[Let's Play] Fighting Fantazine Adventure 7: Queen of Shades

[Queen of Swords]

Agreed, we need a better opportunity. Leave.

[Thaluikhain]

Leave.

Preferably yelling incoherently about how the thing is cursed, you're all doomed, you have to listen to me. That's traditional.

[Beroli]

The mirror of Iltikar holds you spellbound. You watch the hunchbacked girl limp to the back door and leave the house.

The snake woman takes your arm and leads you to the front door, where the soldier Mants give you back your quarterstaff. (If she seems put off by your incoherent yelling about her being doomed it doesn't affect her actions.)

Jardakka looks at you and raises her eyebrows. ‘Time for some magic?’

You shake your head. ‘Magic is not the answer. That is why they put up with that obnoxious little Minimite, so a sorcerer can’t trick his way in
there. We’ve got to use our heads on this one.’

Jardakka shrugs. ‘Or our sword arms. Why don’t we come back after dark and steal the mirror?’

‘You read my mind. That leaves us with some time to kill. We could go and find Fox or look around here and try to work out the best way to get in.’

‘Or we could see what tricks Hagbut has up his sleeve.’

Look for Fox?
Spend the remaining daylight looking around this area?
Visit the shop of Hagbut the Gnome?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: Rey Ulthran
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 14/16
Luck: 10/11

Gold Pieces: 45
Bone bracelet (not worn)
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Visit the gnome's shop.

[Thaluikhain]

Visit gnome.

Also, when it gets dark the shield maidens will come out, so that doesn't sound great.

[SGamerz]

Also, when it gets dark the shield maidens will come out, so that doesn't sound great.

I wonder if they have to visit the thieves in a certain order, because neither Jardakka nor Fox had seen them. Jardakka will if they target us tonight again, but are they definitely leaving Fox, the mastermind of the theft, to the last? Or maybe they might pull a Final Destination trope and skip to the next target first if they get foiled once?

Visit the gnome.

****

Also, since we're playing a game from Fighting Fantazine, I just want to add that they finally published a new issue of the magazine yesterday (which is after a 5-year hiatus after the last one), in case anyone who's interested and isn't aware yet.

https://www.fightingfantazine.co.uk/page-2/

[Beroli]

Hagbut the Gnome keeps a shop near The Gambling Halls of Vlada. The street outside the Halls often serves as a market place. As you arrive, the traders are just packing up their stalls. Hagbut’s shop is hidden in the maze of side streets behind the Halls. You have been a regular customer in the past and have no difficulty finding it. The shop has iron bars across the windows; a bedraggled green wig hanging above the door advertises that it belongs to a dealer in magical artefacts. You push open the door and enter the shop.

At first glance there appears to be no one in the shop, although it is far from empty. The room is crowded with curios, some piled up on shelves,
others hanging from the ceiling. A large mirror leans against the wall to your left.

As you are looking around, a small bearded man emerges from amongst the clutter.

‘Well, well, well, look who it is,’ the GNOME says, recognizing you at once. ‘The deadly Jardakka and the Sightmaster. All Eyes and Shut Eye. Are you buying or selling today?’

‘Buying. We have a big problem.’

Hagbut rubs his hands in anticipation. ‘Big problems require expensive solutions. Tell me what you need.’

You tell him you need something to fight ghosts.

‘I have the very thing.’

Hagbut unlocks a large wooden chest and retrieves a cloth bundle. He unwraps it carefully to reveal a sword with black runes inscribed down the middle of the blade. They read GLNTNK GAVE ME, HVR MADE ME. At the centre of the pommel is a sun emblem.

‘The Crolian had a sword,’ Jardakka objects, ‘and it didn’t do him any good.’

Hagbut waves his hand impatiently. ‘This sword is not of earth. The metal from which it was forged fell in fire from heaven, the gift of Glantanka. In dark places the blade shines with a faint echo of her light. And it is death for all the creatures of the night.’

Jardakka remains sceptical. ‘Killed one of the living dead have you?’

‘You know I am no warrior. But there is good reason to believe it is true; the man who sold it to me was being hunted by servants of the Third Noble.’

‘The Vampire?’

‘It is the only blade in the whole city that could kill him and he covets it.’ Hagbut winces. ‘And for that reason I am willing to sell this priceless relic to you for the knock down price of 30 Gold Pieces.’

Buy the sword?
Do not?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: Rey Ulthran
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 14/16
Luck: 10/11

Gold Pieces: 45
Bone bracelet (not worn)
[/spoiler]

[SGamerz]

The Shield Maidens got their powers from the Moon goddess, right? Then it's fitting that we should buy this sword given by the Sun goddess to utterly eclipse them if they come after us again. Buy it!

[Thaluikhain]

Hopefully we don't have to fight a vampire because of this...

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to buy the sword.

[Queen of Swords]

Too bad we can't bargain with him. Buy it.

[Beroli]

Hopefully we don't have to fight a vampire because of this...

I think you probably don't have to worry about the Third Noble of Khare personally hunting down two street thieves who have a weapon he's afraid of. And that's all you have to be concerned about, right?

Hagbut beams when he sees the gold. ‘I must admit, I did not expect you two to come up with the money. Still, as the sage says, even the costliest jewel may be found in a dung heap, begging your pardon.’

‘What sage was it who said that little men should keep their mouths shut if they don’t want to become even shorter?’ Jardakka asks.

‘A wise man, no doubt,’ Hagbut says hurriedly. Without bothering to count the money, he presses the sword of Glantanka into your hands, as if he
was glad to be rid of it.

Jardakka takes the sword and feels its weight, cutting the air with the blade.

‘But I should keep it wrapped until you need it,’ Hagbut says, laughing nervously. ‘You wouldn’t want to go attracting the wrong sort of attention.’

Jardakka grunts and wraps the blade in its cloth cover.

‘And if anyone asks, I never sold it to you,’ the Gnome adds.

Jardakka takes the sword, as she is more familiar with swordplay. You leave the shop and continue on your way.

Your nose catches the smell of food and you realise how hungry you are. You are passing the low stone building that serves as the Longshoremen’s Guild Hall. The guild runs a refectory that is open to all; a slate positioned outside the door advertises meals for 2 Gold Pieces.

Eat at the guild hall?
Do not?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: Rey Ulthran
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 14/16
Luck: 10/11

Gold Pieces: 15
Bone bracelet (not worn)
Jardakka has the Sword of Glantanka
[/spoiler]

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to eat at the guild hall to restore the lost 2 Stamina.

[Thaluikhain]

Hagbut beams when he sees the gold. ‘I must admit, I did not expect you two to come up with the money. Still, as the sage says, even the costliest jewel may be found in a dung heap, begging your pardon.’

So, are we paying for it for ourselves, or are we going halves? I thought the former, but that implies the latter.

Also, better eat.

[SGamerz]

Hagbut beams when he sees the gold. ‘I must admit, I did not expect you two to come up with the money. Still, as the sage says, even the costliest jewel may be found in a dung heap, begging your pardon.’

So, are we paying for it for ourselves, or are we going halves? I thought the former, but that implies the latter.

We couldn't have afforded it without the gold we just got from the Cyclops merchant, and half of that belongs to Jardakka (20 for each of us), so yes, it's a joint purchase.

Although I'm concerned that she's going to be the one wielding it, when we're the one with SKILL 12. I hope hers isn't too shabby.

And go buy dinner, now that we actually have some cash to spare.

[Beroli]

The long tables inside the hall are crowded with labourers returning after a hard day unloading ships on Kharé’s waterfront. No one pays any attention to you and Jardakka. You hand over your 2 Gold Pieces and receive in return a generous bowl of rice flavoured with hunks of fried fish. You take your place at one of the tables and spoon the food into your mouth until the bowl is licked clean. (You had not eaten previously at all today, so you regain no Stamina.)

Jardakka pushes away her bowl. ‘What now?’ she asks.

You look at the labourers sitting next to you but they are engrossed in their own conversations. One possibility would be to go to the house of Shar-kali-Sharri and attempt to steal the mirror under the cover of darkness. On the other hand, it might be better to find Fox first; there is strength in numbers.

Go to rob the merchant's house?
Go looking for Fox?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: Rey Ulthran
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 14/16
Luck: 10/11

Gold Pieces: 13
Bone bracelet (not worn)
Jardakka has the Sword of Glantanka
[/spoiler]

[SGamerz]

Hmm...if the Shield Maidens are coming after us again tonight (or even Jardakka, who's with us anyway), then we might want to at least make an attempt to get the mirror back asap. If they go after Fox tonight, then going to see him means that we'll run into them as well (and I doubt he's powerful enough to help us deal with them). So either way, going back to the merchant's house looks like the optimal choice.

[Queen of Swords]

We don't even know if Fox is still alive after whatever Vik wanted with him. So, merchant's house.

[JourneymanN00b]

I also vote to rob the merchant's house in order to get the mirror back.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, back to the merchant's house.

[Beroli]

You approach the house under cover of darkness. The doors are already closed. A lantern has been lit over the entrance, before which two SOLDIER MANTS stand guard. The insect men are fierce fighters and you realise at once that a direct assault makes little sense.

To your left, a high wall runs parallel to the street, enclosing the grounds of the house. To your right, the street runs down to the river Jabaji, where Shar-kali-Sharri has a private quay.

Follow the wall to the left, or walk along the waterfront to the right?

[spoiler=Adventure Sheet]
Name: Rey Ulthran
Skill: 12/12
Stamina: 14/16
Luck: 10/11

Gold Pieces: 13
Bone bracelet (not worn)
Jardakka has the Sword of Glantanka
[/spoiler]

[Queen of Swords]

Try the waterfront approach.

[Thaluikhain]

Waterfront, to the private quay.

[SGamerz]

Waterfront.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to walk along the waterfront to the right, as the quay sounds easier to break into than a wall.