KALAT

Alone in Deepfall Breach 1

S1 Edge of Deepfall Breach

? Scene test (CF 6)
tbl: Expected Scene

The nameless chapel. Mortared stones, aged, stand stalwart, and its stained-glass windows lie scattered in shards, while the heavy oaken doors loudly groan, drifting on its hinges. Lifting my coat up, shivering against torrential rain, I walk up the stony steps into the house of worship.

Refuse piles up in the corners, the wooden seats and pews rot, and long forgotten battles depict themselves on tattered tapestries. Then, a gruff, mean voice.

”Maddening, aren’t they?” The hunched form of a wolfkin appears, shadows uncloaking. Silver streaks of coal-black fur. Ratty robes, draping down and heavy.

Leaning on a wicked-looking two-handed mace, the wolfkin’s squinted eye bears a stone sphere, straight at me.

? Do I treat him violently? 
tbl: No

Unhooding myself, I step forward and greet the man. “Forgive me, sir. Haven’t seen many wolfkin from around my parts.” I slowly, as friendly as I possibly can appear to be, extend my hand. “Name’s Joruna.”

? Am I lying? 
tbl: No

”Stone-Gaze, to you. But, my pops calls me Ingolfr.” His iron fist encloses around mine. ”Have ye come to delve the Breach?”

I nod, shaking the wet rain off my coat. Trying to sit on some dusty pew, I respond ”Aye, Sir Ingolfr.”

With an amused shake of his head, Stone-Gaze responds, ”There’s good to be done, justice to be dealt, and riches to be uncovered. Have ye the mettle for it, son?”

? Do I believe I have the mettle for it?
tbl: Yes

Taking out a sharpening stone, I lay my spear flat on my lap. Loud steel whines. “Of course.”

(CF 6 -> 5)

S2 Slumbering Ruin

? Scene test
tbl: Altered Scene -> Remove A Character -> Ruin Individual
=> Stone-Gaze doesn't come with me.

Torch lights reveal an archway. Through it, a spiraling, crumbling stairway. I stand alone, armed with what Stone-Gaze gave me.

He called it the “Vault of Many Paths.” He was right. Descending down a twisting corridor, before me lies a great, confounding hub of passages. The spherical chamber’s walls tell the story of many battlefields, whereupon devils and demons are artistically depicted on the walls. Ahead, tunnels in untraceable quantities emerge. Like veins through the stone flesh of the earth.

Continuing to travel through the winding cavern road, I wipe sweat on my brow, keeping my eyes peeled to try and search for the path ahead. Rising my arm, letting the torch light the way.

@ See ahead. 
d: 3,8 kh -> S
? How many imps are there? 
tbl: Several
=> A group of imps sleep lazily. I see them before they see me.

Resting in the crooks and hollows of this passage, several imps snooze.

? Do I get arrogant, and attempt to kill one?
tbl: Yes -> Calmly Lively
@ Attempt to get up close, undetected. 
d: 16,15 kh -> F
@ Strike my spear at the thing anyway. 
d: 18 -> F

Easy prey, I think. Walking up as slowly as I can, at first I’m able to manage. None of the several imps — four, of them — wake up to my approach.

Then, a misstep. I slip on a pebble, falling straight on top of one. Confused, the imp wakes.

Before it can wake, I hurriedly raise my spear at the creature, swinging at it. But it weaves beneath. The imp flies around, rapidly waking its allies.

Ready now, I step back, bracing for the blow. I attempt to fend them off, parrying their blows.

@ Parry. 
d: 3 -> S
d: 4 < 9 -> Unbroken

Two of the things come leaping at me, but I manage to swing the long handle of the spear at them, and they fly into the wall. I look over, but the other two creatures come for me.

@ Minion attack.
d: 9 -> 6 DMG

A massive wound forms on my shoulders, the imps tearing into my skin. Running wildly, I sprint and try to make a run for it.

@ Evade, and start running.
d: 15 -> F
=> The imps catch up to me. 

? Do they give chase?
tbl: Yes
=> And they attack. 

@ Minion attack. 
d: 9 -> 6 DMG
=> I go down.

A foolish mistake — and the creatures knock me flat on the ground and make the second, brutal attack.

@ Rally. 
d: 8 -> S
=> I keep fighting, though I am dying.

I roll over, violently bleeding. Standing up, I spit some blood out. Then, I run toward the creatures, leaping down with my spear.

@ Death save.
d: 1 -> S
@ Attack with the spear.
d: 7 -> S
d: 13 DMG
=> First two minions are stabbed through.

With finesse, I stab straight through the first minion’s body. Then, kicking the second to the wall, I simultaneously unsheathe the spear from the first, then swipe the throat of the second.

As this happens, the final two imps come striking.

@ Minion attack. 
d: 8 DMG
=> +1 Failed Death Roll.

It’s a painful blow. I grunt loud, then retaliate with a blow of my own towards them. This is only the first stop — I must find the Shard.

@ The Butcher attacks. 
d: 11 -> S -> 10 DMG
=> One of the minions dies. The other continues to fight.

The spear cuts down one of the two remaining imps. The final one growls loudly, its petite winged body fluttering around like a house fly.

“I’ll cut you! I’ll have your intestines!” The imp screams, coming down at me.

@ Imp attacks me. 
d: 3 DMG
=> +1 Failed Death Save.

Its sharp fangs cut into my gut. I scream, loudly and unflatteringly. Dropping the spear now, too heavy to hold. I simply come running up to the imp, and try to grasp it by the throat.

d: 2 -> S (Death save)
@ Grab the imp.
d: 16 -> F
=> The imp escapes my grasp.

It smacks into the wall, but barely slips past my grasp. Flying away, it doesn’t look back. But it goes deeper into the cavern.

I fall down to a knee, and look at my wounds. Bleeding from the shoulders. Adrenaline fades. Pain seeps in. I think I can rest, here.

@ Rest for a Stretch. 
d: +3 HP

I fall down, and sink into the stone floor. Imp corpses lay next to me, rotting. “What a start.”

CF 5 -> 6

Reflection

This is the beginning of the solo adventure that comes with Dragonbane! I’m playing as Joruna “The Butcher”, a human fighter. I rolled human fighter, so I’m playing human fighter. Don’t put any disrespct on human fighters.

Let’s see how long this lady lasts. Didn’t expect her to live through that fight, if I’m being completely honest. That was nuts.

Microscope by Lame Mage Productions

Check this out! Pretty cool RPG, pretty aged, that’s all about worldbuilding together!

Next on the chopping block, if this campaign decides to fail soon, is Daggerheart solo. Looking forward to trying it. The cards are a gimmick, I know, but to be honest…they’re so slick, so cool. Making a character is pretty cool. I’m not about the asking questions advice — well, I’m actually fine with it, if they added the clause that it could be done in-character rather than out of character. That’s a whole other discussion.

Thanks, as always, for reading. I'll be posting a reflection on Executioner soon.