We're now starting with our team of 4 heroes having defeated the Warlock-King of Wyrd and recovered both the scabbard and the hilt of the Bloodsword. The events were recounted in this thread and then this thread.
English title: The Demon's Claw.
French title, translated: The Assassin's Harbour.
I don't know which title is more accurate with regard to what happens in the book. To be honest from my recollection of what happens in the third part of this pentalogy, none of them has anything to do with the adventure content.
We're cured of all ailments between the books. The character creation chapter indicates that each heroes has gained 25 gp since the end of the last book.
Our stats & inventory at the start of this book's quest are therefore the following:
Winny rank 4, FP 11, PA (psychic ability) 6, Awareness 7, Damage 2d6+1, HP 25
(accompanied by a pet raven possibly sent by Odin)
(She memorize Nemesis Bolt, Sheet Lightning and Servile Enthrallment, which she succeeds casting on a roll of 8, 9 and 8 respectively)
The foreword includes a very nice rule... "The name of this game is enjoyment. If rules and numbers are not your taste then you are at perfect liberty to ignore them. The book is, after all, a text from which you can draw one hundred and one different stories."
But tactical challenge is one of the nicer elements of the series, so let's use those rules anyway.
We're also given a map:
I have included a key for easier-reading:
Over the last two years, we have travelled the northen continent to find clues about the location of the blade of the Bloodsword. An old woman (therefore right) told us the blade is in the Crusader states. We've set sail for Crescentium, the southern outpost of civilization.
Its mighty port is protected by unassailable walls. It is from there that the first Crusaders of the True Faith launched their wars against the Ta'ashim heathens. Jeweled minarets shimmer in the dusty haze as we sail into the magnificent harbour. The scent of exotic spices, incense and hashish fills the air as we set foot ashore.
The last book took excruciating pain to avoid mentionning tobacco. People were smoking herbs, and at some point we were told about tahac that people love to fill their pipes with, but no tabacco smoking in a children book. Apparently, hashish is A-OK.
As we stroll in the magnificent street, we're surrounded by beggars. As befits our classist view, we tell them that we have no charity to spare for men who choose to live like leeches, with a snarl of distaste.
We really didn't change in two years, still behaving like lords.
We're wondering where we will stay for the night, and each character has an opinion about it.
Esmeralda has heard of Psyche the Sorceress, who villes in the outskirts of the town. We have mutual acquaintances, but we're not sure she would welcome us, but there is a tradition of solidarity among wizards that might play in our favour.
Salvia has a firm friend, Emeritus, who was an acolyte in the same monastery as her, made a holy pilgrimage and stayed in Crescentium. He would welcome us with open arms.
Trixie has heard about Jablo the Knife, an unprincipled rogue who is selling false jewels near the jewellers' market, and of Lagrestin, who is a spice dealer. We can choose to meet either of them.
Winny has a letter of introduction the the commander of the local knight chapter, and she's certain we would be welcome as honoured guests.
English title: The Demon's Claw.
French title, translated: The Assassin's Harbour.
I don't know which title is more accurate with regard to what happens in the book. To be honest from my recollection of what happens in the third part of this pentalogy, none of them has anything to do with the adventure content.
We're cured of all ailments between the books. The character creation chapter indicates that each heroes has gained 25 gp since the end of the last book.
Our stats & inventory at the start of this book's quest are therefore the following:
Winny rank 4, FP 11, PA (psychic ability) 6, Awareness 7, Damage 2d6+1, HP 25
- Armour AR3
- Bludgetranker (+1 FP, +1d6 damage vs Giants)
- A healing salve (2 dose, +2d6 HP, that we can use whenever we want, including a fight)
- The Sommermulet (+7 damage and AR against undead)
- Dagger of Vislet
- Golden Snuff-Box
- A St-Ashanax reliquary
- A fire orb
- A cloak fur who took from the body of a dead girl warning us of the danger ahead with her dying breath
- An amber tinderbox
- Armour AR3
- Sword of Redundancy +1
- An empty spot
- Money pouch with 205 gp
- Bow +1
- Quiver (6 arrows)
- A falchion called Shadowcleaver
- An empty spot
- An empty spot
- A silver clasp representing a wolf
- Armour AR2
- Quarterstaff
- The blade of the Blood Sword
- Bow
- Quiver (6 arrows)
- An empty spot
- An empty spot
- An empty spot
- A lute we took from our former friend, the bard with which we played music before he got gored to death
- Two blue gems that were the eye of a creature
(accompanied by a pet raven possibly sent by Odin)
(She memorize Nemesis Bolt, Sheet Lightning and Servile Enthrallment, which she succeeds casting on a roll of 8, 9 and 8 respectively)
- Obsolete Sword of Uselessness +0
- Armour AR2
- The hilt of the Blood Sword
- 1 scroll of Time Blink (to rewind a fight)
- A charm of Shielding AR +1
- A ring of Sorcery PA +1
- A magic carpet (1/3)
- A magic carpet (2/3)
- A magic carpet (3/3)
- A white amulet
The foreword includes a very nice rule... "The name of this game is enjoyment. If rules and numbers are not your taste then you are at perfect liberty to ignore them. The book is, after all, a text from which you can draw one hundred and one different stories."
But tactical challenge is one of the nicer elements of the series, so let's use those rules anyway.
We're also given a map:
I have included a key for easier-reading:
Over the last two years, we have travelled the northen continent to find clues about the location of the blade of the Bloodsword. An old woman (therefore right) told us the blade is in the Crusader states. We've set sail for Crescentium, the southern outpost of civilization.
Its mighty port is protected by unassailable walls. It is from there that the first Crusaders of the True Faith launched their wars against the Ta'ashim heathens. Jeweled minarets shimmer in the dusty haze as we sail into the magnificent harbour. The scent of exotic spices, incense and hashish fills the air as we set foot ashore.
The last book took excruciating pain to avoid mentionning tobacco. People were smoking herbs, and at some point we were told about tahac that people love to fill their pipes with, but no tabacco smoking in a children book. Apparently, hashish is A-OK.
As we stroll in the magnificent street, we're surrounded by beggars. As befits our classist view, we tell them that we have no charity to spare for men who choose to live like leeches, with a snarl of distaste.
We really didn't change in two years, still behaving like lords.
We're wondering where we will stay for the night, and each character has an opinion about it.
Esmeralda has heard of Psyche the Sorceress, who villes in the outskirts of the town. We have mutual acquaintances, but we're not sure she would welcome us, but there is a tradition of solidarity among wizards that might play in our favour.
Salvia has a firm friend, Emeritus, who was an acolyte in the same monastery as her, made a holy pilgrimage and stayed in Crescentium. He would welcome us with open arms.
Trixie has heard about Jablo the Knife, an unprincipled rogue who is selling false jewels near the jewellers' market, and of Lagrestin, who is a spice dealer. We can choose to meet either of them.
Winny has a letter of introduction the the commander of the local knight chapter, and she's certain we would be welcome as honoured guests.
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