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It’s hard to describe how good we feel about our little group. We’re starting to work together as a team, but even so, there are still a few times when we feel like we might be at odds. Turns out though, that the Brute actually wants to help us. He is happy to help us acheive our personal goals in life. Oh, by the way, I’ve found out that his name is Wixwaxia. I’ll just call him Wix to ease the mouthful. As to the little ratty vermling. It’s hard to get him to say anything. But since he was eating Ratatouille at the time, the name kind of stuck.

Anyway, nothing like spending some hard earn coin. So purses jangling we headed out to the market. My eyes alighted on a bow. Since I didnt have any weapons I thought it would be a useful addition to my arsenal. But as I was buying it from the merchant I was jostled in the crowd. Putting a hand to my belt I felt for my purse… it wasn’t there, but there was a little vermling running away with it clutched in his hand. I immediately strung the bow and fired an arrow at the miscreant and got him. Turns out though that people don’t like it when you fire a bow in a crowded market. (City Event #30 - Lose 1 Reputation)

But where should we go next? We have plenty of options. Should we investigate Jekserah’s warehouse? Should we go and obtain that diamond for her? Or how about following up on that lost daughter? Well personally, I want to investigate Crypts as they hold a special fascination for me, so with the help of the Brute, sorry Wix, I persuaded the group to try for the Crypt where something “dodgy” might possibly be occurring. Turns out, there was something dodgy going on.

On our way to the location on the map, we pass by a small wooded area, where we can here strange rythmic chanting going on. After listening to a couple of minutes we decide to investigate and there in a clearing we can see a bunch of robed poeple standing around in a circle performing some sort of ritual. We are suddenly noticed by one of them and they attack, so we have to defend ourselves. Obviously they were no match for us and we soon gain the upper hand. Interesting little fight, but it does leave us somewhat exhausted. (Road event #7 - Gain 5xp, lose 1 check mark)

The bandit commander’s proclamations of a “Gloom” do not sit well in your stomach as you search the bend in the Still River— something here holds an interest for these maniacs.

You are somewhat surprised to find the ruins of an ancient crypt half-covered in moss and ivy. The history of this place is old and dark. With no other information to go on, you head down into the depths. Whatever these supposed bandits are up to, you’re determined to find out, even after you stumble across a large group of them and more animated dead at the bottom of the stairs.

“You’ve made a mistake coming here”, one of the bandits hisses. You disagree. You are right where you want to be.

We’re faced with a couple of Archers and walking bones, well we’ve faced these things before. The bones don’t do much apart from raising their shields however the archers do let loose a couple of arrows. The Brute moves to skewer both of the bones in one move, but although they are seriously damaged they don’t go down. I dash across to take out the far one and then immediately perform a pirouette to thrust my dagger into an archer whilst the vermling takes out the remaining bag of bones.

Wix then heads to the door whilst I try to take out the other archer, I miss. Perhaps though because I was also interested in hooking the dropped equipment from the deceased with my foot. Never mind, our little ratty friend takes care of the other archer. Meanwhile the Brute has opened the door to a long corridor and rushes in. He raises his shield and receives a flurry of arrows stuck into it. meanwhile some very strangly garbed folk shuffling down the corridor mumbling under their breath… and promptly more living bones raise from the floor and start shuffling towards us.

The vermling performs a very impresive maneuver that literally pushes an archer across the room slamming her into the back wall. But it does draw the attention of the bones who focus on him. Meanwhile the traps gets thrown down onto the floor… but it tangles up one of the bones who errantly puts their skinny feet into it.

The vermling and I focus on the Cultists, Archers and Bones, whilst the Brute has wandered off to the far right door. He smashes it open and heads inside.

You bash in the door, thinking you are prepared for anything. Before you, however, stands a creature of pure elemental energy, enraged and demonic. It takes you a second to collect yourself. As if animating the dead wasn’t enough for these lunatics.

Meanwhile the Ratty has opened up the second door, summoned his hoard of rats to stand right next to it and is now staring into the windy faces of another couple of demons. I run up alongside him and throw some poison into the face of the biggest demon who promptly disappears from view. He’s still there, sort of, but it’s now impossible to see him through the blurred wind in the middle of the door. Fortunately with the whirlwind standing there, he kind of blocks the doorway preventing other creatures from shuffling forwards. But the cultists behind seem to be more interested in summoning forth yet more Living Bones.

With that in mind I rush down the hallway to help the Brute who is facing two Earth Demons. I get there just in time to witness him cleaving them both in two, killing them both and he then saunters over to a chest to have a look inside and gets a faceful of noxious fumes for his trouble. I sprinted down here to help but with nothing to do, now I need to head back again to deal with the other load of things. I’m getting exhausted running back and forth all for nothing it seems.

Meanwhile the Rat is struggling to deal with the Wind Demon. With the help of his swarm he eventually manages to finish of the doorway blocker and he then moves inside to deal with the other demon, cultists and their summoned bones. The Rat Swarm is blocking the doorway, but I leap up to grab the lintel and leap over the whole mess to land behind them all and start thrashing my daggers about. I need to take a rest just to catch my breath but the Vermling and I then focus of clearing up the rest of the creatures here.

The Brute staggers in through the door having somewhat thrown off the effects of the gassing and wades into the melee. The vermling backs off and goes to investigate the chest at the back of the room. I expect this one to blow up in his face as well, but he cackles with glee as he holds up a shiny ring whilst also helping himself to some of the goodies stored on the racks at the back of the room.

The Brute meanwhile roars with anger as he slices the last of the living bones that were summoned by the cultists, and with that the crypt goes silent.

It is clear that you have disrupted some sort of ritual here. These elemental demons belong on an entirely different plane of existence, but the cultists have somehow managed to pull them through to this one.

On the altar in the back room, there is a wealth of scribblings on these rituals. Not all the writing is intelligible, but you get the sense that this crypt is a place of power once used by an ancient civilization. The ancients tapped the power of the elements to enhance their own lives, and while their exact fate is beyond your knowledge, it clearly didn’t end well.

Among the scripts you also find notes on a couple of other places of power in the area. One appears to see heavy use with the cult and the other is marked as being overrun by vicious undead. It looks as though you have opportunities to either disrupt more of their work (Unlock Scenario #5) or get in their good graces by helping to clear out a threat. (Unlock Scenario #6)

On the way back to Gloomhaven, we’re chatting about our little group. Since we have a reputation (both good and bad), perhaps we should make a actual name for our group. The vermling still has a few rats clinging to him, so it kind of sparks an idea in us. Perhaps we’re seen as rats living in the city. We struggle to survive in bad places. So should that be good name for our motly group? We try after all to be somewhat invincible…. perhaps we should be known as the Invincible Rats?

We are…

Invictus Rattus

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