Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (09/22/2020)

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Meadhelm
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Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (09/22/2020)

Post by Meadhelm »

Having divvied the spoils from Lord Featherstone's campsite, our heroes left the cavern expecting to be lauded as heroes, but were met by some old friends along the way that warned them against returning to their home city.  It seems Lord Featherstone has spread a story far and wide wide that it was the heroes who were responsible for Gorfligratior's rampage.

Having decided to head to more rural surroundings to heal their wounds and let the excitement die down.  Idyllic rural Hamwich was having a festival when word came of an old evil, once placated by human sacrifices, had come back worse than before.
Deep in their cups, the heroes rose to the occasion and promised go into The Pit, in the nearby canyon, and root out the evil cultists and their tentacled master.
Having had time to equip themselves, heal, and with some gifts from the local priest, the party was still nursing a hangover as the were guided to the sacrificial post and hug stairway leading down into the pit.

An advance party volunteered to be the first ones down: Gorth (Patrick), Amn'Chaa (Snake), and Boltarius (Boltok).
The slippery stairs proved to be more dangerous than the first group of cultists who attacked as the pit claimed its first victim as Boltarius tried to cross across Amn'Chaa on the narrow stairs and fell to her death.  Fargo (Boltok) decided to step up and take Boltarius's place in the advance party.

Having dispatched several of the cultists, it was discovered that small tentacled creatures burst forth from them as they die.
None of the party was able to open the first stone door, but at the second landing the party gained egress.  It led to a small room with altar, and after dispatching the ambushing cultist, it was found that could be moved aside, leading to a series of tunnels which have some few traps, and led to the first alar room (the door they couldn't get open). 

Doubling back and going down a chute the party found a huge tentacle going down into the depths with long ladder strapped along its length.  The party was hesitant to go down it, and exploring further found an adjacent cavern where the thought they could rest, only to be ambushed by a pair of vicious and deadly Mineral-horned Mountain Basilisks.

After a vicious and lengthy battle which nearly killed Fargo and Gorth, they slew one of the basilisk and sent the other fleeing (with 1hp!).
Afterwards they were greeted by Boltarius and some of the member's of the advance party.  Boltarius was able (spellburned for many points, after having failed her first attempt) to cast featherfall on her way down, and the other party members had spent the intervening time hauling her up.  They agreed to forge ahead while they first party rests to catch their breath and bind their wounds.

The descent down the tentacle ladder awaits them...
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Mat Mobile
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Re: Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (09/22/2020)

Post by Mat Mobile »

Thanks for sharing!

I always had the impression Doom of the Savage Kings and People of the Pit were twin adventures since their summaries both start with the sacrificing of villagers to appease the beast. Now I see they're completely different. Another adventure that I have to add to my list!
Meadhelm
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Re: Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (09/22/2020)

Post by Meadhelm »

Taking some time off for my wedding anniversary, my wife wants me to plant a bunch of shrubs for her, so in that spirit:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QW_64soK9Y

A fair amount of time was taken up by the fact that the cultists spawn octo-masses upon their death. Its a nice touch, but I think I might find some other thematic replacement as it made the battle with the cultist really run long, and I was rolling so low that not a single octo mass was able to land a hit and with their low AC and 1HP they didn’t really serve as more than a nuisance. Well, maybe that is not true, as the 0 level new characters were able to feel kinda cool by killing bunches of them.

Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (Session 2: 10/06/2020)
While the advance party rested and healed their wounds, the relief party was joined by several villagers with guts and gumption who were determined to become heroes themselves, freeing them their beloved village of Hamwich from the putrid predations of the People of the Pit and their terrible tentacle terrorism.
Belzin the halfing had recovered from her hangover, and along with Seaver the thief led the bravest Hamwich could muster:
  • Gongfast the Dwarven Mushroom Farmer
    Pervus the Priest's assistant at the temple
    the Elvish cousins, Silvin the artisan, and Stryder the Forester.
They led them to the giant vertical tunnel occupied by a massive spiraling tentacle with a rope ladder attached to it. Gongfast dropped a lit torch down it and was able to discern at least three exits further down the tentalator (tentacle elevator).

At the first landing they found seven rotting coffins marked with the symbol of chaos. Seaver was quick to find a ring in one of them. Pervus found a necklace made of gold chain holding a star-shaped medallion. Several other coffins were searched but had nothing of value, before Mindless Ghosts attacked! They tried to suck the very breath of life from the party members and very nearly succeeded on some of them!
Immune to the weapons of the brave, bold, or skilled, only a magic shortsword Silvin spotted in one of the remaining coffins, and the Pervus' half remembered prayers of protection were of any use against the ghosts, and the party beat a hasty retreat deeper into the pit complex.

Having had time on the climb down to stop and rest for a few minutes, those who had their breath stolen were able to regain their breath.

Outside the next landing was several human slaves chained and pushing a millstone to grind tentacle suckers into grey paste. Gongfast, Pervus, and the elves were quick to free them and the others stood guard.

Gongfast gave them directions to get out of the pit and the last escaping slave warned them that the overseers were in the cavern to the north and would be there soon to investigate.

Seaver directed them to set up an ambush, so everyone hid. Belzin and Seaver took point in the ambush at first and then the villagers followed as a large group of cultists came to investigate.

The villagers acquitted themselves quite well, and the heroism of Silvin will not soon be forgotten as he pushed forward and struck at the leader in the yellow robes. He struck a mighty blow which nearly felled him, but he was killed with a vicious stab to the belly in return. The rest of the party, took the other cultists and their onto-masses apart, and finished off the leader piecemeal.

The battle drew the attention of an additional group of aspirants and grey robed cultists which were also dispatched.

Looting the bodies in the aftermath some strange medallions were found amongst some other things:
3 egg-shaped talisman of bronze tied on a leather thong, 1egg-shaped talisman of gold tied on a leather thong, 7 daggers.
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Vort
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Re: Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (09/22/2020)

Post by Vort »

Well done. Nicely written up. Are you serving popcorn?
Trevor / Road Crew (Calgary)
---
Shaky, Gambler, N, AC 10, hp 1, S12 A9 S5-2 P9 I9 L9, r+0, f-2, w+0, club +0 (1d4)
Shifty, Smuggler, C, AC 11, hp 1, S9 A15+1 S5-2 P13+1 I8-1 L8-1, r+1, f-2, w+1, init+1, attack rolls -1, sling +0 (1d4)
The Illuminating Anhk, Elven Artisan, L, AC 10, hp 3, S11 A9 S9 P13+1 I10 L15+1, r+0, f+0, w+1, fumbles +1, staff +0 (1d4)
KIA Bailey Bramford, Beadle, L, AC 11, hp 1, S13+1 A13+1 S12 P5-2 I13+1 L11, r+1, f+0, w-2, init +1, staff +1 (1d4+1)
Meadhelm
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Re: Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (09/22/2020)

Post by Meadhelm »

Rather have Whopcorn (see Sealab 2021 S3 Ep8), but they get neither, just monster-shed tentacle suckers which might taste fairly equivalent...
Meadhelm
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Re: Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (09/22/2020)

Post by Meadhelm »

Eggcitement and Alchemy in the Depths of the Earth! (10/20/2020)
The party having cleared the tentacle slough harvesting area, they sent back Gongfast to sell off some of the loot found thus far and to bring back supplies and armor purchased with it, and hopefully fresh volunteers.

The remaining party members:
Gorth the Warrior (Patrick)
Pervus the Cleric (Mark)
Belzin the Halfling (Austin)
Stryder the Elf (Kurgon)
Seaaver the Thief (Snake)

Continued their exploration, following a tunnel which led to worked stone area with several rooms. They rooted through 2 empty barracks and a supply room, availing themselves with spare cultist robes to disguise themselves.

Then they crept into a large chamber where some cultists were kowtowing and chanting to a huge monstrous idol with tentacles. They struck fiercely and slew several before they cultists knew what was happening!

Nevertheless one managed to escape through a secret door revealed to them by its use. Soon a second secret door was located and the party began discussing its options, while Pervus set to removing the topaz gems on the suckers of the statues tentacles.

Belzin broken the deadlock by dashing after the fleeing cultist, but found the priest’s chamber it led to empty! With the help of Seaaver and Stryder, a 3rd secret passage was found, a tight crawl leading to a large alchemical workshop. Here the party found many potions, mostly red and silver, and divvied them up.

Noticing a door was ajar to the east, Belzin took up his pursuit again, down a hall, and into another doorway only to have a shovelful coal flung into his face! Belzin slew one before having to retreat due to his injuries, but Stryder stepped up cleanly beheading one after scorching another. Bottlenecking the heroes in the doorway the cultists dealt some fair damage before being before Gorth drove one into their own furnace with a mighty blow from his warhammer! Seaaver had been peppering the foes with crossbow bolts in between the exchanges of swordplay and shovels.

After Pervus tended to the worst of the parties wounds, a final cultist was found in a workshop, and while he deftly dodged Belzin’s furious blows, he soon fell to Stryder’s ShadeSlayer impaled into his belly.

Returning to the alchemy room, another passage led to a huge room whose center was filled with a huge pools of black sludge.
After much debate, Pervus drank one the red potions and passed out experiencing a strange vision of woman being sacrificed to the Pit!

Afterward it was decided to sweep all of the alchemical gewgaws off the lake table and flip it using it to pole across the pool. Shockingly all crossed without trouble leading them to a chamber of strange egg shaped couches. Finding that entering them could make them disappear, one by one the party found themselves in a similar, but certainly different chamber as they opened the egg couches back up.
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A winding corridor led to a strange room where a large egg sat in the center, and on the wall a strange altar, its function apparently to funnel blood into the egg. Seaaver quickly decided to pierce the egg, which oozed gallons of clear slime and yolk onto the floor. Three more winding passages lead out of the room. The party decides to catch their breath before deciding their path, and their fate!
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Re: Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (09/22/2020)

Post by Meadhelm »

Eggcruciating Efforts to Eliminate Evil Entangling Entities(11/3/2020)
Gongfast returned from town with supplies and volunteer reinforcements from town, the warriors Whitehall and Hedun. Belzin was sickened by the egg and decided to return to base camp with Pervus, who needed some time for prayer and atonement. Am’ Chaa likewise arrived with him and bade Seaver to scout the way back to camp for the two.

The winding and twisting tunnels seemed to lead one after another egg incubation chamber, unfortunately the next one held a cultist who quickly pierced a pulsing egg to a have a monstrous beak and tentacled horror join him in attacking the party!

Examining an egg shaped amulet from a yellow robed cultist, Gongfast placed it in a similar depression and disappeared!

The beast and its tender were quickly slain, but not before it managed to inflict some serious damage to Stryder who decided to try their luck and drink a red potion they had found earlier in the dungeon in the hopes it might heal them. Instead they felt strangely in tune with a strange force and was able to summon and command.

Pervus soon returned from his prayers and healed Stryder as the party entered another egg chamber. This time the priest struggled to wrest control of the tentacle, but to no avail as he quickly succumbed to spell and sword as he was held fast by the tentacle. In the midst of the battle, Am’Chaa’s arms have turned electric yellow from the corruptive energies he unleashed.

Finally, all linking hands, even the tentacle, the altar was used again with an amulet from the party’s latest victim.

Soon Whitehall and Hedun blinked in wonder, they had already bloodied their blades but before them was a strange a grotesque statue unlike any they had seen. Gongfast had awaited them in the chamber and soon a series of passages were found leading to another curving tunnel.

Sighting movement the party slew yet another yellow priest who sought to fool them into attacking him in an magically trapped maze, but once held by one of the very tentacles he worshipped, the warriors’ nimble feet kept them from much harm as they cut him to ribbons (after he was softened with some arrows from Am’chaa.

Finally the party found another huge tentacle covered in net rigging leading further down and into a massive cavern. An ominous feeling creeps over the party as they feel the strands of their very fate pulled taught by an unseen force…
Mat Mobile
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Re: Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (09/22/2020)

Post by Mat Mobile »

Sounds like a cool and, let's be honest, really weird adventure. :shock: Love it! Please keep the diaries coming! :D
Meadhelm
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Re: Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (09/22/2020)

Post by Meadhelm »

Thanks Mat! Yeah, I love all the weird stuff in People of the Pit!
Meadhelm
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Re: Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (09/22/2020)

Post by Meadhelm »

Cultist Cull the Courageous Combatants (11/17/2020)
Reaching the fourth level of the cave system, some of the party decided to return to camp due to their injuries, others seem to lose spirit and begged off going any further, mentions were made of stomachaches and twisted ankles.

The most bold and daring members: Gorth, Amn’Chaa, Seaver, Pervus, Gongfast, and Samzod set out. First exploring an eastern cave, filled with strange mineral growths the likes they had never seen, all was calm until some until Seaver brushed against one of the strange mineral pillars, which crumbled and emitted a jarring subsonic sound, awakening a trio of angry mineral munchers which began pelting the party with part with stones. Gongfast was able to tip over and kill one of them, but their stony hides were difficult to pierce, and after a few of the party members took few nasty rock blows to the head, the party decided to retreat.

Next they explored a huge cavern with several yurt like buildings. Checking on of the yurts, a strange humanoid was found, his death cry seem to alert a whole mess of them!

Before long the party was arrayed against ten of the strange humanoids, a Town beast, and 3 high ranking cultists trying to sacrifice a maiden! Meanwhile a peasant, who was also captured by the cultists, cut loose his bonds using a shard of crockery.

A lengthy battle ensued, in which 3 of the party’s bravest fell, to never rise again.
In the end only the two highest ranking cultists were left against three of the heroes. Wounded, the high priest sent his second in command after the retreating heroes to command the tentacle elevator to smash them against the walls as he made a hasty retreat himself, using a summoned tentacle.
Realizing their danger, the retreating party members squared off and slew the yellow robed cultist!
Finally, they were able to retreat, freeing the maiden and other peasants!
RIP Seaver, Amn’Chaa, and Gorth.

Players (Characters)
MarkB (Gongfast, Pervus)
Snake (Seaver, Amn’Chaa)
Patrick (Samzod, Gorth)
Meadhelm
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Re: Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (09/22/2020)

Post by Meadhelm »

Assaulting the Assassins! (12/1/2020)

A pair of the rescued villagers, Ionos and Melvenius, with some reinforcements from the basecamp, Stryder and Belzin, decided to head back down and see if the cult leader still lingered and what loot may still be obtained from the remains of the cultists camp.

Upon climbing on the the tentacle ladder however, the tentacle began withdrawing into the depths at a rapid rate of descent! As the climbers struggled to hang on, a few bumps and bruises were obtained, and Stryder barely was able to grab on to the ledge and almost fell into the depths. As it was, they arrived at a depth deeper than they had ever been.

Little did they suspect however, that they had arrived at the lair of the Assassins of the Pit!

Directly adjacent to the entryway, they explored a large circular tunnel with entrances into a large center area with sculpted tentacles. They soon found that the center area was surrounded by pit traps. Strangely the bottom of the pit traps seem to have large stone mouths.
Stryder tied off a rope and went down to investigate. As he examined it it snapped open, fortunately he was able to grab the rope and climb out as the mouth ate the remainder of his coil of rope.

Meanwhile, the halting villager Melvonius had jumped clear of the pit on the statue side and began squeezing their way into what appeared to be a hollow inside the twisting carven tentacles. The more experienced halfling Belzen scouted ahead and sighted some oversized tentacle mass creatures making their way to the statue. Passing word, Belzin made for a first strike and the party was able to slay the huge ectopic monsters.

The trapped halfling was saved by a massive magic missile cast by Ionos which slew the most forward mass of tentacles in a single shot.

In the northern chamber there was an ambush by a large number of normal sized tentacled masses which were swiftly dispatched, afterward, Stryder noticed a secret door, and inside a Detect magic spell identified several scrolls and a book of interest.

Continuing back through south loop they found a large living area and were set upon by a huge gang of tentacle worshipping assassins!

The party slew all the assassin with blood, sweat, tears, and another massive magic missile by Ionos.

At the end of the battle, all were near death save for Stryder who was well served by his Magic Shield spell, who spotted the Blue robed Master of the cult fleeing down the tunnel the way they had come!

The party gave chase as he fled north, exiting into the pit proper carried by a massive severed tentacle which climbed up out of the pit and fled into the canyon, headed south into the wastelands.

Looting the assassins’ quarters yielded a total of 2 crocks of poison, one vase containing live scorpions, several daggers, and 100 gp.
Players (Characters)
Snake (Melvonius)
SteveA (Ionos)
Kurgon (Stryder)
Austin (Belzin)
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Re: Pariahs Pitted Against the People of the Pit (09/22/2020)

Post by Raven_Crowking »

Awesome!
SoBH pbp:

Cathbad the Meek (herbalist Wizard 1): AC 9; 4 hp; S 7, A 7, St 10, P 17, I 13, L 8; Neutral; Club, herbs, 50' rope, 50 cp; -1 to melee attack rolls. Hideous scar.
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