Chapter VIII : The Offering - The Adventure

The scenario is here.

The initial plan was for Zoraya and the three Turanian guardsmen to make for the larger building, hopefully picking up some loot on the way. Brude was to pick the lock on the gate, and head towards the small temple.  Chimène was meant to fight it out in the middle.

That plan went rapidly pear-shaped, as Chimène was overwhelmed by incoming fire, the mercenary archers bounding forwards to seek her out behind the cover of the central wall.  Zoraya was forced to come back to help her, also sending in the loyal Turanians to help.  Whilst Brude continued his explorations, the two women gradually overcame all resistance.

One of the Emirs fled with his father, but Zoraya was closing in on the two remaining Turanian lords.  The Turanian spearmen fighting for the Emirs were brutally sacrificed to bring forth a Dynwocor and slow her down.  The beast charged into the fray, but the agile Turanian diploat was no easy target, and sustained only a flesh wound.

One of the Turanian soldiers hurried to assist her, whilst the diplomat headed for the Emirs.  She was joined by Brude a few seconds later, who cut one of them down.

The Hyperborean Emissary decided to use her ability to raise the dead - which actually had little impact - and reveal herself, mainly because the loyalist Turanians were almost upon her, and also because the Dynwocor was close to hand.  Chimène saw red, and leapt over the ruined mud-brick wall to engage her mortal foe.  The presence of the Dynwocor [restricting saturation to 2, ndlr] prevented her, however, from putting her all into the fight and she caused no hurt.

The Emissary managed to get over the wall, and join the Dynwocor.  The combination of Horror and Jinx seemed to be unbeatable, but ferocious attacks from both Brude and Zoraya severely wounded the Hyperborean [down to only 2 wounds, ndlr].

Time was however running out, leading the heroes to take desperate risks.  The Emissary's Pestilential Swarm caused a lot of damage, and the remaining Emir proved to be a deadly foe.  Brude was saved - twice ! - only by the chainmail armour he had found near the main gate of the fortress but even so had only one wound remaining.

The last attack by the Emir proved too much for him, and Brude went down.  Covered by the Dynwocor's rage and the heros' exhaustion, the Emissary was able to escape the fortress.

An exciting game, with a lot of hard choices to make, especially I found for the Overlord.  Choosing when to Let the Dead Rise, when to reveal the Emissary, and when to bring on the Dynwocor is not easy, especially as they all lengthen the River.  Having the Emirs flee costs a lot of time and also deprives the Overlord of a dangerous fighter, so no easy choice there either.  On the heros' side, the mistake was to leave Chimène too exposed, when a loyalist Turanian would have given the necessary protection, as he did thereafter.

A victory for the forces of evil, perhaps a critical one !

Zoraya and Chimene gain +1 XP, since one of the Emirs was slain. Zoraya ended the battle with an additional wound, bringing her up to 2.

Brude exchanged his shield for a chainmail shirt.  He was badly hurt, with 3 wounds.

One of their Turanian companions was killed during the fighting, leaving two for the final encounter...