Death March play-through got really hard...

Started the game again on Death March.

I've been doing alright, not always winning the fight on the first go around; but I've been learning to save before an obvious fight, and again when I finish the fight. So yeah, some nasty no-save-permit spots happened. But I'm surprised that I didn't really have a hard time with Kiera in the ruins. And helping the Baron to make a lubberkin went better than I thought.

So, here I am, level 8. And I figure, might as well go for the Griffin gear. As I enter the Dragonslayer's Grotto I make sure to save between Wraith fights. Doing alright, not solid but alright... Then the Ekimarra... Well forgot what works best against it but remember fire? Maybe? So I throw bombs at it and hit it with some Igni. But this takes it to about half health, and it hits me once for about half mine... So I back up; only to hear a defiant monster roar, the earth shakes...

Roots drop from the ceiling!?

And bam, a lvl 20 Leshen says hello. Like the Lvl 11 Ekimarra wasn't hard enough...

So; the armor will wait for another day.

TL:DR Suprise Leshen while hunting my Griffin Gear.