Eleventh Entry

Continuing our exploration of this insane experimental zombie-production dungeon monastery, our party finds itself clearing ash and debris from a corridor separating Trax from the rest of us.

We rejoin Trax – and four dead zombies (really dead this time) – in a chamber. I use my thievish listening skills at the door opposite, and discern the sound of gnawing on bone. We burst through, splinters flying, and I fling my dagger wide of three foul zombies feasting upon townspeople. Ultimately, they are felled, heads removed, and we continue mapping. More rooms and bodies.

A muscular Orc torso floating on a cloud of mist, bearing two scimitars. I hurl my dagger. Trax and the Orc-Zombie exchange blows, and Trax prevails. We give Reewald a scimitar, for which he is grateful, notwithstanding his unfamiliarity with weapons.

A chamber with infected worms. Trax stomps them – they fly up and are embedded in her flesh! Thinking quickly, I rush forth with a flaming brand to cauterize the wounds. Trax declines, and instead casually digs the worms out of her own flesh with a dagger tip, with force that would have been fatal if administered to a lesser mortal. I cringe.

We come upon a metal door and are able to unlock it using Key #1. There is no evidence of previous marauders having been here. A corridor with four doors. Two large unmoving zombies behind one of them. They give forth brown ooze when hacked by Trax and Silverleaf. As they fall, Trax is suddenly maimed out of nowhere. Immediately thereafter, an ogre zombie – previously invisible – appears centre-stage. The battle is joined. I hurl Shred, but am only able to cause a nick. Somebody else deals the death blow.

Now that we know there are invisible zombies, we are on the lookout for all things invisible. An invisible chest is discovered. Sidonia is pricked on a needle trap. I pick the lock. Inside are a backpack, boots, belt, suspenders, gloves, a small pouch full of gems (mostly quartzes, one 100gp ruby, one 500gp diamond and one 200gp emerald – Trax takes these). I slip the gloves onto my hands. It is instantly clear that these are no normal bracers. They fit as though they were hand-sewn for me personally by the finest tailors in Kurach. It is not necessary to cast a Detect Magic spell to know that these gloves have been imbued with sorcerous qualities. Wearing them, it is evident that they will augment my ability to avoid the blows of my enemies, an important benefit given my inability to function as a thief while wearing heavy armour in battle. Moreover, my skills in lock-opening, pocket-picking, and trap location/removal will be enhanced while wearing these supernatural gloves. They are Bracers of Defense (-1, +5% thieving skills).

As we continue our exploration, it becomes clear that horrible experiments in zombie-making have been perpetrated on virtually every conceivable form of life in this former place of worship. And they are not easily slain! Four well-armoured, well-weaponed dwarven zombies fell Silverleaf – I drag his unconscious form from their lair as our group retreats down a corridor, into the first safe haven we see, slamming the door behind us. Therein we find three dead bodies on cots, three healing potions, and a dead scientist on the floor, but no sooner can Trax and Silverleaf gulp the potions than the dwarf-zombies break through the door. They are greeted by a hail of missiles, including my sling-bullets. Trax and Silverleaf fight them off, and Sidonia kills the last zombie with a magic missile and a thrown dagger.

This incessant stream of zombies is beginning to wear us down. We decide to retreat to a secure area behind one of the metal Key Doors and take stock of the situation. The magic-users rest and study while the others explore nearby. I memorize my Magic Missile spell.

We find another metal door, but neither of our special keys work. I use my thieving ability (and new bracers) to successfully pick the lock. A series of rooms confirms that this building is a veritable zombie production factory. Listening at a door, I hear a clatter which, upon entry, turns out to be the body part storage room, filled with animated hands, feat, heads and torsos. A porcupine zombie resides in another chamber, a six-armed Orc-zombie in another (as there are no six-armed Orcs so far as I am aware, presumably the six arms came from at least three different Orcs).

Another room filled with tubing (pig veins) and flasks containing a foul liquid. Four runes on a desk. Scrolls – written in Orcish – containing technical information on anatomy and zombification, runes and symbols sprinkled throughout. Sidonia and I take the runes and scrolls

Trax and Silverleaf kill undead wolves in another chamber. In another chamber we are greeted by giant ants – we slam the door shut and move on. Hill giants – zombies, not live ones, thank Dou! – in another cell. Noting the presence of three chests, we fight the giant zombies in the hopes of earning what treasure they guard. I launch a Magic Missile at one of them – “Bolts from the sky – one in your eye!” – and lob a dagger as my brave comrades lay into the fearsome creatures. When the messy work is done, and I have checked for traps and picked all of the locks, we open two chests to find rags, pouches of powder, and Orcish scrolls (Sidonia takes a few as keepsakes). In the third chest, I find black velvet wrapping a bracelet, a necklace, a wooden sceptre and a tiara. I judge the set to be worth 500gp, and stuff it all into my leather backpack. Best if I carry this valuable stuff myself – nothing worse than going back to loot the bodies when your companions have their heads eaten off.