4. The First Expedition

Beastmen Barracks: Veterans’ Hall
Only one of the six beastmen, the charmed, sheep-headed veteran, is favourably disposed towards you. And he only considers Ella to be a trusted friend, not the rest of the party. The other beastmen are panicked at having being caught unawares and confused as to how you managed to bypass the trap on the previous door.

Therefore, I’m going to leave this to a reaction roll. A high roll will indicate that the sheep-headed beastman is able to reassure his colleagues that you pose no threat. A low roll will indicate that the five other beastmen will immediately raise the alarm and prepare to repel you. A middling roll will indicate that you’ve bought yourselves a bit more time before the alarm is raised, but the beastmen consider you intruders (if only accidental ones).

I’ll give you a +20% bonus to the roll to account for the positive influence of the charmed beastman.

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4:10 pm, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 4/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 60’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

Beastmen Barracks: Veterans’ Hall
That’s a middling roll. The other five beastmen won’t raise the alarm just yet, but they consider you to be potentially hostile intruders.

The sheep-headed beastman stands up from his pallet and walks over to Ella to give her a warm, woolly embrace.

The other five beastmen scramble to gather spears and shields. They form a protective cordon around the southern and western exits from the room.

"Ovin, what are you doing? Who are these people?", demands rat-head.

"Oh, this is my old friend … errr …". Ovin pauses, as if he’s trying to recall Ella’s name from the depths of his long memory.

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4:10 pm, Basilsday 2nd Lucreon (April) 2993 AEP
Ellagel, Elven Fighter/Magic User 1/1: 6/6, 60’
Grimidek, Dwarven Cleric 1: 9/9, 60’
Jacky, Halfling Fighter/Thief 1/1: 4/6, 60’
Thrudmarr, Wiskin Fighter 1: 5/5, 60’ (Lantern)
Zacharias, Archontean Fighter 1: 10/10, 60’

Link to Jacky’s maps …

"Ella," Jacky supplies. "There's no call for violence! We didn't expect to find anyone here."

"Ovin, old friend!" she exclaims, trying to avoid choking on the beast man’s dingy fur. "I hoped we would find you, but as my friend here explains, we thought these rooms were empty. We didn’t come looking for a fight, we came looking for a friend! And if you’re Ovin’s mates, then I count you as all my friends too," she added, with a big elfin smile.

"We are beyond lucky to find you. We were afraid of running into more of those flying brains that shock you to death…"

Thrud watches with his head tilted in confusion as the sheep-headed beastman embraces Ella. When the other beastmen gather weapons and form a defensive line, he tenses again but remains still, following his companions' lead.

"Yes," Jacky picks up the elf's train of speech. "We were fleeing from those floating monsters and ended up here! By the way, we came across the body of someone who looks a little like you. I think the cephalopods got him. Sorry to be the bringer of bad news," he adds.