OK, I'm going to get this started then. One last thing to vote on during the next turn: Boss-ify Wymar, Y/N? If no, is anyone willing to control him until Darvi's back?
-Conversation with Rinaldo-
Knowing Darvi, I'd say: Derp around in such a manner as to screw over Pierre. :3
Watch other people go about their business. In the meantime, tell the shopkeeper tales of my glory and hit on Claire. Preferably at the same time.
Volunteer to fight through the tower of science; healing artifact get!
Hit on random occupant of room.
Volunteer for Tower of Science.
Volunteer to banish the Tower of Magic's Guardian!
"I Vill go with the Holy Man into the...uh..Science."
Malleus and Rinaldo spoke for a moment, the knight confirming that his holy powers would be enough to banish the beast. After they were done talking, Claire asked what they could expect to find in the Tower of Magic, and the shopkeeper turned to her. "Beasts of magic, of course. Witches, demons, ghosts. Things not easily explained or understood for those lacking the arcane arts. As for the Tower of Science, you'll find mechanical monstrosities, strange beasts put together from random parts of other creatures, strange weapons, and reanimated corpses." He looked out the window. A swarm of bats flew by it, causing the shutters to bang closed loudly and crack the window slightly.
"The count's lieutenants," he said. "They patrol the castle grounds at night. Anyone not inside the castle itself or in here will be dragged away. They got a pair of men recently, both foreigners, who had tried to avoid the Gatekeeper by climbing the mountain at the rear of the castle instead of coming in through the front." He sighed. "It's too long a climb for that. They never had a chance to make it before moonrise." He turned back to Malleus and, at the knight's request, pointed out the rooms again. There were ten in a basement below the storefront, to provide a little extra security for the occupants. Pierre decided now was the time to tell Rinaldo all about his adventures and settled in to do so. (Charisma roll: 7+1 o.O. Wymar interference: 3.) Rinaldo was understandably impressed! "I have something that might interest you," he said, reaching under his counter and withdrawing a thin, amber-colored length of cloth. "Legend says that the last Belmont wore this around his head when he fought the Count. It's said to bring good fortune." He handed it to Pierre. (Pierre gets a new hat: Belmont Headband! Pierre's Greased Lightning ability has a +25% chance to succeed while wearing this headband.)
Pierre tucked it away and hit on Claire (1+1Fabulous+1Hat) but she was having none of it at the moment! Instead she was interested in (5) Zathyran. (2) But she, too, had no luck. In fact, while trying to look smooth, she accidentally slipped and fell through the door leading downstairs, ending up in a crumpled, bruised heap at the bottom. She figured the best thing to do was just follow Frenz, Biernat, Malleus, and Greenmoore's example and just go to bed, sleep it off. Everyone retired shortly thereafter and in the morning picked up their gear from Rinaldo. (Malleus gets: Heavy Cold Silver Warhammer! Malleus gets: Reinforced Paladin Armor! ...and a ridiculous defense score of +8 >.>... Claire gets: Moroaica Cutlass! Frenz gets: Reinforced Plate Armor! Greenmoore gets: Guardian Angel Pendant!) Once their gear was collected, Rinaldo led them outside.
"This is it then. Good luck to you," he said, before returning to his hut. He was too old to be involved in this fight any longer, but maybe it was enough he could provide assistance to those who still had the strength to do so. The eight looked at each other, and after a brief conversation eventually settled themselves into two teams of four. Zathyran, Malleus, Pierre, and Claire headed for the Tower of Magic while Greenmoore, Biernat, Wymar, and Frenz entered the Tower of Science.
Magic TeamAfter Claire - the last in line - entered, the door closed itself with a loud bang that reverberated around the room. As a starting point for a tower supposedly full of dark magic, it was rather innocuous; there was an open closet with a few broomsticks in it, a staircase leading down, and two doors, one leading forward and the other to their right. A shelf was constructed in the far corner, but it was clearly bare. Other than that and a cold feeling about the room, there was nothing...
Science TeamWymar impulsively pushed the door open first. Unlike the other tower, one could immediately tell what this place was going to be all about. A grandfather clock stood next to the door, ticking away loudly, while another had been abandoned mid-repair on a workbench. Tools were scattered along it. Also on the workbench was a gun that, to Greenmoore's experienced eyes, looked suspiciously like the one that Jonas had been carrying when he had briefly traveled with them... but this one was broken apart into several pieces, and he had no idea how to go about putting it back together. In a corner of the room was a small pipe, leading from the ceiling into the floor. It sounded like a liquid of some sort was traveling through it. As for exits, it was the mirror image of the other; a staircase leading down, a door to their left, and one straight ahead...
Final change: We're late enough in the adventure everyone should be stronger, so now everyone deals d6 damage on a Minor Success with their weapons/subweapons (Weapons and subweapons that are more powerful due to the item itself or class skills, like Zathyran's book or Frenz's greatsword, now do d8) unless the enemy is strong against that particular weapon, in which case they would go back to dealing d4 on a hit. An enemy being weak to a weapon still inflicts +50% damage, and standard enemies will still inflict d4s since the PCs have considerably less health.
Finally, HP/MP status will return next turn.