[LP] DestinyQuest 2: The Heart of Fire

[Darth Rabbitt]

Anyway AnyDice makes it 30.56% chance of 2 damage, albeit inclusive of a 2.78% chance of 4 damage if rolling doubles of the unlucky number counts as two separate times.

It seems clear to me that doubles count twice.

Two votes to take the crucifixion nail, and there's 1 half-vote for replacing the grieving soul vs. 1 full vote to replace pins n' needles, which means the latter goes.

Legendary monster: Garm and Erkil

You come to an imposing hallway of flame-red stone, lined with pillars etched with runes. Against the far wall a stepped dais leads up to a twin set of thrones, one of pure white marble and the other of black obsidian. The white throne has been shattered, its winged back lying in chunks across the ground. Its darker opposite is perfectly intact and seated on it is a plate-armored dwarf, his gauntleted fists gripping the arms. He looks up as you approach, his dark visor leaning forward.
At the base of the dais, reclining on its forepaws, is a giant hellhound. It reminds you of the molten hounds that you encountered on the bridge, with blackened skin and veins of fire. But this one is twice the size, and twice as mean.
'I guard these halls,' booms a deep voice, made louder by its echoing resonance. 'I stayed true to my vows. I will not desert my throne.'
Between the plated armor there is nothing but an eerie, unsettling darkness. You realize that this must be a ghost—a death knight, bound by magic to defend these sacred halls. 'Garm!' The dwarf motions to his hound, who stretches lazily before rising. 'Send these devils back to the shroud!'
The hound gives a nonchalant yawn, belching a bright stream of fire from between its fanged teeth. Then it advances, powerful muscles bunching and rippling with every strike. It is time to fight:

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Garm	14	10	11	100

Special abilities
Molten skin: You automatically take 4 damage at the end of each combat round, ignoring armor, from the hound's flames. If you have fire shield, you can ignore this ability.
Dogged determination: Once Garm is reduced to 30 health or less, he goes into a frenzy. This raises his speed by 1 and his brawn by 4 for the remainder of the combat.
Body of flame: Garm is immune to backdraft, fire aura, sear, and searing mantle.

And this guy's immune to fire aura, of course. That DoT is rough, and once he hits 30 health he's speed tying us. That being said we should be able to take him.
*Sweet spot* 3, *Snake strike* Garm takes 6 damage (critical strike'd, 12 damage) and is afflicted with convulsions and bleed. He's at 88.
Round 1: Patio 7+15, Garm 4+14 (sweet spot'd, Garm is at 86). Damage 1+17-0 (piercing'd)=18, Garm is at 68. *DoTs* He's at 66, Patio is at 41.
Round 2: Patio 9+15, Garm 8+14. Damage 3+17-11=9, Garm is at 57. (Rust'd, his armor is at 9.) *DoTs* He's at 55, Patio is at 37. (Greater heal'd, Patio is at max.)
Round 3: Patio 6+15, Garm 8+14 (convulsions'd, he loses the round.) Damage 5+17-4 (fatal blow'd)=16, Garm is at 41. *DoTs* He's at 39, Patio is at 41 (heal'd, Patio is at 45).
Round 4: Patio 6+15 (charm'd, 11+15), Garm 9+14 (sweet spot'd, he's at 37.) Blessed bullets'd, broken trust'd, 6, ability succeeds! Damage 3+4+4-0=11, Garm is at 26 and -1 speed for the next round. *DoTs* He's at 24, Patio is at 41. *Dogged determination* Garm's speed is 15 (14 for the next round) and his brawn is 14.
Round 5: Patio 8+15, Garm 6+14. Damage 6+17-9=14, Garm is at 10. *DoTs* He's at 8, Patio is at 37.
Round 6: Patio 5+15 (charm'd, 7+15), Garm 8+15. (Prophecy'd, no damage.) *DoTs* Garm is at 6, Patio is at 33.
Round 7: Patio 8+15, Garm 6+15. Damage 6+17-9=14, Garm is dead!

The hound is a powerful and brutal adversary, but its eagerness to please its master is its undoing. The floor of the chamber is covered in dust and stone, making it slippery and treacherous. In its haste to attack the hound is frequently missing its mark or struggling to maneuver, making it easy prey for yourself and Virgil.
At last the hound's snarls turn to whimpers, as it flounders on its back, paws still feebly raking the air. You step in and end its life—drawing a hoarse gasp from the dwarf king. He rises from his throne, shaking with fury.
'Upstarts! Vermin! You are not fit to even look upon me!' He beats a hand against his chest, the runes on his plate flaring with a fiery-red light. 'I am Erkil Giantsbane, King of the Hammer and last blood of the titans.' Magic flickers around his fists, forming them into a stone sword and axe. He marches forward, wisps of smoke billowing from beneath his visor. 'These are my halls...this is my kingdom! Demons, be gone!'
The dwarf charges across the hall, moving with a swiftness that belies his heavy armor. The blows that follow rain down with equal speed, both sword and axe chopping and slashing in a deadly frenzy. It is time to fight:

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Erkil	13	10	10/28 (*)	120

Special abilities
Stone skin: At the start of the fifth combat round, Erkil casts stone skin. This encases his body in hard stone, raising his armor to 28.
Chip away: Once Erkil has cast stone skin, if you win a combat round you can choose to lower his armor by 4 instead of rolling for damage. Each time Erkil's armor is lowered, you must take 4 damage from the flying shards of stone.
Titan stone: Once Erkil has cast stone skin, he is immune to all passive damage effects, including monkey mob, bleed, thorns, barbs and venom.

And this is the fight where we're really glad we didn't take the spoke of the wheel. I'm going to save piercing and fatal blow until after he casts stone skin. I don't know if the -2 from Rust is overwritten by his stone skin or if stone skin would set a rust'd Erkil's armor to 26, but I'm ruling the latter.
*sweet spot* 4. *Snake strike* Erkil takes 12 damage and is afflicted with bleed and convulsions. He's at 108.
Round 1: Patio 7+15, Erkil 7+13. Damage 1+17-10=8, Erkil is at 100. (Rust'd, his armor is at 8.) *DoTs* He's at 97.
Round 2: Patio 5+15, Erkil 5+13. Damage 4+17-8=13, Erkil is at 84. *DoTs* He's at 81.
Round 3: Patio 5+15 (charm'd, 8+15, demon claws'd, Erkil is at 77), Erkil 10+13 (sweet spot'd, he's at 75.) Tie. *DoTs* He's at 72.
Round 4: Patio 8+15, Erkil 6+13. Damage 6+17-8=15, Erkil is at 57. *DoTs* He's at 54.
Round 5: *Stone skin* Erkil's armor is at 26. Patio 10+15 (demon claws'd, Erkil is at 50), Erkil 6+13. Damage 2+17-0 (piercing'd)=19, Erkil is at 31.
Round 6: Patio 11+15, Erkil 3+13. Damage 3+17-13 (fatal blow'd)=7, Erkil is at 24.
Round 7: Patio 7+15, Erkil 7+13. Blessed bullets'd, broken trust'd, 3, ability fails. *Chip away* Erkil's armor is at 22, Patio is at 41.
Round 8: Patio 5+15, Erkil 8+13. (Prophecy'd, no damage.)
Round 9: Patio 9+15, Erkil 6+15. Blessed bullets'd, broken trust'd, 3, ability fails. *Chip away* Erkil's armor is at 18, Patio is at 37. (Greater heal'd, Patio is at full.)
Round 10: Patio 11+15, Erkil 4+13. Blessed bullets'd, broken trust'd, 5, ability fails. *Chip away* Erkil's armor is at 12, Patio is at 41. (Heal'd, Patio is at full.)
Round 11: Patio 5+15, Erkil 7+13. Tie.
Round 12: Patio 7+17, Erkil 3+13. Blessed bullets'd, broken trust'd, 3, ability fails. *Chip away* Erkil's armor is at 8, Patio is at 41.
Round 13: Patio 6+15, Erkil 5+13 (sweet spot'd, Erkil is at 22.) Blessed bullets'd, broken trust'd, 5, ability fails. Damage 5+17-8=14, Erikil is at 8.
Round 14: Patio 6+15, Erkil 11+13. Damage 1+10-1=10, Patio is at 31. Demon spines'd, Erkil takes 1 damage (critical strike'd, 6 damage) and is at 2.
Round 15: Patio 5+15, Erkil 5+13. Blessed bullets'd, broken trust'd, 2, ability fails. Damage 4+17-8=13, Erkil is dead!

After a few fights where his shooting was relatively helpful, Virgil goes back to being completely useless.

The dwarf's stone hard skin turns your blades and magic, its weight adding further strength to each of his own attacks. Your second sight can barely keep up with the onslaught, his axe nicking your leg, his blade slicing across your chest. A loose stone turns beneath your foot, forcing you to stumble. In that instant, the dwarf sees his chance to finish the fight—but your misstep has given you a fortuitous opening. As the dwarf raises his weapons to strike, you thrust under his guard, piercing through his stone chest. For an instant the dwarf stands frozen in mid-step, eyes wide in astonishment. Then his stone body crumbles around your weapon, dropping to the ground into a pile of grey dust.
Virgil staggers over, nursing a shoulder wound. 'That's one way of deposing a king, I guess.' He looks back at the obsidian throne. You follow his gaze to the skeleton that is now seated there, its bones webbed with grime. 'I think the magic trapped his spirit here,' sighs Virgil. 'To keep his oath, to defend these halls. Let's hope he is finally at rest.' (Mr. Patio is a rogue.)

Warriors find a +1 speed talisman here that gives access to the titan career, which has the following abilities:
Stone skin (co): Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can activate stone skin. This lowers your speed by 2. Stone skin can be removed at any time by winning a combat round and choosing not to roll for damage.
While in stone skin:
 If an opponent wins a combat round, roll a die. On a [1] or [2] result, their blow glances off your stone skin and they do not roll for damage.
 You cannot use any abilities other than trample. Passive abilities that have already been applied (such as bleed) will continue to damage opponents.
Trample (co): Instead of rolling for a damage score, you can trample. Roll 3 damage dice and apply the result to each of your opponents, ignoring armor. You can only use trample once per combat.

For defeating Erkil, you may now help yourself to one of the following special items:

Rune of murder (special: rune) Use on any item to add the special ability savagery (mo: You may raise your brawn score by 2 for one combat round. You can only use savagery once per combat.)
Grips of living stone (gloves) +1 speed +4 armor Ability: might of stone (mo: You may instantly increase your own or an ally’s armor score by 3 for one combat round. You can only use this ability once per combat.)
Blackthorn twister (left hand: sword) +2 speed +4 brawn Ability: cruel twist (mo: If you get a [6] result when rolling for your damage score, you can use cruel twist to roll an extra die for damage. This ability can only be used once per combat.)

(Mr. Patio is not hexed.) Return to the quest map to continue your journey.

Pick a loot to proceed, and then it's presumably off to the ice bridge at 832.

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +15, Brawn: +17, Magic: +0, Armor: +1
Health: 48

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Health	Ability
Head	Crimson Cover	+2	+2				Bleed
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1					Rust
Cloak	Cloak of the Undying	+2				+3	Greater Heal
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3				Piercing, Bleed
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3				Convulsions
Gloves	Prickle Pair	+1	+2				Barbs
Chest	Brace of Fury	+2	+3				Critical Strike
Feet	Death Blades	+2	+3				Fatal Blow
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1					Venommancer, Heal, Charm
Ring 1	Crucifixion Nail		+1				Sweet Spot
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1		Fire Aura, Charm

Backpack	Item
1	Spectral Syllabub
2	Energized Crystal
3	Molech Tov's Cocktail
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
Broken trust
Rune forge at 755
Money Pouch: 641 Crowns

[Omegonthesane]

Is this another terrible, awful, no good, very bad extra loot for being still hexed, or a third chance to break the hex if you both missed the saint's blessing and the payoff to the pointy stick quest?

Add the murder rune to Ancestral Blade. Because it's not like we're going to let go of piercing.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Is this another terrible, awful, no good, very bad extra loot for being still hexed, or a third chance to break the hex if you both missed the saint's blessing and the payoff to the pointy stick quest?

The former. Each of the Act 3 legendaries has one part of an item set:

(pa): If your hero is wearing all three items from the prowler set (head, gloves and chest) then you may use the prowler ability. This allows you to use evade, blind strike, backstab, sidestep and vanish (if available) without counting them towards your quota of ten hexed abilities.

Definitely not worth it imo.

Legendary monster: Nephele, Princess of the Damned

The serpentine bridge winds between a range of dark peaks, formed by the gigantic stalagmites spearing up out of the lake. As you pass round the last jagged tip, you feel a savage blast of wind against your face. Ahead, hovering above the last span of the bridge, is a pale-skinned woman clad in blue-crystal armor. A tattered cloak hangs off her shoulders, its edges lined with hoarfrost.
You advance warily, boots crunching through the slippery ice that coats the stone. The woman is watching you, eyes burning with a white fire. Her black hair has been scraped back from her brow, frozen into twisted bands.
As she floats closer, you recognize her face—it is the Lamuri princess from your vision; the one who was betrothed to Cernos and slain by the rune-sword, Ragnarok. Her dark spirit must have been trapped here after Barahar was defeated.
You raise your hands in an appeal of mercy, hoping to parlay with her—perhaps win her aid. But your movement draws an immediate scowl from her pale-blue lips. She points, and a blast of icy wind knocks you both off your feet.
'No, wait!' you implore, scrabbling across the frozen stone. 'I know what happened...Barahar took your life. I saw it!'
'You cannot reason with a demon!' growls Virgil. He pushes back his coat, drawing a pistol. Before you can stop him there is a deafening crack of gunfire. The bullet tears a bright strip through the air, but never reaches its target. A layer of ice quickly settles around it, crushing it to dust.
Virgil lowers his pistol with a disgruntled frown. 'Witchery...'
You lurch to your feet. 'Wait! Listen to me. We are looking for Cernos!' You put deliberate emphasis on her lover's name. 'Perhaps you might help us...?'
'Cernos has already crossed!' she snaps icily. 'I knew he would come here, to seek the broken blade. He will avenge us. He will bring this world to ruin, to suffer the pain that we have suffered!' Nephele drops to the bridge, the air around her bristling with frost. 'You will not stop us!'
The princess summons a frozen dagger to each hand then races forward, howling like a banshee. It is time to fight:

	Speed	Magic	Armor	Health
Nephele	14	11	11	90

Special abilities
Aura of frost: Each time your damage score/damage dice causes health damage to Nephele, her frosty aura inflicts 2 damage to your hero, ignoring armor. (Note: if your blow reduces Nephele to zero health, you do not take damage from this ability.)
Creeping chill: You must lose 2 health at the end of the first combat round. This damage increases by 1 each round. (At the end of the second round, you would lose 3 health and so on.) This ability ignores armor.

So she actually does pretty nasty damage to us. Fortunately we have a lot of healing items.
*Sweet spot* 2. *Snake strike* Nephele takes 10 damage and is afflicted with bleed and convulsions. She's at 80.
Round 1: Patio 7+15 (charm'd, 10+15, demon claws'd, Nephele is at 76), Nephele 9+14. Damage 4+17+2 (savagery'd)-0 (piercing'd)=23, Nephele is at 53. *Aura of frost* Patio is at 46. *DoTs* Nephele is at 50, Patio is at 44.
Round 2: Patio 8+15, Nephele 7+14. Damage 6+17-11=12, Nephele is at 38. (Rust'd, her armor is at 9.) *Aura of frost* Patio is at 42. *DoTs* Nephele is at 35, Patio is at 39.
Round 3: Patio 6+15 (demon claws'd, Nephele is at 31, charm'd, 7+15), Nephele 7+14 (sweet spot'd, Nephele is at 29.) Damage 1 (critical strike'd, 6)+17+2-4 (fatal blow'd)=21, Nephele is at 10. *Aura of frost* Patio is at 37. *DoTs* Patio is at 33, Nephele is at 7.
Round 4: Patio 9+15, Nephele 6+14 (sweet spot'd, Nephele is at 5.) Blessed bullets'd, broken trust'd, 6, success! Damage 3+3+1-0=7, Nephele is dead!

Didn't even come close to having to bust out any healing. Not sure why I bothered to even try to have Virgil finish her off; Patio couldn't have failed to kill her in the final round. I guess it was free and him technically scoring the kill makes him seem slightly less useless.

With an ear-piercing shriek the princess's body rises up into flickering motes of light, leaving her crystal armor to topple to the ground. The motes swirl together, forming a woman's face—serene and beautiful. It is Nephele as you remember her, the princess of the Lamuri.
'You freed me...death has freed me...;
Then the smile turns to a bitter scowl. The eyes become hard, merciless. 'Destroy Cernos! You must stop him from taking the sword!'
Her sudden anger surprises you. 'He was your lover. You defied your father for him...'
'He is not my Cernos. Barahar remade him—filled his heart with fire, not love. It burns only with vengeance. You must stop him!'
The face shimmers and then fades.
Virgil kneels beside the empty armor. 'I told you, never reason with a demon...' He lifts up a runed gauntlet, the glowing crystals still pulsing with magic. 'Witches, doubly so.' He tosses you the gauntlet. 'This magic is tainted, but I doubt that will worry the likes of you.' (Mr. Patio is a rogue.)

For defeating Nephele, you may now help yourself to one of the following special items:
Cape of the unseen (cloak) +2 speed +3 brawn ability: coup de grace (pa: When an opponent is reduced to 10 health or less, you can immediately use coup de grace to reduce them to zero health. You can only use coup de grace once per combat.)
Abandoned hope (main hand: dagger) +3 speed +4 brawn ability: gut ripper (Change the result of all dice you have rolled for damage to a [6]. You can only use this ability once per combat.)
Shiver spine (left hand: snake) +2 speed +3 brawn ability: frostbite (co: If your damage score causes health damage to your opponent, you can also cast frostbite. This lowers your opponent’s speed by 1 for the next two combat rounds. This ability can only be used once per combat.)

(Mr. Patio is not hexed.) Return to the quest map to continue your journey.

Pick a loot to proceed. There's actually multiple really good picks this time around. Then it's presumably off to Trellis' last cameo, and then the final boss.

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +15, Brawn: +17, Magic: +0, Armor: +1
Health: 48

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Health	Ability
Head	Crimson Cover	+2	+2				Bleed
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1					Rust
Cloak	Cloak of the Undying	+2				+3	Greater Heal
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3				Piercing, Bleed, Savagery
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3				Convulsions
Gloves	Prickle Pair	+1	+2				Barbs
Chest	Brace of Fury	+2	+3				Critical Strike
Feet	Death Blades	+2	+3				Fatal Blow
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1					Venommancer, Heal, Charm
Ring 1	Crucifixion Nail		+1				Sweet Spot
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1		Fire Aura, Charm

Backpack	Item
1	Spectral Syllabub
2	Energized Crystal
3	Molech Tov's Cocktail
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
Broken trust
Rune forge at 755
Money Pouch: 641 Crowns

[Omegonthesane]

Multiple, yes. As in two. As in I'd be annoyed that we'd just committed so hard to Ancestral Blade if Piercing was not still and evermore a huge tempo swing in combat.

Full vote to take cape of the unseen. Even if it does mean less chances for Virgil to be useful. Especially if it does, in fact.

[Whiysper]

second Omegon's call.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Team battle (advanced): Krakatoa

(NOTE: You must have completed the team battle Issakhar to access this challenge.)
The ground buckles as a fist of rock punches up through the red granite. You pull Virgil away from the grasping fingers, noticing that their knuckled joints are riddled with carved runes. The hand makes another futile grab then disappears back through the hole, taking more of the ground with it. A bellowing screech comes from below, causing the hall to shake and tremble.
'Keep moving!' You stagger towards the open doorway, stone and dust showering around you. Another booming roar rattles your teeth, moments before the ground explodes once again. This time two fists break through, ripping apart the stonework and taking hold of the crumbling rock. The floor tilts, throwing you onto your stomach. The doorway—and your freedom—slope out of sight. You are sliding backwards, scrabbling for a handhold. Next to you, Virgil mutters something under his breath—a curse, or a prayer, perhaps.
Then the last of the granite breaks up and you are falling.
Directly below you is an island, dominated by some giant of a monster. You glimpse molten glowing eyes and a body of black stone. Your wings stretch outwards, catching the thermals as you drop through the raining stone. You manage to slow your fall, wings beating furiously as you tumble down onto the island, sweat and dust stinging your eyes.
Virgil.
You look around frantically for the witchfinder. Then you catch sight of him—a pair of legs, kicking desperately from the jagged hole above you. Virgil is clinging to the edge. You are about to go to his aid when a giant column of rock stomps down inches from your face. Bubbling lava spills from the cracks in the black rock, seeping around boulder sized toes. You scramble backwards, eyes lifting to the colossus that towers into the haze.
The demon is nearly twenty foot tall, its open chest a raging furnace of flame. The creature lifts its huge fists above its head, preparing to bring them down and crush you. Even with your agile reflexes, you doubt you could avoid such an attack. You watch helpless as they prepare to descend, mouth still agape at the enormity of this hellish apparition.
Then something drops from above, cutting a frenzy of vivid white lines. Virgil has landed on the monster's nearest shoulder, stabbing his blades furiously into the rock. Molten liquid gushes from the wounds, venting hissing columns of steam. But his efforts appear in vain.
KRAKATOA CRUSH! With a roar like an avalanche the giant lurches back, swatting the witchfinder away as if he was nothing more than a pestering gnat.
In a tumble of coat tails, Virgil goes flailing over the magma lake, grasping for his hat as it is lifted away.
You spring to your feet, wings snapping outwards once again. Running to the edge of the island, you hurl yourself across the broiling, rock-encrusted waves. You snatch Virgil seconds before he hits the magma.
Then a huge fist comes sweeping around from out of nowhere. You feel the force of the blow against your side, smashing you and Virgil across the lake towards a curved wall of rock. You brace for impact, crashing straight through the black stone and out the other side, onto another floating island. When you finally slide to a halt you see Virgil hovering several meters away. Currents of air ripple around his body, supporting him as he floats above the lapping waves. Slowly, his body is lowered to the rock. His eyes are closed but he is still breathing.
Before you can reflect on this apparent miracle, the ground heaves and rolls. You twist around to see the giant pulling itself onto the island, its upper body dripping with rivulets of magma. You draw your weapons, wondering desperately how you can overcome such an immense adversary.

A blazing comet of purple light streaks overhead. It slams into the giant's chest, sending fire and shadow rippling across the island. You blink, trying to adjust your eyes to the glaring inferno. There is something at its center—the silhouette of a man. Weapons flash and spark, runes igniting in angry ribbons of light. Then the stranger is back-flipping away, moving with a startling grace and poise, the air swelling and flowing around his body.
He lands next to you, his cloak and armor still streaming with sulfur. Purple sigils flash along his arm, forming an intricate pattern of entwined serpents. The sudden glow illuminates the stranger's face. Lorcan. The thin, bald-headed librarian from Durnhollow.
'You really did grow a pair,' he grins, peering over your shoulders.
Before you can reply a dark shadow passes overhead—the rock giant lurches forward, its massive feet crunching through the stone. Lorcan narrows his eyes, seemingly unfazed by the size of his opponent.
'Time to dance, my friend.' He springs forward, matching the giant's roar with one of his own. You must now fight the following team battle alongside a hero from The Legion of Shadow:

	Speed	Brawn/Magic	Armor	Health
Krakatoa	15	15/5	16	180

Special abilities
Molten flares: At the end of each combat round, each hero must take damage equal to Krakatoa's current magic score. This damage ignores armor. (Note: You can use abilities such as confound and disrupt to lower Krakatoa's magic.)
Krakka's KO: If a hero takes health damage from Krakatoa's damage score, they are stunned and cannot attack in the next round of combat. If they are the only hero remaining, then the combat is automatically lost.

OK, those are actually some rather impressive abilities. This might be a challenge for Trellis. Patio will be playing support hero. First thing first is to corrupt it so its DoT is only 3/round instead of 5/round.
*Sweet spot* 3. *Snake Strike* Krakatoa takes 11 damage and is afflicted with bleed and convulsions. It's at 169.
Round 1: Trellis 11+16, Krakatoa 6+15. Damage 11 (wind walker'd)+21+2-16=18, Krakatoa is at 151. (Corruption'd, its magic is at 3.) *DoTs* It's at 147, Trellis is at 47, Patio is at 42.
Round 2: Trellis 9+16, Krakatoa 4+15-2 (snakes alive'd, sweet spot'd, Krakatoa is at 145.) Damage 4+3+2+6-0=15 (rake'd, critical strike'd, 6+6+6+6-0=24), Krakatoa is at 121. (Leech'd, Trellis is at 49.) *DoTs* It's at 117, Trellis is at 46, Patio is at 39.
Round 3: Trellis 7+16, Krakatoa 8+15 (convulsions'd, it loses the round.) Damage 6+21+2+3 (surge'd)-16=16, Krakatoa is at 101. (Leech'd, Trellis is at 48.) *DoTs* It's at 97, Trellis is at 45, Patio is at 36.
Round 4: Trellis 7+16-1 (surge'd), Krakatoa 3+15 (shackled'd, sweet spot'd, Krakatoa is at 95.) Damage 6+2 (overload'd)+21+2-16=15, Krakatoa is at 80. (Leech'd, Trellis is at 47.) *DoTs* It's at 76, Trellis is at 44, Patio is at 33. (Regrowth'd, Patio is at 39.)
Going to have Trellis tag out for Patio here, so he can use Piercing and Rust (and possibly his shiny new ability.)
Round 5: Patio 11+15, Krakatoa 12+15 (convulsions'd, Krakatoa loses the round.) Damage 4+20+2 (savagery'd)-0 (piercing'd)=26, Krakatoa is at 54. *DoTs* It's at 50, Patio is at 36, Trellis is at 41. (Heal'd, Patio is at 40.)
Round 6: Patio 5+15, Krakatoa 4+14 (sweet spot'd, Krakatoa is at 48.) Damage 1+20-16=5, Krakatoa is at 43. (Rust'd, its armor is at 14.) *DoTs* It's at 39, Patio is at 37, Trellis is at 38.
Round 7: Patio 2+15 (demon claws'd, Krakatoa is at 35, charm'd, 3+15, charm'd again, 4+15, demon claws'd, Krakatoa is at 31), Krakatoa 4+15 (sweet spot'd, Krakatoa is at 29.) Tie. *DoTs* Krakatoa is at 25, Patio is at 34, Trellis is at 35.
Round 8: Patio 12+15 (demon claws'd, Krakatoa is at 21), Krakatoa 12+15 (convulsions'd, Krakatoa loses the round.) Damage 2+20-7 (fatal blow'd)=15, Krakatoa is at 10. *Coup de grace* Krakatoa is dead!

That went pretty well.

As the defeated giant stumbles backwards, lightning flares from the runes carved into its stonework. The crackling lines flicker across its scarred body, seconds before it smashes into the ground in an explosion of fire and rock. You breathe a sigh of relief and are about to turn away, when Lorcan shakes his head and points with the end of his weapon.
The shattered rocks are shifting and trembling as if alive, the lightning still crackling over their misshapen forms. Suddenly they lift up, grinding and scraping together to create three squat humanoids. They look like miniature versions of the rock giant but, instead of fire, their black bodies are surrounded by lightning.
'Why don't giants ever stay dead?' You scowl, remembering the colossus in the forest of thorns.
'Clearly they enjoy the punishment.' Lorcan offers you a sly wink before charging into their midst, the purple runes on his arm glowing with demonic power. (You must fight the next stage of this battle with the health and abilities you have remaining.)

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Elemental	14	12	10	50
Elemental	14	12	10	50
Elemental	14	12	10	50

Special abilities
Stone dust: Once an elemental is destroyed, it creates a cloud of stone dust. This reduces both heroes' speed by 2 for the remainder of the combat. (Note: Stone dust is only applied once, when the first elemental is reduced to zero health.)
Lightning: Each time a hero's damage score/damage dice causes health damage to an elemental, they must take 2 damage in return, ignoring armor. If a hero has the insulate ability, they can ignore this damage.

This seems like the ideal place to use the diesel firebomb (especially since it's not a damage score and thus doesn't proc lightning). Patio will soften them up with the bomb, then Trellis will finish them off, ideally softening each up to near death as to avoid stone dust and maintain the speed advantage for as long as possible. Also since snake strike doesn't technically have a 1/combat limit (it only triggers in the first round of combat, and combats normally only have one first round), we can use it again.
*Snake strike* Elemental A takes 11 damage and is afflicted with convulsions and bleed. It's at 39.
Round 1: Patio 7+15, Elementals 10+14 (prophecy'd, no damage.) *DoTs* Elemental A is at 35, others are at 47.
Round 2: Patio 6+15 (demon claws'd, Elemental A is at 31), Elementals 10+14. Damage 4+12-1-4 (bright shield'd)=11, Patio is at 20. (Demon spines'd, 2, Elemental A is at 29.) *Lightning* Patio is at 18. *DoTs* Elemental A is at 25, others are at 44.
Round 3: Patio 11+15, Elementals 9+14 (sweet spot'd, Elemental A is at 23, others are at 42). *Molech Tov's Cocktail* Elemental A is at 13, others are at 32. *DoTs* A is at 10, others are at 29.
Round 4: Trellis 7+16, Elementals 7+14-2 (snakes alive'd, sweet spot'd, Elemental A is at 8, other are at 27). Attacking Elemental B. Damage 4+21+2-10=17, Elemental B is at 10. *DoTs* It's at 7, A is at 5, C is at 24.
Round 5: Trellis 4+16, Elementals 4+14 (windblast'd). Attacking Elemental C. Damage 5+21+2-10=18, Elemental C is at 16. *DoTs* It's at 13, B is at 4, A is at 1.
Round 6: Trellis 9+16, Elementals 4+14-2 (snakes alive'd). Attacking Elemental C. Damage 3+21+2-10=15, Elemental C is dead. *Stone dust* Patio and Trellis are at -2 speed for the combat. *DoTs* Elemental A is dead, B is at 1.
Round 7: Trellis 5+14, Elemental 6+14 (Sweet spot'd, elemental B is dead!)

Not bad for what's the last team battle of the book.

The last elemental crumbles to dust, its broken runes fizzing weakly. Lorcan sheathes his weapons and steps away, his eyes roving across the lake of magma. You notice the golden staff resting in a harness against his back—the staff he previously used to escape.
'I suppose I should offer you my thanks.' You watch him closely, still wary of his sudden reappearance. 'Twice now. I'd say this is becoming a habit.'
Lorcan cracks his knuckles. 'I do what I'm told. Nothing more.' He glances around, then nods towards the smoking rubble. 'We should salvage what we can—may as well take something from this experience other than bruises and platitudes.'

Kraka's vengeance (left hand: sword) +2 speed +5 brawn ability: piercing (co: Use piercing to ignore your opponent’s armor and apply your full damage score to their health. This ability can only be used once per combat)
Collar of correction (necklace) +1 speed +1 brawn ability: sweet spot (pa: Before a combat begins, choose a number 1-6. Each time your opponent rolls a die with this result when rolling for attack speed, they automatically take 2 damage.)
Rock-spine coat (chest) +2 speed +4 brawn ability: gouge (pa: Increases the damage caused by the bleed ability by 1.)

Shame Krakka's Vengeance isn't a main hand sword. It would be a strict upgrade if it were.

Avalanche (main hand: staff) +2 speed +6 magic ability: shatter (co: If your damage score causes health damage to your opponent, you can also shatter them. This reduces their armor by 2 for the remainder of the combat. You can only use shatter once per combat.)
Stone of disillusion (left hand: spell book) +3 speed +5 magic ability: confound (co: Use confound to avoid taking damage from your opponent when they have won a combat round. It also inflicts 1 damage die back to them, ignoring armor, and lowers their brawn and magic score by 1 for the remainder of the combat. Confound can only be used once per combat.)
Kraka's crown (head) +2 speed +5 magic ability: command (co: When an opponent wins a combat round, use command to instantly halt their attack, allowing you to roll for damage instead (as if you had won the combat round). This ability can only be used once per combat.)

The mage rewards seem a lot better than the rogue ones. Guess that it doesn't matter since barring me deciding to have Trellis and Patio throw down after the end of the book (which I'm kind of tempted to do, but am also kind of worn out by this book), Trellis won't get to use any of her items, while Patio can make good use of his reward in the finale.

Virgil gives a weak moan, his back aching as he comes awake. You go to help him but Lorcan grabs hold of your arm, halting you in a vice-like grip.
'I should have left him to die,' he states, meeting your questioning frown. 'He will betray you, before the end.'
You pull away, breaking his hold. 'I would question your loyalty first. Why are you here—why help us at all?'
Lorcan looks about to speak but he suddenly flinches instead, his body going rigid. Beneath his face you can see the muscles twitching, as if they are going into spasm.
'Are you...all right?' You start toward him, putting out a hand for assistance.
Lorcan knocks it away, his face twisting into an uncharacteristic scowl. When he speaks, his voice seems frailer, stuttering over words. 'I must go back, back...the Nevarin says too much. Do not break the weave...all threads, yes. All threads.' He tugs the staff loose from its harness.
'No!' As he brings the staff around, you catch it in your hand, feeling a shiver of cold race along your arm. 'I'm not letting you go!'
Lorcan's scowl becomes something more bestial, almost evil. 'Don't touch the staff...staff...STAFF!' His other arm rises up, its runes flaring as they strike you across the face. For a second all you can hear is white noise, then you are rolling across the island in a cloud of ash. There is a flash of golden light from the edge of your vision. Angrily you twist around, knowing already that you are too late. The stranger has vanished.
Virgil shifts onto his elbows, looking around in confusion. 'Wha...How'd we get here?' He pats at his head, scowling when he discovers his hat is missing.
'It's a long story,' you reply, picking yourself up. For a moment, your eyes stray to the scorched, smoking earth where Lorcan had been standing. 'More questions than answers,' you grumble beneath your breath.
Virgil looks around dazedly at the mounds of rubble. One hand continues to pat absently at his head. 'Blasted demons...'
You walk over, offering out your hand with a dry smile. 'Don't worry. We'll find the hat...' (Return to the quest map to continue your adventure.)

So still nothing about the man in the shroud. Pick loots for the two to proceed.

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +15, Brawn: +20, Magic: +0, Armor: +1
Health: 45

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Health	Ability
Head	Crimson Cover	+2	+2				Bleed
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1					Rust
Cloak	Cape of the Unseen	+2	+3				Coup de Grace
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3				Piercing, Bleed, Savagery
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3				Convulsions
Gloves	Prickle Pair	+1	+2				Barbs
Chest	Brace of Fury	+2	+3				Critical Strike
Feet	Death Blades	+2	+3				Fatal Blow
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1					Venommancer, Heal, Charm
Ring 1	Crucifixion Nail		+1				Sweet Spot
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1		Fire Aura, Charm

Backpack	Item
1	Spectral Syllabub
2	Energized Crystal
3
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
Broken trust
Rune forge at 755
Money Pouch: 641 Crowns

Name: Trellis
Path: Mage
Career: Necromancer
Speed: +16, Brawn: +2, Magic: +21, Armor: +6
Health: 50

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Ability
Head	The Morgue	+2		+4		Leech
Necklace	Chains of the Void	+1		+1		Shackled
Cloak	Slipstream Silk	+3		+2		Surge
Main Hand	Tempest's Fury	+2		+5		Windblast
Left Hand	Grasping Grimm	+3		+3		Rake
Gloves	Vambraces	+1			+2	Parry
Chest	Deathgrip Robes	+2			+3	Corruption
Feet	Elemental Greaves	+2		+2		Fire Aura
Talisman	Bone Fetish				+1	Necromancer
Ring 1	Harvester		+2	+2		Regrowth
Ring 2	Twilight Tinder			+2		Overload

Backpack	Item
1
2
3
4
5

Rune Key
Plain Gold Ring
Air superiority
Bright shield
Snakes alive!
Companion
Wind walker
Money Pouch: 1166 Crowns

[Whiysper]

Assuming Sweet Spot can't be taken twice, and used on different numbers .

Assuming that is correct, half a vote for the Rock-spine coat, because slightly bigger numbers, and DoT boost.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Assuming Sweet Spot can't be taken twice, and used on different numbers .

Assuming that is correct, half a vote for the Rock-spine coat, because slightly bigger numbers, and DoT boost.

That is correct. Multiple versions of the same ability don't stack unless stated otherwise and sweet spot doesn't state otherwise. I think it's just charms and heals that stack, with each instance of the ability giving an extra use/combat.

[Omegonthesane]

Agreed with rock-spine coat.

Also half a vote for Trellis to take Kraka's crown.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Rock-spine Coat and sweet Crown.

[Darth Rabbitt]

So, I guess the last choice is whether or not we hit up the shops before we go to the end boss. Here's what we can afford:

Potions and dyes: (40 gold crowns each)

Flask of healing (1 use) (backpack) Use any time in combat to restore 10 health
Elixir of swiftness (1 use) (backpack) Increase your speed by 4 for 1 combat round

Runes and glyphs: (300 gold crowns each)

Rune of winter (special: rune) Use on any item to add the special ability silver frost (mo: Use silver frost to ‘freeze’ your opponent’s attack speed dice, forcing them to use the same dice result in the next combat round. You can only use silver frost once per combat.)
Glyph of the titan (special: glyph) Use on any item to add 1 armor
Rune of shadows (special: rune) Use on any item to add the special ability vanish (co: Use vanish to turn invisible for several seconds, avoiding your opponent’s damage for one round. You can only use vanish once per combat.)

Weapons and armor: (450 gold crowns)

Doom's harbinger (main hand: dagger) +2 speed +5 brawn ability: doom (co: If your damage score causes health damage to your opponent, you can also curse them with the sigil of doom. This lowers their armor, brawn and magic by 1 for the remainder of the combat.) (requirement: rogue)

We'd need at least two crafting components to make a weapon at the rune forge. We only have one and can't afford a second (they cost 750 gold a pop).

Do we want to buy any of these? (and in the case of the runes, what items do we want to stick them on? Keep in mind that any one item can only have 3 runes on it. Ancestral Blade and Grieving Soul both have 1 rune on them; Kaala's Scale has 2.)

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +15, Brawn: +21, Magic: +0, Armor: +1
Health: 45

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Health	Ability
Head	Crimson Cover	+2	+2				Bleed
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1					Rust
Cloak	Cape of the Unseen	+2	+3				Coup de Grace
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3				Piercing, Bleed, Savagery
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3				Convulsions
Gloves	Prickle Pair	+1	+2				Barbs
Chest	Rock-Spine Coat	+2	+4				Gouge
Feet	Death Blades	+2	+3				Fatal Blow
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1					Venommancer, Heal, Charm
Ring 1	Crucifixion Nail		+1				Sweet Spot
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1		Fire Aura, Charm

Backpack	Item
1	Spectral Syllabub
2	Energized Crystal
3
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
Broken trust
Rune forge at 755
Money Pouch: 641 Crowns

Name: Trellis
Path: Mage
Career: Necromancer
Speed: +16, Brawn: +2, Magic: +22, Armor: +6
Health: 50

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Ability
Head	Kraka's Crown	+2		+5		Command
Necklace	Chains of the Void	+1		+1		Shackled
Cloak	Slipstream Silk	+3		+2		Surge
Main Hand	Tempest's Fury	+2		+5		Windblast
Left Hand	Grasping Grimm	+3		+3		Rake
Gloves	Vambraces	+1			+2	Parry
Chest	Deathgrip Robes	+2			+3	Corruption
Feet	Elemental Greaves	+2		+2		Fire Aura
Talisman	Bone Fetish				+1	Necromancer
Ring 1	Harvester		+2	+2		Regrowth
Ring 2	Twilight Tinder			+2		Overload

Backpack	Item
1
2
3
4
5

Rune Key
Plain Gold Ring
Air superiority
Bright shield
Snakes alive!
Companion
Wind walker
Money Pouch: 1166 Crowns

[Darth Rabbitt]

I'm going to go ahead and post the beginning of the finale, since there's a few things there before the final boss. But if anyone decides they wanted to buy some things I'm fine with that, since there's no fight between these moments.

Boss monster: The traitors' tower

And so they shall fall to darkness, and never rise again' Jenlar Cornelius

The walls weep with blood. It is everywhere, coating the sticky flesh that clings to every inch of stone. The air reeks with it—an overpowering metallic stench that sickens your stomach. But the grotesqueness of your surroundings pales in comparison to the demons that now assault you. Some may have been dwarves once, before they were twisted by the dark magics of this place. Others are little more than slabs of flesh, bristling with teeth and claws.
They are the only thing that stands between you and Cernos. The demon is only meters away. One hand grips the heart of fire, its heat washing out in waves. The other moves across a runed door, probing its magical defenses. Avian lies crumpled at the demon's feet. It is impossible to tell if he is alive or dead—the remnants of his dented armor hang off his white tunic and breeches, now dirt-spattered like the rest of him.
So close...if not for the infuriating mass of blood-soaked creatures that stand in your way. Angrily, you hack and slash at the slick bodies. With Cernos now in sight, they seem insignificant—merely a distraction. You need to reach him...reach the heart that will give you your freedom—a cure for the curse.
But the demons' numbers seem endless. As soon as one is cut down, there is another to take its place, gibbering and clawing to reach you. An axe-shaped appendage flies out of the chaos, biting into your shoulder. Roaring with pain, you sever the demon's limb, using your return swing to scythe through its gore-soaked body, taking several more of the frenzied horde with it.
At the corner of your vision, a white hot light blazes through the sea of bodies. It is accompanied by the high-pitched screams of dying demons. The inscribed blades shred through the dark host as if they were stalks of corn, each deliberate cut and thrust sending crimson sprays showering across the hall. And at the center of this maelstrom is Virgil. His scowling visage is bathed in the light of his holy inscriptions. It is difficult to distinguish the man from the demons, such is the vehemence etched into his face.
A hot stab of pain. A bone sword has pierced straight through your thigh, coming out the other side. Another blow knocks you sideways. Blood squelches underfoot as you struggle to keep your balance. A demon leaps onto your back, its teeth snapping at your neck. You spin, cracking open your wings to send it flailing back into the mob. The pain has gone, as it always does—your demon blood healing the wounds. But in its place comes the rage...overpowering. Intoxicating. Impossible to resist.
Snarling, you thrust your weapon into a demon's snapping mouth. Its body twists away, taking the weapon with it. Another creature leaps for you, but you manage to deflect them with your arm, using your spines to drive them back.
Desperately, you drag the sword from your thigh, intending to use it as a substitute—but it is so slick with gore that it slips from your fingers. Instead you are forced to use your claws and spines, slashing and raking at the gaunt, red bodies—your bestial snarls mingling with their own.
You don't remember those final minutes—or perhaps even hours—of the battle. When the blind rage subsides, drawing a sharp gasp from your lips, you find yourself surrounded by bodies. Hundreds of them, scattered in piles. You struggle to your feet, limbs dragging like leaden weights. There is something moving near the far wall—a thin, red demon. It is struggling to pull itself free from the carnage. You retrieve your weapons, then stumble towards it. Death would be a mercy, even for these abominations.
But when the head turns, you gasp as you see it is Virgil. His coat has been ripped to shreds, hanging in tatters from his sinewy body. His patch has been pulled away, exposing the dark hollow of his missing eye. Red grime covers him from head to foot, plastering his hair to his scalp.
He pulls himself to the wall and rests his back against it, his expression pained. 'It will never end,' he grunts, his voice raw and hoarse. 'This will never end.'
You look to the runed door. It stands closed, with no sign of Cernos or Avian. They must have passed through, heading deeper into the palace. When you turn back to Virgil, you see that he is weeping. Only then do you notice that his right hand is missing, the bloody stump pressed tight to his chest. 'It's over for me...It's over.'
You start to speak, but the words die quickly. The silence lengthens.
Virgil glares up at you, scowling through his tears. 'I have hunted demons all my life. I know them better than anybody. And what good has it ever done me? I even watched my wife...my daughter...' He clenches his teeth, their bright gold darkened by blood. 'What hope is there...for this world, when there is so much...so many...evils.'
'There will always be good men, Virgil. Crusaders like yourself.' You crouch to retrieve his hat, brushing the flecks of demon from its brim.
'Good men,' hisses Virgil. He snorts with amusement. 'I'm no good man. I lied to you, demon. I lied to you.'
You meet his gaze.
'There is no cure for your malady. Modoc can't change what you have become. The demon blood...there is no cure. Only...death.'
The words cut deeper than any demon's blade; a wound that your blood can never heal.
'No...' Your stomach lurches, your chest tightening with a a wave of panic and fear. No cure.
You say the words to yourself, as if struggling to understand the enormity of their meaning.
'I needed you...to track Cernos...I needed you to help me.' Virgil winces, shifting his weight to the other shoulder. 'For what it's worth...I'm sorry.'
You blink back tears. Words seem meaningless now. Hope seems meaningless now. All you have ever wanted is your freedom—to escape the past, the inquisition, this demon curse...But now you know that you can never be free. I have become a monster.
You glare at the witchfinder, wanting to feel anger. Hate. Betrayal. Instead, there is only a chill emptiness. I am a demon. That is my fate.
You offer him the hat.
'You keep it,' he smiles wanly. 'I think its luck finally wore out...'
If you wish, you may now take:

Puritan's peak
(head)
+2 speed +2 armor
Ability: charm, heal

(mo): You may re-roll one of your hero’s dice any time during a combat. You must accept the result of the second roll. If you have multiple items with the charm ability, each one gives you a re-roll. Each charm can only be used once per combat.

(mo): You can cast this spell any time in combat to automatically heal yourself or an ally for 4 health. This ability can only be used once per combat. If you have multiple items with the heal ability, each one can be used once to restore 4 health.

You look back to the runed door. Ragnarok must be nearby—the dark blade that once belonged to Barahar. If Cernos takes the sword, then he will have the means of wreaking vengeance and destruction on the world—delivering the same misery and horror that has destroyed Tartarus and left the Lamuri cities forever cursed.
'Kill Cernos...' whispers Virgil, as if reading your thoughts. 'Just promise me you'll do that.' His breath rattles in the silence.
You are already headed for the door, splashing through the bloody mire. Four runes have been carved across its face, each set within a square panel. Distracted by the battle, you did not see what Cernos did to open the door. You push against the heavy stone, but it doesn't budge. Clearly, you will need to press one or more of the panels to unlock some hidden mechanism.

Will you:
Press the hammer rune?
Press the fire rune?
Press the crescent rune?
Press the shield rune?

So there's our big twist: there is no cure for demon (Virgil being untrustworthy is nothing new, since that's literally how he inadvertently saved Cernos at the end of Act 2.) Speaking of Virgil, I certainly never believed that he was "a good man;" Mr. Patio must be either a very forgiving or a very naive prophet-turned-demon. I will give the opening of this battle props for making Patio out to be a demon-killing badass, since the book has been very reluctant to highlight player badassery. I've got more to say but I'll save it until after the LP is finished.

Also choose whether we want to take the Puritan's Peak or trash it.

[Omegonthesane]

buy healing flask, add rune of winter to ancestral blade, hit the hammer rune unless there's meant to be some kind of hint we already saw.

[Darth Rabbitt]

The closest I can think of a hint is this:

The walls have been draped with faded banners, each one carrying a different symbol—a flame, a mountain, an axe, a hammer. You wonder if they refer to gods or spirits, or perhaps different factions that once existed within the city.

[Omegonthesane]

Flame -> mountain -> axe -> hammer then.

[Darth Rabbitt]

The fire rune:
The moment your hand touches the rune, red lightning arcs across the face of the door, sending you reeling backwards in pain. Clearly you have chosen the incorrect rune, and have triggered some hidden trap woven into the magic of the door.
You have been inflicted with the following curse:

Curse of frailty (pa): You must lower your health by 5 until you next roll a double in combat.

Interesting, a real penalty (even if it eventually goes away).

There's no mountain rune here, so I'll go with the crescent rune:
Red light courses through hidden channels in the door, forming an intricate pattern of whirls and symbols. An instant later and the two panels grind inwards, opening out onto a vast circular chamber—and a cacophony of screams.
You hurry inside, squelching through a spongy carpet of red slime. It appears to cover every surface of the chamber, dripping from the ceiling in thick bands of crimson rain. Through the spattering curtain you see a circle of runes, burnt into the ground—and a stone obelisk, facing inwards towards the circle. Avian is pressed against it, his arms and legs spread to each corner. There are no visible restraints, but clearly some magic has him pinned in place. He squirms and writhes to free himself, his screams intensifying.
A white light is spreading through grooves in the obelisk, emanating from the tortured mage. They flow like liquid along the channels, branching out to meet the runed circle scoured into the ground. When the light meets the runes the circle flares with a blinding radiance, forcing you to avert your gaze.
'My magic!' screams Avian, his voice raw. 'It's taking my magic!'
When you look back at the circle, you see a creature rising up out of the murk. It appears human, but fashioned from stringy clods of muscle and bone. You stand transfixed as a skull-like head thrusts out from its broadening shoulders, whilst its torso explodes into an array of arms, all ending in serrated scythes of yellow bone.
'No!' Avian jerks violently against the stone, his eyes rolling back into his head. 'It's taking...me...'
A thin layer of flesh grows across the skull, forming itself into a face—Avian's face. Then the golem lets go a savage roar, blood and spittle flying from its teeth. Desperately you look back at the mage, but he now lies slumped against the stone, the bright glow having faded from the grooved depressions. Somehow this monster has used Avian's power to give itself life—and now it is up to you to end it. It is time to fight:

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Evin Daala	15	12	16	100

Special abilities
Absorption: Each time you play a speed or a combat ability, Daala absorbs it—and will use it at the first available opportunity, starting from the next combat round it was absorbed. Daala will play abilities in the order that they were absorbed, subject to their description. (Note: Daala ignores all weapon and career requirements when using abilities.)
Boiling blood: Once you have taken health damage from Daala's damage score/damage dice, you are immediately inflicted with boiling blood. This causes 1 damage at the end of its first combat round, ignoring armor. This damage increases by 1 in each subsequent round, up to a maximum of 4 damage a round.
Blood 'n gore: The demon is immune to bleed.

Since the shield also isn't on the list of symbols, there's no rhyme or reason to the puzzle we just got past. It seems to be entirely random, which is stupid.
As for this fight, Gouge is of no use here. The armor reducing/ignoring abilities are worth using on Daala, since Patio basically has no armor so even if the demon hits him it's maybe doing 1 more damage per hit, while Patio is doing like 16 extra damage on one hit, and then 2 extra per hit afterwards. Other (co) abilities aren't worth that. I don't think Patio has any (sp) abilities so those don't matter.
*Sweet spot* 4. *Snake strike* Daala takes 7 damage and is afflicted with convulsions. It's at 93.
Round 1: Patio 10+15, Daala 9+15. Damage 4+21-0 (piercing'd)=25, Daala is at 68. *DoTs* It's at 66.
Round 2: Patio 5+15, Daala 12+15 (convulsions'd, Daala loses the round.) Damage 3+21-16=8, Daala is at 58. (Rust'd, its armor is at 14.) *DoTs* It's at 56.
Round 3: Patio 5+15, Daala 3+15 (silver frost'd.) Damage 4+21-7 (fatal blow'd)=18, Daala is at 38. *DoTs* It's at 36.
Round 4: Patio 6+15, Daala 3+15 (silver frost'd). Damage 6+21-14=13, Daala is at 23. *DoTs* It's at 21.
Round 5: Patio 9+15, Daala 5+15 (sweet spot'd, Daala is at 19.) Damage 5+21-14=12, Daala is at 7. *Coup de grace* Daala is dead!

A Flawless Victory, but we didn't roll a double so Patio still has a health penalty.

Your magic blasts chunks from the demon's body, your weapons cutting crimson bands through its saggy flesh. Each blow forces the unconscious mage to jerk and twist in pain, his body still pinned to the stone. The demon is powerful, but no match for your strength. When it finally collapses into a mound of flesh and bone, you hear a horrifying peel [sic] of agony ring out across the chamber.
'No! No!' Avian has been released from his invisible restraints. He now lies at the foot of the obelisk, scrabbling like a blind man. 'My magic...I've lost my magic.'
You hurry to his side, offering out a hand to help support him. But the mage bats you away, hissing like some rabid animal. When he finally lowers his arms, you catch sight of his face...and draw back in dismay.
It is as if he has aged a hundred years.
His skin is now grey and wrinkled, stretched taut over crests of bone. Where there was once a shock of white hair, now there is only a bare pate, peppered with liver spots.
'No...' Avian looks down at his hands. They are trembling uncontrollably, withered with age. He draws in a long wheezy breath, then starts sobbing. 'My magic...my magic...'
You rise to your feet, your eyes wandering back to the remains of the flesh golem. Both of your companions have now fallen to this cursed city. You are the only one left who can stop Cernos. Perhaps it was always meant to be this way—a demon against a demon. (Mr. Patio is a rogue.)

You search though the grisly remains of the golem, wondering if there is anything of value that can be salvaged. Amongst the charred bones and magic-imbued flesh, you find one of the following special rewards:

Blood thorn (left hand: dagger) +2 speed +5 brawn ability: gouge (pa: Increases the damage caused by the bleed ability by 1.)
Mesh of sinew (cloak) +2 speed +4 brawn ability: dark pact (co: Sacrifice 4 health to charge your strike with shadow energy, increasing your damage score by 4. This ability can only be used once per combat.)
Gore mask (head) +2 speed +3 brawn ability: mangle (mo: For each [6] you roll for your damage score, you can add 2 to the result.)

With Avian's grief still resounding in your ears you hurry from the chamber, following a set of stairs to a balcony of black stone. You realize that this must be the highest point of the city. Above you, the sky is blossoming into morning. Bright rays of sun rake through the thinning clouds, promising another day of stifling heat. Below, through the coiling mist, you glimpse the magma lake—its bright surface stirred with sluggish waves, as if awakening from a deep sleep.
At the edge of the balcony, where the rock curls inward like a grasping claw, a skeleton of a demon lies sprawled in the dust. Its fingers still grasp a black-bladed sword, which has been thrust straight through its ribcage.
Ragnarok.
Its size almost dwarfs the skeleton— rising a head taller than a man, its hilt a macabre fusion of bone, iron and crimson thorns. Cernos stands next to it, a broken creature—a shadow of his former strength. The enchanted stone known as the heart of fire is still gripped in his scorched hand. Smoke rises from what remains of his scaled flesh. Any ordinary mortal would have been incinerated by such power, but Cernos is a demon—like yourself. He shares the same healing blood, a gift that has allowed him to bear the burden of the heart.
He places the stone into a circular groove, where the guard of the sword meets the cold black of the blade. The moment it clicks into place the sword shudders, scraping against its bone prison.
'Yes...yes.' Cernos moves behind it, his hands clenching, anticipating his prize.
'Cernos!' Your voice rings out, shrill and harsh. You march forward, shoulders bunched, your immense wings flaring out from your back. In each clawed fist your armaments dazzle with magic, their light catching the raised edges of your dark scales. You see it in Cernos' face, when he looks upon you with his one crimson eye. You see it written there in his scowl, in his fear.
You have become him. A mirror image. Horns curve from your skull, sweeping around to frame your reptilian face. Eyes that once shone diamond blue now burn with scarlet fires. You are Cernos as he once was. And you now look upon him with contempt.
'You are too late!' Cernos raises the palm of his scorched hand, dragging a claw through the ravaged flesh. 'Ragnarok will be freed...it is mine!' He places his palm to the hilt, letting the blood seep over the thorns and iron. 'By my blood, Barahar's blood, I free you!'
Red light surges to the tip of the blade, igniting each of its malign runes. 'Yes! Yes! Ragnarok awakens!' Cernos wrenches the hilt towards him. Bones crack as the sword comes free...
Then you slam into his chest, your wings carrying you forward. The sword flies from his hand as you both go tumbling over and over, towards the edge of the balcony. You come out on top, your weapons whipping down—but Cernos catches them in his hands, hissing in pain as they cut deep, spraying blood. Then he twists them from your hands, his spiked elbow taking you across the throat.
You roll again, clawing and raking each other, snarling and hissing like pit dogs. The ground has started to tremble—you can hear rocks breaking loose. From the lake below you can hear the bubbling lava gushing up in columns of fiery spray.
Cernos reaches out for the sword. Its angular runes blaze with anger.
Take me, weakling. Take me...
Its voice whispers in your ear. Getting louder, more insistent.
You grab the demon's wrist, yanking it away from the hilt. With an angry snarl he lunges forward, his fanged teeth sinking into your shoulder. You feel dizzy...from the pain...and a sudden sickening nausea. The blade. Its evil taints the very air. You can feel its runes, its words, crawling beneath your skin.
Take me. Take revenge...
For an instant, you see yourself wielding the blade. You are back in Durnhollow, marching through its dark halls, the warriors of the inquisition falling at your feet. You are unstoppable. A force of fury. Nothing can stop you—nothing can hold you back. Yes. Freedom. Take me. Take revenge.
Another blow staggers you. Cernos twists his body, pushing you onto your back. Now on top, the demon raises his arms, dark fire blossoming around his fists. Desperately you flail for something, anything...then your hand settles around a cold hilt, its barbs slicing into your palm. In horror, you realize it is Ragnarok. It is lying right next to you.
Take me!
You draw your hand away instinctively. The blade is cursed. A dark thing from the underworld, carried to the surface by a Skard hero who dreamt of power. A dark thing that carries a Skard name, given to it by the very people it was meant to save. Ragnarok. The destroyer of worlds.
Cernos' first blow drags a scream from your broken lips. His second almost knocks you into unconsciousness. 'Fool!' he screams, lifting his fists once again. 'The sword is mine! MINE!' Unable to summon the strength to defeat yourself, you realize that you are defeated. Cernos has won. Your eyes are already starting to close as you look upon the blade one more time.

Will you:
Take the sword?
Refuse the sword's power?

I've got to say that Cernos getting the upper hand here is kind of bullshit. If he had Ragnarok in hand for most of the fight, then I'd buy it—it's the super powerful artifact sword he's been searching for and we've been trying to stop him from getting, of course it's going to give him a big advantage. But the fight literally opens with it being knocked from his hand, and he's explicitly weakened (this section even points this out), and Patio kicked his ass when Cernos was at full strength and Patio was a lot weaker. Now a much stronger Patio who gets the first strike on the still weakened and unarmed Cernos apparently isn't a match for him.

Also pick a loot from Daala to proceed.

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +15, Brawn: +21, Magic: +0, Armor: +1
Health: 45 (40 until next double rolled in combat)

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Health	Ability
Head	Crimson Cover	+2	+2				Bleed
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1					Rust
Cloak	Cape of the Unseen	+2	+3				Coup de Grace
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3				Piercing, Bleed, Savagery, Silver Frost
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3				Convulsions
Gloves	Prickle Pair	+1	+2				Barbs
Chest	Rock-Spine Coat	+2	+4				Gouge
Feet	Death Blades	+2	+3				Fatal Blow
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1					Venommancer, Heal, Charm
Ring 1	Crucifixion Nail		+1				Sweet Spot
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1		Fire Aura, Charm

Backpack	Item
1	Spectral Syllabub
2	Energized Crystal
3	Flask of Healing
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
Broken trust
Curse of frailty
Rune forge at 755
Money Pouch: 301 Crowns

[Omegonthesane]

Gore mask.

And refuse the sword's power.

[Shrapnel]

Gore mask? Could it be...?

[Darth Rabbitt]

Gore mask? Could it be...?

I take it that's a second vote for the gore mask. Any opinion on the sword?

[angelfromanotherpin]

I vote to take the sword, because this series is real short on consequences and heel moves are more interesting. Also, Gore Mask it up.

[Darth Rabbitt]

So we go with the dark side option:

You have come too far to give up now. Snatching the hilt, you feel its cruel barbs slice deep into your hand. The pommel glistens brightly with blood as you swing the mighty rune sword in a vicious swath. For an instant the air is lit by a bright red light. You hear Cernos scream. Then the weight pinning you down is gone.
You rise, feeling power flooding through your body. It is like molten fire, racing along each and every vein, filling you with the heat of a fierce sun. Your skin cracks around your expanding muscles, revealing vivid lines of crimson. Boots split open to reveal cloven hooves while a ridged tail snaps around your thigh, narrowing to a dagger-like edge.
Cernos is on his knees, looking so small and insignificant beneath your magnificent shadow. He clutches his chest, blood pouring over his fingers. He looks up at you fearfully. Begging. Pitiful.
The sword moves of its own volition, dragging your arm with it. The blade slides into the demon, eliciting a hellish scream. The runes flare bright, greedily drinking in the last of the demon's power—his life essence. As his body starts to unravel, becoming black smoke, you place a foot to his shoulder and push, retracting the sword and sending Cernos over the edge of the balcony.
There is the briefest echo of a scream, then silence.
When you finally hear the deep laughter, resonating around the chamber, it takes a moment to realize that it is coming from your lips. The sword tugs at your arm again, its hilt vibrating in your hand. It senses danger.
You spin around, to see a ragged, tattered shape stumbling towards you. It is drenched in blood and gore, cradling an arm against its chest.
'Virgil...?'
He scowls. 'You robbed Avian of his magic...you have undone everything. I should have killed you. Killed you when I had the chance!'
He summons magic to the palm of his one remaining hand. 'I judge you, demon...and I find you guilty!'
The sword's rage burns within you, flowing like a furious river. It is already driving you forward, your hooved feet punching holes into the stone. You are lost to its will—unable to stop yourself. It is time to fight:

	Speed	Brawn/Magic	Armor	Health
Virgil	15	12/10	12	120(*)

Special abilities
Finder's fire: At the end of each combat round, you must take damage equal to Virgil's current magic score. This ability ignores armor. (If Virgil wins a combat round, he uses his brawn score when rolling for damage.)
Holy light: If Virgil rolls a double for his attack speed (before or after a re-roll) he heals himself for 6 health. This ability cannot take Virgil above his starting health of 120.
Rune reaper: Instead of rolling for a damage score after winning a round, you can absorb Virgil's magic into the rune-blade. Each time you use rune reaper you must pay the cost of one of your unused abilities to lower Virgil's magic by 2. Your sacrificed ability cannot be used again in this combat, even if you have an ability that would ordinarily let you do so. (NOTE: You can use other magic-lowering abilities, such as confound and disrupt if you wish, to lower Virgil's magic.)

Once Virgil is reduced to 10 health or less, the combat is automatically won.

A demonic hero battling a coat-wearing swordsman named Virgil over the fate of an artifact sword? I've got the perfect music for that.
Bad jokes aside, that DoT is nasty so I'm going to spend a while chipping away at his magic. I think about 4/round should be manageable for Patio. Since this fight ends when Virgil reaches 10 health coup de grace is perfect to sacrifice for this battle. I'll probably sacrifice rust and demon spines as well, most of our damage will be armor-ignoring.)
*Sweet spot* 2. *Snake strike* Virgil takes 5 damage and is afflicted with bleed and convulsions. He's at 115.
Round 1: Patio 6+15, Virgil 9+15. (Prophecy'd, no damage.) *DoTs* Virgil is at 101, Patio is at 30. (Drinking Flask of Healing, Patio is at 40.)
Round 2: Patio 8+15, Virgil 10+15. Damage 2+12-1=13, Patio is at 27. *DoTs* Virgil is at 97, Patio is at 17.
Round 3: Patio 3+15 (double charm'd, 11+15), Virgil 10+15. *Rune reaper* Sacrificing coup de grace, Virgil's magic is at 8. *DoTs* Virgil is at 93, Patio is at 9. (Drinking Saint's Blessing, Patio is at 40.)
Round 4: Patio 4+15, Virgil 4+15 (silver frost'd). Tie. *DoTs* Virgil is at 89, Patio is at 32.
Round 5: Patio 4+15 (demon claws'd, Virgil is at 85, curse of frailty broken, Patio's health is at 37), Virgil 4+15. Tie. *DoTs* Virgil is at 81, Patio is at 29.
Round 6: Patio 9+15, Virgil 5+15. *Rune reaper* Sacrificing demon spines, Virgil's magic is at 6. *DoTs* Virgil is at 77, Patio is at 23.
Round 7: Patio 11+15, Virgil 8+15 (holy light'd, Virgil is at 83). *Rune reaper* Sacrificing Rust, Virgil's magic is at 4. *DoTs* Virgil is at 79, Patio is at 19.
Round 8: Patio 7+15, Virgil 8+15. Damage 3+12-1=14, Patio is at 5. *DoTs* Patio is at 1, Virgil is at 75. (Drinking Spectral Syllabub, Patio is at full.)
Round 9: Patio 6+15, Virgil 8+15. Damage 6+12-1=17, Patio is at 28. *DoTs* He's at 24, Virgil is at 71.
Round 10: Patio 5+15, Virgil 8+15 (holy light, Virgil is at 77, convulsions'd, he loses the round.) Damage 6+2 (mangle'd)+22+2 (savagery'd)-0 (piercing'd)=32, Virgil is at 45. *DoTs* He's at 41, Patio is at 20.
Round 11: Patio 6+15, Virgil 7+15 (sweet spot'd, Virgil is at 39.) Damage 3+12-1=14, Patio is at 6. *DoTs* He's at 2, Virgil is at 35. (Double Heal'd, Patio is at 10.)
Round 12: Patio 8+15, Virgil 5+15 (sweet spot'd, Virgil is at 33.) Damage 4+22-6 (fatal blow'd)=20, Virgil is at 13. *DoTs* He's at 9, the combat is won!

Wow that was close.

The dark rune-blade slices down in a crimson arc. It would surely have cut the witchfinder in two, if not for the ground lurching suddenly. Both of you are thrown off balance, loose rock raining down from the walls.
Virgil is clinging to one of the balcony's stony fingers. A jet of lava spirals past his shoulder, hanging in space for a single heartbeat, then dropping back to the lake in a shower of droplets. 'See, demon!' he leers. 'Even the volcano balks at your very existence.'
He would have you back in Durnhollow. In a cell. A prisoner.
The words whisper in your ear, fueling your anger and resentment. The demon fire is already leaping from the blade, sizzling across the space and smashing into Virgil. Such is the power of the blast that it hurls him straight across the magma lake and through the wall of the crater.
Finish him.
Your wings snap open as you take to the air, rising up on the searing-hot currents.
Finish him. Finish all who stand in our way!
A dry wind whips at your face as you glide through the opening, out across the ash-strewn slope of the volcano. Below you lie the grey lava flats, pockmarked with craters. You are sweeping down towards them, following the broken body that twists through the air. My vision. This is my vision... But you realize something is wrong. You were that body, falling down the mountainside. Not Virgil.
Distracted by your thoughts, you don't see the wave of ash until it is too late. It washes over you, plunging everything into darkness. You meet the ground suddenly, the impact rattling your teeth as your hooves stumble for purchase amidst the dirt and ash. The heat from your blade sears through the cloud, turning it to fiery embers.
Finish him.
Virgil lies ahead of you, dragging himself to the ground on his elbows.
'No!' he spits with rage, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. 'You will not take me, demon. I will not be a slave to that cursed sword!' He reaches into the tattered shreds of his coat, fumbling for something.
You stride forward, aware of the roaring thunder at your back. Above you, molten fire arcs through the smoky skies, pounding mercilessly against the earth.
Yes, the world knows of my coming. It knows fear.
You shake your head, trying to rid yourself of the dark thoughts, but the sword has control. It pulls you forward, until you are standing over the witchfinder.
'My journey is complete!' The words bellow from your lips, yet they are not your own. 'Ragnarok is remade!'
The blade comes down. You hear a scream. Then your voice booms once again. 'One of us will change the future.'
'Indeed I will.'
The blast comes from the side, lancing into you with the force of a battering ram. You lose your grip on the sword as you are sent sprawling through the dust. Rolling back to your feet, you scan the roiling clouds, looking for your attacker. The voice had not been Virgil's, yet it was familiar...
An arrow of purple light streaks out of the mist. It pierces your shoulder, punching straight through to the other side. Teeth gritted with pain you stagger forward, dimly aware of the flesh folding back, healing itself.
A black-cloaked stranger stands before you, a bright staff of gold resting across his shoulder. The wind tugs at his cowl, exposing his features for the briefest of moments. A bald head, gaunt face, weasel-like eyes. A scar curves along his cheek, turning his upper lip…
It is the librarian from Durnhollow. The man who drugged you and then questioned you. The man who brought you to the edge of ruin.
'YOU!' Fire crackles in the palms of your hands, fueled by your memories of that dark place; of your imprisonment.
'Back off.' The librarian speaks in a commanding tone—one you have never heard him use before. 'I am Lorcan. And I am taking the sword.' Raising his hand, he points it at Ragnarok. The pale flesh of his arm reveals three branded serpents. They writhe and twist as if alive, glowing with an alien magic. 'Try and stop me, and I'll end your life in an instant.' From his fingertips the air bends and distorts, flowing outwards in a glittering current. It curls around the sword, enfolding it in an invisible prison.
‘You…you used me…used Cernos…to get the sword.’
He looks at you with derision, his scar twisting his features. 'You wanted freedom, didn't you? Look at you, fool. You are an archdemon now.'
The sword drifts through the air to hover at his side. He then raises the golden staff, its end panels flipping open to form the petals of a flower. 'The future is yours, demon.'
There is a bright flash of golden light—then he is gone. And the sword with him.
The ground shakes violently, throwing you sideways. Only meters away the rock is torn asunder, ripping out a jagged fissure. From its depths, a bright sludge of lava spews forth in a glutinous mass.
You quickly find your feet, lurching from side to side as the world continues to shudder in its death throes. From behind you there is a thunderous crashing din, followed by a fierce wash of heat. You dare not look back, to see the scale of devastation. Instead, you simply press on. Virgil lies nearby, his crumpled body giving off a thin grey smoke.
A sudden tremor knocks you to the ground.
Forced to crawl, you scramble over to the rocks to reach the witchfinder’s side. ‘Virgil…?’ The sword has left a gaping hole in his chest, the cauterized flesh gleaming with fragments of bone. He lies twisted, arms outstretched as if reaching for something. Your eyes trace the line of his body, to the golden sphere lying in the dust.
A beacon stone. Identical to the one that Virgil placed inside you to summon himself and Avian to the volcano. He had another…
Your hand closes around the sphere, thumb resting on the switch. ‘Freedom…’ The word has a bitter ring to it now, tainted with lies—tainted by what you have become. An archdemon. Like the great Barahar who once waged war on the world. ‘All I ever wanted was freedom…’
Your eyes stray to the witchfinder. The man who had fought by your side. In the end, Ragnarok had taken his life. You wonder if he will ever find peace, or be forced to serve the sword’s new master for all eternity…
There are many steps on the path of darkness. I pray you find deliverance before its end.
You crush the sphere in your fist—just as a violent earthquake rips open the ground. You spread your wings and take to the air, sweeping over the ravaged landscape. A thought, a desire, now spurs you on—driving you across the forested hills and sparkling turquoise ocean. A desire for revenge.

Congratulations! You have now reached the end of this adventure and have earned yourself the title The Blood of Barahar. You may now turn to the epilogue.

Epilogue

The guardsmen go tumbling through the door, along with its splintered remains. You step through, your bearskin cloak whipping back from your powerful shoulders. More men move to head you off, but a barking order draws them to a halt. You glare at the warriors as they move aside, making way for you.
Conall watches you beneath his heavy brow, chin rested on his fist. A band of bronze is visible amongst the tangle of black hair, denoting his new status. King of Carvel. King of the West. He is everything you remember. A giant. A warrior. A worthy ally.
But she isn’t here. The witch was always at his side…
A raucous screeching comes from the rafters above, where a mob of crows flap in agitation. One comes wheeling down to settle on the back of the throne, glaring at you disapprovingly.
You stand before the self-made king, peering out from beneath your cowl. A shadow of a smile crosses your lips when you sense the fear from the hall. Your clawed limbs and curved horns protrude from beneath your cloak. There is no hiding what you are.
And yet, Conall does not share his men’s fear. ‘You will kneel,’ he scowls, his face darkening. You obey his command, dropping to one knee and bowing your head. ‘Your majesty.’ The words fall in a sibilant hiss.
A sharp-faced bodyguard steps forward, glaring through the teeth of his wolf-skull helm. ‘Give me the word, my king—and I’ll make a coat of this one’s scales.’ An impressive show of courage, you note, but his words do not impress.
Conall waves him to silence. ‘Speak, demon.’
A chill wind gusts snow through the narrow windows. It also brings the stench of death. The castle walls are lined with bodies, tarred and staked for all to see. Prince Lazlo had been one of them.
‘Our paths have crossed before,’ you state, pulling back your hood. There are gasps from the onlookers. ‘You will not recognize me now, but I have seen your destiny. Our paths are fated to cross once more.’
Conall’s eyes burn dark and fierce. ‘Spit it out or you’ll be hanging in a crow cage.’
‘Ah, yes,’ you nod. ‘I saw your handiwork in the streets.’ You remember the iron cages, with starving prisoners begging for water and bread. Crows wheeled over the ruins. Homes and shops burnt and plundered. ‘Food for crows.’
Your eyes shift to the rafters, where the black-bodied host screech and caw.
‘If that is your wish, demon.’ The king beckons to his wolf-helmed guard, who starts forward, baring his teeth. You halt him with a raised hand, magic rippling around his body. He struggles to move, his limbs now heavy as lead.
You continue to regard the king, as if nothing untoward had happened. ‘In truth, I come seeking your witch. Damaris. Where is she?’
‘The dungeons,’ replies Conall sharply, eyes flicking between you and his guard. ‘Till she learns to bend the knee, as you have done.’
‘She will teach me what I need to know. To master my power.’ You reach into your tunic, removing a tight roll of parchment. You step past the immobilized guard and hand it to the king.
Conall spreads it open, pulling a grimace as he looks upon the image scrawled in blood.
‘This means nothing,’ he growls, crumpling it in his fist.
You step back, your malign shadow stretching wide across the hall. ‘I am looking for a man,’ you declare coldly. ‘His name is Lorcan. Your witch will help me find him.’
‘And what do I get in return?’ Conall leans forward, his dark brows knitting together. ‘What do you offer a king?’
You glance up at the wooden beams, where the crows continue to scream and caw. ‘A king of crows, hmm. I can offer you more than this.’ You look around at his men, each one shuffling uneasily beneath your crimson stare. ‘Carvel is nothing. A faded cross on the map. You have won nothing.’
There are gasps and rumbles of anger. The men look to Conall, waiting for the command. The king merely watches you, his face unreadable. His silence urges you to go on.
‘Damaris will give me what I need. And in return, I will give you what the fates have decreed.’ You open out your arms to the screeching, cawing gallery. ‘I will win you a land to call your own. I will win you a kingdom! Valeron will fall!’
Your eyes sweep around to meet Conall’s.
‘Words,’ he grimaces scathingly. ‘Tell me of these fates. What have you seen?’
‘That victory will gift you what you desire most. The crown of kings…and a son.’
Conall’s eyes widen for a moment. ‘A son?’
Your lips part in a fanged smile. ‘A boy and an heir. To the throne of Valeron.’
Conall regards you in silence. Then releases a snorting breath.
‘Then war it is.’ He rises to his feet to address the court. ‘Our destiny is decided. The Wiccan march east—and no shield or stone, or holy words, will stop us. Valeron will fall!’
‘Valeron will fall! Valeron will fall!’ The chant is taken up by the assembled guards, while the crows scream and flutter, voicing their own fervent approval. You bow with a flourish, your gaze shifting to the crumpled parchment.
The future is mine, Lorcan. The future is mine…

And that's the end of the book. Really. I have a lot to say about it, but I need a break from typing. Feel free to offer your own thoughts on it (or ask any questions you have about it) in the meantime.

Name: Mr. Patio, The Blood of Barahar
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +15, Brawn: +22, Magic: +0, Armor: +1
Health: 45

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Health	Ability
Head	Gore Mask	+2	+3				Mangle
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1					Rust
Cloak	Cape of the Unseen	+2	+3				Coup de Grace
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3				Piercing, Bleed, Savagery, Silver Frost
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3				Convulsions
Gloves	Prickle Pair	+1	+2				Barbs
Chest	Rock-Spine Coat	+2	+4				Gouge
Feet	Death Blades	+2	+3				Fatal Blow
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1					Venommancer, Heal, Charm
Ring 1	Crucifixion Nail		+1				Sweet Spot
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1		Fire Aura, Charm

Backpack	Item
1
2	Energized Crystal
3
5	Rubrica's Cube

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
Broken trust
Rune forge at 755
Money Pouch: 301 Crowns

[Whiysper]

This is a very wordy book .

Obvious question - what's the light-side ending? And does the author ever openly admit to dry-humping a Lorcan body pillow, or are we just left to assume that ourselves? .

Once again, thanks for your time running this tome.

[Darth Rabbitt]

This is a very wordy book .

Yes, yes it is. I was considering just doing a TL;DR for the epilogue but I figured "what's 3 more pages at this point?"

Obvious question - what's the light-side ending?

The light side ending is basically the same, although the Virgil fight works differently. Virgil is tempted by the sword and uses it to kill Cernos, and then turns on you. His DoT is less nasty (he summons 3 lost souls from the sword that do 2 damage/round each until you kill them, and his "roll a double" heals them instead of him. This is the other place where the firebomb is really useful) but he also heals all damage he deals to you when he wins a combat round. After the fight Lorcan blasts Virgil with the staff before taking the sword. Then it's the same.

You go to the same epilogue, and while it's less infuriating than the whole Lorcan bullshit (once again "the man in the shroud" is not even partially answered), I'll note two things:
1. It's completely non-interactive. There are no choices made here.
2. It doesn't run off of earlier choices either. Taking or rejecting the sword doesn't matter, but who you sided with in Carvel also doesn't matter. This could have easily varied based off of whether you joined the Wiccans or not.

And does the author ever openly admit to dry-humping a Lorcan body pillow, or are we just left to assume that ourselves? .

Answering questions about Lorcan is not the author's strong suit.

Once again, thanks for your time running this tome.

Glad you enjoyed it. That being said, I don't think I could do another one this wordy, so I'm not going to run the third book (or the fourth, when that comes out.)

[Shrapnel]

From what you told me of this book, you play a guy called Nerevar who goes on to fight a guy named Lorkhan, and there's a bunch of ancillary filler.

Is that about right?

[Darth Rabbitt]

So another thought on the book: This book is pretty much entirely about the player being manipulated by various beings. Cernos, Virgil, Lorcan...also a few more minor characters (Boom Mamba, for instance), but the plot is literally about the player being used by the three aforementioned one. This alone wouldn't be a problem...if the player was given some feeling that any of their actions mattered. Instead, the ending revels in stripping the player of any agency, to the point that the epilogue is literally a non-interactive ending that's once again nothing more than sequel bait. Taking or leaving the sword decides the specifics of the boss fight, but after that it's basically this, which was kinda crappy by the standards of a 1995 arcade game and downright terrible by just about any modern standards.

The concept of a prophet who can see the future but is unable to influence it, fleeing their fate only to be caught in a web of betrayals that drags them into something they could never have foresaw, leaving them a broken, vengeful demon is actually a pretty interesting one—for a non-interactive book. But for a gamebook it's a disaster.

And why does TrelLorcan need Patio after grilling him for information in Durnhollow? If they wanted the sword they knew where to find it, and they could have gotten the heart of fire and the key, gone to Tartarus and rebuilt Ragnarok. They knew where Cernos would get the key, and that's the only thing that they might have needed. (And since they're a bit stronger than Patio was at the end of his journey they would have wiped the floor with Cernos afterwards. Cernos lost to Patio at the end of Act 2, and would have been killed by him there if Virgil wasn't such a dumbass). We also don't find out why they want the sword, (nor do we learn anything about Lorcan's motives that were already glossed over in the previous book) so it really just feels like it's there to fuck over the player while sequel baiting again.

On to the non-story stuff:
There are exactly 2 quests that I think are really well designed in this book: Revenge of the Tigris and Curse of Crow Rock. There are two others that stand out as being overall good but have distinct flaws that drag them down (The Toymaker's Tower and Bullets over Blight Haven. Toymaker's Tower only has payoffs on some routes and Bullets over Blight Haven has it impossible to fail to save Eldias Falk, which undermines the urgency created by having you try to save him.)
A few are really poorly designed (The Light and the Dark comes to mind, where "helping Benin at all" with the manticore forces you to join the Church.) Most of the others fall somewhere in between (Menace from the Deep is solid but not super interesting.)

Just about all of the sidequests are a mess. The Glaive of Souls one is actually one of the better ones, and sadly I'm not kidding there. The jungle map one is basically impossible without nudges. Same goes for half of the craftable items in the rune forge, or getting even one set of the materials needed for the Rock-Paper-Scissors fight in The Toymaker's Tower. The worst is the Faith sword (the one that paired with the Duty sword that we got from the farmers from Raven's Rest) is damn near impossible, even if you know what you're doing, because it's contingent on completing another sidequest with a very difficult achievement. I'm going to go into it because it's ridiculously convoluted:
-1. Remember that fight in Blight Haven with the zombie horde that had an achievement if you won in 5 rounds or less? That gives you access to the coat of basilisk scales, which is important for a sidequest in Carvel. If you bring that to a man named Joseph (who asked you to find it in the first place) you have two options
1. Give him the coat.
2. Make him sell the coat and split up the money. (You get 100 gold crowns but more useful is that the guy you sell the money to makes some weapons and armor from the scales that you can buy)
If you do the first thing, and visit the tavern in Raven's Rest afterwards, you'll later find out that some thieves stole the coat from him, and you can fight them for it (with better loot, no time limit, and the use of your abilities it's easier than the zombie one, even though the ruffians have better raw stats.) If you win the fight you get:

Joseph's coat
(chest)
+1 speed +1 armor
Ability: charm, second skin (pa: You are immune to the piercing ability. If an opponent uses piercing, you may use armor as normal to absorb the damage.)

If you lose that fight then you lose the coat but are rescued by a dude who tells you about his comrade-in-arms that he lost. If you then defeat the restless knight legendary THEN you finally get the Faith sword:

Faith
(left hand: sword)
+1 speed +2 brawn
Ability: immobilize, faith and duty set (if your hero is equipped with both swords from the faith and duty set, then you can use the redemption ability.)
Redemption (mo): 1/combat, raise your brawn by 2 for one combat round and heal 4 health.

I don't mind things being missable on the first play-through or two, but even if you're looking for Faith you need to be ridiculously lucky and then ridiculously unlucky, for a weapon that will be quickly outclassed by Act 2 equipment anyways. This is space that could be spent fleshing out other, better quests. This whole sidequest makes me angry. Not as angry as the ending or the assorted Lorcan nonsense (although I suppose those two are linked), but it's still really bad game design.

I've mentioned this a few times now, but this book is just really sloppy in general, with problems that go beyond simple typos (such as quests missing prerequisites and making no sense if you try them without those.)

I'm open for more questions if anyone has them. Then I'll probably give a quick overview of the third book, because it actually fixes a few of these problems. But I'm definitely not running it.