The trio, along with a unicorn and a troll, reach the command deck of the spaceship. Unfortunately, they are not aware of just how desperate their battle will truly be.
-40xp on Derron to increase Martial Arts from 3 to 4. Effective total is 12 in combat. Also increases his damage to...
| Martial Arts 4 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7+ | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
Enemies are getting chonkier so right now any bit will help. There is the problem of what happens when they are fighting enemies that need special weapons — silvered or magical — and I might have to fudge that a bit. Something like give him a special 1/day Talent or something. That might be his next thing. Technically, I could set up a Benediction for Faruin to have but I like to imagine it coming from Derron's own personal fighting style. I'll look into Martial Art styles and might come up with something.
First, let's see where we are on the ship: 17+4+1d6 (4) = 25. This will be the last encounter.
Before I work out any "solutions," lets see what insights today's cards give us:
- 285 - 1d3 (friendly) Wizards who will answer questions.
- 240 - (hostile) Haunted Bard with a cursed pipe/flute.
This would be a somewhat awesome stand-alone encounter. So much I'm tempted to "bank it" for a future session. Let's see what we can do with it in further context, though.
Two pair of action prompts about what the [WIZARD] is doing: 84 PC 13 Character + 43 Expectations 17 Competition. That's...odd. Part of that would make sense lore-wise. "She" is looking for the Sword of Aeonatus. Barston has the Bow. Luring him up the ship would make sense. Ok, I got it.
I was working with at least a baseline assumption that WIZARD was gathering anti-magic equipment for some sort of personal quest. However, maybe it is just a game to her. She is in competition to gather up these relics.
Are the [x] of Aeonatus alien in origin? (50/50) → 04. Exceptional Yes.
These are relics, at least their materials, of a crashed spaceship. Possibly honed by local folk as Yezony the Great claimed but historically they come from elsewhere.
[WIZARD] is basically gathering up mind-controlled people, undead creatures [powered by nano-machines], and robots that do not match her slick black color scheme, so also likely stolen and taken over. Her power involves primarily interfacing with the nano-machines of her ship and has dozens of each in storage. Sh'klak.
We'll make her 11/24 but she has used 3d6 Stamina to maintain all the things she has done. 24-3d6(12) = 12. She only has 12 stam remaining. Her weapon is 3 short swords carved of the black metal floating around her. She gets 3 attacks per turn with those but will lose 1 stamina per turn per each one. Alternately, she can spend 3 stamina to summon a "shade" from the victim's mind. If she reabsorbs it, she gets 1 stamina back.
Like the swords, the shades are made out of a swarm of the black nano-machines so will not emulate color. Just appearance. A person must make a Luck roll to dispel the illusion. It is not magic, per se...but then again, the Bow is alien. Can the Bow disrupt the things? (50/50) → 11. Random Event. 15 Communicate 76 NPC. Not destroy, but allows the wielder to control them. Skill vs Skill? Maybe. That sounds good.
PCs will be joined by Huffgle the Common Troll and Ilixin the Unicorn.
Sh'klak will have 1d3(1) Guard Bot, 1d6(3) Cultists, and 1d6(6) Skeletons.
It's a big fight.
The doors open and the five enter into a chamber strange even by this tower's standards. A room as long as the cage room was tall, lit by glowing blue orbs. A small crowd surrounds what Barston takes to be a throne because he has no experience that would inform that this is the command chair for a interstellar craft.
"You could go home, you know?," he says to the troll and unicorn that have followed. The troll merely barks back an "eh?" and the unicorn giggles in a strange laugh like silver falling upon glass. With that caveat out of the way, Barston pulls forth his silver mace and starts walking forward. He knows Derron will be behind. He suspects Faruin will be as well.
About half way across the long room, the creature upon the chair is more obvious. Maybe seven- or eight-feet tall, she looks less like a wizard and more like an upside down tree. Skin appearing aqua and brown in the blue light. Root-like hair spreading out into the air and moving as if under a breeze. Branch like legs and end in smaller branches. Three of the latter. At least four of the former. Clinging to the throne.
Her face is like a kid's carving in wood.
A few more steps past this point and she lets out a cackle that at least fits her as a witch. Says something in the same harsh tongue the cultists were speaking but then switches to the language Faruin and Yewsforth speak.
"What did she say?," Barston asks Faruin. Finally turning to feel a mixture of pride and guilt that the young priest has joined this fool's march into the monster den.
"She said thank you."
"For what?"
Faruin says something back. The distance still great enough she has to shout.
"Says she was hoping for the sword but the bow was worth even more points in the...um...the weddenschap."
"The what?"
"Like...you do with cards. Or dice. Win het geld."
"A bet!? She is doing this for a bet."
Faruin shrugs, but now has her sword out.
Can Sh'klak simply dispel the sword without spending stamina? (50/50) → 61. No. It will at least cost her stamina. Let's say d6-4 = 4-4 = 0. This means that the swords, though made of the same stuff, aren't active nano-machines. Maybe they are forged out of the shells, like the nano-equivalent of coral.
The tree-like wizard spots the sword and lets out exactly the sort of laugh that you would imagine a rose bush might as it dies of thirst, thorns and all.
"Tell her she can't have this sword. I stole it fair and square."
Faruin says this back, though less loud because they are now much closer, and the wizard again laughs that strange laugh.
"She says you'll make a fine pet."
At this time, some of the others start stepping forward. A few cultists. More skeletons. Another of those strange blue creatures with the magical crossbows. It will be a long fight.
Barston touches his paintbrush and says a word of blessing. His silver mace begins to glow with a rainbow light. Derron stretches and prepares to charge. Faruin sighs and puts her weight on her legs to get ready to join him.
And then Huffgle takes the lead by running towards the nearest target...
Nearest target is {Guardbot | Cultists | Skeleton} → Cultist.
...the cultists that look just like the ones who trapped him. The unicorn whispers to Barston, "We must finish her to finish this...," and then the magical beast is going straight for the wizard. Barston sees the blue creature taking aim at the unicorn and decides to go for it.
"Derron, help the unicorn. Faruin, with me."
Wizard uses her {Shades | Blades} → Blades. She summons 1d3 → 3 of them at once. She'll aim two attacks at the Unicorn and one at Derron. In game terms, this means her second attack against the Unicorn is a +2. These blades will have the same +1D as the others.
- ROUND ONE
- B and F vs GB: 10+12+1 [23] and 8+8 [16]. GBvB = 7+9 [16]. GBvF = 9+9 [18]. Barston does double damage. 5+1+1 = 7 (4 Stamina * 2). Bot defends 1 (0) of that. Nice. 8 of its 10 is gone. It, however, does 1 (3 Stamina) vs Faruin's armor of 1 (0). She takes 3 stamina.
- D vs Sh: 8+12 [20] vs 5+11 [16]. We'll give her medium armor for her bark-y skin. He does 6+1=7 (5 stamina!). Putting that MA4 to use. She blocks 6 (2 of it). She has 9 stamina left.
- U vs Sh*2: 5+11 [16] vs 9+11+2 [22]. That does 1+1=2 (2 stamina) vs the Unicorn's armor of...none. Unicorn has 9 Stamina left.
- Sh takes 3 stamina from holding the swords.
- Skeletons will now decide a target. I'll split them into 3 groups. Targets are {B & F | Troll | D & U } → two are going after Huffgle (4 total) and one pair is going after Barston and Faruin. I'll add them in next round, though.
- Huffgle (9/9) has 2 attacks vs 3 8/8 Cultits. Huffgle will have medium claw but gets +2 to damage rolls. 6+9 vs 3+8+1 vs C1. He hits for 5+2=7 (5 stamina) damage. oooo. Vs C2: 8+9 vs 6+8+1. He hits C2 for 6+2=8 (5 stamina). Boy's punching. C3 aims for a hit: 7+8+1. I'm not 100% sure how to handle this since you normally compare the attack power but I do go with the first or the highest? In this case, I'll just roll separately: 7+9. A tie.
- ROUND TWO
- D and U vs W. I actually screwed up, Unicorns have 2 attacks. I'll fix that, now. D vs Sh: 9+12 [21] vs 3+11 [14]. ooooo. He does 5+1 (4 stamina) versus her 6 (3 armor). 1 more point done. She has 5 left. Ua vs Sha = 9+11 vs 4+11. Ua does 5 (3 stamina) vs 6 (-3 damage). Horn does nothing. Hooves vs Shb = 3+11 vs 9+11. This time Sh'klak hits for 5+1 (3 stam). 6 remain on unicorn.
- We already established the swords aren't active magic, so she won't have to spend again.
- B and F vs G, SK1 (on B) and SK2 (on F):
- B vs GvB and SK1: 5+1+12 [18] vs 5+9 [14] and 3+8 [11]. Barston does 5+2=7 (4 stamina) vs GB's 3 (2 stamina). It takes 2 more, leaving it with...oh, zero.
- BUT, it would get an attack off on F first. F vs GvF and SK2: 6+8 vs 9+9+1 and 7+8+1. That's two hits, so she will use her Fate of the Blessed to reroll. 10! 10+8 beats out the skeleton at least. But its dying moment the bot gets blast off for 3 (4 stamina) vs her 6 (2)...so she takes 1 more damage.
- Huffgle against the world, basically. He has 7 opponents on him and they will be getting +5.
- H1 vs C1: 9+9 [18] vs 4+5+8 [17]. he does 3+2=5(4) more damage to C1 which kills that one.
- H2 vs C2: 6+9 [15] vs 9+5+8 [22]. C2 gets double damage. 1+1 (2*2 stamina). Trolls have medium armor so he blocks 2 of that. 7 Remain.
- H vs C3: 8+9 [17] vs 5+5+8 [18]. C3 does 6+1 (4 stamina) vs 5(2). 5 remain.
- H vs S3: 3+9 [12] vs 9+8+5 [22]. Double damage. 6+1 (4*2) of which 2 (0) is blocked. He is at -3.
- H vs S4: 6+9 [15] vs 10+8....you know what...our Leeroy Jenkins is no more.
Barston smashes the head of the creature in, having learned this a weakspot for them, right as the creature shoots Faruin in the shoulder.
Upon the throne, Derron and the Unicorn are dodging flying swords as Derron continues to whittle down the wizard's resolve.
Behind, a mass of cultists and skeletons are now hacking apart the body of Huffgle. The troll did not get back home, but at least he bloodied some cultists on his way out.
Now to figure out where the creatures hacking up Huffgle go:
- C2 goes {BF | DU | flees} → DU. Tries to protect mama.
- C3 won't flee, so we'll say joins in.
- S3 and S4 = BF.
- S5 and S6 = DU.
Do these creatures cease to function if Sh'klak is killed? (50/50) → 95. Exceptional No. What do they do, then? 88 Progress 33 Delay. They stop people from progressing. So...ok, the ship collapses as the nano-machines will try and keep victims on board. Waaaait.
Are the nano-machines the ones in control? (50/50) → 21. Yes. Is Sh'klak another victim? (50/50) → 40. Yes. Ohhhh, shit.
So the ship is Sh'klak and the creature in the chair is someone else.
- B vs S1,S3: 7+1+12 [20] vs 4+8 [12] and 6+8[14]. S1 takes 4 points of damage. Oh, times two. That just smashes it.
- F vs S2,S4: 9+9 [18] vs 8+8+1 [17] and 6+8+1[15]. She does 4+1 (3 stamina). It has 5 remaining.
- D vs "Sh," C2, S5: 7+12 [19] vs 6+11+2 [19], 8+8+2 [18], and 11+8+2 [21]. S5 hits for 5+1 (3) while D dodges 2 none of that.
- Ux2 vs "Shx2," C3, S6: 9+11 [20] vs 3+11+2 [16] and 7+11 [18] vs 5+11+2 [18]. Horn pierces "Sh'klak" for 5 (3) vs 3 (1). 2 more damage. This kills the victim and starts the "endgame" but we'll get to that. C3 vs U: 7+8+2 vs 6+11. Tie. S6 vs U: 9+8+2 vs FUMBLE. Fumble = 8. Unicorn has to pass a skill test, and does. Takes 6+1=7(4 stamina) damage, though. Only 2 remain.
Who are they going to target? {Barston | Derron | Faruin } → Derron. He's closest to the "Throne", so it makes sense.
He'll need to resist by making a SKILL check. I'll give him Martial Arts in the roll, but he'll be at -1 for each enemy that grapples him and -1 for each round he has lost. It will continue until all the creatures are destroyed and more will then be on the way.
As the unicorn's horn pierces into the chest of the wizard, two things occur. More than two. First, the wizard looks up and says something in a language like a breeze through flowers. Then, the ship shudders. And then the skeleton and cultist go from trying to fight Derron to trying to grab him.
The same goes for the ones fighting the unicorn. And the ones fighting Barston and Faruin. It is as if the whole room is now focused on one person.
Screams and shrieks in the distance indicate more is coming.
- Let's see. We have C2, C3, S5, and S6 there. We'll start with those. The others can show up next round.
- D vs C2, C3, S5, and S6: 7+12 [19] vs 6+3+8 [17], 7+3+8 [18], 10+3+8 [21], and 10+3+8 [21]. Derron punches the injured cultist for 2+1 (3 stamina). C2 has...2 left? More importantly, D now has two grappling and has to focus on not being forced into the chair.
- U vs S5: 9+11 [20] vs CRITICAL. S5 is not caring about dodging the horn but also isn't attacking. I'll take this crit as more like the horn shatters pieces but the black sand is intensifying.
- U vs S6: 6+11 [17] vs 5+8 [13]. She does 6 damage to it. 2 points remain.
- Barston is going to hit S3 while running. S3 gets -3 for not paying any damned attention. Barston gets -2 for trying to hit while running. 9-2+1+12 [20] vs 7+8-3 [12]. Barston does 5+2 [4*2 damage]. S3 is wrecked.
- Likewise, Faruin is going to be running after S2 to try and stop it. Same penalties. 10-2+9 [17] vs 4+8-3 [9]. She does 2+1 (3 stam * 2). This one is destroyed.
- S4 reaches unimpeded.
As the skeletons and cultists start piling on Derron, Barston and Faruin each manages to destroy one each. The unicorn also smashes into one with her hooves. It continues to press down against Derron, though.
- Derron is at 12+2d6-2 right now. Rolls a 5. That's 17-2 = 15. Just holds up. But now C2, C3, and S4 both get attacks versus Derron. Rather than roll an attack, I'll just test their skill and give them a +2 bonus. 6+2+8 = 16. C2 is latched on. C3 fumbles. Let's see 6. A slip so -3 next turn. S4 = 4+2+8 = 14. Doesn't latch on.
- U vs S5: 7+11 vs 8+8-4 (it's now caught up in this other fight). She wallops it with her horn. Frees Derron of one grappler.
- U vs S6: CRITICAL. I'll say she destroys it. Derron is now at -2, again.
- B going for S4: 10+12-2 (his blessing has run out) [20] vs CRIT! Again, no damage back but it resist the damage as black sand pours over it.
- F is going ot hack at the same creature but I'll be mean and say the Crit applies to both.
As Barston, Faruin, and the unicorn continue to hack, Derron shouts out, "GET THEM OFF ME!"
I think at this point this is non-winnable. Even if they beat through, the ship clearly has a huge amount of resources and I wouldn't want to even guess what kind of stats a 80m high entity might have.
Time to do something desperate.
Barston stands back and sees the horde of strange metal creatures, more cultists, and skeletons pouring into the room. He sees everyone fighting desperately to free Derron who is on the cusp of being overwhelmed. Strange black sand reaching up from the throne to wrap around him.
Barston pulls out his paintbrush and cries out, "SENNAS!"
And then time stops.
In an astoundingly perfect coincidence, Fabo Music's "Healing Waters" started playing right as I was describing this scene. Anyhow, I've stuck it on loop.
As Barston stands there and sees everyone frozen like paintings, he realizes he is standing knee deep in water which shines indigo and violet. A splashing catches his attention and behind him, a young boy with silver hair approaches. Taking the paint brush from Barston's hand, the boy laughs the laugh of an ancient, wise man.
He begins to paint with it and what he paints is the same scene, only there are differences.
The skeletons and cultists are now covered in vibrant hues and the ship is bright blue rather than stark black. This seems to go for days. Weeks. A careful repainting of every element.
After some eternity, the boy turns around and hands the brush back to Barston, and then the boy and the water are gone.
In its place is a confused Derron and Faruin looking up. Rather than skeletons and cultists, there are paper cut outs. The throne is simply a prop piece in a cheap play. The ship is merely background setting.
Walking up to a wall, Barston pushes against and a thin sheet of painted wood falls over, letting sunlight in. Walking out, he is standing in grass near Yewsforth. The tower is gone and all the remains is a simple tent covering a wooden piece.
Where the grass had been gray and winter-burned in the early spring, it is now deep green as a early summer sun rises overhead.
Inside, to the others, the sunlight exposes this was all just some cheap mummery. A solstice play to entertain children with spooky stories. A tale past its telling.
Barston bows to his god and the night catches up with him. He falls into the grass.
A smile upon his face.
Just to fill in a blank, a priest dedicated to their god can get one "Salvation" which is a full on deus ex machina moment. It's not meant to fix everything, but it essentially is a once-in-a-lifetime get out of GM's plans free card. In world terms, Sennas showed up to protect his two true followers by turning the whole thing into a simple play that has now concluded in the light of day.
Barston will only ever get another if Sennas feels like he has truly, truly earned it.
+2 Luck to everyone. Which they need.
Also, +10xp to everyone.
Alas, the intervention will take Faruin's sword but there's....another.