DM Zyren's Heart of Darkness
Game Master Zyrenity

My money's on anger. Or maybe sloth.

"Or lustful."

You want to try the next door?

"Uhmm, Berry, what is the difference between lustful and lust. Do you really think there will be a room of Envy, a room of Lust, and a room of Lustful?! I will bet you fifty gold pieces that the next room is not the room of Lustful?"

Maybe she meant a room *full of* lust. I mean, these rooms are full of nothing. maybe there's more going on between her ears than she's letting on, eh? Eh? Know what I mean? *nudge* *nudge*

I'll go over to the next door, and await those more equipped to open it than I am.

Berry's face betrays nothing aside from a darkening of hue. Clearing her throat she says. "I think it's safe to say that these rooms probably have nothing or simply lead to an elaborate and deadly trap."

"Well, I admit, that for all of the work that it has taken to get into here, I am rather disappointed that I don't get even a little peek at something! Well, do any of you wish to look around and take a closer look. Maybe there is more to this room than meets to eye."

"Maybe in the eyes of the builder, all these sins were identical, and effected your fate the same. Or perhaps they were quite boring themselves..." The cleric calls from the back. He then questions "But why even have these rooms? Who stayed here?"

As you move closer to the next door, the booming voice sounds once again

THIS IS THE HOUSE OF WRATH, YOU SHALL NOT ENTER!

you're a bit surprised that the voice still sounds unemotional, you haven't even angered it...:)

"Wrath?! I never thought of that one! Well, my friends, what do you propose we do? I could knock on this door, but I suspect that all we are going to find is the work of Biff, the stylish furniture salesman. Could someone clarify where we are and what or who we are looking for up here?"

Remember--that nice priestess of Pharasma asked us to look into why bodies are missing from their graves? If we help her, she agreed to help us find the Bazaar of Secrets so we can get the Fremen's charter back.

"I certainly remember that, but I'm just confused what these rooms of deadly sins has to do with the missing bodies from the graves. Is there somebody up here who is responsible for all of this? I thought we were on the trail of some creature up here, but this place is as quiet as my Aunt Gertrude's potato salad party!"

"She held a party for potato salad?"

Alcheringa seems set on ignoring the warnings, clearly believing they have nothing to do with him. "Open the door please"

"Well, the party was not exactly for the potato salad, but for those who wanted to experience the full glory of Aunt Gertrude's own secret recipe. Let's just say that people only went once. Once they tasted her own techniques of . . . well, mixitation, then they could go home and make claims that they survived, but also be forever changed by the experience. Well, never mind. Let me try to open the door of wrath."

Kyren waves his arms in an elaborate flourish of somatic gestures and casts knock with the following words, "Abra kadabra smell my sock, presto kazam open the lock!"

Caster Check 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (9) + 17 = 26

As expected...as the door opens you find a room identical to the two you had already seen...but this time the feeling of disappointment isn't that great and more and more you feel at home in the accustomed surroundings...

Smell my sock?!?! Oh man, you just reminded me of a classic junior high moment . . . maybe I'll tell it sometime . . .

Hmmm. I guess, in for a penny . . . let's keep going and see what we see. Kyren, how many locks like tha tcan you open, anyway?

"Without taking some sort of rest, I anticipate that I have the magical strength to knock on another four doors, but even so, it will severely limit one band of spells up my sleeve. However, if needed, I suppose that it will be enough for all seven deadly sins! Ok, my friends, what comes next, Greed, Sloth, Pride or Gluttony? I am offering one to three odds today. Any takers? I'm gonna put my money on Sloth next."

Mmmm, I'm feeling a bit peckish. I'll take Gluttony.

"Wait, why would these rooms all be the same? What is it we are not seeing?"

While Alcheringa is still undecided about what he not sees, the rest of the party moves over to next door - now that you expect the booming voice, it has lost most of its power and you have to smile as it blazons

THIS IS THE HOUSE OF GlUTTONY, YOU SHALL NOT ENTER - THIS IS THE LAST OF MY WARNINGS!

Suddenly your hearts stop for a beat...that was not the text you would have expected...

"Ok, Ok, Maybe you were right, Daggers! This is the House of Gluttony! But I'm not sure we have been listening to his warnings very well. I'm just not sure why he doesn't want us to enter his little rooms. I'm not sure I even want to enter his room. I just want to find whoever is taking some dead bodies, help the priest of Pharasma out and go retrieve the Bill of Freedom! Making the voice mad by checking out his little chambers of sin, does not make me feel like we are getting any closer. I wonder if he can hear me."

Kyren calls out to the voice and asks, "Who is taking the bodies of the dead? Tell us and we will not trouble you any more!" Hopefully Kyren adds that last word in his mind.

"You know have we entered any of them? In any case you should consider imbibing that barkskin infusion right about now. And don't forget to swallow the wood grub, It is vital to consume it or the mixture will turn into a highly efficient laxative."

"You know have we entered any of them?"

"Just because I'm the sorcerer of the party and have been very effective at opening arcane locks and such, does not mean that I have to do everything! I was hoping one of you with greater skill at detecting traps would consider giving each of these rooms a closer inspection than what my keen eyes can offer."

"In any case you should consider imbibing that barkskin infusion right about now. And don't forget to swallow the wood grub, It is vital to consume it or the mixture will turn into a highly efficient laxative."

"Could you kindly explain to me what in the world you are talking about? What barkskin infusion and what wood grub? You are not very clear Berry Peelybottom. Sometimes I have no idea what you are talking about at all! Do you think I am having a problem with my bowels and am in need of a highly efficient laxative?"

lol

Vaughn reaches to pull out the vial that Berry is talking about--the Barkskin infusion she gave him--but on Kyren's rant, he quickly puts it back with a smirk.
Um, yeah, you might need a laxative, pal. You're looking a little piqued. You feeling logy?

"Hush you. Not everyone who speaks is personally addressing Mr.Tosscobble and no one else. I was talking to Vaughn about the infusion I gave him. However if you do have a blockage from poor diet I would suggest more greens and whole wheat and less greasy meat. I also have an ungent here that may help..." Berry says rifling through her many pockets.

More doors?

"Easy does it, Berry dear! I hope the pressures of the dungeon are not building so much that you forget your lovely charming manners. It was a simple misunderstanding. Now, kindly go ahead and search this room while I go and open the next door."

Kyren tries to recover his dignity, after being hushed, by walking up to the next door of sin and waving his hands in somatic gestures even more elaborately than usual to cast knock once again.

"Frazzlemenot! Open the Lock!"

Caster Check 1d20 + 17 ⇒ (18) + 17 = 35

"Why would there be nothing here? Perhaps this isn't about what is already there, but rather what you bring in?"

Another door opens, but this time something weird happens - the air blurrs and it feels like you look through a waterfall - the rooms around you - at least those that are open - change and the booming voice blazons

ENOUGH! YOU TESTED MY PATIENCE LONG ENOUGH, I JUST WANTED TO SAVE YOU FROM THE TRUTH!

a split second later all opened doors smash shut again, but you can feel that the locks remain removed...

"Thats not friendly." Alcheringa tries the closest door.

"Are you saying that an empty room is just a metaphor for the emptiness of lives spent in pursuit of these human failings, and that say Gluttony just leads to an inner emptiness for example? Then why shut the truth behind a locked door? why not just simply say the message? Or is the real strength of the message only found through active investigation by the learner? Well if that is the case it seems even odder to have people picking locks and tresspassing. I mean, encouraging low level street crimes is hardly the way to go about spreading enlightenment now is it?"

"What truth is he talking about? Does it have to do with furniture? I'm not sure I like to make the voice madder than he is, but the simple fact is that we need to find who is responsible for stealing the bodies so we can find the bazaar so we can find the bill so we can go back to the Revive for a good meal in the end! Do we keep opening more doors? At least it does get a reaction."

the rooms we've seen changed, but (I'm inferring here) the doors closed too qucklky to get a good look?

I'll open the last door we just opened--the one where he said the house of Gluttony.

As Vaughn reaches for the door, Salfon murmurs "This could all be a guise to confuse us, scare us. Horrible architects with access to magic are a creative bunch. Still, I'd rather not perish to this voice. Perhaps retreat is called for. May Sarenrae hear it, I hate traps..."

Even though Salfon utters his misgivings, Vaughn opens the door:

A grossly bloated zombie, its rotting skin stretched and straining as if pumped full of air stands in the centre of a room that has the same size as the one you saw before but now looks totally different. Foul remains of what must have once been a fest for kings litter the ground and mix with excrements and puke...

Quickly the thing advances to the door and forces the surprised Vaughn into melee

Do we need a map?

GROOOOOSSSS!!!! Breathe through your mouths, boys, this is going to get CRAZY NASTY HELLO!!

ready to fight, after surprise round of course.

that things is also surprised + its a zombie - so party may act first :)

"Kill it! Kill it, Daggers! We don't want Zombies sneaking about. Stab with you dagger! Stabitty Stabitty!"

Kyren will delay until after the others have attacked.

BAM!!
I'm assuming that since i'm in front, I can probalby go first. Heh.

ROUND 1

Draw daggers (Free action) and go FULL-TILT BOOGIE

Attack (Frost Burst): 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (9) + 15 = 24
Damage: 1d4 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (4) + 10 + (3) = 17

Attack: 1d20 + 15 ⇒ (12) + 15 = 27
Damage: 1d4 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

Attack (Frost Burst): 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (12) + 10 = 22
Damage: 1d4 + 10 + 1d6 ⇒ (1) + 10 + (3) = 14

Attack: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (8) + 10 = 18
Damage: 1d4 + 10 ⇒ (3) + 10 = 13

The thing looks surprised (you didn't know that zombies could do that) - then disappointed as your daggers sink into its rotten flesh and then it grins...but only very short...suddenly the thing explodes like a overripe melon and all of you, but especially Vaughn are covered in pus and surrounded by a cloud of deadly gas!

Fort save DC 22 to avoid being sickened for 1 hour and 2d6 damage

Fortitude Save 1d20 + 5 ⇒ (2) + 5 = 7
Damage 2d6 ⇒ (6, 2) = 8

"Ughhhhhh Gross! Look what you did, Daggers! "

Trying to wipe the pus off of himself, Kyren starts to feel sick, oozy and in pain from his burning wounds.

"Crazzleboks! I know I told you to stab it, but did you really need to pulverize it like the knife chopper at a Tia Xia restaurant! You realize that I did not bring a change of clothes down here, didn't you?"

Fort save: 1d20 + 10 ⇒ (11) + 10 = 21 <--oh, man!!

Damage: 2d6 ⇒ (3, 2) = 5

I make an herculean effort to keep my composure, but the nastiness is just too great, and I hurl--but at least I keep it in the room.

1d20 + 9 ⇒ (14) + 9 = 23 If this is considered a poison add 2 to the save.

I'm personally finding it amusing the skinny tall waitress girl with a thing for making you eat weird things is as tough as our hardened street fighter.

Sighing with mild annoyance Berry pulls off her goggles and wipes them off. "It could be worse. Vaughn might have opened the lust door again."

Alcheringa
Fort1d20 + 5 ⇒ (1) + 5 = 6
Dam 2d6 ⇒ (5, 4) = 9

Blaze
Fort1d20 + 5 ⇒ (4) + 5 = 9
Dam 2d6 ⇒ (2, 5) = 7

"Ugh I had my mouth open!"

Rofl-made me laugh out loud

"Saly, Alchy, anyone! Make this wretched feeling go away! Uggghh! I feel sick and the feeling won't go away!!"

Kyren lays down on the floor like he was half dead and moans pitifully, trying to comfort to himself.

As Berry carefully starts cleaning her goggles she shakes her head sadly at the halfling.

1d20 + 12 ⇒ (20) + 12 = 32 Heal. Anything outside of magic that can be done to remove the sickened effect?

Maybe a yummy semolina pudding, but besides that, no :)

I finally get my roiling stomach under control, but am clearly piqued and shaking. I wipe my mouth with the one clean spot on the back of my left hand, and horsely laugh.

Ok, OK--no more shouting grocies everyone. Since the door is open . . .

I'll take anothe rlook.

Perception: 1d20 + 2 - 2 ⇒ (10) + 2 - 2 = 10

Salfon's Fort save:1d20 + 5 ⇒ (12) + 5 = 17 and the damage:2d6 ⇒ (6, 1) = 7

"Now I really don't like this place." says Salfon as he pulls bits from his mouth. "Next time we open a door, Vaughn, allow me to cast some protections on you."