You could also interpret this style of updating as stalling until Lawas is back. Except that I will probably still stall around when he's here again.
Also I just re-read and I did in fact not update for three weeks or so. Not acceptable. Derp.
So, here, have an update.
Turn 22A: The Australium will be ready for pick-up in fourty-five seconds
-- Ruins Group --
Elenor:Elenor gets back to his feet and brushes off before trying once more. Then find valuables, loot valuables.
(4) Sorting the still intact tables out of the wreckage, Elenor stacks them once more, then takes off some parts of his armor, tying them to the rope. He manages to successfully climb the stack with rope in hand and lessened weight, then pulls himself through the hole rather ungracefully. Then, he pulls his armor up and puts it back on. After all this is done, he performs a room check.
In fact, the room he is in is unlike the dungeon. It's more of a wine cellar in fact... it IS a wine cellar, a little less grand than the ones you remember from Castle Warsen, though. In fact, the whole place looks rather abandoned. There is magical lighting on the walls, but it is dim from lack of maintenance. A hole in the ground leading to a potentially dangerous dungeon tends to do that. Anyway, there should be a way out, even if it is blockaded. Nothing a good shoulder tackle can't fix.
Other than that, no good loot. You find an unlit torch and decide to pocket it, but everything worthwhile seems to have been relocated already.
Maka:Slip past fine traps, continue exploring. See if there's any inactive trap components that might make a good weapon, though.
(2) Uuuh... these traps look dangerous to traverse. You don't know how the fuck you could get past them without relying on your luck. And you don't feel like dying just yet.
There's one oversized sawblade and a few stabby spears that appear to be stuck in their current positions, reachable, but still stuck, which means you can't get them out.
-- City Group --
Helskaya:(1) ...what kind of LANGUAGE is that? You don't understand a single word, discounting the scribbles on the page edges, but those are not especially helpful.
You close the book in disappointment.
Apollo:Shoot Bear with enchanted bullets.
(6) Taking aim, you shoot just as the bear notices the puny human standing in front of him - too late for the bear. The bullet penetrates the bear skull between his eyes, continues through the bear innards, then suddenly explodes into rainbows. The bear also explodes, but into bear parts instead. It looks like you might have overdone it a bit...
After the shower of gibs dies down, a completely blooddrenched Apollo sifts through the various chunks of bear to see whether the ass is still intact. It doesn't look too good, but you believe it could pass. After that, you harvest the bear's teeth because you never know when you will need bear teeth, and leave with the ass in hand.
Taren:Taren knelt to view the man at face level, before leveling his sword at his neck, leaning it's edge every so slightly near his jugular artery. "Tell us more of this Cathedral, and who sent you. Tell me of why you would harm an innocent beggar, and why you tried to knock me out instead of killing me.
"Motive, or sword?"
Press the interrogation!
(5) "Look buddy, I can't tell much more-" AAGH "-They need humans, living humans for something! We brought the beggar down there, and he came out this way! I'm just a mook, they just tell me what I need to know!" Taren is somewhat satisfied by this.
Remy:(Erp.)
Continue to assist Taren!
(5) Remy is not. "Tell me absolutely everything you know, or..." He pauses, considering several methods, before settling on "...or I set your underpants on fire AND freeze all of your limbs AT THE SAME TIME." Artistic pause. "That includes your crown jewels."
The impression left is lasting. The man begins to sing.
"My name is Redips Achron I am 23 years old live in the riverslums please don't tell my ma she'd gut me if she knew I did crime oh please these Cathedral guys are plotting something big they need blood for it barrels and barrels of blood they took some of mine too wear iron masks white cloaks one belt never seen one without it but hear clinking when they walk spare me please *huff* *huff* there is a city under the city that's the Cathedral the city under the city they are many and they are disciplined you would need an army to smoke them out *huff* *huff* they desire power..."
"Should we use the debt notice, Taren?"
"Not needed. I doubt he knows more."
"I doubt
that. Hey, shrimp, what's the square root of 42?"
Komas>Komas goes shopping, keeping an eye out (ha!) for any familiar-looking adventurers as he goes, looking for a cooking pot, tinderbox and a few other cooking-related essentials. Check if this place has a harbor/any water frontage, and if so get a price check on a small boat.
With all that out of the way, it's time to check out the labyrinth, ask around about what's in store for him inside.
(1) While he might just have tried to shop, Komas still alienates the respective shop owners hard enough to prevent any purchase. Tough luck, that little bugger should not have brought up the topic of eeeeyes.
There is a river flowing through Kingsford, else it would not be called Kings
ford. But for Komas it's really more of a brook compared to what he has seen. And there is no boats for sale, anywhere. The fishermen just cast out their lines from land, and the traders are looking to expand their business, not to shrink it.
And the labyrinth... everyone's story is different, 99% of it might just be made up. One thing is certain, though: It is dangerous. But you already knew that.
Character sheets.
Helskaya Arkut (lawastooshort)
Status: F-.
Injuries: None.
Equipment: Pair of knives (one large, one small),
northern white bear jawbone on necklace, northern white bearskin.
Inventory: Wet stone, firestone, pot, spoon, three leather pouches varying in size, pestle and mortar, dried meat rations for several plus more days, filled waterskin, flour, Lesser Herbal Medicine, Lesser Blade Poison, Rusty Axe, random precious metal baubles, two lumps of crystallized magic, eleven magic slices, lesser diluted mana potion x2, potion of okay healing x2, stoneskin potion, 60 cp.
Skills: Herbal Medicine; Shamanic Magic; Knowledge (Legends of the North)
Spells:
Shining Shamanic Healing Finger!, Transform: Raging North Bear, Summon Water Elemental
Elenor Warsen (Caellath)
Status: This was not up to your standards.
Injuries: Small pains, larger pains, ego pains.
Equipment:
Masterwork Armor, Longsword, Crossbow,
Dragon Crest Shield, small well-crafted crossbow.
Inventory: Medical kit, small supplies bag, 0 cp, Potion of Lesser Healing, Painkiller Potion, Gibberish Paper, Map Shred, Rations Listing, some longbolt ammo.
Skills: Result-oriented swordsmanship, Dodger's Agility, Marksmanship, Medical care, Taunting, Dabbling Investigator [1].
Spells: None. He's notoriously unmagical.
Apollo Anderson (Spinal_Taper)
Status: Bear asses, hun.
Injuries: Some remainders of yesterday.
Equipment: Reinforced lab coat, cheap leather armor,
Dagger,
Rudimentary Rifle, Officer's Scimitar
Inventory: Bullets[inf], Enchanted Bullets[11], Gunpowder, various pouches and bags, Experimental Painkiller (?) Potion, 119 cp, Bear teets, One Bear Ass.
Skills: Alchemy: Chemistry, Alchemy: Potion brewing, Alchemic Magic: Rudimentary Enchantments (quantum amount +2), Metal Working (quantum amount +1).
Spells: Enchantment: Better wearability!, Piercing [?] Bullet Enchantments
Taren Creyn (Tiruin)
Status: Blessed. Headache.
Injuries: Well-treated ones. Might have a concussion or two.
Equipment:
Broadsword, Crossbow, Longbolt ammunition (quantum amount -4), white cloak, grey tunic, belt, solid holey leather boots,
buckler.
Inventory: Whet stone, one filled waterskin, Cloth, lots of rations, ratman cloth, 118 cp.
Skills: White Magic: Healing, Anatomy, Swordsmanship, Marksmanship
Spells:
Menscur, Fogili, Nonsens, Mendia,
Leonic Cleanse,
Vi Vanita.
Komas Hopatke (Yoink)
Status: Fine.
Injuries: None.
Equipment:
One large, battered wooden oar named Heinkel, Worn and poorly-made sealskins, An eyepatch, iron boning knife.
Inventory: Fishing pole, bait, compass, 100 cp.
Skills:
Rowing,
Cooking,
Fishing,
Navigation.
Spells: Nnnope.
Remy Maelle (Remaelle)
Status: Okay, we're doing this. We're making this happen.
Injuries: The chest hurts every so often.
Equipment: A spirit talisman, knife, leather armour, traveling clothes, a backpack, Vintage pair of Chain Revolvers, buckler, 0 cp.
Inventory: Bedroll, rope, tinderbox, enough food to last a few days,
Debt notice,
officer's helmet, Contract, Gunchucks Guide Book w/ Leaflet.
Skills: Shamanistic Magic: Elementalism, Agility, Quick Reflexes, Hand-to-Hand Combat, Gunchucks Usage.
Spells:
MEGA BRAND Maka R'lyeh-Voile (IronyOwl)
Status: Warm.
Injuries: Punctures, right hand.
Equipment:
Magical golden scepter, Very Frilly Dress, Backpack, Belt w/ pouches.
Inventory:
Surgeon's Kit, 105 cp, Book: Gene Engineering, Fleshgrafting and You.
Skills: Creating Servants, Alchemic Magic: Augmenting Living Stuff, Dodging, Black Magic: Curses.
Spells:
Psycho Shackles. On another note, it amuses me that the RtD Library counted this game as "active".