RPG Campaigns

Giraine Summaries

The hooting seemed to intensify and you gathered around the trunk of a tree after debating whether climbing trees would be wise. (It wasn’t) Then in came the dive-bombing Skunk Apes! Hulking SIZ 20+ brutes, dark brownish and with matted, oily furs and great membranous black wings; and a hunger for meat. Three came first, spraying you down with clouds of reeking ape-musk but you held your breath and held back the bile. They flew onwards, looping back quickly. Four more came diving in to strike, but Fraud and Boamund were quicker than them and struck first, with Boamund’s sword biting deep into its head and knocking it out, and Fraud’s crippling the wing, sending it crashing down to the ground nearby (crippling its arm, too). Miguel took a blow from one that almost knocked him down at the base of the tree. The surviving two passed onwards, looking like they planned another diving strike. But you quickly dispatched the surviving apes—the three sprayers had come back and were knocked down with tripping blows and wing-hits while Fraud finished off his prone opponent. Soon enough, the skunk-ape facing Miguel lost heart with its fellow primates and flew off nimbly through the jungle, and you ensured the remainder of the fallen beasts were dead, with a total of three escaping out of the seven. Miguel kindly cleansed you all and healed himself and you set off again deeper into the jungle. Now, Fraud was sure from his mapping, you’d come beyond where Korrin patrols dared venture.

And soon you saw more reasons why. Miguel saw more and more of these Disorder-rune-bone signs, then noticed a pile of rotten logs near the faint trail, with a trip-vine connecting to a trigger trap to release the deadfall of logs. Pausing and looking down the trail, he saw some sort of structure about 20m ahead in the trees but its full nature was concealed. He warned you and disabled the trigger safely, then the arrows came flying in! It turned out six bandits were on watch in a sort of walled platform “tree fort” and they showed some dangerous abilities. You were peppered with missiles and Disrupt spells, with Ahappi dropping into cover as his unarmoured tail took an impaling arrow wound. Miguel found cover against a tree and returned fire with his bow, distracting about three archers, while Fraud and Boamund warily came in, shields raised. They made it to the base of the tree under a barrage of more Disrupt spells, then a trapdoor sprung open and one bandit got Darkstruck by Fraud, closing the door. Boamund tried setting the tree on fire with his ring of flames but they had Neutralize Magic spells that they used to good effect; and they taunted you to dare to face them, with death awaiting you. Ahappi managed to sprint in to join the other two and cast Darkness spells under the fort that bought a little time, but again they dispelled those too; and blinding effects of Darkstrikes.

You slowly made your way up the tree, with Miguel sprinting to join you. Ahappi came to the bottom of the trapdoor in the darknesss and some spears missed him at first, then another impaled him and he chose to drop, pulling free of the spear-head and ending up seriously wounded on the ground below. But Boamund and then Fraud were not far behind, with Miguel climbing behind. The Talar made it over the side-wall instead, but the bandits heard him coming and were ready, three Bladesharped spears facing him in a corner. He took some wounds including an impale to his right arm before Fraud came in th trapdoor, followed by Ahappi, and Miguel came over the side-wall to surprise one of Boamund’s foes. It was a nasty battle, with the bandits giving no quarter nor did you. Fraud at first faced two foes until Ahappi came to help, and he tripped one of them, then the other (who got up again eventually). They had protective sorceries that helped them survive your blows sometimes, but soon enough your much greater skills and weaponry wore them down despite their numbers. At last, you took the final man down together, and caught your breath, with most of you dripping blood from injuries and feeling low on magic from spellcastings. That was a costly battle.

The “Scar-Crossed Bandits” here were an unusual bunch, well prepared with sorceries despite their simple weaponry and armour, and coordinating fairly well. They were a mixed group of scraggly men distinguished by extensive whitish scarring all over their exposed flesh; numerous old wounds. And they did not fear death. You expected quite a bit more trouble as you pressed further into their territory. They had little on them except about 200 silvers in random coins and goods, and each had one of those four-bone Disorder rune pendants around their necks. The path led onwards past the tree, into danger!

Friday: what comes next… -John

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