Turn 15: Good luck comes to those who need it leastIn a flash of realization of the cult of Varsen's evilness, I pick up my halberd and tell them I've changed my mind and I'm leaving. Then leave.
|”Going so soon are we?” The head cultist whispers as to try to inch towards the door. You then notice that somehow two of the other cultists have moved to the opposite side of the room, and are blocking the exit. It seems that you're in this fight to the end, for good or ill.
|You're able to pick up your halberd successfully, though the cultist is coming in for another attack.
|He jumps up into the air, and is coming down on top of you with claws outstretched. Wait, claws? When did he get those? No time to think, you try to move out of the way
| but the initiate is too fast! You manage to move slightly out of the way, but the initiate's claws rip into your right arm. A sharp burst of pain races through your body as your arm hangs useless at your side, but it fades quickly due to all the adrenaline in your system. There's a fair bit of bleeding too. Not to mention it's terribly difficult to hold on to your halberd like this.
Convince the servant to look the other way, for a cut of the funds, then take the strongbox
|You walk up to the servant, and begin to talk with him. You tell him of all your brave deeds, and of the myriad of evils which threaten the world in this day and age. You converse with him, and slowly deconstruct all his loyalties to his former master. The hobbledehoy tells you of how cruel a man his master is, and how he longs to break free of that oppressive yoke. But where would he go? How would he survive? All his questions, you answer, and he slowly comes to see you as barely less than a god among men. He tells you his name is Nigel, and he pledges to follow after you always. He informs you that he has also been teaching himself medicine whenever he gets a free chance, and can be very useful to you if he has the proper equipment. Nigel offers you not only the keys to the strongbox, but the whole carriage, which you could probably sell for quite a sum. Heck, even ripping off the decorations and selling them separately would probably give you a very large sum of money. You accept, and the servant drives off with you inside the carriage to another spot in town where you're unlikely to be discovered. That merchant won't know what happened for some time too.
Mentally hide for the time being. Physically try to examine the broken suits armor more closely.
|You figure the best way to hide is to remove yourself completely from the mage's mind. You attempt to do so quietly, but in doing so you become more visible to the mage's searches.
|As the tendrils of the mage's mind move throughout the room, one of them happens upon your retreating link. His eyes burn red with fury. “You!” he shouts, pointing an accusing finger in your direction. “You're the one behind this!”
|The mage mutters some arcane words and a beam of darkness tumbles lances out in your direction.
|The beam hits your arm, and you feel as though invisible hands are grasping at you, holding you in place, or at least slowing you down. The two remaining suits of armor ready their weapons and look like they're going to attack.
Give 10 of the gold pieces to the lady with the rent and such. Tell her to lay low for a few days, and THEN barely give the landlord enough.
|You go up to the lady and give her the 10 gold pieces, telling her that you overheard her problems with the landlord. You give her the wise advise to lie low for a few days and to not spend the money needlessly. She thanks you profusely, and says that if there's anything you need, feel free to stop by and ask. Noticing the woman's six children in the back of the room, with their depressingly gaunt stature and hungry eyes, you give the woman your remaining 5 gold pieces as well. She again thanks you; her family will be able to live for probably a full year thanks to your kindness. You leave, satisfied in your soul, but with an empty money pouch.
SING, GODDAMN IT
|The ring burns your finger more strongly as you try to sing again. You can't even get a word out before you're on the ground in a fetal position, crying in pain. As thoughts of singing fade from your mind, the pain lessens, and you shakily stand up.
Head off towards the tower, my compatriots will probably end up there eventually.
|You head out and fly towards the Gold Tower. After about 4 hours of travel, you encounter a giant eagle!
|You get the drop on it, and will be able to attack first.
Head downstairs and find a wealthy victi...err benefactor.
|You head outside, and find a wealthy merchant who's complaining that his carriage has disappeared. He says he'll give you 100 gold if you can find it for him and bring it back. He also asks you to kill the evil servant that was guarding it, but does not demand that you bring back proof of the deed. He will, however, give you an extra 5 gold if you bring the servant back alive so that he can be publicly tortured and executed as an example.
Status:
Current location: Streets of Town
Health: Excellent
Inventory:
Insulating Clothes (does not take damage in extreme weather)
Multiple IOU's and a piece of paper with a large black spot.
Abilities:
Snow-Walker (Cold Immunity, Fever Immunity, damage taken in warm places without protection)
Minor Water Magic
Allies:
Nigel-
Health: Excellent
Inventory: Servant's clothes
Abilities: Competent medic (+1 to healing, +2 if well-equipped)
Current location: Small Shrine to Varsen
Health: Right arm badly wounded (-2 to use arm, -1 penalty on two-handed objects)
Pain (-2 mental actions, -1 physical actions, suppressed for 2 turns)
Moderate bleeding (bleeding roll each turn at -1)
Inventory:
Flower-Stem Ring of Slumber (can cause any 1 creature capable of sleep to go into a magical slumber)
Deadly Halberd (+1 to enemy dodge, -2 to damage)
Dirty hole-ridden kilt (-1 to interacting with civilized NPC's)
Abilities:
None known
Current location: Physical-Travel Agency Mental-Gone
Health: Cut neck (exertion of the head will open this up more)
Deeply Unconscious(-3, failguard)
Inventory:
Neck bandages and brace (prevents exertion of the neck)
Dream Sword (-1 to damage, not real)
Abilities:
Cursed (will die if he betrays Mal)
Naked (-3 to NPC interactions)
Current location: Alley near Teleports Now Travel Agency
Health: Hungover (-1 to mental actions)
Inventory:
Small coin pouch (empty)
Fancy Clothes (+1 to interacting with civilized NPC's)
Pretty rock
Abilities:
Has unkempt mustache
Current location: In the air above Ridge-Back Mountains
Health: Excellent
Inventory:
Short Sword (-1 to damage)
Steel plate armor (+1 to piercing and bludgeoning, +2 to slashing)
Small coin pouch (3 silver pieces)
Saddled Pegasus
Abilities:
None known
Current location:Giant Spiral Staircase in Ancient Tower
Health: Slowed (-2 to movement and dodge)
Inventory:
Fancy Clothes (+1 to interacting with civilized NPC's)
Traveler's backpack
Box with Mal's Amulet
Abilities:
Poison Immunity
Disease Immunity
Allies:
Little mental antibody companion (can only fight mental attacks)
Current location: Streets of Town
Health: Hungover (-1 to mental actions)
Sore Throat (-1 to talking and eating hard foods)
Bad Headache (-2 to mental actions)
Inventory:
Worn linen clothes
Small coin pouch (1 silver piece, 8 copper pieces)
Flint and tinder
IOU from "Chauncy"
Abilities:
None known
Current location: Teleports Now Travel Agency
Health: Hungover (-1 to mental actions)
Receding Pain (-1 to mental actions, 1 turn remaining)
Inventory:
Linen clothes
Leather belt and boots
Small coin pouch (Empty)
Cursed gold ring (precious, -3 to taking it off)
Otherwise Unexamined
Abilities:
None known
A few notes for this one. First off, sorry I haven't updated this in a while. I do enjoy writing these turns, but life keeps getting me down. I really want this to keep on trucking. Secondly, allies will follow you around, and follow all orders given to them (so long as the orders don't violate any of their principles). Giving orders is a free action. If there's any obvious actions that fit with their skill set and you haven't given them any orders, they will perform said action. Otherwise, no order means they'll just follow you around. Third, travel takes time, but actually rolling to travel long distances, given that you know where you're going, is boring. Therefore, you'll have random encounters. The number and difficulty of the encounters depends partially on how quickly you travel and partially on what route you take. That's all for now.