Session 75: 5 Days to save Chipper part 7 Day 2 Report

General Summary

Session 75 – Wednesday July 28, 2021 - 5 days to save Chipper part 7 (Day 2)

  4.5 Hour Dungeon crawl session. 5:30 PM to 10:00P

Party of 6 (The order of Heroes, Inc.):

It is the 11th day of the month of Uktar (The Rotting) in the 3rd year of the Age of Enialis

• Luigi Risotto – Wood Elf L13 Monk/L2 Wizard – Dan King
• Jaquette Mara – L15 Human Druid – Jackie Armstrong
• Annalisa (Anna) – Human L8 Monk – L5 Wizard /L2Fighter – Ryan Armstrong (remote)
• Rolen – Human L15 Warlock – Josh Pozsonyi
• Tyrus/Tyrena Rechs – Human L12 Ranger/L3 Fighter – Nathan Gioconda
• Jeter Kaiser – L15 Human Sorcerer – Spencer Armstrong
• Lucky Lightfoot – Leprechaun – L14 Bard/L1 Sorcerer – Jacob Munson (Out, in Alabama) (We miss you Jacob)

Goals:

Destroy the Soulmonger and stop the death curse Get Ring of Winter from Artus Cimber who is in Chult (also going after the Soulmonger) Gather the other parts of the god Destroyer (Blade, Hilt and guard) Locate the Amber Sarcophagi and destroy them with the god Destroyer Take the sword to the Summer Queen and have her destroy it. White Dragon at Purple Rocks

Tomb Guardians

Jaquette and the horse Willow rejoined the party after their short rest. Before moving on, Luigi went back and examined the iron barrier in one of the crawl spaces. Not able to move it, he rejoined the group. They proceeded past the grand staircase to the hallway that went off the western side of the stairs. They had seen the spiked chain lay across the hall previously and they all approached. Tyrena and Anna got there first and saw two Tomb Guardians in plate male standing in opposite alcoves holding onto the chain that crossed the hall. Tyrena quickly hammered a piton through the chain and into the floor. The Guardians reacted by trying to swing the chain at the party but couldn’t break the chain free, and so they couldn’t reach most of the party. The party all began attacking the Guardians where they stood and noticed the damage they did seemed to be magically split between the guardians.

The guardians were eventually able to rip the chain free of the piton and swung it at the party like a large jump rope. Everyone except Jeter dodged the chain. Jaquette cast reduce on the southern guardian making him a small guardian, Luigi laid a furry of blows upon the guardians and then Rolen shot 3 bolts into them leaving them gravely wounded. Jeter shot one of them with his fire bolt, and Anna tried to take out the last one but unfortunately missed, so Tyrena took out the last guardian with her tomahawk thrown directly at its head.

Kubazan’s Tomb

The party continued down the hall and saw a hallway extending north. Going into it they found a room with a four-columned portico jutting out from the far wall, beneath which a stone sarcophagus rested in a wall recess. Four ceramic frog masks hung in niches around the sarcophagus. Beneath the masks, humanoid bones were strewn across the floor. To the east, a large carving of a tentacled frog-monster squatted above a shrine, and offerings laid on a shelf before it. Four rectangular frescoes adorned the adjacent walls. Among the offerings were a copper bowl containing rat bones, 4 dead cockroaches, a candle, and 5 loose gold coins were strewn on the floor.

There were 4 frescos on the walls depicting various things Kubazan did for the people of Omu along with rituals performed including an old woman wearing a frog mask tossing five coins from her hand as though sowing seeds. One fresco contained an old man wearing a frog mask holding a bug up to his open mouth. Another fresco showed a young woman wearing a frog mask holding a knife in one hand and a headless chicken in the other. The last fresco showed a person holding a lit candle.

Doing the rituals incorrectly

Anna picked up one mask and put it on and Jaquette put another on. Jeter grabbed the 4 gold from the pile and refused to give them back. Jeter then picked up some of the bugs and started eating them without wearing a mask, and immediately Jaquette and Anna were polymorphed into frogs and 3 Wraiths appeared. The first Wraith attacked Jeter. Rolen took out one of the wraiths with a magically empowered bolt and Tyrena and Luigi seriously damaged another. Jaquette hopped down the hall toward safety and Anna hopped into Jeter’s pocket to take the coins. Rolen shot a bolt into the Jaquette frog and it polymorphed back into Jaquette. Tyrena took out I’jin’s horn and pointed it at the wraith and a fireball came out engulfing the entire room. Everyone except Luigi, Jaquette and Willow took fire damage, and in this way the last Wraiths were heroically destroyed.

Doing the rituals correctly

When Anna’s frog from was destroyed by the fireball she reverted to herself and burst forth from Jeter’s pants. She collected the gold from Jeter’s pocket and while wearing the frog mask and tossed it towards the sarcophagus. Several tried to open the sarcophagus and it did not even budge. Anna gestured to the murals suggesting “The walls of history tell all”, indicating that they, too, should do what the frescos depict. Luigi tried to light the candle without the mask, but Jeter quickly stopped him. Jeter put on a mask and then ate a bug. Rolen suggested they decapitate Willow but Jaquette protested, and Willow looked very concerned. Anna recalled that there were live Rats in the Room next to Wither’s office, so she ran back and grabbed one. Upon her return Jaquette said “I’m skilled with medicine and can end its life very quickly.” She heard the rat say “What?” and ruthlessly she donned the mask, quickly broke its neck and tossed it toward the sarcophagus. Luigi then, wearing a frog mask, lit the candle. The sarcophagus opened.

Luigi looked in and saw a pair of Bracers of Archery that had carvings of Froghemoths on them. Luigi picked up the bracers and they began to glow as watery light rippled across the walls. A monstrous, tentacled shadow rose from the sarcophagus, and the air filled with the stench of a swamp. A rumbling voice echoed through the tomb: “You are brave to summon me. Together, we will crush the undying one!” Flattered, Luigi said “okay” and the spirit of Kubazn entered him. Luigi then gave the bracers to Tyrena.

Curse of the Golden Skull

Anna discovered a secret door at the opposite Kubazn’s hall. She opened the door and saw a Golden skull resting on a pedestal in the middle of a small dusty room. She began carefully examining the skull and the pedestal looking for traps, judging the weight and the value. Luigi walked in and just grabbed the skull and went to hand it to Anna, but the skull came to life and began floating around Luigi. It said its name was Yaka and it was an entertainer who once amused the royal family of Omu. It never strays more than a couple feet from Luigi and began to make fun of his name “Squeegee.” He became so distracting to Luigi that Luigi began to find it difficult to focus on tasks.

They found a crawlway to the East that turned to the south. They followed the crawlway that led to a small room with a tomb guardian that peered into the cylindrical room where Jeter and Tyrena were trapped. The Tomb guardian seemed to ignore the party and the party, seeing it was busy, ignored it. The room had a door to the north that opened into a circular stairway that went up and down. They decided to go back to the room with the double doors West of Kubazan’s tomb.

Veils of fear

Anna met the party back at the double doors at the end of the Western hall. Ana and Tyrena opened the doors. The doors creaked open on their rusty hinges, swinging into the room. Ten feet from the doors, a thick tapestry curtain hung from wall to wall. Its embroidery showed a scene of merriment: nobles feasting around a banquet table, a roast boar on a platter, and servants pouring wine.

Anna and Tyrena walked in followed by Jeter. Anna opened the curtain enough to roll a coin. It went about 5 or 10 feet and stopped. Anna told Jeter “I rolled a platinum piece to the other side.” Jeter opened the curtain to look for the coin and revealed another curtain. The 2nd curtain showed the same
scene but descended into depravity. The nobles fight with each other, partake in carnal encounters on the table, or sprawl on the floor in puddles of vomit.

Jeter peaked behind the 2nd curtain and then ran from the room very frightened. Luigi looked behind the curtain and he too ran away very frightened. Rolen was peaking over Luigi’s shoulder and he too ran away frightened. Jaquette blessed Anna and she too ran away frightened. Tyrena and Jaquette looked (Tyrena using a small mirror.) Tyrena was frightened but Jaquette looked upon the tapestry seeing a scene of horror: nobles feasting on servants, eating each other alive, and setting fire to the hall. The roast boar was alive and laughing on its platter. Rolen, Tyrena, Luigi and Anna were able to overcome their fear. Rolen cut down the very first tapestry and put it into Anna’s bag of holding. Luigi cast firebolt on the horrific 3rd tapestry and destroyed it. Revealing the rotting head of a giant boar mounted to the wall. Blood and gore spattered its tusks, dribbling down the wall beneath it. Jaquette, Anna and Luigi were the only 3 to see the Boar, and they felt a magical force attempting to charm them but were was able to avoid it. Jaquette holding Luigi’s hand summoned the spirits to dispel the magic on the Boar’s head, and Luigi ripped the boar head off the wall with an amazing feat of strength. Anna found several items in the Boar’s mouth (See “Treasure found.”)

Acerak's Fourth Warning

The party went back to the grand staircase and Anna jumped down to the bottom of the stairwell. The others walked down the stairs and Jaquette lead Willow the horse. They again passed Acererak’s Fourth warning which read: Death to fire, dine or drown, precious air, and falling sand.  

The army sleeps in silence.
The mirror holds twelve.
Find the iron scepter’s twin.
The maze holds the key.

At the bottom of the grand staircase, a resonant mechanical rumbling emanated from a dark shaft opening up in the middle of the chamber’s floor. Four cylindrical stone pedestals surrounded the shaft, each ten feet tall, five feet wide, and featuring a tiny slot in their sides. Squatting atop each pedestal was a large four-armed gargoyle.

Base of the grand staircase

They had all seen before walking down the stairs that gargoyle was contained within a square made of metallic tiles embedded in the top of its pedestal. Starting with the northernmost pedestal and going clockwise, the tiles were copper, silver, gold, and platinum. Anna put an appropriate coin into each of the pedestals. Rolen did the same. Jeter looked for a turning mechanism while Anna went to the top floor and observed. Luigi put 2 gold coins into the western pedestal. Anna, leading Willow put 2 appropriate coins into each pedestal. Neither Tyrena, nor Jeter put any coins in either pedestal.

Tyrena fastened a rope to the eastern pedestal and descended into the pit but didn’t enter the room below. She observed a large pentagon shaped room and was hit with a pungent stench. The walls of the pentagon shaped room were covered with riveted sheets of iron. A wild garden full of sickly plants and rotting compost took up most of the interior, and a narrow path hugs the walls between two exits. Jeter walked down the walls and started walking along the ceiling of the pentagon room. As soon as Jeter stepped foot out of the room, the four Gargoyles sprung to life.

Gargoyle Guardians

One of the Gargoyles flew directly to Jeter and pummeled him with all his arms and then tried to bite him. Jeter was trying to secure Tyrena’s rope with a Piton. Luigi stunned one of the Gargoyles and then retreated 10 feet up the staircase. Tyrena swung her great sword and began attacking. Rolen saw that Tyrena’s greatsword wasn’t doing a great deal of damage so he turned invisible. Jaquette cast Bones of the Earth raising the gargoyles up 30 feet on their pedestals. Anna jumped off the top balcony and landed on the Western Gargoyle smashing it in the head with her hammer. She stunned it and then tried to push it off the 30’ pedestal but didn’t quite have the strength.

One of the Gargoyles began attacking Luigi on the stairs. Jeter cast disintegrate on one of the stunned gargoyles badly hurting it. The other non-stunned Gargoyle flew down to Jeter and knocked him out with a few punches and then punched him again nearly killing him. Luigi ran up to the stunned Gargoyle in the east and shoved it off the pillar knocking it down into the pit. Tyrena ran to Jeter and was able to stabilize him. Rolen pulled out a potion of healing and just held it in case another person falls. Jaquette cast “Heal” on Jeter bringing him back. Anna jumped down into the pit and smashed the gargoyle in the pit killing it.

Luigi continued to get hit by the gargoyles. Jeter seeing that the Gargoyles were focusing their attacks on those who didn’t pay, began running around putting some coins into the pedestals. Luigi stunned all three of the remaining gargoyles. Tyrena took advantage of the situation and started shooting them with his laser rifle and took out one. Rolen finally joined the fray and fired a couple shots. Jaquette summoned George, the Eagle and had it take her potion of supreme healing up to Luigi who wasn’t looking so good. Anna cast lightning lure against one of the gargoyles and pulled it into the pit. Jeter cast firebolt. Luigi jumped down into the pit with his staff and blew critical blow against the Gargoyle at the bottom. Following up a with a few quick punches, he finished off the 3rd Gargoyle. Tyrena finished off the last Gargoyle firing two bolts directly down it’s throat.

Tim

Rolen leaned over the pit and poured a potion of healing down into Luigi’s mouth. Luigi then sat down to drink the potion that Jaquette gave him, and it turned out to be poison. Anna turned to the pedestals and smashed them open revealing a bunch of coin (see “Treasure Found.”) The party walked down the wide wall to the East. At the end of the hall Anna found a secret door heading north and a hallway heading south to a set of stairs going up. At the end of the hall was a carved six-foot-tall green devil face, its mouth agape. Painted murals on the walls showed faceless humanoid figures doubled over in pain, clutching at their heads and ears. Anna found a green lizard in the face that grunted at him. Jaquette, nearby, heard the lizard say, “What’s up?” In druidic. She found out his name was Tim, and he was brought in by the Yellow Banner from outside to be used to test for traps and such. One of members of the Yellow Banner cast Awaken on him and then he could speak.

Rewards Granted

Treasure Found:

• Kubazan’s Bracers of Archery adorned with carvings of froghemoths.
• A bent pair of gold spectacles (25 gp)
• A leather eye patch set with a bloodstone (50 gp)
• A platinum hair pin (75 gp)
• A clockwork amulet
• The north pedestal held 5 sp and 100 cp.
• The east pedestal held 1 gp, 120 sp, and 200 cp.
• The south pedestal held 2 pp, 90 gp, 350 sp, and 500 cp.
• The west pedestal held 10 pp, 630 gp, 7,200 sp, 5,000 cp, and the skeletal remains of an Omuan engineer.

Notes

HP:

• Anna 121/148
• Jaquette 111/128
• Jeter 80/100
• Luigi 9/140
• Rolen 76/104
• Tyrena 94/122
• Giant Eagle 26/26 for 1 hour
• Tim
• Horse