[LP] DestinyQuest: The Legion of Shadow

[Omegonthesane]

Closed door seems safer - and the claw marks are on the side we can see so presumably there isn't a werewplf wererat inside.

[angelfromanotherpin]

The door opens a few inches before it jams against something resting behind it. Peering through the gap, you see a number of objects piled up against the door, forming a barricade. To push it aside you will need to pass a brawn challenge.

Barricade (Brawn 11)

We roll 6+4, just failing. Content: gated. That done, it's the room at the end of the hall for us.

Warily, you step through the doorway.

(We have the keyword leader.)

You enter the room, gagging as an acrid stench fills your nostrils. It takes only a few seconds to discern the cause - looking down, you see that the floor of the room is covered in a thick layer of rat droppings.

You draw your weapon and advance, picking your way with care between the broken furnishings that litter the dark space. To your right, a dirt-stained mattress rests on its side, covering the window and the room's only source of light. As you reach over to pull it down, you catch a sudden flash of movement out of the corner of your eye. Something knocks into your shoulder, sending you flying backwards across the room. You land heavily, crying out in pain as a splinter of broken chair lances into your side. You pull it free and toss it away as the ruffian from the roadside leaps towards you - his dagger glinting in the half-light.

'Yer killed the boss,' he growls. 'Now 'is rats are gonna feast on yer bones!'

You have no choice but to fight:

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Rennie	3	2	2	15

Special Abilities:
- First Cut: You must start this combat having already lost 1 health.

Round 1: Us 9+5, Him 10+3; 1+4-2 damage, he's at 12.
Round 2: Us 5+5, Him 5+3; 2+4-2 damage, he's at 8.
Round 3: Us 8+5, Him 10+3; draw.
Round 4: Us 6+5, Him 5+3; 4+4-2 damage, he's at 2.
Round 5: Us 7+5, Him 5+3; 3+4-2 damage, ruffian defeated!

The ruffian lies dead at your feet. You reach down and cut the man's purse from his belt. Inside you find 15 gold crowns. You may also take:

Rennie's slicer (left hand: dagger) +1 speed, +1 brawn, Ability: first cut (before each combat begins, deal 1 damage to your opponent).

• Search the rest of the room?
• Leave the farm (return to the map)?

Since it's a straight upgrade to the Murder, I'm going to assume we take the slicer unless people object.

You pull the mattress away from the window, allowing fresh air and sunlight to spill into the dark stuffy room. As the shadows recede, the true extent of your squalid surroundings are revealed. Every inch of floor space is covered in rat droppings and refuse. Rotted food and bones lie next to moldy rags and splintered broken furniture. How the ruffians could have lived in such conditions you have no idea.

Eager to now depart, you speedily rummage through the debris for any items of interest. You may now take any/all of the following.

Traveler's band (ring) +1 brawn +1 magic, Ability: charm
Traveler's cloak (cloak) +1 brawn +1 magic, Ability charm

Charm (modifier): You may re-roll one of your hero's dice any time during a combat. You must accept the result of the second roll. Multiple items with charm grant multiple re-rolls per combat.

Return to the map and continue your journey.

Where to next? Do you want to replace our cloak? Do you for some reason want not to replace our off-hand weapon.

Name: Trellis
Speed: +5, Brawn: +5, Magic: +3, Armor: +2
Health: 30
Head: All-weather Hat (+1 Speed)
Necklace: Granny's Locket (+1 Magic)
Cloak: Moth-eaten Blanket (+1 Speed)
Main Hand: Leader's Edge (sword; +1 Speed, +1 Brawn)
Left Hand: Rennie's Slicer (Dagger; +1 Speed, +1 Brawn, First Cut)
Gloves: Rat-bitten Gloves (+1 Brawn, +1 Magic)
Chest: Studded Leather (+2 Armor)
Feet: Buckled Boots (+1 Speed, +1 Brawn)
Ring 1: Traveler's Ring (+1 Brawn, +1 Magic, Charm)
Backpack 1: Crocodile skin
Backpack 2: Goblin grog (2 uses): Use any time in combat to restore 4 health.
Backpack 3: Healing Salve (1 use): Use any time in combat to restore 6 Health.
Backpack 4: Miracle Grow (1 use): Use any time in combat to raise your brawn by 2 for one combat round.
Backpack 5: Ragged Boots
Money Pouch: 33 Crowns

[Darth Rabbitt]

I'd take everything. Losing 1 speed is bad but gaining +1 to both Brawn and Magic and a second reroll is really nice.

Then I'd go and see if we can kill that maggot in the well.

[SGamerz]

^^This

[angelfromanotherpin]

Quest: Down the well

At the top of the hill, a crowd is gathered around the stone well. You see that several of the villagers are peering over the side, their faces looking both concerned and horrified. The rest are currently drawing lengths of straw from an elderly man in white robes. He turns as you approach.

'May the One God have mercy,' he says. 'Are you a sword for hire? Will you help us? Our well has dried up - first time in a hundred years. I sent my son down there, to see if it needed repairs. Then we heard... we heard...' The man puts a hand to his mouth, trembling. After taking a deep breath, he continues. 'We heard screaming... terrible screams and then just silence. I fear something terrible has happened. Would you go down there and investigate? Please?'

The other villagers are looking at you, nodding their heads eagerly. You notice one man, who clearly drew the short straw, nodding more enthusiastically than the others.

• Agree to help the villagers?
• Ask the elderly man who he is?
• Ask if there will be a reward?

While one of the men winds up the bucket, the white-robed man walks over to your side. 'You will need a light, my friend,' he says. 'Edward, some wood, please.'

One of the villagers, a boy of around thirteen, runs over and places a length of wood in the man's outstretched hand. Holding it aloft, the priest utters a short prayer. Suddenly, the end of the wood ignites, becoming a blazing torch. He eyes it with a smile of satisfaction.

You swing yourself over the side of the well and clamber into the water bucket. The priest hands you the torch, then slowly you are lowered inch-by-inch into the cold, murky darkness. Make a note of the word torch on your hero sheet.

For what seems like an age, you are lowered deeper and deeper into the well. At last, your flickering torchlight illuminates what appears to be the bottom of the shaft. You step out of the bucket, your boots sinking into the wet soggy mud.

It is immediately apparent what has caused the well to dry up. One of the walls has crumbled inwards, revealing an earthen tunnel stretching away into darkness. With one hand resting on your weapon, you edge past the rubble and enter the tunnel.

After several yards, you come across a body lying against the tunnel wall. As you step closer, you realize that it must be the priest's son - or what is left of him. His body is covered in a glistening white slime, which has eaten through most of his leather clothing, exposing charred skin and bone.

You notice traces of the same glistening acid on the smooth tunnel walls. Curious as to what could have made the tunnel, you follow it deeper into the musty dark earth. Soon, you arrive at a junction.

• Take the east tunnel?
• Take the west tunnel?

You make your way carefully down the passage, avoiding the deadly puddles of white gooey acid. After several minutes, you come to a junction - the passageway splitting into tunnels to the north and south. To the north there has evidently been a cave-in, as the tunnel is blocked by rubble and stone. To the south, you notice the tunnel walls are glistening with big fresh dollops of white goo. As the north tunnel is impassable, you decide to head south.

At the end of the tunnel is a giant maggot, its bloated body almost filling the passageway. The creature appears to be chomping its way through the earth, using the acid that drips from its gaping maw to burn through the rock and stone.

As you approach, the maggot suddenly stops its activity and turns round to face you. With a series of squelching noises, the eyeless creature starts to wriggle and squirm in your direction, its wide mouth hanging open to reveal row upon row of diamond-sharp teeth. Quickly, you prepare to defend yourself:

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Burrower Wurm	4	4	3	20

Special Abilities
- Acid: The burrower's mouth drips with a deadly corrosive acid. Roll a die at the start of each combat round. If you roll a 1 or a 2, you automatically take 2 damage from the acid. This ability ignores armor.

Rematch, maternal-copulator!
Round 1: First Cut! No acid. Us 11+4, It 3+4; 6+6-3 damage, it's at 10.
Round 2: Acid! Us 8+4, It 7+4; 1+6-3 damage, it's at 6, we're at 28.
Round 3: No acid. Us 5+4 (charm) 9+4, It 5+4; 4+6-3, wurm defeated!

You slice open the maggot's belly, backing away as green slime and white acid pour out of its body onto the floor of the tunnel. Eager to escape the noxious fumes, you retrace your steps and retrieve your torch. It is then that you notice a jagged fissure in one of the tunnel walls. Crious as to where it might lead, you decide to explore it further.

You clamber through the narrow fissure, emerging in a small cavern. Above you, dangling from the ceiling, are a series of web-like bundles. You notice that one of them is wriggling back and forth - as if whatever is inside is trying to get out. Across the far side of the cave, you see a tunnel opening. Sticky strands of webbing criss-cross the ground between you and the cave exit.

• Cut open the wriggling bundle?
• Cross the room to the tunnel opening?

Name: Trellis
Speed: +4, Brawn: +6, Magic: +4, Armor: +2
Health: 30
Head: All-weather Hat (+1 Speed)
Necklace: Granny's Locket (+1 Magic)
Cloak: Traveler's Cloak (+1 Brawn, +1 Magic, Charm)
Main Hand: Leader's Edge (sword; +1 Speed, +1 Brawn)
Left Hand: Rennie's Slicer (Dagger; +1 Speed, +1 Brawn, First Cut)
Gloves: Rat-bitten Gloves (+1 Brawn, +1 Magic)
Chest: Studded Leather (+2 Armor)
Feet: Buckled Boots (+1 Speed, +1 Brawn)
Ring 1: Traveler's Ring (+1 Brawn, +1 Magic, Charm)
Backpack 1: Crocodile skin
Backpack 2: Goblin grog (2 uses): Use any time in combat to restore 4 health.
Backpack 3: Healing Salve (1 use): Use any time in combat to restore 6 Health.
Backpack 4: Miracle Grow (1 use): Use any time in combat to raise your brawn by 2 for one combat round.
Backpack 5: Ragged Boots
Money Pouch: 33 Crowns

[Omegonthesane]

Cut open the bundle.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Agreed.

[angelfromanotherpin]

You step over the strands of webbing and approach the wriggling bundle. Taking a knife from your backpack, you carefully slice through the silken cords to reveal the inside of the web-like cage. Tangled up in the sticky strands is something large and furry... with pointed ears and sharp teeth!

Backing away, you watch as the creature struggles free of the webbing. It lands on the ground, shaking its black leathery wings. Then its blood-shot eyes fix on you... with a deafening screech, the freed creature springs into the air, its fangs reaching for your throat:

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Batwing	5	4	2	25

Special Abilities:
- Bleed: After the batwing makes a successful attack that causes health damage, you must take a further point of damage at the end of each combat round. This damage ignores armor.

It's not clear if Bleed is cumulative, so I assume that it is.
Round 1: First Cut! Us 4+4, It 3+5; draw. It's at 24.
Round 2: Us 8+4, It 6+5; 6+6-2 damage, it's at 14.
Round 3: Us 7+4, It 5+5; 3+6-2 damage, it's at 7.
Round 4: Us 8+4, It 4+5; 2+6-2 (charm) 3+6-2 damage, Batwing defeated.

A wild swing connects with the bat creature, knocking it to the ground. Quickly, you step in and deliver the final killing blow. You may now take the following item

Bat leather (backpack) Perhaps someone can put this to good use

You decide to ignore the other bundles and make your way across the cave to the tunnel opening.

We'll need to ditch one of our other backpack items to take the bat 'leather.' I'm going to assume we ditched the miracle grow if it comes up.

You attempt to cross to the other side of the cave by stepping carefully between the sticky strands of webbing. You must pass a speed challenge:

Webbed cave (speed 10)

We get 4+4, a failure.

You are almost to the other side when your foot catches on one of the strands, causing it to wobble back and forth. You think nothing of it, until you hear the skittering sound coming from above. Almost too late, you spin round - to catch the two giant spiders swinging towards you on strands of webbing. One hits you squarely in the chest, its venomous mandibles sinking into your shoulder. You drop your torch with a cry of pain, its flame instantly igniting the flammable webbing.

'The web! The web!' hisses one of the spiders. 'Kill it! Kill it!' As the silken strands go up in smoke, the spiders leap at you, seeking to trap you in their deadly webbing.

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Giant Spiders	4	4	2	25

Special Abilities:
- Venom: You have already been bitten! At the end of every combat round you must automatically lose 2 health.

Round 1: First cut! Us 4+4, Them 7+4; 5+4-2 damage. *Venom* We're at 21, they're at 24.
Round 2: Us 3+4 (charm) 6+4, Them 5+4; 2+6-2 damage. *Venom* We're at 19, they're at 18.
Round 3: Us 9+4, Them 11+4; 3+4-2 damage. *Venom* We're at 12.
Round 4: Us 4+4 (charm) 8+4, Them 6+4; 5+6-2 damage. *Venom* We're at 10, they're at 9.
Round 5: Us 6+4, Them 9+4; 6+4-2 damage. (chugging healing salve) *Venom* We're at 6.
Round 6: Us 7+4, Them 7+4; Draw. *Venom* We're at 4.
Round 7: Us 7+4, Them 5+4; 1+6-2 damage. *Venom* We're at 2, they're at 4.
Round 8: Us 6+4, Them 4+4; 6+6-2 damage. (chug goblin grog) *Venom* We're at 4, Spiders defeated.
A hard fight, using 2/3 of our heal items.

The spiders have been defeated and their giant web has now been reduced to a few smoking cinders. You retrieve your torch and then search the bodies. You may take the following items:

Spider's Leg (backpack) 1 use. It may come in useful, one day
Spider's spinneret (left hand: unique) +1 speed +1 magic Ability: webbed.

Webbed (Speed): Once per combat, your opponent rolls 1 fewer die when calculating attack speed, for one round.

You leave the cave, following the passageway north.

The leg can go where the salve was, but the spinneret is an actual choice.

After several minutes, the passageway becomes a narrow ledge overlooking a huge cavern. Its walls and columns are coated in forests of glowing fungi, their pale light illuminating a giant glittering web that stretches from floor to ceiling. At the center of the web, resting on the sticky criss-crossing strands, is the biggest spider you have ever seen, its massive fangs dripping with a deadly green venom.

• If you still have your torch, set fire to the web?
• Attack the spider?
• Flee and return to the well?

Okay, so in addition to the action choice above, I need people to weigh in on the following:

• Do you want the bat leather, and if so, which of the miracle grow, crocodile skin, or ragged boots do you want to ditch?
• Do you want to replace Rennie's slicer with the Spider's spinneret?

Name: Trellis
Speed: +4, Brawn: +6, Magic: +4, Armor: +2
Health: 30
Head: All-weather Hat (+1 Speed)
Necklace: Granny's Locket (+1 Magic)
Cloak: Traveler's Cloak (+1 Brawn, +1 Magic, Charm)
Main Hand: Leader's Edge (sword; +1 Speed, +1 Brawn)
Left Hand: Rennie's Slicer (Dagger; +1 Speed, +1 Brawn, First Cut)
Gloves: Rat-bitten Gloves (+1 Brawn, +1 Magic)
Chest: Studded Leather (+2 Armor)
Feet: Buckled Boots (+1 Speed, +1 Brawn)
Ring 1: Traveler's Ring (+1 Brawn, +1 Magic, Charm)
Backpack 1: Crocodile skin
Backpack 2: Goblin grog (1 use): Use any time in combat to restore 4 health.
Backpack 3: Spider's leg
Backpack 4: Miracle Grow (1 use): Use any time in combat to raise your brawn by 2 for one combat round.
Backpack 5: Ragged Boots
Money Pouch: 33 Crowns

[Omegonthesane]

Ditch the miracle grow for the bat leather. Croc skin plus bat leather is one of the Special Item combinations back in town.

Half a vote to take the spinneret because another effective use of "screw you, I hit" sounds more useful than First Cut. Only half a vote though, because it'll drop us to +5 damage.

Full vote to burn the web. Because lol blue option.

[SGamerz]

Burn the web.

[angelfromanotherpin]

First cut has great synergy if you load up on other abilities that give your damage rider effects, but we haven't done that.

You put the flame of your torch to the spider's web. The sparkling strands catch fire instantly, sizzling as the flames spread quickly across the interlaced pattern. With a chilling shriek of anger, the giant spider turns to face you, its immense black body seemingly untouched by the flames that rage around it.

'What foolish insect dares to set foot in the domain of Spindle? You will perish here – and your worthless blood will feed my brood!' The giant sider scuttles towards you, your panicked face mirrored in its bulging black eyes. You must now defend yourself against this fearsome opponent:

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Spindle	5	5	3	30

Special Abilities:
- Webbed: The spider's sticky webbing inhibits your movement. At the start of every combat round, roll a die; if you roll a 1 or 2 then your speed is reduced by 1 for that combat round. (Note: Ignore this ability if you have used your torch to set fire to the web.)
- Venom: Once you have taken damage from the spider, at the end of every combat round you must automatically lose 2 health.

Round 1: Us 6+5, It 6+5; draw.
Round 2: Spin! Us 4+4, It 2+5; 3+5-3 damage, it's at 25.
Round 3: Us 4+4, It 7+5; 2+5-2 damage, *venom*, we're at 23.
Round 4: Us 9+4, It 2+5; 2+5-3 damage, it's at 21, *venom* we're at 21.
Round 5: Us 4+4 (charm) 7+4, It 6+5; draw *venom* we're at 19.
Round 6: Us 10+4, It 8+5; 5+5-3 damage, it's at 14, *venom* we're at 17.
Round 7: Us 10+4, It 9+5; draw, *venom* we're at 15.
Round 8: Us 7+4, It 5+5; 3+5-3 damage, it's at 9, *venom* we're at 13.
Round 9: Us 11+4, It 5+5; 6+5-3 damage, it's at 1, *venom* we're at 11.
Round 10: Us 6+4 (charm) 9+4, It 7+5; draw, *venom* we're at 9.
Round 11: Us 9+4, It 2+5; 4+5-3 damage, Spindle defeated! *venom* we're at 7.

You have defeated Spindle, the queen of spiders. You may now take one of the following rewards:

Venomous fang (main hand: dagger) +1 speed +1 brawn, Ability: venom.
Spindlesilk mantle (chest) +1 magic +1 armor Ability: spindlesilk set.
Spindle's eye (talisman) +1 speed Ability: charm

Charm (modifier): You may re-roll one of your hero's dice any time during a combat. You must accept the result of the second roll. Multiple items with charm grant multiple re-rolls per combat.
Spider Sense (combat): Once per combat, after you have lost a combat round, you take no damage.
Spindlesilk set: If your hero is wearing all three pieces of spindlesilk armor (chest, boots, and cloak) then you may use the Spider Sense ability.
Venom: Once you deal damage to an enemy, for the rest of the combat they lose a further 2 health at the end of each combat round.

I'd like to get an answer on this looting before we proceed. Note that the next section we turn to depends on whether or not we burned the web, which we have.

Name: Trellis
Speed: +4, Brawn: +5, Magic: +5, Armor: +2
Health: 30
Head: All-weather Hat (+1 Speed)
Necklace: Granny's Locket (+1 Magic)
Cloak: Traveler's Cloak (+1 Brawn, +1 Magic, Charm)
Main Hand: Leader's Edge (sword; +1 Speed, +1 Brawn)
Left Hand: Spider's Spinneret (Unique; +1 Speed, +1 Magic, Webbed)
Gloves: Rat-bitten Gloves (+1 Brawn, +1 Magic)
Chest: Studded Leather (+2 Armor)
Feet: Buckled Boots (+1 Speed, +1 Brawn)
Ring 1: Traveler's Ring (+1 Brawn, +1 Magic, Charm)
Backpack 1: Crocodile skin
Backpack 2: Goblin grog (1 use): Use any time in combat to restore 4 health.
Backpack 3: Spider's leg
Backpack 4: Miracle Grow (1 use): Use any time in combat to raise your brawn by 2 for one combat round.
Backpack 5: Ragged Boots
Money Pouch: 33 Crowns

[Darth Rabbitt]

If we had kept Rennie's Slicer I'd suggest taking the fang but as it is I'd suggest taking Spindle's eye.

[Omegonthesane]

Agreed with spindle's eye since we can only take one.

[angelfromanotherpin]

(We did burn the web.)

The smoke and heat from the fire forces you back out of the cavern. With the giant spider defeated, you decide to leave the caves and return to the villagers at the well.

You retrace your steps through the caves and tunnels, stopping to retrieve the body of the priests' son. Using a blanket from your pack, you carefully wrap the body and then lift it onto your shoulders. The water-logged mud squelches underfoot as you trudge back to the well shaft. After clambering into the bucket, you tug firmly on the rope several times. A moment later it begins to rise, taking you back up the shaft towards the circle of daylight above.

There is a cheer from the assembled villagers as you re-emerge from the darkness of the well – cheers that quickly trail off, one by one, as the onlookers notice the body you are carrying. Two of the men offer to take it from you, lifting it over the side of the well and laying it gently on the grass. You are then helped out of the swaying bucket, relieved to be back on solid ground again.

The white-robed priest walks over and kneels beside the body. With trembling hands he draws back the cloth and looks upon the face of his son.

'What... what happened?' asks one of the younger farmers, a tremor of fear in his voice.

'Burrower wurms,' says the priest solemnly. He rises to his feet, his expression grave. 'That acid is what they use to eat away the rock. Something must have disturbed them – or drawn them here.' He gives a heavy sigh, then reaches for the purse at his belt. 'I offer you my thanks, adventurer. You brought my son home to me.' He hands over the purse of money. (You have gained 10 gold crowns.) 'Now we have a better understanding of the dangers that we face.' He looks to each of the villagers in turn. 'Together we will exterminate this threat to our village and repair our well.'

The farmers look fearful but resolute. Your bravery has clearly served to bolster their spirits. You wish them luck in their task before returning to the village. Return to the map to choose your next quest.

• Pick a new destination (specify)?
• Buy stuff with our enormous wealth (specify)?
• Hand in the Crocodile skin/Bat leather combo?

Name: Trellis
Speed: +5, Brawn: +5, Magic: +5, Armor: +2
Health: 30

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Ability
Head	All-weather Hat	+1
Necklace	Granny's Locket			+1
Cloak	Traveler's Cloak		+1	+1		Charm
Main Hand	Leader's Edge	+1	+1
Left Hand	Spider's Spinneret	+1		+1		Webbed
Gloves	Rat-bitten Gloves		+1	+1
Chest	Studded Leather				+2
Feet	Buckled Boots	+1	+1
Talisman	Spindle's Eye	+1				Charm
Ring 1	Traveler's Ring		+1	+1		Charm

Backpack	Item
1	Crocodile Skin
2	Goblin Grog (1 use) Use any time in combat to restore 4 health.
3	Spider's Leg
4	Bat Leather
5	Ragged Boots

Money Pouch:43 Crowns

[Darth Rabbitt]

I'd check out what Crocodile Skin + Bat Leather gets us first.

[Omegonthesane]

Hand in the combo - worst case scenario, we could've had different backpack items.

[angelfromanotherpin]

(Skipping to the clothier's premium options...)

You provide the clothier with the bat leather and the crocodile skin (deduct these two objects from your hero sheet). Using these materials, the clothier creates the following item, which you may now take:

Bat cape (cloak) +1 speed +1 armor

If you do not want the item, the clothier will pay you 20 gold crowns for the garment.

Let me know if you want the cape or the cash, if you want to buy anything else while we're in town, and where we should go next.

[Omegonthesane]

Half a vote to take the bat cape. Stacking charms isn't going to make up for a speed deficit indefinitely and we're on blue quests now.

Full vote to buy Embroidered Gloves for more precious speed that doesn't sacrifice one of our Charms.

Go to 25 if it wasn't the well quest.

[SGamerz]

Get the cape because Batman.

[angelfromanotherpin]

(Cape, Gloves, 25 is a stone circle on the map.)

Quest: The Stone Circle

The sun beats down mercilessly, casting a shimmering haze over the fields and meadows. Feeling dizzy from the heat, you leave the trail and take shelter under a tree. As you begin to doze in the cool shade, a voice suddenly startles you back to wakefulness.

'Wake up! Wake up!' A bird lands by your feet in a flurry of brightly-colored feathers. 'Please don't tell me you're as dimwitted as those farmhands. You look like an adventurer, am I right? Am I right?' Its head twitches from side to side, watching you with its beady black eyes.

Too stunned to speak, you settle for nodding instead. 'Good, good – well, that's a start,' says the bird, flapping its wings. 'Come, my master is in danger and he needs your help. Something terrible has happened!'

• Ask the bird about his master?
• Ask the bird how it can talk?
• Agree to help the bird?

Name: Trellis
Speed: +7, Brawn: +3, Magic: +4, Armor: +3
Health: 30

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Ability
Head	All-weather Hat	+1
Necklace	Granny's Locket			+1
Cloak	Bat Cape	+1			+1
Main Hand	Leader's Edge	+1	+1
Left Hand	Spider's Spinneret	+1		+1		Webbed
Gloves	Embroidered Gloves	+1		+1
Chest	Studded Leather				+2
Feet	Buckled Boots	+1	+1
Talisman	Spindle's Eye	+1				Charm
Ring 1	Traveler's Ring		+1	+1		Charm

Backpack	Item
1
2	Goblin Grog (1 use) Use any time in combat to restore 4 health.
3	Spider's Leg
4
5	Ragged Boots

Money Pouch: 31 Crowns

[Darth Rabbitt]

Ask about his master.

[Omegonthesane]

Ask about his master and fix your quote tags.

[angelfromanotherpin]

'Why, he is the great Perinold the Magnificent - explorer and scholar to the king, no less. Do you think I would travel around with just anyone? You must have heard of him - author of the award-winning History of Everything?

You shrug your shoulders apologetically. The bird makes a snorting sound through its beak. 'Well, you don't strike me as the type to have ever opened a book, let alone know how to read. Humph!' The bird twitches its head disapprovingly. 'Look, it doesn't matter who he is - all you need to know is that he's gone and got himself in a pickle. He was doing research for a new book - investigating some old stones, up on the hill. Everything was fine until they started to glow. Then he touched one of them, there was a bright flash of light, and he was gone. Gone! And I have no idea how to find him.'

• Ask the bird how it can talk?
• Agree to help the bird?

Sounds like Perinold the Magnificent might be guest-starring on Outlander. Since it looks like this is another 'get exposition' nexus rather than a proper choice-point, I'm just going to ask the other question and move on.

The bird ruffles its feathers angrily. 'Oh, by the saints of Judah, if I had a nice juicy worm for every time some idiot asked me that question. Look - I'm a special bird, alright? My master trained me. I think some magic was involved - well, OK, perhaps a lot of magic, but that's not important. What is important is that my master is in danger!'

• Ask the bird who his master is?
• Agree to help the bird?

'Excellent! We've not a moment to lose - come on!' The bird takes to the air, heading south towards a cluster of rocky hills. You do your best to keep up, jogging across the broken uneven ground. Soon, you are clambering over jagged rocks and boulders to reach the top of a steep-sided mound.

At its summit, you find yourself surrounded by a circle of tall weather-beaten stones. A discarded backpack lies in the middle of the circle, its contents spilling out onto the grass.

'Hurry! Hurry!' squawks the bird, alighting on one of the stones. 'I'm sure we don't have much time. You need to find out what happened.'

• Search through the backpack?
• Examine the stones?

[Omegonthesane]

Loot the backpack. With all that Speed I suspect we're at risk of going rogue, best get in the habit.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Check the backpack. Examining the stones without caution is what got Perinold into this mess.