[Let's Play] Legendary Kingdoms: The Valley of Bones

[Thaluikhain]

Follow her.

[SGamerz]

Follow.

[Beroli]

Follow her.

[angelfromanotherpin]

379

You make your way down the pitch-black tunnel, relying on touching the damp walls to guide you. You emerge into a small cell, through which light streams weakly from a tiny arch high in the wall. In the cell you can see Che Long, your trainer, and several other gladiator slaves.
     “Welcome, my students,” bows Che Long. He indicates Milagros. “You come in good company, I see.”
     “I believe we can trust these warriors,” announces Milagros. “Tell them the plan, Che Long.”
     “Do they know what they are letting themselves in for... who they fight for?”
     “We are all slaves here,” you assure them. “We fight for our freedom.”
     “That, and so much more,” says Che Long, smiling.
     “This is no mere slave girl. Standing before you is the reincarnation of the Everchild. The Queen of the Valley. The supreme sorceress herself.”
     You look down at the dirty blonde waif. She speaks well, but could she really be a queen? The Everchild is a figure of legend, a story told to squires and children. Milagros sees the doubt in your eyes and places a finger in the soup bowl. She withdraws it, and paints the walls with the thick soup, drawing strange symbols and wards which begin to pulse and move as if under their own power. To your astonishment she has drawn a spell upon the walls, filled with arcane power.
     If you have any spellcasters in your team they can learn the following spell:

Soothing Touch (Adventure or Combat)
Your hands glow with divine energy.
Choose one of your party members;
they can restore 5 Health points.
Recharge: 50 Silver

     With a wave of her hands Milagros bathes your bodies in healing energies. You may restore the Health scores of all your characters to full. If any of your characters have lost limbs, tongues or other organs, these are restored. In addition, any diseases or curses you are affected by are also removed. There can be no doubt. This young slave girl is, if not the Everchild, certainly a sorceress of great power.
     Ask her how she came to be enslaved (turn to 629)?
     Ask her about the escape plan (turn to 743)?

Since the spell-learning-related language is plural, and both casters have room in their spellbooks, I think both get an instance of Soothing Touch.

Name	Fighting	Survival	Stealth	Charisma	Lore	Health	Caster?	Gear	Notes
Sar Jessica Dayne	5	2	1	4	3	8/8	x		for Tasha
Lord Ti'quon	1	1	2	2	5	6/6	√
Tasha	3	3	5	3	1	8/8	x		for Jessica
Amelia Pass-Dayne	3	3	2	1	2	6/6	√

Spellbook (Amelia): Animal Speech, Poison Stream, Soothing Touch, Wolf Spirit
Spellbook (Ti'quon): Ice Bolt, Magic Cabinet, Soothing Touch, Unfailing Strike
Codes: A2

[Thaluikhain]

Bleh, as if being a slave gladiator wasn't a bad enough cliche, now she's the reincarnated whatever thingy.

I don't care to hear her backstory, I care about leaving, so ask about the escape plan.

[Beroli]

"Plot, get it away" is an attitude likely to lead to missing actual content.

Ask her how she came to be enslaved.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to ask her how she came to be enslaved, as maybe there is vital information to be acquired, if cliches hold.

[angelfromanotherpin]

The series is supposed to be pretty open, so there's no need to pursue plots you find unexciting. This does seem to be the most promising way to exit the tutorial dungeon, though.

629

“I am not yet at my full potency,” admits the Everchild, running her hand through her filthy locks. “In my eagerness to see the Iron King dethroned I sided with a certain group of revolutionaries. Sadly, we were ambushed by the king’s men, and there was no opportunity for me to use my magic to turn the tide of the battle. I opted to keep my identity secret until a more appropriate juncture.”
     “But are you indeed the Everchild reborn, as the legends say?” you insist.
     “I believe so,” she nods. “I was born to common folk, and yet my mind is filled with memories, manners and skills from a past life. Even if I am not, I am determined to replace the Iron King’s tyranny with even-handed justice. I am willing to take on the mantle of the Everchild, so why not take her name as well?”
     “Why do you not escape using your magic?” you ask.
     “It is not yet mighty enough for me to effect an escape... on my own,” she explains. “Besides, a queen needs followers, and mine are imprisoned here. We will leave together, or not at all.”
     “A noble sentiment,” you admit. “But how exactly do you plan to escape?”
     Turn to 743.

743

Che Long steps forward, giving his seat to the Everchild. “The arena is ancient and was once much bigger. There are vaults and tunnels that lead deep into the earth. We have, in secret, excavated one such tunnel. We cannot be sure that it leads to the surface, but we are willing to chance it.”
     “Why have you not gone already?” you ask.
     “We have no weapons, and there are... creatures down there in the dark,” mutters Che Long. “We were driven back in our last venture. It is too dangerous to proceed unarmed. Unfortunately, the guards keep the weapons very well secured. They are not keen on allowing slave gladiators unfettered access to arms.”
     “How can we help?” you ask.
     “We need to get the weapons out of the gatehouses and into our hands,” says Che Long. “To do that we will need stealth and a good distraction.”
     • Volunteer to get the weapons (turn to 191)?
     • Back out of this risky escape plan (turn to 223)?
     • Tell the guards of the Everchild’s plans (turn to 106)?

Well, there's your chance to back out, or even double-cross.

Name	Fighting	Survival	Stealth	Charisma	Lore	Health	Caster?	Gear	Notes
Sar Jessica Dayne	5	2	1	4	3	8/8	x		for Tasha
Lord Ti'quon	1	1	2	2	5	6/6	√
Tasha	3	3	5	3	1	8/8	x		for Jessica
Amelia Pass-Dayne	3	3	2	1	2	6/6	√

Spellbook (Amelia): Animal Speech, Poison Stream, Soothing Touch, Wolf Spirit
Spellbook (Ti'quon): Ice Bolt, Magic Cabinet, Soothing Touch, Unfailing Strike
Codes: A2

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to volunteer to get the weapons, as the escape plan is decent.

[Beroli]

Volunteer to get the weapons.

Also I have a question, related to the original poll. angelfromanotherpin, would you object if I ran Black Vein Prophecy (with some house ruling)? If it's something you're planning to do later, I can run something else instead.

[angelfromanotherpin]

would you object if I ran Black Vein Prophecy (with some house ruling)?

Never.

[SGamerz]

Volunteer to get the weapons.

[angelfromanotherpin]

191

In order to get the weapons, you will need to split up your party. Choose up to three party members to perform a distraction, and up to two party members to steal the weapons. You must have at least one party member performing each mission. Once you have decided who will do which task, turn to 169.

Name	Fighting	Survival	Stealth	Charisma	Lore	Health	Caster?	Gear	Notes
Sar Jessica Dayne	5	2	1	4	3	8/8	x		for Tasha
Lord Ti'quon	1	1	2	2	5	6/6	√
Tasha	3	3	5	3	1	8/8	x		for Jessica
Amelia Pass-Dayne	3	3	2	1	2	6/6	√

Spellbook (Amelia): Animal Speech, Poison Stream, Soothing Touch, Wolf Spirit
Spellbook (Ti'quon): Ice Bolt, Magic Cabinet, Soothing Touch, Unfailing Strike
Codes: A2

[SGamerz]

Tasha should obviously do the stealing since she's the only one good at Stealth.

Spellcasters provide distraction.

I'm less sure about Jessica. Putting her with Tasha has potential for advancing relationship development, and possibly muscle backup if needed, but I really don't want to risk her 1 Stealth dragging down the whole mission. Plus, we don't know what kind of distraction will be used, so her higher Charisma may help in that area.

I think I'll vote for Tasha to do the stealing alone.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote for Sar Jessica Dayne, Lord Ti'quon, and Amelia Pass-Dayne to perform the distraction, and Tasha to steal the weapons.

[Thaluikhain]

I second JourneymanNoob

[angelfromanotherpin]

169

Your distraction team must divert the guards' attention from their posts at the gatehouses. What tactic do you think is best?
     Start a fight amongst yourselves (you need at least two characters assigned to the distraction, turn to 45)?
     Attempt to seduce the guards (turn to 7)?
     Pretend to be a messenger, and say that their captain needs them urgently (turn to 875)?

Name	Fighting	Survival	Stealth	Charisma	Lore	Health	Caster?	Gear	Notes
Sar Jessica Dayne	5	2	1	4	3	8/8	x		for Tasha
Lord Ti'quon	1	1	2	2	5	6/6	√
Tasha	3	3	5	3	1	8/8	x		for Jessica
Amelia Pass-Dayne	3	3	2	1	2	6/6	√

Spellbook (Amelia): Animal Speech, Poison Stream, Soothing Touch, Wolf Spirit
Spellbook (Ti'quon): Ice Bolt, Magic Cabinet, Soothing Touch, Unfailing Strike
Codes: A2

[Thaluikhain]

Fighting amongst ourselves is traditional, let's try that.

[SGamerz]

Yeah, fake fight. The other 2 may require Charisma test, and our average Charisma between the 3 is below average.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to start a fight amongst ourselves, since the distraction group's charisma make the other two options too risky.

[angelfromanotherpin]

For the record, pretending to be a messenger is an auto-fail unless Brash tries it, in which case it is an auto-success. Also, the only decent seducer on our distraction team is Sar Jessica, who will refuse to make the attempt, but at least does so before you have to commit to it, so you aren't forced to send the nerds in.

45

Timing it just right, you begin to shove one another in the water queue. To make it convincing, you start to exchange a few hard blows, attempting to drag other slaves in the queue into your rumble. Each party member involved in the fight must lose 1 Health point. Only party members assigned to the distraction team can contribute to this check.
     Stage a convincing fight (Team check)
     Skill and DC: Fighting (4+)
     Successes Required: 3
If you succeed, turn to 837. If you fail, turn to 762.

For a team check, we choose two participants, which means the sisters. 5+3=8d v 4+: 1,1,1,4,2,6,5,4 = 4, pass!

837

The other slaves in the line, bloodthirsty gladiators, throw themselves into the fight, outraged that newcomers have dared laid hands on them. The guards have to call on considerable reinforcements to quell the riot, including the guards watching the gatehouse. You have given the other team the opportunity they need. Now it’s their turn!
     Turn to 456.

456

The door to the gatehouse is now unguarded, and your weapon-stealing team can approach. The only obstacle is the gate-house door, which is locked at all times.
     Steal the key from the overseer’s office (turn to 393)?
     Attempt to force the door (turn to 406)?

Name	Fighting	Survival	Stealth	Charisma	Lore	Health	Caster?	Gear	Notes
Sar Jessica Dayne	5	2	1	4	3	7/8	x		for Tasha
Lord Ti'quon	1	1	2	2	5	6/6	√
Tasha	3	3	5	3	1	8/8	x		for Jessica
Amelia Pass-Dayne	3	3	2	1	2	5/6	√

Spellbook (Amelia): Animal Speech, Poison Stream, Soothing Touch, Wolf Spirit
Spellbook (Ti'quon): Ice Bolt, Magic Cabinet, Soothing Touch, Unfailing Strike
Codes: A2

[Beroli]

Steal the key. And now I regret that we didn't get to see how Jessica refuses to seduce.

[JourneymanN00b]

I vote to steal the key from the overseer's office, as Tasha's stealth should make this fairly easy.

[Thaluikhain]

Steal key.

[angelfromanotherpin]

393

The overseer is not present, but guards and servants walk by the door frequently. You need to be in and out as quickly as possible. Multiple people might be spotted, so only one party member in the weapon stealing team can be chosen for this task.
     Steal the key (Individual check)
     Skill and DC: Stealth (4+)
     Successes Required: 2
If you succeed, turn to 147. If you fail, turn to 483.

5d v 4+: 2,4,1,5,4 = 3, pass!

147

With perfect timing you slip into the room, jemmy open the overseer’s table drawer and grab the key. You emerge just in time, ducking into a darkened corner as a pair of guards wander by. Once they have passed, you creep back to the gatehouse door, unlocking it and entering. Turn to 611.

611

The gatehouse's weapon store is open to you.
You may take any of the following items:
     Hide Armour (Armour +1)
     Shield (Armour +2)
     Maul (Fighting +1)*
     Iron Shortsword (Fighting +1)
     Crude Blade (Fighting +0) – You may take up to four crude blades.
You also grab a number of crude weapons for the Everchild and her followers, before fleeing the gatehouse, closing the door behind you. Turn to 317.

I assume we'll take the lot, because the carrying capacity per character is ten items and that's only eight. Incidentally, the crude blades aren't pointless: combat with no weapon is at -1 Fighting skill.

317

Time is of the essence. You quickly regroup with your companions and make your way down darkened tunnels to the dig-site. A tiny crawlspace has been painstakingly carved out of the wall, concealed by a few broken barrels. The Everchild, Che Long, and three other conspirators are here, delighted to see you as you come bearing armfuls of weapons. They have not been idle, securing torches and packs stuffed with waterskins and food supplies.
     “What follows will not be easy,” she warns. “The tunnels are far from safe, but with your help we might just stand a chance.”
     At a nod from the Everchild, Che Long descends into the tunnel first, with you following tight behind. The flames from your torches lick the low roof of the hand-dug tunnel, and the space is claustrophobic in the extreme. To your delight the tunnel eventually breaks through into an ancient chamber, half-flooded, with two arched exits. The walls are painted in old flecks of colour, displaying an ancient city dominated by a tall palace.

     “The palace of my ancestor still stands,” notes the Everchild as she examines the decaying mural with you. “Much of the rest of the city is little better than mud-brick hovels now. There is much work to be done.”
     You examine the exits from the chamber, one at the back of the water-logged chamber, which seems to descend down into yet more murky water.
     “The dry exit looks the most logical – but I wonder where the water-filled one leads?” muses the Everchild.
     • Will you offer to scout out the watery arch (turn to 438)?
     • Or suggest you head through the safer, drier archway (turn to 523)?

In addition to the explicit choice, you can let me know how you'd like to distribute our bounty of gear, or I can do it.

Name	Fighting	Survival	Stealth	Charisma	Lore	Health	Caster?	Gear	Notes
Sar Jessica Dayne	5	2	1	4	3	7/8	x		for Tasha
Lord Ti'quon	1	1	2	2	5	6/6	√
Tasha	3	3	5	3	1	8/8	x		for Jessica
Amelia Pass-Dayne	3	3	2	1	2	5/6	√

Spellbook (Amelia): Animal Speech, Poison Stream, Soothing Touch, Wolf Spirit
Spellbook (Ti'quon): Ice Bolt, Magic Cabinet, Soothing Touch, Unfailing Strike
Codes: A2