Kellri’s 18-Day Module Challenge – Day 2

Day #2: D2 Shrine of the Kuo-Toa. First of all when I DMed this adventure in the early 1980s I was struck by the weird, creepy and otherworldly nature of the Kuo-toa and their blasphemous goddess Blibdoolpoolp. Mind you, this was a few years before my first introduction to H.P. Lovecraft, so I didn’t see the parallels to Deep Ones and Elder Gods inherent in a lot of Gygax’s writing. Even so Gary gave good instruction and flavor in the module to help bring out the skin crawling elements of the Shrine and the weird fish folk inhabitants.

I recall that the entry into the Shrine proper did not go well. What ensued was a huge fight with the Idol guards and eventually more and more guards rushing in from other parts of the complex. Eventually the characters had to conduct a fighting retreat to side passages and fight running battles (think Luke, Leia, Han and Chewbacca racing through the Death Star with squads of Stormtroopers on their heels and around every corner). Eventually they found respite from the constant battling and were able to explore a little more casually, but they were sorely taxed on resources. With a sense that there was nowhere safe to rest and a growing sense that their next encounter could be their last, the characters snuck out of the other side of the complex and onward to the Vault of the Drow.

I’d call that a very fun and interesting stalemate!