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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jfdlsjfd" data-source="post: 9556669" data-attributes="member: 42856">And, for our anticlimactic finale that started with the Icon fight...We listen to Zyn's plan. A plan that was hatched over 1,000 years must be extremely devious and fool-proof.This is the best choice. It is, actually, already the only choice. I read what if we just didn't want to learn about the plan... There are a false choice, which results in either Zyn's spirit becoming angry and summoning demonic spirit to tear our souls to Hell OR Zyn's spirit becoming calm and just leaving us on top of the basalt pillar to die, presumably from thirst and hunger when we'll run out of the nutritious rations we got. Apparently Balhasar doesn't care about us enough to pull us out, nor can we take the risk of climbing down the basalt pillar, nor can Salvia, who as Levitation as a power, gently float down carrying everyone one by one, or heartlessly abandonning the rest of the team to snatch the Victory Emblem for her...So, what's that devious plan? Zyn congratulates us on being smart and saying that loyal servants of Zyn are rewarded. However, there will be no free stew for us, only a lump of granite. He explains that it's the fossilized heart of a creature named Skrymir. It's a giant that served him a millenium ago. He was destroyed by the Magi. His plan is to resurrect it and release them against the Magi. That's it. In 1,000 years, his only plan was to release a creature that was already, previously, defeated. Sure, the current Magi aren't as powerful as the elder True Magi, but all of them could certainly, you know, cast Enthrall before the Giant has killed them all? Before we can express our opinion about this stupid plan... Zyn uses his powerful magic to force us to go with the plan. Player agency is killed along Skrymir. Then he teleports us back to the solid ground.In the following sections, we traverse the plains with the funerary mound, Zyn talks to us to command us to take a part of Skrymir skeleton, possibly using a word of power of his own to defeat whatever defense there was. He's the quintessential... DMPC. They are horrible in real games, but they are even worse in gamebooks, where the DM isn't even there to enjoy how miserable he makes us.We walk through 3 kilometers on the plain. We gather a giant skull. He recounts us his version of the story, where he explains that the Magi cast spell that turned his heart to stone, split and broke his skeleton, boiled his blood, turned his flesh to dust... basically he apparently didn't last a single round last time. We have no choice but to take that annoying giant head with us, because of Zyn's magic. Then we proceed to gather other parts of his skeleton, forcing us to clear our inventory for it. The section continues emphasizing our helplessness. You have no choice. Heck no I have no choice, I just crossed 12 sections without anything happening because DMPC intervened to remove the threat and because DMPC's magic forced us to take the remnants of his feeble giant. Almost without volition, you stoop and begin to place the huge bones into the iron frame. Your thoughts are still your own, but Zyn's magic has implanted a subconscious command that you are powerless to resist. [...]As the body starts to reform, we're released from Zyn's magic. We get the chance to add an ingredient of our own to the ritual: an ice jewel? Too bad we throw it off in the lava earlier. A spiked gauntlet? Not very useful to put into a ribcage (also, we didn't take it). A... sliver of Kallium? Now that's fun. Ourr dynamite-pacemaker in place, we stand back to see the giant Skrymir raise from the dead in his full glory... He pronounces a villain speech. At this point, our team of heroines know they have won. After mentionning that he rises on the Middle Earth again -- no, not Tolkien's Middle Earth,  Norse Middle Earth, Midgard, and as the King of Jotunheim he'll reduce everything to cinders... starting by us, since someone as noble and powerful as him can't be in debt to puny mortals... You all see how it will end, don't you?As soon as he raises his hand to squat us like flies, his heart pump blood into his system, moisturizing the Kallium and making explode in a thousands of tiny, fiery bits. As a Frost Giant, he was especially susceptible to fire magic. I guess Zyn will spend another 1,000 devising new plan, probably involving gathering the bits in a single place to resurrect the mighty Skrymir.We then leave the scene to collect the emblem of victory at the end of the road. We're teleported to the grand ballroom where the Magi gathered to party while betting on the groups performance. Magus Tor thanks us for our performance and especially for removing Skrymir. He orders servant to brings a few gifts as a reward for entertaining them. <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A +1 Sword (I'll call that the Sword of Redundancy +1. It's important to name correctly magical items)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A shielding brooch (AR+1)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A magic bow +1 to hit AND to damage (1d6+1)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">A ring of sorcery, PA +1.</li> </ul>This is good, but it needs a lot of reshuffling, since the character gifted each objects is right now the one with the less chance to use it. The Sword will go to Trixie (Winny has a better sword, even if we don't fight too many giants...), the brooch will go to Esmeralda (with so little HP, she needs more AR). The Bow will go to Salvia, as she's equally good with bow as the Trickster, but we use Trixie as our main Tank. The Ring of Sorcery goes to Esmeralda, because she's on her way to reach PA 19, at which point she'll be able to autocast Greenbolt and Enthrallment and have them memorized permanently...We also get 1,200 xp to share equally, so that's 300 xp each. We're also warned by Balhazar that "There is one contestant who is left with bitter hatred in his heart" and that "we will meet him again". As a result of or resouding victory,  we reach rank 3. The game has table for each class, with a few incremental improvements. Winny and Trixie get 6 more HP and +1 damage, Salvia and Esmeralda +5 HP and +1 damage,So we end book 1 with the following group:Winny rank 3, FP 10/9, PA (psychic ability) 6, Awareness 6, Damage 1d6+2, HP 19<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Armour AR3</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Bludgetranker (+1 FP, +1d6 damage vs Giants)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><s>An opal medallion to be tracked by magus Balhazar</s></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><s>A giant skull</s></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Dagger of Vislet</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Golden Snuff-Box</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><s>A Kalium container</s></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><s>A giant leg</s></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><s>A giant leg</s></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><s>A giant fossilized heart</s></li> </ol>Trixie rank 3, FP 8/7, PA 6, Awareness 8, Damage 1d6+1, HP 19<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Sword of Redundancy +1</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Armour AR2</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Money pouch with 105 gp</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Bow</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Quiver (6 arrows)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A healing meal</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A healing meal</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A healing meal</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A healing meal</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A healing meal</li> </ol>Salvia rank 3, FP 7, PA 7, Awareness 6, Damage 1d6+1, HP 16<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Quarterstaff</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Armour AR2</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Bow +1</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Quiver (6 arrows)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A healing meal</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A healing meal</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A healing meal</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A healing meal</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A healing meal</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A healing meal</li> </ol>Esmeralda rank 3, FP 6, PA 14/15, Awareness 6, damage 1d6, HP 10<ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Obsolete Sword of Uselessness +0</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Armour AR2</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">1 scroll of Invisibility (to freely flee a fight)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">1 scroll of Time Blink (to rewind a fight)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A charm of Shielding AR +1</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">A ring of Sorcery PA +1</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><s>A giant pelvis (3 spot)</s></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><s>A giant arm</s></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><s>A giant arm</s></li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol"><s>An empty spot</s></li> </ol></blockquote>

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