Shadowdark in the Lost City - Session 5

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

Uras came to with a jolt, the priest’s hand grasping for their mace before sinking back into the bed, pain etched on their face. Belit awoke from a chair at the bedside and cautioned Uras to take it easy lest they reopen their wound. Uras remembered now: the door suddenly opening, charging hobgoblins, shields locked, scimitars raised. The clash of metal, their mace glanced off a shield, scimitars coming at them from all sides—there had been too many. The rest was a blur of pain and blackness. Despite Belit’s admonishment, Uras insisted the warrior help them from bed. The priest sank to their knees, blood beginning to show on their bandage. Uras held the holy medallion of Marduk between joined hands and uttered the healing prayer. Belit watched as the pain on Uras’ face melted away into serenity. The priest stayed there for several silent moments and then stood up. Uras unwrapped the bandage from his abdomen, the scimitar wound all but gone. Glancing about the room, the priest asked stoically, “Where’s my mace and mail.”

As they broke their fast, the comrades related to Uras their conversation with Ardates. The Enlilite leader very reluctantly had suggested that they would need to consult the followers of Nabu. If anyone knew where on the main floor of the pyramid the leader of the cult of Ishtar was being held, it would be the Grandmaster of Nabu. Having gathered their kit, the party descended to the next lower tier and headed into the revolving passageway. Pushing the button engraved with the symbol for West as indicated by the invitation extended to them by the Nabu cultist encountered in the tombs, the passage reeled around and stopped at a door. Passing through the door, the group entered a short corridor painted black with tiny white stars resembling the night sky. From beyond a door at its far end, a strange chorus of faint voices could be heard. Opening the door, chanting abruptly ceased, as a room of kneeling figures in white hooded robes turned to face them. Each wore a silver mask depicting the serene features of the child god, Nabu. At the front of the room, before a star‑shaped stone altar, stood a figure in a robe of flowing white, features hidden beneath their silver mask and a crown upon their head. Draped across the north and western walls was a dark blue tapestry showing all the major constellations. Gesturing toward the adventurers, the crowned figure said in a bright voice, “At long last, the mysterious visitors have taken Nabu up on their invitation…”

Zippo stepped forward and indicated that the adventurers sought to free Sammas, the grandmaster of Ishtar, before they were sacrificed to Zargon. Ardates, grandmaster of Enlil, had said that if any would know where Sammas might be held, it would be them. The crowned figure approached Zippo, saying as they came there was much to be learned from Nabu. Stepping in close, they whispered to the wizard to be cautious in their dealings with Ardates. They might seem an honorable old fool, but there were signs that Ardates had sold their soul to Zargon. As for Sammas, it might already be too late. The cult of Ishtar lies fractured and ready to submit to High Priest Darius. Zippo took a step back and said, be that as it may, the party had agreed to make every effort to rescue Sammas. The figure replied that as a fellow practitioner of the arcane arts, perhaps an understanding could be reached. Indicating that the details would be for Zippo’s ears only, the crowned figure invited the wizard to converse in their private chambers. Zippo agreed, and the two disappeared through a door in the south wall.

The wizard followed in the wake of the robed figure and studied their tiara, which rose in twenty high, sharp points around the crown of the head. At the pinnacle of each, a brilliant diamond sparkled not unlike a star. Traversing a shared sleeping area, the figure opened a concealed doorway, carefully concealing the means by which it was triggered with their body. Once inside, the door quietly slid shut behind them. They stood in a comfortable bedroom, with a rich rug underfoot, tapestries on the walls, a small writing desk in one corner, and a large woven basket in another. “I am Iltani, grandmaster of Nabu, and have more to offer you, fellow sorcerer, than the whereabouts of Sammas,” Iltani said in a silken voice. Zippo felt their face flush suddenly and quickly sought to regain their composure. Iltani explained that in their meditations they had sensed a shadow of yet greater darkness behind that of Zargon—meditations aided, they explained, with the use of the black lotus. While Darius used the black lotus to enslave the minds of the Cynidiceans, in the right hands it had the power to elevate consciousness. From a hidden pocket, Iltani produced a small reed cylinder and spilled a wafer‑thin slice of lotus root into their palm. Offering the black lotus to Zippo, Iltani purred, “Do you dare lift the veil of consciousness to see what lies beyond?”

If they hesitated, it was but for the breadth of a whisker. Zippo took the lotus wafer from Iltani’s cool, soft hand and placed it on their tongue. The walls of reality evaporated and the wizard swooned as burning stars spun in the velvet black mantle about them…they were falling. The material world slowly came back into focus and the wizard found themselves lying on Iltani’s bed staring up at the ceiling painted black and dotted with stars. How much time had passed? A minute? An hour? A day? An age? They didn’t know, but as they shifted to the edge of the bed and attempted to gain their feet, it felt as if they moved through an invisible liquid. Iltani stood facing them, their arms tucked within their robe sleeves. They extended a hand, which Zippo grasped, and then slowly stood. Iltani placed another lotus root wafer into his palm and said that they would need to consume one each day if they sought to maintain their elevated state. The grandmaster of Nabu made it clear that they were the sole source of this key to enlightenment. They explained that while one would feel somewhat distant from the physical world, with the veil pulled aside, the connection to the arcane would be greatly increased (disadvantage on all physical actions / advantage on all spellcasting attempts).

Zippo placed the wafer inside a small inner pocket and then redirected the conversation back to the rescue of Sammas. Iltani walked over to the writing desk and lifted a sheet of paper. Turning back to Zippo, they said that they knew where Sammas would be held. The Ishtari leader would be going through the sacrificial rituals that included intense pleasure followed by devastating pain. Sammas would be in the pleasure chamber of the priest of Zargon and from there moved to the torture room. In exchange for the location of the pleasure chamber, the adventurers would have to agree to undertake a task for Nabu. After their rescue attempt—successful or not—they would return to the tombs, find where the high sorcerer Mandaru was interred, and from their dead clutches bring to Iltani a case of ancient scrolls. It would be within these mystical writings that the secrets to banishing Zargon would be found. A gleam in their eye, Zippo readily agreed to the terms. In response, Iltani pointed out on a rough map where the pleasure chamber was located. They also warned that the way was guarded by a deadly trap, though the exact location or nature of it they did not know.

Rejoining the others, Zippo found their companions seated quietly in the ceremonial chamber. Most of the cult members had departed, but a few remained, cleaning the space and refilling oil lamps. The adventurers stood up as Zippo approached, questioning looks on their faces. The wizard asked how long they had been gone in a hushed voice. Belit replied that they had been gone perhaps thirty minutes but that the group was beginning to worry. Zippo looked momentarily bewildered but quickly collected themselves and told the group that a deal had been struck. The conversation shifted to plans for the rescue, knowing that with their recent battles with the forces of Zargon, the element of surprise was likely lost. Zippo and Belit, their blood still up from the recent fights, called for a direct assault while the enemy were still on their heels. Uras suggested that delaying their strike might lead the enemy to drop their guard. Dagon and Samira both felt that perhaps there was more to be learned from the cults that would help choose the best approach. Maybe they could even be persuaded to take part?

Acolytes of Nabu quietly came and went on various errands, and all the while Iltani observed the party’s deliberations from across the chamber. With some prodding from Samira and Dagon, Zippo was persuaded to ask the grandmaster of Nabu for further information and advice. Zippo reluctantly approached Iltani and after a short exchange rejoined the group. They shared that Iltani had suggested more sword arms were needed and that it was always preferable to have others bleed rather than oneself—and who better than the cultists of Enlil? Of the three cults, Enlil was certainly the most militant, but might the grandmaster of Nabu have other motives? Knowing their reputation, most likely. Nonetheless, taking Iltani’s suggestion, the party returned to the enclave of Enlil. They shared their plan with Ardates, grandmaster of Enlil, and asked for their support. While hesitant to join the fight, Ardates was convinced that without Sammas there would be no alliance with the cult of Ishtar, and without it, no hope of overthrowing the cult of Zargon. As Ardates stood, clearly conflicted, one of the Enlil cult members interjected that they would volunteer to go with the adventurers. It was the young warrior whom Uras had healed several days earlier. Sensing the zeal of the volunteer, Ardates was persuaded and after a short conference with their followers returned to say that they would send five warriors. Their only requirement was that the five be under the command of Uras, who to their minds clearly was favored by the gods.

The small warband wasted no time and hastily readied themselves. Uras was surrounded by the Enlilite warriors, each armed with their curved khopesh swords and donning bronze mail over blue tunics. As was their way, the priest shared quiet words to lessen fears and strengthen resolve. The band silently descended through the pyramid and halted on the stairs just above the main floor. Zippo mouthed an evocation of protection and was surprised by the ease with which the strands of magical energy yielded to their will. The power of the black lotus was as undeniable as it was seductive. Dagon slipped down the remaining stairs and peered through the portal into the shadowed corridor. There was no immediate sign of threat nor any hidden danger that pricked at the thief’s subconscious. With Dagon waving them forward, Belit and Zippo exchanged quiet words. They decided not to take the route that led through the cavernous Chamber of the Gods and instead take the west corridor they had already partially explored. Belit took the lead, slender blade in hand, and led the group around the corner and down the long, dim passage. Smeared dried blood still stained the stone underfoot from their first battle.

Approaching the halfway point down the passage, Belit signaled for a halt. The warrior pointed ahead and mouthed quietly that there was a barrier blocking the way. The warrior and Zippo moved closer and found that the corridor had been blocked from floor to ceiling with barrels, crates, and heavy furniture. Uras motioned for the rest of the party to file into a side hallway that opened to the west. The adventurers hadn’t gone this direction earlier and only knew that it ended in a door a short distance ahead. Uras pulled off their backpack and began to sort out some iron spikes and a mallet—no one would be flanking them from that doorway if they could help it. Almost simultaneously, Zippo and Belit both suggested blowing up the barrier with skyrockets they had salvaged back when they had first entered the pyramid. Throwing caution to the wind along with any memory of nearly blowing themselves up in the jester’s tomb, the two unlashed skyrockets from their backpacks. Moving back up the corridor to what felt like a safe distance, Belit and Zippo prepared to light the rockets. Uras would use the noise of the explosion to cover the sound of spiking the door shut. As the fuses were lit, Samira tapped Dagon on the shoulder, pointing back the way they had come—the elf whispered that they might have heard something. Drawing Dimmakaku, the “Blood Tooth” dagger, Dagon glided around the corner, melting into the shadows.

Having gone several yards, Dagon winced in pain and reached for their shoulder, where they found a small black dart. At that very moment, the skyrockets ignited, sparks flying, and whooshed down the corridor. Both wedged into the barrier and then exploded with a tremendous flash and ear‑shattering report. With their back to the explosion, Dagon’s eyes spread wide and mouth dropped open. No more than two dozen paces back up the passage was the drow captain and a troupe of hobgoblin warriors—all shielding their eyes against the blinding flash. Turning on their heels, the thief ducked low and sprinted. As Uras finished driving in the last spike, some of the warriors of Enlil filed back into the main corridor to see the results of the detonation. Belit and Zippo saw that much of the barricade had been blown to splinters, though some barrels and crates still partially blocked their path. Some sort of liquid was spilling from several of the barrels and casks. Sheathing their sword, Belit charged headlong toward what remained, planning to knock it aside. Suddenly they felt like they were sliding across ice. The warrior slammed into the barrier and crumpled to the floor, smoking debris falling all around them.

Dagon burst from the darkness shouting that the enemy was attacking from the rear. Out of the darkness, a flight of javelins and a hand‑crossbow dart followed immediately after. One of the Enlil warriors was struck in the back and another toppled to the ground, fast asleep. The party recovered from their surprise quickly, with Samira managing to hurl a lit torch toward their attackers. The torch landed on target and stayed lit, illuminating the drow and their hobgoblin warriors in flickering light. Zippo gesticulated, shouting words of power, and in response several of the hobgoblins dropped their weapons and pitched forward onto the floor. Uras rallied the Enlilities and led a charge toward the enemy. Belit, wet with spilled wine, regained their feet and stared through the remains of the barricade directly into the masked face of a priest of Zargon. The heroes were surrounded.

Stepping back, Belit unshouldered their short bow and notched an arrow, calling out a warning to their comrades. The warrior sent an arrow through the gap and it glanced off the shoulder of the priest of Zargon. Zippo sidestepped Belit, words of magic on their lips and fingers spread out in a fan before them. Jets of blue flame consumed the barricade and those immediately on its other side. Hobgoblins howled in pain and then responded in fury. Battle axes toppled the smoldering wreckage and two scorched hobgoblins charged with more behind. Casting their bow aside, Belit’s sword leapt into their hand just in time to turn an axe blow aside. The warrior wove between the bulk of the hobgoblins, carving bloody wounds in their wake. Further up the hallway, Uras and the Enlilities clashed with the hobgoblins and their drow leader. Ringing blows were exchanged and a warrior of Enlil took a savage scimitar cut, sending them spinning and dropping. From the side passage, Samira and Belit alternated taking bow shots of opportunity as enemy targets came into sight.

The priest of Zargon raised a fist above their head, calling out to their dark deity to bring horror upon the infidels. Nothing seemed to happen as the fist slowly opened and descended (missed another priest of Zargon spellcasting roll!). Locking eyes with a hobgoblin standing to the side of the priest, Zippo mumbled arcane words. The hobgoblin’s eyes widened as the sneer on its face melted away. “Kill the priest of Zargon—they are our mortal enemy,” the wizard shouted above the din of battle. The hobgoblin hesitated but a moment before stepping back and bringing its axe down on the unsuspecting priest’s head. Blood splurted from the mouth and eye holes of the priest of Zargon’s golden mask, and the already dead body dropped heavily to the ground. The warriors of Enlil continued to press the attack at the other end of the corridor as Uras dropped to one knee to invoke a healing prayer on the fallen cult member. The warrior immediately sat up, and Uras began to help them to their feet. Belit continued to weave a tapestry of steel and blood among the much larger hobgoblins, opening one’s guts and then ducking a cleaving blow. The heroes continued to press the attack, and more hobgoblins were brought low. As the last of the drow’s troops fell to the blade of an Enlilite, the remaining two bodyguards of the dead priest of Zargon turned and fled. As Uras and the warriors of Enlil surged forward to claim the drow’s head, a mass of sticky webbing suddenly blocked their way, cutting off pursuit. The drow captain was nowhere to be seen.

Knowing a counterattack might come at any moment, the group hurried, tending to wounds and dispatching sleeping enemies. Within moments, the band continued down the passageway toward where Sammas was believed to be held. Based on what Iltani related, they knew a deadly trap of some nature was near. Speaking in simple Common tongue, Zippo asked the charmed hobgoblin bodyguard if it knew of this trap. The hulking warrior indicated a hidden spiked pit lay ahead. Moving cautiously forward, the wizard instructed the hobgoblin to disable the trap if it knew how. The hobgoblin bodyguard moved ahead of the party, pressing a stone in the wall. A mechanical clicking noise was heard, and the hobgoblin told Zippo that the pit was now locked but would rearm itself in a short time. Their path took them into a side passage heading south which ended in a door. Samira came forward with nervous eyes and pressed a delicate elven ear to the door ... nothing. The door opened into a dimly lit room with a large bronze altar dedicated to Zargon against the far left wall and a closed door on the right. The warriors of Enlil faltered in their steps as they saw the tentacled visage of Zargon depicted on the altar. Uras stepped toward the unholy site and issued a verbal rebuke in the name of Marduk, holding their holy symbol before them. Belit placed their hand on the priest’s shoulder, saying they had no time to waste ... Sammas must be found and their escape made. There would be time for the cleansing of such filth later. After a tense moment, Uras relented and the Enlilities fell in about the priest.

Dagon and Samira both listened at the closed door and reported that they heard the sounds of merrymaking ... music and laughter. What lay beyond must be the pleasure chamber of which they were told and if it was, hopefully Sammas would be found within. Belit slowly pulled the door open and parted heavy velvet curtains just enough to spy through. A strange, perfumed scent spilled out of the chamber along with sounds of carnal pleasure mixed with pain. In the center of the room was a sunken mosaic pool in which lounged naked—save for their masks and holy symbols—priests of Zargon. Around the pool on divans and mounds of silken pillows, priests of Zargon engaged in all manner of hedonistic acts with Cynidicean slaves. One slave plucked at a lyre as others busied themselves with trays of drink and food. In each of the four corners of the space stood a muscle‑bound hobgoblin with a battle axe in hand. Between two pillars on the far side of the pool, a nude figure—who surely must be Sammas—hung limply from chains about their wrists.

Letting the curtain fall, the party hastily circled up to devise a plan of attack. Samira and Dagon would sneak into the room, sliding along the walls behind the curtain. Once in position, they would launch coordinated surprise attacks on two of the hobgoblin guards. The rest of the band would then charge in and spill as much blood as possible before the enemy could rise from their debauchery. The two thieves limbered up and then parted ways, Dagon slipping behind the curtain to the right, Samira the one to the left. Back pressed against the wall, Dagon eased their way along, trying to ignore the disturbing soundscape of the room. When they reached the corner, Dagon just parted the curtain enough to peer through. Sure enough, Samira was also in place and gave the signal. As one, the thieves drew their daggers and struck. Samira’s blade found a gap in the hobgoblin’s mail and drove deep between ribs. Dark blood flooded down the hollow of the blade as the hobgoblin stiffened then pulled quickly away. Ready to deliver a deft underhand stab, Dagon lifted a foot to take one step more. Something pulled at the thief and looking down they saw the curtain had tangled about their ankle just as they stumbled forward (rolled a 1 on a DEX check!). Dagon bumbled into the hobgoblin, bouncing off as the hobgoblin turned, eyes wide. Seeing the thief’s plan come undone, Zippo ripped the curtain open and rushed into the chamber. Shocked to see the wizard leading the charge, Belit quickly came to their senses and signaled the attack. Running straight toward the hobgoblin readying its battle axe to split Dagon in two, Zippo yelled and it turned its head. The incantation flowed almost effortlessly through the wizard and they saw the look of surprise on the hobgoblin’s face quickly turn to one of deference. Pointing at Dagon, Zippo said, “This one is friend. Kill the priest of Zargon, they are enemies!”

The room erupted in chaos and bloodletting. Belit swept through the portal and before Samira’s badly wounded hobgoblin could lift its axe, they had opened its throat. The creature dropped the axe, clutching at its neck, falling to its knees and then collapsing face‑first. Uras led the warriors of Enlil toward the center of the room, smiting drug‑addled priests of Zargon where they stood and lay. Zippo’s other charmed hobgoblin, seeing more priests of Zargon, rushed to attack these new enemies. The slaughter carried into the mosaic pool where naked priests were savagely hacked to death. The Enlilities were like people possessed as they dealt death to those at whose hands they and countless others had suffered so much. The two remaining hobgoblin bodyguards charged Belit, axes raised overhead. The warrior took a glancing blow and whirled around to deliver a counter‑strike. Dagon joined in the slaughter, sinking their dagger into the hollow of a priest’s neck, a fountain of blood spraying. Moving along the east wall, staying at the edge of the fray, Samira loosened arrows as priests attempted to flee in panic. Servants and slaves scattered in all directions.

From the passage through which they had come, Samira heard a racket. Metal chains clanked, a loud scraping on the stone floor. Glancing that direction, the elf saw an enormous reptilian head poke through the curtains. Gray‑scaled with teeth like daggers, the thing’s tongue flicked out, tasting the fresh blood in the air. Large clawed forefeet came through, ripping the curtains down around it. The beast sprang its full fifteen‑foot‑long body through the doorway. A leather collar was around its thick neck and attached to it were two long chains extending out behind the creature. The two hobgoblins holding the ends of those chains were violently pulled through the doorway, barely keeping their feet. The duo dropped the chains and, taking long spears from their backs, prodded the beast in the hindquarters. The massive gray lizard roared and thrashed, its tail sending fleeing priests flying. For a split moment, the room froze as everyone’s eyes locked on this monstrous new threat. The lizard launched itself forward into the pool, bloodied water exploded in all directions, flowing across the floor. Its long black claws ruptured the chainmail of an Enlilite and mighty jaws closed but inches from the warrior’s head. While Belit and two of the warriors of Enlil remained locked in battle with the two axe‑wielding hobgoblins, the rest of the band circled the giant reptile.

Zippo ordered the charmed hobgoblins to attack the creature and then blasted it with a bolt of arcane energy. The rest of the group joined, attacking from all sides. The lizard roared, snapping and clawing in all directions. Its claws ripped through the Enlilite warriors but slowly, the beast was being worn down. Dagon leaped onto its scaly back and sank Blood Tooth into its side up to the hilt. The monster bucked violently, sending Dagon sliding across the bloody floor. Samira had the beast’s two handlers pinned down with arrow fire. Zippo blasted the reptile again and the band launched a fresh assault. Beaten, blackened, and bloodied, the giant lizard finally collapsed, its massive body convulsing in death (I rolled horrendously for this poor beast who had three attacks and could have been quite deadly). One remaining priest of Zargon cowered against the far wall. Uras and the Enlilities closed on them and weapons rose and fell well beyond need. Belit and the two Enlil warriors had likewise bested the hobgoblin bodyguards who lay at their feet. The two hobgoblin lizard wranglers surrendered and begged for mercy.

Amidst this scene of butchery, Sammas hung unmoving and seemingly completely unaware. Approaching the Ishtari grandmaster, the party saw that they seemed unharmed but obviously highly drugged. Belit opened the manacles and Zippo and Uras eased Sammas to a sitting position. Sammas’ head barely rose and their eyes roamed aimlessly. Samira came forward, wrapping their cloak about the grandmaster’s shoulders. Leaning in, Zippo quickly explained that they had come to rescue them and that they would return Sammas to their people, but there was no response. Belit and Uras took the grandmaster under the arms and lifted them upright, eager to depart. As they stepped forward, Sammas shook their bobbing head and said in a slurred voice, “Not without my possessions ... they took them.” A quaking hand raised to point toward a curtained archway. Zippo, accompanied by one of their hobgoblin bodyguards, went through the archway, into a larder full of wine caskets and food, and then into a barracks. Behind a tapestry, the wizard found a small private bedroom. There on a table was a shield bearing the icon of Ishtar along with a short sword, mail, white robe, and a necklace on which hung a key. Also a small chest sat at the foot of a bed and loose papers covered a writing desk. Calling for assistance, Zippo and the party gathered up everything and hastily made their escape back through the main floor of the pyramid—bloodied and strewn with dead.