The Sixth Adventure

Mushgnome's Hobbet-centric PBP

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Post by kipper » Fri Dec 03, 2021 3:24 pm

Re: The Sixth Adventure

Dame Simonetta will also take two silver daggers. She will join the search of the southern end of the cavern.

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Post by mushgnome » Fri Dec 03, 2021 4:08 pm

Re: The Sixth Adventure

Turn 28

The south end of the cavern splits into two lobes or alcoves.

The southwest lobe (where Dame Simonetta corralled the skeletons earlier) is thriving with small, harmless fungi, lichen and other cave flora. There are some rotted wooden shelves and cracked shards of pottery. Perhaps the cultists used this area as an underground garden, to supplement their pantry with fresh mushrooms and other underground crops? A druid might be able to make sense of it all.

The southeast lobe is damp, and there is a faint sound of trickling water. There is a small natural spring, now almost totally overgrown with cave moss, but if the moss were cleared away, it could be a nice fountain. This must be where the spider cultists got their drinking water.

There is something on the floor of the southeast lobe, near the fountain. At first it just looks like a pile of trash. But on closer inspection, it is a 13th skeleton!

This skeleton is human-sized, not hobbet-size. It is also wearing spider silk robes (badly rotted from the moisture) but more ornate than the other robes, intricately woven with garishly-colored thread. Also the skeleton is wearing a ludicrously tall silk hat or priestly headdress on its head. The skeleton is lying face-down in the muck, and the back of its robe is bloodsoaked and ruined by many stab wounds. There must be dozens of stab wounds; whoever killed this man really had it in for him, stabbing him in the back over and over and over! The dagger wounds are so vicious that the spine was completely severed, and perhaps that was what prevented this skeleton from rising as undead like the other twelve? The skeleton's hands are pinned underneath its body, as though the man was trying to protect what he was holding, as he was being stabbed. Looking closely, our heroes see a metal scroll case in one hand and a carved wooden staff in the other hand. The wood of the staff is pristine, despite the humidity and the ravages of time.
[f=59]Stern (Strong Hero, MV 9′′, AC 3, HD 4, hp 20, FC 4 men/hero, SV F4, L)[/f]

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Post by dtspurrier » Fri Dec 03, 2021 10:20 pm

Re: The Sixth Adventure

bilfur takes two of the silver daggers. The cudgel is if Shillelagh becomes a spell. He is interested in the staff and scroll

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Post by mushgnome » Sat Dec 04, 2021 1:43 am

Re: The Sixth Adventure

As Bilfur leans in to inspect the shillelagh, the 13th skeleton comes to life and takes a swipe at him! Fortunately, Bilfur is not surprised, and takes a step back out of harm's way.

The skeleton is unable to fully animate due to its multiple stab wounds. The spine is severed, and the torso is just dead weight. All of the undead energy is concentrated in the hand bones. The scroll case clatters to the floor, and the human skeleton swings the wooden staff in a two-handed grip! But the skeleton is unable to move toward Bilfur, so its staff-strike is completely harmless. The skeleton drops the staff, and then something very strange happens:

The 2 human skeleton hands grab onto the floor and move in opposite directions, pulling at the end of their arms. With a sickening pop! the hands break free from the body. They scatter in opposite directions, running on their fingertips like bony spiders. One goes up this wall, and the other goes up that wall! Like quick little spiders, they scurry to and fro, just out of reach.

Surprise check: 1d6 = 4. Bilfur is not surprised. I mean; he's surprised, all right; that was weird! But for game purposes, he's not in a condition of tactical surprise. What next?
[f=59]Stern (Strong Hero, MV 9′′, AC 3, HD 4, hp 20, FC 4 men/hero, SV F4, L)[/f]

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Post by dtspurrier » Sat Dec 04, 2021 3:16 pm

Re: The Sixth Adventure

Bilfur grabs the scroll and staff and keeps an eye on the skeletal hands

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Post by kipper » Sun Dec 05, 2021 2:07 am

Re: The Sixth Adventure

If Dame Simonetta was witness to these events, she will attempt to sling a stone at one of the fleeing hands.

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Post by ehiker133 » Mon Dec 06, 2021 6:42 pm

Re: The Sixth Adventure

Seeing the commotion, Dougal rushes over with sword drawn to see if he can assist.

If the skeletal hands are in range, Dougal will swipe at them.
[f=47]Dougal Blackfoot (MV 9", AC 6, Lvl 4, HP 10/10) [/f]
[f=59]Goldwen (Sagacious* Abbess, MV 9′′, AC 6, HD 2+1, HP 9, FC 2 men, SV C3, L][/f]

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Post by acodispo » Tue Dec 07, 2021 1:36 pm

Re: The Sixth Adventure

Willie is to the north, near the door. He probably can't see what's going on from here, but if he notes commotion he'll take up his sling. If he sees anything approaching him he'll take a shot at it.
[f=47]Wilibald "Willie" Whitfoot, F1/T1 (M 12", AC 6, HD 1+2, hp 9/9, L) gambeson+helm, shield+warhammer[/f]
[f=59]Witherun [Agile Hero, MV 12′′, AC 6, HD 4, hp 16, FC 4 men/hero, SV F4, L] hide+helm, shield+dagger or bow[/f]

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Post by coffee » Tue Dec 07, 2021 1:50 pm

Re: The Sixth Adventure

It would appear that there are too many people around the hands for Wilbur to even get a look in, so he'll guard the passageway unless needed.
[f=4]Karl the Fighter (M 9", AC 4/6, HD 1+2, FC Man+1, hp 9/9) mail+shield[/f]

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Post by mushgnome » Tue Dec 07, 2021 3:48 pm

Re: The Sixth Adventure

Willie's sling stone misses terribly, but with pinpoint accuracy, Dougal and Dame Simonetta finish off the two scurrying hands climbing the walls.

As the hand-bones turn to dust, an object falls from the ring-finger of each hand, and hits the floor with a metallic plink sound. Each of the two human-hands was wearing a ring!

Meanwhile Bilfur scoops up the scroll-case and the staff. The scroll-case is made of metal with (what else?) spider engravings. It is tightly-sealed and looks watertight. I will assume Bilfur hasn't opened it up and looked inside yet, unless you tell me so. The staff would be shillelagh-sized for a human, but for a Hobbet it is the size of a quarterstaff. There are no runes or words on the staff, but it is carved with some abstract snake images, and the staff itself has a vaguely serpentine twist at the top.
Willie 2 miss
Dougal 20! hit the left hand for 6hp!
Dame S 19 hit the right hand for 6hp!
[f=59]Stern (Strong Hero, MV 9′′, AC 3, HD 4, hp 20, FC 4 men/hero, SV F4, L)[/f]

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