You draw your sword and stand ready to fight the Trolls. They seem pleased that you are going to give them a chance to practice their beloved sport of killing humans, and advance towards you swinging their battle-axes. Sourbelly snarls and says, "Stand back, Fatnose - let me deal with this dog alone." Fight them one at a time:
SOURBELLY SKILL 10 STAMINA 11
FATNOSE SKILL 9 STAMINA 10
Combat Log:
Sourbelly 16, Dirk 18. Sourbelly is at 9.
Sourbelly 15, Dirk 20. Sourbelly is at 7.
Sourbelly 20, Dirk 23. Sourbelly is at 5.
Sourbelly 18, Dirk 21. Sourbelly is at 3.
Sourbelly 12, Dirk 16. Sourbelly is at 1.
Sourbelly 17, Dirk 20. Sourbelly is dead.
(We are given the option to Escape, but we're fucking kicking Troll ass.)
Fatnose 15, Dirk 17. Fatnose is at 8.
Fatnose 16, Dirk 19. Fatnose is at 6.
Fatnose 15, Dirk 22. Fatnose is at 4.
Fatnose 16, Dirk 18. Fatnose is at 2.
Fatnose 17, Dirk 20. Fatnose is dead.
(And those are Port Blacksand's finest guards. We're
bad enough dudes to rescue the President!)
Your fight attracted a group of onlookers. Some of the beggars even cheered when you cut down old Sourbelly. But one sly-looking character sloped off with the obvious intention of finding more guards. It is dangerous to stay here any longer, so you run off west along Mill Street.
Behind you comes the sound of running feet. You look round and see a group of town guards chasing after you. As you stop to think where to run next, a boy runs out of a house and shouts "Follow me!" You have no better plan in mind so you run after him. The boy races down to the bottom of Mill Street and turns left into Goose Street. He stops at a cart laden with hay and starts to talk frantically to a kind-faced old man, saying, "Uncle! Uncle! This brave person killed Sourbelly. We must help him to escape." The old man speaks calmly to the boy, saying, "Indeed we owe a friend a favor. Quick, jump into the cart." You climb into the cart and cover yourself with hay. You lie completely motionless as you hear the running guards approach. They stop to speak to the old thatcher, but he sends them running off down Goose Street. After they are gone he whispers to you that he will take you to safety. You hear him climb on to the cart and urge his horse into a slow trot. The cart bounces noisily along the cobbled street but you feel comfortable in the hay. The cart stops and starts a few times, and you hear questioning voices, About half an hour later the cart stops again and the thatcher calls out, 'You can come out now.' You poke your head out of the hay and are surprised to see that you are on the edge of a wood. To the west you can see the daunting shape of Port Blacksand. You jump out of the cart and thank the thatcher for his trouble. He says goodbye to you and wheels his cart round to return to Port Blacksand. Do you have all the items required to slay the Night Prince, and have you been tattooed? (Fuck, we haven't been tattooed.)
It would be extremely dangerous for you to enter Port Blacksand again, especially as many of the town guards would recognize you. There is nothing you can do but make the long back to Silverton to report that you have failed in your mission.
FUCK THAT
WE GO DOWN THE ALLEY
FROM A FEW POSTS AGO
The lane ends at a small shop. On the glass-panel door is painted a sign: "Jimmy Quicktint, Best Tattooist in Town." A tiny bell rings as you push the door open and a fat man wearing purple silk smiles in greeting. You are surprised to see that his arms, hands, feet and even his face are completely covered in colorful tattoos. He grins and says, "Practice what you preach!" You tell him that you require a yellow sun to be tattooed on your forehead with a white unicorn in the center of it. He replies that it is a simple task but it will cost you 10 Gold Pieces. (We can afford his high price.)
He takes the money and motions you to sit down on a wooden stool. After a long and painful process of repeatedly pricking your forehead with a sharp needle he applies the indelible inks. You look in a mirror on the wall and find your new appearance somewhat strange. You shrug your shoulders and leave the shop; you then walk back up the lane and turn left into Mill Street.
(Then we would fight the Trolls again and all but we'd just murder their green asses again WITH A UNICORN ON OUR FOREHEAD. After another hayride...)
Following Nicodemus' map, you start your long walk north to the guarded tower of Zanbar Bone, the Night Prince. You walk through woods and fields. You are able to relax a little in the pleasant countryside and breathe the fresh air with its wonderful scents. As the light fades you decide to camp under a huge elm tree. You cook a meal of stewed rabbit and mushrooms before settling down to a long, deep sleep (add 2 STAMINA points). In the morning you look around for a yew tree and cut a long branch from it with which you make a bow to fire the silver arrow. As you test the bow for accuracy, you are suddenly aware of a white dove sitting on a low branch near by. There is a small piece of paper attached to its foot which it lets you remove without flying off. There is a message on the paper which reads:
(Rather kind for
the old leader of Team Plasma to show concern for our mission. But this is the 2nd real "Fuck You" moment we've gotten. I vote we pick Hag's Hair and Lotus Flower, since we don't have 6 of those, indicating that they're more special, and
undead villains like Black Pearls anyways. Any other suggestions will be noted though.)
You throw the message on the ground and curse. You change your mind a dozen times before your decision. Finally you make your choice, and grind the two ingredients together on a flat stone. You place the compound in a leather pouch, hoping you have made the correct decision. You set off again, but it is not long before your surroundings become less welcoming, the trees are twisted or stunted and there are no birds to be heard - you must be approaching the domain of the Night Prince. Suddenly to your left you hear rustling and grunting in the bushes. It is a wandering monster which has been attracted by your scent. Roll 1 due and consult the table below to see what creature has appeared. Fight this creature as usual.
Rolled 5, got an APE MAN SKILL 7 STAMINA 6
Combat Log:
Ape 16, Dirk 25. Ape is at 4.
Ape 16, Dirk 17. Ape is at 2.
Ape 9, Dirk 17. Ape is dead.
You notice that the Ape Man's left hand is curled into a fist. You prise open the fingers and find a tiny gold trinket in the shape of an owl. It is a magic talisman which will allow you to see in the dark. You place the owl carefully in your pocket and continue your journey.
You walk all day until you reach the hill shown on Nicodemus' map upon which the Night Prince's tower stands. All is quiet and there is an unpleasant smell of decay in the air. Shadows start to creep along the ground as the moon rises into the night sky and you see the foreboding silhouetted shape of Zanbar Bone's tower pointing up into the sky like a black finger. You check all your possessions before drawing your sword and marching towards the arched wooden door. Suddenly you hear a shrill howl and swing round to see two pairs of eyes staring at you. They belong to MOON DOGS, Zanbar Bone's trained killer hounds. Fight them one at a time.
TO BE CONTINUED
(Yeah, I seriously edited this a month after the original post, since I noticed some links were broken on a trip down memory lane.)
