Adventures in a Doomed World: Session 24

I'm playing a mashup of Scarlet Heroes and Basic Fantasy RPG with a few supplements to turn it into a solo fantasy hexcrawl in the world of Eilobar, a doomed land entering its end times. I'm using the Level 0 Character Tumbler, Hexcrawl Adventures and some homebrew rules. The characters started as level 0 peasants and have since levelled up to become heroes.

Introduction

I'm constantly adjusting my homebrew rules for this game. From now on I'm awarding 1D20 XP for a successful check. I'm also going to simplify the rules for movement rate in the wilderness and be a bit more forgiving since they're on horseback. Here are the new movement rates:

Plains/Trails/Wasteland: 2 hexes per day in metal armour or 4 on horseback
Desert/Woodland/Hills: Half a hex per day in metal armour or 1 on horseback

Jungle/Dense Forest/Mountains/Swamp: A third of a hex per day or half a hex on horseback

The Adventure

The party goes back into the circular chamber, Stilda carrying the unconscious Jovia. When they explain who she is to Egon his eyes fill with rage.

Does Egon try to kill Jovia? (Unlikely)
No, but...

Alertness
He says she's extremely dangerous, and makes the heroes promise that someone will keep watch over her at all hours of the day and night on the journey back to Wastow, even if that means they get less sleep. They agree and reassure him that she won't escape.

They reach the cave with the narrow ledge over a deep chasm, deciding that the best thing to do would be for one person to make their way across first, tie the rope to a stalacmite and keep hold of it, then throw it across so each person carrying a wounded companion can tie themselves and the wounded together as they traverse the ledge. This will be a hard dexterity check. If they fail, they'll get one more check to see if they can grab the ledge and pull themselves up, otherwise they'll fall and be slammed into the rockface when the rope goes taut, with a small chance of the rope coming untied.

Stilda crosses the ledge first, followed by Bryne. They take Cyna's pitchfork and shield, and Egon's longsword with them. 

Is there a stalacmite close enough to the edge to tie the rope around? (Likely)
Yes

She ties the rope around it and throws it to Cyna who ties herself to Jovia, still unconscious.

Cyna rolls a dexterity check (13: Hard)
11 -1 Dex modifier = 10. Failure!

Cyna puts a foot wrong and falls.

Cyna rolls a dexterity check (13: Hard)
6 -1 Dex modifier = 5. Failure!

She falls into the chasm and is slammed against the rock wall for 1D8 damage die. Luckily her chainmail hauberk shields her from most of the impact and she takes no damage! However Jovia is with her, so unless she rolls a 1 on a D8 she'll be killed since she has no hitpoints left.

Jovia 's head smacks into the rock with a sickening crack.

Does the rope come untied from the stalacmite? (Very unlikely)
No

Bryne and Stilda pull them both up to the other side, where they discover that she's dead. "Let's take the body back to Wastow anyway, they might want proof we've dealt with the cult" Cyna says.

Egon attempts to get across the ledge with Otkatla next. Let's roll up his dexterity stat: 15 (+1 modifier). Not bad!

Egon rolls a dexterity check (13: Hard)
14 +1 Dex modifier = 15. Success!

He carries Otkatla across the ledge to the others. They go back through the cavern with the underground stream, up the spiral tunnel and out of the cave mouth to the lake shore. It's now mid afternoon so they make camp on the shore, since there's fresh water and plenty of wood for a campfire.

Stilda goes foraging for herbs she can use on Otkatla's wounds, then treats them, changing the dressings too.

Stilda rolls a healing check (11: Average)
12 -2 Int modifier +2 Heal skill = 12. Success! 17 XP.

She does a fine job, then lets Otkatla use her bedroll to get some rest. They share their rations with Otkatla and Egon and bed down for the night, Egon sleeping on Helia's bedroll. In the morning Stilda's wounds have healed and Otkatla is able to walk again. They put her on Thamas, Helia's pony, and Egon walks alongside her. They put the bodies of Helia and Jovia on two of the other horses and Stilda and Cyna go on foot. They head north into the hills, making camp on a hillside that night.

The next day they arrive in Wastow. Egon and Otkatla thank them for helping them get home, and they all go to the temple of Grum together. They present Jovia to Dalla and Aentheorn who offer thanks for putting an end to the mysterious Cult of Zozu. Aentheorn keeps his end of the bargain and offers to help the party cleanse Vathmang Temple of the undead, and Dalla pays for a small funeral service for Helia and arranges to have her buried in the temple graveyard in Wastow.

For rescuing Egon and Otkatla I'm awarding them 100 + 1D100 XP: 124.

The party spends the rest of the day preparing for their journey west to Vathmang Temple, the last place they need to clear to make the village of Keyham safe again. They stock up on bandages, rations and horsefeed. They'll keep Helia's pony for now as Aentheorn can ride him. At the market they sell the jewellery they found in the caves and Helia's gear for 110.20GP, bringing their total gold to 1298.12.

They stay the night at the local inn and stable the horses, then stop off at the temple in the morning to collect Aentheorn.