Kellan looks down the passageway in the flickering torchlight. There are several embalmed corpses here and it looks like more beyond the reach of his torchlight.
Are these undead? Likely! 14 (6 on the stunt die) yes, and… the first corpse sits up and looks at Kellan.
There are 5 bodies marked on the map. I will roll d6-1 (minimum 1) to see how many are Walking Dead. 6! Five corpses sit up and turn to face Kellan!
This is a new scene, and I have a few more solo tools to use now. I have a Plot Focus tool, that says Future Event, which I take to mean that this is a foreshadowing of what is to come. Maybe the villain is a necromancer, or possibly a powerful undead.
I also have some inspiration words. I have rolled for 4 and I will use and replace them as they seem to fit. The four words are: Swale (a location in the game setting), Choosing, If, Its.
Kellan drops the torch and readies hit bow. The first Walking dead swings its legs over the side of its sarcophagus.
Kellan has a higher Dex than the undead, so his Pinpoint Attack talent applies. They are slow and have a very poor defence and health.
The first one died quickly, Kellan rolled three consequtive doubles and was able to both knock the first walking dead prone, and rapid reload. The prone undead slowed the advance to the others. The fight actually used 19 of Kellan’s 20 arrows, but he killed all five, buy doing rapid reloads, knocking them prone and when he had enough stunt points he used Might Blow. The walking Dead had 25 health to start but Kellan was doing 3d6+3 damage on many attacks. Two actually reached melee range, but their initative was terrible, and Kellan could step back and fire before they could engage.
Backing off and firing into the advancing corpses is all that Kellan can do, and eventually the last body stops moving, Kellan reaches into his quiver to nock another arrow incase something grabs at him, and it is the last shaft. This is more like Kellan imagined adventuring would be like. He cautiously checks the sarcophagi and for his trouble his reward by 40sp and what appears to be some kind of enchanted lantern. It is small, highly decorated and shines with a magical light as bright as a torch.
This is the ‘common’ magic item called an Arcane Light, it lasts for a 28 days of continual use before losing its enchantment.
Kellan stows the magic light, collects his arrows and continues to explore down this passageway.
This is the same tile, but with a different orientation. I will roll another d6-1 to see how many of these graves contain walking dead. The result is 2(-1) just one corpse stumbles out at Kellan.
It actually won the initiative (I wasn’t expecting that) but it missed both of its attacks.
The Walking dead lunched out at Kellan, but Kellan’s natural reactions saved him. He then backed off as far as he could while nocking and arrow. As the thing lumbered forward, Kelland knocked it flat and a couple more arrows and it stopped moving.
Very cautiously Kellan advances along the passage, past the remaining corpses, but none of these show any signs of unnatural life. Soon the rough cave passageway begins to change to something fashioned from brick and flagstone floors.
Kellan is faced with the changing nature of the ‘cave’ and the corridor has at least two doors that he can see.
My Plot Focus tool says ‘Change of Pace’. I think that this suggests an increase in urgency. My initial thought is the sound of something approaching. I rolled for a random creature and rolled Bandit. I will give Kellan a Perception test to hear this. He succeeds with 2 stunt points. I spend them on Speedy Search, giving Kellan an extra round in which to react.
Kellan hears what sounds like human voices, and the tramp of feet approaching from beyond the corner ahead. He tries the door just ahead of him.
Is there a lock on the door? yes, and… There is a lock and one of those prison cell hatches at foot level for shoving a plate of food in.
Is the door locked? No, but there is a ring of keys hanging on a peg beside the door.
Ignoring the keys, Kellan tries the door and it opens. He tries to slip in as quietly as he can.
I will make an opposed test Kelland Dex to the Bandits’ Perception 14 vs, 13 in my favor. Kellan is inside the room before the Bandits round the corner.
Is the room empty? No, because… I will make a follow on question, is the thing in the room a creature? No, because… OK, so the thing isn’t a creature, because it is dead. If this is a prison then a dead prisoner makes sense. Looking at the map, this is more of a suite than a cell. I am getting a Man in the Iron Mask, type feeling, the prisoner was kept in relative comfort, but was still a prisoner. I think this room was the bed chamber, and when I enter the next room I expect it will be the living quarters for the prisoner. 1-3 it is a woman, 4-6 it is a man. The dice says that there is the body of a woman on the bed.
I will explore more next time.