Another revival. Hey, don't look at me: Irony forced me to do it! He used his Flagrarussian randomization algorithm, the sort that causes TPK even with perfectly good rolls. I'm afraid I need hostages in case he ever decides to unleash that horror again... and you're them.
[Turn 9]
Head deeper into the Temple for their Main Shrine. Lead the way and gesture at Amala where I'm headed. Which is obviously the catacombs.
As you take the armor out into the light, you notice it has an unusual design. The leggings have been taken out, replaced by a long laminar skirt split in the middle, and torso itself has no padding - only a cloth layer onto which the leather plates are sewn. It seems this model has been adopted for use with the robes that you see these Zealots wear.
[Roll against Blushing: 3] You hand the armor over to Amala, trying not to show your excitement when her hand accidentally touches yours: you have had enough embarassment for today. When she stops looking at you with these captivating, beautiful maroon eyes, you turn around, release the breath you've been holding and pick up the four bolts with Sun-Golden tips.
Added item: 4 Sun-Gold Bolts. Cause pain on hit; may get stuck in the target's body.
Amala proceeds to don the leather armor over her clothing and open the door to the Catacombs, entering it afterwards.
[Roll Against Blushing: 5] You put on the armor that Eldrin has so meekly given to you. [Know-How Bonus: 4] A quick glance reveals that it's been made specifically to fit onto the robes: aside from the obvious 'laminar skirt' part, you notice the a multitude of thick, closely-set straps running along the armor's arms.
After you try to move in the armor, you understand exactly why it was made like that: the enhanced strapping gave the wearer a degree of control in combat not even bare clothing could offer. That sort of agility would be useful in a fistfight.
Added: Zealot's Leather Armor(-1 to damage taken, fits only over Zealot's Robe, hand-to-hand combat now requires only a 3+ difference in rolls for a critical hit).
Xil composes himself, attempts to extract the slivers of metal from his person, and continues toward the shrine
[Regeneration: 4] [Extraction: 1] You fail to extract the sharp metal from your hand; in fact, your flesh closes right over the splinters as you drive them even deeper in.
[Roll against Unforeseen Consequences: 2] Your hand stops hurting, but now it itches. Awfully. It's almost as if there's a thousand tiny imps sitting in it scrubbing away at your bones.
Ah well, at least you can use both hands again.
Handful of Filings cured. Kind of.
Itch: appeared after a partially-succesful attempt to get tiny slivers of metal out of your skin, which has gotten them out of your skin and into your flesh. Currently located in the left hand.
Store my training rapier in my bag or belt and grab a Sun-Gold sword and the black mace. Wield black mace, stash sword. Continue to catacombs!
[Know-How Bonus: 2] The black mace feels heavy even from a vampire's point of view. The slick material of its head is as black as coal and oily to touch. It leaves black smudges on everything it touches, but seems to be in pristine condition even though the mace's handle is worn and battered.
You would have called forging the handle from steel 'excessive' if you didn't feel just how powerful that mace's strikes can be in the right hands. You fail to see any way to make these things work as good as they do in the Brutes' hands, though. They're just too clumsy for normal macefighting to work, and learning it by trial and method will take quite some time.
Added item: Black Mace. -1 Strength penalty to hit, 1d8 damage, enemy Rolls Against Wounds with a +1 modifier on every hit.
Added item: Sun-Gold Longsword. +0 to hit, 1d6+1 damage, causes pain on hit.
Move with others to the catacombs
Head down to the Catacombs, for loot and more undead minions
Go into the catacombs with the others.
There is a stairway downwards behind the northern door; Diego mentions that this stairway leads to the first level of the Catacombs, which house the zealots' barracks and an emergency cache of weapons.
You go down the stairway and find yourselves in a wide, short stone corridor. There are ten deep niches carved into the corridor's walls, a mattress in each one, but no humans.
You see an iron-wrought double door farther down the corridor; it's closed tightly, but you can hear growling from the other side.
There is also a trapdoor in the ceiling. It's almost human-sized, so one or you might squeeze through if they tried. There are no sounds coming from the trapdoor - not even the monotonous hum of flowing, pressurized liquids - but you don't know where it'll lead.
Samuel points out this trapdoor wasn't here before: it must be one of the newer additions.
Eldrin hears a voice in his head while he sizes up the trapdoor:
"
Champion, climb up. There's a hellish piece of machinery hidden behind that trapdoor; you will lose if you don't take control of it in due time."
The group is in Catacombs Lv. 1 now. Door allows an unlimited amount of people through; growling heard from the other side. Trapdoor lets through only one person a turn, allegedly empty, destination unknown.
Player: Flintus
Name: Samuel Bel
HP: 20/20
Status: Hungry(3 turns left)
Abilities:Eternal Leader: +1 to all leadership rolls.
Dominate Will: Can put mortals under his control.
Inventory:Punctured Noble's Dress
Advisor's Wig
Heavy Pouch of BlingMinion:Brainwashed Zealot: 7/12 HP, wielding
Sun-Gold Longsword, wearing Brain-Stained Robes.
Player: antlion12
Name: Augustine Volkar
HP: 20/20
Status: Full(4 turns left)
Abilities:Spin Doctor: +1 to persuasion and changing people's opinions. Can persuade other people even when under attack.
Inventory:Bank Account: 1200 gold.
PouchHandkerchief
Expensive Clothing
Map of Twin Suns' TempleDaggerRapierHenchman:Diego: 30/30 HP, wielding Black Warhammer(-2 Strength penalty to hit, 1d8+2 damage, -1 to enemy's Roll Against Wounds) and wearing a Plated Leather Armor(-2 to received damage). +2 to Strength. Cannot disobey you.
Player: IronyOwl
Name: Kal
HP: 20/20 HP
Status: Full(4 turns left)
Abilities:Regenerator: Restores 2 HP every turn. Restores full HP in Adrenaline Rush and when feeding.
Instinctive Deflection: +2 to defense against hot weapons.
Inventory:Torn and Bloodstained Performer's Suit
Well-Fitted Black Robe2 changes of Normal Clothing
Heavy ShortswordPouchStake-Arrow(coated with Survivalist's Blood)Sun-Gold Training RapierBlack MaceSun-Gold LongswordPlayer: agentorangesoda
Name: Xil Valcenti
HP: 20/20
Status: Full(1 turns left), Itch(Appeared after a partially-succesful attempt to get tiny slivers of metal out of your skin. Currently located in the left hand).
Abilities:Blinding Speed: Gets +2 to hit and to all actions relying on speed.
Inventory:QuarterstaffAdventurer's Leather ArmorPouchPlayer: empfan
Name: Antora Darklance
HP: 20/20
Status: Hungry(6 turns left)
Abilities:Necromancer: Can raise dead.
Inventory:A Bottle of Dwarven Wine
CrossbowSecrets of Life and Death: The Book(authored by Antora Darklance)
Undead Servants:Two-Face: 20/20 HP, +1 to Damage, +1 to Strength. Wields: Mace and Shield(+0 to hit, 1d6 damage, +1 to defense, negates 2 points of armor)
Weak Zombie: 10/10 HP, -1 to Strength. Wields: Sun-Gold Longsword(+0 to hit, 1d6+1 damage, causes pain on hit)
Player: Tiruin
Name: Eldrin Faenir
HP: 20/20
Status: Full(5 turns left)
Abilities:Sneaky: +1 to stealth, stealing and lockpicking
Assassin: Stealth attacks always hit.
Shadow Vision: Hiding is a free action.
Inventory:Dual DaggersDwarven Crossbow2 Poison VialsFirestarting Kit3 Pouches(235 gold total)
Ring of Anratha4
Sun-Gold BoltsPlayer: Caellath
Name: Amala Sungleam the Bringer of Silence
HP: 15/15
Status: Full(2 turns left)
Abilities:Two-Legged Predator: -2 to enemy's Roll Against Instant Death. Critical hits cause triple damage.
Inventory:Elven BowSpiked KnuckledustersTorn Guardswoman's UniformCloakBloodstained Zealot's RobeZealot's Leather Armor
Everyone in the Group: Tier 2, Common Goal(Can Defend, Can Apply Non-Combat Teamwork)
Amala and Eldrin: Tier 3, Unresolved Sexual Tension(Can Attack Together)
Diego to Augustine: Tier 3, Willing Slave(Cannot Disobey Orders, Defends Augustine if Endangered, Can Attack Together With Augustine)
Two-Face to Antora: Tier 3, Undead Servant(Cannot Disobey Orders, Defends Antora if Endangered, Can Attack Together With Antora)
Brainwashed Zealot to Samuel: Tier 3, Blindly Obedient(Cannot Disobey Orders, Will Defend Anyone, Can Attack Together With Samuel)