Episode 1

Bryn, Hinka, and Kray lead the way. With Rutcranna and Rhone closest behind advising on route from a distance.

There are several torches held within the crowd. There are a few lanterns on sconces in the chambers and halls, but when the group breaks off on this route of ascent, the light that is carried with them is the only illumination to be seen.

At the top of the first climb of stairs, the room opens out as described into a large room that looks like it was once used for performances or possibly a synod or "senate" type assembly room. Benches descend down to a low area in the middle. The party enters from the stairs that emerge high on one side, a causeway that runs along the back high wall.

Instructions are to turn left and that way is clear. But to the right, coming from another hallway....

2 Nahrooma Alligators are seen wandering around on the prowl! They lurch from the shadows and attack, their swollen earsacs bulging, filth oozing from their mouths....

Roll Initiative. RETRO INITIATIVE that is!!!
Brynn and Kray Modifiers only (disregard Hinka).
They attack first and determine party as Top or Bottom of Round. Rest of party can come in next round in the same rotation with the scouts.
Pay attention to Gator Roll below and proceed if you win.

Bryn and Kray leap into action without hesitation, attacking the alligators head on before they can charge forward with their powerful bite.

Bryn slays his alligator with his quick blades. Kray slashes the other, injuring it severely. Seeing that it is still twisting and ready to snap, Hinka moves to the side unseen and throws a javelin to finish it off.

The beasts twirl and twist, but death sets in on them both.


Hinka
TR1

Attack: Javelin, thrown, at Alligator 2
Hit

The rest of the group quickly runs up the stairs. As the more torches emerge from the hallway, the range of the illumination creeps further outward into the dark auditorium chamber.

Down below in the floor of the chamber at the lowest level, some movement. At the edge of the light, the first thing seen is their eyes - huge bulging black bulbs reflecting light in a dull sickly glow. Ulathi. Deep ones.

At least 3 of the creatures are coming forward from a low hallway in the bottom floor, down at the back of the chamber where a speaker might enter to speak upward to an audience or assembly seated in the rising stairs above. It is clear they have seen the group. They waddle forward, barbed spears and blades in hand. At least 2 alligators also lurch forward out of the darkness, twisting and dragging across the stone floor at the level below.

Rutcranna calls out, "Go! Quickly!" pointing to the left running back wall that "If we make a stand, we make it at the Seal Door to the Throne Room. To the stairs and up!"

A few screams from the women. Most are moving left as Rutcranna commands, fear in their wide eyes.

Just the part where she closes the door on all of us and heads off with Rhone.

The crowd moves quickly across the high platform and to the stairs, easily outrunning the enemy trailers below. The stairwell is wide with squared switch backs, changing direction 4 times during the rise. The top level exits out into a wide hallway with tall ceilings going right and left.

"Left!" says Rhone.

Turn and move up to a junction: either continue straight onward to what looks like a downward spiraling ramp, or turn left down another wide hallway.

"Left again! The Seal Door is around the corner."

Much of the crowd continues on. To Kray and Bryn, the archers, Rutcranna points out the blobs of flesh growth that are stuck periodically to the walls and ceiling. "We must do what we can to destroy these wretched anchors - limit the Glaakieou's movement if we have to face their full assault in these halls. Shoot the flesh masses from afar and beware of the dust they spew."

"Laoise, follow suit. Arrows into the globs of sludge. Do not ask questions, swamp runner, just hit your mark." Rutcranna barks out in a scolding tone. Young Laoise gets to it.

Rutcranna continues on with orders to the women who are waiting there with Kray and Bryn, "Come here, girl. Give me that bow." Rutcranna takes the spare short bow from Aisling and starts firing arrows herself, piercing a flesh glob on the ceiling about 15 meters back down the hall. When the mass is struck, a small puff of powder and fumes cough out from it and hang in the air.

Standing beside Rutcranna is Doirind, the athletic 30 year old who looks like a warrior woman. She is clutching her spear at ready and looking down the hallway in both directions. To Rutcranna, she asks "Do you think..." then she hesitates.

Rutcranna, in between arrow firings, stops. "Yes, Doirind. He is close and will soon be upon us. Fall back to the door with the others and ready yourself to face him."

Doirind clenches her jaw and then departs, rounding the corner to join the others at the great Seal Door.

As archers are taking out the flesh globs in the surrounding halls, the majority of the group comes to an extremely large double door that is sunk into a short hallway threshold to the right of the main hall.

The door is made out of thick heavy wood with what looks to be anchor points to give it more strength. It is closed tight. Apparently it opens into the hallway (inward then, coming towards the party looking at it).

Rhone takes off her backpack and places it on the ground next to the hallway wall. "There," she says, pointing up to the dark shadows in the ceiling of the hallway. "Up there I found a way in. A narrow hole in the wall that leads to the Throne Room. I can get up there and inside, but there is a heavy locking plank barring the door on that side. Someone strong will have to get in there to lift it out of the brackets. Can someone make the climb up and over with me?"

Rhone looks at Thorn and Ivor, obviously hoping they will answer her plea.

Hinka is already climbing up the wall, using the narrow holds of the block walls. He is soon to the top corner of the wall and the ceiling. It does appear that there is some sort of small ledge or egress at the top, though it cannot quite be perceived in the shadows.

Rhone looks up at Hinka, then back at Thorn. She leans forward and whispers, "He's not going to be tall enough." She has a look of concern.

As Bryn and Kray are eliminating flesh globs on the original hall .....they hear screams. High pitched calls and yelps, mixed with wailing moans. Like the shouts of madmen.

The horrible calls echo through the stone hallways, rolling up from the wide spiraling ramp. Coming from the darkness, in the heavy drone of the stone chambers, the sound is truly menacing.

Looking back the other way, back towards the switchback stairwell, Kray and Bryn see the slow pour of and alligator lurching out from the darkness of the stairs. It emerges into the hall and stops, as if wondering which way to go. One of it's companions, another large alligator lops out behind it and turns left, waddling down the hall towards the group.

Kray and Bryn are able to pull back into the perpendicular hall that leads to the Seal Door and the rest of the crowd before being seen. No doubt though: the alligators and the Deep Ones leading them will soon come around the corner. And likely, some other horror will emerged from the other end of the hall at the spiral ramp.

The hunters are converging in.