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

[Darth Rabbitt]

I'm up for fighting the tentacle monster again, if not just because I'm curious to see if we can actually do it.

[Starmaker]

I don't want to lose the potentially awesome items and really don't want to lose the stat bonus, so if it were up to me I'd just fight the squid over and over until it is satisfactorily resolved. And we'll need all the extra paragraphs between the crash and the actual fight to heal up.

[SGamerz]

Just to add, everyone just lost 3 more END from the snow travel, just like the last time we passed through here. Since you know what's coming, I'll wait for you guys to spend some time healing by whatever means you prefer (Sage/Salve/Snuffbox or possibly one of the mysterious new loot you just picked up) before I move on. As usual, Sage needs to let me know how much END he wishes to spend if he wants to heal the others.

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: 6/17
Damage: 1 Die+2

Items:
1 Enchanted Sword (+1 FP)
2 Chainmail armour (Armour Rating three)
3 Money pouch (98 gold pieces)
4 Gloves
5 Blood Sword Scabbard
6 Healing Salve (5 applications, restores 1 Die of END each)
7 Shielding Charm (+1 AR)
8 Silver crucifix (with finger-bone of St Ashanax)
9 Fur Cloak
10 Bedroll

TRICKSTER:

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

Battle Order: 2

Fighting Prowess: 7
Psychic Ability: 6
Awareness: 8
Endurance: 16/19
Damage: 1 Die+1

Items:
1 Sword
2 Ringmail armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Golden Snuffbox
4 Iron rations (7 days)
5 Gloves
6 Bedroll
7 Harp
8 Silver Wolf's head clasp
9 Fur Cloak
10 Gilt-edged scroll
*11 Screebo the Raven

SAGE:

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

Battle Order: 3

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

Items:
1 Quarterstaff
2 Breastplate (Armour Rating one)
3 Fur Cloak
4 Bedroll
5 Magic Bow (Damage 1 Die+1)
6 Quiver (3 arrows)
7 Chequers board and pieces
8 Blue Crystal Eyes
9 Bottle of Grey Liquid
10 Gloves

ENCHANTER:

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

Battle Order: 4

Fighting Prowess: 0
Psychic Ability: 15 (+1 from Ring of Sorcery)
Awareness: 7
Endurance: 9/16
Damage: 1 Die

Items:
1 Brazier
2 Silver armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Bedroll
4 Magical Crust of Bread of Infinity
5 Fur Cloak
6 Money pouch (88 gold pieces)
7 Ring of Sorcery (+1 PA)
8-10 Iron rations (21 days)

[Darth Rabbitt]

I don't think we have the snuffbox anymore.

Anyhow I'll spend 4 EP on healing, with the same order of priority as last time (Warrior, Sage, Enchanter, Trickster.) However, once I get Kiki over 10 I'll move to me, until I get back up to 10 (if possible.) Then back to her, and then back to me, and then to the Enchanter if there's any healing left.

[angelfromanotherpin]

If there's any healing needs doing when the mystic's done, I'll apply salve liberally. No sense in getting stingy before this boss fight.

[SGamerz]

I don't think we have the snuffbox anymore.

The Trickster currently has it:

I'm sure that the plate is trapped, and I think the scroll might be too. The bottle probably contains a potion (which may or may not be beneficial) or maybe a genie (same deal).

Kinda tempted to drop the pipe and grab the bottle, or the snuffbox that Shirtai's dropping.

If you're dropping the pipe, I'll drop the tahac and pick up the other item (either the snuffbox or the bottle).

You have the grey potion and he picked up the Snuffbox.

Although I can understand nobody wanting to use it.

Healing roll: (6-2) x4 = 16 END regained.

Warrior is back to 12 END, Sage is back to 10.

Now the Warrior passes the Jar of Salve around:

Warrior: rolls a 5 and is back to full END.

Trickster: rolls a 6 and is back to full END.

Sage: rolls a 4 and is up to 14 END.

Enchanter: rolls a 1 and is up to 10 END.

Moving on for now.....

The pack-ice underfoot seems to become thinner as you approach the shoreline. There are none of the high and fancifully shaped ice tors, and in places you notice cracks through the ice to the chill grey sea beneath.

You are a little over a kilometre from the coast when you spot a fur-clad figure lying on the ice. He is not moving. You had hoped to make all haste in order to reach solid ground before nightfall, but if you detour to see if this stranger is alive then that may not be possible.

If you go to the stranger's assistance, turn to 465. If you decide you cannot waste time on someone who's probably dead anyway, turn to 365.

We know what's coming. And it doesn't cost us anything now, so why not?

You reach the stranger and roll him over. No, her - it is a young girl with raven-black hair, wearing a peasant's homespun under her thick cloak. She is very weak and her flesh is as white as alabaster, but she is still breathing.

If a Sage wishes to heal her, he should roll for this in the usual way, and once she has regained at least one Endurance point, turn to 48.

If the party has no Sage but you do have a brazier and rations that you are prepared to share, turn to 533.

Failing either of these, turn to 59.

Who needs ration when you have infinite bread crusts?

You kindle the brazier as quickly as you can and lift her closer to its warmth. Spots of colour return to her cheeks, but her body remains limp and cold. She gives a soft moan, and you slowly feed her from your rationsmagic bread (cross off one day's worth), chewing each morsel yourself first so that she can swallow it. Then you notice that her dark blue eyes have fluttered open.

She is barely strong enough to speak, but her mind is lucid. 'I am from Wyrd,' she says in a small voice. 'I tried to escape, along with my two brothers, for our family had suffered too long under the Warlock-King's tyranny. But the Eislaken rose up to slay my brothers, as it slays ... all who try ... to flee ...'

Her voice begins to trail off. You realise she is going into shock, a coma from which she will never awaken. She lost too much body-heat before you found her, and no ministrations of yours can save her now.

Will you ask her a question: 'What is the Eislaken?', 'What is the source of the Warlock-King's power?', 'How can the Warlock-King be defeated?' or will you let her die in peace (turn to 59)?

What do we want to ask her this time?

And quite some time has passed, so the Sage can attempt another heal if he chooses. We also have 1 last application of salve left if you want to use it all up.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I suspect that the Eislaken is the tentacle monster we're fighting so let's ask about the Warlock-King's power.

EDIT: Also I'll heal, 4 EP with priority being Enchanter and then me.

[angelfromanotherpin]

I'll use the last of the salve if it's necessary after the Mystic Sage is done. Kind of a shame to have it eating an inventory slot for only one dose.

[SGamerz]

Healing roll: (2-2) x4 = 0 END regained.

The Enchanter uses the last bit of salve: rolls a 5 an is up to 15 END. But the Sage is back down to 10 due to having spent 4 on failed healing.

'I heard a story once that he shapes all his magic from what he sees in our dreams, and that... long ago, Wyrd was a bright and joyous land . . .' Her eyelids flutter and her voice becomes thick and low. '. . . But now . . . our land and our dreams . . . are dull, grey . . .'

Her eyes close as death comes for her at last. It is the very moment of sunset. You are sorry for her, but you have done all you can and now you must get to the coast while you still have the twilight to see by. If you wish to take the fur cloak and/or gloves from the body, you can do so.

Again, only the Enchanter is lacking gloves. Since we don't really need all that food now that we have the Infinite Bread Crust, I'll have him drop one unit and get the gloves. Let me know if you object to this.

You hurry towards the bleak grey cliffs that rim the shoreline of Wyrd. You feel a tremor run through the ice under your feet. Staring down, you see through the thick distorting sheet of murky ice a single glaring red eye. Your hackles rise under its vile scrutiny. Suddenly the ice cracks at eight points in a circle around you, sending up a flurry of splinters as eight huge tentacles thrash at the air and then stretch to converge on where you are standing.

If you wish to use an item, turn to 549. If you would rather run for the shore, turn to 316. If you decide to stand and fight, turn to 457.

We don't have any item that is useful, so.....

You move quickly, turning your gaze this way and that. You must be alert to signs of impending attack from any or all of the eight tentacles.



Eislaken
Fighting Prowess: 7 Awareness: 7
Damage per blow: 2 Dice Armour Rating: 2
Endurance: 11 per tentacle

Note that you are essentially fighting the Eislaken's tentacles as though they were eight individual monsters. In order to fight a tentacle, you must move to one of the holes where they emerged through the ice. Since the tentacles can stretch far overhead, they can fight any player, no matter where he or she is standing. The creature is immune to Psychic spells.

Once you have managed to destroy six of the tentacles, turn to 525.

What is our strategies this time? Also there were a couple sections between the last option and this fight, and the Sage can try for another healing roll before fighting starts......but note that if the roll goes bad he may end up in worse shape....like what just happened earlier.

Some of you may want to try the new stuff we got earlier?

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: 17/17
Damage: 1 Die+2

Items:
1 Enchanted Sword (+1 FP)
2 Chainmail armour (Armour Rating three)
3 Money pouch (98 gold pieces)
4 Gloves
5 Blood Sword Scabbard
6 Bedroll
7 Shielding Charm (+1 AR)
8 Silver crucifix (with finger-bone of St Ashanax)
9 Fur Cloak
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 Golden Snuffbox
4 Iron rations (7 days)
5 Gloves
6 Bedroll
7 Harp
8 Silver Wolf's head clasp
9 Fur Cloak
10 Gilt-edged scroll
*11 Screebo the Raven

SAGE:

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

Battle Order: 3

Fighting Prowess: 7
Psychic Ability: 7
Awareness: 6
Endurance: 10/16
Damage: 1 Die+1

Items:
1 Quarterstaff
2 Breastplate (Armour Rating one)
3 Fur Cloak
4 Bedroll
5 Magic Bow (Damage 1 Die+1)
6 Quiver (3 arrows)
7 Chequers board and pieces
8 Blue Crystal Eyes
9 Bottle of Grey Liquid
10 Gloves

ENCHANTER:

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

Battle Order: 4

Fighting Prowess: 0
Psychic Ability: 15 (+1 from Ring of Sorcery)
Awareness: 7
Endurance: 15/16
Damage: 1 Die

Items:
1 Brazier
2 Silver armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Bedroll
4 Magical Crust of Bread of Infinity
5 Fur Cloak
6 Money pouch (88 gold pieces)
7 Ring of Sorcery (+1 PA)
8 Gloves
9-10 Iron rations (14 days)

[angelfromanotherpin]

Mine's the same as last time: after the sheet lightning, engage and try to finish a badly-wounded tentacle. Repeat in the grotesquely unlikely event that I get the chance.

[Darth Rabbitt]

I'll just defend. Healing didn't go too well, and I have the crappiest armor. So there's not too much I can do against this guy and I'm going to make it a bitch to actually hit me.

[Starmaker]

I'll be trying to protect the Enchanter, as before.

[Shiritai]

Sheet lightning, prep, sheet lightning.

[SGamerz]

So, essentially, same fight as before, except the Enchanter focuses on spamming Sheet Lightning.

Let's how that works out:

COMBAT LOG:

Round 1 ... FIGHT!

Awareness 8 acts ...

Trickster Moves and positions himself between Tentacles #2 and #3.

Awareness 7 acts ...

Enchanter dismisses Nemesis Bolt from his mind (to lower chances of failure) and attempts to cast Sheet Lightning. Roll = 5+4 = 9. (Success!) Tentacle #1 takes 8+2-2 = 8 damage and has 3 EN left. Tentacle #2 takes 5 damage and has 6 END left. Tentacle #3 takes 6 damage and has 5 END left. Tentacle #4 takes 5 damage and has 6 END left. Tentacle #5 takes 12 damage and is destroyed. Tentacle #6 takes 8 damage and has 3 END left. Tentacle #7 takes 7 damage and has 4 END left. Tentacle #8 takes 10 damage and has 1 END left.

(Already off to a better start, one tentacle down, five to go!)

Tentacle #1 fights Warrior. Roll = 8. (Miss)

Tentacle #2 fights Trickster. Roll = 8+1 = 9. (Miss)

Tentacle #3 fights Trickster. Roll = 6+1 = 7. (Hit!) Damage = 8 - 2 = 6. Trickster has 13 END left.

Tentacle #4 fights Warrior. Roll = 8. (Miss)

Tentacle #5 fights Enchanter. Roll = 8. (Miss)

Tentacle #6 fights Warrior. Roll = = 6. (Hit!) Damage = 8-3-1 = 4. Warrior has 13 END left.

Tentacle #7 fights Sage. Roll = 9. (Miss)

Tentacle #8 fights Enchanter. Roll = 7. (Hits!) Damage = 5-2 = 3. Enchanter has 12 END left.

Awareness 6 acts ...

Warrior moves adjacent to Tentacles #1 and #2.

Sage Defends.

Quick Thinking bonus:

Trickster fights Tentacle #3. Roll = 10. (Miss)

Round 2

Awareness 8 acts ...

Trickster Defends.

Awareness 7 acts ...

Enchanter prepares Sheet Lightning.

Tentacle #1 fights Warrior. Roll = 7. (Hit!) Damage = 6-4 = 2. Warrior has 13 END left.

Tentacle #2 fights Trickster. Roll = 7+1 = 8. (Miss!)

Tentacle #3 fights Trickster. Roll = 13+1= 14. (Miss!)

Tentacle #4 fights Sage. Roll = 6. (Hit!) Damage = 5-1 = 4. Sage has 6 END left.

Tentacle #6 fights Sage. Roll = 9. Miss.

Tentacle #7 fights Sage. Roll = 7. (Hit!) Damage = 2 - 1 = 1. Sage has 5 END left.

Tentacle #8 fights Enchanter. Roll = 9. (Miss!)

Awareness 6 acts ...

Warrior fights Tentacle #1. Roll = 6. (Hit!) Damage = 4+2-2 = 4. Tentacle #1 is destroyed!

Sage defends.

Round 3

Awareness 8 acts ...

Trickster defends.

Awareness 7 acts ...

Enchanter attempts to cast Sheet Lightning. Roll = 3+4 = 7. (Success!) Tentacle #2 takes 8 damage and is destroyed. Tentacle #3 takes 9 damage and is destroyed. Tentacle #4 takes 3 damage and has 3 END left. Tentacle #6 takes 11 damage and is destroyed. Tentacle #7 takes 10 damage and is destroyed. Tentacle #8 takes 7 damage and is destroyed.

(Only 1 tentacle left! Now we just have to survive this round to make it through!)

Tentacle #2 fights Warrior. Roll = 10. (Miss)

Tentacle #3 fights Trickster. Roll = 5+1= 6. (Hits) Damage = 5-2 = 3. Trickster has 10 END left.

Tentacle #4 fights Sage. Roll = 15. (Miss)

Tentacle #6 fights Sage. Roll = 12 (Miss).

Tentacle #7 fights Sage. Roll = 11. (Miss)

Tentacle #8 fights Sage. Roll = 6. (Hits) Damage = 5-1 = 4. Sage has 1 EN left!!

We made it! It almost got the Sage in the last round, but he just made it through!

A bubbling roar echoes through the ice. The monster has had enough. Spilling greasy black blood from numerous wounds, it pulls its remaining appendages back into the water. Under the sheet of ice on which you are standing, you see the eye blink once, inscrutably, then sink into the depths.

You walk on through the deepening shadows of night to the coast.

Normally, I leave some time for the Sage to heal......but he has only 1 END left and none to spare.

The shoreline of Wyrd is ringer by high splintered cliffs above a strand of gelid mud and shingle.

You look to the north. Across this benighted land you must travel, to the Palace of Eternal Dusk where the Warlock-King dwells. Doubtless he will prove a mighty foe, but you must defeat him in order to acquire the Blood Sword hilt.

If there is a Sage in the party, turn to 209. If not, turn to 534.

Yep, there's still one. He'll probably keel over if you poke him, but he's still standing at the moment.

SAGE:

Ironic that your quest should have brought you to a country called Wyrd, for it truly seems that you are now caught up in the grip of immutable destiny. You reflect on what you know of this strange kingdom. It is ruled by the Warlock-King (that much is common knowledge) from his Palace of Eternal Dusk. Krarthian manuscripts you have looked at place the start of his reign between four and six centuries ago. From various sources you have heard that he has the power to enter the dreams of his subjects. He soon learns, therefore, if anyone has done anything to harm or oppose him, and he can even reach out to kill his enemies in their sleep. Presumably that power works only upon the natives of Wyrd; outsiders like you should be immune - you hope.

The social order of Wyrd is strictly regimented. There is a soldier-caste, the Armigers. They must have lost their fighting edge somewhat by now, as the last historical reference to a war involving Wyrd dates back to the fall of Selentium. And the Warlock-King's rule ensures that his realm is never shaken by internal squabbles, of course.

The Solons are the receivers of the law. They oversee the administration of the country and instruct the people in the proper procedures of ceremony, for Wyrd is riddled with pomp and ritual pervading every aspect of daily life.

The peasants form the mass of the population, a population probably in the region of one or two million. Wyrd is not a land that could sustain a large society. The peasants must live in the most abject misery, worse even than the poverty of Krarth. The barren land resents their presence. From early dawn to long after dusk, they labour hard in the fields, pulling at hard roots that clog the soil.

The Seers are the only caste not restrained by the weight of tradition. They wander where they will, sleeping in the wildwood or at a peasant's hearth, ignoring the laws that the Solons apply with such diligence to everyone else. It is not clear why the Warlock-King should tolerate these curious figures - half prophet, half storyteller - who seem to make every effort to nurture a disrespect for his authority among the peasants. Possibly their dreams are beyond his authority?

One wonders if the Sage is currently mumbling all that exposition dump to his companions in a state of delirium while bleeding from his wounds and possibly using the recital to maintain his mental focus and keep himself from passing out.

You make your way inland, trekking north along the edge of a snow-clad valley. Far below, you can see the soft flickering glow of light from a village. A plume of hearth-smoke rises in the cold night air, making the outline of fir trees on the other side of the valley shimmer. Involuntarily, you start to make your way down towards the village, the thought of warmth and comfort calling to you. Then another thought stops you dead in your tracks. Would the villagers welcome strangers from another land?

If you go down to the village, turn to 517. If you pass it by, turn to 81.

Visit the village?

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: 11/17
Damage: 1 Die+2

Items:
1 Enchanted Sword (+1 FP)
2 Chainmail armour (Armour Rating three)
3 Money pouch (98 gold pieces)
4 Gloves
5 Blood Sword Scabbard
6 Bedroll
7 Shielding Charm (+1 AR)
8 Silver crucifix (with finger-bone of St Ashanax)
9 Fur Cloak
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: 10/19
Damage: 1 Die+1

Items:
1 Sword
2 Ringmail armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Golden Snuffbox
4 Iron rations (7 days)
5 Gloves
6 Bedroll
7 Harp
8 Silver Wolf's head clasp
9 Fur Cloak
10 Gilt-edged scroll
*11 Screebo the Raven

SAGE:

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

Battle Order: 3

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

Items:
1 Quarterstaff
2 Breastplate (Armour Rating one)
3 Fur Cloak
4 Bedroll
5 Magic Bow (Damage 1 Die+1)
6 Quiver (3 arrows)
7 Chequers board and pieces
8 Blue Crystal Eyes
9 Bottle of Grey Liquid
10 Gloves

ENCHANTER:

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

Battle Order: 4

Fighting Prowess: 0
Psychic Ability: 15 (+1 from Ring of Sorcery)
Awareness: 7
Endurance: 12/16
Damage: 1 Die

Items:
1 Brazier
2 Silver armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Bedroll
4 Magical Crust of Bread of Infinity
5 Fur Cloak
6 Money pouch (88 gold pieces)
7 Ring of Sorcery (+1 PA)
8 Gloves
9-10 Iron rations (14 days)

[Starmaker]

Visit the village.

[angelfromanotherpin]

Yes, make contact with the disgruntled underclass.

[SGamerz]

Passing between the black boles of a few scattered trees, you descend into the valley and wade through snow-drifts to the promontory where the village is situated. Overlooking a frozen pond and stream, it consists of a single large wooden hall with a peaked roof of thatch, surrounded by four or five small stone huts that are presumably for storage.

The smoke you saw is drifting up from a vent in the roof of the central building. You head towards it, shivering in a sudden merciless gust of wind. Inside, a dog starts barking. That tells them you're here, anyway, so you forget all notions of caution. You reach out and rap on the door.

It is opened and a lantern thrust out towards you. You cannot see the man holding it because of the sudden glare in your face. You shield your eyes. Aromas waft warmly out from the smoky interior of the hall - of stew, boiled meat and potato-spirit. Also the sweaty stench of men and animals.

'What is it you want?' demands the man at the door.

'Shelter, for one thing,' you reply. As your vision becomes accustomed to the light, you can make out the details of his face. A balding squint-eyed man, scrawny like a sick rooster. He looks old. In Wyrd, where a long life is a rare and not very desirable fate, that probably means he's about twenty-five.

'Who are you?' he says suspiciously. 'You're not from Wyrd, I can see that.' He pauses, then seems to make up his mind. He opens the door and steps back. 'Come in, come in.'

'And be quick about it!' snaps a toothless old man squatting by the fire. 'Once the cold gets in, it'll only go out again with the spring!' He cackles at this adage, then turns back to stare at the burning peat.

The hall is full of people and animals - mostly pigs, chickens and dogs, though you notice two scraggy cows pressed against the far wall. The whole village and all of their livestock must cram into this building for the winter. Following the man with the lantern, you press between them to the hearth. The meat you smelled cooking turns out to be a chicken. When she sees you looking at it, a woman by the fireside glares and clangs the lid down on the pot.

The man turns and invites you to sit on the rug beside him. He calls to a boy, who scurries over with wooden bowls filled with hot gruel. The man pours mugs of fresh water for you as you eat, and tells you about the village:

'My name is Shan'hans, and I am headman of this village. Normally we would not dare take in strangers, but the snow has cut us off from the major roads. We should not be seeing any lawgivers around here for a month or two.'

You take a swig of water. 'How does one get to the Palace of Eternal Dusk?' you ask Shan'hans.

He looks right into your eyes for a space of heartbeats, then turns and calls out to a gaggle of people on the other side of the hearth: 'Is the baby any better?'

One of the group - a tall, lank-limbed girl of about thirteen - gets to her feet and saunters over. You study the rest of the group. Several women crouch over a cot, their faces drawn with worry. 'No better,' says the girl quietly to Shan'hans. 'He will not survive the night, I'm afraid.'

Shan'hans shakes his head sorrowfully and looks at you. 'Boiling water was spilt over the baby this morning. He is terribly scalded.' His gaze falls to the floor. 'Death will be a mercy.'

If there is a Sage in the party who is willing to heal the child, turn to 5. If you can treat him with a potion of a salve of healing, cross one dose of this from your Character Sheet and turn to 564. If you cannot help, turn to 84.

Unfortunately, we used up all the salve.....

SAGE:

You go over and gently move the anxious women aside so that you can get a look at the baby. His skin is terribly raw and blistered, and he is too weak even to cry. In order to cure him, you must restore one Endurance point (the equivalent of only a flesh wound to you, but a grievous injury for a small baby). Attempt the healing in the usual way.

If you manage to give him back one Endurance point, turn to 222. If you cannot do that, turn to 84.

....and the Sage has no END to spare on healing....

Unless you guys want to risk using the Snuffbox.....or maybe one of the mysterious items looted from Augustus' castle on the Sage and hope that it's a healing item? If the Sage doesn't regain any END, we will not be able to help.

[Starmaker]

We need to save this damn baby. The book is supposed to be soloable, so that grey bottle Pepito carries might be healing.

[Darth Rabbitt]

No XP for killing that monstrosity, in ordinary combat no less? I figured this thing was like Skymir, and we got a bonus for killing the puzzle monster. Maybe we'll get it at the end of the adventure.

Pepito will stop grooving to the colors just long enough to drink the mysterious bottle. If he survives and gets any EP from the deal he'll then try healing the baby.

[SGamerz]

Determined to make an attempt at healing the infant at the possible cost of his own life, the Sage takes a drink of the mysterious grey liquid:

Make sure you have a note of the last entry you were reading.

You swig deeply from the flask in your hand. It fills you with renewed vigour. If you are wounded, you recover up to two Dice Endurance. (Your Endurance score will not go above its normal, unwounded value, of course.)

There is still enough left in the bottle for one more draught. You (or a companion) can drink this now or later for a further two Dice Endurance,

Now return to the entry you were reading before.

Just what he needs!

Dice roll: 4 END regained.

....could have gone better, but at least he has enough to attempt some healing.

He still doesn't have much to spare, but since the baby only need 1 END returned, I'll just have him spend this much:

Healing roll: (6-2) = 4 END regained.

Since the baby only needs 1, let's not waste the remaining: Sage is up to 7 END.

You touch the baby's brow and the scalded skin becomes firm and healthy once more. The women gasp in astonishment. The baby himself stares at you for a moment, then begins to cry loudly. His mother picks him up and begins to rock him gently, and he soon settles down to a contented gurgling.

'A miracle!' cries one of the women. 'Are you one of the gods?'

'Hardly,' you tell her, smiling. 'In other lands, some mortals can do things that you obviously consider miraculous. Are there no magic-users in Wyrd?'

Everyone in the room lapses into silence. 'Only the Warlock-King,' says one sullenly. They all begin to chatter to one another, trying to dispel their sombre thought of the evil monarch.

The baby's mother comes to you with tears filling her eyes. 'I can never repay you for what you've done,' she sobs. 'I own nothing in this world, but for a few rags and scraps. Take this old woollen cloak, please. And here is a jug of milk that I got from the cow this afternoon. Apart from these meagre gifts, I can give you only my thanks and good wishes.'

Note the cloak and the milk on your Character Sheet. You can drink the latter in place of one meal when the text says you should eat.

Everyone already has their own cloak, so we certainly don't need it. The milk isn't needed as a meal since we have the bread. Still, let me know if you want to take it. (The Warrior is the only one with a free equipment slot, but the Enchanter and Trickster still carry their expendable rations that they may drop if they wish).

'Now I know I was right to invite you in,' says Shan'hans with a smile as you rejoin him. 'By the way, I don't think I introduced Uraba ...'

You look at the lanky girl who is now sitting cross-legged beside him. She draws back the hood of her jerkin. Your surprise at her appearance does not go unnoticed; she smiles at Shan'hans, who guffaws loudly. You had expected an ordinary teenage girl, perhaps unusually precocious at most - but she looks nothing like that. Her head is shaved completely except for a long ponytail of yellow hair. A band of white paint runs across her eyes, and in the middle of her forehead there is a tattoo in the shape of an open circle. The most curious feature of all, and perhaps the most disconcerting, is her extraordinarily tranquil and self-assured expression.

'Uraba is a Seer,' explains Shan'hans, still chuckling.

'A Seer? But ... who would think? That is, Lady Uraba, you're very young ...' You are making yourself seem foolish. Some of the other villagers notice your embarrassment and also smile.

'I'm no great lady,' says Uraba, grinning. 'I was born in a hut pretty much like this one, actually. No need for grand titles; just call me Uraba.'

You chat for several hours with Shan'hans and Uraba. Most of the villagers seem reluctant to talk about the Warlock-King. Even Shan'hans, whom you can now see to be a fellow of strong moral fibre, shifts uneasily whenever you mention your quest. But Uraba the Seer is quite unlike the others. Irreverent and unafraid, she has her own names for the Warlock-King - 'Old Drybreath' and 'Stifle-Dreams' - and her attitude towards him seem to be one of scorn, even pity, rather than of fear.

At last it is time to go to sleep. 'Lie here by the fire,' says a woman whom you take to be Shan'hans's wife. 'Since a Seer is with us, the night will be free of bad dreams.'

You start to mull over her words as you settle down for the night. In the event, your sleep is free of dreams of any sort. You wake in the morning invigorated and alert. Each wounded player regains Endurance points equal to half his or her rank (rounding up), plus one Endurance for the nourishing pottage and garlic buns you are given for breakfast.

We are at rank 3, so everyone regains (2+1) 3 END.

It is time for you to be on your way. You thank Shan'hans and the villagers for their hospitality and bid them farewell. There is no sign of Uraba. You step out into the cold morning air and slowly trudge through the snow away from the village.

'Don't be in such a hurry to leave.'

You turn at the sound of this clear young voice. Uraba is sitting on a snow-sprinkled woodpile nearby. She wears only her thin hooded jerkin, seeming not to feel the cold.

You smile and walk over to where she is sitting. 'Thought you'd forgotten to say goodbye ...'

'No,' she replies. 'But we have to talk about something that the others might not understand. Have this ...' She hands you a small sack. Opening it, you see an iron bell. Uraba laughs at your puzzled expression. 'To ring out the old and ring in the new!' she declares, as though all is made clear by this cryptic remark.

'You're a Seer. What does that mean, exactly?'

She shrugs. 'I glimpse the future, perhaps. Maybe I just tell people what they already know. I can't really say for sure. You, for instance - I can see that you're not destined to kill the Warlock-King. Oh, you may kill him or you may not, but you're not destined to. You have a greater destiny than that, and the Warlock-King just happens to be an obstacle in your path.'

'And what is this "greater destiny", exactly?'

'You're asking a Seer to be exact? I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound cryptic and ever-so-wise, but the future just doesn't allow for certainty. Your destiny is to stop the five last True Magi from returning to Legend - Red Death, Blue Moon and those others. To do this you need to reconstruct the Blade of Life, the weapon that people now know as the Blood Sword. The Warlock-King has the hilt, and that's why you've come to Wyrd to kill him.'

'Originally, perhaps,' you say, nodding. 'But seeing the misery here, the way these people suffer - that's as good a reason to rid them of his evil.'

'Good and evil are like the white and black counters in a game of chequers,' says Uraba. 'Long ago a man - a visionary - used the power of imagination to transform Wyrd into a land of ease and pleasure. The people in those days didn't toil their way through short and miserable lives. All took their fill from the cornucopia. Time wore on without season or death. The land was a changeless thing - a paradise indeed, but a paradise is an inhuman place. Man cannot endure heaven any more than he can hell.'

'So what happened?' you ask, when you realise she is not going to say more.

'This. Dreams have become sere and sour, the land choked by endless grey. The Warlock-King has closed himself off from the fount of existence, and his heart has become dull and hard. He holds Wyrd in a withered grip, like a dead flower pressed in a book ...'

'And you say he's not evil?'

She sighs and gazes bleakly to the north. 'Forget good and evil. Just destroy him if you can.' She looks back at you. 'I can look into the future for you, just one quick peek. I already know that to reach the Palace you must pass through the Forest of Thorns. The Elves will try to stop you, and in order to get past you must either fight them or beat their leader at a game of chequers. In the forest you will be pursued by the Frost Hounds. They are the Warlock-King's outer line of defence, the first elements of his dream magic to become aware of you. Beyond the Forest of Thorns you will come to the Palace - a dangerous journey, but not a long one: the Palace is located in a twilit world of dreams where earthly geography means nothing. But before you can enter you will have to face Gristun, a monstrous ghoul who guards the three Palace gates.

'Now, I can answer only one question for you. Which will it be:

"How can the Elf-Lord be beaten at chequers?",
"How may the Frost Hounds be avoided?" or
"What is the best way to get into the Palace?".'

Ok, we need another equipment space for the Iron Bell. Let me know whether you want to drop anything if you want to take the milk as well (if you don't take the milk, then the Warrior has the free equipment slot to take the bell).

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 Enchanted Sword (+1 FP)
2 Chainmail armour (Armour Rating three)
3 Money pouch (98 gold pieces)
4 Gloves
5 Blood Sword Scabbard
6 Bedroll
7 Shielding Charm (+1 AR)
8 Silver crucifix (with finger-bone of St Ashanax)
9 Fur Cloak
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: 13/19
Damage: 1 Die+1

Items:
1 Sword
2 Ringmail armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Golden Snuffbox
4 Iron rations (7 days)
5 Gloves
6 Bedroll
7 Harp
8 Silver Wolf's head clasp
9 Fur Cloak
10 Gilt-edged scroll
*11 Screebo the Raven

SAGE:

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

Battle Order: 3

Fighting Prowess: 7
Psychic Ability: 7
Awareness: 6
Endurance: 10/16
Damage: 1 Die+1

Items:
1 Quarterstaff
2 Breastplate (Armour Rating one)
3 Fur Cloak
4 Bedroll
5 Magic Bow (Damage 1 Die+1)
6 Quiver (3 arrows)
7 Chequers board and pieces
8 Blue Crystal Eyes
9 Healing Draught (1 dose, regains 2d6 END)
10 Gloves

ENCHANTER:

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

Battle Order: 4

Fighting Prowess: 0
Psychic Ability: 15 (+1 from Ring of Sorcery)
Awareness: 7
Endurance: 15/16
Damage: 1 Die

Items:
1 Brazier
2 Silver armour (Armour Rating two)
3 Bedroll
4 Magical Crust of Bread of Infinity
5 Fur Cloak
6 Money pouch (88 gold pieces)
7 Ring of Sorcery (+1 PA)
8 Gloves
9-10 Iron rations (14 days)

[Starmaker]

'A miracle!' cries one of the women. 'Are you one of the gods?'

'Hardly,' you tell her, smiling.

Protip: if you're asked whether you're a god, always say yes.

Ask about the Elf-Lord. Also, I drop the food to get the milk.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Pepito has a checkerboard, so we might as well ask on tips as to how to use it best.

[angelfromanotherpin]

I'll lug the bell. Elf-lords have a well-known weakness to both iron and the sound of bells.

[SGamerz]

'A wise question,' she says. 'You deal with your problems in the order they arise.' She squints into the distance, seeming to look at a ridge of snow-covered pines, but focusing in fact on the events that lie in your future.

'This is not easy . . .' she announces at last. 'The Elves will use any means to win, even casting illusions over the playing-pieces to make you think you have lost. The best solution is this: advance your pieces across the board in a regular formation. The Elves cannot easily use their illusion-magic then, as you would notice at once if they made any of your pieces seem to be where it was not.'

You thank Uraba for her help and bid her farewell. Make sure you have made a note of the iron bell she gave you, then turn to 520.

The Warrior already picked up the bell.

You head north under a sky laden with snow. Wherever you can, you walk in the shelter of pine trees, for the arctic wind whistles around you and stings your skin. Each exhalation freezes into crystals of ice, a fine white flurry of snow-dust on the breeze.

Snow is falling thickly by mid-afternoon, when you approach a forest of tangled black thorns. A path of sorts lies through the briars ahead of you, but as you trudge towards it a group of tall figures dressed in grey and green emerges. They carry longbows and slim silver swords.

The leader of these Elves steps forwards to face you, meeting your defiant gaze with his cold green eyes. Then he speaks: 'Now wild weather of the world awakes throughout this land. Clouds cast keenly their cold upon the earth, with great gusts from the north to shiver the flesh. The blizzard bears down upon all living things; the whistling wind whips from the fells, filling every dale full of deep drifts.'

He pauses, still holding you in the soulless scrutiny of his pale eyes. 'The way ahead is ours, and the toll we exact is mortal blood. We shall deny you these woods. Avaunt! Follow your own tracks back through the snow. You shall not pass.'

Typical Elf - says everything three times over. You stare back at him and consider your next move.

Will you suggest a game of chequers to decide the issue? If so, turn to 361. If you would prefer to fight them, turn to 425.

We did ask the Seer about beating them at chequers, might as well put it to use....

Do you have the board and pieces for chequers? If so, turn to 384. If not, turn to 99.

Yep, how convenient!

The Elf-Lord is tempted by your suggestion. Like most creatures of faerie, Elves are fascinated by games and conundrums. The other Elves lower their bows and peer at the board as you quickly set up the pieces.

The Elf-Lord sits down in the snow and turns the board. 'Yours shall be the black pieces,' he says. 'I take the white.'

You grunt non-committally. Choice of colour is his prerogative as the challenged player, after all. He waits for you to sit opposite him, then makes his first move.

Decide who is playing against him. If it is a Trickster who wishes to try cheating, turn to 296. If you decide to play the game fairly (only a Trickster has the option to cheat!), turn to 546.

Does the Trickster want to try cheating?

[Starmaker]

Nope, we already spent a question on securing victory, no reason to risk getting caught.