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Chapter 3: The Temple of All-Consumption

Turn 53: Into the Temple

While he and the others had walked down the long corridor with the bizarre murals on its walls, Karzak had tried to look past the garish painting and assess both the quality of the craftsmanship and the nature of those who had built the temple (Spot 2+3+2=7), but unfortunately the disturbing images, combined with the party’s rapid pace, prevented the dwarf from discerning much. Now standing in the middle of the four-way intersection, Karzak was still gazing about at the walls and ceiling when Danton pointed directly to the east and gruffly said:

“This way. Keep up.”

Once the entire party had made its way into the eastern corridor and out of the sight of the men and gnolls at the end of the southern hallway, Danton turned and whispered to the group:

“If any of you hath a mirror on your person, use it subtly and at an angle to peer around that corner and keep an eye on those miscreants yonder to the south.”

There was a moment of awkward silence as Nanoc, Karzak, Luger and Aseneth fumbled about with their belongings before silently acknowledging that none of them had thought to bring a mirror into the temple.

“Sheeessh!” hissed Syll. “You guys sure you’ve done this sort o’ thing before?”

Shaking his head, the elf removed a small two-inch by two-inch mirror from a pouch at his belt and then took several steps back to use the reflective device to keep an eye on those to the south.

“We hath best not speak over long,” whispered Danton, “but must pick a route and go that way without much hesitation. Methinks the moment we betray to onlookers that we hath not a clue where we are or why we are here, our shoddy cover wilt disintegrate. Given that we chose the western entrance to this temple and that we knoweth that a southern entrance also exists, 'twould seem to me that this main corridor, if followed further to the east, wilt go more centrally into the mountain. I hath not a clue exactly what we are about in this vile place, other than to gather intelligence methinks. If -- or, rather, when -- we run into the denizens of this place, I'll do the talking, but everyone hath best be ready to fight (and frankly flee) at an instant's notice. Hath anyone a strong feeling as to which direction to take? Because, in sooth, I do not.”

“Why don't we simply kill the gnolls and capture the men for questioning?” asked Luger bluntly. “I have no desire to search this temple from top to bottom and it is only a matter of time until we're discovered. It may as well be on our own terms.”

“I share your desire to sweat some usable information out of someone so that we know what we are seeking,” said Danton. “But the problem, of course, is that we wouldn't even know what sort of questions to ask a prisoner! I can only hear the line of questioning, ‘Thou terrible varlet, you had better answer these questions, or else! Now be advised: You art in the presence of a group that seeks to thwart the Tharizdun cult's evil designs to destroy the Oerth. Thus, kindly divulge any and all information of any plausibly useful sort so that we canst efficiently navigate our way through this hellhole and arrive directly at the person or place that you would consider of the most usefulness to our purpose. Dost thou understand mine questions and art thou willing to start talking, or shall I start lopping off toes?’”

“In short,” said the Velunese, “what do we really have to gain from violence right now? What do we really hope to accomplish or learn? Thus, mine default is that we should avoid violence as long as possible if only because it seemeth superficially to keep us alive longer. I say we take a vote on the matter, and I shalt go along with whatever the tally.”

Karzak tore his gaze away from the walls. “I simply kinna believe what me ears be hearin'!” he grumbled. “Attack the gnolls an' fight our way in . . . sneak an' skulk 'round . . . let's take a vote. We be decidin' strategy now? Good dwarffather, help me! Now we be wantin' ta take a vote in the middle of the temple a' hell! Not a good time fer this, laddies! I though our plan was ta sneak in dressed like the baddies! We should stay disguised an' kill the worst baddies. The rest will prob'bly be fleeing after that and quittin'. If not, we fight our way out . . . prob'bly easier than fightin' our way in. Mebbe they have some prisoners that would help us if we let 'em out after killin' the head-honchos. But, let's not be thinkin' 'bout too many unknowns right now.”

“I am not sure what is being best,” said Aseneth, looking at Nanoc. “Sneaking is maybe letting us go far with no problem, but Luger attacking plan could be giving good informations. What are you thinking, Nanoc?”

Syll looked up from his mirror for a moment. “"What are you guys smoking?” he hissed. “I thought the whole bloody plan from the outset was to sneak into this place and now we're debating blowing our cover within sight of the entrance? A minute after we arrived?” The elf scowled at Danton. “I thought you, at least had experience enough to know that changing the plan for a black op like this while it’s underway is a sure recipe for failure. An’ now we’re taking votes on what to do? Unbelievable.”

“I ain't really gots me an opinion,” said Nanoc with a shrug. “O' course I am a lot better at plantin' my axe in gnolls than I am at sneakin' 'round. All I think is we best decide soon and get it done whichever it is.”

“Maybe we can split the apple, so to speak,” mused Danton. “I propose we pass on these gnolls, who art probably mere, lowly guards and likely have little information to offer. Instead, whyn't we continue to maintain stealth and simply probe about the complex, seeing what we can see and waiting for an opportunity to grab a lone passerby who appears more likely to know something, and then squeeze some information from him?”

Luger nodded acceptance. “I'll agree to your compromise. If we have the opportunity to clean up the guards on the way out, then that will suffice. For now, let us proceed down this corridor and see what is behind the door at the end. If it is locked, then we will be forced to put ourselves under the guards’ scrutiny once again.”

The door at the end of the corridor was not, in fact, locked, and Nanoc opened it to reveal a roughly forty-foot by forty-foot chamber, which was lit by torches in sconces just like all the other areas the party had seen thus far. There were four other doors, all closed, on the north, south, northeast, and southeast walls. The chamber had three long tables flanked by benches. The remnants of the morning meal, plates, cups, knives, and food scraps, were scattered across the surface of these tables. Beyond the tables, two large ballistae lay near the east wall. But none of that was what drew the party’s attention, far from it.

Rather what immediately drew the gaze of everyone who entered the room was a huge, somewhat skeletal-looking four-legged beast with long, sharp quills protruding from its neck that growled from where it was chained at the south wall when it caught sight of the party. The thing was the size of a horse and had long, muscular legs that suggested great speed and strength. Although its growl remained low and guttural—and not likely to be heard in any other room, at least for the moment, it was clearly watching every move the party made.

“What in th’ blazes be that beastie?” muttered Karzak.

“I know not,” said Danton, “and in truth, I have little desire to find out. Let us hope that it remains secured and seek to pass by it as quickly as possible.”

Matching actions to words, the scout nodded towards the door farthest from the creature, the one on the north wall, and led the group towards it. As most of the group moved across the room, Luger carefully shut the door the party had used to enter the chamber. Across the room, continuing to act as if he owned the entire temple, the scout simply motioned for Nanoc to open the door, and the barbarian complied.

When the door opened easily, the group saw a small bedroom beyond it, no more than ten feet to a side. The room had a wooden bed, a poorly treated wooden table, and a large, padded chair. Clothing, armor, and other equipment littered the floor, as well as some food scraps. A knife target hung on the wall with three knives stuck in it. There were no other visible exits.

When Nanoc opened the door, a very surprised looking ogre with a shaved head and a pair of strange colored goggles over his eyes jumped up from the bed and shouted at the interlopers:

“Hey! What’s yer problem? Whaddaya think yer doin’, barging in like that? Who the hell do you think you are?”

“Our apologies,” said Danton in his most placating tone as the ogre grabbed up a massive club and moved into the doorway to challenge the party. “We hath been away from the temple for some time and wandered into your chamber by mistake.” (Danton bluff: 18+7=25)

The ogre continued to scowl at the group, but he did lower his club slightly.

“That may be so, but I don’t know ya, so that means yer goin’ ta see Mereclar.”

“That is hardly necessary,” protested Danton.

“Just pipe down and follow me,” grunted the ogre, pushing past Danton and Nanoc and out into the main room. Without bothering to turn and see if the group was following him, the ogre strode across the chamber to the door on the south wall and knocked. The strange quill-bearing creature, apparently soothed by the presence of the ogre, finally stopped growling.

Trying to make the best of the situation, Danton and Nanoc followed the ogre across the room, with the rest of the group fanning out behind them in case things went badly with whoever or whatever ‘Merclar’ was.

"If any un' be askin' us too many questions,” whispered Karzak to Danton, “jus’ raise yerself up an' start demandin' ta know what's goin' on an' that yer ginna report him to the higher-ups an' git him all nervous. Not like I be needin' ta tell ye yer job or anythin'.  Jus' a wee bit o’ suggestion."

Moments later, the door opened, and a tall, black-haired man of partial elven lineage, wearing studded leather armor, stood in the entrance. Behind him, Danton and Nanoc could see another small bedroom, this one much more tidy than that of the ogre. A bed, dresser, table and chairs were all visible.

“Sorry ta bug ya, Mereclar,” said the ogre, “but these guys just came bargin’ into my room. They say they ain’t been ‘round here in a while, but I don’t knows ‘em, so I brung ‘em ta see you.”

The half-elf stared at Danton. “Who are you? Where are you going? Who do you work for?”

The Velunese put his hands on his hips and did his best to stare the other man down. “Mine name is none of your affair. All you need know is that I am one who serves ‘He-Whose-Name-Bringeth-Woe’ and these are mine associates. We hath journeyed in far lands for many months, spreading fell words amongst the commoners. Now the time hath come to return to the temple and pay homage to the most high and perilous one. In past times we hath entered via the south gate, but today we chose the west entrance for reasons that are no concern of yours. If you would show us the quickest route to the center, we shall be on our way. But if you prefer to stand about and bandy words, I should be only to happy to report this unpleasant encounter to those who dwell within.” (Bluff: 18+7=25)

The half-elf visibly wilted as Danton delivered his speech in staccato tones. By the time the Velunese was finished, the man was already pointing back towards the door by which the party had entered this area.

“Go back to the main intersection and head south or north—either way will bring you to one of the bridges. The distance is about the same either way.”

“Very well,” said Danton. “Good day, and all praises to the dark one.”

Without another word, the scout spun on his heel and the others fell in behind him. The half-elf and the ogre stood and watched them go, but said nothing more. Once the party was back in the hallway outside and Luger had shut the door behind them, the group was able to breathe more easily.

“Now that was some mighty fine b.s.,” said Syll approvingly. “I couldn’ta done that any better myself—an’ that’s saying something.”

“Perhaps so,” said Danton, “but we should be far from here as quickly as possible, ‘ere that man realizes I said nothing of substance.”

“Now, fellahs, I don’t wanna spoil anyones fun,” said Nanoc, “but I gots me a funny feelin’. What if those guys knew Danton was full o’ it, and they is jus’ lettin’ us walk deep into the temple so they can lay a trap and make sure we got too far to go to be able to get out if’n we needs to? I’m jus’ sayin’ that, ‘cause we need to keep on our toes and watch front, back, and sides.”

When the group stepped out into the main intersection once more, the gnolls that had been present earlier remained seated around the table to the south, but the men who had been with them were nowhere to be seen. Seeking to avoid another immediate encounter, Danton led the group purposefully into the north corridor and away from the gnolls. He marched the group past the closed door on the west wall he had spied earlier and past the hallway on the right. From what he and the others could see, that hallway only ran for fifteen feet or so before ending at two closed doors, one on its east wall and the other on the north.

As the group walked on, Nanoc spoke as quietly as he could:

“You know, fellahs, I was o’ thinkin’ again. We is supposed to be some kinda priest or somethin’. Maybe next time we come across some guards, we oughta jus’ have some chit-chat wit ‘em. I mean we could ask…you got the slaves workin’ hard? An’ then maybe they’ll say yeah, but give us some more info, like where the slaves is workin’ today. Who knows? I ain’t the one that’s good at talkin’. I’m sure Danton can come up with all kinds a ways to get a guy to give us info wit’ him not really knowin’ he’s tellin’ us anything new.”

“Nanoc’s thinking is along the right track,” said Luger in similarly low tones. “We know what the goal of the cult is—free Tharizdun, but we do not know how they plan to do this. The plan to excavate the vile relic under the moathouse was thwarted, but are there other such relics and have they been recovered? It seems that if the cult is collecting such large items, then there must be some place in this temple where they will assemble them for whatever ritual they plan. It does not seem such a large place would be too hard to find, and I think that someone will know about such an area. There are likely high-level clerics in charge here and they are probably working directly in the area where these relics are assembled. Until and unless we obtain intelligence suggesting the cult could be best thwarted by other means, I believe we should concentrate our efforts on finding this relic-gathering area, which should in turn lead us to the leaders of the cult so that they can be killed.”

“If we are to pursue this strategy,” finished the cleric, “then I still maintain we need to capture someone at the first opportunity for questioning and continue to do so until we have the information we need.”

“Here’s another little wrinkle for ya, boys and girls,” said Karzak. “I been lookin’ at all these halls an’ chambers (spot: 11+3+2=16) while we been marchin’ along, an’ it looks more an’ more likely ta me that this whole place was built by dwarves.”

“What?” asked Danton in shock.

“It’s a lot o’ the wee things that tell me,” said Karzak, “the cut o’ the stone, the layout o’ the defenses back by the door, an’, not ta put too fine a point on it, the quality o’ the work. Ya dinna really think jus’ anyone could carve somethin’ this solid out o’ the side of a mountain did ya?”

“But why would dwarves…” began Danton before Luger motioned for him to be silent.

“We near the end of the corridor,” whispered the cleric.

The north-south corridor had run for thirty feet or so beyond the west door and east hallway until it finally opened up into a cavern of some sort. The north wall of the roughly forty-foot wide and twenty-foot deep chamber was rough hewn, as were the two passages that led away from it to the northwest and northeast. To Karzak’s trained eye (spot: 15+3+2=20), it appeared that this might be the start of a mine. The walls were all marked, scraped, and chipped by tools. The passage to the northwest seemed fairly level, while the one to the northeast descended with stairs carved crudely into the stone floor. The torches that had lined the walls of all the rooms and hallways the party had seen previously were conspicuously absent here. The flickering light provided by those in the hallway behind the party carried into this cavern to an extent, but not into either of the passageways to the north.

As the group gazed into the cavern, a foul, rotting smell assaulted their senses. When they looked about in the dimness for the source of the smell, two five foot tall lizard men of the sort they had encountered under the moathouse months earlier were just visible in the shadows near the entrance to the northeast passage. They appeared to be standing guard, wore studded leather armor and carried scimitars and wooden shields. They also had javelins leaning against the cavern wall behind them. The pair of guards had clearly observed the party’s approach and was now watching them closely, but made no move to approach or accost the group.

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Notes for turn 54:

Please send postings for Turn 54 by the end of Friday, May 4th.

Current date/time/location: 8 Kolovoz (August); approximately 0925; The Temple of All-Consumption

Items gained this turn: none

Undivided Loot previously gained: none

Items used/lost/destroyed/sold/left behind this turn: none

FOES DEFEATED:

Active party members listed in green.

This Chapter:

Entire Campaign:

Current Status of the Party:

Note: known magic items listed in bold.

Nanoc

AC: 17

Hit points: 79/79

New XP: 0

XP total: 24,031

XP needed: 28,000

Equipment: masterwork great axe, great axe +1, masterwork studded leather armor, 69 arrows, 2 quivers, backpack, 3 waterskins, 29 days trail rations, bedroll, 2 sacks, 2 flint & steel, bearskin, 50’ rope, 1 sap, masterwork mighty composite shortbow, masterwork shortsword, 3 iron triangles with inverted ‘Y’, three black cones made of some unknown substance, a black scepter decorated with a half dozen violet gems, a bead of force, metal scroll tube, a black cloak, two inverted ziggurat pendants; potion of bull’s strength, potion of cure light wounds(X2), potion of cure moderate wounds, potion of water breathing, potion of spider climbing, Aseneth’s House Torquann dragon ring, ring of jumping (+30 to jumping checks), potions of cat’s grace, cure moderate wounds, invisibility, silver and gold brooches, potion of spider climb.

Gold: 1269

Silver: 1420

Danton

AC: 16 (17 vs. one opponent)

Hit points: 30/30

New XP: 0

XP total: 22,081

XP needed: 28,000

Equipment: rapier, 6 daggers, light crossbow, studded leather armor, quiver with 33 bolts, bedroll, backpack, flint & steel, thieves picks, 3 waterskins, 29 days trail rations, hooded lantern, gold ring engraved with the name Karakas, 1 sap, 1 metal key from Yusdrayl, Everburning Torch, scrolls with pyrotechnics and melf’s acid arrow, old journal, 8 iron triangles with upside down ‘Y’ inside, 1 protection from fire scroll, 1 scroll of cure light wounds, 2 scrolls of cure moderate wounds, new journal, notebook, pen, ink, parchment in sealed waterproof box, pipe, tobacco, metal box, whetstone, six packets of tinder for lighting fires, gold inlaid dagger, Journal of Geynor Ton, a folded piece of parchment with a note addressed to someone named Festrath, spider pendant, a wand, disguise kit, letter to Master Dunrat, ochre-colored robe, potion of cure light wounds (X2), cure moderate wounds (X2), scrolls of animal messenger and stone shape, potion of love, potion of spider climb, a dozen vials of lantern oil, masterwork thieves’ tools, scroll with summon monster II, potion of cat’s grace, Rat’s Tail (Rapier +1), scroll with change self, enlarge, and two sleep spells, silver and gold brooches, bracers of armor +1, potion of hiding, pouch of uknown dried herbs taken from the home of Tal Chamish.

Gold: 1113

Silver: 1200

Luger

AC: 20

Hit Points: 53/53

New XP: 0

XP total: 17,531

XP needed: 21,000

Equipment: longsword, heavy mace, light x-bow, dagger, 20 bolts, chainmail +1, large steel shield, 3 belt pouches, large bag, 50’ rope, 5 torches, hooded lantern, 3 oil flasks, flint & steel, 29 days rations, silver holy symbol of Heironeus, 3 flasks holy water, 3 healer’s kits, backpack, cleric’s vestment, traveler’s clothing, 3 waterskins, bedroll, iron triangle with upside down ‘Y’ inside, eight cockatrice feathers, scrolls of cure light wounds (3), cure disease, neutralize poison, potion of cure moderate wounds; Geistblatt (ghost touch longsword +1), 5 vials of Furyondian Fire, cloak of resistance +1 (+1 to all saves), potions of enlarge, reduce, nondetection, silver and gold brooches, tattered black cloak with burning eye emblazoned on it.

Spell Selection:

Level 0(5): Detect MagicX2, Create WaterX2, Light
Level 1(4+1): Comprehend Languages, Detect EvilX3, Remove Fear, Domain: Protection from Evil

Level 2 (4+1): Sound BurstX2, Hold PersonX2, Domain: Aid

Level 3 (3+1): Dispel Magic, Searing LightX2, Domain: Magic Circle Against Evil

Turn Undead attempts left on current day: 7 of 7

Gold: -137 (owed to Nanoc)

Silver: 0

Karzak

AC: 19

Hit Points: 52/52

New XP: 0

XP total: 7,200

XP needed: 10,000

Equipment: backpack, water skin, 28 days rations, aleskin, 2 waterskins, flint & steel, heavy crossbow, 4 cases with 40 bolts, 2 daggers, masterwork dwarven waraxe, large steel shield, banded mail, short sword, silver and gold brooches, bedroll, sack, Nanoc’s silver-plated short sword, potion of levitate, black cloak, inverted Y pendant.

Gold: 58

Silver: 1200