MINIONS OF LOKI

Hook: The Underground
Type: Cushion Encounter
Summary: The horde discovers a mining team in the service of Loki.

EVENT 1: ENTRANCE

The heroes enter a gloomy cave with little light. As they walk inside the cave, they step on branches and leaves. There are torches around the cave, but they are dim. A slight scent of decay and musty air surrounds them as they proceed into the cave.

TRAP - DANGEROUS ENTRANCE

Standard roll; Dodge vs. Difficulty 7. Failure: Damage rating 25.

The heroes that fail the roll have debris fall on them. The dwarves whose mine this is placed a trap at the entrance to keep out intruders.

Points Spent: 10 (Difficulty 7); 35 (Dam Rating 25)

TRAP - LOKI-GUARDED TREASURE

As the heroes walk further into the cave, they see something glittering among the rocks in the far wall.

Singular, no-fault; roll Divine Awareness vs. Difficulty 8. Failure: the heroes trigger the trap and take 4 dice damage.

If none of the heroes make their Divine Awareness roll, they have all failed to sense the presence of Loki's trap. Small, glowing rock shards shoot out of the cave wall and hit the heroes.

Points Spent: 20 (Difficulty 8); 22 (4 dice of damage)

Points Earned: -15 (Singular, no-fault roll)

GAIN - TREASURE

After the shards have been shot from the rocks (and if the horde didn't fail its Divine Awareness checks, the shards shoot out and hit no one), the heroes see a strangely colored rock. When they move the rock, they find treasure!

The heroes gain a Category A and a Category D treasure.

Points Earned: -10 (Category A treasure); -40 (Category D treasure)

GAIN - CAMPSITE

The heroes see old campfires, a sign that other Vikings have rested here before moving on. The heroes gain a 24-hour healing opportunity.

Points Earned: -20 (24-hour healing opportunity)

EVENT 2 - MINING TEAM

The horde gathers the treasure and notices another cave up ahead. As they walk into the cave they notice a big pool of water in the middle of the cavern. The smell of decay is stronger here. A curtain of vines covers the cave entrance ahead of you, obscuring any further details of what is beyond.

TRAP - FOE AMBUSH

Weak Link roll; Stealth vs. Difficulty 7. If any of the heroes fail, the foes ambush the heroes. (See Rune p. 147.)

The heroes push past the curtain of vines and hear bells ringing. Tiny bells have been hidden among the vines!

Points Spent: 10 (Difficulty 7); 50 (ambush opportunity for foes)

Tactics: This is a dwarven slave mining team. The goblins are being worked to mine iron from the walls. The two dwarves will use crossbows against the heroes until the heroes come into melee range, while the goblins will charge forward to attack.

Map: The map is fairly simple, so feel free to draw one of your own. The cave is roughly circular. The heroes' entrance is at the southern end; another entrance is at the northern end. The nearest one-quarter to the heroes is the lowest level. The middle half of the cave is three feet higher, and is composed of wet, slippery ground. The farthest quarter of the cave is five feet higher than the middle section. There is a large, circular pool of water in the center of the middle level; its diameter is about two-thirds the diameter of the cave. There is a pile of stones in the northwest part of the cave, on the highest level. The dwarves begin the event standing on the highest level, while the goblins are scattered around the middle level.

Points Spent: 10 (Self-willed inferior foe)

TERRAIN - MULTIPLE LEVELS

The combat area is divided into three levels, as specified above.

Points Earned: -10 (two extra levels)

TERRAIN - SLIPPERY GROUND

The level containing the pool of water (but not in the water itself) is very wet; it counts as slippery ground.

Points Earned: -5 (slippery ground, 1/3 area)

TERRAIN - POOL OF WATER

The water is shallow enough to be waded through, but doing so impedes movement. This is treated as uneven ground.

Points Earned: -7 (uneven ground, 1/2 area)

GAIN - PIT BOSS' STASH

Hidden among the pile of rocks is a stash of treasure owned by Gorag. When searched, the heroes will find a Category B and a Category E treasure.

Points Earned: -20 (Category B treasure); -50 (Category E treasure)

EVENT 3 - ALMOST OUT

There is another cave up ahead. As the heroes exit the tunnel, the smell of decay lessens and they smell fresh air. When the heroes walk into the cave, they see many rocks scattered around the floor.

TRAP - TRIPWIRE

Singular, no-fault; roll Perception vs. Difficulty 6. If the heroes all fail, they trip a wire stretched across the cave and trigger a trap. A row of spears swings down from the ceiling into the heroes, causing Dam rating 15.

If one of the heroes succeeds, he is able to warn the rest of the horde about the tripwire.

Points Spent: 20 (exotic roll); 15 (Dam rating 15)

Points Earned: -15 (singular, no-fault roll)

Once past the tripwire, the heroes have defeated the minions and traps of Loki. Well done, and on to more adventure!