Walker feeds the flames with more vials of oil.  They don't burn much hotter, but the fire is suddenly much larger, putting the two front-line ghouls within their reach even as their fellows retreat.  Unfortunately, this only seems to make them more desperate - and more dangerous.  Despite their best efforts to parry the creatures' blows, Sil and Vale both suffer some wounds; Vale takes a light claw slash (2 damage), but sil is far unluckier, as he suffers both that (1 damage) and a bite to his shoulder (6 damage), which takes him out of the battle.

19:56, Today: DM Maleketh rolled 8 using 2d6.  Initiative (Party, Enemies).

I forgot to record each die, but I'm pretty sure that was 6 & 2.
This message was last edited by the GM at 00:09, Mon 21 Mar 2022.

Vale swings at the ghoul Ati hit.

======
OOC: 20:38, Today: Vale rolled 6,10,6,11 using 1d20+4,1d8+3,1d20+4,1d8+3.  Longsword

I'm tired of this dice roller. Across various games out of my last dozen 1d20 "to hit" rolls I've had one 8, one 6 and everything else lower.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:45, Mon 21 Mar 2022.

Not wanting to share Sil’qian’s fate, Ati steps cautiously (but determinedly) in to attack.

17:42, Today: Ati rolled 9 using 1d6+7.  Dam.
17:42, Today: Ati rolled 23 using 1d20+3.  To hit w/ spear.

17:42, Today: Ati rolled 7 using 1d6+5.  Dam.
17:42, Today: Ati rolled 24 using 1d20+4.  To hit w/ spear.  (Hits AC -10)
This message was last edited by the player at 21:37, Fri 18 Mar 2022.

Walker pulled Silk's body out of the doorway, giving Ati room to attack the horrible, reeking ghouls. Once the elf was clear, the Wiskin readied his bow. Getting a shot through the chaos and flame might be difficult, be he was determined to do something gainful if possible.

"Thunwin! Find your faith!"

Thunwin makes another effort to drive the ghouls back, but it doesn't seem to be of any use, so Vale and Ati are forced to try and fight them off.  Vale, unfortunately, manages to do little, but Ati is much more successful, impaling one of the creatures on his spear and slaying it.  The remaining monster lashes out with claws and teeth, clearly hoping to make a path to get out of the fire, but is unable to cause any harm to its aggressors.

19:12, Today: DM Maleketh rolled 7 using 2d6 with rolls of 6,1.  Initiative (Party, Enemies).
19:13, Today: DM Maleketh, on behalf of Thunwin, rolled 5 using 1d20.  Turn Undead.

"Good work, Ati!" encourages Vale, "One more and we back off, shut the door, yes?"
He swipes at the undead in front of them and almost faints with shock as his sword seems to connect with the vile creature.

======
OOC:
09:55, Today: Vale rolled 15,6 using 1d20+4,1d8+3.  Longsword slashing damage.
AC5 for 6 slashing damange
Lucky 13th 'to hit'.

Ati grunts in agreement, and takes two more stabs at the undead foe.

13:45, Today: Ati rolled 7 using 1d6+4.  Damage #2.
13:45, Today: Ati rolled 8 using 1d6+4.  Damage #1.
13:45, Today: Ati rolled 13 using 1d20+5.  To hit #2.
13:45, Today: Ati rolled 12 using 1d20+5.  To hit #1.
This message was last edited by the player at 17:46, Thu 24 Mar 2022.

In reply to DM Maleketh (msg # 894):

Oh well, Thunwin doesn't seem to do well against ghouls. Thanks for letting him try.

Once more, Thunwin raised his pewter holy symbol as impressively as he could, and declared "Cast yourselves back into the infernal flames, ye undead abominations."

Walker placed his hands against the door, ready to shove it shut the moment his companions were clear!

"Get those spikes ready!" he shouted, but Lenny didn't seem very responsive.

Working in Tandem, Ati and Vale manage to bring down the last ghoul facing your group in melee, and shortly after, Walker darts forward and slams the door shut.  However, it's clear from a cursory observation that sealing it shut once more will be much tougher, as the process of removing the spikes damaged the stonework into which they were driven.  You'll need to drive them back into fresh stone - potentially a time-consuming task.

22:06, Today: DM Maleketh rolled 7 using 2d6.  Initiative (Party, Enemies).
The rolls were 4 & 3 on this - I swear the roller is failing to record the individual rolls properly.

Oof, sorry this one took so long, guys.
This message was last edited by the GM at 02:12, Wed 30 Mar 2022.

Thunwin put his holy symbol carefully back in his belt and drew out his warhammer, saying "This may be a bit clumsy, but it should drive those spikes into new stone."

Walker pointed at his backpack which he'd dropped during the battle. "There, in my pack, new spikes and a couple hammers! Hurry, the oil won't burn forever!" He braced his legs so that he could hold the door and allow room for Thunwin to work.

When the ghouls had begun their joint tenderization of him, Lenny had had the misfortune (or fortune?) to have been in the middle of a blink. The tenderizing had stopped as suddenly as it had started but paralyzed as he was, he could not order his eyelids to reopen. In that uncanny way of the senses, his ears had immediately become more ... sensitive. He heard the welcome crash of bottles of oil on the flagstone followed by the, admittedly gentle, crackling of flames. Twice, he had heard Mr. Silk call out orders, once to whisk him away from claw and fang.


But these were subsequently followed by anguished elfish yipping and Lenny's heart had just about hit the floor. It rose again when he heard the piteous gibbering of ghouls give way to a wretched silence. It rose even further when Walker's cry reached his ears:


With an unbearable eagerness, he awaited the smack of hammer on spike to entomb the ghouls once again.

Should the ghouls be resealed, we will attempt to camp in the priest's room just across the way.

Ati grabs a spike and a hammer and starts hammering.  No time like the present.

Vale checks on Sil, recovers his kit, and then keeps watch.

Thunwin also takes a spike from the pack, and starts hammering carefully, trying to use enough strength to drive the spike into the stone without simply bending it.

Working as quickly as you can, you hammer a pair of new spikes in front of the door.  Luck is on your side, and the ghouls within don't seem to want to brave the flames to get out before your work is finished.  Though the process takes several minutes, you're able to drive the new spikes into the stonework, effectively resealing the door.

"Sil seems to be stable now," announces Vale. "Good work on resealing the door, guys!" he adds, standing up. "Hey, Thunwin, you wanted that I should cast Detect magic on something or other. Was it some thing we've picked up? Or any area of this place in which we now find ourselves?"

Thunwin says, "Yes, I thought that sword of the jungle might be worth detecting magic on. One never knows."

Having said that, he turns first to Sil and then to Lenny over the course of the eight-hour rest, casting Cure Light Wounds on each of them in turn, touching his pewter holy symbol gently to the wounds of each, saying "O Zodarrim, wise in the ways of all worthy work, grant your mercy to this gallant comrade, cure him and strengthen him in the service of good." In the case of Lenny, since he is a dwarf, Thunwin adds "Bless this son of stone, child of those called forth by you at the dawn of time."

OOC: Thunwin rolls 14 on 1d20 on healing Sil, and 17 on 1d20 on healing Lenny.
This message was last edited by the player at 02:53, Mon 04 Apr 2022.

Vale casts Detect Magic on the sword, hoping to find magic and its school.

“Is there any chance there could be a secret entrance around here?  I suggest we search thoroughly before attempting to rest.”

After the Detect Magic goes down Vale does a walround if case any secret doors reveal themselves to him.

21:33, Today: DM Maleketh, on behalf of Thunwin, rolled 10 using 2d8 with rolls of 8,2.  CLW (Lenny/Sil).

I'm going with the watch order suggested by Lenny in the OOC thread (Ati-Walker-Thunwin-Vale).  I'm likewise assuming that you've kept the lamp lit.

With the door spiked, your group heads across the hall into the ruined bedroom.  While Thunwin heals Lenny and Sil, and Walker spikes the door shut, Vale does another perimeter check (finding nothing new) and casts Detect Magic on the sword (which unfortunately turns out to be nonmagical).  With that done, everyone save Ati (who's keeping watch) and Sil (who's still unconscious) strips off his armor and beds down around the lamp.

After about an hour, having just refilled the lamp's oil, Ati hears it: a familiar guttural hooting sound from the halls outside.  It doesn't sound close, but it's definitely getting louder.  The baboons are coming.
This message was last edited by the GM at 03:59, Tue 05 Apr 2022.

I take it Thunwin is still sleeping unless Ati wakes him or the baboons get louder.