War for Gateway Session Recap #9

[GM Mad]

War for Gateway Session Recap #9

Wyvern Squad departs Bollo's Shield after burning as much of the supplies as possible. They take the trail away from the ancient dwarven lair on foot. A side road is noted and Sann says that was the direction his group had come from. The road the group continues on curves to the right and climbs higher up into the hills.

Before too long the lead of the broken enemy army is spotted and the group hides along the side of the road. For the next several hours, the group moves when they can through the forest along the side road and hides when large groups are near. They hear the horrible sounds of hungry hill giants eating whatever goblinoids they can get their hands on.

Eventually the group passes the side road that leads back to the main road with the road they are on leading back to Eagle's Nest. The enemy army thins out as none of them seeming to be going to the ruins of Eagle's Nest.

The group travels cross country guided by Flare until they reach the ruins of Mardura's Temple. Goblin and worg footprints are noted in the dirt, but none of them are seen. Cautiously, the group goes down the ramp that they fell down on their way to Eagle's Nest days ago.

There are signs that more goblins have been here. The tapestries were torn down and in the process revealed a door that was not noticed before. The door leads to a small room and the tapestries were used to start a fire. The ashes of the fire have gone cold. A nearby smaller room shows signs of having been used as a camp as well. Sann estimates this temple to be over 2500 years old.

Shunning both rooms, the group sets up camp in the nearby hallways. The strange pyramid key taken from the Son of Set is tried in the indentation above the portals, but nothing happens. Perhaps a different combination of gems I needed. The group plans to explore more next morning.

Next day it is decided to try to find another way into the zombie caves instead of repelling down. Flare leads the way and further east of the sunken temple the terrain drops and forms a bog where water gathers. Near this bog is an opening going into the earth. When the water is high enough, it drains into these caverns. More goblin and worg footprints are discovered in the mud.

A natural ramp leads down to an area where 2 natural tunnels lead off in roughly the same direction. The group splits up and travels down both tunnels. Water covers the lower standing areas with several inches of liquid.

Unexpectedly, something tries to grab Daubeny from overhead! It's the tentacles of a Carrion Crawler. The scavenger is quickly slain.

One group discovers a small cave where the goblins and worgs set up camp. However, they were killed and now two carrion crawlers are feasting. Anik casts a Web sealing the crawlers in while the group explores.

The split passages merge and move deeper into the hillside. Another side cavern is found and this one has zombie bear in it! A Carrion Crawler tried to eat the zombie bear and was ripped apart for its efforts. Unlike the groups first encounter with a zombie bear, this time the undead goes down fast.

Continuing onward, the tunnel splits and goes left and right. The group goes left and soon discovers something large and furry on the floor. But this time the zombie bear is dead and two more carrion crawlers are feasting. The crawlers are killed, but Saladino was paralyzed by one of them.

Now in somewhat familiar territory, the group rushes to where they repelled down days ago. The large pool of water is reached, but all that remains of any treasure chests that feel down from above is pieces of the wooden boxes. The contents are missing.

Retracing their steps, the group goes right this time and soon another side cave is discovered holding yet another zombie bear. This one is permanently slain as well.

Further ahead more regular zombies are discovered and Wimzy destroys them with them power of her goddess. Eventually, the group finds a very much out of place wooden door that looks relatively new. The door is Wizard Lock, but Anik casts Knock to get around it.

A large chamber is behind the door along with not one, but two zombie bears! The undead are slain and the group finds themselves in what appears to be a combination bedroom and study. Whomever was here does not appear to have been here in a long time. Dust covers everything.

Some notes are found and the being who was here was drawn by the strong presence of necrotic energy. The notes claim that this made the creation of zombies easier than normal. However, this same presence would take control of the zombies who ventured too close to a shrine of a dark presence the writer called “the Shadow of Death”. So, the zombie maker left leaving his creations behind.

A door leads out of this area and into a hallway. The hallway goes straight, but to the left as well. The priests all sense divine magic associated with their patrons off to the left. That area is an ancient cell block that the zombie maker used for storage. The items from the broken chests are here and many of them are magical!

Eris sense that a shield holds Mardura's power and claims it. Wimzy takes a brooch, while Laurel a small pyramid covered in hieroglyphics. Anik clams a pair of leather gloves, Daubney a 2-handed sword with snakes carved into the blade. Sann takes an Ankh dedicated to a god none here had heard of before, Morg. Saladino picks a saber, Flare a bronze bow that fires bolts of lightning and Kendell of shield with a jackal on it.

Also found were several other colored gems that look like they fit the portal key. There were 3 blue, 2 brown, 1 white, 1 green and 1 tan gems. There were 2 large bronze gems that should fit in the center of the portal key. There were also more bags of 400 gold, siler and copper coins with the same minting as the coins found in the temple up above.

Going the other direction, the group finds the zombie makers laboratory. Dead body parts are everywhere, but none of them move. Another hallway leads away, but the zombie maker blocked it with furniture. Those who get to close will hear something whisper to them, “Do you seek the Shadow of Death?”. The hair on the back of everyone's necks stand on end. The hair on the top of Wimzy's feet does the same.

This hallway ends at a door. Wimzy leads the way to the door followed by Sann. The door is opened and the room beyond is pitch black. A horrific apparition floats in mid-air. It's a skeleton with black wings wearing black tattered robes. The skeleton itself is black in color. A barely visible stream of energy travels from the floating skeleton to a equally black altar behind. More zombies are in the room and Wimzy easily destroys them.

Sann raises the Ankh over his head and a beam if light emerges from it. He aims the beam at the black altar and after several tense moments makes it explode! After the explosion, the Shadow of Death is gone and the unnatural darkness fades.

Voices are then heard by the entire party. Daubney, Eris, Kendell and Saladino hear “The Goddess of War and Storms approves of your actions!”

Anik and Flare hear a different voice that says, “Evil has been dragged into the light of day. Justice has been served!”

Laurel and Sann heard something else, “May this lifting of shadow reveal many wondrous things.”

Only Wimzy hears, “This terrible wound has been healed.”

Laurel explores the are and learns that this secret temple was dedicated to a goddess who was known as Nyx, the Shadow of Death. Yet another unknown god of this unknown civilization has been discovered!

[GM Mad]

GM Notes:

There's something large and furry on the ground...

Current Hit Points, adjusted for those who gained levels.

Anik: 28 of 31
Kendell: 52 of 64
Sann: 30 of 32


Here's the map for the Zombie Caves:

wfg010.jpg (129.83 KiB) Viewed 1222 times

Encounter Key:

21 – Dungeon entrance. Goblin and worg footprints found here.

22 – Cave where the goblins and worgs tried to camp. Zombies found them and killed them. Later carrion crawlers were eating the remains until they were webbed up by Anik.

24 – Study/bedroom for the zombie maker. Two bear zombies were fought here.

25. Old cell block where treasure and gems were found.

26. Zombie Markers laboratory.

27. Forgotten Shrine to Nyx, the Shadow of Death.

28. Wimzy blew up some zombies here.

31-32. Zombie bear dens. 31 was the one with the mangled carrion crawler in it.

33-36. Caverns where zombies were fought the first time the group was here.

37. Area where the treasures of the temple above fell into.

Now what?