The Thursday Game 6/4/20 – To the Obelisk!

Recap of June the 4th in the year of our Lord 2020 – Having finally finished exploration of the temple and obtaining all the stone keys, we head north through Omu to the obelisk.  An entrance appears to the north of it and a curious tunnel heads to the east. From the cliffs, three menacing gargoyles watch. Written in common on the obelisk is Acererak’s First Warning:

“The enemies oppose.
One stands between them.
In darkness, it hides.
Don the mask or be seen.
Speak no truth to the doomed child.
The keys turn on the inside only.”

The Monk investigates the tunnel and finds four rows of eight statues of the animals from the keys opposing each other. A hidden alcove contains the last animal, the flail snail, who has a golden amulet dangling from an eyestalk. The Monk takes it and feels a pull westward. Following, the party finds an archway hidden under the jungle overgrowth. The party heads down a hallway which leads to a stone slab. To open the door, we must solve the puzzle of the keys using the information from the warning. Astonishingly, we do this without blowing ourselves up.

Beyond is another stone door with an iron lever in it. A spectral hourglass appears, and the sand begins to trickle down. When the Monk pulls the lever, the floor falls away and the rest of the party falls in a pit sustaining some damage. We climb up and, while clinging to the ledge above the pit, the Monk resets the lever and the floor comes up. Again, the hourglass appears and as the countdown ends, the door slides into the ceiling. The trick here was to do nothing.

We avoid traps to enter a hallway ending in a T intersection. At the end, is a devil’s face whose open mouth is a well of darkness. The Warlock casts light on a pebble and mage hands it inside. He can discern a vaguely humanoid figure moving around; “in darkness it hides”.

To the east is a grand chamber with several levels of balconies and stairs. From a balcony below, a hunched figure wearing a devil mask glares at us then runs. Before giving chase, we go down the west end of the tunnel. Peering through a crystal window, we see a sarcophagus, two statues of bears and a spell book, but there is no entrance. We head back east to the grand chamber and continue north after the figure. The Warlock sends his cat familiar to investigate. At the end of a hallway is a room containing a rusty statue of a knight on the far wall. A skeleton with an odd skull stands in the room. The Warlock eldritch blasts the skeleton and mage hands the skull back to the party. The Monk feels his gauntlets pulling him toward the statue, so he removes his armor to investigate the statue. The knight’s shield is only painted to look like iron.  A dagger tossed into the room slams into the shield and disintegrates. Anyone entering the room wearing metal armor would be doomed.

The Monk and the Druid, armor removed, head north to a room with a fountain surrounded by three marble maidens holding pitchers. The cat familiar drinks from the fountain and seems fine.  The Monk fills his waterskin. Back in the hall, the Paladin takes a sip of water and changes into a female! The cat seems unaffected. This is where our story pauses until next time.

Respectfully submitted,

Marigold Underbite, Cleric – May Pelor light your way!