Demons Gate - Sellswords Campaign Chapter 2

Chapter 2 Through the City Streets.

The party arrive at the city gates just after dawn. A suspicious gatekeeper reluctantly allows the PC into the city after carefully scrutinising their letter bearing the city council’s seal and signature of the High Guildmaster. The party move through the silent streets until they come to the market square, arriving opposite the Guildhall. It is market day and the stalls are already in place, creating a maze of obstacles the PCs must negotiate to reach the Guildhall.

Scanning the square before them, Sintamo murmured “Watch out, there’s about 8 armed men hiding behind the stalls.”

“Ten, actually” whispered Eldarondo in reply.

Sintamo looks at him and raises an eyebrow.

“Elf eyes!”

“Are you sure they’re not just traders, setting up their stalls?” whispered Gunnar, “Like that woman over there.”

Looking at where he was pointing, they could see the figure of a townswoman move down the street.

“Mind you she’s walking a bit funny, is she drunk?”

“Not so much walking, as shambling.” The elf pointed out.

“Yes…” Sintamo agreed “…you mean sort of, mindlessly wanting to eat your brains, shambling?”

“Yep, that’s it!”

Set Up.

The table is an open square with houses along three sides (E, S and W), in the middle of the Northern side is the Guildhall. The square itself is filled with obstacles, market stalls, wagons, fountains, statues etc.

The PCs enter in the centre of the Southern side, opposite the Guildhall.

Traps:  The cultists have set up a number of snares in the market square (treat as a roll of 19/20 on the trap table), do not remove the trap card after it has been played.

Foes:

2 hordes of 4 Cultists.

2 Cult warriors (armoured guards).

When the AMBUSH! card is drawn, 1 Cultist leaps out from the nearest cover.

Reinforcements: 1d6 Cultists 

Complications: None

Scenario Event: A Cult Warrior emerges from the house closest to the PC who failed the activation (replace in the deck).

Wandering Monster: If a wandering monster card is drawn, roll a d6.

1-4 – 1-6 Undead/Zombies

5 – 1-2 Ghouls

6 – 1 Flying Minor Demon (only 1 in play at any one time, treat further rolls of 6 as 5).

Victory Conditions: The PCs must cross the table and enter the Guild Hall.

Other individual rewards: A PC carrying an out-of-action PC off the table gains 1 XP. Killing a Lesser Demon earns 1XP.

Very much a game of two halves. In the first half we kept failing activation rolls (Brother Christos failed his first 6 rolls) and rolled appallingly in combat. Then, suddenly, everything went our way!

Early  morning in the city of Longstat.

The table set up.

The view from the PC's entry point.

It wasn't a good start, we almost immediately had 3 cultists turn up on our  flank and pulled a "That's a Big Un" card!

In fact the only character to pass all their first round activations was Gunnar, who promptly charged into the sneaky cultists.

And with a swipe of his axe, cut the leader down to size!

In the meantime Sintamo got in a position to see another horde of advancing cultists and took two down with well placed arrows.
Eddie tried three fireballs to finish the horde off and only achieved a small shower of sparks, so it was left to Sintamo to take the others down.

Gunnar was charged by the 2 sword welding Cultist Warrior, who parried the dwarf's first blow with one blade whilst cutting through his mail with the other. Gunnar eventually killed his foe, but was down to 1 HP by the time the combat was over.

Meanwhile Sir Robin charged ahead to engage the other Cult warrior. His attack missed the mark and the Warriors counter attack sliced deep through Robin's armour (see my dice, read 'em and weep!)

Further back a bunch of zombies had wandered into view.

And a bunch of cultist piled into Robin as a nasty looking winged demon closed in. 
"I'll get you out of there!" Eddie cried as he cast his new Fly spell on Robin. 
Bugger.....now Eddie could cry for real as he rolled another !. His mana was drained, no more magic today (in fact he hadn't successfully cast a single spell in the game today!).

Perfect timing  as some more zombies turned up. 
Christos paused briefly to heal Gunnar's most serious wounds, before rushing towards the demon.

"Draw me now!" a deep voice commanded.
"What!" said Eddie, as he drew his sword and suddenly stabbed backwards over his shoulder (and through the eye slot and into the brain of the ambushing cultist).
"What happened?" he mumbled, somewhat dazed.

Another sneaker ambusher leapt on Gunnar, but was swiftly dealt with.

Covering Christos' flank, the Dwarf then charged a horde of zombies.
"Gunnar, your blocking my shot!" Eldarondo complained.
"Get yer own, laddie. These are mine!"

By the time Christos reached him, Sir Robin had killed all the cultists around him, but was down to 1 HP. The Demon charged the pair, we randomly rolled for his target and he struck at Robin, his claws scratching off his armour (we reckoned the creature was targeting the obviously wounded opponent first).

MONSTER FRENZY! the horde of zombies clawed at Gunnar, but his whirling axe cut them all down as the crowded around him. Unfortunately Robin failed to parry the Demon's attack and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Gunnar joined the fray and he cut deep into the Demon's legs, as the beast stumbled, Christos brought his mace crashing town on the beast's skull, killing it. He paused to heal Robin, who was alive, just, and could barely walk (reduced to 1HP and 1" move, -4 to all rolls).

As Robin staggered forward he was trapped by a concealed snare.

Christos and Eddie ran back to help the stricken knight.

Oh deep joy, more zombies!

Another horde of cultists charged the party, unfortunately contacting the wounded Gunnar and Sir Robin, they took down two of their foes, but were both laid out by the last cultist. But Christos charged in  and make short work of him.
In the background Eddie plays hide and seek with a horde of zombies.
"Eddie, duck!" 
Eduardo had learnt the hard way to do as he was told in these situations and froze as an arrow flew over either shoulder, dropping the first two zombies.

As Sintamo and Eduardo decimated the approaching foes, Eddie and Christos heaved their friend's immobile bodies over their shoulders and moved towards the  Guildhall doors.
With the Ranger and the Elf providing cover, they managed to stagger through the doors....

....just in time as two ghouls now turned up!

A close run thing! Appalling dice rolls early on and losing Eddie's magic had really dropped us in it!
Fortunately both the wounded turned out to have survived to fight in the next adventure (Healing +5 does help with survival rolls).