Rangers of Shadow Deep: Well, well, well…

(Please note: this game was played virtually and as such I don’t have any photos to add just yet. Also, with our august chronicler Rita absent, you'll have to make do with my hastily scribbled notes.)

Watching his companions tend to their wounds, ‘Holy’ Moses prayed for their swift recovery. Perhaps it was because of the guilt he felt; they had drawn lots to stay behind to guard the scholar while the others went to investigate this mythical well; but his prayers were especially fervent.

As such, he did not notice Felton, the most experienced ranger among them, approach.

“The damn thing broke!” he growled. “We had just cleared the ground of cultist scum…” he waved his hand towards the wounded and dying to indicate the cost of such a venture, “…when the walls cracked and it leaked all over the place!”

“That is indeed bad luck,” Moses replied.

“Luck has nothing to do with it!” the other ranger spat. “We’ll go back – you and I. It is said that whoever drinks from the well will receive visions of the future, plus the waters are supposed to have healing powers. We will repair the well, fill it up and in turn be granted with it’s bounty.”

Moses nodded, beckoning his companions over.

“Prepare to move out,” he ordered. “Let us, Gods willing, right this wrong!”

Due to scheduling issues, our weekly virtual ROSD game was split into two sessions: Giles, Alan and Rita attempted this homebrew scenario one day, coming off somewhat worse for wear, while Giles and I took a crack at it the evening after.

The blurb was as follows:

Whilst resting on a new path through the forest, one of the rangers in the party explains he half remembers this path and that an offshoot leads to a magical well. The well's water reputedly has great healing powers, and now would be a good time to try them out.

Further, the well is reputed to have magical qualities allowing to scry into the future.

The party set off, but on the way there, find tracks of others heading for it, and some evidence that they are Shadowdeep cultists...all is not well.

In fact, the following trip to the well found the cultists, who had damaged it, and the water was lost.

This trip is to mend the well and install if as functioning again.

Our heroes approached the clearing. In front of them the ruined well squatted in the mud. Moses, joined for this adventure by tracker Hawkeye, Rogue Sneaks and warhound Dog, approached. Alongside us was Ranger Felton, his recruit Shelley, Fletcher the archer n another warhound. All seemed quiet, but as we inspected the damage, a brutish ogre came crashing through the trees!

While the others watched Moses’ back, he peered into the puddle of remaining enchanted water. Visions swam in his head: a gigantic form giant emerging from trees, hurling something at the pious ranger. This done, he bade Sneaks to begin repairing the well while those with ranged weapons peppered the ogre with arrows while the others prepared to fight the creature.

The ogre continued to lumber forwards as Sneaks feverishly piles up the stones of the well. Arrows continued to fly and eventually Felton fired the killing shot, skewering the brute. Suddenly, a gurgling sound emanated from the well – had Sneaks succeeded?

All became quiet as our heroes waited impatiently. Suddenly, the water level began to rise! Moreover, Felton fished out an old pouch, brought up by the action of the water. Inside he found a holy icon, enabling him to extend the reach of his healing spell. The reprieve didn’t last for long however. Creeping out of the bushes behind us, cultist bowmen, led by a fellow dressed in the robes of a magi, readied themselves to strike.

Having dodged our arrows and a magic bolt from Moses, the evildoers met our charge. Sneaks went down, as did Moses’ warhound. However, Hawkeye avenged his friend’s demise by dropping the cultist conjurer with a well-aimed shot.

Two more cultist bowmen appeared on the scene as we risked being outflanked and enfiladed. Determined to bring the fight to these traitors, Moses led the charge, battling the cultists while Felton began to scoop out water from the now filled well (thanks to a timely rainstorm) to use as healing potions.

Thus, the pattern was set for the remainder of the game: one ranger would direct the attack on the cultists, shooting at them when possible or otherwise engaging them in combat; while the other would draw as much holy water from the well as he and his companions could carry.

Eventually, with all available containers full and with growing numbers of cultists threatening to outnumber us, our heroes beat a fighting retreat. The well had been repaired, enabling us to obtain some much-needed healing potions. Those that we didn’t use on the return journey would be gratefully received by the beleaguered forces of royal Alladore.