The Ghastly Graveyard

A Windhaven Adventure

Once upon a time in the Barony of Windhaven, there arose rumors of foul deeds occurring at the graveyard beside the old church. In the mornings, the caretaker would find graves defiled, coffins unearthed, tombs opened, and corpses mangled and chewed. After three days of such horrors, the Baron decided to send a team to investigate.

He choose two stout warriors, Onyx the sturdy dwarf and Rowan the valiant crusader, and the friendly sorceress Griselda Romero.

On a night when scudding clouds obscured the wan light of the moon, our heroes ventured forth into the ghastly graveyard. Entering through the main gate, they had barely entered when 4 figures shambled toward them.

Rowan called out "Identify yourself!" but the only answer he received was from low moans.

"Zombies!" warned Griselda.

With that, our heroes launched themselves into battle. Onyx and Rowan each struck down one of the walking corpses. One of the others clawed at Griselda, wounding her. The warriors then finished the job.

The warriors then readied to push on, but Griselda held them up.

"Some lovely gravestones for my rubbings," she explained. Rowan just grumbled under his breath.

Once Griselda was ready, the trio pressed onward. The jumble of gravestones and overgrown shrubs forced the party to turn left and then right. In this next section of the graveyard, a foul, clawed figure jumped them. It rushed at Onyx but he could not act; he was paralyzed with fear. Rowan's service as a crusader, however, had steeled him against supernatural horrors. He stepped forward and felled the abomination.

The party then wound through the graves until they came to a mausoleum. The family crypt of the Barons of Windhaven!

Rowan opened the gate and was greeted by low, inhuman moans. Griselda pushed Rowan aside and tossed something inside. There was a loud explosion; a gout of flame erupted from the tomb, singing Rowan.

"Next time a little warning!" Rowan scolded.

Two zombies, engulfed in fire, burst forth. Rowan cut one down. The other attacked and wounded Onyx before Griselda smashed it with her staff.

Finding nothing else unusual in the mausoleum, the party debated which way to go. Griselda released her raven, which circled and then headed left. They followed, and soon could hear the sound of digging. Rounding past some tall grave markers, they noticed a suspicious character unearthing a grave.

Onyx immediately recognized the figure as a necromancer. Before the enemy knew what was afoot, Onyx raced forward and clove him in twain with his axe!

The party looks upon the vanquished necromancer

And with that, our heroes solved the mystery of the ghastly graveyard. The next morning, they returned to the baron who was pleased with their service.

Game Notes

• This adventure marks the start of a new adventure, using a new/old set of rules that I call Kevin's Krawl.
• The party consisted of my character Rowan, my wife's character Griselda. We added Onyx because our cat Onyx was messing with the game pieces. Clearly he wanted to play! We choose the dwarf because we showed him the box of figures and he sniffed that one first.
• Defeating the boss was a bit anti-climatic. Onyx (the cat not the character) jumped on the table, knocked the necromancer's figure down, then shoved him off the table. According to house(cat) rules, that figure is considered out of action. Game over, necromancer!
• Like Four Against Darkness, character creation is quite simple (and somewhat free-form). Players simply choose a class, which has set starting equipment. Each class has certain abilities - like the sorceress' spells. I let my wife choose which spells her character got. She wanted to heal but also have a fireball, so I gave those to her. The raven was an ad hoc addition based on the figure (which I need to finish painting). Character level and armor determined attack and defense bonuses. And with that, we were ready!
• I created the adventure a week ago, using a template I created for Four Against Darkness. It results in relatively short adventures - perfect for my attention span!
• The picture above shows the set-up. I used 2 boards; one where I drew the "dungeon" map and another that I used as a battle board.

Chaos Unbound

A Khamen and Candorra Adventure
Using Four Against Darkness

Life had been quiet for Khamen ever since he returned from the adventure of the Three Rings. Oh, the High Priest at the Scotsile temple found occasional work for him - minor tasks below his skill level. He spent much of his time in the taverns, gambling and drinking (much to the annoyance of the High Priest).

One day as he huddled over a mug, he heard the tavern door open ever so quietly. He turned to look at who had entered, but could see no one.

"Hmm," he thought, "I must be getting rusty. I could have sworn that someone came in."

He returned to his mug, then felt a sharp point pressing gingerly into his back.

"Stay still, be quiet, and listen," came a rough, husky, voice.

Khamen relaxed his shoulders in relief. "What do you want Candorra?"

His elven friend gave a soft chuckle. Khamen hated to admit that he found it pleasing to hear her.

"Can't fool you, huh? And I thought you had let yourself go."

Khamen did not want to admit to her that he had not noticed her sneaking up on him. He just could never forget her voice, although there were many times he wished he could.

Instead, Khamen just repeated his question.

"Come with me. We have a new job!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A few days later, the duo rode up to an abandoned chapel.

"There have been rumors of foul deeds." Candorra explained. "We need to check it out."

They entered through the main doors into the narthex (1). The hallway was gloomy and covered with cobwebs, but not a creature stirred. Our heroes then entered the nave (2). Here they approached the altar. It had been defiled with foul sacrifices. Candorra felt a shiver of fear throughout her body. She knew that the horrid sight would distract her in coming battle. Clearly that was the evil intent of the new overlord of the church.

Khamen then led them through the western door into a long corridor (3). They could see a torch heading their way. Before they could back away, they heard a voice. "Intruders!" Four robed figures pulled out wicked-looking daggers and attacked. Candorra shot one down with her bow then drew her sword. Khamen dodged a blow and sunk his blade into his foe's vitals. He then backed away into the shadows. The remaining pair advanced on Candorra. Khamen got behind them and back-stabbed both.

The party entered the door at the end of the hall. Three devilish creatures lingered in the bare room (4). They rushed the duo, who retreated back down the hall. When the imps saw the fallen corpses of the cultists, they began to feast on the dead flesh.

"I guess we'll try this way," Candorra said as she crossed the nave and opened the eastern door (5). As soon as it opened, the duo heard a resounding roar. A three-headed monstrosity attacked. Khamen ducked under the beast and sunk his blade deep into a draconic head. The monster's head lashed out at our heroes - both were wounded. Khamen struck deep again. The dragon head crunched his arm. With a mighty blow, Candorra struck off the dragon's head. The wounded beast rushed past them and out of the church.

Our heroes bandaged their wounds and then steeled themselves for their next encounter. At the end of the corridor (5) they came to a door, which opened into a room (6). The walls were covered with arcane runes. In the center stood a robed figure.

The figure spoke. "I am surprised you made it past my guardian. No matter. You are fools if you can think you can stop the triumph of chaos."

He then raised his hand to cast a spell. Candorra pulled back her bow and shot him. Snarling in anger and pain, the Chaos Lord drew out a sword and attacked. His whirling strikes wounded both Candorra and Khamen. Stepping back, Candorra muttered an incantation. A bolt of energy leaped from her hand and struck the villain. He quickly recovered and struck both heroes again. Candorra backed away, reaching for a healing potion. The Chaos Lord advanced on her, sword at the ready.

Khamen then stepped in front of her. "Over my dead body, toad breath."

"That can be arranged, puny mortal!"

The Chaos Lord swung. Khamen somersaulted under the blow. Coming to his feet behind the foe, Khamen thrust with his blade. It drove deep into the Chaos Lord's vitals.

The enemy screamed in rage "Chaos shall overwhelm you all!" and then collapsed in a heap.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Upon returning to Scotsile, our heroes reported to the High Priest.

"So there were no other enemies at the site?" he asked.

"None," Khamen responded, "and no clue as to what he was up to."

"The runes are the clue," the High Priest explained as he scanned a sketch of the arcane signs on the defiled church's walls. "Clearly he was trying to summon some abyssal entities into our world. I fear that we have not heard the last from the powers of Chaos."


OOC Notes

• My wife has gotten into Darkest Dungeon (a video RPG). It inspired me to write a new dungeon for Four Against Darkness. As I was pulling out my 4AD stuff, I found the game sheet for this dungeon. I must have played it last year but never bothered to record it. I decided to jot it down now.
• Note that I used the stats for orcs for the cultists and goblin swarmlings as imps. The guardian was a chimera.
• I notice that 2018 was a bad year for this blog. Only 3 posts and none since May! We'll see if I can do better in 2019. I have some thoughts and plots for a campaign. I hope to talk my wife into playing with me.

The Last Ring

A Khamen and Candorra Adventure
Based on the Three Rings (A Four Against Darkness module)

Our heroes, Khamen, Candorra, and Rikk the Ranger, have been searching the South Wood for the last of the three rings. They encountered a large cave and have decided to investigate it.

Map of the cave

The entrance (1) was empty. The party decided to turn right (west). In the adjoining room (2), our heroes ran into a party of goblins. They took one look at Rikk, who was renowned throughout the forest, and ran out the south door.

The party followed into the corridor (3). At the intersection stood a statue of an armed warrior. Intrigued, Rikk advanced towards it.

"Interesting," he said as he reached out to the stone figure.

"No!" warned Khamen, who rushed to stop Rikk.

But the ranger's finger made contact. Suddenly, the statue came to life and swung its sword at Rikk. With cat-like reflexes, the ranger ducked. The blade continued, and smashed into the advancing Khamen. He hit the floor, his ribs badly bruised.

Rikk wasted no time, and stabbed the statue. Candorra peppered it with arrows.

Enraged, the statue rushed forward at Candorra. Its swords grazed her but she drew her own blade and engaged the figure. Their swords clashed as they circled one another. On occasion, Candorra's sword flicked out, stabbing or slashing the statue. Finally, her blade penetrated to its very heart and it crashed to the ground.

As Candorra and Rikk surveyed the enemy, Khamen came up, rubbing his sore ribs. Gesticulating at Rikk, he gruffly commanded "Don't touch anything!" and then stomped down the corridor.

In adjoining rooms, the heroes scared off some rats (4) and dodged a spear trap (5).

In the next corridor (6), the party ran into a group of orcs. Candorra fireballed one and Rikk shot one with an arrow. In the ensuing melee, all the heroes were wounded, Candorra badly. Yet they managed to slay the enemy. Candorra had to use a heal.

After passing through an empty corridor (7), the party entered a cobweb filled room (8). Suddenly, a giant spider dropped on them from above. Khamen and Rikk wounded it, but it sank its fangs into Candorra. She could feel the venom coursing through her veins, weakening her. It then turned on Rikk and gashed him. Fortunately, he pulled free before it could inject any venom. Finally, Khamen got behind it and stabbed it dead.

Despite their wounds, the party continued on, dodging a spear trap (9) before confronting more orcs (10). Both Khamen and Rikk took wounds before the heroes finished off the orcs.

After backtracking, the party finally found the orc reaver boss (11). In a blink of an eye, Rikk loosed 2 arrows, which struck the reaver in the chest. It howled with pain, rushing at Rikk. Its twin blades both struck into the ranger. Khamen tried to assist but the reaver moved like lightning and also wounded him. Candorra attacked, scoring a couple of wounds on their enemy. The orc swung at Khamen but he managed to dodge.

Candorra stabbed the reaver again but her blade got stuck in its body yet it did not die. As Candorra struggled to free her blade, it turned on her and delivered a crushing blow. She fell to the floor. The orc stood over her, lifting its blade for a death strike. Candorra pulled out a dagger, rolled between the reaver's legs, and plunged her blade up into its groin. The stab cut open a blood vessel, and a shower of black viscous blood showered over her. The reaver stumbled and fell dead.

Rikk tended to Candorra's wounds while Khamen searched the reaver boss. In its pockets, he found the object of their quest - the last of the sacred rings!

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Days later, the party made its way from the forest and arrived at the abbey. The monks were ecstatic that the rings were back in their possession. They took care of the  heroes, using the power of the rings to heal their wounds.

"See Khamen," Candorra scolded him. 'Those aren't just some fancy jewelry we went after. Their powers provide aid to the community. We helped those people."

"Maybe." Khamen mumbled, unwilling to admit that he was wrong about accepting the quest. "But next time, don't volunteer!"

Searching the South Wood

A Khamen and Candorra Adventure
Based on the Three Rings (A Four Against Darkness module)

After finding the second ring, our heroes returned to the crossroads. After a short rest, they began to follow the southern path.

In the first clearing (1), Rikk the Ranger got caught in a snare. It whipped him from his feet and suspended him from a tree. He bruised his head when he swung into a tree.

Khamen had to suppress a laugh as Candorra cut Rikk down.

"Watch yerself," the embarrassed ranger growled.

They followed a path (2) south. In the next clearing (3) Rikk discovered tracks leading south.

"Now what would ye do without me?" Rikk smugly retorted.

"Be without our comic relief" quipped Khamen.

"Khamen!" Candorra scolded. "Let's not start a fight among ourselves."

They continued south into a muddy field (4). Suddenly, the mud formed itself into 5 human-like figures. Candorra and Rikk cut down 2 of the mud-men with their bows. Then there was a brief struggle before the rest were defeated.

The path led south to a clearing (5) then turned west. As they proceeded along the path, they ran into a swarm of goblins (6). The goblins tossed poisoned javelins at the party. Candorra was hit in the thigh but the other two managed to dodge. Our heroes rushed into battle and easily defeated the goblins (game note - the party rolled 3 sixes in one turn).

As the path turned north (7) the party passed a field of large mushrooms. Suddenly, 5 funghi folk rushed to the attack. Candorra turned into a killing machine, cutting down 4 of the abominations. Khamen then dodged and took out the last.

Next they came across a pile of skulls (9). "Careful," Rikk cautioned. "Remember the last skull pile we found." Suddenly, the pile morphed into a dozen skeletons that attacked the party. The heroes were able to defeat them without too much trouble.

Following the path as it turned south again, the came to a rocky area. Before them, they could see a large cave.

What will they find in the cave?

Cavern of the Rock Men

A Zina and Zach Slipstream Adventure

In our last episode, Zina and Zach rescued a lioness princess from space pirates, but then were forced to crash land on a rocky fragment.

After the landing, the surviving crew went to work to repair the ship. Zina and Zach decided to investigate the strange planetoid. They were joined by Roarona, the lioness princess.

In their wanderings, Roarona became separated from the group. Suddenly, there were roars and snarls. Zach turned and saw Roarona being dragged off by two large, rock-like humanoids.

Zina and Zach pursued, and witnessed the rock men dragging Roarona into a cavern. Cautiously, our heroes followed.

They entered a corridor (1) that branched out into three directions. Choosing the middle one (2), they entered a cavern. In the center was a fountain with healing properties. They would need it soon. They entered the next room (3) and fell into a pit trap. Scrambling out, they retraced their steps and used the fountain,

In the next room (4), our heroes ran into three of the rock men. Brandishing a sword taken from the pirates, Zach charged. He swung and hit, but his sword barely dented the rocky exterior of the granite-like humanoid. With a contemptuous swing, it knocked Zach across the floor.

Zina began shooting her ray-gun, with deadlier effect. One of the rock-men shattered in a cloud of dust. Temporarily blinded, Zina could not fire again for fear of hitting Zach.

Seeing Zina's success, Zach unholstered his ray-gun and blasted one of the rock-men as it lumbered towards him. It too shattered into pieces. But behind it was another of the creatures. It knocked the gun from Zach's hand and began to pummel him with its rocky hands. As Zach passed out, the dust cloud parted and Zina fired. The last rock-man was pulverized!

Zina used her med kit to revive Zach. Although a little wobbly on his legs, Zach insisted that they proceed to rescue Roarona.

Passing through a corridor (5), the duo was beset by centipedes. Zina was wounded but was able to apply an antidote to the poison injected by the creature.

Finally, (room 6) they found Roarona. She was imprisoned by a massive rock-man. Zina tried to reason with it, but it attacked Zach! With its massive fists, it smashed Zach to the ground. Both the heroes opened fire, striking it multiple times. Finally, it fled through a secret passage. Our heroes let it go, rescuing Roarona and escaping from the Caverns.

But what about their ship? Will they escape from the rocky planetoid?
FIND OUT NEXT TIME!

Game Notes

• In the Plot Point campaign, this scene is simply a fight between the rock-men and heroes. For solo play, it seemed really boring so I created a dungeon (cavern) crawl instead.
• I'm still using FU, but have pretty much decided that it is not good for my solo games. Instead, I'll go back to modifying Four Against Darkness for sci-fi games.

Entering the East Woods

A Khamen and Candorra Adventure

Based on the Three Rings (A Four Against Darkness module)

Previously, our heroes had explored the north woods, found the skull cave, and retrieved the first ring from the orc reavers. They retraced their steps to the crossroad and are now investigating the east woods.

They had not gone far (1) when they heard a rustling in the undergrowth. An abomination, half-snake and half-man rushed out and attacked Khamen. It sank its fangs into him; Khamen managed to wrench free before it could inject its poison into him. Candorra and Rikk the Ranger leaped to his aid, each slashing the beast. It kept after Khamen but he ducked and dodged from the deadly maw. Again, Candorra and Rikk struck, and the monstrosity collapsed dead.

A little further along the path (2), our heroes encountered a pack of 4 wolves. The creatures attacked; one grasping Candorra's leg. She brought her sword down, striking it dead. Khamen managed to dodge and slay his attacker. Rikk was unable to get an arrow off before the wolves were on him. He drew his heavy sax and began to slash madly. Two wolves fell to his sturdy blade.

The path began to wind around. As they approached a curve, they could hear singing coming from ahead. From around the bend appeared a very jolly halfling. He stopped and conversed with the trio. He warned them of dangerous wolves inhabiting the forest.

"Well, that's helpful." Khamen whispered under his breath. Candorra kicked his shin and scowled at him. The halfling seemed not to notice. Unfortunately, he did not have any knowledge of the orc reavers. Our party had no choice but to push on into the wilderness.

Later, they had a similar encounter with a traveling merchant and his armed guards. None of them had any knowledge of the orcs.

As the sun slowly sank to their backs, the party startled a beautiful bird with golden and purple plumage. Khamen immediately recognized the commercial potential of the bird's feathers and he drew back his dagger to throw at the creature. But Candorra grabbed his arm, and the bird flew off.

"What did you do that for?" Khamen snarled.

"That's a forest phoenix; very rare. Best to preserve it for all to enjoy rather than slay it for your personal gain."

Khamen shrugged. She was probably right, but oh the coin it could have brought them!

As they wound through the forest, Rikk spotted a faint track that led to a copse of trees.

"Orc tracks!" he noted.

Peering into the copse, Rikk saw a path cleared out.

"It appears to be a lair!" he declared. "I'll bet we'll find some reavers here!"

What will the find in the lair? Find out next time!

Pirate Panic

After being sucked through a black hole, Zina and Zach stumble across a battle. Zach decides to aid the larger ship.

Our heroes' ship rushes into battle. Zach shoots but misses.

He comes alongside the larger ship. A large hole has been blown in the ship's side. A swarm of armed men rush from the smaller ship through the breach.

Donning a helmet and grabbing a ray gun, Zach exits the scout and boards the larger rocket. Zina reluctantly follows. In the first compartment, they confront a huge, brutish warrior.

Game Note - I lack proper figures so I improvise with meeples and tokens. Here is an example:

The heroes fire at the brute but miss. It charges Zach, who dodges a blow from the monster's powerful fists. Zina shoots, and nearly hits Zach!

The brute continues swinging at Zach. He dips and dodges, avoiding the blows. Meanwhile, Zina finds her aim and blasts the enemy. It barely flinches.

Finally, the brute lands a blow on Zach. He staggers and fall. As the brute leans over, Zina aims carefully. Her blast strikes the brute squarely, and it falls to the ground.

 Our heroes exit into the hallway and run into six pirates armed with blasters. In the ensuing firefight, Zach is hit twice but the pirates are scattered. After receiving first aid, Zach leads the way toward the bridge, fighting off some strange alien creatures that look like a cross between a yapping poodle and a lizard.

As they near the bridge, the heroes come across a lioness-like humanoid struggling with three sword-armed pirates. The one furthest away is bellowing orders to the rest of the crew. Must be the captain, surmises Zach.

The pirates knock the lioness to the ground. Zach and Zina open fire, taking out the pirate minions in a single fusillade. The enraged captain charges Zach. Zach dodges the captain's blow, grabbing a sword lying upon the floor. Zina shoots the captain, then Zach strikes him with his sword. The captain charges past them and flees back to his ship!

"I hope you are OK" Zach says to the lioness.

"Lt Hunter," Zina retorts, "I doubt that this alien species can speak out language."

"I am well, brave warrior." the lioness states with a slight bow. Zina jumps in surprise. It won't be the last time that the Slipstream catches her off guard.

Suddenly, there is a loud explosion! The ship rocks, shakes, and begins to yaw. Zach races to the bridge. The bridge crew is dead or unconscious so Zach takes the controls.

"No!" he screams as he checks the viewscreen.

"What?" Zina asks as she follows him onto the bridge.

"Those darn pirates blew up our ship!"

But he has no chance to wallow in misery. The ship begins to plummet toward a nearby rocky planetoid.

"We're going to crash land!" Zach announces.

Screaming toward the ground, the rocketship careens off a large hill.

Zach manages to right it and avoid another hill.

He puts the ship down but cannot stop it. The ship crashes into a rocky outcrop.

Zach and the lioness are thrown forward and knocked senseless. Zina begins to administer first aid,

Then she begins to hear a loud crashing. It sounds like large rocks banging together.

What terrors does this strange fragment hold? Find out next time!

Game Note
The plot point adventure in the Slipstream book is a straightforward fight against pirates. I tweaked it a bit to turn it into a simple dungeon crawl, Four Against Darkness style. Here is my map.

I used FU for the rules. I must say that I am souring upon them a bit. The BUT and AND options don't really work for my solo games because I just want to roll dice to come up with the result. I actually create the narrative details as I am writing up the report. I also feel that 4AD does a better job of providing a little granularity to the encounters. I'll continue to use FU for the 6  by 6 challenge but will probably move on to something different when I'm done.

The Skull Cave

In our last installment, our heroes have been searching the forest for the orc reavers who stole the three rings from the Northport abbey. The have just stumbled upon . . .

 

the Skull Cave!

Source: http://imgur.com/LZ1jO

They enter the cave through the gaping maw and descend a set of stairs into the bowels of the earth, At the bottom of the stairs, a winding corridor (1) leads them further into the lair.

Map of the adventure

They round a corner and encounter four giant centipedes. The creatures turn, and appear ready to attack the party. Instead of readying his bow, Rikk the ranger brings his hand to his mouth and makes a strange hissing noise. It startles the centipedes and they flee.

Game Note; The ranger is an unofficial class found in Uncanny Against Darkness. One of the powers of a ranger is to scare animals away.

At the end of the corridor is a door. They open it and enter a room (2). Two orcs are standing guard. Once they see the party, they charge. Wielding two wicked choppers, one swings at Khamen, who ducks and then plunges his dagger into the orc's chest. It collapses to the ground. Rikk takes out the other with a well-placed arrow.

In the next corridor (3), five worgs are sleeping on the floor. As soon as the door opens, the leap up and charge. Rikk kills one with an arrow. Khamen and Candorra are able to fend off attacks. The three heroes slay 3 more of the beasts. The last one flees.

Our heroes enter the next room (4) and spy a towering orc. A reaver boss!

Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/63/de/24/63de2410aa1cca422a138c0715c37cbe.jpg

"I know you, ranger!" the orc growls. "This is the last time you'll bother me!" With that, he launches himself at Rikk. The ranger manages to dodge the blows as he unsheathes his sword. Candorra rushes to Rikk's aid. Her blade flicks out and slashes the orc. It yells in rage and strikes at her. The orc's weapon hits, biting through her armor and drawing blood. Candorra stumbles backward.

Meanwhile, Khamen sneaks up behind the orc. His magic dagger pierces the orc's flesh. The monster lashes out behind him, and strikes Rikk with a mighty blow. But now Candorra has an opening and she strikes.

With Rikk temporarily down, the orc rushes and grabs Khamen by the throat. His powerful muscles clamp down, crushing Khamen's windpipe. In desperation, Khamen plunges his dagger into the orc's arm. It releases Khamen and swings. Khamen dodges, Candorra and Rikk rush forward and stab. Their blades bite deep, and the reaver collapses.

The party searches the room and finds the first of the three rings! Just two more to go.

Will our heroes find the remaining rings? Can they win them back?

Find out next time!

Game Notes

• I am currently playing The Three Rings, a Four Against Darkness module.
• Because 3R seemed very random, I have modified it a bit. I turned the adventure into 3 hex crawls. The boss of each crawl will hold one of the rings. 
• In 3R, you can come across dungeons, which are mapped out using standard 4AD rules. When I rolled a lair during the hex crawl, I declared that the boss of the lair would be the first hex crawl boss. I used my modified encounter charts instead of the standard 4AD rules. Here is how they look for this dungeon:

• I got lucky and found the boss in the fourth room.
• Next up - the second hex crawl!

Wandering in the Woods

Part 1 of the Adventure of the Three Rings (A Four Against Darkness module)

Introduction
Candorra bowed before the Lord of Northport and presented the missive from the Holy Temple in Scotsile. As the lord's minister reached for a it, a commotion broke out from the entrance to the Great Hall. All eyes turned as a young novice burst rushed past the guards, panic in his voice."

"They're gone! They're gone!" he cried.

The guards tried to restrain the youth but the lord motioned for them to let him approach.

"Calm yourself." the lord commanded. The novice took a breath.

"Better. Now explain yourself."

The youth told a tale a woe. Orc reavers had attacked the abbey, which lay several miles to the east. They had killed the prior and several of the monks. They ransacked the place, even stealing the abbey's three sacred rings, and then fled into the Borderland Forest.

"This is dread news." The lord agreed. He then called for volunteers to hunt down the orcs and recover the rings/

"They're just some jewelry" Khamen thought, as he tried to remain inconspicuous. He had no desire to be traipsing into the wilds in search of murderous orcs.

"Wonderful!" the lord pronounced. "Our visitors from the Temple have volunteered."

Khamen jumped in surprise. He then turned, and to his dismay saw that Candorra had raised her hand. He responded with an audible groan of despair.

"What was that?" the lord queried.

Candorra shot an angry glance at Khamen then turned to the lord. She replied "He is just visibly upset by the injustice of it all."

The lord nodded in satisfaction. Khamen was visibly upset, but by what he saw as a different injustice.
_________________________________________________________________________________

Episode One

A few days later Khamen and Candorra were in the forest, tracking down the orcs. They were accompanied by a one of the lord's rangers, Rikk, who was well versed in the forest's perils.

Game Note: For Rikk, I used the unofficial ranger class found in the fan-made supplement Uncanny Against Darkness.

As they followed the orcs' trail, they were plagued by a swarm of bees and a whirlwind, which broke Rikk's bow. Candorra lent him her bow and they continued. Then they were fortunate to come across a young woodsman. He had seen the orcs, hiding in the trees as they passed. He agreed to show the party where they went. As our heroes continued, they passed a shrine and met an herbalist, acquiring some wolfsbane from the the latter,

Deeper into the forest they went. After a while, they could feel the earth shaking.

"Earthquake!?" Khamen pondered.

"Worse!" replied the woodsman. "Quick, hide!"

The party hid in some bushes. Moments later, a giant passed by along the path. As it passed, the giant dropped a body from his gnarled grip. The body plopped to the ground and lay still. They could still hear the giant's footsteps as Khamen snuck into the path and checked the body. It was a dead orc, probably one of the reavers. Unfortunately, it did not carry one of the rings.

The party continued. They discovered fresh orc tracks, fled from a forest fire, and passed an empty cabin. Then in clearing ahead they spotted a pile of skulls. Rikk advanced to investigate their grisly discovery. They heard a shriek from the sky above as a griffin swooped upon Rikk. It slashed him with its talons. Blood oozed from his wounds as he released an arrow, penetrating deep into the beast's chest. It howled in rage as it swung back to attack Rikk again. It rended the ranger once again. By now Khamen and Candorra had rushed into the clearing and entered the fray. Khamen struck then dodged as the griffin tuned on him. As it did so, Rikk managed to get off a shot, The arrow pierced the beast's heart and it fell dead at their feet.

In the pile of skulls they found a magical mace and a potion of healing. They used the potion to cure Rikk's profusely bleeding wounds.

They continued into the forest and came across a fork in the road. There were three paths they could take. Rikk surveyed the ground, looking for tracks. After a few minutes he announced his verdict.

"They split up into three groups, each taking a different path."

After some consultation, they decided to proceed along the path to the left.

What will the find along this path? Find out next time!

Game Note: After a series of adventures, I am no nearer to the rings than the first time. I plan to modify the module a little, turning it into 3 hex crawls. The boss of each hex crawl will be one of the reavers with a ring.

Bewitched

Part 2 of a Khamen and Candorra Adventure

Using Four Against Darkness

After their meeting with the medusa, our heroes departed from the grove to seek the sorcerer.. They ran into a range of impassable mountains so they took a detour. They came to another grove with an altar in it. Khamen approached the altar and was immediately struck by a sense of ennui. He knew that his defense would suffer.

After a little while the woods cleared and the party traveled through rolling hill. At the top of the hill several beautiful ladies lounged upon the grass. Khamen called out a friendly greeting but the women responded angrily. They donned bronze helmets, took up spears and shields, and charged in a phalanx at our heroes.

"Amazon warrior women!" warned Candorra. She stepped forward with her bow and started shooting. Two of the warriors dropped dead. But the phalanx quickly overran their position. Their spears darted out, stabbing Candorra repeatedly. Badly wounded, she tried to retreat but they followed doggedly. Wynne stepped forward and blocked the pursuit. She took a wound but managed to overcome a warrior. A seesaw battle then ensued, with all of our heroes taking wounds. Finally, the Amazons were overcome. Wynne healed Candorra then bandaged herself and Khamen.

They continued their journey, winding through hill and dale. At one point they ran into a nest of snakes, but the creatures fled. Finally, they came across a ruined temple. A man was lounging upon the portico. He rose and greeted the party.

"I know why you are here. The medusa has sent you to capture me, but you will be the ones in chains!"

He began to mutter an incantation while waving his hands about. Suddenly, Candorra remembered the wand she found on the bridge. She pulled it out and unleashed its power. A blast hit the sorcerer; he looked stunned. Then he collapsed to the ground.

Wynne checked him out. "Asleep!"

They bound and gagged him, then returned to the medusa. While standing behind him she had the party hold his head and pry open his eyelids.

The medusa spoke: "In a minute, I will stand before you so you can see your handiwork. Of course, it will be the last thing you see as you turn into stone. There is but one way to save yourself - remove the curse!"

"If you turn me to stone then you will remain that way forever!" the sorcerer replied.

"If you won't remove the curse I will stay this way forever anyway. At least I will have my revenge!"

She moved closer to the sorcerer and began to sidle around him. As she did she kept speaking to him. He could hear his doom approach. Finally he cried out "Alright, I'll do it! Just stop!"

"Make it quick!"

The sorcerer uttered a spell. Suddenly, the hideous medusa transformed into a beautiful lady.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

A few days later the party was aboard a ship headed for home. They had the Rod in their possession, along with a sizable chest filled with gold. The former medusa, a lady named Melodia, elected to remain on the island. She was herself a powerful sorceress and would be able to keep the sorcerer imprisoned so he could not curse any one else.

Game Notes

• I ran this adventure as a hex-crawl rather than a dungeon crawl.
• Because the boss was from Greek myth I crafted a Greek-themed adventure.
• I've been trying to level Candorra up so that I can play the next published adventure (Three Rings). Alas, she botched her experience roll! 

Grove of the Gorgon

A Khamen and Candorra Adventure

Using Four Against Darkness

Once again Khamen was summoned before the Preceptor and offered another mission. This time, he and Candorra would sail to the southern island of Sarpedon. Rumor had it that the Holy Rod of Leonidas, another lost relic, was located there, in a grove guarded by a medusa.

This time our heroes were accompanied by Sister Wynne, a priestess of the Holy Temple (whose earlier adventures have been recorded previously).

_______________________________________________________________________________

Our heroes landed on the rocky shore of Sarpedon. Cliffs rose from the beach, with a pathway cutting through them leading into the island's interior,

Suddenly, with a screech, five bird-like creatures swooped upon the party. Two of them dove upon Candorra, rending her flesh with their sharp talons. Swinging wildly with her sword, she struck down her attackers. Khamen and Wynne took care of the rest. Their way was open.

As the path climbed through rocky terrain, they could hear the rumble of water in the distance. Then they came upon a bridge that crossed a gorge. A raging river ran through the gorge fall below. A gate blocked the river. It was fastened with a rope tied in an intricate knot. An old man sat beside the gate.

As they approached, the gatekeeper rose and greeted them.

"You may only pass this way if you can solve the riddle of the knot. Otherwise, the gate shall remain closed and there is no other way."

Candorra approached the gate and inspected the knot. She tried to untie it but failed. Wynne also could not unravel it. Khamen approached, pulled out his magic dagger, and with a single stroke cut the knot in half. The gate swung open as the gatekeeper's mouth dropped in surprise. Khamen's companions gave him a look.

Khamen shrugged. "I read about something similar once."

"Well, it worked." Candorra replied. "Let's go."

As she advanced, she noticed something lying upon the bridge. It was a wand. She pocketed it, and promptly forgot about it.

After traveling a ways, the party entered a forest. The sound of pipes seemed to emanate from the trees. Khamen and Wynne began to get drowsy.

"Let's take a short break." Khamen urged as he plopped upon the grass. Wynne joined him. Candorra urged them to rise, but they paid her no heed. Suddenly, a bunch of half-man half-goat creatures popped out and began to shower the party with arrows. Candorra pulled out her bow and responded. The satyrs could not match her elven marksmanship, and soon they were routed.

The path now led our heroes into a secluded grove. At the far side was an altar with a rod upon it. The Holy Rod! But where was the guardian?

As they stepped into the grove, a figure appeared from behind a tree. It turned to face them.

"Avert your eyes! Look upon the ground!" Wynne commanded.

She and Khamen looked away, but Candorra hesitated. She then got a full view of the guardian's face. It was a terrifying sight - with the malformed features framed by a mane of writhing snakes! Candorra emitted a cry of horror, then she froze in place. Khamen glanced at her, then stared in horror as she petrified before his eyes. In seconds, a stone statue stood where his friend once was.

Wynne was not the least bit fazed. She stepped over to Candorra, laid a hand on her stony shoulder, and said a prayer. The rock began to crumble and flake off. In but a moment, Candorra was restored.

Wynne challenged the medusa. "Begone vile creature! Your evil has no power over us!"

The medusa hissed. "Fool! I am not evil; just cursed."

"If you are not evil, then step aside and let us claim the Holy Rod of Leonidas." Wynne demanded.

"Nay, Sister. I cannot do that. Part of my curse is to remain here and guard the Rod. I cannot let you have it . . . unless the curse is broken."

"And how do we do that?" asked Khamen.

The medusa's hideous visage broke into a smile. "You must bring me the sorcerer that cursed me. Alive."

Will our heroes capture the sorcerer and recover the Rod?

Find out next time!

Castle of the Chaos Lord

Another Khamen and Candorra Adventure
Using Four Against Darkness

After their adventure of the sunken temple, Khamen and Candorra returned home for some relaxation. Alas, it was not to be. As soon as they reported to the Temple, the Preceptor offered them another job. A chaos lord had established himself in a castle in far-off Ehrlich. The source of his powers seemed to be a magical wand that he always carried. Steal the wand and his power would be broken.

They journeyed to the castle. Fortunately, the guards were very lax, and our heroes were able to sneak in through the front gate. The found themselves in a corridor (1) with an intersection.

As they approached the intersection, they could hear voices. Khamen signaled that they should hide. They pressed flat against the walls of the corridor as three robed figures approached from the right.

Khamen and Candorra try to avod detection

 Candorra tried to edge away from the passage, but kicked a pebble.

"What was that?" the cultist asked as he peered around the corner. Spying Candorra, he yelled and charged. Khamen slipped behind the attacker and stabbed him. But the next cultist struck Khamen. He stumbled back. The remaining enemies attacked, but both the heroes parried and then struck down their foes.

After the fight, Khamen turned to Candorra and said " I really thought you were good at this."

Candorra looked at him quizzically then he put a finger to his lips, indicating that she needed to be silent. She just rolled her eyes.

They turned right at the intersection and entered a room (2), where they were attacked by skeletons. After a short battle, they were victorious. They returned through the corridor (1), fending off some vampire bats.

The next room (3) featured a caged area, with seats outside the cage. Concerned that there might be prisoners, the duo crept down to the cage and opened the gate. As the hinges creaked, a looming bull-headed figure arose from the shadows.

"Close the gate!" Khamen yelled as the minotaur charged. Candorra slammed it shut just in time.

Leaving the minotaur's cell, they were wandering down another corridor (4) when they felt a sudden chill. They turned and saw an apparition pass through the wall behind them, cross the corridor, and then disappear through the opposite wall. Our heroes stood a moment, their hearts seemingly stopped. Then they shook off their fear and proceeded.

They wandered through a few more rooms and corridors (6-8), only facing some vampire bats. Then they opened a door to a small room (9). At one end was an altar of a hideous demon. A figure knelt before the altar. Lying next to him was what appeared to be a stick. Khamen realized that it was the Chaos Lord and his wand!

Trying to steal from the Chaos Lord

Candorra stood in the doorway, an arrow nocked in her bow. Silently, Khamen crept up to the wand. The Chaos Lord appeared deep in thought and oblivious to their presence. Khamen reached for the wand, gripped it, and started to slide it away.

"STOP!" a piercing cry called out. Khamen looked up. The idol was alive, screaming a warning to his worshiper.

The Chaos Lord turned, lashing out with a flaming sword that seemed to come out from nowhere. Khamen ducked, and the blow passes harmlessly over his head. Candorra released her arrow; it struck the Chaos Lord, knocking him back. Khamen backed away.

The Chaos Lord pursued Khamen, slashing at him futilely. Candorra drew her sword and rushed into battle. However, the Chaos Lord finally connected, and Khamen fell wounded. The Chaos Lord rushed to finish him. Khamen rolled and slashed his enemy's ankles. Howling in rage, the Chaos Lord forgot about Candorra. She slipped behind him and drove here sword into his vitals. The Chaos Lord collapsed.

"Let's get out of here!" Candorra urged.

Khamen reached down and grabbed the wand. Then they rushed back through the castle. However, the death of the Chaos Lord must have triggered some kind of warning. As they fled, they had to fight their way out against a horde of skeletons. They made it out, though. 

Shortly thereafter, they were riding back to the Temple.

"Well that was a near-run thing." Khamen commented.

"It could have been better. I thought you were good at this." Candorra replied.

"What do you mean?"

Candorra merely put her finger to her lips.

"It wasn't my fault! How was I to know that the idol would come to life!"

Candorra just repeated her gesture. Khamen rolled his eyes.

_________________________________________________________

Once they returned to the Temple, they reported to the Preceptor and delivered the wand to him.

"Although much good it will do you," Khamen commented. "Candorra killed him."

"Actually," the priest stated, "you killed him Khamen."

"No, it was Candorra. She stabbed him through the heart."

The priest held up the wand. "Ah, but if he had this, no blow from Candorra, nor any other hero, would have been mortal. Your, ah, recovery, sealed his fate."

Game Notes:

• I want to play the Three Rings adventure from Ganesha Games but my characters are not high enough level yet. I decided to try to level them up with an original adventure.
• For this adventure, I used my own encounter tables. I rolled the final boss first, then choose encounters that would fit the theme.
• I rolled for rooms as per the normal Four Against Darkness rules, although I reduced the size of the dungeon. I also ruled that the Chaos Lord would only be encountered in the back quarter of the map.
• I'm moving along with the 6 x 6 Challenge! Here is another completed 4AD adventure.

The Sunken Temple

Part 2 of Dark Waters
(A Khamen and Candorra Adventure using Four Against Darkness)

SPOILER ALERT
This post accounts my play-through of the Four Against Darkness module, Dark Waters. If you plan to play this module you may not want to read further.

Although they captured the corsair captain, our party of heroes failed to recover the idol of Telzany, the Shark God. Khamen and Candorra reported to the local Temple. The Preceptor shook his head in frustration.

"We must recover the idol. With it, the deep demons can summon Telzany itself."

Khamen looked perplexed. "What are these deep demons? And can they really summon a "god?"

"The deep demons are green-skinned, fish-faced humanoids. They live under water. And Telzany is real, but it is no god. It is a true demon, a powerful entity from the infernal regions. We cannot let them summon it!"

----------------------------------------------------------

The Temple arranged for a boat to take the party to the location of a sunken temple known to be used by the deep demons.The Temple priests cast blessings upon the party, allowing them to breathe and act underwater. Our heroes were joined by Gerard, a young warrior on loan from the local coast guard.. Together, they leapt into the water and dove to the ocean floor and headed to the temple.

The Sunken Temple

As they entered the first room (1), they ran into 4 deep demon guards. After a short fight, where Candorra and Gerard took wounds, the deep demons were defeated.

After passing through an empty corridor (2), they entered a room (3) littered with the corpses of drowned sailors

"Likely sacrifices to Telzany." Gerard explained.

Suddenly, 4 of the corpses jumped up and shambled toward the party.

Our heroes about the engage the zombies
Khamen, Flint, Candorra, and Gerard (L to R)

Khamen and Flint managed to kill two of the zombies. Another went after Gerard. He tried to strike it down as it lunged, but he missed. He froze in fright. Armed with a bow, Candorra shot the undead horror. Then another attacked him but once again Candorra saved him.

"I guess I'm not cut out for this." Gerard apologized after the fight. "Perhaps I should return to the surface and let real heroes finish the quest."

"Nonsense Gerard.' Candorra replied. "The mark of a real hero is to continue forth into danger, despite our fears, because it is the right thing to do."

Somewhat encouraged, Gerard agreed to continue.

Returning through the corridor (2), they were attacked by 2 giant octopi. The creatures entangled the party with their tentacles. Khamen and Flint managed to free their weapon hands and strike down the cephalopods.

In the next room (4), the party was attacked by 7 fish-men. Three rushed Gerard. This time he did not flinch, but instead managed to deftly block the attacks and strike down 2 of his assailants. The rest easily defeated the rest of the enemy.

"Well done, Gerard." Candorra said. "We'll make a hero of you yet." Gerard smiled at the praise.

After passing through an empty room (5) they entered a darkened sanctum. Eight deep demons clustered around an altar, muttering incantations. The idol of Telzany sat upon the altar. Khamen quietly signaled to his comrades to sneak up on the enemy, When in position, they struck. Three of the deep demons fell. Others spun around, pulled out wicked daggers, and attacked. The head cultist continued to invoke Telzany. With a sudden eruption of steam from the idol, a huge, fanged creature with claws and tentacles appeared!

"Telzany!" Gerard cried in terror. He felt a sudden urge to flee, but then he remembered Candorra's words - real heroes continue into danger despite their fears. He gulped back his horror and turned his attention to the enemy. He hacked down a pair of deep demons then turned on Telzany. Flint and Candorra, who struck down the demons attacking them, joined him.

Meanwhile, Khamen was locked in a fight with one of the cultists. He was able to avoid getting wounded but could not land the final blow. Now Telzany began lashing out with its claws and tentacles, slicing and battering the heroes. They also landed blows, but Telzany appeared unfazed.

It struck again with its talons, raking deep wounds in Flint's and Candorra's flesh. Bleeding profusely, both backed out of the fight. Candorra downed a healing potion but Flint had no such option. Khamen finally finished off his foe and took a position on the front line. Despite his fears, Gerard joined him and used his shield to protect him and his comrades.

Telzany began to focus on Khamen and Gerard. They took numerous wounds - now Khamen had to back out of the fight to heal. Flint and Candorra looked at each other. A fatalistic determination overcame them. With a cry, they charged back into battle. Freshly healed, Khamen joined them, doing his best to defend his wounded comrades. Together, they hacked and slashed at their enemy until viscous, black blood oozed from Telzany.

Yet Telzany refused to surrender. Instead, it decided to punish Khamen's temerity. It grasped him in its claws, drew him to its face, and bit hard with its shark-like jaws. Khamen screamed in pain. Flint tried to free his friend, but the demon grabbed him with the other claw. It began banging the two against each other until they were nearly unconscious, then flung them to the floor as it laughed in apparent triumph.

Righteous rage filled Gerard's breast. He yelled at the top of his lungs and charged at the demon. Distracted by its torture of Khamen and Flint, it reacted too late. Gerard smashed it with his shield, causing Telzany to stumble backward. Gerard ducked under the claws and tentacles, then drove his sword deep into the monster's torso. Telzany screamed in rage and pain. Then, as if dissolving in the ocean's water, Telzany disappeared.

Gerard slumped to the floor, exhausted. Candorra came over, checking his wounds.

"A hero indeed!" she whispered to him.

----------------------------------------------------------

A week after their epic battle, Flint and Khamen sat at a table in the local tavern in port town of Telzany's Cove. The Temple had destroyed the idol so that Telzany could never be summoned again. Gerard was the toast of the town; some of the townspeople even wanted to make him commander of the coast guard. Khamen and Flint were having one last celebration before they departed.

"And what now, my friend?" asked Khamen.

Flint guffawed. "The Temple has made me an honest man!"

Khamen eyed him quizzically. "Really?"

"With the reward, and the, um . . . souvenirs from the sunken temple, I can buy my own ship. The life of an honest merchant for me!"

"Honest merchant, now there's an oxymoron." laughed Khamen.

Flint snickered in return. "Perhaps, perhaps, but it's a start to respectability. But what about you?"

"I think I may keep working for the Temple."

"An honest Khamen. Now there's an oxymoron!" retorted Flint.

"I'm serious."

"And this has nothing to do with the elf lady?" Flint asked.

"No." Khamen stated. Then he grew philosophical. "Not that at all. It's that . . . All my life I've been struggling, to make ends meet, to get ahead. Over that time, I developed certain . . . skills. But what did it all mean. What was the point? For the first time, I see the point. I feel like I have a role to play in the greater scheme of things. And ironically, those skills I developed for my own gain, I can now use for . . . something greater."

Flint nodded and took a pull from his flagon. "Well, you're a better man than I, Khamen. I wish you well."

"And the same to you, Flint."

With that, they shook hands and parted, Khamen heading back to the Temple, and his next adventure.