Alternate Title: Ned Smashes Everything.
This link >>> Preview: Saint Brynned's Abbey (admo3of4.wixsite.com) <<< contains all of the information in the paragraph below, plus some other important details. It’s dated August 1st, so it has probably been a while since you’ve read it.
You originally came to Saint Brynned’s Abbey in search of Saint Brynned’s Tears and for other treasures. According to Ogilvy the Merchant back in Iruk, the Abbey contains treasures of forgotten Royalty. Also, the Tears are blessed with Divine Magic; it can return someone from the dead, completely heal a person, or destroy an Undead Creature. Or… the gang could cash in and sell the Tears of Saint Brynned to Ogilvy’s brother Seamus in Hammerfast for 5,000 gp. The Tears of Saint Brynned can be found in a “secret garden” within the Abbey.
West Crypt Room
The gang had just dismissed the graverobbers and this is when Eni the Chronicler of Cthulu decided to reveal his purpose for coming to Saint Brynned’s Abbey. According to Eni, there was a Portal that served as a Gateway to the Abyss within the Abbey. An Evil Abbott, which now haunts the Abbey, had created the Portal. Eni was tasked with destroying this Evil Abbott but preserve the Portal. The Portal would be repurposed to reach the Far Realms in the future.
Eni went to tell them that there was a second powerful undead haunting the Abbey that had cross purposes with both the Abbott and the Cthulu. Her name was Queen Ethofled, and she was motivated by rage and vengeance. Although it was not necessary to destroy her, things would be easier in the long run if that happened.
Workshop 1xp
The gang decided to leave the tombstones alone in the western crypt and returned to the large, main room. Orn and Eni took the lead and opened one of the western side doors. Judging from the busted shelves and broken tools, this used to be a workshop. In the middle of the room, crouched a wretched being munching on a recently deceased rat.
The wretch looked like a frozen human whose skin had been stripped away revealing muscle, bone, and sinew. Its lidless eyes met Orn’s, and it screamed in unaspirated rage. The only sounds were the creak of frozen muscles and connective tissue as the Flayed Zombie deftly maneuvered forward to munch on Orn’s face. Orn traded blows with it, until Ned stepped forward with his two-handed mace and smashed the thing to bits.
Mizzcleo found a miner’s pick that might be useful.
There was a door on the other side of the room. Orn managed to get it open a couple of inches. The door seemed to be blocked by a collapsed part of the Abbey.
Apothecary 1xp
The gang regrouped in the Main Room and then opened the other door on the western wall. Shelves lined the walls of this room. Many old scroll tubes and potion bottles, mostly broken or empty, were found on the shelves. Wuzra searched the shelves and found a recipe for Yeti Lotion.
Candelabra Room 2xp
The gang regrouped in the Main Room. There were three exits in the northern wall that were unexplored. Mizzcleo explored the Northwestern exit and stumbled upon an Ice Viper. Mizzcleo traded blows with it, until Ned stepped forward with his two-handed mace and smashed the thing to bits.
The gang was in a hallway that split north or west. They decided to head north and found a door. Orn opened the door and discovered a strange room. Experience told him that it was trap or puzzle. Seven skeletons lined the northern wall and a large candelabra with seven candles was in the center of the room. On the other side of the room was a barred gate. After some discussion, Orn decided to walk over to the other side of the room and peek through the gate. That’s when all seven of the skeletons animated and attacked.
Wuzra cast a protective magical shield on Orn as Eni invoked the Far Realms to repel the undead. Four of them huddled in their alcoves, but three of them stepped towards Orn with swords. Orn, protected by Wuzra’s magical shield, was able to fend off their attacks. The fight continued until Ned stepped forward with his two-handed mace and smashed the things to bits.
Queen Ethofled 1xp
The gang opened the gate and peered into the next room to the west. They saw a massive stone sarcophagus with chiseled floral decorations and a crown chiseled on the lid. When they entered the room, an apparition appeared above the sarcophagus. It was an apparition of a woman with elaborately braided hair wearing a crown. She spoke with an air of command, as if her requests were imperatives rather than mere requests.
She asked the group to slay the Abbott at the end of the corridor. She also asked the group to disrupt the Abyssal Portal by destroying the seven skulls that surrounded it. Again, she gave clear instructions on where the Portal was located. As a reward, she would give one of four treasures that she had: 1) Bedazzled Chain Mail 2) Platinum Signet Ring 3) Crown of Ethofled 4) a Fabulous Magical Dagger named “Maid of Honor.”
The Gang agreed to do her bidding and left.
Second Sarcophagus Room 1xp
The Gang continued explore the corridor. They came across a door and spotted another door further down the hall. They decided to take the door closer to them, which opened into an empty room with a barred gate to the west. They opened the gate.
Inside this room they found another sarcophagus. The room was identical to Queen Ethofled’s room, except that the ceiling was partially collapsed. The sarcophagus was also decorated differently. This one had shields and stars chiseled upon it.
Mizzcleo Detected Magic and discovered that there was a magic item contained within the sarcophagus. Orn placed a hand on the sarcophagus. Pebbles and dust fell from the ceiling. Fearing that the ceiling would collapse, the gang decided to leave it alone and left.
Abbott's Room 1xp
The gang was back in the corridor and traveled to the door further down the hall. They entered the room. A wind without any seeming origin briefly swirled through the room; blowing out Orn’s torch though Mizzcleo managed to cover her lantern in time. Orn relit his torch. The light from their lantern and torch seemed to have been dimmed. The gang kept glancing to either side of the room as they could swear that they spotted some shadowy movement just out of the corner of their eyesight, only to discover that it was nothing. They found a barred gate on the other side of the room. Trying to shine a light through the gate did not reveal much, as the shadows seem to lengthen in here and their light sources lacked the ability to pierce them. Weird.
They opened the gate. Unlike the other two similarly structured rooms, this one did not have a stone sarcophagus. Instead, it had a stone throne. Seated upon this throne was a dried corpse dressed in purple priestly robes. He wore a golden nose prosthetic, across his lap was a silver pastoral staff, and a brass key hung from a necklace around his throat. As the gang approached, the corpse animated.
“Power and treasure you seek? I can give the means to defeat the most powerful ghost in the Abbey and thus loot the richest grave.”
He requested that the group go to the Abyssal Portal Chamber. Once there, they will find a second portal that leads to the secret garden of Saint Brynned. In this secret garden, they will find seven golden chalices. Return all seven of the chalices and he will grant them this promised power.
The party agreed to do his bidding and left.
Ritual Room 2xp
The gang regrouped in the Main Room. There were two unexplored exits in the north. They detected wind and some sunlight coming from the exit on the left and they could see stairs leading up. They surmised that this exit just led to the roof and held nothing of interest. So, they decided to take the northeast exit. This led to stairs downward underneath the Abbey. Just before exiting down the stairs, Mizzcleo summoned a dog for protection.
When they reached the bottom of the stairs, Orn discovered that they had found the Portal Chamber. The Abyssal Portal appeared to be a well that was filled with blood. On the northern wall was an archway. Within this archway they could see bright sunlight and a lush garden. A cacophony of odors swirled through the room; fresh fragrance of flowers, the metallic smell of blood, and rotting flesh. As Orn was taking this all in, flayed arms reached up from within the well. Flayed zombies!
The gang traded blows with the pair of zombies, until Ned stepped forward with his two-handed mace and smashed the things to bits.
Library 1xp
[Full disclosure: I screwed up and forgot to draw a door on the map. This whole “dog thing” described below is just me covering my ass.]
As Ned smashed more things to bits with his two-handed mace, Mizzcleo’s dog began barking and whimpering. Orn gave it some attention and the dog insisted on going up the stairs again. The Rough Collie led Orn up the stairs and to an unopened door. Inside Orn found a library. After rummaging around for a bit, he found a scrap of paper with some important hints on how to solve the puzzles found in the secret garden. He also found a locked metal closet, which he could not open. Good boy, Lassie!
Secret Garden 2xp
They walked through the archway and found themselves in a warm and pleasant garden. In the center of it were a four-by-four checkered board and sixteen chess pieces. Mizzcleo quickly figured out the sudoku-like puzzle. The checkered board slid open, revealing a secret entrance leading down.
Knight Moves 2xp
Following the steps downward, the gang found themselves looking across a long hallway. The floor was again checkered, three squares wide and eight squares long. On the other side were two large iron statues with shields. Mizzcleo figured out the puzzle by matching the movement of a Chess Knight.
St Brynned's Tears 2xp
The rest of the Gang followed in Mizzcleo’s footsteps and were on the other side of the Iron Statues. They looked upon an altar with twelve golden chalices. On the other side of it was a marble statue of a girl smiling benevolently and holding a small pewter basin which emitted a soft azure glow. An armored knight was kneeling in front of the altar.
The knight stood and turned towards the Gang. He was an ageless man with white hair with hard yet distant eyes who was wearing plate mail. “Welcome. It’s been centuries since anyone visited this sacred place, but my vow still holds. You proved worthy, by reaching this place, so you may take one of the chalices, and fill it at the Saint’s Fountain, if you want. St. Brynned’s tears may heal all ailments of the body and the soul but use your judgement. It will take one year for the basin to fill again.”
Orn dipped a golden chalice into Saint Brynned’s basin and filled it with the bluish glowing liquid. Upon removing the chalice, a single teared rolled down the statue’s cheek and dripped into the basin.
Current Predicament:
The Gang is being pressured by three different powers:
1) The Abbott Grusom
Wants: the group to go through the portal in the ritual chamber (room 6) and take seven golden chalices for him.
Offers: His dark blessing which makes your attacks capable of damaging Queen Ethofled and the Eternal Knight.
2) Queen Ethofled
Wants: Slay the Abbot in the sepulcher at the end of the corridor and disrupt the skull circle in the eastern wing.
Offers: One of four valuable items
3)Cthulu
Wants: The Abbott slain, but his Abyssal Portal preserved. Slaying Queen Ethofled is recommended, but not necessary.
Offers: A painless death when it eats your universe. Plus, some extra mojo in the meantime aka experience points.
Experience Points 16
Mizzcleo 122
Ned 90
Eni 190
Orn 146
Wuzra 72
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