[Turn 4]
Wait for Two-Face and then continue to the hideout.
You and Two-Face meet up at the end of the trail. He doesn't display any sign of recognition of your order. He also doesn't seem to be even remotely willing to speak.
You reach the temple with no problem, entering it just in time to hear the same scream as Speedster did. [Roll for Control: 1] Two-Face rushes forward, his mind flaring up with a hunger many undead feel when they find out there's a living being near them, and disappears behind a corner in three huge leaps. You can't hold him with mental commands alone; whoever screamed down there in the basements will probably die as soon as Two-Face gets to them. Should you chase after Two-Face to try and stop him, or move at a leisurely pace and let your servant have his fun?
Put on new clothes and send Diego to help the assassin also cover Diego's head with something to hide any mark of twin suns membership.
[Diego: 5] Diego agrees to your request and puts the mask back on. He jumps out of the window onto another rooftop and lets his newfound agility carry himself to Umbrento's manor... with graciousness you wouldn't expect from a hunk of meat like himself. Judging from his current speed, Diego will be at the manor in no time.
After getting a new change of clothing, you took a dagger and a rapier out of your weapons' rack. Is there anything else you need before leaving for the temple?
Item Lost: Torn and Burnt Expensive Clothing
Item Got: Expensive Clothing
Item Got: Dagger
Item Got: Rapier(+0 to hit, 1d5+1 damage. Riposte: can counterattack if the enemy misses you in melee)
Be in a coma.
[Auto-success] [Luck: 2] You get a feeling that several undead beings are approaching you; you attribute it to the stake's influence, however, and don't waste your strength trying to contact their minds.
[Regeneration: 4] You restore 4 HP.
Kal smirked at the drunk.
"Hmph. Bold when you're in your cups. Any actions to back it up, though?
Tell you what, drunkard. Follow me outside and I'll let you exchange blows. Follow me to our headquarters and I'll give you an even stupider opportunity. If you're smart, you'll stay put and forget all about this."
With that, he walked out. If the drunk was smart, he'd stay there. If he was violent and too bold for his own good, he'd get an offer he'd probably regret taking. Kal figured he could use all the help he could get, but didn't particularly like the thought of dragging some braggart into a temple full of zealots.
[2 vs. 1] The drunkard looks at you for a second with his booze-clouded eyes, then gathers his wits for a reply: "
Yeah, right, so you and your self-righteous friends can ambush me in a dark alley. You'll have a better luck cleaning your priest's boots. Your new order thingamabobs won't work on me." He kicks back in his chair and orders another mug of ale, smug about his little victory in this dispute. You turn around and leave hastily before anyone else gets an idea to pick a fight with you; after you've made sure that the braggart didn't follow you, you go to the Twin Suns' temple.
[Search: 6] At the temple, you don't see or hear anything strange. You do, however, find a secret door in the wall behind the shrine, masked as a piece of wall with a torch set into it as a handle: swinging it open like a normal, albeit very heavy, door, you notice it is leading into a long and twisted corridor. You hear voices, clangs of metal and sounds of struggle coming from behind the door. Will you proceed?
Eldrin Faenir - Assassin
"Enough with this!" Eldrin drew back his daggers and weapons and spread his arms out wide, showing nothing but his own blood-covered fists.
"Face me like a real guard! Show me that you can bring me down without aid!"
Attempt to close the distance, then 'feed' the blood to the Elfin guard, using nothing but my bare hands. Covered with blood, that is.
Escape with the guard, if possible.
[Challenge: 4 vs. 2] The elf answers your challenge to a fist fight by setting down the bow and running at you, knuckles bared. That seems awfully self-confident for such a small creature...
[Unarmed: 5 vs. 2+1] [Damage: 4]
Overly self-confident, you could say. As soon as the elf gets into your range of attack, you strike fast and hard at their heart. Your palm crashes through the elf's puny scraps of a uniform, through their ribcage, two fingers piercing their heart. You hear the elf's voice the first time for this entire battle: it was thinner than that of a male, similar to a flute in timbre than a horn. So, that guard was a woman after all... It was unlikely that even Umbrento would hire a female guard - they often ruin the discipline in the barracks, after all - unless that guard was especially talented in some field. And hey, maybe she was - you never know how old an elf in front of you is!
But back to point. Once your fist breaks the elf's heart, your blood mixes with her blood, and in a moment, her eyes turn from pained and agitated to calm and indifferent, with these constantly dilated pupils that you saw in the Doctor's eyes and in your mirror every day. She's now a vampire, no doubt.
Guard Elf turned into: Vampire Elf, 15/15 HP, unarmed, +1 to Reflex, +1 to Speed.[First Impression: 1 vs. 6; Critical failure!] The elf smiles faintly as she gets a grip on your wounded shoulder and shakes it with exaggerated friendliness. "
You lead an interesting life, night creature. I feel so calm and painless even though I'm mortally wounded; after centuries of fighting worldly needs and struggling to live in your human muck, I find it... liberating. Nevertheless, it's clear you have done this with the purpose of making me your servant - and I will never give up my freedom again, no matter what else. Prepare to die."
[1+1 vs. 6; Critical miss!] [Critical Damage: 4*2] [Grapple: 6 vs. 1+1] The guard then crushes your shoulder in her hand and swipes at you with un-elfish strength, trying to rip your head off in one blow. She relies too much on the pain her shoulder-grip would cause you, however, and so you interrupt her hand's movement, snap it in three sharp movements and wrap it about her neck like a garrote. You then push the elf into a wall and pin her down, trying to win time to convince her about your good intentions.
[Elf's Common Sense: 6] The elf grudgingly submits... only so she can land a groin attack. [2+1 vs. 5] You let the attack connect on purpose, showing her that dirty fighting is useless against a vampire. The elf still struggles, but her anger seems to give in to the realization that she's outmached in this battle. Maybe she'll be willing to listen to reason
this time.
Umbrento's Manor Gates:Vampire Elf, 2/10 HP, unarmed. Pinned against a wall: can't do anything using hands, every incoming attack is an auto-hit.
Speedster: [3] You proceed into the basements and detect a strong smell of blood and fear somewhere down there. You try to track it down, but hear footsteps of something heavy sprinting like a lion chasing an antelope. You turn around... [Roll against Terror: 2] only to see
something that barely resembles a person, covered in boils and tumors, half its face a huge solid scar with bloodshot eyes, its steps - or, rather,
leaps - as wide as you are high. Your hands involuntarily relax and your staff clangs to the ground as the creature shoves you to the side with a guttural, raspy growl. It then continues sprinting down the corridor, its partly-torn ribcage spreading and contracting like whistling bellows of flesh and bone.
After taking a few moments to catch a breath and pick up your staff, you hesitatingly continue walking in that direction. You don't see neither the creature nor the one who had screamed yet, though. Will you keep going or try to escape the temple?
Player: Flintus
Name: Samuel Bel
HP: 18/20
Status: Comatose
Abilities:Eternal Leader: +1 to all leadership.
Dominate Will: can put mortals under your control.
Inventory:Punctured Noble's Dress
Advisor's Wig
Heavy Pouch of BlingPlayer: antlion12
Name: Augustine Volkar
HP: 20/20
Status: Full(2 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 two Shortswords(two hits, Strength-based -2 to hit, 1d6 damage) 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(1 turn left)
Abilities:Regenerator: restores 2 HP every turn. Restores full HP in Adrenaline Rush and when feeding.
Inventory:Torn and Bloodstained Performer's Suit
Well-Fitted Black Robe2 changes of Normal Clothing
Heavy ShortswordPouchStake-Arrow(coated with Survivalist's Blood)Player: ?
Name: ?
HP: 20/20
Status: Full(2 turns left)
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(5 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 Servant:Two-Face. +1 to Damage, +1 to Strength. Wields: Mace and Shield(+0 to hit, 1d6 damage, +1 to defense, negates armor)
Player: Tiruin
Name: Eldrin Faenir
HP: 20/20
Status: Full(2 turns left)
Abilities:Sneaky: +1 to stealth, stealing and lockpicking
Assassin: Stealth attacks always hit.
Inventory:Dual DaggersDwarven Crossbow2 Poison VialsGem of AnrathaFirestarting Kit2 Pouches(35 gold total)
An Unhealthy Covering of Assassin's Blood