Turn 10 - Day 75 - The Temple of Sysyn

 

The company wolfed down some of their precious rations, whilst Godric reflected on the nature of this death god they were assisting (Camp Event : Time on your Own, +1 XP).

Parthoghimeos steadied his nerves by studying the many inscriptions on the tombs and on some of the walls and stairwells, although the strange language continued to elude him.

Ruairidh's eyes were alight with fervour, at the idea that the company were truly chosen by Sisyn.  He was proving a valiant companion, and Godric prayed that he would not transpire to be an overly hasty one.

Kehar's equipment blessed by Partho in a simple yet touching ceremony, involving much passing of hands and soothing sounds, it was distributed among the companions along with the loot from the tombs.

It was time to climb those stairs again.  Upwards, ever upwards...

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Scenario Parameters :

This is Depth 4 of the Delve, which implies +1 Enemy and +1 Exploration Marker.

The company must face Giant Rats [for which I will use both such, and some Giant Spiders], p.180.  There are ten of them, with no alpha.

They are not, however, alone.  A keening sound, sometimes piercing, sometimes at the very edge of one's hearing, betrays the presence of a darker foe.  A Grim Knight (p.124) walks this floor, and it seems that some manigance of the Jungle Deep has slipped him from Sisyn's control.  If he is defeated, this agent of dark powers will yield +2 Adventure Points (p.127).

The creatures are hungry for life and energy, hence the Lure of Magic (p.179).

This place is once again as Silent as the Grave (p.143), as Krik, who is now the company's scout, reveals as he leads the way.  Add two additional Exploration Markers and 3 Skeletons in the centre of the battle zone, who begin the game as Unaware and Sentries.

Terrain is set up as per the generic rules (p.128-129).

This is a Site Battle, see p.142 for the rules concerning it.

Under Siege (p.219) is in effect, so should a Unique Foe appear during the battle, and is not slain, a roll must be made on the Enemy Plans Table (p.207).

Roll after this scenario to see if the Delve is cleared out.

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The company waited patiently whilst the Grim Knight, who was almost within bow shot, slipped away into the darkness, and then clambered up onto the platform.

The Grim Knight must have felt something, for she about-faced and began to drift eerily back from where she had come, and sensed the heroes within seconds.

The battle on the staircase was truly epic.  On one side, Godric fought a running battle with the Grim Knight, up and down the stairwell, too narrow for the skeletal warriors behind her to do anything else than get in the way.  Godric's fine spear kept finding chinks in the knight's armour, and she was trailing three wounds when the little fish-man finally got in the killing blow.  He had narrowly escaped death himself, and fortunately Partho was on hand to heal the resulting wound.

On the other staircase, Krik was fighting off other skeletal warriors, and reduced one of them to a pile of shattered bones.  The second forced him back up the staircase, and shambled onto the platform, forcing Ruairidh into a desperate defense.  The insect warrior sprang back into action and pushed the undead warrior over the ledge, to smash into pieces on the floor below.

The third skeleton, however, managed to cast Krik down, and only the timely intervention of Godric, who had just won his own battle, saved Ruairidh and Partho.  

 

The Giant Rats that appeared proved enemies of lesser valour, quickly decimated as they clambered hungrily but in disorder up the stairwell.

The company's glee was short lived, as Ruairidh fell to a brutal trap on the platform beyond the stairwell, with a serious wound.  Godric and Partho now stood alone, but decided to penetrate into the darkness to finish off the last rats that were scuttling around, and claim the remaining treasures.  In a stroke of luck, Godric found a very fine self bow that would replace Krik's shattered one...but was the insect warrior still alive to wield it ?

He was [thanks to the use of "A Lucky Break" Stars of the Story device !], and Godric thanked the stars for that.