Scenario D - The Library

A week ago, one of your fellow rangers stumbled into camp, escorting a Lorenthian survivor she had rescued from a troop of Hu-Mans in the Jungle Deep. During their debriefing, they mentioned seeing the ruins of the Convent of St. Emilia, once a great house of healing in Lorenthia. It is said that the nuns never turned away anyone that came to them in sickness, and that they were aided in their mission through the possession of a powerful magic artefact, the Decanter of St. Emilia, also known as the Decanter of Burning Light. 

Water poured from this silver decanter onto a wound would wash it free of any infection, poison, or other corruption. The ranger didn’t approach the convent but, from what she could tell, the place appeared abandoned. The walls were cracked, and several of the towers had collapsed. Soon afterwards, you were summoned by your captains. They explained the situation and tasked you to venture into the Jungle Deep, make your way to the ruins, and, if possible, find the Decanter of St. Emilia. Such healing powers could save many lives and prove a huge advantage in the ongoing war. Gathering your companions, and what gear you need, you set off. You took the path known as the shattered stairs and descended into the Deep, slowly making your way through the boggy terrain that stretched out before you. Following a map provided by your captains, you carried on until the land finally dried into a barren, rocky, jungle-covered expanse. You spent your nights sleeping in ditches and shallow caves, and your days dodging patrols of Hu-Mans and other foul creatures, eating meals of dried rations and whatever babelushga could be caught.

Thankfully, the map noted a couple of freshwater pools where you could replenish. After nearly eight days of travel, you caught your first glimpse of the convent. Its ruins stood at the top of a rocky escarpment, visible from miles around, even in the perpetual gloom. Conscious that anyone in the convent had a great vantage point to see you coming, you took your time approaching, flitting from rock to rock, always staying in the shadows. Finally, you reached the walls…

Scenario D - The Library

Opening the broken door to the tower, you see that nearly the entire floor of the chamber has collapsed, and the basement below has flooded. Only one broken pathway is left to reach the stairs to the rooms above. Books and loose scraps of paper float on the water. There are a couple of ‘islands’ left, including one in the far corner that contains an intact bookcase. Everything seems still and lifeless, until something unseen causes the water to ripple…

The two levels of the Library

The Library, an architectural marvel that scholars from even the far-off Tollonian Principalities travelled leagues to see, was now in ruin, its lower floor half under brackish, foul-smelling water.

The ripple on the water's surface erupted !

[We modified the challenge level to have one Large Water Snake, and one Huge Water Snake....this guy !].

The spirit of St Doneera, Keila, and the Tor Varden Battle Ram faced off to the beast.  The Twins quickly did away with the other snake, and swam the brackish waters to the island on which the last surviving bookcases stood.  The rest of the company hurried up the stairs.

They were warmly welcomed with flocks of Blood Bats...and to make matters worst, two Hu-Man warriors, who had no doubt come back to the Library looking for hidden booty.  After a rough touch-and-go few seconds, Keila was helped by Bohwihsh, Pattashin and Akriss' cobra.  Together they managed to overcome fierce enemy resistance, but Pattashin went down, and rolled up into a tight ball, looked to be badly hurt.

On the lower floor, the Battle Ram had, to everyone's surprise, caused massive damage to the huge snake-like creature that had surged from the waters.  With St Doneera fending it off, Katniss nocked one of her two magic arrows, and sent it through the creatures throat.  It came crashing into the water, spraying everyone around.

This little guy truly deserves some rest !

 

Following the company's battle plan, Akriss had been waiting on the lower level - using his time to cast some useful Armour and Heal spells - then when the enemy on the upper floor were engaged, he used Teleport to reach the bookcases on the upper level, in which he found useful things in abundance.

Laying to rest the slumped body of the nun behind the desk, Keila - who is not just a pretty face and a mean left hook - deciphered the arcane writing the unfinished scroll was written in.  A useful clue indeed....

The company pretty much had the upper hand, and with Bohwihsh using his lock-picking skills, and Keila her strength, the two back rooms were explored. 

 

To everybody's surprise, in one of the rooms, hidden by an overturned table, was a Hu-Man child.  She was wearing the insignia of a Novice of St Emilia, so obviously she had been in the convent for some time, and had been cared for by the nuns.  A secret well kept...the adventurers' surprise was even greater when, after being calmed by Akriss' hypnotic gaze, the child proved able to speak near-fluent Lorenthian.  She described, in a chillfully flat voice, the events that had led to the destruction of the convent.  Her name turned out to be all but unpronouncable, so Keila decreed that she would be called "Tinyfoot".

This brief moment of joy was interrupted by Katniss, who had just watched Pattashin take his last breath.  The brave armadillo warrior died knowing that the library had been taken back from the Jungle Deep for a while, and its treasures unlocked.

Downtrodden by this terrible loss, exhausted by the ferocious fighting, but feeling safe for a while since the stairwell had collapsed during the sturggle, the company hunkered down on the cool tiled floor of the upper level of the library.  The Twins and Akriss sought to rally them around, by laying out the various clues the company had found during their quest.

They came to the conclusion that they knew where the Decanter was, and hope was reborn.

Briefly stretching weary limbs, and partaking of the last remaining food, the company made their way to what they hoped was its hiding place.  They would only have one chance.  They scoured the place from top to bottom and, just as they were about to give up, spotted a strange fold in the dirt on the floor. Grabbing hold of this, they pulled up a cloth covering and revealed a dark hole. There, shining at the bottom of the hole, was a silver decanter covered in beautiful flowing script. 

The company had found what they were seeking !  All this suffering, and Pattashin's death, had not been in vain !

Before they had any time to celebrate, however, all heard a horrible shriek and felt a coldness grip their hearts...

Time to run.

Par for the course, Akriss' magical cobra was dropped, but suffered to permanent damage.

As has already been written, Pattashin was less fortunate, and died of the wounds he received during the struggle at the top of the stairwell.

The mission "Burning Light" has its own special rules for recovering health (and we presume that a figure reduced to 0 Health also follows them).   Helped by Tinyfoot's surprising knowledge of a Healing spell, and first aid given by uninjured members of the company, almost everybody was ready to face the final challenge at full strength.  The spirit of St Doneera cannot, however, be healed and is close to having given all the help she can (3 Health left).  During the mission, however, both Bohwihsh and the Battle Ram suffered from Disease, which will plague them (ha ha) during the final Burning Light mission.

We use our house rules for XP acquisition for Rangers and PPs for Companions.

The Twins and their companions slew 2 Large Snakes, 6 Blood Bats and a Squishy Zombie, as well as some interesting items, in particular the scroll that Keila managed to translate, all of which brought (36 x 2) = 72 XP.  The 4XP gained by St Doneera are shared; and of course just after the scenario, finding the Decanter awarded 100 XP.  The Twins moved through two whole levels, reaching Level 9 with 1100...and 1 XP.  They choose a new Heroic Ability - Deadly Shot - and improve their skills.

Akriss and his companions took out the Huge Snake, 5 Blood Bats and a Hu-Man and avoided a couple of pitfalls.  This means (15 x 2) = 30 XP, the 100 XP for the Decanter, and 4 shared XP.  Akriss reaches Level 7, gaining 10 BRP.  The Snake-Magician swaps out Slow, little used, for Transpose.

All Companions gain 2 PP, except for the Cobra (1 PP).  Both Bohwihsh (+1 PP) and Keila (+3 PP) make additional gains from their exploits.

All this brings Keila to Level 4 (+2 to Will), and Katniss to Level 2 (+1 to Shoot).

All Heroic Abilities and Spells used are regained.

The treasure found by Bohwihsh is a Philtre of Fairy Dust.

The Twins discovered the Book of Waze, a weighty tome which gives +2 Navigation, or can be handed over to the Ranger hierarchy for +10 XP.

Akriss found a book written by the sisters, and containing a wealth of key information on the Jungle Deep, gleaned in the months before it surged over Lorenthia.  It will be worth 15 XP when handed over to the loremasters back in Alladore.

He also found a red-bound book of magic, containing Burning Mark and Smoke.  Although they can only be cast once before the book is rendered useless, it will come in handy.  In order to carry it, however, he had to drop his usual spellbook

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