And one of the members died from a trap in the process. When it happened there was a collective gasp from the table, one smack on the surface, a wail of “no!” and a few other muttered noises.
As said in Bad Boyz II – “Shit’s just about the get real.”
Write up follows:
We thanked the Gormites for their efforts and help again, the group each donating a topaz as appreciation for the information, time, food, and gear we had been given and purchased. From here we went back through the wards and to the main hall – discussing how we were going to progress our way east. We could continue north into the unmapped section of the pyramid and hope to find an eastern passage, or we could head all the way back south and then turn east – making our way east of the pit trap that was north of the office room. The group discussed it at length and decided to head south and then east since we already knew that area.
We made good time back south, and then turned east, eventually arriving at the area of the ground that Safir had marked off. From here we jumped diagonally over the pit south and then east and continued down the long corridor. We did note that this section of the level was strangely clean; almost ritualistic spotless as if someone had taken broom and mop to the floors and walls shortly before we traveled in this direction.
It was some 70 or so paces before the passage “T’ed” North and south, and a quick look at the corner showed the north passage heading 12 odd paces and ending at a blank wall, while south it was some 30’ to a stone doorway, hinged on our side. The group thought it was odd that a passage heading north went anywhere and then ended after only a short distance and suspected there might be a hidden passage up that way. However their search proved fruitless and frustrating as no section of any wall moved, twisted, lifted, and shifted.
Vulkan was convinced we were missing something and wanted to retackle the search again for the elusive secret doorway when we heard footsteps running down the long corridor we had come from heading our way, followed by gasps and sobs of whomever was making that noise. We drew ourselves up, unsure of what was coming towards us but not wanting to be taken unawares when arriving at the corner were a group of 4 Cyndicians.
They were carrying a stretcher and each of them had on a mask: Hawk, Fish, Cat, and Fox. They were sobbing and begging Mark for help “for their terribly sick friend, Dog!” We looked around, but the only thing on the stretcher was a rather large gourd. We pointed it out to the 4-some who all nodded and agreed it was a gourd. “And we need you, oh cleric, to fix him! He’s terribly hurt, our friend, Dog! Fix him!”
Delsin wanted to grab his sword for more of this Cyndician foolishness but Vulkan shot him a glance and motioned for him to remove his hand from the weapon’s hilt. Mark wanted to help, but…it’s a damned gourd. So he dropped to his knee and made some halfhearted prayer asking Gorm to help out Dog who was a gourd, get…better. This did not sit well with the 4 Cyndicians who were getting frantic. Mark was getting very tired of these antics as well, so he went into his pouch, removed the potion of death he had gotten from the desk drawer a few hours ago, and rubbed off the loosely held label, replacing it with the “healing” label he had taken as well.
He held it up and made like it was a healing potion and the 4 Cyndician’s went nuts, scrabbling for the potion. During the mess, Hawk had kicked the gourd off the stretcher which made the other three just stare at him with hatred. Hawk yelled out a strangled, “Sorry!” scooped up the gourd, and ran back down the hallway waving his one arm like a wing, crying, “I am so sorry, Dog!”
The other three gave chase and Mark felt terrible, shouting, “Stop! It’s not a healing potion! Stop!” He ran after them as well. However, he had the party’s lantern so as he raced off, taking the light source with him, Delsin, Vulkan, and Safir were forced to run after the cleric as he chased the Cyndicians who chased their 4th.
It was when we heard a cry in the distance followed by a thud the group drew closer to see Hawk had fallen down the pit and broke his leg, dropping the gourd “Dog” which smashed on the floor. This infuriated the rest of the Cyndician who were going to use the potion to fix either or both when Mark tackled Fish and struggled with him as he tried to get the potion back. They fought around and Fish took out a stick and was beating Mark with it as they hit the walls trying to fight over the potion. Then Vulkan power drove himself into Fox he slipped over the edge and cracked his skull on the floor of the pit – dying on impact.
Delsin took his fight to Cat who was dodging the fighter’s blows, struggling with our guy and Vulkan gave him a stab in the leg, hamstringing the Cyndician. He growled in his throat and lunged at Delsin, wrapping his arms around the fighter’s neck and struggling to shove them both into the pit. Mark was getting hit again and again, but managed to get the potion out of Fish’s hand as the two of them continued to fight.
Delsin slipped, twisted, and Cat fell into the pit, trying to drag Delsin in, but Vulkan’s lunged out and grabbed Delsin’s backpack, keeping him barely on the edge of the pit, but the combined weight was too much and the three of them tumbled down, Vulkan letting go of Delsin at the last moment and hugging the corner wall at the last moment. Cat took the impact and died under the fighter who was shaking his head at the fall. Hawk dragged himself towards Delsin, screaming “It’s your fault! It’s your fault!”
No longer fighting Fish alone, Vulkan joined the fray with Mark as two more Cyndicians showed up; these two were carrying bundles of black painted wood and wearing vulture masks. Seeing the fighting and yelling, they looked at one another and immediately sprang into action – building a coffin. Again.
Vulkan and Mark took out Fish while Delsin helped finish off Hawk. We then dropped rope and helped our fighter up. Some healing was dispensed and when were done, the Cyndicians had lifted up Fish and placed him in the coffin, nailing it closed. They then turned to the group and asked them for 10 crowns.
We looked at one another and then paid, Vulkan complaining as he was forced to pay the last few coins on his own. It was pointed out that Vulkan had done the most murdering of the Cyndicians so he should just accept it and move on. The vulture masked Cyndicians thanked us, tossed the coffin into the pit, and then left; talking about getting more wood and following the party some more as they seemed to be good for business.
The group walked…quieter…back down the passage to the east, this time heading south to the door there. After listening and hearing nothing, Vulkan hooked up a rope to the handle and pulled. The room beyond was simple, bed, table, chair – but it shimmered as if seem through a distortion or a pool of water. Weird. We looked at it, saying little, while Mark took out the Book of Gorm and was scouring the pages for something about this phenomenon.
Vulkan took his staff and pushed it at the portal, felt a bit of resistance, and then the staff slid into the room as if it was forced through for some reason. He tried to move the pole around but it was slow to respond. We did note that the pole was becoming indistinct and fuzzy, blurred looking where it was through the portal. “Pull it out!” was the cry and Vulkan responded – but the bottom 4’ of the pole was now about half as thick as it had been, smoking slightly, and shot through with what seemed to be acid scoring.
The portal then looked like it was bulging towards us ad Mark was shouting, “It’s a cube! A gelatinous cube! Don’t touch it!” Delsin tried to shut the door but the cube was already pushing through it so he was able to close it most of the way, but the ooze was coming out the top and bottom of the doorway. Vulkan took out a torch, lit it, and had Delsin back up. The door slammed open and the cube was once more coming through the opening when Vulkan thrust the torch out in order to burn the cube!
It literally oozed around the flame and the end of the torch, plucking it out of Vulkan’s hand, and extinguishing the flame with no obvious effect on the monster.
Screw this, let’s go.
We backed up down the passage, watching the cube pick up the pace as it entered the hall and began picking its way down towards us. With that we turned and ran back down the corridor to the pit, picked our way over it and to the north passage and stopped here. It explained why the passage was so clean looking; the cube must come down here often enough to feed. It also couldn’t get past the pit – which is why the other passages didn’t have the same swept clean look to them.
We decided since we were already in the northern (and final) passage, we would take it and hopefully find another way east from here. It was a short walk to a closed doorway that upon listening to, we were faintly able to hear voices, but nothing we could make out distinctly. We readied weapons and then opened the door.
The chamber was massive, lit by patches of glowing fungus and candles. The ceiling was 20’ tall and the chamber had to stretch out almost 200’ long and maybe 100’ wide. It was a gathering temple for the three gods, Gorm, Madura, and Usimagarus. There were pews and seating for hundreds. Two fountains were on either side of the chamber, burbling happily. Near the head of the room where we entered were three statues of the gods similar to the top of the ziggurat, but had been knocked over and were now leaning on their sides. Across the chamber to the east was a single doorway, and to the north at the far end of the room was a main passage running north and two more doors, one on the east, and one on the west wall.
Two figures were here near a rail used for prayer. A man and a woman, each wore an ornate fox mask and a robe. They greeted the party and identified themselves as Kellis and Sharon, brother and sister. We talked for a bit, feeling the duo out. They were here sorry about the long loss of Cyndicia in the past; looking longingly on the days when the fallen gods would be worshipped again. They informed us that they wore masks but did not pray to Zargon, doing so only to avoid questions by the Zargonites in the city below.
When it was asked of us we admitted we were from outside the pyramid and they said that they had heard of us and the prophecy. We hoped to have them help us at some point and they did comment, “this was going to change a few things.” The two of them then said something and the group all got a bit dizzy.
Kellis and Sharon? Why they were our GOOD friends! The best really! Who doesn’t like them? Hey, they want to see the ancient weapons of Cyndicia we had struggled to get to eventually kill Zargon. Sure, let’s show them! See, this is the Mace of Gorm! It’s great. Yeah, you can hold it. That? That’s the Scepter of Queen Zenobia; blessed by Usimagarus. Of course you can hold it! Sure, sounds great. Can you see the Sword of King Alexander? Yep, but it’s now the Sword of Delsin, runes changed and everything. Here. Oh! It burned you! I am so sorry, let me pick it up. Never mind, I’ll just leave it here on the floor and stare at the two of you. Kellis and Sharon, our best friends.
Why don’t the 4 of us go over to that fountain, drink for a bit, wash our face, and refill our water skins and not worry about Sharon of Kellis for what…5 minutes? Our friends tell us not to worry about them for 5 minutes while they hold two of our enchanted weapons and totally trust them.
La … la … la.
Exactly 5 minutes and 1 second later the charm effect wore off on all 4 members and they looked at one another in horror! The eastern door on the other side of the temple HAD been opened and then closed and the two fox mask wearing bastards had gone! Mace and Scepter missing! We ran, Delsin scooping up his sword, and charged to the door, blasting it opened and running down the hallway as it wove through the pyramid.
As we ran along Demetrius’ voice was crowing in Delsin’s head, “I know this corridor! I know this corridor! Darius is close by!” And we charged along until Demetrius was then shouting, “Stop! Stop! STOP!! TRAP!!!!” and Delsin managed to grab us as we ran along and got the party to come to a stop.
Just around the corner was a short passage ending at a door, but a pressure plate was on the floor – raised, 10’ wide, 3” tall, metal, and 3’ deep. Too deep to step across, possible to jump though. Safir gave it a once over and commented that he could disable it – but would need 6 of Vulkan’s daggers to do so.
Getting them he dropped to his knees on this side of the plate and taking Mark’s small hammer, lightly tapped one of the daggers under the plate’s edge slowly to avoid having it activate. Once it was in far enough, he did a second one. Then he did a third one.
But the plate shifted and in an instant both walls in a 10’ space slammed out and met in the middle and Safir was crushed instantly, spraying blood bone gore and bits of fire from something in his pack back at the party. The group just stood there, shocked and muttering as the walls separated slowly, leaving a red and mangled hunk of meat to slide away between them; all that was left of Safir.
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