Session 4: Near TPK

The characters approach the huge stone statue of Gamosh. As they grow near, two clay urns issue forth great streams of cold magical flame, illuminating the vast chamber. The light strikes the statue’s single faceted ruby eye and turns the ceiling into a sea of shimmering blood-light.

It is Ardyn that first notices a glimmering sheen of wet blood that lies across the surface of the altar stone before Gamosh. He first brings it to the attention of the others then, like a moth to the flame ambles up to the gruesome slab and dips the tip of his spear into the blood!

It goes without saying that his boon companions were counseling him in terms most strong not to touch the blood and instead, flee as if his very undergarments were alight. However, Ardyn throws caution and his wits to the wind and with his now familiar and defiant cry of “well, I’m doing it anyway!” watches as two droplets of magical liquid raced up the spear, then his arm, disappearing under his cloak. Aside from an uneasy feeling, Ardyn seemed no worse for the experience.

After that brief encounter, everyone was getting jittery and Forester proposed a withdrawal to the surface where they could spend some of their newly acquired riches.

The characters returned unmolested to daylight and a chill winter wind. Bane the wolfhound was waiting faithfully for Forester who took the time to magic-him-up a steaming plate of tasty meats.

The journey back to Lawsend was almost without incident. Just as the party enters the dense woodland near the village, the air fell still and all was quiet. Then a darkness came upon the area with but one light silhouetting a single slender man with the mantle of a stag.

The elf came forward and asked for the return of his stolen crown... Forester blushed a little and took it off then handed it over. The elf retreated from view promising the friendship of the woods in return.

Upon the character’s return to the village, V holds up the displaced eye of Moriban the Ogre and there is much celebration. Great volumes of food and mead are consumed and most of the characters retreat to a deep and grateful sleep. All except Forester that is; somehow he has attracted the attention of a young wench and departs to her pallet (which causes some lip-curling from Miskar). Forester has no grasp of the language and takes to calling the women Esmerelda. Suffice it is to say, Bane slept in the cold that night.

On the morrow, the villagers manage to reclaim much of the reward money collected by the characters only the night before as the PCs go on a mighty shopping spree. Armour and weapons are purchased, together with much miscellaneous equipment nearly filling Miskar and V’s character sheets. At this point I realise that my game has no price listed for arrows... I pluck the price of 10 silver for 12 arrows out of the air but Ardyn doesn’t like it (did I mention he was tight with his money) and leaves without purchasing them.

Ardyn does however decide he too wants a dog. Lawsend isn’t known for it’s canine stock so Ardyn comes away with a knotted ball of white fuzzy muscle and teeth called Horse. For want of a better offer, Horse follows Ardyn at a safe distance.

V is now barely visible behind a wall of gleaming armour but feels safer for it. All characters now carry what they believe to be sufficient torches and oil. Miskar notes that she was unable to find a suitable 10-pole. Something else I need to fix...

After returning to the Maze of Nuromen, the team decide to explore the northern reaches of the dungeon rather than facing the icon of Gamosh. A curious turn of events but this time I’m ready, I’ve actually re-read all of the adventure!

The group explores a few largely deserted chambers without much excitement; so little in fact that Miskar wanders off on her own (which is something Ardyn is more likely to do, perhaps she really is miffed about ‘Esmerelda’)?

Miskar returns to the subterranean garden and takes some of the surprisingly clear water from the fountain. She shares a few glugs with some of the plants but they are long dead. Just like Nuromen?

Miskar then comes upon two doors in the north, one big and impressive, the other slightly ajar. Nudging the open door she is illuminated long enough for a lone goblin archer to loose off an arrow. Against all odds he misses and Miskar returns fire with her sling (again, missing; I’m sure she’s hit something with that thing I just can’t remember what... Ardyn perhaps?). Realising the folly of the sling, Miskar closes with sword drawn quickly offing the blighter, oblivious to the drama unfolding in the very next room.

Right next door, V, Forester, Ardyn (and the rather quiet Adrin) return to the heavy, swollen door that’s bested them before. I stress that it would be quite a task to open and remind the players of the unpleasant smell issuing forth but they persist with Forester unsubtly taking his axe to the door!

The large dining room beyond contains a macabre scene: ancient skeletal figures gathered around a table as if instantly slain during a meal decades, or centuries past. The ceiling is high and wind whistles through an open fire grate but the chamber is 1,000 feet below ground - could the chimney reach all the way to the surface?

Pools of rank steaming feces are splattered here and there with dark stains on the room’s many pillars and in the shadows above, 3 hungry harpies stir...

I knew this was a really tough encounter but I also knew I had to let it play out without giving the players or their characters any breaks (although it turns out that through omission or stupidity, I did just that).

The battle with the harpies was the longest encounter we’d seen so far and I genuinely thought that we’d have a TPK on our hands, a Total Party Kill.

First off, let me explain my error - since I clearly don’t know the rules to my own game...

This is what’s supposed to happen: everyone involved in the battle makes a roll to do something, usually an attack. If a player fails the roll, his or her character may suffer a wound. If, for example, 4 fighters attack 2 goblins, even if all 4 fighters fail their roll, only two can be injured as the goblins don’t have the capacity to wound more than two enemies. In this hypothetical situation, all 4 fighters would make a combat dice roll, once all the results are in, the referee would randomly pick 2 to suffer the wounds.

At the start of the battle with the harpies, this wasn’t an issue since there were three enemies and 3 active characters (V, Ardyn and Forester). Once Miskar joined the battle the characters out-numbered the monsters and the players’ tactics overcame the powerful harpies.

During the battle, rather than follow the rules that I’d forgotten, the players set up their attack order once the harpies were outnumbered, allowing them to choose who attacked first and therefore risk getting wounded. Forester also ducked and weaved between the combatants applying healing slaves where he could (and pitching in with his axe).

When it was clear that things were looking a bit precarious, both V and Ardyn unleashed their Mighty Blows allowing them to wound the enemy without rolling the dice. Thereafter, the characters did everything they could to win the day (except run, which is what I would have done). Ardyn managed to expend more than 20 arrows and was forced to switch to his captured goblin bow. I think he hit once...

Forester used his magic to weaken one of them which actually allowed Miskar to score a hit with her sling! Oh, the look on Ardyn’s face... V, by far the best fighter managed 3 hits and at the last, Miskar called on Adrin (the fourth time); he hurled his mace and knocked the last harpy from the sky!

The session ended there. The characters are wounded and out of healing potions, magic points and arrows. Time to resupply...

Note 1: Forester discovered that the gems that were discovered last session were actually ‘magic’ in that they each contained one point of magic!

Note 2: including armour hits, the characters suffered 24 wounds. If Forester hadn’t used the healing poultices, things would have turned out quite differently...