10: Fire in the Ruins

Mythic GME Chaos Rank: 7
Scene setup: d10=10 (unchanged)

Make camp(party): Heal

12 rations left.

Jungle west of Obsidian City, Xen’drik
Dravago 21, 997 YK

Half-way through the following night, the rain started. It had not rained since they arrived in Xen’drik, and the skies seemed determined to make up for that: for a few hours, the rain poured down with such force that the whole jungle floor ran with water. They had to move camp to higher ground even though it was nighttime, and Kyorlin collected large fronds and tied them together to cover their fire, without which it would not have been possible to light it. They were finally able to rest again, but it was difficult to sleep in the damp and noise of the storm.

By mid-morning when the party stirred, the rain had lessened a little, but it was still coming down steadily. The loss of Sakhisli’s pack, including the food that she was carrying, had left them with only three days of food left. As they had lost part of the day already, Kalina agreed to Kyorlin’s suggestion that they spend time hunting for more food.

Forage(Kyorlin): 2D6(3 4) +1 = 8 Partial success.
2d4=2 rations, danger or discovery

Aid(Sakhisli): 2D6(1 2) +1 = 4 Failure!
Put someone in a spot

Forage(Arjen): 2D6(6 5) -1 = 10 Success!
2d4=4 rations

It was slow going, as the jungle floor was muddy and visibility was poor in the rain. They chose to stay together, forming a line and sweeping forward through the jungle looking for tracks or animals. They had some early luck: Arjen had taken a spear from one of the gnolls and managed to wound a wild boar with a quick throw of his spear. He soon ran the injured creature down, and the party ate a good meal of fresh meat from its carcass.

The afternoon was less successful. Kyorlin might have done better alone, but Sakhisli was next to him in line and made much more noise than the drow did as she stomped through the forest undergrowth. After a couple of hours, they had caught nothing more, collecting only some berries from plants that they passed that Kyorlin said were safe to eat.

As they the afternoon wore on, they were beginning to tire; last night’s camp had not been very restful. Kalina was thinking of calling a halt for the day when, suddenly, there was a crash of breaking undergrowth and a shout from Sakhisli. Kalina turned to where she had last seen the dwarf, but there was no sign of her, though she could see Kyorlin beyond.

“Sakhisli!” Kalina called, running over to where the dwarf should have been.

Perilous wilds random danger: hazard, pit trap.

Deal damage: d6=2 damage, also stunned.

Show a downside to their class, race, or equipment: no rope again.

There was a muddy gulch just below where Kyorlin had been standing; the ground here was uneven and wet from the rain. The muddy ground sloped down and off into the gulch, and marks in the mud showed clearly where Sakhisli had slipped and slid. Kyorlin was already climbing down the slope; further down, some structure covered in dirt and vines sat just above the stream at the bottom of the slope.

Kalina began to climb down also. “Sakhisli, can you hear me?”

Change the environment Show signs of an approaching threat

She and Kyorlin reached the top of the structure. Whatever this building had once been, the stonework was ancient, pitted and worn by the slow embrace of nature. The building was almost entirely buried by the slope on one side, and a tree had burst through one wall at an angle, its roots digging in between the loose stones of the wall in places. The slope led to the top of the wall; carefully stepping down to the edge, Kalina peered down inside. The ruin was not large, and Sakhisli was sprawled on the ground below; if there had been floor there once, it was covered in dirt and roots and vines now—as well as scattered bones.

“Are you alright, Sakhisli?” called Kalina. The dwarf moved slightly, but still did not respond; worried for her companion, Kalina gripped the top of the wall and hauled herself over the edge, feeling for footholds in the ragged wall. The wall had buckled in in places, and creepers and other plants had grown through the cracks in places, giving uncertain handholds in places to allow her to climb down.

Discern Realities(Sakhisli): 2D6(4 2) +0 = 6 Failure!
Deal damage: b[2d6] (1 3)=3 damage; Monster move(Inflicts the sick debility)

Perilous Wilds called for a random creature using the pit: camouflaged snakes. Venomous snakes duly enter the action. The slope has turned this ruined building into a trap, and the snakes have been feasting down here on stray animals and adventurers.

From below her, there was a sudden cry of pain. Kyorlin shouted “Look out, there are snakes down there!”, nocking an arrow to his bow. Looking down, she could not immediately see anything but Sakhisli; then, some of the tree roots seemed to move, and she realised that some of what had seemed to be roots were actually brown snakes disguised amidst the rest.

Defend(Kyorlin): 2D6(3 5) +1 = 9 Partial success.
Hold 1

Aid(Arjen): 2D6(3 1) +0 = 4 Failure!
Put someone in a spot: you fall in too, d6=5 damage

Channel(Sakhisli): 2D6(5 5) +2-1 = 11 Success!
Blast, forceful; d8=3 damage

Let’s say that injured three of the snakes, pushing them away.

Sakhisli struggled up, pushing her hands out in front of her, and a burst of fire shot from her hands. Three of the snakes were caught in the flames, pushed back by the heat and force of the blast. As the dwarf lowered her hands, some of the tree roots were now on fire, and the snakes began to slither towards her again.

Defy Danger(DEX)(Sakhisli): 2D6(6 3) +1 = 10 Success!

Spend hold(Kyorlin): Halve damage Deal damage: b[2d6] (2 1 ) = 2, halved to 1, 0 after armour.

Kalina heard Arjen above: “What’s happening?—Woah!” She looked up just as Arjen fell over the edge down into the ruin, apparently having lost his footing on the muddy slope above. Kalina hugged the side as Arken fell past her; Sakhisli managed to step out of the way and he landed awkwardly on the ground, groaning in pain. One of the snakes moved to strike, but an arrow from Kyorlin hit the creature before it could strike, pinning it to a tree root.

Deft Techinique(Kalina): 2D6(1 3) +1 = 5 Failure!
Deal damage: b[2d6] (5 4)=5 damage, 4 after armour. weak

Volley(Kyorlin): 2D6(4 4) +1 = 9 Partial success.
Use up ammunition; deals d8=8 damage

Kalina had climbed down a little way, and now she dropped down, landing behind Sahisli as another of the snakes prepared to strike. She fumbled drawing her sword, however, and the snake struck out, biting into her leg; within seconds she felt the poison in her, and she staggered a little as it weakened her. The snake moved to strike again, but another arrow whistled down from above, skewering the creature straight through its skull and killing it instantly.

Channel(Sakhisli): 2D6(2 6) +2-1 = 9 Partial success.
Deals d8=3 damage; Turn their move back on them: fire in an enclosed space

Kalina turned as Sakhisli unleashed more flames. The snakes approaching Arjen were all blasted with the fire; as the flames cleared, their blackened bodies lay unmoving amidst the burning roots. But most of the roots and plants down in this hole were on fire now, and the fire was spreading; in a minute, the tree itself would be ablaze.

“Sakhisli, Arjen! We have to get out of here, now!” Kalina was shouting now, and gesturing to urge her shaken companions to action.

Okay, so three of the party are in a hole in the ground, which is full of tree roots on fire, and they have no rope? This doesn’t look good.

Defy Danger(STR)(Arjen): 2D6(2 6) +0 = 8 Partial success.
Not able to help the others

Defy Danger(STR)(Sakhisli): 2D6(2 1) +0 = 3 Failure!
Deal damage: d6=2 fire damage so far, can’t climb out.

Defy Danger(STR)(Kalina): 2D6(2 1) +1 = 4 Failure!
Deal damage: d6=4 damage, 3 after armour

Sakhisli is at 21/26 HP, Kalina is at 14/21 HP. And I’m not sure how to get them out.

Arjen began to climb immediately, clambering up the roots and creepers that snaked between the cracks in the wall. Sakhisli tried to do the same, but she was shorter and heavier; Kalina tried to give Sakhisli a boost, but roots broke or pulled away when the dwarf tried to haul herself up by them. The heat and smoke were growing as the fire spread around them.

Discern Realities(Sakhisli): 2D6(6 3) +0 = 9 Partial success.
What here is useful or valuable to me?

Well, I’m sure I don’t know.

Are they not the first adventurers to fall into this hole? Unlikely (Xen’drik is big).
Fate d100(45)=Yes

Present riches at a price: Okay, so there’s an adventurer’s pack with climbing gear and rope in it in the hole. Be a fan of the characters.

Defy Danger(WIS)(Kalina): 2D6(1 5) +0 = 6 Failure!
Put someone in a spot; shaky

Aid(Sakhisli): 2D6(1 1) +1 = 3 Failure!
Deal damage: d6=2 damage (to Kalina)

Kalina was starting to panic; the flames were getting closer, and it was hard to see Kyorlin above now through the smoke. “Ollandra help us, we have to get out of here!” she cried to anyone who would listen. She turned to Sakhisli, who was crouched down looking at something, and grabbed the dwarf by the shoulders. Looking past the dwarf, Kalina saw that there were some human-looking bones on the ground, mostly covered by dirt and jungle growth: the remains of some long-dead adventurer.

“There’s a pack here too, Kalina. Perhaps it has—aha, there it is, some rope! Give me your sword, will you?”

The sight of bones was little comfort to Kalina, though. “We’re going to die down here! Ollandra save us!” Kalina backed away, then started as she realised that she was backing into the heat of the flames; the edge of her cloak caught fire.

Defy Danger(STR)(Sakhisli): 2D6(6 5) +0 = 11 Success!

The dwarf shook her head and continued to dig out the pack with her hands. After taking out the rope, she put on the pack, and then tossed up the rope to Kyorlin above. Kyorlin and Arjen secured the rope above, and Sakhisli began to climb.

Defy Danger(CON)(Kalina): 2D6(6 3) +1-1 = 9 Partial success.
You don’t pass out from the smoke, but Deal damage: d6=2 damage

Kalina is at 10/21 HP. She is getting lucky with the low damage rolls. A failure would have been hard to come back from: passing out in a pit full of flames would be hard to survive, particularly when the party has no-one with good strength to haul her out.

“Come on, Kalina!” called Arjen through the smoke.

Kalina had to throw aside her burning cloak and began to climb. The roots and vines running up the walls were aflame now as well; she was able to push herself away from the side as she climbed up, but her feet and legs had still taken some burns by the time she made it to the top. She fell to her knees on the top of the wall, gasping for air.

---

Everyone was exhausted after their ordeal. Kyorlin decided that they should rest immediately, and an hour later they had set up camp nearby.

Treasure (hoarder): b[2d6] = 4 for a gem worth 90gp

Sakhisli was going through the pack that she had found in the pit. Most of the food had long since rotted away, and the pack itself was in poor condition but, as Sakhisli had lost her own pack, it was better than nothing.

“Aha! I thought there would be something in here. An adventurer always has something stashed away,” Sakhisli declared triumphantly. She drew out a small diamond from a small pocket on the side of the pack, holding it up to the firelight. “This one is a good quality if I’m not mistaken,” she said, speaking to no-one in particular.

Arjen came and sat next to Kalina, on the other side of the fire from Sakhisli. “Are you alright?”

Kalina just stared at the fire, her usual confident air gone. Her clothes smelled strongly of woodsmoke still, and she had lost her cloak in the pit, leaving her with only a jacket to shield her from the rain. And she felt weak and sick with the effect of the snake’s bite.

“We nearly joined that other adventurer, dead at the bottom of a pit in the wilderness,” she said.

“It may seem that all is against us,” Arjen continued, “but the Host watches over us still. What good fortune, to find that pack at that moment? Without it, you might both have been lost, but Olladra smiled on you.”

“I suppose you are right,” said Kalina, without much conviction; her usual confident air was entirely gone.

Suddenly Kyorlin was leaning down beside her, talking low. “The snakes would not have killed you, but the dwarf’s fire magic nearly did. She is dangerous, Kalina.”

Kalina said nothing. She looked up at Sakhisli, and her eyes met the dwarf’s for a moment; neither said anything, and Sakhisli returned to admiring the gem that she had looted. Kalina looked on for a moment more, then turned in for the night; but sleep did not come quickly that evening, and Kyorlin’s words were much on her mind.

Updated bonds: Kalina: Without Kyorlin, we are lost. Sakhisli wields a dangerous power: I do not trust her.
Sakhisli: Kyorlin is wary of my power, for good reason. Kalina is wary of my power, for good reason.

I’m resolving Sakhisli’s bond with Kalina in favour of this new one; I think seeing Kalina panic and become afraid of her had made the dwarf less interested in following Kalina.

End of session(party): Sakhisli resolved a bond, for +1 XP.

XP: Arjen 6, Kalina 11, Kyorlin 2, Sakhisli 6.

Make Camp(party): Heal

Level Up(Kalina): +1 Dex; Fancy Footwork: +1 armour when you have space to move about, & defy danger(dex) improvement