Cop and a Half: Episode 20 - Dam It

The sun was setting behind the mountain range that surrounded Fort Rannick.  Lem stretched and let out a large yawn before standing from the stool that was his only companion in the guard tower.  His shift was finally over, and he could get some sleep while Valeros took over.

Lem

Card Feats: Spell x2, Blessing

Skill Feats: Charisma +4

Power Feats: Once per check, you may recharge a card to add 1D4+2 to another character’s check at your location

Starting Deck

Heavy Crossbow

Medusa Mask

Sihedron Medallion

Burglar

Acolyte

Toad

Holy Light

Lightning Bolt

Toxic Cloud

Cure

Haste

Frost Ray

Blessing of Abadar

Blessing of Shelyn

Blessing of Erastil

Blessing of Desna

Blessing of Pharasma x2

Valeros was waiting for Lem at the bottom of the tower.  Once he had descended from the short ladder that led to the top of the tower, Lem waved to his partner.

"Hope your shift is more exciting than mine!" he called as he passed the man.  

Valeros grunted in response.  That was his usual reply to any conversation, so Lem didn't take it personally.  In the days since the flood, things had been settling down to as close to normal as Lem could imagine.  He was almost daring to hope that they might get some relaxation in before the next catastrophe.

Valeros

Card Feats: Weapon, Blessing, Item

Skill Feats: Strength +4

Power Feats: Hand Size 5, Add 1D4+1 to another character’s combat check at your location

Starting Deck

Warhammer+1

Scythe+1

Shock Longbow+1

Impaler of Thorns

Icy Longspear+1

War Raazor+1

Magic Shield

Magic Leather Armor

Magic Half-Plate

Belt of Giant Strength

Staff of Minor Healing

Holy Candle

Grizzled Mercenary

Burglar

BoTorag x2

BoAbadar

BoGorum

Lem made his way to his room in the garrison, clearing away some of the clutter as he did so.  In the panic to escape the torrential rain, those who had made it to the fort arrived with whatever they could carry out of Turtleback Ferry.  As a result, the garrison was packed with random items that were slowly being sorted through.  Lem sighed and lay down on the cot that had served as his bed since they moved into the fort.  

Turn 1

Lem – BoTorag

Garrison

Dogsliceer – Banish forever

Discard BoDesna explore – Magic Chain Mail – Constitution = D6 = 6 = Success

Valeros stood atop the tower watching the last rays of sun disappear behind the snow-topped mountain peak.  There were far fewer rangers manning the fort these days, between those lost to the flood and those killed by ogres or worse, so Lem and Valeros had volunteered to take over some of the guard duty for the time being.  It largely amounted to standing around staring at the surrounding forest for hours.  The night shift, like the one he was on now, was even worse.  The dense forest coupled with a waning moon made it nearly impossible to see around the fort.

Turn 2

Valeros – BoG

Guard Tower – Summon Bandit Henchman – Recharge a card – Impaler of Thorns = D10+7 + D8+2 = Auto-Success

Half Plate – Constitution = D8 = 5 = Success

Lem was woken from his deep slumber by a hand clamping over his mouth.  A giant hand, rough and smelling of earth, gripped his face tightly while another hand wrapped a gag around him.  He was lifted effortlessly and stuffed into a sack.  He tried to call out, but a massive fist struck him and all turned to darkness.

Turn 3

Lem – BoErastil

Malgus Kreeg – Take all the damage – Lem moves to the Dam

Valeros looked over some of the items that others had left in the tower.  An amulet, a suit of armor, and other assorted items.  Did the owners of these items still live?  He mused about the stories that these items might tell, for he had nothing else to pass the time.

Turn 4

Valeros – BoShelyn

Summon Bandit Henchman – Recharge a card – Impaler of Thorns = D10+7 + D8+2 = Auto-Success

Amulet of Fortitude – Constitution = D8 = 3 = Fail

Discard BoAbadar explore – Potion of Gracefulness = Intelligence = D6 = 4 = Fail

Lem woke with a start.  His head throbbed in agony as he tried to take in his surroundings.  The sound of rushing water filled his ears, but around him he could see only the pitch black of night.  Overhead, there were no stars.  He must be indoors.  He was beginning to pick up other noised as well: the heavy sound of metal striking rock.  Lem was still bound, but managed to crawl towards the sound. 

He exited the small hut to see that he was next to a massive ancient dam.  Atop the dam were ogres, giants and their kin.  It looked as though they were breaking it down, piece by piece.  Could these creatures be responsible for the recent flood?  It seemed likely.  Lem saw one ogre in particular that was much larger than the rest.  He whipped the lesser ogres mercilessly as they toiled over the stonework of the dam.

Lem took this chance to find something to cut his bonds.  A broken jagged piece of wood nearby was all he could find, but it would have to do.  He worked furiously to cut through the thick ropes.  As he did so, the ogre leader began walking towards the hut.  Lem did not want to find out what the ogre intended to do with him.  After what felt like an eternity, the ropes broke and Lem stood up to face his foe head-on.  He would find the halfling no easy prey.  

He hid behind the doorway of the hut until the ogre was within his range.  Lem muttered an incantation and watched as a luminescent green cloud formed above the lumbering creature.  As an acidic rain began to pour down on the thing, Lem leapt from the doorway, blasting it with a flash of holy light.  Blinded and burning, the ogre cried out as it stumbled backward.  Lem followed up as quickly as he could with a ray of frost, rooting it to the spot in ice.  Lem then ran into the nearby forest as quickly as he could while the ogre howled in rage and pain behind him.

Turn 5

Lem – BoG

Malgus Kreeg

Toxic Cloud

1st Check – Holy Light + Toxic Cloud = D10+5 + 2D6 + D6 = 18 = Success

2nd Check – Frost Ray + Toxic Cloud = D10+5 + 2D6 + D6 = 24 = Success

Location closed

Recharge Toxic Cloud = Success

Recharge Holy Light = Success

Recharge Frost Ray = Success

Valeros lit a candle inside the cramped quarters of the tower.  He examined some of the items closer.  Some of them exhibited excellent craftsmanship.  He wondered how much they could be sold for in a more civilized place.

Turn 6

Valeros – BoTorag

Summon Bandit Henchman – Recharge a card – Impaler of Thorns = D10+7 + D8+2 = Auto-Success

Lem Cure – 4

Recharge Cure = Fail

Battered Chest – Melee = Auto-Success

D4 items – Potion of healing, Wand of shield, Amulet of Life

Holy Candle – 5

Lem's lungs were burning, but he refused to stop running.  He yelped involuntarily as he slid down a steep hillside.  Tumbling head over heels, he landed at the bottom with a loud thump.  He spat out some foliage as he raised his head to look around.  The clearing he found himself in was eerie at best.  The foliage seemed to glow with a kind of incandescence that was unsettling.  In the distance, he saw the silhouette of a man walking.  

Calling out, he picked himself up and began to move towards the silhouette.  The man did not stop his slow walk, and as Lem reached him, the halfling gasped as he looked into the man's face.  He was clothed in the garb of one of the Black Arrow Rangers that populated the region, but his eyes were white orbs.  At first, Lem feared that the man might be undead.  Upon closer examination, though, the man simply appeared to be in some kind of trance.  Lem watched as he continued his mindless walk through the glen.  Suddenly, Lem was staggered backward as an arrow pierced his arm.  He instinctively dove into the nearby foliage, as he looked for his unseen attacker.

Turn 7

Lem – BoShelyn

Shimmerglens

Charm Person – Auto-Success

Use Charm Person – Night Watch to hand

Discard Toad explore – Scout – Strength + BoAbadar = 2D4 = 3 = 8 damage = Sihedron Medallion absorbs 4, Lem takes 4 damage

Recharge Sihedron = Success

Valeros took another swig from his flask.  These rangers might not have much, but they could make damn fine moonshine.  He sighed and wondered if Lem was asleep yet.  This boredom would surely be the death of him.

Turn 8

Valeros – BoTorag

Summon Bandit Henchman – Recharge a card – Impaler of Thorns = D10+7 + D8+2 = Auto-Success

Drink potion of healing – 1

BoShelyn – Wisdom = D4 = 2 = Fail

Lem was beginning to fade out of consciousness.  His breath was coming in ragged gasps as he clenched his teeth and wrenched the arrow from his arm.  He tore some of his tunic and attempted to wrap the wound.  It would have to do for now.  A howl in the distance brought his vision back into focus.  More howls followed, and the noise was drawing closer.  Perhaps it was the ogres, using some sinister hounds to track him?  He had no time to ponder that further, as a twisted dog-creature literally flew on top of him.  He blasted it backward with frost, pinning it to the tree in ice before he ran deeper into the glen.

Turn 9

Lem – BoIrori

Exchange Toxic Cloud for Cure

Cure – 4

Recharge Cure = Success

BoG – Banish

Discard BoShelyn explore – Yeth Hound – Fail wisdom check – Frost Ray + Valeros recharge Shock Longbow+1 = D10+5 + 2D6 + D4 = 27 = Success

Recharge Frost Ray = Success

Valeros was shaken from his reverie by a loud crashing just outside the gate.  He looked down and saw an ogre picking itself up from the ground.  It had stumbled into one of the ranger traps that lined the outside of the fort.  Valeros smiled; finally he would have something to do!  He dove from the guard tower, vaulting over the tall walls of the fort and pointing his longspear straight down.  The ogre fell beneath him with a satisfying crunch.  Man, that was fun.  He had to go tell Lem about that.  After confirming that there were no more ogres about, he walked towards the garrison to wake his partner.

Turn 10

Valeros – BoAbadar

Summon Bandit Henchman – Recharge a card – Impaler of Thorns = D10+7 + D8+2 = Auto-Success

Recharge Staff of Minor Healing to heal 1

Kreeg Ogre – Impaler of Thorns = D10+7 + D8+2 = 17 = Success

Strength 5 to close location = Auto-Close

The glowing leaves of plants were a blur to Lem as he ran through the glen.  He stumbled across another entranced man, then another.  Lem didn't want to end up like them.  He had to escape.  An arrow whizzed by his ear and spun, unleashing a blast of lightning in the direction of the shot.  He was relieved to hear a shrieking sound from the darkness.  He turned and ran onward.

Turn 11

Lem – BoGorum

Soldier – Charisma – Auto-Success

Discard Soldier explore – Ven Vinder – Diplomacy = Auto-Success

Banish Vinder to get an item –Healing Potion

Banish Healing Potion – 1

 Haste Explore – Scout – Lightning Bolt = D10+5 + 3D6 = 14 = Success

Recharge Haste = Success

Recharge Lightning Bolt = Success

Valeros stumbled through the cluttered darkness of the garrison.  The snores of civilians and rangers alike assaulted him from all angles.  Where the hell was the halfling?  He cursed as he nearly tripped over an old man's walking stick.  

Turn 12

Valeros – BoSarenrae

Move to Garrison

Quarterstaff – Banish forever

Lem could see the edges of the glen now, where the foliage had returned to its natural, non-glowing state.  Where the hell was Valeros when he needed him?  He would have thought that the man would have sensed battle and come running.  He had a sixth sense for that sort of thing, after all.  

Turn 13

Lem – BoG

Battered Chest – Dexterity + Burglar recharge = D8 + D10 = 7 = Fail

Valeros stumbled forward, crashing into a breastplate.  Come [i]on[/i], this was getting absurd.  The sound of rats chittering towards him made him groan.  He stood and used the flat of the spear blade to smash as many rats as he could.  Surely the noise he was making would wake someone, he thought.  He looked around in the darkness, and heard only the relentless snoring.  These people could sleep through anything.  

Turn 14

Valeros – BoLamashtu

Elven Breastplate – Constitution = D8 = 2 = Fail

Discard BoTorag explore – Diseased Rats – Impaler of Thorns + Belt of Giant Strength = D10+7 + D8+2 + 1 = auto-success

Lem paused for a moment, hands on his knees.  He was gasping for air, sweat dripping from all his pores.  He looked around, trying to get his bearings.  It was difficult in the sparse moonlight, but he did manage to identify the mountain peaks that surrounded him.  He began to make his way towards what he thought was the fort.  

Turn 15

Lem – BoNorgorber

Acid Arrow – auto-success

Valeros had had enough of this absurdity.  He pulled a torch from his pack and lit it.  These people's sleep be damned, he needed light.  As the flame sprang to life, he looked directly down into the face of a hideous goblin snake.  He spat at it and brought the shaft of his spear down on the thing's skull.  He was officially never sleeping in this building again.

Turn 16

Valeros – BoG

BoIrori – Intelligence = D6 = 6 = Success

Discard BoIrori explore – Goblin Snake – Impaler of Thorns + Belt of Giant Strength = D10+7 + D8+2 + 1 = Auto-Success = Banished forever

The fort was in sight.  Thank all that was holy, Lem thought.  He slowed his pace some now that his salvation was in sight.  As he did, a thunderous crash sounded behind him.  Lem whirled to see a burned and bleeding ogre step into view.  

"Thot you cud escape, did ya?"  The ogre gurgled what Lem assumed was a laugh, "Nobody 'scapes Malgus Kreeg." he wheezed.  

Lem was beyond pitying this wretched creature, though, and unleashed a crossbow bolt between it's eyes.  The bolt embedded itself deeply, but the ogre continued forward.  Lem shouted an inantation, and watched as the crossbow bolt began to glow a sickly green color, and melted through the ogre's skull.  It collapsed in front of him, lifeless.

Turn 17

Lem – BoG

Malgus Kreeg

Valeros attempt to temp close Garrison – Defeat Bandit Henchman with +2 difficulty – Impaler of Thorns + Belt of Giant Strength = D10+7 + D8+2 + 1 = auto-success 

Malgus

1st Check – Heavy Crossbow + BoErastil = D8 + D10 + 2D8 = 20 = Success

2nd Check – Acid Arrow + BoPharasma = D10+5 + 2D4 + 2D10 = 18 = Success

Valeros heard a shuffling sound and looked up to see Lem stumble through the door.

"You look like hell.  Where have you been?"  

Lem waved him away. "No, no words now.  Talk later.  Now sleep."  With that, the halfling collapsed on the floor.  

Well, at least [i]someone [/i]had an interesting night.

Scenario Reward – Power Feat

Lem – Light Armor

Valeros – add 1D4+2 to another character’s combat check at your location

Post-Game Analysis

I had a great deal of fun telling the story on this one.  Lem getting "kidnapped" early on was just perfect.  I loved the harrowing tale of Lem's journey back to the fort while Valeros just kind of stumbled around, bored to tears.  

Not much in the way of loot this time.  Just some new magic armor for Valeros.  I decided to take light armor proficiency with Lem even though he doesn't yet have the card feat for it.  I thought that it would help later on with his ability to cycle through the deck and maybe even avoid some of that damage he's so fond of taking.  Guess we'll see!  

Next time: The final scenario (in this adventure deck) :)

Cop and a Half: Episode 19 - The Flood

For the past two days, Lem had been recovering in the small village of Turtleback Ferry.  He had spent his time with some of the explorers that had helped to settle the land.  Mostly though, he had just been sitting indoors listening to the rain pound outside.  It had been pouring down since they returned from Fort Rannick.  Meanwhile, Valeros had been helping the rangers restock and reinforce the fort.  Lem and Valeros had more than earned the respect of the rangers and other settlers that populated Turtleback Ferry, and Lem had to admit that they were settling in nicely.

Lem

Card Feat: Spell x2, Blessing

Skill Feat: Charisma +4

Power Feat: Recharge a card to add 1d4+2 to another character’s check at your location

Starting Deck

Heavy Crossbow

Cure

Holy Light

Toxic Cloud

Lightning Bolt

Haste

Frost Ray

Toad

Acolyte

Burglar

Sihedron Medallion

Medusa Mask

BoErastil

BoPharasma x2

BoDesna

BoAbadar

BoShelyn

While his partner recovered, Valeros had been spending time with the Black Arrow Rangers.  They had been trading war stories and combat techniques.  These were his kind of people, rough and rugged.  He ordered another round for his new friends at the small Village House, as the rain continued its barrage outside.

Valeros

Card Feat: Weapon, Item, Blessing

Skill Feat: Strength +4

Power Feat: Hand Size 5, add 1D4+1 to another character’s combat check at your location

Starting Deck

Impaler of Thorns

Warhammer+1

Icy Longspear+1

Scythe+1

Shock Longbow+1

War Razor+1

Magic Half-Plate

Magic Shield

Magic Leather Armor

Belt of Giant Strength

Staff of Minor Healing

Holy Candle

Grizzled Mercenary

Burglar

BoSarenrae

BoTorag x2

BoGorum

Thunder shook the room that Lem was sitting in, nearly throwing him from his seat.  No, that wasn't thunder, he thought, but what else could it be?  He opened the door to gaze out into the torrential rain only to find panic and chaos.  

"The dam!  The dam is broken!  Flee for the fort!" cried one of the rangers, as he stooped to help a pair of villagers regain their footing.  

The ranger did not see the hellhound running towards him, but Lem did.  He blasted the thing as it leapt towards the man, and it froze solid in mid-air, encased in ice.  The ranger glanced at the beast, then turned to Lem and nodded.  Lem waited until the two villagers were out of sight, heading towards the fort, before he moved on to help others escape.

Turn 1

Lem – BoAbadar

Turtleback Ferry

Remove D4 cards from bottom of random location and place them under Black Magga – 1 from Turtleback Ferry

Hell Hound – Frost Ray – D10+5 + 2D6 + D10 (cold trait vs Hellhound) = 23 = Success

Recharge Frost Ray = Success

Discard Toad Explore – Standard Bearer – Diplomacy = D10+7 = Auto-Acquire – Place under Scenario Card

Haste explore – Sage - Diplomacy = D10+7 = Auto-Acquire – Place under Scenario Card

Recharge Haste = Success

Valeros and the other rangers were already helping villagers escape the Village House that they were in.  As Valeros stepped out to take stock of the situation, he found himself under attack by a great snake.  It must have been at least 10 feet long, and it was attempting to wrap itself around him.  Fortunately, Valeros didn't go anywhere without his weapons.  He smashed the thing's head in with his warhammer, and it fell limply to the ground.  

Turn 2

Valeros – BoG

Remove D4 cards from bottom of random location and place them under Black Magga – 3 from Village House

Merchant – recharge a card to acquire from Village House – place under Scenario Card

Discard BoGorum explore – Nightbelly Boa – Warhammer +1 = D10+7 + D8+1 = 17 = Success

Discard BoSarenrae explore – Locked Passage – melee + recharge burglar = D10+7 + D10 = 18 = Success

Examine top card of location – Blessing of Abadar – Keeping it on top

Lem continued his search for remaining villagers, but wasn't having much success.  It was becoming quite a challenge to keep moving, as his legs sank up to his knees in mud with each step.  There had to be an easier way to do this.

Turn 3

Lem – BoG

Remove D4 cards from bottom of random location and place them under Black Magga – 4 from Turtleback Ferry

Spyglass – Wisdom – D6 = 2 = Fail

Convinced that the Village House was clear, Valeros helped the last ranger leave before leaving himself.  Given how fast the rushing water from the nearby river was overflowing it's banks, Turtleback Ferry wasn't going to last much longer.

Turn 4

Valeros – BoShelyn

Remove D4 cards from bottom of random location and place them under Black Magga – 3 from Woods

BoAbadar – Dex – D8 = 7 = Success

Discard BoAbadar explore – Bracers of Protection – Choose to Banish forever

Discard BoTorag explore – Toxic Cloud – Intelligence = D6 = Auto-fail

Discard BoTorag explore – Guard – Recharge to acquire automatically from Village House – Place under Scenario Card

  

Lem had finally reached the Village House, only to find Valeros helping the last man out.  They looked at each other and nodded.  They had been together long enough to know what the other was thinking, and they knew what they had to do.  Lem could already see bodies floating amidst the debris that rushed past them in the nearby river.  Not much time left.

Turn 5

Lem – BoG

Remove D4 cards from bottom of random location and place them under Black Magga – 2 from Academy

Lem moves to Village House

Cure Valeros – 5

Recharge Cure = Success

Night Watch – recharge to automatically acquire from Village House – Place under Scenario Card

Valeros moved towards the edge of the village that faced the woods, ensuring that the fleeing villagers had safe passage.  Many had already escaped, heading towards the fort, but others were not so fortunate.  Valeros took a moment to consider the snake that had attacked him earlier.  Did the dam break simply due to the excessive rain, or was something more sinister behind this?

Turn 6

Valeros – BoTorag

Remove D4 cards from bottom of random location and place them under Black Magga – 3 from Village House – Location depleted

Valeros moves to Woods

Light Crossbow – Choose to banish forever

Lem was still going building to building, helping stragglers to escape.  Entering the small research building that some of the explorers had established, he saw several scrolls and tomes.  It would be a shame if these were lost to the flood, he thought.  He stuffed them into his pack as quickly as he could before moving on.

Turn 7

Lem – BoGorum

Remove D4 cards from bottom of random location and place them under Black Magga – 4 from Academy

Lem moves to Academy

Cure – choose to banish forever

Discard BoPharasma explore – Web – Arcane = D10+5 = Auto-Success

Discard BoPharasma explore – Mystic Inscription – Arcane + Recharge Burglar = D10+5 + D10 = 16 = Success

D4 random Spells to hand = 4 = Detect Evil x2, Web, Detect Magic

Use Detect Magic – Inflict – choose to banish forever

Recharge Detect Magic = Auto-Success

Detect Evil – Myriana – Holy Light = D10+5 + 2D12 = 25 = Success

Recharge Holy Light = Success

Recharge Detect Evil = Auto-Success

Second Detect Evil – Find Traps

Recharge second Detect Evil = Auto-Success

As Valeros continued to muse about the causes of this disaster, he spotted a giant lizard moving between the trees.  Well, it would be negligent of him to let that live.  After all, it might hurt one of the villagers.  He mowed it down with his scythe in the name of safety.

Turn 8

Valeros – BoAbadar

Remove D4 cards from bottom of random location and place them under Black Magga – 3 from Woods

Giant Gecko – Scythe+1 = D10+7 + 2d4+1 = Auto-Success = Banished forever

Lem was now convinced that none of the villagers remained.  At least, none that were living.  The river had already consumed roughly half of the buildings in Turtleback Ferry.  It was time to leave.  He headed towards the woods to meet up with Valeros.  Hopefully they had been able to save most of the people here.

Turn 9

Lem – BoG

Remove D4 cards from bottom of random location and place them under Black Magga – 1 from Turtleback Ferry

Lem moves to Turtleback Ferry

Belt of Incredible Dexterity = Dexterity = D8 = 2 = Fail

Discard BoDesna explore – Lightning Touch – Banish forever

Valeros saw Lem running towards him from his spot on the higher ground in the woods.  He ran down to help him out of the muck that Turtleback Ferry had been reduced to.  The halfling climbed onto his back, careful not to cut himself on any of Valeros' myriad weapons, and they slogged out of the remains of the village together.  

Turn 10

Valeros – BoG

Remove D4 cards from bottom of random location and place them under Black Magga – 4 from Woods – Location depleted

Valeros moves to Turtleback Ferry

BoG – Banish forever

When they reached the fort, they found that about half of Turtleback Ferry had not made it out.  Many of the houses there had been built very close to the river due to the convenient fishing and fresh water it supplied.  Many people had paid for that convenience with their lives this day.  Valeros told the rangers about the great serpent he had found in the village, and was surprised to find that the rangers recognized his description of the snake.  They called it a nightbelly boa, a deadly snake spawned from an ancient creature that they had named Black Magga. 

Black Magga was a legendary serpentine creature that was rumored to be one of the "mothers of oblivion"; servants of Lamashtu.  As the rangers said the name Lamashtu, Lem and Valeros knew that this was no coincidence.  Either this evil was following them, or it was consuming all the land.  If only they could find the source, they could hope to end it.  For now, all they could do was carve a path through Lamashtu's servants as they looked for answers.

Only one card left, and it’s Find Traps in the Academy.  Scenario over.

Final Ally Count

Lem and Valeros – 5

Black Magga – 5

Lem and Valeros Win!

Scenario Rewards – All allies under the Scenario Card: Night Watch, Merchant, Guard, Sage, Standard Bearer

Post-Game Analysis

This scenario is always fast and furious, and I hate it :)  I was so thankful to get enough allies saved the first time through on this run.  It can be a major pain in the butt if you have some unlucky shuffling/rolling going against you.  A ton of new spells and allies were acquired this time, but they were all garbage unfortunately.  We're coming up on the penultimate scenario in this adventure deck, so we'll see you next time! 

Cop and a Half: Episode 18 - The Fort Retaken

It hadn't taken them long to settle into life out here, in the fringes of civilization.  Lem was surprised at his ability to adapt.  He supposed the potent brew the rangers out here made helped him acclimate somewhat.  A week had gone by since the ogre attack.  From what they were told, it was far from the first time that the settlement had been under siege.  Each time, they said, the ogres came back with more forces and darker magic.  Lem could see where this was going.  He and Valeros had already made preparations to scout the surrounding wilds in the hopes of ending the threat at its source. 

Lem

Card Feat: Spell x2

Skill Feat: Charisma +4

Power Feat: Recharge a card to add 1D4+2 to another character’s skill check at your location.

Starting Deck

Heavy Crossbow

Burglar

Toad

Acolyte

Sihedron Medallion

Medusa Mask

Haste

Frost Ray

Toxic Cloud

Lightning Bolt

Holy Light

Cure

Blessing of Shelyn

Blessing of Erastil

Blessing of Pharasma x2

Blessing of Desna

Valeros had been welcomed warmly by the rangers that dwelled in the wilds here.  They saw in him a kindred spirit and comrade-in-arms.  He had spent long hours speaking with their leader about the ogre encroachment on their lands.  It appeared that the foul ogress they had slain was not the leader, but just one of many lieutenants in a larger army.  How large the ogres ranks were, the rangers could not say.  Only that they had slain many, and it had not slowed the attacks on the settlement.  

Valeros

Card Feat: Item, Blessing

Skill Feat: Strength +4

Power Feat: Hand Size 5, 1D4 to another character’s combat check at your location

Starting Deck

Impaler of Thorns

Scythe+1

Icy Longspear+1

Shock Longbow+1

Warhammer+1

Belt of Giant Strength

Staff of Minor Healing

Burglar

Grizzled Mercenary

Magic Leather Armor

Magic Shield

Magic Half-Plate

Blessing of Torag x2

Blessing of Sarenrae

Blessing of Gorum

Valeros was in just such a meeting, poring over some rough maps with some of the rangers, when he noticed a fort that was sketched some distance from the small settlement they found themselves in.  

"What is this fort here?  Did the ogres build it?" He asked the men.

"Nay, it was once ours.  We built it high on Hook Mountain, hoping to establish a foothold deeper inland.  We were not prepared for the ogre's attack, though, and it was taken from us.  We have not the men nor the resources to take it back." One said, an expression of shame on his face.

"Well then, I guess I know what I'm doing today." Valeros said matter-of-factly.  "Mind if I take this?" He pointed to the map.

The men were speechless, and the one who had spoken shook his head no.  Valeros rolled up the map and went out to meet Lem.

They set out that very afternoon, hoping to reach the fort by nightfall.  To most, attacking a fortress occupied by ogres would be suicide.  To Lem and Valeros, it was a Saturday.  As the sun dimmed behind the high-peaked mountains, they caught sight of the fortress.  It was impressive in size, considering it was built by a relatively small band of rangers and settlers.  Large wooden poles created a square wall that surrounded the fort.  Guard towers stood in each of the four corners, and in the center stood a great wooden structure that served as the garrison. 

It was in decent condition as well, given that it was occupied by ogres and their kin.  Though they could not see any ogres surrounding the fort their crude banners flew along the walls, announcing their ownership.  Valeros and Lem crept closer to the walls.  As they neared, they could see movement within the guard towers.  Valeros unslung his bow, and nodded to Lem, who readied a spell.  

On Valeros' signal, they attacked.  Valeros let loose an arrow of lightning from his magic bow.  Lem followed suit, unleashing lightning of his own.  The guard tower burst into flames and they could hear the screams of the ogres inside.  As the commotion inside the tower increased the tower began to sway.  The hulking form of an ogre leapt from the tower before it crashed to the ground.  

"Well, we knocked and now it's time we let ourselves in." Valeros said with a wolfish grin.

Turn 1

Lem – BoIrori

Guard Tower

Summon and encounter Bandit Henchman – Recharge a card - Strength + Valeros + BoShelyn = 3D4+1 = 10 = Success

Jaargrath Kreeg – 1 damage to Valeros – Recharge half-plate 

1st check - Lightning Bolt + Valeros = D10+5+3D6 + 1D4+1 = 21 = Success

Recharge Lightning Bolt = Success

2nd check – Valeros – Reveal and recharge Shock Longbow+1 + Lem BoErastil + Lem recharge = D8 + 2D8 + D10 + D4+2 = 28 = Success

Location closed

Jaargrath shuffled into another location

Valeros ran to the gate, trading his bow for his warhammer.  Lem followed closely.  They could hear ogres shouting in their harsh native tongue inside the walls as they tried to snuff out the fire that threatened to spread through the fort.

Turn 2

Valeros – BoIomedae

City Gate

Potion of Healing – Intelligence – D6 = 4 = Fail

They found the gate to the fort closed, but the gap was easily wide enough for Lem to squeeze through.  

"I'll distract them here.  You get inside that garrison and take out their leader if you can.  They'll never know what hit 'em." Valeros said to the halfling.  Lem nodded, finding it disturbing that he was so certain that they would be successful on what most people would consider a suicide mission.  He and Valeros weren't most people.

He entered the gates, sneaking through the open ground to the large wooden structure in the center.  The yard was littered with bones and ogre-filth.  Disgusting, Lem thought.  He would be happy to rid this place of the ogres that defiled it.  He neared the building, and noted only one sentry outside.  A bugbear, by the looks of him.  Lem whispered arcane words, and watched a ray of frost that extended from his hand consume the creature without a sound.  

Turn 3

Lem – BoDesna 

Garrison

Bugbear – Frost Ray – D10+5 + 2D6 = 16 = Success

Recharge Frost Ray = Fail

Haste Explore – Glaive – Auto-Fail

Recharge Haste – Success

Valeros was watching from the gate.  Once the sentry was down, that was his cue.  He kicked open the large gates of the fort with a loud bellowing battle-cry.  He used his hammer to brain a poor nearby goblin, just for good measure.  That ought to get their attention, he mused.

Turn 4

Valeros – BoG

Goblin Warrior – Warhammer+1 + Belt of Giant Strength = D10+7 + D8+1 +1 = Auto-Success

Grizzled Mercenary explore – Shortbow – Banished forever

  

Lem crept inside the structure.  The commotion outside was more than enough to drown out any noise he might have made.  Inside, torches lined the walls, and he could see that this was where the ogres slept.  Their crude bedding lined the walls.  No sign of any ogres just yet.  He wondered if there was anything here worth taking.

Turn 5

Lem – BoCalistria

Scimitar – Auto-Fail

Valeros readied himself, but an attack never came.  These stupid ogres didn't even notice him!  They were too busy trying to put out the fire from the fallen guard tower.  Valeros started towards them when he heard a whisper from nearby.

"...help...please."  came the rasping voice.  Valeros turned and saw a young man chained to the wall of the fort.  How long he had been there, Valeros could not say, but he appeared to be near-death.  Valeros went to him and cut the ropes that held him to the wall.  The boy collapsed to the ground, and Valeros feared that he might have died right there.  Slowly, the boy struggled to his feet.

"Thank you, stranger.  You are a godsend." The boy coughed, sinking back to the ground.  Valeros handed him his waterskin and turned back to the ogres.

"I'll be back, and we'll get you home.  Rest easy."  

Turn 6

Valeros – BoTorag

War Razor +1 – Melee = D10+7 = 10 = Success

BoSarenrae explore – Kaven Windstrike – Diplomacy + BoTorag + Lem BoPharasma = 3D6+2 = 13 = Success

Summon and defeat Bandit Henchman to close – recharge a card – reveal and recharge war razor+1 + Belt of Giant Strength – D10+7 + 3D4+1 +1 = Auto-Success

Location closed

Inside the garrison, Lem had found another chamber adjoining the one he had been searching.  It appeared to be a war room of sorts, with a large table in the center.  At the back wall was a huge ogre-sized chair, and on it sat a smoking ogre being tended to by his kin.  This must have been the one that escaped the tower before it fell.  From the shadows, Lem conjured a poisonous cloud, and followed up with a bolt from his crossbow.  The ogres surrounding the one in the chair fell to the floor sputtering, and Lem's bolt was true, hitting the thing in the chest.  

To Lem's dismay, the ogre rose and charged directly at him.  He tried to back out of the things way, but it was too late.  It picked him up by the shirt and threw Lem through the wooden wall.  Lem nearly blacked out from the impact.  He struggled to get to his feet, but it was no use.  Something was broken.  

Turn 7

Lem – BoG

Jaargrath – Toxic Cloud + Heavy Crossbow = D6 + D8 + D10 = 10 = Fail = 5 Damage = Sihedron Medallion and 1 damage

Recharge medallion = Success

2nd check = 14 = 7 damage

Recharge toxic Cloud = Success

Outside, Valeros impaled another minion on his spear, wading into the crowd of panicking ogres.

Turn 8

Valeros – BoErastil

Fort Rannick

Wooden shield – Banish forever

BoTorag explore – Mercenary – Icy Longspear+1 + Belt of Giant Strength = D10+7 + D8+1 +1 = 15 = Success

Lem was shocked to see that the ogre had not followed up on his attack.  Lem could no longer see him, and thanked the gods.  He muttered a quick prayer of healing before frying a nearby goblin snake that had hoped for an easy meal.  He hoped Valeros was having better luck than he was.

Turn 9

Lem – BoGorum

Cure – 2

Recharge cure = Success

BoAbadar – Auto-Success

Toad explore – Goblin Snake – Fail Con check – Lightning Bolt – D10+5 + 3D6 = Auto-Success – Banished forever

Valeros was spinning and thrusting with abandon amidst the pack of ogres.  There was too much confusion in their ranks to be able to counterattack effectively.  Valeros was knee deep in their bodies before the survivors turned to flee.  It was then that he saw a massive ogre stride towards him from the nearby garrison.  The hulking thing was still smoking from a serious burn, and bleeding from a crossbow bolt to the chest, but these appeared to be minor annoyances to the creature.  This ought to be fun, Valeros mused.

Turn 10

Valeros – BoIomedae

BoG – auto-Acquire

Discard BoG explore – Battered Chest – Burglar + Melee = 2D10+7 = Auto-Success

D4 items to hand – Holy Candle and Potion of Hiding

Holy Candle – 1

Discard BoGorum explore – Kreeg Ogre – Icy Longspear+1 + Belt of Giant Strength = D10+7 + D8+1 +1 = 24 = Success

Strength 8 to close = D10+4 = 13 = Success

Jaargrath is only card left there

Lem brought himself to his feet, legs still shaking.  He moved to the door in time to see his partner face off against what must have been the ogre leader.  He held his breath and prayed for his friend.

Turn 11

Lem – Boiomedae

Ghost – Holy Light – D10+5 + 2D12 = 22 = Success

Recharge Holy Light = Fail

BoDesna explore – Scimitar – Auto-Fail

Valeros saw Lem behind the ogre, and watched as a poisonous cloud formed from the halfling's hands and descended upon the creature.  It barely seemed to notice, but every bit helped, Valeros supposed.  He readied his spear as the thing charged towards him.  Even braced for impact, Valeros knew that this was going to hurt.  The ogre crashed into him with such force that it knocked Valeros from his feet.  He skidded backwards as he hit the earth.  

The ogre had not escaped unscathed, though.  Valeros' spear had impaled it, running cleanly through it's belly.  It snarled in rage as the magic in the spear drained the life from it.  Valeros wasted no time, unsheathing his other spear and throwing it like a javelin directly at the ogre's head.  With a terrible, wet sound, the spear lodged itself in the skull of the monster.  It collapsed in a cloud of dust, a pool of blood forming around the corpse.  

Turn 12

Valeros – BoAbadar

Jaargrath – +2 difficulty for human trait – Lem Toxic Cloud

Lem temp close – Summon and encounter Bandit henchman – Recharge a card – Lightning Bolt = D10+5 + 4D6 = Auto-Success

1st Jaargrath check – Reveal and recharge impaler of thorns + Lem recharge + Toxic Cloud + Belt of Giant Strength – Difficulty -2 for encounter – D10+7 + D8+2 + D4+2 + D6 +1 = 32 = Success

2nd Jaargrath check – Icy Longspear+1 + Lem recharge + Belt of Giant Strength + Toxic Cloud = D10+7 + D8+1 + 1 + D4+2 + D6 = 25 = Success

Lem limped out to join his companion, looking around at the courtyard full of corpses.  

"Not bad, for an afternoon." he mused, fixing his companion with a lopsided grin.  "Who's that?" he said, pointing to the young man who had slumped against the wall of the fort.

"Not sure yet, but maybe someone back in Turtleback knows him."  He eyed his companion "You don't look so great either.  Why don't I go get some of the rangers and bring 'em back here.  You stay with the kid."

Before Lem could answer, Valeros was moving towards the gate.  Probably just as well, he thought.  Valeros could move faster on his own.  Sure enough, it was not long after nightfall that Valeros had returned to the fort in the company of a half-dozen rangers.  They marveled at the sheer destruction that Lem and Valeros had wrought within the fort, but they were grateful that the fort was now back in their hands.  

By morning, nearly all of the rangers had moved into the fort.  It had transformed literally overnight from a squalid ogre-nest to a fortified human dwelling.  They had dealt the ogres a serious blow by taking the fort, but they both knew that they still had a long way to go before the threat was ended.

Scenario reward – Card Feat 

Lem – Blessing

Valeros – Weapon

Post-Game Analysis

Another quick and easy session under my belt with this one.  Not too much in the way of new boons, but I somewhat expected as much.  I closed a lot of Locations fairly quickly, but fortunately there wasn't much in those stacks worth having.  Slowly but surely, I'm banishing those Basic cards, and I couldn't be happier about that.  I kind of feel like I'm just going through the motions until these guys get their role card at the end of this adventure deck, but that's how it goes.  I still feel like these guys are more than powerful enough to take on whatever is thrown at them.  It's that kind of hubris that gets characters killed, though :)

Till next week!

Cop and a Half: Episode 17 - Those Ogres Are Quite Odd

Another transfer.  Lem grimaced as he looked over the railing of the boat that was taking them gods-knew-where.  He still recalled the look on the chief's face as he and Valeros had told him about the Skinsaw Cult, led by one of the chief justices of Magnimar.  The man wasn't concerned at all about the welfare of the citizens, but only about the security of his position.  If the city council had learned that the chief of police had allowed a death cult to operate in the city, it was likely that he would be deemed unfit to wear the badge.  So instead of commendations, Valeros and Lem had been transferred to some out of the way hamlet called Turtleback Ferry.

Lem
Card Feat: Spellx2
Skill Feat: Charisma +3
Power Feat:  Recharge a card to add 1d4+2 to another character’s check at your location
Starting Deck
Heavy Crossbow
Acolyte
Burglar
Toad
Toxic Cloud
Haste
Cure
Frost Ray
Holy Light
Lightning Bolt
Medusa Mask
Sihedron Medallion
Blessing of Erastil
Blessing of Pharasma x2
Blessing of Shelyn
Blessing of Desna

Valeros looked over at Lem and frowned.  The halfling had expected to be wreathed in garlands and given a parade for taking down the Skinsaw Cult.  Valeros knew better.  He had been sent to Sandpoint for doing his job, and expected that what he and Lem had done would be swept under the rug.  That was how they did business in Magnimar, and how people like the chief could keep their jobs.  Turtleback Ferry sounded like a nice enough place.  Maybe they could finally stick around for a change.  Surely there would be things that needed killing there.

Valeros
Card Feat: Item, Blessing
Skill Feat: Strength +3
Power Feat: Hand Size 5, Add 1d4+1 to another character’s combat check at your location
Starting Deck
Impaler of Thorns
Scythe+1
Icy Longspear+1
Shock Longbow
Warhammer+1
Magic Shield
Magic Leather Armor
Magic Half Plate
Burglar
Grizzled Mercenary
Holy Candle
Staff of Minor Healing
Masterwork Tools
Blessing of Torag x2
Blessing of Sarenrae
Blessing of Gorum
Blessing of Iomedae

As the hamlet came into view, Lem took another swig from his flask of wine.  The place looked pitiful.  Surrounded by heavily forested mountains with the exception of the river on which they traveled, Turtleback Ferry was a small settlement founded by rangers and refugees.  The homes there were little more than thatch-roofed huts.  Lem never thought he would think this, but he missed Magnimar.

Turn 1
Lem – BoG
Turtleback Ferry
Potion of Gracefulness – Intelligence = D6 = 1 = Fail
Discard BoShelyn explore – Consecration – Divine = D10+4 = 5 = Fail

Valeros considered the landscape as they approached.  It still wasn't quite like the forests surrounding Sandpoint, but certainly there would be things to kill here.  He just hoped the rangers weren't all stuffy "please-don't-kill-the-wildlife" types like he had known in the past.

Turn 2
Valeros – BoG
Turtleback Ferry
Toad – Intelligence + Lem recharge = D6 + D4+2 = 5 = Fail

Lem passed the wine to Valeros and started to gather his belongings.  The small riverboat was rapidly approaching the settlement now.  The craft stopped at a small pier adjacent to the hamlet and the pair disembarked.  At least the air here was fresh, Lem thought, trying to look on the bright side.  

Turn 3
Lem – BoG
Wand of Force Missile – Arcane = D10+4 = 12 = Success
Discard BoDesna explore – Cyrdak Drokkus – Diplomacy = D10+6 = Auto-Succeed

There was no one to greet them when they arrived, but that suited Valeros just fine.  He double-checked all his weapons and went ashore.  Judging by the number of homes and their size, he guessed that less than a hundred people lived here.  That suited him just fine as well.

They began their trek towards town when a commotion sounded ahead of them.  One of the buildings suddenly burst into flames, and they could hear shouting and the sounds of battle.  Valeros broke into a sprint, unsheathing the longspear they had acquired from the lamia in Magnimar.  It hummed with a peculiar energy that he hoped would prove useful.

Rounding the corner of one of the outlying buildings, chaos played out before them.  The small hamlet was under siege by a small host of undead creatures.  Behind them were huge creatures, ogres most likely, that appeared to be commanding them.  Valeros spat in disgust and thrust his spear into the nearest foul creature he could find.

Turn 4
Valeros – BoG
Shadow – Impaler of Thorns + Lem recharge = D10+6 + D8+2 + D4+2 = Auto-Success

Lem took advantage of the chaos and snuck around behind the undead.  Approaching one of the ogres, he put on the mask that he had taken from the lamia.  He was eager to see how it worked.
"Hey! Over here!" he yelled to the creature.
It turned, but as it looked at Lem, it appeared to freeze in place.  That would be handy, Lem thought.

Turn 5
Lem – BoIrori
Graul Ogrekin – Medusa Mask – Put him back on top of the location

Valeros liked this place already.  He was hacking and slashing his way through ranks of foul creatures.  It was nice to be back on land and stretching his legs.  He saw one of the ogres was turned away from the battle.  Seizing the opportunity, he impaled the huge creature on his spear.  It didn't even grunt in pain as he did so, and collapsed without any reaction whatsoever.  Now that the creature was down, Valeros could see what it was focused on: Lem wearing that gods-awful mask he had insisted on taking from the lamia.

Turn 6
Valeros – BoAbadar
Graul Ogrekin – D4 before encounter – 4 – Put him on bottom of location deck after encounter
Impaler of Thorns + Lem recharge = D10+6 + D8+2 +  D4+2 = 20 = Success = Ogrekin goes to the bottom of the deck

Lem was about to check the fallen ogre for loot, but a high-pitched battle cry startled him.  He turned and saw perhaps a half-dozen goblins charging at them from the brush nearby.  Lem rolled his eyes and unloaded his wand on them while Valeros waded into the band of tiny creatures with his spear.  They made short work of the goblins.

Turn 7
Lem – BoG
Goblin Raid – Each character summons a Goblin Raider henchman
Lem – Wand of Force Missile + Valeros = 5D4+1 = 13 = Success
Valeros  - Impaler of Thorns = Auto-Success
Recharge Wand = Fail

Valeros did not pause, continuing his march through the ranks of the attacking horde.  He shoved his spear through a foul zombie, and heaved it to one side.

Turn 8
Valeros – BoPharasma
BoG – Auto-Acquire
Discard BoG explore – Plague Zombie – Impaler of Thorns = D10+6 + D8+2 = Auto-Success

Lem snuck up on another one of the massive ogres and unleashed a powerful bolt of lightning from his hands.  The bolt went right through the beast, and it fell with a smoking hole in it's chest.  Lem could see the Turtleback defenders beginning to drive back the ranks of undead, and ran to a nearby farmhouse to aid them.

Turn 9
Lem – BoSarenrae
Graul Ogrekin – D4 before encounter – May not be evaded
Lightning Bolt + Valeros – D10+4 + 3D6 + D4+1 = 28 = Success
Recharge Lightning Bolt = Success
Move to Farmhouse

Valeros saw Lem and ran to join him.  These rangers and other assorted citizens had done well.  Only one of the many homes was ablaze, and very few of the defenders had fallen to the onslaught.  It was nice to be around people who weren't completely useless.

Turn 10
Valeros - BoGorum
Banish Masterwork Tools = Close location
Draw item from the box for closing – Sage’s Journal 
Move to Farmhouse

Lem moved into position behind a makeshift barricade near the farmhouse.  The defenders paid him no mind as he did so.  In the distance, he could see the undead were thinning, and the ogres had paused the attack in order to regroup.  It was curious to Lem that ogres would be commanding undead; or commanding anything at all, for that matter.  They were not the brightest of creatures.

Turn 11
Lem – BoNorgorber
Monster in the closet – Wisdom + BoErastil + Valeros BoIomedae = 3D6 = 12 = Success
Discard Toad explore – Codex – Choose to Banish forever

Valeros had reached Lem and the other defenders.  He took stock of their position.  The barricade was located in a strategically sound area, and he could see from the looks on the defenders faces that this was not the first attack they had suffered at the hands of these ogres.  He looked at Lem and nodded.  He knew he didn't have to worry about the halfling's safety.  They had been through worse than this.

Turn 12
Valeros – BoPharasma
Holy Water – Choose to Banish forever

Lem took a moment to tend to some minor wounds he had suffered during the skirmish, and then tended the wounded defenders as well.  These were a hardy folk, but they thanked him all the same for his efforts.  One of the rangers, their leader by the looks of it, approached him.  He regarded both Lem and Valeros before speaking.
"We welcome your help, strangers.  Who are you?"
But before Lem could answer, the regrouped band of ogres began their assault once more.

Turn 13
Lem – BoG
Quarterstaff – Choose to Banish forever
Cure – 5
Recharge Cure = Success
Discard BoPharasma explore – Ring of Protection – Con = D6 = 1 = Fail

Valeros skewered a spectre upon his spear and charged into the thick of battle with a murderous shout.  The undead were immune to fear, but the ogres were not.  They took notice of the man as he whirled through the ranks of undead, thrusting his spear in a frenzy.  Even to these brutish creatures, the sight was unnerving.

Turn 14
Valeros – BoG
Spectre – Impaler of Thorns + Lem recharge = D10+6 + D8+2 + D4+2 = Auto-Success

Lem wasted no time in sneaking behind enemy lines.  He hated to admit it, but he was actually having fun.  This time, he looked for the leader of these ogres, hoping to end this attack at the source.  He peered over a bush, and gasped in shock.  Before him was the most grotesque ogre he had ever seen.  She, he assumed it was a female, was clad in tattered animal furs and between the furs, pale flabby flesh oozed forth.  Her long hair was thin and lay in greasy strands around her misshapen face.

Large, even for an ogre, she heaved her massive weight and turned to face him.
"There you are, little rat.  I could smell your stink."  She smiled through cracked lips, showing what few teeth she had left, and raised her hand.  Skeletons appeared on either side of her and charged at the halfling.  Lem blasted them with holy light, shattering their bones.  He then summoned a poisonous cloud over the ogress and blasted her with a ray of ice.  The ogress staggered backward, coughing, but was not yet finished.

Turn 15
Lem – BoLamashtu
Ameiko Kaijitsu – Diplomacy = D10+6 = Auto-Success
Haste explore – Mammy Graul – Summon and encounter Ancient Skeleton
Lem – Holy Light + Valeros – D10+4 + 2D12 + D4+1 = 23 = Success
Valeros – Impaler of Thorns = D10+6 + D8+2 = 19 = Success
Mammy – Toxic Cloud + Frost Ray + Valeros = D10+4 + D6 + 2D6 + D4+1 = 20 = Success
Mammy is undefeated since this is the first time she is encountered
Recharge Haste = Fail
Recharge Toxic Cloud = Success
Recharge Frost Ray = Success
Recharge Holy Light = Fail

She staggered backward directly onto the point of Valeros' spear.  She screamed in pain and fell forward off of the spear.  Her flabby back glistened with blood and Valeros moved in to finish the job.  But as he drove his spear downward, it hit nothing but earth.  The ogress had vanished!  Valeros cursed and spat on the ground where the foul beast had fallen.  He should have known that a creature capable of summoning this undead army would have the ability to teleport.

Turn 16
Valeros - BoCalistria 
Mammy Graul – Summon ancient skeleton
Lem – Heavy Crossbow + Valeros = D8 + D10 + D4+1 = 10 = Success
Valeros – Impaler of Thorns = Auto-Success
Mammy – Impaler of Thorns + Lem recharge = D10+6 + D8+2 + D4+2 = 23 = Success
Location closed

With their leader gone, the remaining ogres fled back towards the mountains.  Lem and Valeros chased after them, and found themselves facing a massive ogre that stood before a wooden bridge.  The bridge itself was of ogre-make, crude and massive, just as the ogres themselves were.  It was fashioned of huge logs strung together by saplings and vines.  Below the bridge was a yawning chasm that was deep enough that Lem could not see the bottom.

He turned his attention back to the ogre that faced them.  This was, no doubt, the rearguard.  In place to protect his fleeing kin.  Like the rest, this one was hideous to look at.  Even so, this one was a special kind of ugly.  masses of flesh hung from it's face, and on those masses were eyes and mouths that hung limply.

Despite it's deformity, the creature was huge, brandishing a club that was in actuality a tree it had torn from the ground.  Lem aimed his crossbow and fired at the thing's hideous face.  His bolt struck true, and the creature toppled with a thunderous crash.  Lem felt fortunate that neither of them had had to face that creature in melee combat.

Turn 17
Lem – BoIrori
Wooden Bridge
Crowfood Graul – Heavy Crossbow + BoErastil = D8 + D10 + 2D10 = 19 = Success
Dex check to close + Banish Ameiko + BoDesna = D8 + D8 + D6 = Success
Mammy is there, so location remains open with her there

Valeros leapt over the carcass of the creature and sprinted across the bridge. At the other side, he could see the huge form of the ogress.  She was incanting a spell, her flabby lips working furiously to form the unholy words.  Skeletons leapt from the ground in front of her, blocking Valeros' path.  Lem fired his crossbow at them, shattering one.  Valeros did not slow his stride, planting his spear in another skeleton and vaulting over it to reach the ogress.  He smashed her jaw with the butt of his spear, just before she vanished once more.  Now Valeros was [i]really [/i]mad.

Turn 18
Valeros – BoIomedae
Wooden Bridge 
Mammy – Summon Ancient Skeletons
Lem – Heavy Crossbow + Valeros = D8 + D10 + D4+1 = 15 = Success
Valeros = Impaler of Thorns = Auto-Success
Mammy – Impaler of Thorns + Lem Recharge = D10+6 + D8+2 + D4+2 = 29 = Success
Location closed

Lem followed Valeros into the woods.  He almost pitied that ogress.  When Valeros reached her, the result would not be pretty.  As they ran through the thick pines, a few goblins sought to ambush them.  Lem's crossbow made short work of them.  As he stopped to reload, a massive hound leapt from the nearby brush.  It bowled the halfling over, and Lem did his best to jam his crossbow between himself and the slobbering beast that snapped at his face.

Lem blasted the creature backward with lightning and it scampered off into the woods.  Wiping the saliva from his face, Lem took a moment to catch his breath.  That was a close one.

Turn 19
Lem – BoDesna
Woods
Goblin Cutpurse – Heavy Crossbow = D8 + D10 = 9 = Success 
Discard BoShelyn explore – BoG
Discard BoG explore – Ruckus Graul and Hound – Heavy crossbow = D8 + D10 = 7 = Fail = 3 Damage = Sihedron medallion reduced to 0
Recharge medallion = Fail
Second check – Lightning Bolt – D10+4 + 3D6 = 16 = Success
Ruckus is shuffled back in
Recharge Lightning Bolt = Fail
 
Valeros was focused on the hunt.  He could smell these foul ogres easily enough, and he was sure that their trail would lead him to their leader.  She would not be able to teleport away so easily with a broken jaw.  The forest was thick, full of animals and other creatures, but it was easy enough to follow the stench.

Turn 20
Valeros  - BoG
Lem Cure – 4
Recharge Cure = Success
Woods
Potion of Glibness – Choose to Banish forever
 
Lem was doing his best to catch up with Valeros, but the man had legs more than twice as long as his.  Fortunately, he could just follow the ogre trail and know that he was on the right track.  He skidded to a stop as he nearly ran into Valeros.  He looked to see what had stopped the man in his tracks and gasped involuntarily.

Before them was a crude ogre camp.  That was not unexpected.  What shocked Lem was that within the camp, robed humanoid figures stood chanting around a great cauldron.  The robes they wore were nearly identical to those of the Skinsaw cult!  Lem's eyes narrowed as he fired his crossbow into one of the men.  Valeros followed his attack, impaling another on his spear.

Turn 21
Lem – BoCalistria
Skinsaw Ritual – Summon and encounter Skinsaw Cultist
Lem – Heavy Crossbow + Valeros = D8 + D10 + D4+1 = 17 = Success
Valeros = Impaler of Thorns + Lem recharge = Auto-Success

Valeros was struck in the shoulder by a crude flaming arrow.  Fortunately, the blow was mostly absorbed by his armor.  He turned and crushed the skull of the goblin that had fired it.

Turn 22
Valeros – BoTorag
Glaive – Melee = D10+6 = 13 = Success
Recharge BoTorag explore – Goblin Pyro – Impaler of thorns = Auto-Success
1 damage from Pyro

Lem fired a frost ray at a zombie giant that lumbered towards him.  The blast hit it in the legs, freezing them to the ground.  Unfortunately for the zombie, it's forward momentum sent it toppling forward, severing it's legs at the knee.

Turn 23
Lem – BoLamashtu
Zombie Giant – Frost Ray + Valeros = D10+4 + 2D6 + D4+1 = 20 = Success
Recharge Frost Ray = Fail

Valeros put his spear through it's head, then reached down and retrieved the belt from the fallen giant's waist.  Lem could see that the belt was not of giant or ogre-make and as Valeros fastened it around him, it shrunk in size to fit him.  A zombie giant wearing a magical belt?  Skinsaw cultists?  What did this all mean?

Turn 24
Valeros – BoShelyn
Belt of Giant Strength – Strength + Lem recharge = Auto-Success
Holy Candle – 2

Lem didn't have much time to ponder these questions as a fresh wave of zombies descended upon them.  He and Valeros waded through the walking corpses.  Killing these things was easy enough, but they couldn't do it forever.  They needed to find that ogress and end this.

Turn 25
Lem – BoShelyn
Zombie Horde – Summon Zombie Minion
Lem – Heavy Crossbow + Valeros = D8 + D10 + D4+1 = 12 = Success
Valeros – Impaler of Thorns + Belt of Giant Strength = Auto-Success

They fought their way to a great hut at the opposite end of the camp.  This must be the lair of the ogress.  They were about to enter the crude structure when it burst open.  Shards of wood flew in all directions like shrapnel.  In the gaping hole left by the explosion was a creature unlike anything the pair had ever seen.

It was a hideous amalgamation of flesh and plant.  Vine-like tentacles lathed the air, and a great maw in the center of the mass snapped and slobbered as the flabby mass of it's body heaved towards them.  Valeros thrust his spear at the thing, piercing the mass.  The thing appeared unfazed by the attack, however.  Lem shot at it with his crossbow, and it was similarly ineffective.

Turn 26
Valeros – BoShelyn
Muck Graul – Impaler of Thorns + Lem Recharge + Belt of Giant Strength – D10+6 + D8+2 + D4+2 + 1 = 23 = Success, but no fire so it’s undefeated
Lem encounters it now – Heavy Crossbow + Valeros = D8 + D10 + D4+1 = 17 = Success = Muck goes on the bottom of the location deck, but because of Woods ability, he is banished
 
"Valeros, take her down!  I'll distract this thing!" Lem cried, hoping he could actually succeed in doing so.  "If we take her out, maybe this thing will go down with her!"

Turn 27
Lem – BoCalistria

Valeros nodded and charged into the remains of the hut.  The ogress sat upon a chair of bone, panting and bleeding from the wounds in her back and jaw.  She lifted her head to regard the man as he entered.
"Yoouu, can't win." she mumbled, through the blood and saliva that oozed from her mouth.  "This's jus' the beginnin'."
With that, Valeros ended her with the point of his spear.  As he stepped back outside, he watched the creature that had attacked them seem to deflate, dissolving into a bubbling ooze.  The rest of the ogres that remained had fled into the mountains.  Valeros looked to his companion.
"Not bad for a first day."  he mused.

Turn 28
Valeros – BoErastil
Mammy Graul – Summon Ancient Skeleton
Lem – Heavy Crossbow + Valeros = D8 + D10 + D4+1 = 13 = Success
Valeros – Auto-Success
Mammy – Impaler of Thorns + Lem recharge + Lem BoShelyn + Belt of Giant Strength = D10+6 + D8+2 D4+2 + D10 + 1 = 21 = Success

Scenario Reward – Skill Feat
Lem – Charisma
Valeros – Strength

Post-Game Analysis

Boy, that Turtleback Ferry was a pain to get through.  It took like half the game by itself.  Also, I can imagine that Muck Graul being the worst thing ever if I had killed the henchman but not closed the location.  This pair doesn't really have any fire damage.  Not really any new boons this time around, but it was nice to banish a lot of the basic cards.  I'm looking forward to thinning the various decks out.

Till next time!