Turn 12: Much TalkingInto the mine!
You, your companions, and the slightly shifty rich guy enter the caves.
So, are we going into that cave? Dibs on the rearmost position. Put some honey on a bone, give it to Triplets as a reward for loyalty. Ask Triplets to scout the cave and return if they meet anything hostile.
[4][Luck 3] Triplets happily (and very cutely) nibbles on the bone with all three heads. Nevermind that's kind of sort of cannibalism. They scurry into the cave, then scurry back out not much later- they didn't see anything, but could tell there were bats or something around.
Summon a Will o' Wisp , and use it as a lightsource when in the caves.
[3][Luck 5] You summon a rather small but very bright will o' wisp. It's illumination is rather creepy, but gets the job done.
+3 SummoningNow Adept at SummoningInterior MercenariesThe five of you enter the cave. The first chamber isn't especially ominous- it's sandy, has a light source from above, and seems to house bats. A winding passage leads deeper in...
While the passage itself is not
especially unpleasant, it is cramped and has some roots in it, making it rather creepy. It also means getting back out in a hurry would be difficult. Your first impression upon leaving is not much better- it's a small rock cavern with several natural pillars and potential passages. It'd probably be easy to get lost down here.
Your charge helpfully suggests a middle-right course. Shining light past a pillar, it looks like there could definitely be a passage that way.
"I suppose I'll join your organization. For now." Try finding some sort of encyclopedia alchemica, along with STANDARD VIALS, MORTOR/PESTILES, AND DOODADS.
[6][Luck 2] You notice they have a cluttered alchemy room. Unfortunately, it's for full members only- you'll need to find them two more initiation-worthy ingredients to use them.
Quest for a item; a longsword.
Deciding that you'd like a sentient longsword made of extralight but still high-quality metal, you head to one of the libraries and begin pestering the sages there. Eventually one relents and tells you the story of Ahiera the elf.
"Ashiera was an elven warrior famed for her speed. She was also famed for her and/or her armor's incredible beauty, but that sort of stuff tends to get tacked on at the end, so I don't know if I trust it. Plus she was an elf, everyone's allllways going on and on abou- oh right, right, the sword. Anyway, she supposedly had gleaming silver armor, and wielded two longswords that matched. Yes, two of them, quite the feat. She was lightning quick and could butcher most foes in seconds with her weapons.
Anyway, I don't know the details, but one day she ran into a hulking, brutish demon with a massive shield, made a mistake, and got slammed to death. Evidently hardiness was not one of her gifts. She was supposedly buried under some barrow or another, but the stories I've heard conflict as to whether her friends or the demon or a stranger did that. That's kind of relevant for knowing what happened to her stuff, and how dangerous her burial site is likely to be.
In any case, her swords were called... uh... Misery and Agony? No... Pride and... something... uh... look, I know of a lot of named swords, it's easy to get them confused. The point is that they were supposedly sentient, certainly very light, highly unlikely to have been destroyed during the battle, and haven't been heard from since from any source I know of.
So tell you what- I'll help you track them down if I get a cut of whatever you find. Deal?"Should you accept, your first location is a haunted mansion.
Garied, somewhat unsatisfied with the information he gathered, shifts on his feet a little, "Implike demons in a cave, huh... Could always wonder what they're there for, but if anything I learned from that last fight, I need to be careful about this." Looking over to the side, Gareid could see the entrance to the basement Derm had just entered a little while ago, "And for sure, doing it alone is suicide. Unless I could find some way to augment my power..." Gareid opts to listen about for some more concrete information, perhaps something on an artifact or at minimum some better supplies.
[3][Luck 4] Some new merchant has some high-quality supplies, but they're all of the tool variety. Items and equipment that defend against fire can be found, but are obviously in rather high demand around here. Flame artifacts are rumored to litter the landscape, but most of them are rumors and/or guarded by intense heat and flaming guardians.
As for concrete information on the imps, nothing. Either nobody's investigated it enough to know anything, or they're not talking.
Well then. Lets collect some ash flowers, freeze the water Im walking on though, so its hard for something to get me down.
[6][Luck 1] You freeze yourself into a waist-deep ice cube. [Luck 5] This attracts no attention and you're not in danger of floating off anywhere.
+3 WaterInterior MercenariesTaric
10/10 HP
Spear: +2 Attack, +1 Damage -Flying Monkey impaled on spear-
+1 Leadership to getting people to follow
Skills
Apprentice Spears (12/20)
Novice Leadership (0/10)
Inventory
Spear - +1 Damage. Well-made but not exceptional.
Brightly Colored Silk Shirt - +1 to Leadership rolls to get people to follow you somewhere else.
Gneiss Ring
+1 minor silver pouch - can be used to purchase a minor piece of equipment, like a piece of chalk or candle
Tarok Kingsley
10/10 HP
Demonic Sword: Standard
+1 to controlling lunar demons
Skills
Adept Summoning (2/30)
Novice Necromancy (0/10)
Inventory
Demonic Sword - Standard Weapon
Crescent Moon Pendant - +1 to controlling lunar demons
Fallen Bird Pouch - Provides the reagent for animating a tiny aerial scout
+1 minor silver pouch - can be used to purchase a minor piece of equipment, like a piece of chalk or candle
Straga Sickshade
10/10 HP
Whip: +1 Attack
+1 to animating undead
Skills
Apprentice Necromancy (14/20)
Novice Whips (7/10)
Inventory
Skull of Servitude - +1 to animating undead
Studded Whip - Standard weapon.
Decaying Chalk of Decay
Schist Jar
Small Jar of Honey
Monkey Bones (about two monkeys worth)
Alexander Kyrby
10/10 HP
+2 Dodge
1P/1S/1B Resist
Bow: +1 Attack
Skills
Apprentice Dodge (0/20)
Novice Archery (0/10)
Inventory
Bow - Standard ranged weapon
Light Leather Armor - +1S/+1P/+1B Resist
Northern Ingredient CollectorsGareid
10/10 HP
Sword: +1 Attack
+1 to AoE earth spells
Skills
Apprentice Earth Magic (13/20)
Novice Swords (0/10)
Inventory
Mineral Pendant - +1 to AoE earth spells
Simple Sword - Standard weapon
Small Silver Pouch - Can be used to purchase a minor piece of equipment (rope, lantern) of decent quality.
Slow-Cooked Plant Bulb - Delicacy
Derm Hell-Binder
10/10 HP (Stable)
+1 to fire magic
+1 to researching fire demons
Skills
Apprentice Fire Magic (5/20)
Novice Summoning (6/10)
Inventory
Staff of Flame - +1 to fire magic
Tome of Fiendish Lore - +1 to researching new fire demons to summon
Small Silver Pouch - Can be used to purchase a minor piece of equipment (rope, lantern) of decent quality.
2 Fire Glands - (fire component)
Out Of Work SwordsmanTarran An'ic'ia
10/10 HP
1S/0P/0B Resist
Longsword: +2 Attack, +1 Damage
Skills
Apprentice Longswords (5/20)
Novice Holy Magic (6/10)
Inventory
Longsword - +1 Damage
Holy Pendant - +1 Slashing Resist
Small Silver Pouch - Can be used to purchase a minor piece of equipment (rope, lantern) of decent quality.
+2 Hearty Rations
Swamp RunnersOchita
10/10 HP
Skills
Apprentice Water Magic (3/20)
Novice Runecrafter (0/10)
Inventory
Water Staff - Standard water magic weapon
Book of Runes - Unknown
Enemies and AlliesZombie Flying Monkey Triplets (Straga)
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Yeah, sorry about that. I'll try to get to work on updates sooner.