Chronicles of Arcania: B/X Homebrew game.

Game Master Peet

"If we enter and I need to put some rats to sleep, I will only be able to cast my energy bolts until I can rest. Since they are probably contained within the room, I think we are best off to leave them be for now and check the door to the north," Zynazyr says.

"Leave them. We've enough food for now, and I see no reason to disturb them."

2:50 PM, Day 5

1d6 ⇒ 2

The party leaves the door to the west and continues north.

The party is able to see around the bend. The hallway narrows for 10' and then widens again. It runs for another 20' and then there is another narrow passage leading north.

The door is in good shape and is locked. Nobody spots any traps or magic.

TIER 4 MAP UPDATED.

So would you like to:

* Have Brathas pick the lock of the door?
* Proceed west and then north?
* Go back and head down the southern hallway?
* Go back to the corridor where the boulder was and head north?
* Return to a previous chamber? (which one?)
* Something else?

Brathas is ready to work on this door.

Walia says, "Brathas, my son, would you mind disengaging this lock?"

Steps up near the door, readying sword and shield, to protect Brathas if anything untoward should occur.

Ferrous keeps an attentive eye covering the groups rear flank as Brathas tries to unlock the door barring their way.

Brathas attempts to open the door, but to no avail.

Do you want to spend a turn trying again? If not, you have the same options as above.

"This one is proving tricky... Give me a few minutes."
Tinker: 1d20 + 6 ⇒ (8) + 6 = 14

3:00 PM, Day 5

2d6 ⇒ (5, 3) = 8

Brathas takes another ten minutes, trying to get the door unlocked. Sadly he has no luck.

So would you like to:

* Have Brathas pick the lock of the door again? (this could take up to an hour)
* Proceed west and then north?
* Go back and head down the southern hallway?
* Go back to the corridor where the boulder was and head north?
* Return to a previous chamber? (which one?)
* Something else?

Brathas what is taking so long? Did you break a pick or something?
Ferrous calls over his shoulder to the rest of the group.
Fistep does it look like we could knock the door down?

"The Fates do not want me to succeed here. Feel free to try your approach."

Zynazyr stands looking around nervously playing with his ring. Ferrous talking snaps him out of his daze as he looks down at his ring, realizing he forgot he had it.

"Wait a minute. Before you break it down, lets try the key we found earlier," he says.

Sure give it a try Zynazyr. Then Fistep and I will break the door down.

BTW I also assumed that while Brathas was working the lock the rest of you spent the turn checking again for secret doors, traps, magic, etc. None of you found anything interesting.

Zynazyr pulls out the silver key that was found on the second tier. He tries it in the lock, but it does not fit in the keyhole.

The group steps back as Fistep and Ferrous get their weapons ready. They begin battering at the door.

They each swing several times. The sound of them battering against the door can surely be heard a long way. But upon the door, not a mark is made! Though it appears to be ordinary wood, something miraculous clearly is protecting it. The fighting men begin to worry about the edges of their weapons becoming blunted, and stop.

1d6 ⇒ 2
1d20 + 20 ⇒ (19) + 20 = 39
1d20 + 18 ⇒ (7) + 18 = 25

So would you like to:

* Have Brathas try to pick the lock of the door again? (this could take up to an hour)
* Proceed west and then north?
* Go back and head down the southern hallway?
* Go back to the corridor where the boulder was and head north?
* Return to a previous chamber? (which one?)
* Something else?

"It doesn't even look scratched, and those were solid blows. I suspect sorcery is at work here. Perhaps we should move on and try that door to the west of here."

Looking down at his axe with the disappointed love of a parent Ferrous murmurs agreement.

* Do you mean the door in the west wall to the south of you, where Ferrous heard rats?
* Or do you intend to follow the passageway to the west hoping it will link up with the door in the corridor to the west?
* Or do you plan on going back south, and around and then north again, passing the rooms you have already been to and the magical alarm area?

I thought the plan was to walk west down the hallway and try the door on the North wall.

Yes, that was my thinking. The door in the north wall directly west of the door we are at.

works for me

3:10 PM, Day 5

Oh, I see. That is a hallway, not a door:

The party is able to see around the bend. The hallway narrows for 10' and then widens again. It runs for another 20' and then there is another narrow passage leading north.

1d6 ⇒ 3

The party goes west along the passage. The narrow passage running north connects to another corridor that runs west. After 20' it comes to an intersection; the passage continues running west out of sight, but there is another narrow passage running south for 10'. The party can see that beyond that the passage widens again and there is a door in the west wall of the passage. On the east wall opposite the door there seems to be a scorch mark of some kind.

TIER 4 MAP UPDATED.

BTW, on the map, sarcophagi that have been opened are colored green.

So would you like to:

* Continue west?
* Go south and investigate the door?
* Go south and bypass the door?
* Go back to a door you bypassed? (which one)?
* Return to a previous chamber? (which one?)
* Something else?

Shall we keep moving forward? Or head to the South? I am of a mind to press on to the West. the Dwarf grumbled back towards the others when they reached the intersection.

"That's fine. We can head south when we return," Zynaryr says.

I agree keep moving on to the west he says as he gives a dirty look to the door. He smiles back at the dwarf Well, we know you can hit something smaller that a barn now... he pauses A door!

3:20 PM, Day 5

The party continues to the west. 50' past the intersection, the western passage turns north, and then after 20 feet it turns east again.

As you turn the corner, the shimmering ghostlike figures of a man and a woman appear before you. They are dressed in costly yet archaic clothing, and both wear golden crowns. The man raises his hand and gestures for you to stop.

"Go no further," he warns, "lest the curse of King Alexander overtake you!"

"I am Queen Zenobia," the woman says. "Turn back; only death awaits you!"

TIER 4 MAP UPDATED.

Round 1 Initiative
Block 1: Ana, Brathas, Ferrous
Block 2: Fistep, Wallia, Zynazyr - are all frightened.
Block 3: Spirits

Everyone is up, but Fistep, Wallia, and Zynazyr are frightened by the spirits and MUST flee. They must continue to do so until they are no longer in this corridor. They can leave via either of the two narrow corridors heading south at the east end of the hallway.

Walia goes in the direction whence they came, fore that most certainly is safer than anywhere they have yet to go.

Ana eyes the spirits suspiciously. "What lies ahead?" she asks

argh!!! he streams like a young girl and goes back the other way towards the east end....

Somehow, despite his fear of curses from opening tombs, Brathas holds his ground.
Think. There's a solution here.
He kneels.
"Gracious Queen Zenobia. Noble King Alexander. The wise speak to this day of the golden age of your rule. Yet your kingdom has since been usurped by a demon called Zargon. We would oppose it and restore Cynidicea to its former glory. Is there any aid you can give?"

Ana and Brathas try to speak to the spirits, despite the waves of fear washing over them. Fistep and Wallia run back down the corridor.

Fistep: since you are in plate mail, running takes you 45 feet. I have moved your icon.

Wallia: running takes you 60 feet. This is enough that you will reach the first passage south. Do you want to take it? Or do you want to try to reach the second?

Waiting for Ferrous and Zynazyr.

Ferrous chuckles to himself at Fistep's scream and running away in fear. When he turns back to the ghosts a laugh dies in his throat. He bows his head slightly and remains silent.

1d2 ⇒ 2 is the one.

Ferrous lowers his head but says nothing. Zynazyr also flees, joining Wallia.

The spirits keep speaking.

"I am King Alexander," the male spirit says. "Do not trespass here, or your doom will be upon you!"

"Return from whence you came," the woman says. "Or you may be cursed forever!"

It seems like the spirits are not really aware of you, beyond the fact that you are present. Nor do they take any particular hostile action towards you, besides threats.

Zynazyr and Wallia will not be able to return to this corridor for 3 turns. Fistep could come back after two.

So now what?

* Try to make physical contact with the spirits?
* Try to push past them into the corridor beyond?
* Turn back and rejoin your comrades who have fled? (and then go where?)
* Something else?

"We should make sure our friends don't run into trouble."
Brathas goes after Zynazyr and Walia.

Clanks along the corridor, but with less screaming.

3:30 PM, Day 5

1d6 ⇒ 4
1d20 + 11 ⇒ (10) + 11 = 21

The party regroups down the passage that the frightened characters fled. Once out of that hallway, the frightened characters are able to function, though they cannot bring themselves to return to that hallway while the fear lasts.

TIER 4 MAP UPDATED.

So what now?
Wallia will not be able to head back north for 2 more turns, and Fistep and Zynazyr will continue to be frightened for 3 turns.

* Rest here until everyone calms down and try again?
* Return to an area you already explored (which one?)
* Explore down the southern hallway?
* Head north along the passage where the ball trap is to investigate those unexplored areas?
* Something else?

So the main things we have ignored for now are the fire beetle lair, the room where Ferrous heard vermin, the magically trapped sarcophagus, and the Wizard Locked door? Did I miss anything?
"Perhaps we could explore the vermin room if we prepared a trap. These are extraordinarily vicious rats and they have come after us already.
Or, we could look to the south, past the sarcophagus with the urns."

So the main things we have ignored for now are the fire beetle lair, the room where Ferrous heard vermin, the magically trapped sarcophagus, and the Wizard Locked door? Did I miss anything?

Yeah, I think that's it for areas you have already seen. You also heard the 'zombies' doing things up the hall north of the magic alarm, and there is a door up there you haven't checked.

I say we see where these zombies came from

You initially heard the zombies coming from the hallway to the east when you were waiting to see if the ball trap would be sprung again. Since the door to the room with the flaming brass jars was locked, unless they can pass locked doors they probably came from the south passage.

Any other votes?

Zynazyr is startled when the rest of the group comes around the corner. He starts to calm down when he sees who it is. "I don't care where we go, just not down the hall with the spirits. To the south sounds good. Puts us further away from them," he says.

Let's try the south passage, if not, then we can look at the passage way going north by the slide room

"Spirits... hmph. I'm not so sure. But south it is, then."

Walia after regaining his composure says, "I realize those abberitions are called haunts and can be put to rest with a Bless spell."

3:40 PM, Day 5

1d6 ⇒ 6

The party passes back through the chamber with the flaming urns and heads south along the unexplored corridor.

The southern corridor runs for 60' and then turns west again. It narrows for 10' and then when it widens it heads south once again.

At the south end of the first part (where the hall turns west) there is a door in the south wall. There are a number of scratches on the door and the lock has been broken open. The group can hear no sound coming from beyond the door.

TIER 4 MAP UPDATED.

So what now?

* Open the door and search the room?
* Return to an area you already explored (which one?)
* Continue west and then south along the hallway?
* Something else?

Search the door then?

Brathas will search the door, then open it and search the room.

Brathas quietly opens the door.

An elaborate jeweled coffin lies at the far end of the room. The walls show scenes of chariot racing, focusing on a tall and slim charioteer, and on either side of the coffin is a chariot, each with two fine-looking horses harnessed to them. The horses look very lifelike, but they are motionless, and next to one of them is a worm-like creature that is tearning pieces of skin off the horse and eating them. Underneath the skin you can see the bones of the horse are held together by wires and that it is full of stuffing. The worm-like creature is 9' long and 3' high. It has many legs and its mouth is surrounded by eight tentacles. Each tentacle is 2' long.

1d20 + 11 ⇒ (16) + 11 = 27

Ferrous identifies the worm-like creature as a carrion crawler. It's tentacles can cause paralysis.

TIER 4 MAP UPDATED.
TACTICAL MAP UPDATED

Neither side is surprised.

Round 1 Initiative:
Block 1: Everyone!
Block 2: Carrion Crawler

Everyone can act! Monster rolled a natural 2 for initiative.

Brathas draws his bow and fires. The arrow (presumably) sinks into the creature's hide, a solid hit.
THAC0 16: 16 - 1d20 ⇒ 16 - (13) = 3
damage: 1d6 ⇒ 5