Zalminen's Card Hunter Diary

I took a long break from playing Card Hunter but with AotA published, I'm back!

And since there's more PvE content, it's time for my play diary to continue.

The old diary is still here http://forums.cardhunter.com/threads/zalminens-beta-diary.608/ but I'm finally starting a new thread for this one.
The plan is to post one battle report per day, let's see if my schedule allows that.

---

Cool, looks like there's a free chest available:

Contents: Yellowdrake Robes, Totem Of Totec, Itotia Blade,Necalli Cap,Fiery Shard

As I didn't happen to have heroes at a suitable level for the level 7 treasure hunt, I had to fight through a few of the older missions first.

I didn't bother writing a report of those fights but I did pick up a couple of new items from them: Flenserbone Staff and Boltswap Robes.

And as the day changed before I got started on the first treasure hunt I got a second free chest:

Contents:Eagle Bowl,White Glass Token,Greenhide Armor,Twisting Shield,Cautious Trickery

With the party now at a suitable level I equipped everyone, choosing somewhat level-appropriate stuff:
Ementhea
Level 8 Human Priest

St. Xarol's Axe
Malign Mace
Glowing Hide Armor
Heavy Wooden Shield
Boots Of The Foolish
Hand Of Melvelous
Totem Of Totec
Fingerbone Of St. Ob
Untrained Command
Trained Cleansing

2 x Flimsy Block
1 x Simple Strike
1 x Wild Run
2 x Chop
1 x Blind Rage
1 x Thick Hide Armor
1 x Greater Heal
3 x Righteous Frenzy
2 x Sapping Touch
1 x Clumsy Chop
1 x Simple Bash
1 x Healing Benediction
1 x Powerful Bludgeon
1 x Parry
1 x Shuffle, Team!
1 x Quick Step
1 x Walk
1 x Demonic Feedback
1 x Consuming Touch
1 x Bludgeon
1 x Purge
1 x Reliable Hide Armor
1 x Unholy Frenzy
1 x Holy Presence
2 x Spear Of Darkness
1 x Strong Chop
1 x Dangerous Maneuver
1 x Strong Bludgeon
2 x Invigorating Touch
​

Starcleaver
Level 6 Elf Wizard

Lizard Fryer
Burning Bangle
Fiery Shard
Runcible's Bracelet
Yellowdrake Robes
Off-balance Boots
Perilous Agility
Novice Blazing

1 x Kindler
3 x Hot Spot
2 x Stone Spikes
1 x Brain Burn
1 x Penetrating Zap
1 x Resistant Hide
1 x Wild Run
2 x Ember Spray
1 x Dangerous Maneuver
3 x Short Spark
1 x Mystical Drakehide
1 x Deadly Spark
1 x Forgetfulness
1 x Force Cannon
2 x Run
2 x Flanking Move
2 x Spark
1 x Magma Spray
​

Blade
Level 6 Human Warrior

Thick Club
Hefty Stout Club
Old Adze
Dependable Mail
Twisting Shield
Shifty Skin Hat
Cheap Fencer's Boots
Novice Gouging

5 x Trained Bludgeon
1 x Hard To Pin Down
1 x Able Bludgeon
1 x Walk
1 x Reaching Swing
2 x Chop
1 x Shuffle, Team!
5 x Lunging Hack
1 x Thick Hide Armor
2 x Bludgeon
2 x Penetrating Cut
1 x Simple Strike
2 x Mail
1 x Lunging Thrust
1 x Rusty Armor
2 x Pushback Parry
1 x Reliable Mail
1 x Strong Bludgeon
1 x Impaler
1 x Backbiting Strike
​

Time to head to Valley of Tezkal!

 

Battle 1

As the party slowly cut their way deeper into the jungle, Blade's grumbling finally turned into words:

"Oh, great! I hate jungles... It's hot as in a Barundian steamhouse except that the locals are shorter.... And have leaves on their head?"


"My Great Animal Spirit tells me they make great stew," Ementhea intoned in her usual voice.
"...It's still just a mouse you picked up somewhere..." Blade mumbled as everyone readied their weapons and waited for the foes to make their first move.

The plant pygmies pulled away from the adventurers as the creepers slowly shuffled closer.

Starcleaver's Short Spark hit the nearest creeper, managing to strike past its Shimmering Aura.

"You will forget you ever saw us and let us go," the elven wizard then added. "Hmm. Note to self: Forgetfulness probably isn't useful -"

The rest of his words were drowned out by a wildly screaming Ementhea as she ran past the wizard towards the nearest plant-like thing.

Despite getting hit by a Hurled Dagger from one of the pygmies the raging priestess quickly devoured the first foe as the other plant tried to use its Entangling Roots to stop Blade.

'Tastes like salad!'



Despite her Blind Rage causing damage to herself, Ementhea barely flinched as she leapt to consume the next creeper shuffling closer. Sapping Touch - again at full health.

The foes looked at the the hungry human and despite being plants, managed to look clearly horrified. One of them quickly blew a Poison Blowdart at her.



Taking advantage of the diversion Blade ran towards the attacker and although it tried to retreat to the side, the fighter was quick to follow.

The second creeper turned to intercept Blade but Ementhea wasn't about to let her meal get away and followed, ignoring another Hurled Dagger.
The creeper shrieked as another Consuming Touch from the human's mouth robbed its life energy.

Ignoring the messy scene at her side Blade cut into the first pygmy with her weapon as Starcleaver moved to cast hot flaming death at the other one.

The pygmies turned and fled from the crazy adventurers.



"Note to self: Don't scratch your head right after casting magma spells. Brain Burn not nice."

The leafy foes' retreat wasn't very successful though as Blade quickly caught up to them, hacking at their limbs.

Starcleaver aimed at the weaker one but his Force Cannon was stopped by a Shimmering Aura. It didn't stop the Penetrating Zap that followed though and the foe collapsed.

"What is your esteemed sister now trying to do?'

Blade answered the elf's question with a shrug. "Trying to follow her thoughts would be like trying to find a black strand of hair in a pitch black room. No-one sane will even try."

The elf suddenly got her answer as the priestess suddenly burst into song:

"A little bit of healing for you and me, a little bit of Greater Heal is all I see, a little bit of Healing Benediction is all I need..."

The plants just stared at the intruders.

Pass. Some damage from poison but the Healing Benediction again brings Ementhea to full health.

The creeper was the first to react and quickly bound the hungry human down with its roots.



Blade's Trained Bludgeon flattened the second pygmy, leaving just one badly hurt creeper to stand against them. It soon fell to Ementhea's Strong Chop.



Loot: Crude Polearm, Mail Of Righteous Anger

To be continued...

 

Before next fight I switched Starcleaver's Runcible's Bracelet to Viscous Locket as I figured I could use more anti-armor cards and changed Blade's Twisting Shield to Big Ash Shield.

Battle 2

"And this just journey just keeps getting better and better. Instead of being up to my hips in weird plants I now get to be hip-deep in swamp muck," Blade grumbled as they pushed on.
"Snakes," Starcleaver added.
"Yeah, swamp muck AND snakes."
"No, I mean snakes! Flying snakes!"



The elf quickly blasted the first one with a Deadly Spark as the other retrieted to guard the entrance to something that looked like an ancient temple. Or a pile of rocks.
Blade managed to hit the snake as well with a Reaching Swing and stepped closer to cut it again as the pygmies ran to intercept the intruders and blew darts at the fighter.

The fight between Ementhea and the coatldile soon devolved into a biting match, with Ementhea seemingly having the upper hand. Or mouth.

"Tastes like chicken!"

With the reptile blocking the shortest route Starcleaver decided to take a detour. One of the pygmies turned to aim at the elf with a blowgun but stopped as its feet suddenly began to feel very hot - as if it was standing on lava. It was.

Both coatldiles seemed to realize the danger the elf wizard was posing and they flew to surround him at once.



The elf's Force Cannon flung the weaker one back and the wizard ran after the weaker pygmy before the other snake had time to strike. Unfortunately his Spark was again stopped by a Shimmering Aura.

"I wanna taste that one," Ementhea suddenly announced. Ignoring the bite from the weakened coatldile she started bounding towards the other one. Didn't draw any attacks for Ementhea, might as well start moving towards the VP square before the enemy gets too many VPs from it.



Starcleaver suddenly fell to his knees in pain from a Traveling Curse, mumbling to himself:

"Note to self: Too much alcohol and strange women are not a good idea!"

The weaker coatldile managed to bite Blade before his Trained Bludgeon took it down for good.

The other one tried to circle behind Ementhea but the fickle priestess just ignored it and barrelled towards the pygmy guarding the temple entrance instead, striking it with a Clumsy Chop. It tried to flee and Ementhea stepped in to claim its place.

"I'm king of the hill!"

The other pygmy was running around Starcleaver, the elf fruitlessly zapping it with another Short Spark. Blade ran to cut off its escape route.

The remaining coatldile swooped down to engage Emanthea.



Blade's Trained Bludgeon flattened the weaker pygmy as the winged snake used its Massive Jaws on Ementhea.

"Nobody outbites me," the priestess yelled as she leapt at the reptile. Invigorating Touch.

The horrified looking pygmy tried to help its ally by shooting at the human with a Poison Blowdart but the priestess' Flimsy Block was enough to stop the dart. Her answering Strong Bludgeon left the smaller foe dazed and it quickly fled the scene as the other adventurers ran closer.
Yes, I could have won sooner by just using both attacks on the pygmy but it was more amusing this way. And my victory was pretty much guaranteed at this point anyway.



The enraged reptile continued mauling Ementhea with its bites but the priestess just swatted the snake back with a Simple Bash.

The remaining pygmy tried to shoot at Blade but after the human's Icy Block it had no other option than to crawl behind the bush in a futile attempt to get away. It didn't get far until Starcleaver's spell turned to ground underneath it into acid.

The last couatldile decided the ancient temple didn't really make that good a nesting place anyway and quietly slinked away.



Loot: Silver Ingots, Trained Blazing

To be continued...

 

I am so happy to see this return!

 

Battle 3

"Behold the ... umm, sharkbear, " Starcleaver whispered as they crept closer.
"...it looks like a bear swallowed a shark and it then ate its way half way out," Blade noted, face full of disgust. She turned to look at her sister whose eyes had the familiar gleam.
"Kinda like your sister..." Starcleaver mumbled, looking pointedly at Ementhea's outfit.
"It looks delicious," the priestess announced, grinning.
"It hurts my brain to even look at it," Starcleaver replied, rubbing his forehead.



And it's named Huggii. Someone's had way too much fun coming up with that name...

The odd beast made a Mighty Charge in the general direction of Starcleaver who quickly evaded the creature as Ementhea began chanting for Blade to join the fight.

"Hey, more salad," the priestess then yelled, noticing the two creepers creeping towards the treasure chamber.

The sharkbear charged again, this time hitting the elf wizard who Dashed away, then turning to cast a Hot Spot under the raging enemy.
The sharkbear has two cards in hand still but I don't want to waste the frenzy. And the creepers are still too far to reach this turn.

Blade yelled a challenge, darted past the bushes to get behind the sharkbear but the creature was ready for her and hit her with a Vicious Bite. She turned, hitting the foe back with a frenzied Trained Bludgeon but got hit with a Shredding Strike in return.

Hmm. If I use the second attack the foes will get to act first on the next turn. And would probably take out Blade. So I pass.

The sharkbear roared as the lava underneat ate at its hairy legs.



Blade made a quick feint at the big foe - but then turned around and ran after the creeper behind it. The foe hit her with a Long Thin Branch but Blade whacked it with a Trained Bludgeon before it shuffled back.

Starcleaver's Spark drew the hairy foe's attention and it charged towards the elf. The wizard made a hasty retreat. The confused foe looked around - and charged back the way it came.

"Hey Fishfur, this way!"

The sharkbear turned to look at Ementhea whose fork flew through the air to hit it squarely in the chest. Or as the the other's call it: Spear Of Darkness.
The fork was immediately followed by a crazed priestess in blue fur and although the enemy's Shredding Strike made a big gash in the human's Reliable Hide Armor, her teeth made a lot bigger one in the fishy foe.
The sharkbear attempted to retaliate with its own Vicious Bite but Ementhea parried its teeth with her knife.



"Ah, I forgot the appetizer," Ementhea announced, letting go of the sharkbear and swatting it back with a Simple Bash. She then turned around and dashed towards the creepers as one of them shuffled towards Blade who was stuck in its Entangling Roots.

Blade's Chop hit the foe squarely. And I could finish it Backbiting Strike but that would take her out as well.

"Eeeelf caaavaalllrryyyy," Starcleaver sung as he went on a Wild Run towards his allies. Upon reaching the scene, he immediately unleashed a Short Spark - which fizzled upon hitting the Shimmering Aura of the plant foe.

"Note to self. Stop wasting spells on the creepers."

The elf dashed away from the approaching foe and cast acid under the plant's roots.

Somewhere behind them the sharkbear kept charging around pointlessly.

Ementhea finally noticed Blade behind the creeper.

"Stay away from my salad! Begone!"

Somehow her words managed to Purge the roots locking the fighter's feet and Blade shrugged, running towards the next creeper. Only to be locked down again by the next assault from Entangling Roots.



As the acid ate away at the weakened creeper it had little chance of stopping Ementhea's Bludgeon which smacked it straight in the acid.

"Bah, too much salad dressing," Ementhea mumbled as the sharbear once again charged into sight.

Meanwhile Blade, now free from the roots used a Lunging Hack to assault the second creeper and as it failed to respond hit it again with a Trained Bludgeon.

By now Starcleaver had reached the fight as well and the leafy foe was suddenly launched backwards by Starcleaver's Force Cannon.

As her allies moved into position to defend the treasure from the creeper, the sharkbear finally reached Ementhea again who was still staring at the zone of acid near her feet. Starcleaver's the only one with attacks left so I just pass. And the creeper decides to retreat.

The sharkbear roared and sunk its teeth into Ementhea.



"Ah, the main course returned, " Ementhea yipped and tried to sink her teeth again into the furry creature.
The beast's Toughness managed to save it once but as it tried to charge away, Ementhea's knife Chop cut it down.
Sometimes it's not the size of your teeth that matter...

And since both Starcleaver and Blade are low on health, I just click pass.

The last foe tried to shuffle away from the pair that had taken over the treasure chamber - but found itself face to face with a grinning priestess. Its branches could do little to stop the Strong Chop of the human's knife.

Adventure Complete and a level up for Starcleaver!



Loot: Fool's Coif, gems and Trog Melter.

And since Starcleaver got a second staff slot he equips a Staff Of Peril.

Next time: Beneath Tcotzac!

 

I'm totally starting an Ementhea Fan Club.

 

As the day changed before the next adventure, I got a new chest:


Loot: Salubrious Mobility, Trickster's Maquah, Peeling Robes, Hotglass Staff, Xipil Ring.

Starcleaver decides to give the Hotglass Staff and Xipil Ring a try.

Beneath Tcotzac

Battle 1



"Gnarls. And a walking statue. I presume we're finally fighting something even your sister won't try to eat," Starcleaver said to Blade as they entered the enemy-filled area.
"Wouldn't bet on it..."



"...and they seem to equally mad as well," the elf added.
"Says the elf named Starcleaver?"
"Hey, blame my esteemed parents. They had grand plans to subjugate the whole elvenkind. Too bad their greatest nemesis was always common sense..."

As Starcleaver moved closer, the strange statues shot a Flame Jet at him.

The furry enemies ran closer, hopping on top of the wall of debris between them and as Ementhea's obscene chanting drove Blade into Righteous Frenzy the gnarls finally reached the heroes.
Blade hit the maddest looking foe with a Trained Bludgeon and a Lunging Hack, both hitting past the Rusty Armor of the dog-faced foe.

The other two gnarls had reached Ementhea who countered a wound from the enemy Chop by swinging her knife.

"Prime cuts!"

The idol's glow had grown brighter again and this time there was no spout of fire but a white glow around the mad gnarl whose wounds slowly began to mend themselves.

Ementhea surprised the weaker of her foes with a Consuming Touch from her teeth while Starcleaver wisely decided to retreat after getting hit by an enemy Chop.

The other gnarl fighting Ementhea went barking mad as it realized its mate was getting eaten.



Two more Chops from Ementhea's knife took down the weaker gnarl and left the other one barely standing but the priestess suddenly noticed the floor underneath her melting thanks to the magma idol's sudden spout of hot magma.

Blade made a quick feint at the foes facing her and climbed on top the debris wall out of enemy reach. As her two foes were too slow to follow, Starcleaver's Deadly Spark took out the crazier one and its death throes heavily wounded to other one next to it.

Ementhea got bit by her remaining opponent but finally seemed to notice the magma idol.

"Hey, a drinking fountain!"

Blade rolled her eyes as her sister climbed to her side and whacked one of the gnarls down as the foes followed the pair.
At the same time Starcleaver had climbed on top of the other wall and cast a Hot Spot underneath the slow-moving idol.

"Hey elf, your cloak is on fire," Blade called.

Starcleaver blinked. "Ah, it really is. Note to self: next time remove the cloak before it's a blazing inferno."

Too bad I couldn't make use of Volcano this time. By the time the gnarls had used up their moves Blade no longer had any moves left either...

Then the elf simply collapsed, worn down by the heat.

Despite the damage from the lava, the blank-faced foe just retaliated with another Hot Spot underneath Ementhea.



Once again another string of obscenities drove Blade into a Righteous Frenzy.

"Stop saying things like that! You sound like an angry sailor. Or a Baravian barmaid!"

The fighter's Lunging Hack cleaved a piece from the strange idol and it retreated to its earlier position as Ementhea again joined her sister, leaving the dangerous pool of lava.

VP for Gary but I passed first.



Ementhea had reached the strange idol and leaned forward to drink from it - and promptly reeled back as the heat almost burned her face.

"The fountain's broken! I'll fix it!"

Blade quickly whirled away as Ementhea's Powerful Bludgeon smashed the magma idol into hundreds of tiny pieces.
The priestess stepped forward to inspect the remains.

"Hmm, didn't work. Oh well..."

Blade just rolled her eyes and without even bothering to turn swatted down the last gnarl approaching from behind.



Loot: treasure and Whiteglass Token

 

Battle 2



"Soo... what is THAT thing then," Blade asked, her face blank.
"Hyper Thalamus," Starcleaver replied, readying her spells.
"It's a brain, right?"
"Basically yes."
"Hey, great! Fighting a brain is already an improvement from fighting with Priestess No-Brains here."

Once again Ementhea didn't seem to be listening to the others' chatter at all.
"Pudding!"

Hmm. So there's no way to cross the canals unless you can teleport? Oh yippee...

Blade moved forward, looking at the muck-filled canals blocking the path.

"I'm not mad enough to hop there..."

The floating brain-thing suddenly cast a spell towards the fighter but the ray hit her shield and dissipated harmlessly. Teleport Other spell? Yeah, I figured there'd be something like that...

"Oh-oh..."

Blade raised her head to see what Starcleaver was talking about and her face fell as she saw what was coming.
A Whirlwind.

Ah. And the other shoe drops.



As the tornado had swapped Starcleaver's allies with an angry Psi Cat and the probably equally hostile Hyper Thalamus, he quickly struck the feline foe with a Deadly Spark and the Hard To Pin Down foe luckily failed to evade the attack. It did however return the favor with a nasty Bite.

Blade quickly hopped to capture the mystical stone she and Ementhea had landed next to but no sooner than her feet touched to stone, another Whirlwind flung her to where the elf had been - this time with one more Psi Cat for company.



As Ementhea's stream of cuss words again began to drive her sister into frenzy, the new psi cat attacked, striking Blade with a Psychic Barrage.

The fighter shrugged and struck the Hyper Thalamus with a frenzied Penetrating Cut. I figured the easiest way to win this may be to kill the Hyper Thalamus at a suitable time so that Starcleaver will be somewhere safe and can just blast the remaining foes from afar. But I'll need to first lower its hit points.

I pass and Gary gains a VP. Well, now I know I need to save up my move cards.

The psi cats struck Blade again with another Psychic Barrage. Unperturbed she continued her assault on the floating brain, bludgeoning it twice in rapid succession as the felines crept closer.

Ementhea stepped to the mystical altar, glaring at the enemies who were all out of her reach.

I keep clicking Pass as I wait for the brain to use more Whirlwinds. None come and Gary passes as well. Oh well, Blade could use more attacks...



And what does she get? Mail.

Blade tried to keep away from the Psychic Barrages of the ferocious felines but she soon fell as the foes had gotten close enough to the Hyper Thalamus to amplify their attacks.

I click Pass waiting for the psi cats to use up their attacks or for another Whirldwind. Or for the Hyper Thalamus' Hover to end so I can use lava against it.

As Starcleaver had moved closer hoping to aid his ally, he was suddenly struck by a Sorcerous Blast from the the brain thing which barely left him standing. He immediately retaliated with a Force Cannon and then flung a Hot Spot to force the northern psi cat to back away.
The foe didn't seem to notice the hot lava forming underneath and instead just stood there, guarding the mystical spot.



Not looking good. If the Hyper Thalamus draws another Sorcerous Blast, Starcleaver's done for.

Starcleaver stared at his spellcasting foe floating in the corner - and suddenly whirled around, barely managing to spray the psi cat appearing behind him with magma. Teleport Other. And I had foolishly placed Starcleaver where he couldn't retreat.

Before the psi cat had time to attack, Starcleaver fell - to another Sorcerous Blast. Yep...

The fight had now turned into a staring match, with Ementhea in south corner, a psi cat in the east corner, another cat with the brain in the west corner and another cat guarding a lava pool in the north corner. The last one finally realized its mistake as its fur suddenly caught fire and it mewled helplessly one last time.

I keep clicking Pass, waiting for Sorcerous Blasts or another Whirlwind. And gain a VP since I'm now the only one with VP squares. But I still need four more which seems a bit unlikely.



"Here, kitty kitty kitty..."

The psi cats just stared at Ementhea, ignoring her calls as they were equally unwilling to step in the canals and unable to leap over them.
One of them suddenly vanished and promptly appeared on the other mystical square as Hyper Thalamus' spell had moved it there.

Another Whirlwild came roaring in - and this time it left Ementhea and one of the psi cats on the same corner!



The unluckly feline was hit with a flying fork and as it had just managed to evade the second one another tornado arrived - and this time deposited the other kitty near Ementhea!



"It's like a Fly-In diner!"

The priestess quickly claimed the mystical square and although the psi cat tried to fend off the hungry priestess, it quickly fell to the Invigorating Touch of the human's lips.

And another VP from holding the square. Heh, maybe I can actually win this one after all!

As Ementhea waited not-so-patiently for another handy tornado, the Hyper Thalamus struck her with a Sorcerous Blast. Then another Whirlwind arrived - but deposited Ementhea on the eastern corner with both of her foes on the opposite side.

The brainy foe looked at the disappointed priestess and struck her with a Mind Worm. Ementhea shrugged and Purged the annoyance with a spell. No VPs for anyone.

The Hyper Thalamus began to float towards the northern corner, doing a Reflexive Teleport over the canal. Another Whirlwind arrived - flinging the brain back to the western corner while the psi cat landed on the north side and Ementhea on the south side. The priestess took a Quick Step to the mystical square next to her and sat down to wait.

Another VP for me since Gary had used up all the move cards before using that last Whirlwind.

Now both sides just need one more VP to win. The next Whirlwind is going to be pretty decisive...



Another Whirlwind came roaring in - and threw both Ementhea and the barely standing psi cat on the western corner!
The feline barely had time to register where it was before the crazed priestess landed on it.

The Hyper Thalamus took one last look at the grisly scene and fled the area as fast as it could.

Heh, looks like I did have enough luck to win after all.



Loot: Robes Of Forgetfulness, Boots Of Discretion

 

Battle 3



"More foes. And more of those strange statues."
Starcleaver nodded at Blade's assesment. "Curse Idols. Don't remember what spells they use though."
"...curses?"
"Mmm yes. Probably so."

Thanks to Obvious Maneuver I know now the left idol has Beam of Hate. I pass, waiting for the idols to move closer.

Amenthea ran past the corner towards the approaching statue.

"Hooray! It's a pinata!"
"...what IS a pinata," Starcleaver asked Blade.
"Who knows..."

The idol struck Ementhea with a Beam Of Hate but the priestess just Bludgeoned the thing right back and as that failed to have to desired effect, tried to bite through it as it flung more hate at the hungry human.

Starcleaver moved the other way in order to get to a good position (and managed to avoid getting damaged by Unstable Bolt) and zapped the idol twice with his spells.

As the gnarls were starting to reach the fight, one of them turned out to be Cowardly. The second Clumsy idol had yet to reach the battle either.



The other idol probably wished it had been slower as well as Ementhea's teeth ate through the statue, causing the roughly hewn foe to crumble to pieces.

"Waaa... no candy!"
"Just what are her teeth made of," Starcleaver asked, shaking his head incredulously.
"Skepticism?"

Ementhea was quick to get over her disappointment and instead flung herself at the pair of gnarls behind the idol.

Blade had rounded the wall and struck the second gnarl with an Able Bludgeon as it moved to intercept the fighter.

Starcleaver reached a better vantage point as well and the other gnarl found itself standing in lava and started howling like a Mad Dog as the molten rock ate at its legs.



Unfazed at the sudden craziness of her foe Ementhea struck the gnarl with her knife. Its death throes did injure the priestess but hey also took down the other gnarl, leaving Blade free to run towards the remaining idol.

As Starcleaver began flinging spells at the approaching statue he discovered the Ancient Statue was impervious to electricity and got smacked with an Unholy Curse.

Meanwhile Ementhea had healed herself with a spell.

"How does she even use healing spells? I've never heard her mention any gods!"
"I REALLY don't know. She claims that mouse of her is a spirit - ", Blade switched to the elven language to make sure Emenhea wouldn't understand the rest, " - but I've even tried secretly switching her mouse to another one and it made no difference!"

Starcleaver shaked his head, flinging the approaching idol backwards with Force Cannon. It did no actual damage though. Arcane does work against Ancient Statue but the foe made a successful armor roll.



The idol lumbered towards Ementhea and got to promptly taste her knife, the stone stopping part of the blow's force.
The statue seemed to change its mind and instead turned to face Blade who was approaching from the other passage. The sisters quickly surrounded the idol.



Ementhea giggled, "You should see what that thing looks like from behind," and suddenly began to sing a raunchy tone.

Starcleaver listened to the simple melody as Blade's expression went past the normal Righteous Frenzy into straight out Unholy Frenzy. Even the statue seemed to react to the song and turned to blast the priestess with a Beam Of Hate. It never got to do much more as the frenzied fighter smacked it into pieces, its Barrier Of Hate failing to protect it from the blows. First one from behind, second failed the roll.

"Stop singing songs like that," Blade yelled at her sister.
"I found it rather amusing," Starcleaver remarked, shrugging at Blade's poisonous glance.

Adventure complete!

Starcleaver reaches level 8 and gains an Arcane Item slot while Blade reaches level 7 and gains a Human Skill slot.



Loot: Orla's Tear

 

Odd, for some reason there's a bunch of extra tags at the end of my previous post that I can't even get rid of by editing. And I didn't notice it at all yesterday.

Oh well, I'll add the part that was cut off here.

Loot: Orla's Tear, Simple Dagger, Jumpdragger Boots, Ztoli Branch (the hunt reward)
I pick Runcible's Bracelet for Starcleaver's new slot and Untrained Command for Blade's new slot.

---
Another day and another free chest:



Loot: Yellowdrake Robes, Superb Mobility, Whiteglass Token, Neophyte Cleansing, Sacrificial Axe.

Crystals of Chronak
Battle 1



"Mummies? Don't tell me she'll try to eat those..."

Blade answered Starcleaver's implied question with a dry laugh. "Oh, why not. She'll just say they're so well preserved..."

To her sister's chagrin Ementhea just began singing a bawdy tune about a mummy and its big gift-wrapped package as the priestess ran to meet the approaching foes.

The first mummy tried to force the hungry human backwards with an Able Bash but Ementhea just parried to blow and returned the favour with a Strong Bludgeon.

Starcleaver and Blade targetted the second mummy, hitting it with an Arcane Curse and a Reaching Swing before it managed knock Ementhea backwards.

"Playing hard to eat, are you," Ementhea growled and moved to a better position where the tree behind her would keep the foe from smacking her away - and dug her teeth into the foe.

The mummy attempted to retaliate with a Touch Of Death which seemed to do absolutely nothing on the unusual assailant. Dumb AI. Ementhea had no cards left at that point so Gary really should have started with that card...

Blade took a quick look at the ridiculous melee and started running towards the robed figure apparently leading the mummies.

Starcleaver quickly outpaced the fighter, despite casting spikes and lava underneath the undead as he ran.

The enemy priest yelled as he saw what was happening to his allies and flung a sharp throwing knife at the incoming elf, causing an Open Wound.



"Note to self: Do not try to scratch your ear after fire spells either. Brain Burn not fun."

The elf's Dangerous Move had already left him close enough the the blood priest to raise the foe's Defensiveness markedly.

The mummy fighting against Ementhea tried another Touch Of Death against the priestess, this time with more results.

The quickly moving elf reached the robed foe forcing the enemy to retreat to guard the doorway to the ziggurat but it soon got a face full of Magma Spray. The enemy priest yelled something in a screeching language - and the mummies finally dispersed from the trapped squares created by Starcleaver's earlier spells.

Ementhea ignored the mummy moving after her and instead ran after her earlier opponent. The one moving after Blade only has Shuffle and one more card left while the one moving to attack Ementhea has four unrevealed cards. Too much potential ouch to stay there when Ementhea has no real attacks cards this turn.

Meanwhile Ementhea had began another song:
"I'm an Ancient Mummy and I'm ok,
I *oof* all night and I *graah* all day..."
"Stop singing those unholy ditties, you're worse than most sailors," Blade groaned, spinning back to hit the nearest undead with a frenzied Lunging Hack which unfortunately hit Only Bones. Ah, so the foes did have that card after all. Now I know.

The fighter then turned to run towards the elf again. One VP to Gary for holding the square.

The mummy seemed to be the one taking the greatest offense at Ementhea's song and whacked the priestess with yet another Touch Of Death - and finally managed to knock the human down. Ouch. She still had Purge in hand from the previous turn and got three more cards which meant 8 damage in total - just enough to take Ementhea out.



Starcleaver quickly cast a Forgetfulness spell at the enemy priest before it had a chance to cast anything and then followed up with a Deadly Spark.

Behind him Blade was leaving the slower mummies behind as she bounded towards her ally. The blood priest tried to slow her down with another flung projectile but the little nick caused by it did no actual damage.

Meanwhile the second mummy seemed to have trouble even moving around the tree it was currently behind. Slowed. Two failed rolls already. Well, more time to take out the enemy priest and capture the VP square.
But Gary still gains another VP as the blood priest is still standing in the doorway.



Hmm. I could flush the blood priest out of the VP square with Hot Spot but then I'd be unable to capture it either. But the AI just might be dumb enough to either stay in the lava or to move too close Blade...

"None shall pass," the blood priest suddenly announced, this time in Common.
"So nothing I say will make you move," Starcleaver asked, his face full of fake concern.
"Nothing."
"Oh, I think I know just the word!"
The blood priest's smug expression fell as it felt its feet begin to burn.



Yes, the AI was just dumb enough.

The blood priest shrieked and ran away from the pool of lava - and directly into Blade's Trained Bludgeon.

With the first foe out of the picture, Starcleaver dashed towards the slowly approaching mummies, trying to fling the first one back with a Force Cannon but the foe just seemed to absorb the spell. He had Absorbing Block. Which just healed the mummy. Blah.
So, I can't use any slashing attacks thanks to Only Bones and using magic will be tricky as well, thanks to Absorbing Block. And the VP square is now full of lava. Then again, the lava won't last for long and the enemies are veeery slow...

Starcleaver and Blade looked at the enemies waddling towards them at a snail's pace and then at each other.

"It will be faster to just go inside," Blade remarked.
"What about your sister?"
"Bah, she'll be fine in a moment. Those two aren't going to stop her from entering once she remembers there may be something even better inside."



With the lava gone I can just sit in the VP square and click Pass repeatedly. The mummies don't have enough moves to reach me in time.

And my estimate proved correct as the closer mummy was still three squares away as I scored the last required VP.



Loot: Topaz, Monkey Skin Mask.

 

Battle 2



"And on the menu tonight: more mythological monsters," Blade noted as they saw what was waiting them in the other end the room.
"I'm getting a headache from even looking at that thing," Starcleaver groaned.

Apparently so did one of the blood disciples as he suddenly doubled over thanks to some Demonic Revenge.

As the group of zealots ran closer, Starcleaver blasted the already hurt one with a Deadly Spark but the blood-covered foe managed to block the spell. Unfazed the elf unleashed an Unstable Bolt, hitting another foe.

"Move forward, I can't get past you," Blade snapped at the others.
"I'd rather not let them get at me either, " Starcleaver replied, zapping the rapidly approaching zealot with an Arcane Curse.

Ementhea ran forward, her eyes locked on the horned beast lurking behind the disciples. "Oo, a really rare treat! Make way!"

The zealots clearly couldn't understand what the fur-clad priestess was saying but her swinging knife soon made her intentions more than obvious.
One of the foes tried to Hemorrhage Ementhea with his weapons but her armor stopped most of the blow while two more of the disciples seemed to suffer from Demonic Revenge.



Ementhea looked at the mass of people standing in her way and suddenly switched directions, running past Starcleaver.

"All yours," the priestess announced as the surprised wizard was left to defend himself against the group of foes.



Ah, wasn't expecting that. This will be fun...

Except that Gary picked the exact same square I was going to anyway. Heh.

The first of the blood disciples marched forward to engage Starcleaver but the elf quickly countered with an Ember Spray. The blast hit the closest zealot squarely but the second one managed to Hit The Deck in time and the third one had time to block.
Starcleaver swiftly unleashed another spell, felling one of the disciples with a Deadly Spark.

Meanwhile Ementhea had begun singing again, driving Blade again into frenzy once again. The fighter put her anger into good use, running to engage the flank of the enemy group and swiftly dropping two of the disciples with her blows and blocking the only counterattack.



The chupacabra had now gotten close enough to Ementhea for the priestess to smell it. Blade took one look at her sister and shook her head.

"Poor beast. Sis has gone to a feeding frenzy again..."

But just in case the foe has another Maze Of The Mind at hand, I'm not moving Ementhea yet.

As the ugly monster was now close enough to Starcleaver as well, the elf zapped it with an Arcane Curse but only managed to break its Flight Aura. The foe didn't seem to care and scampered to engage Ementhea - and realized its mistake as the frenzied priestess' Strong Bludgeon smacked its furry shoulder.

The beast roared and used its Consuming Touch against Ementhea, doing only partial damage thanks to her Thick Hide Armor.

Meanwhile the last disciple was trying to keep Blade away from the central stairs but found his skills lacking against the fighter woman. Two more Lunging Hacks connected, leaving the zealot barely standing and Starcleaver's second Ember Spray took the enemy out.

The chupacabra had scored two more bites against Ementhea, the last one clearly causing an infection. The priestess retreated, cursing at the enemy.

"Have you never heard of a toothbrush?"

Gary gains another VP as the disciple only takes the lethal burning damage after the scoring phase.



The mythical foe decided to go after Blade next but the fighter just retreated, luring the enemy closer. She couldn't quite evade its fangs though and got hit by an Infected Bite as well.

This was all the diversion the others needed though. Ementhea charged right back into the battle, whacking the beast twice with frenzied blows before dancing away from its reach and before the foe had time to do anything else it found itself falling into a pit of spikes summoned by Starcleaver.

There was only a brief gurgling before the mythical beast was -
"Luuunch," Ementhea yelled victoriously.



Loot: Oval Shield, Mokk's Boots (legendary boots, whoo!)

Ementhea decides to put the new boots into use straight away.

 

Battle 3



Starcleaver and Blade stared at the huge creature.

"My theory: your sister has managed to insult some kind of a God of Hunger who is now trying to prove that there are still better eaters than Ementhea," Starcleaver pondered.
"Could be," Blade replied, "But if that thing loses I don't even want to imagine what we'll encounter next... and if she keeps singing like that, we'll be up against the whole bloody pantheon!"

Hmm, I have no idea what kind of cards the tongue thing has. But let's try taking it out first, even if it's probably a bit risky.

The tongue demon unleashed a Tongue Storm that hit the whole party, causing Ementhea to yelp and start running towards the huge foe who hit her again with another Tongue Lash.

As Starcleaver ran out to join the fight, the foe used a Tongue Grab against the elf who yelled in disgust and began flinging spells at the abomination. Sizzling Bolt. Penetrating Zap.

Blade ran to help her friends as well, whacking the blood disciple who tried to intercept the group. The zealot managed to avoid the blow by hitting the deck but found himself in Stone Spikes.

The other foes were beginning to converge on the central room and the magma idol found a chance to turn the ground underneath Ementhea into a Hot Spot.



Despite the closest disciple's attempts to protect the greater abomination, Blade and Starcleaver turned their full fury on the Tsastii. Magma Spray. Magma Spray. Simple Strike. Trained Bludgeon.

"Hey, leave some for me," Ementhea yelled, slowed down by all the steps in between her and the tongue monster and battered by the huge foe's attacks. She did however cut down the disciple still standing in the way while the other zealots had captured the main altar the group had left behind.

The Tsatsii proved to have more hunger than sense though and Ementhea yelled in delight as the foe finally moved closer, bringing it into reach of Ementhea's knife.

Tsatsii had one more Walk in had but Gary passed after my attack. As I didn't want the enemy to act first on next turn I moved Starcleaver once more hoping for Gary to use the last Walk card afterwards. Luckily he did just that and I got to pass first. Gary did score a VP from holding the middle though.



Starcleaver would never have expected to see a greater abomination look surprised but there was no other way of describing the Tsatsii's expression as Ementhea launched herself at the tongue horror. Its Scaberous Skin managed to protect it from the priestess' knife but its fight ended with a sharp, bone-crunching bite as Ementhea dug her teeth into the huge foe.

Despite the death of the greater abomination Ementhea was nevertheless forced to retreat as one of the remaining blood disciples surprised her from behind with a nasty Cut.

Starcleaver turned to defend his ally and hit the zealot with an Ember Spray, followed by a Deadly Spark. And as the foe had pushed its way into the lava pool to hit Ementhea, this proved enough to bring the disciple down, especially as Blade joined the fight with a Lunging Hack.

Another VP for Gary for holding the middle but I gain one as well as the disciple burns in the lava.



Ementhea had apparently decided to surprise the remaining enemies from behind and ran off to circle to the other side of the middle room. The remaining disciple yelled a challenge and darted out the side door to engage Ementhea - and got promptly bit by the priestess.
The zealot's attempted retaliation did manage to cut through the priestess' armor but only barely.

Hmm. Now the crucial question is: What cards does the magma idol have in its hand? Starcleaver has enough move cards to evade any Hot Spots but not enough health to survive direct attacks. Blade on the other hand has plenty of health but only one move. And I'd rather not take the 8 damage from lava. Oh well, we'll find out soon...

With the disciple out the way Starcleaver ran right back into the central room, capturing the mystical altar in the middle right before the idol could move onto it. The statue retaliated with an Ember Spray but Starcleaver ignored the minor nuisance and summoned Stone Spikes underneath the foe.

Again the magma idol attacked, this time with a Maze spell that forced Starcleaver to step aside. Shaking off the spell he dashed right back but was forced to again leave the altar as the statue spat hot magma on top of it.

Ha, now the idol is out of cards and Blade can safely move.

As the elf was jumping around the room Blade had ran off to aid her sister, smacking the remaining disciple with a Trained Bludgeon.

Meanwhile the magma idol had marched right into the lava, claiming the altar from the annoyed elf wizard who was trying to put out his smoldering cloak.



The last zealot was now in a tough spot as both sisters ganged up on him. The disciple's attempt to Hemorrhage Blade met only armor and the sister duo's Bludgeons soon took the bare-chested foe down, leaving only the idol to stand against the heroes.

Starcleaver decided to let the sisters handle the statue, his cloak still trying its best to burn down.

Another VP for Gary but with only one foe left this should be easy enough.



The animated statue turned to spout magma at Blade's feet.

Ah, so the idol has a Fireproof Charm and a Shuffle in hand. Which means Ementhea's safe to attack. Too bad moving Starcleaver is a bit too risky, thanks to Unstable Bolt. I don't remember offhand whether Shuffle, Team would trigger Unstable Bolt but there's no need to take the risk yet anyway.

Blade and Ementhea promptly surrounded the magma idol, the latter immediately beginning to wear the statue down with her knife.

Another VP for Gary but the idol only has 7 hp left.



And with those cards the victory is mine.

"I'm going to crack that statue like a peanut," Ementhea laughed as the sister duo circled the already weakened statue.
"Not if I do it first," Blade replied, smacking the idol with an Able Bludgeon.
"Hey, it's mine! I saw it first!"
"No! I did!"

The magma idol seemed to have trouble deciding which way to turn and it swiveled to and fro as the sisters bickered around it.
Starcleaver peeked around the corner, rolled his eyes and blasted the statue apart with a Deadly Spark.

"Can we go now? I need a bath, I'm still covered in saliva..."

Adventure Complete!

And all three heroes gain a level.



Loot: Trained Blazing, Bastion Boots, Reinforced Mail, Ztoli Idol (the treasure hunt reward)

And todays free chest:



Loot: Flenserbone Staff, Arcing Electromancy, Enlightened Devotion, Molten Pyromancy, Emberfloat Mantle

Next time: The Troll Tyrant

 

Another free chest:


Loot: Boots Of Discretion, Deathtouch Maul, Hallowing Hammer, Wrathful Club, Cautious Trickery

And since the new adventure is for level 18 characters and I don't want to take a long break to level up Ementhea's group, I'm switching characters.

Colxian
Level 18 Human Warrior

Bejeweled Shortsword
Lochaber Axe
Rageblood Dagger
Dependable Mail
Black Cat Buckler
Shifty Skin Hat
Cheap Fencer's Boots
Untrained Command
Angry Attacker

6 x Vicious Thrust
1 x Bruiser
1 x Unreliable Block
1 x Powerful Bludgeon
1 x Rusty Armor
1 x Weak Chop
1 x Blind Rage
2 x Walk
1 x Thick Hide Armor
2 x Shuffle, Team!
1 x All Out Attack
3 x Powerful Hack
3 x Nimble Strike
3 x Parry
2 x Lunging Hack
1 x Reliable Mail
2 x Mail
1 x Flimsy Block
1 x Impaler
1 x Raging Strike
1 x Dancing Cut
​

Mizana
Level 18 Human Wizard

Sorcerery Staff
Unstable Staff
Blister Stone
Elemental Diadem
Elemental Diadem
Blazing Skull
Cerulean Robe
Mokk's Boots
Trained Command
Superb Rifthopping

1 x Acid Blast
2 x Escaping Run
1 x Walk
1 x Dimensional Traveller
1 x Officer's Harness
2 x Devastating Spark
1 x Fire Spray
2 x Spark
1 x Walk, Team!
1 x Surging Bolt
1 x Brain Burn
2 x Sorcerous Blast
1 x Scamper
1 x Sorcerous Bolt
1 x Surging Blast
4 x Unstable Bolt
2 x Acid Spray
1 x Dash, Team!
1 x Weakened Armor
6 x Hot Spot
2 x Wall Of Fire
1 x Resistant Hide
​

Dawnshield
Level 18 Dwarf Priest

Malign Mace
Wrathful Club
Mail Of The Martyr
Spiked Shield
Rusty Plated Shoes
Demon Charm Of The 7th Circle
Incense Of Roiled Air
Incense Of Roiled Air
Raging Battler
Superb Piety

1 x Demonic Power
1 x Righteous Frenzy
2 x Surging Shield Block
2 x Draining Touch
1 x Powerful Bludgeon
2 x Punishing Strike
1 x Scamper
2 x Martyr Blessing
1 x Healing Rays
1 x Bludgeon
2 x Mass Frenzy
1 x Reliable Mail
1 x Demonic Feedback
2 x Purging Strike
1 x Strong Bludgeon
2 x Altruism
1 x Unholy Wellspring
1 x Simple Strike
1 x Team Shift
1 x Horned Plates
4 x Inspiration
2 x Blind Rage
1 x Bad Luck
1 x Lunging Thrust
1 x Rusty Armor
​

The gear selection was a bit hasty, no idea what I'll actually need in the next adventure.

The Troll Tyrant

Battle 1

"Sister? You're really Silvershield's sister?"
Mizana was clearly having a hard time believing Dawnshield's earlier revelation.
"Yes. Well, we had the same father. Let's just say he really enjoyed dwarvish curves and was a big enough hero to make sure he met a lot of them, " the priestess explained, eyeing the human sorceress up and down. "But I'm not as picky as he was... You're after some weapons or what?"
"Yes," Mizana sighed. "It's a long story..."
"-ot company," Colxian cut them off in a gruff voice.



As the monsters around them started to move closer, Mizana raised her staff and began flinging spells. Her first Unstable Bolt hit the rust monster moving towards Dawnshield and the second one struck the next foe moving in from behind. The odd monster growled and hit Mizana with a Corrosive Touch.

Ah. Those foes could prove nasty. Positioning Move allows them extra cards, Corrosive Touch forces the target to discard both armor and attacks and it's even a free action so each rust monster may get to attack multiple times per turn.

Dawnshield wasn't about to get surprised either and whacked the first incoming rust monster with a Strong Bludgeon, followed by a Purging Strike. Although it's not that useful yet, it's still better to use it than to be forced to discard it. The dwarf then pulled back, making way for Colxian to attack.

Although the fighter got hit by a Sizzling Bolt he proved surprisingly quick for a man of his bulk and the rust monster barely had time to realize its previous target had slipped out of reach before Colxian appeared in front of the beast, cutting the corrosive foe with two consecutive Nimble Strikes fuelled by his Blind Rage.

On the other side of the wall the second rust monster had hit Mizana with a Pseudopod Strike before running to cut off Dawnshield's retreat path. The sorceress shrugged and instead turned her attention on the fire sprites, targetting one of them with an Acid Blast as another one spit flames towards Colxian.

Ha, the rust monsters were dumb enough to only target Mizana who was the only one without any armor or melee attacks. And the fire sprites only targetted Colxian and Dawnshield who both had Reliable Mail.



Feeling unusually altruistic (drew two Altruism cards in a row) Dawnshield turned to aid Colxian. As Mizana was on the wrong side of the wall she couldn't quite hear just what the dwarf priestess said but it clearly provided the human fighter with both Inspiration and Demonic Power and the fighter's Dancing Cut smashed down the weakest fire sprites. Which amusingly had just suffered from Brain Burn. With all of them equally depicted as flaming skulls, it must have been the only one with a brain...

The sprites tried their best to grill the human fighter with their spells but their weak flames were having no effect on the well protected fighter.

"-ire brigade," Colxian barked as his raging Powerful Hack hit another sprite, nearly cleaving it in two with one blow.

Meanwhile Dawnshield was getting mauled by the rust monster and she hopped back after having her armor melted by the beast's Corrosive Touches.

Colxian however was still on fire, both literally and figuratively and although the closest fire sprite had managed to slip away from him, the fighter easily caught up with the other two and hit one of them with another Nimble Strike.



Hmm. I don't want to move Mizana until the rust creatures use their move card and there's little reason to move Colxian. So I just pass.

The rust monsters ran closer, Mizana quickly backing away from the third rust monster who had finally reached the battle. She turned to Spark the other beast who was quickly wearing Dawnshield with tentacles and Infected Bites and summoned a Wall of Fire to burn down the fire sprites Colxian had trapped against the wall. The rust monster may be the bigger danger but I could have only hit one of them with the lava...

Despite her best efforts the assault had proven too much for Dawnshield who collapsed against the wall.



Hmm. Thanks to Obvious Maneuver I can see that the rust monsters have two Run cards in hand. They could easily catch Mizana with those unless...

Mizana grimaced as she saw the dwarven priestess fall and the rust monster turn its ugly head towards the sorceress.

"Oh, no you're not," she growled and the ground between her and the rust monster was suddenly full of acid, preventing the foe from getting at her fast.

On the other side of the room one of the two fire sprites had lost to the stronger heat of the lava but the other one managed to float away, only to get cut down by Colxian's Vicious Thrust.

The last fire sprite tried to spit more flames at the fighter but another Vicious Thrust extinguished it as well.

The rust monsters were closing in on Mizana but the sorceress waited for them to get right next to her before making her move. There was only one possible move for Mizana that would keep her away from the rust creatures this turn.

And now I could really use some good cards or Mizana may well fall next turn.



...and what do I get? Plenty of move cards. Too bad there's no room or Mizana to flee...

With the second rust creature blocking her escape route Mizana was forced to back against the wall. Now I could of course attack with Colxian but the foes still have two Corrosive Touch cards visible. So he'd get hit three times just to make one attack...



I finally draw attacks but is it too late already?

With one of the rust creatures moving to engage Colxian he sprang into action. He managed to hit the foe with a Vicious Thrust before losing his armor to a Corrosive Touch.

Meanwhile Mizana was desperately battling the other beast. Her Surging Blast hit the foe dead on as Colxian's Unreliable Block managed to stop another tentacle from hitting the fighter. The sorceress pressed on, rolling to the other side of the ugly beast and as the foe seemed more interested in watching the other beast flail on Colxian the sorceress got away, turning only to summon lava underneath her previous opponent.

The heavily beaten Colxian finally managed to pull away from his foe but the other joined in on the hunt despite having been heavily burned by Mizana's lava.



"-ie, maggot!"

Colxian's Powerful Hack crushed the weaker rust creature and he quickly darted towards Mizana as the other one tried to slip behind the fighter.
The enemy has two Tough Hides in hand so there's not much point in using Mizana's Spark quite yet.

Looks like I'll need to play the old minimal retreat game with the rust creature while Mizana's spells cut down its health. The foe doesn't have any ranged attacks so Colxian can just keep retreating one square each time the foe advances. Moving any more than that would just make it easier for the enemy to catch one of the heroes.



Hmm, Colxian did finally draw some good attacks. But since he'd only get to use one them before falling it's better to stick to the plan and just use him to delay.

The strange beast tried to get close enough to Colxian to attack but the fighter proved too fast, keeping easily ahead of the foe despite its attempts at a Positioning Move.

As the beast momentarily stopped Mizana decided to take the risk and ran closer. Before the enemy had time to react the floor beneath it was turning into lava and by the time it did move the sorceress was long gone and it was forced to once again take the Obvious Maneuver of going after Colxian.



This time the annoying human didn't retreat though.

"-runch time!"

Colxian's words were followed by a Powerful Hack. The rust creature screeched in pain and retaliated with an Infected Bite but it wasn't enough and the last thing the beast felt was a Vicious Thrust of Colxian's sword as it impaled the creature's head.



Loot: gold nuggets and Advanced Evasion

Well, that was a tough fight. If I hadn't gotten lucky in the beginning, I could have easily lost.

 

Unfortunately I have an unusually busy week ahead of me so there'll be little time for Card Hunter. So there'll now be a break until Sunday....

 

Battle 2



"-smell something," Colxian announced in a voice that was technically a whisper but wasn't exactly quiet.
"Trolls. No wonder my sister didn't come here herself. Those things look too much like her previous boyfriends and are equally hard to get rid of, " Dawnshield replied.



Troll Regeneration. Looks like I should have picked heavier attacks for Colxian. Good thing Mizana has plenty of lava in her deck.

Ignoring the troll approaching from the side Dawnshield slipped past Mizana giving her an inspiring grope as she moved to intercept the rust monsters they could hear in the west.
I click pass to wait for the rust creatures, prepared to hit the first one with Punishing Strike - and Melvin does one of his random passes. Cool, maybe I'll get some lava this time.
Nope, no lava for Mizana and the northern troll doesn't have enough attacks for Blind Rage to actually hurt it due to regeneration.

"What are they waiting for," Dawnshield pondered aloud, taking a quick peek to check what Mizana was doing. "Nice legs, by the way..."

The Inspiration provided by the dwarf's words were soon forgotten as Mizana was forced into an Escaping Run to get away from the troll moving to swiping distance.
And Mizana drew a Hot Spot thanks to that. Now we're talking....

Colxian also noticed the new threat and turned to whack the foe with a Powerful Bludgeon.

On the other side the rust creatures seemed to take the sounds of battle as their cue and ran to engage Dawnshield who smacked the first one with a Punishing Strike. Hah, the foes still had 6 cards in hand so Punishing Strike did 15 damage!
The wounded beast retaliated with a Corrosive Touch and Dawnshield quickly retreated.

The first troll hit Colxian back with a Mighty Bludgeon and the usually so fast fighter was a little late in his Parry attempt.



Meanwhile Mizana had stopped running and turned to battle the rust monsters with her spells.
Again the troll attacked Colxian but this time the fighter was fast enough and his Parry halted the hairy foe's Bite. Yeesh. He failed to Parry a 14 damage attack and then succeeded against a 4 damage one. Once again I should really get a 'Dice are trying to kill me' t-shirt...

Noticing the other troll's approach from behind Colxian began moving forward, keeping the closer troll busy with a Vicious Thrust. As Mizana's spells had left the first rust creature barely standing Colxian's sudden Nimble Strike proved too much for it and it fell lifeless to the ground.

"We need fire against those trolls, " Dawnshield yelled to Mizana.
Mizana's reply was a dangerous grin. "Oh, THAT I can take of..."

The sorceress ran to surprise the closer troll from behind. The hairy beast's sense of hearing proved too good though and it Charged out of the passage but the blow barely slowed the human down and she Scampered further away. After she was again safely out of the troll's reach the sorceress turned and cast a Hot Spot under the beast.

On the other side Dawnshield looked at the bruised Colxian and shaking her head gave the man a Martyr Blessing.



Mizana was once again forced to back off away from the troll but this time its horrid smell caused Mizana to lose concentration and her Unstable Bolt hit her own leg.

The second rust creature had seen Colxian cut down the other one and moved to retaliate but met the fighter's Nimble Strike and the human then deftly parried the beast's next attack.

"-an't touch this," Colxian muttered, his Vicious Thrust hitting the foe's flank. The fighter then ran to the side to evade any further blows but the monster followed just as fast and the next Corrosive Touch found its target, melting the fighter's armor.

Dawnshield had turned and marched to aid Mizana against the trolls but her face fell as she saw the situation: The trolls had surrounded the human sorceress from both sides and one of them had proven fast enough to get into striking distance.

Mizana had time to cast one more Hot Spot under the approaching troll's feet. Argh. Not only did the troll have Staggering Blow and Mighty Bludgeon in hand but it also managed to draw an extra Walk card and could thus catch up with Mizana.

Amusingly Melvin happens to pass again at this point. Well, it's probably not enough to save Mizana as Melvin will still act first next turn but hey, I'll take what I can get...

As the Combustible troll realized it was standing in the dangerous lava it quickly backed away to safety. Woohoo! Saved by the dumb AI. It prioritized getting away from lava over finishing Mizana off. Or maybe Melvin was actually thinking in character and figured the trolls would fear fire that much...



The rust creature may have caught up with Colxian but the fighter was far from ready to give up. The fighter's wounds had driven him into a Blind Rage and he raised his weapon, roaring as his Powerful Hack nearly split the foe in two. It was just one point short of killing the rust creature. Too bad there was no chance to wait for Mass Frenzy first.

The rust creature screeched in pain and its tentacle struck Colxian again, its Corrosive Touch leaving the fighter in equally bad condition.

"-elgium," Colxian cursed, retreating from his opponent who immediately followed. Not enough moves to get away from rust creature and the others are too far away to help. Too bad it's Colxian who has that Shuffle, Team in hand...

Mizana tried to hit the approaching troll with a Fire Spray but the flames failed to get past its Thick Hide Armor. Following Colxian's yelled order she tried to slip past the dangerous foe, hitting it with a Surging Bolt as a distraction. Unfortunately the troll was ready for such a maneuver and its Staggering Blow slowed the sorceress just enough to keep her from getting fully past the troll. She had to discard Run which would have allowed her to get to safety after the other two moves. And instead of drawing something useful from Martyr's Blessing she draws an Officer's Harness. Oh yay.

As Dawnshield could hear Colxian falling to yet another Corrosive Touch she grit her teeth and began casting something much darker. The Demonic Feedback allowed Mizana to regain enough power for another spell - but she never got the chance to cast it before a Mighty Bludgeon knocked her out of the fight. And naturally the troll happens to use an attack that's strong enough to drop Mizana. Lady Luck, what a fickle mistress.

With just Dawnshield left and he trolls still with 26 and 28 hp, this battle is officially a lost cause. I click Resign Battle.

Looks like I'll need to make some changes for the next attempt. Colxian will be needing stronger attacks and Dawnshield will need purges to combat the regen. But it's still going to be pretty hard...

 

Attempt 2

Colxian switches Lochaber Axe for Trickster's Maquah (heavier attacks) and Rageblood Dagger for Acrobat's Blade (heavier attacks and the weaker ones have range).

Mizana switches Cerulean Robe for Scarlet Robes (Improved TK and Arcane Aura are both useful here) and one Elemental Diadem for a Locket Of The Gale (Winds Of War).

Dawnshield switches Superb Piety for Trained Cleansing (Purge), Mail Of The Martyr for Greenhide Armor (Purging Strike) and Malign Mace for Aureate Mace (Devastating Blow and Bash should both be useful).

And off we go again.



I click pass to check whether the enemies happen to get Troll Regeneration on the first turn. They both do, one of them twice to make sure.

With both of her allies guarding one direction Dawnshield had time to inspire herself by ogling at Mizana's curves. The sorceress happened to notice this and winked at the dwarf, feeling rather inspired herself. Dawnshield drew only Draining Touch while Mizana drew Wings Of War. I actually wanted to use both Inspirations on Dawnshield but misclicked on the second one.

Everyone was waiting to see which foe would reach the group first, unwilling to act too early.

The southern troll happened to be the first but Dawnshield's Bash drove the foe back. The stubborn enemy wasn't deterred that easily though and it pushed forward again, this time meeting Colxian's Mighty Hack. The troll roared and slammed Dawnshield with a Mighty Bludgeon before Mizana cast a Hot Spot underneath its feet.

The rust creatures had reached the battle as well with a Positioning Move but Mizana was ready for it and her Wings Of War sent the first one sliding back along with the northern troll that was slowly approaching from behind the group.

The rust creatures proved equally tenacious and ran back to melee range. Mizana tried again to persuade the foes to retreat with an Acid Blast but the ugly beast ignored the corrosive puddle and instead hit Colxian with a Corrosive Touch. The sorceress cursed and unleashed a Surging Bolt at the rust creature, stepping away from the troll as Colxian got bit by his rusty foe.

Good, I get to pass first.



Still no purging cards but Punishing Strike is useful. But I'll still need to begin with Colxian before he loses his melee attacks to Corrosive Touch. And at this point I really wish Dawnshield was in striking distance of the rust creatures. Punishing Strike against their 7 card hand?

Well, if I'm lucky the troll will retreat from the lava and I'll be able to move Colxian before the rust creatures attack.

As the Combustible troll next to them roared in pain thanks to the lava at its feet, Colxian's Powerful Hack hit the first rust creature, hitting a weak spot in its double-thick Tough Hide. The foe countered with a Pseudopod Strike.

Dawnshield tried to inspire herself again despite the stench of the burning troll next to her but was unable to find a fruitful approach to the situation. Drew another Punishing Strike. They would be useful against the rust creatures but Colxian's in the way. And the nearby troll only has 3 cards in hand so it's not a good target either for now.

Mizana moved closer to her allies once more (to keep the southern troll from taking her earlier place and to allow her to possibly use Escaping Run later if the troll doesn't retreat).

The wounded rust creature retreated from the acid and the troll decided to do likewise. Colxian quickly ran to the other side of the group. The next rust creature saw this as an opportunity and stepped into the acid, determined to get at Dawnshield on the other side.

I keep clicking pass as there's really nothing for me to do this turn anymore as Melvin wastes the remaining move cards for the trolls.



Still no purges. But Colxian draws Powerful Bludgeon and also a Devastating Blow after the Bruiser card. Good.

Inspiring herself again by peeking at Mizana's legs Dawnshield waited for the first foe to come closer. The rust creatures proved quicker and the first one met the dwarf's Punishing Strike. 13 damage. Unfortunately the foe's Corrosive Touch left her unable to attack again and she pulled back.

Unfortunately the troll on the other side happened to take this exact moment to move, cutting the heroes' escape route. Argh. Both Colxian and Dawnshield are low enough on health to fall to a single Mighty Bludgeon which the troll warrior currently has in its hand. And Dawnshield will even fall to Staggering Blow. Oh well, maybe the AI will do something dumb...

Angry at the the troll blocking her way Dawnshield began singing a song to drive everyone to a Mass Frenzy. Before Colxian could benefit from it the troll slammed the fighter with a Mighty Bludgeon, knocking him out of the fight.

"-ot teh urn..."

Yep, figured that might happen. But using one of his attacks first wouldn't have made much difference either, considering the troll has 38 hp and still has Troll Regeneration attached.

Mizana cast another pool of lava underneath the nearer rust creature and then quickly went for an Escaping Run as the southern troll moved to attack. This maneuver did her little good as it just brought her into melee range of the other troll who whacked the sorceress with a Staggering Blow. Another Escaping Run and Mizana had finally reached a spot where she could actually run away from the trolls.

Both trolls still have attack cards in hand but Melvin does one of his random passes. So Dawnshield won't fall on this turn but Melvin's still going to act first on the next one...

Dawnshield was now surrounded by both angry trolls and she promptly fell to an Obliterating Bludgeon from one of them. She had 8 hp left at that point. Overkill much?



Well, winning this will require a LOT of luck...

As the enemies began marching towards Mizana the sorceress decided to take the risk and ran the other way. The corner is a bad place to fight the trolls and it's not like there's much difference between 8 hp and 4 hp anyway against these enemies. Her small gamble failed and her concentration broke again from bumping into a corner and her Unstable Bolt again hit herself.

The first troll had finally come into view of Mizana but found itself in a Hot Spot. It managed to hop out of the lava but the sorceress retreated.

The rust creatures had moved to cut off Mizana's escape route and again the sorceress lashed out, casting a Wall Of Fire at the first beast. And again the foes proved too quick and escaped the fiery death. Aaand my bad luck continues.

Mizana's final Ember Spray had little effect on the ferocious foes and she fell to yet another Corrosive Touch.

Yeesh. I've had horrible luck so far but I'd still say this battle is one of the harder ones in the whole campaign.
Well, there's still one more attempt left..

 

Attempt 3

And for the last try Dawnshield switches Demon Charm Of The 7th Circle for a Shielding Token.



Well, the beginning looks good. Mighty Hack and All Out Attack? Great!

And even more surprisingly the northern troll does not draw Troll Regeneration during the first turn!

Dawnshield leaned over to whisper something to Colxian which seemed to have quite the Inspirational effect. Drew Feinting Strike! And the southern troll doesn't draw Troll Regeneration yet either! Whoa...

As the fighter then ran off to engage the northern troll Dawnshield recited a powerful prayer that surrounded Colxian with an Impenetrable Nimbus. And hopefully the other troll doesn't have more move cards in hand.

With the rust monsters getting closer to Mizana Colxian reached his prey who tried a futile Bite, its teeth stopping at the divine barrier. The fighter went for an All Out Attack, his Mighty Hack cutting a huge gash in the creature's chest. 28 damage, woohoo!

Meanwhile the other troll proved faster than expected and reached the women. Darn.



Hmm. I probably can't get rid of the southern troll as it may not have any moves left so the important thing is keeping the rust creatures away from Mizana. So I have two options:
1) Move Dawnshield back first, then retreat with Mizana as the rust creatures move next to her. This might trigger both Unstable Bolts though which might allow the troll to finish her off.
2) Block the passage with Hot Spot and hope the rust creatures don't enter the lava anyway.
As the foes still have full health and I've seen enemies enter lava too often to feel safe, I'll pick the first option. And hope the troll doesn't have good cards.

"We have to follow Mr Meatshield," Dawnshield yelled Mizana while retreating. Melvin passes.

Mizana turned, saw the troll standing within striking distance and unleashed an Unstable Bolt at the hairy foe. The rust creatures came in snarling, forcing Mizana to follow her ally and this time managing to maintain her concentration. And Melvin passes again. Both trolls have 2 cards in hand, aren't any of them attacks then?

Mizana unleashed another Unstable Bolt at the troll followed with a Hot Spot while Colxian continued hacking away at his opponent. As he noticed the nimbus around him starting to fade he quickly lunged backwards. Unfortunately the hairy foe Charged after him. Ah, so that's what the remaining cards must be.

I could have used that Lunging Hack to attack the troll but it'd just be at 1 hp instead of 3 hp which probably won't matter much. And I didn't want to give the foe the chance to attack first next turn. Now I get to pass first.



Colxian whirled around again and surprised the heavily wounded troll with one more Vicious Thrust which impaled the hairy foe. It stared at the sword dumbfounded until its knees sagged and it fell down lifeless.

Meanwhile the other troll had managed to Bite Dawnshield through her Rusty Armor.

Hmm. Mizana can't retreat until Dawnshield moves but then the remaining troll could step in her place leaving Mizana in an even worse spot. So I'll have to wait for the troll to move first. Good thing I have another nimbus in hand...

Ignoring the minor pain Dawnshield recited another prayer, this time to protect Mizana. Unfortunately the troll rewarded her deed with an Obliterating Bludgeon.

The priestess cursed and grabbed the troll's arm, her Draining Touch stealing some of the foe's life force. The troll swung again, this time targetting Mizana with a Staggering Blow. With the Impenetrable Nimbus protecting her, the only result was a failed spell. Forced to discard Sorcerous Blast and Run.

Mizana gave the hairy foe an irritated glance and shot a quick Spark towards it as the rust creatures once again reached the sorceress.
The beasts' tentacles failed to penetrate the protective nimbus around Mizana and finally the troll was forced to retreat as it realized it was still standing in molten rock. Dawnshield immediately pulled back to allow Mizana to do the same.

The protective spell around Mizana suddenly began to fade but before the rust creatures got a chance to attack, Mizana used Dimensional Traveller to blink backwards with the foes in hot pursuit.



As she finally had enough room Mizana broke into a full Run, leaving the enemies quickly behind.

And the other troll still hasn't drawn Troll Regeneration! Too bad I can't attack it this turn with both rust creatures standing in the way.

Dawnshield's support had inspired Mizana but her retreat had left all the enemies out of her line of sight. So she waited until the rust creatures appeared again and as Dawnshield pulled back from the foes' tentacles Mizana targetted the first ugly beast with an Acid Blast but the foes pushed on despite its corrosive effect.



Plenty of attacks for Colxian. Too bad trying to use them on the rust creatures would lead to getting them discarded. But I may have to do it anyway if the beasts draw too many moves.

As the first beast reached Colxian Mizana was ready with another spell. Her Winds Of War sent one the rust creatures hurtling down the passage and the other one sliding right back into the acid.
Meanwhile Dawnshield had began a chant that soon drove the group into Mass Frenzy.

The rust creatures continued their relentless attack and the first one's Positioning Move allowed it to once again reach Colxian.

"-aste steel," Colxian roared and hit the beast with a frenzied Powerful Hack. Unsurprisingly the foe countered with a Corrosive Touch that forced Colxian to pull back once more.

The remaining troll seemed to have trouble deciding which path. Dawnshield could hear its footsteps leading it alternatively to the east and then back to west. She laughed at the dumb foe and turned again to provide Mizana with more Inspiration, this time with a little dance.

The sorceress winked at the dwarven woman and raised her staff. Devasting Spark. Wall Of Fire. The beast finally fell, eaten alive by the hungry lava.

With the acid that had blocked its way finally dispersing, the other rust creature bounded towards Dawnshield.



The dwarf was not to be surprised however and her frenzied Punishing Strike left the beast howling for blood. It did manage to hit Dawnshield with a Vicious Bite but the priestess just grabbed the creature's head, draining its life force. Dawnshield herself was forced to let go and move to avoid the troll moving in from the side passage but this had already given Mizana all the time she needed to summon more lava under the creature.

As the molten rock claimed the second corrosive beast the heroes quickly took new positions to prepare for the last foe.



As the troll moved closer Colxian danced backwards, slowing the enemy's advance. The hairy beast kept up its Charge but Dawnshield's Bash sent it tumbling backwards. Before it could move again, Mizana's staff sent a Sorcerous Blast at the foe, her Arcane Aura strengthening the blow.

The troll momentarily halted Mizana cast again, this time summoning another Hot Spot under the foe as Dawnshield retreated.

The troll howled as the lava ate at its legs but marched forward once more.



Colxian struck at the incoming enemy's flank with a Vicious Thrust. The troll immediately countered with a Mighty Bludgeon that was just fast enough that Colxian failed to Parry the blow. The fighter quickly recovered and retaliated with a Devastating Blow.
And Melvin passes. Is this one of those random passes or is the troll actually out of attacks?
The troll has only 7 hp left.

As Mizana backed away from the troll it assaulted Colxian again but this time the fighter was ready and he deftly parried the Mighty Bludgeon targetting his head and retreated.

The troll looked at the running fighter and turned to head after the women instead.



Mizana wasn't about to let the troll get at them so easily though and blasted the enemy with an Unstable Bolt. Unfortunately part of the magical attack was stopped by the foe's Thick Hide Armor and its Troll Regeneration undid the rest. 8 hp now.

The troll pushed closer and Dawnshield struck, her Bash driving the beast out of melee range again. 11 hp. I'll need to wait for bigger attacks to finish the annoying foe as the troll has too much luck with its armor rolls.

Hmm, the troll did discard the Thick Hide Armor...



Now this should be more than enough attacks to finally finish the troll off.

With Dawnshield's chant once again sending the party into Mass Frenzy the troll struck again in its Blind Rage, its Staggering Blow doing heavy damage to the dwarven priestess. Dawnshield wasn't about to give up that easily though and grabbed the troll's chest, her Invigorating Touch leeching out the foe's life force.

The troll suddenly seemed to panic and it quickly shook the priestess off, and turned to run towards Colxian instead. The fighter raised his sword.

"-nd I'm all out of gum..."

The muscular human's Powerful Hack hit the troll straight in its head, and as Colxian hopped aside the hulking foe's momentum sent it straight against the wall. It crashed against the stone in a sickening thud and then fell, never to rise again.

Victory! Finally!



Loot: Shifting Bangle, Auric Charm

There's still two more battles remaining though...

 

Battle 3

Hmm, looks like my gear is far from optimal for this fight. Oh well, we'll see what how it goes...



"-ime to crush bugs," Colxian grinned as the sound of flapping wings was getting closer.

With Dawnshield's chant bringing everyone into a Mass Frenzy the first storges flew into sight. Colxian wasted no time and hit the first one with a Vicious Thrust. The foe bit into Colxian, drawing blood from him with an Invigorating Touch but the fighter's Powerful Bludgeon crushed the filthy creatures head.

Mizana's Sorcerous Bolt hit another one, her spell strengthened by her Arcane Aura.

"We're too much in the open, head there," Dawnshield yelled, directing everyone towards east.

As the others followed her lead the storges proved faster than expected and two of the foes swooped down in the middle of the disarrayed group.
Dawnshield quickly smacked one of them with a frenzied Purging Strike while Mizana's Escaping Run moved her to a better position and she turned to blast Dawnshield's opponent with a Surging Blast.

One of the storges managed to surprise Colxian with a Sneaky Bloodsuck. Ouch. 5 +5 leeching damage? Well, now I know to look out for that card.



Angered Colxian turned and immediately retaliated with a frenzied Powerful Hack that cut the annoying bug in two. Ah, and the foes even have Resistant Hide? Not good for Mizana...

Another group of the winged fiends flew towards the heroes but Dawnshield's Bash swatted the first one back. This did little to slow the enemies down and another group swooped down, once again taking advantage of the space left between Dawnshield and the others.

Colxian attacked with a Vicious Thrust but the strorge's Resistant Hide managed to save it from death and it quickly latched on to Dawnshield, recovering its lost health with a Sneaky Bloodsuck.

Ok, I clearly don't have the right cards to win this attempt. I should have Chops for Colxian, much better armor for everyone, arcane spells and anti-armor cards for Mizana and I should have positioned everyone to stand with their backs against a wall.
But as I'm still curious whether the enemies have other nasty tricks in their deck, I won't resign just yet.

Mizana cursed and used Improved Telekinesis to pull her allies to better positions. Despite the bloodthirsty foes' attacks the heroes quickly grouped themselves in a chokepoint with one of the storges left behind them.



The unlucky bug got blasted by an Unstable Bolt from Mizana.

As the remaining storges flocked in Dawnshield began another chant to drive her allies into a Mass Frenzy. This gave one of the foes a chance to target the dwarf with another Sneaky Bloodsuck but the priestess wasn't helpless either and her Consuming Touch left the cornered bug weak enough for Mizana's Sorcerous Blast to smack it down for good.

Meanwhile another bug had flewn behind the sorceress and attacked her. Invigorating Touch.

With one bug down Dawnshield spun around targetting another one with a Draining Touch. but this just allowed another storge to swoop in on the spot the women had just cleared. The bug wasted no time and hit Mizana with a Vicious Bite.



Yep, this attempt is going downhill fast.

Mizana soon fell to yet another Vicious Bite but the combined attack of her allies managed to fell two more bugs. Both of the heroes got hit though, leaving Colxian barely standing and Dawnshield not much better off.

The fighter tried to turn to keep the enemies from getting behind him but this didn't help him fend off their attacks and he soon fell as well.

With just Dawnshield left against 8 storges, the brave priestess had little chance. But she did still manage to take out one more storge. Whee.

Oh well, no more attempts left. Which means I'll have to start from the beginning next time.

But as a small consolation, I did get another free chest:



Loot: Maztl Helm, Yellowdrake Robes, Healer's Hefty Club, Boltswap Robes, Skipping Boots.

 

The Troll Tyrant, 2nd run

Ok, since there'll be no trolls in the first battle, I'll make some changes for the first fight.
I'll pick up more ranged attacks and ice to combat the rust creatures and reliable armor will help against the fire sprites.

Colxian
Level 18 Human Warrior

Weighted Cudgel
Brass Rapier
Silver Rapier
Trog Skin Jacket
Black Cat Buckler
Tough Leather Cap
Cheap Fencer's Boots
Untrained Command
Careful Attacker
​

1 x Slicer
1 x Bash
3 x Devastating Blow
2 x Simple Bash
5 x Stab
2 x Strong Stab
1 x Shuffle, Team!
1 x Dash, Team!
1 x Bruiser
5 x Reaching Swing
3 x Reliable Hide Armor
2 x Lunging Hack
2 x Walk
1 x Flimsy Block
1 x All Out Attack
1 x Toughened Hide Strips
4 x Parry
​

Mizana
Level 18 Human Wizard

Sub-zero Staff
Chillwood Staff
Blister Stone
Locket Of The Gale
Elemental Diadem
Burning Bangle
Humming Hide Robes
Boots Of The Foolish
Trained Command
Electroporter Novice
​

2 x Cold Snap
1 x Spark Inductor
2 x Ember Spray
2 x Chilling Rime
2 x Dimensional Traveller
1 x Bungled Bolt
1 x Walk, Team!
1 x Fire Spray
1 x Wild Run
1 x Acid Spray
1 x Spark Generator
1 x Dangerous Maneuver
2 x Winds Of War
1 x Quick Step
2 x Reliable Hide Armor
2 x Mighty Spark
1 x Force Bolt
4 x Hot Spot
1 x Frost Jolt
1 x Dash, Team!
1 x Walk
1 x Maze
2 x Freeze
2 x Wall Of Fire
​

Dawnshield
Level 18 Dwarf Priest

Aureate Mace
Wrathful Club
Greenhide Armor
Spiked Shield
Skipping Boots
Oak Roots
Incense Of Roiled Air
Incense Of Roiled Air
Trained Stoutness
Trained Cleansing
​

2 x Punishing Strike
6 x Inspiration
2 x Draining Touch
2 x Devastating Blow
2 x Surging Shield Block
2 x Mass Frenzy
1 x Purge
1 x Healing Dash
2 x Hit The Deck
1 x Heal
1 x Flanking Move
1 x Duck
1 x Invigorating Touch
1 x Lunging Thrust
2 x Reliable Hide Armor
3 x Entangling Roots
1 x Holy Presence
2 x Bash
3 x Purging Strike
​

Dawnshield slapped Colxian's behind to draw his attention.

"Let's take care of that one first."

Colxian turned around inspired to see the priestess pointing behind her. Mizana had apparently guessed which foe the dwarf had meant as well and zapped the rust creature with a Mighty Spark.

The rust creatures came bounding in, targeting both women. Dawnshield's Devastating Blow did heavy damage (15!) against her opponent, but the other one managed to hit Mizana with a Corrosive Touch before she stepped away.

The first rust creature snarled and attacked, its Infected Bite injecting poison into Dawnshield's veins. Unfazed, the dwarf countered with a Draining Touch just as Mizana's Fire Spray hit the beast from the other side.

The fire sprites were starting to gather on the other side of the small bridges, one of them flinging a Fire Bolt at Mizana and another one did the same to Dawnshield as the sorceress ordered her allies to move.

Colxian had rounded the corner bringing him partly behind the rust creature advancing towards Mizana.

"-aste this, " the fighter roared, hitting the foe from behind with a Strong Stab.

Yet another fire sprite hit Mizana with a Flame Spit.



As the remaining flames from the earlier attacks ate at Mizana and the weakest rust creature the sorceress turned her attention on the next beast, hitting it with a Freeze spell.

The third rust creature had finally reached the fight as well and forced Colxian to retreat from its snarling jaws. The fiend pushed on but the fighter quickly Bashed it back.

The weakest rust creature had caught up with Mizana and nearly took her down with an Infected Bite. Realizing the foe would succumb to the flames eating at it soon enough anyway, she kept her attention on the other one and sprayed embers towards it.

As the fire sprites began to spit flames at Colxian Dawnshield whispered something at the fighter who grinned and hit the nearest rust creature again with two more stabs.

Too bad there's no way to save Mizana who will fall thanks to burning.

Both Mizana and one of the rust beasts fell, the flames proving too much for them.



Ignoring the bolts of fire hitting him Colxian kept hounding the rust creature. He hit the foe with a Lunging Hack, deftly parried its retaliation and suddenly ran in the other direction before it had time to hit again.
As his surprising move had now led him close to the fire sprites the creatures quickly dispersed.

Colxian's earlier opponent gave the human one more glance and turned its attention at Dawnshield, leaping to slip behind the dwarven priestess. Dawnshield wasn't that easy to surprise though and as the beast went for a Vicious Bite the dwarf promptly Hit The Deck, evading the attack.

The other remaining rust creature was trying to make its way towards the fight but it made little progress, its legs still half-frozen.

One of the fire sprites made the mistake of floating too close to Colxian and the fighter's Reaching Swing hit the creature.



Hmm. Looks like I forgot to change Dawnshield's weapons. Not much use for Purging Strikes in this battle...

Dawnshield had regained her footing from her earlier maneuver and struck the rust creature with a Purging Strike. The foe tried to retaliate with a Corrosive Touch but the evasive priestess Ducked under the blow, letting the rust creature taste its own medicine as she grabbed the beast's snout with her acid-covered gauntlet.
WOOHOO! That's exactly what I hoped to see when I saw Duck in Dawnshield's hand. The enemy not only failed its attack, but I got to use it instead and to top it all off the attack forced the rust creatures to discard all their remaining attacks!



The foolish fire sprite soon learned why closing in on Colxian was a bad idea as the fighter's blows extinguished it permanently.
Ignoring the snarling rust creature for a moment Dawnshield moved to get Colxian back in her view and used a divine Purge to extinguish the flames around the man.

"-hanks," he yelled, running to catch up with the next fire sprite.



Colxian's Devastating Blow crushed another fiery skull while Dawnshield was forced to Hit The Deck again to evade another Infected Bite. Inspiring herself with a thought of feeding the remaining fire sprites to the rust creature from the other end, she began chanting in order to drive herself and Colxian into a Mass Frenzy.

The other corrosive beast had reached Colxian, forcing the fighter to pull back. The fiend proved fast enough to keep up with him though and the fighter changed tactics, spinning around to hit the beast with a frenzied Reaching Swing. The foe retaliated with a Vicious Bite.
Can't use the last Walk card due to Hit The Deck but passing first is a good thing as well.

Once again Colxian got hit by the fiery attacks from a fire sprite, this time in the form of a Fireball. And there was exactly one square visible to the sprites that could be targetted to hit only Colxian and not the rust creature next to him.
The other sprite had targetted Dawnshield.



Unable to find a good opening the priestess once again danced backwards to get away from the rust creature's fangs and used the opportunity to Heal Colxian before having to move again.

The fighter's Parry stopped the beast's Vicious Bite and his Devastating Blow crushed the fiend's skull.



Well, with just one weak rust creature and two fire sprites left the fight is looking good for me - once I draw some attacks.

Dawnshield blocked another fiery blast towards her. Not that there'd even been much need for it as her double-thick Reliable Hide was pretty much making her fireproof already.
As Colxian wasn't quite as fully covered against the flames he turned to intercept the rust creature instead, leaving the remaining fire sprites for Dawnshield to take care of.



Hmm. Should I take a risk and try to gain the extra card from Parry before killing the rust creature off...

Inspiring Colxian with a naughty little song Dawnshield cast Entangling Roots to keep one of the fire sprites from escaping as both of them flung flames at the fighter.
The rust creature finally moved - but to Colxian's annoyance it did so towards Dawnshield who was forced to retreat. As the beast was quick enough to reach the dwarf anyway he cursed and leapt forward with a Reaching Swing that stopped the corrosive beast for good. Bah. No extra cards from Parry then. And with only one Reliable Hide in hand Colxian will fall during the next turn.

Despite the flames eating away at him Colxian charged forward, hitting the weaker fire sprite twice with his Stabs. Then he just collapsed.



Dawnshield's Invigorating Touch extinguished yet another fire sprite, leaving her face to skull with the last one. The sprite tried to float out of reach but the dwarf proved just as fast.
Halting the flaming foe momentarily with Entangling Roots the dwarf slowly hacked at her foe, its fiery counterattacks doing little against the well-protected priestess.

Eventually the last fire sprite was nothing more than a pile of ash, leaving Dawnshield alone to heal her allies into fighting shape again.



Loot: Inspiring Chain Shirt, Silver Healing Ring.