Paths:
Paths:
Example:
+++Path of the Goblin Slayer
-
-
- Goblin Slayer (Slay 100 goblins): You are now an +
- Favored Foe (Slay 100 goblins): You are now an expert when facing this foe. From now on when attacking a goblin, a roll of 5 - 6 is considered a critical success. 4 - 5 is a success. And 1 - 3 is a mixed success.
The rank is 0, so there are no prerequisites. (If it had been, say, -2, then you would need to have unlocked a template of rank 1 and of rank -0 in the same path before unlocking this one.) The name is “Goblin -Slayer”. The trigger is “Slay 100 goblins”. And the perk is detailed in -the description.
+
The path is “Path of the Goblin Slayer”. The rank of the first +template is 0, so there are no prerequisites. (If it had been, say, 2, +then you would need to have unlocked a template of rank 1 and of rank 0 +in the same path before unlocking this one.) The name is “Favored Foe”. +The trigger is “Slay 100 goblins”. And the perk is detailed in the +description.
Okay, here are the known paths:
You have a unique bond with a sentient sword
@@ -1751,6 +1756,55 @@ Which would hurt a lot.WHAT DO YOU DO
+++Looking around the chaotic scene, one of the vines among the bushes +caught Inky’s eye. It was one of several bean plants probably native to +the Tammineaux Forest, with strands of faintly glowing pods hanging from +the vines.
+Inky snatches several of the dried but luminous bean pods from the +vines, then sprints a wide circle around the centaur, all the while +counting out 43 beans and throwing them into the topsoil, where much of +the earth around the sinkhole had already been turned over by the +gnomes’ drills and machinery.
+Earlier in the commotion, one of the gnome explosions caused a water +main leading towards what had been the kobit caves to burst. Water was +now spraying across the area with the gusto of a fizzy cold spring and +gathering in small pools over the soil. More water sluiced over the +moth-like creature’s singed wing, snuffing the remaining embers.
+Within moments, long tendrils shot up from the ground, which rapidly +thickened at the bases to the size of young southern oak trees, to curl +gently but firmly around the centaur. “Sister!” a melodious voice +emanating from somewhere amid the beanstalks exclaimed, “What are you +doing up? It is not yet autumn. Go back to sleep!”
+
The pooling water puts out any of the licking, reaching flames that +followed the centaur up from below. The dark smoke carries the smell of +ash, soot, and burnt popcorn up into the air.
+There is no mistaking the climbing vines of the common Tammineaux +Forest Bean. If you don’t recognize it by the heart-shaped leaves or the +winding stems, then the luminous, dangling seed pods nestled amongst the +bulbous pink blossoms are a dead, somewhat obscene, giveaway.
+Inky plucks a handful of the pods and rips them open, meticulously +counting out a mystical number of individual beans, and sowing them in +the ash and the mud.
+Vines erupt from the ground and entangle the centaur, dragging it +gently back toward the sinkhole and whispering a soothing lullaby in its +ears. The centaur struggles weakly before surrendering to the vine’s +caress. It is pulled back down underground.
+In the aftermath, there is a handful of leftover beans, and also some +large, vibrant kernels of corn that flaked off the centaur during the +struggle.
+You and the first Ginnarak Crystal are able to leave the dig site and +the Tammineaux Forest without further incident.
+You pack up your faithful multibeast and trek back to the city of +Vay’Nullar, where your adventure started.
+THE END OF CHAPTER ONE
+EPILOGUE: what are you doing in the final moments of this battle? Or +on the way home? Or, what are you doing to rest, relax, and recover once +safely back in town before reporting back to Blavin?
+Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria
--Inky peers down at the hole, and after some time, turns to - the party. “Do you think they’ve cleared most of the gnomes by - now, or should we wait until they emerge and grab the crystal - then?” Gazing at some invisible spot farther among the trees, - Inky continued, “One of the old miners back at the tavern said - there used to be a natural maw on the southwestern side, but - it was blocked when the tunnel caved in many years ago. The - gnomes don’t waste their efforts on blowing up things knowing - someone’s already been through them. Chances are there’s only - one exit, unless this mine is a decoy.”
-
Inky peers down the hole and watches Retrieval Team 70 - approach the kobit caves.
-The maw on the southwestern side did indeed collapse - several seasons ago. If you know anything about the industrial - and intrepid kobits however, it is that they have probably dug - several alternative, secret entrances since then.
-Just as the gophers reach the cave entrance, a large erge, - muscles rippling beneath its white feathers, emerges from - behind a boulder and blocks their way forward.
-It raises the feathery crest on the crown of its head, and - fluffs up its plumage in a dramatic display. It appears to be - arguing with the gophers. All three gophers appear to be - arguing back.
-The egre gestures angrily at the gophers’ feet, shakes its - head, and crosses its arms defiantly. The gophers look down at - their own feet and shuffle about as though embarrassed.
-They all exchange a few more words and then the gophers - retreat away from the egre and the cave entrance. They huddle - together briefly and then start slowly climbing the - scaffolding back up to the top of the hole.
-“Oh yeah,” the foreman remarks absentmindedly. “There’s an - egre guarding the kobit caves.”
-The egre below preens and struts about proudly having - chased off the gophers.
-“Stubborn things,” the foreman continues. “Easily provoked - to violence. Impeccable fashion sense though.”
-WHAT DO YOU DO
- - ]]> ---Why Stabby, it looks like we won’t need to stab Horse at - all, but are you any good at stabbing armor?
-Corraidhin stuffs the melon shaped gem into his knapsack - and rushes towards Inky and Jarrod. Best to get this party - started in style Corraidhin says as he casts a fireball at the - suit of armor, followed closely by a second, and a third.
-As corraidhin reaches Inky and Jarrod he raises the Sword - of Y’aml ready to fight. Stand and deliver you curr!
-
The trigger happy mage rushes toward the vault exit, - flinging a couple of fireballs over his shoulder as he - goes.
-Stabby is delighted at the carnage as the suit of armor is - blown to bits, but also disappointed at the general lack of - stabbing.
-The Aurs, deep in meditation nearby, get caught in the - conflagration. Their kernels swell and pop explosively. Though - not as explosively as the fireballs.
-The whole Retrieval Team 43 pours into the cavern outside - the vault as it turns into an inferno, and they are swept up - and away in a throng of kobits evacuating the tunnels.
-You are deposited, like silt after a flood, outside the - caves back at the bottom of the gnome hole, where the kobits - and the lone egre are frantically climbing up the scaffolding, - which bends dangerously under their combined weight. The - gnomes up above are running around in an agitated state at the - sudden commotion, and a few of them explode in the - excitement.
-The ground rumbles again, and the entrance to the kobit - caves, and several feet of the surrounding area, is swallowed - up by a sinkhole that spreads across half of the bottom of the - gnome hole. From the hole emerges a gigantic moth-like - creature made of a hundred ears of corn and a hundred wings. - It is bigger than the very largest horse.
-You hear a single word repeated fearfully over and over - again by the crowd of kobits. “Centaur! Centaur!”
-It crawls up out of the pit, and tastes the vibrations in - the air with its feelers. It flies clumsily up into the air, - flutters, and then crashes back into the ground.
-It looks like one of its wings has been singed by fire.
-Undaunted, it crawls across what is left of the bottom of - the gnome hole toward you, beating its wings as though to bash - you with them. Which would hurt a lot.
-Yam’l whispers in Corraidhin’s mind.
-Now *that* thing is *definitely* evil!WHAT DO YOU DO
- - ]]> -++Inky peers down at the hole, and after some time, turns to + the party. “Do you think they’ve cleared most of the gnomes by + now, or should we wait until they emerge and grab the crystal + then?” Gazing at some invisible spot farther among the trees, + Inky continued, “One of the old miners back at the tavern said + there used to be a natural maw on the southwestern side, but + it was blocked when the tunnel caved in many years ago. The + gnomes don’t waste their efforts on blowing up things knowing + someone’s already been through them. Chances are there’s only + one exit, unless this mine is a decoy.”
+
Inky peers down the hole and watches Retrieval Team 70 + approach the kobit caves.
+The maw on the southwestern side did indeed collapse + several seasons ago. If you know anything about the industrial + and intrepid kobits however, it is that they have probably dug + several alternative, secret entrances since then.
+Just as the gophers reach the cave entrance, a large erge, + muscles rippling beneath its white feathers, emerges from + behind a boulder and blocks their way forward.
+It raises the feathery crest on the crown of its head, and + fluffs up its plumage in a dramatic display. It appears to be + arguing with the gophers. All three gophers appear to be + arguing back.
+The egre gestures angrily at the gophers’ feet, shakes its + head, and crosses its arms defiantly. The gophers look down at + their own feet and shuffle about as though embarrassed.
+They all exchange a few more words and then the gophers + retreat away from the egre and the cave entrance. They huddle + together briefly and then start slowly climbing the + scaffolding back up to the top of the hole.
+“Oh yeah,” the foreman remarks absentmindedly. “There’s an + egre guarding the kobit caves.”
+The egre below preens and struts about proudly having + chased off the gophers.
+“Stubborn things,” the foreman continues. “Easily provoked + to violence. Impeccable fashion sense though.”
+WHAT DO YOU DO
+ + ]]> +++While Inky packs the top of a sack with a thin layer of + earth from under a loose rock, they feel a heated glare in + their general direction for a few beats and surmises Master + Corraidhín had entered the vault with his newfound companion. + After decades of serving rather … demanding customers as an + inkling, Inky knew an evil eye directed at them even when they + can’t see it (while preparing a brew with their back turned, + for instance) and makes a mental note to give Pointy a wide + berth.
+Once the sacks were placed close to the vault entrance for + a quick haul, Inky returns to the items that had been + discovered while digging under the loose rock. The set of + gold-nibbed quills were swiftly pocketed — each quill was + finely crafted and felt balanced when held in one hand. The + malleable tips in a range of sizes would be invaluable for + testing ink viscosity and smoothness, among other properties. + A felicitously fantastic find!
+The jade tea set was next to be admired, its deep green hue + reflecting the age of the stone from which the items were + carved. With cups for every member of their merry group, the + teapot would make a worthy addition to any travelling, + crystal-seeking tea party. So thin and translucent were the + small cups, having been expertly crafted, that they were + almost too fragile to carry around everywhere. A + non-shattering charm was often applied to heirloom sets meant + to be passed down through generations, but it is difficult to + tell by looking whether a set had been charmed unless the + spell was a particularly strong one. The teapot and cups were + returned to the small wooden box they were found in and stored + away. Perhaps a few crockery talismans could be procured at + the next town?
+Inky pauses at the rack of bottled ink. The first rule that + any inkling in training learns is to never trust pre-bottled + inks from unverified ingredients or unknown sauces. Inky tilts + the rack to better examine the weird yet vaguely familiar + glyphs on the bottles.
+The first glyph was a circle with three dots. The bottle + next to it was adorned with a swirl, followed by a bottle with + a circle surrounding a pointing hand or a snail. Another glyph + looked like a twisted hook, and was that some sort of sinister + grinning reptile on the next one?? Towards the middle of the + rack was a bottle with a glyph of what could be a mountain + with a tunnel at its base. The bottle beside it bore a glyph + of a block broken to three pieces. Yet another bottle was + simply stamped with a circle and a dot at its center. Its + neighbour held a glyph that slightly resembled a mountain + range if someone stared very hard. The next two bottles bore + glyphs that looked like a spiky fish and a circle with a pair + of horns protruding from it. The last bottle’s contents seemed + more gooey than the others, with a glyph of a helmet-wearing + hare.
+The shade of ink within the bottles varied, but all seem to + be derived from the same indistinct hue. None of the bottles + had the usual piece of ash paper with bits of string attached + to them, but otherwise appear to be intact and the vessels + themselves top quality, as shown by the delicate tarring on + the caps. The wooden rack was lightly worn but solid in Inky’s + hands.
+It was certainly an odd collection. “No hash, no stash” + though, as the rule of thumb goes. Inky puts the rack down + carefully on the floor by the sacks, concluding that if anyone + wanted to help themselves to the bottles, they were hopefully + not planning to ingest the contents.
+Dusting off their boots, Inky settles just behind the + banner, closer to the vault entrance and rousing performance, + to watch the crowd around Jarrod and listen for any sounds + from outside the vault.
+
You pack up the quills and the jade tea set, and arrange + the bags by the vault entrance for quick retrieval.
+As you carry the rack of ink bottles over to the bags, the + twelfth and final ink bottle, the one with the glyph of the + helmet-wearing hare, suddenly cracks. Seemingly of its own + volition. A tiny shard of glass slices the palm of your hand + and disappears into the meat at the base of your thumb. The + gooey ink seeps out of the bottle and paints your hand a + muddy, rusty blue.
+You jerk your hand back. The ink is swiftly absorbed into + your hand as though it were a sponge. Soon it’s all gone: the + ink, the blood, all of it. Nothing remains of the scratch + itself but a hair-thin line. If you run your finger over it, + you can feel the hard nub of the glass shard beneath the + skin.
+For a moment you can hear the double drum of your own + heartbeat rushing through your ears. Your senses seem to + sharpen. Colors grow more crisp, and sounds more clear. But + then it passes, and the moment is gone.
+++Harrumph, pointy my friend, that’s just inky. They’re + definitely not super evil. That’s the finest ink craftsmen and + tea preparer this side of Basementaria. And we absolutely + won’t be stabbing them. There are FAR eviler things to stab, + potentially that weird naked thing that seems to think itself + a horse. I could be convinced IT was evil, but wouldn’t use + attacking it unprovoked make us evil? Surely a sword as + ancient and wise as you could see the perfectly puzzling + philosophical delimna we put ourselves in.
+And then this thing, (corraidhin gestures at the crystal), + horrible magical item used to create untold death, + destruction, and mayhem during the last Artificer war. + Definitely probably evil, if used that way, but also filled + with untold power that could be used for good! Now would the + person weilding it be evil just because, or could someone + overcome the magical nature of a device capable of such evil + and apply them for good? I for one believe afirmatively that + one can overcome such things.
+As corriadhin finishes his philosophical prattling to his + new stabby friend he pushes the glass case off the crystal and + grabs it.
+
The Sword of Yam’l starts to launch into a long winded + reply.
+Oh yes, that winged naked thing is surely evil. Let us stab it, Hardy Bear! Let us stab and stab and stab until --- What's that? Oh no, don't worry. We are unquestionably, infallibly good. I was designed and made for but one purpose, after all. TO RID EVIL! As for the crystal, yes, I suppose you are correct. Wielding a powerful, bloodthirsty, magical item probably does make the wielder evil, and consequently immediately deserving of being stabbed! Say, speaking of stabbing ... that naked, winged thing--But then, before the sword can finish its thought (a + thought, you are quite confident, would end with something + like, “let’s stab it!”) you knock the glass dome off the + pedestal and grab the Ginnarak Crystal.
+You brace yourself. It thrums slightly in your hand but + doesn’t do anything overtly magical or destructive. In fact it + seems perfectly inert.
+So there you are. A pointer murder stick attached firmly to + one hand, and a potential atom bomb of a crystal in the other. + But you think you’re totally going to pull this off!
+Then the glass dome hits the ground and shatters into + dozens of pieces.
+HORSE screams and whips around at the noise. + “BhrruUHRHUuHRRh! My blue and gold melon sized gem! Noooooo! + BrUHrhHHHURHuRu!”
+It flaps its wings and wheels up into the air and swoops + down at you! The three aurs get swept up in the excitement and + start flapping around, making tiny squeaks of alarm. The + remaining kobit leaps to its feet, but then trips over its + shoelaces.
+WHAT DO YOU DO??
+ + ]]> +++Why Stabby, it looks like we won’t need to stab Horse at + all, but are you any good at stabbing armor?
+Corraidhin stuffs the melon shaped gem into his knapsack + and rushes towards Inky and Jarrod. Best to get this party + started in style Corraidhin says as he casts a fireball at the + suit of armor, followed closely by a second, and a third.
+As corraidhin reaches Inky and Jarrod he raises the Sword + of Y’aml ready to fight. Stand and deliver you curr!
+
The trigger happy mage rushes toward the vault exit, + flinging a couple of fireballs over his shoulder as he + goes.
+Stabby is delighted at the carnage as the suit of armor is + blown to bits, but also disappointed at the general lack of + stabbing.
+The Aurs, deep in meditation nearby, get caught in the + conflagration. Their kernels swell and pop explosively. Though + not as explosively as the fireballs.
+The whole Retrieval Team 43 pours into the cavern outside + the vault as it turns into an inferno, and they are swept up + and away in a throng of kobits evacuating the tunnels.
+You are deposited, like silt after a flood, outside the + caves back at the bottom of the gnome hole, where the kobits + and the lone egre are frantically climbing up the scaffolding, + which bends dangerously under their combined weight. The + gnomes up above are running around in an agitated state at the + sudden commotion, and a few of them explode in the + excitement.
+The ground rumbles again, and the entrance to the kobit + caves, and several feet of the surrounding area, is swallowed + up by a sinkhole that spreads across half of the bottom of the + gnome hole. From the hole emerges a gigantic moth-like + creature made of a hundred ears of corn and a hundred wings. + It is bigger than the very largest horse.
+You hear a single word repeated fearfully over and over + again by the crowd of kobits. “Centaur! Centaur!”
+It crawls up out of the pit, and tastes the vibrations in + the air with its feelers. It flies clumsily up into the air, + flutters, and then crashes back into the ground.
+It looks like one of its wings has been singed by fire.
+Undaunted, it crawls across what is left of the bottom of + the gnome hole toward you, beating its wings as though to bash + you with them. Which would hurt a lot.
+Yam’l whispers in Corraidhin’s mind.
+Now *that* thing is *definitely* evil!WHAT DO YOU DO
+ + ]]> +--While Inky packs the top of a sack with a thin layer of - earth from under a loose rock, they feel a heated glare in - their general direction for a few beats and surmises Master - Corraidhín had entered the vault with his newfound companion. - After decades of serving rather … demanding customers as an - inkling, Inky knew an evil eye directed at them even when they - can’t see it (while preparing a brew with their back turned, - for instance) and makes a mental note to give Pointy a wide - berth.
-Once the sacks were placed close to the vault entrance for - a quick haul, Inky returns to the items that had been - discovered while digging under the loose rock. The set of - gold-nibbed quills were swiftly pocketed — each quill was - finely crafted and felt balanced when held in one hand. The - malleable tips in a range of sizes would be invaluable for - testing ink viscosity and smoothness, among other properties. - A felicitously fantastic find!
-The jade tea set was next to be admired, its deep green hue - reflecting the age of the stone from which the items were - carved. With cups for every member of their merry group, the - teapot would make a worthy addition to any travelling, - crystal-seeking tea party. So thin and translucent were the - small cups, having been expertly crafted, that they were - almost too fragile to carry around everywhere. A - non-shattering charm was often applied to heirloom sets meant - to be passed down through generations, but it is difficult to - tell by looking whether a set had been charmed unless the - spell was a particularly strong one. The teapot and cups were - returned to the small wooden box they were found in and stored - away. Perhaps a few crockery talismans could be procured at - the next town?
-Inky pauses at the rack of bottled ink. The first rule that - any inkling in training learns is to never trust pre-bottled - inks from unverified ingredients or unknown sauces. Inky tilts - the rack to better examine the weird yet vaguely familiar - glyphs on the bottles.
-The first glyph was a circle with three dots. The bottle - next to it was adorned with a swirl, followed by a bottle with - a circle surrounding a pointing hand or a snail. Another glyph - looked like a twisted hook, and was that some sort of sinister - grinning reptile on the next one?? Towards the middle of the - rack was a bottle with a glyph of what could be a mountain - with a tunnel at its base. The bottle beside it bore a glyph - of a block broken to three pieces. Yet another bottle was - simply stamped with a circle and a dot at its center. Its - neighbour held a glyph that slightly resembled a mountain - range if someone stared very hard. The next two bottles bore - glyphs that looked like a spiky fish and a circle with a pair - of horns protruding from it. The last bottle’s contents seemed - more gooey than the others, with a glyph of a helmet-wearing - hare.
-The shade of ink within the bottles varied, but all seem to - be derived from the same indistinct hue. None of the bottles - had the usual piece of ash paper with bits of string attached - to them, but otherwise appear to be intact and the vessels - themselves top quality, as shown by the delicate tarring on - the caps. The wooden rack was lightly worn but solid in Inky’s - hands.
-It was certainly an odd collection. “No hash, no stash” - though, as the rule of thumb goes. Inky puts the rack down - carefully on the floor by the sacks, concluding that if anyone - wanted to help themselves to the bottles, they were hopefully - not planning to ingest the contents.
-Dusting off their boots, Inky settles just behind the - banner, closer to the vault entrance and rousing performance, - to watch the crowd around Jarrod and listen for any sounds - from outside the vault.
-
You pack up the quills and the jade tea set, and arrange - the bags by the vault entrance for quick retrieval.
-As you carry the rack of ink bottles over to the bags, the - twelfth and final ink bottle, the one with the glyph of the - helmet-wearing hare, suddenly cracks. Seemingly of its own - volition. A tiny shard of glass slices the palm of your hand - and disappears into the meat at the base of your thumb. The - gooey ink seeps out of the bottle and paints your hand a - muddy, rusty blue.
-You jerk your hand back. The ink is swiftly absorbed into - your hand as though it were a sponge. Soon it’s all gone: the - ink, the blood, all of it. Nothing remains of the scratch - itself but a hair-thin line. If you run your finger over it, - you can feel the hard nub of the glass shard beneath the - skin.
-For a moment you can hear the double drum of your own - heartbeat rushing through your ears. Your senses seem to - sharpen. Colors grow more crisp, and sounds more clear. But - then it passes, and the moment is gone.
---Harrumph, pointy my friend, that’s just inky. They’re - definitely not super evil. That’s the finest ink craftsmen and - tea preparer this side of Basementaria. And we absolutely - won’t be stabbing them. There are FAR eviler things to stab, - potentially that weird naked thing that seems to think itself - a horse. I could be convinced IT was evil, but wouldn’t use - attacking it unprovoked make us evil? Surely a sword as - ancient and wise as you could see the perfectly puzzling - philosophical delimna we put ourselves in.
-And then this thing, (corraidhin gestures at the crystal), - horrible magical item used to create untold death, - destruction, and mayhem during the last Artificer war. - Definitely probably evil, if used that way, but also filled - with untold power that could be used for good! Now would the - person weilding it be evil just because, or could someone - overcome the magical nature of a device capable of such evil - and apply them for good? I for one believe afirmatively that - one can overcome such things.
-As corriadhin finishes his philosophical prattling to his - new stabby friend he pushes the glass case off the crystal and - grabs it.
-
The Sword of Yam’l starts to launch into a long winded - reply.
-Oh yes, that winged naked thing is surely evil. Let us stab it, Hardy Bear! Let us stab and stab and stab until --- What's that? Oh no, don't worry. We are unquestionably, infallibly good. I was designed and made for but one purpose, after all. TO RID EVIL! As for the crystal, yes, I suppose you are correct. Wielding a powerful, bloodthirsty, magical item probably does make the wielder evil, and consequently immediately deserving of being stabbed! Say, speaking of stabbing ... that naked, winged thing--But then, before the sword can finish its thought (a - thought, you are quite confident, would end with something - like, “let’s stab it!”) you knock the glass dome off the - pedestal and grab the Ginnarak Crystal.
-You brace yourself. It thrums slightly in your hand but - doesn’t do anything overtly magical or destructive. In fact it - seems perfectly inert.
-So there you are. A pointer murder stick attached firmly to - one hand, and a potential atom bomb of a crystal in the other. - But you think you’re totally going to pull this off!
-Then the glass dome hits the ground and shatters into - dozens of pieces.
-HORSE screams and whips around at the noise. - “BhrruUHRHUuHRRh! My blue and gold melon sized gem! Noooooo! - BrUHrhHHHURHuRu!”
-It flaps its wings and wheels up into the air and swoops - down at you! The three aurs get swept up in the excitement and - start flapping around, making tiny squeaks of alarm. The - remaining kobit leaps to its feet, but then trips over its - shoelaces.
-WHAT DO YOU DO??
- - ]]> -“Congratulations!” The slightly tipsy hobbit grins and + salutes you with his martini. “On Retrieval Team 43’s + inaugural mission! I’m so excited for you, I’m sure you’ll do + fantastic!”
+You are all seated around a table in the corner at Lucy’s + Basement. It is dimly lit and fairly noisy. The walls are + covered in red velvet curtains, and the tablecloths have + little gold tassels. A cloud of purple smoke from candles, + cigars, and pipes hangs in the air. Waiters bustle between + tables refilling drinks.
+“So to recap, the Benefactor has tasked you with retrieving + the five fabled Ginnarak Crystals. I, Blavin Blandfoot, will + be your case manager. You will be paid handsomely for each + crystal you retrieve. And if you retrieve all 5, you’ll get to + meet the Benefactor at be their guest at their glorious + mansion!”
+“The first crystal has been spotted near a Gnomish dig site + in the Tammineaux Forest, just east of here.”
+“I recommend getting started right away!” He polishes off + his drink and squints at his empty glass. “Well, maybe first + thing in the morning. Waiter!”
+“Congratulations!” The slightly tipsy hobbit grins and - salutes you with his martini. “On Retrieval Team 43’s - inaugural mission! I’m so excited for you, I’m sure you’ll do - fantastic!”
-You are all seated around a table in the corner at Lucy’s - Basement. It is dimly lit and fairly noisy. The walls are - covered in red velvet curtains, and the tablecloths have - little gold tassels. A cloud of purple smoke from candles, - cigars, and pipes hangs in the air. Waiters bustle between - tables refilling drinks.
-“So to recap, the Benefactor has tasked you with retrieving - the five fabled Ginnarak Crystals. I, Blavin Blandfoot, will - be your case manager. You will be paid handsomely for each - crystal you retrieve. And if you retrieve all 5, you’ll get to - meet the Benefactor at be their guest at their glorious - mansion!”
-“The first crystal has been spotted near a Gnomish dig site - in the Tammineaux Forest, just east of here.”
-“I recommend getting started right away!” He polishes off - his drink and squints at his empty glass. “Well, maybe first - thing in the morning. Waiter!”
-Once Corey the Kobit exits the antechamber, you are free to + look around a little bit.
+The eyesword continues to watch from the bottom of the + pool, and the Kobit Ed terminal continues to await you by the + vault door.
+But also you notice a couple of alcoves along the walls + between the twisty little passages. Each of them holds a + relief sculpture depicting one of the three deities of + Basmentaria.
+There is Neddas, the wise god of sages and starlight. + Androgynous, clad in purple robes, depicted with a golden + third eye in the middle of their forehead. They are shown here + stoically bestowing gifts upon the inhabitants of + Basmentaria.
+And here is Nullar, god of time and tides. A bespectacled + male figure with a golden third eye on his forehead. He is + dressed in a dapper vest and bow tie, and is adorned with + small cogs and gears. He is depicted here looking up at the + stars from a mechanical contraption he is working on.
+Finally, there is Liandt, goddess of war and flame. A + primal, elemental deity, she is depicted as a fiery warrior + with a golden third eye. The relief shows her on the + battlefield during the Artifice wars. The wars which reduced + Ginnarak to the wastes of cinder and ash that they are today. + The wars which drained Liandt’s divine energies so thoroughly + that she fell into a deep sleep and has been absent from the + mortal realms ever since.
+But enough of this lore dump! There is something important + happening!
+You hear a shuffling and a mumbling approaching from one of + the twisty little passages.
+You’re already in one of the alcoves studying the relief, + so your press yourself flat into the recess.
+Three gophers with smoked glass goggles spill out from one + of the passages. Retrieval team 70! They made it past the egre + after all!
+They don’t see you, but head straight to the keypad by the + vault. They crowd around it and start pressing buttons, + arguing and bickering with one another.
+The sword at the bottom of the pool seems to roll its eye + in exasperation.
+WHAT DO YOU DO?
+ + ]]> +The Retrieval Team 70 gophers are absolutely losing their + minds over the ed terminal.
+“It just keeps printing a question mark!” Vest sobs.
+“Try pushing escape?” suggests Shorts somewhat + panicking.
+“I’ve tried it! It’s not vi! It doesn’t do anything!” Vest + moans. “Here you try it if you’re so smart!”
+Sash is balled up on the floor crying, having already had a + turn at the terminal.
+Shorts carefully steps over them and timidly prods at the + keypad.
+A throng of beefy guard kobits come charging into the hall, + alerted by the gopher racket.
+“Here now! You’re not supposed to be in here!”
+One of them trips over Sash, still balled up on the floor, + and crashes into Shorts’s back, pinning them to wall. They + squeal. Another guard grabs Vest by the collar, and after a + brief scuffle all three gophers are escorted out of the hall + despite their howls of protest.
+“I had better check on the vault!” exclaims one of the + kobits who remains behind.
+They bang a few keys on the terminal and it spits out a + slip of paper.
+ed v1.6
+19
+P
+*,n
+1 the door is locked
+*1s/locked/open
+?
+*H
+no match
+*1s/Locked/Open
+the door is Open
+*wq
+17There is a mechanical whir deep in the walls, and a click + and a gasp of air as the door swings inward.
+The kobit slips into the vault and the door swings only + partly closed behind it.
+The sword in the bottom of the pool pointedly narrows its + eye at you.
+The gods of Basmentaria observe passively from their + reliefs in the alcoves around you.
+The door to the vault is ajar, the first of the five + legendary Ginnarak crystals presumably behind it.
+From one of the twisty little passages, you hear a guard + kobit approaching, singing a sad cowboy song to itself.
+WHAT DO YOU DO
+ + ]]> +The Retrieval Team 70 gophers are absolutely losing their - minds over the ed terminal.
-“It just keeps printing a question mark!” Vest sobs.
-“Try pushing escape?” suggests Shorts somewhat - panicking.
-“I’ve tried it! It’s not vi! It doesn’t do anything!” Vest - moans. “Here you try it if you’re so smart!”
-Sash is balled up on the floor crying, having already had a - turn at the terminal.
-Shorts carefully steps over them and timidly prods at the - keypad.
-A throng of beefy guard kobits come charging into the hall, - alerted by the gopher racket.
-“Here now! You’re not supposed to be in here!”
-One of them trips over Sash, still balled up on the floor, - and crashes into Shorts’s back, pinning them to wall. They - squeal. Another guard grabs Vest by the collar, and after a - brief scuffle all three gophers are escorted out of the hall - despite their howls of protest.
-“I had better check on the vault!” exclaims one of the - kobits who remains behind.
-They bang a few keys on the terminal and it spits out a - slip of paper.
-ed v1.6
-19
-P
-*,n
-1 the door is locked
-*1s/locked/open
-?
-*H
-no match
-*1s/Locked/Open
-the door is Open
-*wq
-17There is a mechanical whir deep in the walls, and a click - and a gasp of air as the door swings inward.
-The kobit slips into the vault and the door swings only - partly closed behind it.
-The sword in the bottom of the pool pointedly narrows its - eye at you.
-The gods of Basmentaria observe passively from their - reliefs in the alcoves around you.
-The door to the vault is ajar, the first of the five - legendary Ginnarak crystals presumably behind it.
-From one of the twisty little passages, you hear a guard - kobit approaching, singing a sad cowboy song to itself.
-WHAT DO YOU DO
+++Looking around the chaotic scene, one of the vines among + the bushes caught Inky’s eye. It was one of several bean + plants probably native to the Tammineaux Forest, with strands + of faintly glowing pods hanging from the vines.
+Inky snatches several of the dried but luminous bean pods + from the vines, then sprints a wide circle around the centaur, + all the while counting out 43 beans and throwing them into the + topsoil, where much of the earth around the sinkhole had + already been turned over by the gnomes’ drills and + machinery.
+Earlier in the commotion, one of the gnome explosions + caused a water main leading towards what had been the kobit + caves to burst. Water was now spraying across the area with + the gusto of a fizzy cold spring and gathering in small pools + over the soil. More water sluiced over the moth-like + creature’s singed wing, snuffing the remaining embers.
+Within moments, long tendrils shot up from the ground, + which rapidly thickened at the bases to the size of young + southern oak trees, to curl gently but firmly around the + centaur. “Sister!” a melodious voice emanating from somewhere + amid the beanstalks exclaimed, “What are you doing up? It is + not yet autumn. Go back to sleep!”
+
The pooling water puts out any of the licking, reaching + flames that followed the centaur up from below. The dark smoke + carries the smell of ash, soot, and burnt popcorn up into the + air.
+There is no mistaking the climbing vines of the common + Tammineaux Forest Bean. If you don’t recognize it by the + heart-shaped leaves or the winding stems, then the luminous, + dangling seed pods nestled amongst the bulbous pink blossoms + are a dead, somewhat obscene, giveaway.
+Inky plucks a handful of the pods and rips them open, + meticulously counting out a mystical number of individual + beans, and sowing them in the ash and the mud.
+Vines erupt from the ground and entangle the centaur, + dragging it gently back toward the sinkhole and whispering a + soothing lullaby in its ears. The centaur struggles weakly + before surrendering to the vine’s caress. It is pulled back + down underground.
+In the aftermath, there is a handful of leftover beans, and + also some large, vibrant kernels of corn that flaked off the + centaur during the struggle.
+You and the first Ginnarak Crystal are able to leave the + dig site and the Tammineaux Forest without further + incident.
+You pack up your faithful multibeast and trek back to the + city of Vay’Nullar, where your adventure started.
+THE END OF CHAPTER ONE
+EPILOGUE: what are you doing in the final moments of this + battle? Or on the way home? Or, what are you doing to rest, + relax, and recover once safely back in town before reporting + back to Blavin?
- ]]> -Once Corey the Kobit exits the antechamber, you are free to - look around a little bit.
-The eyesword continues to watch from the bottom of the - pool, and the Kobit Ed terminal continues to await you by the - vault door.
-But also you notice a couple of alcoves along the walls - between the twisty little passages. Each of them holds a - relief sculpture depicting one of the three deities of - Basmentaria.
-There is Neddas, the wise god of sages and starlight. - Androgynous, clad in purple robes, depicted with a golden - third eye in the middle of their forehead. They are shown here - stoically bestowing gifts upon the inhabitants of - Basmentaria.
-And here is Nullar, god of time and tides. A bespectacled - male figure with a golden third eye on his forehead. He is - dressed in a dapper vest and bow tie, and is adorned with - small cogs and gears. He is depicted here looking up at the - stars from a mechanical contraption he is working on.
-Finally, there is Liandt, goddess of war and flame. A - primal, elemental deity, she is depicted as a fiery warrior - with a golden third eye. The relief shows her on the - battlefield during the Artifice wars. The wars which reduced - Ginnarak to the wastes of cinder and ash that they are today. - The wars which drained Liandt’s divine energies so thoroughly - that she fell into a deep sleep and has been absent from the - mortal realms ever since.
-But enough of this lore dump! There is something important - happening!
-You hear a shuffling and a mumbling approaching from one of - the twisty little passages.
-You’re already in one of the alcoves studying the relief, - so your press yourself flat into the recess.
-Three gophers with smoked glass goggles spill out from one - of the passages. Retrieval team 70! They made it past the egre - after all!
-They don’t see you, but head straight to the keypad by the - vault. They crowd around it and start pressing buttons, - arguing and bickering with one another.
-The sword at the bottom of the pool seems to roll its eye - in exasperation.
-WHAT DO YOU DO?
- + href="https://framalistes.org/sympa/arc/tildepals/2022-09/msg00032.html">www ]]>Paths:
Paths:
Example:
+++Path of the Goblin Slayer
-
-
- Goblin Slayer (Slay 100 goblins): You are now an +
- Favored Foe (Slay 100 goblins): You are now an expert when facing this foe. From now on when attacking a goblin, a roll of 5 - 6 is considered a critical success. 4 - 5 is a success. And 1 - 3 is a mixed success.
The rank is 0, so there are no prerequisites. (If it had been, say, -2, then you would need to have unlocked a template of rank 1 and of rank -0 in the same path before unlocking this one.) The name is “Goblin -Slayer”. The trigger is “Slay 100 goblins”. And the perk is detailed in -the description.
+
The path is “Path of the Goblin Slayer”. The rank of the first +template is 0, so there are no prerequisites. (If it had been, say, 2, +then you would need to have unlocked a template of rank 1 and of rank 0 +in the same path before unlocking this one.) The name is “Favored Foe”. +The trigger is “Slay 100 goblins”. And the perk is detailed in the +description.
Okay, here are the known paths:
You have a unique bond with a sentient sword
@@ -1760,6 +1765,55 @@ Which would hurt a lot.WHAT DO YOU DO
+++Looking around the chaotic scene, one of the vines among the bushes +caught Inky’s eye. It was one of several bean plants probably native to +the Tammineaux Forest, with strands of faintly glowing pods hanging from +the vines.
+Inky snatches several of the dried but luminous bean pods from the +vines, then sprints a wide circle around the centaur, all the while +counting out 43 beans and throwing them into the topsoil, where much of +the earth around the sinkhole had already been turned over by the +gnomes’ drills and machinery.
+Earlier in the commotion, one of the gnome explosions caused a water +main leading towards what had been the kobit caves to burst. Water was +now spraying across the area with the gusto of a fizzy cold spring and +gathering in small pools over the soil. More water sluiced over the +moth-like creature’s singed wing, snuffing the remaining embers.
+Within moments, long tendrils shot up from the ground, which rapidly +thickened at the bases to the size of young southern oak trees, to curl +gently but firmly around the centaur. “Sister!” a melodious voice +emanating from somewhere amid the beanstalks exclaimed, “What are you +doing up? It is not yet autumn. Go back to sleep!”
+
The pooling water puts out any of the licking, reaching flames that +followed the centaur up from below. The dark smoke carries the smell of +ash, soot, and burnt popcorn up into the air.
+There is no mistaking the climbing vines of the common Tammineaux +Forest Bean. If you don’t recognize it by the heart-shaped leaves or the +winding stems, then the luminous, dangling seed pods nestled amongst the +bulbous pink blossoms are a dead, somewhat obscene, giveaway.
+Inky plucks a handful of the pods and rips them open, meticulously +counting out a mystical number of individual beans, and sowing them in +the ash and the mud.
+Vines erupt from the ground and entangle the centaur, dragging it +gently back toward the sinkhole and whispering a soothing lullaby in its +ears. The centaur struggles weakly before surrendering to the vine’s +caress. It is pulled back down underground.
+In the aftermath, there is a handful of leftover beans, and also some +large, vibrant kernels of corn that flaked off the centaur during the +struggle.
+You and the first Ginnarak Crystal are able to leave the dig site and +the Tammineaux Forest without further incident.
+You pack up your faithful multibeast and trek back to the city of +Vay’Nullar, where your adventure started.
+THE END OF CHAPTER ONE
+EPILOGUE: what are you doing in the final moments of this battle? Or +on the way home? Or, what are you doing to rest, relax, and recover once +safely back in town before reporting back to Blavin?
+Some of the creatures who inhabit the world of Basmentaria
Basmentaria
names to integrate: tildetown, commonhealth of casakhstan,