SESSION 150: Into the Valley of Darkness
Wherein our brash adventures discover a forgotten city built into a cliff face and completely forget about their botched roc hunt.
BOLD words are Courtney Campbell's.
Day 9 (continued)– cloudy: Three miles in, at the far end of the Valley, lies a fortress-like cliff. Unlike the surrounding stone, "this cliff face is deeply polished and reflects the light from above in long slender needle-like reflections. We stood before this edifice the base was an impossibly high and polished cracked cliff. It is so large that you are overwhelmed by the dizzying and vertiginous sensation that the cliff itself is the ground and you are standing on a wall looking at it. The looming wall is dotted with the ruined entrances of ancient structures and tombs". Deep within these who knows what adventure awaits?
The first plan was to fly around and take a look but Sasha pointed ominous shadows above, wyverns and they were obviously watching us. There were three archways at ground level that could be explored and hopefully provided protection from the reptiles. We tested the one on the left first. A granite carving of a winged dog rests over this weathered keystone arch. It opens into a tunnel with rocks and dust coating the floor and huge cracks running along the walls. In the small chamber beyond, several large rocks and boulders lie strewn about the floor. When the wind blew, dust and grains fell to the floor of the tunnel. This whole chamber and tunnel was a death trap just waiting for some murderhobos. It was pure good fortune that Ramrod was on point and had a gaseous form potion at the ready. He transformed into a fart as the ceiling collapsed and the rest of the group were able to jump clear of certain death from the entry passage.
The massive dust plume from the collapse attracted the attention of the omni-present wyverns above. A pack of them appeared to be assembling and preparing to test our mettle. It was decided that we should quickly seek cover. What passage this time? Door number three.
“A corridor, unmarked except for the worn granite head of a snake above the entrance, leads into the wall. Within, the path stretches forwards then forks in two. Ahead, a flat passage leads to some stairs that have rubble near the top; to the right side, a sloped passage leads up a ramp to a small landing, where narrow stairs head further into the mountain. The sloped passage is decorated with ancient glyphs”.
Let’s check out the rubble. The flat passage leads to a badly stained and rubble-filled narrow stairway. Cresting the top, a hallway intersected by a series of gigantic circular tunnels. I wonder if these two purple worms created these weird tunnels. Battle ensued. After resolving this challenge our group took the other passage. A series of upwards passages led to a non-descript stone room. The passageway continue upwards to the west and there was also a chimney that went well beyond our ability to see. “The narrow passage opens up into a room with a rough stone floor carrying a glass mosaic of a starburst inlaid in the middle. On the far wall, stairs climb further into the dark, while to the right a broad archway leads to a huge corridor littered with rocks and debris that runs further than torchlight reveals”. Being cautious of litter strewn chambers the hobos took the stairs.
“This barren and dry room is covered in uneven tile coated in a layer of dust. To the left, a short staircase leads down into a small room cluttered with dusty artifacts. On the opposite wall stands a doorway to a short hallway, at the end of which lies a visible sarcophagus situated between two large stone chests”. We could not leave a sarcophagus undisturbed. The resident mummy lord and his wraithy chums did not take it well. “I will tear your souls apart!” Both Saff and Nara ended up enjoying life draining touches before our holy duo could blast the wicked spirits back to the Nether world with radiance. The hobos had enough of this area and returned to the stone room with the chimney. Bunny and Rammer were game to explore upwards.
The chimney was roughly finished and went up 200’ leading to a corridor that presented a monsterous chamber. “The light fades up into darkness, the ceiling of this vast chamber too far above to even be visible. At the center of the chamber stands a wonder: a colossal statue hundreds of feet tall, its head barely visible in the distant umber. Six arms, akimbo, encircle the statue, filling the room and reaching into every dark corner”. This was a little too much at the moment. Not yet.
Our group was now well beaten and exhausted fell back to base camp to recover and discuss this latest discovery.
ROLECALL
Carla the Green High Priestess of TMB (C9) 232566 xp +10% <200001> CRT 1d12/III
Scars: permanent loss left index finger and scarring on arm
Bimbles the Patriarch of GSS (C8) 191806 xp +5% <200001> CRT 1d12/III
Lasting injury: -1 STR, mashed arm
Hobo Steve the Superhero (F8) 188737 xp +5% <240,001> CRT 1d24/V
Brain Damaged: reduced mental capacity (tough night on the town)
Rahgnar the Dwarven Superhero (D8) 153574 xp <280001> CRT 1d20/IV
Serious wound: permanent loss of an eye (-1 to missile fire)
Critical Wound: disembowelled less able to process poison (-1 penalty)
Raul the Voyager (MD8) 170833xp +10% <240000> CRT 1d12/III
Serious wound: permanent loss of CHA -4,
Removed one of his own nostrils.
Ding-We the Peg-Legged Sorcerer (W9) 386513 xp +10% <470001> CRT 1d10/I
Critical Wound: Left leg obliterated, runs at ½ rate (peg required)
Bunny the Thief! (T9) 218369 xp <280001> +10% CRT 1d20/II
Light wound: permanent loss of pinky finger, off hand
Ramrod the Cloned Magsman (T8) 94392 xp +5% <160001> CRT 1d20/II
Serious wound: Bad Back (-1 stone CC)
Scars: Neurological damage to hip, noticeable limp
Missing six teeth talks with a lisp
The Henchmen
Saffron the Mad Fairy Queen of Mad Ribbits (FY7) 153241 xp <200001> CRT 1d10/III
Moderate wound: Scar on abdomen
Lasting injury: -1 STR, mashed guts
Sloth the Bopper (L7) 135460 xp +10% <178800> CRT 1d20/IV or 1d6/G (vs. s, m)
Mental Illness: Mummy-a-phobic
Nara the Nearly Naked Purple Swami Girl (P7) 77277 xp +5% <125000> CRT 1d6/I
Wraith Drained: -1 CON
Biff Bartley the Half-Orc Blackguard (HO7) 72722 <120000> +5% CRT 1d12/II
Lasting injury: Crushed spinal column -6”H, -5’mv, -10% thieving
Sasha Plasha the Warden (R7) 77697 xp +10% <100000> CRT 1d10/III
Dolec Da the Hero (F4) 9125 xp +10% <16000> CRT XXXX
Jogar the Nine-Fingered Robber (T4) 5725 +5% <9600> CRT XXXX
‘BOB’ the Deadly Shade (N7) 59275 <90000> +5% CRT 1d16/II
Felix Ignatius Hemlock the previously Skeletal Sleuth (I7) 42208 <80001> +5% CRT 1d16/II
Mason the Canon of Yrrrg. (C6) 40211 <50001> CRT 1d10/III
Yasser Imaphat the Djinn (D4) 30372 <32501> CRT 1d6/II
Gurn Hammerhand the Dwarven Swordsman (D3)
Wendul the Thaumaturgist (W5)
RESERVES
Charles in Charge the Myrmidon (F6) 45913 <64000> +10% CRT 1d16/IV
REMAINING RECUPERATION: 6 DAYS
Critical Wound: Punctured lung (-2 CON)
Mostly DEAD. (-1 CON) -ADJUSTMENT REQ’D
Boris the Dwarven Lord (D9) 319718 xp +10% <400001> CRT 1d20/IV
REMAINING RECUPERATION: 11 DAYS
Serious wound: permanent loss of CHA -3, carved up face
Lasting injury: -1 STR, mashed arm
Wound: Bad leg (-5’ MV)
Multiple Injuries: lost 20 teeth, drools a lot CHA -1
Serious Injury: Brain Drain -2 INT
Elapsed Campaign Time
332 days at beginning of session (also applies to recuperation)
Join us for session One-Hundred-and-Fifty-One when we ask the questions:
Big big big chamber, even bigger riddle?
Tale of the Tape
Saff -1 lvl
Nara -1 lvl
KILLS
Purple Worms (2)
Mummy Lord
Wraiths (4)
LOOT
nope
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