The Medusa

As the party makes plans to reunite with Arkhelm, Reebo finds himself unable to resist the diamond studded tiara that he found earlier and awakens a sleeping Medusa.

This write up is from our Sunday, May 2nd 2021 session.

Continued from: The Party goes back for the Giant Octopus Zombie and Finds a Painting that Teleports People Who Annoy It.

Location:  Somewhere in Tegel Manor.

Saturday, April 4th, 4433 4:10 AM

 

We have a split party, Arkelm was left off alone when the rest of us were sucked through a picture in the big hallway. We got away from a water elemental and now want to get back to Arkelm.

We are in an odd shaped room with a painting of Rembard the Rake on one wall. Everyone is staying away from the painting. Nearby is a hallway that has a tapestry blocking off a bedroom where a diamond-studded tiara sits on a bedside table.

Arkelm had talked about rejoining at the front door if we got separated, seemed like a good goal. But first, let us check out every room nearby to be sure we don't get ambushed.

Syndra heard some noise on the back side of one door in the room, perhaps someone pushing a wheelbarrow?

Reebo spent some time trying to open the doorway in the corridor to the south. We had passed that door in getting away from the elemental. Reebo SUCKED at it, at least this door at this time.  Aefir got tired of waiting and just kicked it open.

A room, with yet another door.  Reebo listened at it, and heard some mumbling as if a priest was praying.  He went back into the hallway, and after Shadow Walker checked out the rat hole in the corner - it went down about 10 feet and headed north - we proceeded northward.

Leaving the tiara behind, we moved northward. Reebo could hear something that sounded like it was rolling on a stone floor.  

We positioned the light carriers off to one side, and Syndra changed into a snake, or took on the appearance of one, and Aefir opened the door. A corridor led northward, and another to the west.

Syndra, snaky Syndra, could hear a crying baby down the corridor. Further on was a statue, but no windows indicating outside.  One more corner (perhaps a corner too far?) and she headed back to the party.  Slithering the whole way.

She could hear an argument going on behind a door. A stupid argument, lots of insults and not much of substance.

As she approached a corner, she saw something greenishly glowing moving to the north. That was enough for her, and she came back to the party, crawling on her belly the whole way.

We moved northward, with Reebo listening at a door.  He suddenly felt the need to race and grab the tiara (using his mage hand) Yeah, the tiara that he ABSOLUTELY KNEW was a trap....  As he grabbed it, something else reached through the curtains on the bed and grabbed the tiara also. No stealing here.  Reebo could see an arm and a couple of small snakes at head level.

Reebo averted his eyes as a Medusa got out of bed and moved toward him. Shadow Walker could see his reaction and told us that something had gone wrong, and we got set for a battle (if we could not avoid it).

Reebo ran for the hills, yelling 'Run, Monster'  He kept running northward, where he could also hear the crying baby.

Aefir closed the door and Shadow spiked it closed and secure (maybe...) Reebo told us he thought it was a Medusa. Something was definitely at the door, now turning the handle.

Knowing it might be a Medusa, the party moved westward down that corridor. AWAY from the door. We could hear pounding on the door we blocked off.

Reebo, fleeing in panic, ran ahead and could feel a cold draft in the hall ahead. As if a window or door was open and wind coming through.

Snaky Syndra had stopped at a door in the corridor and head-butted it. Seemed that she was indicating to go in there, but the door was locked. Before Reebo could unlock it the Medusa broke through the doorway we had spiked.

We moved westward, away from the Medusa, and came into a musty smelling area. Syndra and Reebo had gone southward at a T intersection. Northerly, the corridor widened and bent off to the right.  Shadow could see some doors up that way.

Syndra proceeded westward, in general, and we kept on retreating.  Natalie had put down a 10X10 grease area to slow the Medusa.

Syndra could hear what she thought was bugbears behind a doorway. She went a ways further and saw a ***** WINDOW *****  !!!!!!

The Medusa came charging down the corridor and hit the grease, falling and sliding into the wall.  Paraselene had set up a mirror trap for the Medusa, but the Medusa was not affected by the initial look at its reflection.

Reebo and Syndra, way ahead, could hear creaking hinges and....Reebo was suddenly hanging by his hands as a trap door had opened beneath him.

Still too spread out, Shadow put down some caltrops to maybe slow the Medusa if it kept pursuing.   Paraselene kept her mirror and light pointed at the Medusa, and cantriped herself with Resistance.  

Syndra tried to help Reebo get up from the pit by offering her tail. Natalie moved up to try and help also.

The second time the Medusa looked for Para, it was affected by its own gaze and turned into stone...

WELL DONE !!!  Soon stomped and beaten into Medusa Bits.

Reebo and Natalie could hear a clicking sound from the pit, which was 20' deep.

Reebo listened at the nearby door, no noise behind it though there was light coming out from under the entryway.

Reebo, now clear of any immediate threat, went back for the tiara.  We wished him well but concentrated on getting over the pit and out of this area.  In a twist of fate, the tiara had been turned to stone also and was gone.  Reebo went back to the room to see what else was there that could be called treasure.

Looking around, Reebo could hear someone cursing as they approached the bedroom from the same direction he had.  He hid. The person was really upset that the door was damaged.

Reebo saw it was a ghoul.  It seemed to sense that he was around but did not see him hiding behind the tapestry. Reebo used his mage hand to distract it and silently moved away when the ghoul looked away.

After Reebo rejoined the party and got across the pit we proceeded.  The clicking that had been present went to a CLANG as the pit trap closed and reset itself.

Southward, we came to a window with an orangish glow through the layer of dirt and dust.  Almost like the sun coming up.  YAAAAAAAAY!

We were able to open the window, to a glorious sunrise.  We were on the first floor!!!

We had feared that we had been teleported several levels below ground.

Out the window and heading toward the entrance, definitely noting our position in case we wanted to reenter the manor this way.

Planning to get back to the front and hopefully find Arkelm, we had longish term plans to go back to town. Arkelm came walking toward us as we were getting it together, and rejoined us.

It seems that Arkelm had waited until the sun came up before coming outside by way of the door that we had come in by. He was following the path that was right outside the window we climbed out of. He had decided to wait until sunrise before heading for the front door since one wizard alone would be not stand much of a chance if he ran into something in the dark outside of the manor.

The vote was in, we head back to town. This time we would walk around the manor on the east side.

There was an outbuilding nearby that we learned was an outhouse.  All the amenities. No one went inside.

We continued our perambulation around the outside, with the vow to NOT be lured inside by a convenient door.  The window into one room was warm to the touch, different from the others.  Mushrooms in some rooms, most windows would likely have to be broken to enter, since they were swelled up from years of neglect.

For a wonder, there was one CLEAN window. The room appeared to be occupied at first, then the woman, a maid maybe, faded out as we watched. The room was spotlessly clean, except for the ever present rat hole in the corner. It looked like a bedroom.

We came to another alcove similar to where we met up with Arkelm. It contained a building appearing as a mausoleum with rusty iron doors that beckoned, but we deferred for yet another day. 

To the southeast was a graveyard, and cliffs leading toward the ocean beyond.

Looking into another window, one bedroom had furniture barricaded against the entry doors. A ghostly figure, like a young nanny was pacing back and forth.

A crying baby was in the next room from the nanny. We could not see it, but the sound was unambiguously a baby and it looked like a child's room.

On the other side of the alcove, Reebo could see movement behind a window.  It had the look of a schoolroom...zombies sitting in orderly rows and presumably studying something or the other. A wight appeared to be the teacher.

They started to come out after us but we moved off briskly as they fumbled with the windows.

We came across a large feather as we rounded one section of the building. A harpy feather, of all things. A tower, with 16 gargoyles posted on the second floor.  Shadow noticed that the gargoyles were not bolted in place. Just sitting there on perches. Maybe moving a little... he thinks he saw one move.

Another outbuilding, maybe a bathhouse.

Big heavy double door on a northeastern wall of the manor.  Probably carriage house someone said. Confirmed by peaking through the crack between the doors.

More window peeking as we progressed.  Lotsa dust and dirt. One part of the building was three stories tall and had a balcony on the top floor.

There was a gazebo ahead.

One window looked in on a kitchen area, swarming with flies on rotted meat.

Looking into another room we could see a hunting trophy room. There was an intact giant lizard skeleton in the center of the room, everything else was mounted on the walls.

Someone identified one of the heads on the wall as belonging to a Triceratops!!!

Next door was a room that looked like it was used for taxidermy... and hadn't been cleaned up afterwards.

The gazebo looked like it has been in combat; arrows stuck in it, hacking from swords. Maybe we'll find a Hackmaster+12 !!!

 

Continued in: A Gazebo and two zombies on a Saturday morning