(Hackmaster) Burning Trogs Rule! #30: The Temple of DEATH

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 Protégé.

36th of NonDec, 1134 - The Temple of Death

After a short ride, they came across Lake Tros, with the Temple of Death on the other side.  The temple consisted of three buildings, each one larger than the last.  The biggest had flags "and stuff."

There was a tremendous amount of traffic coming from all directions, largely human. They sent Gwen to run recon in bird form.

Each of the buildings had their own moat.  All the guys were in yellow, orange, and white robes.  The flags seemed very odd, but some did have the symbol for Yarbay on them. 

They decided to watch the place far from the roving patrols of the orange robed guys.  

1st of NonDec, 1134 - The Temple of Death

The place was already in full activity by dawn.  The Trogs decide to check other approaches.  

With further observation, the white robed guys were toiling, while the orange robes oversaw them, Every once in awhile a purple robed guy was spotted, but his role in the whole arrangement was unclear.
 

Gwen was picked to used the ring of invisibility to try and go find a field hand to charm.  It did work, but she did not speak the dialect of Trade Parthian familiar to the region.

They decided to have Terval cast invisibility on everyone and slip in the next night.  

2nd of NonDec, 1134 - The Temple of Death

With the spell cast on all of them, they managed to slip into the temple as far as the inner sanctum..  

In one room there were two freaky statues that came to life and attacked them.

After destroying both, but not before one severely bruised Whitey, two ogres and two orange robes showed up. All the while Terval was getting sniped from someone with a crossbow.  Everyone is slain, save the crossbowman who dove in the shadows and escaped.

After going around some, they came across displacer beasts.  The creatures didn't attack, so they gave them a wide berth.

They couldn't avoid five orange drabbed men, but after killing them, things went to hell.  

As they avoided a massing mob, they were forced to kill most of the kitchen staff, a couple random bystanders guys, and a shitload of members of the temple.
 

Fleeing down a corridor, Gwen spotted a secret door and everyone dives in.  It went downstairs to another room with an orange acolyte and four bugbears.

Gwen:

Everything goes dark as the orange guys magically extinguish the torches!  Good thing I have infravision!  Zorin wants us to kick ass.  I think we will have to oblige.  Terval shoots the wand of fear into the group.  Zorin, the orange guy, and two bugbears run away from Terval!  I was stuck with the remaining bugbear, but it was confused and kept missing her .

"I can't remember the last time I saw Zorin run so fast from a fight!"

Zorin disappeared, spooked from Terval's spell.  Whitey and Ramsa appeared useless in this fight, which forced Gwen to single-handedly kill the bugbear!

Gwen gathered everyone together to search for Zorin.  The found a narrow hallway with at least a dozen cells.

A small horde of goblins appear with purple and white robed acolytes and pushed the retreating Trogs into the next room. Terval and Ramsa jumped the purple acolyte while Gwen engaged the white robe.  Zorin dashed into the door dove into the goblin rear and slayed them all.

(Zorin did get a critical for 55 points of damage, and a few lesser ones.)

Gwen: "I must be doing better since he hasn't yelled at me to not use my Scimitar any more..."

 

The purple robe was killed and the white robe groveled on the floor for his life.  

Gwen: "I hate when people whine in other languages.  It's so annoying   

 

Ramsa threatened him with death if he doesn't shut up.  Despite the language barrier, he tried to comply.

They went back to the cells, looking for a place to crash.  A few of the cells are occupied and they freed Ranas, a man from Myridius who spoke multiple languages.  His friend Phillamen was in the adjoining cell.  They were both in for theft.  A lithe woman in a cell turns out to be elf, Marialana, charged with being an elf,  As part of her punishment, they cut off a tip of her ears!  

The Trogs found keys and let them all out.  They used the prisoners to interrogate the white robe. Zorin asked where the Master is and the white robe would only point up.   Gwen doled out some dried fruit to the prisoners.

They did manage to decipher the robe colors of the acolytes:
Purple = Holy Man, protectors of the Master.
Yellow=Generals
Orange did not have a proper translation.  

Gwen also uncovered the alignments of the prisoners

Ranas -- N (thief)

Phillamen -- N ("just a buddy" of Ranas')

Marialana -- LG (She keeps asking for a spellbook, but no one was willing to share)

Zorin tied up and gagged the white robe and equipped the prisoners.

A lone orc waltzed into the cell room awares.  Zorin kicked him in the groin, tied him up and threw him into a cell.  

They holed up in an adjacent torture room and set watches, but the alarm for the temple sounded and they were forced to run. Two orange robes attack with glowing swords while most are asleep. The thieves have disappeared.

3rd of DecDec, 1134 - Temple of Death

Ramsa and Zorin held off the robes while everyone else wakes up.  When Gwen finally wakes, she cast Soften Stone under the feet of the robes to enable the Trogs' escape.
 

Upon dashing out a secret door Marialana knew of, they found a large chest.  Since their persuers were delayed, Ramsa and Zorin grabbed it and drug it out towards the horses.  

Once they get to the horses, they opened the chest.

Zorin: "Holy shit there's some fanged guy sleeping in here!  He attacked and sucked some life out of Ramsa." 

"I cut the fucker's throat and he still kept coming.  Eventually he was dead."

It was decided that it was safer to go into Parthia than return to Barthey through the desert and the Great Pass. 

Zorin gave Gwen the magic healing ring to heal up overnight.    They found a safe spot for the night and no one could figure out the value of any of the treasure they looted.

Nothing like a fantasy equivalent of a running gun battle through the headquarters of the big bad.  Lack of discretion was the better half of valor as they moved fast and hard.    The Master never made an appearance, but they had acquired enough intelligence to help the Barthey Empire.  Of course, it wouldn't be the Burning Trogs if they didn't try to steal a vampire's coffin while escaping a temple full of people that wanted them dead.

NEXT: Episode #31 - From Yarbay to Barthey, the Hard Way