Roll 32
Of course there are giant bone tails in the quicksand. Why wouldn't there be? Well, looks like it's time to wing it.
Climb onto the tree and quickly shape-shift into a bird and fly over to the shore.
[5+1][3+1] Wings are much better for travel than legs. In all honesty, you should have shapeshifted into one beforehand so you could get a bird's-eye view of the region. Still, it was better you than the others.
The Vile Spawn of Darkness, with its eyeless body still sprouting shadow-tentacles from its dark mouth and eyes, turns its head toward you and stares in some kind of unholy grimace that you can't even oh goodness what is that.
Vile Spawn of Darkness: Well played.Before you can turn back to a regular human the second bonetacle, which spawned last turn, moves with surprising speed and lashes out at you.((Bonetacles give enemies -1 defense, but birds get +3 defense being tiny creatures.))
[2][4]/
[6][3][6] It barely misses, instead drilling into the sand beneath you. It seems stuck.
...
Your whole body is burned (1)
...
You have 3 black empty tomes (black tomes must be written in red ink, and gain +2 positive dice if inscribed with an illusionary spell)
Silent Wind of Night: Dispells all nearby items and detatched effects, regardless of origin. Shapeshifts, summons, and polymorphs are unaffected.
Phantom Lake Essence: Dark tendrils emerge from the book, ensnaring enemies that fail to dodge.
Unending Phantasmagoria: Dissolves a dead body to create a reanimated ghost in place of this tome. The ghost can use Shadow Blink and drops a black spell tome upon death.
You have a stack of spell tome pages and a black cover
You have a bloodied ceremonial dagger (Attack power: 3) (attaches to target and Drains it, suppressing it) (remembering a memory teleports this weapon to your hand)
You have a Beech Javelin (Attack power: 3 (thrown), 1 (stab))
You have 10 Javelin memories (lucid)
You have about thirty Hours
You have a royal goblet, a golden watch, and some jewelry
You remember the Lady of Winter
You remember a giant eye
You remember many pixies
You remember a band of Arinthian soldiers and some bandits
You remember a bandit sinking into the ground
Traits and Skills:
Forest Ranger
>Gain +2 positive dice when navigating and moving through the wilderness, as well as performing stealthy actions
Javelineer
>Your targets get +2 negative dice when you target them with a javelin
Noble's Education
>Gain +1 positive dice when learning from writing or conversing about literature
Shapeshifter
>You have unlimited strong memories of forest animals
Cynical
>Others will press any advantage...
Xenophobe
>Foreigners always disappoint
Use the quickbow to fire two arrows at the second bonetacle. Then go to the spawn of darkness' side and help Zikal out.
The quickbow releases two arrows.
[6][4]
[1]/
[6]: The first merely glances the bonetacle and bounces off, landing on the opposite side of the pool.
[6][6]
[5]/
[6]: The second flies wide and lodges itself into a tree, also on the edge of the quicksand pool.
The Vile Spawn of Darkness unleashes a shadow tendril attack, [1][3] sweeping a wide area and
[5]/
[4][2][2] bisecting the bonetacle completely. ((Vilespawn gets +2 to attack rolls))
The top part of the first bonetacle lands in the mud and starts to sink, having no life left within it.
Two more bonetacles appear, these two being smaller than the others. They will be hard to dodge (-2 enemy defense), but aren't very deadly (1 attack power).
...
Your whole body is burned (1)
Your left arm is bruised (1)
...
You have a schematic of an iron arrow trap
You have a steel axe (Attack power: 1) (Deals piercing damage if the attack connects but fails to pierce)
You have an iron mace (Attack power: 2) (If the target has less than 2 damage, deals piercing damage)
You have a charged large greatbow (Attack power: 3 (charged), 1 (uncharged)) (charging takes one turn of preparation)
You have an uncharged Quickbow (Attack power: 1. Can fire twice per turn. Charging it allows you to fire two arrows per attack, four in one turn)
You have 11 arrows in your quiver (Attack power: 1)
There is one recoverable arrow near the Old Fortress Mound
You have an important scroll in a copper cylinder
You have about one hundred Hours
Traits and Skills:
Man of Steel
>Gain +1 positive dice when using melee weapons, as well as lifting and wrestling actions
>Your opponents get +1 negative dice when attacking you
Fists like Hammers
>Gain an additional +1 positive dice while unarmed
Bow Mastery
>Your targets get +2 negative dice when you target them with a bow
Illiterate
>What's a book?
Amnesia
>You have forgotten many things
Leonhard turns to the stranger astrologer - the one that isn't an accidental murderer. "Any clout to throw around when the investigation team comes? I don't wanna ruin anyone's job." he says, making it clear in his tone he also isn't interested any of them tries to get the guard fired by checking on the scene either. As a mercenary with a family like the one he had, he knows how snobby the more learned people can get and he's rather protective of the more humble professions.
Marco replies with a stern look on his face.
"The people of this town, especially those in the non-clerical professions, regard the Office with a certain degree of dignity which does give us undue power in unrelated affairs. However, as I've stated before, Angstrom is known to be the perpetrator of the task. The chances of this guard being involved are slim, although I can understand your concern for him."Angstrom: Hey Marco, what's with you turnin' on me all of a sudden? I thought we were pals!Marco: Personal relationships only serve to cloud the steady progress of science. I will still treat you as a friend when applicable, but my judgements must be made without regard for such things.Angstrom: That's pretty much the polar opposite of friendship, isn't it?The guard returns from upstairs with a shocked expression on his face.
"The... the body... it's gone..."Marco: Since when?Guard: I last checked an hour ago.The smell of rot and decay is notably absent, so it appears at first glance that the guard is correct.
Klein lets out a meow and starts hacking.
...
You have a black Cloak of Ash (protects against Ashlight and fire)
You have a Zweihänder slung on your shoulder (Attack power: 4) (can only be used offensively every other turn)
You have a Katzbalger (Attack power: 2)
You have an arquebus (Attack power: 3) (Your opponent gets an extra positive die to dodge)
You are wearing light plate armor (incoming attacks lose 1 attack power if over 1)
You have about one hundred and fifty Hours
Traits and Skills:
Charisma
>Gain +1 positive dice when speaking with others and persuading them
Veteran
>Gain +1 positive dice to defense rolls, and your enemies gain +1 negative dice to their defense rolls
Swordmaster
>Gain +1 positive dice to attack rolls with long, bladed weapons
Sharpshooter
>Your targets get +1 negative dice to their defense rolls
Noisy
>You get +1 negatice die to stealth, and an additional +1 negative die if you are wearing armor
Old Pains
>In cold weather, without thick clothing, you get +1 negative dice to all actions
Archae starts to fight his way through the forest towards the take-off zone.
[4][2] The smaller vines are easy to part with your walking stick, while the others must be carefully avoided. Nonetheless, you make it through, but find that the crimsonhulk itself is far too smooth and steep to climb by hand to the top. You can get just above the treetops using the base structure, but any further (which is needed to glide effectively) will require specialized climbing techniques.
Should you get to the top, you will be able to soar over the trees to the Lake in almost no time.
...
Your wing spell is ready. It will give you the power to glide, although gaining altitude will be difficult. (no roll needed)
You have a black Cloak of Ash (protects against Ashlight and fire)
You have a green poison slime with Paralysis
You remember a red, blue, and a green spell-slime (weak)
You have a red resonance crystal.
You have a spiny walking stick (Attack power: (attacking head) 2, (attacking other parts) 1)
You have a silversteel falchion (Attack power: (on odd swings) 3, (on even swings) 2)
You remember your time in the wilderness well
You have some sandwiches and citrus
You have a Sprite Trap, labelled with the words "Samantha Magdelene, professor at U.T"
You have seventy-five Hours
Traits and Skills:
Mystical Learning
>Your Aganis spells are reduced in complexity by 1. Spell complexity determines the number of turns it takes to prepare a spell. You can cast early, but each turn you skip incurs a negative die. Complexity rules:
+1 if range is longer than 1-2 yards
+1 if multi-target
+1 if effect lasts more than a single turn, or if a creature is created
+1 if created creature is more complex than a slime
Animal Handler
>Gain +2 positive dice whenever animals are involved, unless you are hunting them
Wilderness Survival
>Gain +2 positive dice for actions involving gathering natural resources, starting fires, tracking, and other survival skills
Photographic Memory
>Weak memories become strong if you successfully cast them the first time
Cannot Speak
>Silence is golden
One-Eyed
>Your targets gain +2 positive dice if you attack them from a distance
I chuckle and expound on my statement:
"I gave you the true answer. Both of them."
"That question was very well asked. I didn't expect you to get so close. I am a creature of nightmare, but I don't follow the rules you know."
"That answer was a lot more helpful. But it seems you've departed from our previous format."Efa begins to drag the unwoken body against the ground, featuring almost superhuman strength.
Another monk from the Church hospital appears, styling himself Brother Tam. He wears, in addition to a black monk's robe, a baggy tam o' shanter that artificially inflates the size of his otherwise slim and narrow head. His ears are also pointy, which can only mean one thing.
The monk asks why Efa is dragging a body around. It does seem utterly suspicious, after all.
She begins outlining the story:
"We encountered a group of thieves who were stealing books, and they were well-armed. They used magic to silence their use of pistols and rifles, but my magic was far stronger and I was able to catch this one."Brother Tam: Why them skelly idol worshippin' plookies! I'll have them locked up and forced to starve!Efa: Well, you have one of them right here for now, if you wish to begin your wrath early.Brother Tam: That was... a figure of speech. He will be thrown in jail, no doubt. Do you have information on the others?Efa: I don't think they'll be coming back any time soon....
Efa's cap is destroyed (no longer absorbs damage) and her head is bruised (1)
Efa has a long rifle and 8 bullets (4 attack power)
The former-sentinel is knocked out with (2) damage to his head
Knife Bandit B's torso would have 3 damage by now
Traits and Skills:
Secret Powers
>DoOOoobillidabidydappidydap dipigillidydapda!
Current Stat Modifiers:
+1/(max 2) positive dice to attack rolls
+0/(max 0) negative dice to enemy attack rolls
+1/(max 1) positive dice to defense rolls
+0/(max 0) negative dice to enemy defense rolls
It is the 5th hour after noon. Ash is blazing even brighter in the azure sky, burning all exposed objects and adding +1 to all die in a thoughtform roll.
Expected end of Ashstorm: 7th hour. (Next hour: Turn 42)
Author
Topic: Pastblasters - Adventures in Wizardry (Turn 55) (Read 90978 times)