The Battle Brother have convinced the Protectors to join them in their new delve in Gunderholfen for the explicit purpose of teaching the Ravens a lesson. But those are not simply waiting at the dungeon’s entrance.

3 hours session

Gunderholfen by G. Hawkins: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/265629/gunderholfen

Player Characters (PCs) – The Battle Brothers:

• Aracyne, Elf Hunter, fearless Guild Leader, (Isaac)
• Jedri, Ratman Thief, he rather enjoys his rat-shape curse (Isaac)
• Grimoire, Goblin Mage, frail but smart (Isaac)
• Forka, Dogman Knight, fierce warrior (Edmond)
• Torch, Goblin Knight, not expendable anymore (Edmond)

What the other adventuring guilds are doing at the moment:

• Green Imps: adventuring in Longfelt, need quick cash
• The Protectors: adventuring in Gunderholfen, except Delevan (convalesent(
• Black Axes: Widowmakers: Longfelt, new leader>> gnome Havelock, new guild name
• The Musers: adventuring in Gunderholfen
• The Ravens: adventuring in Gunderholfen

This session’s main goal: Give the Ravens a taste of their own medicine

Gunderholfen, entrance 1A

• Travel through the swamp went smoothly. The two allied guilds arrive at the main « kobolds » entrance. They spot the banner of the Ravens and Forka, with his acute sense of smell, thinks that it’s been 2 to 3 days since they were there. Aracyne orders the banner to be burned, a raven flies away.
• The adventurers go through Level 1, the gnome merchant is away, his shop is closed. They reach the rope bridge and Torch, who’s first, has a plank breaks under him and he almost fell! The bridge has been sabotaged!
• They reach Level 2, they remove their shoes to get through the corridor of wind-blowing and Torch walks on caltrops and hurts (lightly) his foot. They sweep away the caltrops and soon reach the room split by small chasm, Forka is attacked by a cave scorpion but his armor protects him. Jedri stabs the creature with his sword and kills it.
• They get through the inundated room, one way ot the other, and get into the room with a campfire and goblins graffitis. There’s a drawing of a raven added to the wall, that Aracyne quickly deface. The scent trail isn’t really better than before, still 2-3 days old.
• The allies go further on Level 2, they’re spotted by a Giant Ant worker but that doesn’t lead to a fight. The dogman loses the scent trail though, seems like the Ravens did not go past the graffitis room.
• Befuddled, the allies go back to Level ‘s entrance, trying to lure the Ravens out of hiding somehow. They attract something else, a Basilisk from the swamp, it thumps the ground when it sees them. The adventurers attack the beast from each sides. Bayard is almost turned to stone but Torch reacts quickly and protects him with his shield. The Basilisk’s snake head bites Torch but the goblin is resistant to poison (becomes exhausted instead of worse). Forka delivers the final blow to the monster.
• They get back inside and kill a lone ghoul skulking in the « goblins » section.
• They go to the « hobgoblins » section and soon reach the vertical shaft. There’s a spent torch on the ground. It must be where the Ravens went… They decide to send Forka and Adalbert down the dangling chains to inspect the bottom of the shaft. The perilous operation (Forka gets disheartened in the process), descending about 300 feet along the chains, is successful. Forka picks up the scent of the Ravens (still not fresh though)! There’s also a dwarven-made elevator at the ready and they use it to get all together at the bottom.
• They seem to be in another part of the dwarven city. There’s a big, lighted room ahead. And a lot of bones on the floor…

Closing comments:

• Not a lot happening on this session, some easy fights (they were on Level 1-2 after all), a bigger one against a dangerous Basilisk that went well. A lot of head scratching as they tried to figure out what the Ravens were up to. Quite fun for me.
• My sons, Isaac in particular, really hate the Ravens, what with their bullying and the traps they left behind them and their FAST progress. Sure to lead to high drama some day.
• I’ve said it before, but a good nose and good ears, are quite a must in a large dungeon.
• The (this) vertical shaft isn’t in the module. From the beginning I had decided to replace an alternate entrance to the dungeon in order to graft another dungeon to Gunderholfen. The whole, together, is linking Level 1 to Level 5 ultimately.
• I have a timeline at the ready (where the Ravens are at each time) and 2 days is a big head start. Rushing things in order to catch up with the Ravens would be risky in an unexplored area though. We’ll see how it goes next session.