Vilma's Chronicles: A Day of Paralysis, Puddings, and Peculiar Grins
Four souls lay struck down by paralysis – Cairo, Los, Sirius, and even dear Elean. There they lay, looking about with pleading eyes, though alas, paralysis renders one unable to speak. The remaining trio – Arn the stout fighter, Nikki the druid-ranger, and Norsha the clever illusionist-thief – were left scratching their heads. A cleric was sorely needed, for only they possess the spell to remove such a malady, but alas, the cleric was conveniently nowhere to be found.
Discussions arose, as they often do when faced with the indeterminate. Should they wait, risking the approach of nightfall while vulnerable? Should they perhaps fashion stretchers from marsh reeds and hair (yes, human hair was suggested, a rather novel approach, wouldn't you say?)? Los, it was noted, is quite the carpenter, though her skills were of little use in her current state. They even entertained the wild notion of simply abandoning the area and pursuing other ventures.
Ever the resourceful ones, they tried more direct methods. Slapping was proposed. Massaging arms and legs to perhaps loosen the affliction. And then there was Nikki's rather mischievous idea for Cairo – she simply tied his shoes together! One might even call it 'taunt magic,' a hope that mind games might break the spell.
When brute force and footwear failed, magic was consulted. Nikki, a druid with access to spells through prayer, consulted her repertoire. Could Charm Person help, perhaps snapping them out of fear? It seemed not, as it controls thoughts, not bodies, and would only affect one person. Nonetheless, Nikki attempted it on Cairo, the strongest among the paralyzed. Alas, his mental strength overruled her druidic efforts.
But Norsha, the illusionist, had another idea: Hypnotic Pattern. A spell to mesmerize and perhaps shake them from their fear-based paralysis. She wove her illusion, a beautiful pattern of light and colour, visible to all. And lo! It worked, in a manner of speaking. Cairo, Los, Sirius, and Elean all failed their saving throws and fell under the spell, their bodies loosening, becoming relaxed and pliable. They weren't moving, mind you, merely staring in awe at the shimmering pattern. Norsha even tried to lure them with it, speaking words to call them back to reality. Finally, she decided to simply stop the spell. And just like that, they snapped out of it, blinking and asking what had happened. Cairo, of course, immediately discovered his tied shoes, shaking a fist at Nikki.
With the party (mostly) back on their feet, and about half an hour having passed since the initial paralysis, they found themselves once more in the burial chamber with its searched alcoves and two unopened doors. Should they press on, or retreat to town for rest? Time was pressing, the sun dipping closer to the horizon. They decided to search the doors for traps, just in case. Searching, however, is a noisy business, requiring rapping and thumping, and the sounds drew attention.
Six hungry ghouls came creeping down the stairway, drawn by the disturbance. Arn, ever watchful (he noted he was keeping a lookout!), wasn't surprised, but the attack was upon them nonetheless. Battle ensued. Arn threw his hammer. Los unleashed magic missiles. Nikki prepared her sword, Mr. Paws. Feno, now present, joined the fray. Norsha attempted another illusion, a great chasm on the stairs, but ghouls, being undead, are often immune to such mental tricks. Yet, the illusion did cause hesitation, and in a rather dramatic turn, one ghoul seemingly yanked another into the spectral pit.
The ghouls attacked with nasty claws and bites that could cause paralysis. Arn, despite resisting initially, later succumbed to the ghoul's touch. Nikki, being a half-elf, showed remarkable resilience, succeeding on her saving throws against paralysis multiple times. Los, demonstrating her cunning (and the utility of Gary!), used her spider climb ability to scale the wall and backstab a ghoul. Feno, a force to be reckoned with, made short work of the undead attackers. Finally, the last ghoul fell, slain by Los with her magic dagger, Gary.
With the immediate threat neutralized, the party turned their attention to Arn, who remained paralyzed from the ghoul's attack. They tried massaging him, waiting, even taking a snack break (a wise move after such excitement, perhaps?). Nikki, asked for her opinion on Arn, simply remarked that he seems like someone who tags along and drinks. Eventually, after quite some time, Arn gasped and recovered.
Refreshed by snacks and recovery, the group decided to open one of the unexplored doors. They chose the west door. Los had previously searched it for traps, finding it well-constructed with greased hinges. It opened into a large room filled with burial alcoves. Eager to search for treasures, most of the party set to work, tapping and searching loudly. Eloin, the scholar, seemed particularly interested in the alcoves. Nikki and Sirius stood guard.
Their noisy searching, however, drew more attention. From the staircase, they heard a guttural moaning. Nikki bravely peeked around the corner, hearing growling but seeing nothing in the gathering dusk. It seems Nikki has developed a rather peculiar relationship with her fern, Fernadette, who apparently speaks to her in a trucker's voice – a recent development tied to her druidical fanaticism, I'm told. After a brief look into the mist-shrouded marsh (talking to Fernadette all the while), Nikki ran back to the safety of the chamber.
Their search of the alcoves yielded some interesting items: an amphora (a lovely two-handled jar), an electrum goblet (sadly not magical, much to Norsha's disappointment), some scrolls, and a dagger. Nikki used her detect magic spell and found that the dagger radiated strong magic, while the others were quite mundane.
Things took another strange turn when Eloin became fixated on the magical dagger, clutching it tightly and grinning. Los, concerned about unknown magic, tried to persuade him to part with it, even resorting to trying to force it from his grasp. But Eloin, with surprising dexterity, evaded her attempts. Then, with a wide grin at Feno, he suddenly tossed the dagger into Feno's bag of holding. Immediately after, his strange fixation vanished, replaced by a blank look. Was this a trick of the knife? A newfound thief's ability? The dagger's influence seems, shall we say, indeterminate. Poor Eloin then seemed confused, asking where his barrerow was and wanting to return to town.
Despite the hour, they decided to check the second door, the east one Arn had previously searched. It opened into a room dominated by a sarcophagus standing upright in the center. Inside stood a mummy, its blackened skin and gleaming teeth visible even from a distance. As Arn bravely (or perhaps foolishly) ventured forward, tapping with his pole, something unexpected dropped from the ceiling.
It was a gray ooze, striking down at Arn. Arn, though surprised, entered combat. Sirius fired an arrow, which the ooze simply absorbed with a disgusting sound. Los, using her spider climb again, attacked from the side with Gary. Arn, with his powerful magic hammer, struck the creature. Magic weapons, thankfully, were unaffected by the ooze's corrosive touch. Arn defeated the slithering mass, and Los, ever practical, managed to collect a vial of the ooze.
With the ooze vanquished and the room swept by Arn, their attention returned to the mummy standing in the sarcophagus. It wore a silver ring and a chain with a blood stone gem. Norsha, the daring thief, couldn't resist. She deftly slipped the ring from its finger. The mummy simply stared and grinned. Then, boosted by Los, Norsha reached up and removed the chain and gem. Again, the mummy merely twisted its neck and grinned unsettlingly. Startled, Norsha backflipped away. The mummy? It just stood there, grinning. An echoing voice from the tomb seemed to mock their surprise, "You think it's odd, eh?".
And on that note of peculiar quiet, with a grinning mummy left in its sarcophagus and dusk descending outside, our adventurers decided it was time to return to town. What mysteries remain in those silent chambers? What was the meaning of the mummy's grin? And what precisely was on those scrolls Cairo found? The marsh keeps its secrets, for now.
Until our next adventure, dear readers, stay wise, be clever, and embrace the indeterminate!
- Vilma.
