[LP] DestinyQuest: The Legion of Shadow

Stories about games that you run and/or have played in.

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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

As the undead horde reaches the base of the hill, it quickly fragments, clearly looking to assault the hill from different sides. Thankfully, it looks as though no one is commanding the force or issuing orders – therefore, it quickly descends into a confused rabble, with separate regiments scrambling to attack at their own pace and speed.

The pack of snarling ghouls are the first to make it to the top of the hill, appearing from the north exit. The creatures scamper forward, using their arms and legs to propel themselves along the ground. Behind them, packmasters dressed in furs and leathers crack their whips, driving the beasts into a frothing rage:
SpeedBrawnArmorHealth
Packmasters13101060
Ghoul pack1271045

Special Abilities
- Frenzy: While the packmasters are still alive, the ghouls can roll 2 dice for damage and choose the single highest result each time.
- Piercing Claws: The ghouls' attacks ignore your armor.
At the start of each combat round, choose the opponent that you wish to fight, rolling against your attack speed. If you win, you must direct your damage against your chosen opponent (unless you have a multi-target ability such as ignite). If you lose the combat, both opponents get to strike at you. If it is a draw, the round ends as normal.
Ugh, even with enfeeblement, being hit is going to suuuck. A strong incentive to fight the ghouls to death first, not risking the higher speed until the second strike is disabled.
Round 1: Us 6+14, Ghouls 8+12; draw. *Thorns* Masters at 59, Ghouls at 44.
Round 2: Us 5+14, Ghouls 5+12; 3+19-10 damage, Ghouls at 32. *DOTs* Masters at 58, Ghouls at 30.
Round 3: Us 6+14, Ghouls 6+12; 5+19-10 damage, Ghouls at 16. *DOTs* Masters at 57, Ghouls at 13.
Round 4: Us 9+14, Ghouls 11+12; draw. *DOTs* Masters at 56, Ghouls at 10.
Round 5: Us 8+14, Ghouls 4+12; 4+19-10 damage, Ghouls defeated! *Thorns* Masters at 55.
Round 6: Us 3+14, Masters 6+13 (deceiv'd, Us 6+14, Masters 3+13); 2+19-10 damage, Masters at 44. *DOTs* Masters at 42.
Round 7: Us 8+14, Masters 8+13; 1+19-10 damage, Masters at 32. *DOTs* Masters at 29.
Round 8: Us 5+14, Masters 3+13; 6+19-10 damage, Masters at 14. *DOTs* Masters at 10.
Round 9: Us 7+14, Masters 6+13; 2+19-10 damage, Masters defeated!
First wave defeated!
We did so well that the Rod was irrelevant.
You are surrounded by the steaming corpses of the ghouls and their packmasters. Searching the bodies, you find 50 gold crowns and may take one of the following rewards:
Bone headdress (head) +3 magic, +2 armor, Ability: charm (1/combat, re-roll 1 die)
Chains of binding (left hand: chains) +2 speed, +3 magic, Ability: shackle (1/combat, opponent rolls 1 fewer die for attack speed), Requirement: mage
Leader of the pack (ring) +1 brawn, Ability: dominate (1/combat, change one of your damage die rolls to a 6.)
Snatch up a loot before the second wave arrives!
Name: Trellis
Path: Mage
Career: Necromancer
Speed: +14, Brawn: +4, Magic: +16, Armor: +3
Health: 50
SlotItemSpeedBrawnMagicArmorAbility
HeadHood of Night+2+3Deceive
NecklaceSilver Cross+1+1Heal
CloakSparkcraft Mantle+2+2Life Spark
Main HandLasher+3+3Bleed
Left HandSprig of Corruption+2+3Corruption
GlovesVambraces+1+2Parry
ChestCinder's Gown+1+3Sear
FeetRune-Forged Greaves+2+2
TalismanBone Fetish+1Necromancer
Ring 1Traveler's Ring+1+1Charm
Ring 2Circle of ThornsThorns

BackpackItem
1The Compendium of Dwarven Lore
2Elixir of Invisibility
3Spider's Leg
4Ghoul Hair
5Oil Flask 2/2

Rune Key
Plain Gold Ring
Money Pouch: 1126 Crowns

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Last edited by angelfromanotherpin on Mon Sep 04, 2017 7:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ikeren
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Post by Ikeren »

What's corruption again? Corruption versus Shackle, stats are the same?
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Corruption is that once you damage an opponent (with an attack, not Thorns or such), their damage stat is reduced by 2 for the rest of the fight.
Omegonthesane
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Post by Omegonthesane »

Half a vote to swap sprig for bondage. Because getting another nigh-guaranteed hit in is likely to save us more incoming damage than 2 armour that we get after hitting once. Only half though, because I could be convinced otherwise and there isn't a stat boost to go with it.
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

The chain's the only one worth taking, and I agree that its ability will save us from more damage than the sprig does.
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Whips and chains, that's us.
A horde of skeletons spill out of the west passage. Most are armed with crude spears and rusty swords but a few have more impressive-looking weapons and shields. Behind them, you can see a group of black-robed necromancers. Their hands crackle with dark magic as they raise up more skeletons from the ground to bolster their ranks.
SpeedMagicArmorHealth
Necromancers14121060
Skeleton horde13121080

Special Abilities
- Raise dead: At the end of each combat round, the necromancers use their magic to raise more skeletons. This raises the health of the skeleton horde by 10 and can take the skeleton horde above their starting health.
- Body of bone: The skeleton horde is immune to bleed and venom.
At the start of each combat round, choose the opponent that you wish to fight, rolling against your attack speed. If you win, you must direct your damage against your chosen opponent (unless you have a multi-target ability such as ignite). If you lose the combat, both opponents get to strike at you. If it is a draw, the round ends as normal.
Ew, this is ugly. Going after the skeletons first will be extremely slow, and their speed is high enough that the cumulative chance of getting splatted will add up fast. Going after the necros first involves coinflip odds and we only have so much insulation against those before the double-hits will come. Necros first is probably still best, though.
Round 1: (shackle) Us 6+14, Necros 4+14; 1+19-10 damage, Necros at 50. *DOTs* Necros at 48, Skels at 79. *Raise* Skels at 89.
Round 2: Us 6+14, Necros 7+14 (deceiv'd, Us 8+14, Necros 5+14); 6+19-10 damage, Necros at 33. *DOTs* Necros at 30, Skels at 88. *Raise* Skels at 98.
Round 3: Us 2+14, Necros 9+14; parry'd. *DOTs* Necros at 27, Skels at 97. *Raise* Skels at 107.
Round 4: Us 8+14, Necros 4+14; 4+19-10 damage, Necros at 14. *DOTs* Necros at 10, Skels at 106. *Raise* Skels at 116.
Round 5: Us 5+14 (charm'd 8+14), Necros 6+14; 6+19-10 damage, Necros defeated! *Thorns* Skels at 115.
Round 6: Us 7+14, Skels 7+13; 4+19-10 damage, Skels at 102. *Thorns* Skels at 101.
Round 7: Us 10+14, Skels 7+13; 2+19-10 damage, Skels at 90. *Thorns* Skels at 89.
Round 8: Us 8+14, Skels 6+13; 6+19-10 damage, Skels at 74. *Thorns* Skels at 73.
Round 9: Us 9+14, Skels 6+13; 2+19-10 damage, Skels at 62. *Thorns* Skels at 61.
Round 10: Us 4+14, Skels 5+13; draw. *Thorns* Skels at 60.
Round 11: Us 12+14, Skels 6+13; 3+19-10 damage, Skels at 48. *Thorns* Skels at 47.
Round 12: Us 7+14, Skels 8+13; draw. *Thorns* Skels at 46.
Round 13: Us 10+14, Skels 8+13; 5+19-10 damage, Skels at 32. *Thorns* Skels at 31.
Round 14: Us 12+14, Skels 8+13; 4+19-10 damage, Skels at 18. *Thorns* Skels at 17.
Round 15: Us 3+14, Skels 10+13; 2+12-3 damage, we're at 39. *Thorns* Skels at 16.
Round 16: Us 6+14, Skels 6+13; 3+19-10 damage, it's at 4. *Thorns* Skels at 3.
Round 17: Us 3+14, Skels 7+13; 4+12-3 damage, we're at 26. *Thorns* Skels at 2.
Round 18: Us 8+14, Skels 6+13; 3+19-10 damage, Skels defeated!
Second wave defeated!
Piles of moldy bones litter the mouth of the passageway as you cut a swathe through the skeleton horde. As the final necromancer goes down to your mighty weapons, a silence settles over the hilltop. Exhausted, you drop to your knees in the blood-spattered snow, wondering how long you will be able to keep up the fight. Already you can hear the thunderous footsteps of the bone giants approaching.

Struggling to your feet, you take a moment to catch your breath before searching the bodies. You find 50 gold crowns and may help yourself to one of the following:
Iron curtain (left hand: shield) +3 brawn, +2 armor, Ability: iron will, Requirement: warrior.
Forked crest (head) +1 speed, +3 brawn, Ability: charge (+2 speed in the first round of combat).
Bag o' bones (talisman) +1 magic, Ability: curse (1/combat, your opponent rolls 1 fewer die for attack speed)
I'm pretty sure nobody wants any of that, but I'll let you confirm that before we take on wave 3.
Name: Trellis
Path: Mage
Career: Necromancer
Speed: +14, Brawn: +4, Magic: +16, Armor: +3
Health: 50
SlotItemSpeedBrawnMagicArmorAbility
HeadHood of Night+2+3Deceive
NecklaceSilver Cross+1+1Heal
CloakSparkcraft Mantle+2+2Life Spark
Main HandLasher+3+3Bleed
Left HandChains of Binding+2+3Shackle
GlovesVambraces+1+2Parry
ChestCinder's Gown+1+3Sear
FeetRune-Forged Greaves+2+2
TalismanBone Fetish+1Necromancer
Ring 1Traveler's Ring+1+1Charm
Ring 2Circle of ThornsThorns

BackpackItem
1The Compendium of Dwarven Lore
2Elixir of Invisibility
3Spider's Leg
4Ghoul Hair
5Oil Flask 2/2

Rune Key
Plain Gold Ring
Money Pouch: 1176 Crowns

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Last edited by angelfromanotherpin on Mon Sep 04, 2017 7:41 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Omegonthesane
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Post by Omegonthesane »

Curse is not worth losing Necromancer for and neither of the others are even worth considering. Proceed.
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

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Ikeren
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Post by Ikeren »

Agreed.
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Four bone giants march out of the north passageway. Each one is over six meters tall, made from the animated bones of a myriad of creatures. One has the skull of a giant lizard, another has curling bull horns and thick spikes; the largest, who could be the leader, has four arms and two ridged tails. Each one presents a different nightmarish mixture of bone and magic. However, they all do have one thing in common – they are all strong and menacing, wielding dull blades and mighty hammers:
SpeedMagicArmorHealth
Bone giants121414100

Special Abilities
- Knockdown: If you take health damage from the giants, your speed is reduced by 1 for the next combat round.
- Body of bone: The bone giants are immune to bleed and venom.
That armor, though. Still, pretty straightforward.
Round 1: (shackle'd) Us 3+14, Them 4+12; 3+19-14 damage, they're at 92. *Thorns* They're at 91.
Round 2: Us 7+14, Them 11+12 (deceive'd, Us 11+14, Them 7+12); 3+19-14 damage, they're at 83. *Thorns* They're at 82.
Round 3: Us 7+14, Them 4+12; 5+19-14 damage, they're at 72. *Thorns* They're at 71.
Round 4: Us 6+14, Them 6+12; 1+19-14 damage, they're at 65. *Thorns* They're at 64.
Round 5: Us 8+14, Them 7+12; 3+19-14 damage, they're at 56. *Thorns* They're at 55.
Round 6: Us 8+14, Them 9+12; 1+19-14 damage, they're at 49. *Thorns* They're at 48.
Round 7: Us 5+14, Them 2+12; 2+19-14 damage, they're at 41. *Thorns* They're at 40.
Round 8: Us 9+14, Them 9+12; 3+19-14 damage, they're at 32. *Thorns* They're at 31.
Round 9: Us 3+14, Them 8+12; parry'd. *Thorns* They're at 30.
Round 10: Us 10+14, Them 7+12; 6+19-14 damage, they're at 19. *Thorns* They're at 18.
Round 11: Us 11+14, Them 8+12; 1+19-14 damage, they're at 12. *Thorns* They're at 11.
Round 12: Us 6+14, Them 3+12; 1+19-14 damage, they're at 5. *Thorns* They're at 4.
Round 13: Us 8+14, Them 5+12; 1+19-14 damage, they're defeated!
Wave 3 defeated!
The giants may be powerful, but they are slow. You dart past their clumsy attacks, slicing and cutting through their animated bones. At last, the four mighty warriors lie dead at your feet, the dark magic that once held their bones together now shattered and routed.

Amongst the remains you find 40 gold crowns and one of the following rewards:
Titan plate (chest) +1 speed, +2 armor, Ability: fearless (1/combat, +2 speed for 1 round)
Blinding dust (talisman) +1 speed, Ability: deceive (1/combat, exchange one die you rolled for speed with one of the opponent's.)
Bone gavel (main hand: hammer) +3 speed, +4 brawn, Ability: knockdown (1/combat, your opponent rolls 1 fewer die for attack speed), Requirement: warrior
As you look back towards the statue, you see that it has started to glow, surrounding itself with a pale radiance. Lansbury is still deep in concentration, her lips soundlessly forming words as she moves her hands through the air. You assume she is getting closer to fixing the statue's magic.

In the meantime, you have more pressing problems to deal with. The ground shakes beneath your feet as the biggest bone monster you have ever seen stomps into view.
Pick a Reject all loot before secret wave four begins!
Name: Trellis
Path: Mage
Career: Necromancer
Speed: +14, Brawn: +4, Magic: +16, Armor: +3
Health: 50
SlotItemSpeedBrawnMagicArmorAbility
HeadHood of Night+2+3Deceive
NecklaceSilver Cross+1+1Heal
CloakSparkcraft Mantle+2+2Life Spark
Main HandLasher+3+3Bleed
Left HandChains of Binding+2+3Shackle
GlovesVambraces+1+2Parry
ChestCinder's Gown+1+3Sear
FeetRune-Forged Greaves+2+2
TalismanBone Fetish+1Necromancer
Ring 1Traveler's Ring+1+1Charm
Ring 2Circle of ThornsThorns

BackpackItem
1The Compendium of Dwarven Lore
2Elixir of Invisibility
3Spider's Leg
4Ghoul Hair
5Oil Flask 2/2

Rune Key
Plain Gold Ring
Money Pouch: 1216 Crowns

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Last edited by angelfromanotherpin on Mon Sep 04, 2017 7:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Yeah, none of that shit is of any use to us.
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Ikeren
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Post by Ikeren »

Has there been way more strong unique warrior loot then strong unique mage loot?
Omegonthesane
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Post by Omegonthesane »

Certainly feels that way.

Proceed.
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Ikeren wrote:Has there been way more strong unique warrior loot then strong unique mage loot?
I don't know if it's Warrior specifically, but the brawn-based classes outnumber the magic-based classes 2-to-1, so it's not surprising there's more stuff for them than for mages.
The giant creature emerges from the east passage. Moving on four bowed legs, the giant barrels its way past the last of the stones, its elongated tail whipping back and forth across its broad shoulders. The beast's body is fashioned from spiny bones, knitted together by a grotesque assortment of bulging muscles. As it opens its mouth, the creature vomits a swarm of black skittering beetles, which rush toward you like a black tide, their mandibles clicking together hungrily:
SpeedBrawnArmorHealth
Rottaghast131415100
Carrion beetles--1040

Special Abilities
- Carrion Beetles: At the end of every combat round, you automatically take 2 armor-ignoring damage from the swarm of biting beetles.
- Body of bone: Rottaghast is immune to bleed and venom.
If you win a round of combat against Rottaghast, you can choose to strike against Rottaghast or the beetles. Once Rottaghast is dead, the beetles will scatter and no longer attack you.
Because of the Rottaghat's high armor, I think it's worth ganking the beetles first.
Round 1: (shackle'd) Us 5+14, Them 1+13; 2+19-10 damage, beetles at 29. *DOTs* We're at 48, Rottaghast at 99, beetles at 27.
Round 2: Us 3+14, Them 9+13 (deceiv'd, Us 7+14, Them 5+13); 4+19-10 damage, beetles at 14. *DOTs* We're at 46, Rottaghast at 98, beetles at 11.
Round 3: Us 7+14, Them 6+13; 1+19-10 damage, beetles at 1. *DOTs* We're at 44, Rottaghast at 97, beetles defeated!
Round 4: Us 9+14, It 9+13; 3+19-15 damage, it's at 90. *Thorns* It's at 89.
Round 5: Us 10+14, It 2+13; 3+19-15 damage, it's at 82. *Thorns* It's at 81.
Round 6: Us 12+14 (life spark, we're at 48), It 4+13; 3+19-15 damage, it's at 74. *Thorns* It's at 73.
Round 7: Us 6+14, It 11+13; parry'd. *Thorns* It's at 72.
Round 8: Us 7+14, It 11+13; 6+14-3 damage, we're at 31. *Thorns* It's at 71.
Round 9: Us 8+14, It 10+13; 1+14-3 damage, we're at 19. (Heal, we're at 23.) *Thorns* it's at 70.
Round 10: Us 8+14, It 6+13; 1+19-15 damage, it's at 65. *Thorns* It's at 64.
Round 11: Us 9+14, It 8+13; 4+19-15 damage, it's at 56. *Thorns* It's at 55.
Round 12: Us 10+14, It 5+13; 1+19-15 damage, it's at 50. *Thorns* It's at 49.
Round 13: Us 11+14, It 6+13; 6+19-15 damage, it's at 39. *Thorns* It's at 38.
Round 14: Us 12+14 (life spark, we're at 27), It 8+13; 4+19-15 damage, it's at 30. *Thorns* It's at 29.
Round 15: Us 6+14, It 6+13; 6+19-15 damage, it's at 19. *Thorns* It's at 18.
Round 16: Us 6+14, It 10+13; 5+14-3 damage, we're at 11. *Thorns* It's at 17.
Round 17: Us 6+14, It 6+13; 3+19-15 damage, it's at 10. *Thorns* it's at 9.
Round 18: Us 6+14 (life spark, we're at 15), It 4+13; 1+19-15 damage, it's at 4. *Thorns* It's at 3.
Round 19: Us 7+14, It 2+13; 4+19-15 damage, it's defeated!
Secret wave 4 defeated!
Hardest fight in a while.
The ground shakes as the giant bone monster crashes to the ground, its enchanted bones scattering across the snow. You find 50 gold crowns and one of the following rewards:
Horn of Courage (necklace) +1 speed, +1 brawn, Ability: courage (sp; 1/combat, +4 speed for 1 round), Requirement: warrior
Tenacity (main hand: dagger) +2 speed, +5 brawn, Ability: deep wound (1/combat, roll +1 die for damage), Requirement: rogue

Deathgrip Robes (chest) +2 speed, +3 armor, Ability: corruption (1/combat, after damaging an enemy by winning a round, enemy has -2 brawn/magic until end of combat), Requirement: mage
The fight is far from over. You look up see a pack of snarling ghouls racing towards the foot of the hill. In the air, wheeling in circles above them, is a flock of bone wyverns. They screech and holler, their piercing cries making your blood run cold. Then your eyes catch another dust cloud, moving in from the east. You count seven bone giants marching across the wasteland, leading a fresh horde of reinforcements.

You realize that you cannothope to defend the hill from such an immense army. Raising your weapons, you take a deep breath, preparing yourself for what is to come. You can only hope that your valiant last stand will buy Lansbury the precious seconds she needs to complete the ritual.
Accept/reject the Deathgrip robes before facing hopeless wave 5.
Name: Trellis
Path: Mage
Career: Necromancer
Speed: +14, Brawn: +4, Magic: +16, Armor: +3
Health: 50
SlotItemSpeedBrawnMagicArmorAbility
HeadHood of Night+2+3Deceive
NecklaceSilver Cross+1+1Heal
CloakSparkcraft Mantle+2+2Life Spark
Main HandLasher+3+3Bleed
Left HandChains of Binding+2+3Shackle
GlovesVambraces+1+2Parry
ChestCinder's Gown+1+3Sear
FeetRune-Forged Greaves+2+2
TalismanBone Fetish+1Necromancer
Ring 1Traveler's Ring+1+1Charm
Ring 2Circle of ThornsThorns

BackpackItem
1The Compendium of Dwarven Lore
2Elixir of Invisibility
3Spider's Leg
4Ghoul Hair
5Oil Flask 2/2

Rune Key
Plain Gold Ring
Money Pouch: 1216 Crowns

Image
Last edited by angelfromanotherpin on Mon Sep 04, 2017 7:42 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Ikeren
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Post by Ikeren »

I'm going to say yes to the robes. Gaining a point of speed, armor, and damage debuff seems worth losing the 3 points of damage.
Omegonthesane
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Post by Omegonthesane »

SPEED GLOURIOUS SPEED take the Deathgrip Robes
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

Zak S, Zak Smith, Dndwithpornstars, Zak Sabbath, Justin Bieber, shitmuffin
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Take the robes.
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

The first of the slavering ghouls reaches the top of the hill. You charge towards it, knowing full well this could be your last battle. Then, all of a sudden, there is a blinding white flash. You lose your footing, temporarily dazed by the light. When sight returns, you see white bolts of light streaking through the air above you. As you twist round to follow their path, you see that they are ripping into the ranks of undead, sending their bodies flying in all directions.

'Now that is more like it!'

You look back to see Lansbury punching the air in triumph. Next to her, the immense statue is pivoting around on its stone pedestal. From its eyes, white bolts of light are arcing out across the wasteland, striking the advancing undead and blasting them to smithereens.

For a moment you are too stunned to react, then you give a whoop of joy. Jumping to your feet, you race to the edge of the hill, watching as the white bolts continue to streak across the bone fields, decimating the giants, tearing the wyverns to shreds and blowing large holes into the ranks of the skeletons. Within seconds, the army that had once threatened to overwhelm you is now little more than a smoking ruin.

'How... what?' You turn back to Lansbury, your mouth making failed attempts at words.

She pats the side of the statue, which has now ceased its erratic motions. 'I told you it was a weapon,' she says, beaming with joy. 'Any undead that comes near it... boom!'

As your attention shifts back to the wasteland, you see a few surviving necromancers making a run for cover. 'They will be back,' you sigh heavily.

Lansbury shakes her head. 'I doubt it. This angel will guard the hill and destroy anything that comes within reach. Even if the necromancers try and deactivate it, they will find a few little surprises of our own.' She gives you a mischievous wink. 'Come on, I expect Redguard and Mathis will want to know what just happened.'
Wave five defeated!
Back at the camp you are quickly swamped by a crowd of young soldiers, full of questions. You give a piecemeal account of the battle as you hurry past, following Lansbury into the war tent. Word of your return has clearly reached the ears of your superiors also. Inquisitor Mathis is leaning over the map table with a face like thunder. Beside him, Redguard is pacing nervously.

'Ancient relics will not win this war,' Mathis roars, before either of you have even had a chance to speak.

Redguard quits pacing and glances over at you. Hisdisappointment is clear. 'You disobeyed my order to stay within the camp, Lansbury. Explain yourself.'

'Sir, I had to try,' she implores, stepping up to the map. 'Look, with both of these statues operational, we could dominate the bone fields. The undead would not be able to get a foothold here.'

Redguard's brow wrinkles as he studies the map. 'What is their range?'

'I can't say for sure,' she shrugs. 'A couple of miles, maybe more.'

The captain gives a start. 'A couple of miles?' He glances over at Mathis. 'That would seriously restrict the enemy's movements. It would mean Zul's army would be forced to use the cover of the valley. We could dictate where they strike.'

The inquisitor snorts, thumping the table with a gloved fist. 'Zul is a genius. What is to stop him from turning these weapons back on us?'

Lansbury raises a hand, shaking her head.'Nothing I have read has suggested they are capable of harming anything other than undead. In the shadow war, the legion raised them in their thousands during the final assault. Those weapons were the mages' answer.'

'Fortuitous for us,' adds Redguard, his eyes fixed on the inquisitor.

Mathis grinds his teeth together, his fingers tightening their grip on the table. 'I already have reinforcements on their way. Until then, no one is leaving this garrison. Understand?'

Lansbury bows her head and nods glumly. 'As you wish,' she mutters. 'I just hope, by the time they arrive, it isn't already too late.' Return to the quest map to continue your adventure.
• Hard quest at the other angel statue?
• One of the legendary monsters?
• Shopping or something?
Ikeren
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Post by Ikeren »

Other angel statue? These seem like good things, the inquisitor seems transparently evil.
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Post by Omegonthesane »

Other angel statue, he says after skimming to double check that all the vendor trash is indeed trash.
Kaelik wrote:Because powerful men get away with terrible shit, and even the public domain ones get ignored, and then, when the floodgates open, it turns out there was a goddam flood behind it.

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Ikeren
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Post by Ikeren »

(I was too lazy to go back and look)
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Other statue.
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

I didn't include it, but the first thing this reference tells us is that we have to have completed Winter's Hill before attempting this quest. It's the first example of hard forcing us to encounter content within an act in a specific order.

The opening to this quest is ridiculously long and self-indulgent. I'd have teal deered it, but I think it's worth appreciating just how deprotagonizing the whole thing is.
Quest: Against all odds

The warning bell sounds before dawn. You hastily pull on your clothes and grab your weapons. All around you, the soldiers are doing the same - moving with the speed and efficiency of drilled army men. No words are spoken as you race from the barracks, following the soldiers out into the yard.

Redguard is already there, fastening his sword belt around his waist as he hurries towards the southern entrance of the camp. Lansbury emerges from the infirmary tent, looking around with a concerned expression.

'What's happening?' she asks, catching your eye. 'Is it an attack?'

'No! Reinforcements, I think,' interjects a guard, pointing to the dust cloud that is fast approaching the camp.

When you reach the southern entrance, you see three horsemen and several riderless horses, hurtling out of the grey dust. Their leader is clearly an inquisitor, dressed in the white and gold armor of his order. At his right hand is a thin man with pointed features. A broad-brimmed hat is pulled down low over his face, his white lacy shirt spilling out from a high-collared black coat. Behind them is a younger man, swathed in red-and-black robes. An ornate staff rests across his saddle.

'Hail!' Redguard salutes the riders as they pull up in a swirl of dust. 'Inquisitor Laine, glad you could make it.' He peers behind the rider, his brow wrinkling at the sight of the riderless horses.

'What... where are the reinforcements?' asks Redguard.

Inquisitor Laine removes his helm, revealing a weathered face framed by grey hair and stubble. 'We were attacked on the road. Undead. They have slain five of our number, including Artorius and Bale.'

'Laine!' Everyone turns at the thunderous boom of Mathis' voice. The sour-faced inquisitor shoves past the soldiers in his way, grumbling. 'Report. Where are the men that I asked for?'

The mounted inquisitor bows his head to Mathis, but you notice a muscle twitching in his jaw as he clenches his teeth. 'Mathis. A pleasure as always.' By his tone it is evident that there is no love lost between the two. 'This is Witchfinder Gull,' Laine gestures to the man in the black coat and hat, 'and this is Klaret Pace, a pyromancer of the fifth order.' The red-robed youth nods in greeting.

'And let me guess - those things are what attacked you,' states Lansbury, pointing to the south. There are gasps of alarm from the assembled crowd as all eyes come to rest on the black swaring clouds that are drifting towards the camp.

'What are they?' asks Mathis, squinting.

'Bone wyverns,' says Witchfinder Gull, speaking in a high scratchy voice. 'There are a hundred of them. Maybe more. And they are all headed straight for your camp.'
'Guards, man the walls - move!' orders Redguard. 'Crossbows at the ready!'

The soldiers leap into action, bolting immediately for their posts.

'We don't have firepower to see off that many wyverns,' states Mathis grimly. 'The camp will be overrun.'

'Oh, wyverns are not your only problem, Inquisitor' says the Witchfinder softly, leaning forward in his saddle. 'Behind the wyverns is a band of undead, four-hundred strong. Ghouls, wights... it's quite an impressive sight.'

Redguard lets out a heavy sigh. 'We're finished. We can't repel a force of that size.'

'Yes - yes we can.' All eyes turn to Lansbury. She clears her throat before continuing. 'There is a statue to the south - an angel. We have already seen what they can do. I suggest we ride south and attempt to head off the undead there. I can activate the statue.'

'Those statues are weapons?' asks the witchfinder, his blue eyes sparkling with interest.

Lansbury nods. 'It's our only chance.'

Redguard looks to be considering the plan. 'It's too dangerous. The wyverns would just rip you to shreds.'

'They're coming here to this camp,' states Laine matter-of-factly. 'They may not attack a few of us heading south. If we made it through, then perhaps we can use this... statue against the force that is following. I see no other alternatives. Mathis?'

The inquisitor spits on the gray ash-covered ground. 'Take Lansbury with you - the rest of us will stay here and defend the camp.'

'I would like to go,' Janna hurries over, sliding her bow across her shoulder. 'I can hold off some of those wyverns if they get close.'

Redguard nods. 'And you too,' he says, looking in your direction. 'You've had more experience than most against this foe.'

'Yes, sir.' You hurry over to one of the waiting horses, aware that Witchfinder Gull is watching you with a keen interest. Pulling yourself into the saddle, you take the reins. Already, you can ehar the shrieks and cries of the approaching wyverns.

'Let's not delay,' says Laine, pulling his helm down over his face. 'Good luck Redguard. I hope when next we meet it is under better circumstances.'

With that he turns his warhorse and urges it southwards at a gallop. You follow his lead, joining the other four riders as they dash across the wasteland towards the thronging black swarm.
Janna gets to volunteer, we get to be ordered. I think ideally you'd get a choice to either defend the camp or go on the angel mission, but at the very least I expect to not have my agency undermined.
Darkness falls suddenly, the grey sky blotted out by the dense clouds of bone wyvern. There are hundreds of them, more than you had possibly imagined – all shrieking and cawing as their featherless wings drive them through the air towards Redguard's camp. A few have peeled off, driving down towards you – twenty or thirty wyverns, screeching to each other as if already celebrating a quick kill.

But Janna has her bow drawn, firing a volley of magic arrows into their ranks. The leading wyverns drop from the sky, their bodies blazing – but there are countless others to take their place. Beside you, Witchfinder Gull pivots in his saddle, bringing to flint-lock pistols to bear on the nearest wyverns. There is the flash of gunshot as his glowing bullets tear through bone and sinew, bringing down more of the beasts.

As you gallop onwards, you hear explosions behind you and a fierce heat at your back. Glancing over your shoulder, you see the young mage firing bolts of flame into the remaining wyverns. Their charred bodies form a smoking trail behind you.

You turn back in the saddle, focusing on what is ahead. With relief, you see the hill and the statue of the angel coming into view.

'We're going to make it,' you hear Lansbury cry. 'Look, there it is.' But then you catch something moving at the foot of the hill; the ground itself is rising and falling like waves on the ocean. Light catches on bone and claw, and then you realise what it is you are seeing. Ghouls. Hundreds of them, scampering across the grey wasteland. There is no way past them and they are charging at full speed towards you.
Just... look how everyone else gets to do cool shit that takes out multiple wyverns. Of course, the author couldn't narrate your badassery because he has no idea what your aesthetic is at this point, but 1) let us remember that when we fought a single bone wyvern, it was a 13/12/10/70 enemy that took us nine rounds to beat down, and 2) the author didn't have to write himself into this position.
To your surprise, Laine urges his horse onward. He shows no signs of slowing down or changing course - he is charging straight for the ghouls. With no other option, you fall in behind him, wondering how any of you will survive the fast-approaching wall of death.

'Hold on!' shouts Laine. He raises his right hand and suddenly it flares with a halo of white light. From the sides of his horse, a pair of ghostly white wings appear, beating as fast as the beast's hooves. Then, it takes off into the air, soaring high above the snapping howling ranks of undead.

You lower your head, bracing yourself for impact – but a sudden lurching motion forces you to lift your eyes. With a whoop of joy, you realize that your own horse has been affected by the same spell and is now climbing skywards. Behind you, your companions are uttering similar exclamations of surprise and relief, as their mounts rise up on glittering wings.

'A nice display of magic,' says Lansbury, watching as the ghouls below her snap and hiss in anger, making futile leaps into the air.

'They're not giving up, though,' sighs Janna.

Indeed, when you look down, you see that the ghouls are swarming back around, as if answering some unspoken command, and are now chasing after you.

'The hill is defensible,' calls back Laine, guiding his flying mount over the jagged stones that surround the hill. 'We can hold them off while Lansbury does her work.'
Look at how many words this guy wastes telling you how your character feels, which is doubly irritating because I like pithy passages and to be trusted with my own character's emotional state.
As soon as the winged mounts touch down on the hill's summit, Laine is out of the saddle and barking orders. 'Lansbury - the statue. Do whatever you need to do.' The woman nods and hurries over to the grey-stone angel, which is identical to the one on Winter's Hill. You also notice that the rocks serve a similar function, forming a maze of pathways that lead up to the top of the mound.

'Gull, Klaret, Janna – take those.' Laine points to where the north, south, and east pathways open out. 'Kill anything that tries to get through. I'll take the west passage.'He grabs your shoulder as he moves past you. 'And you! Defend Lansbury – anything that gets past us, kill it. We're the expendable ones – Lansbury has to survive and get that statue...' His words catch in his throat as he scans the surrounding wasteland. 'Hell, would you look at that.'

There are hundreds of undead now swarming towards the hill and in the hazy distance you see even more hastening to bring up the rear. If this is only one small part of Zul's army...

'Do what you can,' sighs Laine, drawing his sword from its scabbard. 'Do not give up hope.' With that, he moves to take up position on the western side of the hill.
It has now been five sections and over 1600 words since there has been any interactivity in this book. As a general rule, a gamebook should involve its reader at least every 200 words, or 400 at a stretch. And this book used to have nice 40-60 word sections between choices, before it became an excuse to feature what I assume is the author's entire D&D party.
There are several minutes of tense silence, then you hear the reising din of the approaching undead, their snarls and howls echoing along the stone-lined passages. It gets louder and louder, until it breaks against the hilltop in wave after wave of undead.

To the north, Witchfidner Gull is facing off against a force of sinewy white creatures with haggard drooping faces and grey spiky hair. With a pistol in one hand and a sword in the other, Gull weaves gracefully between the clawing monsters, driving them back with the fast dance of his sword and the force of his smoking gun.

You must now fight the following battle between Witchfinder Gull and the wights:
SpeedBrawnArmorHealth
Wights131410120
Gull13121060

Special Abilities
- Retribution: If Gull rolls a 6 for damage, he engulfs the wights in a magical fire and deals +10 damage.
- Field medic: If you are a medic, you can cast mend on Gull once during his combat, and my still use this ability on yourself if you engage in combat afterwards.

If Witchfinder Gull falls in battle, you must take his place, fighting the wights with the health they have remaining.
I'm just going to flip a coin for the actual resolution while Gull's on point because why not. Gull is heads.
Round 1: Heads, Gull wins; 2+2 damage, Wights at 116.
Round 2: Heads, Gull wins; 3+2 damage, Wights at 111.
Round 3: Heads, Gull wins; 5+2 damage, Wights at 104.
Round 4: Tails, Wights win; 2+4 damage, Gull at 54.
Round 5: Tails, Wights win; 2+4 damage, Gull at 48.
Round 6: Heads, Gull wins; 3+2 damage, Wights at 99.
Round 7: Tails, Wights win; 6+4 damage, Gull at 38.
Round 8: Tails, Wights win; 1+4 damage, Gull at 33.
Round 9: Tails, Wights win; 5+4 damage, Gull at 24.
Round 10: Heads, Gull wins; 1+2 damage, Wights at 96.
Round 11: Heads, Gull wins; 5+2 damage, Wights at 89.
Round 12: Tails, Wights win; 3+4 damage, Gull at 17.
Round 13: Heads, Gull wins; 1+2 damage, Wights at 86.
Round 14: Heads, Gull wins; 4+2 damage, Wights at 80.
Round 15: Heads, Gull wins; 4+2 damage, Wights at 74.
Round 16: Heads, Gull wins; 5+2 damage, Wights at 67.
Round 17: Tails, Wights win; 4+4 damage, Gull at 9.
Round 18: Tails, Wights win; 2+4 damage, Gull at 3.
Round 19: Heads, Gull wins; 2+2 damage, Wights at 63.
Round 20: Tails, Wights win, Gull defeated!

Round 1a: Us 6+15, Them 3+13; 2+14-10 damage, they're at 57. *DOTs* They're at 55.
Round 2a: Us 4+15 (charm'd 6+15), Them 7+13; 3+14-10 damage, they're at 48. *DOTs* They're at 45.
Round 3a: Us 7+15, Them 3+13; 4+14-10 damage, they're at 37. *DOTs* They're at 33.
Round 4a: Us 9+15, Them 7+13; 5+14-10 damage, they're at 24. *DOTs* They're at 19.
Round 5a: Us 4+15, Them 3+13; 5+14-10 damage, they're at 10. *DOTs* They're at 4.
Round 6a: Us 10+15, Them 7+13; 1+14-10 damage, they're defeated!
So, a couple of things. First, it's not 100% clear, but Gull's defeat here is fatal. He's dead. And that death, and also the combat that led up to it, would have been a lot more interesting if I had any reason to give even one shit about him. Like, if this was Eldias showing up again, which I don't know why it isn't.
To the west of the hill, the mighty inquisitor is slicing through rank after rank of ghouls. These ones, you notice, are different to those you have seen previously. They are bigger and broader-shouldered, their rotting bodies covered in haphazard pieces of bone armor.

You must now fight the following battle between Laine and the ghouls:
SpeedBrawnArmorHealth
Bone ghouls131012100
Laine1317-80

Special Abilities
- Holy light: If Laine rolls a 6 for damage, he also heals himself for 10 health.
- Piercing claes: The ghouls' attacks ignore armor.
- Field medic: If you are a medic, you can cast mend on Laine once during his combat, and my still use this ability on yourself if you engage in combat afterwards.

If Inquisitor Laine falls in battle, you must take his place, fighting the ghouls with the health they have remaining.
Coin again. Heads again.
Round 1: Tails, BGs win; 3+10 damage, Laine at 67.
Round 2: Heads, Laine wins; 4+7 damage, BGs at 89.
Round 3: Tails, BGs win; 3+10 damage, Laine at 54.
Round 4: Tails, BGs win; 5+10 damage, Laine at 39.
Round 5: Heads, Laine wins; 1+7 damage, BGs at 81.
Round 6: Heads, Laine wins; 3+7 damage, BGs at 71.
Round 7: Tails, BGs win; 6+10 damage, Laine at 23.
Round 8: Tails, BGs win; 1+10 damage, Laine at 12.
Round 9: Heads, Laine wins; 3+7 damage, BGs at 61.
Round 10: Tails, BGs win; 4+10 damage, Laine defeated!

Round 1a: Us 11+15, Them 8+13; 4+14-12 damage, they're at 55. *DOTs* They're at 53.
Round 2a: Us 7+15, Them 6+13; 3+14-12 damage, they're at 48. *DOTs* They're at 45.
Round 3a: Us 4+15, Them 4+13; 1+14-12 damage, they're at 42. *DOTs* They're at 38.
Round 4a: Us 2+15, Them 3+13; 5+14-12 damage, they're at 31. *DOTs* They're at 26.
Round 5a: Us 9+15, Them 4+13; 6+14-12 damage, they're at 18. *DOTs* They're at 12.
Round 6a: Us 7+15, Them 9+13; draw. *DOTs* They're at 6.
Round 7a: Us 4+15, Them 7+13; 1+10 damage, we're at 39. *DOTs* They're defeated!
The south of the hill is overrun with black multi-legged insects, their long snaking bodies moving with frightening speed. As several attempt to slip past Janna's guard, the ranger chants words of magic, summoning thorny spikes from the earth to skewer their segmented bodies. The remaining crawlers attempt to surround her, but Janna is a skilled swordswoman, fending off their sharp mandibles with her rune-etched blade.

You must now fight the following battle between Janna and the crawlers:
SpeedBrawnArmorHealth
Crawlers131410150
Janna14141050

Special Abilities
- Thorn armor: Janna can cast this spell any time in battle to raise her armor by 5 for one round and deal 1d armor-ignoring damage to her opponent. This ability can only be used once.
- Field medic: If you are a medic, you can cast mend on Janna once during her combat, and my still use this ability on yourself if you engage in combat afterwards.

If Janna falls in battle, you must take her place, fighting the crawlers with the health they have remaining.
No coin this time.
Round 1: Janna 7+14, Crawlers 6+13; 4+4 damage, crawlers at 142.
Round 2: Janna 3+14, Crawlers 9+13; 5+4 damage (Thorn'd, 5-1 damage, crawlers at 140), Janna at 46.
Round 3: Janna 6+14, Crawlers 8+13; 4+4 damage, Janna at 38.
Round 4: Janna 5+14, Crawlers 7+13; 3+4 damage, Janna at 31.
Round 5: Janna 7+14, Crawlers 7+13; 2+4 damage, crawlers at 136.
Round 6: Janna 7+14, Crawlers 12+13; 4+4 damage, Janna at 23.
Round 7: Janna 8+14, Crawlers 7+13; 6+4 damage, crawlers at 126.
Round 8: Janna 4+14, Crawlers 4+13; 6+4 damage, crawlers at 116.
Round 9: Janna 6+14, Crawlers 8+13; 5+4 damage, Janna at 14.
Round 10: Janna 10+14, Crawlers 7+13; 3+4 damage, crawlers at 109.
Round 11: Janna 3+14, Crawlers 7+13; 1+4 damage, Janna at 9.
Round 12: Janna 7+14, Crawlers 6+13; 2+4 damage, crawlers at 103.
Round 13: Janna 9+14, Crawlers 10+13; draw.
Round 14: Janna 5+14, Crawlers 5+13; 5+4 damage, crawlers at 94.
Round 15: Janna 4+15, Crawlers 7+13; 1+4 damage, Janna at 4.
Round 16: Janna 7+14, Crawlers 3+13; 5+4 damage, crawlers at 85.
Round 17: Janna 10+14, Crawlers 8+13; 6+4 damage, crawlers at 75.
Round 18: Janna 4+14, Crawlers 3+13; 6+4 damage, crawlers at 65.
Round 19: Janna 9+14, Crawlers 7+13; 5+4 damage, crawlers at 56.
Round 20: Janna 6+14, Crawlers 9+13; 6+4 damage, Janna defeated.

Round 1a: Us 5+15, Them 5+13; 6+14-10 damage, they're at 46. *DOTs* They're at 44.
Round 2a: Us 9+15, Them 11+13; draw. *DOTs* They're at 42.
Round 3a: Us 5+15, Them 7+13; draw. *DOTs* They're at 40.
Round 4a: Us 5+15, Them 10+13 (deceiv'd, Us 9+15, Them 6+13); 1+14-10 damage, they're at 35. *DOTs* They're at 32.
Round 5a: Us 6+15, Them 8+13; draw. *DOTs* They're at 29.
Round 6a: Us 8+15, Them 7+13; 4+14-10 damage, they're at 21. *DOTs* They're at 17.
Round 7a: Us 6+15, Them 11+13; (parry'd); *DOTs* They're at 13.
Round 8a: Us 9+15, Them 9+13; 6+14-10 damage, they're at 3. *DOTs* They're defeated!
See, I cared a very little about Janna, because we had some minimal history and she always stepped up. It doesn't take much.
To the east, a lack fog has drifted in, twisting and swirling around the jagged peaks of stone. From this unnatural fog, you can see ghostly bodies slipping free, their hands stretching out to form demonic claws. Klaret faces them without fear, his staff spinning in his hands as he cuts them down in a fiery display of explosive magic.

You must now fight the following battle between Klaret and the shades:
SpeedMagicArmorHealth
Shades131212120
Klaret13161060

Special Abilities
- Grave chill: The shades automatically inflict 2 armor-ignoring damage to their current opponent at the end of every combat round.
- Fire storm: If Klaret rolls a 6 for damage, he unleashes a firestorm and deals +10 damage.
- Field medic: If you are a medic, you can cast mend on Klaret once during his combat, and my still use this ability on yourself if you engage in combat afterwards.

If Janna falls in battle, you must take her place, fighting the crawlers with the health they have remaining.
Back to coin and not caring.
Round 1: Tails, Shades win; 6+2 damage, Klaret at 52. *Chill* Klaret at 50.
Round 2: Heads, Klaret wins; 4+4 damage, Shades at 112. *Chill* Klaret at 48.
Round 3: Heads, Klaret wins; 4+4 damage, Shades at 108. *Chill* Klaret at 46.
Round 4: Tails, Shades win; 1+2 damage, Klaret at 43. *Chill* Klaret at 41.
Round 5: Tails, Shades win; 4+2 damage, Klaret at 35. *Chill* Klaret at 33.
Round 6: Heads, Klaret wins; 5+4 damage, Shades at 99. *Chill* Klaret at 31.
Round 7: Heads, Klaret wins; 3+4 damage, Shades at 92. *Chill* Klaret at 29.
Round 8: Tails, Shades win; 1+2 damage, Klaret at 26. *Chill* Klaret at 24.
Round 9: Heads, Klaret wins; 6+10+4 damage, Shades at 72. *Chill* Klaret at 22.
Round 10: Tails, Shades win; 3+2 damage, Klaret at 17. *Chill* Klaret at 15.
Round 11: Heads, Klaret wins; 3+4 damage, Shades at 65. *Chill* Klaret at 13.
Round 12: Tails, Shades win; 3+2 damage, Klaret at 8. *Chill* Klaret at 6.
Round 13: Heads, Klaret wins; 6+10+4 damage, Shades at 45. *Chill* Klaret at 4.
Round 14: Tails, Shades win; 2+2 damage, Klaret defeated!

Round 1a: Us 8+15, Them 7+13; 5+14-10 damage, they're at 36. *DOTs* We're at 48, they're at 34.
Round 2a: Us 8+15 (life spark, we're at 50), Them 9+13; 4+14-10 damage, they're at 26. *DOTs* We're at 48, they're at 23.
Round 3a: Us 8+15, Them 11+13 (deceive'd, Us 11+15, Them 8+13); 6+14-10 damage, they're at 13. *DOTs* We're at 46, they're at 9.
Round 4a: Us 11+15, Them 10+13; 6+14-10 damage, they're defeated!
The ground trembles and shakes beneath your feet. Turning, you see a monstrous hulk of a creature advancing on Lansbury, who stands defenseless in her magical trance. With effort, you throw yourself into the path of the beast, struggling to maintain your balance as it stomps closer, sending tremors rippling out across the hilltop.

The hulk stands seven meters tall, its thick body covered in knotted muscle. In each of its four arms is a cruel weapon of some description, from a serated blade to a wide-headed axe. As your eyes are drawn upwards, you give a gasp of horror – the giant has two enormous heads, each one displaying an ugly mishmash of teeth and eyeballs. You raise your weapons and prepare to take on this unnatural abomination, buying Lansbury the time she needs to finish her ritual:
SpeedBrawnArmorHealth
Brothers Grimm131310120

Special Abilities
- 'Got ma eyes on yer': You cannot use sidestep, evade, or vanish in this combat.
- Helping hand: For each remaining hero that is still alive, you can add an extra point of damage when you win a round of combat.
These guys aren't particularly threatening compared to what we've faced so far, although he may take a while because we don't have any helpers left.
Round 1: Us 11+15, Them 4+13; 2+14-10 damage, they're at 114 (corrupt'd). *DOTs* They're at 112.
Round 2: Us 11+15, Them 7+13; 4+14-10 damage, they're at 104. *DOTs* They're at 101.
Round 3: Us 12+15, Them 12+13; 4+14-10 damage, they're at 93. *DOTs* They're at 89.
Round 4: Us 11+15, Them 12+13; 2+14-10 damage, they're at 83. *DOTs* They're at 78.
Round 5: Us 7+15, Them 2+13; 2+14-10 damage, they're at 72. *DOTs* They're at 66.
Round 6: Us 5+15, Them 7+13; draw. *DOTs* They're at 60.
Round 7: Us 12+15, Them 9+13; 1+14-10 damage, they're at 55. *DOTs* They're at 48.
Round 8: Us 6+15, Them 10+13 (deceiv'd, Us 9+15, Them 7+13); 4+14-10 damage, they're at 40. *DOTs* They're at 32.
Round 9: Us 12+15, Them 12+13; 5+14-10 damage, they're at 23. *DOTs* They're at 14.
Round 10: Us 3+15, Them 9+13; (parry'd). *DOTs* They're at 5.
Round 11: Us 7+15, Them 10+13; 2+11-6 damage, we're at 43. *DOTs* They're defeated!
As the giant crashes to the ground, there isa grating squeal from the statue. You look over to see the angel start to turn on its pedestal, grinding against centuries of dust and dirt as it forces itself into motion. Then there is a flash of light followed by an explosion. As the statue spins round, it throws white beams of light out over the hilltop and the surrounding plains. Each sizzling bolt finds a target, punching through ranks of undead, hurling ghouls high into the air, slicing through shades and wights... everywhere the beams land, the sky is filled with giant clouds of ash as mighty explosions rip into the barren landscape.

You scramble over to Lansbury's side. The woman looks pale and drawn, but she is smiling through her exhaustion. 'We did it,' she gasps. 'We did it.'

You watch awestruck as the statue does its tireless work, destroying the undead and sending the scattered remnants of the force into a full-scale rout. The battle has been won.

• If you are a rogue...
• If you are a warrior...

• If you are a mage...
You search the body of the two-headed giant. In a pouch around its waist is a bag containing 100 gold crowns. You may also help yourself to one of the following rewards:
Grasping grimm (left hand: wand) +3 speed, +3 magic, Ability: rake (1/combat, instead of dealing normal damage after winning a round, deal 3d6 armor-ignoring damage.)
Devourer's grips (gloves) +1 speed, +4 magic, Ability: rust (1/combat, if you damage your opponent after winning a round of combat, reduce their armor by 2 for the rest of the combat.)
Diadem of mastery (head) +2 speed, +3 magic, Ability: dominate (1/combat, change 1 die you roll for damage to a 6.)
• Special achievement: if all four heroes – Gull, Laine, Janna, and Klaret – are still alive, you may recieve an extra reward...
• Otherwise...
I have no idea how you're even supposed to get that achievement, even with the medic career their odds are all bad, and I don't see any other way to influence those fights at all.
Despite your victory, the ride back to Redguard's camp is a solemn affair, your thoughts turning to what you might find on your return. As you near, you see a black pall hanging in the sky. At first you assume it is wyverns, still harassing the beleaguered garrison – then you realize it is smoke, curling up into the sky from a pyre outside the camp's walls. Riding past, you see wyvern bodies heaped high among the crackling flames and more being added to it as a line of sullen-looking soldiers file out of the camp, dragging or carrying the undead remains.

You dismount with Lansbury at your side, and enter the camp. There are wyvern corpses everywehre, littering the ground like a grisly carpet. Lansbury rolls up her sleeves and makes straight for the infirmary tent, barking orders to a nearby guardsman who hurries after her.

Redguard approaches from the tower, his armor caked in dust and blood; thankfully not his own. 'We saw the flashes and the explosions,' he says, still able to smile despite the carnage around him. 'You did well. We have dealt a significant blow to Zul's army. I doubt he will try and raid our garrison again – although I fear his attention will now turn to Talanost and Ravenwing's camp.'

You spot Nyms and Caeleb carrying a wyvern body towards the pyre. The cocky swordsman looks uncommonly morose. He glances at you and nods as they pass by.

'We took heavy losses,' sighs Redguard, acknowledging the mood of the camp. 'But every last one of my soldiers accounted well for themselves. I fear more will be asked of them before the end.' He pats you on the shoulder. 'Now, get some rest. I'm sure we will be receiving fresh orders soon/' You follow his gaze to Inquisitor Mathis, who is seated on a boulder at the foot of one of the walls, silently gazing at the ash and blood on his gloved hands.

• If you are a warrior and Laine survived the battle...

Otherwise, return to the quest map to continue your adventure.
No actual choices involved at all. Pick a loot, and then if I don't hear differently it's on to hardest quest.
Name: Trellis
Path: Mage
Career: Pyromancer
Speed: +15, Brawn: +4, Magic: +12, Armor: +6
Health: 50
SlotItemSpeedBrawnMagicArmorAbility
HeadHood of Night+2+3Deceive
NecklaceSilver Cross+1+1Heal
CloakSparkcraft Mantle+2+2Life Spark
Main HandLasher+3+3Bleed
Left HandChains of Binding+2+3Shackle
GlovesVambraces+1+2Parry
ChestDeathgrip Robes+2+3Corruption
FeetRune-Forged Greaves+2+2
TalismanBone Fetish+1Necromancer
Ring 1Traveler's Ring+1+1Charm
Ring 2Circle of ThornsThorns

BackpackItem
1The Compendium of Dwarven Lore
2Elixir of Invisibility
3Spider's Leg
4Ghoul Hair
5Oil Flask 2/2

Rune Key
Plain Gold Ring
Money Pouch: 1316 Crowns

Image
Last edited by angelfromanotherpin on Mon Sep 04, 2017 8:08 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Omegonthesane
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Post by Omegonthesane »

Take the Grasping Grimm.

Why they don't let you take over for each hero before said hero dies, I have no idea. Why they don't let you fight alongside at least one of them from the very start, likewise.
Last edited by Omegonthesane on Tue Jul 25, 2017 6:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Darth Rabbitt
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Post by Darth Rabbitt »

Ugh, that was bullshit. What do you get for keeping them alive, anyways?

Take the Grasping Grimm. Extra speed is always good.
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angelfromanotherpin
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Post by angelfromanotherpin »

Darth Rabbitt wrote:Ugh, that was bullshit. What do you get for keeping them alive, anyways?
Nothing you'll miss. It's one of:
Redguard's tabard: chest, +2 speed, +4 armor, 1/fight armor boost.
Survivor's pennant: talisman, +1 speed, +1 brawn, 1/fight brawn or armor boost.
Martyr's blood: ring, +1 magic, +1 armor, 1/fight damage mitigation.
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