Catacombs of the Undead
Format: Dungeon Crawl
Theme: Peace
Author: Player 4
Adventure Master: Player 4 (“Philip”), leading his 3rd mission.
One Shot
Date in Real Life: Saturday, 8 April, 2023
In Game Day: Shalosh, the 15th of Owol (early summer)
Player Characters:
Starflower the Lion Warrior with Regulus the Lion, on her 28th mission.
Edward the Knight of the Way, on his 26th mission.
William the Bear Knight with Bill the Bear, on his 31st mission.
Hector the Renewer, on his 17th mission.
Philip had taken another trip to Ravencrest. “I’m really starting to wonder if he’s got a special lady friend in Ravencrest,” Starflower commented.
After weapons practice one morning, the rest of the team (Starflower, Edward, William and Hector) were summoned before one of the guardians: Bob the swordmaster. He told them they had received word that a group of Salt Warriors had gone missing from an island off the southern coast of Talania. East of the Bahanen Islands.
The group grabbed a quick breakfast, then went to the Passage Lakes. They stepped out of a Hollow Tree in a grassy field. They could hear the lap of waves on a beach behind them.
“There’s a town over that way,” Hector said, pointing at some camp fire smoke rising in the west.
“I smell sheep,” Bill commented.
“That looks like a graveyard to the north,” Edward said.
“Let’s not go that way,” Hector suggested.
“The report said they went missing on their way from the town,” Starflower said. “How about we start at that field over there?”
The group spread out in an extended file and swept back and forth across the field, looking for clues. Edward spotted footprints, and followed the tracks. “Looks like I found signs of a struggle,” Edward said. “Non-Humans intercepting humans...” he took a few more paces, studying the ground. “The humans were overpowered, and dragged this way...”
“All the grass is dead in this patch,” Hector said. He kicked some fallen grass clippings aside to reveal a trap door with an iron ring.
“I guess that’s where we’re going,” William said, reluctantly.
Edward grabbed the handle and pulled the hatch open. It was a dark hole.
“I see a ladder,” Hector said.
“Sense any evil?” Edward asked.
Hector closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them. “No. After you.”
Edward climbed down the ladder, speaking the Night Light WordRune as he descended.
“All clear!” he called up.
The rest of the team climbed down, with Bill and Regulus jumping in instead of trying to use the ladder.
The walls were made of stone. A tunnel stretched in front of them into the darkness.
Edward drew his swords and led the way. They proceeded cautiously down the tunnel for several feet.
“I hear something,” William said. The rest of the team paused.
“Sounds like someone dragging their feet,” Starflower whispered.
“And coming this way,” Edward said.
“And I sense evil,” Hector put in, pulling out his sling.
A creature came around the corner. It moved like a zombie, but it was wrapped in bandages from head to toe.
“Who disturbs my slumber?” the creature’s dreadful voice moaned.
“Be gone, abomination!” Edward said forcefully.
The creature continued advancing towards them.
“For the Overlord!” Edward yelled, charging forward. Bill and Regulus flanked him, and the three tackled the mummy and slashed it down.
Hector and Starflower came up with William and looked at the body.
“Creepy,” Starflower commented.
“Yeah. Let’s keep going,” Hector said.
The team came upon a wooden door in the side of the tunnel. Hector pushed open the door and saw it was a janitor’s closet. He grabbed some old rags and tucked them into his pack. They didn’t see anything else of interest.
They continued down the hallway and came into a chamber. In a recess in the wall, they could see a body.
“Is that one of our missing Salt Warriors?” Hector asked, stepping forward.
“Careful,” Starflower said.
“I just want to look,” Hector said, “I won’t touch it.”
Hector approached the ledge. “Isaiah 26:3, You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3.” He kept one hand on his war hammer, one hand on his medical kit. He felt the Rescuer’s peace wash over him as he looked at the body. It looked like it had been dead for years.
“Who dares disturb my body?” a screechy voice called out.
Hector whirled around to see a wispy figure that had appeared in the middle of the room. The creature then gave out a loud moan. Starflower, Edward and William crumpled to the ground in a dead faint. Hector’s eyes widened, but he stood his ground.
“Lies. That was never your body, foul dragon corruption,” Hector answered evenly. He glanced at his fallen comrades. They were breathing. Regulus and Bill were still standing. They were facing the apparition warily, but were inching towards Starflower and William.
“You doubt the word of a Banshee?” the creature hissed. It floated towards Edward, and Hector could see it bearing some teeth.
“Get away from him!” Hector warned, stepping forward.
“I am hungry,” the banshee hissed.
“I said get back!” Hector yelled. He pulled out his sling and whipped a stone at the creature as fast as he could. The rock sailed right through it and hit the wall behind the creature.
The banshee made a strange sound. Was it laughing?
Hector saw Starflower sit up as Regulus moved to a protective position while she rose. William was starting to stir as well. Edward remained unconscious on the floor.
Hector raced forward and stood over Edward. He nudged him with his boot. “Hey, Edward, wake up,” he said. Edward didn’t stir. Hector reached into his pack and pulled out his water bottle, watching the banshee warily. Oddly, it wasn’t attacking. He poured some water on Edward’s face.
Edward sputtered. “What? What?” he asked, sitting up.
“Get up,” Hector said.
The banshee snarled.
“Let’s get out of here!” Edward yelled, he jumped up and ran right through the creature to get to the door. As he passed through, his movements slowed, and then stopped mid step, as if frozen in place.
The banshee whirled around, about to fall upon Edward.
“In the name of the Overlord of Many Names, I rebuke you, foul dragon corruption!” Hector yelled. “Be gone from here, never to return!”
The banshee screeched, and evaporated. Edward fell to the floor, but quickly stood up again.
“I was praying too,” Starflower said shakily.
“Let’s go,” Hector said heading for the other door in the room.
“Wait!” William called out as Hector reached for the door knob.
“What?” Hector asked. William pointed up. At the top of the door frame was a bucket.
“That’s going to fall on your head if you open the door.”
Starflower pulled out her quarter staff and poked the bucket. It fell to the floor, and several rocks spilled out. “That would have hurt,” she said.
“Not a very clever trap, though. Seems more like a childish prank,” Hector said. He stopped suddenly and looked up. “Do you guys hear that?”
“Sounds like laughing,” Edward said. “Reminds me of goblins.”
“Great, so we have goblins setting childish pranks, undead banshees and mummies, this place is starting to get on my nerves,” Hector said.
The team continued moving from room to room. They found more goblin traps, and eventually found a room with tables and desks. They found a key in one of the drawers. Nearby they discovered a dungeon cell with one of the missing salt warriors. He said there were 9 of them altogether.
At one junction, they found a ladder into the attic. They sent Regulus up, and he killed 15 goblins.
They found another dungeon, this time with seven more Salt Warriors. They found a stairway back to the surface, which opened up in town in a tavern. They sent the Salt Warriors up, and the team continued to try to find the last prisoner.
They heard screaming in the distance, forcing them to quicken their pace. At last they found the source of the screaming as they burst through a door into a torture chamber. The final Salt Warrior was laying on a table, surrounded by undead creatures, including a huge troll skeleton. Hector fainted at the sight of another Banshee, and Starflower helped revive him. A mighty battle ensued, with prayers, WordRunes and weapons sending the undead into oblivion.
The team brought the last Salt Warrior safely to the surface and then returned to Ras Telesar.
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