The Striga
Our Pendragon campaign continues. After finding the cursed village, we are heading to locate the source of the curse, said to be a Saxon witch. This session felt very D&D like – running around some caves and fighting goblins and spectral knights. The map in Foundry was very nice – a good use of lighting effects, multiple levels and overhead images.
The young maiden is willing to point us in the direction of the Chapel of the Briars, though she won’t go back there herself. However, we seem incapable of following directions. The old man tries to point us in the right direction, and eventually we get turned around to head possibly the right way.
So, after some faffing around in the woods, we get to some high ground which allows us to see the river and beyond it the Chapel of Briars. However, how do we cross the river, because it doesn’t look like a nice river to wade through.
So we head out of the woods, and follow the edge until it brings us to a point upstream, where the river is less nasty. We cross the river, and make our way through the forest to the chapel. It is raining by the time we get there, and there is the sound of thunder in the distance.
We open the door, and inside the lit chapel is a lonely wasted maiden with a frog on her head. She cackles, and I rush forward to try and grab the frog from her head. She tries to dodge, but I grab the frog and rip it off her head, rolling across the ground as she swipes at me with her talons, and there is a sudden squelch and pop as the frog explodes as I crush it with my hands.
It is very messy, and my squire is going to have to clean my armour.
The maiden changes into a young woman, who is most grateful, though she shows her gratitude to Sir Lupinus since he isn’t covered in frog. She indicates the end of the chapel, where there is a wall covering. Pulling down the covering, there are some steps down into a store room.
There are some coffins and barrels in here. There is a door on the far side, so I open it. There is a stone passage beyond, and a skeletal goblin with long sharp talons.
I charge it, and notice there are two goblins. They both leap at me, but I fend them off, stabbing both of them before stepping back into the room to allow Sir Lupinus and Sir Madog to join the fight. I didn’t want to take all the fun.
The lead goblin tries to take all of us on, but just runs onto my sword.
The second goblin steps forward, and Sir Lupinus gravely wounds him, allowing Sir Madog to finish him off. In the passage beyond is another door, and that leads to a cavern. There are more doors, and opening one shows three goblins.
We try to hold the door, but this time it is Sir Madog who charges in. The rest of us following into the room. In the first clash, the goblins come off course but they hold fast, except Sir Lupinus knocks his to the ground. He steps onto its chest, and slices its head open with his sword.
Sir Madog kills his, but I’m struck hard, though my armour and shield protect me. However, I smoke him upon the stone ground.
Looking around, it seems to be a chapel or something, with statues of frogs. Behind one is a switch, which I pull and it opens a secret door. Beyond is a sarcophagus and a room full of chests. The room is lit by an eerie blue light. Inside the chests are a book, and some golden religious treasure.
There is a crucifix on the corpse. I’m hesitant about whether we should be taking these things, but Sir Madog points out that we should be rescuing it from this obviously curse place.
The fancy blue lights are far more interesting though.
Sir Madog opens another door, then quickly closes it. Then he opens it, and there are spectral knights in heavy metal armour.
We step forward into the room, and we line up in an honourable fashion for a one on one fight with each knight.
I scratch the armour of the one in front of me. Being smaller than my companions, my blows are never as strong. Sir Madog takes a heavy hit, then loses his sword.
Sir Lupinus breaks the spear of the knight he is fighting. I again strike mine, but again cannot penetrate its armour.
Sir Lupinus slays his knight, and it turns to mist, and Sir Madog is given a spare sword by his squire. I finally manage to find a weakness in its armour, grievously wounding it, and allowing Sir Lupinus to step in, but he is still fended off. I am staggered by a blow from the knight, but this time Sir Lupinus strikes him hard and it falls and fades to mist.
We all gang up on the third and final knight, and Sir Madog is able to put it to rest.
This room is unnerving. There is a body laying on a stone table, around it is a blood filled channel. The blood forms a five pointed star around the body. Next to all of this is a book laying open.
We take the book and a sword.
There is a heavy door, which Sir Madog smashes open. Beyond is a circular room with a big frog statue, a witch and two maidens with frogs on their heads.
Both Sir Lupinus and myself charge at the two maidens, grabbing their frogs from their head, throwing them on the floor and stomping on them.
Sir Madog leaps at the Striga, and is met by a silver blast of light. Sir Madog dodges it.
I charge in, cutting her with my sword as she sends another silvery blast at Sir Madog whilst Sir Lupinus flanks her. Sir Madog is hit by the blast, getting covered in weird silvery stain. She fails to spot Sir Lupinus, who stabs her.
With us all ganged up on her, she is taken down. I stab her again just to be sure.
