The wandering healer they had met before arrived in their camp as they rested up and ate yet more of their rations. Lysanthir and Sir Thiebault had no luck with their foraging or hunting either.
"We need to restock," announced Lysanthir.
The others agreed, so they headed back to Fikaby where they were able to return Tancred's book to him.
After resting up a bit, Wido started to complain about arthritis in his shoulder. He got really worried when Lysanthir announced that he might have a bad case of hypochondria and ate extra food to build himself up against that.
In the Flagon and Firkin, the Thrappled Lemmings regaled the locals with their tales of derring do. As long as the beer kept flowing, the locals sounded impressed. Meanwhile, Drogo worked on his axe work. He did not want any more close shaves like the last one.
Lysanthir took the group's loot off to the market to sell it and to buy new supplies. With his pack bulging with supplies and gold, he was very happy when he returned to the others and organised them for the return to the Temple. With their bellies full of good food and beer they were quite cheerful as they descended to the next level of the delve.
They were soon sweating. This level was unusually hot. With several routes into the new level and all of those narrow passages, the Thrappled Lemmings split up. They hoped to be able to meet back up as the passages joined up together again. Fulrad scouted ahead as usual.
I can't believe that I have rolled extra Exploration Markers on so many levels in a row.
"Looks like they stashed all the treasure in the lowest levels," Fulrad told the rest of the party, "I have a feeling that if we survive this, we are going to be rich! Surviving is the issue though. Looks like the place is heaving with Fey Nightfolk and that bloody cultist is back."
"Right, let's move out. Don't get caught in a narrow tunnel again," Sir Thiebault ordered the other Lemmings, "If it looks like that will happen, back up to the nearest open space behind you so the others can work with you. And, hey, let's be careful out there!"
They moved out as ordered. This might be a rough fight, but the rewards would be substantial ... if they survived.
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| "Nightfolk, Sir, fahsands of 'em." |
Fulrad was the first to spot the enemy approaching down a narrow corridor. Having learnt his lesson, he stayed in the chamber he was in and called for Wido to back him up. Both drew their bows and began firing as the Nightfolk approached. Arrow after arrow was fired down the corridor and Nightfolk fell hard, but more were attracted to the fight. It was hot work and was getting hotter by the second. Drogo joined him as Onesipe and the others shouted the alarm. They had spotted more of the Nightfolk and were retreating rapidly to the others.
"I bet that bloody cultist is at it again," muttered Wido as he took aim and put an arrow through a Nightfolk lieutenant's face in spite of the fog swirling around that obscured his target.
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| Wido falls |
Suddenly he was hit in the face himself by a knife thrown out of the fog in the corridor. He dropped where he stood. Fulrad killed the knife thrower in retaliation. They were nearly out of arrows and the Nightfolk were upon them. Suddenly the heat in the caverns increased tenfold. A shout of triumph was heard.
"Kill the Lemmings!" screamed the deranged cultist, "Kill them all!"
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| Hot in the delve tonight! |
The hissing of elemental flame reached their ears as a fire elemental bore down through the passageways towards them. It came down to a hard hand-to-hand fight as Nightfolk and Reaver sought to reach the Lemmings, and the Lemmings sought to kill them all before the elemental reached them. Soon, the Nightfolk had all been slain or run away. Only the Reaver remained. There was a pause as the Reaver was driven back. Fulrad used this break to shot the Reaver through the chest. Hearing her ally slain, the deranged cultist fled.
"My elemental will destroy you, Lemmings! And I'll be back to reanimate your corpses!"
The Lemmings caught their breath and prepared for the elemental which squeezed easily through the passages despite its size. As it neared them, it blasted out a jet of flame. Drogo was engulfed and fell like a stunned ox. Fulrad just managed to duck out of the way in time.
 |
| Drogo is toasted |
The Lemming's morale plummeted but they had little choice left but to fight on. By now they were all out of ammunition and their arrows just seemed to burn up as they passed through the elemental rather than harm it. The elemental bore down on them.
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| "Take that, you fiend!" |
"Taste Soul Render," yelled Sir Thiebault and was true to his word. The elemental shrieked in agony as the magical sword cut tendrils of flame from it. It redoubled its attack but Sir Thiebault was a good match for it. He drove it back and back, and then with two quick blows he severed the essence that kept it in this world. The heat in the caverns died down. The Thrappled Lemmings checked their fallen comrades. Lysanthir broke some Silvertree Leaf under Drogo's nose and the smell brought him round. He had just been stunned by the heat. Wido was more seriously injured and would not be fit to fight for some time.
With their comrades settled, the rest of the party scoured the caverns for treasure. The haul comprised a very mixed bag of potions, herbs, weapons and other useful paraphernalia plus enough gold to keep them all comfortably for a while. Most of the gear would sell well too, so they were quite satisfied. They returned to the surface and settled in to rest before returning to Fikaby. They would need to give Wido time to recover because the lowest levels of the Temple would be challenging without him.
That was easier than I expected. I really feared the Poison ability of all the enemies but they never rolled any 6s, so it became a moot point. Moreover, the narrow corridors made it easier to stand back and shoot as they approached. Even then, it all came down to the hand-to-hand, but the Nightfolk did not feel as tough as the undead last time around. I suspect it is because they could be stunned, which gave me an advantage. That said, this scenario cost me all my remaining Story Points to keep the heroes alive, so the next one has the potential to be particularly brutal.
The elemental did not feel that challenging either. Its ranged attack did some real damage but it needs a higher combat bonus to beat the Lemmings now that all are 9th or 10th level and are starting to max out their combat bonuses. If it had got more hits in, it could have been deadly though. Here are the stats I used. Please let me know how it works for you if you use it:
Fire Elemental
- Speed: 5"
- Combat: +1
- Damage: +2/+2
- Armour: 4
- Toughness: 6
- MP: 3
- RR: 2
- Traits: Ethereal, Area Attack (12", Damage +1/+2)
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