Shadowdark in the Lost City - Session 4

Our characters for this session included:

Belit, Human, Fighter, 2nd Level
Dagon, Human, Thief, 2nd Level
Samira, Elf, Thief, 2nd Level
Uras, Human, Priest, 2nd Level
Zippo, Human, Wizard, 2nd Level

Samira was up and about well before their companions as usual. Elves required little rest and if anything settled into a trance rather than truly falling asleep. Anxiously, the elf made their way to the bedsides of Uras and Dagon. A smile crept across their slim, angular face. Both of them were resting peacefully, breathing deeply. The Ishtari elixirs seemed to have worked. The elf picked up their quiver of arrows and sat crossed legged. Smoothing out fletching and tightening broadheads, Samira remembered the deal they had struck with the cult of Ishtar – rescue the cult’s leader, Sammas, before they were sacrificed to Zargon. The elf’s smile melted away into determination.

Soon the others were awake and Dagon and Uras were sitting upright eating ravenously. The joy of the others was likewise short-lived as their minds turned to what lay ahead. Sammas was said to be held somewhere on what would have been the ground floor of the great pyramid – now buried deep beneath the sands. An encounter with the Priests of Zargon and their hobgoblin troops seemed all but inevitable. Though perhaps with subterfuge they could avoid detection long enough to locate Sammas. Freeing the Ishtari leader and escaping would be a separate matter. As the group discussed plans, Uras and Dagon got out of their beds, stretching and warming up fatigued muscles. The adventurers would do their best to disguise themselves as Cynidiceans using the extra clothing and masks left by the followers of Enlil. Zippo bemusedly chose a mask depicting a gregarious old man, Belit wore one of a fierce demon, Samira hid behind the fur of a jackal, Dagon slipped on one covered in owl feathers, and Uras one devoid of any features whatsoever. They had no illusions about the believability of their ruse but it was better than nothing.

With blades sharpened, gear stowed, and nerves on edge, the party made their way down through the pyramid. The stairwell opened into a dimly lit corridor. Dagon peeked around the corners. Unlike the other tiers, the main floor was lit by widely spaced oil lamps. A door was just to the east, while to the west, the corridor continued and was intersected by another from the south. Suddenly out of the shadows a figure appeared and then another and another. Cynidiceans dressed in shiny robes, with translucent wings attached to their arms, buzzed down the corridor, pinwheeling and diving. After them hopping on all fours came a Cynidicean wearing a mask of a toad and a green scaly robe. The toad leapt at the buzzing figures, its tongue flicking out. The party members exchanged looks, only then remembering that they too wore strange masks. The insects spun around the toad in the intersection and then flew southward out of sight. The toad let out a “ribbit” and then hopped away in pursuit.

Ardates, Grandmaster of the cult of Enlil, had tried to describe to them the drug induced dream-state in which most Cynidiceans lived but seeing it was another matter. This was madness. While the Priests of Zargon used the black lotus to enslave the minds of the Cynidiceans, maybe disappearing into their dreamselves felt like their only means of escape.

Beset with dark thoughts, the adventurers decided to follow the troupe. The corridor stretched south a long ways intersected by only one other from the west, which ended in a door. Without any provocation, the insects swirled about the toad and then began to head back north. They flew around and amidst the companions all without any acknowledgement of their existence. The toad hopped after its prey and the party watched them dissolve into the shadows. The adventurers continued south, traveling another 100 feet or more until an east turn in the corridor came into view. Coming from around the corner, they heard footfalls and the metal clank of armored warriors. Within seconds, they faced a small group – four heavily muscled hobgoblins encircling a fifth figure. The central figure was dressed in flowing purple robes, their arms folded across their body into billowy sleeves. Their face was hidden by a bright gold reptilian mask wreathed in tentacles, a horn curving up from its forehead.

For a single breath, no one moved. Then remembering their ruse, Zippo, Samira, and Dagon attempted to fall into character as indicated by their masks. Belit and Uras stood immobile. The four hobgoblins moved forward, their axes sliding off their shoulders to be gripped by both meaty hands. In a harsh unknown tongue, the hobgoblins shouted orders, kicking, and shoving Belit and Uras, who stood in the front rank. The fighter and priest of Marduk gave no ground. A hobgoblin struck Uras across the chest with the wooden haft of their axe and still the priest didn’t move aside. At that, one of the hobgoblins barked an order, and as one, the four readied their axes to deliver overhead strikes. Zippo chanted an incantation and tossed a pinch of sand into the air. The hobgoblins swayed, grabbed onto one another yawning, and then toppled onto the floor sound asleep. The priest of Zargon, barely having taken note of the disturbance up until now, stepped back, their hands sliding out of their sleeves. Samira, nocking an arrow with lightning speed, stepped out of marching order and fired. The arrow buried itself in the priest’s shoulder just as Belit drew their blade and delivered an upward slash. The blade sliced through purple cloth and dug into bronze chainmail beneath. Bewildered by the sudden onslaught, the priest of Zargon failed to notice Dagon, only to cry out as the rogue drove the sharktooth dagger into their side. As the bloodied figure staggered away from Dagon’s blade, Uras’ mace plowed headlong into the priest’s chest – the sound of bones fracturing. The golden masked priest crashed backward into the wall and slid down into a heap. Wasting no time, Dagon and Samira fatally stabbed the sleeping hobgoblins.

In the span of less than a dozen heartbeats, the party had unleashed a whirlwind of violence. A priest of Zargon and their hobgoblin bodyguards lay bleeding out on the stone floor. Long shadow-filled corridors stretched out to the east and north. Surely the brief but loud melee had been heard and at that very moment an alarm was being raised. Stewing in a broth of adrenaline and fear, the party made the decision to dispose of the bodies as quickly and quietly as possible. Unfamiliar with their surroundings, they decided to haul the bodies into the tombs above. Carrying, dragging, occasionally dropping bodies along the way, the adventurers left a bloody trail in their wake. After nearly an hour of toil, the bodies were left in a pile in the burned remains of the rat’s nest. Both Belit and Uras stripped chainmail suits from the hobgoblins and Zippo took the soiled purple robes, golden mask, and a medallion depicting an eye wreathed in tentacles from the priest. Exhausted and covered in blood, the party trudged up to their safe haven among the cult of Enlil.

The chambers held by the cult of Enlil were uninhabited when the comrades arrived. The cult members must have all returned to the underground city. All the better, since the party was in no mood to answer questions and quickly went about cleaning up. Zippo laid out the purple robes, mask, and medallion. Stroking their chin, they wondered if they could successfully impersonate this priest – why not? Sharing the plan with the others, Zippo donned the robe with Samira helping cover the worst of the blood stains with a sash. As the wizard reached for the medallion, Uras grabbed their wrist. The priest of Marduk, a person of few words under normal circumstances, had been particularly silent since their return. Uras shared that they sensed a great evil about the necklace and that it was likely a divine symbol of power connecting its wearer to Zargon itself. Zippo listened and then replied that their faith in Marduk was strong and that they did not fear this evil. The wizard picked up the tentacle-wreathed pendant and placed its chain about their neck. Uras said nothing but concern was written across the priest’s face.

The party descended again to the main floor of the pyramid. Had their bloody work been discovered? How could it not have been by now? Yet, the party found the shadowy corridors empty and silent. Rather than retrace their previous path, the group opted to head east through a closed door. Beyond they entered a vast chamber lit by widely placed oil lamps. Their source of light (Uras had cast light on Belit’s sword) illuminated a high arched ceiling and rows of shattered marble benches flanking a central aisle. Skirting the edge of the chamber, the adventurers saw that the walls were covered in dazzling mosaics depicting the Cynidicean gods and nobility. They also quickly found that the masterful art had been maliciously marred and defaced with tools and red paint. Moving deeper into the great hall, they came to a beautifully carved fountain in the wall. Clear, cool water collected in a basin and while hesitant, they all eventually knelt to drink, finding it refreshing. Up on a raised area at the far end of this room, the group saw three towering statues of the Cynidicean gods – Enlil, Nabu, Ishtar. Their faces had been chiseled away and lay as rubble at their feet.

The party completed their exploration of this chamber of the gods, finding a door in the southwest corner likely to connect to where they had battled the hobgoblins and priest of Zargon and another in the southeast corner. Circling back toward their entry point, they also found a door in the northeast corner as well as a broad, high corridor heading north. The damaged mosaics extended along this corridor, depicting scenes from Cynidicean history. They stepped into another chamber whose arched ceiling was supported by a double row of pillars – each carved into the likeness of an ancient king or queen. These works were also defaced, broken, and splattered with paint. At the far end of the room, the adventurers paused in their tracks as they looked upon towering bronze double doors. At their base, a waist high drift of sand partially covered the floor. If it hadn’t fully dawned on them before, they now realized without a doubt that they were deep beneath the desert surface. They also found that in the northwest corner of the grand entry hall, the stone floor had collapsed into a large sink hole. A rough set of uneven but well worn stairs had been carved into the fallen stones and descended into the darkness.

After a brief consult, the adventurers returned to the chamber of the gods and made their way to the unopened door in the southeast corner. Dagon and Samira inspected and listened but discovered nothing. The door opened upon a corridor running south and quickly turning to the east. The group proceeded with caution as the corridor turned to the north and eventually bent again to the east ending in a stone door. Samira approached the door hoping to eavesdrop on anything on the other side. The elf’s companions saw Samira stop and gasp halfway to the door, head spinning, a look of terror on their face. Slabs of stone from both walls violently crashed together, pinning the elf between them. Half of Samira’s upper torso hung lifeless from the stone vise, the elf’s eyes bulging, blood cascading from their mouth, nose, ears, and eyes. Breaking free of their shock, the party rushed to Samira’s aid. As if they could defy the very laws of nature, Dagon threw themselves at the trap, trying with bare hands to force the slabs apart. Uras quickly pulled a crow bar from their pack and rushed to help.

Within a few seconds, the stones slowly began to loosen their grip, receding back into place. As quickly as possible Uras and Dagon pulled Samira free. The elf was terribly wounded and unconscious, their lower torso, one arm, and both legs crushed. Lowering their companion to the floor, Uras immediately began to incite a prayer for healing. All praises to Marduk, the elf’s eyes fluttered with life as the divine power flowed through their body! Belit having gathered their wits, realized that the terrific noise of the trap had to have been heard. The warrior moved to the back of the group to guard their rear as did Zippo. Dagon began to study the deadly trap in hopes of disarming it. Miraculously Samira was now sitting up with support from Uras. The two slabs of the stone vise continued to slowly grind back into the corridor walls. Dagon now had room enough to see a concealed pressure plate in the floor and began to trace its edges. Samira, back from death’s door, moved to Dagon’s side and began to help.

As the thieves worked to disarm the trap, Uras took their mace in hand and stepped by them to face the stone door which suddenly opened. Out of the darkened space beyond a flight of javelins sped into adventurers followed by a hobgoblin battle cry. Uras was grazed in the shoulder as three hobgoblin warriors barreled into the priest, shields locked and scimitars raining blows. Uras was forced to give ground, fighting heroically to protect the exposed thieves. The priest exchanged blows with their foes but they were too many and Uras fell beneath their blades. Belit and Zippo barely had time to react as they saw Uras topple onto the stone floor. The wizard, disguised as a priest of Zargon, commanded the hobgoblins to disengage and in the process cast charm person on one of the combatants. Remarkably the hobgoblins, about to fall upon the thieves, came to an abrupt halt. The creatures exchanged glances and the charmed hobgoblin retreated back into the darkness beyond the door, shouting to the others to do as the priest of Zargon commanded. Belit cautiously advanced just enough to grasp Uras by a booted foot and dragged the bleeding priest away from the front line.

Zippo launched into a tirade concerning the gall of these beasts to attack a priest of Zargon and their entourage. The wizard demanded that the hobgoblins hand over their scimitars to Dagon. Confusion reigned among the hobgoblins as their charmed companion continued to support Zippo’s narrative and amazingly, the two warriors did relinquish their blades to Dagon. Safely in the rear, Belit successfully bandaged Uras’ critical wound and kept the priest from bleeding out though they remained unconscious.

From out of the darkness another voice emerged, raised in anger. While speaking the guttural language of hobgoblins, it was clear this was not one of their number. “You slack jawed idiots, I’ll have your hides! This is a ruse and not even a good one! Now kill these fools!” The voice suddenly broke into a stream of elvish cursing. With that, the hobgoblins roared and more javelins flew out of the darkness. Dagon and Belit were wounded as a new trio of hobgoblin warriors charged into the corridor. Zippo felt a sudden pain and saw they had been struck by a small black dart. While the wound was minimal, the wizard nonetheless felt a moment of unsteadiness wash over them (the dart was poisoned but Zippo beat the DC). Zippo shouted for the party to fall back and as one they retreated around the corner just as the light spell that had been placed on Belit’s sword expired. Near blackness fell on the party and with it their hopes of escaping this fight alive. Emboldened by the darkness, the hobgoblins charged as an elvish voice cried out in merciless joy, “Slaughter them!”

Frantically searching in their pack, Samira’s hands fell on a torch and their flint and steel. Maybe the elf mouthed a prayer, only they knew, but miracle of miracles, Samira successfully lit the torch on the first attempt. Light bloomed and in that very moment, Zippo cast sleep on the advancing hobgoblins who tumbled headlong onto the floor, shields and scimitars clattering. Belit let out a battlecry and charged around the corner to come face to face with a creature of myth. Dark bluish hued skin, bone white hair tied up in a top knot, the drow elf stood stunned by the sudden turn of events. Belit lunged forward, delivering a powerful cutting slash before the drow could raise their blade in defense. Right on Belit’s heels, Dagon stopped short and released an arrow as the drow staggered back. The arrow went wide as the dark elf recovered their footing, deftly tumbled out of melee range and sprinted back up the hallway into the darkness. Belit and Dagon heard the stone door slam shut and a bar falling into place.

Wasting no time, the battered party gathered up the unconscious Uras and retreated back into the chamber of the gods. Making their way across the chamber, they ran directly into a group of Cynidicean dreamers. Weaving their way down the main aisle, the Cynidiceans wore camel masks and brown robes. As the adventurers pushed and shoved their ways through, the bizarre group shouted to avoid the deadly serpents underfoot. They screamed in horror as the party paid their warnings no heed. Leaving the bizarre sight behind them, the companions made for the stairway and returned to the upper chambers held by the cult of Enlil.

Upon their return, the companions were met there by Ardates, grandmaster of Enlil, and several other cult members. Ardates demanded to know what had happened, seeing their bloodied state and Zippo in the robes of a priest of Zargon. The party reluctantly informed Ardates of their recent battles on the main floor of the pyramid and their attempts to locate Sammas, grandmaster of Ishtar, who had been captured by the priests of Zargon. A nervous chatter spread among the Enlilites ... a priest of Zargon had been killed ... the wrath of High Priest Darius would be swift and terrible! Ardates lamented that they were not ready for battle with the priests of Zargon, it was too soon, more time was needed. And if it was true that Sammas had been captured and would soon be sacrificed to Zargon, they would be left without any hope of allies. Recovering themselves, Ardates indicated that they had little choice now but to seek the aid of the cult of Nabu. While they were not to be trusted, if anyone knew where Sammas was being held it would be their grandmaster. Ardates shook their head and reminded the adventurers that it was the cult of Nabu who had betrayed their predecessor to Darius ... they played all sides for their own sake. With the element of surprise gone after their recent battles, the party agreed that they couldn’t afford to search aimlessly. The adventurers resolved that after recovering from their wounds, they would seek out the followers of Nabu, god of enlightenment, knowledge, and secrets.