DF Novices, Team-A, Session 52 - Report by Eleanor

  We played last Tuesday. Here is an in-character report from the player of Eleanor. As always, I am giving out an Impulse Point to any player who writes a summary for the blog.

Session Date:    Tuesday 7 November 2023

Party roster:

Ben, half-ogre barbarian, 132 points (PC)
Doran Longbeard, dwarf knight, 162 points (PC)
Eleanor Bayley, human thief, 191 points (PC)
- Dagne, human cleric, 125 points (NPC Hireling)
Erizax Ofaris, human wizard, 195 points (PC)
Randall, human veteran, 135 points (NPC)
Yorgen Gant, human knight (squire), 91 points (PC)
Ulokk, half-ogre thief, 85 points (NPC)

------

Right back into the action. Or the lull of it. I had downed one of the foes that was likely to be an issue, although I can't take all the credit as Ben hit it to make it stop moving. But then there was the shouting. But they stopped. Whatever alarmed Randall and Erizax seems to have vanished for now. I am still panicking because there have truly been horrors within these tunnels. But surely it can't be as bad as the rat-thing that we had fought.

For the time being we have fought off the first waves of foes. Many lie at our feet and as the thing is gone it seems there is little concern. We moved further and further into the tunnel at a slow pace. Ulok and Randall took to defending the side tunnel, whether it was due to my call once I saw the goblins or them having that on their mind already…

It matters little. It has become obvious that the new arrival, a Goblin with a flail and shield, is quite the formidable opponent. Despite many successful blows it had barely reacted to the harm, although its armor was far from as formidable as the lack of effect from the blows would indicate. It is not the first foe we have seen like this. The mystical toughness it holds is clearly in the same vein.

Archers appeared behind the Goblin. They were clearly more organized as they had a row crouching before the others and fired at Doran, Ben and Yorgen. Fortunately only Ben and Doran caught arrows here which seemed to be wholly ineffective. If they were hurt by the arrows they certainly didn't show it.

Though that was far from it. Erizax clearly chanted magic behind me, although I didn't have the time to look behind as I was preoccupied with lining up my shot to the Goblin that kept my friends at bay. Then Erizax shouted something about the rat monster and I felt my blood freeze. It was truly a horrifying thought to think that the monster had snuck up behind us.

And as I turned around it proved to be true. Erizax, Dagne and me faced with the monster that had killed Cynric. Or something like it. A massive rat-man, holding an axe and shield. Yorgen shouted something as I lined up my shot and all I could respond with was a shaky "foul beast!" as it had already managed to deliver a blow to poor Dagne's body. She stumbled to the ground, then rose to her feet.

I am certainly fortunate that I was focused on its face. The gruesome noise that came as the monster swung its weapon again was.. beyond horrific. The splatter it caused as it collided with what I can only assume was Dagne's skull.. beyond disgusting. I could vaguely see Erizax's torso splattered with dark fluids.

But there was no time to be horrified. I didn't have time to be scared. I fired off a shot at the monster's eye. It was surely going to hit but it brought up the shield it had at the last moment and narrowly blocked the shot. At that point I had to lower the crossbow. Dagne collapsed onto the floor and I rushed in to block its path to her, as my companions were not close enough to engage it. I could tell the fire that Erizax made was coming closer. Randall cursed, or something. The Goblins from the tunnel engulfed in the fire.

The rat-thing was forced to retreat as I pressed up close to it to keep it from causing trouble. It swung at Yorgen who fortunately managed to fend it off. At this point we might need a bit more than luck to make it through this situation.

What am I supposed to think, at a moment like this? This foe is beyond what most of us can do. It appears capable of healing its own injuries and it has a durability beyond what other normal things have. Perhaps I should curse my luck. Perhaps we made some mistakes in how we acted. Surely we could have prevented this situation. I believe there is great room for improvement.

If we do make it out alive…

- Eleanor