With a great deal of trepidation, the small group descended the long sweeping stairs that led down into the cavern. There was evidence of more fighting upon the stairs - bodies of Broken and Chitters were passed multiple times. They gradually began to be able to make out the noises of Chitters from the darkness ahead. There were obviously Chitters on the floor of the cavern, but they weren't coming to attack the group. They wondered why, sharing a glance, but knew that they would soon find out.
Reaching the bottom of the stairs, they advanced cautiously out into the cavern towards the noise of the Chitters.
"Brunvoldt, we need to see what we face," said Ser Taylah quietly.
"You're right," he answered, and uttering a quiet chant, held his torch slightly higher and the torchlight burned brighter and brighter until they could see the entire cavern.
I considered spending a point of Fire on this but decided that as it's a narrative benefit and not mechanical I won't
They could see on the far side of the cavern, a good hundred paces away, there was a huge Chitter - the size of a prone Mammoth. Around it were half-a-dozen Chitters - some obviously wounded - a couple of whom were crawling over the big one apparently trying to heal its wounds. The other Chitters were arranged between the humans and the ... was it their queen? Whatever it was, the non-healing Chitters were obviously preparing to protect it from the human interlopers.
All over the floor was evidence of a titanic battle between the Broken and the Chitters. What seemed to be Chitter eggs lay smashed near the Queen, with Broken bodies amongst them. It seemed that the Broken had attacked the Chitters with all their strength, but it had not been enough. It nearly had been - the wounds on the 'queen' showed that - but they had failed, and been wiped out.
"We should seize this opportunity and destroy it before it recovers," said Ser Taylah with iron resolve.
"Yes," replied Brunvoldt, "We should!"
An individual Chitter is ranked as dangerous; so this group plus their queen should, perhaps, be extreme. Reducing that to formidable is the help of Ser Taylah, an extremely good swordswoman
Enter the Fray: objective: kill the Chitter Queen, rank formidable, facing off, +Heart; 4 +3 vs. 5 & 4 => strong hit => +2 momentum now +8, in control; progress 0/10
Strike: +Iron, +1 Blademaster +1 Combat Bot; 1 +2 +1 +1 vs. 3 & 2 => strong hit => in control, mark progress twice now 2/10
Strike: +Iron, +1 Blademaster +1 Combat Bot; 2 +2 +1 +1 vs. 5 & 3 => strong hit => in control, mark progress twice now 4/10
Discovering the 'queen' and beginning the attack upon it is
Reach a Milestone: formidable vow "I will journey to Portwater and investigate the Broken attack through the Lighthouse", progress now 5/10
They advanced upon the Chitter Queen, who twittered loudly in a very high pitch and all the other Chitters skittered towards the humans. Magnus showed his defiance by barking at the insects, but they ignored the Vagthund. The initial advance of the six-legged beasts was singularly unimpressive - the first two to reach the humans and their swords were immediately cut down while Magnus seized a third at the joint between its head and neck and using his great strength began to thrash it violently.
Strike: +Iron, +1 Blademaster +1 Combat Bot; 5 +2 +1 +1 vs. 10 & 2 => weak hit => mark progress twice now 6/10, in bad spot
Clash: +Iron, +1 Blademaster; Armoured set action die to 4 +2 +1 +1 vs. 8 & 1 => weak hit => mark progress now 7/10, bad spot, pay the price, +1 momentum from Combat Bot now +9
Pay the Price: Endure Harm: serious -2 Health now 3, +Health; 2 +3 vs. 5 & 1 => weak hit => -1 momentum now +8, +1 Health now 4
The next Chitters fared better. Although Ser Taylah cut down the one facing her with swift swordstrokes, Brunvoldt was not as competent. He parried the Chitter's first attack, but its second siezed his leg with its mandibles crushing his greave into his calf and eliciting a scream of pain from him. Magnus meanwhile, had finally ripped the head off the Chitter it had been savaging, and between retching coughs was menacing another of the great insects.
React Under Fire: take the hit +Iron; Armoured set action die to 4 +2 vs. 4 & 2 => strong hit => in control, +1 momentum now +9
Strike: Firebrand 'unleash hell' => automatic strong hit => mark progress twice now 9/10, Firebrand mark progress now 10/10, in control, Fire now 0
Take Decisive Action: progress 10 vs. 5 & 1 => strong hit => prevail, +1 momentum now +10 (max)
Brunvoldt skewered the Chitter that held his leg with its mandibles through the thorax while Ser Taylah and Magnus combined to kill the last remaining Chitter. The Chitter that Brunvoldt had run through fell away from his leg, allowing him the freedom to move up to Ser Taylah's side.
They saw that while they had been fighting, the Queen Chitter had managed to crawl away into a tunnel that had been hidden by its bulk. Pointing his torch at the retreating insectoid bulk, Brunvoldt sung a short paean in praise of Vanth and called down Her Holy Power upon the Chitter Queen.
In an awesome display of Her Power that had Brunvoldt and Ser Taylah fall to their knees crying out their worship, the fire from Brunvoldt's torch leapt to the tunnel and engulfed the Chitter Queen. After a few moments of insect screams and churning, roiling flame, the roof of the tunnel collapsed burying what was left of the Queen and sealing the tunnel.
Destroying the Queen allows Brunvoldt to
Reach a Milestone: formidable vow "I will journey to Portwater and investigate the Broken attack through the Lighthouse", progress now 6/10
Also, sharing this religious experience, will Develop Your Relationship: with Ser Taylah, mark progress per rank => dangerous now 8/10, and then Forge a Bond: progress 8 vs. 7 & 5 => strong hit => dangerous 2 ticks on bonds track
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