[LP] DestinyQuest 2: The Heart of Fire

[Darth Rabbitt]

The stairs bring you to a wide corridor. One of its walls has been completely blown away, revealing an open vista of crumbling rooftops. At the end of the corridor are a set of arched bronze doors—and hurrying towards them is a black-clothed figure. A pack and coil of rope bounce against their back.
The figure hesitates, head half cocked—then they twist around, sending a dagger spinning through the air. Thankfully your sixth sense gives you ample warning, allowing you to dodge out of its path—leaving the blade to clatter harmlessly against the rock behind you.
With a snarl, you throw yourself into a full-on charge—looking to close the distance between you as quickly as possible. The thief looses another dagger, which you agilely avoid, your speed drawing a gasp from your would-be assassin.
Then you bowl into him, taking you both crashing down onto the ground. As you kick and struggle his hood falls back, revealing his identity.
'Quito!' There is no mistaking the short, shifty-eyed traveler who shared your journey aboard the Angel's Bounty.
Your surprise disarms you, giving the thief the opening he needs. Quito punches you in the ribs, sliding his knees beneath your chest and flipping you away. As you scrabble back to your feet, he moves in, ready to deliver another blow—a poisoned dagger flicking into each of his hands.
Suddenly, a piercing screech rends the air. You both turn to face the ravaged opening, sensing something large approaching, clawing its way up the outside of the building.

A giant rodent swings over the side of the wall, sniffing the air with a whiskered snout. It is accompanied by a repugnant odor, like damp earth and decay. The creature grapples with the crumbling rock, splayed paws scrabbling frantically to drag its bloated, black-haired body into the corridor.
'Sorry,' hisses a voice in your ear.
A foot slams into the back of your knee, sending you lurching to the ground with a cry of pain. Angrily, you twist around to see the thief hurrying for the bronze doors. You tense, ready to follow, then a teeth-grating squeal shakes the corridor, dislodging stone and dust from the ceiling. Turning back, you see the rodent shifting to face you, its lips curling back to reveal rotting, dagger-sized teeth. Then it springs forward, intending to snap you up in its powerful jaws. It is time to fight:

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Terral devil	10	7	7	70

Special abilities
Tail lash: Each time the devil rolls a double for its attack speed, you automatically lose the round, even if your attack speed was higher. For the remainder of the round you cannot use combat or modifier abilities.
Disease: Once the devil's damage score inflicts health damage to your hero, you must automatically lose 2 health at the end of each combat round.

Being a venommancer makes us immune to its disease, but a 1/6 chance of winning a combat round (with no abilities able to counter it, command or prophecy or trickster would be really nice here if they worked) is still really nasty.
*Snake Strike* Devil takes 7 damage and is afflicted with bleed and venom. It's at 63.
Round 1: Patio 7+12, Devil 10+10. (tail lash'd, devil wins the round.) Damage 6+7-1=12, Patio is at 23. *DoTs* Devil is at 58.
Round 2: Patio 9+12, Devil 10+10. Damage 6+13-0 (piercing'd)=19, Devil is at 39. *DoTs* It's at 34.
Round 3: Patio 8+12, Devil 10+10. (tail lash'd, devil wins the round.) Damage 3+7-1=9, Patio is at 14. *DoTs* It's at 29.
Round 4: Patio 7+12 (sure grip'd, 12+12, demon claws'd, devil is at 25), Devil 10+10. Damage 1+13-7=7, devil is at 18 (rust'd, it's armor is at 5.) *DoTs* It's at 13.
Round 5: Patio 6+12 (sure grip'd, 11+12), devil 5+10. Damage 6+13-5=14, devil is dead.

It got that ability off twice in 5 rounds, and rolled a 10 for 4 rounds (two of the 10s were 5+5, the other two were 6+4). One more and it would have killed us.

Your final blow smashes the creature against the corridor's remaining wall, shattering its spine and sending jagged cracks rippling through the stonework.
With the Terral devil defeated, you may now take one of the following rewards:

Devil's incisor (left hand: dagger) +2 speed +2 brawn ability: fatal blow (co: Use fatal blow to ignore half of your opponent's armor, rounding up. This ability can only be used once per combat.) (requirement: rogue)
Rodent's scratchers (left hand: fist weapon) +2 speed +2 brawn ability: piercing (requirement: warrior)
Roughpelt moccasins (feet) +1 speed +2 armor ability: dominate (requirement: mage)

You have not forgotten Quito's betrayal. Determined to catch up with the wily thief, you hurry through the bronze doors.

You find yourself in a rubble-strewn hall. A set of stairs curve away to another story of the building, but the way is blocked by fallen stone. The only remaining exits are an archway to your right, leading through into a brightly-lit room filled with stone benches, and a blasted hole in the far wall, where the twisted remains of a bronze door lie crumpled amongst the charred debris.

Will you:
Investigate the lecture room?
Head through the blast hole?

Also choose whether or not we want to take the vendor trash dagger.

[Omegonthesane]

Attend lectures. Ignore temptation of losing our snek opener.

[SGamerz]

Nah, clearly we'll be there to deliver the lectures. Hopefully to Quito, with some physical demonstration as lesson aid.

[Whiysper]

Agreed on heading onto our next appointment, to whit, delivering the 'How to properly apply snek to face' lecture with help from our teaching assistant 'that backstabbing little shite'.

[Darth Rabbitt]

The benches are set in two rows, the aisle way between them leading through to an open balcony. There, silhouetted against the bright haze, is a stone lectern. An open book rests on its slanted arms, the yellowed pages rustling back and forth in the breeze.
A grunt of pain draws your eyes to the foot of the pedestal. Quito is laid on his back, fingers grasping for his bag. His whole body is shaking as if gripped by some terrible fever. You hurry to his side, spotting a black snake—no longer than your arm—winding away between the pews.
'Bla...black taipan,' stutters the thief. His arms are now drawn into his chest, his limbs set rigid. 'Antidote in...pack.' He makes a feeble nod towards his bag. You immediately put a foot to it, nudging it well out of reach.
'And why should I help you?' you ask, scowling. 'I wasn't aware camaraderie was part of your code. Remember when you tried to stick me with a dagger, then feed me to a rat?'
The thief's neck arches his back, his throat clicking dryly. 'I need...book. Thought you...here for it...also.'
You glance up at the spell book, lying open on the lectern. 'Worth risking your life for, eh?' You gesture to the man's rigid limbs, which have now gone into spasm, entering the final stages of the poison. 'And you assume I'm the forgiving sort?'

Will you:
Use the antidote and help the thief?
Let him die and take the book?

It seems Quito beat us to the punch of murdering Quito via snake to the face. Do we want to save him or not?

[Omegonthesane]

Let's not expect gratitude from the person who tried to murder us. Which is to say let him die and take the book.

[Whiysper]

I confess, I like that our understudy, the black taipan, did the lecture early for such an eager student.

Now I want to steal that snek .

On the choice, though - not interested in the motivations of the guy who tried to kill us. More the 'watching him choke on his own tongue' afterclass. Half a vote to leave him and take the book.

[SGamerz]

I want to cure him in case this unlocks some useful information.

Also hoping that if he shows no gratitude then we may still have the satisfaction of personally applying that snake to face.

[Whiysper]

...mm..

It is more likely to lead to further exposition. And our snek didn't do much biting.

Dammit. Totally torn. Not a helpful post, I know.

In the interest of not getting on Darth's tits by dithering, switch to half a vote to let him live, on the assumption that we can change that with direct action if we later desire to re-envenom him.

[Darth Rabbitt]

You rummage through the thief's pack, finding several of your own pilfered belongings amongst his pots and jars. Finally, your hand settles around what you assume is the snake antidote, its parchment label helpfully displaying a snake and a cross.
The thief is now wracked with convulsions, choking for air. You kneel by his side, tilting his head and pouring as much of the antidote into his mouth as you dare. Most of it spills over his chin, but the wet-gargling sound suggests some of it might have been taken.
After several tense minutes, the convulsions ease—and the thief's limbs slacken, dropping by his side. At first you fear the worst, but then his eyelids flutter open, a wolfish grin spreading across his lips.
'Thief's luck,' he says.
You rise and step away—not completely trusting this back-stabbing assassin. But the thief makes no move to attack. Instead, he sits up, arching his shoulder blades. 'Blasted snake. Never saw it coming.' He stumbles back to his feet, then catches the heat of your suspicious glare. For a moment, his eyes do their customary flick, shifting from the balcony to the exit—calculating his options. Gloved hands drop to his knives. Then he bristles with surprise. His scabbards are empty.
You reveal your hands, holding his weapons.
There is a moment of silence, then you both laugh—the tension of the moment dispelled.
'Take your book.' You nod to the lectern. 'I'm here to hunt a demon, not become a scholar.'
Quito quickly takes the book, stuffing it into his pack. He makes to leave and then hesitates. 'Know this of Quito—he will always honor a debt.'
(Mr. Patio is a rogue.)

'How about starting now?' you grin, eyeing the craftsmanship of the thief's blades. 'That was your work, back in the courtyard, wasn't it? A dozen undead, against...just you.'
Quito nods hesitantly. 'You want to learn?'
You spin the daggers, testing their weight. 'Providing it doesn't end with a knife in the back.'
Quito proceeds to teach you some of his profession's tricks. If you wish, you may now learn the thief career. The thief has the following special abilities:

Backstab (co): (requires a dagger in the main or left hand) If you or an ally play an immobilize, knockdown, stun or webbed ability in combat, you may automatically backstab the affected opponent, inflicting 2 damage dice, ignoring armor. If you have won the round, you can still roll for a damage score as normal.
Cutpurse (pa): Each time you successfully complete a combat, roll a die to discover what item you find:
[1] or [2] A purse containing 20 gold crowns.
[3] or [4] An elixir of invisibility (1 use – backpack item. Grants the ability: vanish).
[5] or [6] A flask of healing (1 use – backpack item. Use any time in combat to restore 6 health).

Quito throws you a purse of gold, before shouldering his bag and heading down the aisle. (You have gained 80 gold crowns.) As you watch him leave, a sudden thought occurs to you.
'Hey, who is the book for?' you ask, with interest.
'Raolin Storm,' he calls back. 'A mage suffering from an unfortunate affliction—too much money.' He glances back over his shoulder. 'Don't worry, I'm his perfect antidote.' After a departing wink he re-enters the hall, disappearing from sight. (Mr. Patio is a venommancer.)

A sharp hiss draws your attention to the nearest pew, where the black snake is watching you from a crack in the stone. You crouch next to it, coaxing the serpent out of its den with the magic of Kaala's scale. If you wish, you may now take:

Black taipan
(left hand: snake)
+2 speed +3 brawn
Ability: convulsions (pa: If your damage score causes health damage to your opponent, they automatically suffer convulsions. In all future combat rounds, the affected opponent will lose the combat round if they roll a double for attack speed – even if their result is higher.)

This was definitely the better choice. If we let Quito die, we'd get the Book of Enigma from his corpse, but the book is actually useless to us. It's part of the book quest, but while we have the Book of Omega, we missed the Book of Alpha (the first of the three), located in a path we didn't take in the orange quest. We'd also miss out on getting the snake, since we'd just walk off with the book and leave Quito to die (but Patio really should know to always loot corpses by now).

If we had been able to complete the book quest we'd get access to the scholar, a pretty good mage career. It adds 2 to the magic bonus of any spellbooks you have, and allows you 1 damage reroll every round. But since we're not a mage it's useless for us anyways, and the only consolation prize for a non-mage is 100 gold, 80% of which you get from helping Quito in the first place.

Choose whether or not we want to become a thief, and if not whether or not we want to take the new snek. Also whether or not we want to ditch the Book of Omega since we can't do the book quest now.

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +12, Brawn: +13, Magic: +0, Armor: +1
Health: 35

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Ability
Head	Crown of Gandhara	+1	+2			Command
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1				Rust
Cloak	Cope of Rituals	+1	+2			Heal
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3			Piercing, Bleed
Left Hand	Monarch Viper	+2	+2			Venom
Gloves	Spider Grips	+1	+2			Sure Grip
Chest	Snake-Skin Coat	+2	+2			Deceive
Feet	Sailor's Sandals	+1				Surefooted
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1				Venommancer
Ring 1	Pins 'N' Needles					Thorns
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1	Fire Aura

Backpack	Item
1
2	Elixir of Invisibility
3	Book of Omega
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Locker	Item
1	Dreamcatcher
2	Conch Shoulders
3	Holy Water (2 uses)
4	Untamed Will

Prophecy
Demon claws
prevail
blood debt
tower
explorer
south view
north view
Frobisher's map
Ghiera's paw
Kaala's fang
Anansi's eye
Money Pouch: 891 Crowns

[Omegonthesane]

Take the snek. Do not become a thief. Ditch the book quest.

[Darth Rabbitt]

As revenge for being left to rot by Quito, Patio doesn't tell him about the spellbook that he has and then throws it away after he's left. Quito might have gotten a bonus if he brought another part of the set.

You clamber over the charred rubble to find yourself in a vast windowless hall. Wherever your eye falls there are bones, blackened and scorched. It would appear that a great battle was fought here—a terrible conflict where many lives were lost. You tread through the grisly wasteland, trying to piece together what happened. Black scars rake the walls and floor, as if some fire or heat was passed over them. Across the ceiling you notice similar trails and the occasional impact crater, where something must have been hurled against the stone with great strength.
Thousands of bones.
In some places they form steep mounds, pitched against the walls in waves of tangled death. You cannot guess at how many bodies—how many lives. What were they defending? What was so important that they would sacrifice themselves in this way? You pass through the hall, arriving at a set of stairs. Again, great chunks have been taken out of the walls, and the ceiling has been blown open, exposing a jagged window of daylight. You ascend the stairs, finding yourself in another rubble-filled passage. You pick your way carefully across the loose rock, noticing more skeletons trapped amongst the debris.
Finally you come to a grand hall, its architecture different to that you have seen before. The stone is obsidian, melted and then molded like clay to form sweeping lines and curves. There are no edges, no carvings, simply smooth rock rising up into a forest of curling branches. It has the feeling of something alive...and very old.
At the far end of this immense chamber is a throne. Its winged back has been smashed in two, leaving a jagged crown of prongs, like some macabre crown. And seated on it, glaring at you with both amusement and contempt, is Cernos.

The demon has suffered since your last meeting. Half of his body is a black crust of scabs and lesions, as if it has been exposed to a monstrous heat. One eye is closed permanently, where the melted flesh has seeped down his face, twisting his features into something even more malign and hellish.
Resting on his lap is a black iron chest. You recognize it as the one from Duerdoun, which once contained the heart of fire—the white orb encased in the runed hammer. Cernos clutches it protectively with one hand, whilst the other plays with a black stone, glimmering with runes.
There is a heavy silence as you regard each other—both changed by your experiences since the forest of thorns.
'Why?' hisses the demon at least, fixing you with his one good eye. 'Why come here? You live—is that not enough?'
You tug open your clothing, exposing the black scales covering your flesh. Since you entered the jungle, they have continued to spread. Now they cover your entire torso and arms, forming bony ridges along your spine. 'Look at me!' you scream in anger, beating your chest. 'You did this!'
Cernos seems unmoved by your plight. 'Tell me. How does it feel?'
For a moment, his question disarms you. Then the bitter fury returns. 'I am turning into a monster! Look at me!'
Cernos rises to his feet, his immense wings flexing behind his broad shoulders. 'I was once like you—exactly like you. Although...'
He pauses glancing down at the iron casket, now cradled at his side. 'I suppose I had a choice.'
'What choice?' you growl, fists clenching at your side. 'Why are you here, demon? Why come to this accursed place?'
'You and I are linked now,' replies the demon, a cruel smile twisting his features. 'So, let me show you.'
Before you can answer you feel yourself being thrown backwards, your head exploding with pain. You crash down onto your back, gurgling and crying in agony, hands scraping over broken stone. Then you hear voices—raised in anger. In the distance, you can hear screams. A horrible discordant wailing.
Blinking through the pain you open your eyes, trying to focus—colors and shapes coalescing around you. An elderly man in stately robes is shouting at a girl, not much older than sixteen. She is beautiful, with braided locks of dark hair. She is trying to get away, frightened by the man's crazed fury.
'Let me go!' she begs, pulling to break free.
The man—who must be the king—backhands her across the face, flinging her to the ground. 'I will not leave! None of us will leave! The dwarves will come! They will save us!'
'Listen to them, Father! People are dying! Everyone's dying!'
The king raises his fist.
'Nephele!'
A young man strides into the throne room, his tanned body clad in blood-soaked armor. He removes his helmet, tossing it away, revealing blond hair and a handsome face.
'You!' snarls the king, stabbing a finger at the young warrior. 'Get out of my sight! You would dare touch my daughter—dare to think she would choose you over Ixion? You! A commoner!'
'No, Father, please!' begs the girl, sobbing. 'Cernos is a good man. He was your spear—your trusted general.'
'He is exiled!' snarls the king, his eyes wide with madness. He points back down the hall, towards the sound of screaming and bloodshed. 'Leave the city—or prove your loyalty and defend your king!'
The young man hurries to the girl's side, kneeling and putting his arms protectively about her. 'Nephele. Come with me. We have to go! The demon spares no one—the city is in ruins!'
A dark shadow passes over the room, throwing everything into darkness. Hoofed feet crunch through stone, ragged breaths thundering like the bellows of a forge. A demon stomps into view—huge, a towering giant of darkness—rippling with fire, its skin scoured with spiteful runes. In one hand it carries a sword as long as the demon is tall; an immense black blade, its own runes glowing with a sorcerous evil. And there, gripped tight within the sword's hilt, is the heart of fire—the glowing stone, giving off heat like the surface of the sun.
'Barahar!' The name is whispered by the king as he falls back against his throne, his face aghast.
Dark spirits roil across the blade, shrieking and hollering. Behind the demon you see a whole host of the ghostly creatures crawling in its wake, filling the corridor with an endless procession of death.
'More souls for the sword!' booms the demon, his voice like that of a God, rattling every wall, every stone, every bone. 'Ragnarok still thirsts.'

Cernos holds Nephele close, kissing her tear-soaked cheek—then he rises, drawing his sword. The girl shrieks, reaching out to stop him, clawing for his legs, but the soldier marches forward all the same, the certainty of his own death written on his face.
'Let them go!' he demands. 'Please. Take my soul instead—spare them.'
The demon snarls, its free hand whipping through the air. It catches Cernos across the chest, tearing through his armor and hurling him sideways into the wall. Then the demon surges towards the king, his rune-blade raised to strike.
'All will fall before Ragnarok!'
The demon's sword slices down, the air rippling around its edges. At the last moment the king grabs his daughter, throwing her forward. 'Take her!' he snarls. Then he turns around and runs, making for the back of the chamber. The sword sweeps through the defenseless girl, her body cleaved in two by the dark blade. Its runes flare bright as a ghostly image of the girl rises up from her corpse, kicking and screaming even in death.
'NO!' Cernos struggles to rise, blood pouring from the claw marks that have raked his chest. 'Nephele!' He watches in horror as her spirit is absorbed into the blade, its malign runes growing ever brighter.
'Let me out!' The king is beating his fists against a panel at the back of the chamber. Evidently it must lead to some secret escape tunnel, but the panel has become jammed. His anguished cries become desperate whimpers.
'Do you wish revenge?' The demon points its blade at the king, who is now sobbing on his knees. 'I said, do you want revenge?' His head snaps around to glare at Cernos.
The warrior staggers to his feet, blood and dust matting his face. 'Nephele...' As his gaze wanders from the corpse to the whimpering king, his mouth curls into a vicious sneer. 'We are all damned!' he bellows, spitting blood. 'This is my kingdom no longer—and this is not my king.'
The demon's laughter reverberates throughout the chamber, pounding like fists against your eardrums. You watch, dumbfounded, as Cernos stalks towards the king, his body changing with each step, scales and spines punching out of his back, muscles breaking the confines of his clothing, wings unfolding like dark leaves. In a matter of heartbeats, Cernos the demon stands over the king.
'Do it!' snarls Barahar. 'And prove you are worthy of my blood.'
You look away, the king's screams turning your stomach. Then everything blurs, the room swimming and lurching once again. When you can finally see again you are lying on your stomach, coughing on dust and grit. Towering above you is the demon, Cernos, his scorched flesh disfiguring his sneer.
'So, tell me, prophet,' he spits with contempt. 'Do you really think you are worthy of my blood?'

The demon raises a fist into the air, his clawed fingers still gripping the black runestone. Bolts of magic crackle from its surface, lancing across the room to play along the walls and ceiling. 'The dwarves built this citadel,' he bellows, lifting his head to survey the twisted canopy. 'And its magic will serve me now!'
All around you the smooth black stone swells and undulates, like waves on an ocean. Even the branches are moving, threading themselves together to form a dark, writhing mass.
'Stop this!' you beg hoarsely, your eyes dragged from one shifting horror to the next.
The demon laughs—cold and mocking. 'I have the key to Tartarus.' He shakes the black runestone, gripped in his palm. 'With the heart of fire, I will free Ragnarok and then I will have my revenge!'
Desperately you draw your weapons, lunging forward to strike—but Cernos spins aside, striking you across the back and sending you crashing to the ground. Then he launches himself skywards, his huge wings beating through the dusty air. You watch helpless, pinned to the ground by the violent tremors, as the demon soars through the chaotic maelstrom of moving stone, leaving you behind to face this, his latest trap.
The chamber has become a living entity—a giant chitinous creature, supported on hundreds of spidery legs. With a final deafening crunch the beast drags its rear from the palace foundations, the ensuing upheaval sending fractures branching through the stonework. You stagger to your feet, aware that the ground is starting to crumble away, the entire building collapsing into dust.
Forced onto a precarious span of rock, you realize there is no hope of escape. The beast is scuttling towards you, its entire belly ripping open into a fang-filled maw. It is time to fight:

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Sitadell	10	7	8	60

Special abilities
Rock bluff: At the end of each combat round, Sitadell casts a 'rock bluff' spell increasing its armor by 2. If you win a combat round, instead of rolling for damage you can remove the spell, reducing Sitadell's armor back to its starting value.
Body of rock: Your opponent is immune to barbs, bleed, disease, fire aura, piercing, thorns, thorn cage and venom.

So this thing is immune to a lot of stuff; in fact, we have most of the abilities it's immune to. But it's not actually immune to the Snake to the Face™ or to our new snek's ability. It seems that black taipan venom is really potent. No wonder it brought down a slob like Quito so quickly.
I'm not sure if it's supposed to work this way, but I'm going to assume that our rust debuff doesn't go away from its rock spell; in other words, that it sets its base armor to 6.
*Snake Strike* Sitadell takes 2 damage and is afflicted with convulsions.
Round 1: Patio 9+12, Sitadell 10+10 (convulsions'd, it automatically loses the round.) Damage 4+14-8=10, Sitadell is at 48. (Rust'd, it's armor is at 6.) *Rock bluff* Sitadell's armor increases to 8.
Round 2: Patio 8+12 (demon claws'd, Sitadell is at 44), Sitadell 9+10. Damage 5+14-8=11, Sitadell is at 33. *Rock bluff* Sitadell's armor increases to 10.
Round 3: Patio 7+12, Sitadell 11+10 (deceive'd, Patio 10+12, Sitadell 8+10, demon claws'd, Sitadell is at 29.) Damage 6+14-10=10, Sitadell is at 19. *Rock bluff* Sitadell's armor increases to 12.
Round 4: Patio 8+12, Sitadell 10+10. Tie. *Rock bluff* Sitadell's armor increases to 14.
Round 5: Patio 10+12, Sitadell 11+10. Patio breaks Sitadell's rock bluff spell, bringing its armor back down to 6. *Rock bluff* Its armor increases to 8.
Round 6: Patio 11+12, Sitadell 7+10. Damage 2+14-8=8, Sitadell is at 11. *Rock bluff* Its armor increases to 10.
Round 7: Patio 3+12 (sure grip'd, 8+12), Sitadell 7+10. Damage 5+14-10=9, Sitadell is at 2. *Rock bluff* Its armor increases to 12.
Round 8: Patio 6+10 (demon claws'd, Sitadell is defeated!)

Once Sitadell has been reduced to zero health, it begins to transform once again. Keep a note of your remaining health.

The beast rears back, its black-stone body reshaping itself into another horrific image—an immense worm, its mouth a circular chasm of diamond-hard teeth. It sweeps down through the dust and smoke, smashing through the rocky pinnacle with its cannonball head. (You must fight this next phase of the combat with the health you have remaining. Your abilities are restored and can be used again, as normal.)

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Sitadell	11	7	10	40

Special abilities
Wrath of the worm: At the end of the eighth combat round, Sitadell will have destroyed the entire rock you are standing on, plunging you to your death. This automatically loses you the combat.
Body of rock: Your opponent is immune to barbs, bleed, disease, fire aura, piercing, thorns, thorn cage and venom.

So we have to kill this thing in 8 rounds, then.
*Snake strike* Sitadell takes 7 damage and is afflicted with convulsions. It's at 33.
Round 1: Patio 5+12 (sure grip'd, 10+12), Sitadell 10+11 (convulsions'd, it loses the round.) Damage 3+14-10=7, Sitadell is at 26. (Rust'd, its armor is at 8.)
Round 2: Patio 8+12, Sitadell 7+11. Damage 5+14-8=11, Sitadell is at 15.
Round 3: Patio 9+12, Sitadell 12+11 (convulsions'd, it loses the round.) Damage 1+14-8=7, Sitadell is at 8.
Round 4: Patio 4+12 (sure grip'd, 9+12), Sitadell 8+11. Damage 3+14-8=9, Sitadell is dead!

Cernos might outmatch us in demonic power, but he really needs to train his Pokemon better. Our Arbok wrecked his Onix.

As the worm dives towards you, intending to smash through the stone, you throw yourself into the air, tumbling across its ridged back. The worm bucks and squirms, flinging you free, its own purchase on the rock slipping away.
You fall together, reeling through the dust and smoke—the jagged remains of the building blurring past you.
Suddenly the worm's gaping maw spirals into view. There is little you can do to slow your momentum. The worm lunges, swallowing you whole, for the next few seconds you are sliding through darkness, the rough walls of the beast's belly ripping at your armor. You strike out with your weapons, but the hard rock jolts them from your grasp. As you continue your hellish descent, the walls start to close in...seeking to crush you to pulp.
Then a miracle occurs. From the scaled skin on your arms barbed spines burst forth, punching through your clothing. At first, they spark harmlessly against the walls—but once they flare with dark magic, they start to slice through the rock. You sight daylight—a thin sliver which quickly widens.
At last you are free, tearing yourself out of the beast's stomach and hurling yourself into the smoky air. You smash through walls and floors, your diamond-hard skin taking the brunt of each impact. Then you finally crash down into a courtyard, the impact blowing a vast crater across the earth.
There is a moment's reprieve, before an immense shadow obliterates the sky—dropping at speed.
The worm.
As its stone body nears the ground it starts to break up, becoming fragments of razor-sharp obsidian. You dive for cover, sheltering behind a carved pillar as the shards rain down, hammering their points deep into the rock.
Then there is silence.
You slump against the pillar, exhausted from the fight. But you find little comfort in your escape. You look down at the hooked spines, bristling along your arms. Your demon-side has saved you once again. But at what cost?
You have gained the following special ability:

Demon spines (co): When your opponent’s damage score causes health damage, you can immediately retaliate by inflicting 1 damage dice back to them, ignoring armor. You can only use demon spines once per combat.

You retrieve your weapons before searching through the debris. Amongst the remains of the worm you find one of the following rewards:

Stone of the Sitadell (talisman) +1 speed ability: disrupt (requirement: warrior)
Obsidian shard (necklace) +1 speed ability: piercing (requirement: mage)
Prickle pair (gloves) +1 speed +2 brawn ability: barbs (pa: You automatically inflict 1 damage to all of your opponents, at the end of every combat round. This ability ignores armor.) (requirement: rogue)

Beyond the ruins the jungle continues south until it meets a vast wasteland of orange-grey rock, shimmering in the heat haze. You clamber up onto a nearby ridge to get a better view of the barren plateau. It presents many days of arduous travel, but such matters quickly pale into significance next to the one landmark that has remained a constant these last few days: the colossal black volcano. Even at this distance you can feel its formidable presence, its air of inescapable doom.
You sense that this is where Cernos is now headed: to find the dwarven city of Tartarus and recover the demon-sword, Ragnarok. (Return to the quest map to continue your adventure.)

Pick a loot and a destination to proceed. We just have the boss battle and the team battle left (barring, of course, shopping). If we pick the latter, this is the last chance for Trellis to pick a loot from the wicker man fight.

Here's what's available to us in shops. (I'm ignoring the items that cure the conditions we're immune to as a venommancer, and the snake worse than the monarch viper we bought earlier, since I just assume we stashed it in our locker).
Traveler's tonic (1 use) (backpack) Use any time in combat to restore 6 health (25 gold each)
Chibacha (cloak) +1 speed +2 health ability: gorilla rage (mo: Each time you play a combat ability, roll a die. On a [6] result you may raise your brawn/magic by 1 for the duration of the combat.) (300 gold)
Lesser bushmaster (left hand: snake) +2 speed +3 brawn ability: constrictor (sp): This ability reduces the number of dice your opponent can roll for attack speed by 1, for one combat round only. You can only use this ability once per combat.) (requirement: venommancer) (500 gold)

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +12, Brawn: +14, Magic: +0, Armor: +1
Health: 35

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Ability
Head	Crown of Gandhara	+1	+2			Command
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1				Rust
Cloak	Cope of Rituals	+1	+2			Heal
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3			Piercing, Bleed
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3			Convulsions
Gloves	Spider Grips	+1	+2			Sure Grip
Chest	Snake-Skin Coat	+2	+2			Deceive
Feet	Sailor's Sandals	+1				Surefooted
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1				Venommancer
Ring 1	Pins 'N' Needles					Thorns
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1	Fire Aura

Backpack	Item
1
2	Elixir of Invisibility
3
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Locker	Item
1	Dreamcatcher
2	Conch Shoulders
3	Monarch Viper
4	Untamed Will

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
prevail
blood debt
tower
explorer
south view
north view
Frobisher's map
Ghiera's paw
Kaala's fang
Anansi's eye
Money Pouch: 891 Crowns

[Whiysper]

Tempted by the prickle pair, looks like an upgrade to me. I'd guess we have to team battle before boss battle? If so, that.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I'd guess we have to team battle before boss battle?

Yes, we would.

[Whiysper]

Well, then, in the name of more content... team fight!

(none of the shopping list items leap out at me as worthwhile)

[Omegonthesane]

Take gloves, then team fight.

Trellis totally took Harvester, replacing Traveller's Ring.

[Darth Rabbitt]

(Note: when looking up this fight, I realized that fire aura only does 1 damage/round, when I thought for some reason that it was 2 damage/round. I won't do it in the future, but I'm not bothering to recalculate previous battles.)

Team battle (advanced): Issakhar

(Note: You must have completed the red quest City of the damned before you can start this challenge.)
The lava fields break at the foot of the volcano, becoming a series of steep-sided gorges. The ground is hard and cracked, the loose slate making the going slippery and treacherous. Occasionally you spy low-lying clouds of vapor, drifting over pools of water. They bubble and steam, belching sulfurous gas into the hot, smoky air.
You soon lose all sense of direction, your path determined by the ever-branching maze of valleys and gorges. One such valley eventually brings you to a narrow corridor, with angular slabs of stone set on either side. Even through the misty haze, it is clear that these are not natural formations—they have been placed here for a purpose.
You examine the nearest stone. Each of its faces has been carved with runes, their stylized patterns reminding you of those you saw at Duerdoun and amongst the Lamuri ruins.
'Dwarven.'
A man's voice catches you by surprise. You swing around, your weapons hissing from their scabbards. But there is no one there.
'I suppose this is something of a paradox.'
You spin again, eyes scanning the lines of stone. 'Who's there?' you growl impatiently. 'Face me!'
A shadow moves at the corner of your eye. You snap around, to see a black-cloaked figure step out from behind a carved stone. The hood of the cloak is drawn up to conceal his face.
'Would I be here if it wasn't for what you said—what you saw?' The stranger waves a spidery finger into the air. 'So, so, so perplexing. Am I as much a puppet in this as you, I wonder? Ah, the schemes of gods and monsters...' The man shakes his head, mumbling to himself.
'Show yourself!' you snarl, taking an angry step forward. After trekking across the barren lava flats for the last two days, you are not in the mood for tricks or conversation.
The man raises two pale hands to his hood, then pushes it back. For a moment you struggle to place the familiar features—a gaunt, hollow face, scars raking across the bald pate; a few tufts of grey hair protruding like spines from the pulpy flesh. Then recognition dawns, hitting you like a blow to the stomach.
It is the librarian from Durnhollow.
'That's impossible!'
You know you should feel anger—a desire for revenge for the tortures you were put through—but your mind is racing with too many questions. How could he have found you? How could he have known you would be here?
The visions.
'You...you listened to it all,' you croak hoarsely. 'Why? Why would you do this?'
'I'm here because you need me,' he replies, the scar on his left cheek tugging at his smile.
You stare at him, baffled. In your head you can hear the echo of that voice, scratching at your mind, tearing at your thoughts, torturing you in that cell for hour upon hour. 'I should kill you,' you reply darkly, hands tightening around your weapons. 'You have a lot of guts coming here. After all that—'
The man raises a hand for silence. 'I am not who you think I am,' he states firmly. 'My name is...' He stops, his body suddenly flinching with shock. 'No!' he hisses. 'Stay away! Stay out of this, fool!' He beats at the side of his head, as if looking to rid it of some nagging nuisance. 'Do not interfere. You want your fr, free, freedom, don't you?' His body continues to twitch and tremble. You notice a purple light flickering along one of his arms, glowing through the material of his clothing. 'Enough! We do what he says. I am in control now!'
'What's going on?' you ask hesitantly, fearing the man has gone completely insane.
He grimaces, still torn by some inner conflict. 'I am...Lorcan,' he manages to gasp. 'Yes, Lorcan.' He repeats it louder, as if by uttering the name it will keep his inner demons at bay. 'And we're here to kill a monster.'
'Cernos?' you ask, your eyebrows lifted with interest.
'No.' The man gestures impatiently to the corridor of rock. 'Not Cernos. A drake.'
You scowl peevishly. 'Then I don't have time for this.'
Lorcan mirrors your irritation. 'Listen. Unless you're going to sprout a pair of wings, the valley ahead is the only way to reach Tartarus. And it's guarded by an ancient evil from the time of the dwarves. Cernos is already ahead of you, but my wards will slow him down.'
You open your mouth to protest, but the retort dies swiftly. 'I suppose I have no choice...'
'We always have a choice,' he replies, a sudden mischief lighting his eyes. 'Come, let us do this quickly. Follow me.' He turns and starts away, pulling his cloak tight around his shoulders. As you watch him depart you notice a golden staff strapped to his back, glimmering with magic.
'And if I choose not to follow?' you state obstinately, holding your ground.
There is no response. The man—Lorcan—has already disappeared into the mist, his footfalls echoing from the valley walls. Of course, you glower to yourself, he already knows I will follow—as he knew I would be here, trekking through the lava fields. Resigned to your fate, you hurry after the scribe, determined to drag more answers from him—by any means necessary.

Ok, so I'm going to rant about this, because most of this makes no sense and I hate just about all of it. So Trellis and Lorcan merged, yes, and last we knew they looked like Lorcan did, and had that staff. That all stands. But Patio has met Trellis already in that previous battle, and shouldn't be surprised to see her/Lorcan. The Nevarin have shapeshifting powers, so it's possible that the Trellorcan Combo Pack™ just decided to look like Trellis then (and it was never confirmed that Trellis was stuck looking like Lorcan), but then why did they revert to his appearance here? Why would Lorcan want Patio to know that he tortured him in the past? Wouldn't it make more sense to not mention that, if he wants to get Patio to follow him?
Also, why is Trellis suddenly so subservient to Lorcan? She resisted the commander of the Nevarin just fine, why is Lorcan so much stronger than the creature that has magic control over Nevarin? Lorcan controlled Trellis' healing and her appearance, but he didn't control anything else, or else he wouldn't need to convince her to take the staff to flee from Caleb into the shroud. If Trellis took control after that moment of conflict in the above section (indicating that the two personalities fought and one wasn't strictly under the thumb of the other, while also giving a reason as to why they might look and act different from the way they did in Act 1, and also referencing the postgame of the previous book) that would actually be pretty cool, but as is it just reads as the author going "lol nope, your character from the previous book is nothing but a set of stats for Lorcan to command."
Finally, while I think the "he" Lorcan mentions is the "man in the shroud" he was rambling about in the previous book...we get no follow up on it here. Just fuck this shit. I'm totally referring to Trellis as Trellis in the actual battle, that's for sure.

The valley widens into a bowl-shaped canyon, dominated by a vast pool of water. Sulfurous smoke crawls across the lake's surface, an occasional belch of bubbles rising up to spout boiling steam into the air. You find the stranger, Lorcan, standing at its banks. As you move to join him you spot a number of carved rocks arranged around the pool. The largest has been smashed in two, but the others are still intact, shielded by cones of magic.
You look back at the bubbling pool, then at Lorcan. 'So, this great monster we're supposed to defeat. Did you forget to send the invite?'
Suddenly, the waters rush up in a broiling explosion of steam and smoke. You glimpse scaled skin and bright, crimson eyes.
Lorcan sweeps back his cloak, revealing elaborate armor and weapons humming with magic. 'Concentrate on the shrines,' he shouts above the roar of crashing water. 'I can re-weave their magic, but you need to break the drake's protective shields.'
You barely hear his words—your attention is rooted on the two reptilian heads swaying above you. As one, they open their gigantic maws and suck in the seared air with a keening cry. Then a torrent of fire streaks past their rings of teeth. You both race in opposite directions as the flames slam into the ground, super-heating the stone to shards of black glass.
You spin around, catching Lorcan's crazed expression. 'The shrines!' he snarls, dodging the monster's snapping heads. 'It's our only chance!'
You must now fight the following team battle alongside a hero from The Legion of Shadow:

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Issakhar	15	12	14	450
Fire shrine	-	-	7	30
Water shrine	-	-	7	30
Air shrine	-	-	7	30
Lightning shrine	-	-	7	30

Special abilities
Headstrong: At the end of each combat round, both heroes must take 5 damage from the drake's fiery breath. This ability ignores armor. (If a hero has fire shield, then they are immune to this damage.)
Deadly bite: Once a hero takes health damage from Issakhar's damage score, they are automatically inflicted with bleed and venom, taking 3 damage at the end of every combat round.
Fire shrine: If the fire shrine is activated (see below), then all heroes are immune to the drake's flames and no longer suffer damage from the headstrong ability.
Water shrine: If the water shrine is activated, each hero restores 2 health at the end of each combat round for the duration of the combat.
Air shrine: If the fire shrine is activated, the hero with the lowest speed may increase their speed by 4 for the duration of the combat.
Lightning shrine: If the lightning shrine is activated, both heroes' weapons are imbued with lightning. This adds 1 to each die rolled for damage score, for the duration of the combat.
Magic shrines: The shrines cannot be harmed by barbs, bleed, disease, fire aura, thorns, thorn cage and venom.
In this combat, one hero must be attacking Issakhar at all times. If a hero chooses to attack the shrines, they do not need to roll for attack speed—they automatically win and may roll for damage as normal.
When a shrine has zero health it has been activated, and the above abilities apply. Abilities that strike multiple opponents, such as cleave and black rain, can be used to apply damage to all opponents (shrines and Issakhar.)

Holy shit this guy has a lot of health, almost twice that of the wicker man. Fortunately, Patio is more than twice as strong as he was when fighting that monster. Trellis will be holding off the monster who she currently beats the speed of, and Patio will be smashing the shrines. I think that the proper order is fire (get rid of DoTs), water (heal damage from those DoTs), air (+Speed to Patio, in case Trellis is damaged at this point), lightning (bonus damage).
Fortunately, Issakhar does take a shitload of DoTs: 2/round from 2 fire auras (they explicitly stack), 1/round from thorns, 1/round from barbs, 1/round from bleed (which Patio will deliver immediately with his Snake to the Face™) for 5 damage/round.
I said in the previous team battle that I didn't think that snakes alive! was supposed to not have the 1/combat limitation, and I still do, but I mostly used that as a justification for me forgetting to use it and not wanting to rewrite a long battle.
*Snake Strike* Issakhar takes 9 damage and is afflicted with bleed and convulsions. It's at 441.
Round 1: Trellis 8+16, Issakhar 8+15. Windwalker'd, damage 8+21+2 (shades'd)+3 (surge'd)-14=20, Issakhar is at 421. Patio attacks the Fire Shrine for 4+14-0 (piercing'd)=18 damage, it's at 12. *DoTs* Issakhar is at 416, Patio is at 30, Trellis is at 45.
Round 2: Trellis 6+16-1 (surge'd), Issakhar 1+16 (shackled'd). Damage 1+21+2-14=10, Issakhar is at 406. (Leech'd, Trellis is at 47, Corruption'd, its Brawn is at 10.) Patio attacks the Fire Shrine for 4+14-7=11 damage, it's at 1. *DoTs* Issakhar is at 401, Patio is at 25, Trellis is at 42.
Round 3: Trellis 10+16, Issakhar 4+15-1 (snakes alive'd). Damage 2+21+2-14=11, Issakhar is at 390. (Leech'd, Trellis is at 44.) Patio attacks the Fire Shrine and automatically activates it. *DoTs* Issakhar is at 385.
Round 4: Trellis 10+16, Issakhar 6+15 (windblast'd). Damage 4+21+2-14=13, Issakhar is at 372. (Leech'd, Trellis is at 46.) *DoTs* It's at 367. Patio attacks the Water Shrine for 1+14-7=8 damage, it's at 22.
Round 5: Trellis 4+16, Issakhar 5+15-1. Damage 3+21+2-14=12, Issakhar is at 355. (Leech'd, Trellis is at 48.) *DoTs* It's at 350. Patio attacks the Water Shrine for 5+14-7=12 damage, it's at 10.
Round 6: Trellis 7+16, Issakhar 8+15-1. Damage 5+21+2-14=14, Issakhar is at 336. (Leech'd, Trellis is at full.) *DoTs* It's at 331. Patio attacks the Water Shrine for 3+14-7=10 damage and activates it. *Water shrine* Patio is at 27.
Round 7: Trellis 4+16, Issakhar 9+15-1. (Parry'd, no damage.) *DoTs* Issakhar is at 326. Patio attacks the wind shrine for 1+14-7=8 damage, it's at 22. *Water shrine* Patio's at 29.
Round 8: Trellis 8+16, Issakhar 6+15-1 (convulsions'd, it automatically loses the round.) Damage 3+21+2-14=12, Issakhar is at 314. *DoTs* It's at 309. Patio attacks the wind shrine for 1+14-7=8 damage, it's at 14. *Water shrine* Patio's at 31.
Round 9: Trellis 7+16, Issakhar 11+15-1. (Sacrifice'd, no damage.) *DoTs* Issakhar is at 304. Patio attacks the wind shrine for 3+14-7=10 damage, it's at 4. *Water shrine* Patio's at 33.
Round 10: Trellis 7+16, Issakhar 6+15-1. Damage 2+21-14=9, Issakhar is at 295. *DoTs* It's at 290. Patio attacks the wind shrine and automatically activates it. His speed is at 16. *Water shrine* Patio's at full.
Now that their speed stats are equal, Patio will tag in for a round or two here, to lower Issakhar's armor and allow Trellis to destroy the Lightning Shrine faster.
Round 11: Patio 9+16, Issakhar 7+15. Damage 3+14-14=3, Issakhar is at 287. Rust'd, its armor is at 12. *DoTs* It's at 282. Trellis attacks the lightning shrine for 1+21-7=15 damage, it's at 15.
Round 12: Patio 8+16, Issakhar 2+15. Damage 4+14-12=6, Issakhar is at 276. *DoTs* It's at 271. Trellis attacks the lightning shrine and automatically activates it.
Tagging back out for Trellis again since she does more damage. She also gets 3d6+3 armor-ignoring damage with rake now, making it average slightly more damage than her regular attack.
Round 13: Trellis 4+16, Issakhar 6+15-1. Tie. *DoTs* Issakhar is at 266.
Round 14: Trellis 9+16, Issakhar 2+15-1. Rake'd, damage 6+6+3+3=18, Issakhar is at 248. *DoTs* It's at 243.
Round 15: Trellis 5+16, Issakhar 7+15-1. Tie. *DoTs* Issakhar is at 238.
Round 16: Trellis 8+16, Issakhar 5+15-1. Damage 5+21+3-12=17, Issakhar is at 221. *DoTs* It's at 216.
Round 17: Trellis 3+16, Issakhar 8+15-1. Damage 5+10-6=9, Trellis is at 41. *DoTs* Issakhar is at 215. *Water shrine* Trellis is at 43.
Round 18: Trellis 9+16, Issakhar 6+15-1. Damage 6+21+1-12=16, Issakhar is at 199. (Leech'd, Trellis is at 45.) *DoTs* Issakhar is at 194. *Water shrine* Trellis is at 47.
Round 19: Trellis 6+16, Issakhar 12+15-1 (convulsions'd, Issakhar automatically loses the round.) Damage 1+21+1-12=11, Issakhar is at 183. (Leech'd, Trellis is at 49.) *DoTs* Issakhar is at 178. *Water shrine* Trellis is at full.
Round 20: Trellis 10+16, Issakhar 12+15-1 (convulsions'd, Issakhar automatically loses the round.) Damage 4+21+1-12=14, Issakhar is at 164. *DoTs* It's at 159.
Round 21: Trellis 8+16, Issakhar 3+15-1. Damage 4+21+1-12=14, Issakhar is at 145. *DoTs* It's at 140.
Round 22: Trellis 11+16, Issakhar 7+15-1. Damage 2+21+1-12=12, Issakhar is at 128. *DoTs* It's at 123.
Round 23: Trellis 9+16, Issakhar 7+15-1. Damage 2+21+1-12=12, Issakhar is at 111. *DoTs* It's at 106.
Round 24: Trellis 10+16, Issakhar 11+15-1. Damage 4+21+1-12=14, Issakhar is at 92. *DoTs* It's at 87.
Round 25: Trellis 7+16, Issakhar 7+15-1. Damage 1+21+1-12=11, Issakhar is at 76. *DoTs* It's at 71.
Round 26: Trellis 6+16, Issakhar 7+15-1. Damage 6+21+1-12=16, Issakhar is at 55. *DoTs* It's at 50.
Round 27: Trellis 9+16, Issakhar 9+15-1. Damage 1+21+1-12=11, Issakhar is at 39. *DoTs* It's at 34.
Round 28: Trellis 9+16, Issakhar 7+15-1. Damage 1+21+1-12=11, Issakhar is at 23. *DoTs* It's at 18.
Round 29: Trellis 10+16, Issakhar 9+15-1. Damage 3+21+1-12=13, Issakhar is at 5. *DoTs* It's dead.

Now that was a long fight, but Trellis' raw magical power and Patio's DoTs (and both of them launching snakes at Issakhar) handed us the win.

The two severed heads crash to the ground in a spray of black blood, leaving the beast's scaled body to sink beneath the turbulent waves. Exhausted from the battle you lean against one of the rocks, your eyes seeking out Lorcan. The man is barely out of breath, his wounds healing instantly as purple light flares from the runes branded into his arm.
'Now for my favorite part,' he grins, walking over to the nearest drake head. 'The spoils of war.'

(At least that's in character for Trellis. There are different rewards for different paths this time, so there's no conflict over loot here.)

Rogue rewards (for Patio):
Amongst the remains of the drake, you find one of the following special rewards:
Black talon hood (head) +2 speed +3 brawn 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.)
Death blades (feet) +2 speed +3 brawn ability: fatal blow (co: Use fatal blow to ignore half of your opponent's armor, rounding up. This ability can only be used once per combat.)
Spark stone (ring) +2 brawn +1 armor ability: lightning (pa: Every time you take health damage as a result of an opponent’s damage score/damage dice, you automatically inflict 2 points of damage to them in return. This ability ignores armor. Note: If you have multiple items with lightning, you still only inflict 2 damage.)

Mage rewards (for Trellis):
Amongst the remains of the drake, you find one of the following special rewards:
Twilight tinder (ring) +2 magic ability: overload (co: You can use the overload ability to roll an extra die when determining your damage score. You can only use this ability once per combat.)
Drakeskin epaulettes (cloak) +2 speed +4 magic ability: backdraft (co: When your opponent’s damage score causes health damage, you can immediately retaliate by inflicting 2 damage dice back to them, ignoring armor. You can only use backdraft once per combat.)
Drakefire rainment (robes) +2 speed +3 magic ability: fire aura (I don't think Trellis is going to take the loot that has the same stat boosts as her current one, and has an ability she already has.)

Warriors find a +1 speed talisman here that gives access to the drake warrior career, which has the following abilities:
Fiery temper (pa): Keep a record of all [6] results that your opponent rolls for damage. For every two [6] results your brawn is increased by 2. At the end of the combat, your brawn returns to normal.
Searing mantle (pa): Your armor is coated in fire. This causes 1 damage to all opponents at the end of every combat round for every 4 armor you are wearing.

You retrieve your pack. When you look back towards the pool, you see that Lorcan is untying the golden rod that was previously strapped to his back. He lifts it into the air, its magical radiance brightening as the flower-shaped headpiece starts to revolve.
You stare at him, baffled by the strange device.
His eyes meet your own, his scarred face attempting a semblance of a smile. 'I will see you again, prophet.'
'Wait!' You lunge forward—but you are too late. There is a bright flash of golden light, then the man is gone. Angrily, you kick at the stones where he had been standing, furious that you have been left so many unanswered questions. But then your gaze falls on the far side of the canyon and the volcano, rising high into the hazy gloom. Thanks to Lorcan, you are now a step closer to Tatarus—and your final showdown with the demon, Cernos. (Return to the quest map to continue your adventure.)

Pick loots for each character, and then it's presumably off to the boss battle.

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +12, Brawn: +14, Magic: +0, Armor: +1
Health: 35

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Ability
Head	Crown of Gandhara	+1	+2			Command
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1				Rust
Cloak	Cope of Rituals	+1	+2			Heal
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3			Piercing, Bleed
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3			Convulsions
Gloves	Prickle Pair	+1	+2			Barbs
Chest	Snake-Skin Coat	+2	+2			Deceive
Feet	Sailor's Sandals	+1				Surefooted
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1				Venommancer
Ring 1	Pins 'N' Needles					Thorns
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1	Fire Aura

Backpack	Item
1
2	Elixir of Invisibility
3
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Locker	Item
1	Dreamcatcher
2	Spider Grips
3	Monarch Viper
4	Untamed Will

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
prevail
blood debt
tower
explorer
south view
north view
Frobisher's map
Ghiera's paw
Kaala's fang
Anansi's eye
Money Pouch: 891 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	Duelist's Band			+2		Ensnare

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

[Omegonthesane]

Death blades for Patio.

I forget what Corruption even does and it isn't in the big list of keywords appearing in Heart of Fire - guess it was exclusive to LoS. Though the same goes for Ensnare, I can't remember what it does and it isn't in the list of keywords at the start of this thread.

So basically Trellis is taking one of tinder, raiment, or nothing.

Unless anyone else wants to go shopping, boss time.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Ah, that's right. Several of Trellis' abilities don't appear in HoF (the careers all appear to be book-exclusive, for instance.) So here's the relevant text for them all:

The necromancer has the following abilities:

Shades (pa): At the start of combat, you automatically summon a group of shades to aid you. The shades add 2 to each dice of damage you roll for the duration of the combat. Once summoned, they remain until you sacrifice them (see below).
Sacrifice (co): You may use this ability after an opponent has rolled their damage dice/score to instantly sacrifice your shades. The shades absorb all the damage and you are unharmed. This destroys your shades until the next combat.

And it just struck me from the way that first ability is written that rake would have done even more damage earlier on in the fight (Rake does 3d6 armor-ignoring, and shades adds 2 for each dice of damage. Rake ignores [brawn or magic] modifiers, but not abilities that add to damage dice, so that would have been a very sexy 3d6+6 armor-ignoring damage there.) Oh well, I guess we'll save that combo for the Act 3 fight.

Corruption (co): If your damage score causes health damage to your opponent, you can inflict corruption on them, reducing either their brawn or magic by 2 points for the remainder of the combat. You can only use this ability once per combat.

Basically it's Rust that lowers damage instead of armor.

Ensnare (co): If your opponent has used a dodge ability (such as evade, vanish or sidestep) you can immediately ensnare them, allowing you to win back control of the round and roll for damage as normal (as if their ability had never been played). Ensnare can only be used once per combat.

I can't think of a single opponent in either book using any dodge abilities (correct me if I'm wrong).

I think it's for some PvP rules written up on the site. I'm vaguely tempted to run a Trellis v. Patio fight at the end of this book using those, but then again I'm sure I'll be tired of writing up battles by that point.

[Omegonthesane]

I guess Trellis-Lorcan is swapping Duelist's Band for Tinder then (and swiping left on all the Nevarin).

[Darth Rabbitt]

Boss monster: Cernos the demon

The canyon narrows, angling steeply into a tunnel of dark rock. At its end, two carved faces glare at you with flat, expressionless eyes. Dwarves, you assume, from the cropped beards and flabby jowls. The crowns on their brows curve upwards, forming a high archway cut into the side of the great volcano.
You stride into the chamber beyond—a vast alien hall, its vaulted ceiling glittering with veins of silver. For a brief moment, your steps falter as you struggle to take in the craftsmanship of your surroundings. There are no lines or fractures, no customary marks from a stonecutter's tools—the walls are as smooth as glass, reflecting the sparkling light and magnifying it a hundred-fold.
'Cernos!' Your footfalls echo as you match towards the demon. He is facing an immense door, its surface covered in a dazzling array of runes. The demon has put aside his iron casket—and now fumbles with something at the center of the door. He stops when you approach, his head cocked to one side.
'You are a tiresome nuisance,' he growls. 'How many lives do you have, prophet?'
He turns to face you, his crimson eyes glittering balefully in the torchlight. 'I gave you a gift, not a punishment.'
You break into a run, weapons flying into your hands. 'Then consider this a return, Cernos!'
The demon gives an incredulous laugh. 'Oh, so now you think yourself my equal?'
He springs forward, moving with a speed that belies his colossal frame. You crash together, snarling like dogs, trading blows in a frenzied blur that would leave any onlooker dizzy. For several seconds you have the upper hand, your weapons hammering against the demon's scales. Then a burst of pain flares in your chest. A claw has swept in under your guard, taking you in the ribs and lifting you off your feet. You roll and tumble, coming up hard against the rock wall. The demon moves in quickly, giving you little chance to recover. With a crack of his wings, he leaps into the air, drawing his hooves together, ready to slam them down...
You see your death, played out in slow motion—the ribcage shattering in an explosion of bone, fragments lancing through your heart and lungs—your life extinguished in a blood-spattered instant. Then the vision is gone. Time shifts back to the present. You whirl aside, dodging the deathblow...The demon's hooves smash harmlessly to the ground.
'Too slow, Cernos!' You scramble back to your feet, weapons raised. 'I see the future, remember?'
The demon swings around, his half-burnt face creased with fury. 'Tell me then, fool—do you not see my destiny? I am Barahar's heir! Ragnarok will be mine!' He throws up his arms, the air bending and shifting around his scaled fists. 'All will serve me in damnation!'
A tremble runs through the stone, shaking the walls and rattling your teeth. Then dark magic streaks across the room, gouging great chunks out of the ground. The fragments of rock hurtle towards the demon, folding themselves around his arms to form a brutal set of gauntlets.
'Tell me—what future do you see now, prophet?' Cernos spreads his wings, their vastness obliterating the light. Then he surges forward once again, his rock-encrusted knuckles splintering into razor-sharp spines. It is time to fight:

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Cernos	10	9	10	85
Rock fists	-	-	10	40

Special abilities
Rock fists: While Cernos has the rock fist ability, he adds 2 to his attack speed and rolls 2 dice for his damage score.
Body of rock: The rock fists are immune to barbs, bleed, disease, piercing, thorns, thorn cage and venom.

For all his hype, Cernos isn't too tough for us. I'm going to give him a Snake to the Face™ and then focus on killing his rock fists. Without those to help him, he's a joke. Fortunately, they're vulnerable to our newly-acquired fatal blow (its only advantage over piercing is that nothing is immune to it...and, of course, we have both) and fire aura so they shouldn't take too long to kill.
*Snake strike* Cernos takes 5 damage and is afflicted with convulsions and bleed. He's at 80.
Round 1: Patio 8+13, Cernos 3+12. Attacking rock fists. 5+17-5 (fatal blow'd)=17, rock fists are at 23. *DoTs* They're at 22, Cernos is at 76.
Round 2: Patio 8+13, Cernos 6+12. Attacking rock fists. 4+17-10=11, Rock fists are at 11. *DoTs* They're at 10, Cernos is at 72.
Round 3: Patio 4+13, Cernos 8+12 (convulsions'd, Cernos loses the round.) Attacking rock fists. 4+17-10=11, rock fists are destroyed. Cernos' speed is at 10. *DoTs* Cernos is at 68.
Round 4: Patio 6+13, Cernos 9+10. Tie. *DoTs* Cernos is at 64.
Round 5: Patio 4+13, Cernos 8+12 (convulsions'd, Cernos loses the round.) Damage 1+17-10=8, Cernos is at 56. (Rust'd, his armor is at 8.) *DoTs* He's at 52.
Round 6: Patio 7+13, Cernos 6+10. Damage 6+17-0 (piercing'd)=23, Cernos is at 29. *DoTs* He's at 25.
Round 7: Patio 6+13, Cernos 5+10. Damage 1+17-8=10, Cernos is at 15. *DoTs* He's at 11.
Round 8: Patio 6+13, Cernos 7+10. Damage 5+17-8=14, Cernos is down!

Cernos didn't even touch Patio (with or without his rock fists) before going down. Barahar's blood got nothing on taipan venom.

A well-aimed strike punctures one of Cernos' wings. The follow-up blow takes the demon across the chest, hurling him against the runed door. He scrabbles to find his feet, looking battle-weary for the first time. Black blood seeps between his charred scales.
'I am defeated,' he rasps, struggling for breath. 'I yield.'
You glare at the demon, knowing the trickster for what he is. This creature would never surrender...
And you are proved correct—the demon's expression changes in a heartbeat, flaring into a vicious snarl. He lunges forward, his dagger-sized claws slashing for your throat. Any lesser opponent would have been cut down in those fatal seconds...but not you.
You turn aside as the demon hurtles past, bringing your weapons around in a spinning arc. They slice through the demon's remaining wing, gouging a strip across his back. As your weapons complete their circle, you see more blood spatter across the cratered ground.
The demon tries to recover but, wrong-footed by your strike, he falls—collapsing onto his back with a grunt of pain. You stride towards the prone beast, your face darkened by fury.
'It's over, Cernos.'
The demon's eyes go wide. 'Indeed, it is...' His gaze flickers over the spines protruding from your arms, and the black scales rippling across your chest—visible beneath your shredded armor. 'Barahar's blood...' He nods with grudging admiration. 'You are truly becoming a demon prince.'
'I am becoming nothing!' You snap. 'I can stop all this...' You point the tip of your weapon at Cernos' chest. 'At last, your heart will serve some good in this world.'
As you draw back to deliver the final blow, a sudden jolt of pain lances across your torso. You stagger back, surprised to see a white light flashing beneath the surface of your skin. 'What...what is this?' Another burst of pain drives you to your knees. You drop your weapons, putting your hands to the smarting wound. 'Is this some trick, devil?'
Cernos looks equally confused. 'Strange magic,' he hisses. 'There's something buried there.'
You plunge a clawed hand into the scaly flesh, whimpering with pain as you gouge out the glowing object. It is a small metal ball, covered with bright sigils. The moment you hold it within your palm, the light winks out.
Before you can gather your senses a fist comes down, slamming into your cheek. For the next few seconds you are reeling in a daze, spitting blood and broken teeth. Then something cold reaches round your throat. When the dizzying nausea finally passes, you open your eyes—to see Cernos' cruel visage inches from your face, his clawed fingers gripping you tight.
'Never take your eyes off the prize, prophet.' He draws back the other hand, the leathery skin creaking as it folds into a fist...
But the blow never lands. Instead, the cave blossoms with a piercing white light. You hear a man's cry—then the crack of a flint-lock pistol. Cernos goes tumbling back in a shower of blood. Another crack and a bullet whistles past the writhing demon, blowing chips out of the far wall.
You twist around to see two figures silhouetted by the bright light. Their sharp profiles mark one as wearing an open coat and a broad-brimmed hat; the other is armored in sculptured plate, a long coat whipping back from their shoulders.
'Told you it would work, Avian.' The figure with the hat marches forward, holstering his smoking pistols and drawing a fresh pair.
'Indeed, Virgil, you're full of surprises.' His companion raises a polished white staff, its headpiece crackling with magical energies. 'And I would say our timing, as always, is impeccable.'

This opens with us being sufficiently badass, what with all of the anticipations of Cernos' moves/tricks (both before and after the fight) and describing Patio's ass-kicking as really putting Cernos on the ropes. Then the author decided to throw in a plot contrivance ball to make sure that the DMPCs can come in and save the day. Damnit.

Cernos rocks back on his hoofed feet, blood oozing from a myriad of wounds. With effort he raises his blackened face, lips curling back from his teeth. He sucks in a deep breath, then looks about to speak...
But his words are silenced by a bright barrage of magic. Avian has his white staff pointed at the beast, his face cold and impassive as he sends wave after wave of magic spilling from his staff. Cernos is slammed against the stone door, pinned there by each successive blast.
Then the magic ceases, leaving a howl of pain echoing around the chamber.
The demon is left a smoking ruin. And yet—there is still life there, beating beneath the ravaged flesh. Pitifully, Cernos gropes for the iron casket, pulling it protectively towards his chest.
'What were you thinking, demon?' demands Avian, advancing with his staff raised. 'Tatarus was sealed by the dwarves. They feared what had been awoken by Barathar's magic. That place should stay in darkness...'
Cernos spits a stream of blood in answer, then drags himself back to his feet. 'Too late, mage,' he growls. 'You're too late.'
His free hand moves behind him. You notice a circular device carved into the stone—forming part of a central beam that partitions the door into two separate panels. Resting inside the device is the key that Cernos retrieved from the Lamuri city. He twists it sharply, eliciting a dull click.
Suddenly the two panels of the door rattle aside, sliding into hidden wall cavities. The demon tugs the key loose, then backs through the open doorway. 'This is my destiny...' he growls through broken lips. 'I will have Ragnarok!'
The cavity where the key had once rested flickers with a pale light, then the door panels start to grind closed.
'No!' Virgil lurches into a sprint, loosing bullets from his pistols. Twin sprays of blood fountain from the demon's chest. Then the stone panels meet with a thunderous boom—and Cernos is lost from sight.
The witchfinder skids to a halt, glaring angrily at the circular panel. 'He took the key!'
Avian joins him at the door, his eyes roving across the runed patterns. 'These are powerful wards. I'm afraid I'll need time.'
Virgil holsters his pistols with a sigh. 'We're not going anywhere.' He tilts up the brim of his hat, revealing the hard planes of his narrow face. 'Knock yourself out.'
The mage proceeds to tap his staff against the different runes, observing the flashes of light that ripple from each point of contact. His constant head-shaking suggests that his examination is not achieving the desired results.
You watch in quiet frustration. Since they arrived neither Virgil or his staff-wielding companion have shown you a shred of interest. After all that you’ve been through in the jungle you had been expecting more of a hero‘s welcome. Eventually, your anger boils over. Snatching up the metal ball you call out for attention. 'Hey, does anyone remember me?'
Virgil turns his head, his gem-studded eyepatch catching the silver light. 'This is not the time...'
'Oh, am I surplus to requirements now?' You stalk towards him, shaking the ball in your fist. Care to tell me what this is? I don’t remember agreeing to carry your little toys!'
Avian continues to study the runes. Virgil merely grunts. 'I wasn’t even sure could work. That’s an Elven beacon stone. You could be more grateful...'
'Grateful?' Your voice rises by several octaves as you hold the ball of the nearest wall virtual winces is it smashes like glass sending splinters tingling across the ground. 'What am I?' you snarl. 'Just an experiment to you? I had Cernos...I was about to take his heart! Then that that ridiculous ball starts flashing and-'
The witchfinder raises a gloved hand. 'I’d cool that anger of yours. The demon-blood is volatile.' His steely gaze takes in your transformation. 'Soon you will—'
'Become like him! Say it! I’m becoming a demon—the very monster I was sent here to kill!'
'Look, we’ll find Cernos,' replies Virgil cooly. 'He won’t have got far.'
You gesture wildly at the two men. 'And this is what you call aid? Did you not think to bring an army?'
Avian addresses you for the first time, speaking over his shoulder. 'The beacon would not transport so many. Besides, you can’t lead an army into Tartarus...' He taps another rune. All of a sudden, the whole spiral of markings flash with a brilliant red glow. The mage leans away, then steps back—waiting for the runes to settle back to their dormant state. 'Ah, this is impossible!' he mutters angrily. 'The weaves are too complex. I’ve never seen their like before.'
Virgil removes his hat and scratches at his close cropped hair. And Cernos had the key...'
As you study the markings on the door you are reminded of the dwarven device from Duerdoun, which lead you through the forest of thorns. You turn over your palms, revealing the grooved rules that were burnt into the flesh. An idea forms—a desperate one, but it might be possible.
'Out of my way.'
You walk over to the door. Avian turns in surprise. 'Don't tell me you're serious...'
Ignoring the mage, you stoop to examine the circular device. There is a line of runes spiraling around to a missing section at its center, where you assume the key was meant to be inserted. You place your hands, palm outwards, into the cavity—feeling the scarred tissue fit around the subtle depressions in the rock. Then you twist your hands, moving them slowly—rotating them to the left as Cernos had done with the key. The rock moves with you, the runes flickering to life with a soft glow. A second later there is a click, followed by a deep rumbling. The doors start to open.
Avian gives a snort of disbelief. 'Unbelievable!'
Virgil plants his hat back on his head, a wolfish grin spreading across his face. 'We're in!' he tugs a pouch loose from his belt and tosses it to you.
'What's this?' You ask, snatching it out of the air.
'It's a doggy bag,' he replies, his grin widening further. 'You looked hungry.'
You open the bag and look inside. You may now take any/all of the following items:

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
Rune of fortune (special: rune) Use on any item to add the special ability charm

Charm (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.

With your hands absent from the device, the door starts to close. 'It's time to move!' shouts Avian. 'Come on!'
Quickly, the three of you hurry through the doorway—making it through with only seconds to spare. However, celebration is far from anyone's mind. Ahead of you lies Tartarus, the infamous city of the dwarves. Until now its gate has been closed for thousands of years, sealing away its secrets...and its past.
You draw back in horror at the gruesome sight that lies before you. 'One God have mercy, what happened here?' You struggle for breath, your mouth dry from the suffocating heat.
'Ragnarok,' states Virgil grimly. 'That's what happened.'

We are now prompted immediately to proceed with the Act 3 green quest: The City of Screams. But I need a break from typing. I assume we take the two backpack items, but that still leaves what to do with the rune. Here are the book's rules on runes:

During your adventures, you will come across a number of special items that allow you to add attribute bonuses or additional abilities to the equipment you are already wearing. These items cannot be stored in your backpack and must be used immediately when they are found, to add their relevant attribute/ability to a chosen item. Each item of equipment can hold up to three of these special bonuses

So what piece of equipment do we want to add Charm to?

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +13, Brawn: +17, Magic: +0, Armor: +1
Health: 35

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Ability
Head	Crown of Gandhara	+1	+2			Command
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1				Rust
Cloak	Cope of Rituals	+1	+2			Heal
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3			Piercing, Bleed
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3			Convulsions
Gloves	Prickle Pair	+1	+2			Barbs
Chest	Snake-Skin Coat	+2	+2			Deceive
Feet	Death Blades	+2	+3			Fatal Blow
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1				Venommancer
Ring 1	Pins 'N' Needles					Thorns
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1	Fire Aura

Backpack	Item
1	Flask of Healing
2	Elixir of Invisibility
3	Elixir of Swiftness
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Locker	Item
1	Dreamcatcher
2	Spider Grips
3	Monarch Viper
4	Untamed Will

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
prevail
blood debt
tower
Ghiera's paw
Kaala's fang
Anansi's eye
Money Pouch: 891 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

[Omegonthesane]

Stick the charm on the Grieving Soul, everything but rings is potentially going to be replaced with bigger numbers.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I had a stupid joke prepared in case we put it on the black taipan: "In Soviet Tartarus, snake charm you."

As an aside, I need to point out that Mr. Patio is right and Cernos escaping is in fact 100% Virgil's fault. The homing beacon isn't a bad idea per se, but it's something that he should have told Patio about. If he had said something like 'Hey, Patio, I'm going to give you this homing beacon so I can get back to you quicker, I'm not sure it will work but if it does it might do some weird shit' and then Patio wouldn't have been as distracted by the device going off, allowing him to finish off Cernos and no one would be going into Tartarus. If Virgil had a reason to distrust Patio then keeping it secret would make more sense but he doesn't seem to, since Patio willingly (if slightly reluctantly) went on the quest that Virgil sent him on.
Apparently the end of every act needs one person being a complete dumbass and withholding information that would have solved the problem if it was told right away (see also: the dwarven custodian at Duerdoun who was like "I'll try to kill you instead of telling you why this artifact needs to be kept here.) Also, Patio hasn't killed a single boss, which makes me miss the first book where Trellis just killed them with minimal plot contrivance (at least until the whole postgame quest with Lorcan.) Let's see if Act 3 of this book bucks the trend. That would be nice.

Quest: The bridge of screams

The colossal walls of the volcano sweep away from its bubbling basin, forming a hollow cone of midnight black. Its many cracks and crevices bleed an endless river of molten rock, spilling over ledges and along weathered channels, to feed the shimmering lakes of fire. Like some tormented monster, the magma spits and hisses with fury, venting great torrents of fizzing steam into the air.
But this natural spectacle pales into insignificance next to the dwarven city. Where you had been expecting twisted streets and tumble-down houses, its appearance is something far more aline. It puts you in mind of a gigantic candle, melted and hardened to the side of the volcano. Waxen walls gleam in the firelight, dripping with hundreds of spiraling columns, towers and arcane structures, connected to each other by narrow bridges and vertiginous ledges. You twist around, mouth agape, as you follow the chaotic expanse extending almost the full circumference of the volcano.
It would be a sight worthy of the epic sagas...but like Duerdoun, this place has a profound sense of wrongness. You not only feel it—you can see it. Across the sculptured walls, twisted black shapes scramble over each other like flies. At this distance it is impossible to tell if they are human, animal or something else entirely. Occasionally, vague sounds echo back from those smoky heights. Screams, wails, sobbing...
And then there is the bridge.
Its vastness stretches out before you, spanning an immense lake of steaming magma. The rock is featureless and black, smooth as glass. Low walls run either side, lined with hundreds of grinning skeletons, staked on dark spears of rock.
You look to Avian, struggling for words, your gut twisted with fear and revulsion. The mage is kneeling next to something carved haphazardly into the stone at his feet. He traces it with a finger, his own expression paling.
'What does it say?' you rasp.
'It's dwarven,' states Avian plainly. His finger tracks back across the angular writing as he steadily translates it. 'Abandon all hope, those who enter...'
Your eyes flick to the staked skeletons, contorted into agonized shapes.
'Wise words.' Virgil moves past you, his brow raised as he studies the city. 'This place is clearly riven. Perhaps we should reconsider...' He looks back at Avian. 'Barahar met his end here. Ragnarok was broken. What makes you think Cernos can make it through?'
'I'm afraid we can't go back.' Avian raises his staff, its tip blossoming into a sphere of white light. Somehow its radiance seems to push away the heat and the pervading sense of dread. 'Much rests on the success of this mission. Yes, Virgil, Tartarus is indeed riven—and as such, will likely be infested with anomalies. There will also be the spirits of Ragnarok to contend with. We must stay together and remain strong. Fear will make us weak.'

Will you:
Ask what 'riven' means?
Ask about magic anomalies?
Ask about Barahar?
Ask about Ragnarok?
Continue your journey?

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +13, Brawn: +17, Magic: +0, Armor: +1
Health: 35

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Ability
Head	Crown of Gandhara	+1	+2			Command
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1				Rust
Cloak	Cope of Rituals	+1	+2			Heal
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3			Piercing, Bleed
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3			Convulsions
Gloves	Prickle Pair	+1	+2			Barbs
Chest	Snake-Skin Coat	+2	+2			Deceive
Feet	Death Blades	+2	+3			Fatal Blow
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1				Venommancer
Ring 1	Pins 'N' Needles					Thorns
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1	Fire Aura, Charm

Backpack	Item
1	Flask of Healing
2	Elixir of Invisibility
3	Elixir of Swiftness
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Locker	Item
1	Dreamcatcher
2	Spider Grips
3	Monarch Viper
4	Untamed Will

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
prevail
blood debt
tower
Ghiera's paw
Kaala's fang
Anansi's eye
Money Pouch: 891 Crowns

[Omegonthesane]

ASK ALL THE THINGS from the top and work our way down.

[Darth Rabbitt]

What "riven" means:
Avian walks over to one of the staked corpses, passing the light of his staff over its splintered remains. 'Our world and the shroud are separated by an invisible wall, a barrier. It keeps us safe and the demons out.' He tilts his head, meeting the gaze of the lopsided skull grinning down at him. 'Terrible acts of violence...of magic...can weaken that wall—cut through it, like a knife. That leaves an open wound. Sometimes they heal, but often they are left to bleed. It means bad things can pass between.' The mage looks back at you with a heavy sigh. 'I'm talking spirits, demons. And worse.'

About magic anomalies:
'Magic isn't always a docile force that we can bend to our will. Here...' Avian points to an island of black rock, bobbing on the surface of the magic lake. You can see some kind of fleshy growth spread out across the super-heated stone. Parts of its body are rising and falling gently with shallow breaths. 'When high levels of magic are discharged in a single place, sometimes they linger—and take on a life of their own.'
You grimace as you spot a bloodshot eye, peering back at you from between the rubbery folds of skin. 'Are they dangerous?' you ask, glancing at the mage.
Avian looks sideways at you, his fingers flexing around his staff. 'Oh yes. More dangerous than you could possibly imagine.'

About Barahar:
'The archdemon.' Avian gives a disgruntled sigh. 'I wish more records of that time had survived. Alas, the Skards have never been renowned for their love of words.'
Virgil gives an accompanying snort of agreement.
'From what I could glean, Barahar was once a Skard hero from one of the western tribes. During the Great Cataclysm, when Skardland was torn asunder, he ventured into the underworld, looking for a means to end the incursions.'
'Incursions?' Your knowledge of Skardland history is scanty at best—mostly snatched from rowdy tavern songs, poking fun at the Skards' bloodthirsty customs and short-tempered nature.
'Caused by the cataclysm.' Avian clicks his tongue, looking irritated at being interrupted. 'It allowed the creatures of the underworld—goblins, trolls, giants—to break out onto the surface. Much of Skardland was destroyed; even today it is little more than a barren, frozen wasteland.' He pauses, studying the scrawled writing carved at his feet—you wait patiently for him to continue. 'Barahar did not return with the means to free his people. He returned a demon—one of the greatest and most powerful the realms have ever known.' His eyes stray to your glittering black scales. 'Perhaps he believed power would be his salvation. Alas, he merely became the slave to a much darker evil—the demonblade, Ragnarok.'

About Ragnarok:
'Its origins are unknown,' says Avian, his brow furrowing. 'Some say it is an imprisoned demon, others that it is a dark fragment from the very core of our world. Whatever it is, when its powers are bolstered it is capable of destruction on a scale we have not seen this age.'
'Ragnarok.' Virgil flicks a pistol into his hand and proceeds to pour a vial of powder into its casing. 'A Skard word. Means destroyer of worlds.'
Avian nods. 'Barahar was able to level entire cities with its might—and worse, those slain by the blade become damned to follow the blade-wielder and fight for their cause. Barahar's dark crusade took him south, out of Skardland and across the western regions of Valeron. By the time he reached the jungles of Terral he had an army of thousands, bound to serve his will.'
'The Lamuri...' You grimace, thinking back to the vision that you saw in the throne room of the ruined city. 'He razed their cities, their temples...then he came here. Why?'
Avian lifts his gaze to the dwarven city, suspended above the lakes of magma. 'I doubt there was a method to such madness. Barahar wanted to destroy—unmake this world and bring it to ruin. The dwarves just happened to be the next obstacle in his way.' Avian strokes at his stub of beard. 'Arrogance was his downfall, but I fear, when the dwarves broke the sword and shattered its power, the souls imprisoned by the blade were finally released...' You follow Avian's gaze to the shapes writhing and squirming across the walls of the city. 'Now they are tortured spirits, that will never know rest.'

Continuing on:
Avian leads the way across the bridge, his glowing staff held aloft like a beacon. Halfway across, you spot the hunched shape of Cernos limping towards the other side, the iron casket still clutched tightly to his chest. He looks back over his shoulder, baring his teeth.
'Cernos!' Avian's voice booms like thunder, amplified by his own magic. 'Barahar is dead—and Ragnarok is broken. Do you desire a similar fate, demon? You will find nothing here, but your own end.'
Cernos shifts around on his hooved feet, his appearance now a mockery of his previous grandeur. The once broad shoulders are now stooped, the broken wings hanging limp like tattered curtains. Black ichor seeps from a hundred angry wounds where the scales have been ripped away, exposing stubs of bone and withered flesh.
And yet, despite his ravaged countenance, beneath the grime-stained horns that puncture his brow, a single eye still burns bright from its dark hollow. 'I have the heart of fire, fool!'
Avian takes a sharp intake of breath as the demon lifts up the iron casket and pulls back the lid. A blinding white light explodes from the cavity, its heat rippling outwards in shimmering bands. You see the stone around the demon's feet crack and buckle. Avian draws back, covering his face—Virgil gives a cry, averting his gaze.
You can feel the searing heat, but you are able to hold your ground, narrowing your eyes against the bright assault.
'What are you doing?' cries Avian, peering between his raised gauntlets. 'That thing will kill you!'
Cernos grips the ball of light in his fist, tossing away the casket. 'I have suffered much as its bearer. But now, my journey nears its end...'
A scream pierces the air. It is followed by a chorus of wails, distant at first but rapidly gaining volume. All eyes turn to the walls of the city, where a flock of ragged shapes are sweeping down through the steamy haze. As you watch transfixed, hundreds more break away from their makeshift perches, taking to the air on bat-like wings.
Then a series of slobbering growls add to the crescendo. You spin around to see a pack of devilish hounds clambering up the struts of the bridge, their black bodies cracked with veins of molten magma.
With a triumphant snarl, Cernos breaks into a loping run, heading for the far side of the bridge. The black swarm parts around him, shrieking and squawking, then proceeds to rush towards you in a chaotic tumble of wings and claws. You glimpse human faces perched on the straggly, hairy shoulders.
'What are they?' you hiss, your hands bunched around your weapons.
'Furies!' Avian takes his staff in both hands and pulls the ends apart, revealing two bright blades. They dance with magical fire as he strides towards the fast-approaching tide. 'They're the souls of the damned, released when Ragnarok...' The rest of his words are drowned by the cacophony of shrieks.
Behind you, Virgil is facing off against the pack of hounds. Against their flaming bright bodies he is a rapier of shadow, two pistols cutting smooth silhouettes from his gloved hands. 'Evil will be purged,' he bellows. 'By the fire of justice!'

Will you:
Help Virgil to defeat the molten hounds?
Help Avian to defeat the furies?