[Let's Play] Rider of the Black Sun

[Darth Rabbitt]

We have mental focus so I’d say that with the reroll we’re probably fine without spending karma.

[pragma]

Roll for it.

[Omegonthesane]

Counterpoint: we just gained a Karma and it seems we had three before that.

[pragma]

Eh, changing my mind. Only a 25% chance of failure with the reroll, but failure is probably death. We're long in karma so why risk it?

[angelfromanotherpin]

Spent!

C25     The last serpent also lies twitching it its blood now. Again, a rivulet of golden blood forms, flowing into a puddle of memories. They too stem from the thoughts of your former self. You see your years of education in the Ningal Tower. Countless lessons with great masters and Calderal himself pass before your mind's eye.

If you were not carrying the strength of the Keșra in you, you would most likely succumb once more to the seductive promises of the Shadow Master. But today you understand his wicked plans and, above all, your unspeakable part as a divine puppet in this war!

Turn to C48.

C48     Confused, you get to your feet. Your mind must have gone blank for several minutes. The serpents are gone. Your mind is clear again. You are still in Kathum's rooms.

Return to the 7th chapter at section 940.

940     The hierarch is lying next to his bed, motionless. But there is no trace of your other self.
> Has he escaped to safety? <

If you want to help Kathum, turn to 909.
If you want to leave him to his fate, turn to 989.

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 11, DEXTERITY: 9, VITALITY: Battered (3/5)
KARMA: 3, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +6 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Head: Sun Mask of the Keșra +2 (Spend 1-2 Karma for autodefend/+1 VITALITY)
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband
6: Soul Urn

Utensils (max 6):
1: Star Stone (+3 Vitality)
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Keșrani

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Hurt (2/4)
Rank: Ally (2/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)

[Omegonthesane]

We really should check that Kathum is still alive at least.

[pragma]

Help Kathum

[Darth Rabbitt]

I see no reason not to try helping him.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, help him.

[angelfromanotherpin]

909     You rush towards Kathum. A puddle of blood is spreading beneath his head. He is dead. You hesitate. The image! It has burned into your mind like a dark primal thought.

A fierce clap of thunder drags you from your grim retrospective. The storm is still raging. You hear no other suspicious sounds, but it is only a question of time until guards are everywhere. You must now make an important decision. The whole time you were sure how you would act, believed that you had thought of every eventuality.

But now, at this singular moment when vague imagining becomes bitter reality, you feel the burden of a divine decision — that over life and death.

If you want to bring Kathum back to life with the power of the Keșra, turn to 996.
If you do not want to play master over life and death, turn to 989.

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 11, DEXTERITY: 9, VITALITY: Battered (3/5)
KARMA: 3, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +6 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Head: Sun Mask of the Keșra +2 (Spend 1-2 Karma for autodefend/+1 VITALITY)
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband
6: Soul Urn

Utensils (max 6):
1: Star Stone (+3 Vitality)
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Keșrani

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Hurt (2/4)
Rank: Ally (2/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)

[Darth Rabbitt]

We came to bring him back so let’s do that. We have that soul urn for a reason.

[Omegonthesane]

Fulfil the purpose of our visit. (by which I mean reanimate Kathum since we failed to save him)

[angelfromanotherpin]

It's actually very unclear if that is the purpose of our visit. The actual goal was to get the 'seal' lifted so we could be a whole being again. Did what happened to get our memories back count? Who knows!

[pragma]

Revive him, pretty sure we need his blessing

[angelfromanotherpin]

996     You fold the hands of the dead Hierarch on his chest. His aged face is distorted in a grimace, frozen that way at the moment of his death. Unexpectedly, he opens his eyes! But you are not staring into the golden eyes of Kathum, but into the blood-filled sockets of Nergal, Lord of the Underworld. The undead dragon does not want to surrender this unique prize without a struggle.

Countless stabs of pain, the dying memories of lost souls, pierce your mind. Nergal uses every treacherous ploy at his disposal in an attempt to prevent you from reviving Kathum.

NERGAL, LORD OF THE UNDERWORLD (IN KATHUM'S BODY)	ATTACK	15
	DEFENSE	15
	RESISTANCE	(1)	(2)	(3)	(4)	(5)

This is a combat of the mind in which a normal mortal could never win against Nergal. Your armor and weapons have no effect here, so you will have to fight with your STRENGTH and DEXTERITY alone.

If you have the ability History Knowledge, turn to 897.
If you win this extraordinary battle on the threshold to the underworld, turn to 859.

897     There is only one power that could come to your aid at this moment: Komar the Blasphemer! You met this undead dragon when on your journey to the underworld. It is in the creature's character to take every opportunity to trick its master Nergal? Why should it not want to help you?

Whispering, you pres Komar's name through your teeth. And you can see the reaction on Kathum's face at once: His dry lips start to tremble. Nergal appears little pleased with your plan and curses through the throat of the priest of Kar. "Do not dare, Keșra. Do not attempt to forge a pact with this scum!"

Strengthened by Nergal's rage, you pray for Komar's aid more and more loudly. The spirit of the Blasphemer is now present, and like you, it besieges its master.

Return to 996 and in each COMBAT ROUND remove an additional point of NERGAL'S RESISTANCE!

Hitting on a 4+, defending on a 6+, surprisingly reasonable.
Round 1: A[3]/[4]/D[6]; hit and defend, Nergal's at 4. Komar drops Nergal to 4.
Round 2: A[4]/[3]/D[3]; hit and defend, Nergal's at 3, Komar drops Nergal to 2.
Round 3: A[4]/[1]/D[1]; bad rolls, but this is a Full Moon entry! Hit and defend, Nergal's at 1. Komar drops Nergal to 0!

859     Suddenly, the floor of the bed chamber starts to shake! You have pushed open the gate to the underworld. Kathum sits up abruptly and screams as a fountain of blood and guts erupts from his mouth. The priest-emperor rids himself of Nergal's foul waste, a disgusting but needed display.

Finally, the Hierarch opens his bright eyes. At first he is anxious and confused, but quickly he appears to understand the situation, weakly murmuring, "I would not have thought that you could..."

Impatiently, you interrupt the old man and help him to his feet: "We mustn't lose any time. We have to go!"

"Go?" Kathum stammers. "Why should I come with you?"

"Much has happened," you begin to explain. "I mean, much will happen... the war. The war will turn. But you must..."

"I must continue to be thought dead," Kathum finishes your rambling.

Wide-eyed, the Hierarch looks at you, as if wanting to hear the destiny you have in store for him. To keep up the appearance that the assassination attempt of the Shadow Child has been a success, you have to take a risk and use one of your artefacts on Kathum's soul.

If you want to use the Soul Urn, turn to 969.
If, however, you have the Idol of the Hierarch and prefer to use it, turn to 979.

969     You open the plain urn by twisting off the lid, ask Kathum to open his mouth, and place the artefact on his tongue. Hardly a second passes before Kathum falls to the ground, his eyes a blank. You quickly grab the soul urn, which has fallen out again, and close it. As you put it away, you see that the outer side now shows Kathum's face.

Change the Soul Urn to Kathum's Soul (Special Item) on your adventure sheet!

You are just about to position Kathum's body as you found it when you hear the sounds of heavy footsteps in the corridor. You have to disappear at once!

If you have the ability Shadow Walk and want to use it, turn to 959.
If you have the ability Power of Xorox and want to use it, turn to 892.
If you do not have these abilities or do not want to use them, you must escape through the window (turn to 952).

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 11, DEXTERITY: 9, VITALITY: Battered (3/5)
KARMA: 3, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +6 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Head: Sun Mask of the Keșra +2 (Spend 1-2 Karma for autodefend/+1 VITALITY)
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband
6: Kathum's Soul

Utensils (max 6):
1: Star Stone (+3 Vitality)
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Keșrani

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Hurt (2/4)
Rank: Familiar (3/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)

[Darth Rabbitt]

Power of Xorox. They more likely have anti-shadow precautions than anti-mirror precautions since they have mirrors in this room.

[pragma]

Power of Xorox seems fine based on the reasoning that they might turn on the lights. I was leaning toward shadow walk, but I suspect they are both win conditions.

[angelfromanotherpin]

892     You hear loud footsteps and the jingling of heavy armor from the corridor. The men of the Golden Guard are approaching Hurriedly, you turn to the large standing mirror in the corner and leap into the glass. Hardly have the waves of the transition faded when you see three men in golden plate armor and an old priestess of Kar rush after you into the bed chamber. The priestess hurries to the body and begins a prayer, while the soldiers search the room with a bright lantern and drawn swords.

When the priestess accidentally looks in your direction, she stops short, pointing at the mirror. Now the guards have found you too.

If you have the ability Warfare, turn to 874.
If you want to draw the Moon Sickle, jump out of the mirror, and attack the guards, turn to 858.
If you want to wait in the mirror realm, knowing that they cannot follow you here, turn to 863.

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 11, DEXTERITY: 9, VITALITY: Battered (3/5)
KARMA: 3, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +6 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Head: Sun Mask of the Keșra +2 (Spend 1-2 Karma for autodefend/+1 VITALITY)
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband
6: Kathum's Soul

Utensils (max 6):
1: Star Stone (+3 Vitality)
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Keșrani

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Hurt (2/4)
Rank: Familiar (3/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)

[pragma]

I think jump out and reveal as kesra. I suspect they'll break the mirror if we stay in it, and I don't think we have warfare.

[Darth Rabbitt]

That sounds like a plan to me.

[angelfromanotherpin]

878     No sooner have you unleashed the divine power of the Moon Sickle than it strikes a path across the mirror as crackling flashes of energy. You can hear the glass straining, threatening to burst under the pressure of the energy. Hurriedly, you jump through the mirror, back into the past, but the fractures in the glass cut your arms and legs.

Your VITALITY is lowered by a level!

Turn to 858.

858     Your leap back into reality confuses even the stout warriors of the Golden Guard. Cautiously, two of them come closer while the third one keeps his distance and tries to protect the priestess, who is still tending to the lifeless Hierarch.

BODYGUARDS OF THE HIERARCH (3 ENEMIES)	ATTACK	17		+2			+2			+1
	DEFENSE	16		+2			+2			+2
	RESISTANCE	(1)	(2)	(3)	(1)	(2)	(3)	(1)	(2)	(3)
	COMBAT ROUND	(1)		(2)		(3)		(4)

The third guard will only join the fight (and contribute his ATTACK and DEFENSE modifiers) at the start of the fourth combat round.

If you manage to hit and not be hit in the same turn, you can attempt an escape.
You can either jump through the window into uncertainty (turn to 899) or back into the mirror (turn to 863).
If you win the fight, turn to 872.

Hm, with the Moon Sickle we hit on 3+ and defend on 8+. With the Captain's Sword, we hit on 5+ and defend on 7+. Let me know which one you want to use. Also, would you like to escape if we get the chance, and through which exit?

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 11, DEXTERITY: 9, VITALITY: Hurt (2/5)
KARMA: 3, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +6 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Head: Sun Mask of the Keșra +2 (Spend 1-2 Karma for autodefend/+1 VITALITY)
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband
6: Kathum's Soul

Utensils (max 6):
1: Star Stone (+3 Vitality)
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Keșrani

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Hurt (2/4)
Rank: Familiar (3/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)

[pragma]

Moon sickle. Use the start stone if things look dire.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Yeah, the "guaranteed to hit except on snake eyes" is probably worth more than "have to roll 1 higher to defend." So pop the Star Stone to bring us to full (unless we can use it at any time, in which case use it if our health drops to 1) and bust out the Moon Sickle to kill these fools.

[pragma]

Oh, and I don't like either escape option, so I think we should stand and deliver.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Round 1: A[3]/[4]/D[4], hit and defend.
Round 2: A[2]/[4]/D[4], hit and defend.
Round 3: A[2]/[6]/D[5], hit and defend, one down. I'm swapping to the Captain's Sword for the one round we have before the third enemy joins in.
Round 4: A[4]/[5]/D[2], hit and defend, reinforcements arrive, back to Moon Sickle (hit on 3+, defend on 7+).
Round 5: A[4]/[5]/D[4], hit and defend.
Round 6: A[4]/[1]/D[1], hit and get hit! Two down. Back to Captain's Sword (hit on 3+, defend on 5+)
Round 7: A[4]/[1]/D[3], hit and get hit! We fight on at 0 health.
Round 8: A[2]/[6]/D[5], hit and defend.
Round 9: A[3]/[1]/D[6], hit and defend. Victory!

872     You wipe the blood from the Moon Sickle's blade. This was a bitter victory you could have done without. You wish that your journey to the past may soon be over.

You gaze after the priestess, who took the opportunity to escape to the walkabout during your fight against the guards. And now there are more shouts. You have no other choice: you must escape through the window!

Turn to 952.

As your special prize, jump out the window in exactly the way you could have for free before you went in the mirror.

952     You hastily gather your things and climb over the outer wall to the roof of the palace. Up here, you certainly needn't expect any resistance from the guard, but you have no choice but to make a daring leap over one of the Raan trees to reach the inner yard. You use the sloped roof for a run-up. You sail through the air for what feels like a small eternity before reaching the first tree. Unfortunately, you fail to grab one of the slippery branches and crash onto the muddy grass in the park.

Your VITALITY is lowered by a level!

All around you, guards are shouting. The Golden Guard are already looking for the assassin. Driven by your unwavering survival instinct, you struggle to your feet, limp to the Kar temple, and climb the wall of white-washed granite.

Turn to 935.

There is such a disconnect between this book continually telling you what a cosmic special boy you are and all the pratfall incompetence it forces on you without attribute or even moon-luck tests to avoid.

935     Tensely, you cower in the driving rain on the steep gable roof of the Kar temple, hoping to conceal your silhouette during the bright flashes of lightning. From up here, you have a perfect view of the park. Any moment now, your past self could appear. And indeed! Between the hedges and trees, a Shadow in shredded clothes dashes across the grass. Not far behind him, five guards armed with crossbows follow in pursuit. Your heart is hammering as if you yourself were being hunted.

You know that the guards will not give up. Unfortunately, you lose sight of your past self as, in his desperate dash to the temple, he uses every bit of cover along his path.
Turn to the past and check sections 15 and 16 of the prologue.
In which of the section numbers did you mark a circle?

Section 15, turn to 904.
Section 16, turn to 933.

933     Apparently, the men of the Golden Guard have lost your former self. Rather aimlessly, they are searching the surroundings of the temple. You listen to two soldiers sneaking along the temple wall.

"Hey, Illia," one of them whispers tensely. "We should look in the temple!"

Naturally, you have to prevent that! On the spur of the moment, you pull out some tiles and let them slide down the roof, making a loud clatter. As they shatter in front of the temple, it is easy to hear, even in the storm.

"The roof! Come, let's get him!" one of the guards shouts in excitement.

Hurriedly, you turn to flee when in passing you look through the new hole down into the dark temple. For a short moment you see a Shadow hidden behind a pillar.

Your eyes meet. Your heart skips a beat. In the blink of an eye, you feel past, present, and future fuse and become a single truth. This Shadow is you!

> Now I understand... This is the nature of the Keșra! <

Your STRENGTH rises by 1 point!

Somewhat unsettled, you balance along the gable, jump from the roof, and pray that you may escape the guards without any further excitement.
Test your STRENGTH against 16!

If the test is successful, turn to 976.
If it fails, turn to 990.

Not a hard test, and we boxcars'd it.

976     Hunted, you glance up the outer wall of the palace while jumping over hedges and dodging behind trees so as to shake your pursuers. But Kyrna remains hidden from sight. You have no other choice but to blow the dragon horn, and soon after you are elated to hear the typical swoosh of Kyrna's beating wings. At this moment, you realize that you must now make a grave decision.

If you want to flee with Kyrna immediately and
return to the present, turn to 1000.
If you want to allow Kyrna to fly past and instead hide in the temple
until you perhaps find an opportunity to save Kathum's body,
turn to 981.

Character Sheet

Stats:
STRENGTH: 12, DEXTERITY: 9, VITALITY: Hurt (2/5)
KARMA: 3, RAGE 2/5

Weapons (max 3):
1: Captain's Sword +4 (+1 Defense if Strength 10+)
2: Epee +3 (+1 Defense)
3: Moon Sickle of the Keșra +6 (Add 20 to a reference to use its power and reveal yourself. Spend Karma for autohit/+1 damage)

Clothing:
Head: Sun Mask of the Keșra +2 (Spend 1-2 Karma for autodefend/+1 VITALITY)
Body: Empire Uniform +1
Legs: Soldier Boots +1
Disguise: Fisher Coat

Special Items (max 12):
1: Figurine of the Ancients
2: Signet Ring
3: Lump of Gold
4: Captain's Doubloon
5: Pyramid Neckband
6: Kathum's Soul

Utensils (max 6):
1:
2: Damaged Eyepiece

Abilities:
2: Sharpened Senses
3: Free Breath
4: Mental Focus
5: Magical Lore
6: History Knowledge
7: Good Fighter (+2 Melee Attack)
8: Power of the Full Moon
9: Immune to Sunlight
10: Shadow Walk
11: Power of Xorox
12: Keșrani

Money:
13 Shekels

Kyrna
Vitality: Hurt (2/4)
Rank: Familiar (3/5)
Saddlebags (Empty)