[Lorric]

Vote: D. After his experience on the road on the way in, Lorric will relish the opportunity to clear out bandits and creatures on the road to ensure others do not suffer the same fate.

Is there a way to tell the relative difficulty of a quest? Is Apprentice (Lv1) perhaps the difficulty? short / medium is the length of the quest, and what's the orange thing that is X0 on 3 quests and X1 on 1?

[Lepanto]

Good to see that everyone is still alive and . . . sane enough.

I'll go with D too.

[TrashMan]

HMmm...the Crusader and Vestal have skills that raise light level, so you might save some resources by buying less torches when you have them on the team.

[deathfun]

You've all heard the tale of the one who roams the roads, preying on the weak or the unwary... seizing opportunity where it may be had. Many have been unlucky to come across such a man, fewer unlucky enough to cross him. It wasn't about honour, or a grand plan. Merely survival and a knack for the job

As I sit here in this stagecoach looking across into the face covered by a knights helmet showing eyes glaring back at me I begin to question what brought me to give pause to such existence. It didn't appear that he appreciated my company all that much. Unsurprising as I didn't particularly care for his presence either. However, our desires have both led us to the same dark, disturbed destination

Our stagecoach unexpectedly comes to a tumbling crash, unknown as to what caused such an event

Seems like we were to go on foot from here

Crawling from the wreck, both I and my armoured "friend" find ourselves face to face with one surprised man. I don't believe he expected anyone to come out from that heap of broken wood alive and unscathed, but I knew very well just what it was he wanted.

Neither of us wasted any time cutting the poor fool down leaving his pitched tent free for us to take. It'd appear he wasn't doing too poorly on the road himself, unfortunately for him he decided to jump the wrong people. You never play your hand too soon, not before you know what you're up against. Far too many bandits have died by my hand thinking a lone man walking the roads would be an easy take.

Doesn't look like he was setup here alone. Two more bandits show their faces a little further down the road, a little better equipped. One stood taller than the Crusader himself, matching the height held by the sword. The bigger they are...

...The harder they fall. His partner responds in kind sending a volley our way penetrating into my shoulder and deflecting slightly off my partner's armour.

I am not much for getting shot. Pulling out my flintlock pistol, I send one well placed ball towards the bandit's chest while the sword follows shortly afterwards to finish the bastard. Looks like they were carrying with them some recently obtained loot.

Ours now

The rest of the Old Road was quiet allowing us to arrive to The Hamlet without further interruptions. It wasn't the most fantastic looking place, and I've seen my fair share of run down towns.

It wasn't long before we were joined by two more, probably seeking similar adventures. A healer, and an Alchemist.
I cared not for their names, this was a matter of convenience. Working with others is... not something I enjoy. Years of roaming the roads alone was how I preferred it.

But... if I were to delve deeper into the dungeon and reap the rewards that may be waiting for me... us... I would require their help. I chose to remain quiet for the time being, there was no need for them to know my name. I longed for rest however, the Old Road having taken some out of me. I rest before the supposed "heroes" would again congregate and move into the darkness before us.


I was awakened by a presence, felt, but not heard or seen. All the better since it was time to see just what treasure lay within the confines of this dungeon

It did not take the four of us long to encounter a smashed crate containing some heirlooms. It was almost as though it was too good to be true...
...as it was. Our first encounter appeared in the form of cultists and their fleshless companions. One came towards me and threw the contents of his cup towards my face, splashing me with what appeared to be blood. It burned my skin as it ate away at my flesh. What fresh hell was this?

We cut them down on the ground they stood, my nerves becoming numb from the vile liquid that had since evaporated. Unfortunately, not long after our first encounter we found ourselves approached by three more. The dead one goes after the Doctor (a title I find amusing) dealing a severe blow with his weapon. We retaliate quickly ending their lives... respectively for the skeleton it was for a second time

Seems as though these two groups were protecting the rubble that blocked our way. Everyone but I looked towards one another inquiring about the chance someone had a shovel

Naturally, we were a spade short. The Crusader was the first one to start moving the rubble with his hands, his gauntlets protecting his hands and wrists from the possible scrapes that would ensue. It took us a while, but before long the pile was cleared bringing us to an empty room. Disappointment filled my mind and I could see I wasn't the only one

Fortunately, upon leaving, there was a crate waiting for us once again. A small but welcome reward for our efforts

Luck would not be in our favour this time. Three more cultists appear coming towards us with a vengeance, striking me hard with his weapon. Death's door awaited me, surely this was to be the end for me. Straight up fights were never my style, preferring more the element of surprise or being underestimated.

The healer came to me and quickly began to work. Her hands were adept, and I could feel the effects taking place. Renewed somewhat, I looked towards the Vestal and nodded in kind. My road companion followed the Doctor as they butchered the enemy with their blades, cutting them down to size. I chuckle sarcastically at my poor attempt at humour, unheard by the others. Seems our party is starting to feel the hurt, but one suggests that we break before heading further in. I know I myself could use it, the pain slowly returning to my wound

Eating certainly had some restorative effects for us all as our next encounter brings us face to face with more of the undead. I look toward the one cultist wearing the dress and look for a brief moment. One could sell that for quite a fair amount, or at least take the gold trim...

The Knight strikes first dealing a nasty blow, but the crossbowman retorts quickly going after the Healer. Scourge did not take kindly to this moving in and taking out another one of the four less than human (I've never been particularly fond of cults) bastards that insisted to ruin our day. Once again, the devout man bearing his sword comes down with another crushing swing.

The female cultist comes back and attacks the Doctor sending him to the ground writhing in pain. Seeing him crawl back towards us with the healer running towards him... it caused something to brew deep inside me. I bloody hate cultists, and this adventure was quickly becoming more than it was worth. I voiced my opinion on the matter, feeling more inclined to take what we have got and call it a day. Ironically enough, the very person who was glaring at me not long ago on the Old Road began to develop this distrusting look in his eyes. He was more crooked than I was, but there is nothing more crooked than a man who is dishonest in who he is

I accepted being a Highwayman, keen on taking from whoever I wanted and leaving those who crossed me bleeding out on the dirt. But this Knight, or so called Holy Man, takes from the very shrine meant to appease the God.

It came to an almost funny surprise to find ourselves in the following room which carried what appeared to be a confessional... beckoning to us all. The Knight, conflicted as it would appear, well he steps in! Probably a trap I think to myself wishing I could depart from this adventure and leave them to their own devices. I wished not to continue further

Turns out it was not a trap, and I will admit when I am wrong in such regards. He steps out, his posture appearing different... almost as though the conflict in his own mind has been... cured

Good fortune must be balanced with the bad in the end. The undead rise to meet us in the corridor, their hollow eyes staring back towards us, clad in the armour of the past. My own mind falls deeper into the hole I've dug for the many years I've roamed around, taking from the innocent. This is why I preferred to work alone, avoiding the likes of the Healer and the Holier than thou types... their insistence on being "kind" despite my darker nature annoyed me. I tucked myself away behind a pillar as the Healer cast her abilities upon the party. I wanted no part of these gestures, I did not deserve them

An old memory found itself into my mind... the scream of a child... the blood of her father covering the white dress she wore

Our dear Doctor rises to the occasion, seems as though not all of us are subject to our own mind's perils. Suppose there was a bit of a lesson to be learned from him...

The Undead fight us, their will non-existent as they feel no pain and know nothing of retreat. Once again, one of us falls to the swords of our resisting parties. Armour did not hold up well against this blow, but it wasn't before long that he rises again with the help of the lovely miss. Not like she could do much having resumed the position at the front of our party shielding the rest of us from attack. The Knight continued to be hammered and she did the best she could to keep him alive... it was a fascinating cycle. You could see in his eyes though that it was starting to be too much for him

Rising from the ground, he grabs his sword and delivers a blow to the final skeleton, sending the bones to crumble as the magic that once held them together came apart. Our way of thanks came in form of assisting him back to partial strength with the last of our supplies. In that rare moment of calm, it was the least we could do. Afterall, he did have a far better chance to take a hit than the rest of us

An Iron Maiden is found in the next area leaving our rather curious Crusader to test his luck. Shortly upon opening the torture device he was awash in the sickening fumes inside. This caused him to frantically look to an old bookcase nearby looking for something, a cure or anything. His coughing grew to annoy me, the discordant sound not playing well with my ears

It wasn't complete without the bandits clutching their swords as they came towards us, thirsty for blood. Once again I avoid being healed, choosing to lurk behind some cover. If I was to die today, I would die knowing I got what I deserved

As though the bandit read my thoughts, a barrage from his weapon came towards us all, striking everyone in the party and leaving me staring into the scythe carrying creature once again...

Much to my surprise, the Crusader pulls out a scroll which sends a blinding light towards the bandits! One bandit drops dead immediately leaving the other to bleed out courtesy of my previous attack. A lull in the combat once again, welcomed by myself as my wounds begin to grow worse each room

We continue further in, one lackluster room after another

Until four Cultists and Skeletons find themselves startled by us as we walk into the room. My inner rage and distaste for these bastards unleashes as I fire my pistol into the face of one of them. It felt good

They didn't think the same striking back in kind leaving our armoured acquaintance once again on the brink. It was here the Doctor gave some select words (which I might add, I could relate to... a little) boosting morale across the board. Words did not fail here as we cut the rest of them down with ease, ending with a fantastic show of light from the resident cleric

There was still more to be done... but the strength to carry on was not found as my beaten body caused me to stumble with each step. I was not the only one who felt this way (finally) as the rest of the party collectively decided that it was time to return from the depths topside.

I wanted nothing more than to rest

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(More ways than one since god dammit there's more to write about)
(I also did not realize the Plague Doctor was female until after writing)

[TrashMan]

Another tip: I always bring at least one vial of holy water. When used on confessionals, altars, shrines, etc, it purifies them and grants things like full heal, big stress reduction, removal of a negative trait or a big buff.

[0rph3u5]

Is there a way to tell the relative difficulty of a quest? Is Apprentice (Lv1) perhaps the difficulty? short / medium is the length of the quest, and what's the orange thing that is X0 on 3 quests and X1 on 1?

There is no definite way to say which quest is more or less difficult - that's part of the charm. A long quest can be incredibly easy with weak mobs spread out across a large space, while a short quest may give you X encounters in row.

Short/Medium/Long - Does cover how many rooms will be on a given map, but gives no indication on how many encounters a quest may have. Also the longer a quest is increases the need from more supplies.

Apprentice (Lvl 1)/Veteran (Lvl 3)/... (Lvl 5) - covers the max level of any given encounter during the quest; also Heroes will only go on Quests which are +/- 1 their own level.

Camps (aka "organge thing") - tells the number of camping equipment you will get for this quest. This already indicates this is a longer quest during which you can/will have to* Camp in the Dungeon. Camping gives you an opportunity to heal and relief stress in the Dungeon.

* It says in the tutorial that you must camp in the Dungeon but I never got a dialogue forcing my hand.

[Lorric]

That's some very nice work from Deathfun. I was particularly impressed that he came up with a reason to avoid the healing.

This is really starting to get good.

0rph3u5, thanks for the info.

So, I was wondering, how could a holy warrior, a hero, be a kleptomaniac?

Ah yes. Of course. :lol:

[Scourge of Ages]

Scourge's Log, Week 3:

I never thought I could get bored of a good tavern... Well, after the squishy tart who runs the brothel refused every single one of my requests, plus she didn't have many guys to choose from, so I was stuck with just booze and deflecting looks from the few - and extremely ugly - travelers at the bar. I could have some fun with that most times, but didn't feel like it today.

I figured it was time for a good skulk about town. Most of the party are either nursing their wounds/brains or trying to decide where to take the two newbies, Firespawn and Patriot. Where are all these weirdos coming from, anyway? Right, I should talk...

Walking past Deathfun's tent, the bored part of my mind suggested going inside to see if the Highwayman had any interesting loot or gold lying around for... science... But as I got closer, I heard him inside, mumbling to himself and making a rapid scratching sound. Curiosity chased away boredom and the tiny part of me calling for gold, and I peeked into the tent.

He was writing furiously. I've never seen so many sheets of paper in motion outside of a university. Now I'm not going to say I'm surprised that a Highwayman could write, I'm not prejudiced. But the speed and volume or words coming out would be shocking from anyone. There was a discarded scrap of paper near my feet, and I picked it up and backed away; I'm sure he didn't notice me. I unfolded the scrap, and it looked like a draft for a log or diary. It accounted our first day in the dungeon in dense detail, and was actually pretty well written. I wonder what the final draft he keeps will look like?

[deathfun]

Emerging from the ground of which reeked of the putrid scent of death, the decaying bodies of the new and old scattered haphazardly around the entrance to the depths from which we have returned... broken, beat, morale close to nothing as we realize just what toll our bodies will have to suffer the next coming weeks. I stop to rest upon exiting, my eyes adjusting to the natural light from the sky. Despite the red aura reflecting off from the cloud cover creating this ominous look to the surrounding area, it took some time for me to compose myself having just been in sheer darkness for most of the day. One of the skeletons from long before looked at me with this gaze, almost as though it was not quite dead, sending chills down my spine

I wasn't quite myself yet, memories of my past came flooding to the forefront of my brain causing me to grow lightheaded. Given my profession, I am not without my share of mistakes. There are some who would consider my entire life one long string of poor choices; those who look down upon my thieving and taking the life from those who thought their life was worth less than the gold they kept in their pockets. I do not find those who have died by hand a mistake on my part, or the countless I have stolen from poor choices. Little do some know, but there is a code of which I stand by. People who I come across and "donate" their valuables leave with their lives. Ones who feel they can take me, or think I am merely prey, meet the end of my blade or the ball of my pistol

But I find myself still haunted by the early days...

The others wasted no time leaving for Hamlet seemingly not aware that I had stopped for a moment. Not that I blame them, sometimes I fall into my dark recesses of my mind and it takes over. Escaping from the damp, moss filled confines of the walls behind me and breathing the fresh air... well I wouldn't call it fresh air, but it's certainly better than before... will do me some good

In the distance a stagecoach approached with what seemed like three more souls coming into Hamlet. Unsurprising that there would be more to come after us, but I can't quite say it brought any particular amount of joy to see new faces. It'll take some getting used to, working alongside other people

It's possible I might not ever get used to it

Heading down the path, my feet hurried as quickly as they could despite the heaviness they felt with each aching step. I could hear the Cleric talking to one of the new arrivals, each of the three listening carefully to the story each one of them contributed to telling. Watching the two holier than though recount the events with this divine spin to events made me roll my eyes. Wasn't the only one either. Scourge... at least that's what I believe his... oh hold on... her name is. For a moment there I was shocked I never noticed until now that the Doctor was actually female, the clothing completely concealing her figure. The mask certainly didn't help in that regards!

Sitting down nearby I watched as they argued details and facts about what happened while down in the cultist Hell. Not entirely accurate, I suppose for them it's Heaven. For us however, Hell. Absolute Hell.

One of the newcomers looked completely white, trembling even, as she listened with such intensity to the story. Upon the finishing of the tale, no more than a few moments passed before the Hellion stepped back on the stagecoach and wished never to return to this godforsaken ****hole we're all in. The other two, another Hellion and a Leper, seemed to take this recounting of events as a challenge to rise against as one brandished their weapon and gazed back into the eyes of the Knight who had taken off his helmet for the first time. Not entirely sure if it was supposed to be a challenge of will, a duel to be had, or just some sort of mutual agreement that dwelling back into the depths will be met with equal parts trust

Guess that's how things will be done in terms of communication from her. Grunts, a piercing gaze, and probably a warcry or two

I was ushered over by the Cleric who felt it necessary that I take some gold to spend at the local bar in hopes that it'll calm my spirits (or at the very least, drown them deeper down). Whether or not the townspeople... for the general politeness I will not refer to them as downtrodden bottom dwellers who smelt just as bad as the dungeon... would help lift my spirits is entirely in question. Maybe the smell they give off will convince me that life could be worse

Chuckling to myself at the notion that these townspeople are actually a worse situation than my choosing to stay and see what else there is in store for us in that ****ing place. Clearly, insanity is starting to seep into my synapses because no one sane would ever willingly choose to clear out a labyrinth where death lurks at every corner and the rewards were... debatable... 

Okay, insane or driven by a higher power and do good outlook. I guess there is a benefit to being what is essentially a martyr for your holy beliefs. Speaking of which, just before entering the bar I notice our resident Crusader... Lorric or something... entering the Abbey. Probably looking for some divine intervention to help what ails him. I'll take a good drink (or four) over putting my hopes in some bull**** God

Down into the glass I go, the night passing away into light without me even really noticing. Doesn't help that this area seems to be either dark, darker, or darker yet. Beginning to sense a theme really... probably that of impending doom or failure even.

Hearing some commotion outside brings me to peer through the window (which more or less looked like an after thought than a window. I think they just ran out of wood and said **** it) towards the road (or more appropriately the muddy area that swerved between the buildings). Watching intently, I could see the Cleric, the Doctor and our two new compatriots preparing to walk up towards the vault we had just vacated... or at least felt like we had just left. Difficult to tell the time here

Returning to my drink, I realize that it was now empty (did I finish it or did someone here take my absence from it as a go ahead to swipe a free drink...) and aptly decide that it was perhaps time to attempt some actual rest. The townspeople all look towards me as I shuffled the stool I sat on behind me, eyes simply glassed over, their faces about as lively as the skeletons we took care of earlier. Less spooky and creepy, and more just pitiful with a touch of sad. They seemed like they were bound to existing here, taking care of a once lively but now decrepit town

Swinging the door open in front of me, I head towards my tent where I pull some paper and a quill to begin accounting for the events that have, and will, take place here. It kept my mind relatively at ease, to put it all in writing. A thought crossed my mind of making it into a book and selling it, what a laugh that'll be! Highwayman to writer...

...Unlikely it'll sell. Unlikely I'll make it out of here alive

It won't be without effort


-----------------------------------------------

I think I'm enjoying this a little too much

-----------------------------------------------

Continued addition

-----------------------------------------------

I awake suddenly, my breathing heavy, face and body sweating heavily from the slumber I had just arisen from. My mind was racing as I looked around disoriented, on the cusp of still being able to see the nightmare play out within the confines of my tent. Shadows darted everywhere around me as I attempted to follow them in my semi-lucid state. Instinctively my hand drew the blade which lay not far from me. Reaching out, I attempted to hack away at the shadows that moved faster than I could react

A presence yelled at me from the tent's entrance; it was Lorric trying to get my attention. His eyes locked with mine, my knuckles white from gripping my blade so fiercely it shook in my grasp. He called out my name once more and I snapped out of my hallucination, realizing what it was and releasing the blade so it dropped with a slight thud against the dirt floor.

The Crusader removes his presence from my tent without batting an eye. Seems my crazed look in that moment was either not as crazed as it seemed, or I had imagined all of this...

Exiting the tent brought me to once again feel the grim nature of this town. Something was different this time however... a distant sound of metal clashing against metal. Perhaps this town was starting to become a bit more lively the longer we remain

I quickly follow after the Knight who appeared to be heading over towards the Guildhouse where everyone else had already congregated. It was rather obvious what use they'll have for us, but of course we're going to have to fork over some of our loot. In my line of work, trading for services immediately after a haul was generally the best thing you could do. Hoarding made for a nice target so it was wise to unload your gear as soon as you could

Opening the doors into the House was met with not much in the way of splendor, but definitely quite a bit of room for improvement. Several trainers moved to greet us as we casually strolled in. Seems they know where the money will be, and I sincerely hope we'll be able to provide them with enough... persuasion... to stick around

One of them brings me to follow him after a nice helping of heirlooms from the collective pool. The others too went off to their respective places but I wasn't able to pay much attention to that as myself and my opponent immediately got into developing some of my blade skills. I've never really been in fights that required much in the way of fancy moves so this was a welcome thought and I hoped it would serve me well in future conquests in the dungeon

Some time passes as the technique he demonstrated to me becomes honed and closer to second nature. Impressive was the amount of theory behind the blade attack and how its execution is so simple to pick up

I felt renewed, and for once actually yearning for a fight

[TrashMan]

FYI - I'd suggest upgrading the blacksmith armory first.
Upgrading a weapon grants +1 damage and +1% crit.
Upgrading the armor grants +5 dodge and 5-10 HP, which is a bigger boon early on IMHO.

Also, as afflictions mount, getting another cell in the Sanatorium might be wise.

***

Finally, since TrashMan isn't a very...fantasy-ish name, when the next Crusader arrives, feel free to use Ellderon (a forum handle I also sometimes use). Your call.

[0rph3u5]

A round of applause for deathfun, please. I'm very proud how this turned out so far, a big thank you all four members of the original party for committing to this like they did.

So, there is 2 votes for Quest Option D. So that's the road I will send the party later tonight.


(I think something might have broken in the last patch; the Party got suprised 3 times but only once did the usual change in positions occur. Or I'm just super lucky this evening.)

Once more Heroes from the Hamlet venture into the dark areas that surround the HLP Estate. But where previous excursions had focussed on the Ruins and it's undead inhabitants, this Party of both veterans and fresh recruits will patrol the roads through the Weald.

The supplies our Heroes bought from the Caretaker are very basic, appropriate for the length of the journey yet conservative with the limited amount of Gold currently at their disposal.

(The creatures in the Weald are much more capable of inflicting Blight DoT but have less offensive Stress-inducing abilities. I could have brought some antidote but I decided that it was not worth spending gold that is better invested in skill upgrades - which we will hopefully see next week)

While the Weald is an open space the darkness between the trees is oppressive and odour of corruption and rot hangs over everything. But our Heroes are not turned back by this hostile environment.


Stumbling across the grave marked with a name from a famous house, Lorric chooses to investigate. But the earth is rich with poisonous fungi which discourage any examination.


Reaching the first clearing on their path, our Heroes take a Cultist and his entourage of fungi-abominations by surprise.


(Short time-out to explain why I upgraded the Bounty Hunter like I did: The Bounty Hunter is currently the chief hero to mess with enemy positioning. If can control how the enemy party is positioned you can disrupt some of their best attacks. Right here we see that I pulled the rightmost Fungal Artillery, then gave them an AoE attack from the Jester and finally had the Crusade Smite it.)


By themselves the spores from some of fungus creatures are a nuisance.

But this attack especially is infamous because it boosts the damage done by other fungal creatures.

The rest of the fight wraps-up rather quickly, despite the marks from the corrupted mushrooms.

Lorric is able to bring his righteous wrath down first on the Cultist and, after FireSpawn nimbly and with great flourish dispatched one of the fungal parasites, then only the final Fungus Zombie.

The spoils from this encounter are easily obtained - but overconfidence can become a major pitfall.



If you were under the impression that Giant Maggots or Mushroom Parasites were grotesque enemies, you were wrong. One of the deadliest and meanest enemies the Weald has to offer is rather plain and uninteresting at first - the Ectoplasm. The appearance of two such creatures startles the Party.


It may be true that the Ecoplasm has little defence against sharpened blades, but it strengths do not come from resilience or physical power. Because just as one falls another might break into two identical pieces.


After division, the Ectoplasm hungers even more fiercely than before. One of the entities takes on Lepanto and overpowers the Vestal's defences.


Repaying this attack in kind, is where FireSpawn and Lorric excel.


Only a few meters father our victorious Heroes find well-deserved treasure.


Once again it is clear that buying at least one Shovel from the Caretaker’s would have been prudent.

(in hindsight...)

The next clearing is empty:


Crates, which fell of a Carriage that must have been speeding through here at a break-neck speed, litter the path and allow for a little salvage in between fights.


Again, a Cultist and some wretched creatures that bow to her will.


Against the Ectoplasm's ability to divide in the face of adversity makes things just a little bit more complicated.


With some help from Patriot FireSpawn is able to cut down the Ectoplasm with a flick of both wrists.


Trying to intimidate the heretic into submission, Lorric breaks out the accusations.

While it dispels the Ectoplasm's hold on the world, the heretic woman remains unimpressed...

... but the Jester FireSpawn will not be denied the last laugh - one the wounds he inflicted cause the Cultist to bleed out and die.

The next clearing is full of poor souls who have been trapped and consumed by the corrupted fungi of the Weald.

The following fight is a furious exchange of blows....

... but for Patriot the attack becomes too much to endure. Without the care and healing magic of the Vestal he would have perished right here and right now.


Lorric trusts on the Holy Commandments again, on these creatures it appears to have an effect at least.


The most humiliating death is Death by Flashbang:


With no target in range to fight, FireSpawn begins to play a little uplifting tune.


The plant zombie strikes again at Patriot pushing him back into the arms of Death - multiple times in a row.

But thanks to two party members actively healing, he does survive.

But taking so much abuse from enemies is enough to test a soul...

... and Patriot falls victim to despair.

With more strength than courage, Patriot then dispatches the last fungus zombie.

Uppercut to the hat (?).

This battle yielded another trinket.

But like the last one, this one isn't worth the trouble.

Again, the Loot from Crates and Bags keeps coming.


Another encounter: Undead and an Ectoplasm.


This encounter is too much for Lepanto, who reaches her breaking point...

... and from her rapidly darting eye you will see that Paranoia has taken root in her heart (not the worst Affliction she could have gotten).

Despite their impact on the psyche of some party members, theses monsters are quickly dispatched...

... or so you might think (Ectoplasm division AGAIN) ...

... and again the monster's attacks are hard on Patriot as a result.


But there is one in the Party who will not despair in the face of EVIL:

FireSpawn the Jester rises to the situation as an inspiration to the team.

To keep Patriot alive, even Lorric has to interfere as healer:


Divide and Conquer:


But when things look grim and dark, you can count on Jester to turn your frown upside down. Even Lepanto joins in with a rare display of combat magic.


But it is not sufficient, as the next blow from a monster, negates all the good Lorric did the Bounty Hunter.


Cretins:


The last remaining Ecoplams goes for it's Great Finale, hits all Party Memebers and...

... spawns an even bigger Blob!


Patriot is able to Hockshoot the lesser Ectoplams, but the larger mass remains untouched.


The large Blob's attack is devastating, stunning both Lorric and Patriot - opening the freshly healed Bounty Hunter to a killing blow once more.


But after several turns of chipping away at that monster (and hoping it didn't get lucky), FireSpawn is able to deliver the killing blow...

... and for once the spoils are adequate to the situation:


The next clearing has another encounters with a Cultist and Fungi -- boring yet?

... or maybe Zombies can keep it interesting...

... at least for Lorric, who gets to hog all the glory (still Selfish).

Loot in unfamiliar places:


Not again - Not to self, buy shovels.


Please no more Fungi or Ectoplasms... was apparently the thought on everyone’s mind...

... and it's back to Giant Maggots and a Giant Spider.

While the Maggots can open strong...

... the comeback for our Heroes leaves nothing to be desired:


On penultimate clearing of this quest, three Ectoplams await our Heroes...

... but by this time our Heroes really don't want anything from those three and dispatch them in a single round of combat:


And at this point the Quest is over but the Party is still in good shape, so I decided to press on:

... which yielded some extra loot but otherwise nothing.


Time to declare Victory and tally up:



- Lorric will now fight harder if his Health gets low.
- Patriot earned a mania, the effect of which I don't know exactly (unable to pass by holy symbols?)
- FireSpawn got Claustrophobia, increasing his Stress gain in pretty much every Dungeon but the Weald.
- Lepanto get lucky with a healing bonus while Camping.

If you don't mind, I'll pat myself on the back for having brought home another Party without losses. This one was really tense for a moment or two and really would have disliked to loose a new character on this quest.


Hamlet Week 4:

While 4 of our Heroes were in the Dungeon the others tended to themselves in the Hamlet:

- Scourge of Ages looses the Paranoid-Affliction, down to 55 Stress.
- The Hellion looses the Selfish-Affliction, down to 35 Stress.
- StarSlayer looses the Fearful-Afflictions, down to 55 Stress. In turn he gains the Enlightened-Quirk, which limits his stress relief to Mediation.

Upon returing, our Heroes find that the old Hospice is back in use. Doctors and Nurses now frequent it's halls instead the Children of Mercy.

Their speaker explains to our Heroes that by application of the modern sciences he can cure any negative Quirk. Right now such knowledge is of little use to any of our Heroes but the service is very much appriciated.

At the stage coach our Heroes encounter a troupe of Carpenters which are very happy to help fix up some of houses in the Hamlet. With better housing the Hamlet can now accomidate more possible Heroes.


And the recent news of the Warrens opening has lured two new Heroes to the Hamlet. (Both get some Guild Training of course.)
Enter Stage left for:

- a yet unnamed Crusader, but whose heraldy is reckongized, identifying him as a "Bane of the Pigmen". (Does additional Damage when in the Warrens. Does more Crits when wounded. May not Gamble in Town)

- and a yet unnamed Grave Robber, who too claims expertise in the realms of the Pigmen. (Increased Stress Resist in the Warrens. Highter initative when the Torch is bruning bright. Initative penalty when wounded. Stat penatlities in the first round of combat.)

Putting some Heirlooms to use the facilites of the Abbey are upgraded to better suit our Heroes.

Lepanto and Lorric get some time off here to deal with their issues from the last quest.

Patriot and FireSpawn find no comfort in the spiritual persuits of the Abbey. They go to the Tavern instead.

Patriot orders a Round for the House, while FireSpawn slips away into the back rooms.


Updated and tweaked the first post, so you can now go from the first page straight to the last quest ...

And once more there is a choice between 4 possible quests. A word of warning ahead of time, I am not as familiar with the Monsters in the Warrens than I am with those in Ruins or the Weald, so that quest might be more difficult on me. (Note: I made these before Recruitment or Stress Relief - those will be posted first thing in the morning)

Option A - Cleanse the Ruins:


Option B - Scout in the Weald:


Option C - Cleanse the Weald:


Option D - Skirmish in the Warrens:


(And to catch a question proactively - the progress bar and the counter at every dungeon indicate how close we are to get a Boss Quest; once the bar fills the current Boss mission becomes open and as soon as the Boss is beaten the counter goes up. But the Bosses all tend to be hard.)

[deathfun]

Shoot, also forgot to vote. D it is because... I like the D

Also, thanks

[Colonol Dekker]

Can has plague doctor plox xx

[TrashMan]

I think you can expect a lot of pigmen in the warrens. Lots of blight-inducing monsters.

[StarSlayer]

I'd cast my vote for whatever promises the best loot for upgrading the town.  Though sweep and clears tend to offer a quicker chance achieving the objective.




"Like the disease that is consuming my body I will consume the evil in this place.  My foes will learn to recoil in horror from my wroth just as simple folk recoil from my countenance"

[Lorric]

I'd take option B. We could spin a story about being surprised by the high number of enemies out here and not in the dungeons and these fungus monsters, so we're scouting to try and work out what they're planning. It also doesn't trigger the claustrophobia and is short.

[TrashMan]

I called dibs on the crusader!

[TrashMan]

The ride to the town was long and uncomfortable, and the road itself was in terrible condition the closer we got to our destination.
Honestly, I expected it to be be bleak, but this... It is as if life itself was drained from this area. Truly some unspeakable evil dwells close.

Thankfully I am not alone in this. Before me, other valiant men and women arrived and already conducted a few successful expeditions. I would say that this bodes well, but vigilance is advised at all times.
I took a walk around the town to see those that would be my brothers and sisters in arms. I first visited the abbey, to find a vestal meditating and a fellow crusader praying. It lifted my spirits to see fellow warriors of light, but I decided not to disturb them in their hours of contemplation.
The decrepit old taverns still had some customers, one of them a bounty hunter named Patriot. I exchanged a few words with him, mostly interested in their expeditions so far. After that unfortunate misunderstanding in the last town, I decided to stay clear of the gambling tables. My coin is better spent elsewhere anyway.
The other adventurers were running around the city, preparing for the next expedition and I barely had time to do anything more then greet them and introduce myself. The only ones I talked to for longer was a blight doctor with a odd name of "Scourge of Ages" (I guess it's a honorary title or something, but I didn't pry) and the leper Starslayer.
Scourges knowledge of toxins may indeed come in handy, especially against the cursed pigmen. Why would a woman wear such a hideous mask tough, is beyond me.
Starslayer was a man after my own heart. His crumbling body hides a strong spirit and a mind as sharp as his blade.

All in all, I decided that I should train a bit to prepare myself for what will come ahead, rather than to pester busy people with questions. Hopefully there will be time for them later. For now, I must make sure my sword arm stays true.

[Lepanto]

Option D again.

Considering that nobody's died or gone TOO insane yet, are we doing well so far, by Darkest Dungeon standards.

[Scourge of Ages]

Scourge's Log, Week 4:

When Lorric and Lepanto hobbled back into town, with Firespawn and Patriot behind them, I scanned their faced. I could tell something was different. Even though Lepanto and Patriot looked shaken to the bone, I could see victory and resolve in their eyes. Even that crazy Jester, Firespawn had a spring in his step that wasn't there when they left - well, an extra spring; jesters tend to be pretty springy anyway.

Maybe... maybe we'd be OK.

Yesterday, I talked with some of the fresh faces off the stage coach. The new Crusader, Trashman, was the only one who spoke more than a nod and grunt to me. I suppose everyone here has reasons to be wary of sharing their identity to some extent. I watched workers starting construction and repairs on some of the structures in town. Then, I wandered into one of the dingier corners of the town and climbed onto a roof. I had to ask myself what I was doing here.

I learned healing long ago to try to save lives, or at least to make lives peaceful as they fled away. But I learned also how to harm, and to my dismay I discovered I was good at it. After THAT city, I realized that healing was not always the only right thing to do. The raiders that night at the hospital came to do killing and thieving. I could have stopped them sooner, should have, but I was naive; I thought they could see reason.

That was the last time I was weak. I made a new mask to hide my face and incite fear in my enemies, and took new clothes from the fresh bodies to fashion a rudimentary cloth armor. I couldn't save people any more, but I could at least save myself. I thought gold was the answer at the time. Now, I'm not so sure.

Maybe it's the thrill of the unknown, or the thought of ending more evil here than I ever could as a doctor. Maybe some good will come of this quest. I hope so, because it's going to hurt getting there.

Ugh, look at me going on and on like that. Enough self-pity, we have monsters to slay and evil to vanquish!

We have a new expedition this week, and we're trying to figure out where to go. All of us, we're voting now. After the first foray into the dungeon, it was mutually agreed that only four of us should go on an expedition at once, and that we'd all get a say in where to go. Nobody said it, but we all know just how dangerous it is; one wrong step could kill the whole party, so we needed a way to keep that from being the end for our quest.

----

I cast my vote for the Warrens, option D.