The party comes to rest in the gorge. Exhausted, bloodied, and out of ideas. They set their packs down by the edge of the small stream, where they wash their faces and refill their canteens. The ranger gets a fire going. The wizard sits down to inspect the orb they found. The barbarian sets about cleaning his battleaxe.
From over one of the surrounding boulders, a strange figure emerges. An overgrown insect, with six appendages. It’s four forelimbs carry a longsword, two axes, and a dagger, which it brandishes at the party.
‘Tired are we?’ it croaks, making a hard sound that might be a laugh. ‘The Xinthar Syndicate sends its regar- ack!’
The assassin falls down from the boulder, dead, the rogue's bolt stuck in his eye.
‘Well that’s taken care of,’ mutters the wizard, opening a book he’s got on crystal structures.
Paddy Dobson
9th July 2021