Silvar stormed out of the Chief’s hut. She had returned from her Spirit Quest in the wastelands of the Koshaar Steppes (as was the custom for the highest ranking tribal shamans) to learn that her brother Graggar had been sentenced to death in her absence. Without stopping for belongings or rations she headed towards the Forest of Ghosts, where her tribe staked out their worst criminals for death.
A few hours later she was joined by Rokav the hunter and his wolf companion, Ash. She gratefully took a swig from his waterskin, and nodded her thanks. He shrugged and fell in alongside her, and Ash a step behind them both. Rokav had already been out to the Forest of Ghosts and knew what Silvar would find, and knew that she wouldn’t return. He was going to make sure that the future wisewoman of his tribe would not go unprepared or undefended in search of her brother’s fate …
The Nehar tribe barbarian village stands at 0413 (the left most yellow circle on the map). Normal travel movement is 30 miles/day equals 5 plains hexes, travelling SE for 1 day (yellow arrow on the map) places them right at the edge of the forest of ghosts at 0915 (yellow circle after the arrow). This is where the criminals of the Nehar tribe are lashed and left for the Spirits, most recently Silvar’s brother and Rokav’s friend, Graggar.
The sight greeting them at dusk is a lightning blasted tree and the burnt corpse of Fair Uleene, the Chief’s wife. Of Graggar there is no sight, but his shredded bonds are visible. Silvar agrees to investigate the site in the morning before calling on her spirit guides for assistance.
An Encounter/Event/Feature roll for the journey comes up with “No Water” event, which matches the narrative. The waterskin will be empty by night and Rokav will have to forage first thing in the morning, which was a given as they left in a hurry with almost no gear. Silvar takes first watch for 3 hours, then wakes Rokav for another shift, who hands over to Ash,
When the camp awakes, Ash is acting strangely, pacing around and staring into the Forest. He whines a little, it is clear something occurred in the night to upset him, but Rokav claps his hands, and gives a “guard” order - Silvar will break camp while Ash watches, and Rokav will forage - he will not set traps as they are intending to move on.
World of Dungeons rules say that a Fail becomes a Weak Success when using a skill your character possesses, eg Survival, Athletics. This comes into play immediately below ...
Rokav Skill=Survival / Foraging (WIS) 4+1+0 = Weak Success. He only finds food and water for 1. Pretending he drank and ate on the hunt, he gives the forage to Silvar, and whispers to Ash to go hunting for his own. Ash disappears for most of the day and finds his own day’s sustenance. Rokav will be at -1 for all rolls today. He will save the rations for Silvar.
Rokav Skill = Survival / Tracking (WIS) 4+2+0 = Weak success. The storm has obliterated all tracks, although he can piece together than a man Graggar’s size did walk away from the incident, and into the forest. Probably he got free after his tree uprooted. Silvar decides to commune with her spirit guides for direction, consuming 1 Holy Water and giving her a "spiritual trail" to follow.
The party PCs are not exploring, but their travel speed is half for heavy forest, 30/2 = 15 (2.5 hexes). They are still having to be wary for dangers, so I’ll rule this is 2 hexes per day. They find Graggar’s first cold campsite not long after noon on the first day. They encounter the Camp of the Restless (yellow circle 2nd from the right, also see Part 1) as evening is drawing in. Having returned from the hunt, Ash growls at the bodies, and everyone is at range and prepared when the dead rise. Zombies are 6HP and can latch on with bite. Rokav whirls his Sling, taking -1 forward for hunger:
Rokav Attack Volley (DEX) 5+3+2-1 = Partial, he does damage but does not get his dagger out in time to meet the Zombie attacks. Damage = 4+2 will kill 1 Zombie.
Silvar Attack Melee (STR) 2+2+1 = Fail. She is knocked off her feet by a closing Z.
Ash Attack Melee 4+4+1 = Partial, both are “unarmed” - Ash takes 3HP, Zombie takes 1
Silvar Defy Danger (DEX) 6+3+2 = Success, she rolls aside and gets up unharmed.
Rokav Defy Danger (DEX) 6+2+2-1 = Partial, he is grappling with the Z.
Ash Attack Melee 1+5+1 = Partial, Ash takes 4HP, and is on Zero. Zombie takes 2.
Rokav screams as Ash collapses, a Zombie looming over the helpless wolf. He tries to lob his dagger at the foul creature threatening Ash, heedless of his own risk,
Rokav Attack Volley = 6+2+2-1 (that hunger!) = Partial. The knife slams into the Z biting at Ash, sticking in its head and knocking it down (4+2 will kill that Z). Rokav’s Z gets a bite for the partial and latches on for the Golden Opportunity (automatic damage). 2d6 = 1+2 = 3, each hit reduced by 1 for armour = 1 total! These dice!
Silvar Attack Melee, 4+5+1 = Success, 1d6 = 2 damage.
Rokav Defy Danger (STR) = 6+1+1-1 = Partial, the Z rends his neck, bypassing armour for … 1 damage, while Rokav head butts the Z for 2.
Silvar Attack Melee, 6+5+1 = Critical Success, 3 damage, and enough momentum to repulse her Z away and create some space (1HP remains).
Rokav Defy Danger (STR) = 6+5+1-1 = Success, he head butts the Z again in the teeth, smashing them and breaking it’s grip - he rolls away.
Silvar and Rokav run together to retrieve the thrown dagger.
Silvar Attack Melee 1+4+1 = Fail, and she gets clawed by a Z for 6-1 = 5.
Rokav Attack Melee 4+6+1-1 = Success, 4 Damage kills the toothless Z, and they easily defeat the single HP Z remaining.
The party gain 100xp per Zombie.
Silvar uses her Cure on everyone, healing the biggest wound taken. Ash needs bandages because of the seriousness of the wounds. “I saw you shaking, Rokav" she says accusingly "Don’t you ever go hungry when we have rations again.” He nods, face reddening.
Silvar regains her 5 HP to full
Ash recovers to 1 with the bandages then 4 more to 5 HP
Rokav regains 1 to 11.
Rokav examines the area. “Graggar had a fight here then stayed a while. See the recent fire signs and all these tracks, coming and going? Foraging most likely. Maybe a week old. We should camp here too, good spot if you ignore the undead! I’ll set the traps and look for water.”
Rokav Survival (WIS) 5+6+0 = success. He finds enough food and water for everyone, sates his own extra hunger, and his traps provide 1 ration in the morning. He needs to roll a CON check for the extra effort to stay awake on his Watch.
Rokav CON 5+5+2 = critical success! He is fully refreshed and revitalised even on short sleep and can take +1 forward on his next action. Everyone wakes, healing 3 HP for food, rest and Silvar’s care, which puts everyone on max HPs and no penalties. Rokav picks up Graggar’s trail while Silvar breaks camp, and Ash patrols for danger. They head South East into 1217 (yellow circle 2nd from the right) where Rokav can roll to spot the Hunting Pit (see Part 1). There is no encounter for the Pit or the Hex itself. However ...,
Rokav Survival (WIS) = 3+5+1 (rest) = Partial.
Rokav feels his foot give way and pulls it back, disturbing the pit cover. It crashes down, making quite a racket (extra encounter check = no). The pit is empty save for a few animal bones. (100 XP award). Searching the area, he determines that there was a skirmish here, and the tracks head North East. As the pit indicates intelligent life, Rokav calls Ash to heel as they travel. (2 encounter checks because of Bandit Patrols = no). In the early afternoon Rokav sees more skirmish signs before tracks split North, and a single set of prints head North East. (2 more encounter checks = no) and they have made good time because they find signs of many feet before another single set branches away east - finding another lone camp site a good 2 hours before evening (right-most yellow circle). “Let’s press on” urges Silvar and they being to follow the tracks North East heading (unknown to them) towards the flooded Goblin shrine.
"Graggar stories" continues in the next post!
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