12. In Need of Treasure

Grunferdfest, west of the Obsidian City, Xen’drik
Dravago 22, 997 YK

Mythic GME Chaos Rank: 9
Scene setup: d10=4 (Interrupt!)

Event: Move away from a thread(Kappefesting): Proceedings Illness
Okay, something that makes it even harder to get to Kappefesting—as the party wasn’t going to have a hard time doing that already. Let’s say that Arjen’s wounds, from the fight last time, are a problem; something that will not just heal on its own.

Make Camp(party): Arjen heals to 12 HP, but...

Level Up(Arjen): +1 Str, Sundering Blows

Level Up(Sakhisli): +1 Cha, Callus

Show signs of an approaching threat

In a ruined building in the shadow of a giant tower, three adventurers huddled around a small campfire. Sakhisli had gathered wood and lit the fire—using flame produced from her burned hand when Kyorlin was not looking—while the drow attended to Arjen’s wounds.

Arjen’s jerkin had given little protection against the creature’s acid. A band of skin around his chest was partly burned away, too much for Kyorlin’s needle and threat to easily stitch back together. All that Kyorlin could do was clean and bandage it.

After a while, the drow moved back, his work done for now. He sat by the fire, looking across it at Sakhisli.

“That wound will not heal on its own.”

Sakhisli glowered back at him. It had taken some effort to persuade her that they could not explore the tower immediately, and now it seemed that her companions did not want to proceed at all.

“We came here for treasure, and treasure awaits us if we climb that tower.”

“Arjen may live for a week or two, but he will weaken as time passes. If we are to reach a healer, we need to go now.”

New bond for Sakhisli. I’ll restate them below.

I like Sakhisli. She is becoming a badass and really doesn’t care about any of these average fools that she has ended up with. But Adventurers struggling together she has to stay with them for now, not least because she would quickly starve here if left alone.

Show a downside to their class, race, or equipment: You lost Lavias before you even left the city.

“There is probably no-one of the Healer’s Guild closer than Last Chance, or probably Stormreach—hundreds of miles north. It is nearly two weeks since we left Last Chance. He will die before we get there.” She glanced over at Arjen; sweat beaded on the man’s face and chest and he was breathing slowly, clearly pained. He looked at her anxiously.

Spout Lore(Kyorlin): 2D6(2 1) +1 = 4 Failure!
Reveal an unwelcome truth

So, what’s the unwelcome truth? Since Kyorlin was already about to say that Vulkoorim healers are closer, I don’t plan to change my mind and say that they are further away.

Is Kyorlin an outcast? Somewhat likely (It explains why he is working for outsiders).
Fate d100(92)=Yes

Fortunately, that was not an exceptional yes, or he would have been the shoot-on-sight sort of outcast

Okay, so Reveal an unwelcome truth: Kyorlin is not able to ask them for help. And Sakhisli wields fire, which means they will hate her if they find out. The party is in trouble.

“Your healer’s guild is not the only place where one can find healing,” said Kyorlin. “There are Vulkoorim tribes living scattered throughout Xen’drik; they might offer healing if you can persuade them.”

“If I can persuade them? Won’t they offer you help, dekhel?” Sakhisli sneered as she said it.

Kyorlin did not know dwarven, but he took the hint that it was meant to be insulting. However, he did not snap back; instead he looked down at the fire and frowned. “I have not been amongst my people for many years. They will not aid me. It will be up to you,” he said, looking between Arjen and Sakhisli, “to plead your case.”

“I plead for no-one,” said Sakhisli.

“I will plead for my life,” said Arjen, wincing in pain. “I know little of your people, Kyorlin, but I hope they would help a stranger in need.”

“My people care for little outside their tribe,” said Kyorlin. “They may trade, though, if you have something of value to offer.”

“I have nothing to give them,” said Sakhisli, just as Arjen said “I have gold...”

“Gold does not mean a great deal to my people,” said Kyorlin. “Certainly not to tribes this far south, who hardly ever trade with outsiders.”

Sakhisli saw an opportunity. “We should search the tower first. Perhaps it contains something of value that could be traded.” She did not want to trade anything away without getting something for herself, but it seemed like a good excuse to persuade her companions to continue with searching the tower.

Kyorlin looked across the fire at the dwarf; she had already made clear that she wanted to explore the tower, and his mistrusted her enough to guess at her real motive. But then he looked to Arjen and said, “It is your life, Arjen. We take a chance either way.”

Discern Realities(Arjen): 2D6(6 3) -1 = 8 Partial success.
What here is useful or valuable to me?

This is a hard one for the GM to answer; your party member hopes you die so she doesn’t have to pay to heal you. The tower might contain loot, and it may not take too long to explore, it might be enough to keep Sakhisli in a good mood and she might use it to pay to heal you and you might live long enough to see it happen. Okay?

Arjen’s bond with Sakhisli changes. Let’s restate the party’s bonds.

Bonds:
Arjen: Sakhisli has been changed by her time in Xen’drik; watch her carefully.
Kyorlin: Sakhisli wields a dangerous power: I do not trust her.
Sakhisli: Kyorlin is wary of my power, for good reason. Arjen is weak and is holding us back.

Arjen looked down, then looked at Sakhisli. “Go on then. I hope you find something. I’ll wait here for you.”

---

It was well into the evening as they stepped back into the entrance of the tower. Sakhisli led the way this time, her hammer hanging at her side as she stepped under the great archway. Kyorlin followed her with his bow in hand and an arrow at the ready, looking as much behind them as ahead this time. The inside of the tower was dark now; the same acrid smell still hung in the air here.

Sakhisli held up her hand again and a flame sprung up, lighting the ground level of the tower; the bronze flame on the statue stood out in the sudden light. Green pools of ooze still lay between the broken paving stones. Sakhisli gave only a glance to the statue, then headed towards the stairway.

Introduce an Element From Ages Past

The stairs were made of huge stone slabs, with steps sized for the giants that built the tower in ages past. Each step rose nearly as high as Sakhisli’s shoulders, and it took some effort to haul herself up onto each step. The stonework was less weathered here than outside, but the steps were covered in moss and were damp from water running down the inside of the tower.

Kyorlin followed her; when she looked back, she saw that he was watching her as much as their surroundings, eyeing her summoned flame suspiciously. Sakhisli did have a torch in her pack, but did not consider taking it out—this power was hers, and the drow could think what he liked of it.

Random d12=11 Unique, discovery & danger. Discovery is a Random altar, which fits with my idea for the unique element; the danger is squabbling creatures. I rolled some gulls, and a huge water beast with unusual abilities. Oh goodness.

Discern Realities(Kyorlin): 2D6(2 2) +1 = 5 Failure!
Introduce a new faction or type of creature: Quori creations. The creature knows you are coming.

Adventuring is a bad idea, folks. Just don’t do it.

They had been climbing for over half an hour when they heard some noises further up the tower; it sounded like birds squabbling, and a faint vibration seemed to pass through the stairs as the noise stopped. Kyorlin gestured to Sakhisli to be quiet, and they listened for a moment but could hear nothing. With a few gestures, they agreed to continue to climb, but did so quietly now, afraid that there might be something up here to alert.

They soon reached a broad landing with a doorway leading to a large chamber. They had passed doorways at lower levels, but the floors there were all gone, the wood having long since rotted away; but, at this level, there was a floor of stone slabs that seemed solid, if damp and weather-worn. There was a faint blue light beyond the doorway.

Sakhisli extinguished her flame, approaching the doorway slowly. There was a slight sound from the room beyond that she could not place. Kyorlin, at her shoulder, was wide-eyed and had his bow at the ready again. They advanced to the doorway and peered inside.

The room was a large chamber, fifty feet tall and a hundred feet across, with a large pedestal at the centre bearing a large crystal of some kind. There were larger windows into the chamber than there had been on the lower levels, though it was dark outside now. Instead, the light came from a large creature that lay coiled around the centre pedestal—a giant serpent, with coils a foot thick and probably fifty yards long. The serpent was almost transparent but its near-invisible scales glowed blue, lighting the stone of the pedestal and the stone slabs around it. It appeared to be sleeping.

Sakhisli hesitated. She had no idea what the creature was, but the crystal on the pedestal looked valuable if they could get to it. Greed fought against caution, and she unconsciously rubbed together the fingers of her burned hand, itching to summon flame.

Kyorlin tugged at her shoulder, and gestured for them to continue on past; the stairs continued up to another level. Sakhisli took one more look at the crystal and then moved to follow him. We can always get it on the way back.

Think dangerously. Put someone in a spot: the creature is behind you now, blocking your escape. And you cannot run away because the stairs are too high to climb fast.

Okay, so let’s make a dream serpent. Moves: Lulling Gaze, Sleep Poison, Knows Your Fears. d8+1 damage (bite or crush), 16 HP. 1 armour (scales), stealthy, planar.

They climbed as quietly as they could, slowly ascending the next flight of steps. They had turned the corner and climbed two more steps when they heard a hissing sound behind them.

Defy Danger(Wis)(Sakhisli): 2D6(5 2) +0 = 7 Partial success.
You are not lulled entirely, but you don’t get time to summon your elemental and attack before the creature is on you

Volley(Kyorlin): 2D6(5 6) +1 = 12 Success!
Deals d8=6 damage

Sakhisli turned just as the giant serpent flowed around the corner, lifting its huge head up to face them. Its silver eyes glowed brightly, seemingly the most solid part of its otherwise transparent form. It stared at Sakhisli, meeting her eyes, and something about its gaze seemed strangely soothing, almost mesmerising. Sakhisli’s alarm overcame the effect, and she stepped back, pulling her gaze away from the creature’s eyes. She looked down just as Kyorlin’s first arrow sunk into the snake’s thick neck, causing it to hiss in pain.

Summon Elemental(Sakhisli): 2D6(3 2) +2 = 7 Partial success.
d4-1=2 control

This is a bad spot for Kyorlin; it’s a close space, and the huge creature can easily reach up to him even if he tries to climb away.

Defy Danger(Dex)(Kyorlin): 2D6(3 4) +1 = 8 Partial success.
Separate them

The snake struck at Kyorlin, lunging forward with surprising speed for such a large beast. The drow threw himself sideways, moving away from Sakhisli on the huge step; the dwarf suddenly found the snake’s head alongside her. Leaving her hammer at her side, Sakhisli called on the flames again, and once more a fire mephit appeared above her outstretched hand. The stairway was flooded with red light, and the snake recoiled, staring with evident surprise at the creature that had just appeared.

“You like that, eh?” said Sakhisli, gesturing forward. The mephit flew out towards the snake, unleashing a burst of flame. The snake was faster, however, moving its sinuous form aside; it lowered itself and struck forwards again, this time at Sakhisli

Elemental Attack(Sakhisli): 2D6(1 1) +2 = 4 Failure!
Put someone in a spot: it dodges your mephit friend and recognises that it must go after you, the summoner

Defend(Sakhisli): 2D6(3 6) +2 = 11 Success!
Hold 3; defending herself

Spend hold(Sakhisli): Halve damage to the target Spend hold(Sakhisli): Deal damage equal to your level =2

The dream serpent is at 8/16 HP. Deal damage: d10+1=3 damage, halved to 1, 0 after armour. Since the attack is negated, the poison doesn’t take effect either.

Sakhisli had her hammer out, now, and held it with both hands in front of her to block the serpent’s bite. The serpents jaws, though they seemed insubstantial, closed on the haft of the hammer with a powerful grip, trying to pull it from her hands. Sakhisli turned the monster’s strength against it, moving with the pull and slamming the snake’s head into the wall. The monster released its grip, though it was hard to see if it was wounded, or even dazed.

Defy Danger(Wis)(Kyorlin): 2D6(3 1) +1 = 5 Failure!
Monster move(Lulling Gaze): You’re mesmerised and out of action.

Kyorlin had climbed up to the step above, and was just drawing another arrow when the creature looked up at him. Those silver eyes were now turned on the drow, and he paused in the act of putting the arrow to his bowstring; the arrow dropped from his fingers, falling to the floor as he stared dumbly at the creature.

Elemental Attack(Sakhisli): 2D6(2 5) +2 = 9 Partial success.
-1 control, deals d8=7 damage

The beast is at 1/16 HP.

Volley(Kyorlin): 2D6(3 3) +1 = 7 Partial success.
Less damage; d8-d6=2-5 no damage

Then the creature broke its gaze, letting out an agonised hiss as flames washed over it. Sakhisli had willed the mephit up behind the snake’s head, unleashing its flames directly over the creature. The snake’s huge body thrashed around in the stairwell, causing the steps to rumble as it bashed into the walls below them. Kyorlin, freed from its gaze, shook himself and loosed another arrow at the creature, but it seemed to glance harmlessly off of the creature’s transparent scales.

Elemental Attack(Sakhisli): 2D6(3 5) +1 = 9 Partial success.
-1 control, deals d8=2 damage

Feeling her control slipping, Sakhisli urged the mephit once more towards the head of the beast. Flames engulfed the snake’s head once more, burning at its eyes and into its open mouth. The fight seemed to be gone out of the creature now; its coils lay over the steps below them, running around the corner and out of sight, writhing as the head jerked from side to side. Whatever control Sakhisli had had over the mephit was gone now, and the flying creature hovered over the dying spectral snake, blasting it with fire again and again and seeming to watch with amusement at its death throes.

“Uvar maug!” exclaimed Kyorlin. “What was that thing?”

“A bloody great snake.” The dwarf sniffed disdainfully. “It died to fire, though.”

---

They continued their climb in silence. As on the lower floors, most of the doors from the stairway opened into just open space, the wooden floors having long since rotted away, leaving the tower mostly hollow. Birds had made nests in the stairway in places, and Kyorlin was able to grab a few eggs once he scared the birds away.

Forage(Kyorlin): 2D6(1 6) +1 = 8 Partial success.
Worse outcome: just d4=2 days of rations

Defy Danger(Con)(Sakhisli): 2D6(1 4) +2 = 7 Partial success.
Weak for wielding a weapon only

They had been in the tower for over an hour by the time they reached the upper floors. Even Sakhisli, with the strong arms of a smith, was feeling exhausted after hauling herself up over so many of the giant steps. It was a relief to finally reach a huge iron-bound doorway.

“That is the only door that we have seen in this place; it looks like the door to a strongroom,” said Sakhisli, holding up the flame in her hand as she looked up at the door.

Discern Realities(Kyorlin): 2D6(3 5) +1 = 9 Partial success.
What should I be on the lookout for?

“For the wood to have lasted so long, it must be magically protected,” said Kyorlin. The drow had his bow ready again, looking around once more for potential hazards.

“Here, if you stand on my shoulders you should be able to reach the handle,” said Sakhisli. “Hmm, let me light a torch.” Retrieving a torch from her pack, she lit it and extinguished her own flame, propping the torch up against the next step.

Kyorlin shouldered his bow again. Sakhisli moved to stand by the door with her hands cupped, and Kyorlin stepped up to stand on the dwarf’s broad shoulders.

“There’s a lock,” he said. “Shift a little to the right. No, other way.” The drow was light enough that Sakhisli had no trouble supporting his weight, even as he shifted around to take out items from his pack.

“I hope there isn’t a magical warding as well as the lock,” he added. Sakhisli couldn’t see what he was doing, but could hear the scraping of metal on metal as he tinkered with the lock.

“Perhaps I should just burn the door down,” said Sakhisli.

Spout Lore(Kyorlin): 2D6(2 5) +1 = 8 Partial success.
Worse outcome: it just takes more time and tools

There is no move for slow, skill-based activities in DungeonWorld ; it has no skills system. Instead, I’m letting Kyorlin fictionally position himself into being able to do the lock by reference to his ancestors.

“These Giantish locks were not made with small hands and small tools in mind,” said Kyorlin. “There are legends from the rebellion of how the early elves broke out of their cells by working the locks with stolen tools.”

This is a great moment to bring Kyorlin’s broad-bladed dagger into play. It is magical and can cancel the magical warding on the door. Its effects are random though, so: d3=1, the first effect is Probing.

There was a sudden light from behind her; as Sakhisli turned her head, Kyorlin wobbled above her and then jumped down. The door was now covered in a dim pink light, faintly illuminating the aged stone of the stairwell.

“Magical warding,” said Kyorlin.

“That’s good,” said Sakhisli. “That means that no-one has made it into that room since the tower was abandoned. We’ll be the first to loot it.”

“Only if we can get past that warding, and it doesn’t kill us.”

“What did you do to make it appear?”

“I was just probing the lock,” said Kyorlin, holding out the broad-bladed dagger that he held in his hand; the runes on the dagger seemed to stand out in the arcane light.

“Maybe you nearly have it.” Sakhisli put her back to the door again. “Go on, get back up there!”

Shaking his head, Kyorlin nevertheless did step back up to continue to work the lock.

Magicbane d3=3 Cancel.

After a few seconds, the light from the door flickered out; Sakhisli felt the door move behind her. “Got it,” Kyorlin said as he jumped down.

---

A shaft of flickering light cut across the chamber, and there was a sound of scraping metal as the hinges of the door moved for the first time in 40,000 years. Sakhisli held the torch high as she pushed the door wide open, revealing the dusty room beyond.

The chamber was large for the dwarf and the drow, though it would not have seemed so to the Giants that built it. A large wooden table and cabinet stood against the wall on one side, and another desk was against the other wall, both with giant-sized chairs next to them. The far wall contained a large opening, floor-to-ceiling, which opened to the outside of the tower and looked out at the platform that floated alongside the tower, twenty yards away. The opening was covered in a shimmering magical barrier of some kind; rain was falling again outside and, as the rain played upon it, the barrier shimmered slightly as it screened the chamber from the weather.

This is, in a way, a classic wizard tower, with the wizard absent. Following the DungeonWorld loot rules, I took the damage die for a giant, applied the various modifiers (magical, hoarder, lord, ancient and noteworthy), and made the roll: 2d8k1 + d4 + d4 = 5 + 1 + 4 = 10 for a magic item or magical effect, plus a strange (possibly magical) item. So we have some magical loot to decide here.

Random Twilight armour Random Fire weapon

Both D&D and DungeonWorld lean towards magical weapons in their magic item lists, due to the sort of games that they are, though there were plenty of non-weapon choices on the list that I composed and randomly chose from. The Giants were at war at the end of their empire, so it’s reasonable that the treasure in their lab here is weaponry.

Of course, fiction first: these are Giantish items so they are sized for giants. I think, to help our characters out, for the weapon at least

“There is a light up on the table,” said Kyorlin. He hauled himself up onto the seat of the chair; unlike the rest of the tower, the contents of this room seemed untouched by the passage of time, and the polished wood of the chair shone in the torchlight.

“What is up there?” asked Sakhisli.

Kyorlin was frowning. “A weapon of the Giants.”

Impatient, Sakhisli climbed up as well; as she was shorter, she had to jump up and grab the edge of the seat and pull herself up onto it.

On the table stood a large blade, perhaps three feet long, made of steel—but the surface was mottled with a red glow. It rested on two iron ingots laid on the desk and, even from here, Sakhisli could feel the heat emanating from the blade. The base of the blade had a socket instead of a grip.

Sakhisli is strong from her days as a blacksmith, and Callus makes her near immune to damage from fire and heat. She can wield this.

The weapon is Awkward, at least for now, and Fiery (not an official equipment tag in the game, so I will have to figure out what that means as I go along.

“It’s a spearhead,” Sakhisli said. Clambering onto the edge of the table, she walked over to where the weapon lay and grasped the socket confidently, ignoring the heat, and held the blade up before her. It had been designed to be mounted on a thick spear haft, and the blade was broad and unwieldy held in the hands of someone her size, but she gave it a couple of swings and nodded, feeling satisfied that it would work as a weapon.

“Be careful, dwarf—the weapons of the giants can burn the wielder.”

“They don’t burn me. And Giantish artefacts are why we are here; this will fetch a good price in Stormreach.” As she said it, though, Sakhisli realised that she would never sell this weapon; the fiery blade belonged in her hands. Looking past the drow, she added, “There is a chest in the corner over there; let’s see what else we can find.”

The chest was not locked, but lifting the heavy lid was difficult; they had to drag one of the chairs over to it, and Sakhisli stood on the chair holding the lid while Kyorlin groped inside. The drow dragged out the contents: a large chainmail shirt, made for a Giant, that glittered darkly in the torchlight.

Spout Lore(Sakhisli): 2D6(1 4) -1 = 4 Failure!
Introduce a threat from a new faction or type of creature: I rolled for a random danger, and got a creature: Random Sulatar.

That’s really bad news. The Sulatar venerate the giants; anyone stealing from a Giantish ruin is going to be killed on sight. And Arjen is outside, at risk of capture. The torchlight shining out of the portal in the side of the tower on a dark night has alerted them to someone’s presence there.

Sakhisli climbed back down and looked at the chain closely. “This is not like any metal that I have seen—but it is as light as mithril,” she added, as she lifted a fold of the huge shirt. “It must be valuable.”

Discern Realities(Sakhisli): 2D6(1 5) +0 = Failure! Reveal an unwelcome truth: nothing else of value, no way across to the platform.

And Reveal an unwelcome truth.

While Kyorlin was folding up the shirt and stuffing it into his pack, Sakhisli took another look around the room. There were more of those bronze coins inside the chest, but the dwarf knew that those would have little value. A small bookcase contained some dusty old tomes that might have been better than gold to Esinor, but Sakhisli had no interest in such things. She picked up her torch again and walked to the opening in the side of the tower, looking across at the platform; as Kyorlin had said, gems and gilded patterns glittered on its surface, a wealth of treasure if they could have reached it. But even if the magical barrier could be lowered, Sakhisli could see no way to cross the twenty yards of air that separated the platform from the tower.

Dissatisfied, the dwarf glanced back at Kyorlin as he shrugged on his backpack again. “There is no way across. We have found all that we can get, here.” She took one last look across at the platform, then glanced down towards the ground—and started in alarm. “Traveller’s curse!”

Around the base of the tower were clustered a number of point of light. Humanoid figures carrying torches were clustered near the base of the tower; it was hard to tell from up here, but the light seemed to glint off of the figures as if they were wearing helmets or breastplates.

Discern Realities(Kyorlin): 2D6(6 5) +1 = 12 Success!
What happened here recently? Hold 2

Kyorlin stepped up beside her, looked down, and cursed. “Maug ettin! The Sulatar have come.”

End of Session(party): They defeated a notable monster and looted notable treasure, +2 XP

XP: Arjen: 0 failures, 1 bond resolved; 3 XP.
Kyorlin: 3 failures, +2 session; 10 XP.
Sakhisli: 3 failures, +2 session; 5 XP.

There is no opportunity for Kyorlin to camp and level up, however.

11. The Giant's Watchtower

Jungle west of Obsidian City, Xen’drik
Dravago 22, 997 YK

14 rations. The party rolled badly for food from their hunting yesterday, so they will need to hunt some more.

Mythic GME Chaos Rank: 8
Scene setup: d10=5 (Altered scene)

I decided that they would stumble across something as they hunt today. I rolled a random discovery, and got a ruined giantish keep.

Forage(Kyorlin): 2D6(6 3) +1 = 10 Success!
2d4=5 rations

Forage(Arjen): 2D6(1 3) -1 = 3 Failure!
Use up their equipment Offer riches, at a price

The rain continued into the next day. Kyorlin decided that they should spend another day hunting for food and Kalina, still feeling weak after the snake bite on the previous day, did not feel up to pressing ahead. The hunting was left to Arjen and Kyorlin today, with Kalina and Sakhisli following behind.

Arjen had lent her his cloak, but Kalina was still miserable after an hour of stumbling through the rain. Sakhisli mostly stayed with her, but she paid little attention to Kalina; occasionally she would stop to help Kalina if she faltered, but the gruff dwarf made little effort to disguise her impatience with her sick companion.

Around midday, after Kyorlin had brought down a deer, they stopped to eat. A rest, in the lee of a rocky outcrop, helped restore Kalina’s spirits somewhat. Arjen spent the time talking to Kyorlin about the creatures of the jungle, asking for hints on hunting better in this place. Kalina thought back to when they had first left Stormreach and how she had thought Arjen was one of the best of their group at scouting and tracking; hearing him talk to Kyorlin now, she realised how little the lumberjack really knew about living in the wilds compared to a wilderness dweller like Kyorlin. How optimistic they had all been when setting out from Sharn, and how ill prepared they were in reality!

The rain slackened a little in the afternoon, and Kalina felt a little better as they resumed their slow journey south, foraging as they went.

It was late afternoon when a shout from Arjen caught their attention. Kalina registered his first shout without hearing the words; he was out of sight through thick jungle foliage, but Kalina and Sakhisli began pushing their way through towards where they had heard his call.

Further off in that direction, they heard him shout again, “Stop damn it!”

“Kyorlin!” called Kalina. “Arjen? What’s going on?”

A few moment later Arjen called back. “Damn beast won’t slow down. Come back here!”

They were going uphill, muddy ground and leaves slipping under their feet as they climbed a ridge. Kyorlin suddenly appeared alongside them, the light-footed drow easily outpacing the two women. “I’ll see what’s going on,” he said, quickly moving past them and following after Arjen.

It only took them a minute to catch up with the two hunters; they found the two standing just past the top of the rise. There was a slight break in the trees ahead, due to a ravine with a stream running through it; through the gap, looking out over the jungle canopy below, they could see a tall stone tower in the valley below them.

Arjen looked down the slope, then turned to Kalina. “I hit a boar, but it ran off with my spear still stuck in it.”

“You have to deal a serious wound to the animal, or it will just run off,” said Kyorlin, keeping his eyes fixed on the tower. “If your spear caught in its fur then you have lost it—unless you can follow it to its lair.”

The tower was narrow but rose probably two hundred feet above the jungle canopy. There was a gap in the jungle around it, though they could not see from here whether it was just a large clearing or something more.

“What do you make of that tower, Kyorlin?” asked Kalina.

Is is guarded? (occupied by some intelligent force) Very unlikely (Most giantish settlements, unless close to Sulatar territory, are just ruins).
Fate d100(85)=No

“It is of Giantish make,” said the drow. “I do not see any movement—no-one standing watch at the top.”

“The boar went down into the valley. We would have to get closer to get my spear back,” said Arjen.

“No-one cares about your spear,” said Sakhisli. “That tower though—a place like that means treasure, Kalina.”

“That tower is visible for miles around,” said Kalina. “Surely treasure hunters have searched it long ago.”

“There was treasure in the other ruin that we explored,” insisted the dwarf. “This land is barely inhabited; there are thousands of ruins here, and probably most of them have never been searched. Besides, even if someone has been through there, I bet we can find something that they missed.”

“It is very visible,” said Kyorlin. “Something to navigate by. The Vulkoorim use such features as markers, but we rarely get close to the giants’ old places; the Sulatar often use them as waypoints and may camp near them. Giants sometimes dwell in them also. It could be dangerous to spend time in such a place.”

“Everywhere in this jungle is dangerous,” said Kalina. “I would not mind some shelter from the rain.”

“Not everywhere is equally dangerous,” said Kyorlin.

“We are here for Giantish ruins,” insisted Kalina. “We will approach carefully, and if Kyorlin sees any signs of life or anything alarming, we can turn away and find a path around it.”

---

Is the danger in the tower something unintelligent? 50/50 ().
Fate d100(31)=Yes

Once they descended into the valley, they could see only glimpses of the tower through the trees until they got close to it. It was only at they approached the edge of the clearing above which the tower rose that they could see it clearly again, and the smaller buildings surrounding it.

Discern Realities(Kyorlin): 2D6(6 4) +1 = 11 Success!
Who’s really in control here?
What should I be on the lookout for?
What here is useful or valuable to me?

The four adventurers huddled down behind some bushes near the edge of the settlement, watching for signs of movement amid the overgrown ruins.

“This was certainly a Giantish outpost,” said Kyorlin. “It looks like it has been in ruins since the Fall. If the Sulatar were using it as a camp or had settled here, they would have cleared and rebuilt some of these buildings.”

The buildings were certainly large, and constructed from the same large squared-off stone blocks that they had seen in the Giantish construction in Stormreach. Most of the buildings had collapsed as if from an earthquake; few of the walls still stood high off of the ground, with large stone blocks scattered on the ground and covered in foliage as the jungle struggled to reclaim the land.

The tower, though, still stood tall and seemed largely intact. Looking up to the top, Kalina exclaimed, “Look up there! What is that alongside the tower?”

It seemed to be a platform, floating a little way to the side of the tower, just below the tower’s highest level. The platform looked like it was made from bronze, and seemed to have some kind of pattern to its surface and around the edge. It seemed to be tilted at an odd angle.

“What is it?” asked Arjen.

“I have seen a platform like that before, on the ground,” said Kyorlin. “It was in the ruins at Hjelglang—you remember that other party of adventurers, Kalina? There were some gems still embedded into the surface, and some of the, um, pattern on the platform was made of gold.”

“How would we even get to it?” said Arjen.

“Well let’s get in there and work it out,” said Sakhisli, standing up. “This is just the sort of thing that we are looking for.”

Kyorlin shook his head. “Just because no-one has occupied the settlement, does not mean that it is safe. Wild animals may have found shelter in the ruins.”

“There is treasure in this place,” said Sakhisli. “I said there would be.”

“Alright,” said Kalina. “We will search the tower—but we go carefully, watching for any creatures that may be nearby.”

They left the cover of the jungle, moving down between the ruined houses. They quickly found what seemed to be the main street, judging from the ancient stone paving slabs that were still visible in places, though mostly the street was buried in dirt and vines. Large stone blocks lay scattered over the whole area, which the four adventurers had to climb over in places. They startled a group of monkeys living in the ruins of one building, but mostly the area appeared free of any larger wildlife. The street led up to the entrance to the tower, a huge archway built by and for giants; the remains of the bronzework that would have framed a heavy wooden gate lay, bent and green with decay, half buried in the dirt by the entrance. The dark interior of the tower lay open to them.

Kyorlin stepped in first, looking around and up inside the tower, alert as always for potential threats. Sakhisli followed him in, while Kalina and Arjen hesitated in the entrance. Their attention was all immediately drawn to a large statue in the centre of the ground floor, relatively unscathed amidst the dirt and rubble covering the ground; it consisted of a huge stone hand with flames crafted from bronze sprouting from the upturned palm. Despite the pitted stone and green decay of the bronze, the status was still striking due to its huge size. Sakhisli looked at it for a moment, then took out her hammer and began rooting through the debris on the ground.

Perilous Wilds dungeon. Dungeon theme: ruined watchtower from the Age of Giants. Size: small.

Random : d12=9, themed+discovery, discovery is Random a statue.

Several floors collapsed here, so I rolled for another room for the floor above and got a discovery, and rolled an additional discovery for the other floors above that have would have had their contents dropped onto the ground floor here. Random I got coins, a book, and weapons/armour, and discounted the book as that will have rotted away.

Looking up, Kalina could see some way up the inside of the tower; evidently, there had been several floors with rooms above the ground floor when the tower was first built, as there were windows at intervals at different levels, but the joists supporting those had long since rotted away. There was an opening to a large stone staircase in one corner, though.

“These look like Giantish coins,” said Sakhisli, holding up a bronze disk. “The symbol on it matches the statue. What’s this!” she added, tossing aside the coin. She reached down to pull something larger out of the rubble and came up with a large bronze axe head.

Monster move(Lunge suddenly): enemy has the stealthy tag.

Defy Danger(Wis)(Arjen): 2D6(4 2) -1 = 5 Failure!
The attack surprises you. Deal damage: d10=4 damage done

Defy Danger(Dex)(Kalina): 2D6(1 2) +1 = 4 Failure!
Also caught in the attack. Deal damage: d10=10

It’s probably a good thing that Kalina took that max damage and not Arjen—he only has 16HP to begin with due to his lousy stats.

Suddenly, Kalina heard a pained shout from Arjen. Before she could turn, something struck her from behind; there was a sharp burning pain across her back, and Kalina gasped in pain as she fell forward. Kalina pushed herself up from the ground, fighting the pain, and scrambled forwards across the broken floor before turning back to the entrance.

Introduce a new faction or type of creature: Random Oozes—the adventurer’s favourite. Let’s go with the Emerald Ooze

Volley(Kyorlin): 2D6(6 2) +1 = 8 Partial success.
Take what you can get: d8-d6=1-4; Reveal an unwelcome truth: the creature is unharmed by arrows

Hack and slash(Arjen): 2D6(2 5) +0 = 7 Partial success.
Deals d10=3, 2 damage after armour; Put someone in a spot

Looming in the entrance way was a green thing, as tall as a horse but entirely shapeless, oozing across the broken stony ground into the tower. Kyorlin, who had been checking the stairs, turned around and loosed an arrow into the monster, but the arrow sunk harmlessly in its amorphous form. Several long green translucent tentacles stretched from the monster, and it moved to strike again at Arjen; the woodsman had his sword out now and cut into one tentacle that was reaching for him, but another wrapped itself around his body, pulling him towards the main body of the creature.

Summon Elemental(Sakhisli): 2D6(5 4) +2 = 11 Success!
Fire mephit(blast): d4=3 control

Kalina jumped forwards, drawing her sword. She cut at the surface of the creature, hoping to drive it back from her friends. But her sword merely cut into the surface of the ooze without slowing the creature; it kept rolling forwards and, before Kalina could find her footing to scramble back, it was on top of her. The last thing she saw was the bulk of the ooze rolling over her, as the world exploded in burning pain.

Deft Technique(Kalina): 2D6(2 2) +1 = 5 Failure!
Todo

Does it grab Kalina as well? 50:50 ().
Fate d100(8)=Exceptional No!

The main body of the ooze just rolls over her; Deal Damage: d10=10; Monster move(Dissolve flesh and bone)

Kalina is at 0 HP. To be clear about the arithmetic, Kalina recovered 10 HP at the end of last session (through camping) taking her to 20/21 HP. She just took 2x10 damage in a row, and the ooze ignores armour.

---

Sakhisli turned at the first cries from her companions. She saw it grab Arjen, and saw Kalina jump forward and be hit by the main body of the creature; the human seemed to dissolve as its translucent form enveloped her. Without thinking, Sakhisli extended her hand and, like the statue beside her, flames sprang up from her open palm. Another of the fire mephits rose above her, and she willed it forward to strike at the creature.

Defy Danger(Str)(Arjen): 2D6(6 3) +0 = 9 Partial success.
You get free, but Deal damage: d10=7

Arjen is at 5/16 HP.

Elemental Attack(Sakhisli): 2D6(2 2) +3 = 7 Partial success.
Deals d8=1 damage, negated by armour; control reduced to 2

The party needs to get some better rolls, preferably real soon. The ooze is at 13/15 HP.

Arjen was struggling to get free. He screamed in pain as the tentacle burned through his jerkin; hacking desperately at it with his sword, he managed to cut it enough that it loosened its grip, dropping him to the ground. Kyorlin rushed to Arjen’s side. The fire mephit flew forward at the creature; Sakhisli gestured and the creature let out a gush of flame which washed over the ooze. As the flames dispersed the creature moved forwards once more, showing no outward signs of injury.

Hunter’s Mark(Kyorlin): +2 damage against this ooze

Hack and Slash(Kyorlin): 2D6(1 5) +0 = 6 Failure!
Monster move(Split into smaller oozes)

Aid(Arjen): 2D6(1 1) +0 = 2 Failure!
Deal damage: d10=1; Arjen was lucky to stay in the fight there

Kyorlin struck at the creature’s body with his hunting knife, making deep cuts into its shapeless form. The gash that his blows created grew wider, and the edges became rounded, as the creature split in half in front of them. Now two blobs of green ooze faced them, still blocking the entryway of the tower; the oozes seemed to have an emerald glow to them as their translucent forms caught the dim light from outside the tower.

Elemental Attack(Sakhisli): 2D6(1 1) +2 = 4 Failure!
Use up their resources

Channel(Sakhisli): 2D6(6 6) +2 = 14 Success!
Deals d8=5 damage, 4 after armour

First ooze is at 7HP, the second (approaching Sakhisli) is at 2HP.

Hack and Slash(Sakhisli): 2D6(4 6) +0 = 10 Success!
Deals d4=3 damage, 2 after armour

The mephit moved to strike again, but this time the ooze grappled it first, its tentacle wrapping around the small creature and burning through its wings and body in just a few of seconds. The ooze continued to move forward, approaching Sakhisli now, as the other continued to menace Kyorlin and Arjen.

Frustrated, Sakhisli hefted her hammer in one hand, but before the creature got close she raised her free hand and flames shot forth, engulfing the creature. Sakhisli could feel the intense heat created, but it did not cause her any discomfort; the ooze in front of her sputtered and steamed, and as the flames abated she saw that the creature was moving slower, blackened and scorched by the heat. As it moved in close to her, she brought her hammer down hard into the centre of the ooze. The creature shuddered once and stopped moving, losing its cohesion as its gelatinous contents sunk down and spread into a pool on the floor. It continued to steam as it expired, filling the area with a strong burnt acrid odour.

Arjen is so weak that one hit will probably kill him. Kyorlin has to continue to take the lead, though neither of them—none of the party now—are any good in a close-quarters fight.

Hack and Slash(Kyorlin): 2D6(3 4) +0 = 7 Partial success.
Deals d8+2=9 damage, 8 after armour; Monster move(Dissolve flesh and bone): a minor injury though, as it would be very harsh to deal a major injury on a partial success

Arjen had backed up to the staircase, limping and holding a hand to his burned chest. Kyorlin stood before him, confronting the other ooze. The creature moved slowly forwards, backing Kyorlin towards the stairs, but the drow suddenly darted forwards and drove his knife deep into the creature. The creature quivered and suddenly stopped advancing. As Kyorlin backed away, keeping his knife at the ready, whatever life the ooze had seemed to pass from it, and it began to slowly sink down, becoming a pool of sticky gloop on the floor. The oozes had at no point made any sound, and all that could be heard was the strained breathing of Arjen and Kyorlin as they stopped to catch their breath.

Arjen leaned heavily against the wall, looking around at the mess in the room. “Where is Kalina?” he asked. Kyorlin cursed softly and took off his pack.

Last Breath(Kalina): 2D6(1 3) +0 = 4 Failure!
Death is not an adventure, for those who come face to face with it.

“She’s gone,” said Sakhisli. Treading carefully around the deeper pools of goo left by the creature, she walked over to a sword that lay partly submerged in the remains. She lifted it up to show the others.

“Gone?” echoed Arjen.

It was less than a minute since Kalina had stood with them, but there was little else left of the woman that had led them here. The creature had almost completely dissolved her. Only a few bones remained, still dissolving in the pools of goo; and a few coins and other metal items that Kalina had been carrying lay scattered amidst the remains of the creature.

“Completely gone,” said Sakhisli.

Spout Lore(Kyorlin): 2D6(1 2) +1 = 4 Failure!
Reveal an unwelcome truth: Kalina, and Kluthlin, were the only ones that knew the way to Kappefesting

“What do we do now?” asked Arjen.

Indeed. Kalina was really holding this together, so without her party cohesion will be a problem. The party also has no-one right now with a positive strength bonus: so they are in a hostile wilderness and no-one is good in a fight. The end may be near.

End of session(party): +1 XP to all, for overcoming a notable monster

XP:
Arjen: 3 failures, 1 session; 10 XP
Kyorlin: 2 failures, 1 session; 5 XP
Sakhisli: 1 failures, 1 session; 8 XP.

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