Tuesday, February 9, 2016

(Hackmaster) Burning Trogs Rule! #25: The Temple of Abatu

Zorin Redrock - Gnome Titan Fighter.  Veteran of the Barbarian Wars, and hero of Marakeikos due to the retaking of Frandor's Keep.
Janus Redrock - Gnome Titan Priest of Pangrus.  Cousin of  Zorin Gnome Titan of loose morals and  a hero of Marakeikos.
Gwendalyn Lorax  - Half Elf Druid.
Terval Sit - Half-Elf Mage
"Whitey"  - Albino Halfling Priest of Yondalla.   Zorin's sidekick.
Coreena Ruddledater- 9 year old halfling torchbearer.
Ramsa - Mute Halfling Fighter - Gwen's Protege.

31st of OctDec, 1134, Yarbay
The Trogs and the secret caravan heading towards the Barthey army stumble across some ruins within a ravine.  During a break in travelling they decide to head back and explore them.  Sand has carved out caverns ,which someone expanded with the facades of buildings.  Gwen cast detect snares and pits.  It could be completely abandoned and devoid of anything, so they decided a quick sweep of the whole complex was in order.  Inside, there is an area totally devoid of sand with a fountain in the middle that, oddly enough, was full of sand.  Zorin examines it and gets attacked by a poisonous snake!  The were drawings of a flowers offering and a scorpion.god looking thing.  Terval copied the drawing and words down.

Most of the rooms/caverns were empty, save for a few piles of dead wood/rubble. One room did have three  scarcophagi in it, plus a secret passage with stair leading down.

The stairs opened up to a long chamber with pillars.  There were two golden clearish sphinx statues at bottom of stairs.  As Ramsa passed by them, the sphinxes spring to life and attack.  It's a long, drawn out fight, but finally the Trogs get the better of one of them. 

As they mop of the combat, something hurls fire at them, catching Zorin in a glazed pyromantic look.   The Trogs barely hold onto the fight with the other sphinx while Zorin attempts to break his catatonia and deals the killing blow on the second sphix.  By then, whatever was chucking fire at them had disappeared.Breaks the trance.  Sphinx dead, fire chucker gone.

Gwen, Ramsa and Terval found another secret door with a giant gold vulture head statue.

At this point, the Trogs were confused both in the time they had been down below and the actual depth of the caverns, Janus claiming that they were 5,000 feet underground.

Another secret door was pried open, with a vulture creature with crystal robes and a small flying creature actually chucking the fire.  Despite taking significant damage, the Trogs make both creatures flee, and they follow suit.  They get to a room with a pool of water and a slope leading into blackness.  The creatures jump down the slope and steam comes up.


Zorin attempts to climb down slope, but it's much too steep to climb down without equipment.    He chucked one of his Redrock cocktails down into the darkness with no  visual effect.  There is, however screaming and monster noises coming up from the depths.

Zorin gets the equipment out and is lowered down the slope.  It was deep, hot, and smells of rot.  The rope starts to burn, and the others  barely pull him up in time.

We go back to the  sarcophagi room and the mummies come rushing out.  Gwen saves the day with some critical hits and some timely spells, but her or Janus' healing fails to work on the party members wounded by the creatures.

With a lot damage received, and little treasure to show for it, the Trogs decide to give up further exploration and catch up to the caravan.

By dinner, the caravan reaches a mountain pass . The party bid farewell from the caravan and went up into the mountains, hoping to catch up to General Theocrates and his army.

Next:  #26  "I Hate the Desert!"

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