The delve. Ist skirmish

Standing at the entrance to the underground passage Gor said 'There is magic here. Be careful'.

Reaction test 1x2 Islorus takes the first phase move

Islorus shrugged and entered the passage (reaction phase 1x2). 

Somewhere inside a presence had been felt. A wraith glided towards the entrance.

The rest of the party entered the passage unawares they had set in motion ancient, protective spirits.

Reaction test, 1x1, 2x2, 3x3. Five go in the first phase. Jack goes in the second

Njal advanced and stumbled into the wraith. He cut twice with his axe and the wraith seemed drained (wraiths have 3 monster points, MP. It was down to 1MP). His third attempt didn't seem to affect it and it retreated a step (drew attack, defender retreats)

The rest of the party, except Jack, move further in, Gar behind Njal. The others in the other passage.

The unseen wraiths move towards the party.

The wraith attacks Njal. Loses its first attack but Njals axe fails to harm it (he beat the armour rating but scored equal or less on the toughness. Therefore it doesn't cause any injury). The wraith is unfazed. Njal strikes again, and again his axe fails to injure the wraith.

But the wraith is quick and causes a wound on Njal and he backs away (3rd combat and they part)

Jack moved up to support Gar and Njal.

Reaction test 3x1 Islorus, Gar and Njal go in the first phase.

Islorus attacks the wraith facing him, and is wounded for his troubles. He fights back and though he bests the wraith he inflicts no damage (failed toughness) Neither can penetrate the others defences and the wraith steps back as though gauging his opponent.

In a catastrophic sequence of events, Roland, Islorus and Njal are all felled by the wraiths. Gar orders a withdrawal. 

Sometime later, Roland and Njal exit the tunnel to find their companions in a state of shock. Roland, carrying Islorus,  confirms that Islorus was no more. They buried him in a small grove close by.

Taking stock of things the companions checked their equipment. Roland had a damaged shield  , Jack had lost his dagger , Will lost his sword and Gar had suffered a light wound that would take 3 days to heal without treatment 

'We must mark this place well' said Roland. 'When we are better equipped and better suited to the task, we must return and deal with these foul things, and to avenge Islorus. We must cover the entrance lest others enter to their doom'. 

So they hid the entrance they had uncovered.

They again settled onto a might camp, miserable at the loss of a new friend.

All in all, a brutal entrance to the war against the evils that befall Margelda. 

I had decided to roll on the  table rather than just take it from the top of the list. After all, would 4 Ogres be any less of a challenge than 4 wraiths? Maybe a little. 

Now they know what things they are up against we will see if they are up to the challenge.