A Knot of Thrones - The Cruel Lessons of Master Thorn
Moving on to the next obvious room east, our villains encounter a room with an inscription above it's door reading "The chosen are revealed by their might. The weak deserve no sympathy". This chamber houses two mithral cobras commanded to attack all who enter. The cobras bite bears a paralytic poison but otherwise are quite lethal. With a few swift punches, and an ogre in tow, they make quick work of the threat and begin to assess their next move.
Timeon |
Alas, our quest must be nearing completion as the 6th room contains nothing more than a podium cradling a pendant adjacent to a well-placed staircase leading top-side. But our party is no fool; they keenly see that the pendant is a fake and with a group’s feeling of validation of their discovery, they take to the staircase. Their trip up the stone stairs falls short as it dead ends to a large spiked boulder crashing down on them. Many leap out of the way of the crushing ball however Timeon doesn’t manage to move in time becoming a tenderized squire pancake. Carefully searching the remainder of the room a secret passageway is discovered leading room 7 and the chamber of the shrieker.
Sir Balin |
With the inscription above the door reading "Secrecy is our greatest ally. Exposure brings death", this room is completely dark. In the center of this stone chamber is a patch of bare earth surrounded by a two inch tall brick circle. From the soil grows a mansized purple mushroom with a strange bulbous cap. This is the shrieker and if light shines on it or any movement occurs within ten feet of the mushroom it emits an almost impossibly loud, piercing wail. This wail persists for several rounds after the stimulus is removed. Within the chamber, and the nearby rooms, all sound is drowned out by this racket. Even the slaves working in the upper levels of the manor house would hear a fainting screaming. But this makes no mind to Grumblejack as he marches mindlessly into the shrieker causing it to begin it’s high-pitched shriek. The ogre, annoyed by the sound, rips the mushroom from the ground. The shrieker is not durable. Any damage will kill it but the shriek will persist for the full duration (though it will never shriek again).
GM Thoughts
Although not a TPK, they continue to get close to it. GM didn't need to intervene this time however I fear them rushing into the final room without respite may be foolhardy as Grumblejack won't be so brave against Sir Balin, leaving them without a tank.
The torture rack became an issue as Shivers had some specific visions on what was to be done with poor Timeon even with Timeon giving up all the information available. Had to call a punt and ask Shivers' intention with getting so involved with the torture scene. Will make not of this for future.
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