The forest is quiet but in the mid-afternoon they discover a clearing with a sloped entrance leading underground. The burrow is home to a colony of Large Flying Ants, hunted by Giant Spiders. Are there spiders above? Unknown = No but … on their way. Are there any Ants outside or in the first chamber? Unknown = No but … on their way!
The group decides to explore, and Wushir lights a torch. I decided for simplicity that the burrows go room > corridor (repeat) and the 6th room is the queen and brood chamber. Each room or corridor has a chance of encounter as per Scarlet Heroes. Corridors are short and narrow and humans need to stoop and go single file.
Encounters are - Mini Ant Swarm (corridor/room), Drone wave (c/r), Soldier (room only), Queen (last room). It is possible to mix and match, and the Queen is never alone
Entry Room 1: Empty. Ants coming now? Likely = Yes. From above/below? 50-50. Below.
Mini Ants or Drones? 50-50. 1d6+1 Drones = 4. Armour 1 HP3 Bite 1d3 XP 25.
The heroes hear a clicking noise from ahead, and some Ants about 1 foot long march into the chamber. They get ready quickly with missiles.
Rokav Volley = Success, auto kill. Wushir Sling = Success! 3 damage almost kills another.
The Ants turn and flee, Wushir’s stone bounces but Rokav downs the injured one. (50 XP). The group advance into the narrow corridor. Rokav goes first, melee weapons drawn.
Corridor 1: Hidden treasure. There is a small rockfall that the group have to climb over. Nobody spots the treasure hidden under the rocks, maybe on the way back.
Room 2: Empty: Corridor 2: Empty. Room 3: Encounter, 1d6+2 Drones = 7.
Ash Assist = Success. Rokav Melee = Fail. He is half encircled by drones. Wushir drops the torch, Stays lit? Likely = Yes. Melee = Fail! They are now completely surrounded.
Ash Assist = Partial. He’s a potential target. Rokav = Crit! Rolled 7 damage, and I rule 2 kills.
Wushir Partial = 7 damage, kill. 4 left, 2 on Rokav/Ash and 2 on Wushir. Ash and Wushir have Drones up close. Rokav Melee Fail, he is in bad position. Wushir can’t use the staff so he tries to Defy Danger to pick up the torch. Partial, he succeeds but takes a bite for 2(+1)-1 = 2. Ash Defy Danger = Partial, Rokav can volunteer to take the hit, he does 1(+1)-1 = 1.
Rokav can only use the dagger, and doesn’t want to risk Ash. Melee = Partial, 1 kill but the other one climbs on Ash’s back while distracted. Wushir Melee = Partial, 1 kill, but gets singed by the torch (1d3 = 2-1). The last 2 drones flee, 150 XP. Wushir applies bandages.
Corridor 3: Encounter, 3d6+2(x10) = 80 mini-swarm. These are “large” flying ants (like the size of your thumb) each 10 count as 1. 1HP, 1 damage per 10. XP 25. Small weapons like shortswords or daggers or most missile attacks can’t really hurt the swarm. The group hears a buzzing, they spread out and draw weapons. Can they retreat? Unknown = no. Any missile opportunity? Unknown = Yes but … quick shot (-1). Rokav fails a “smarts” type roll and fires, wasting a point of ammo, but sees the shot basically passing through the swarm.
Rokav Melee Partial = dagger ineffectual, but sword kills a swath of creatures (10), but he can’t stop them swarming around him to Ash, who is snapping at them but not achieving much. Wushir Melee = Partial, flaming torch is effective and kills a swath (10) and is now mobbed by the bugs. There are 60, but we’ll split to Rokav (in front, 30) Ash (next, 20) Wushir (behind, 10).
All must make Defy Danger CON. Rokav partial, take damage/escape or no change? No change. Ash Partial, also chooses no change. Wushir success, he swats the cloud away and backs out of it. He swings with the torch, Melee = Partial, he kills a swath (10) and a cloud moves from Ash to him.
Rokav still has 30 so Defy Danger again = Success, he moves forward out of the cloud. Ash has 10. Defy = Crit! He is able to break through 2 swarms to join Rokav’s side.
Wushir swings at the nearest Cloud (Fail) and they swarm into him causing 1 damage and Ash’s previous 10 move onto him, now 20. Ash cant hurt these things or really assist so Rokav Melee = Partial, Kills a swath (10) and is mobbed again by the other 20. Wushir Defy = Crit! He flails the torch moving toward Rokav, and they scatter off everyone!
Rokav Melee = Crit! He kills a huge swath (20) and the others flee. 150 XP. Wushir uses another bandage, and they continue.
Room 4: Encounter, hidden treasure. 1d3+1 (3) Soldiers and x2 (6) drones.
Soldiers: Armour 2, HD1/HP5, Jutting Mandible (sword reach) 1d6+1, XP 150.
Drones. Armour 1 HP3 Bite 1d3 XP 30. The drones attempt to aid the soldiers..
The group spread out. The Drones rush in. Rokav Javelin = Partial. Kills a drone but is swarmed by 3 others. The other drones engage Ash and Wushir while the soldiers advance. Ash Aid = Crit! He can cause damage if Rokav does. Wushir swings the flaming torch. Melee = Partial, a drone catches fire and runs in circles screeching until it dies. It’s passing attack causes no damage.
Rokav has a dagger and stabs at a distracted drone. Success = bounce off armour although Ash gets a good bite in on his for 2. Ash has to Defy Danger DEX which is Partial. He now also has a Soldier on him. The other 2 soldiers move in on Wushir!
Wushir decides to chug a mistletoe and turn into a Bear! Spell WIS = Partial. It’s not the most fearsome bear. STR+2 and Armour 1, +6 temp HP. Claws count as d6+1r. The bears arms are a good match for soldier mandibles so Melee = Partial. Damage 0. Soldiers do 2+1+1-1 = 3.
Rokav Defend Ash. Fail. Golden Opportunity for his drones who attach themselves to his arms. Ash is desperate enough to attack. Melee = success! But no damage even to a drone.
Wushir Melee success. Damage = 5-2=3 to a Soldier. Rokav Defy Danger STR to break away = fail. The drones scratch at him through his armour for d3+2 pierce = 3. Ash Defy Danger = Partial. D6+1+1=3!
Wushir swipes again, Melee Partial. Kills the wounded soldier. Takes 6! Rokav tries to defend Ash. CON = success. He gets scratched again badly for 5! Ash attack Fail. 8 damage! Rokav can halve that, cause 2 (killing the Drone) and give +1 to Wushir vs Ash’s soldier. Ash drops to -2 which is alive but not curable easily.
Wushir either flees or attacks the free soldier with +1. He thinks like a bear and attacks! Melee +2+1 = success, 4 damage. Rokav stabs at the drones with his dagger. Melee = Partial, kills a drone and takes … 4. He’s on zero. Wushir attacks again Success! Another 4 damage kills the last soldier. The drones flee. 570 XP.
Wushir's bear form cannot cast spells and is too big to fit down the tunnels so he cancels the Shape and quickly bandages his wounds, then Cures and bandages Rokav (1d6=5+1). Wushir says that Ash is alive but beyond his abilities, so they bandage Ash as best they can then place him on the bedroll - and arduously pull the young Wolf through the tunnels. Wushir recalls the rockfall near the entrance so the Druid and the Hunter return to Corridor 1.
Safely make it? Likely = Yes. Can they expand the rockfall? They have a pick axe so Likely = Yes.
Wushir works on the tunnel while Rokav returns to scout the entrance. They light another torch.
Did Spiders web the burrow? Very likely = Yes.
Rokav returns to Wushir leaving the webs undisturbed. They are able to create a blockade across half the tunnel limiting the swarming ability of the Ants. The hidden treasure is revealed by the digging, and the heroes find a sheathed dagger clasped in a skeletal hand: It is untarnished and the point is (magically) needle-sharp. (The dagger gives +1 pierce when used in melee or thrown).
They set up a fire trap using an oil flask and a set of precarious rocks, so they can throw a torch or brand to knock it and set it ablaze. They find (likely=yes) some assorted wood from fallen branches etc equal to 1d6=6 hours of brands. The first torch dies as they set this up, and now they can rest.
Safe rest 1 hour? Very likely = Yes but … Ash’s wounds start to seep and Wushir needs to use 1 more bandage. The humans use up some HD to heal wounds and the 2nd torch goes out, so they light a lantern. Undisturbed 4h? Unknown =No!
2 Soldiers and 2d3=5 Drones
Suddenly 5 Drones rush in, but the group is alert so they automatically set off the firebomb and prepare missiles for anything making it through the flames.
The firebomb normally does 1d6+1 for 3 rounds but as the Ants fly we’ll say rounds 2-3 are half damage. The bomb catches 2d3=3 as it’s set off.
Their trap kills 2 outright and the 3rd blindly slams into the ceiling until it too perishes.
Are the other drones ahead, behind or split? 1-6 = split, so 1 drone is behind with the soldiers and the other is in the cave, about to be shot.
Wushir triggered the bomb so Rokav Volley = Partial, he kills it but the body is flying right at him! Defy = Partial, only 1 damage from a minor impact. The heroes prepare volleys for a charge, as the Ants are buzzing around behind the fire. They decide to fire through the smoke - Wushir Fail, loses 1 ammo. Rokav Partial = max damage! Kills a (d3=) soldier!
Offscreen move - more spiders!
The flames die and the last 2 Ants buzz in. Rokav lobs his Javelin, (Partial =) and he wants to kill the soldier but the drone intervenes - dead. Wushir steps up with staff while Rokav draws his sword.
Wushir Melee = Partial, 2 damage but the Ant is up close. Rokav can only use the dagger safely now, so he strikes Partial = 6+1pierce = dead! What a killer! XP450.
No more trouble yet. So in total after 4 hours:
Bandage Wound. Use 1.4 oil and 2 torches. 2 “brands” remaining. Retrieve Javelin.
Restore Cure spell, use on Rokav (6!)
Rokav insists that they leave as soon as possible, to find the Forest Spirit who cured Ash earlier, Kalimi. Wushir suggests he can try turning to a Bear again, to give him the Strength to carry Ash, break spider webs and so on. Night has closed at this time (“mid-afternoon” plus something like 6 hours). They make this Plan: Wushir performs the Shape ritual, strap Ash to bear form.
Rokav throws an Ant into the web to try and trigger something, then they throw their last brands into the webs and try to break out. Bears see well at night (apparently, says Google) so Rokav will keep the lantern dim, but otherwise they run back the way they came, as best they can.
Wushir Shape Ritual = auto success, no mistletoe overdose.
The Ant corpse triggers a Spider which drops down and starts to cocoon the Ant. Fire melts web (apparently, says Google again), so when they lob the brand the spider pulls away but the breakout is no roll required.
My “fill out the map rule” says they accidentally head south. Defy Danger Wushir = Snake Eyes! He gets the biggest spider right on him. Defy Rokav = success! Evades all attacks.
Defy Danger Wushir (CON) as the Spider injects her venom … Fail! 1d6+1p = 3.
One more to get away before collapse … Crit!
Wushir in his bear form is in a rage and shaking his back, running under low branches and swatting at his own body. He runs and runs until he can’t any more, then collapses.
Due to the Crit, he is able to stay awake and chug his final mistletoe to cast a Cure (detoxify). Under the circumstances, a WIS roll is appropriate: Partial. He neutralises the poison and collapses unconscious for 1d6 hours = 5.
Rokav can easily track the bear’s destructive path, can he do so safely? Partial. 2 encounter rolls to see if anything happens. Yes, the first dice is 1 so a Spider tracks him from above. First he gets Defy Danger DEX as it drops on him: Success! He rolls aside and slashes out at the Spider as he runs off. Success! 1 weapon only due to the lantern, but 6 damage! I don’t know spider stats yet but that sees it retreat for sure.
100 XP each for surviving the Spiders and the Ants!
Wushir managed to get south into 2413. Rokav catches him and sees Wushir in human form. He makes a branch shelter for them all, then douses the lantern and sits a lonely watch in silence, taking his rations, feeding water to them both, hoping for a safe night. No! There’s an encounter! I’ll try the Dragon Warriors forest encounter this time: “Elven Community” … so we’ll say that’s a patrol from a nearby Elf settlement. They are resting and re supplying at a cache. Will they get involved? Unknown = No. Does Rokav hear the Elves scouting them? Partial Success says he hears noises in the trees but they don’t persist or come near.
5 hours later, Wushir awakens. He assures Rokav he is fine and takes over the watch. By morning they have both had 8 hours rest, taken food and water, and been attended by a Healer (so they recover 4 hit points). They sit down to plan how to find aid for Ash.
.....
To fill out the map I next would probably have the PC encounter the Elves, or find their cache - as returning to Kalimi again seems a bit tacky, even though she owes them. But this is where Rokav, Ash and Wushir's adventure ended. At the time I had no interest in developing an Elf community, so I moved onto the next project. I feel a bit different about it now, but it's likely to be a long time (if ever) before I return to Koshaar and the Forest of Ghosts.
The End of "Graggar stories"!
