Kal-Arath Solo Actual Play Ep 4

 Last time Dumai and Ithela fought through the monastery, finding a treasure room and dispatching an angry treasure hunter.  Then being caught in a fight with endless monsters, they retreated to rest and heal. 

First thing is to assign XP for the last session and their fight against the green horror in the monastery! 1 XP for both of Ithela and Dumai.

That levels up Ithela to Level 2.  She will assign 1 point to AGI so that she can dodge better.

Days until next lunar cycle and sacrifice: 10

Dumai awoke the next morning and walked over to the mural depicting the hunt for the white bison.  He noticed the small carved bison figurine on the ground and picked it up.  When he began to turn it over in his hands, he noted that it began to grow warm, and a soft light appeared on one section of the figure.  As he turned it in his hands, the direction of the glow remained the same.  Ithela was just getting up as well, stretching from sleeping on the hard stone floor.  She noted Dumai wondering at the figure.  “See, I told you I would help you to find this white bison.  That carved idol points in the direction the bison currently is.  This monastery was devoted to mystic hunters.  Apparently whatever left that green…thing…here also killed the mystics before they could complete their hunt and defiled this mural.”

Dumai grunted in response but pocketed the small carved bison into his rucksack. “I don’ think we can defeat that thing in there. It is beyond us two.”

“Nonsense,”  Ithala laughed.  I just had a little misstep when casting my spell, otherwise it would have been easily finished.  We should at least try once more.”  Dumai looked skeptical, then he reluctantly nodded his head.  They gathered their things and walked with purpose into the narrow passageway leading to the green room. [room 4 to 6]

No encounter in the hallway.

They step into the room with the green heart, and see the fresh corpses of wolves, the raptor, and several men now littering the floor.  Apparently they attacked each under until everyone died of their wounds. Ithela wasted no time and rushed forward into the room, she called to Dumai, “Stay in the hallway and avoid the clouds!”  And she began to cast her spell once again.

Ithela 2d6+2=6 vs 9 Fail. – 1 HP

She curses as her spell fizzles once again.  “Kill that thing, Dumai!”  And it pulses with a green light.

Dumai 2d6+2+1=11 Hit. D6+1 damage=5 Heart HP 25

As the light dims a ghoul stands next to the obelisk.  It sees Ithela and moves to attack her!
Ghoul 6 HP, d6 claws, Paralyzing Touch on TOU fail
Ithela Dodge 2d6+1=8 Success
Ithela attacks heart 2d6+1=10 d6 damage=3 Heart HP 22
Dumai attacks heart 2d6+2+1=12 Hit. D6+1 damage=5 HP 17
Ghoul attacks Ithela dodge 2d6+1=5 Fail.  D6 damage=3-1=2  1 HP left for Ithela
Resist paralyze 2d6+0=10 pass

The ghoul lashes out at Ithela, and she dodges aside.  Instead of attacking it back though, she tries to smash to green heart.  Her flail does considerable damage, but it still pulses.  Dumai shoots another arrow into the thing, and it further shudders, but then pulses out another green beam of light.   The light temporarily dazzles Ithela, and she can’t dodge aside in time as the ghoul rakes its claws across her back. As the light fades, a stunned mercenary stands inside the light.   “Smash this thing!” Ithela yells pointing to the heart.

Oracle does the mercenary attack the heart?  No, and.  Great, just great.
Merc 4HP d6 sword

The mercenary cries out, “Witch!  I will have your head!”  And he strikes out at her with his sword.

Ok, this is ridiculous, how are we supposed to beat this thing?  An enemy EVERY ROUND?  I’m out of here, if I can.

“We can’t win, we must flee!”  Dumai shouts from the doorway.  Ithela growls, but nods in agreement.  The mercenary and ghoul are both flanking her.

Ithela dodge merc 2d6+1=12 Pass.   She moves toward the door.
Dumai attacks the merc 2d6+2+1=10 Hit.  D6+1=6 Dead
Ghoul moves forward and attack Ithela dodge 2d6+1=11 Pass
Jackal appears and attacks the Ghoul Hit, 5 damage, 1 HP left

Ithela stops and picks up her dropped Greataxe.
Dumai attacks the heart 2d6+2+1=6 miss
Ghoul attacks Jackal Hit -1 HP 2 left
Jackal attacks Ghoul Miss
Wolf appears attacks Ghoul Miss

Ithela circles the melee and attacks the heart with her greataxe
2d6+1=10 Hit  d6/a damage=6,6 Critical!  Exploding dice 3 = 9 damage 8 HP left
Dumai attacks heart 2d6+2+1=10 Hit.  D6+1=3 damage.  5 Left on heart
Ghoul attacks jackal Miss
Jackal attacks Ghoul Miss
Wolf attack Ghoul Miss
Giant Spider 15 HP appears.  It starts moving toward the open door and Dumai

Ithela attacks heart 2d6+1=Critical fail, weapon breaks
Dumai attacks the approaching spider 2d6+2+1=7 miss.  He decides to close the door, and leave Ithela to her fate.

Confusion and melee ensue as multiple beasts spawn into the room as the crazed Ithela will not give up on destroying that heart!   A giant spider moves toward Dumai.  He shoots at it frantically, but the shot misses its mark.  He hears Ithela cry out in frustration as her greataxe breaks over the pulsing heart.  This is madness!  Dumai has what he came for, the idol of the white bison, and he decides to leave the cursed sorceress to her fate.  He exits the room and closes the door behind him.   He blocks out the sounds of screams as the beasts and Ithela continue to battle it out inside the room.

It was really starting to not be fun, and I was tired of Ithela anyway…so…bye Felisha.  We can assume she will be killed in the melee.  Maybe she is at least able to destroy the heart first?  Let’s see?

Oracle unlikely, does Ithela destroy the heart before being defeated by the beasts? 2 No!

And so, the heart beats on as Dumai exits the cursed monastery, a carved white idol in his hand directing him to go [d4=1] North.  His momentary distraction from his life quest is now over, and he will proceed to hunt and kill the white bison of corruption. 

Ok, that was a bit crappy of me to leave Ithela behind to die, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.   She was cursed anyway, if we recall.  And so, we will give Dumai another XP for his exploits today.  I would have awarded him a bonus of 2 XP if they could have cleared that heart, but oh well.  At least he lived on to hunt another day!