[Let's Play] Blood Sword II - The Kingdom of Wyrd

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Thu May 07, 2015 4:19 pm

I wish the prompts would be more specific than 'do a thing?' But yes, do a thing.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Thu May 07, 2015 4:39 pm

If anything untoward is going on, common sense would suggest that the chequers players are behind it. You march up to one and summarily plant a weapon at his throat. He glares up at you with an expression of furious hatred. As he bares his teeth in an animal snarl, you notice the sharp canines that line his mouth. That, and his unusually hairy face and hands ... Of course - he's a lycanthrope. A werewolf!

You glance towards the treetops to check that the moon has not yet risen. The lapse of concentration is a serious mistake, as the man seizes his chance and barks an order. Suddenly the merchants rise from where they lie. With glazed eyes, they take up long knives and cut about at the sleeping foresters.

'We shall triumph,' growls the other chequers player, getting to his feet. 'These entranced idiots shall do our work of murder for us. Surrender. Release my brother.'

'Release him, certainly,' you reply. 'From life!' And you drive your weapon deep into the evil werewolf's throat. His brother leaps forwards with a terrible cry, jaws slavering hotly, but the moon will not rise for some time yet, so he does not have the powers he would possess in wolf-form.

Some of the foresters have woken up and are fighting for their lives - a losing battle against the mesmerised merchants. You must take on the chequers player and three of his servants ...

Servants
Fighting Prowess: 6 Psychic Ability: 6
Awareness: 5 Damage per blow: 1 Die
Endurance: 10

Werewolf (were-form)
Fighting Prowess: 7 Psychic Ability: 7
Awareness: 8 Damage per bite: 1 Die+1
Armour Rating: 1
Endurance: 12

If you win, turn to 85.

This is the first time we face an even fight in numbers.

It'll be a lot tougher if we chose to go to sleep. Not only will the second werewolf be in the fight, but they have higher stats and will be taking only half the usual damage from non-magical weapons, and they get 3 free rounds of attack on the players due to the surprise advantage.

Strategies, everyone? And your preferred targets, if possible, since there are multiple enemies.

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Thu May 07, 2015 4:45 pm

I start adjacent to the were, so I'm going to focus on him. Once he goes down, if there are any servants left, engage and stab the one with the most End left.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Thu May 07, 2015 4:48 pm

I move one square to the southwest and try to land a hit on the lower S.

Shiritai · Post by **Shiritai** » Thu May 07, 2015 5:21 pm

I'll cast Sheet Lightning, and then Nemesis Bolt on the survivor with the highest endurance.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Thu May 07, 2015 6:05 pm

I'll fire my bow at the Werewolf.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Fri May 08, 2015 12:34 pm

I'll be naming the Servants as #1 to #3, from top to bottom.....

COMBAT LOG:

Round 1 ... FIGHT!

Awareness 8 acts ...

Trickster moves adjacent to Servants #3.

Werewolf fights Warrior. Roll = 8. (Miss.)

Awareness 6 acts ...

Warrior fights Werewolf. Roll = 2. (Hits) Damage = 5+2-1 = 6. Werewolf has 6 END left.

Sage Shoots Werewolf. Roll = 8 (Miss).

Enchanter attempts to cast Sheet Lightning. Roll = 5+4 = 9. Success! Werewolf takes 2+2-1 = 3 damage and has 3 EN left. Servant #1 takes 6+2 = 8 damage and has 2 EN left. Servant #2 takes 12+2 damage and is killed. Servant #3 takes 11+2 = 13 damage and is killed.

Awareness 5 acts ...

Servant #1 Moves adjacent to Warrior.

Quick Thinking bonus:

Trickster Moves adjacent to Servant #1.

Round 2:

Awareness 8 acts ...

Trickster fights Servant #1. Roll = 10. (Miss)

Werewolf fights Warrior. Roll = 7. (Hits) Damage = 6+1-3-1 = 3. Warrior has 14 END left.

Awareness 6 acts ...

Warrior fights Werewolf. Roll = 11. (Hit thanks to Enchanted Sword!) Damage = 3+2-1 = 4. Werewolf is killed.

Sage Shoots Servant #1. Roll = 5 (Hits)! Damage = 6. Servant #1 is killed.

The Enchanter didn't even have to use his Nemesis Bolt.

The camp site is strewn about with the corpses and severed limbs of those slain in the combat. All the foresters and merchants are dead or have fled into the woods. You search the camp thoroughly, discovering a scattering of coins that amounts to forty-five gold pieces. There is a board and pieces used in the game of Krarthian chequers, too. You also find a silver wolf's head clasp on one of the chequers players' cloaks. Take which items you wish and mark everything down on your Character Sheet(s). Suddenly you hear a dull groan coming from the other side of the camp fire. Investigating the sound you find the lyrist lying on his side, trying to staunch the tide of blood that pours from a wound in his chest. He is still alive, but only just ...

Hmmmm.....the gold can't be split evenly between 4, so let me know who should carry them. Also let me know if any of you want to pick up the wol's head clasp or and/or the chequers board. Note that the Warrior's inventory is currently full and can't take anything (besides some gold) until he discards something.

You bend over him and strain to catch his dying words. 'They were bound to get me ... eventually ...' His voice trails off momentarily as blood comes bubbling to his lips. '... Too old ... I've been doing this kind of thing for too long ...'

He stares up at you and struggles to a half-sitting position. Reaching painfully into his haversack he takes out something wrapped in velvet cloth. His hands stain the velvet with blood as he takes the object and hands it to you. It is a magnificent scabbard made of beaten gold, the jewels encrusting it ablaze with light even though they are illuminated only by the cold beams of the Blue Moon.

'The Five are gathering power ...' whispers the lyrist. 'Soon they'll return to the world ... then only the Blood Sword can stop them. Find the other pieces ... the Warlock-King of Wyrd has the hilt ... where the blade is I know not ...' His voice suddenly becomes deep and strong, his blue eyes clear and intense. 'I was killed for the scabbard and, now you have it, the agents of the Five will pursue you as I have been pursued. Never part with the scabbard, for it is all that protects you now. You must take up the quest ... go to Wyrd; it is your only hope ...'

He is beyond healing by any means. Only by supreme effort of will has he held on to life for these last moments. Having transmitted his quest to you, he gives a deep groan. His body slumps and his eyes freeze in the sightlessness of death, fixed on the glittering scabbard. You suddenly notice that he is much older than you thought before.

We're going to need a permanent equipment slot just for this scabbard, because as you can see:

You look down for a moment at the waxy face of the dead lyrist, then up at the cold face of the Blue Moon staring down at you from the night sky. The woodland around you has taken on an eerie appearance in the wash of unearthly light.

Your gaze turns to the jewelled scabbard of the Blood Sword. However unwillingly, you seem to have taken up the old harpist's quest. Record the scabbard on your Character Sheet, along with the number 419. The scabbard can be passed from player to player, but if it is ever discarded by the party as a whole (the harpist warned you never to part with it!) then you must turn immediately to 419. Note down the number of the entry you are reading at the time, as 419 will not guide you back there.

What do you want to do now ...?

You can stay in the clearing in the midst of the corpses and wait for dawn, although this proposition looks even less attractive when you consider the ground mist now swirling up from the damp grass. If you do that, turn to 142.

If you would rather decamp and set off through the dark forest straight away, turn to 363.

I don't think it'd be a real spoiler to say that bad things happen when you discard the scabbard....

Decide whether you wish to sleep here or leave. And decide who should carry the scabbard (and anything of the other stuff you wish to loot).

Adventure Sheets:

WARRIOR:

NAME: Dame Caecilia Wither-Stoat
RANK: 3rd

Battle Order: 1

Fighting Prowess: 11 (+1 from Enchanted Sword)
Psychic Ability: 6
Awareness: 6
Endurance: 14/17
Damage: 1 Die+2

Items:
1 Sword
2 Chainmail armour (Armour Rating three)
3 Money pouch (73 gold pieces)
4 Opal Medallion
5-7 Food (eat one for +1 EN after combat)
8 Enchanted Sword (+1 FP)
9 Healing Salve (5 applications, restores 1 Die of END each)
10 Shielding Charm (+1 AR)

TRICKSTER:

NAME: Benedict of the Crimson Spires, Honourable Duelist
RANK: 3rd

Battle Order: 2

Fighting Prowess: 7
Psychic Ability: 6
Awareness: 8
Endurance: 19/19
Damage: 1 Die+1

Items:
1 Battleaxe
2 Ringmail armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Food (eat one for +1 EN after combat)
4 Bottle of Chimera Spittle
5 Quiver (6 arrows)
6 Money pouch (60 gold pieces)
7 Harp
8-10 Empty slot

SAGE:

NAME: "Pepito" Cascadero, Master of the Mystic Way
RANK: 3rd

Battle Order: 3

Fighting Prowess: 7
Psychic Ability: 7
Awareness: 6
Endurance: 16/16
Damage: 1 Die+1

Items:
1 Quarterstaff
2 Breastplate (Armour Rating one)
3 Sharp Knife
4 Money pouch (60 gold pieces)
5 Magic Bow (Damage 1 Die+1)
6 Quiver (4 arrows)
7-10 Empty slot

ENCHANTER:

NAME: Enchanter Reed, Ninth of the Inverted Tower
RANK: 3rd

Battle Order: 4

Fighting Prowess: 0
Psychic Ability: 15 (14) (+1 from Ring of Sorcery, -1 from carrying 1 spell in mind)
Awareness: 6
Endurance: 16/16
Damage: 1 Die

Items:
1 Sword
2 Silver armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Opal Medallion
4 Golden Snuffbox
5-6 Food (eat one for +1 EN after combat)
7 Ring of Sorcery (+1 PA)
8 Money pouch (60 gold pieces)
9-10 Empty slot

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Fri May 08, 2015 1:02 pm

Kiki will discard her non-enchanted sword for the scabbard. I think we should find room for the other gets as well. I also vote not to hang around next to corpses.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Fri May 08, 2015 1:08 pm

I suppose we can safely discard the two leftover opal medallions, the bottle of chimera spittle and the sharp knife if necessary. We might want to keep some of the useless loot, though, if an opportunity to trade item-for-item presents itself.

I drop the battleaxe to pick up Dame Kiki's non-enchanted sword. I'll also take the clasp (if anyone is going to get the option to pretend to be a werewolf, it's the Trickster) and don't mind taking the chequers if no one else will (we'll probably need them).

edit: and vote to get away from the corpses asap.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Fri May 08, 2015 1:18 pm

The gold can't be split evenly, but it can be split pretty damn close to evenly (11 each). I'd suggest doing that, and I don't mind leaving the remainder of 1 to someone else.

Regardless of how money's split up, Pepito will take the chequerboard and pieces (do those count as one item or two? Either way he has enough item slots, I'm just curious), and then leave the corpses.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Fri May 08, 2015 1:48 pm

I will count the Chequers game set as 1 item.

Since I doubt any of you particularly cares who that extra piece of gold goes to, I'll just assign it to the first guy in the Battle Order (Warrior) just for convenience.

I won't discard any of the stuff from Book 1 yet, since Starmaker hasn't specifically said he'd drop the poison, and the rest are not carried by him (and because we still have enough slots to take everything).

EDIT: Forgot that the Warrior still has food to heal himself after combat, so he consumes 1 of them and now has a free slot. (Adventure Sheet updated)

You make your way uneasily through the darkened forest. The air is crisp with a light frost. Everything but the thin ribbon of path that you are following is lost in the deep gloom of the trees. Through the overhanging branches you can see the Blue Moon sailing like a jewel through the starry heavens. After an hour's trudging through the wood, you reach a clearing. You pause to get your breath, and stare up again at the blue orb. As you watch, it produces a momentary flare of light. For a moment you gaze into the blackness, then your eyes make out a tiny speck of blue light falling earthwards. At first no bigger than a firefly, it rapidly grows in size. A high whistling is audible in the still night air.

If there is an Enchanter who wishes to do something, turn to 33. If a Sage and/or a Trickster want to shoot an arrow at the flare before it reaches the ground, turn to 437. If you just want to back out of the clearing, turn to 397.

Updated Adventure Sheet:

WARRIOR:

NAME: Dame Caecilia Wither-Stoat
RANK: 3rd

Battle Order: 1

Fighting Prowess: 11 (+1 from Enchanted Sword)
Psychic Ability: 6
Awareness: 6
Endurance: 15/17
Damage: 1 Die+2

Items:
1 Enchanted Sword (+1 FP)
2 Chainmail armour (Armour Rating three)
3 Money pouch (85 gold pieces)
4 Opal Medallion
5-6 Food (eat one for +1 EN after combat)
7 Blood Sword Scabbard
8 Healing Salve (5 applications, restores 1 Die of END each)
9 Shielding Charm (+1 AR)
10 Empty slot

TRICKSTER:

NAME: Benedict of the Crimson Spires, Honourable Duelist
RANK: 3rd

Battle Order: 2

Fighting Prowess: 7
Psychic Ability: 6
Awareness: 8
Endurance: 19/19
Damage: 1 Die+1

Items:
1 Sword
2 Ringmail armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Food (eat one for +1 EN after combat)
4 Bottle of Chimera Spittle
5 Quiver (6 arrows)
6 Money pouch (71 gold pieces)
7 Harp
8 Silver Wolf's head clasp
9-10 Empty slot

SAGE:

NAME: "Pepito" Cascadero, Master of the Mystic Way
RANK: 3rd

Battle Order: 3

Fighting Prowess: 7
Psychic Ability: 7
Awareness: 6
Endurance: 16/16
Damage: 1 Die+1

Items:
1 Quarterstaff
2 Breastplate (Armour Rating one)
3 Sharp Knife
4 Money pouch (71 gold pieces)
5 Magic Bow (Damage 1 Die+1)
6 Quiver (4 arrows)
7 Chequers board and pieces
8-10 Empty slot

ENCHANTER:

NAME: Enchanter Reed, Ninth of the Inverted Tower
RANK: 3rd

Battle Order: 4

Fighting Prowess: 0
Psychic Ability: 15 (14) (+1 from Ring of Sorcery, -1 from carrying 1 spell in mind)
Awareness: 6
Endurance: 16/16
Damage: 1 Die

Items:
1 Sword
2 Silver armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Opal Medallion
4 Golden Snuffbox
5-6 Food (eat one for +1 EN after combat)
7 Ring of Sorcery (+1 PA)
8 Money pouch (71 gold pieces)
9-10 Empty slot

Shiritai · Post by **Shiritai** » Fri May 08, 2015 2:15 pm

I'll act!

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sat May 09, 2015 5:01 am

ENCHANTER:

You may either summon a Faltyn or cast Prediction.

Which spell to cast?

Shiritai · Post by **Shiritai** » Sat May 09, 2015 5:13 am

I was hoping for a clearer option; ah well. I'll cast Prediction, since that's at least in keeping with the Blue Moon's theme. It would help if we knew whether this thing was headed towards us though!

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sat May 09, 2015 5:35 am

ENCHANTER:

Your mind rushes into a vision of the future; myriad possibilities pass you in a coruscating stream of images.

[Suddenly the images stop and you stare momentarily into the grinning face of a skeletal monster. Slowly it reaches for you with fleshless fingers. Something tells you that death lurks in those fingers . . .]

Then the image vanishes and you are left staring at the ever-nearer blue flare. You have just got time to retreat out of the clearing before the flare strikes the earth.

This leads to the same section where the party choose to retreat from the clearing (397).

Concealed in the undergrowth around the clearing, you watch the blue flare crash through the trees at the edge of the clearing and explode in a shower of blue sparks at its centre. The high-pitched whistling noise suddenly stops, but now you hear a hissing sound from where steam rises from the place where it struck. In the centre of the steam you can see a black stone which even as you watch cracks apart like an egg. An area of darkness spreads like a pool of shadow. Then a hunched shape rises up from the shadow as though taking shape out of the very ground. It is a skeleton dressed in black tattered robes. Its eyes are glowing blue crystals. It seems to sniff the air as it looks around.

If a Sage wishes to attempt to Exorcise it, turn to 131. If a Sage and/or a Trickster wishes to shoot arrows at it, turn to 491. If an Enchanter wishes to blast it with a spell, turn to 68. If you just want to slip away quietly without attracting its attention, turn to 492.

Two options for the Sage (not for the Trickster, who doesn't have a bow) and another for Enchanter.....

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sat May 09, 2015 11:51 am

Exorcise.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Sat May 09, 2015 12:52 pm

Just in case SGamerz is waiting for other players to vote, I'm all for exorcising.

Shiritai · Post by **Shiritai** » Sat May 09, 2015 2:42 pm

Well that was a completely useless prediction. "Hey guys, that skelly may try and kill us with a death touch." I vote for exorcism as well.

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sat May 09, 2015 4:03 pm

SAGE:

Concentrating your mind, you search for the source of the creature's energies and then try to stifle them.

Roll two Dice. If you get 2 to 6, turn to 110. If you get 7 to 12, turn to 484.

Dice roll = 6.

SAGE:

You cannot locate the source of the power that the skeletal being possesses and now it turns towards you as if it has sensed your mental powers being concentrated on it. Its blue eyes lock on to yours and it stalks forwards.

You may either flee or fight.

As the text asks....flee or fight?

angelfromanotherpin · Post by **angelfromanotherpin** » Sat May 09, 2015 5:32 pm

This is a pretty intimidating setup, but given who we've already taken down, I say we make a stand.

Shiritai · Post by **Shiritai** » Sat May 09, 2015 5:52 pm

Yeah, better nip this one in the bud.

Starmaker · Post by **Starmaker** » Sat May 09, 2015 8:51 pm

Plus, since we didn't gtfo earlier, it might blast us for a couple dice of damage. With our Enchanter, we stand to lose less Endurance fighting.

Darth Rabbitt · Post by **Darth Rabbitt** » Sat May 09, 2015 10:03 pm

Time we made a stand!

SGamerz · Post by **SGamerz** » Sun May 10, 2015 5:05 am

It reaches for you with sharp bony fingers, its eyes flaring with grim blue light.

Stalker
Fighting Prowess: 7 Psychic Ability: 6
Awareness: 8 Damage per blow: 2 Dice
Armour Rating: 1
Endurance: 30 (less any damage already inflicted)

If you flee, turn to 492. If you destroy it, turn to 303. If you Enthral it, turn to 248.

Hmmm...looks like a pretty straight-forward battle, except there's an individual section for Enthralling him, which would be the Enchanter's call whether he wants to do that or just stick to his beloved Nemesis Bolt.

Bit of an anti-climax there after the intimidating set-up...

Shiritai · Post by **Shiritai** » Sun May 10, 2015 3:04 pm

Suprisingly low FP and PA; if everyone else is game with defending, I could certainly Enthrall this dude.