Scenario 1 - The Broken Stair

While the battle against the Jungle Deep rages along the line of the old beacon towers, you and your companions have made a huge discovery. Scouting the area behind Tor Varden, you found a long, deep fissure that runs down into the gloom beneath the canopy of the Jungle Deep. Within this fissure is a rough and broken stairway. It seems too purposeful to be a natural occurrence, yet its rough surface and uneven, sloping steps argue against it being made by the hands of men. Reporting your find to your superiors, you quickly receive new orders. You are to lead your team down the stairs and penetrate as far as you can into the Jungle Deep. You will be the first warriors of Alladore to enter the cursed realm and any intelligence you can bring back will be of huge importance. Take any opportunity to strike against the enemy, but your primary goal is reconnaissance.

 

Scenario 1 - The Broken Stair

Laden down with provisions (for who knows if there is food or even drinkable water below?), you start the treacherous descent of the stairs. In some places you move quickly, in others, you must step lightly, checking your footing with each movement, as cracked and broken rocks crumble away. For nearly a full day, you and your companions carefully climb down the broken stairs.

As you get lower, the air thickens and breathing becomes more difficult. The smell, of the now visible decaying vegetation that lays below, floats in the breeze, filling your nostrils and stinging your eyes. Not far ahead, the steps level out.  You are just about to call for a break, when you hear a loud flapping noise, first from one direction and then from the other. You ready your weapons, just as the first hairy body comes flitting into view.

The mission is simple : fend off the vampire bats, and get down the last of the stairs.  These large and disease-ridden creatures seem to emerge from holes that no doubt lead to subterranean caves.  Akriss shivers at the idea of thousands upon thousands of bats ready to swarm out.  No doubt that throwing a lit torch into each cavern will ensure safety.

With his usual flair, Bohwihsh noticed the treasure trove half-way down the remainder of the slope, and set off to claim it, Tor Varden's battle ram at his heels.  The company had little difficulty in fending off the first wave of bats, despite the perilous footing.  A swarm of vampire bats was coming from the south-west, but The Twins shot them down one after the other.

Pattashin took the lead, but unfortunately for him slipped and slid down a flight of steps.  His tough shell saved him from the worse, but he was stunned nonetheless, and two vampire bats were upon him.  He was quite badly wounded when Akriss finally reached him and cast two very welcome healing spells.

Whilst Bohwihsh dealt with one cave opening, and Jabir another, Akriss had reached the bottom of the stair well.  He decided to cut across the slope and seal the last cave opening.  Keila was the first to the bottom of the steps.  As the others moved to reach them, the Tor Varden battle ram suddenly ran into something, cartwheeled and went crashing down the slope, ending its fall with a splash of fetid water and laying still.  Bohwihsh saw that the animal had stumbled over the corpse of a Lorenthian soldier.  Saying a quick prayer for the dead, Bohwihsh rummaged through his pockets, found a useful dose of Fireheart Green, and then to his surprise, a letter.  This turned out to be a love letter from the deceased to his sweetheart, one Beatrix of High Medard.  Although the rodent found this amusing, his companion Pattashin, when he heard of it, took the matter very seriously.  He hoped that the young lady had survived, and vowed to bring the letter to her should that be the case.

In any case, with the three openings burning, the companions had to deal with only a few isolated bats, and made it with little further ado to the bottom of the stairwell.  As they slushed through dank, reeking water, they began to regret that the dangers behind them had not lasted longer.  They pushed on however, no doubt a little too soon, forgetting thusly to map the stairs [The Twins had a total failure on their Navigation roll...].  Perhaps it was for a lack of parchment.  The love letter, dummies...

After its unfortunate stumble, the Battle Ram had its health reduced to 0.  It turned out to have seriously injured its foreleg (permanent injury, -1 Fight).

The Rangers add up their XP.  We have decided to implement a house rule : instead of Rangers getting equal XP, each Ranger gains XP for whatever s/he or his/her companions achieved, which is then doubled (as we have 2 Rangers).  This doubling is not applied to XP that, by its nature, benefits both Rangers.

The Twins and their companions shot or stabbed a total of 11 bats, whilst Bohwihsh found the love letter, and also set fire to one cave opening.  This means a total of 45x 2 = 90 XP, bringing The Twins to 448 pts and Level 4.  They choose not to change any spells, and gain a third, Glow.  This will be useful for lighting up and targetting tough enemies.

Akriss and his companions were less active, slaying 7 bats but nonetheless sealing two cave openings.  Akriss gains 30 x 2 = 60 XP, for a total of 362. 

All Companions gain 2 PP, except for the Battle Ram (1 PP).  We also have another House Rule : for each 10 XP (FRD) a Companion brings in for his Ranger, he receives an additional 1 PP.  This benefitted both Bohwihsh and Jabir.  No Companion changes level, however.

All Heroic Abilities and Spells used are regained.

Bohwihsh's treasure was some nice shiny gemstones and Lorenthian coin.  It will pay him a nice new jerkin, he'll never get the smell out of the one he is wearing....(+1 PP for Bohwihsh).

The company did not redistribute any gains from the scenario or previously.

Akriss has a spellbook, into which he writes the Slow spell, having cast the previous Heal.

This is the end of a scenario, so there is no reorganisation.