Haunted Halls Delve 8, pt 2 - Why Shouldn't I Keep It?

Continued from HERE 

THE LOG

TURN 1 – Entry Tunnel

The two parties formed up and marched into the temple. At the fork Trigg and Berrybert turn North, while Ivy turns South. We heard what happened to Ivy’s party last time. We’ll follow Bert and the PCs in this entry.

TURN 2 – 54: Acolyte’s Chamber. “There are 4 acolytes dressed in rusty-red robes, with black cowls. Their room contains four hard pallets, a brazier, a table, four stools, a cabinet for clothing, a water pail, a waste bucket, and a flagon of wine and four cups”.

“Who dares enter the shrine of our dark master?” Trigg ignores the question and orders his troops to advance, face grim.

TURN 3 – Combat!

The combined party makes short work of the acolytes, although the PCs do most of the fighting. Two of them fall to Scalebane, Trigg’s magic sword, but Trigg himself suffers a blow from a mace.

TURN 4 – 54: Acolyte’s Chamber.

Berrybert pulls an amulet from around the neck of the lead acolyte and pockets it. Sassaran casts Cure Light Wounds on Trigg. They debate whether to head down the dark and narrow staircase to the East, continue down the wide hallway to the West, or to divide their forces. Berrybert refuses to split up, seeing in the offer an attempt to cheat him, and Trigg is wary of entering the tunnels where they will be unable to fight in a proper shieldwall. The two parties continue West.

TURN 5 – Hallway.

The party turns left at the intersection.

Gygax's usually tedious room descriptions suddenly pop off whenever he's talking about his favorite Lovecraft/Mordor blend of evil temples

TURN 6 – 55: Chapel of Evil Chaos. “This place is of red stone…. The south wall is covered by a huge tapestry which depicts a black landscape, barren trees, and unidentifiable but horrible black shapes in silhouette… A gray sky is torn by wisps of purple clouds, and a bloody moon with a skull-like face on it leers down upon the scene. Four black pillars support the domed ceiling some 25’ overhead. Between these columns, just in front of the tapestry, is a stone altar… Upon it are 4 ancient bronze vessels - a shallow bowl, a pair of goblets, and a ewer…”

What luck! This is clearly the evil shrine that the Abbot told them of, and there are the vessels they need to destroy. The quest seems completed almost as soon as it has begun.

With a laugh, Berrybert strides forward to pick up a goblet. Trigg (forewarned of the relics’ curse by the Abbot) grabs his arm to restrain him, and the halfling begins to shout angrily. Nobody hears the four adepts coming down the hall until they are almost upon the PCs, chanting the words of their dreadful spells.

I'm trying to lean into it b/c a level 2 cleric with AC 17 and a Light spell is actually pretty dangerous in OSE

TURN 7 – Combat!

Round 1 – Surprised, the two parties are scattered around the chapel as the evil clerics fall upon their back rank. Fortunately Sassaran and Elfarran dodge the outstretched hands of the two adepts reciting the words of the Cause Light Wounds spells. Sickly lights flash around Gimwort’s head, but he shakes them off. The sturdy dwarf is used to the uncertain light of tunnel-fighting. Alas, Trigg is suddenly overcome with supernatural fear and turns to flee.

Round 2 – The party struggles to form up into proper ranks, with Sassaran and Elfarran attempting a fighting retreat. Taravol turns to run, hoping to reach Trigg with his Remove Fear spell before things turn disastrous. Sassaran and Elfarran are both struck by Cause Light Wounds spells, and Sassaran crumples to the floor, pale and unmoving. The nimble Taravol weaves through the press and his gentle elvish song chases the shadow of fear from Trigg’s mind. Trigg moves to stand over the fallen Sassaran, and Scalebane clashes against the ancient bronze scale and sable shields of the warrior-priests.

Meanwhile, Berrybert seizes his chance and rushes to the altar, grabbing a goblet and greedily stuffing it into his pack. He falls under its ancient spell: in three days he will have become wholly evil and enslaved to the power of the dark shrine, but for now he is merely possessive of the treasure.

Round 3 – Trigg kills his man. Elfarran, fighting shieldless, strikes a mighty blow, but her opponent returns the favor. A mace shatters her thigh and she collapses. Moments later Gimwort’s poleaxe goes crashing through the evil cleric’s bronze helm.

Round 4 – The two surviving adepts back into the corridor, beating their maces against their shields and commending their fallen brothers’ souls to the Ruinous Powers. Trigg, Tansy, and Dolf advance to meet them. Gimwort stoops to administer his potion of healing to Sassaran and she revives, looking somehow pale and unearthly (a lucky roll on the Death & Dismemberment table: Heroic Scar – +1 HP). Sassaran has the party’s other healing potion: Gimwort points to the fallen Elfarran, and she moves to aid the half-elf.

Round 5 – A file of 10 undead warriors advances down the corridor from the North. The clerics move to let them pass, still beating their shields and chanting. “Taravol! Destroy the relics!” Trigg calls. “There’s no time!” Berrybert replies, desperate to protect his treasures, “we need to get out of here”. Taravol is not particularly brave, and the situation looks grim. He agrees, and says so in elvish for Sassaran’s benefit. The elf-maiden helps Elfarran to her feet. With her shattered leg she can’t move without support, and the two of them will be forced to hobble slowly.

Round 6 – Trigg can hear the frantic calls for retreat. Almost crying with frustration, he orders his front line back in a fighting withdrawal to cover the others’ escape. The adepts turn to go and rouse the rest of the shrine’s troops. The zombies advance, with uncaring eyes and axes in their haggard hands.

TURN 8

Berrybert and Leegild turn to run, saying they’ll “lead the retreat”. From deep within the shrine comes the tolling of a terrible iron bell.