[LP] DestinyQuest 2: The Heart of Fire

[Omegonthesane]

Half a vote to buy the cloak of the undying, because strict across-the-board upgrades are good.

Then orange quest.

[SGamerz]

Sure, get the cloak, then orange quest.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Quest: The rune forge

(NOTE: You must have completed the green quest The bridge of screams before you can start this challenge.)
You hurry across the magma lake, hopping from one island to the next. The dwarven forge looms tantalizingly close, rising up on a wedge-shaped plateau of crumbling rock. Its center-piece is the black anvil, its shoulder and heel picked out by the flickering light from its runes. Next to it, a blazing hearth casts towering shadows against the dark face of the mountain, its firepot rattling and shaking as if alive. Occasionally, molten fire spills over the cauldron's rim, spattering the black rock with golden droplets of lava.
'Over here!' Virgil sweeps ahead of you, his scorched coat-tails flapping against his boots. He veers to the left, leading the way along a serpentine outcropping. It winds past the lip of the plateau, leading you round to a series of jagged sills that form a natural staircase up to the forge. At the foot of the stairs you can see a group of fiery sprites dancing and cajoling around a circle of smoking rubble. There are five of them, their scrawny humanoid bodies made entirely of flame.
Sensing your approach, the sprites scramble together like a pack of startled animals, their blazing heads twitching nervously from side-to-side. Behind them, a larger creature sits crouched atop a ruined column. It shares the same devilish appearance as the other creatures, but is broader of shoulder, its head crowned by a ring of forked flame.
Undaunted, Virgil fires his guns into the group. The sprites scatter, screeching and hollering. One is caught by a glowing bullet, its body exploding into wisps of smoke. The rest make for the stone stairs, running on all fours.
The crowned leader clenches his fists, spitting a furious stream of embers. 'Back, go back. We are the masters here, mortal!'
Virgil swaps guns for swords as he strides towards it.
'Leave this place,' he commands. 'Or be purged by the holy fire of the One God!'
The witchfinder crosses his swords, making the sign of a crucifix. The carved inscriptions across each blade flare with a cold white light.
The larger sprite answers with another snarl, before leaping down from its perch and racing after its fleeing companions. When you catch up with Virgil, the witchfinder has lowered his weapons, a thoughtful frown knitting his brow.
'They must have been rune spirits, bound to the forge,' he grunts. 'Somehow, it must have become damaged—weakened. They've managed to free themselves.'
'Then it's high time they learnt their place.' You start towards the stairs, but Virgil slaps your arm with one of his blades, its cold sting bringing you up short.
'Wait. That larger demon is powerful. I'd advise we proceed with caution.' He turns from the stairs and points to a section of the ridged wall, where some alien-looking contraption has been built into the rock. One half is made up of a series of pulleys and chains, mounted into carved channels; the other is a confusing maze of pipes, their loose couplings leaking geysers of whistling steam into the smoky air. 'We could work on disabling the forge,' states Virgil, sheathing his blades and extinguishing the light. 'Just a temporary measure—but might help even the odds. What do you say, fancy getting your hands dirty?'

Will you:
Examine the pulleys and chains?
Examine the network of pipes?
Head up the stairs to the forge?

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +15, Brawn: +14, Magic: +0, Armor: +3
Health: 48

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Health	Ability
Head	Troll Tusks	+2			+2		Charge
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1					Rust
Cloak	Cloak of the Undying	+2				+3	Greater Heal
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3				Piercing, Bleed
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3				Convulsions
Gloves	Prickle Pair	+1	+2				Barbs
Chest	Brace of Fury	+2	+3				Critical Strike
Feet	Death Blades	+2	+3				Fatal Blow
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1					Venommancer, Heal
Ring 1	Pins 'N' Needles						Thorns
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1		Fire Aura, Charm

Backpack	Item
1	Flask of Healing
2	Onyx Blade
3	Elixir of Swiftness
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Locker	Item
1	Dreamcatcher
2	Spider Grips
3	Monarch Viper
4	Untamed Will

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
prevail
blood debt
tower
Ghiera's paw
Kaala's fang
Anansi's eye
Broken trust
Money Pouch: 441 Crowns

[Omegonthesane]

Head up the stairs to the forge, because Virgil is telling us to delay and fuck Virgil.

[SGamerz]

None of the quests have a time limit counter thus far so I don't think there's any harm in some delay.

Check the pipes.

[Darth Rabbitt]

We can head up the stairs after checking the pipes, so I'll go with checking them:

The pipes branch and interlace, forming a convoluted network of conduits stretching the full height of the rock wall. They appear to be carrying super-heated air from a duct in the ground to a similar pipe attached to the forge bellows. On various sections of the piping, wheels have been attached to the couplings to allow the pipes to be turned, altering or cutting off the flow of air.
'These help to heat the forge,' says Virgil, wiping the sweat and grime from his brow. 'Anything we can do to lower the temperature will make it harder for those demons to heal.'

Will you:
Attempt to shut off air to the bellows?
Examine the cogs and pulleys?
Head up the stairs to the forge?

[Whiysper]

I mean, OK, fuck Virgil, but removing enemy regen does sort of make sense . Half a vote to try and shut off air to the bellows.

[SGamerz]

Too much hot air here. Granted some of that came from Virgil, but we don't have the choice to shut him, so shut off the bellows to make thing s more comfortable.

[Darth Rabbitt]

The steam is flowing from one end of the pipes to the other. Your goal is to sop the air from reaching the outlet, which feeds the bellows. In order to achieve this, you can turn any two of the dark-colored pipe tiles clockwise by 90 degrees. By turning two of the tiles, it is possible to stop any of the steam reaching the outlet.

Each tile has a numbered reference. The rows number give a tens value and the column numbers give a units value. For example, the first dark tile on the top row would be represented by the number 12. The dark tile on the second row would be 24. Decide which two tiles you need to turn, then add together their two numbers. This is your answer. Turn to the paragraph number that matches your total to see if you were correct.
If you are unable to solve the puzzle, then you have no chance but to leave the pipes and concentrate your efforts elsewhere. You may examine the cogs and pulleys, if you haven't already, or head up the stairs to the forge.

Any guesses as to the number?

[Whiysper]

32+65=97 - so long as the outward arrow on 6-4 is the out-valve, that should block it.

[Darth Rabbitt]

The steam escapes in hissing geysers from the newly-opened pipes. Virgil flashes you a gold-toothed smile. 'And here was me thinking you was all hot air...'
Congratulations, you have solved the puzzle and improved your chances of defeating the fire sprites! Make a note of the keyword wind breaker on your hero sheet and the number 350. You may now examine the cogs and pulleys, if you haven't already, or head up the stairs to the forge.

One God damn it, Virgil. SGamerz already made that joke.

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +15, Brawn: +14, Magic: +0, Armor: +3
Health: 48

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Health	Ability
Head	Troll Tusks	+2			+2		Charge
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1					Rust
Cloak	Cloak of the Undying	+2				+3	Greater Heal
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3				Piercing, Bleed
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3				Convulsions
Gloves	Prickle Pair	+1	+2				Barbs
Chest	Brace of Fury	+2	+3				Critical Strike
Feet	Death Blades	+2	+3				Fatal Blow
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1					Venommancer, Heal
Ring 1	Pins 'N' Needles						Thorns
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1		Fire Aura, Charm

Backpack	Item
1	Flask of Healing
2	Onyx Blade
3	Elixir of Swiftness
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Locker	Item
1	Dreamcatcher
2	Spider Grips
3	Monarch Viper
4	Untamed Will

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
prevail
blood debt
tower
Ghiera's paw
Kaala's fang
Anansi's eye
Broken trust
Wind breaker (350)
Money Pouch: 441 Crowns

[Whiysper]

Facepalm-worthy humour from the incoherently-characterised Witch-hunter? Who'd have thunk it.

Not that I dislike Virgil. I just wish they'd use him more as a character and less as a mouthpiece. Given we've dallied this long, check the cogs and pulleys.

[Darth Rabbitt]

'This is the work of elves, not dwarves,' says Virgil, lifting up a loose cog from the ground and brushing the dust from its surface. 'Fascinating. Avian would have liked to have seen this.'
'Elves?' you frown. 'How is that possible?'
The witchfinder shrugs. 'The shroud here is thin, riven. The elven navigators could travel through it—perhaps one of their number ended up here after the city was deserted. Access to a rune forge would have been a great boon for them—particularly in their fight against the legion.' He follows the system of cogs to a row of metal levers that appear to operate a switch mechanism.
'The lava is feeding the forge fires, look.' He leans back, pointing to the rivers of molten rock, bubbling sluggishly along their grooved channels. 'If we close them off, we can lower the heat.'
For a moment, you struggle to grasp his meaning, then you spot the stone plugs, hanging over each of the outlets. You assume they can be lowered, to shut off each individual flow of lava.
'The sprites will use the forge to heal,' says Virgil. 'I suggest we give them a little surprise.'

Will you:
Attempt to close the outlets?
Examine the pipes? (done it already)
Head up the stairs to the forge?

[Omegonthesane]

Close the outlets I guess.

[Darth Rabbitt]

You study the complex arrangement of cogs. The system is operated by a handle, attached to a small cog on the left of the contraption. You give it a tentative push, watching as the chain of cogs starts to turn, groaning and creaking as the grime-covered teeth scrape against each other. Several cogs have come loose from the wall. Virgil places them back into the chain, looking less than certain over his choice of positioning. He stands back, scratching at his scarred cheek. 'Hope you understand this better than I do. Makes my head spin...'
To stop the lava reaching the forge, you must now solve the following puzzle:

The handle turns the first cog anti-clockwise (top left of diagram). Follow the three pathways of cogs to determine the direction the final switch/cog of each path will turn—clockwise (down arrow) or anti-clockwise (up arrow.)
If a final switch moves down, you must count up the total number of clockwise cogs that are used in the chain, to make that switch turn. If the final switch moves up, you must count the total number of anti-clockwise cogs that are used in the chain, to make that switch turn. This will give you three numbers, one for each switch. Put them in order, from top switch to bottom switch, to arrive at a three figure number. This is your answer. Then turn to the paragraph number that matches your answer to see if you were correct. (For example, if you had 3 for the first switch, 6 for the second, and 8 for the third, you would turn to 368.)
If you are unable to solve the puzzle, then you can have no choice but to leave the cogs and concentrate your efforts elsewhere. You may now examine the pipes, if you haven't already (we have) or head up the stairs to the forge.

Any guesses for this one?

ed: added in missing sentence.

[angelfromanotherpin]

I assume that if the switch goes up we count the counterclockwise cogs?

Top: Down, 5 clockwise cogs.
Middle: Down, 6 clockwise cogs.
Bottom: Up, 7 counterclockwise cogs.

So, 567?

[Darth Rabbitt]

I assume that if the switch goes up we count the counterclockwise cogs?

Yes. I somehow missed that sentence. Just edited it in.

So, 567?

The stone plug slides down over the outlets of lava, cutting off their flow to the forge. Virgil nods his head with approval. 'Our hot-tempered friends aren't going to like that...'
Congratulations, you have solved the puzzle and improved your chances of defeating the fire sprites! Make a note of the keyword fire quencher on your hero sheet and the number 350.

All we can do now is head up to the forge:
Virgil leads the way, taking the stairs two at a time. As the forge comes into view, you see the sprites gathered around a circular hearth, its flames heating the underside of an immense black cauldron. The pot jumps and lurches in an effort to free itself from the flames, the iron chains that bind it rattling and clinking with each sudden movement.
The larger guardian points a glowing finger in your direction, hissing something to its fellow sprites. They respond instantly by charging forward, their thin bodies blazing with fury. While its minions move to attack, the larger sprite turns and dives into the cauldron, sending waves of molten liquid lapping over its sides.
'We must hurry!' gasps Virgil, drawing his pistols. 'Their leader will grow more powerful the longer we delay!
You must defeat the four deadly sprites before you can take on their leader. (Keep a record of the number of combat rounds it takes you to complete this combat.) It is time to fight:

	Speed	Magic	Armor	Health
Fire sprite	11	6	4	40 30
Fire sprite	11	6	4	40 30
Fire sprite	11	6	4	40 30
Fire sprite	11	6	4	40 30

Special abilities
Blistering heat: At the end of every combat round, each surviving sprite automatically inflicts 1 damage, ignoring armor. If you have the fire shield ability you can ignore this damage.
Fan the flames: When a sprite is reduced to 20 health or less it immediately returns to the cauldron to regain its strength (unless its health is zero). Roll a die:
[1] or [2] The sprite regains 10 health and increases its magic by 3.
[3] or [4] The sprite regains 5 health.
[5] or [6] The sprite increases its magic by 3.
Each sprite can visit the forge only once.
Body of flame: The sprites are immune to backdraft, fire aura, sear and searing mantle.
Forge master: If you have the word fire quencher on your hero sheet, the fire sprites start with 30 health instead of 40. If you have the word wind breaker on your hero sheet, you can add 2 to the result of the fan the flames ability (the maximum result being 6).

In this combat, choose one of the sprites to attack. If you win the combat round, you must strike against your chosen sprite (or multiple sprites if you have an ability that lets you do so). If you lose the combat, your chosen sprite will strike against you as a single opponent.

Even without solving the puzzles this wouldn't have been too tough. Having solved both it's a joke.
*Snake strike* Sprite A takes 4 damage (critical strike'd, 12 damage) and is afflicted with bleed and convulsions. It's at 17. *Fan the flames* 6, its magic increases by 3 and is now at 9.
Round 1: Patio 5+15+2 (charge'd) (charm'd, 10+15+2), Sprites 11+11. Attacking Sprite A. Damage 1+14-4=11, Sprite A is at 6. *DoTs* It's at 3, others are all at 28, Patio is at 44.
Round 2: Patio 11+15, Sprites 8+11. Attacking Sprite B. Damage 2+14-0 (piercing'd)=16, Sprite B is at 12. *Fan the flames* 4, Sprite B is at 17. *DoTs* It's at 14, Sprite A is dead, C and D are at 26, Patio is at 40. Greater heal'd, Patio is at 48.
Round 3: Patio 2+15 (demon claws'd, Sprite B is at 10), Sprites 8+11. (Prophecy'd, no damage.) *DoTs* Sprite B is at 7, C and D are at 24, Patio is at 45.
Round 4: Patio 9+15, Sprites 9+11. Damage 6+14-4=16, Sprite B is dead. *DoTs* Patio is at 43, Sprites C and D are at 22.
Round 5: Patio 9+15, Sprites 10+11. Attacking Sprite C. Damage 2+14-4=12, Sprite C is at 10. *Fan the flames* 3, it's at 15. *DoTs* It's at 12, Sprite D is at 20, Patio is at 41. *Fan the flames* 5, Sprite D's magic is at 9.
Round 6: Patio 6+15, Sprites 4+11. Damage 5+14-4=15, Sprite C is dead. *DoTs* Sprite D is at 18, Patio is at 40. Heal'd, Patio is at 44.
Round 7: Patio 6+15 (demon claws'd, Sprite D is at 14), Sprite D 7+11. Damage 3+14-2 (fatal blow'd)=15, the sprites are defeated!

The last sprite is extinguished in a cloud of fizzing steam. Victorious, you advance towards the cauldron, its runed pot still shaking and bucking with violent force. Suddenly its blazing contents erupt into the air, forming a cascading column of molten fire. It sweeps up high into the shimmering haze, then comes crashing down like an angry wave. You dive for cover, shielding your face, as the sizzling droplets coalesce into an immense giant of flame, its head crowned with spines of rippling smoke.
The fiend reaches for a black-iron hammer, resting next to the hearth. With its other hand, it grabs the black anvil and rips it from its foundations. Stone and dust cascade from its underside, as the giant lifts its newfound weapons into the smoky air.
Virgil fires his pistols. The giant twists around, deflecting the shots with the iron anvil.
'It's using the anvil as a shield!' shouts Virgil, springing back as the hammer comes crashing down.
You roll under the next swing, getting as close to the fined as you dare. Its body is a raging bonfire, scorching your scaled skin and filling your lungs with blistering-hot smoke. Virgil staggers back, the heat too much for him to bear.
'Burn!' snarls the demon. 'Your mortal flesh will feed my forge!'
The demon raises its hammer once again. With an answering roar of your own, you hurl your weapons and magic snake against its blazing form. It is time to fight:

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Chard	12	(*)	8/16	60*
Anvil	-	-	16	20

Special abilities
Whirling hammer: If Chard wins a combat round, he rolls 3 damage dice for his total damage score. You may use armor as normal to absorb this damage.
Anvil shield: Chard is using the anvil as a shield. While the anvil has health, Chard has an armor of 16. If the anvil is disabled (by reducing it to zero health), then Chard's armor is reduced to 8.
Blazing inferno: For each combat round that you spent fighting the sprites, Chard may add 2 to its starting health.
Body of flame: Chard is immune to backdraft, fire aura, sear and searing mantle.
Dwarven stone: The anvil is immune to all combat abilities and passive effects, including bleed, thorns, piercing, and snake strike.

In this combat, you roll against Chard's speed. If you win a combat round, you can choose to apply your damage to Chard or the anvil. Once Chard is reduced to zero health, the combat is automatically won.

Finally, an enemy immune to our Snake to the Face™. Unfortunately for Chard, we can just chuck our snake at the demon and still get that sweet, sweet poison into its system. I'm not even going to bother trying to break the anvil when we need to roll at least a 3 to even deal 1 damage to it.
*Blazing inferno* 7x2=14, Chard's starting health is 74. *Snake strike* Chard takes 9 damage and is afflicted with convulsions and bleed. It's at 65.
Round 1: Patio 5+15+2 (charge'd), Chard 7+12. Damage 2+14-0 (piercing'd)=16, Chard is at 49. *DoTs* It's at 46.
Round 2: Patio 2+15 (demon claws'd, Chard is at 45, charm'd, 6+15) Chard 7+12. Damage 6+14-8 (fatal blow'd)=12, Chard is at 33. *DoTs* It's at 30.
Round 3: Patio 2+15 (demon claws'd, Chard is at 26), Chard 6+12. Prophecy'd, no damage. *DoTs* Chard is at 23.
Round 4: Patio 5+15, Chard 5+12. Damage 3+14-16=1, Chard is at 22. (Rust'd, its armor is at 14.) *DoTs* It's at 19.
Round 5: Patio 11+15, Chard 7+12. Blessed bullets'd, broken trust'd, 5, ability fails. Damage 1 (critical strike'd, 6)+14-14=6, Chard is at 13. *DoTs* It's at 10.
Round 6: Patio 4+15 (demon claws'd, Chard is at 6), Chard 3+12. Blessed bullets'd, broken trust'd, 4, ability fails. Damage 2+14-14=2, Chard is at 4. *DoTs* It's at 1.
Round 7: Patio 8+15, Chard 7+12. Damage 3+14-14=3, Chard is dead.

Flawless. Patio continues to win with the patented Snake to the Face™, and Virgil continues to be useless.

You drive your weapons into the demon's chest, watching as its immense form unravels into ribbons of black smoke. They dissipate on the air, leaving the hammer and the anvil to slam back to the ground, sending a cloud of dust billowing across the forge.
Virgil waves a hand in front of his face, choking and coughing through the smoke. 'Looks like that's the end of it.' He walks over to the anvil, moving his hand over its runed face. 'And no harm done.' He turns and glances towards the cauldron. It now rests silently atop the glowing hearth, contents steaming. 'The forge is ours, my friend.'
You are only half-listening, your attention having wandered to the charred skeleton lying spread-eagled next to the bellows. Its bones are black as coal, its clothing nothing more than tattered scraps of twisted metal. The proportions seem more human than dwarf.
'As I suspected,' says Virgil, frowning down at the corpse. 'An elf. Guess he thought he could master the forge—and got a nasty surprise. If you can't handle the heat...' He kneels inside the burnt remains, pulling the clothing apart to reveal a metal container clutched in the skeleton's hands. He pries it loose, turning it around to examine it in the flickering firelight. The container is shaped like a pyramid, with an odd array of dials and wheels imbedded on the underside. 'An elven lock.' He tosses it to you, wiping his hands on his coat. 'See if you can get it open—might be something inside.'
If you have the words fire quencher and wind breaker on your hero sheet, you will have an associated number for each. Total these numbers and turn to the corresponding entry number to unlock the container. (350+350=700.)

You twist the numbered dials, each one locking into place with an encouraging click. As the last dial catches on some hidden mechanism, the container starts to vibrate softly. Suddenly its pyramidal lid flips open, revealing a hollowed cavity. You tip the container over, letting its contents spill into your hand. As well as a few sparkling jewels and some gold (you have gained 100 gold crowns), you also discover a rune stone. You may now choose one of the following rewards:

Rune of meditation (special: rune) Use on any item to add the special ability channel (requirement: mage)
Rune of protection (special: rune) Use on any item to add the special ability iron will (mo: You may instantly increase your own or an ally’s armor score by 3 for one combat round. You can only use iron will once per combat.)
Rune of fortune (special: rune) Use on any item to add the special ability charm (mo: You may re-roll one of your hero’s dice any time during a combat. You must accept the result of the second roll. If you have multiple items with the charm ability, each one gives you a re-roll. Each charm can only be used once per combat.)

Pleased with your finds, you pocket the gold and jewels, before turning your attention back to the forge.

You can use the forge to craft your own magical items. For each item you wish to craft, you will need two reagents (listed below). If you have these reagents, you can make the associated item—however, each reagent can only be used once. When a reagent is used, it must be removed from your hero sheet. To craft an item, simply turn to the relevant entry number next to its description:

Reagent 1	Reagent 2	Item type (entry)
Onyx blade	Phoenix feather	sword (796)
Onyx blade	Golem core	dagger (536)
Runed rod	Energized crystal	staff (649)
Runed rod	Phoenix feather	wand (474)
Energized crystal	Phoenix feather	talisman (674)

You may return to the rune forge anytime between quests, to craft new items (make an note of this entry number on your hero sheet). You can craft as many items as you wish, providing you have the correct reagents.
Virgil folds his arms, shaking his head. 'I'll have no part of this. Rune crafting is dangerous, evil.' He averts his gaze, staring out across the shimmering lake of fire. 'But if it stops Cernos...sometimes the means justifies the end.'

With this quest now complete, you can return to the map to continue your adventure.

Pick a destination and a rune to proceed (and what item we want to put the rune on.) Grieving Soul has a Rune of Fortune on it and Kaala's Scale has a Rune of Healing on it. Any item can have up to 3 runes on it, so we can put whatever rune we pick on anything (except maybe another Rune of Fortune on Grieving Soul). The places we currently have access to are:

Blue quest (cave)
Legendary monster (lava island)
Legendary monster (ice bridge)
Legendary monster (stone tower)
Team battle
Boss monster

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +15, Brawn: +14, Magic: +0, Armor: +3
Health: 48

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Health	Ability
Head	Troll Tusks	+2			+2		Charge
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1					Rust
Cloak	Cloak of the Undying	+2				+3	Greater Heal
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3				Piercing, Bleed
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3				Convulsions
Gloves	Prickle Pair	+1	+2				Barbs
Chest	Brace of Fury	+2	+3				Critical Strike
Feet	Death Blades	+2	+3				Fatal Blow
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1					Venommancer, Heal
Ring 1	Pins 'N' Needles						Thorns
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1		Fire Aura, Charm

Backpack	Item
1	Flask of Healing
2	Onyx Blade
3	Elixir of Swiftness
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Locker	Item
1	Dreamcatcher
2	Spider Grips
3	Monarch Viper
4	Untamed Will

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
prevail
blood debt
tower
Ghiera's paw
Kaala's fang
Anansi's eye
Broken trust
Wind breaker (350)
fire quencher (350)
Rune forge at 755
Money Pouch: 541 Crowns

[Omegonthesane]

Stick a rune of fortune on Kaala's scale. Then blue quest. I think blue is easier than leggos.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Quest: The Black Library

(NOTE: You must have completed the orange quest The Abussos before you can access this location.)
You put your shoulder to the large bronze door, pushing against the rubble that has piled up behind it. Beyond, through the whirling dust, you glimpse broken statues and more debris. You step through the doorway, clambering over the loose mounds of rock. Virgil follows, the glow from his swords spilling out to illuminate the chamber. The atrium is high-ceilinged, its walls and vaulted roof carved with intricate scenes. In several places the carvings have melted, as if exposed to heat or some powerful magic, distorting the figures into unsettling demonic shapes.
The statues that litter the chamber all show dwarves, captured in various poses of pain and suffering. Titans, you quickly conclude—the dwarven warriors that could change their bodies to stone. Virgil walks over to one of the figures, standing at the head of the party. The portly warrior appears to be trying to pull a spear from his chest, the dark metal still lodged in the stone.
'The dwarves were fighting each other,' he states, running a finger along the shaft of the spear. 'This is runed metal.'
You notice some ragged clothing amongst the ashes, embroidered with silver runes. 'I thought their enemy was Barahar and his sword, not each other.' You pick up a dwarf helm, which has the blade of an axe lodged in its visor.
At the other side of the room, blocks of stone have been stacked together to form a makeshift barricade. Most of the stone has been scorched by magic or chipped by weapons. Beyond the barricade there is a passageway leading away into darkness. Its mouth is choked with broken stone. As you approach, you hear a bang and then a scuffling sound coming from the depths of the building. A series of wet-sounding hisses echo along the passage. They quickly grow in volume, headed in your direction.
'Looks like someone's home.' Virgil puts his back to the wall, swords raised to strike.
A moment later and a creature scampers up onto the rocks, its gruesome form illuminated by Virgil's blades. It has no skin, only muscle and sinew, glistening with a sheen of wet blood. The head is almost human, but instead of a mouth it has a trailing beard of tentacles, each one ending in a small mouth of snapping teeth.
As it stops to sniff the air, you see another pair of the creatures bounding along the passageway, running on all fours. Virgil is upon them in a flurry of slashing blades. 'Let the shroud take you, demons!'
Blood sprays from their wounds, but the demons show no sign of pain. Instead their tentacled-teeth latch onto the witchfinder, tearing at his clothing to get at the flesh beneath. You leap to his aid, slashing frantically through muscle and tendon throwing your snake at them in an effort to draw their attention. It is time to fight:

	Speed	Brawn	Armor	Health
Blood demons	13	11	10	100

Special abilities
Blood drinkers: If the demons roll a [6] for their damage score, then they automatically get to roll another die for damage. They also heal 4 health.
Blood rage: Once the demons are reduced to 40 health or less, they may raise their speed by 1 for the remainder of the combat.

So these guys actually get close to matching our speed. This should be interesting.
*Snake strike* Blood demons take 3 damage (critical strike'd, 12 damage) and are afflicted with bleed and convulsions. They're at 88.
Round 1: Patio 6+15+2 (charge'd, demon claws'd, demons are at 84), Demons 6+13. Damage 2+14-0 (piercing'd)=16, demons are at 68. *DoTs* They're at 64.
Round 2: Patio 10+15 (demon claws'd, demons are at 60), Demons 8+13. Damage 2+14-10=6, Demons are at 54. (rust'd, their armor is at 8.) *DoTs* They're at 50.
Round 3: Patio 5+15 (charm'd, 7+15), Demons 8+13. Damage 5+14-4 (fatal blow'd)=15, Demons are at 35. *DoTs* They're at 31. *Blood rage* Their speed is at 14.
Round 4: Patio 3+15 (charm'd, 7+15), Demons 5+14. Blessed bullets'd, broken trust'd, 4, ability fails. Damage 4+14-8=10, Demons are at 21. *DoTs* They're at 17.
Round 5: Patio 7+15, Demons 7+14. Blessed bullets'd, broken trust'd, 5, ability fails. Damage 6+14-8=12, Demons are at 5. *DoTs* They're at 1.
Round 6: Patio 4+15, Demons 10+14. (Prophecy'd, no damage.) *DoTs* They're dead.

You'd think Virgil would be more trustful when we're going out of our way to help him. He won't even shoot the demons we're trying to save him from.

You stand over the bloody remains of the three demons. Virgil picks up a piece of tattered cloth and uses it to clean the ichor off his blades. 'This does not bode well,' he sighs, glancing down at one of the bodies. 'Those demons are the result of a blood ritual—a sacrifice.'
'Why does that surprise you? Barahar would sure stoop to such evils.' You clamber over the rocks and enter the passageway. Your sharp sight adjusts to the darkness, revealing a tight corridor that continues for thirty meters then opens out into another chamber.
'I don't think it was Barahar,' says Virgil, hopping over the stones to join you. 'Blood rituals take time, preparation. Not his style.'
'The dwarves, then?' You glance back at the witchfinder, frowning. 'Perhaps that is why they were fighting each other—to stop the rituals.'
Virgil shrugs. 'When your people are dying, your homes under threat, fear is a breeding ground for weakness—and mistrust.' He lowers one of his swords to the rubble. The bright blade picks out the decapitated head of a stone titan, its mouth hanging open in a silent scream. 'I don't think Barahar is to blame for this—some group took it on themselves to try and save Tartarus, and were willing to resort to sacrifice and magic to achieve it.'
'We can't judge them for what happened here.' You remember the cursed Lamuri city, crawling with undead.
'I'm a witchfinder,' states Virgil coldly. 'It's my duty to judge.'
He slips past you, leading the way down the corridor. You follow, eyes roving over the melted carvings along the wall. They would have once shown scholars standing at lecterns, but now the stretched, distorted stone has made them look like tormented spirits, being sucked down into some dark abyss. Their hands reach skywards, begging for absolution.
You emerge in an octagonal chamber with corridors angling to the north and south. To the north the passage ends in an arched doorway, leading through to a room dominated by a strange-looking machine. To the south the walls are lined with stone shelves, neatly sacked with runed tablets and bound tomes.

Will you:
Take the north exit?
Take the south exit?

Name: Mr. Patio
Path: Rogue
Career: Venommancer
Speed: +15, Brawn: +14, Magic: +0, Armor: +3
Health: 48

Slot	Item	Speed	Brawn	Magic	Armor	Health	Ability
Head	Troll Tusks	+2			+2		Charge
Necklace	Corroded Pendant	+1					Rust
Cloak	Cloak of the Undying	+2				+3	Greater Heal
Main Hand	Ancestral Blade	+2	+3				Piercing, Bleed
Left Hand	Black Taipan	+2	+3				Convulsions
Gloves	Prickle Pair	+1	+2				Barbs
Chest	Brace of Fury	+2	+3				Critical Strike
Feet	Death Blades	+2	+3				Fatal Blow
Talisman	Kaala's Scale	+1					Venommancer, Heal, Charm
Ring 1	Pins 'N' Needles						Thorns
Ring 2	Grieving Soul				+1		Fire Aura, Charm

Backpack	Item
1	Flask of Healing
2	Onyx Blade
3	Elixir of Swiftness
4	Saint's Blessing
5	Rubrica's Cube

Locker	Item
1	Dreamcatcher
2	Spider Grips
3	Monarch Viper
4	Untamed Will

Prophecy
Demon claws
Demon spines
prevail
blood debt
tower
Ghiera's paw
Kaala's fang
Anansi's eye
Broken trust
Wind breaker (350)
fire quencher (350)
Rune forge at 755
Money Pouch: 541 Crowns

[SGamerz]

South to do some reading in we're in a Library quest.

[Whiysper]

seconded .

[Omegonthesane]

Thirded.

[Darth Rabbitt]

Between the high-stacked shelves you see a ghostly figure pacing back and forth. It is a dwarf, a braided beard hanging down over his pale robes. His body is almost completely translucent, its outline shimmering with a faint green light. He continues to pace, muttering to himself and wringing his hands in agitation. He shows no sign of having noticed you.

Will you:
Talk to the ghost?
Attack the ghost?
Ignore it and continue?

[SGamerz]

Talk to the dead.

[Omegonthesane]

Surely only good can come of discourse with the dead.