Frimmsreach Episode #36 and #37

EPISODE #36 and #37

SUMMARY:

Game Date: 12-15-14 and 12-22-14

Cast: Sparruu, Frothgar, Argus, Azmooth

Inside the sarcophagus chamber our heroes see more lovely paintings on the wall. Monsters, chaos, and death seem to be the theme. This time the images feature a serpentine warrior wading through battles until a fireball from the sky destroys a temple (Shrine of Worms!).

The serpent guards begin speaking through the walls, hissing and laughing.

“On behalf of myself and my brothers I thank you for the entertainment. The trick with the magic knife was particularly pleasant. It’s nice to see that tomb raiders these days have not lost their spirit.

And that’s good news for at least one of you because when I awaken my master he will be hungry before reclaiming the Shrine of Worms. And he only feeds on the best of the best. Your defeat of the two decrepit guards in the hall was enough to demonstrate the minimum degree of prowess required. So choose your weapons and steel your nerves. You are about to meet your makers, the impotent fools you call gods.”

And so, trapped, the team starts looking for a way out. Sounds in the walls indicate the guards are doing something, turning a mechanism. One of the diamond eyes on the sarcophagus lid lights up. Then another. This lid is coming open.

Azmooth tries to brace it with a long spear but is shocked painfully.

The lid opens! Up rises a serpent man. As the party begins to assault this threat it speaks, appearing somewhat weakened. "Wait! I am not your enemy!"

Turns out he's not. He replaced the serpent guy who was supposed to be in the coffin. His plan? To kill the head honcho, the high priest of K'lixtra, the last of the serpent brothers...Varlix!

The serpent guards are not happy about this. They rush in and all hell breaks loose. A few moments and many decapitated serpents later the party is panting and asking questions.

The new ally, Alix, says his only goal in being willfully put to sleep for a thousand years was to gain access to Varlix' tomb and kill him before he could awaken.

"For if Varlix returns the Shrine of Worms to its former glory he will summon the Terror Worm, devourer of villages."

This cannot stand. "How do we find him?" Asks our heroes.

Alix reveals a secret stair way down under his sarcophagus. It leads down to a room identical to the one they just left...including another sarcophagus. This one too is beginning to open up. Alix, desperate, says "Do not let it open!"

What to do? The lids are trapped. But Alix remembers a way to reverse the opening process and, by turning a certain gem on the lid, the sarcophagus goes silent again. Phew!

Alix lowers this sarcophagus revealing yet another flight of stairs. Down they go into the darkness to a dead end. But not a dead end...for here is a secret door. Once inside they find a 5' tall column of stone topped with a weird face. The hollow eyes of the face are filled with squishy, wet worms. Behind it is another wall.

Alix takes a worm and bites into it. Gross! Then he spits the chewed worm onto the back wall. Grosser! But the door is revealed and opens easily. Sparruu takes a mental note.

They step into a long room with s small pool or well at the end of it. The left hand wall has collapsed and the smell of nobberlochs is strong. Be careful, guys.

Alix examines the walls. "Here." he says. The back wall. He pulls out another worm. This time Sparruu takes it. "I'll chomp a worm!" exclaims the short priest of Miana Musina. He takes a bite, chews the foul thing up, and spits it on the wall. The door is revealed and opened...

Inside this next room is another sarcophagus. Simpler-looking than the others. Sinister. No treasures lines these walls. No weapons. Only bones.

Alix is ready to plunge in. But Azmooth and Argus are both badly injured from their travails with the trapped coffin lids and the serpent guards. Time to rest.

The party falls back to the worm statue room. It seems the most secure and easily defended. They set up with Alix taking first watch. But no sooner have their weary heads hit the pillows before Alix, noticing something stirring in the statue's eyes, is struck by a snake-like black worm dripping with foul ichor!

No rest yet. Battle time. More worms come. Alix is bitten, Argus is bitten, serpent heads fly. These little savages are slick and hard to get a hold of!

When all the worms lie dead and drooling their black blood the party takes stock of its condition, cleans up the mess, and finally finds a spot to bed down. A good night's sleep will refresh them...then they might take on the challenge of destroying this evil Varlix joker.

End of episodes #36 and #37.