“Do you hear the pitter-patter of feet?” Guo Gan asked and looked south down a long southern corridor that stretched into the gloomy darkness. The party had just exited the western door within the Umber Hulk’s cage in the massive 70’ by 50’ room with loose, red earth spread across the majority of the floor, with a 10’ wide column of natural stone in the middle of it.
“Something be telling me it isn’t a bunch of toddlers in tiaras,” Kildo snorted gripping his warhammer and shield.
“Back into the room!” Kai ordered as he strained to close the thick, heavy door, which had steel reinforcements throughout. “Form a choke point at the door.”
Guo Gan pulled out a ball of lint from his grey bag of tricks and placed it on the ground. It formed into a honey badger, which looked more like a skunk. It had a stocky, flattened body with short, strong legs with long claws. Its hair was thick and coarse, mostly black with a wide gray-white stripe that stretched across its back from the top of the head to the tip of the tail.
“Honey Boo Boo, go stand next to Pantro and get ready,” Guo Gan commanded pointing to the southern part of the room.
Peeking out from the western door and peering south, Kai immediately retreated, closed the door, and lamented, “They have a cave ogre.”
The sound of multiple, angry voices were right outside the western exit. The party gathered on either side with Scomatch a bit back as he started to weave a spell. The door flung open, a roaring line of flame from the Aganazzar’s Scorcher spell raced 30’ feet long and 5’ feet wide emanated from the halfling mage right through the open door and into the hallway. Screams of panic and pain bellowed.
A sacred stone monk, engulfed in flames ran in. Scomatch ignited a mote of fire in his hands and launched it. It struck the monk square in the chest blowing him back into the wall hard. He fell limp, still burning to the ground.
Another monk, his robes on fire emerged. Guo Gan bashed downwards with his quarterstaff, crushing his skull. His lifeless body fell to the ground.
A third monk, desperately trying to put out his robes emerged. Kai’s glaive cleaved through the helpless man. It was a mortal blow as blood sprayed outwards. A fourth sacred stone monk charged in on the heels of his fellows and ducked Kai’s glaive. He headed straight for Scomatch and used an unarmed strike to punch the halfling in the face.
The sound of heavy, grinding stone rumbled from the southern entrance stairs, the party was originally led down by the vice abbot Qarbo. The massive stone slab rolled open. There were massive shouts as eleven sacred stone monks dressed in brown robes descended. Their hoods were pulled up and hid their faces in shadow. With them were two flying gargoyles with a grotesque, fiendish stone and statue-like appearance, which seemed a master craftsman had carved from rock. Behind them and slowly coming down the steps was the vice abbot Qarbo wearing a stone mask that resembled a mind flayer’s tentacles. He was flanked by two Black Earth Guards in full, thick plate armor swinging heavy chained morningstars.
“Life is death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life. Let’s fight!” Kildo reiterated his mantra to Rigga the Mother Goddess, as Kai, Guo Gan, and Scomatch lit briefly before fading, as the clerics bless spell took effect. The dwarf continued to chant as a spiritual warhammer appeared next to the monk that had attacked Scomatch. The spectral blue weapon crushed into his skull from behind, killing the adversary.
A fifth monk also attempting to flee from flames of Scomatch’s Aganazzar’s Scorcher, barreled hurriedly through the western door. Kai swiped twice missing each time. Frustrated, he used the butt of his glaive, which glowed due to the bless spell to catch him in the back.
Guo Gan was waiting and quickly ended the monk’s life with two swipes from his quarterstaff. The elf then ran to the western door and slammed it shut and threw his body’s weight against it. A mighty roar bellowed right outside. The heavily reinforced door shook, as rock dust fell from the ceiling. The ogre’s strength put the entryway’s resolve to the test.
“Pathetic, trapped fools!” Qarbo thundered haughtily and then motioned. “Bring us the blue gem and we’ll let you live. We’ve been waiting for it all our lives. It belongs to us.”
“No, ye only be wanting the blue gem to raise some ‘dirt-clod’ to be taking the place of the god of the dead,” Kildo spat.
“Yes, our god will live again,” Qarbo praised. “And we who give him life will stand by his right side and rule the world with him.”
“You will die in the great evil that will come from his rebirth,” Kildo blasted.
“We will control him,” Qarbo countered.
“No one will be able to control him,” Kildo riposted. “The power and evil will be too great.”
“Give us the blue gem or we’ll take it,” a sacred stone monk boldly stepped forward and demanded.
The others behind him growled in agreement and readied themselves to attack.
“Enough talk!” Scomatch boomed as he planted his big hairy feet. The halfling mage’s smaller frame began to glow red hot, orange, and yellow, as he cast. Fireball!
The southern stairs became a torrent of flame as the spell exploded in their midst. The Sacred Stone Monastery monks’ world became fire.
Emerging from the flames, like burning phoenixes, the two gargoyles screeched in agony with claws out, as their stone-like skin blackened.
Kai slashed the first creature, but it pinged as the normal blade bounced off its skin. It slashed and hit the paladin as it passed.
The second gargoyle swooped towards Kildo, but the dwarf ducked as the creature sailed overhead.
As the wreckage of the fireball cleared, the charred bodies of the eleven sacred stone monks lay on the ground. Besides the two gargoyles, all the stood was Qarbo as he emerged from behind the two Black Earth Guards covered in full plate armor, who had thrown up their shields blocking most of the blast.
“Infidels!” Qarbo blasted as he cast Shatter.
A massive thunderclap boomed in the middle of the party, as painfully loud ringing resonated in their ears. Unable to cover their heads, both of Guo Gan’s pets, the badger and the panther eardrums and brains erupted killing both. They reverted to a ball of lent.
“Honey Boo Boo and Panthro!” Guo Gan lamented as he moved away from the western door towards their fuzzy remains.
The heavily reinforced door burst open. A 9’ tall ogre charged in. Unarmored, it only had a thick animal fur hide that provided his legs' protection. Its feet were wrapped in heavy cloth, with toes sticking out.
Black toenails, which likely had never been cut, curved downwards into jagged ends that scraped the stone. A series of three human skulls acted as belt buckles, with three severed hands tied through the eye sockets. It was armed with a long club. It bellowed out a vicious war cry barring sharp teeth and fangs. Swiping it struck Guo Gan, knocking him away like a fly.
Seeing Kai’s glaive bounce against the northernmost gargoyle, Kildo commanded his spiritual war hammer to crash into the stone creature’s back. The determined dwarf spat and squared off against the southernmost Black Earth Guard, as his war hammer bashed and dented his thigh. He then threw all of his might and bashed it into the human’s plated leg with his kite shield. It was like hitting a metal wall, as the cleric was stopped cold, as his teeth rung in his skull from the impact.
Pulling his glowing longsword from its scabbard, Kai striked forward with all his weight behind the blow. It smashed into the northern gargoyle cleaving it into two pieces, as the upper and lower half spun out of control and crashed into the red earth causing the earth to blast into the air.
Recovering from the ogre’s blow, Guo Gan picked himself up, wiped the blood from his mouth, and charged. “Whoooo- Whaaaaaa!” The monk rapidly smashed his quarterstaff into the brute and then smashed his foot into its groin driving it back through the door. The elf slammed it shut, smashing toes, and clipping the ogre’s black toenails. A bellow of whining pain came from the other side.
The northernmost, full plate-clad Black Earth Guard lumbered toward Scomatch. The halfling mage materialized a mote of fire in his hands. He launched it straight at the walking pile of metal. It blasted inside the slit in his helm. He screamed as the fire flash-burnt inside. Throwing open his helm, hair, eyebrows, and even nose and ear hair were gone. The sun-burnt cultist snarled rage.
“Eep!” Scomatch gasped with concern.
The cultist lashed out with his morningstar smashing the heavy weapon into the mage knocking him back into the wall.
The southern Black Earth Guard swung his morningstar at Kildo, as the dwarf blocked his advance towards Scomatch. The cleric parried the first blow, but the power of the second smashed through his shield block, striking his left shoulder.
Fully engaged, Kildo failed to see the last remaining gargoyle swoop in from behind as it bit and clawed into his chain mailed back.
Hearing the bellowing roar of the ogre outside the western door, Guo Gan backed away, as it burst open. The creature immediately swung downward, likely thinking the monk would have been right there, but the weapon only struck and cracked the stone floor.
“The abbess will be most upset that you killed her pet Umber Hulk. However, I can make it up to her by turning in your heads,” Qarbo spat as he cast Earth Tremor.
The earth and room shook. A rock fell from the ceiling and crashed into Kildo’s helm, but while absorbing most of the blow, the force knocked him to the ground. Grunting and rising to his feet, the dwarf adjusted his crooked helm.
“Life is death. Death is rebirth. Rebirth is life. Heal!” A blue wave of healing energy encompassed the cleric, and washed out healing the most serious of Scomatch and Guo Gan’s wounds.”
Kai engaged the northern Black Earth Guard and slashed. The first blow bounced off the thick metal, but the second hit a joint and while protected by a chain underneath caused the cultist to pull back in pain.
To the west, Guo Gan swooped in on the off-balanced ogre. Striking the brute twice with his quarterstaff and hook-kicked it across the face. One of the ogre’s rotten teeth flew out and plinked across the ground.
Both the ogre and the monk watched the tooth bounce. The 9’ tall brute growled.
“I’m sorry?”
Swinging its massive club, the ogre smashed into Guo Gan sending him flying backward.
The remaining gargoyle continued to slash and bite at the back of Kildo. The dwarf thrashed around trying to get the stone beast off him. It had the benefit of causing the southern Black Earth Guard to miss the cleric twice.
“Get off me ye stupid bat!” Kildo bellowed as he commanded his spiritual war hammer. The spectral weapon struck the gargoyle, knocking it away. Casting, a wave of healing energy rushed out engulfing the entire party, which then rolled back and healed himself too.
Quarbo stood away to the east of the battle and began casting. A spherical bubble of simmering liquid formed in his hands. He hurled it towards Kai and Scomatch. It burst on impact, as acid sizzled where it struck the paladin, but the halfling hopped back out of the way.
“Acid?!” Flinging it from his person, Kai scowled as he said, “I’m the dread pirate Kai and my wrath is as massive and treacherous as the sea. Eat this!” He thrusted with his longsword. The tip penetrated under the northern Black Earth Guard’s plate armor between his stomach and groin. Piercing flesh, the paladin drove forward, as the blade struck vital organs. The cultist screamed as he fell with the mortal wound. Twisting and yanking the blade free, silencing the fighter, he then brought it down as the magical longsword sliced into the back of the last gargoyle. It crumbled to the ground.
Rising after being knocked back by the ogre, Guo Gan pulled his spear housed on his back. Aiming, he threw it with deadly accuracy, as it pierced between the ribs of the creature. The tip dug deep. The ogre reached for the embedded spear and yanked it out. A torrent of blood began to shoot from the wound. The beast looked dumbfounded at the fountain not realizing it was already dead, which took its brain a few heartbeats to realize. The ogre’s eyes rolled into the back of its head as it tumbled backward with a heavy crash, which shook the ground.
Turning his attention to the last Black Earth Guard, Guo Gan smashed his quarterstaff into the plated warrior, which failed to penetrate deeply.
The room electrified, as hairs stood on end. Scomatch extended his hands and focused as red lightning arched from the halfling to the vice Abbott, Qarbo.
Reeling from the electrical surge, Qarbo failed at a spell. He pulled a glaive and fought through the halfling’s spell and slashed at the mage. The blade cut down the front of his robes.
Boosted by Qarbo’s action, the last Black Earth Guard swung his morningstar. The blunted weapon crashed into Kildo twice.
Retaliating, the dwarf commanded his spectral war hammer to smash into the back of the plated cultist. He then cast Toll the Dead. The sound of a dolorous bell filled the air around the Black Earth Guard. He shook his head in pain from the powerful, ringing waves of sound.
Distracted from the pain, Guo Gan rushed to the plated cultist and smashed his helm with his quarterstaff. The plate helm dented deeply, as blood spurted out from his visor. The cultist slumped to his knees and then fell over with a metallic crash.
“Qarbo! Do you think the glaive is your ally? I was born with the glaive. I think it’s time for some glaive-on-glaive action!” Kai bellowed as he slashed. The paladin’s weapon glowed from Kildo’s bless, as it struck the armored cultist leader. In a move the surprised Qarbo, Kai used the end to give him a butt to the stomach.
“No, he’s mine!” Scomatch called out, as the halfling sent red, electrical energy into Qarbo.
The cultist shook violently, as smoke rose from within his stone mask. He then fell face first, hard to the ground. The body continued to convulse for a few moments, before stopping forever.
The party gave a collective sigh as the battle concluded and no further cultists came from either the western door or the southern stairs.
“Rest up and tend to your wounds. Scomatch, see if any of the cultists are carrying anything magical or of use,” Kai ordered. “Keep an eye on both the entryways.”
An hour later, no magic was detected in the room. However, the plate armor the Black Earth Guards were wearing was worth a shiny coin. They stripped the undamaged pieces and placed them in the hat of holding for possible use or trade for a dwarven-sized version.
Exiting to the west from the Umber Hulk room to the north was a barred metal gate. A multifaceted and ancient lock held the gate closed. Guo Gan attempted to pick the lock, but after a few minutes huffed and said, “Nothing short of an ancient key is going to get us through the gate.”
“South it is,” Kai said.
The arched ceilings were tall, the corridor laid with stone as sparse, dimly lit torches provided gloomy light. There was an eerie silence. Not even the scratching of rodents was present.
“Now, we be talking,” Kildo exclaimed excitedly as he ran his fingers against the stone. “Not bad craftsmanship. It be having a dwarf’s touch. I’d say it be around for a hundred years. I’ll lead!”
A staff slammed in front of Kildo. Guo Gan looked down and said, “Hold on. Before you Darrak your way into the unknown, I’d be better if I go first.” The monk then quietly continued to the south.
Kai then passed the dwarf and said, “It’s for the best.”
Scomatch placed his hands on Kildo’s shoulder. “Besides, if you die, who is going to bring you back?” The halfling then patted him on his shoulder and followed the others, leaving the cleric in the rear.
Huffing in protest, Kildo folded his arms and grudgingly followed.
Proceeding deeper into the Sacred Stone Monastery, the underground tunnels started to twist and turn and soon became maze-like. They came to several dead-ends where attempts at mining had been underway.
Kildo examined them and commented, “Inexperienced hands, be digging here.” Then wiping dust from a nearby boulder added, “Progress had stopped a while ago.”
About to turn back, rounding another corner, the group came across a four-way intersection. The east extended into darkness, but there was a door to both the north and south. The north entry was thick and made of solid wood.
There was an apparent lock, but its most distinguishing feature was a big red ‘X’ painted across it.
Eyeing it, Kildo said, “The last time we be opening a door with an obvious warning, we faced a mess of skeletons. I don’t think I be wanting to know what’s behind that.”
“Agreed, we go south,” Kai said.
The southern door opened to a 30’ by 40’ room. There were four beds. Three were human-sized, but a third was much larger and could sleep a creature the size of an ogre. The only other distinguishing feature was a fresh-water well in the middle of the room. A quick search didn’t find anything of value.
Exiting and continuing to the east, they heard the sounds of muffled voices and movement.
Carefully approaching, the party came across three large rooms with bars across them. Within all three were seventeen elven, dwarven, and human prisoners.
“Who are you people?” Guo Gan asked.
“We’re slaves,” answered one, as the others rose to look at the party. Seeing they weren’t cultist members, they all seemed to be excited as they murmured in gleeful whispers. “If you can get us out of here we’d be mighty grateful.”
“Where are you from?” Guo Gan asked.
The prisoners began shouting out the names of various places.
Guo Gan moved towards the locks on one of the gates.
Sticking his arm in the way, Kai motioned for the monk to pause. Closing his eyes and meditating, he held out his palm and passed it over the three cells. His brow crinkled in concern. Opening his eyes, Kai said, “There’s a malignant evil within these walls.”
“Someone in the prison cells?” Guo Gan asked.
“No, I’m not detecting malice amongst them,” Kai replied.
Shaking his head, Kildo lamented, “The dwarves dug too deep, again.”
Guo Gan then moved over to the first cell and began working on the lock. “Did you see any cultists leave?”
A heavily bearded human said, “About an hour ago, we saw some. Highly agitated, but haven’t seen anything since then.”
“Oi, any of ye be sailors,” Kildo questioned.
No one spoke up and they all shook their heads.
“Do ye know the layout of this place?” Kildo asked.
“No, we were ordered to dig and just take rocks out,” the bearded human answered. “No ore or anything, just digging.”
“Is there a direction you were digging?” Guo Gan asked.
“No, we just dig where we are told.”
After unlocking the three cells, the seventeen prisoners milled around.
“We need to get them to a safe place,” Kai said as his eyes turned up in thought. “We’ll bring them to the Umber Hulk room, but it’ll likely take us an hour or more to get through this rock-maze.”
“Nope, ten minutes,” Kildo stated.
“You know your way through this maze?” Guo Gan asked.
“Aye, I be a dwarf after all,” Kildo replied. “I be wondering why ye be backtracking and going down the same corridors again and again.”
“Wait, you knew we were going in circles?” Kai asked
“Aye.”
“Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Ye be saying that I shouldn't be leading,” Kildo explained.
In ten minutes' time, the group made their way back to the Umber Hulk room. The southern stairs and the way they entered remained open.
Kai addressed the prisoners. “Alright, arm yourselves the best you can. We’ll scout ahead and ensure things are safe and then we’ll get you on your way out of the monastery.
The four party members began climbing the steps to the main worship area within the Sacred Stone Monastery. Emerging, the room was not empty. An old elvish woman was at the top waiting. Her skin was slightly wrinkled, an almost unknown trait for an elf. She stood perfectly still but leaned heavily on an ancient wood, cane staff. Cloaked in multi-laired heavy red material, she had a white hood over her head. Behind her were ten sacred stone monks with hoods pulled over their heads, keeping their faces hidden in shadow. None were visibly armed, but all had fits closed tight and ready to fight.
“I’m the Abbess Hellenrae. I take it you’ve had a good rest in my basement?”
“It was a terrible rest. I’m the dread pirate Kai and-”
“Most charming,” Hellenrae interrupted the paladin. “What brings you to my abbey?”
“Exploration and the need to find out information about your abbey,” Kai replied.
“You’ve made a mess of my basement,” Hellenrae stated looking past the party.
“Actually, we cleaned up your basement. Dispatched an ogre, freed your slaves, and dispensed with your dirt monks,” Kai corrected.
Sighing, Hellenrae said, “That is most inappropriate.”
Guo Gan asked, “Are you ready to step aside and walk away with your freed slaves?”
Adjusting her stance, Hellenrae replied, “You broke into my house, stole my property, murdered my servants, and my pets and that’s what grieves me the most. You killed my umber hulk. Qarbo was beside himself with grief. He raised that umber hulk from the time it was hatched.”
“Qarbo not be worrying about much now,” Kildo snarled.
A twinge of anger rose from Hellenrae’s lips.
“I be having one question and one question only,” Kildo said. Ensuring he had Hellenrae’s attention, he continued. “Do ye be making beer in this monastery?”
“No, we make tea.”
“That’s what I be thinking,” Kildo sighed as he grabbed his ankh holy symbol. A blue, spectral war hammer appeared next to Hellenrae. It smashed into the old elf, knocking her to the ground.
Kai charged the monks and glaived the first one within reach.
The other cultist charged kicking and punching. The numerous attacks struck Guo Gan and Scomatch but bounced harmlessly against the dwarf’s chain armor.
Scomatch began casting, fireball. Sculpting it around the party, flames engulfed the sacred stone monks, including Hellenrae. As the cultist burned and screamed in their death throws, a blur of cloth flew through the fire and vaulted over the party, and landed in their backline. Hellenrae rose to her feet, discarding an outer layer of burning clothing. She struck Kai’s chest, rapidly striking around his heart four times. She then struck in the center and twisted. In disbelief, Kai asked, “You know the five-point palm exploding heart technique?” His body then stiffened, as he fell over to the ground stunned.
Guo Gan thrust with his spear twice, one missed and the other nicking her shoulder. Hellenrae grabbed its shaft and spun and hook kicked him in the temple. Countering, Guo Gan’s leg rose over the spear, as the front of his foot smacked Hellenrae in the face. He then brought it back, as his heel also impacted the side of her head.
Kildo’s spiritual hammer smashed into Hellenrae’s back, as he cast Toll the Dead. The sound of a dolorous bell filled the air around the abbess. She shook her head in pain from the powerful, ringing waves of sound.
A trail of fire then raced under Guo Gan’s and Kildo’s legs, uncomfortably heating their nether regions, as the flames burned Hellenrae feet and legs.
Pressing the attack, Guo Gan thrust his spear at the abbess. She dodged one but was struck by the other. The monk's leg flew and also battered away at Hellenrae.
Kildo’s spectral hammer smashed into her side as the cleric said, “You dirt god is weak and has no use in this world.” He cast Toll the Dead as more powerful bells from beyond reverberated. Seemingly understanding that the dwarf’s words rung true, blood began to drip from her ears, eyes, and nose, as the abbess of the Sacred Stone Monastery succumb to her wounds. The sound of metal clinked loudly as she fell to the ground.
Moving up to her body, Kildo pulled something from around her neck.
“What is it?” Guo Gan asked.
Holding the metal object out, it had an unusual triangle shape to it. “It be an ancient key.”
03/05/2022 – Treasure
· Set of human-sized plate armor. Slightly used.
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