Blood Valley, Round 3: The Hunter

[SlyJohnny]

Cross.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Somewhere, the quarry has set off one of your traps.

(Neither you nor the quarry has a relevant codeword.)
(The quarry has left no tracks here.)

WAIT

As you step out onto it, the rope bridge gives a little with a disconcerting screeching of tearing fibers, but you manage to cross the giddy heights successfully.

• Throw the bridge down into the rapids? (520)
• Continue without pause along the track on the north side of the gorge where it turns west over a flat shelf of grey rock? (460)
• Recross the bridge and take the track south where it twists through hills? (90)
• Investigate a cave opening near the rope bridge? (420)

The Archveult

Wound Levels:
Healthy/Bruised/Injured/Wounded/Badly Wounded/Crippled/Dead

Combat:
+2 Damage
+2 Strike with mace

Equipment:
Spiked mace
Armor (Absorbs one level of damage on a roll of 5+)

Special Abilities
Night Vision
Breathe Water
Strength
Endurance
Warrior Skill
Awe others
Hounds
Suit of Armor
Allies

Hounds of Hell

Health	Strike	Damage
Savage	+2	+1
Vicious	+1	+0
Wounded	+0	-1
Whimpering	-1	-2
Dead	–	–

Time:

Day 1

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

16

Night 1

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

[SlyJohnny]

Continue accross.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Ka-riim contacts you through his crystal ball. 'I have found the quarry, O Lord of Firedrakes. He is at the Misty Wood.' Alas, Ka-riim is also brought low by the Word of Helpless Palsy. Your quarry sees you through the ball, but does not deign even to speak to you before discarding it. You see he is still clad in prisoner's rags, but carries the swords of both your former minions, Kritos Bloodheart and Ka-riim.

(The quarry has left no tracks here.)

You are crossing a flat grey shelf of rock, there is no hiding place here for your unfortunate quarry. To the north are the impenetrable Mountains of the Swallow, there is no escape from the valley through those grim tall peaks. The track you are on leads away from a gorge where a cataract cascades towards rapids. On the other side of the gorge you can see a cave-opening. In the other direction, it turns west towards tamed agricultural land.

WAIT

• Take the track to the west? (10)
• Take the track towards the edge of the gorge? (600)

Night is falling.

The Archveult

Wound Levels:
Healthy/Bruised/Injured/Wounded/Badly Wounded/Crippled/Dead

Combat:
+2 Damage
+2 Strike with mace

Equipment:
Spiked mace
Armor (Absorbs one level of damage on a roll of 5+)

Special Abilities
Night Vision
Breathe Water
Strength
Endurance
Warrior Skill
Awe others
Hounds
Suit of Armor
Allies

Hounds of Hell

Health	Strike	Damage
Savage	+2	+1
Vicious	+1	+0
Wounded	+0	-1
Whimpering	-1	-2
Dead	–	–

Time:

Day 1

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Night 1

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

[SlyJohnny]

West.

[angelfromanotherpin]

(The quarry has left no tracks here.)

The track runs east-west here from the shelf of grey rock near the cataract, to become a paved road that leads to a magnificent white building with enormous wooden gates. It is the monastery of the accursed god of Law and Good, Eo the Prince of Peace and Weal.

WAIT

• Search the area?
• Strike north towards the foothills at the valley's northern side? (320)
• Take the road to the monastery? (120)
• Take the track to the gorge and the cataract? (460)

The Archveult

Wound Levels:
Healthy/Bruised/Injured/Wounded/Badly Wounded/Crippled/Dead

Combat:
+2 Damage
+2 Strike with mace

Equipment:
Spiked mace
Armor (Absorbs one level of damage on a roll of 5+)

Special Abilities
Night Vision
Breathe Water
Strength
Endurance
Warrior Skill
Awe others
Hounds
Suit of Armor
Allies

Hounds of Hell

Health	Strike	Damage
Savage	+2	+1
Vicious	+1	+0
Wounded	+0	-1
Whimpering	-1	-2
Dead	–	–

Time:

Day 1

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Night 1

x

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

[SlyJohnny]

Let's hit the monastery.

[angelfromanotherpin]

(Neither you nor the quarry have a relevant code.)

Outside the gates of the monastery you espy several monks working in the vegetable garden. They are wearing yellow habits and there is an inscription in gold leaf above the massive gates that reads 'Eo, Wholeness, the Prince of Peace and Weal, Guardian of the Golden Road to Unlimited Devotion.' A golden flag flies atop the chapel spire.

These monks are good people; followers of Eo are annoyingly strict in their religious observances. The monastery is a thorn in your side, the monks are independent of your power and offer succour to those you oppress. As you approach, they leave the garden, enter the monastery, and bar the gates. A peephole is slid back through which you may address them.

WAIT

• Demand to know if they have seen the quarry?
• Try to break down the gates?
• Ride on, leaving the monks to themselves? (260)

The Archveult

Wound Levels:
Healthy/Bruised/Injured/Wounded/Badly Wounded/Crippled/Dead

Combat:
+2 Damage
+2 Strike with mace

Equipment:
Spiked mace
Armor (Absorbs one level of damage on a roll of 5+)

Special Abilities
Night Vision
Breathe Water
Strength
Endurance
Warrior Skill
Awe others
Hounds
Suit of Armor
Allies

Hounds of Hell

Health	Strike	Damage
Savage	+2	+1
Vicious	+1	+0
Wounded	+0	-1
Whimpering	-1	-2
Dead	–	–

Time:

Day 1

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Night 1

x

x

19

20

21

22

23

24

[SlyJohnny]

Break down the gates!

[angelfromanotherpin]

Taking your mighty mace in hand, you assail the huge wooden gates of the monastery. The hounds, slavering and growling ferociously, hurl themselves at the gates as if trying to jump right through, then fall back only to jump again. Splinters of wood fly everywhere as the monks cower back, but then they unite in chanting a strange priestly rite and you are assailed with confusion.

WAIT

Roll a die:
• If the roll is 1-3... √
• If the roll is 4-6...

You struggle to raise your mace for the final blow that will rend the timbers asunder, but your arm quivers as if you had a palsy. With a great effort of will you withstand the priestly magic and the mace falls. The gates collapse and you are face-to-face with three of the monks, each armed with iron-shod quarterstaffs. Your hounds attack the lesser warriors, but you must face their grandmaster, a brilliant martial artist.

THE GRANDMASTER

Wound Level	Strike	Damage
Healthy	+0	+2
Hurt	+0	+2
Wounded	+0	+2
Incapacitated	–	–

Round 1: You 10+2, Him 12; draw.
Round 2: You 4+2, Him 6; draw.
Round 3: You 11+2, Him 10; Damage 6+2, 3 WLs, Grandmaster is Incapacitated.

You call off the hounds so that they remain hungry for the quarry, and you stride into the main hall.

WAIT

(Neither you nor the quarry have a relevant keyword.)

The monks have given all their worldly wealth to the poor, there is nothing of interest to you in the monastery except for an exquisite silver cross on the top table of the refectory. It has a golden serpent twining about it that rather takes your fancy, so you pocket it.

You caution the monks never to shelter anyone from you and never to bar their gates to you again, before going on your way. You have wasted time, the quarry is not here and may never have been here. You must take up the chase once more.

WAIT

You leave the monastery crying dire curses against all followers of Eo. There are only two true routes leading from the monastery of Eo.

• Take the road east towards the cataract in the gorge? (10)
• Go west across the meadows that lead to the marsh hinterland, a narrow strip of land between swamp and mountain to the southwest? (280)
• Turn south toward the river? (440)

The Archveult

Wound Levels:
Healthy/Bruised/Injured/Wounded/Badly Wounded/Crippled/Dead

Combat:
+2 Damage
+2 Strike with mace

Equipment:
Spiked mace
Armor (Absorbs one level of damage on a roll of 5+)
Silver Cross

Special Abilities
Night Vision
Breathe Water
Strength
Endurance
Warrior Skill
Awe others
Hounds
Suit of Armor
Allies

Hounds of Hell

Health	Strike	Damage
Savage	+2	+1
Vicious	+1	+0
Wounded	+0	-1
Whimpering	-1	-2
Dead	–	–

Time:

Day 1

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Night 1

x

x

x

x

x

22

23

24

[SlyJohnny]

South.

When can I redistribute my last remaining minion?

[SlyJohnny]

Oh, and did I get a keyword for smashong up the monastery?

[angelfromanotherpin]

Oh, and did I get a keyword for smashong up the monastery?

Yes. You also got an achievement, if you care. Like Challenge of the Magi, each of the characters has side objectives they can complete for tournament points. The Archveult's are to smash the monastery, to kill the Ice Demon, and to kill the Ancient One.

[angelfromanotherpin]

When can I redistribute my last remaining minion?

Dawn. I'll remind you when it happens.

You are at the edge of the river that pours out of the gorge, the bank is low here and you can see flat land on the other side.

• Go north to the monastery? (120)
• Follow the bank west until you reach the marsh? (280)
• Follow the edge of the gorge east? (10)
• Cross the river? (550)

The Archveult

Wound Levels:
Healthy/Bruised/Injured/Wounded/Badly Wounded/Crippled/Dead

Combat:
+2 Damage
+2 Strike with mace

Equipment:
Spiked mace
Armor (Absorbs one level of damage on a roll of 5+)
Silver Cross

Special Abilities
Night Vision
Breathe Water
Strength
Endurance
Warrior Skill
Awe others
Hounds
Suit of Armor
Allies

Hounds of Hell

Health	Strike	Damage
Savage	+2	+1
Vicious	+1	+0
Wounded	+0	-1
Whimpering	-1	-2
Dead	–	–

Time:

Day 1

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Night 1

x

x

x

x

x

22

23

24

[SlyJohnny]

I care super hard!!

West, towards the ice wastes and a rival demon guy!

[angelfromanotherpin]

You are in the hinterland of the Great Fen. The marsh stinks and is full of unpleasant insects and leeches. It is unthinkable for your quarry to hide in the reeds here. The mountains to the northwest do not come quite to the marsh's edge, there is a strip of land between the two. To the south the flat marsh stretches to the horizon. To the northeast is farmland and some way off you can see a magnificent white monastery.

WAIT

• Go southwest to the forest in the direction of the city of Askelon? (494)
• Go northeast to the monastery? (120)
You know well that the marsh to the south is impassable.

The Archveult

Wound Levels:
Healthy/Bruised/Injured/Wounded/Badly Wounded/Crippled/Dead

Combat:
+2 Damage
+2 Strike with mace

Equipment:
Spiked mace
Armor (Absorbs one level of damage on a roll of 5+)
Silver Cross

Special Abilities
Night Vision
Breathe Water
Strength
Endurance
Warrior Skill
Awe others
Hounds
Suit of Armor
Allies

Hounds of Hell

Health	Strike	Damage
Savage	+2	+1
Vicious	+1	+0
Wounded	+0	-1
Whimpering	-1	-2
Dead	–	–

Time:

Day 1

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Night 1

x

x

x

x

x

x

23

24

[SlyJohnny]

Yeah, don't I just >:(

Southwest.

[angelfromanotherpin]

You are standing at the edge of the Forest of the Living Dead. You feel strangely uncomfortable here, it is as if the wood radiated an aura of evil. To the northwest, barren hills surround a great smoking volcano, Mount Dragonfire. To the northeast, mountains rise to the skies, and to the east is a steaming swamp. There is a short strip of solid ground between the mountains and the swamp, the Marsh Hinterland.

WAIT

• Search the forest? (24)
• Head toward the volcano? (16)
• Head for the pass between mountain and swamp? (280)
• Travel southwest into the wood? (184)
• Travel southeast into the wood? (4)

The Archveult

Wound Levels:
Healthy/Bruised/Injured/Wounded/Badly Wounded/Crippled/Dead

Combat:
+2 Damage
+2 Strike with mace

Equipment:
Spiked mace
Armor (Absorbs one level of damage on a roll of 5+)
Silver Cross

Special Abilities
Night Vision
Breathe Water
Strength
Endurance
Warrior Skill
Awe others
Hounds
Suit of Armor
Allies

Hounds of Hell

Health	Strike	Damage
Savage	+2	+1
Vicious	+1	+0
Wounded	+0	-1
Whimpering	-1	-2
Dead	–	–

Time:

Day 1

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

Night 1

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

24

[SlyJohnny]

Sorry for the long delay! Been busy with moving.

Southeast.

[angelfromanotherpin]

(The quarry has not left tracks here.)

You are standing at the edge of the dark and eerie Forest of the Living Dead. The sound of birds and woodland animals you would expect to hear is strangely muted. Little light reaches down through the dense trees and there is an oppressive heavy atmosphere. A little further into the wood you can see a large patch of what appear to be bright yellow toadstools. To the east is an impassable steaming swamp. To the southeast, beyond the trees, stretch open plains.

WAIT

• Search the forest? (24)
• Head further into the forest, towards the toadstools? (44)
• Head out onto the plains? (216)
• Travel west into the forest? (184)

The Archveult

Wound Levels:
Healthy/Bruised/Injured/Wounded/Badly Wounded/Crippled/Dead

Combat:
+2 Damage
+2 Strike with mace

Equipment:
Spiked mace
Armor (Absorbs one level of damage on a roll of 5+)
Silver Cross

Special Abilities
Night Vision
Breathe Water
Strength
Endurance
Warrior Skill
Awe others
Hounds
Suit of Armor
Allies

Hounds of Hell

Health	Strike	Damage
Savage	+2	+1
Vicious	+1	+0
Wounded	+0	-1
Whimpering	-1	-2
Dead	–	–

Time:

Day 1	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Night 1	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Day 2	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40
Night 2	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48

[SlyJohnny]

Plains.

[angelfromanotherpin]

You are on a wide open plain. It is covered with crop fields, a yellow expanse of wheat. South of you, a river runs from east to west across the plain. To the east, a tributary runs from a steaming swamp to join the larger river. To the west is a large city. A road crosses the river at a bridge to the south of you. Northwest, there is a dark, evil-looking forest.

(The quarry has not left tracks here.)

WAIT

• Search this area? (512)
• Cross the tributary and head east? (156)
• Head towards the city? (716)
• Head northwest towards the forest? (4)
• Head south to the road that runs parallel to the river Mordenthe? (236)

A new day is dawned, and you can spend 1 WAIT to reassign the Demiveult if you wish.

The Archveult

Wound Levels:
Healthy/Bruised/Injured/Wounded/Badly Wounded/Crippled/Dead

Combat:
+2 Damage
+2 Strike with mace

Equipment:
Spiked mace
Armor (Absorbs one level of damage on a roll of 5+)
Silver Cross

Special Abilities
Night Vision
Breathe Water
Strength
Endurance
Warrior Skill
Awe others
Hounds
Suit of Armor
Allies

Hounds of Hell

Health	Strike	Damage
Savage	+2	+1
Vicious	+1	+0
Wounded	+0	-1
Whimpering	-1	-2
Dead	–	–

Time:

Day 1	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Night 1	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Day 2	x	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40
Night 2	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48

[SlyJohnny]

Reassign demiveult to the plains, then head east if no combat is triggered.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Combat isn't triggered on reassignment, but it is as soon as you turn the page! Your opponent is in the plains, and the Demiveult has found them.

Round 1: Quarry 4+1, The Demiveult 4+1, draw.
Round 2: Quarry 8+1, The Demiveult 11+1, Damage 4+2 (2 WL).
Round 3: Quarry 9+1, The Demiveult 6+1, Damage 5 (1 WL); the Demiveult is Unconcerned.
Round 4: Quarry 9+1, The Demiveult 8, Damage 1 (1 WL); the Demiveult has a trifling scratch.
Round 5: Quarry 4+1, The Demiveult 6, Damage 1+1 (1 WL).
Round 6: Quarry 6+1, The Demiveult 7, draw.
Round 7: Quarry 11+1, The Demiveult 7, Damage 3 (1 WL); the Demiveult is Uncomfortable.
Round 8: Quarry 3+1, The Demiveult 4-1, Damage 2 (1 WL); the Demiveult is Wounded. The Demiveult flies away a little and applies a healing ointment. The Demiveult is Healthy again!
Round 9: Quarry 8+1, The Demiveult 8+1, draw.
Round 10: Quarry 7+1, The Demiveult 4+1, Damage 6 (2 WL); the Demiveult has a trifling scratch.
Round 11: Quarry 7+1, The Demiveult 7, Damage 3 (1 WL); the Demiveult is Uncomfortable.
Round 12: Quarry 4+1, The Demiveult 7-1, Damage 2 (1 WL).
Round 13: Quarry 4+1, The Demiveult 3-1, Damage 5 (1 WL); the Demiveult is Wounded.
Round 14: Quarry 9+1, The Demiveult 7-2, Damage 4 (1 WL); the Demiveult is Badly Wounded and flees!

(The quarry lost a total of 4 Wound Levels fighting your spawn.)

You are at the edge of a great field, a large open plain of yellowed wheat. To the east is the misty wood wreathed in fog. To the north lies a steamy impassable swamp. South of you, a large river runs from east to west across the plain. A tributary river, fast and rocky, runs into the main river from the swamp, cutting across your path to the west.

Somebody has been forcing a passage through the wheat and your hounds are able to identify the scent of your quarry.

WAIT

• Search the wheatfields? (512)
• Cross the river to the west? (216)
• Cross the river to the south? (34)
• Head for the misty wood? (122)

The Archveult

Wound Levels:
Healthy/Bruised/Injured/Wounded/Badly Wounded/Crippled/Dead

Combat:
+2 Damage
+2 Strike with mace

Equipment:
Spiked mace
Armor (Absorbs one level of damage on a roll of 5+)
Silver Cross

Special Abilities
Night Vision
Breathe Water
Strength
Endurance
Warrior Skill
Awe others
Hounds
Suit of Armor
Allies

Hounds of Hell

Health	Strike	Damage
Savage	+2	+1
Vicious	+1	+0
Wounded	+0	-1
Whimpering	-1	-2
Dead	–	–

Time:

Day 1	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Night 1	x	x	x	x	x	x	x	x
Day 2	x	x	x	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40
Night 2	41	42	43	44	45	46	47	48

[SlyJohnny]

Ooh. Search!

No, wait. He's not here anymore, so let's try South.