. The remaining skeleton vomits a familiar beam of energy at the Richards and they lose a little piece of themselves. Zor'ahn stumbles and misses with his wooden Rosa Argentis. Kaliff fires another phase bolt. Tristan moves around the skeleton and repositions himself, but he and Ehrn are unable to take advantage.
With grim determination, Kalitos steps forward cleaves the skeleton down with an ignited strike and another pale form rises. As it attempts float upwards, Tristan slashes a burning blade through it, quenching the light forever.
1.41p
As Tristan examines the altar, Kaliff applies balm to his wounds. The fighter notices on the base of its northern face a hidden panel. Sliding it aside, he finds a Scroll of Restore Senses and a Wand of Heal. In the dead thief's possession, Kalitos finds a +1 rapier, a healing potion (minor), a darkvision elixir (lesser), 4 daggers, and a silver ring (5 gp).
Mudlicker Throne Room
11.50a
Kalitos ignites a spellstrike and violently cuts down the first mitflit. He then moves to flank with Zor'ahn, but misses his target. Ehrn lashes out at the prone Boss Skrawng with her glaive with near surgical precision, but is unable to follow up. The third mite steps towards Boss and casts bane, catching Kalitos with its effects. Kaliff makes his way around the battlefield towards Tristan and quickly applies aid to the fighter's wounds. The second mite turns on Kalitos, slicing him with its rusty short sword, quickly following it up with another bane that the ranger succumbs to. The Smoking Sword leaves glowing tracers in the air as Tristan unloads attack after attack on the felled boss, opening wounds and simultaneously cauterizing them. "Me no, me friend," the mitflit manages to croak before expiring. The two remaining mites suddenly do not feel as brave. Zor'ahn steps around and lands a grazing wound on one of them, but leaves a splinter to worm into its flesh, "Noo! Not the thorn!" it cries. Kalitos takes a moment to recharge his spellstrike before felling the first mite. Ehrn strides and turns the remaining gremlin into a bloody pincushion. In the calm, the party begins examining the sand in front of the throne. The pieces seem to start to form some of shape that resembles a gameboard. Kalitos, with Zor'ahn's suggestion, is able pick out familiar shapes and locations corresponding to nearby Otari. Kaliff sees to his brother's wounds. The magus and ranger remark the strangeness of the boss's attempt to obscure the map in battle. Peering closer, a stick figure with a crude crown, riding some sort of flying creature is able to be picked out. Examining the crown, Tristan finds two pieces of dirty paper with scrawls of Taldane. Finger smears of mud appear to lay out some sort of map with scrawled with names. Zor'ahn attempts to detect magic, but finds no sign. With Kaliff's instructions, Kalitos begins toss the bodies out into the moat, hoping to appease the water dragon in the event it is encountered again. During the gruesome task, the party notices that the slurk corpse is now gone. Zor'ahn takes a mite hand in case additional appeasement of the dragon is needed.
Boss Skrawng's Map - Ground Floor
Boss Skrawng's Map - Level ???
12.20p
Now having the time, the party notices this room bears the same scorching damage as the maggot hall. A rotting door opens into that same place. Office and Sanctum
Rotted books and papers are stuffed into bookcases lining the walls. A rotted desk and chair is noted in the northeast corner. A door is seen to the north. A rounded wall to the northwest shows no sign of the familiar damage, age, or vegetation. To the ranger's senses, magical energy emanates in this area. The door opens into a ruined, triangular-shaped sitting room. With little thought, Zor'ahn runs his tainted hand over the frayed tapestries, also detecting magic here as well. Maggot Training Hall
12.30p
Poking around in a pile of rubble, Kaliff finds only remnants of maggot slime. But looking up, he catches sight of a rock that appears out of alignment with the rest of the wall. He begins examining the area with interest and Kalitos calls the rest of the group to hold. 12.40p
Explaining to his brother the process he believes will open the hidden door, Kaliff steps back. A section of the wall slides in with a scraping sound, revealing a small angled alcove within. Arcane symbols adorn the floor, but appear to be quite damaged, as if tools were used to impart ruination. Peering more intently at symbols, Kaliff and Zor'ahn realize that this most likely was once a powerful circle for teleportation, but is now irreparably damaged. The runes themselves require special materials such as silver to impart their enchantment. Teleportation used in this way is normally tied to a set location. Zor'ahn begins to meticulously take charcoal rubbings of the remaining legible runes.
Ruined Circle of Teleportation
12.50p
The party begins to gather outside the door from where the powerful magic appears to spring from, the walls around it likewise clean and unaged. Putting shoulder to the stuck door, the ranger is able to muscle it open. Revealed is a circular room with perfectly smooth walls with perfect seams between the stone blocks. A circular set of rusted iron stairs line the walls. In center of the room is a red bloodstain glistening on the floor, as if someone bled here recently. Zor'ahn uses his shadowy hand to put a rock and some filth in the pool of blood. He finds it is not deep, but it does seem completely fresh. By its size, he guesses that the volume of blood would suggest someone that was fully bled out. Zor'ahn enters, oppressive dread, looks up to see a massive stone cylinder towering above them. Out of the corner of the eye, he sees the blood pool ripple. He squats down closer to it and dips one Nhimbaloth tainted finger into it, expecting corruption to erupt from it, but it is unchanged. He brings it to his nose and smells, notes its coppery scents, and looks to Tristan. "It's warm." To the west, a door is visible.
The mysterious pool of blood
1.00p
Back at the base, the door is opened to reveal a rickety bridge leading to a small island to north. Nearby to the west is a small, dilapidated building with a decrepit pier and an old wooden boat. Free of the lighthouse's oppressive aura, Kaliff shares with the group that the painting and letter that they found with the kobold's in Undertown might reference a location somewhere with the keep. After regathering themselves, the Exterminators journey back in.
The ruined boathouse
1.10p
Gathering outside the room marked "StingSting" on Boss's map, they find the way blocked by rubble from a collapse long passed. Setting to it, the party begins to clear away enough stone to reveal one soggy, rotting door Scorpion Kennel
1.20p
Putting shoulder to door, the clear sound of clicking like to ceramic cups clinking together rises from the space beyond. More rubble litters the small room with a low wall to the east, a set of double doors are visible to the north. The afternoon sky is brightly shines in through the collapsed ceiling. Turning in that direction, the group finds that the clicking sound is being caused by a giant scorpion clacking its claws together. It is fixed in their direction, but has yet to react to their presence. The wall appears to been some sort of paddock at one time, but now does little to hold the giant arachnid. Zor'ahn suggests gathering some of the mitflit bodies to feed to it in the hopes of safely passing it. The ranger returns and pushes the body towards the scorpion. With alarming speed, the creature rips the "meat" apart and quickly consumes it. Kalitos leaves and comes back with more offerings as well.
Giant scorpion kennel
1.30p
While occupied the scorpion is occupied, the doors to the north are more closely observed. They are found to be slabs of large iron-wrapped stone overgrown with moss and inset with a skull bearing a four-pointed star. Upon seeing the symbol, Zor'ahn involuntarily touches the tainted mark on the side of his face. With little regard, the ranger enters the room, walking past the feasting creature, and throws open the doors.
Doors to Nhimbaloth's shrine
Hapless thief in Nhimbaloth's Shrine
The altar
As Tristan examines the altar, Kaliff applies balm to his wounds. The fighter notices on the base of its northern face a hidden panel. Sliding it aside, he finds a Scroll of Restore Senses and a Wand of Heal. In the dead thief's possession, Kalitos finds a +1 rapier, a healing potion (minor), a darkvision elixir (lesser), 4 daggers, and a silver ring (5 gp).
After the battle
Report Date
26 Aug 2024
Primary Location
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