She had watched a ghostly funeral procession, followed by the Varou Lord, his 'adviser' and guards, march along a road before turning into the biggest, still-standing building Careena had seen in the ruins ...
The Varou having all gone into the building, Careena vaulted the wall and carefully followed where they had gone. Reaching the doorway of the building, she carefully peered into the opening. Inside the building was a wide set of steps heading down - to where she could not see from the doorway. Creeping into the building, Careena could see down the steps and the Varou at the bottom who were lighting torches.
I think that the risk of the Varou seeing Careena constitutes a danger ...Careena was very nearly seen - silhouetted at the top of the stairs as she was, but she managed to hide in time. By the time that she felt safe enough to look again, athe Varou had gone. Looking around the building, Careena saw a niche covered with dead ivy and decided to leave most of her gear there, in case there were some narrow passages in her near future.
Face Danger: 2 +1 [shadow] vs 1,5; weak hit, delayed -1 mom -> 8
Careena made her careful way down the stone steps underground ...
Discover a Site: The Demon's Crypt, troublesome Corrupted BarrowAs the stone floor of the building above her passed over her head, Careena felt a strange feeling creep over her. She felt ... comfortable was the only way to describe it. The strange thing was that she had not known that she was uncomfortable until it went away. She realised that it was part of her Dwarven nature to be more comfortable underground than undersky and because she was a Child of Earth. She could not say how she knew these things, but knew in her soul that they were true. Cautiously she went followed the passage as it went downwards ...
Reach a Milestone: I will learn what it means to be a Dwarf, 7/20The stairs ended in a large room holding many statues and the remnants of tapestries on the walls. The passage directly opposite the stairs was blocked by fallen rocks and flickering light came from the passage to the right, while a faint glow was evident from the last passage, the one to her left.
Reach a Milestone: I will learn what I should know as a Child of Earth, 1/10
Delve the Depths: Feature 73 Statuary or tapestries; roll 1 +3 [wits] vs 9,1; weak hit, roll 24, prog -> 3/10, Reveal a Danger: 34 Grave guardian
Careena went to her right entering the passage which turned to her right after a short distance and she could now see the source of the flickering light. Just inside the entryway to a room which had 3 sarcophagi in, Careena could see 2 obviously dead Varou and a torch lying on the floor, as she stepped into the room, moaning voices beagn speaking in an unearthly chorus, "We will preserve our King, in life and forever ..."
Face Danger: 6 +3 [wits] vs 7,6; strong hit, +1 mom -> 9Ghostly indistinct figures rose from each of the sarcophagi. An idea sprang into Careena's mind and just as quickly, she jumped backwards crossing the threshold of the room. Luckily, she was right - as soon as she crossed that threshold, the figures began to return to the sarcophagi. Realising that the Varou must have gone the other way after trying this way, Careena went back to the first room and took the other passage.
Reach a Milestone: I will search Zorkon's Stone and find what the 'adviser' seeks, prog -> 4/10
Delve the Depths: Feature 10 Mystic runes or markings; roll 6 +3 [wits] vs 2,5; strong hit, prog -> 6/10, +1 mom -> 10The light seemed to be always out of direct sight but she could still see its glow on the walls ahead. Reaching a short set of steps across the passage, Careena saw another pair of dead Varou at its foot. They lay sprawled, limbs at impossible angles across a sooty pentagram on the floor - a magical trap of some sort, Careena surmised.
She carefully edged around the corpses, following the way the other Varou's tracks in the dust went and continued along the corridor.
Delve the Depths: Feature 28 Burial chambers; roll 1 +3 [wits] vs 5,6; miss, Reveal a Danger: 52 You encounter a hostile denizen
Roll on denizens: 28 Varou, 5 left behind to loot tombs, Dangerous as a pack are Formidable
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| Varou Warrior |
Face Danger: 5 +3 [wits] vs 8,1; weak hit, -1 mom -> 9The Varou charged toward Careena brandishing their weapons in a very enthusiastic manner, but it was a fatally un-coordinated manner. The first two that reached Carrena both fell to the strike-that-cleaves sweep, removing both their heads and wounding the third that was just too far away to lose its life.
Enter the Fray: 3 +2 [heart] vs 9,4; weak hit, +INIT
Strike: -1 mom +1 harm [Sunderer], mom -> 9; 6 +2 [iron] vs 2,4; strong hit, +INIT, harm = 2 [battleaxe] +1 [strong] +1 [Keen] +1 [Sunderer], prog -> 5/10
Strike: -1 mom +1 harm [Sunderer], mom -> 8; 4 +2 [iron] vs 6,7; miss BURN mom -> strong hit (reset mom -> +2), +INIT, harm = 2 [battleaxe] +1 [strong] +1 [Keen] +1 [Sunderer], prog -> 10/10The rest of the Varou reached Careena and they fell just as swiftly to the flurry-that-kills, her new axe flowing like water in her hands - it was a dream made reality.
End the Fight: prog 10 vs 2,5; strong hit
Reach a Milestone: I will search Zorkon's Stone and find what the 'adviser' seeks, prog -> 5/10
Her attackers slain, Careena took the exit from the room that their compatriots must have followed.
Delve the Depths: Feature 78 Remains of a grave robber; roll 3 +3 [wits] vs 7,5; weak hit, roll 42, prog -> 9/10From the strength of the light ahead of her, Careena could tell that she was gaining on the remaining Varou - either they had slowed, or reached what they were after. As she continued through the passages of the ancient crypt, she what looked like a body just ahead of her. As she reached it, she saw that it was, indeed, a body and one that was not so ancient as the others she had seen here. It was a young human - a warrior by his equipment, but a poor one. Careena felt a wave of sadness for him - to lie here forgotten, his dreams unrealised, his name forgotten ... As she had done for the Dwarf on the surface, she searched the body for identifying belongings, but finding none, she Careena continued onward, knowing not what else to do ...
Reach a Milestone: I will search Zorkon's Stone and find what the 'adviser' seeks, prog -> 6/10
Locate Your Objective: Found the 'adviser'; prog 9 vs 5,10; weak hit, unforeseen hazard or complication (I know what this will be)As she approached what - judging by the light - was the last corner between her and the Varou, the sound of fighting erupted ahead of her and shadows began to dance wildly in the light.
Reach a Milestone: I will search Zorkon's Stone and find what the 'adviser' seeks, prog -> 7/10
 |
| Attackers |
The Varou were fighting back though, led by Lord Akkan who cut wide swathes through the attackers with his greatsword. Then Careena spied the 'adviser' who, rather than helping the Varou, was sneaking around the fight heading toward the dais at the far end of the room, on which was an altar with the figure of a winged demon carved in stone atop.
At the demon's feet lay a silver and black rod, about the length of Careena's forearm - was that what had drawn the adviser into this terrible place? The fighting drew Careena's attention back, as with terrible whooping cries, another wave of attackers erupted into the room. Careena now saw that they came from holes in the walls and floor of the room, some crawling up the walls and across the roof to drop on the Varou. It was obvious that if the Varou stayed to fight they would soon be overrun and slain.
Even as she realised this, Careena saw from the corner of her eye that the adviser had reached the dais. She watched as a grey-scaled, webbed and clawed hand reached out from its cloak toward the rod. The arm the hand was at the end of, seemed to be impossibly long as it stretched toward the rod and finally reached it ...
Fulfil Your Vow - I will search Zorkon's Stone and find what the 'adviser' seeks: prog 7 vs 2,6; strong hit, was formidable, so 3xp gainedThere was a flash of brilliant light as a stroke of lightning erupted from the stone demon's mouth and struck the adviser, knocking it to the floor where it was swarmed by the creatures from the depths.
As Careena stood dumbfounded, the Lord Akkan was at last overwhelmed and dragged down by his attackers - his remaining warriors would soon join him, so Careena turned and began to flee before she was caught up in the massacre ...
Escape The Depths: 2 +3 [wits] vs 8,4; weak hit, Endure Stress for witnessing the Varou being eaten alive seems appropriate ...Visions of the Varou being eaten alive replayed themselves in Careena's vision as she ran headlong back the way she had come through the crypt. Heedless of what might have crept into the passages in front her, she ran as fast as she could, finally reaching the stairs she had earlier descended into this place of horror ... Finally able to stop there and regain her breath, Careena thought long and hard about what she had witnessed ... She realised that she had learnt another important truth about being a Dwarf - there are old and foul things in the deeps ...
Endure Stress: -2 stress -> 3; 2 +3 [spirit] vs 4,8; weak hit, press on
Reach a Milestone: I will learn what it means to be a Dwarf, prog -> 8/20As she climbed the stairs into the sunlight that shone down through the cracked and broken roof, she felt the discomfort of the sky settle upon her like a familiar garment. Right now, after what she had seen below - she welcomed it.
Enough for this post; more soon!