The Pit Room

Oddsdrakken not shown.

Engelhart sees, as shown earlier in the map, a squarish room with nine square pits, each surrounded by large green orbs, glowing slightly in the torch light.  Nothing appears to be moving, but you can't be sure you're alone.  You cannot see the bottoms of the other pits from where you are, but the adjacent pit is about 8 feet deep.  It has a collection of sharp stones on the bottom, about two to five inches in height, that would make for a nasty fall.

You cannot tell what the orbs might be, with your present knowledge; no one in the party can.

On the far wall (I'm afraid, not shown ~ I'll fix it after), are three alcoves, directly cross from the three furthest pits.

After Engelhart and Pandred enter the room, a giant tick emerges from the center pit.  Engelhart and it roll initiative, and the party wins.

Actions, please.  Here is the adjusted layout:

Round 2 ~ Tick Bite

There's not much to say.  The tick, a mindless creature, holds its ground, randomly choosing to attack Embla.  It rolls an 18, which it needs to hit AC 20.  The mouth causes only 3 damage.

Unfortunately, the creature's jaws close into the flesh of Embla's leg as it hits, grabbing fast without letting go; Embla feels the teeth sink in for a moment, before a natural anesthetic ends any feeling at all.

Embla and the tick are considered to occupy the same hex: here is the layout:

So, this is important.  Embla is not stunned; only took 3 damage.  However, she can't remove the tick from her leg by brute force; nor can she drag herself out of the hex.  The tick digs its eight feet in and will resist any attempt for Embla to move; and too much attempt might cause Embla to have a seizure.  She is now suddenly on the edge of losing a lot of blood, as the tick will being to drain her.

Embla can attack.  She is +2 to hit the tick.  It would be more, but the distress from the attack is already telling on her.  Others can also attack the tick if they wish.

If she, or anyone else, rolls a 2 or 3 with a hand weapon, it will be considered a fumble (technically a "friendly fire").  If a missile weapon or hurled weapon is used, there's a 20% chance of a friendly fire incident (any number between 2 and 5).  This danger reflects the situation: Embla is not standing still, she is flailing about, trying to attack or free herself from the creature; so others also trying to hit have a good chance of causing Embla distress.

The party should feel free to evaluate and innovate if they think of anything.

Pandred, Oddsdrakken will be able to give you your weapon at the end of the NEXT round.

Engelhart, you can attack the tick in Embla's hex without changing position.  The image above suggests otherwise, but like I said, Embla is moving around.


Note: I have long wanted to write out notes/thoughts regarding this sort of attack.  The description conforms very much to the way I've been running this for 30 years; but I've never properly sat down and described the exact rules.  Therefore, don't hesitate to argue any point that seems unreasonable.

Tick!

As Engelhart's light streams into the chamber beyond, a giant tick emerges from one of the two nearer pits; Embla is not sure which.  Though she knew something was there, the Reveal Approach ability clearly states it does not protect from being surprised.  Embla could not know what it was, nor how fast it could approach.

Still, I roll, and Embla is ready and not surprised.  I will need a d6 rolled from the Assassin.

The tick is the size of a large dog, with a sucker shaped mouth the size of a hand.

The grey is meant to indicate the limit of the light's reach; the black is the wall.  The hexes past the tick are not in line of sight.

Here's the layout after the player's move:

Edge of the Pit Room

Showing Embla's position next to the door beyond, along with the nine pits she can see, with glowing objects surrounding each pit edge.  On closer observation, the glowing might be distinctly green.

I realize the room's hex numbers are difficult to read, with the infravision filter overtop. I'll remove the filter if something happens: for the moment, I want to ensure that we understand the actual colors here.

The tilted square at the bottom represents the wide slope reaching down to the wall, which is on Embla's right.  The straight line on her left is, in fact, natural wall (I just haven't taken the time to make it properly rough).

Anything else that's needed to give a good sense of what can be seen?  There ought to be a light halo showing at Embla's back, but I'm still struggling with the graphic.

Approaching the Entrance

Morning, Tuesday, May 10, 1650. Weather, cool, still. There is a light breeze from the east, full of fragrance. The sky is clear. The moon is a half moon, two days after the first quarter.

Since it is impractical to take the mules and cart in, I will assume with Embla's plan that these are being left with Widda.  This leaves the party comprising the four members, Fjall, Valda and Oddsdrakken.

As you move down towards the Barrow, in armor and decked with weapons, you receive greetings and respectful nods.  A man in livery is giving orders; as he sees you, he gives a wave as though he knows who you are, then swings his hand to urge you to come forward.  At the actual entrance, you'll find that more stones have been removed, and that there is a strong and easy thick-runged ladder that has been added to the dig.

You step up, as everything seems encouraging and supportive; the boss is being addressed by a scribe, a slight man, balding, but no more than thirty, with a quill and a board for writing on.  "The druid wants another day.  He says he's not sure of the statue and that it seems to have something to do with the weather.  He doesn't want to move it until he's sure what it is."

"Tell him he has a week if he wants it.  I'll never get this lot moved by then anyway."  The boss lifts his head.  "Ah, Gentlemen ..." he says to the party.  "I asked for soldiers ~ didn't expect you until tomorrow.  But glad to have you here this morning.  We've accidentally opened up a tunnel down on the ..."

He stops, then.  "Wait a moment.  You're the group that was celebrated just days ago, yes?"

Oddsdrakken's Tale

Oddsdrakken is very pleased to see the party also.

He pauses in leading the donkey to shout his happiness, and others behind him pile up and give curses.  With some difficulty, the halfling pulls the donkey out of the line and to the side.

He tells you that he and Valda are camped, along with about a hundred others, just hundreds of paces from the opening of Mimmarudla.  Oddsdrakken has been inside the top level of the dungeon, the first part, where you met the wood creatures by the well, but no further.  There are workmen everywhere, hauling out everything that is of value.  They are plundering the very stones in the walls.

Valda is relatively well.  She sustained an injury, which can take a long time to heal.  She was unconscious for a time but she woke this morning, with the help of a healer who helped her.  She isn't like to move.  To feed her, and himself, Oddsdrakken took advantage of the situation and the mule to earn some coppers dragging stone up to the carter's post.

Before they could reach safety, they encountered a patrol of froglings east of the lake.  They backtracked from there, and camped by the lake ... but they could see strange boats, with green lights, approaching them from the water and they beat a hasty retreat inland.

Soon after, there began a running battle.  They managed to shake all their pursuers save one; Petar's dagger broke; Valda fell from a ledge and broke her ribs.  Petar led the frogling away, but he could not shake it all together.  When Oddsdrakken found them, they were both dead.

He returned to Valda, made her comfortable.  Then a human patrol arrived; they took Valda with them and a man stayed behind to help Oddsdrakken bury Petar and the frogling.  When Valda was well, they meant to exhume Petar's body and return him to town, for a proper burial.

Has the halfling left anything out?

A Fresh Start on Monday

Morning, Monday, May 9, 1650.  Weather, cool, fresh smelling; the trees and grass seem as green as they can be.  There is a moderate breeze from the southeast, coming from the land.  It is clear as a bell.  The moon is a half moon, one day after the first quarter.

The party is on the edge of Stavanger, on a low hill where the forest towards Store Stokka, the lake, can be seen, and the sea as well, north of you.  There's a road on the right that will lead west along the coast, and a familiar pathway to the south that you know will lead to the lake and ultimately, through the trees, to Mimmarudla.

What do you wish to do?