Sunday, April 1, 2018

Week Two - Black Barrow (#1) Redux

We sure got our butts kicked the first time we entered the Black Barrow (Map Location #1)!

We had to retreat outside, bandage some wounds, and have a chat about some new battle tactics. It was obvious that, though we were all capable on an individual basis, we had to find some way to become an effective force fighting together. Our synergies needed to be worked out - we needed to use our individual strengths to overlap our individual weaknesses.

Fortunately, our foes did not follow us in our retreat. Even with our defeat, we still did a lot of damage to their hideout and thinned their ranks quite a bit. No doubt they knew we had only retreated temporarily and were already bolstering their numbers for the inevitable second fight. We needed the mercenary money - we were still broke.

Heading back down the worn stairs, the stench of death was just as putrid as the first time. They had indeed replenished their guard Bandits in the first room and either our tactics chat worked or these were the rawest of the recruits they could find after our last attack. The story I will regale in the pubs later will be focused on the battle chat version because these Bandits were dispatched very quickly and easily.

The second room was still a bit of a battle though, those Archers at a distance gave us a bit of trouble. This time though Cymbi did not just charge through the door, she was more cautious and took advantage of her ranged capabilities. Groot went full on tank and lead the charge, taking a bit of damage, but effectively blocking the Archers from attacking the softer targets in our group.

The Archers tried throwing some traps around the room, but Glint took a break from looting and disarmed the important ones. Ktzlyx was also in grand form and managed to get one of the Archers to walk into his own trap - poor fellow lost his leg, then his head.

Third room is a charm! The Skeletons were still there, much to our disappointment, blocking the entrance, much to our disappointment. The Archers behind them take advantage of their wall of bones and were peppering us with deadly accuracy. Groot once again stepped forward and become our wall of protection. They had a solid defence, but a few rounds later we managed to defeat them all.

Excited by our first real win together we scrambled around looking for the thief and the documents. Our elation was dissolving quickly when we realized neither the thief nor the documents were anywhere to be found. The only thing we found was a small entrance leading further down into the Barrow Lair (Map Location #2). Montag's Marauders had taken their First Steps (Party Achievement) on what is likely to be a long road and exciting adventure.

This ended our Second game session. Folks needed some time to adjust to the game system and the subtleties of the combat system. This session was far more satisfying and we are glad to be progressing the story. First Steps indeed.

Peace,
Brent

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