Rune Chads Session 6: A Proper Delve

The Fifteenth Day of Dark Season began slowly with a cloudy and overcast dawn breaking upon the gathered RuneChads in Derwenlas. Today they, along with Manawydan's Not So Magical Myrmidons, would make their push into Gogifran's Keep and seize its secrets. 

That was certainly the plan, anyway. A good plan it was, what with Bran the Bard now on board. Not to be confused with Bryn, his cousin, who had not been seen in a while. Shaman are a curious bunch...who knows what he has been up to. This was a "no fail" proposition!

Malo and Kane turned their war horses toward the mountain path and signaled for the Myrmidons to begin the march north through the valley. Bryn was taking it all in, his first real foray into this type of unknown danger. The mule cart and gear pulled up as rear guard and they moved steadily up into the mountains.

As they approached the fork in the road, the lead Myrmidon signaled a warning. Two gargoyles at the fork, both stood at 5 cubits high and perhaps 200 cubits ahead for Bryn and half a furlong for the rest of the crew. Kane and the two Myrmidon archers were able to translate these distances quickly into 100 yards which meant they were within range for normal missile fire. The gargoyles made no hostile action and were soon rained down upon by a hail of arrows. A critical to the head by Kane took one out straight away and the second began to bellow as it rose into the air...and the second volley of arrows. It shattered as it hit the ground.

They turned off the path to Dollgelau and up toward Gogifran's Keep. They had been up this way two weeks ago and the 20 cubit by 20 cubit guard houses were noted to be sacked and empty. I genuinely don't know what prompted the caution but Kane and Bryn dismounted and led the Myrmidons on foot to the guardhouse on the left side of the road. Malo's player was attending to a family matter irl so Malo attended to the animals and mule cart. 

The assault team made it to about 80 cubits out when they found themselves on the receiving end of a volley of arrows. Six arrows randomly distributed among the skirmish line. Myrmidon Number Four took several arrows that stung him but didn't drop him: His bronze armor proved its metal. Faced with being out on the open ground with an enemy having both cover and concealment, firing from a secure emplacement, the Rune Chad Assault Team could attempt to return missile fire, attempt to withdraw or...

They began a full-on charge at this point with swords drawn and war cries ululated. 

Missile combat is one of the game mechanics that excels in RuneQuest. There is no random -4 for cover. There is "he is behind a wall and the arrow hits the wall." Unless you roll a critical, you are not firing up into an arrow slit. Now, an archer worth his salt who gets the appropriate augment and perhaps has a Speedart spell applied has a reasonable chance of getting that critical so it is not off the table completely. It still is a difficult shot.

The opposite is true for the assault team. They are in the open and essentially sitting ducks. The combat modifiers at play potentially are an assault formation and the fact they are moving. The formation rule gives a bonus to hit closely packed people, meaning you hit one of them randomly if you succeed in your roll at +5% per available target. In this case, Kane had specified the assault team was spread out so no bonuses for the emplaced archers. Since they are moving in a straight line to the guardhouse, there is no defensive benefit whereas if they were cutting an angle it would decrease the attack chance by 1/2.  Evasive movement would also decrease attack chance by 1/2 but would also half their speed. As it was, it was a thunderous bee line for the barracks!

They heard a howl of pain from inside the bunker and loud cursing just before the next volley hit, this time only four arrows. Three broke on Myrmidon armor, one found its mark with an impalement of the thigh of Myrmidon Number Nine. He went down with a howl of pain. Not dead, but not charging any more.

It was 16 cubits advancing each round under the hail of arrows, now only 4 per volley. What had happened to the other two? What indeed!

As the Rune Chad Assault Team hit the walls of the guardhouse, the arrow slits were no longer functional. They stayed tight and massed on the door. It may have been secured but Kane's STR of 20 and a critical success roll burst the door asunder. Inside they saw six leather armored bald men standing about 4 cubits each with really, really sharp teeth. All were armed with broadswords and were ready for a fight. Well, four of them were anyway. One had an arrow through his right arm, which he was eventually able to pull out, and was now heading out through the back door, fumbling with the latch with his one good hand. If the impaled fellow failed on removing the arrow, he could not escape far as he would take 1/2 damage again each round he moved with the arrow sticking through his arm. The other fellow, the one who fumbled, well...he didn't just fumble. I rolled 00 several times consecutively which meant he stacked effects, one of which was impaling his buddy. Something horrible happened and it was resolved when Kane cut off his head.

I had the RuneChads roll an Elder Race Lore to see if they knew what they were facing, this being the closest in game any of them had seen these. They did not succeed but fortunately the Myrmidons knew well what these were: Ogres. They have a particular Hatred of Ogres and get a bonus for attacking with a successful Augment roll. Swords clashed and armor clanged. Severed ogre parts mounted and soon the room was cleared. Wounded were attended to with Malo back engaged and Healing the impaled Myrmidon. An unsuccessful search for the fleeing ogre was attempted and a successful search of the room netted a small chest and a key, which unsurprisingly unlocked the chest. Inside were 360 Clacks, 100 Lunars, and four gold Wheels. Also inside were a bronze necklace worth 600L and a gemstone worth 500L. They searched the other guardhouse and found it empty so they moved on towards the looming keep.

This was the furthest they had come since they left with the giant's head. The stables looked serviceable while the two storage buildings looked blasted. They hunkered down for the evening in the stable to the north of a stream coming down from a small lake some furlong or so to the west. Sometime in the night a rain started to fall and the temperature dropped. Not quite to freezing but it would be plenty unpleasant to be out in a night like this. 

Hey, that would explain why the freaky space chickens attacked the night watch! Pecking and squawking, they came at Bryn and the Myrmidons hard and fast. They never managed to penetrate anyone's armor. Someone made a successful Animal Lore roll and identified them as the much feared ceiliog neidr!! One successful hit would have meant one perfect statue of its target! As it was, they had enough meat for a ceiliog ceilidh and Malo had the bright idea to sashimi them up. Peaceful Cut was the relevant skill and I rolled it for him as this was a puffer fish scenario. He Augmented with the Death Rune. Did he successfully prepare the meal? His courage failed him when it came time to put his skill to the test and they are still running around with the cutlets.

Dawn never broke the next morning and they looked at the cliffline with a furlong and half again elevation to climb...in a steady, cold rain. The mule made it the last time, horses would not attempt it dry. The streams were swollen but passable. Kane elected to stay with the horses and mule in the stable and kept five of the Myrmidons with him for company. Malo, Bran, and a smaller Myrmidon Assault Team headed up the wide stone stairs.

As they made it to the top (yes, they did make it uneventfully), they came onto the clearing near the top of the mountain that led to the peak whereupon sat...Gogifran's Keep. In the weather, a furlong was too far to see clearly but about halfway to the Keep they saw a gargoyle on each of the corner towers. Neither moved and as they approached closer it appeared they were looking into the courtyard and not out towards the RuneChad Assault Team. Bran and Malo discussed options and Bran elected to stealthily approach the Keep in an evasive and quiet manner. Rolls were made...and he successfully made it to the main gate to the Keep.

Which had been ripped off the front by...something. The large wooden doors that controlled entry lay in splinters maybe 100 cubits away, a pile of wreckage. Nothing came out from the courtyard within and the only sound was that of the continuous rain. Bran wiped his brow and proceeded to sneak into the gatehouse. He missed a POW check and found himself suspended in a net some 30 cubits up in the air, hanging from the ceiling. About the time he came to a stop he heard a loud " Och, aye! We'll be eating well tonight! Ahoo!" followed by a series of thumps. Bravely, Bran screamed at the top of his lungs "AIEEE! I DON'T WANT HIM TO EAT ME!!"

Malo, identifying there was a problem, began a full tilt run to the gatehouse. As he got there, Bran quickly shouted down to him that he saw some sort of 6 cubit tall creature...hopping...under the walkway connecting the towers. He couldn't see it clearly but it was definitely headed this way...and it planned to eat him!!

Malo readied the Myrmidons for battle. They would have surprise on the thing as it popped into view. Or rather, hopped. As hop it did. The thing only has one leg. And one eye. And one arm sticking straight out of its chest. Covered with thick feathers. What in the heck was this thing! Its eye got very big as it hopped into the gate area and saw the RuneChad on the ground with sword in hand! First round went to Malo and the Myrmidons but they just could not hit! The malevolent one eyed pogo stick from Hell chortled as it hopped and parried with a massive flail. The second round initiative went to him as his Attack SR was 4. He hit one of the Myrmidon squarely. The Myrmidon parried, successfully, which took 12 points off the hit...but not the other 15 which went to...and through...his right arm. "HA HA" chortled the mad pogo man. The RuneChads again attacked and were able to connect this round but only one hit seemed to do any damage and it looked minor. I erroneously allowed the armless Myrmidon to charge in a Knockback attempt, which failed. He should have been in shock from the severity of the blow. Next time!

As the next round began, declaration of intent was shared. Bran continued to cut away at the net, after this round he would be able to try to fall on the creature with his spear in hand, hopefully driving it through his head on the way down. Myrmidons were fighting on! Mad Pogo chortled and laughed as he licked his lips "Well, look here! They are serving dinner in bronze cans these days! Ahoo!!"

And the color left his face, his one eye rolled back into his head, and he fell down dead. Malo declared a spell, a Rune Spell. While it is a 3 point spell, it is a Rune Spell so it goes off on SR1. What Rune Spell? Sever Spirit. Roll against the Death Rune to set it off, roll against POW vs POW on the Resistance table and...it worked.  Mad Pogo would nae hop agin.

At this point, a collective sigh of relief was heard. Except for Bran, who was still 30 cubits up and now in an open net. He rolled against Tumbling to avoid falling and he held his position, hanging above the bloody scene below. "Hey, a little help here!" Malo and the Myrmidons found the mechanism easily and lowered Bran to the ground. Depleted in spells and short an arm, they looked at the central tower of the Keep...and turned back to home.

The gargoyles in the towers never changed position, not even to wave goodbye.

The return to the stables at the base of the mountain was uneventful and the RuneChads Reunited proceeded back to Derwenlas. Would they revisit the Proper Delve?

Only time will tell.