Forgotten Realms Recap #2: We’re Ruined!

22nd of Eleint (Sep), 1372
North of Adzo
Attending: all -Anniel (character played by committee)

When we left off, the scraggly outcropping of rocks that the Nar(f) were camping in had exploded in a torrent of dirt and rock that resulted in a surprisingly-complete Keep of Evil(tm)(c) surrounding the company and the Nar(f). We pick up this week with a fuller description of what ails us – we’re all in a courtyard that has several doors leading away from it, as well as a giganto double door that, ostensibly, leads to our freedom. In the center of the courtyard is a gigantic statue of a demon (a glabrezu to be precise, although I don’t think that anybody’s character knows that) and scattered about the courtyard are about a half-dozen skeletons. This being a fantasy game and not just, you know, life, the skeletons are as upright and mobile as the rest of us.

A fight breaks out! The company faces both barbarians and skeletons, but they aren’t allied and many of them are fighting each other. Sephora rushes forward and stands protectively over Seydlitz MacGuffin (such an ironic last name!). The skeletons are heard to hiss things like “forgotten” and “lost” and “forlorn” and “loss” and “sorrow.” At first the fight goes almost too easy, as many skeletons are dropped by a burst of positive energy from Rahil while many of the party’s attacks focus on the Nar(f) – Lu Tse figures that only they have a motivation to get the boy in particular, so they have to be dispatched first. Then the other shoe drops and more skeletons are spewed up out of the ground. From there it’s a pitched battle of skeletal attrition as skeletons drop and occasionally are reinforced – by themselves, it turns out later, or at least the same undead souls powering each collection of bones that rise up. No individual skeleton is particularly threatening to the members of the company, but they just. Keep. Coming.

During the fight, Sephora examines the base of the gigantic glabrezu statue and determines that it seems to be the heart of the enchantment that is providing protection to the undead I(and who knows what else). Later, when Grapthar takes a tremendous blow that almost drops him, Sephora decides that enough is enough and makes for the giant doors at the head of the courtyard we’re in, Seydlitz firmly in tow. She sees that the doors have an iron lattice-work that matches the appearance of the glyphs that begin at the statue. Nobody is able to open it and, finally when we “catch up” on the skeletons for a round and have no opponents, we retreat through one of the doors that face the courtyard and pile into a room.

The room has benches and chairs, torchieres (unlit) and the remnants of a meal service that lie strewn about. As the party catches its breath, Sephora goes to investigate a sheet or fabric of some sort that lies on one table.

Oops.

It turns out that the sheet is actually a large skein of skin etched completely with tattoos. It flaps into the air and wraps itself around her, and then proceeds to rip the skin off of her face. *ahem* IT RIPS THE SKIN OFF OF HER FACE. HER FACE! EW! Charisma damage ensues, and after the sheet of skin (did I mention ew?) leaves her she collapses into a corner, wailing. Lu-Tse charges, leaping onto a table and then into the air before dropping an elbow into the sheet, which (perhaps in defiance of expectation) bruises from the blow. Unfortunately it manages to latch on to Grapthar and suck on his face, too, before Grapthar smashes his flail (and the skin sheet) into the wall, killing it.

The company collects itself, examining the surroundings and listening at the other two doors that lead away from this room. Sounds are heard behind both, a skittering from one and a snorting, snuffling sound from the other. Meanwhile, Sephora notices a box under a table. It’s marked with a strange glyph and contains pristine silver coins that are marked with a disturbing, demonic image matching no currency we know. And, of course, the sound of skeletons banging at the door from the courtyard starts up, but they don’t seem to grasp the concept of latches so we’re safe for the moment.

For whatever reason, Lu Tse says he prefers the snffling sound to the skittering sound, so Grapthar joins him at the door before Lu Tse opens it and steps in. Well, the snuffling sound is not, in fact, a truffle-hunting pig but instead is a flesh-hunting ghoul. Another melee ensues, but compared to the
skeleton onslaught it’s a straight-forward affair involving a brief exchange of blows before the ghoul is dispatched. At this point, the spellcasters in the party explain that they’d be of more use if they could rest and recuperate, and so this room is barricaded on both ends (there’s another door leading out besides the one the company came in through) and a rough camp is established.

Outside, the skeletons pause in their assault on the door and turn their eyes to the keep’s tower, before spreading out along the perimeter of the courtyard.