It took Brunvoldt and Ser Taylah a while to recover from the religious experience that they had undergone. When they had, they slowly regained their feet and looked around them.
As far as they could tell, the Chitters had either tunnelled into the complex or, perhaps, used a tunnel that the Broken had made. This had forced the Broken out to Portwater, whose stout defence had then turned the Broken back onto the Chitters. The Broken had been exterminated by the Chitters, allowing Brunvoldt, Ser Taylah and Magnus, to then arrive and kill the weakened Chitters.
Escape the Depths: retrace steps +Wits; 3 +3 vs. 8 & 6 => miss = > reveal a danger
As they retraced their steps across the cavern, they heard the sound of more Chitters on the stairs heading towards them - they had been sadly mistaken thinking that the fighting had finished.
This group of Chitters rates as dangerous, again there are multiple foes, but Brunvoldt still has the help of Ser Taylah
Enter the Fray: objective: kill the Chitters, rank dangerous, facing off, +Heart; 1 +3 vs. 7 & 3 => weak hit => in control; progress 0/10
Strike: +Iron, +1 Blademaster +1 Combat Bot; 6 +2 +1 +1 vs. 4 & 1 => strong hit => in control, mark progress twice now 4/10
Strike: +Iron, +1 Blademaster +1 Combat Bot; 4 +2 +1 +1 vs. 8 & 1 => weak hit => bad spot, mark progress twice now 8/10
The Chitters clattered down the stairs and rushed towards them. As before, Ser Taylah cut the one that attacked her down swiftly while Brunvoldt was a bit slower in dispatching his, but he ddid manage it. As the Chitter he faced fell to the floor, Brunvoldt looked over at Ser Taylah to see that she had already killed a second and was advancing upon a third. Not that he was counting, of course. Magnus had dispatched another, but Brunvoldt could not count how many remained, they had started leaping like gigantic grasshoppers!
Clash: +Iron, +1 Blademaster; Armoured set action die to 4 +2 +1 +1 vs. 6 & 5 => strong hit => in control, mark progress twice now 10/10, +1 momentum from Combat Bot now +10 (max)
Take Decisive Action: progress 10 vs. 9 & 7 => strong hit => prevail, +1 momentum still +10 (max)
The stream of Chitters returning from around the complex to avenge their Queen eventually came to an end. Brunvoldt, Ser Taylah and Magnus were all panting with exhaustion and bespattered with Chitter ichor. Looking up, the gaze of the two humans met and both began laughing with relief and the sight of all the goo dripping off them.
When they regained control they came together and embraced in the sheer joy of being alive. Then they turned and made their way back to the Lighthouse.
If this had been a Starforged expedition, there would've been ticks to the Discoveries legacy track - a whole box as it was formidable. As I've run it as a Delve, I'm going to give Brunvoldt ticks equal to one step down, that is 2 ticks. This fills a box and gives 2xp
They reached the Lightouse's cellar and nearing the barricade, called out to the Wardens as they approached - not wanting to be shot at by a nervous sentry. They could see daylight filtering through from behind the barricade as the Wardens deconstructed it so they could get out. Brunvoldt extinguished the torch with a snap of his fingers and was amazed to see that the torch was unburnt. All of the wood that had been there when he had first ignited it remained although the cloth that had wrapped it was gone.
"Ser Taylah, look at this," said Brunvoldt, holding the torch before her.
"Oh my," she said, "Holy Vanth's Power must have preserved it!"she exclaimed. "Try igniting it again," Ser Taylah requested.
Brunvoldt snapped his fingers and the torch began to burn again. Waving his hand over it, Brunvoldt could feel the heat coming off the torch and taking a scrap of cloth from the ground, he put it in the flame and it burned as they expected. He snapped his fingers once more and the torch extinguished, touching it Brunvoldt felt none of the heat he'd expected - he was able to keep his fingers where the flame had been with no discomfort. Both Brunvoldt and Ser Taylah were staring at the torch when a voice behind them called, "Are you coming out or what?" It was a Warden looking through the gap he had created for them.
Shaken from their contemplation of the torch, they clambered out of the Lighthouse and into the daylight.
"Holy Vanth! You absolutely stink! Get away!" exclaimed Captain-Warden Selva, who had been waiting for them.
"I imagine we do," said Ser Taylah laconically. "There were quite a few Chitters in there, but they are dead now. I'd advise leaving the barricade up for a day, just to let any other surviving Chitters die. We killed their Queen, so they will die off quickly."
"Chitters!" exclaimed Selva. "Well praise Vanth that you dealt with them, but please now, go and get cleaned up and then we can talk further."
Heartily agreeing that they needed to clean up, the three went to the Temple-of-Vanth to do just that.
These are coming quickly, but deservedly:
Reach a Milestone: formidable vow "I will journey to Portwater and investigate the Broken attack through the Lighthouse", progress now 7/10
Heal: +Iron; 5 +2 vs. 5 & 4 => strong hit => +2 Health now 5 (max)
An hour or so later, Brunvoldt and Ser Taylah met with the Council of Five in their hut. The odour of the Chitters still faintly clung to them and it had so soaked into Magnus' fur that the Vagthund had remained at the temple being scrubbed by Ser Taylah's acolyte.
They relayed what they had seen and done in the complex beneath the Lighthouse to the Council. As they had found no other entrance, it was possible that the Chitters had used the Broken's entry point to get into it and if so, now that it was blocked, the village could be able to use the complex as a redoubt, if necessary. But that was for the Council to decide at some point in the future. Fo now it was agreed to keep the barricade in place for two more days to ensure that nothing would get out and then Captain-Warden Selva would lead the Wardens in to search.
Both Brunvoldt and Ser Taylah volunteered to go in with Selva, and she was visibly relieved when they did. Brunvoldt and Ser Taylah then excused themselves and returned to the temple. Ostensibly to catch up on their sleep, but really to examine the torch and determine what they should do with, and about, it - if anything...
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