The Strix

Combat - The Strix

Encounter Difficulty: Standard
Victories Awarded: 1
Expected Party: Five heroes at level 1 with 2 Victories each, and two level 1 retainers (Ireena and Olga)

Enemies:

Group	Creatures
1	Greater strix
2	Swarm of Lesser Strix
3	Swarm of Lesser Strix

Terrain:

The road is flanked by brambles with poisonous thorns.

Tactics:

The greater strix stays near the path, attacking any heroes who attempt to defend Muriel. The swarms of lesser strix attempt to pull heroes off the path and into the poisonous brambles.

Balancing:

If you have fewer or more than 5 heroes, or Olga or Ireena are not present, modify the encounter in the following ways:

Number of heroes	Modification
3 heroes with 0-1 Victories	Remove one swarm of lesser strix from the encounter and reduce the greater strix's Stamina to 60.
3 heroes with 2 Victories or 4 heroes with 0-1 Victories	Remove one swarm of lesser strix from the encounter.
4 heroes with 2 Victories, or 5 heroes with 0-1 Victories	Reduce the greater strix's Stamina to 60.
6 heroes with 2 Victories	Add two hidden angry beehives near the path.
Olga isn't present, but Ireena is present	No modification necessary.
Neither Olga nor Ireena are present	Treat the party as having 1 fewer hero.

Swamp Creation Malice

At the start of any swamp creation's turn, you can spend Malice to activate one of the following features.

Simmering Anger (3 Malice)

One swamp creation in the encounter can make a free strike against each enemy adjacent to them.

Boiling Fury (5 Malice)

Until the end of the round, each swamp creation in the encounter has a double edge on strikes and can use their signature ability instead of a free strike when making opportunity attacks.

Swamp Hag's Rage (7 Malice)

Baba Lysaga's anger fills the encounter map with a thick miasma of hatred. Each enemy in the encounter makes an Intuition test.

≤ 11: The target is taunted by the nearest creature or object (save ends). While the target is taunted this way, power rolls against them have a double edge.

12-16: The target is taunted by the nearest creature or object (save ends).

17+:No effect.

Swarm of Lesser Strix

Construct, Swarm, Swamp Creation	Level 1 Elite Hexer
	EV 12

Size	Speed	Stamina	Stability	Free Strike
2	5	40	1	4

Immunity —	Weakness Fire 5
Movement Fly

Might	Agility	Reason	Intuition	Presence
-2	1	-3	+2	-3

Beaks and Claws 2d10+2	Signature Ability
Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main Action
Melee 1	Two creatures or objects

≤ 11: 6 damage

12-16: 9 damage; pull 1

17+: 12 damage; pull 2

Effect: If the target is pulled into the swarm of lesser strix, that forced movement deals damage only at the Director's determination.

Impede
Area	Maneuver
1 aura	Special

Effect: The area is difficult terrain for enemies until the start of the swarm's next turn.

Swarm

The swarm of lesser strix can move through spaces as if they were a size 1M creature, and can occupy other creatures' spaces. At the start of each of the swarm of lesser strix's turns, they can make a free strike against each creature whose space they share.

Swamp Magic

While in the swamps of Berez, the swarm of lesser strix can negate a bane on their abilities or turn a double bane into a bane.

Greater Strix

Construct, Swamp Creation	Level 3 Elite Ambusher
	EV 20

Size	Speed	Stamina	Stability	Free Strike
2	9	100	2	6

Immunity Poison 5	Weakness Fire 5
Movement Fly

Might	Agility	Reason	Intuition	Presence
2	2	-2	1	-2

Silvered Stinger 2d10+2	Signature Ability
Magic, Melee, Strike, Weapon, Silver	Main Action
Melee 2	Two creatures or objects

≤ 11: 8 damage

12-16: 12 damage; M < 1 bleeding (save ends)

17+: 15 damage; M < 2 bleeding (save ends)

(1 Malice): One target hidden from the greater strix takes an extra 5 poison damage.

Poisoned Anguish (3 Malice) 2d10+2
Magic, Melee, Strike, Weapon	Main Action
Melee 2	One creature or object

≤ 11: 10 poison damage; M < 0 weakened (save ends)

12-16: 15 poison damage; M < 1 weakened (save ends)

17+: 18 poison damage; M < 2 weakened (save ends)

Effect: A target weakened this way takes 1d3 poison damage at the start of each of their turns.

Swooping Torment
—	Maneuver
Self	Self

Effect: The greater strix flies up to their speed, then can attempt to hide. Each enemy the greater strix moves adjacent to during this movement can choose to take 3 sonic damage or fall prone.

Retaliatory Dive
Ranged	Triggered action
Ranged 5	The triggering creature

Trigger: A creature within distance deals damage to the greater strix with a ranged ability.

Effect: The greater strix flies adjacent to the target and can make a free strike against them.

Ruthless Rage

While within 10 squares of another swamp creation, the greater strix deals an extra 2 damage with strikes.

Tenacious Hunter

Any creature affected by a condition imposed by a swamp creation can't be hidden from the greater strix.

Brambles	Level 1 Hazard Defender
	EV 1 per 10 x 10 patch

This thicket features close-growing vines tipped with sharp thorns.

Stamina: 3 per square

Size: One or more squares of difficult terrain

Deactivate

Each square of brambles must be individually destroyed.

Activate

A creature enters a square of brambles without shifting.

Effect: A creature takes 1 damage per square of brambles they enter.

Poisonous Thorns (+1 EV)

The brambles are poisonous. Any creature who takes damage from brambles is also bleeding (save ends).

Angry Beehive	Level 2 Hazard Hexer
	EV 2

This beehive is full of angry bees who swarm and attack with little provocation.

Stamina: 3

Size: 1S

Deactivate

The beehive can't be deactivated. If it takes damage or is destroyed, the hive unleashes a swarm of bees.

Activate

A creature enters the hive's space or an adjacent space without shifting.

Effect: The hive is removed from the encounter map and a swarm of bees is placed in one square of the space of the triggering creature. Any creature who starts their turn in the swarm's space takes 3 poison damage. At the start of each round, the swarm moves 1 square and its size increases by 1 square (to 2 squares by 2 squares, 3 squares by 3 squares, and so forth), preferring squares in a creature's space. After 3 rounds, the swarm dissipates.

Concealed Hive (+1 EV)

The hive is hidden until the swarm is unleashed.

Killer Bees (+2 EV)

The bees are a particularly aggressive and dangerous species. The hive triggers even if a creature shifts into or while adjacent to it, and the swarm deals 1d6 + 3 poison damage.