Into the Shamutanti Hills – Day 3

Yesterday we started The Shamutanti Hills, the first of a four-book saga. My hero is a wizard of apparently little skill and poor health, but great luck. On my first night outside, I was attacked by a werewolf and knocked down pretty badly, then further weakened by hunger because there wasn’t a chance to stop and eat.  I found some goblins mining and decided to pick a fight, netting myself a silver key and a pair of fur boots, but also bringing me down to 4 stamina. And now I have arrived at the town of Kristatanti, badly in need of significant healing.

It’s a nice town. At the local ale house, I meet an old man who gives me a nutritional supplement which will double my stamina gain at my next meal. I hit up the inn, and although it’s expensive the food and the bed heal me back up to 15 out of my initial 17 Stamina. What a nice place! But  morning comes and it’s time to go.

It’s a quiet and uneventful walk, and I arrive at a gate. A gigantic gate. Like seriously, who would need a gate this large except… giants! I creep into the first cave I see, and sure enough – a giant.  I cast BIG on myself so I am as large as he is, and kick his butt without breaking a sweat because I got to double my Skill for this combat. Oh yeah! That done, I steal his gold and also yank out his teeth for use as magical reagents. (our hero, ladies and gentlemen!) Fortunately he was the only giant in Lea-Ki, The Land of the Giants…

It’s getting dark, so I camp for the night. In the night, another goddamn werewolf attacks me. Through a stupendous series of unlucky rolls, he wrecks me down to 1 Stamina before I get back to sleep. Worse, the book hasn’t let me eat all day, so in the morning I lose 3 Stamina… and starve to death.

I’m surprised I made it as far as I did, for a Skill of 7. But death by hunger, that’s just raw.