Thread by @Shadumura

Tonight, Fist of Fangs and Friends have gone deeper into the catacombs, but first, we return to the inn -- where our heroes had slept in. Fang wakes up and gets his gear together. Takes two steps out onto the balcony of his room. Sees zieg in chair... and solsta is.. yeah.

Fang sees theo and theo goes back into his room. Fang goes back into his room and gives zeig as few moments to gather himself. Fang comes back out and joined the others on the ground floor. Zeig asks for barkeep's best mead, barkeep brings back barrel.

Zeig says that -- while barrel would be nice to have -- carrying it would be difficult. asks for two bottles worth. Barkeep goes back and brings out two casks. Zeig pays gold for them and takes them with him, out the inn. Dirc asks for meat that's easy to cook. Barkeep innuendos.

... about meat but goes back and brings a bag of mutton. Tells dirc he can have it, has too much. Dirc accepts and as Fang has been watching this whole ordeal, Theo consoles him once more before Dirc and Theo leave the inn. Fang sighs and leaves. Barkeep's lucky he's cute, too.

Fang sees Theo head to General Store. Remembers that potions would be good to have, going back to monastery. Fang goes to General Store & enters as Theo leaves. Asks for 3 potions of Healing. Pays 150g. Leaves as he hears store owner comment about closing up early. Glad to help.

Fang returns to the boat, to join the others as they once more set out for the island. This time, it was easy travel as they reach the beach. Securing the boat, they once more travel back up the path, camp, stairway and to the cemetary of the monastery.

Group enters barracks and descends down the stairs once more, into the catacombs. Silence meets them as they enter the passage. Dead rat in storehouse. Hearthroom... No iron grate blocks their path. This place unnerves Fang, but group continues onward.

Group finally reaches stairway. Fang and Dirc have darkvision but theo produces flame and Dirc lights a torch. The group descends the stairs. Bottom of stairs, sounds of the ocean echo through the wide corridor room. Door infront of group, with door on each side, down the hall.

Group goes left. Fang hugs wall as group turns right, into a long hall that opens into a much larger room. Fang cannot find anything to hide behind, so effort was wasted. Group tries to walk past broken tombs on ground. Zeig steps across one. SKELETONS RISE FROM THEIR GRAVES.

Before anyone can act, Dirc descends upon his skeleton with the "White Sword". It obliterates the skeleton in a single swing before Dirc moves to the Third skeleton. Fang, meanwhile, sees skeleton [roll nat 1] fall prone onto the group. Pulls out new rapier and walks up to it.

Fang proceeds to impale the skeleton's skull [nat 20] and flings the bones to the side with force. Fang likes new rapier, strikes true. Finally, Theo+Dirc+Zeig work together as the third skeleton goes down quickly -- once more in a single strike with the White Sword. Silence.

Group gathers themselves up and continue into room. Sees pool of murky water. Having suffered many traps and ambushes, Fang warns group to keep wide berth of it. Group remembers there's a room they passed, before they left the hall to move on. Returns to room.

Zeig pushes upon the stone door and inside laid a sarcophagus... and as we entered, a wave of sadness and anger hit the group. Fang felt the humiliation of hurting Zeig multiple times once more come up. Tears roll down Fang's Face. Ghost appears... IT IS THE LIGHTHOUSE GHOST.

This one has no right hand and goes to hover above the tomb. The lid explodes and dust and debris float up into the air. The ghost floated there and the group shrugs off the feelings, asking the ghost who are you. No answer. ANOTHER WAVE OF EMOTION HITS US.

Fang feels the anger of himself flow through him. Rage that he failed to keep his friend safe. Failed to strike true with his weapons. Failed... himself. Before Fang could act, sees Zeig climb up and strike the ghost with his lightning hammer. Connects.

BATTLE IS UPON US, as we try to send this thing back to the Dark Abyss it once came. [Group makes wisdom saves. Zeig fails by more than 5 but isn't nat 1. Fang is unaffected.] Fang watches his friend's beard go from a fiery red to a greyish white. Zeig had aged significantly!

Fang felt the rage burn inside himself. Fang doesn't go for his bow.. he goes for his rapier. Quickly marking the ghost, Fang plunges the sword into the ghost with reckless abandon. Nothing happens. Fang is once more useless to his friends. Anger burns his heart as tears fell.

Zeig runs away, off the coffin and behind a wall next to the door but returns after a brief moment. Gets back up onto the coffin and strikes a second time. Connects. Theo looks like he's sobbing. Why? Theo runs out of the room and also comes back once more. Fires Blast. Connects.

Dirc also flees the room, behind a wall and comes back into the room. Before he could climb onto the coffin, the ghost turns to Fang... who was alone in the room with the thing. Grabs onto Fang and Fang feels true fear as a sickness washes over him. Fang still stands but hurts...

The ghost lets go and as it turns to face Dirc, it receives a mighty blow from Dirc's White Sword. The ghost dissipates and everything falls back down onto the ground. Fang leans against the coffin, his tears unable to stop but drinks a potion & pulls his mask back up onto face.

Zeig, Theo and Dirc come to Fang's side. Fang coughs as he tries to shake off the unholy energy that he had briefly experienced. Fang accepts Cure Wounds from Zeig, feeling much better between potion and healing magic. Zeig looks... older, even with helmet on. Dirc knows why.

Dirc looks at Zeig and realizes it's an unholy afflict, one that if not cured within 24 hours, would become permanent. Zeig would be an older man, instead of his youthful 40s. The group gets up and backtracks to the pool. Giving it wide birth once more, they go to back door....

Suddenly, Theo's ring starts to float with his hand, guiding theo towards the southen hall of tombs. The tombs look like they have no writing on them. Dirc and Zeig push the lid off the one the ring lead them to. Inside was gold and change, gold brazier & copper short sword...

... and a brass cup, inset with blue opals. Something was special about this cup. Dirc takes it out of the tomb and looks at it, fills it up with water and drinks. Nothing happens. Gives cup to zeig. Zeig dumps the water, fills it with mead, drinks. Nothing happens.

Group takes a moment to ponder, then turns to the pool of murky water. As Dirc moves to the pool, Zeig is going towards the door on the far wall once more. Dirc fills cup with murky water. Hands it to Zeig. Zeig drinks... and his youthful appearance comes back once more!

This cup seems very special, in combination with the murky water. Dirc empties his water skin and fills it with the water. Zeig is convinced his mead cured him, but the group knew better. To each their own, Fang thinks. The group opens the door... into another huge hallway.

Before group enters, Fang returns to the tomb, collects gold and items and tucks them into pack. Returns to group and group enters new room. Checkered Marble tiles encompass the entire floor, with a huge statue at each end of the room [2].

The group splits up, with Dirc investigating the south statue while theo and zeig investigated the north. Fang kept watch for a moment before joining Dirc at the statue in the south end. Large, naked white marble women clutches her chest with one hand and reaches out w/ other.

Plaque below reads: “Light is the Weight of Wisdom — May it Open Your Doors.” Unsure, Dirc and Fang try few things. Torch in hand. Nothing. Fang gets idea, pulls out tinderbox and brazier. Lights kindling inside brazier & sets in hand. Nothing. Fang retrieves brazier, walks away.

Dirc tells Fang to look around with light source. Fang obliges, walking to the other side with Zeig and Theo looking at black marble statue of monk. Monk holds book at side and is lifting up an iron lantern. Inside was feather. Group unsure how to get feather.

By now, the latern looks like it can swing, after the group tried to lift it up to get at the feather. Theo lifts up lantern. Loud click heard and then singing. By now, fang had put out brazier, dumped contents and put it away but... nice... music.. comes from room....

Fang walks towards room. Fang entered room? Fang not care, must touch shiny orb. Ow. Fang slowly snaps out of it. In room with statue of mermaid holding up an orb. Theo and Dirc seem to touch orb as well, but zeig tries to snap dirc out of it. Fang helps as Zeig holds Dirc down.

Fang covers Dirc's ears and Dirc stops struggling. Dirc is back to us. Theo keeps trying to touch orb. Orb has been what's zapping group. Fang hates statue and zappy orb. Dirc and Fang try to stop Theo from touching again. Dirc slams Theo into far wall [nat 20] to hold him back.

Fang covers Theo's ears and Theo's eyes return to normal. Theo is on the ground by now, with Dirc ontop. Theo's confused as to what happened. Dirc uses manacle on Theo, each having an arm in them. Dirc tries to attack orb with bolt. Hits. Nothing happens but Dirc goes towards it.

Dirc touches the orb once more, with Theo being dragged along. Fang and Zeig pull Dirc back and cover his ears once more. Dirc wakes up from... trance. Zeig, having had enough, tries to strike at statue. Hammer bounces back as some form of magic protects statue. Zeig seems okay?

Everyone seems okay, so Dirc undoes the manacles and lets Theo go. Inside round room with statue, 6 beams of light shine down onto 6 symbols around the room. Seed, Flower, Owl, Candle, Moon, Sun. Group contemplates them and they try various positions with the lights.

After about 10 minutes, Zeig and Theo realized something and each of them stood on moon and owl. A loud click is heard. During this ordeal, Dirc asks Fang to retrieve journal from where Dirc dropped it -- infront of white marble statue. Fang goes to retrieve it.

Fang picks up book. Is open but looks away from reading it. Doesn't seem a language Fang understood anyways. Closes it and returns it to Dirc. Fang respects Dirc too much to pry into Dirc's privacy. Returns Journal as Zeig and Theo figure out the puzzle.

Fang and the others leave the round room, back into the large hall. The click came from the black marble monk statue. As the group comes up, fang is the first to reach the lantern. It had a panel on back but it's now open. Fang retrieves father, gives to Zeig.

Fang realizes the plaque's message, tells Zeig to place feather in white marble statue's hand. Zeig obliges and as the group returns to the marble statue, zeig puts feather in the hand. Another loud click is heard and the statue moves aside, revealing a passageway to go further.

The group enters the room. It's a short hall, that connects to a large squarish room ahead. The group slowly enters but Zeig was at point, stepping too far in and triggering a switch. In the room, towards the ceiling were 4 gargoyle statues, initially w/ water dripping down....

... from their mouths. Now, water begins to pour from their mouths and the entrance to the room shuts closed. The group was trapped in the room, with water slowly filling in the room. An ice creature floats above the group. Theo becomes frozen with fear. Fang cannot act.

The creature uses Frost breath on the group. Very minor damage but very cold. Dirc moves to far wall while zeig readied his hammer. Fang snaps out of fear, sees creature and Hunter's Mark it -- before firing off a longbow arrow. Both bolt and arrow had hit it but....

... whereas Fang's mark and shot would've easily fell a normal creature, this thing barely took any damage -- though it showed some damage was taken. Theo finally snaps out of it, sees the creature and fires off an eldritch blast. Seems to work better. Water at waist high now.

Group gets more afraid as the water starts to rise but continues to fight. Before fang can fire off another shot, Zeig raises his mighty hammer and a glowing, thunderous bolt of Eldritch energy flies true. It shatters the ice creature and the group is fine... for now.

By now, a few screams were heard from a small wall segment in the far corner of the room, as the fight had gone on. Fang had investigated it but something doesn't seem right. The water is gone. Fang realizes it was trick! Fang turns around... friends are still trying to swim!

The Water was an illusion! Quick on his feet, Fang goes to Zeig first. When in doubt, smack some sense into it. Fang used a bit too much force and knicked Zeig but zeig snaps out of trying to swim in water that doesn't exist. Fang tells Zeig "Help others! Fang help Theo!"

Fang proceeds to go to Theo, who looks like he's drowning while trying to swim. Also smacks theo. Knicks him with claws, like Zeig. Theo snaps out of it. Meanwhile, Zeig goes to Dirc, telling him it was an illusion. Dirc unphased, still tryign to swim. Zeig smacks Dirc.

Dirc was the last to snap out of the illusion. Fang was first to realize it but still helps friends. Fang is useful, again, to friends. Zeig goes to wall where screams came from. Raises hammer. Strikes wall. Wall is also not what it seems. Passage behind it appears. Group goes...

... inside, finds smithy/storage room. Very large bed sat on far wall, but dead giant rat was off to the side. Group looks at it. It was skewered by weapons similar to those lying across the room. Swords, spears, daggers and handaxes were in small piles.

Upon seeing the bed, Dirc was the first to go to it. It was a low bed, but could support 4 people... sideways. Fang joins Dirc on right side, scoots close to him. Theo joins on Dirc's left. Fang rests as he watches Zeig investigate the boxes and crates lying across the room....

... Being close to Dirc... felt very nice.... Fang feels... calm... once more... He wipes his tears and just snuggles against Dirc, taking a short cat nap....
AND THAT CONCLUDES TONIGHT'S SESSION. Illusions! Ghosts! Undead! Emotions!
Watch next time on Fist of Fangs & Friends!

@threadreaderapp unroll