Scenario 4 - The Hole

Stepping inside the tent, you see your captain standing behind a camp table with two men you don’t recognize. One is a snail, dressed in practical travel clothes, but with a gold and silver cloak clasp in the shape of a compass rose. The other, an otter, is shorter and younger, with an aristocratic bearing and stylish dress, including a cloak of Lorenthian blue. Your captain nods as you enter and immediately introduces the others.
‘This is Count Gelleck of Lorenthia, and Arisien, the royal cartographer. They have been working on the problem of the lost prince.’
‘A bit less lost that he was before,’ says Arisien, pulling a large parchment from a bag and rolling it out on the table. The parchment contains a large scale map of the border between Alladore and the Jungle Deep. ‘After carefully studying the star chart brought back by your rangers, we’ve been able to determine that the prince should be right about here.’ Arisien points to a small ‘x’ that sits in an otherwise blank area of the Jungle Deep, in the north-west corner of the map.
 

Looking over the map, you shake your head. ‘The northern front is completely overrun. An entire army stands between us and any access to the Deep in that area. The few entrances that are open to us are leagues away. We’d never survive such a long journey in the Deep.’
‘Giving up before you’ve started?’ asks Gelleck.
Your captain raises a hand to stop your reply. ‘The first step in any plan is establishing what is possible and what is not, and it is true that all of the entrances available in Alladore are too far away from the target. However, one of our far scouts has discovered small groups of enemy soldiers emerging from a hole, here.’
Your captain touches another small ‘x’ on the map, this one firmly in the desert wastes north of Alladore.
‘Although it means crossing a large section of desert, and either battling or slipping past whatever enemy forces may be at or guarding the entrance, from this point, it is a much shorter distance to the prince. A small team, travelling fast and light, should be able to make it.’ Your captain looks you directly in the eye. ‘I know there are a huge number of unknowns in this mission, not the least that we are trusting a “magic mirror” found in enemy territory to tell us that the target even exists. But if there is a chance, even a slim one, that we can save a prince of the house of Lorenthia… well, the King himself has ordered this mission. We must see it done.’

‘I would very much like to see a Lorenthian included in this mission,’ says Count Gelleck. ‘It means more to us than anyone, and their specific knowledge may prove useful.’
Your captain nods. ‘Of course, my lord.’ He then looks back at you. ‘I’ve also got a man that can help you through the wastes. He’s an expert. If anyone can get you to that hole safely, it’s him.’
‘And I will be coming as well,’ says Arisien, looking slightly surprised. ‘Though I didn’t know that until this minute. This map is mostly blank. It will take an expert navigator to even get within miles of the target point. I can get you there, and maybe I can fill in some of these blanks as I go.’
Again your captain nods. ‘It’s a grim road you must travel, but so are most of the roads in these times. Gather your men and take what supplies you need. Go as soon as you are able…’

Scenario 4 - The Hole

Many days have passed since you left the tower behind, and the journey has been one continuous agony, even to rangers who are used to toil and hardship. But now, at last, you are nearing your goal. The endless sand dunes have given way to barren, parched rock. Finally, down in a valley in the far distance, you see something. A couple of structures with figures moving about them.

Leaving most of the party behind, you scout forward to get a better view. From the rocks just above, you can see a small camp. In the midst of it sits a great hole with a wooden framework over it. A heavy rope leads from the frame down into the darkness of the hole. Off to one side stands an ancient stone building, worn and partially collapsed. Its roof has been replaced by a great tarp. 

There are gnolls and a few men moving about, standing guard, or carrying supplies from a pile next to the hole into the building. It is clear that sneaking past them is impossible. The only chance to reach the Shadow Deep this way is to eliminate this small garrison. The only choice is whether to attack during the day or at night…

The company chose a night attack, figuring that stealth was the better part of valour.  Ren, Angel and Princesse managed to sneak to the buildings, the plan being that Princesse use the skull found in the previous scenario, to Transpose as required.  The soothsayer used it to bring in Pabrim.

In the first room, the company surprised a Hu-Man shaman in the company of two Skeletal Ogres, and in his first charge, Angel cut the sorceror down.  The initial assault went quite well, allowing Ren to quickly open the door to the second room.  In there the Warden was hastily dressing, an unpossessing man who lured the company into thinking he was weak.  Never judge a book by its cover...Pabrim was down within a few seconds, and Angel, distracted, was thwacked by a skeleton.  This left Ren in a protracted fight with the Warden.

Whilst the Twins were eliminating the Hu-Man archers, Princesse used ITPOYH on Bohwihsh who, to everyone's surprise, had volunteered to take on the Ogre guarding the hole.  Ably assisted by his trusty Battle Ram and Arisien, the squirrel made short work of the creature.
 

The company felt they were getting the upper hand, and prepared an ambush for the group of Hu-Man reinforcements that had come up from the south-west, slaying the last Pack Dinosaur in the doing.  The arrival of the platform was not a surprise, but what was standing on it certainly was.

What in the King's name ?  Some sort of enormous hump-backed creature, spitting poison to boot.  The Twins reacted quickly and got in a fantastic shot, which had the monster howling in pain.  Keila, despite suffering greatly from Hunger and Thirst (second effect...) used the distraction to cut down everyone in front of her.  The creature was however tough, and laid her out flat with a single blow of its huge sword.

The Battle Ram bought time, but fared no better.

Over in the buildings, Ren had finally got the Warden.  Bohwihsh, Arisien and Princesse were moving to help her, but the untimely arrival of a swarm of sandflies slowed them down, in their already weakened state.  One by one they began to fall.  Ren finished the Warden with timely use of her evasive skills and throwing knives, and decided to breach the final room alone.  She ran straight into two Temple Guardian Archers, which was too much for her.

Suddenly the Twins were the only hedgehogs standing and things were looking bleak.  The pair went into overdrive, finishing off the last Hu-Man by the hole, carving through the sandflies, and climbing the stairs to the building.  At this point a Desert Nomad made a timely arrival, some friend of Pabrim's that he had sent for by some sort of cry.  He turned out to be precious assistance against the enemy in the last room, and all of a sudden silence fell.  Against all odds, the Rangers of Alladore had carried the day !

Of the eight heroes out of action during the intense fighting, six had a full recovery, no doubt helped by the stash of food, water and medication provided by the camp.  The much battered (ha ha) Ram suffered from a cloven hoof (Lost Fingers), but could live with that.  Princess had a Close Call, which meant her Oil Lamp and its precious liquid had smashed and drained into the sand.

In this scenario, characters returned to full Health, so were allowed to search for herbs.

Although the Twins came up short, Pabrim found some Ronkin Stem, which is good news for the Battle Ram.  Ren had also found a herb box on the Shaman that Angel struck down.  It contained some Ravenwood (useful for fire magic), a dose of Xanis Flower, and some Kolient Nut, no doubt to fight the associated addiction.

Hunger and Thirst were at last quenched.

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

The Twins gained 176 XP, with themselves and their team having slain a total of fifteen enemies, including the mighty Humpback, and shared XP being provided from winning the scenario, with Pabrim and Arisien still alive, if unconscious.  They reached Level 14, and must make a choice which Stat to improve, and choose whether to swap out a spell.

Ren gained 118 XP, with only five kills, though many of the greatest enemies among them, including the Warden.  She reached Level 11 and gained +10 BR.

The companions did well, with +3 PP for Angel and Keila.  

Angel reached Level 5, giving him the Parry Heroic Ability, badly needed giving his current history during the mission !

Gold and Jewels found by Ren enabled Princess to attain Level 5; she learned the Transpose spell, thanks no doubt to the strange skull she had manipulated during the fighting that was charged with it.

The Battle Ram also reached Level 3, improving its animal skills.

All Heroic Abilities and Spells used are regained.

The Twins found, in a room of the outhouse scattered with the debris of statues and relics, a beautiful and archaic pendentif, conferring +1 Leadership.  From the various equipment lying about, Bohwihsh was able to pick up a short sword, much better than fighting with a tiny throwing dagger as he had been doing for some time.

Pabrim gave his Ronkin Stem, and his Herb Pouch, to Ren.

Reorganisation is possible, and during the time spent in the camp, Ren explored the properties of the Tollonian bracer that Angel had picked up.  She discovered a prayer poem in Old Tollonian, tucked into its lining.  It will confer +2 on the first Will test the bearer makes.  Other properties of the bracer-shield remain yet to discover.

Arisien, when he came to, pored over the letter Ren had found.  It made perfectly clear that not only was the Jungle Deep planning an attack on the Cascades, which was of no great surprise....but that there was a traitor in the mages' midst.  That was truly worrying news.

After a couple of days rest, it was now time to descend into the hole and confront even greater dangers.   Pabrim chose to return to Alladore to bring news there of the mission's progress, and Yara (rescued during The Sand Tower) went with him (giving +10 XP to each Ranger).