Kage Gordain Chapter 8: Danger From The Shadows

(Read Previous Chapter Here)

Game System: Tunnels & Trolls

Tools: rpgsolo.com solo engine; Johnn Four's 5-Room Dungeons 

[Scene 1]

It is the middle of the night and Kristopher, Sylralei, Kelseen, and Dalen are resting for the evening in the cave that was once inhabited by a nest of scrats. Earlier, Kris and Dalen returned from their failed attempt to signal the Skylark, the naval cutter that has brought the party to Crossbones Island. While they weren’t able to signal the ship, they did have good news in that they saw it still anchored off-shore. While no specific schedule was determined, Syl is pretty confident, based on discussions with the captain while still aboard, that they have roughly one more day before the crew would consider writing them off as lost and return to Sirisea. That is, assuming Midshipman Byrd doesn’t reach the Skylark first and convinces them to leave early.

The best course of action, they all agree, is to get some sleep and try to make some progress in the morning.

During Kelseen’s watch, as happened the previous night, the woman warrior hears some snapping twigs some distance outside the mouth of the cave. [Encounter rolled. Made L2 INT SR to notice the creature(s) before they reached the cave]  She quietly wakes the others. Kris and Kel ready weapons while Syl and Dalen prepare to cast Oh Go Away spells. In the darkness, the party spots several large creatures, vaguely human-like in shape. Kelseen wonders if one might be the same creature she saw the previous night down at the foot of the cliff. Eyes that glint in the moonlight watch them for several moments before the shapes move away.

[In this instance I felt a roll on my reaction table was warranted. The result was “Enthusiastic Friendship”. Since I don’t see these creatures coming up to the party and sharing a nice meal, I treated it as they simply leave.

Per my home rules, each character receives 1d6 CON for a night’s rest. The party’s CON are as follows:

Kris: 12   Syl: 16  Kel: 10  Dal: 13      Syl’s WIZ is back to a full 26]

[Scene 2]

In the morning the group agrees to examine what’s behind the wall, however, they still would like to check on the ship and signal it, if possible. To that end, Dalen and Kelseen will use any empty waterskins, healing potion flasks, and helms to carry water from the muddy pond back to the cave. Meanwhile, Syl and Kris will take the rope and Dalen’s target shield and try to scale the cliff again, hoping to signal the ship, providing it is still anchored off-shore.

[Following same climbing rules as Chapter 7, but giving Kris a +5 advantage on the first section due to his familiarity with it.]

Kristopher and Sylralei make it up the cliff to the same point where he and Dalen had difficulty the previous day. This time they travel west instead of east, hoping to find the climb easier. Unfortunately, this turns out not to be the case. Like Dalen the day before, Kris takes quite a fall and injures his leg. Before heading back to the cave, Syl casts Poor Baby on the injured leg, but only uses the amount of magic that she will be able to recover on the trip back. The only good thing about their outing is that they are able to confirm that the Skylark is still present.

Kelseen and Dalen’s task is much more productive. They travel to the pond, gather as much water as they can, and return to the cave. There they douse the wall with the water and rub away as much sandstone as they can using their hands and weapons. Once finished, they gather up their containers and head back to the pond. It takes them six unhindered trips [3 negative encounter rolls] to open up a hole several feet in diameter before they decide to stop and wait for their companions’ return. [I calculated time for both tasks and the cliff journey took longer at 2.7 hours]

Kris and Syl return and tell the others about their journey. Dalen shows them the opening in the wall and points out a series of glyphs he spotted running up both sides of the narrow passageway. [Successful L1 LCK roll]. Syl’s ability to Detect Magic lets her know immediately that they have mystical power.

Would Sylralei be very familiar with these glyphs?

(50/50 | 2[d10]) No  She will need to make a L2 INT roll to be able to decipher.

Roll: 10+15=25 success

“I don’t know these specific glyphs,” the elf wizard admits, “But parts of them resemble glyphs I do know. I think they represent some type of shield or barrier, but exactly what kind I can’t tell you.”

“So it could be some sort of trap?” Kristopher asks.

“Yes,” Sylralie answers. “Or it could be a force that will only let certain people pass. Less likely, but it might even be a passageway to another location or dimension.”

“So how do we figure this out?”

“Let’s start with something easy,” Dalen says and picks up a rock. He hurls it at the passageway. The rock flies past the glyphs and falls to the ground several feet beyond. No darts, blades or knives shoot out of the walls, nor is the rock enveloped in flames or bolts of lightning.  “Well, it’s not an invisible wall.”

“At least not for stones,” Syl agrees. “However, that doesn't mean the glyphs aren't attuned only to living creatures."

“One of us will have to try and walk through,” Kelseen says, voicing what all were thinking.

“Are you volunteering?” Syl asks wearing her familiar smirk.

Kelseen responds by rolling her eyes and shaking her head.

“Relax, Kel,” Syl says. “ I have another idea.” Holding up her snake-headed staff, she speaks the words of the Magic Fangs spell. The rigid wood of the staff begins to bend, then wiggle as the rod transforms into a live snake a little over two feet in length. A tongue flicks out of it’s now living head. She lays the snake down and tells it to “Go” while pointing down the tunnel.  The snake slithers along the ground past the glyphs.

The rod transforms into a live snake a little over two feet in length

[Does the trap work on snakes?

(50/50 | 10[d10]) Yes, and…  the PCs are given a preview of what will happen.]

A few feet beyond the glyphs, the narrow passage opens up into a larger cave-like area. Syl allows the serpent to travel a few feet into this larger chamber before ordering it to return.  When it returns to the line of magical symbols, it’s head and body turn up and rise several inches as though it was scaling up a wall. Thinking the creature is simply distracted, Syl calls for it again. The snake moves sideways along the passage, tries to turn in the direction of the waiting party, but raises up again, apparently unable to move past the line of glyphs.

Behind the snake, back in the chamber, the party sees a small dark shape emerge from the shadows, almost as if it were a part of the shadow separating from itself. The shape elongates and takes on the form of a snake, identical to the one that was once Sylralei’s staff.  As the shadowy serpent crawls toward the cave opening, Syl’s snake turns, coils and prepares to attack. However, before battle can ensue, Syl’s snake uncoils itself, stiffens, and reverts back into a staff. As this happens, the shadowy snake loses form and dissipates back into the shadows.

Kristopher carefully approaches the opening and crouches. Being sure to stay on this side of the glyphs, he reaches his hand out for the staff.

“Wait!” Kelseen cries. “What are you doing?”

“Testing something.” Kris’ arm passes beyond the markings without meeting any resistance. He picks up the staff and pulls it back to himself unhindered.

“It seems you are only trapped once you completely pass the line of glyphs,” Kris surmises, handing Syl back her staff.

“Is it safe to assume that whoever enters the cave will face a shadow version of themselves?” Dalen asks, concerned but with a hint of excitement in his voice.

“That would be a safe guess,” Syl agrees.

“The question is, is the reward worth with danger?” Kris wonders.

“Whoever put this here must have been guarding something valuable,” Kelseen presumes.

Sylralei casts Will-O-Wisp in order to get a better look down the tunnel. Unfortunately, only a narrow portion of the cave can be seen from where the group stands.

“Even if we go in and defeat our shadow selves,” Kristopher begins, “Could we even get out?  We have no guarantee the invisible wall will drop and I can’t see any other exits from here.”

[Can the party see an exit from the cave?

(Unlikely - only a small portion of the room is visible | 2[d10]) No

Making some saving rolls and asking some oracle questions it is also determined that from the party’s vantage point they are unable to see any signs of treasure or containers that might hold treasure.]

“I say we take the chance,” says Dalen.

“I agree with the dwarf,” says Kelseen. “Things are getting boring and I am ready to gain some income on this mission.”

Sylralei studies their eyes and can tell all are in agreement. “If we do this, we have to assume that we will be facing copies of ourselves, with our same abilities and powers. Our biggest threat will be my shadow.”

“Thinking rather highly of yourself?” Kel accuses.

“No, but I do think highly of Take That You Fiend. If you are hit with that spell it will probably be enough to drop you, probably kill you. Your armor is worthless against it. The best you can hope for is to dodge, but that’s a roll of the dice.” 

“Then,” Kris says, “we just need to make sure we target the shadow Syl first and hope we can strike faster than it can cast.”

The four adventurers ponder this a while in silence until Syl’s eyes suddenly grow wide. She looks directly at Kelseen as a wide grin spreads across the wizard’s face.

“Kelseen,” she says, “I’m about to make you a very happy woman!”

[Before we begin combat, let me explain how I intend to handle damage taken by the PCs.  If you are not interested in game mechanics, feel free to skip this section of purple text (but you already know that). 

Back in chapter 4, I explained that the difference between the PCs and opponents combat rolls represents the damage dealt to either party. How these points are distributed amongst the PCs varies between the different versions of T&T and I am not a fan of either one.  In version 5, points are divided equally amongst all the PCs engaged in melee combat. I don’t like this method because it is not indicative of how combat works. This method assumes each character is targeted equally and is attacked with equal force and efficiency. Character deaths will most likely occur in order from least armor to most.

Later versions of T&T allow the players to distribute damage points amongst the character in a manner that does the least harm (i.e. Characters with the most armor take the most damage, the least armor the least damage. Once all armor points have been used us, whatever points remain are distributed amongst the characters) Once again, this is not representative of true combat. It assumes that opponents focus most of their effort against the characters with the most armor and ignore those with little to none. Death will either occur from the character with the lowest CON to the most, or the party will wipe at the same time since damage will be distributed in a way that keeps all the characters alive as long as possible.

I prefer, and will follow, a hybrid method that takes into account a character's location in the battle, actions they may take, and the mindset of the opponents.  Characters who are more likely to be hit due to their position or the focus of the opponent will receive a greater portion of the damage. Below are some examples from the combat which is to follow:

-Characters in the front row might receive 2x the damage of characters in the 2nd row.

-If a character chooses to shield another and is successful, they will receive the damage intended for the character they are protecting.

-If the monsters decide as a group to target a single character, that character will receive a greater portion of the damage depending on how many monsters attack and how successful they are at reaching them.

My hope is that if characters must receive damage, they receive it in a manner that represents what would likely be expected from actual combat.]

[Scene 4]

The four members of Kage Gordain deliberately step past the line of glyphs and into the cave. Last in line, Sylralei does two things as the passes the magical symbols. First, she casts Vorpal Blade on Dalen’s +1 sax dagger that Kris holds in his hand. Then she reaches back to feel if their retreat is indeed blocked by some invisible force. It is.  

Next to Syl, Kelseen has her crossbow ready and aimed forward. The plan is for her to identify the Shadow Sylralei first and hit her with a bolt the moment she solidifies, hopefully before she can cast any spells against the party.

In the front are Kristopher and Dalen. Despite the light emitting from the oil lantern that Dalen is carrying, the shadows seem as thick as when they entered. The dwarf sets the lantern down, draws his axe as four dark shapes drift out from the shadows.

(Round 1)

The loose, cloud-like forms shrink and compress first into tall cylindrical forms.  Dark arms sprout from the sides of each, the lower halves split into legs, and bulbous spheres form on the tops and become heads. Kelseen aims her weapon at the thinnest of the shapes, ready to fire should it indeed take on Syl’s form. Her suspicions are confirmed when a thin wisp of shadow becomes a staff in the creature’s hands. Kel pulls the trigger and the bolt strikes Shadow Syl right in the chest . . . a moment too soon, as it meets no resistance passes right through. [Failed the calculated L1 DEX roll] A mere second later, the creature finishes its transformation and is a perfect double of the female elf except in color. Instead of the silver hair, pale skin and blue leather, the shadow creature is a mixture of blacks and greys.

All four shapes undergo a similar evolution until each is a black and grey replica of one of the four adventurers. Each creature holds a weapon identical to what the person they copied is holding.  Sylralei realizing this quickly shifts her attack from her shadow self to Shadow Kelseen who has a crossbow pointed at the party. She casts Take That You Fiend, but Shadow Kel is slightly faster and releases a bolt before being hit with the magical blast of energy. Luckily, the bolt misses Kelseen, as the warrior barely moves out of the missile's path to lay down her crossbow and draw her sword. [Shadow Kel won SPD challenge against Syl, but failed DEX check] Across the cave, the form that was Kelseen bursts apart after being hit with Syl’s spell and dissipates back into the normal shadows.

Shadow Sylralei and Shadow Kristopher begin to form

(Rounds 2-6)

The remaining three forms charge. While they engage in melee with Kris, Dalen, and Kelseen, who has now moved up to join the men, it is clear that their focus is on Sylralei.  Kris and Dalen try to stay between the shadows and the elf, but the creatures are strong and they succeed in pushing through. [PCs lost opposing STR checks] Syl casts Take That You Fiend at her shadow self and is surprised to see the creature continue to advance despite taking the full blast. She backs away and parries with her staff, blocking most of the blows. Her leather armor easily absorbs any strikes that make it through.

Dwarf and human hit their shadowy doppelgangers from the rear as Kelseen uses all her might to wedge herself between the shadows and Syl. She takes a beating but her scale mail easily protects her.  The shadows' attention slowly returns to the other members of the party and the seven of them engage in full melee. No single combatant is able to land a solid blow, only small cuts, stabs, and strikes.

“Why isn’t Shadow Syl attacking us with magic?” Dalen calls out between blows.

“They must only mimic our forms, not abilities,” the real Syl answers.

“That seems to be enough,” Kristopher comments, referencing the fact that the fight is rather even, despite the shadow creatures being outnumbered four to three. “They are extremely strong for shadows.”

“You’re not kidding,” Syl agrees. “My Take That You Fiend should have been enough to destroy my shadow-self.”

[Time to talk about the shadow creatures. Per the published adventure, the shadows take on the form of the adventurers in appearance only but do not possess their powers or talents. To compensate, they will work as a team and are very strong, having the same above-average strength. Converting this to T&T game mechanics, I calculated the average strength of the four PC’s, multiplied it by 1.5, and assigned that as the STR for each shadow monster. This gave them a 26 STR and 14 adds. The rest of the stats were identical to the PC the monster represented. The adventure says nothing about how they fight, so I determined that they will use the same weapon as the real character. Finally, I decided that the shadow creatures will not have real armor that will absorb any damage, but instead will have 4 additional CON points added to their counterparts full CON.  The results were as follows:

Shadow Kris: 21 adds plus weapon (dagger 2d+6)  CON: 22

Shadow Syl:  17 adds plus weapon (staff 2d, dagger 2d+3)  CON: 21 

Shadow Kel:  14 adds plus weapon (sword 3d+5, cbow 5d)  CON: 14 

Shadow Dal:  19 adds plus weapon (axe 4d)  CON: 24

The Shadow Creatures won rounds 1-6, but the combat point difference was not enough to overcome the PCs armor.  The only damage dealt to either side was due to spite points.]

(Rounds 7-11)

The three Shadow Creatures suddenly pull back and stop fighting. The party, already worn down from the battle, take the opportunity to catch their breath.

“What are they doing?” Kelseen asks.

“If I had to guess,” Dalen responds, “I’d say they’re strategizing.”

After a moment, all three Shadows turn as one and advance upon Dalen.

“And apparently their strategy is to attack me!” the dwarf concludes.

The creatures take a few swings at Kel, Syl, and Kris in their effort to get past. The three do their best to halt the monsters’ progress, but the monsters eventually break through. They attack Dalen full force, diverting only occasionally to fend off blows from the others. Due to his small stature and fighting skills, Dalen is able to duck under and avoid many of the blows. Those that he can’t avoid are either blocked by his shield or bounce off his armor. 

“Syl, cast a spell already!”  Kelseen orders. The wizard responds with Vorpal Blade, effectively sharpening Kel’s and Kris’ weapons. Even with the improved weapons, however, they only inflict minor damage and are unable to stop the Shadow creatures. The two parties go back and forth with neither really gaining any significant ground. [Once again Shadows win every round, but cannot deal enough damage offset armor bonuses. All damage is due to spite.]

(Rounds 12-14)

Having no luck against the bulky and heavily armored dwarf, the Shadow Creatures turn their attention back to seemingly easier prey: Sylralei. Before any of the party realizes what is going on, Shadow Dalen hits Syl in the side with his axe and Shadow Syl thrusts her staff into the real elf’s chest. Syl is thrown back against a wall sore from the attack, but still in one piece. [Syl had to take 5x more damage than the other characters (based on the monsters skill rolls). That calculated to 7 CON points, exactly the number of points blocked by her armor and magic cloak]

“Okay! I’ve had about enough of you,” Syl yells as she charges Shadow Syl. The first swing of her quarterstaff lands a solid blow in the upper right thigh. As Shadow Syl attempts to parry with her own staff, Syl thrust the end her staff into the enemy’s gut. The creature doubles over from the strike and Syl brings the end of her staff down hard on the back of its neck. Shadow Syl collapses to the ground defeated and dissipates back into the surrounding darkness. [This final hit was actually only 1 spite damage, the monster’s CON having been slowly whittled down during the battle.]

Looking up, Sylralei sees that her companions have the remaining two Shadow Creatures occupied. Kelseen and real Kris have surrounded Shadow Kris and Dalen is facing off one-on-one with his shadow-self. As Kris parries with his own shadow Kelseen pokes it in the back. When it spins to face Kel, Kris drives his dirk in between its shoulder blades. Working together, the pair soon dispatches the Dark Kris and sends it back into the cave’s shadows.

Meanwhile, Syl comes up behind the creature battling Dalen. Catching the monster unawares, she drives the butt of her quarterstaff into its back, sending it toppling forward in Dalen’s direction. The dwarf steps aside and gives the shadow a chop with his axe as it passes. The thing goes down and both dwarf and elf pounce on it and send it back where it came from. 

[In round 14 the PCs finally win a combat 95-58. With the 37 point difference and spite damage, the two remaining shadow creatures are defeated.

Character stats after the battle are as follows:

Kris: 10 CON   Syl: 11 CON  15 WIZ    Kel: 6 CON  Dal: 8 CON]

Sylralei leans on her staff for support as she catches her breath. She looks over to Kelseen who is bent over, hands on knees and breathing heavily. “Kel, you missed me.”

“Don’t . . . start!” Kel warns between breaths. 

“Not to be critical, but have you hit anything with that crossbow?” asks Kristopher who is seated with his back against the cave wall.  Dalen, who is leaning against the wall next to him can only shake his head.

“Go easy on her, boys,” Syl chides. “Actually, I’m touched that she couldn’t find it in her heart to harm me, even if it was just a monster that looked like me.”

“I see you had no problem blasting my shadow,” Kelseen points out.

“No, I didn’t,” Syl agrees, quickly adding as a wide smile crosses her countenance, “And it was kinda fun!”

End of Chapter 8

(Read next chapter here)

Kage Gordain - Chapter 6: Upscrat

(Read previous chapter here.)

Game System: Tunnels & Trolls (Affiliate link)

Tools: Johnn Four’s 5 Room Dungeons;  rpgsolo.com solo engine; other random generators

Setup

Since it’s been a few weeks since my last post in this adventure I’ll offer a real brief recap. The group of four adventurers have arrived at Crossbones Island and were rowed ashore by two of the naval ship Skylark’s crew. They survived an initial attack from several large jungle cats and a trek through the jungle. Unfortunately, they also ran into a patch of quicksand and one of the crewmembers, Master Fernmaker, was lost. The group made camp at the base of the cliffs. Before retiring for the night, Sylralie cast Poor Baby on all the injured party members (total cost of 12 WIZ, which will restore before morning), bringing them up to full health.

[Scene 1: Room 3 - Trick or Setback]

The night passes uneventfully, for the most part. While some rustling and skittering could be heard in the trees and underbrush on each watch, the closest the camp ever came to being invaded was during Kelseen’s watch. About midway through, the warrior woman spotted a large, dark shape several feet beyond the treeline, firelight reflecting off its eyes. From its size, she was pretty sure it was not another jungle cat but might have been a large, husky man or other humanoid creature. Pulling out her sword, she moved closer to investigate, but the shape quickly retreated and fled rather noisily through the wood. [Rolled two encounter checks for the night. Both were negative.]

Before the sun is fully up, the group awakes and has a quick breakfast of bread and cheese before breaking camp. Throughout the meal, Midshipman Byrd mumbles but a word or two and keeps to himself. 

“So help me,” Kelseen declares, “He better not slow us up.”

“Take it easy on him, Kel,” Dalen says. “He’s probably still in shock over seeing someone die. He calls out to Byrd, “You gonna be okay?”

“No need worry about me,” Byrd grumbles back, then takes a sip of water from a tin cup.

Once everything is packed back up, the group discusses their next move. 

“First, course of action should be to get some height,” Sylralie suggests, taking the lead. “We need to find a way up these cliffs. It’ll give us a better view of the island and anything that might explain what happened to the other crews. Also, while we are up there we can signal the Skylark to let them know we are still alive.” She casts a glance at Byrd who is glaring back at her comment about being still alive. “Do you have the signal mirror?”

“Perhaps Fernmaker had it,” Byrd suggests. “Maybe you should have tried harder to save ‘im.”

Kelseen takes a threatening step toward him, her hand on the hilt of her sword. Byrd holds up his hands to ward her off.  “Calm down, lady. I’ve got one. Lucky, for you.”

Kel takes another step before Kristopher moves between them. “Okay. Let’s take it easy. We have a lot to do and quarreling is not going to help.”

[To find a way up the cliffs, the group will have to make a LUCK SR based on the best LCK stat in the group (Kris 17). The first check will be at L4, the next at L3, and so forth until L1, at which each successive check with be at L1. The group will eventually find a route, but for each check, they will also roll an encounter check. The more fails, the greater the risk of an encounter.]

Kristopher leads the group to the cliff base. The rock face is rather sheer at this location and there is clearly no way up. The way looks more promising to the left, so they head off in that direction. After a bit, the cliffs begin to slope more and the group attempts to climb up the mountain. Unfortunately, the highest they can reach is about twenty feet before they have to retreat. It continues like this for an hour or so until vegetation grows a bit thicker and the grade up the mountain becomes less severe.

Kris stops momentarily to scan the mountain slope for any possible paths and spots a cave opening about 30 feet up the mountainside.  He points it out to the group.

Kris spots a cave opening

“If there’s a cave there should be a way to get to it,” Dalen suggests.

“If anyone would know,” Syl says, “It would be the dwarf.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment,” Dalen says as he takes the lead to search for a path.

Hacking through the underbrush, the dwarf clears a path to a point below the cave. From there the trek is easy as a wide path leads up the slope to the opening. The path itself was mostly bare of vegetation and rather compact, leading Dalen to believe that it has been well-traveled in the past.

“This looks promising,” he calls back. “I suspect we are not the first people to visit this cave.”

“Just be careful,” Sylralie warns. “If this cave has been used by others they might be there now. Or they’ve left it trapped.”

Stopping several feet from the opening, Kelseen and Dalen decide to lead the group in first, as they are the most armored. Swords drawn, they step into the cave. The sunlight only illuminates the cave for a short distance and all they can see is a pile of twigs and dry leaves.  Kel pokes at it with the tip of her sword and immediately regrets her actions as several squirrels with long fangs emerge from the mound and pounce at the party. 

“Scrats!” Dalen cries out.

Scrats!

[The party finds the cave after three turns, but also rolls an encounter. 9 Scrats (MR 15 each)]

Dalen, Kris, and Byrd’s armor protect them from the critters’ initial barrage, but they are unable to effectively fight back as the animals are too fast and easily dodge their blows. Syl drops her quarterstaff and draws her B’chwa, believing the dagger will do more damage. Unfortunately, in the process, one Scrat bites her on the hand. Kelseen suffers the worst of the group, as another scrat wiggles up under her armor and bites and scratches her from underneath. She cries out as she beats at the animal that is stuck near her waist.

Every now and then a scrat is able to drive a tusk into someone’s arm or leg. Kel doubles over as she is bitten a bit too close to her groin. Syl sees the futility of the battle and finally decides it’s time to turn things around. The elf wizard casts Vorpal Blade on the group, but it is still up to the other members of the party to strike the scrats. Thanks to the spell, however, many of the weapons will now slice through the critters much easily on the next swing. Her efforts are rewarded as one of the scrats is knocked away bleeding by Byrd and Kristopher cuts another in half.

[Round 1: Scrats: 128 (5 Spite dmg)   Party: 112 (4 Spite dmg)  Scrats win by 16 which is spread evenly and absorbed by armor.  Spite to the party is assigned randomly, with a majority going to Kelseen over the next several rounds.

Round 2: Scrats: 118 (4 spite)  Party: 110 (3 spite)  Scrats win by 8, damage absorbed. 

Round 3: Scrats: 116 (4 spite) Party w/Vorpal Blade: 143 (0 spite)   Party wins by 27]

With renewed vigor, Syl stabs her b’chwa down and pins one of the prehistoric squirrels to the ground. Kelseen finally just reaches up under her tasset, grabs the scrat by the tail, yanks it out, and bashes it against the wall of the cave. The attacking animals begin to tire from their initial assault and the men are able to wound or kill them more easily using both their weapons (which are now back to normal) and the heels of their feet. Within a few more minutes the fight is over and all the scrats lie dead or dying.

[Round 4: Scrats: 90 (3 Spite)  Party: 114 (5 Spite)  Party wins by 24

Round: 5 Scrats: 63 (2 Spite)   Party: 115 (4 Spite)  Party wins by 52

Round: 6 Scrats: 15 (0 Spite)   Party: Combat Adds alone are enough to win.

Final CON for party: Kris:13   Syl:14  Kel:5    Dal:17    Byrd:7]

Several eyes turn toward Kelseen and she quickly throws them a warning glance before anyone can make any snide comments about her “close encounter.” Satisfied that everyone has been sufficiently silenced, she heads further into the cave.

“Sylralie, some light please.” Kel orders. 

Syl complies and casts Will-o-Wisp. [1 WIZ per 10 min.] Kris and Dalen follow the women inside, while Byrd takes his time bringing up the rear. The light from the spell illuminates the inside of the cave. The chamber is the size of an average-sized room and has no exiting tunnels. The cave is empty, save for the scrat nest. On one wall there appears to be some writing.

[I made some oracle and dice checks to see if there were any bodies or containers in the cave. Both came up negative.

[Is there any treasure in the nest?

(50/50 | 7[d10]) Yes +Event: Fight / Joy  

Unclear what the event might be I use solorpg to generate a focus = “Move away from goal” 

I will pocket the event for later]

The party starts by rummaging through the nest to see if there are any coins or trinkets. They are rewarded with four silver coins and an aquamarine jewel (110 gp). Kelseen adds the coins to the common collection and Kristopher holds on to the jewel. 

In the meantime, Dalen examines the walls of the cave. “This cave is not natural,” he tells the others. “It’s definitely been here a while, but there are faint indications that tools were used to carve it out of the mountain.” [Based on a successful L2 INT roll.] 

“So this was used as either a hideout or storeroom?” Kristopher asks.

“Perhaps,” the Dwarf responds. “But obviously it hasn’t been used for a while and anything that had been stored here is long gone.”

“Hmmm. Maybe. Maybe not,” Sylralie wonders, eyeing the writing on the wall. “There is a riddle scratched into the wall. ‘It runs smoother than most any rhyme, and loves to fall but cannot climb.’”

While Kel and Kristopher struggle to come up with an answer, Dalen sets down his pack and begins to rummage through. Midshipman Byrd stands near the cave opening and keeps glancing out, presumably keeping an eye out for any other scats, cats, or other creatures. He clearly is not interested in doing anymore than what is absolutely necessary.

Dalen pulls out one of his worn leather books and starts flipping through the pages. “Ah, this is the one. Now, where did I write that?”

“What’s up, Dalen,” Kristopher asks.

“Something about that riddle sounds familiar. I’ve heard something like it before. [Per L2 INT roll with help from Literary Knowledge talent]

“ Here it is.

I can babble but I’m not a baby,

I can run but I don’t have any legs

I can fall but I don’t get hurt

I’m found in a pot, but I’m not a ladle”

The dwarf finishes reading and everyone stares at him with anticipation.

“Oh for the patience of Ilmis!” Kelseen finally exclaims. “What is the answer!”

“It’s water,” Dalen responds with a broad smile. “Just like the writing on the wall, this riddle also mentions running and falling, so water must be the answer.”

“So, where does that get us?” Syl asks frowning.  “Is this a message left behind to tell others they set up a new camp by a river? Is it a clue to where a treasure is hidden? It tells us nothing!”

“Oh, it tells us something, my elven friend,” Dalen corrects. “Your thoughts are good, but I think it might be a clue to something that is hidden right here.” [A L2 INT saving roll was needed to figure out the meaning of the riddle. Since rogues can be skilled in traps and hidden doors, I allowed Dalen’s roguery talent to be applied for an additional 4 INT points. Kris’ roguery talent affects LCK rolls, so it wasn’t applicable. Dalen was again the only character to make the SR.]

“Byrd, hand me a waterskin,” Dalen says holding out a hand. Reluctantly, Byrd detaches a skin from his belt and hands it to the dwarf. Dalen walks over to the back of the cave and examines several areas of the wall. Once satisfied, he splashes a generous amount of water onto it. Next, he rubs the wet spot with the palm of his hand. The rest watch curiously as the sandstone dissolves under his touch, leaving an indention about the size of a plate.

“I suspect there is an opening here. We just need enough water to wash away this compacted sand.”

“We’re not wasting all our drinking water on a wall,” objects Byrd, speaking for the first time since leaving camp.

“Of course not. It wouldn’t be enough anyway. We need to find another water source.”

“Then what?” asks the skeptical Syl. “We don’t have any buckets.”

“We’ll figure that out when the time comes,” Kristopher cuts in. “But unless we find water first it does really matter.”

The party did not pass any obvious water sources during their travels to the cave, so they decide to split up into two groups to cover more ground. Kristopher offers to team up with Byrd. Out of Byrd’s earshot he explains that he’s doing it not only to keep Kel from suffering any more time with the seaman than is necessary, but also to try to talk to him about his loss and the current situation. 

[Scene 2]

“I understand what you are going through,” Kris says to Byrd once they’ve left the others behind. “I recently lost a group of close friends. All were either killed or captured.” 

“Listen, I don’t really care about your life or the others. I’m just here to do a job and I know that’s all you and your friends care about.”

“That’s just not true. Syl and Dalen trusted and befriended me when I was on my own. Sure, you’re in the military and have to intention of sticking with once we return to Sirisea, but that doesn’t mean you can’t feel like part of the group while we are together.”

“I’m sure Fernmaker felt just like part of the group as sunk into the quicksand.”

Kris decides there is no point in continuing the conversation at this moment. Besides, he sees a dense copse of low trees and bushes ahead that he wants to investigate. “Do you mind taking a quick look through those bushes? I’ll continue this way.”

Byrd walks over to the overgrown area and steps through, leaving Kris’ sight for a moment. Suddenly, Kristopher hears Byrd call out.  “Hey! I found a pool!”

Kristopher follows after him.  Breaking through the brush, he sees the pool. It isn’t very large, only about 20’ across and is filled with muddy water. He suspects it has formed in a low spot from rainwater flowing down the mountain and varies in size depending on the weather. Despite its small size it is more than enough for the group’s purpose. 

While he is thinking this, Kris sees more than feels the tip of a sword blade emerge from his lower torso through his leather armor. Pain begins to radiate from the wound as he steps forward and slides off the blade. He stumbles around to see Byrd holding onto the bloodied sword Kris feels faint as he fumbles for his own weapon, but before he can pull it out Byrd strikes him across the face with the pommel of his weapon. Kris collapses to the ground and loses consciousness. 

Bryd makes a quick check to see if anyone else is around, then starts to rummage through Kris’ pack. He quickly finds what he is looking for, the aquamarine jewel. 

[Does Byrd find the healing potion? (Somewhat Likely | 10[d10]) Yes, and…  ]

Byrd also finds the vial of healing potion that Kris was holding and decides to take it, thinking it might be useful later on. Satisfied, he stands and begins to walk away in the opposite direction from the rest of the party. He stops after a few steps as if he had just had a thought. Going back to his victim, Byrd plucks up Kristopher’s scimitar and then continues on his way. [...and also takes his (Even=scimitar/Odd=dirk Roll: 4) scimitar.]

End of Chapter 6

Wrap Up:

Some quick behind-the-scenes for the final scene.  I’ve always had this idea that Byrd might betray the group. Once I rolled the “Fight/Joy - move away from the goal” event, I felt this might be an opportunity to take the story in that direction (It also helped that this was the “Trick or Setback” stage of the 5-Room dungeon, though this was an additional trick not in the original.) Once they found the aquamarine I felt that would make a good catalyst: Byrd is already dissatisfied with the mission and possibly his life’s standing in general. He sees the valuable jewel as a means of making his life a little cozier back home (Joy). He knows of the terms of the arrangement and that Kage Gordain gets to keep all the treasure, so the only way for him to obtain any benefit from the jewel would be to steal it (Fight), escape back to the Skylark, and convince the Captain that the rest of the party is dead.

To accomplish this, I planned on having Byrd periodically attempt a L2 LCK SR to see if he could get Kris away from the rest of the group.  The search for water was the first opportunity and Byrd passed it with another double roll (5,5,6,1+11). 

Once they found the pond I checked to see if Byrd tried to surprise Kris (as opposed to threatening Kris at sword point to give him the jewel).  A 50/50 roll on the oracle answered “Yes”.

He needed to make a LCK SR to surprise Kris. Since his DEX is higher than Kris and Kris would be distracted by the pool, I felt this would be an easy surprise at L1. Byrd rolled doubles again (Lucky bastard) and passed with a 30, enough for an L3 SR. With a surprise, Byrd gets to attack without Kris making an opposing roll. After adjusting for armor, Byrd still had enough points to overcome Kris’ 13 CON

(Read next chapter here.)

Kage Gordain - Chapter 5: Crossbones Island

(Read the previous chapter here.)

Game System: Tunnels & Trolls

Tools: Johnn Four’s 5 Room Dungeons;  rpgsolo.com solo engine; other random generators

Setup

Now that the party has actually made it to the island, I can begin to use the published adventure on which this campaign is based. If you remember from chapters one and two, I chose an adventure from Johnn Four’s book “5 Room Dungeons”.  While the term is “5 room,” a better description would be “5 stage dungeon” as the various areas may not be physical rooms. Instead, it is a dungeon or adventure that has five parts with each part playing a particular role. Room one is the entrance or guardian. Room 2 offers some puzzle or roleplaying challenge. Room 3 is a trick or a setback. Room 4 contains the final big battle or climax. Finally, room 5 holds the reward, revelation or another plot twist.

The scenarios in Johnn Four’s book aren’t meticulously detailed and populated like a formal RPG module. Instead, they offer general descriptions of the story and contents of each of the five areas, leaving it up to the GM to fill in the exact details. To avoid spoiling the adventure for myself, I used a method based on this article.  First I zoomed out of the PDF till it was approximately 25% the normal size. Then I used the reader's magnification tool (such as Acrobat Reader’s Loupe Tool) to display only a small part of the text and read just enough to be able to move the story along.

[Scene 1]

The crew of the Skylark have lowered a tender and dropped a rope ladder over the side of the ship for boarding. Kelseen and Dalen are outfitted, as they have been for most of this journey, in their scale armor. only now they are fully armed. From Dalen’s belt hangs his broad axe and sax. Kelseen is equipped with her +1 broadsword and crossbow. Both have their target shields slung across their backs.

For the first time, Kristopher wears the simple suit of leather armor which he borrowed from Kage Gordain’s common stash. Also on loan are his scimitar and dirk.

Easily the most exquisitely dressed member of the group is the elf Sylralie. The wizard wears a custom-fitted suit of sapphire blue leather armor, highlighted with silver hemming that closely matches her short wave of hair. Draped across her back is a hooded cloak of the same blue and silver color, currently with the hood up. Finishing the ensemble is a leather belt and a pair of sleek boots that end just above the knee, both colored a darker royal blue. In addition to the Bich’wa Dagger that hangs from her belt, Syl is armed with a long ash staff, a snake’s head carved into the top.

“Your tender is ready,” Captain Pollard tells the party. “I will be sending two crew members to assist with the journey ashore and anything else you might need. This is Master Fernmaker and Midshipman Byrd.” The captain indicates two men standing by the ladder. To Kelseen’s disappointment, she recognizes Byrd as the red-headed sailor who challenged her at the mess hall door. She says nothing but gives the Midshipman a challenging glare that continues once they are seated aboard the tender.

          ST  DX  IN  LK CON  SP  WZ  CH  ADDS  

FERNMAKER 10  13   8  10  8   13  10  11  +2   

BYRD      10  16  12  11  9   8   12   9  +4   

Each is wearing a leather jerkin and greaves (Blocks 3 points) and is armed with a sabre (3d6+4)

Midshipman Byrd mans the oars and begins rowing for Crossbones Island. Kristopher and Dalen engage Master Ferntaker in idle chat, swapping stories. Every now and they Sylralei interjects a word here or there but is much more interested in the staring match between Byrd and Kelseen. When the boat is about halfway to shore Sylralei’s curiosity gets the best of her.

“What’s up with the two of you?” she asks leaning forward. “Kel, you’re looking at him like he stood you up for a date.”

Without breaking her gaze, Kelseen answers. “He thinks you’re afraid of mice.”

Sylralei’s eyebrows rise as she nods slightly in some personal understanding before leaning back. “I’d be careful if I were you, sailor. Make her mad and I can’t help you. You’re on your own.”

“Like I would need a woman’s help,” Byrd snarls.

“Okay, Arlo. Take it easy,” The Master calls out from the back of the tender.

“Why should I?” Byrd asks.

“‘Cause,” Dalen answers, “There’s four of us and only two of you.”

Byrd blows off the comment with a laugh. “And strand yourselves on the island? I don’t think so.”

“Trust me, Arlo” Kristopher cuts in, using the Midshipman’s first name, “We know how to row a boat just fine.”

The sailor offers no reply, but just keeps rowing in silence the rest of the way to shore.

[Scene 2 - Room 1: Entrance & Guardian]

After about thirty minutes the small craft makes it to shore. After the party climbs out the two crewmen pull the boat up onto the beach. 

While Sylralie and Dalen discuss the best course of action, Kristopher steps away to scan the beach, looking for any signs that the previous scouting parties made it this far. He saw no boats, debris, or bodies. Turning back to the others, he takes a step and feels something under his boot. Kicking away the sand he sees a small leather pouch tied off with a strap.

“Hey,” he calls to the others. “I found something!”  

[Are there any signs of the other two expeditions on the beach? (50/50 | 7[d10]) Yes

Is it a boat? (50/50 | 5[d10]) No, but… it’s something else

Is it bones? (50/50 | 1[d10]) No, and…  It is something belonging to a previous crew member, but it’s small and requires an L3SR on Luck to spot.

Luck Rolls: Kris is the only one to succeed with a 38 (6,6,6,3+17LK=38)]

Kris opens the pouch and examines the contents. Inside he finds 20 gold coins, a tooth, and a needle and thread. [RG except for coins] He shows the coins to Master Ferntaker.

“That’s Sirisea currency, all right,” he confirms.

“It’s a good guess that at least one of the first crews made it to the island,” Dalen says. “This must be one of the men’s money pouch. He must have dropped it.” 

“Or he could have been killed by some animal and eaten,” suggests Kelseen, “And this is all that is left of him, the rest being dragged off, washed out to sea or blown away.”

[Each character makes an L2 perception roll against Luck. This is to see if they notice something. I’m only awarding AP for successful rolls since it is not an active attempt by the character to see something. Kris and Byrd succeed.]

While Dalen is speaking, Kristopher catches a glimpse of something further inland at the edge of the jungle. He turns to tell the others when he sees Byrd also scanning the jungle. 

“Did you see that?” Kristopher asks.

“Yeah, something’s watching us.”

“Hey,” Kris calls out, getting everyone’s attention. “We think there’s something in the jungle.”

Each person prepares their weapon. Kelseen loads a bolt in her crossbow and aims in the direction of an anticipated attack. Syl mulls through two different spells, waiting to see which one will be best for this situation. 

“So, do we wait for them to come to us,” Kris asks, “Or do we . . . “

Before he can finish his sentence [1d6] 2 jaguars and [1d6] 3 panthers rush out of the jungle toward the group.

[Each cat has a Monster Rating, or MR of 34. MR represents both the attack strength end health of a monster. To determine how many dice a monster, or group of monsters, will roll, you divide their combined MR by 10, then add 1. In addition, monsters get half their MR in combat adds. So in this case, the five cats have a combined MR of 170, so they attack with 170/10 = 17+1 = 18 dice and 170/2 = 85 combat adds. The combined MR is also their CON. As they take damage their MR is reduced. When MR hits 0 the monsters are dead. As MR drops, so does a monster’s attack strength. For the most part, I will assess damage to the monster’s total MR. However, should there be an instance where it is necessary to track an individual monster’s heath (such as a missile attack that damages a specific opponent), I will take note of that. ]

Kelseen aims her crossbow at one of the jaguars, waiting for it to close the distance. Syl stays steps behind the line of fighters and mutters the words that will cast Vorpal Blade on the party’s weapons. [All swords and daggers’ attacks scores are doubled for one round.] The rest steel themselves to meet the oncoming rush. 

When the jungle cats are within 25 feet of reaching them Kelseen lets her bolt fly. The projectile flies high and misses the jaguar, but Sylralie follows up with a magic attack of her own. Uttering the words Take That You Fiend, the elf sends a blast of energy from her outstretched hand toward one of the jaguars. It hits squarely, sending the animal tumbling. The other cats are momentarily startled by the blast, causing them to veer their path a bit. [TTYF inflicts damage to a single target equal to the spellcaster’s INT, in this case 15. Per the spell's description, the blast also has a shock effect on the rest of the enemy. This doesn’t cause damage, per se, but could result in them being distracted and hit by the rest of the party. Mechanically, this means the spellcaster’s INT is added to the total attack score.] The group takes advantage of this and press the attack while the animals are momentarily distracted.

Kristopher feels a rush of adrenaline as he swings his scimitar. This is the first time he has battled with a group since his squad was captured by the border patrol and he was separated from them. Of course, this is also the first time he has engaged in battle as a member of Kage Gordain . . . and he is enjoying the fight. The lone warrior hadn’t realized how much he missed being part of a team until this very moment.

Around him Kelseen and Dalen swing fiercely with their sword and axe, cutting through the animal’s hides. Syl has also joined the melee, jabbing jaguars with her quarterstaff and kicking panthers with the heel of her boot. Even the naval men are holding their own against the creatures. Every now and then a cat gets claw or bite in past the group’s defenses, but for the most part, their armor protects them.

The jaguar that took the brunt of Syl’s spell falls first, followed closely by one of the panthers. Ferntaker finds himself overpowered by the feline he had engaged and receives a bite on the leg before Dalen drives his axe into the back of the jaguar’s skull. Byrd is doing a fair job of fending off the remaining panther when he trips and falls on his back. Immediately the beast pounces and the Midshipman is just able to get his hands up and grab it by the throat. They struggle and the cat’s jaws inch closer to the man’s face. Byrd cries out as drool drips from the panther’s fangs into his eyes. At the exact moment Byrd’s strength gives out, he is drenched with a spray of blood as the animal collapses on top of him. He opens his eyes to see Kelseen standing over him, her sword driven through the panther’s neck. She pulls the blade from the carcass, wipes it clean on the animal’s hide and turns away, leaving the naval man to wiggle his way out from under the panther himself.

[Combat:

Round 1:

Kelseen needs to make a L4SR on DEX to hit with her crossbow. The SR level is based on distance and size of opponent (with some personal adjustments to the Version 5 rules because I feel their difficulty is too high.). She rolled a 17 and failed.

Syl casts Vorpal Blade.

Round 2:

Kelseen switched to her +1 Broadsword for the remainder of the battle and Syl casts TTYF for 15 damage.

Cats (MR 170, 18 dice + 85) = 161 (5 Spite damage)    Party: (17 dice+48) = 198 (6 Spite)

Party wins by 37 points. Since the rest of the battle is all melee, I will not be tracking individual MR for each cat.

Spite damage occurs when a “6” is rolled on the attack dice. Each “6” equals one point of damage assessed against the opponent. This damage is not blocked by armor. I rolled to randomly determine who in the party received any spite damage dealt by the cats.

Round 3:

Syl battles with her quarterstaff for the remainder of the fight.

Cats (MR 113, 12 dice + 57) = 96    Party (19 dice+51) = 116 (1 Spite)

Party wins by 20

Round 4:

Cats (MR 93, 10 dice + 47) = 90 (1 Spite)    Party (19 dice+51) = 106 (1 Spite)

Party wins by 16.

Round 5

Cats (MR 73, 8 dice + 37) = 76 (1 Spite)    Party (19 dice+51) = 125 (4 Spite)

Party wins by 49.

Round 6

Cats (MR 21, 3 dice + 11) = 21    Party (19 dice+51) = Adds alone are enough to end battle.

The only damage taken by the party was spite damage. Remaining CON is as follows:

Kr 17   Syl 16    Kel 10    Dal 18    Fer 6    Byrd 7

Syl spent 7 WIZ points during the battle.

The main party members are each awarded 43 AP (Total MR divided equally).]

With the initial threat taken care of, the party discusses their next move and decide the best course of action would be to head toward the cliffs. If there is anything to find on Crossbones Island, there is as good a place as any to look. At the very least, it will give them an overhead view of the island. Ferntaker and Byrd, concerned that they would be outnumbered if there were any more creatures around, feel it’s best if they stick with the party.

“You are a terrible shot,” Byrd says to Kelseen as he walks past her. “But you handle that sword mighty well. Thanks.” 

A subtle smile crosses Kel’s face upon hearing the equally subtle compliment.

[Do the sailors travel with the party?

(Likely [due to chance of another cat attack] | 10[d10]) Yes, and… Byrd gives Kelseen a compliment]

Dalen agrees to take the lead and Kelseen hands him her compass. Master Ferntaker follows behind the dwarf with Kristopher, Sylralie, and Byrd behind him. Kelseen is last, guarding the rear flank. There are enough breaks in the foliage that Dalen has a reasonably easy time keeping the cliffs in sight and, whenever the trees grew exceptionally thick, the compass keeps the party on course. Skittering sounds and snapping branches can be heard all around, but no more beasts dare challenge the party. After a couple of hours the group senses they are nearing the base of the cliffs.

[The party had to make 3 INT Saving Rolls out of 10 attempts to navigate the jungle, adding an extra save for every 3 failures. The roll was based on the highest INT stat of the group (15) and the level of each SR was randomly determined to simulate environmental changes. Along with each attempt, an encounter check was made. The use of the compass, which added 10 to SRs, made this challenge rather easy. The party succeeded after only three rolls and there were no encounters. Enough time passed that Syl regained all her WIZ. SR points were split among the group for AP.]

[Scene 3 - Room 2: Puzzle Challenge]

As they near the base of the cliffs the ground grows spongier underfoot. Dalen dismisses the change as due to rainwater running off the slopes and saturating the ground in the immediate area. After a few more steps, however, the dwarf suddenly sinks to his waist and can no longer feel the ground under his feet. Ferntaker, acting out of instinct, moves forward to assist. The sinking dwarf tries to warn him but isn’t fast enough as the Master also finds himself sinking in quicksand. Kristopher immediately stops and keeps the rest of the troop from advancing.

[The party had to make four successful saves against their Luck to avoid the quicksand.

Step One: Dalen failed a L3 SR.  Ferntaker’s save was a L2 (time to react to Dalen’s predicament), but he also failed. Kris only needed a L1, being third in line. He succeeded. No one else would have been required to make a SR as they would have had sufficient time to stop.

To be rescued, a rescuer must first have some item for the victim to grab onto. Then each must simultaneously succeed a SR, the victim against DEX and the rescuer against STR. After 3 fails the victim starts taking 1d6 damage.]

Kelseen rushes from the back of the line to assist, grabbing the staff Syl holds out to her as she passes. She reaches the end with the snake’s head out to Dalen who grabs hold of it. While Kel pulls Dalen to safety, Kristopher and Byrd search frantically for a branch or vine. [Both fail L2 Luck checks.]

Kel quickly checks to make sure Dalen is on solid ground before going to assist Ferntaker. Byrd is able to find a sturdy branch and reaches it out to his crewmate who tries but cannot grab hold of the end. Beginning to sink faster, the Master panics. By now Kelseen has also extended the quarterstaff to the man desperately trying to stay afloat.

“Stop flailing!” Kel calls out. “It’ll only make you sink faster. Grab the staff.”

Ferntaken reaches for both the branch and staff as the quicksand meets his chin. He is able to take hold of Kelseen’s staff, but his grip slips off on the first tug. His head goes under as the warrior thrusts the staff into the quicksand hoping the man can make one final grab.

“Wesley,” Byrd calls out. “Grab the staff!”

Kelseen pokes around waiting for a tug to let her know that Ferntaken has a hold . . . a tug that never comes. Though she knows it is over, Kel waits several moments before finally pulling the end of the staff out of the bog and handing it back to Syl.

“What are you doing?” Byrd protests. “Don’t stop! You can still save him!”

“He’s gone,” Kelseen says.

“No. Does anyone have a rope? I’ll go in after him.”

“Don’t be foolish,” Kristopher admonishes. “You’ll get yourself killed.”

“But . . . but . . . “

“You got to let it go,” Dalen advises.

Byrd gives Kelseen a long accusing glare before turning and storming away.

“Watch out for more quicksand,” Syl casually warns with an air of indifference. 

[The entire incident took 5 rounds. Dalen and Kel both passed their saves on turn 1.  Ferntaker didn’t have anything to grab onto until round 2. He failed the next two attempts and started taking damage. He finally succeeded on round 5 and randomly grabbed Kel’s staff. Unfortunately, Kel failed her STR check. Ferntaker was down to 0 CON but I gave him one last chance, which he failed.]

[Scene 4]

After giving Byrd some time to himself away from the group, the party retrieves the mourning sailor and constructs a plan to move forward. Kristopher agrees to take the lead, as he is a bit more dexterous than the dwarf. [He has both higher LK and DEX.] He will tie one end of Dalen’s rope around his waist and Kelseen, one of the strongest party members, will follow, holding the other end. Dalen will take Kelseen’s position at the rear of the line and the others will be in the middle. 

[Kris needs to pass 3 more SRs, however, the difficulty is lowered to L2 since they are aware of the danger.]

They walk for several minutes without incident before Kris feels the ground slip out underneath him. Kelseen is quick to react and, once Kris is able to get a good grip on the rope, she pulls him out easily.

A few steps later they see a break in the trees and the base of the cliffs just beyond. Eager to get out of the bog, Kris picks up the pass only to realize he is not out of danger yet. He falls into yet another patch of quicksand and needs Kel to pull him out.

[Kris fails 2 of the 3 remaining checks, but is rescued within two turns both times.]

Safely out of the woods, the party decides to make camp and rest for the evening before going any further.

[Scene 5]

The group has built a small fire and have recently finished eating some of the rations they have brought with them. Midshipman Byrd settles down about 30 feet away from the rest to be alone while Kel tries to catch some sleep before her watch later that evening.  Dalen, Kris and Syl sit around the fire discussing the days events.

“It felt good to battle alongside a group again,” Kris admits to his new friends. “It was like when I was sent on missions with my Squad.”

“You mean raids?” Dalen corrects.

“We preferred the term missions. Until you rescued me from that pirate Frogbeard I didn’t know if I would ever experience that again. I owe you two for that.” Turning toward Sylralie, he continues, “Thank you for recommending me to Garlen. It’s good to have purpose. You can always count on me to have your back.”

“Don’t say that,” Sly responds.

“But . . . I just . . . “

“No!” She firmly cuts him off and stands. “The best advice I can give you is this: take care of yourself first. You remember that and you’ll do fine.” Before Kris can respond the elf spins and leaves him and Dalen sitting at the fire.

“What’s her story?” Kris asks.

“Oh, she certainly has one,” Dalen confirms, “But it’s hers to tell, not mine.” The dwarf lets that sink in for a moment before adding, “But something tells me she trusts you. Just give her some time.”

End of Chapter 5

Author’s note:

Thanks for reading Kage Gordain. I hope you are enjoying the story and the gameplay. I just wanted to take a moment to let you know that I will be on a family vacation for the next couple of weeks and I doubt I will be progressing this story during that time. As is, it usually takes me a couple of weeks to play and post a chapter. Unfortunately, for this story’s sake, I expect this break to push Chapter 6 out to three weeks or more. I mention this primarily to assure you I haven’t abandoned this campaign and it will pick up again in November. In the meantime, I am hoping to experiment with some short solo roleplay ideas while I am on vacation.  If anything comes out of that I will be sure to post it.

(Read the next chapter here.)