Good morning, Mister Fox! I am Orpheus, and Apollo has seen fit to send me here in this form to be your friend and helper! Did you sleep well, sir?
The Ogon Fox awakes to the feeling of sunlight on his face and the sound of a most beautiful birdsong. After a moment he recognizes his own composition, of course. Could this be some messenger or new gift from Saint Cecilia? he wonders. He opens the window and the bird continues its song. An idea strikes him. He retrieves his organetto of sounding, waves a hand over it while saying in Italian, "Organetto: birdsong." Then he begins to play a counterpoint to the melody of his motet, and the instrument sounds like birdsong, joining perfectly in harmony with the true birdsong of the thrush that sings from his windowsill.
As fate would have it, English composer John Dunstable happens to be strolling past the palazzo D’Borja on his morning walk when he overhears the exquisitely lovely contrapuntal music of thrush and magical organetto coming from a window overlooking the Cardinal D’Borja’s rose garden! He pauses to listen, enraptured...
My God! Such beautiful music! And two distinct melodies in harmonious union... Unprecedented! It seems to be the syrinxes of birds making those beautiful melodies, but how!? I must know who is creating this wondrous sound!
He draws closer to the low wall that encloses the rose garden and listens to the music of thrush and organetto of sounding, spellbound, tears of joy and envy dampening his face...
Around noon on the 2nd of January, the day after the adventurers spent the night at Cardinal D’Borja’s palazzo, Lucius receives a visit from his colleague, Cardinal D’Sforza...
Good day, Cardinal D’Borja, and may the peace of Christ be always with you! I have come to you today because I have received a most troubling warning from our Holy Father, Pope Eugenius... It seems that you and your companions have discovered evidence that our enemy, the heretical and satanic Church of Lucifer, plots to strike against both of our houses on the feast of Saint Valentine... I am told that we are both engaged in a similar mission to root out heretics and enemies of Holy Mother Church... May we speak in confidence, Cardinal D’Borja? I have information that is of a sensitive nature...
startled from his peaceful research in a quiet corner of the Palazzo garden the tiefling's horned head pops up from behind a hedge. "Oi Johann! Keep your voice down, its still early. What can i help you with my friend?"
And so is born Rumplestilskin’s rucksack, a magical combination of useful items for dungeon crawls that all adventurers will seek to acquire in the future...
Pope Eugenius IV
"Thank you for this gift, Your Holiness. It will free me to better defend my compatriots in this quest of God's Will. It will not be wasted!"
Boga gives a slight bow and retreats to a bit of privacy. Immediately, he begins to transfer the contents of his current pack to the other. "Selling this old pack, I can purchase supplies for additional scrolls," he thinks excitedly. "The Lord provides us with the resources we need."
Lucius
Boga is most pleased that Lucius shows interest in his thoughts. With great pleasure he takes a seat and, leaning forward slightly, he begins.
"Lucius, I believe in the Church and the good works it does for the people. It is these good works that are important. Christ's Salvation and teachings must be brought to the people so that they can make decisions in life that bring themselves in alignment with the Lord. Christ, himself, established the Church with Peter as its leader, so we know the Church is God's will.
"But what is the role of the Church? Just as Christ taught and eventually sacrificed himself for his people, the Church is to do the same. It must make the Gospel available and sacrifice itself to bring Christ's Salvation to the masses. Accumulating great wealth is not what Christ sought for us. He even warned against such. While the doctrine of the tithe is needed, its purpose is not to amass wealth, but to enable the Church to provide for the welfare of its people, both spiritual and, as needed, physical.
"We need to make the Gospel accessible. Preach in common tongues. Make instruction available in those same common tongues in addition to Latin. Now, to be sure, we must always maintain the original Latin, for they are the source for the common translations, thus preventing corruption of His teachings.
"It shoud be our objective to bring the Glory of God to the people. I have walked the paths of this world for over 10 years and met with many, many. I have shared in their troubles and pain. They need the Light of the Lord, and we must give it to them."
Boga sits up straight, "I am pleased that we have been brought together on this quest, each with our own blessings of the Lord. Together, we shall succeed."
Boga awakes in the morning. He washes, prays, and immediately begins scribing powerful blessings of the Lord onto a sheet of vellum. He sets it aside to dry and goes out to find the others. More crystals await to be lit!
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Around noon on the 2nd of January, the day after the adventurers spent the night at Cardinal D’Borja’s palazzo, Lucius receives a visit from his colleague, Cardinal D’Sforza...
Good day, Cardinal D’Borja, and may the peace of Christ be always with you! I have come to you today because I have received a most troubling warning from our Holy Father, Pope Eugenius... It seems that you and your companions have discovered evidence that our enemy, the heretical and satanic Church of Lucifer, plots to strike against both of our houses on the feast of Saint Valentine... I am told that we are both engaged in a similar mission to root out heretics and enemies of Holy Mother Church... May we speak in confidence, Cardinal D’Borja? I have information that is of a sensitive nature...
"Welcome, Cardinal D'Sforza, may his peace be with you also and always. If you will come with me, we may speak privately in my study." On the way through the palazzo Lucius collects Zagathoth. "My friend, Cardinal D'Sforza and I must speak about important matters. Would you be willing to guard the room while we speak, ensure that no-one attempts to listen in?"
With the room secured, Lucius offers his fellow cardinal a chair, and a glass of watered wine. "We may speak freely Cardinal. The orc is an assistant of mine and a true believer from Spain. He does not speak Latin so our conversation is safe. Please, tell me of this information - we have little more than a month before Wormwood falls."
Around noon on the 2nd of January, the day after the adventurers spent the night at Cardinal D’Borja’s palazzo, Lucius receives a visit from his colleague, Cardinal D’Sforza...
Good day, Cardinal D’Borja, and may the peace of Christ be always with you! I have come to you today because I have received a most troubling warning from our Holy Father, Pope Eugenius... It seems that you and your companions have discovered evidence that our enemy, the heretical and satanic Church of Lucifer, plots to strike against both of our houses on the feast of Saint Valentine... I am told that we are both engaged in a similar mission to root out heretics and enemies of Holy Mother Church... May we speak in confidence, Cardinal D’Borja? I have information that is of a sensitive nature...
"Welcome, Cardinal D'Sforza, may his peace be with you also and always. If you will come with me, we may speak privately in my study." On the way through the palazzo Lucius collects Zagathoth. "My friend, Cardinal D'Sforza and I must speak about important matters. Would you be willing to guard the room while we speak, ensure that no-one attempts to listen in?"
With the room secured, Lucius offers his fellow cardinal a chair, and a glass of watered wine. "We may speak freely Cardinal. The orc is an assistant of mine and a true believer from Spain. He does not speak Latin so our conversation is safe. Please, tell me of this information - we have little more than a month before Wormwood falls."
I am ashamed to say that this evil we are fighting has infected my own family... My sister, Lucrezia, has fallen into the hands of the Deceiver, and practices witchcraft on behalf of the heretical Church of Lucifer. She has been disowned from the House of Sforza, and excommunicated, of course... Now she is a member of a terrible order called the Hounds of Hell... She goes about doing evil with this nefarious band, which includes a minotaur of Crete, a renegade gargoyle that once guarded the Cathedral of Notre Dame, a Scottish graveknight who murdered his wives in horrible fashion, and the werewolf Garret Du Bois from the woodlands of France... She has fornicated with demons and devils on Harz Peak in the German mountains on Walpurgisnacht! She is a lost soul, my sister... and I fear the evil she may do with her wicked company, the Hounds of Hell! It was they who raided the cathedral in the Duchy of Savoy and stole the Shroud of Turin, to give as a tribute to the fire dragon Wormwood! Thankfully, the Lucky Fools were able to recover the Shroud and return it to the Duke of Savoy a few years ago...
At dawn, just before Boga awakens from his sleep in the guest room at the palazzo of Cardinal D’Borja, he is visited by his inspiration...
Awaken, dear Boga! There is the Lord’s work to be done this day! You have set foot upon a long and winding path, with many pitfalls and treacherous snares laid by the Enemy... But you must tread on with faith and conviction! You shall be a light in the darkness, my child.., Our Lord sees the good work you have done in His name, and He encourages you to persist! So.., Sleepers, Awaken!
As Boga wakes, the ghost vanishes...
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I am ashamed to say that this evil we are fighting has infected my own family... My sister, Lucrezia, has fallen into the hands of the Deceiver, and practices witchcraft on behalf of the heretical Church of Lucifer. She has been disowned from the House of Sforza, and excommunicated, of course... Now she is a member of a terrible order called the Hounds of Hell...
"Most concerning, my Lord. Would you like to pray on this for a moment? The Lord will lend us his strength in this time." Lucius bends his head and recites a brief prayer, calling for strength and conviction to follow through with their duty, before speaking again.
"I understand this is difficult, my Lord. What can you tell me of these 'Hounds of Hell'. If they have returned to the city then we must act swiftly against them and any information we can use would be invaluable. I too have information I must share with you." In return for whatever D'Sforza can provide Lucius will share his information on their fellow cardinals. "I am forced now to take a more active role in hunting these heretics - my... fellows are not ones for subtlety. This might be to our advantage however. If I am seen as the target - the one leading the fight against these heretics then you may be able to move unnoticed amongst our brothers. I urge caution though - they knew of us both, your best protection will be in appearing to having given up your mission."
Cardinal Sforza describes what is known of the diabolical Hounds of Hell...
Into this unholy sanctuary came a band of blackguards in the service of the Church of Lucifer. They were led by an undead horror, a death knight named Sir Mathias Wallace, formerly a Scottish knight who was cursed by God to roam the Earth as a monster after his death for torturing and murdering scores of young maidens at his castle in the Highlands. Sir Mathias wore a suit of midnight blue full plate armor, with a red dragon rampant emblazoned on the breastplate in carnelian, and bore a claymore with jeweled golden hilt and cross bars, and a pitted, oily blade, as black as a moonless night, which constantly secreted a corrosive acid. A scarlet cloak hung from the spiked shoulder pauldrons of his demonic armor. Behind the death knight came a wart-riddled, green-skinned half-orc with blood-red irises on yellow eyes, iron- capped tusks jutting from the corners of his broad, toothy mouth, slightly pointed ears, and coarse black hair, clad in dark leather armor studded with bronze spikes, and carrying a Chinese repeating crossbow in his clawed hands. This was the nefarious assassin known as Adder, feared throughout Europe and the Middle East for his ruthless and inventive methods of executing his targets. With Adder came a statuesque Italian woman with long brown hair worn in an elaborate braid bedecked with pearls and opals, clad in a dark green gown, with a belt of silver medallions inlaid with garnets around her waist, from which depended several pouches of odd-smelling herbs, powders, and other arcane spell components. In her slender hands, she held a magic broom on which she could fly. This was Striga Lucrezia, a daughter of House Sforza who had been disowned and banished for her mastery of witchcraft and her tendency to become possessed by demons. It was said that she rendered the fat of kidnapped infants into an elixir that enabled her to fly on her magic broom to the summit of Brocken Peak in the Harz Mountains on Walpurgis Night, the thirtieth of April, the night when witches and warlocks from all over Europe gathered to consort with the Devil. Behind the Italian witch and the half- orc assassin came a horned, bat-winged, devilish beast with a hide like gray stone—the infamous gargoyle Render. Once one of those gargoyles which had stood guard atop Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the evil spell placed upon him and his fellows by the late Necromancer Pierre had not been lifted with the death of that villain at the hands of the Lucky Fools a few months ago. Render reveled in slaughter and mayhem, and refused to return to his post as guardian of the faithful at Notre Dame, instead becoming a monster feared by the people of Paris. Towering several feet above the others came the snorting beast known as Ailouroeidis, a Minotaur descended from the monster of the labyrinth on the isle of Crete, which the Greek hero Theseus slew thousands of years ago. Like it's mythic ancestor, Ailouroeidis the Minotaur was a savage, bloodthirsty brute that craved human flesh. It wore an oversized shirt of chainmail over its furry hide, and its great hooves were shod with iron. In its burly hands it gripped a giant axe. Last came the French werewolf, Garrett Du Bois, a tall, rangy, swarthy man, garbed as a hunter in green and brown leather, and armed with longsword, longbow, and quiver of arrows. Garrett was responsible for many murders throughout the French countryside over the past five years, and had proved very elusive to the gangs of fearful and enraged hunters that had tried to bring an end to his bloody killing spree. These six villains were the Devil’s hit men.
At last report, the Lucky Fools had sent most of these villains to Hell, where they belong... But as Christ raised His friend Lazarus from the tomb, so also do the favored darlings of the Devil seem to return from death...
The lanky tiefling stifles a laugh. Just to be safe he inspects the bag for any traps or tampering.
Taking the bag from Johann, Quinlan reaches in and pulls out the contents one at a time, laying them out on the grass.
"there really isn't much of a trick to it. Just stick your hand in and you should find what you're looking for. Its a simple enough enchantment but very convenient."
At dawn, just before Boga awakens from his sleep in the guest room at the palazzo of Cardinal D’Borja, he is visited by his inspiration...
Awaken, dear Boga! There is the Lord’s work to be done this day! You have set foot upon a long and winding path, with many pitfalls and treacherous snares laid by the Enemy... But you must tread on with faith and conviction! You shall be a light in the darkness, my child.., Our Lord sees the good work you have done in His name, and He encourages you to persist! So.., Sleepers, Awaken!
As Boga wakes, the ghost vanishes...
As Boga goes about his day, he his mind reflects back to Jan Hus and the sacrifice he made for his beliefs and the people he was helping. "I can only hope that if ever such a test is required of me, I shall have half the character of the beloved Jan." As these thoughts run through his head, a memory of shocking clarity suddenly takes the forefront. "Jan Hus came to me in a dream... Or a revelation! We are on the Lord's path. We must return to the catacombs and light the remaining crystals. Press on!"
Boga hurries to find his new comrades and encourage a quick return to the catacombs.
Zagathoth marvels at the stout wooden frame and thick padded mattress that make up the bed offered to him. When he first lies down, the softness of the cushion and the smoothness of its sheets both feel intensely uncomfortable but within a few short minutes he settles into the deepest sleep of his short and largely unfortunate life.
In the morning he rises with the sun and heads into the courtyard where he practices the exercises and drills which his masters had required every morning but the sabbath: running, pushups, and miming the motions of countless different attacks. He continues for about an hour then lifts the heavy stone bowl off a birdfeeder and dumps its water over his head to wash himself.
When the cardinal calls him he smiles and follows dutifully. When asked to stand guard he nods and draws his falchion. In Spanish he replies, "Nothing will come in there before you finish."
The evening of the second of January. Criers call that all is well in the City of Rome, and the ancient cobbled streets are lit with oil lanterns.
The adventurers have had a full night and day to rest and recover from the harrowing adventures of the first day. They have learned much about each other and about their common foe, and have saved countless lives by reporting the planned Saint Valentine’s Day Holocaust of Wormwood the fire dragon. They have learned of powerful enemies that might try to thwart their quest, the Hounds of Hell. They have received magical gifts from the pope and from the wizard Rumplestilskin. They are ready to continue the fight against the evil Church of Lucifer, starting with a second foray into the Catacombs San Callisto!
On the morning of January 3rd, they reconvene at the Basilica of Saint Peter and descend once more into the darkness of the catacombs.
Passing through the northeast archway, the adventurers proceed through the antechambers where they had fought the animated Iron Maiden (which still lies in pieces where it fell), the skeletal champions and the spiked pit, and the cultists. Continuing on through a twisting and turning corridor more than a hundred feet long, the party emerges into a great cross-shaped chamber.
In the north wing, a red crystal hangs from the ceiling by a ten-foot-long silver chain above a brazier.
The smell of this place is revolting, the stench of corruption overwhelming...
Squatting in the darkness here are six of the horrible ghasts! They groan with hunger for mortal flesh! An unholy fire burns in their hollow eye sockets...
Mmmmmmmm!!
BATTLE OF RED CRYSTAL GHASTS!! ROUND 1!! FIGHT!!
QUINLAN!
GHASTS!
ARC!
BOGA!
ZAGATHOTH!
JOHANN!
CARDINAL LUCIUS!
OGON FOX!
EEEEEEK!!
with a quick incantation and a flick of his wrist Quinlan shoots a blast of light at the closest ghast.
with a quick incantation and a flick of his wrist Quinlan shoots a blast of light at the closest ghast.
[dice=Disrupt undead (ranged touch)]1d20+4 [dice=Damage]1d6
Quinlan's light missile sears the unclean flesh of the southernmost of the two in the east wing of the chamber!
GNAAAAAHHH!!
THE GHASTS RUSH OUT OF THE DARKNESS TO ATTACK THE ADVENTURERS!
Out of the dark corners of the cross-shaped chamber's wings come six undead ghasts, ravening for mortal flesh!
ARC! Then BOGA! EEK!
round 1
"SO MANY! AN ARMY! END THEM QUICK, BEFORE THEY CAN PARALYZE US!"
With a roar, Johann becomes more bear-like!
[dice=Bite Attack & damage]d20+5; d6+5
[dice=Claw Attack 1 & damage]d20+5; d4+5
[dice= Claw Attack 2 & damage]d20+5; d4+5Feeling emboldened by his new amulet, Johann tears into the ghasts with tooth and claw!
Johann dispatches the ghast directly east of him with a savage bite and claw, and deals a bloody claw wound to the one southeast of him as well!
GLURRRK!!
GRAAAAAH!!
Arc takes a nasty hit from one of the ghasts, and while he manages to resist the infectious disease from their claws, he's not so fortunate with the paralysis. Unable to move, he's currently defenseless against his assailant.
Unable to simply step around the corner, Boga moves behind Zagathoth and calls upon divine energy to smite the foul Ghasts. "O Lord, let thine enemies feel thy wrath!" Boga's halo glows, emitting a light that is calming for his allies, yet full of searing pain for the undead.
EDIT: My best guess is that Boga is in stench range of 2 ghasts:
Boga's stomach turns at the odor, but he maintains his composure and resists yakking on Zagathoth's back as he calls out, "Zagathoth, they are undead Ghasts like we've fought before. Give them your all!"
Orpheus wobbles dizzily on Fox’s shoulder and retches down the front of his tunic...
BBLLLEEEEEGGGHHH!!! Sorry, Mister Fox... That putrid stench!
[dice=fortitude 1]d20+7
[dice=fortitude 2]d20+7
[dice=fortitude 3]d20+7
[dice=fortitude 4]d20+7
[dice=fortitude 5]d20+7
[dice=fortitude 6]d20+7Johann struggles mightily against the stench, but there are simply too many of them. After holding his cookies as long as he can, he eventually lets them go.
Overcome by the stink, Zagathoth begins dry-heaving. Calling to mind what he learned from the previous fights against these creatures, he raise his falchion and tries to time his downward chop with his next convulsion...
,
[dice=vs stink]5d20
[dice=vs disease]1d20+5
[dice=vs paralysis]1d20+5Overcome by the stink, Zagathoth begins dry-heaving. Calling to mind what he learned from the previous fights against these creatures, he raise his falchion and tries to time his downward chop with his next convulsion...
[dice=power attack (sickened, favored enemy)]1d20+7-2+2
[dice=for]2d4+10-2+2
[dice=confirm?]1d20+7, [dice=for another]2d4+10
The ghast is split open by Zagathoth’s mighty convulsive strike, falling at the orc’s feet!
[dice=Sickened Saves]4d20
Unable to resist the stench of the ghasts, Cardinal Borga grips his sword in both hands and strikes as hard as he can!
[dice=Attack]d20+4 [dice=Damage]d8+3
The Fox attempts to strike the same ghast at which Lucius aimed his sword.
The Fox attempts to strike the same ghast at which Lucius aimed his sword.
[dice=Melee Mystic Bolt (vs Touch AC)]1d20+4
[dice=Electric Damage]1d6
Nausea and retching spoil Fox’s aim, and the mystic bolt flies left of target...
"Be careful, Orpheus--I don't want any of these creatures laying a hand on you. In fact, it's probably best that you go back near Quinlan for a while. Quickly, now!"
"Be careful, Orpheus--I don't want any of these creatures laying a hand on you. In fact, it's probably best that you go back near Boga for now. Quickly, now!"
Very well... Can’t stand the stench anyway! YYYYEEEERRRRKKK!!
Orpheus flits west back into the corridor behind Fox...
BATTLE OF RED CRYSTAL GHASTS!! ROUND 2!! FIGHT!!
QUINLAN!
GHASTS!
ARC!
BOGA!
ZAGATHOTH!
JOHANN!
CARDINAL LUCIUS!
OGON FOX!
EEEEEEK!!