THE FIRST FORAY
They entered the dark room together, Robin leading the way. There was an altar to the light with lit candles, illuminating the room. Robin took a moment to mutter a quick prayer to himself then readied his sword. He could feel fear begin to creep into his mind, doubt and terror not far behind. It was hard to quash them but he had to push forward. The nameless Highwayman tapped his shoulder. "Lets go, warrior." Robin nodded, grateful that his helmet obscured his face.
Slowly making their way down the corridor, grasping the torch, scanning the corridor ahead. Robin was about to take another step forward when he heard a hissing sound behind him. He spun around, sword at the ready, to see... Sapphiron gesturing down the corridor with her mace. Robin squinted and made out the figure of three hostiles, two of those "Doom Cultists" and a "Cultist Priest". Robin nodded and scanned the situation. There was an opportunity....they were facing the other way, if Robin could get up behind them, he could surprise them! He made a fist with his hand, gestured at Wintermoot and made a tossing motion with his hand. Moot nodded and took out her plague grenade...
"You can do this, you can do this...." Wintermoot tried to calm herself as she readied her arc. If she threw it just right, she could nail half of them. She cartwheeled, released the grenade, it flew straight and true, landing just short of the hostile group with a clang. They turned to face the sound, hissing, but it was to late. The grenade exploded in a puff of noxious gas, enveloping the Cultist priest. One of others came charging in before a lighting strike from Sapphiron's mace burned him to a crisp. Sapph smiled and hefted her mace. The final cultist roared and began to strike when his head went on a journey separate from his body courtesy of Robin's longsword. At that point, the haze around the priest dissipated. He began an incantation, targeting Robin, the words becoming louder and ominous when his head exploded. The nameless Highwayman tilted his head blowing the smoke away from his flintlock. He looked pleased with himself. Robin nodded, psyched up. " Ok, this is good! Not a single hit on us, team! Lets keep up the good work!"
The rest of the foray was much the same. A few encounters but generally all very well. There was one final room. At this point the nameless Highwayman was cradling a deep cut on his arm, Wintermoot's face mask was cracked from blunt force trauma and Robin was pretty sure his skull was cracked. But one final battle lay ahead....
As they entered the room, a crossbow bolt narrowly missed Sapphiron's face. Two skeleton crossbowmen and a pair of ax skeletons were ready for the team. The other crossbowman fired at Robin, this time finding his target and hitting him in his chest. The bolt failed to penetrate the armor but damn if it did not hurt. Wintermoot was the first to respond, charging forward screaming as she plunged her knife into the first axman's skull. He stumbled backwards while his partner took a swing at Sapphiron, glancing her and doing minimal damage. She retaliated, calling down a lighting bolt that charred and killed the first crossbowman that had just finished reloading. The first axman was about to attack when he was blown away by the Highwayman, laughing as he began to reload. The remaining crossbowman, having reloaded, fired again, striking Sapphiron in the arm. She screamed out in pain and grabbed at the bolt in her arm.
The crossbowman snarled, or whatever the skeletal version of snarling was, and began reloading when Robin, in one strike, crushed him to pieces.
The final axman charged and landed a hit on Robin, slicing his arm and eliciting a scream of pain. Robin stumbled back, the axman moved to finish the job, ready to strike down Robin when Wintermoot latched onto its back and planted her knife directly into its neck, severing the link and ending its life. Or lack thereof. Robin nodded, out of breath, and whispered a thanks to Wintermoot.
The first expedition was over. They had successfully entered the ruins and succeeded in their mission with no losses, though they were battered. As they made their way back to the Hamlet there was only silence. Each had come close to death, each nursed wounds. Each realized that it would only get worse from here....
When they returned, their employer was in his usual insanely jovial spirit. "Your back! And are all alive to! Wonderful! I trust that you all are ok?" Completely overlooking the crossbow bolt in Sapph's arm, the cracked mask on Moot's face and the blood dripping down Robin's pants, along with another... foul smelling bodily fluid. "Good! Well, I have some good news! I managed to get the Abbey and the tavern open, so you all have a place to rest and recuperate! Aren't I great?" Robin's ears picked up at the mention of the Abbey. Finally, he could pray. The well dressed man continued. "And I have even more great news! We now have more heroes!" He gestured towards 2 figures behind him. One, a young and barbaric looking woman holding a giant axe and the other a grizzled looking brute with a blackjack and a large hound......
