Session 4: The Labyrinth Catacombs

3,230 XP


     King Apollonas of Milea had ruled for an unprecedented 180 years before his death. During the third night of his death watch, a sacred Milean tradition, the king's corpse reportedly rose, armed itself, and wandered into the Labyrinth Catacombs. The undertaker's screams were the last sounds heard from within. Prince Hepirion, despite maintaining his predecessor's policy against official Pantheon presence, secretly reached out for help.

     The situation carried additional significance due to historical tensions between Milea and the Pantheon. The country began as a Poseidon cult in Kor that led to a minotaur uprising under their first ruler, Spike. During the chaos of the Voidfury Incursion, when old religions like Poseidon retained power while newer faiths faltered, their Poseidon Paladins carved out significant territory. After the Pantheon intervened to restore balance, Spike was killed in territorial conflicts, and his successor Apollonas banned all Pantheon presence from Milea.

     Rumors persisted of connections between Milean leadership and the demon lord Baphomet, who had claimed the minotaur race before their conversion to Poseidon. These whispers suggested such influence might explain Apollonas's extraordinary lifespan. The Pantheon hoped this investigation might uncover evidence of such extraplanar influence while resolving the immediate crisis.

    The Feinting GOATs, having recently contracted with the Pantheon, adopted a methodical approach to exploring the catacombs - always taking right turns at intersections. Whether by design or fortune, this technique led them past several pitfalls directly to the crematory doors, where they encountered their first challenge: a puzzle involving three trapped chests marked with symbols of lightning, fire, and ice.

    A plaque on the door instructed them to "place the gem in the rightful chest," with a heart-shaped gem provided. Elyndra's ability to detect magical traps revealed that all three chests were dangerous. Thinking laterally, the party noted the skeleton carved into the door itself and placed the heart gem within its ribcage, successfully solving the puzzle.

    The crematory revealed disturbing evidence - bones bearing teeth marks. Further investigation led to the discovery of a loose brick concealing the undertaker's secret quarters. As they breached this hidden chamber, they were immediately beset by two Large-sized skeletal minotaurs protecting their master, the necromancer Klymenos. The ensuing battle proved nearly fatal as the former undertaker proved remarkably resilient, shrugging off several direct hits from Adrian's pistol as he continued casting devastating spells including enervation, lightning bolt, and vampiric touch while his skeletal guardians pressed their relentless assault. Though victory seemed uncertain, the party ultimately prevailed through coordinated effort – Korloth and Goop's martial prowess, Akemi's inspirational powers, and Bao Bao's psionic healing proved crucial in turning the tide. Even Elyndra's opossum, Phillip, helped by delivering healing potions to those in need.

Shortly after the battle, they received an unexpected visitor - the ghost of King Apollonas himself appeared to thank them for defeating his "defiler." He beseeched them to find and properly lay to rest his animated corpse, promising his magical axe Tridax as reward and instructing them to tell Hepirion that "it's what Spike would have wanted." In the same chamber, they discovered the necromancer's grimoire, a powerful tome of dark magic that Klymenos had acquired through months of tomb robbery.

After spending two days recovering in the relative safety of the secret chamber, the party continued their exploration, encountering several more puzzle doors. One required guiding a metal wand through a maze, which Elyndra handled with characteristic precision. Another tested their religious knowledge in identifying Poseidon's symbol among many deities.

     A particularly complex door featured five holes surrounded by word sets: "shake, stand, book", "wind, work, land", "color, back, log", "head, key, birth" and "camp, arm, fly". By deducing the connecting elements (hand, wood, water, stone, and fire), they gained access to a hall lined with sarcophagi. From one, they recovered a magical conch shell that held recorded evidence of the undertaker's crimes - a conversation revealing his tomb-robbing activities and implying the murder of his apprentice Mahclese.

    Their exploration was interrupted by an encounter with two hook horrors, which the party dispatched after they chased Cut-Cut to an intersection. Following this, they attempted to lure out the ghoulish remains of the king using the undertaker's corpse as bait. When this proved unsuccessful, they pressed deeper into the catacombs.

    They next discovered the crypt of Plinarus the Vane, protected by a clever mirror puzzle requiring them to reverse both the words and their meanings to reveal the solution: "To Open reflect light towards ceiling". Within they found an enchanted mirror among the opulent surroundings, including working fountains and magical lighting.

    The final confrontation proved as bizarre as it was dangerous. When they heard the ghoul approaching, the party prepared and Adrian managed to get a good shot in, but the bullet seemed to lodge in an invisible barrier instead of striking the ghoul. The ghoul itself then collided with and became lodged in the same barrier - their first hint of the gelatinous cube's presence. Korloth, too tall to be fully engulfed, managed to disarm the ghoul of Tridax while both were partially trapped in the ooze. Cut-Cut's attempt to aid Korloth resulted in temporary paralysis from the cube's secretions. The rest of the party, discovering the cube's weakness to fire, eliminated the cube and releasing both Korloth and the ghoul. A few blows later and the ghoul succumbed as well.

     Having explored approximately half the catacombs - far more efficiently than expected due to their right-turn strategy - the party emerged victorious. They pieced together the full story: Klymenos had been robbing tombs to finance his pursuit of necromantic power, eventually purchasing the grimoire. When his apprentice Mahclese discovered these activities, Klymenos murdered him and disguised it as a disappearance. Believing himself powerful enough to control the dead king, Klymenos mixed ghoul venom into the embalming fluid, but his creation proved beyond his ability to control.

     Prince Hepirion, impressed by their success, immediately requested their aid in another matter - the kidnapping of the country's Oracle. Though not an official Pantheon mission, the party agreed to assist. The successful resolution of this first contract mission demonstrated the diverse strengths of the team, with all seven members contributing significantly to their survival and success.

 Note: The following writings are from the character's perspective and are often private to the character. They are not considered "in-game" knowledge to the other characters, and any in-character reference to this information would be considered meta-gaming.

Letter to Master Kagemitsu at Tengai-no-mori Monastery

  (by Caylen Redden)

Dear Master,

Greetings from the capital city of Aegias, in Milea. The Feinting GOATs have accepted the Pantheon’s contract and come here for our first official mission. It is a sensitive matter for the minotaurs, so I will not go into great detail, but we were asked by the king designate, Prince Hepirion, to look into a matter delaying the interment of the recently deceased King Apollonas. We were permitted entry into Aegias’ labyrinthine catacombs, where we encountered several strange creatures and uncovered a necromantic plot by the former undertaker, Klymenos. We emerged victorious, and Prince Hepirion was so impressed that he immediately offered us an additional quest while we are in the area. We may have a rare opportunity to meet Milea’s oracle, which could prove enlightening.

Before we departed, I was able to set up an automatic payment system with my Mnol bank account, so a portion should be transferred to the monastery each time a deposit is made. Please let me know if you experience any difficulty receiving these payments. I have found that the Mnol account crystal is not accepted everywhere, so I will need to withdraw some gold at the next opportunity. I am already indebted to two of my party members for necessary purchases.

I forgot to mention it in my previous letter, but I did also find a moment to speak with the other Thri-kreen after the Adventurers’ Decathlon. His name is Chk’Tik. He is the lone survivor of his pack, and very intent upon finding a mate. While I certainly empathize, and while he did appear suitably fit, I do not think it proper to settle for the first Thri-kreen I meet, and I feel that I must focus on my career as an adventurer for the time being. I suppose we will see what the future holds.

I hope all is well at home and that I will hear from you soon. Perhaps the Feinting GOATs will find work in Mupalan at some point. If you have any need, you may be able to request our services by contacting the Pantheon. We now have access to a spelljammer, so the journey would be swift.

Best wishes,

Cut-Cut