[Let's Play] Blood Sword IV - Doomwalk

[angelfromanotherpin]

I don't think we want to summon our enemies. They don't have any reason to be helpful.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, agreed.

[Starmaker]

Maybe Susurrien has had a change of heart and wants to be friends!!!

Move on.

[SGamerz]

I guess no one believe we can get our hands on Icon right there and take back the Blood Sword?

Leaving the Shrine, then......

If you have the codeword TABULA, turn to 497. If not, turn to 203.

We do (from finding the map earlier).

If you have not already done so, you could now visit the place marked on the map as Angvar's mead-hall - turn to 142. If you have already been there, or do not wish to go, turn to 277 if you have the codeword GJALLER; and to 299 if not.

Mead.....?

YES THERE'S BOOZE IN HELL!!

Ahem.....do we want to go to the mead-hall now?

[Starmaker]

Yes.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Underbooze!

[SGamerz]

'Ah, Angvar's hall,' says the Traveller when you mention your destination. 'As a matter of fact, I was going to suggest that we went there before crossing the river. We may be able to get some honey-cake there, you see, and honey-cake is the favourite fare of the monster Garm, who guards the Gate of Mist. So if we can get some cake ...' His voice trails off into a chuckle. 'Well, take my word for it: it's worth the trip.'

Booze and cake? Hell's looking like a far better place to live than where we came from.

Angvar's hall is built at the point where the Lethe and Acheron diverge. It is a magnificent high-gabled building of dark red timber, with carven dragonheads rearing up along the patterned eaves and giltwork marking the elaborate runes and spirals typical of Norse architecture. A few out-buildings house Angvar's animals and grain. Inside the main hall is where all his warriors and their families live. Even when you are still several hundred metres away you can hear the sounds of drunken singing echoing through the twilight.

'Aha,' says the Traveller. 'Angvar and his hall-heroes are feasting as is their wont. No doubt they think they're in Valhalla, though I have seen the wenches who serve at the tables and they're no Valkyries, I can tell you!' Suddenly he glances off to one side and catches your sleeve. 'Look there, now. In the distance ...'

You peer across the River Acheron to an expanse of bleak marsh. Hundreds of grey-eyed ghosts are milling to and fro there. Their wailing is all but drowned out by the revelry from the hall, but from what you can hear it sounds ghastly.

'Are they souls in torment, to weep and moan so?' you ask in horror.

'The unburied dead,' he replies. 'A rancid stream called the Cocytus drains into those swamps where they are condemned to wander forever. The word Cocytus comes from Ancient Emphidian, and it means "the place of lamentation". Forget them; our business awaits us in Angvar's hall.'

You nod and let him lead the way to the great double-doors. Bound in iron, they bear the hammer symbol of the god Thor, the Thunderer. The Traveller raises his staff and knocks. The heavy strikes resound, rolling down the interior of the hall. The men at the tables fall silent, waiting to see the wayfarers who have come to their feasting-place.

Then a voice says: 'Throw open the doors. Bid those without to enter!' And it could almost be the voice of the Thunderer himself.

Valhalla in Hell, where people party all day long? You know what, screw Entasius' quest, screw the Blood Sword, screw the world! I'm staying here!

You step into the hall. A great fire rages in the central hearth, filling the air right up to the high rafters with a haze of smoke. Walking past the silent warriors at the benches, who watch you with their mead-horns forgotten in their hands, you approach Angvar himself. You have never set eyes on a man with more might in his frame. Above his fiery red beard, his eyes have the look of a storm within them.

As you are about to speak, the steward of the hall steps forward. With mail-coat jangling at every step, he raises his arm and points to the spear rack beside the door. 'You may approach our lord in your gear of battle, for Angvar Nikkarson fears no man or giant, but your weapons must here await your words' outcome. Guests do not walk among these thanes with slaying-tools in their hands.'

The Traveller shrugs and places his staff in the rack before going up to Angvar's seat. If you are also prepared to relinquish your weapons, turn to 22. If you have no weapons, turn to 345. If you have weapons but prefer to keep them with you, turn to 512.

That's not fair, making us choose between booze and our penetrative implements!

Well, the Enchanter has no weapons, but the rest of you need to decide whether to give up your weapons to enter the hall.

[angelfromanotherpin]

My djinn-granted enchanted razor-sword! Ergh. Still, his roof, his rules. I'll lay it by the door.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, drop our weapons. We'll be fine unless we're expected to wrestle him.

[Starmaker]

Let's just try not to piss him off and get run out of the place without picking up the weapons.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Pepito, any chance of a top-up?

[Darth Rabbitt]

OK. 6 EP worth of healing, all going to the baddest woman alive (dead? We're in Sheol after all).

[SGamerz]

OK. 6 EP worth of healing, all going to the baddest woman alive (dead? We're in Sheol after all).

Nah, still alive.

Btw,

If any of us died previously in the book, we could have used the Shrine summoned the dead characters back to join us for the remainder of this quest! They won't be able to accompany the rest of the players out of Hell at the end of the book, but at least they can still help their comrades till then!

Healing roll = (3-2) x6 = 6.

Pepito doesn't get any extra END back. Does he want to give the 6 END to the Warrior now or give them back to himself and try healing again later?

You put your own weapon(s) in the rack beside the Traveller's staff. The steward nods, pleased at your ready response. 'It gladdens the heart to meet with wayfarers who respect the etiquette of the hall. Now then, approach the Hammer-King, our lord Angvar; you are assured of welcome.'

Actually, while there's some risk in breaking Angvar's rules, there's also potential reward if it's handled right. Another quest token we managed to miss here....although it's not a very important one.

The mead that Angvar's serving-girls bring you must be magical. You feel a surge of renewed vigour passing through your tired limbs. Any wounded player (even one suffering from Plague Star's curse) can restore his or her Endurance score to its normal level.

You let the Traveller do most of the talking, as he seems to know Angvar. 'My lord,' he says, 'we need to pass through the gate guarded by the monster Garm.'

'Garm,' replies Angvar. 'A monster he is indeed - though less of a monster than his poison-hearted father. Take some of my honey-cake, then. Garm is very partial to it, as you know. Thrud!'

Angvar's daughter Thrud brings you a parcel of honey-cake. One of the players should record this on his or her Character Sheet. Thanking Angvar, you rise and take your leave of him.

If there is a Warrior in the party who wrestled or fought with Angvar, turn to 93. If the Warrior is not here (or if he or she did not face Angvar in battle), turn to 195.

....you know what, forget my question about the healing distribution. Everyone is back to full health thanks to Angvar's awesome Hell Booze!

If we took a certain route, we could have found out that Angvar is, in fact, Thor....although it's spelled as 'Tor' in this series.....much like Loki is spelled as 'Loge'.

And yes, if we've refused to give up our weapon, it could have led to a duel between the Warrior and Thor Angvar, where we could have gained a further reward if Kiki impressed him sufficiently.

Who wants carry the honey-cakes?

You step out of the welcome warmth of the mead-hall into the cold air of Sheol.

If you have Screebo the raven, turn to 34. If not, turn to 351.

We do!

For the first time you notice that Screebo is not with you. A loud croak draws your gaze to the upper eaves of the hall, where he sits perched like a disreputable old man. Ignoring all your efforts to entice him down, he stays there watching you with his beady eyes.

You will have to leave him there. The wretched bird - to think you have kept him sheltered and fed all these years! Remove him from your Character Sheet and turn to 351.

Awww....you heart-breaker....

If you have the codeword TABULA, turn to 425. If not, turn to 86.

Yes...

If you have not yet done so, you could now visit the Shrine of Summoning - turn to 222. If you do not wish to go there, or have already been, turn to 277 if you have the codeword GJALLER; to 299 if not.

We've already tried the shrine.....

The Traveller leads you off the moors to a covered bridge which spans the River Lethe. A forest of thick black pines covers the opposite bank. Beyond it rises a misty line that could be a distant mountain range.

Lethe? Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

As you go to set foot on the bridge, a maid in a grey cloak steps out of the shadows in front of you. Her face is fair of feature but as grey as her robes.

'Stand aside, Modgud, says the Traveller, brandishing his staff. 'Except for your words you have no power to deter us from crossing.'

'I shall not even try to dissuade you, scion of the Sugensiki,' she replies in a low voice. Then, turning to you, she says: 'Has your guide told you of this river, whose waters bring forgetfulness? Many souls choose to drink here so as to forget their past lives.'

'Pay her no heed,' says the Traveller, moving past her along the bridge. 'She will keep you here talking until the end of time if she has her way.'

If you think it is worth collecting some of the river water in case it comes in useful later, turn to 184. If you want to drink from it now, decide which players are doing so and they should turn to 321. If you follow the Traveller across the bridge, turn to 73.

Again, it's up to any individual player if they want to take a drink or collect any of the water.

Note that I haven't added the honey-cakes to the adventure sheets yet. Let me know who's carrying them as well:

Adventure Sheet:

WARRIOR:

NAME: Dame Caecilia Wither-Stoat
RANK: 5th

Battle Order: 1

Fighting Prowess: 12
Psychic Ability: 7
Awareness: 8
Endurance: 39/39
Damage: 2 Dice +4 (+3 from Enchanted Sword)

*Extra Notes: Takes no FP/damage penalty when fighting unarmed, +1 Armour Rating from Potentiation on top of normal armour bonus

Items:
1 Enchanted Sword (+3 Damage)
2 Enchanted Chainmail armour (Armour Rating five)
3 Money pouch (empty)
4 Silver crucifix (with finger-bone of St Ashanax)
5 Iron Bell
6 Bedroll
7 Shielding Charm (+1 AR)
8 Dog-faced Creature's Spear
9 Ointment of Healing (10 Applications, +2D6 END each)
10 Empty slot

TRICKSTER:

NAME: Benedict of the Crimson Spires, Honourable Duelist
RANK: 5th

Battle Order: 2

Fighting Prowess: 8 (+1 from Enchanted Sword)
Psychic Ability: 7
Awareness: 8
Endurance: 31/31
Damage: 2 Dice

Items:
1 Enchanted Sword (+1 FP)
2 Studded Leather Armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Golden Snuffbox
4 Dervish's scroll
5 Gloves
6 Bow
7 Harp
8 Quiver (6 arrows)
9 Fur Cloak
10 Gilt-edged scroll

SAGE:

NAME: "Pepito" Cascadero, Master of the Mystic Way
RANK: 5th

Battle Order: 3

Fighting Prowess: 7
Psychic Ability: 8
Awareness: 7
Endurance: 26/26
Damage: 2 Dice

Items:
1 Quarterstaff
2 Ringmail Armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Seafaring Charts from Hunguk's ship
4 Bottle of water from the Pool of Remembrance - to drink, turn to 496
5 Magic Bow (Damage 1 Die+1)
6 Quiver (2 arrows)
7 Skull Amulet
8 Blue Crystal Eyes
9 Typhon's Crystal Eye
10 Silver key to Fatima's garden

ENCHANTER:

NAME: Enchanter Reed, Ninth of the Inverted Tower
RANK: 5th

Battle Order: 4

Fighting Prowess: 1
Psychic Ability: 15 (+1 from Ring of Sorcery)
Awareness: 8
Endurance: 26/26
Damage: 1 Die +2

Items:
1 Brazier
2 Silver armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Bedroll
4 Magical Bread Crust of Infinity
5 Fur Cloak
6 Money pouch (26 gold pieces)
7 Ring of Sorcery (+1 PA)
8 Iron rations (7 days)
9 Amber Tinderbox
10 Empty slot

[Starmaker]

Man, if only the water of Lethe was conveniently available every other time I heard a spoiler.
Which is why I drop the gloves and collect some.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Healing roll = (3-2) x6 = 6.

Pepito doesn't get any extra END back. Does he want to give the 6 END to the Warrior now or give them back to himself and try healing again later?

The latter.

[SGamerz]

Healing roll = (3-2) x6 = 6.

Pepito doesn't get any extra END back. Does he want to give the 6 END to the Warrior now or give them back to himself and try healing again later?

The latter.

Like I said later, doesn't matter, because Angvar's mead healed everyone.

'Perhaps you are right,' says the Traveller after you have called him back and told him what you think. He lowers himself down the bank and collects some of the river-water in a skin. This he hands to one of the players, who should note that he or she is now carrying some Lethean water.

You can drink from the waterskin at any time except when in combat. There is enough for all players. If you do drink, turn to 312 after first noting the number of the entry you're reading at the time. (The player with the waterskin will need to record this: 'Lethean water - see 312 for effect.')

Now we can choose to drink it any time we like, let's move on...

Modgud chuckles quietly to herself as she watches you cross the bridge. In the shadows of its wooden roof, glittering eyes open and peer at you as you pass.

'They are illusory,' says the Traveller when he sees how the eerie scrutiny unnerves you. 'Just as Modgud's words only appear to have meaning. In fact she was set here by the northern gods and cannot leave, but other than this she has no duty, responsibility or purpose - not even to guard the bridge. So she invents things to say to such as you and me, and tries to entice them into drinking the water of Lethe so they might become as motiveless as she.'

You emerge from the bridge into a thick forest that comes right down to the river bank. Between the massive trees sits a nightmare darkness that you cannot imagine any torch could penetrate.

The Traveller is more optimistic. He lights his lantern and fixes its handle into the fork at the end of his staff. It casts enough light for you to see the ground in front of your feet.

'Is there need for such haste?' you call after him as you advance into the forest.

'Indeed there is. Are you not aware that your connection with the mortal world is attenuating with each hour you remain in Sheol? Delay your return too long, and you will be cursed to wander here forever. As I am ...'

This is an unwelcome piece of news, and you can see why Entasius preferred not to mention it. Putting it from your mind, you look around at the shadow-shrouded boughs and enquire where you are now.

'This is Ironwood,' the Traveller says, flicking a pine needle. It rings with a metallic note.

'Monsters?' you ask, staring into the absolute blackness ahead of you.

'Some, no doubt. I don't know the details. If we traverse the wood with all speed, we may get to the Gate of Mist happily none the wiser ...'

I think we need to have some very firm words with our employer when this quest is done....

You pass on through the Ironwood. Perhaps it takes hours: a tableau vivant with you shuffling cautiously along the needle-strewn ground, suspended in infinite darkness with only the pool of soft light from the Traveller's lamp to show the way. Once, a noise like a cough leaps out of the dark and rattles the branches above you.

The Traveller shrugs when he sees the startled look in your eyes. 'Who knows what creatures lurk in the wood?' he says. 'Some say they are the ghosts of old giants from Ymir's day, who ruled the cosmos before the coming of the gods.'

'There is but one God,' you remind him.

'You should pray He is with you now, then,' he replies with a cryptic laugh. 'For we are truly walking towards the valley of Death's shadow. But behold - we are out of the Ironwood, and there is the Gate ...'

There is but one God? Did the authors take into account the possibility that one or more of the heroes might have just got personally spanked by a god in a certain mead-hall not too long ago?

A wall stretches off into the darkness along the forest's edge. It is not a wall of wood or stone, but of a phosphorescent mist that shifts and swims. The only breach in the wall is guarded by a monstrous being with the head of a wolf.

'It is Garm,' says the Traveller.

The wolf-headed giant gives a snarl and lopes forward to attack.

If you have a parcel of honey-cake, turn to 451. If not, you must fight - turn to 105.

Nobody volunteered to carry it, but the Warrior and the Enchanter still have free slots, so we can pretend that one of them took it.

You rip open the package and show the cake to Garm. His eyes glitter greedily as he sniffs at it. 'Cake for Garm!' he barks. He has no tail, but if he did then it would surely be wagging.

Garm squats on a boulder and begins to devour the honey-cake. 'Fine!' he declares when he's finished. You realise that he isn't very bright.

'Then it's all right for us to go through the gateway ...?' says the Traveller.

The monster waves a clawed hand. 'Right. But don't tell anyone I let you through.'

'Of course we won't,' the Traveller calls back as he leads you through the Gate of Mist. Under his breath you hear him add: 'Iya na inu!'

Well, that solves the question of who's carrying those cakes, since they don't last long.

You emerge on the other side of the glowing mist-wall. A vast flat plain stretches out ahead of you, featureless except for a few pebbles and clumps of sickly heather.

'It seems to have got darker now,' you remark to the Traveller. The sky, formerly a gloomy grey, has become a curtain velvet black. There are no stars.

'As we penetrate the regions closer to where Death keeps his vigil, we are sinking deeper into night,' he says. 'Sheol - as you call it - is like a dreamworld where time is more dependent on location than on logic. That is also why the things we encounter seem disjointed and unreal; they are dream-fragments of the mythologies of death that are familiar to you.'

You take your first few steps across the plain. It is impossible to tell how far you might have to go to reach the distant line of mountains. It could be hundreds of miles. 'And this place is ...?' you ask your guide.

'The territory separating the inhabited, "normal" regions of Sheol from the inner landscape of primordiality. Essentially this corresponds to the distinction between the commonplace world of dreams and darkest depths of the unconscious. To draw a parallel from Emphidian myth, we are leaving the Asphodel Fields behind; ahead lies Tartarus.'

You know something about Emphidian myth, even if the rest of what he says makes no sense. You stare across the desolate plain. 'In other words,' you reply, 'we are walking into Hell.'

Wait, so you mean we weren't already there?

Mile after mile, you trudge across the plain. There is no evidence of animal life, and even the plants here are sparse and twisted. Occasionally you catch sight of a dead oak or a boulder that seems quite large - but such features are never nearby, and turn out to be impossible to reach.

Not even the wind moves across this barren land. Only your own hushed voices break the silence. After a while you begin to feel hypnotised by the inhuman bleakness of the panorama. You talk less and less, and at times it seems you are stumbling on in a dream.

Any players who do not have the codeword LETHE should turn to 329. If all players have this codeword on their Character Sheets, turn to 342.

Okay, it's pretty obvious that the codeword has something to do with whether we drank that Lethe Water. Since there's been no options break since that section where we collected the water, I'm pausing here to let everyone decide whether each of you want to drink the water before we move on.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Uh, no? Like, definitely not drinking the water that will make me forget my previous life, including why the fuck I'm in the underworld to begin with. I assume this is where the amnesiacs wander off to 'live' as restless shades.

[Starmaker]

I think we're supposed to drink it so as not to go nuts in this place. I'll drink.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I need to stop posting before I'm fully awake.

I have the antidote to the Lethean waters--in both cases it says we have enough for the whole party so perhaps Benedict could drink the waters of Lethe and then we can give him his memories back? And if that works well here we can all do it.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Huh, somehow I missed that. In that case, I propose we all drink, except for the Enchanter. If there's a madness test, it'll probably target his impervious Psychic Ability, and having one non-neuralized member strikes me as good insurance against the whole 'wait... what are we doing?' thing. Ideally our guide would serve that purpose, but I don't know what makes him tick well enough to rely on him alone.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, I don't trust the Traveler to bail us out.

I'm down with angel's plan.

[Shiritai]

That sounds like an excellent plan; I'll hold onto the antidote for all of you.

[SGamerz]

PLAYER(S) DRINKING:

Before reading on, make sure you know the number of the last entry you were reading.

The waters of the River Lethe induce amnesia. As soon as you drink, much of your memory slips away just as water trickles between your fingers. You can remember your quest - though you are hazy about some of the details - and you can remember the name(s) of those you travel with. But a good deal of your combat expertise is lost: your Endurance is unaltered, but your Fighting Prowess, Awareness and Psychic Ability become those of a second rank character.

Write the codeword LETHE on your Character Sheet(s) and then turn back to the previous entry.

Man....let's hope we don't have to go through any fights with that penalty.

Now, let's take a look at what Reed is going through:

Your legs feel like lead. How long have you been walking across this plain? You seemed to black out for a moment; now you cannot remember. As though you were wading through the depths of sleep, each step is more onerous than the last.

You look down at your feet and moan in horror. The ground has become the faces of the people you have known throughout your life - friends and enemies alike. Their gaping mouths gnaw at your feet. Their hands reach up from nowhere to snatch at your legs. You stumble to your knees, desperately clawing your way onward even though you have forgotten your destination.

The Traveller glances back. He is unaffected by the ghastly vision. 'You have walked into the Mire of Mortality,' he shouts. 'Memories of your life are sucking you down, trying to stop you from entering the deepest part of Death's realm. Avert your eyes!'

Each player should roll three Dice, trying to score less than or equal to their Psychic Ability. A player who fails the roll is absorbed into the Mire of Mortality, ceasing to exist in either the land of life or the land of death; the player and all his or her equipment are lost forever.

A player who succeeds in making the roll manages to cast away these last obstacles and progress to the edge of the plain unharmed. As mentioned before, players with the codeword LETHE do not see the visions at all and can proceed without making the roll.

Surviving players turn to 342.

Reed was definitely the right guy to "test" this out, but even he may fail here (slight though that chance is), on a roll of 3d6.....

Dice roll = 10 (Pass!)

At last you hear sounds from ahead - the cry of a solitary night-bird, the babble of running water ...

If you have Screebo the raven with you and at least one player has the codeword LETHE, turn to 520. Otherwise, turn to 83.

\

Nope, he left us.

'We have reached the end of the plain,' announces the Traveller, 'and now we are truly in Death's heartland. Nenokatsu, as it is called by the people of my country. See that river? It is the one the Ancient Emphidians knew as the Styx - the River of Hate.'

You stand on the bank of the river. Instead of water, it looks like black ink. Pallid fish dart to and fro just under the surface. The Styx apparently flows from the mountain range you saw earlier, passing through a shadowy wood and between two rounds hills on its course to the ocean.

You look across to the hill on the other side of the river, catching a faint glimpse of something moving there. 'Signs of life,' you muse.

'Life?' says the Traveller with a short laugh. 'Assuredly not!'

Beyond the hill stands a tower whose upper windows shine with emerald light. The Traveller mentions it is the tower of someone called Sthenno, but that is all he knows. 'I can't say whether this Sthenno would make us welcome or not,' he says. 'In any case, we'd have to cross the Styx to get there.'

A boat you had somehow failed to notice before is approaching from the far bank. The ferryman regards you from the depths of his hooded cleak. The boat must be propelled by magic, as he does not touch the oars. If this is the River Styx then the ferryman must be Charon, who conveys the souls of the departed to their final resting place. Whether he will take you across remains to be seen ...

BTW, if you guys think it's safe to drink the "antidote" now, let me know.

Charon's boat drifts in towards the bank where you are standing. His face is invisible inside the blackness of his cowl. Speaking in a voice of leaden tones, he says: 'You are from the mortal world. Do you wish to cross the river?'

If you tell him you do, turn to 36. If you say no, turn to 21.

What do we tell him?

[Starmaker]

Er, yes? Actually, I have no idea what we're looking for, other than the end of the railroad. Also, I drink the water of remembrance.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Er, yes? Actually, I have no idea what we're looking for, other than the end of the railroad. Also, I drink the water of remembrance.

This, in both instances.