Now up to five members, the team is traveling to the Golden Pyramid to fight the Spider King.

from a photo by Edgar on Unsplash

Holy crap. I had come up with this idea for how to get to the Golden Pyramid with some variability with the idea that it might be an adventure or two inside...and I just now realized there are only five of these left.

Here's how it is going to go, then. Each of the OSR Encounter Cards has a number from 1 to around 280. It's a three day trip. I will pull a card and then when the sum total of main encounters hits 300+, OR 2025-12-23 hits, they will have arrived [the next time].

This might be two encounters on the trip. It might be up to four. Then the final session will basically be the fight in the Golden Pyramid. If they get there early, there might be some mini-boss.

THE FIRST CARD(s) is/are...

  • 157 - Solitary Fountain (abandoned).
  • 46 - Giant Scorpion (indifferent).

This one can be a bit more of a post to get Chungly and Nadya a voice.

This means they are at 157/300.

They spotted the fountain from a distance, at least the courtyard surrounding it. A cobblestone road lead south in roughly the direction the unicorn had mentioned and so Barston had opted for it.

Then, the travel generally was smoother and quieter than he expected after the last leg of the journey. A week ago they had fought off a group of creatures that looked like rocks but were some sort of flesh-eating crab. Then they decided to hang out in Yewsforth for a week.

Because Barston was waiting for Nadya. Hearing that he is going to be searching for treasure in a strange structure, Nadya made perfect sense. He just didn't know if she would actually accept his invite.

But she did, and she arrived with the grace of a cherry blossom petal floating on a gentle lake. Nadya now lingers with Faruin and the two of them, in two different accents of Phillian, are discussing going hunting for dinner later.

Entering through the old brick walls of what was likely a noble villa in the years of Yeule's heyday, the find the fountain still flowing, albeit sluggishly. Likely bringing up water from some underground source though in the years without cleaning it seems that the water is a bit...natural.

The other new companion walks over to one of the old villa walls and taps it with a hand bigger than some boat anchors. Barston braces to see if he needs to run from collapsing stonework, but the wall holds. For now.

This is Chungly. If Nadya is the cherry blossom, Chungly is the old cherry tree falling off a cliff and making a splash. As big as basically everyone else combined, the rhinoman looks like terror. Though, Barston has learned, that if you had to pick one of the two to guard your family, both would be good.

Nadya is a blade that avoids violence. Chungly a hammer that prevents it.

If only Chungly had some grace. He met the rhinoman just a few days ago. Had been helping a farmer out with a barn and apparently lifted one of the walls on his own a little too well.

Barston helped cover the damages and made friends with the huge fellow.

Now five in number, the team is taking a break and taking in some late afternoon sunlight. Faruin, Nadya, and Chungly already forming as a team. Barston's strange gift. To find folks like this. Derron, too. And Astrid. Of the other four, only Derron knows of Astrid's beauty. Her song. Her ability to reshape the world and command the elements.

Before a sneak attack from one of the warlocks' final demon pets took her away while Derron tried, desperately, to save her.

And yet, five now go and seek a box that might have a clue to resurrecting her and three follow not Astrid but Barston. Trusting him even when he does not understand why. Like the others that waged war on the warlocks at his side. Yezony the Great, whose greatness was largely the act of sabotaging other, better wizards. Nizel who wrote his own legends and faked being a hero. Haig, who left the warlocks to help Barston. Alice who turned to Barston when no one else would help her. Lun who immediately joined the fight after being freed.

Barston knows he is lucky, and feels bad that the one person not here so dominates his thoughts.

Two Hours Later...

Just going to do a hunting roll with Faruin assisting Nadya. Skill of 8. Hunting of 2. +2 for Faruin. 2d6 = 4. Total is 16. A hit, but a smaller one.

There, I rolled dice.

Nadya is carrying the body of a small deer-like creature back towards the ruins of the villa when Faruin gasps. Nadya turns and sees the black carapace of a human-sized scorpion walking not a huge distance away. Faruin has already pulled out her golden sword and Nadya clicks her tongue.

"Nay, child. Meat no good and we are in its place. We move with respect, ya?"

Faruin puts the sword back and they watch the large creature disappear over the hill and down into a nook.

And another two hours...

Nadya has crawled into her tent of silk which Faruin is sharing. Chungly has propped against a wall. Derron has climbed up another wall to keep look out. Leaving Barston alone with his thoughts and near bed.

As a passing thought, he takes out a silver coin and flips it into the water...

Will anything happen? (50/50) → 69. No.

...as the ripples die down in the fading campfire light, he laughs at himself.

Then goes off to dream of a particular laugh and a particular scent not unlike honeysuckle at the height of spring.