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Dylans Binder

2026-06-27T04:02:55Z

Bernard:

[[Category:Character]][[Category:Dylan Stephens]]
This is a page so we can keep track of the adventures of Dylan Stephens Binder. 
The name of the character has been changed every adventure. His in character reason for this is he is atempting to hide from a super big uber powerful dragon. 
'''The names here are for GM info only.'''

* Winter 826 [[Nighty Knight]]
* Winter 825 [[Glowing Glacier]]
* Summer 811 Bright Spark [[We are still walking to China]]
* Winter 811 Koan [[Sahuagin_Smackdown]]
* Autumn 811 Tanis [[Elemental as Anything]]
* Summer 810 Kakuro [[Ghost Town]]
* Spring 807 Luigi [[Horse Thieves]]
* Mario
* Autumn 809 Mushroom [[Up The Garden Path]]

I'll have to track them down but there were a few adventures where he was Mario. Also Toad. (Dylan)

Nighty Knight

2026-06-27T04:02:12Z

Bernard:

[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Category:Jacqui]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Winter_826_WK|Scribe Notes]]
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== Summary ==
'''GM''': [[user:jacqui | Jacqui]] 
'''Season''': [[Winter]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tuesdays 
'''Location''': Online 
'''Level''': Low-medium 
'''Virtual Tabletop''': [https://app.roll20.net/join/21631672/WXc2hg Roll20]
 
The Barony of Silverstream in Southern Ranke is over-run by hundreds of Church Knights. 
They're causing all sorts of problems, and the Baron wants them to leave. 
Your job is to make them go away - with as few bodies as possible. 
This mission will require stealth, ingenuity... and comedy. 

; Party
* [[Galantha Nival | Snowdrop]] - [[User:Keith | Keith]]
* [[Dylans_Binder|Mario]] - Dylan
*

== Scribe Notes ==
=== Day 1 ===
There are 3 people hiring us: [[Flamis]], a Guild Adventurer and Fire Mage; Witch Haggerty - one of the local Witches; and Sir Roland Honare, representing the Baron of Silverstream. They had a bit of a squatter problem, or as some put it, an infestation. Michaeline Knights were loitering in the area and they are making rather a nuisance of themselves, by being boisterous in the pubs, throwing their weight around, and basically being really really annoying. And it seemed they weren't leaving any time soon. They were also being very anti witch meaning that the local witches couldn't there usual thing this time of year i.e. blessing the crops and the livestock without being harassed by the Knights. Some of the Witches were getting rather anxious and distressed about this.

Flamis also told us that tells us her eldest sister, Charity, now had the job of running the Bindery, is getting fed up with the Michaeline knights who, among other things, are interfering with the printing of certain books, claiming that they are 'offensive'. This included Fanny Ogg's Cookbook, a copy of which was in my pack. Sure, some of the humour in it could be a bit bawdy but I didn't see anything wrong in it. Maybe they were objecting to the lyrics of the Hedgehog Song being included. Anyway, Flamis concluded by saying that Charity says that f we get rid of the knights we can each have a book for free as part of our reward. I'm happy with that. It's not only Flamis's sister that has a problem. Her brother Geoffrey runs the local shrine for the Powers of Light and he believes that all the Powers should be treated as equal. However, the Knights keep insisting on redecorating the shrine to raise Michael to being more prominent that the other four which is upsetting the local Raphaelites and Gabrielites.

So we are tasked with convincing these Knights to leave and go home. However we need to get rid of them without killing them to avoid political and religious issues - such as an anti-adventurer crusade. Their captain is apparently especially annoying and he's headquartered himself in Silverstream.

The joint committee of 'Michaelines Go Home' are offering us 10k of goods each including special alchemy and amulets. They also give us 2k of witch hazel which is the equivalent of myrrh. I'll have some of that for my Greater thank you very much. Which I proceed to get (a Rank 7 Greater over all four areas) before standing in line for a 3 month Lesser Enchantment.

Once packed and ready to go, late evening, Flamis used her new ''Fire Gate'' ritual to send us from the fire in the Fire College to the cooking fire in her family's manor kitchen. The trip made us feel tired so I helped myself to the simmering stew in the cooking pot over the fire. Flamis then quietly conducted us to spare guest rooms as so not to wake anyone else up. For some reason Flamis handed Mario a cuddly toy.

=== Day 2 ===
Purified, washed up and dressed in my adventuring clothes. Met Mario downstairs and we headed out to find breakfast in the local pub, which was run by a halfling bartender. Breakfast was delicious, sausages, bacon and eggs washed down with a mild ale. We asked about the Michaelines and were told they had been very rowdy last night and may be nursing horrible hangovers this morning. It was just then we heard the 'clank clank clank' of approaching men in metal armour. Yep. It was the knights, accompanied by squires and man at arms. The lead knight demanded breakfast for his men - in a rather rude and demanding manner. No please or thank you either. I was getting the impression that this lot considered themselves above everyone else and were acting as if they owned the place and that everyone should treat them accordingly. So I put on my best diplomatic face and went over to talk to them. They had been here dealing with threats but hadn't received orders to return home and believed they had to wait until such orders came down the chain of command. Until then, they were staying put. I did get the name of their captain in Silverstream until the lead knight said "We shouldn't be talking to you. You're a commoner". My response was "Well I'm a halfling. We are fairly common". He didn't think that was funny and sneered down his nose at me. I decided to leave but not before offering to entertain them that evening by troubadouring. Oh well. How hard can it be.

Glowing Glacier

2026-06-27T04:01:51Z

Bernard:

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[[Category:Bernard]][[Category:Scribe Notes]]
= Summary =
'''Adventure''': Glowing Glacier 
'''GM''': Bernard 
'''Session''': [[Winter]] 825 wk 
'''Day''': Tue 
'''Level''': Medium-ish 
; Party
# [[Remel]] - Elderly cook
# [[Lady Arcadia|Lady Arcadia]] - Young investigator
# [[Uthgard]] - Party muscle
# [[Galantha Nival|Snowdrop]] - Ice maker and young backup cook
# [[Ashe]] - Beastmaster
# [[Boom Boom]] - Younging
# [[Dylans_Binder|Thanos]]

;Adventure Full

; Employer
* Kerekes Zsolt an Ambasador from Falagosin
* Accompanied by Chotan Tabyryn the Wanderer - A female shaman from Falagosin
; Mission
: Some people at the east end of the sea of grass have noticed a glacier near them glowing, weather has become erratic and impossible to predict near the area as well. This has concerned them, and they would like some people to do a proper look at the area and find out if anything cataclysmic is about to happen. They are happy for said people to simply run away and bring word of impending doom if that is the case, but would like details at least, and a solution if it is less problematic than impending doom.
; Pay
: 10,000sp each

== Scribe Notes ==
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===Appetizer===

Remel shuffled into the meeting room and was greeted by many familiar faces—and one new one. Uthgard, giant in stature (and likely in appetite), stood out immediately. We sat, introduced ourselves, and, to my delight, no one had any difficult dietary requirements. That meant I’d be free to experiment with some exciting new recipes.

Before long, Guild security interrupted our discussion, sliding a guild contract onto the table. We filled it out and appointed the necessary roles just as our employer was ushered in.

Kerekes Zsolt, a well-dressed man from the distant city of Falogosin, located in the far side of the Sea of Grass, entered alongside Chotan Tabryn, a mage of quiet demeanour. Kerekes took a seat and explained the purpose of his journey: he had come to hire a party to investigate a mystery. In recent weeks, settlements near a remote mountain glacier have reported seeing bright lights emanating from it at night—visible from many miles away. Scouts had been sent, but they couldn’t make it far through the dense forest at the base of the mountain, hindered by wolves, giants, walking trees, and other dangers. There was nothing in the region’s history or recent events that could explain the glacier’s glowing. Kerekes hoped we might succeed where others failed, and determine if it is the sign of an pending apocalypse.

He and Chotan offered to transport us back to Falagosis via cloud travel once we were ready. After the meeting, they departed into Seagate, and the party began preparations. Remel headed into town with Snowdrop to gather supplies for the journey. Payment had been deposited, 10,000sp eac so we used some of that to get Greaters.h

The next morning, Remel prepared a hearty breakfast: freshly squeezed blood orange juice served alongside an amuse-bouche of smoked salmon tartare on buckwheat blinis, topped with crème fraiche and caviar, and silky truffle-scrambled eggs with a delicate soufflé pancake that are dusted with edible petals and bergamot syrup. Well fed and ready, Chotan summoned an enormous cloud, and we set off into the sky. The cloud looked, and flew like a galloping horse, not like the fluffy soft clouds we were used to. Plus it was cloudy all the way.

===Starter ===

[[File:GG drink.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Drinking]]

After a slightly turbulent descent—our cloud buffeted by a nearby storm—we touched down on the outskirts of Falagosin , a town built mostly in the side of a hill. A contingent of riders met us promptly and escorted our party into the city. To the south, ominous violet flashes lit the sky, pulsing within the storm clouds like bruises on the heavens. The ambient mana felt strange—dense and electric, as though the air itself were holding its breath. There was also some sort of celestial taint,

Upon entering Reshana, the city's bustling inner district, it was clear the storm weighed heavily on the townsfolk. The rain was normal, the mana level was normal and there was a purple glow in the clouds Unease lingered in their expressions and conversations. We found lodging at a charming tavern called The Rampant Sheep, where we enjoyed a hearty dinner and shared drinks with a group of local mercenaries. (and the communal baths - luxury) They spoke of the wilds beyond the forest’s edge—of vine boars, walking trees, cancerous plants, and other strange beasts. None had dared venture as deep into the woods as we planned.

Remel, ever the culinary enthusiast, sampled a local specialty: a fiercely cold, enchanted drink served in a thick stone mug. The moment it passed his lips, he claimed to feel thirty years younger, bursting with energy that carried him through the night as he mingled with the locals. From their stories, he gleaned several useful insights:

* Access to the High Markets is tightly restricted, though a costly intermediary might be able to act on our behalf.
* No local scholar is versed in the area’s magical history.
* Several powerful mages reside in the city—elementalists and enchanters with names like High Mountain.
* The violet storm may be the work of an immensely powerful spellcaster.
* The remarkable drink he enjoyed cannot be recreated easily; it requires rare magical expertise and should not be consumed again for at least a year (otherwise it will kill you.)

The next day, we explored the vibrant streets of Falagosin. At one point, a group of thieves seemed to reconsider mugging Remel at the last moment—perhaps sensing his renewed vitality. Uthgard attempted to converse with a local fire mage, but the exchange ended in confusion. It was evident he, Regu, doesn't like halfling ice mages. Dunno why. I certainly didn't do anything. That evening, Uthgard, Arcadia, and Snowdrop found solace watching the stars, letting the strange energies of the storm swirl behind them.

Come morning, after the party weave magics, Remel prepared a simple yet exquisite breakfast: airy Etherflour Brioche, baked from skywheat and served with shimmering starlight butter and rich sylvan berry preserves. Alongside it, he plated Gilded Trout Medallions, crusted with golden almonds and glazed in whisperwine, served with a chilled glass of sky-mango juice—a quiet moment of luxury before we pressed on into the unknown. You need a better lock on your pantry Remel. Sky-mango juice makes a refreshing light sorbet.

===Soup Dish===

[[File:GG_lightning.jpg|200px|thumb|right|Coloured Lighting]]

The storm we had watched so anxiously from Falagosin continued its furious assault on the mountains, flashing with violet fire and clawing at the peaks with wind and lightning. Given our lack of reliable flying experience—especially in such conditions—we agreed to approach the mountain range cautiously from the north. Our plan was to land well outside the storm’s reach and make approach on foot.

The journey through the valley took three arduous days. As we climbed, we witnessed lightning of many colours, and most unsettling of all, black lightning, which always seemed to strike the sky directly above us. Happy was very excited by the lightning. He wasn't the only one. On the second day, cresting a narrow ridge, Uthgard was caught dangerously close to a lightning strike that shattered a nearby outcropping. Though the blast flung her to the ground and scorched her armour, she brushed it off with typical stoicism after downing a healing potion.

Concerningly, Thanos insisted on scampering up the newly shattered rocks to gather fragments of the lightning-scorched stone. Though we all held our breath, half expecting another strike to claim him, he returned unscathed, clutching his prize. Throughout these days, we also noticed that the ambient mana in the air felt strangely attuned: more favourable to those with celestial and fire magic.

On the morning of the fourth day, breakfast was a simple meal; fluffy herb-infused omelets stuffed with smoked trout and wild mushrooms, served alongside freshly baked flatbread toasted over coals and drizzled with spiced honey. The warm meal filled the camp with rich, comforting aromas that banished the morning chill. We entered the dense forest at the mountain’s foot. The air was damp, heavy with mossy scent, and dark even at midday beneath the canopy. It wasn’t long before we stumbled upon an unexpected encounter: a band of minotaurs, heavily armed and proficient with magic. Tension crackled in the clearing as both groups sized each other up, weapons half-drawn and spells whispered under breath.

Thankfully, sense prevailed. We sheathed our weapons and settled around their campfire, exchanging wary introductions and stories. They told us they’d travelled from the north to investigate the same strange, multicolored glow on the glacier that had drawn us here. They were well-versed in battle and magic, and when Remel peered at them with his practiced eye for auras, he found something deeply curious: their origin read as Plane: "None", and one among them carried a rare and ominous power known as the Grasp of the Ebony Void. Their earnestness reminded Remel of the adventurers of his youth — brimming with enthusiasm, ambition, and untested belief in their own strength.

===Spicy Course===

[[File:GG Minotaur2.jpg|150px|thumb|left|Berserking Minotaurs]]

Our quiet council around the minotaurs’ campfire was abruptly shattered by the blast of horns echoing through the dark woods. A wave of strange magic washed over us in an instant—its effect chilling and immediate. The spell had stolen our ability to speak many languages, making coordination with the minotaurs impossible at the worst possible time.

From the shadowed tree line came shouted goblin commands, barked in harsh, guttural tones. The snow, already falling thick, was reducing visibility. Through the swirling white, magical fire erupted, arcing into the camp with deadly precision.

Confusion spread quickly. The minotaurs, cut off from one another by language and visibility, lost all sense of order. Some flew into berserk rages, attacking anything nearby—including us. Their strength was terrifying, but their lack of military coordination made them easy prey for the disciplined goblin assault. One by one they fell, cut down by blades or consumed by fire. It was only Uthgard's mind speech that allowed us to coordinate our actions.

Thanos insisted we fight and the minotaur, convinced they were part of the goblin ambush, ignoring the shouted advice to fall back from the berserkers. Meanwhile, Boom and Arcadia, charged out of the camp and gave chase to their mounted scouts—spider-riding goblins weaving between the trees like nightmare cavalry.

The party found itself fighting on two fronts, battling through ice and fire grenados, lightning striking from the sky, and claws and teeth in the swirling snow. Arcadia and Uthgard fought side by side, Remel hurled spells into the storm, and Thanos flung dart after dart until he was finally knocked unconscious. Ash, Boom Boom, and Snowdrop fought valiantly, cutting down goblins one by one.

At last, the tide turned. The goblins and their monstrous allies were overcome, their ambush broken. The party regrouped amidst the wreckage, taking some minutes to drink the restorative draughts concocted by Remel. A search of the battlefield revealed that the surviving minotaurs had already cleared away the remains of their own camp, as well as the shattered husk of the fallen golem.

We pressed on through the snow-drenched forest and soon came upon the charred remains of a fortified goblin encampment. The minotaurs had found the catapult and destroyed it, along with the goblins manning it. At the centre of the ruined camp stood a summoning pentagram—and seated calmly within it, a blackened kobold with a smug expression.
He claimed the goblins had been meddling with summoning rituals and that he had slipped through the rift they opened. His master, he said, was a being of the Void, sent him here to watch, and the mere utterance brings the party great pain. He smiled as he explained he was here only to observe, baffled by Thanos’ behaviour. "You mean nothing to my master," he said.
We chose not to engage further. Leaving the kobold in his circle, we continued our trek toward the glacier.

===Palate Cleanser===

[[File:GG Glacier meal.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Simple meal]]

We follow the stream out of the village, its path winding steadily toward the distant glacier. After about an hour, the terrain shifts—thick forest encloses us and the stream swells into a flooded expanse. Murky water creeps to our knees, and each step through the thick mud sucks at our boots. Despite the weariness, we press on, unease growing. Shadows flicker at the edge of vision—distant movements we can’t quite place. We are not alone.

Eventually, drenched and cold, we reach the base of the glacier. A rocky shelf, twenty feet wide and mercifully solid, skirts along the glacier’s face, granting us a moment’s respite from the mud. We examine the glacier and it has a surprising magical aura, its it celestial infused and associated with a Power, yet to be named.

Snowdrop takes the lead, gracefully scaling the icy slope using her ice traversal magic. What would have been a grueling climb becomes deceptively manageable—until two ice elementals erupt from the glacier without warning. Their jagged limbs pierce and tear with brutal precision. The party reels from the assault, staggered and bloodied, but Boomboom unleashes a devastating counterattack—his fire-wreathed blade and incendiary grenados making short work of the icy foes.

We barely have time to catch our breath before the glacier face gives way beneath us. The entire party tumbles in a chaotic slide of snow and rock. Bruised and battered, we spend the next several minutes drinking Waters of Healing by the gallon, before cautiously attempting the climb once more. This time, wary and methodical, we reach the summit without incident.

Atop the glacier, the air is thin and clear, the oppressive fog of the forest left far below. The entire area glows from light emitting from the glacier. The view takes our breath away -- miles ahead, almost a mile wide, light emerge from the glacier with ever-shifting hues of colour. On the ice sits an enormous net, almost a thousand feet wide of unknown design. Nearby, two towering mechanical constructs, spider-like in form, stand sentinel.

We estimate a four-hour trek lies between us and the sphere, but the climb has drained us. We are pleasantly surprised when we discover we are in a high mana zone. With a four hour walk ahead of us we decide to pause to recover—and to eat.

Lunch is simple, yet remarkable. A fresh trout is seared over a small flame, its skin crisping beautifully, the flesh seasoned with lemon zest, salt, and crushed juniper berries. A pat of wild herb butter—crafted earlier with foraged garlic, parsley, and smoked paprika—melts luxuriously over the fillet. Flatbread is baked on a hot stone, puffing up with smoke-kissed blisters. We share a warm salad of dandelion greens, fiddlehead ferns, and shaved root vegetables, tossed in olive oil and cider vinegar, with a touch of flaky salt.

=== Frozen dish ===

With our appetites sated and spirits high, we set off under the shroud of Walk Unseen, heading toward the distant glow at the glacier’s centre. The journey is long—five hours of silent, careful progress—before shadowy shapes begin to emerge on the horizon. At first, they are little more than dark silhouettes in the white expanse, but as we close the distance, they take form. Cresting a rise, we nearly stumble straight into them: a patrol of frost giants, trolls, and strange spider-like creatures with unnervingly long necks.

Only luck, and the cover of our magic, spares us from detection. Arcadia soon discovers the region channels celestial power, making it far easier for her to cast spells here. Boom Boom, meanwhile, notes a lesser—but still tangible—bonus to fire magic.

An hour later, the looming outline of a mechanical ship comes into view, situated near the massive net. Dozens of figures scurry along the net’s edge, working with purpose. A small outpost and watchpoint crown a rocky outcrop nearby, giving them a perfect vantage over the entire area. There are almost a hundred figures here, It’s a force that would crush us in a direct assault. We debate our options at length—until one of the great mechanical ships flies low overhead, its shadow sweeping across us. That decides it. We move quickly.

Slipping past the patrols, we push south for several more hours, eventually leaving the net far behind. Only then do we dare make camp. The night passes tensely, and at first light, Snowdrop begins tunneling. After an hour of squeezing through the low, claustrophobic passage, we emerge gratefully into a series of natural caves—Uthgard most of all.

[[File:GG BB viision.jpg|150px|thumb|right|Horrific vision]]

The place is strange and beautiful: jagged crystals jut from the walls, each slick with droplets of water that patter softly to the stone floor. Boom Boom, with his usual recklessness, wonders aloud if the water is safe to drink. Remel, horrified, casts a vision to show him what would happen if he drank a full pint. The image is seared into our minds: Boom Boom levitating, body wreathed in a swirling aura of flame, with fiery tentacles lashing violently outward to annihilate everything nearby. Boom Boom stares, speechless. Remel is satisfied—the point has been made.

Then Norto drinks.

The change is immediate. His eyes harden, his stance turns predatory, and a low growl rises from his throat. Uthgard tries to use magic to control him, but Norto is unaffected and lunges for her neck. The cavern erupts in chaos. We wrestle Norto to the ground, Ashe magically binds him. We example with water carefully and the truth becomes clear: the water is tainted with an eldritch influence.
Once Norto calmed and the party is healed, we press onward through the winding caves, heading north toward the source of the mysterious glow.

=== Main Course - (a giant omelet?) ===

The party steps into an enormous cavern, where the oppressive darkness feels almost tangible against our skin as we move cautiously along an uneven path. The trail winds precariously through the void, with sheer drops plunging away on either side.

At the very edge of our vision, movement stirs—three skeletons, grotesquely entwined with writhing tentacles. They hurl volleys of bone shards that tear through the party, each strike draining life from those it wounds. With the gulf of a chasm separating us from them, no easy path forward is clear. Arcadia, undaunted, makes the daring decision: we fire-arc across into the shadows.

[[File:GG Arcadia.jpg|200px|thumb|left|Arcadia casting Whitefire]]

Remel, Ash, Norto, Arcadia, and Luna land in the heart of a nightmare. A dozen skeletons of varying size close in, their tentacles lashing and writhing hungrily. But worse still is the sight at the cavern’s center—a vast, blood-drenched pentagram (Are you sure it only had five sides?) encircling a monstrous egg, over eight feet tall. Beside it looms the largest of the skeletal horrors, chanting dark magic into the pulsing shell. There's tainted treasure in that 'pentagram' as well..

The battle erupts in blood and chaos. The rest of the party fire-arc across to join the fray as the skeletons swarm us, their draining strikes gnawing at our strength. Thanos summons stone golems, and though they weather brutal blows, the stone is tainted with eldritch corruption. The eldritch corrupted stone feeds back through his link and shreds his mind-shield, quickly leeching away his life force and warping his body until tentacles writhe from his form.

The fighting rages, brutal and unrelenting. One by one the skeletons fall, but the cost is staggering. Remel lies unconscious, Luna barely clings to life, and Thanos is corrupted beyond recognition. Much of our healing is already spent.

Desperation drives Arcadia to act—she unleashes whitefire, one of her most difficult spells, at the skeletal priest channeling power into the egg. To our immense relief the skeleton is disintegrated by the power of the sun which bounces on the rest of the opposition resulting in all of them being destroyed. Arcadia deserves some sort of award for that in my opinion.. Suddenly, the cavern blazes with blinding light. When our sight returns, we are no longer underground. The party finds itself standing on the surface of the glacier—beside us rests the egg.

=== Spicy Desert ===

Having taken time to recover from our wounds, we turned our attention to the strange egg. From our examination, we believed it would hatch within a day—and that it contained nothing less than a celestial dragon with avatar power.
A pentagram etched into the floor around the egg was channelling corruption directly into it. BoomBoom boils away the blood that powered the sigil until it dissolved. Even cleansed, the egg radiated immense power. None of us could touch it safely—save for Arcadia. Her celestial affinity allowed her to handle it without being consumed by whitefire. Reaching out with her gift, she discovered the dragon within was not corrupted; its mind lay still, quietly awaiting the moment of hatching.

The pentagram was not without reward. Within its bounds we found piles of silver and a number of items—though each bore a trace of corruption, a faint curse of ill luck. We set about clearing our sacks to make room for the hoard. Thanos was able to itemise the larger pieces, a set of plate armor and a heavy sword, so we can carry more.

Realizing that the net stretched across the surface was directly above the egg, we chose to remain and witness its hatching and try to warn the dragon about the egg. When the moment came, it was nothing short of awe-inspiring. The egg erupted in a blinding flash of light, fragments scattering like shooting stars. In an instant, the dragon burst upward, burning straight through the stone ceiling. We glimpsed it only briefly before it vanished into the sky, the tattered remains of the net fluttering in its wake.

Thanos, ever the bold, gathered shards of the broken shell despite the warnings. The whitefire within consumed him instantly, and he fell lifeless at our feet.
Climbing through the tunnels, we emerged on the surface. There, far above, the tiny form of the dragon wheeled in the heavens, pursued by one of the mechanical ships. The weather was eerily calm, yet we sensed the storm was shifting. Its shape twisted unnaturally, preparing to ravage the land around us. Escape on foot was impossible. Though some among us were poor flyers, we had no choice but to shadow our wings and fly back toward Reshana.
At last we reached the city. We sought out Kerekes and recounted our tale. Snowdrop, ever the storyteller, delivered a passionate, enthusiastic account of our adventures, while Uthgard, the soldier, reported the facts with cold precision.

The next day, we boarded a cloud and made our way back to the Guild, arriving by afternoon. Divinations and curse removes are followed by one last meal from Remel.

[[File:GG-final meal.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Celebratory meal]]
Appetizer – Starlight Canapés
• Bite-sized wafers of moonlit rice, topped with smoked salmon, goat cheese, and edible silver leaf.
• Each is dusted with powdered “comet salt,” sparkling faintly under torchlight.
Soup – Nebula Broth
• A shimmering, violet-gold consommé made from rare celestial herbs and crystal lotus root.
• Wisps of enchanted steam rise from the bowl in galaxy-like swirls.
Main Course – Solar Flame Roast
• A crown roast of pheasant, lacquered in a glaze of honey, saffron, and “sunfire peppers” that glow faintly.
• Served with moon-petal dumplings and starfall root vegetables carved into crescent and comet shapes.
Salad – Ethereal Harmony
• A delicate arrangement of midnight-blue lettuce, crystalline pomegranate seeds, and celestial blossoms that glow faintly in the dark.
• Dressing of starlight oil and fae citrus, which sings like windchimes when poured.
Dessert – Milky Way Constellation Tart
• A long tart layered with white chocolate cream, dark fruit preserves, and sugared constellations picked out in glowing sugar-dust.
• When shared, the constellations shift to represent the diners’ birth signs or fates.
Drinks – Eclipse Elixirs
• Alternating glasses of golden “Sun Mead” (warm, bold, spiced) and silvery “Moon Nectar” (cool, sweet, soothing).

== Quotes ==
"You think you're ineffective? I brought an ice mage to a fire fight" - Snowdrop.

==Award suggestions==

* Bravest - (Arcadia, Ash and Remel) Fire-arcing into the darkness, with dangerous precipice and enemies in the area.
* Jammiest B'stard - (Arcadia) - casting white-fire, a very difficult spell, and disintegrating the BBEG
* Stupidest (Thanos) - touching something we already knew could be lethal - and being killed by it.

==Loot==

Goblin/Minotaur fight
* 3 axes
* 1 mace
* Bronze armour
* Potions (12)
Egg
* Hooves
* Feedbag
* Tarnished silver mug
* Set of tarnished silver dice
* 11 shards of ice with black smoke in them
* Weapon hilt with a short section of broken blade – still has an aura
* Tarnished bronze collar (for a person)
* Tarnished bronze plate
* 3 cracked fire opals
* 1 cracked star sapphire

==People and Places==

Minotaur (names we know)
* ??? the Bruiser,
* ??? the Stellar Cataclysm,
* ??? the Destroyer,
* ??? the Revenger of Worlds

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Remel" | Remel
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Uthgard" | Uthgard
!Title="Snowdrop" | Snowdrop
!Title="BoomBoom" | BoomBoom
!Title="Ashe" | Ashe
!Title="Norto" | Norto
!Title="Thanos" | Thanos
!Title="Luna" | Luna
|-
|class="mg" | Barrier of Wind (Ut)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | +25 Def Ranged, +15 Def Melee and Close
|class="du" | 5.5 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Mind Shield (Ut)
|class="rk" | 6
|class="ef" | +22 MR vs Mental attack
|class="du" | 13 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Water Breathing (Re)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | Gills. Breath and see under water
|class="du" | 19 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Water proofing (Re)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | protects completely from all forms of non-magical water damage.
|class="du" | 29h/45d hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Buoyancy (Re)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | float at whatever depth they choose. Change depth 21ft/action
|class="du" | 9h hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Cold Resistance (Re)
|class="rk" | 16
|class="ef" | protects the target from the effects of temperature down to -32C. -5 from cold based attacks
|class="du" | 17h hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Ashe)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | + 8 to ST or EN
|class="du" | 9h hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ashe)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | + 28 to DEF + 1 to protection
|class="du" | 8h hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (Boomboom)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | + 56 ablative
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Proofing (Boomboom)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | save vs Natural fire
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade (Arcadia)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | 7 hrs
|  ?
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arcadia)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | + to Str or EN
|class="du" | 11 Hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Spell (Name)
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | ??
|class="du" | ??
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spell (Name)
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | ??
|class="du" | ??
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Greater (Apprentice)
|class="rk" | 9
|class="ef" | +10% all four areas
|class="du" | Season
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Greater (Hirkim)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16% all four areas
|class="du" | Season
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Remel" | Re
!Title="Arcadia" | Ar
!Title="Uthgard" | Ut
!Title="Snowdrop" | Sn
!Title="BoomBoom" | Bb
!Title="Ashe" | As
!Title="Norto" | No
!Title="Thanos" | Th
!Title="Luna" | Lu
|-
|class="mg" | Mind Speech (Ut)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | 11 + Principal Target 330ft
|class="du" | 110 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Waters of Healing (Re)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | neutralise vemon and heal 1 EN. If no venom then heal [D-5]+11
|class="du" | 24 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Waters of Strength(Re)
|class="rk" | 7
|class="ef" | Increase strength [D-2]+7
|class="du" | 16 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ashe)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | +8 to SC
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames (BoomBoom)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | 16SC 8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Glaive, H1/2
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Star Wings (Arcadia)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | 40mph
|class="du" | 330 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spell (Name)
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | ??
|class="du" | ? mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Remel" | Re
!Title="Arcadia" | Ar
!Title="Uthgard" | Ut
!Title="Snowdrop" | Sn
!Title="BoomBoom" | Bb
!Title="Ashe" | As
!Title="Norto" | No
!Title="Thanos" | Th
!Title="Luna" | Lu
|-
|class="mg" | Sense danger
|class="rk"| ##
|class="ef" | sense the presence of a hazard to the Adept's life or wellbeing
|class="du" | Always
|  58%
|  ?
|  77%
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Hidden (ranger)
|class="rk"| ##
|class="ef" | In a natural setting a ranger may notice hidden entities, or recognise an ambush or trap before they walk into it
|class="du" | # Hours
|  52%
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  64
|  97
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Recognise danger (Navigator)
|class="rk"|
|class="ef" | recognise non-magical danger at sea before subjecting the ship to it.
|class="du" | # Hours
|  84%
|  ?
|  65%
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Fog (Re)
|class="rk"| 20
|class="ef" | In addition the conjured mist has the effect that all entities within the fog have their Strike Chances reduced by 25% due to limited visibility. Visibility is reduced to 1 hex. The spell of Water Breathing completely negates the effect of this spell.
|class="du" | 126mn
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Rainstorm (Re)
|class="rk"| 10
|class="ef" | The caster summons a miniature rainstorm, radius 15 feet, that appears over the target's head (little dark rain cloud, tiny lightning bolts and all). If the target fails to resist, the storm will follow them for the duration (even inside buildings), completely soaking everything not waterproof in 10 seconds. The distraction caused by the storm will add 20% per Rank to any rolls the target makes that are of a mental nature (i.e. require thought or concentration) or 10% per Rank to other rolls. 
All characters in the area of effect will suffer these effects although the effects are halved if they are not the actual target of the spell 
If the target is waterproofed the effects will be minimal and if they are a Water Mage they will suffer no ill effect, but will have their Base Chances increased by 5%.
|class="du" | 5.5h
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Sixth Sense
|class="rk"| ##
|class="ef" | sense traps or the possibility of discovery before stepping in it.
|class="du" | Always
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" |
|class="rk"| ??
|class="ef" | ??
|class="du" | ??
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
If Remel spends an hour reading a story book to the party, all the listeners receive +2ft per hour of sleep.

Remel includes a Healing potion when cooking a meal. This potion will then be a contingency healing R11 Waters of Healing that may be triggered by the target as an end-of-pulse action and will automatically trigger if they are reduced to zero or less endurance. This will last three days.

Other buffs that Remel can add to food that he cooks (two per meal). Last 18 hours
* 1 point of poison damage reduction
* Temp feels 9C warner
* add 9% to stealth checks
* add 9% to PC checks - current
* add 9% to recover from stun - current
* add 9 to EN for calculating FT recovery from sleeping
* add 9 to PS for encumbrance calculations
* add 9 the engaged IV
* add 9 to EN for resisting the effect of alcohol

===Daily Casting===
* Remel: 3ft: Resist cold (globe) + 2
* Remel: 7ft: Water Breathing (globe) + 6
* Arcadia: 6ft: Strength of Stone (globe) x2
* Arcadia: 6ft: Strength of Stone (globe) x2
* Ash: 8ft: Armour of Earth (globe) + 3
* BoomBoom: 3ft: Fire Armour x 3
* BoomBoom: 3ft: Fire Proofing x 3
* Uthgard: 3ft: Mind Shield x3

===Ft Recovery===
Remel
* normal cooking: 5ft and 2EN
* magic kitchen: 9ft

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | Remel
| colspan="3" | Ashe
| colspan="3" | Snowdrop
| colspan="3" | Thanos
|-
| colspan="4" | BoomBoom
| colspan="4" | Arcadia
| colspan="4" | Uthgard
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
BoomBoom x Luna x Arcadia 
x x x 
Norto x Ashe x Snowdrop 
x x x 
Remel x x x Thanos x Golem 
x x x 
x x x 
Uthgard
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
Norto x Ashe 
x x x 
x x x 
x x x 
Luna x Arcadia 
BoomBoom 
x x x 
x x x 
x x x 
Snowdrop 
x x x 
x x x 
x x x 
Remel 
Thanos x Golem 
x x x 
x x x 
x x x 
Uthgard
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
Luna x Arcadia 
BoomBoom 
x x x 
x x x 
Snowdrop 
Norto x Ashe 
x x x 
x x x 
Remel 
Thanos x Golem 
x x x 
x x x 
Uthgard
|}

=== Pets and followers ===
* Remel; Happy the dream dragon. Cat sized, non combatant.
* Arcadia; Lunar, the wolf. Combatant.
* Ashe; Norto, the dog. Combatant.
* Thanos; Rocky, stone golem. Combatant, wooden horse golem

== Calendar ==
{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Winter"
! colspan=15 | '''Winter: [[Frost]] 824 (7)'''
|-
| class="calMoon" |
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | || [[Samhain]]
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Seagate
| class=day | 2 || Fly to Falagosin
| class=day | 3 || Fly to mountains, outside storm
| class=day | 4 || Walk up valley in storm
| class=day | 5 || Walk up valley in storm
| class=day | 6 || Walk up valley in storm
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 || Enter forest, encounter Minotaur party and void goblin. Climb glacier
| class=day | 8 || Camp. Head under glacier. Egg fight.
| class=day | 9 || Egg erupts. Fly back to town
| class=day | 10 || Recover. Report to Employer
| class=day | 11 || Fly back to Guild.
| class=day | 12 || Remove curses. Divinations
| class=day | 13 || Remove curses. Divinations
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 || Remove curses. Divinations Item split. End of Adv.
| class=day | 15 ||
| class=day | 16 ||
| class=day | 17 ||
| class=day | 18 ||
| class=day | 19 ||
| class=day | 10 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||
| class=day | 22 ||
| class=day | 23 ||
| class=day | 24 ||
| class=day | 25 ||
| class=day | 26 ||
| class=day | 27 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||
| class=day | 29 ||
| class=day | 30 ||
| class=day | 1 ||
| class=day | 2 ||
| class=day | 3 ||
| class=day | 4 ||
|-
! colspan=15 | '''Winter: [[Snow]] 823 (8)'''
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||
| class=day | 6 ||
| class=day | 7 ||
| class=day | 8 ||
| class=day | 9 ||
| class=day | 10 ||
| class=day | 11 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||
| class=day | 13 ||colspan=3|
| class=day | 15 || Solstice
| class=day | 16 ||
| class=day | 17 ||
| class=day | 18 || Yuletide
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || Days of Chaos
| class=day | 20 || DoC2
| class=day | 21 || DoC3
| class=day | 22 || DoC4
| class=day | 23 || DoC5
| class=day | 24 || DoC6
| class=day | 25 || DoC7
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 || DoC8
| class=day | 27 || DoC9
| class=day | 28 || DoC10
| class=day | 29 || DoC11
| class=day | 30 || Twelfth Night
| class=day | 1 ||
| class=day | 2 ||
|-
! colspan=15 | '''Winter: [[Ice]] 823 (9)'''
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||
| class=day | 4 ||
| class=day | 5 ||
| class=day | 6 || First Plough
| class=day | 7 ||
| class=day | 8 ||
| class=day | 9 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 ||
| class=day | 11 ||
| class=day | 12 ||
| class=day | 13 ||
| class=day | 14 ||
| class=day | 15 ||
| class=day | 16 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 ||
| class=day | 18 ||
| class=day | 19 ||
| class=day | 20 ||
| class=day | 21 ||
| class=day | 22 ||
| class=day | 23 ||
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||
| class=day | 25 ||
| class=day | 26 ||
| class=day | 27 ||
| class=day | 28 ||
| class=day | 29 ||
| class=day | 30 ||
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-26T09:14:52Z

Bernard: /* Session 11 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===
On our return, they are removing a bunch of furniture blessed by the Raphaelite priest, and we "acquire" it, taking advantage of portable holes. 
With the furniture being removed, we notice a set of five names on the wall. (Kaelrin Ashenblade, Uthgard the Stoic, Doros the Axe, Selvara Moonfall, Bloody Jorik Vantress). 
The room is then refurnished, with a decided "Suffer in flames" vibe. 
Minerva checks on some of our curses.
* Tulip:
* Kurt: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Lady Arcadia: Runes of Doom. Rank 15.
* Minerva: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Boom Boom: 2 * More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
These are of such Magical Aptitudes that they are totally unremovable at present, but it seems they will become easier to remove over time. 
Minerva spends some time playing with more rituals and believes that we are going to have to deal with a giant statue for our task, and that it is most susceptible to different things over time. 
After a good rest and recovery period, we enter the arena again, seeing a gigantic (nearly 50' across and high) statue of a horse with a winged man standing beside it, and boars at their feet, with six green-blue crystals around it. We start into the arena, Minerva and Tulip doing lots of Detect Aura's on the area, while Boom Boom pushes forward. 
Boom Boom does direct testing and discovers that the crystals appear to drain life. We start breaking some of these. The audience seems unimpressed, probably because they are associated with the Hells in general. 
We push forward, having broken three of the crystals, and dump a variety of magic on the statue, breaking some Boars at Michael's feet. 
Once the Boars crumble, they appear to gain immunity to magic and vulnerability to non-magical damage. Boom Boom and I climb up and hammer away at the statue; eventually, the horse crumbles, despite our hitting the man. 
Further hammering at the knees of this statue eventually crumbles the wings, and the False Idol animates. 

===Session 9===
A brutal beatdown ensues, with The False Idol being enraged and focusing on Boom Boom the entire fight. 
This allows us to manipulate him into staying in a smoking magma from Tulip while Arcadia hammers him with meteor showers. 
Boom Boom is repeatedly brought unconscious before we finally bring the manifestation down, barely saving him. 
Returning to our rooms, we are given our next task. "Create a god and perform a lavish ceremony for them."

===Session 10===
Boom Boom is also invited to meet with Belial and agrees to meet with our company. A recruitment attempt ensues but is not conclusive. 
Some time is spent on ideas for our next task, and eventually, butterflies (of some kind) are selected. 
We discuss some ideas, such as people dressing in butterfly costumes, and thousands of butterflies. The nature of hell is discussed.
Horn offers exploding, burning, draining, and razor varieties of butterflies. Horn reminisces on fooling a soul into thinking they were in a heaven, then the butterflies ate them. 
Minerva offers to sing, spinning dancers with streamers, with flaming cloth and winged costumes on, with Arcadia and Boom Boom volunteering for that. Tulip plans to control the butterfly swarms and get them to dance as well. Finishing with an explosion of butterflies everywhere over the arena. 
Cages of butterflies around the edges, linked to a lever or other triggering device to release them towards the audience. And an effigy in the middle, stained glass and ironwork is what we are looking for. Further ideas of shattering glass domes are added to this. 
Burning Butterflies are bright red.
Blue and Green butterflies are razor-winged. The merest touch can slice an imp's skin.
Black butterflies are life-draining.
"Death Butterflies" explode when touched, grenadoe-sized explosion, the butterfly lives but is smaller. Purple and Orange wings.
The dancers and actors plan butterfly costumes. 
Arcadian, Rainbow.
Boom Boom, Red.
Tulip, Blue and Green.
Minerva chooses not to get a costume made, but instead plans to use a disguise illusion item. 
Kurt will be off the side, inside an illusory rock, keeping a drum going. 
Offerings of flowers, honey, and alcohol are planned as part of this, and Arcadia will also grow flowers across the arena as the ceremony progresses. 
Their favourite wine/honey will also be sprayed on the audience just before the butterflies are released. 
We get our hidden warning that the creature will also appear and, in the case of other groups, attack and devour them. 
Tulip binds 32 red ones, Arcadia a Vorpal and Death (exploding) butterfly. Tulip requests a Demonic trainer for butterfly dancing. 
We also do all our usual preparations and get weapon spells and rank 20 necromancy special counters before entering as well. 
The performance goes... averagely, and the gigantic butterfly then arrives and smashes down in the middle, doing a horrific explosion of fire, death, and slicing. 
===Session 11===
A brutal but short fight ensues, with the Great Flaming Exploding Vorpal Death Flutter repeatedly divebombing the party, while spells are fired back. 
The butterfly eventually ends up exploding in a great shower of glass shards, leaving most of the party with at least one crippled limb as we limp off. 
The Willing Prince is pleased that his kidnapped 'competitors' have done so well, and lavishes some rewards, as well as dire threats of sending us through to one last fight on some plane, before we return, though post-healing is implied. 
A day or two later, the afterparty winds down, and we are not missing any party members. 
 
Some time passes, and being in Hell, we are unsure exactly how long, and then we get sent to Tepps and told to storm a windmill. We don't have any horses to joust. 

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
<css>
table.buffs { border: 1px solid #BBBBBB; border-radius: 2px; border-spacing: 1px; width: 100%; }
table.buffs th { text-align: center; width: 3%; }
table.buffs td { text-align: center; }
table.buffs th.mg { text-align: left; width: 20%; }
table.buffs td.mg { text-align: left; }
table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
table.buffs td.ef { text-align: left;}
table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
table.buffs td.du { }
table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.
Boon for destroying <s>Michaline</s>False Idol's Artefact
* Additional intelligence and forewarning about the hidden details and specifics of the next tasks.
* +1 to stat of choice

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
Butterfly Costumes.
* Arcadian, Rainbow.
* Boom Boom, Red.
* Tulip, Blue and Green.

===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
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|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
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| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-26T09:13:31Z

Bernard: /* Session 11 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===
On our return, they are removing a bunch of furniture blessed by the Raphaelite priest, and we "acquire" it, taking advantage of portable holes. 
With the furniture being removed, we notice a set of five names on the wall. (Kaelrin Ashenblade, Uthgard the Stoic, Doros the Axe, Selvara Moonfall, Bloody Jorik Vantress). 
The room is then refurnished, with a decided "Suffer in flames" vibe. 
Minerva checks on some of our curses.
* Tulip:
* Kurt: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Lady Arcadia: Runes of Doom. Rank 15.
* Minerva: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Boom Boom: 2 * More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
These are of such Magical Aptitudes that they are totally unremovable at present, but it seems they will become easier to remove over time. 
Minerva spends some time playing with more rituals and believes that we are going to have to deal with a giant statue for our task, and that it is most susceptible to different things over time. 
After a good rest and recovery period, we enter the arena again, seeing a gigantic (nearly 50' across and high) statue of a horse with a winged man standing beside it, and boars at their feet, with six green-blue crystals around it. We start into the arena, Minerva and Tulip doing lots of Detect Aura's on the area, while Boom Boom pushes forward. 
Boom Boom does direct testing and discovers that the crystals appear to drain life. We start breaking some of these. The audience seems unimpressed, probably because they are associated with the Hells in general. 
We push forward, having broken three of the crystals, and dump a variety of magic on the statue, breaking some Boars at Michael's feet. 
Once the Boars crumble, they appear to gain immunity to magic and vulnerability to non-magical damage. Boom Boom and I climb up and hammer away at the statue; eventually, the horse crumbles, despite our hitting the man. 
Further hammering at the knees of this statue eventually crumbles the wings, and the False Idol animates. 

===Session 9===
A brutal beatdown ensues, with The False Idol being enraged and focusing on Boom Boom the entire fight. 
This allows us to manipulate him into staying in a smoking magma from Tulip while Arcadia hammers him with meteor showers. 
Boom Boom is repeatedly brought unconscious before we finally bring the manifestation down, barely saving him. 
Returning to our rooms, we are given our next task. "Create a god and perform a lavish ceremony for them."

===Session 10===
Boom Boom is also invited to meet with Belial and agrees to meet with our company. A recruitment attempt ensues but is not conclusive. 
Some time is spent on ideas for our next task, and eventually, butterflies (of some kind) are selected. 
We discuss some ideas, such as people dressing in butterfly costumes, and thousands of butterflies. The nature of hell is discussed.
Horn offers exploding, burning, draining, and razor varieties of butterflies. Horn reminisces on fooling a soul into thinking they were in a heaven, then the butterflies ate them. 
Minerva offers to sing, spinning dancers with streamers, with flaming cloth and winged costumes on, with Arcadia and Boom Boom volunteering for that. Tulip plans to control the butterfly swarms and get them to dance as well. Finishing with an explosion of butterflies everywhere over the arena. 
Cages of butterflies around the edges, linked to a lever or other triggering device to release them towards the audience. And an effigy in the middle, stained glass and ironwork is what we are looking for. Further ideas of shattering glass domes are added to this. 
Burning Butterflies are bright red.
Blue and Green butterflies are razor-winged. The merest touch can slice an imp's skin.
Black butterflies are life-draining.
"Death Butterflies" explode when touched, grenadoe-sized explosion, the butterfly lives but is smaller. Purple and Orange wings.
The dancers and actors plan butterfly costumes. 
Arcadian, Rainbow.
Boom Boom, Red.
Tulip, Blue and Green.
Minerva chooses not to get a costume made, but instead plans to use a disguise illusion item. 
Kurt will be off the side, inside an illusory rock, keeping a drum going. 
Offerings of flowers, honey, and alcohol are planned as part of this, and Arcadia will also grow flowers across the arena as the ceremony progresses. 
Their favourite wine/honey will also be sprayed on the audience just before the butterflies are released. 
We get our hidden warning that the creature will also appear and, in the case of other groups, attack and devour them. 
Tulip binds 32 red ones, Arcadia a Vorpal and Death (exploding) butterfly. Tulip requests a Demonic trainer for butterfly dancing. 
We also do all our usual preparations and get weapon spells and rank 20 necromancy special counters before entering as well. 
The performance goes... averagely, and the gigantic butterfly then arrives and smashes down in the middle, doing a horrific explosion of fire, death, and slicing. 
===Session 11===
A brutal but short fight ensues, with the Great Flaming Exploding Vorpal Death Flutter repeatedly divebombing the party, while spells are fired back. 
The butterfly eventually ends up exploding in a great shower of glass shards, leaving most of the party with at least one crippled limb as we limp off. 
The Willing Prince is pleased that his kidnapped 'competitors' have done so well, and lavishes some rewards, as well as dire threats of sending us through to one last fight on some plane, before we return, though post-healing is implied. 
A day or two later, the afterparty winds down, and we are not missing any party members. 
 
Some time passes, being in Hell, we are unsure exactly how long, and then we get sent to Tepes.

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
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table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
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table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
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</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.
Boon for destroying <s>Michaline</s>False Idol's Artefact
* Additional intelligence and forewarning about the hidden details and specifics of the next tasks.
* +1 to stat of choice

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
Butterfly Costumes.
* Arcadian, Rainbow.
* Boom Boom, Red.
* Tulip, Blue and Green.

===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-26T09:05:07Z

Bernard: /* Session 11 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===
On our return, they are removing a bunch of furniture blessed by the Raphaelite priest, and we "acquire" it, taking advantage of portable holes. 
With the furniture being removed, we notice a set of five names on the wall. (Kaelrin Ashenblade, Uthgard the Stoic, Doros the Axe, Selvara Moonfall, Bloody Jorik Vantress). 
The room is then refurnished, with a decided "Suffer in flames" vibe. 
Minerva checks on some of our curses.
* Tulip:
* Kurt: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Lady Arcadia: Runes of Doom. Rank 15.
* Minerva: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Boom Boom: 2 * More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
These are of such Magical Aptitudes that they are totally unremovable at present, but it seems they will become easier to remove over time. 
Minerva spends some time playing with more rituals and believes that we are going to have to deal with a giant statue for our task, and that it is most susceptible to different things over time. 
After a good rest and recovery period, we enter the arena again, seeing a gigantic (nearly 50' across and high) statue of a horse with a winged man standing beside it, and boars at their feet, with six green-blue crystals around it. We start into the arena, Minerva and Tulip doing lots of Detect Aura's on the area, while Boom Boom pushes forward. 
Boom Boom does direct testing and discovers that the crystals appear to drain life. We start breaking some of these. The audience seems unimpressed, probably because they are associated with the Hells in general. 
We push forward, having broken three of the crystals, and dump a variety of magic on the statue, breaking some Boars at Michael's feet. 
Once the Boars crumble, they appear to gain immunity to magic and vulnerability to non-magical damage. Boom Boom and I climb up and hammer away at the statue; eventually, the horse crumbles, despite our hitting the man. 
Further hammering at the knees of this statue eventually crumbles the wings, and the False Idol animates. 

===Session 9===
A brutal beatdown ensues, with The False Idol being enraged and focusing on Boom Boom the entire fight. 
This allows us to manipulate him into staying in a smoking magma from Tulip while Arcadia hammers him with meteor showers. 
Boom Boom is repeatedly brought unconscious before we finally bring the manifestation down, barely saving him. 
Returning to our rooms, we are given our next task. "Create a god and perform a lavish ceremony for them."

===Session 10===
Boom Boom is also invited to meet with Belial and agrees to meet with our company. A recruitment attempt ensues but is not conclusive. 
Some time is spent on ideas for our next task, and eventually, butterflies (of some kind) are selected. 
We discuss some ideas, such as people dressing in butterfly costumes, and thousands of butterflies. The nature of hell is discussed.
Horn offers exploding, burning, draining, and razor varieties of butterflies. Horn reminisces on fooling a soul into thinking they were in a heaven, then the butterflies ate them. 
Minerva offers to sing, spinning dancers with streamers, with flaming cloth and winged costumes on, with Arcadia and Boom Boom volunteering for that. Tulip plans to control the butterfly swarms and get them to dance as well. Finishing with an explosion of butterflies everywhere over the arena. 
Cages of butterflies around the edges, linked to a lever or other triggering device to release them towards the audience. And an effigy in the middle, stained glass and ironwork is what we are looking for. Further ideas of shattering glass domes are added to this. 
Burning Butterflies are bright red.
Blue and Green butterflies are razor-winged. The merest touch can slice an imp's skin.
Black butterflies are life-draining.
"Death Butterflies" explode when touched, grenadoe-sized explosion, the butterfly lives but is smaller. Purple and Orange wings.
The dancers and actors plan butterfly costumes. 
Arcadian, Rainbow.
Boom Boom, Red.
Tulip, Blue and Green.
Minerva chooses not to get a costume made, but instead plans to use a disguise illusion item. 
Kurt will be off the side, inside an illusory rock, keeping a drum going. 
Offerings of flowers, honey, and alcohol are planned as part of this, and Arcadia will also grow flowers across the arena as the ceremony progresses. 
Their favourite wine/honey will also be sprayed on the audience just before the butterflies are released. 
We get our hidden warning that the creature will also appear and, in the case of other groups, attack and devour them. 
Tulip binds 32 red ones, Arcadia a Vorpal and Death (exploding) butterfly. Tulip requests a Demonic trainer for butterfly dancing. 
We also do all our usual preparations and get weapon spells and rank 20 necromancy special counters before entering as well. 
The performance goes... averagely, and the gigantic butterfly then arrives and smashes down in the middle, doing a horrific explosion of fire, death, and slicing. 
===Session 11===
A brutal but short fight ensues, with the Great Flaming Exploding Vorpal Death Flutter repeatedly divebombing the party, while spells are fired back. 
The butterfly eventually ends up exploding in a great shower of glass shards, leaving most of the party with at least one crippled limb as we limp off. 
The Willing Prince is pleased that his kidnapped 'competitors' have done so well, and lavishes some rewards, as well as dire threats of sending us through to one last fight on some plane, before we return, though post-healing is implied. 
A day or two later, the afterparty winds down, and we are not missing any party members. 
 
Some time passes, being in Hell, we are unsure exactly how long, and then we get sent to

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.
Boon for destroying <s>Michaline</s>False Idol's Artefact
* Additional intelligence and forewarning about the hidden details and specifics of the next tasks.
* +1 to stat of choice

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
Butterfly Costumes.
* Arcadian, Rainbow.
* Boom Boom, Red.
* Tulip, Blue and Green.

===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-26T08:57:22Z

Bernard: /* Session 11 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===
On our return, they are removing a bunch of furniture blessed by the Raphaelite priest, and we "acquire" it, taking advantage of portable holes. 
With the furniture being removed, we notice a set of five names on the wall. (Kaelrin Ashenblade, Uthgard the Stoic, Doros the Axe, Selvara Moonfall, Bloody Jorik Vantress). 
The room is then refurnished, with a decided "Suffer in flames" vibe. 
Minerva checks on some of our curses.
* Tulip:
* Kurt: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Lady Arcadia: Runes of Doom. Rank 15.
* Minerva: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Boom Boom: 2 * More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
These are of such Magical Aptitudes that they are totally unremovable at present, but it seems they will become easier to remove over time. 
Minerva spends some time playing with more rituals and believes that we are going to have to deal with a giant statue for our task, and that it is most susceptible to different things over time. 
After a good rest and recovery period, we enter the arena again, seeing a gigantic (nearly 50' across and high) statue of a horse with a winged man standing beside it, and boars at their feet, with six green-blue crystals around it. We start into the arena, Minerva and Tulip doing lots of Detect Aura's on the area, while Boom Boom pushes forward. 
Boom Boom does direct testing and discovers that the crystals appear to drain life. We start breaking some of these. The audience seems unimpressed, probably because they are associated with the Hells in general. 
We push forward, having broken three of the crystals, and dump a variety of magic on the statue, breaking some Boars at Michael's feet. 
Once the Boars crumble, they appear to gain immunity to magic and vulnerability to non-magical damage. Boom Boom and I climb up and hammer away at the statue; eventually, the horse crumbles, despite our hitting the man. 
Further hammering at the knees of this statue eventually crumbles the wings, and the False Idol animates. 

===Session 9===
A brutal beatdown ensues, with The False Idol being enraged and focusing on Boom Boom the entire fight. 
This allows us to manipulate him into staying in a smoking magma from Tulip while Arcadia hammers him with meteor showers. 
Boom Boom is repeatedly brought unconscious before we finally bring the manifestation down, barely saving him. 
Returning to our rooms, we are given our next task. "Create a god and perform a lavish ceremony for them."

===Session 10===
Boom Boom is also invited to meet with Belial and agrees to meet with our company. A recruitment attempt ensues but is not conclusive. 
Some time is spent on ideas for our next task, and eventually, butterflies (of some kind) are selected. 
We discuss some ideas, such as people dressing in butterfly costumes, and thousands of butterflies. The nature of hell is discussed.
Horn offers exploding, burning, draining, and razor varieties of butterflies. Horn reminisces on fooling a soul into thinking they were in a heaven, then the butterflies ate them. 
Minerva offers to sing, spinning dancers with streamers, with flaming cloth and winged costumes on, with Arcadia and Boom Boom volunteering for that. Tulip plans to control the butterfly swarms and get them to dance as well. Finishing with an explosion of butterflies everywhere over the arena. 
Cages of butterflies around the edges, linked to a lever or other triggering device to release them towards the audience. And an effigy in the middle, stained glass and ironwork is what we are looking for. Further ideas of shattering glass domes are added to this. 
Burning Butterflies are bright red.
Blue and Green butterflies are razor-winged. The merest touch can slice an imp's skin.
Black butterflies are life-draining.
"Death Butterflies" explode when touched, grenadoe-sized explosion, the butterfly lives but is smaller. Purple and Orange wings.
The dancers and actors plan butterfly costumes. 
Arcadian, Rainbow.
Boom Boom, Red.
Tulip, Blue and Green.
Minerva chooses not to get a costume made, but instead plans to use a disguise illusion item. 
Kurt will be off the side, inside an illusory rock, keeping a drum going. 
Offerings of flowers, honey, and alcohol are planned as part of this, and Arcadia will also grow flowers across the arena as the ceremony progresses. 
Their favourite wine/honey will also be sprayed on the audience just before the butterflies are released. 
We get our hidden warning that the creature will also appear and, in the case of other groups, attack and devour them. 
Tulip binds 32 red ones, Arcadia a Vorpal and Death (exploding) butterfly. Tulip requests a Demonic trainer for butterfly dancing. 
We also do all our usual preparations and get weapon spells and rank 20 necromancy special counters before entering as well. 
The performance goes... averagely, and the gigantic butterfly then arrives and smashes down in the middle, doing a horrific explosion of fire, death, and slicing. 
===Session 11===
A brutal but short fight ensues, with the Great Flaming Exploding Vorpal Death Flutter repeatedly divebombing the party, while spells are fired back. 
The butterfly eventually ends up exploding in a great shower of glass shards, leaving most of the party with at least one crippled limb as we limp off. 
The Willing Prince is pleased that his kidnapped 'competitors' have done so well, and lavishes some rewards, as well as dire threats of sending us through to one last fight on some plane, before we return, though post-healing is implied. 
A day or two later, the afterparty winds down, and we are not missing any party members. 

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
<css>
table.buffs { border: 1px solid #BBBBBB; border-radius: 2px; border-spacing: 1px; width: 100%; }
table.buffs th { text-align: center; width: 3%; }
table.buffs td { text-align: center; }
table.buffs th.mg { text-align: left; width: 20%; }
table.buffs td.mg { text-align: left; }
table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
table.buffs td.ef { text-align: left;}
table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
table.buffs td.du { }
table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.
Boon for destroying <s>Michaline</s>False Idol's Artefact
* Additional intelligence and forewarning about the hidden details and specifics of the next tasks.
* +1 to stat of choice

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
Butterfly Costumes.
* Arcadian, Rainbow.
* Boom Boom, Red.
* Tulip, Blue and Green.

===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-26T08:57:05Z

Bernard: /* Session 11 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===
On our return, they are removing a bunch of furniture blessed by the Raphaelite priest, and we "acquire" it, taking advantage of portable holes. 
With the furniture being removed, we notice a set of five names on the wall. (Kaelrin Ashenblade, Uthgard the Stoic, Doros the Axe, Selvara Moonfall, Bloody Jorik Vantress). 
The room is then refurnished, with a decided "Suffer in flames" vibe. 
Minerva checks on some of our curses.
* Tulip:
* Kurt: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Lady Arcadia: Runes of Doom. Rank 15.
* Minerva: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Boom Boom: 2 * More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
These are of such Magical Aptitudes that they are totally unremovable at present, but it seems they will become easier to remove over time. 
Minerva spends some time playing with more rituals and believes that we are going to have to deal with a giant statue for our task, and that it is most susceptible to different things over time. 
After a good rest and recovery period, we enter the arena again, seeing a gigantic (nearly 50' across and high) statue of a horse with a winged man standing beside it, and boars at their feet, with six green-blue crystals around it. We start into the arena, Minerva and Tulip doing lots of Detect Aura's on the area, while Boom Boom pushes forward. 
Boom Boom does direct testing and discovers that the crystals appear to drain life. We start breaking some of these. The audience seems unimpressed, probably because they are associated with the Hells in general. 
We push forward, having broken three of the crystals, and dump a variety of magic on the statue, breaking some Boars at Michael's feet. 
Once the Boars crumble, they appear to gain immunity to magic and vulnerability to non-magical damage. Boom Boom and I climb up and hammer away at the statue; eventually, the horse crumbles, despite our hitting the man. 
Further hammering at the knees of this statue eventually crumbles the wings, and the False Idol animates. 

===Session 9===
A brutal beatdown ensues, with The False Idol being enraged and focusing on Boom Boom the entire fight. 
This allows us to manipulate him into staying in a smoking magma from Tulip while Arcadia hammers him with meteor showers. 
Boom Boom is repeatedly brought unconscious before we finally bring the manifestation down, barely saving him. 
Returning to our rooms, we are given our next task. "Create a god and perform a lavish ceremony for them."

===Session 10===
Boom Boom is also invited to meet with Belial and agrees to meet with our company. A recruitment attempt ensues but is not conclusive. 
Some time is spent on ideas for our next task, and eventually, butterflies (of some kind) are selected. 
We discuss some ideas, such as people dressing in butterfly costumes, and thousands of butterflies. The nature of hell is discussed.
Horn offers exploding, burning, draining, and razor varieties of butterflies. Horn reminisces on fooling a soul into thinking they were in a heaven, then the butterflies ate them. 
Minerva offers to sing, spinning dancers with streamers, with flaming cloth and winged costumes on, with Arcadia and Boom Boom volunteering for that. Tulip plans to control the butterfly swarms and get them to dance as well. Finishing with an explosion of butterflies everywhere over the arena. 
Cages of butterflies around the edges, linked to a lever or other triggering device to release them towards the audience. And an effigy in the middle, stained glass and ironwork is what we are looking for. Further ideas of shattering glass domes are added to this. 
Burning Butterflies are bright red.
Blue and Green butterflies are razor-winged. The merest touch can slice an imp's skin.
Black butterflies are life-draining.
"Death Butterflies" explode when touched, grenadoe-sized explosion, the butterfly lives but is smaller. Purple and Orange wings.
The dancers and actors plan butterfly costumes. 
Arcadian, Rainbow.
Boom Boom, Red.
Tulip, Blue and Green.
Minerva chooses not to get a costume made, but instead plans to use a disguise illusion item. 
Kurt will be off the side, inside an illusory rock, keeping a drum going. 
Offerings of flowers, honey, and alcohol are planned as part of this, and Arcadia will also grow flowers across the arena as the ceremony progresses. 
Their favourite wine/honey will also be sprayed on the audience just before the butterflies are released. 
We get our hidden warning that the creature will also appear and, in the case of other groups, attack and devour them. 
Tulip binds 32 red ones, Arcadia a Vorpal and Death (exploding) butterfly. Tulip requests a Demonic trainer for butterfly dancing. 
We also do all our usual preparations and get weapon spells and rank 20 necromancy special counters before entering as well. 
The performance goes... averagely, and the gigantic butterfly then arrives and smashes down in the middle, doing a horrific explosion of fire, death, and slicing. 
===Session 11===
A brutal but short fight ensues, with the Great Flaming Exploding Vorpal Death Flutter repeatedly bombing the party, while spells are fired back. 
The butterfly eventually ends up exploding in a great shower of glass shards, leaving most of the party with at least one crippled limb as we limp off. 
The Willing Prince is pleased that his kidnapped 'competitors' have done so well, and lavishes some rewards, as well as dire threats of sending us through to one last fight on some plane, before we return, though post-healing is implied. 
A day or two later, the afterparty winds down, and we are not missing any party members. 

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.
Boon for destroying <s>Michaline</s>False Idol's Artefact
* Additional intelligence and forewarning about the hidden details and specifics of the next tasks.
* +1 to stat of choice

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
Butterfly Costumes.
* Arcadian, Rainbow.
* Boom Boom, Red.
* Tulip, Blue and Green.

===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-26T08:56:38Z

Bernard: /* Session 11 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===
On our return, they are removing a bunch of furniture blessed by the Raphaelite priest, and we "acquire" it, taking advantage of portable holes. 
With the furniture being removed, we notice a set of five names on the wall. (Kaelrin Ashenblade, Uthgard the Stoic, Doros the Axe, Selvara Moonfall, Bloody Jorik Vantress). 
The room is then refurnished, with a decided "Suffer in flames" vibe. 
Minerva checks on some of our curses.
* Tulip:
* Kurt: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Lady Arcadia: Runes of Doom. Rank 15.
* Minerva: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Boom Boom: 2 * More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
These are of such Magical Aptitudes that they are totally unremovable at present, but it seems they will become easier to remove over time. 
Minerva spends some time playing with more rituals and believes that we are going to have to deal with a giant statue for our task, and that it is most susceptible to different things over time. 
After a good rest and recovery period, we enter the arena again, seeing a gigantic (nearly 50' across and high) statue of a horse with a winged man standing beside it, and boars at their feet, with six green-blue crystals around it. We start into the arena, Minerva and Tulip doing lots of Detect Aura's on the area, while Boom Boom pushes forward. 
Boom Boom does direct testing and discovers that the crystals appear to drain life. We start breaking some of these. The audience seems unimpressed, probably because they are associated with the Hells in general. 
We push forward, having broken three of the crystals, and dump a variety of magic on the statue, breaking some Boars at Michael's feet. 
Once the Boars crumble, they appear to gain immunity to magic and vulnerability to non-magical damage. Boom Boom and I climb up and hammer away at the statue; eventually, the horse crumbles, despite our hitting the man. 
Further hammering at the knees of this statue eventually crumbles the wings, and the False Idol animates. 

===Session 9===
A brutal beatdown ensues, with The False Idol being enraged and focusing on Boom Boom the entire fight. 
This allows us to manipulate him into staying in a smoking magma from Tulip while Arcadia hammers him with meteor showers. 
Boom Boom is repeatedly brought unconscious before we finally bring the manifestation down, barely saving him. 
Returning to our rooms, we are given our next task. "Create a god and perform a lavish ceremony for them."

===Session 10===
Boom Boom is also invited to meet with Belial and agrees to meet with our company. A recruitment attempt ensues but is not conclusive. 
Some time is spent on ideas for our next task, and eventually, butterflies (of some kind) are selected. 
We discuss some ideas, such as people dressing in butterfly costumes, and thousands of butterflies. The nature of hell is discussed.
Horn offers exploding, burning, draining, and razor varieties of butterflies. Horn reminisces on fooling a soul into thinking they were in a heaven, then the butterflies ate them. 
Minerva offers to sing, spinning dancers with streamers, with flaming cloth and winged costumes on, with Arcadia and Boom Boom volunteering for that. Tulip plans to control the butterfly swarms and get them to dance as well. Finishing with an explosion of butterflies everywhere over the arena. 
Cages of butterflies around the edges, linked to a lever or other triggering device to release them towards the audience. And an effigy in the middle, stained glass and ironwork is what we are looking for. Further ideas of shattering glass domes are added to this. 
Burning Butterflies are bright red.
Blue and Green butterflies are razor-winged. The merest touch can slice an imp's skin.
Black butterflies are life-draining.
"Death Butterflies" explode when touched, grenadoe-sized explosion, the butterfly lives but is smaller. Purple and Orange wings.
The dancers and actors plan butterfly costumes. 
Arcadian, Rainbow.
Boom Boom, Red.
Tulip, Blue and Green.
Minerva chooses not to get a costume made, but instead plans to use a disguise illusion item. 
Kurt will be off the side, inside an illusory rock, keeping a drum going. 
Offerings of flowers, honey, and alcohol are planned as part of this, and Arcadia will also grow flowers across the arena as the ceremony progresses. 
Their favourite wine/honey will also be sprayed on the audience just before the butterflies are released. 
We get our hidden warning that the creature will also appear and, in the case of other groups, attack and devour them. 
Tulip binds 32 red ones, Arcadia a Vorpal and Death (exploding) butterfly. Tulip requests a Demonic trainer for butterfly dancing. 
We also do all our usual preparations and get weapon spells and rank 20 necromancy special counters before entering as well. 
The performance goes... averagely, and the gigantic butterfly then arrives and smashes down in the middle, doing a horrific explosion of fire, death, and slicing. 
===Session 11===
A brutal but short fight ensues, with the Great Vorpal Death Flutter repeatedly bombing the party, while spells are fired back. 
The butterfly eventually ends up exploding in a great shower of glass shards, leaving most of the party with at least one crippled limb as we limp off. 
The Willing Prince is pleased that his kidnapped 'competitors' have done so well, and lavishes some rewards, as well as dire threats of sending us through to one last fight on some plane, before we return, though post-healing is implied. 
A day or two later, the afterparty winds down, and we are not missing any members of the party. 

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.
Boon for destroying <s>Michaline</s>False Idol's Artefact
* Additional intelligence and forewarning about the hidden details and specifics of the next tasks.
* +1 to stat of choice

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
Butterfly Costumes.
* Arcadian, Rainbow.
* Boom Boom, Red.
* Tulip, Blue and Green.

===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-19T10:02:49Z

Bernard: /* Session 10 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===
On our return, they are removing a bunch of furniture blessed by the Raphaelite priest, and we "acquire" it, taking advantage of portable holes. 
With the furniture being removed, we notice a set of five names on the wall. (Kaelrin Ashenblade, Uthgard the Stoic, Doros the Axe, Selvara Moonfall, Bloody Jorik Vantress). 
The room is then refurnished, with a decided "Suffer in flames" vibe. 
Minerva checks on some of our curses.
* Tulip:
* Kurt: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Lady Arcadia: Runes of Doom. Rank 15.
* Minerva: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Boom Boom: 2 * More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
These are of such Magical Aptitudes that they are totally unremovable at present, but it seems they will become easier to remove over time. 
Minerva spends some time playing with more rituals and believes that we are going to have to deal with a giant statue for our task, and that it is most susceptible to different things over time. 
After a good rest and recovery period, we enter the arena again, seeing a gigantic (nearly 50' across and high) statue of a horse with a winged man standing beside it, and boars at their feet, with six green-blue crystals around it. We start into the arena, Minerva and Tulip doing lots of Detect Aura's on the area, while Boom Boom pushes forward. 
Boom Boom does direct testing and discovers that the crystals appear to drain life. We start breaking some of these. The audience seems unimpressed, probably because they are associated with the Hells in general. 
We push forward, having broken three of the crystals, and dump a variety of magic on the statue, breaking some Boars at Michael's feet. 
Once the Boars crumble, they appear to gain immunity to magic and vulnerability to non-magical damage. Boom Boom and I climb up and hammer away at the statue; eventually, the horse crumbles, despite our hitting the man. 
Further hammering at the knees of this statue eventually crumbles the wings, and the False Idol animates. 

===Session 9===
A brutal beatdown ensues, with The False Idol being enraged and focusing on Boom Boom the entire fight. 
This allows us to manipulate him into staying in a smoking magma from Tulip while Arcadia hammers him with meteor showers. 
Boom Boom is repeatedly brought unconscious before we finally bring the manifestation down, barely saving him. 
Returning to our rooms, we are given our next task. "Create a god and perform a lavish ceremony for them."

===Session 10===
Boom Boom is also invited to meet with Belial and agrees to meet with our company. A recruitment attempt ensues but is not conclusive. 
Some time is spent on ideas for our next task, and eventually, butterflies (of some kind) are selected. 
We discuss some ideas, such as people dressing in butterfly costumes, and thousands of butterflies. The nature of hell is discussed.
Horn offers exploding, burning, draining, and razor varieties of butterflies. Horn reminisces on fooling a soul into thinking they were in a heaven, then the butterflies ate them. 
Minerva offers to sing, spinning dancers with streamers, with flaming cloth and winged costumes on, with Arcadia and Boom Boom volunteering for that. Tulip plans to control the butterfly swarms and get them to dance as well. Finishing with an explosion of butterflies everywhere over the arena. 
Cages of butterflies around the edges, linked to a lever or other triggering device to release them towards the audience. And an effigy in the middle, stained glass and ironwork is what we are looking for. Further ideas of shattering glass domes are added to this. 
Burning Butterflies are bright red.
Blue and Green butterflies are razor-winged. The merest touch can slice an imp's skin.
Black butterflies are life-draining.
"Death Butterflies" explode when touched, grenadoe-sized explosion, the butterfly lives but is smaller. Purple and Orange wings.
The dancers and actors plan butterfly costumes. 
Arcadian, Rainbow.
Boom Boom, Red.
Tulip, Blue and Green.
Minerva chooses not to get a costume made, but instead plans to use a disguise illusion item. 
Kurt will be off the side, inside an illusory rock, keeping a drum going. 
Offerings of flowers, honey, and alcohol are planned as part of this, and Arcadia will also grow flowers across the arena as the ceremony progresses. 
Their favourite wine/honey will also be sprayed on the audience just before the butterflies are released. 
We get our hidden warning that the creature will also appear and, in the case of other groups, attack and devour them. 
Tulip binds 32 red ones, Arcadia a Vorpal and Death (exploding) butterfly. Tulip requests a Demonic trainer for butterfly dancing. 
We also do all our usual preparations and get weapon spells and rank 20 necromancy special counters before entering as well. 
The performance goes... averagely, and the gigantic butterfly then arrives and smashes down in the middle, doing a horrific explosion of fire, death, and slicing. 
===Session 11===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
<css>
table.buffs { border: 1px solid #BBBBBB; border-radius: 2px; border-spacing: 1px; width: 100%; }
table.buffs th { text-align: center; width: 3%; }
table.buffs td { text-align: center; }
table.buffs th.mg { text-align: left; width: 20%; }
table.buffs td.mg { text-align: left; }
table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
table.buffs td.ef { text-align: left;}
table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
table.buffs td.du { }
table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.
Boon for destroying <s>Michaline</s>False Idol's Artefact
* Additional intelligence and forewarning about the hidden details and specifics of the next tasks.
* +1 to stat of choice

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
Butterfly Costumes.
* Arcadian, Rainbow.
* Boom Boom, Red.
* Tulip, Blue and Green.

===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-19T09:19:27Z

Bernard: /* Minor items */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===
On our return, they are removing a bunch of furniture blessed by the Raphaelite priest, and we "acquire" it, taking advantage of portable holes. 
With the furniture being removed, we notice a set of five names on the wall. (Kaelrin Ashenblade, Uthgard the Stoic, Doros the Axe, Selvara Moonfall, Bloody Jorik Vantress). 
The room is then refurnished, with a decided "Suffer in flames" vibe. 
Minerva checks on some of our curses.
* Tulip:
* Kurt: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Lady Arcadia: Runes of Doom. Rank 15.
* Minerva: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Boom Boom: 2 * More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
These are of such Magical Aptitudes that they are totally unremovable at present, but it seems they will become easier to remove over time. 
Minerva spends some time playing with more rituals and believes that we are going to have to deal with a giant statue for our task, and that it is most susceptible to different things over time. 
After a good rest and recovery period, we enter the arena again, seeing a gigantic (nearly 50' across and high) statue of a horse with a winged man standing beside it, and boars at their feet, with six green-blue crystals around it. We start into the arena, Minerva and Tulip doing lots of Detect Aura's on the area, while Boom Boom pushes forward. 
Boom Boom does direct testing and discovers that the crystals appear to drain life. We start breaking some of these. The audience seems unimpressed, probably because they are associated with the Hells in general. 
We push forward, having broken three of the crystals, and dump a variety of magic on the statue, breaking some Boars at Michael's feet. 
Once the Boars crumble, they appear to gain immunity to magic and vulnerability to non-magical damage. Boom Boom and I climb up and hammer away at the statue; eventually, the horse crumbles, despite our hitting the man. 
Further hammering at the knees of this statue eventually crumbles the wings, and the False Idol animates. 

===Session 9===
A brutal beatdown ensues, with The False Idol being enraged and focusing on Boom Boom the entire fight. 
This allows us to manipulate him into staying in a smoking magma from Tulip while Arcadia hammers him with meteor showers. 
Boom Boom is repeatedly brought unconscious before we finally bring the manifestation down, barely saving him. 
Returning to our rooms, we are given our next task. "Create a god and perform a lavish ceremony for them."

===Session 10===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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table.buffs th { text-align: center; width: 3%; }
table.buffs td { text-align: center; }
table.buffs th.mg { text-align: left; width: 20%; }
table.buffs td.mg { text-align: left; }
table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
table.buffs td.ef { text-align: left;}
table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
table.buffs td.du { }
table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.
Boon for destroying <s>Michaline</s>False Idol's Artefact
* Additional intelligence and forewarning about the hidden details and specifics of the next tasks.
* +1 to stat of choice

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
Butterfly Costumes.
* Arcadian, Rainbow.
* Boom Boom, Red.
* Tulip, Blue and Green.

===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-19T07:36:15Z

Bernard: /* Cumulative Boon List */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===
On our return, they are removing a bunch of furniture blessed by the Raphaelite priest, and we "acquire" it, taking advantage of portable holes. 
With the furniture being removed, we notice a set of five names on the wall. (Kaelrin Ashenblade, Uthgard the Stoic, Doros the Axe, Selvara Moonfall, Bloody Jorik Vantress). 
The room is then refurnished, with a decided "Suffer in flames" vibe. 
Minerva checks on some of our curses.
* Tulip:
* Kurt: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Lady Arcadia: Runes of Doom. Rank 15.
* Minerva: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Boom Boom: 2 * More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
These are of such Magical Aptitudes that they are totally unremovable at present, but it seems they will become easier to remove over time. 
Minerva spends some time playing with more rituals and believes that we are going to have to deal with a giant statue for our task, and that it is most susceptible to different things over time. 
After a good rest and recovery period, we enter the arena again, seeing a gigantic (nearly 50' across and high) statue of a horse with a winged man standing beside it, and boars at their feet, with six green-blue crystals around it. We start into the arena, Minerva and Tulip doing lots of Detect Aura's on the area, while Boom Boom pushes forward. 
Boom Boom does direct testing and discovers that the crystals appear to drain life. We start breaking some of these. The audience seems unimpressed, probably because they are associated with the Hells in general. 
We push forward, having broken three of the crystals, and dump a variety of magic on the statue, breaking some Boars at Michael's feet. 
Once the Boars crumble, they appear to gain immunity to magic and vulnerability to non-magical damage. Boom Boom and I climb up and hammer away at the statue; eventually, the horse crumbles, despite our hitting the man. 
Further hammering at the knees of this statue eventually crumbles the wings, and the False Idol animates. 

===Session 9===
A brutal beatdown ensues, with The False Idol being enraged and focusing on Boom Boom the entire fight. 
This allows us to manipulate him into staying in a smoking magma from Tulip while Arcadia hammers him with meteor showers. 
Boom Boom is repeatedly brought unconscious before we finally bring the manifestation down, barely saving him. 
Returning to our rooms, we are given our next task. "Create a god and perform a lavish ceremony for them."

===Session 10===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.
Boon for destroying <s>Michaline</s>False Idol's Artefact
* Additional intelligence and forewarning about the hidden details and specifics of the next tasks.
* +1 to stat of choice

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-19T07:29:30Z

Bernard: /* Session 8 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===
On our return, they are removing a bunch of furniture blessed by the Raphaelite priest, and we "acquire" it, taking advantage of portable holes. 
With the furniture being removed, we notice a set of five names on the wall. (Kaelrin Ashenblade, Uthgard the Stoic, Doros the Axe, Selvara Moonfall, Bloody Jorik Vantress). 
The room is then refurnished, with a decided "Suffer in flames" vibe. 
Minerva checks on some of our curses.
* Tulip:
* Kurt: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Lady Arcadia: Runes of Doom. Rank 15.
* Minerva: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Boom Boom: 2 * More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
These are of such Magical Aptitudes that they are totally unremovable at present, but it seems they will become easier to remove over time. 
Minerva spends some time playing with more rituals and believes that we are going to have to deal with a giant statue for our task, and that it is most susceptible to different things over time. 
After a good rest and recovery period, we enter the arena again, seeing a gigantic (nearly 50' across and high) statue of a horse with a winged man standing beside it, and boars at their feet, with six green-blue crystals around it. We start into the arena, Minerva and Tulip doing lots of Detect Aura's on the area, while Boom Boom pushes forward. 
Boom Boom does direct testing and discovers that the crystals appear to drain life. We start breaking some of these. The audience seems unimpressed, probably because they are associated with the Hells in general. 
We push forward, having broken three of the crystals, and dump a variety of magic on the statue, breaking some Boars at Michael's feet. 
Once the Boars crumble, they appear to gain immunity to magic and vulnerability to non-magical damage. Boom Boom and I climb up and hammer away at the statue; eventually, the horse crumbles, despite our hitting the man. 
Further hammering at the knees of this statue eventually crumbles the wings, and the False Idol animates. 

===Session 9===
A brutal beatdown ensues, with The False Idol being enraged and focusing on Boom Boom the entire fight. 
This allows us to manipulate him into staying in a smoking magma from Tulip while Arcadia hammers him with meteor showers. 
Boom Boom is repeatedly brought unconscious before we finally bring the manifestation down, barely saving him. 
Returning to our rooms, we are given our next task. "Create a god and perform a lavish ceremony for them."

===Session 10===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-19T07:29:03Z

Bernard: /* Session 9 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===
On our return, they are removing a bunch of furniture blessed by the Raphaelite priest, and we "acquire" it, taking advantage of portable holes. 
With the furniture being removed, we notice a set of five names on the wall. (Kaelrin Ashenblade, Uthgard the Stoic, Doros the Axe, Selvara Moonfall, Bloody Jorik Vantress). 
The room is then refurnished, with a decided "Suffer in flames" vibe. 
Minerva checks on some of our curses.
* Tulip:
* Kurt: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Lady Arcadia: Runes of Doom. Rank 15.
* Minerva: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Boom Boom: 2 * More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
These are of such Magical Aptitudes that they are totally unremovable at present, but it seems they will become easier to remove over time. 
Minerva spends some time playing with more rituals and believes that we are going to have to deal with a giant statue for our task, and that it is most susceptible to different things over time. 
After a good rest and recovery period, we enter the arena again, seeing a gigantic (nearly 50' across and high) statue of a horse with a winged man standing beside it, and boars at their feet, with six green-blue crystals around it. We start into the arena, Minerva and Tulip doing lots of Detect Aura's on the area, while Boom Boom pushes forward. 
Boom Boom does direct testing and discovers that the crystals appear to drain life. We start breaking some of these. The audience seems unimpressed, probably because they are associated with the Hells in general. 
We push forward, having broken three of the crystals, and dump a variety of magic on the statue, breaking some Boars at Michael's feet. 
Once the Boars crumble, they appear to gain immunity to magic and vulnerability to non-magical damage. Boom Boom and I climb up and hammer away at the statue; eventually, the horse crumbles, despite our hitting the man. 
Further hammering at the knees of this statue eventually crumbles the wings, and the statue animates. 

===Session 9===
A brutal beatdown ensues, with The False Idol being enraged and focusing on Boom Boom the entire fight. 
This allows us to manipulate him into staying in a smoking magma from Tulip while Arcadia hammers him with meteor showers. 
Boom Boom is repeatedly brought unconscious before we finally bring the manifestation down, barely saving him. 
Returning to our rooms, we are given our next task. "Create a god and perform a lavish ceremony for them."

===Session 10===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
<css>
table.buffs { border: 1px solid #BBBBBB; border-radius: 2px; border-spacing: 1px; width: 100%; }
table.buffs th { text-align: center; width: 3%; }
table.buffs td { text-align: center; }
table.buffs th.mg { text-align: left; width: 20%; }
table.buffs td.mg { text-align: left; }
table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
table.buffs td.ef { text-align: left;}
table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
table.buffs td.du { }
table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-12T10:08:28Z

Bernard: /* Session 9 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===
On our return, they are removing a bunch of furniture blessed by the Raphaelite priest, and we "acquire" it, taking advantage of portable holes. 
With the furniture being removed, we notice a set of five names on the wall. (Kaelrin Ashenblade, Uthgard the Stoic, Doros the Axe, Selvara Moonfall, Bloody Jorik Vantress). 
The room is then refurnished, with a decided "Suffer in flames" vibe. 
Minerva checks on some of our curses.
* Tulip:
* Kurt: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Lady Arcadia: Runes of Doom. Rank 15.
* Minerva: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Boom Boom: 2 * More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
These are of such Magical Aptitudes that they are totally unremovable at present, but it seems they will become easier to remove over time. 
Minerva spends some time playing with more rituals and believes that we are going to have to deal with a giant statue for our task, and that it is most susceptible to different things over time. 
After a good rest and recovery period, we enter the arena again, seeing a gigantic (nearly 50' across and high) statue of a horse with a winged man standing beside it, and boars at their feet, with six green-blue crystals around it. We start into the arena, Minerva and Tulip doing lots of Detect Aura's on the area, while Boom Boom pushes forward. 
Boom Boom does direct testing and discovers that the crystals appear to drain life. We start breaking some of these. The audience seems unimpressed, probably because they are associated with the Hells in general. 
We push forward, having broken three of the crystals, and dump a variety of magic on the statue, breaking some Boars at Michael's feet. 
Once the Boars crumble, they appear to gain immunity to magic and vulnerability to non-magical damage. Boom Boom and I climb up and hammer away at the statue; eventually, the horse crumbles, despite our hitting the man. 
Further hammering at the knees of this statue eventually crumbles the wings, and the statue animates. 

===Session 9===
A brutal beatdown ensues, with Michael being enraged and focusing on Boom Boom the entire fight. 
This allows us to manipulate him into staying in a smoking magma from Tulip while Arcadia hammers him with meteor showers. 
Boom Boom is repeatedly brought unconscious before we finally bring the manifestation down, barely saving him. 

===Session 10===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-12T10:04:15Z

Bernard: /* Session 8 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===
On our return, they are removing a bunch of furniture blessed by the Raphaelite priest, and we "acquire" it, taking advantage of portable holes. 
With the furniture being removed, we notice a set of five names on the wall. (Kaelrin Ashenblade, Uthgard the Stoic, Doros the Axe, Selvara Moonfall, Bloody Jorik Vantress). 
The room is then refurnished, with a decided "Suffer in flames" vibe. 
Minerva checks on some of our curses.
* Tulip:
* Kurt: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Lady Arcadia: Runes of Doom. Rank 15.
* Minerva: More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
* Boom Boom: 2 * More susceptible to being murdered. (Attackers get a bonus to inflict Specific Grievous Injuries). 2 * Less susceptible to Fire Damage (WP-2).
These are of such Magical Aptitudes that they are totally unremovable at present, but it seems they will become easier to remove over time. 
Minerva spends some time playing with more rituals and believes that we are going to have to deal with a giant statue for our task, and that it is most susceptible to different things over time. 
After a good rest and recovery period, we enter the arena again, seeing a gigantic (nearly 50' across and high) statue of a horse with a winged man standing beside it, and boars at their feet, with six green-blue crystals around it. We start into the arena, Minerva and Tulip doing lots of Detect Aura's on the area, while Boom Boom pushes forward. 
Boom Boom does direct testing and discovers that the crystals appear to drain life. We start breaking some of these. The audience seems unimpressed, probably because they are associated with the Hells in general. 
We push forward, having broken three of the crystals, and dump a variety of magic on the statue, breaking some Boars at Michael's feet. 
Once the Boars crumble, they appear to gain immunity to magic and vulnerability to non-magical damage. Boom Boom and I climb up and hammer away at the statue; eventually, the horse crumbles, despite our hitting the man. 
Further hammering at the knees of this statue eventually crumbles the wings, and the statue animates. 

===Session 9===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-05T07:39:20Z

Bernard: /* Session 8 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===

===Session 9===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
table.buffs td.ef { text-align: left;}
table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
table.buffs td.du { }
table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-05-05T07:08:21Z

Bernard: /* Cumulative Boon List */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
<css>
table.buffs { border: 1px solid #BBBBBB; border-radius: 2px; border-spacing: 1px; width: 100%; }
table.buffs th { text-align: center; width: 3%; }
table.buffs td { text-align: center; }
table.buffs th.mg { text-align: left; width: 20%; }
table.buffs td.mg { text-align: left; }
table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
table.buffs td.ef { text-align: left;}
table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
table.buffs td.du { }
table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
* Channel the power of the area for luck. Gain WP charges of the D that can be used as a -ve off the dice roll. 1 charge if used before the dice, 2 charges if after dice result.
* Gain 1 to all stats.

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
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A Simple Task

2026-04-28T10:30:38Z

Bernard: /* Session 7 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange from the other end of the arena during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
<css>
table.buffs { border: 1px solid #BBBBBB; border-radius: 2px; border-spacing: 1px; width: 100%; }
table.buffs th { text-align: center; width: 3%; }
table.buffs td { text-align: center; }
table.buffs th.mg { text-align: left; width: 20%; }
table.buffs td.mg { text-align: left; }
table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
table.buffs td.ef { text-align: left;}
table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
table.buffs td.du { }
table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
*

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-04-28T10:30:10Z

Bernard: /* Session 7 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated; her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi; the Rhino manages to close with the last one, who somehow teleports away; while I scull down multiple potions before the last one decides it is time to flee, to the crowds' disfavour. 
Post-event, Sitri, the Beautiful Prince, offers to expel us from the hells. 

===Session 8===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
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table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
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table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
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</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
*

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-04-28T10:10:55Z

Bernard: /* Session 7 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close (at this point, I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange during this mess. 
Tulip gets brutally assassinated, her bear finishes off the second-to-last succubi, the Rhino manages to close with the last one who teleports away somehow, while I scull down multiple potions.

===Session 8===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
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table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
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</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
*

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-04-28T09:20:18Z

Bernard: /* Session 7 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===
The fight gets brutal, with Boom Boom and Arcadia getting ripped apart by four of the President of Murderers' favourite Succubi, but not before they hew down two Succubi in return. 
Another Succubi then flies over and mauls me, and I elect to close with another Succubi rather than play piggy-in-the-middle with them... as the piggy. 
Tulip has finally run across the arena at this point, and gets stuck in on the Succubi already in close, (at this point I start to wonder if I should feel sorry for either the one in close or the one being ignored), along with the animal pack, and Minerva has managed to send two bolts downrange during this mess. 

===Session 8===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
*

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-04-21T10:12:51Z

Bernard: /* Session 6 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===
We spend some time discussing tactics and acquiring resources. 
Later that night, Horn brings in a human mage, Brother Caddius Verrel, a Raphaelite priest from Brandenburg, to see us, who kindly gives us a plaque that we divinate and learn will protect whoever triggers it from poison and magic. 
In the morning, Minerva tries a precog, and it doesn't go very well, with her looking as if she's been assassinated within the first ten seconds. 
We head into the arena with our 'best' preparations in place. The Succubi emerge on the other side, not looking very serious, with a few of them preparing. 
Boom Boom, Arcadia, and Kurt, launch a surprise attack on them, arriving and dispatching one immediately on landing. They get a bit more serious, repositioning into people's rear hexes and attacking with poisoned daggers. 
===Session 7===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
*

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-04-21T09:07:17Z

Bernard: /* Ft Recovery */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
*

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (<s>36</s>31)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-04-21T07:14:05Z

Bernard: /* Session 5 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Session 6===

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
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table.buffs td { text-align: center; }
table.buffs th.mg { text-align: left; width: 20%; }
table.buffs td.mg { text-align: left; }
table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
table.buffs td.ef { text-align: left;}
table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
table.buffs td.du { }
table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
*

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (36)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-04-21T07:13:41Z

Bernard: /* 10th Fruit */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 
 
After we are released, we are advised shortly of whom we will be fighting: Succubi belonging to the [[Labolas|President of Murderers]].
5 Succubae.
All Master Assassin, that use Poisons.
3 Mind, 1 Earth, 1 E&E.
One can go ethereal, one can make a wall of swords.
May toy with us if they don't take us seriously. Currently, they don't think we are a threat.

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
<css>
table.buffs { border: 1px solid #BBBBBB; border-radius: 2px; border-spacing: 1px; width: 100%; }
table.buffs th { text-align: center; width: 3%; }
table.buffs td { text-align: center; }
table.buffs th.mg { text-align: left; width: 20%; }
table.buffs td.mg { text-align: left; }
table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
table.buffs td.ef { text-align: left;}
table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
table.buffs td.du { }
table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
*

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (36)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}

A Simple Task

2026-04-21T04:55:28Z

Bernard: /* Cumulative Boon List */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
<css>
table.buffs { border: 1px solid #BBBBBB; border-radius: 2px; border-spacing: 1px; width: 100%; }
table.buffs th { text-align: center; width: 3%; }
table.buffs td { text-align: center; }
table.buffs th.mg { text-align: left; width: 20%; }
table.buffs td.mg { text-align: left; }
table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
table.buffs td.ef { text-align: left;}
table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
table.buffs td.du { }
table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* Intel on the Labolas team
* Gain one of the following to R4, or increase one of these by +1 rank: Astrologer, Healer, Merchant, Navigator, Spy, Troubador.
Fight against the Succubi
*

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (36)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
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A Simple Task

2026-04-14T10:36:28Z

Bernard: /* Session 5 */

<div style="float: right; font-size: smaller; margin-left: 10px; ">__TOC__</div>
[[Category: Terry]]
[[Category:Scribe Notes]]
[[Scribe_Notes#Autumn_826_WK|Scribe Notes]] 
== Summary ==
[[image:Ast symbol.png|200px|thumb|right]]
'''Adventure''': A Simple Task 
'''GM''': [[Terry]] 
'''Season''': [[Autumn]] 826 WK 
'''Night''': Tue - online 
'''Level''': [[Experience#Quest_Level | Medium]]ish??? 
; Party
*[[Tulip]] - Hordes of Deadly animals.
*[[Kurt]] - Scribe
*[[Lady Arcadia]] - Party Leader
*[[Minerva]] - Military Scientist
*[[Boom Boom]] - Fire, Death, Destruction
;Time on adventure
:tbc 826 WK to tbc 826 WK
; Employer
: Sapphire Gold of the [[No. 1 Hobbits' Detective Agency]]
; Mission
: Locate and deal with the source of undead found in [[Brastor]]
; Pay
: 5,000sp or equivalent value in invested or amulets.

==Scribe Notes by Kurt==
===Session 1===
We meet Sapphire and an apprentice Vigor in the guild meeting room. They brief us on the problem of small packs of lesser undead coming from the direction of the Sea of Grass. 
They want us to find out where these are coming from, offering theories such as illegal mining. 
A range of services is discussed, and we accept the offer of someone who can handle Greater Enchantments and a Rune Portal to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. 
We divert to my farm to enjoy the standard sacrificial rites for the evening. 
People to talk to in Brastor. 
* Emmitsburg - Magneric Fairfoot.
* South Lending - Rathar Puddlefoot.
====2nd Fruit====
We head back to the guild in the morning, then to Seagate, with some exciting landings in high winds. 
Once in [[Seagate]], we meet our portalist in a high end tailors shop, Instichue, and head through to [[Brastor_Landing|Brastor Landing]]. There we stop in the Tavern (The Slippery Duck) and get greaters from retired guild member [[Uzi Urksome|Uzi]]. 
Tulip also has a fun idea of trying to get her bear into plate armour, so we set up some materials to source before we get too far out. 
Arcadia and Minerva perform rituals to see if the skies will pass along any information at this point, while Boom Boom engages in diplomacy with the locals. 

===Session 2===
While we wait, several [[A_Simple_Task#Astrology Readings|Astrology Readings]] are performed, though they are not particularly conclusive. 
Perhaps some hints that this is a trap, or that interested parties are keeping an eye on this. Both of which suggest that there is more going on than a few stray undead. 
====3rd Fruit====
We take breakfast in the tavern, and some take care of feeding their animals. 
Boom Boom and I (Kurt) start work on some preparations, while the other three fly off to Emmitsburg to start talking to our contacts. A few communication devices are left to keep in touch in case of an emergency. 
The flight there is uneventful, and after landing, they find their way to the HDA to speak to Magneric. 
* For the last four months, there has been a steady trickle of undead. (Skeletons, Zombies, Ghouls)
* There have been no signs of control, and they have been poorly armed and armoured, such as a town militia buried on a battlefield. Information on the smithing style is not available yet.
* This has been a lot more common than historically, and more focused on undead rather than other monsters.
* The described locations form a semi-circle around [[Lewiston]]. This town is still ruined and often covered in an unnatural fog.
* The most recent sighting was a week ago in Hugler's Ferry.
* They recommend the Burning Heretic as a good tavern in Emmitsburg, and the Elven brainmelter as a good drink. (Said recommendation made to multiple elves.)
* They will get a few of the patrolling guards to meet Arcadia and company this evening.
They proceed to the Burning Heretic and engage in 'light' drinking, served by the proprietor, 'Bonebreaker', a dwarf, and they acquire some nice bottles of spirits to take home, due to their brains melting. 
Arcadia: "Hey boys, hope you're okay. We have talked to hobbits here and got info, now we will be going to have our elven brains melted"
They organise to stay the night after engaging in bargaining over the room and prices. 
 
That evening, Magneric and Runford, a Brastor Ranger, turn up to talk. 
Runford describes two encounters with the undead that he personally participated in.
* A pack of seven zombies on the road between Tallwood and Tombstone, a month ago, that were easily dispatched, unlike the Dark Circle undead, which were extremely tough. Some had weapons, some didn't. 
* The Rangers tracked this group south for around ten miles before they lost the trail. 
* Notable points include their fairly intact skin and a bird rampant symbol on their armour. 
* The second group of undead they fought was a group of skeletons found near Oak Heart in the evening, a couple of weeks ago. These were a bit harder to fight, which is in line with skeletons sometimes retaining combat skills, but not excessively so. 
* The skeletons had no visible symbols, and the bones already showed signs of damage. 
* Runford did not witness them but was aware of some undead animals, such as undead dogs. These seemed to cause undead fear. 
 
The night passes uneventfully for both groups. 
 
The party reunites in Brastor landing that afternoon. Tulip ventures out with the Barenpanzer, and the town reacts as expected. 
We pay our public disturbance fine, and a halfling named Siegesmund asks us not to take out our war animals in town again, and tells our escort halfling off a bit. 
We then finish off our extra preparations over the next day, being ready to get going on the 5th of Fruit. 
* Barenpanzer armour and silvered claws/bite made.
* More restoratives made (12).
* Some anti-disease herbal remedies, and some scarves soaked in herbal remedies to help combat the diseased fog.

====6th Fruit====
We land at the intersection of the main road between Brastor and Hugler's Ferry, and the ruined road to Lewiston. 
Heading a bit towards Lewiston, we reach the edge of the fog bank, circling around to the south over the next hour we find tracks of three skeletons and four humanoid boot sets, potentially zombies, but impossible to tell. 
These head to the south. 
DA's on the Fog. 
* Nature of Magic: illness.
* Nature of illness: Tepps Kiss.
* Power associated with: No answer.
Heading into the fog from the south, there is about a 100' of boundary fog which gets thicker as you get further in, then it stays relatively steady. 
===The party is 'Kidnapped===
After another few hundred yards, the animals report a person ahead. 
They approach, calling a beggars cry for coppers. They are wearing robes, showing blonde hair, and wearing a clearly fake moustache. 
After Kurt gives them a pouch, they reveal themselves as Seir. And mention that we 'were' in Brastor. 
After he clears the mist, we are now standing in a stone room, with a demonic dwarf with only one horn (Horn) to the side. 
Seir engages in blackmail, and we are advised that we are representing Seir in 'The Games', and given the first instruction to "Perform the most impressive entrance". 
We ask for more information, Horn tells them "All the information's on the task" but Seir ignores Horn and we are told that we are at the Colosseum and can watch other teams perform their entries. 
Before each event, we can ask for three things (depending on how well we have done), and we will be granted one of them. 
We have a day to get ready for this. 

===Arena interlude===
====Arena description====
''The iron doors to the room opened with a long, tortured groan, revealing a corridor of black stone shot through with slow-moving veins of red light. Heat bled from the walls in waves, and the air carried the faint scent of ash and something far less pleasant. Seir stood at the threshold, immaculate and untouched by the oppressive atmosphere. His golden hair shimmered faintly in the dim light, his pale eyes glinting with quiet amusement. He smiled. “Follow me.” He moved at once, unhurried, barefoot upon the hot stone as though strolling through a garden rather than the depths of hell. With each step, the torches along the walls ignited in sequence, their flames bowing low as he passed. The corridor ended abruptly. Seir placed a hand upon the smooth wall, and it peeled open like silk. Sound crashed outward. A vast, thunderous roar — layered with laughter, shrieks, chanting, and something darker beneath it all. It filled the lungs, rattled the ribs, pressed into the skull. Beyond lay the colosseum. A colossal amphitheatre carved into the bones of hell itself. Endless tiers of seating spiralled upward into shadow, lit by rivers of molten fire that coursed through the structure like glowing arteries. Every seat was filled. Demonic nobles reclined on bone-carved thrones, horned beasts hunched forward in anticipation, winged horrors perched along the edges. Some wore crowns of flame, others, cloaks stitched from living shadows. All eyes turned, briefly, toward the entrance. High above the arena floor, jutting out over the abyss like a place of honour, stood the VIP boxes.
Each was a spectacle unto itself. In one, a towering horned prince lounged upon a throne of fused skulls, attended by servants with flayed wings. In another, a serpentine monarch coiled languidly through a nest of velvet cushions, its many eyes fixed unblinking on the arena below. Elsewhere, a grotesque noble of shifting flesh entertained itself by reshaping the attendants who fanned it. Siers' box was a study in decadent excess — a crescent balcony lined with polished obsidian that reflected the arena in distorted perfection. Plush seating of deep crimson velvet curved invitingly, trimmed with gold that seemed to ripple like liquid. Tables of black glass held crystal decanters filled with glowing liquids that shifted colour with every glance. The air here was cooler, scented faintly with something sweet — deliberately chosen, deliberately controlled. At the rear, towering pillars of carved bone framed the space, each etched with scenes of conquest and ruin. Silent attendants — elegant, horned, perfectly still — waited at attention, ready to serve without being asked. Seir stepped to the front of the balcony, resting one hand lightly upon the railing as he gazed out over the roaring masses, drinking in their adoration. Then, without turning, he gestured lazily toward the seats. “Take a seat.” Below, the arena stirred. Massive gates shuddered. Chains rattled. Something enormous shifted beneath the sand, its presence felt even before it was seen. The roar of the crowd swelled to a fever pitch. Seir’s smile widened, bright and sharp. “The first event is about to begin,” he said lightly, almost fondly. “And I assure you… It will be most exciting.” A deep, resonant horn sounded…..''
====First entrance====
''The colosseum doors remain closed. Around the colosseum, the faint sound of marching boots can be heard—perfectly measured, perfectly disciplined. Step. Step. Step. Step. At the very centre of the arena, five slaves kneel beside enormous war drums — great, iron-bound cylinders of stretched hide and bone. Their hands tremble as they raise their mallets. Then— BOOM. A single strike. BOOM. BOOM. The rhythm builds — slow, martial, relentless. Each beat echoes through the stone, through the crowd, through the bones of every creature watching. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. The marching aligns with it. Step. Step. Step. Step. The iron-bound doors on the eastern side of the colosseum floor open slowly, not bursting dramatically, but swinging inward with deliberate control. Five fiendish devils enter in formation. Their armour is blackened iron etched with infernal runes that glow faintly like embers in a dying fire. Each carries a wicked weapon—glaive, spear, hooked blade—held in identical positions across their bodies. Their horns cast long shadows in the hellfire light behind them. They march forward in absolute synchronisation, each footfall striking the stone at the same instant. CLANG. CLANG. CLANG. The drums answer them. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The sound builds into something overwhelming — a fusion of discipline and dread, of war and ritual. At the centre of the arena, the devils halt instantly, weapons snapping downward in unison. The drumming does not stop. The lead devil slowly raises one clawed hand. At that signal, the four others spin outward in perfect precision, forming a star around him, weapons levelled in different directions as if the arena — and everything within it — has already been claimed. The rhythm intensifies. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. BOOM. Faster now. Louder. The slaves strike harder, desperation creeping into their movements as the devils’ presence bears down on them. Then the surprise. The lead devil speaks a single command in Infernal. Immediately, the other four devils ignite. Hellfire erupts along their weapons and wings — controlled, deliberate, magnificent. Flames spiral upward in perfect symmetry, forming a vast infernal sigil above them, burning bright enough to sear itself into the vision of every watcher. The drums reach a fever pitch. BOOMBOOMBOOMBOOM— The sigil collapses in a cascade of embers. Silence. The slaves freeze, mallets hovering in the air. The devils remain utterly still. The leader lowers his hand slowly, scanning the arena like a conquering general surveying territory already won. Then— In perfect, terrifying synchronisation— All five devils step forward.
One step. CLANG. Their weapons rise. And in a single, flawless motion, each of the blade striking the neck of a drummer, severing their head from their body – both falling to the colosseum floor.
No hesitation. No tremor. Only absolute control. The crowd erupts. The devils do not react. The leader’s voice cuts cleanly through the roar, calm and cold as iron: “You may begin the worship.” Behind him, the other devils snap their wings open in unison with a thunderous CRACK. The drums do not resume. The silence now belongs to them. The entrance is complete. Seir reclines in his seat, turning lazily toward the party with a quiet yawn. A faint, dismissive smile touches his lips as he remarks, “Effective, certainly… but no elegance. All force, no artistry.”''
====Second entrance====
''The fog in the arena lifts. Prisoners are scattered across the sand — chained, bound, barely able to stand. Some kneel where they have been forced, others lie where they fell, too exhausted to rise. Armour has been stripped from them, weapons long gone. Faces are drawn tight with fear, eyes darting toward the towering walls and the watching crowd above. For a moment, nothing moves. Then— A sound. Soft at first. A scratching. A skittering. It comes from the iron-bound doors set low along the colosseum walls. Then it grows. A tide. A whisper becoming a storm. The doors on one side shudder… and burst inward. Rats. Hundreds. Then thousands. They pour through the openings like a living flood — black, grey, red-eyed — spilling across the stone and onto the sand in writhing waves. The prisoners see them. And scream. The rats surge forward, overwhelming everything in their path. They climb over bodies, swarm up legs, across torsos, into clothing, into mouths opened in terror. Chains rattle, limbs thrash, but there is no escape. The arena fills with chaos. Scratching. Gnawing. Tearing. The sound of it is relentless — a storm of feeding, panic, and desperate movement. The crowd leans forward. The rats do not stop. They strip flesh with terrifying efficiency. Screams cut short. Struggling becomes twitching, then stillness. Where there were living forms, there are now writhing masses, collapsing inward as muscle and sinew are devoured. Bone begins to show. White flashes beneath the shifting black tide. Hands become skeletal claws. Faces sink, collapse, becoming grinning skulls as the swarm consumes everything that once lived. Then— Silence.
The rats freeze. Every one of them. Thousands of red eyes turn as one. Toward the opposite side of the arena. Another set of doors opens. Slowly. Deliberately. The rats begin to move again—but not to feed. They part. Not chaotically—but with eerie precision, flowing aside like a living curtain being drawn back. They leave behind only bone. Dozens of skeletons lie where the prisoners once struggled — clean, gleaming, utterly stripped. A tall figure enters. Wrapped in layered black that seems to swallow the light, embroidered with sigils that shift subtly as if alive. The face is pale, almost bloodless, the eyes still and measuring. One hand lifts. The bones respond. Fingers twitch. Skulls tilt. Spines arch with dry, cracking sounds. Then, all at once— They rise. Not clumsily. Not as mindless things. But with purpose. They assemble themselves with unnatural precision, snapping into formation as though drilled for years. Shields lifted. Rusted weapons reclaimed. Heads turn in perfect unison. An honour guard. Perfect ranks. Perfect spacing. Perfect obedience. The dark-robed figure walks forward between them, unhurried.''
====Third entrance====
''Behind, the same doors open wider. From the shadows beyond, four figures step into the arena. Pale. Immaculate. Beautiful in a way that feels wrong. Their movements are fluid, deliberate — each step placed with predatory grace. Dark silks and velvet cling to them, untouched by dust or decay. Their eyes catch the hellfire light with a faint, hungry gleam, and their smiles reveal just enough to unsettle. They emerge fully from the doorway, the rats flowing around their feet without touching them. The honour guard shifts as one, turning outward to form a corridor of bone and steel. Weapons lower in synchronised motion — not in threat, but in recognition. In deference. The robed figure reaches the centre and stops. The hand lowers. The rats begin to move again. Not feeding. Not frantic. They circle. A slow, endless orbit around the formation — a living ring of fur, teeth, and restless hunger. The pale figures take their place beside the robed one, perfectly aligned. Around them, nothing remains of what once lived. Only bone. Only order. Only control. The crowd murmurs. Low. Appreciative. Uneasy. The robed figure inclines its head ever so slightly. The skeletons hold formation. The rats continue their circling.''
''And the entrance, precise and dreadful, is complete. Seir watches with a faint curl of distaste, idly plucking a grape from a silver bowl and rolling it between his fingers before popping it into his mouth. He chews thoughtfully, then glances toward the party and says, “Crass… spectacle without refinement. Power, perhaps—but no taste.”''
''The doors to the colosseum remain closed for several long, expectant seconds. The silence stretches until it almost becomes uncomfortable. Then—softly at first—a single voice rises. Clear. Pure. Unmistakably controlled. It threads through the air before the doors even move. A second voice joins it. Then a third. By the time the rhythm of heels begins to echo, the harmony is already building—layered, precise, impossibly tight. Click… click… click… click. The doors burst open in a wash of crimson light and curling infernal mist. Four succubi stride through the doorway in flawless synchronisation, wings unfurling behind them like dark velvet banners. Their steps are slow, deliberate, and impossibly graceful—each landing perfectly in time with the music they themselves are weaving. Their voices do not falter as they move. One carries the melody—smooth and commanding. Another threads a higher line above it, sharp and dazzling. The remaining two lock into a rhythmic harmony beneath, their tones pulsing in time like a heartbeat driving the performance forward. With every step, the air grows warmer. The scent of brimstone and roses drifts into the hall. At the third step, they leap simultaneously, wings snapping wide with a thunderous WHUMP. They do not land. They hover—suspended in perfect formation—while their voices swell, the harmony tightening into something almost hypnotic. Their wings beat once, sharply, punctuating the rhythm like a choreographed strike. Then comes the shift. The lead succubus claps once. The music changes instantly.''
''The harmony fractures—then reforms into something faster, sharper, more intricate. The others spin around her in a tight circle, their movements snapping into rapid, precise choreography. Each turn, each gesture, each flare of wing hits the beat exactly. One drops into a kneeling pose, wings arched high like a fallen angel, her voice sliding into a low, sultry line, another vaults upward, perching atop a pillar with predatory elegance, delivering a piercing high note that cuts clean through the arena. A third reclines across the long infernal table as if the room belongs to her, her voice weaving a playful countermelody beneath the others. The final performer circles the leader, their voices locking together in perfect unison for a single, ringing phrase. The leader descends last, landing lightly in the centre of the room. The music builds—layer upon layer—voices stacking, rising, tightening— Then stops. Perfectly. Silence crashes down like a blade. She takes a slow step forward, sweeping one wing dramatically around herself like a cloak, her final note lingering in the air long after her lips have stilled. With a playful bow, she declares: “We apologise for the delay… Victors should always make an entrance worth remembering.” Behind her, the other succubi hold their poses perfectly still, wings spread wide like living statues— as if the performance has ended…and the spell has already taken hold. Seir’s eyes gleam with approval as he raises a glass of dark wine and says to the party, “Now that… is elegance—precision, control, and just enough indulgence to make it unforgettable.”''

===Session 3===
====9th Fruit====
Horn gives us a small briefing, letting us know about when we are on and where to get supplies. 
He also advises us that the slaves are damned souls, so don't die when slain. And that the 'Good Lord Seir' will kindly keep the undead hordes at bay while we entertain him and the demons. 
We spend some time thinking about what is the most appropriate entrance for us to do coming up with a plan. 
Boon Requests
* Potion to raise the lowest primary stat cap/current for everyone.
* Enhancing the existing greaters for everyone
* An out-of-college special spell or ritual of the person's choice that starts with lots of ranks, and is permanently learnt.

Entrance Performance
Big Pine, Fire and light exploding out of it. (Enchanted plants to move the light sources, via vines).
Some other small fluffy plans on the ground. Sticking up out of a fog.
Flying carpet, trailing fire/sparks (Alchemical) Circle around the tree.
Entering from the ground carpet lifts up through the fog and then spirals around the tree, trailing sparks. As it reaches the top, everyone but Minerva fire-arcs off the carpet, landing back on the lower branches. Minerva will land the carpet on a platform on the top of the tree.
The tree will be
Each of the four (Boom Boom, Tulip, Kurt, Arcadia) will take turns leaping off the tree; a light spell will illuminate them in the fog, and they will each perform individually. The light spell will then be countered.
Minerva will then do a solo at the top of the tree.
The rest of the party will gather by the gate at this point in the dark/fog.
Culminating in a solar flare landing centred on the tree, Minerva will use its arrival as an exit.

Solo's
Tulip: Bear being thrown from a card, emerging and Tulip leaping on its back, bear roars defiance, light goes out at that point.
Boom Boom, Juggling unlit torches, high toss of all the torches, breathe fire to light them, then eat the torches, the lights go out.
Arcadia. Leap down, mounted on Luna, meteor showers precast land all around the spot Arcadia/Luna land on, close but not touching.
Kurt. Tumble down, slam ground repeatedly, earth tremor in every direction (but the trees and other party members).
Minerva. Doing a speech between all the solo performances, Solar flare arrives, then flying down on a giant Aquila

The performance goes without a hitch, Arcadia stunning everyone with the dramatic shattering of the branch, the Earth mages intimidating the audience with Bears and Earthquakes, and Boom Boom leaving them in Awe of his Flames. 
Minerva finishes the speech, threading the whole piece together, and departs, leaving a Solar Flare to strike the tree, leaving it a charred husk in the party's wake. 
Horn asks us for a party name, and in a bolt of insperation Boom Boom and Arcadia both agree on Earth, Light, and Fire.
After the scores are tallied, we are advised that our boons we are rewarded are a potion for our lowest stat, then a boost to our greater. 

===Session 4===
We lock in our boons for the next trial as we stare at the sign for the next task that reads “The floor is lava”. The task is straightforward enough: a maze of platforms over a lake of lava, four pillars we need to reach and touch, and then an exit on the far side. 
A few standard college buffs of high rank will be provided to each of us, based on our choices, once we hear the details. We’ll also get a boost to a chosen skill, including any relevant sub-skills, and a buff to a nominated stat for everyone. Generous, all things considered. 
We’re told no one will permanently die here, but falling into the lava will still be agonising. That feels like an important distinction. 
We do a few quick DAs and identify a lightning trap to go along with the illusioned platform we’d already spotted. While we’re still standing around planning, we hear a sharp whistling sound. Several of us immediately leap for the nearest real platform, Tulip only just making it in time, as a barrage of solar flares crashes down around us. Apparently, the crowd—or the organisers—don’t appreciate excessive strategising. They want action. 
We quickly work out that the platforms beneath the glowing pillars are each warded or trapped. 
• Green: Poison.
• Blue: Protection.
• Purple: Teleportation.
• Red: Explosive Fire.
We also discover that the crowd is allowed to throw magic into the area, which seems fair. Tulip reaches the blue pillar first and touches it, causing the blue barrier to vanish. 
Boom Boom and Arcadia have an entertaining struggle with a slippery seesaw suspended over lava. Boom Boom loses, slides off the edge, and dies a horrible death—only to reappear back at the start moments later, nearly naked but still holding his fire sword. At least something respects continuity. 
When I land on the green platform, I trigger the poison ward and take hideous damage. Fortunately, the poison doesn’t linger, which I appreciate. 
We figure out that once someone stops touching a pillar, it takes about ten minutes for the wall to reform. Useful information, assuming we live that long. 
Minerva is next to suffer a slide on another slippery tile, which helpfully feeds into a demonically evil reflection trap on the following platform. I followed shortly after, getting slingshotted into the lava by the same seesaw Boom Boom had issues with while trying to cross it. 
Boom Boom then attempts a massive fifteen-foot leap from a standing start. He bounces off the platform wall and falls just short of the red pillar. Minerva takes on the teleportation ward around the purple pillar, and loses out being thrown to an illusionary platform and into the lava right after contact. I make sure of the Red pillar with an extended touch, but promptly collapse into the lava myself when the platform’s associated flame ward triggers. Worth it? Yes. 
With all four walls finally down, it’s just a matter of beating the clock and making it up the trapped ramp to the exit. 
 
Our next task is announced immediately afterwards: “Make the best landing. As impressive, stylish, or memorable as possible.” 
That sounds… ominous. 
We get twenty-four hours in our training chambers to rest and recover, while the Audience will see us soon. 

===Troll Landing Interlude===
A thick bank of mist rolls across the field, swallowing stone, sky, and spectator alike until the whole arena seems suspended in pale nothingness. From somewhere within that whiteness comes the first note of song: low, resonant, and impossibly rich. It is not merely sung, but proclaimed, a grand operatic aria delivered with such force that the mist itself seems to tremble.
As the voice swells, the vapour begins to peel away in long, slow ribbons.
Revealed within is a ring of weary prisoners, forced shoulder to shoulder to mark the boundary of the contest. Their manacles and chains glint dully in the infernal light, and the faint clink of iron forms a miserable accompaniment to the music. Some stare upward in dread, others in exhausted disbelief, as if they too can scarcely comprehend the spectacle they have been made to frame.
At the far side of the circle rises a jagged rocky dais, and upon it stands an enormous troll in a magnificent green dress, absurdly elegant and terrifying all at once. The gown hangs in heavy folds over her monstrous frame, emerald silk catching the light as she throws back her head and sings. Her voice rolls out over the arena in a powerful baritone, grand and theatrical, full of triumph, sorrow, and savage self-importance. Each note seems to strike the stones like a hammer-blow. Each breath draws more tension into the air.
The aria builds.
The troll’s arms spread wide, sleeves billowing like banners. The prisoners’ cries rise beneath the song, not in rebellion but in instinctive fear, giving the performance a dreadful harmony. The music becomes larger than the arena, larger than the crowd, like the proclamation of some grotesque queen announcing the arrival of destiny itself.
There is a rush of wind overhead, sudden and violent, whipping hair, chains, and torn clothing in every direction. Several prisoners flinch and hunch down, but dare not break the circle. Above them, a second troll descends from the sky.
He is vast, broad-shouldered, and winged like some nightmare gargoyle, spiralling downward with startling control for so huge a creature. He banks once above the ring, low enough that the gust from his leathery wings sends dust and scraps of cloth tumbling through the air. The singer on the dais rises to the climax of her aria, her voice now blazing with almost supernatural force.
The winged troll folds into the dive.
Down he comes, faster and faster, an avalanche of muscle, shadow, and wing. At the final heartbeat he snaps those vast wings open with a crack like a sail in a storm and arrests his fall just enough to turn catastrophe into spectacle.
He strikes the very centre of the circle with a bone-shaking impact.
The ground shudders. Dust erupts outward in a great ring. The prisoners stagger and cry out as the shockwave rattles their chains. The singer holds the final triumphant note through it all, unwavering, impossibly proud, as though the landing itself were the last glorious chord of the performance.
For one suspended moment the whole scene freezes: the winged troll crouched in the crater of his own landing, wings spread in a mantle of smoke and dust; the troll on the dais with one arm raised to the heavens; the ring of prisoners trembling around them like living scenery.
Then the roar begins.
The crowd erupts in savage cheers and thunderous applause, because here in this damned place even a landing is not merely a landing. It is theatre. It is conquest. It is art.
===Session 5===
====10th Fruit====
We discuss some options, ranging from a slapstick option involving a slime ramp, various hoops of death, a wall of thorns and a target, to a more serious idea involving an intricate pattern of hoops spiralling downwards with a crisscrossing pattern, or a fountain out of a tunnelling spell in the ground. 
With the parties 'high' ranks of flying, the general vote is for the slapstick option, with glorious costumes with streamers and tails, and payloads of caltrops, throwing knives, slime bombs, and glitter, to drop on the audience as we fly by. 
Setup: A ski jump ramp, coated in slightly flammable coloured slime, with a flaming hoop of death at the start, a tunnel of thorns right by the jump as you come off the ramp, and a vertically mounted thin dartboard target for people to break through, with a hay backstop behind it, on the far side where the fliers will land.
People will have troll skins on (plus all usual buffs) before attempting their ramp to dartboard landings. This ensures there is time to heal them in the event of a bad impact.
Boom Boom - Fairy Wings, Tutu, Silk Streamers. Pink Tinkerbell?
Tulip - Frilled Lizard with tail and large cape.
Kurt - Ground crew in Undertaker outfit, with a giant spatula-spade and a large drum to signal each 'contestant' arriving.
Minerva - Silver Tinkerbell.
Arcadia - Keeping the ramp slimed and the hoops functioning.

 
We are also informed that some demons from the last challenge's audience who were rude, and didn't like being told to try themselves have delegated another team to challenge us to mortal combat. 
After a few dry practices, we move to the live arena, where Boom Boom, Minerva, and Tulip begin at the top, while Arcadia and I start at the bottom. 
Boom Boom does some comedic routines, which go down reasonably well. Minerva does some high-class acrobatics that the Demons don't seem as interested in. Tulip then starts the pursuit off, and the various 'items' start to rain down on the audience, with the demons being most upset by the glitter. 
Minerva does her best to avoid friendly fire, while Tulip happily rains throwing knives and caltrops down onto the audience, and Boom Boom fires back with slime grenadoes over his shoulder and down to the audience. 
They then swing around for the ramp. Boom Boom tries to demolish the hoop of fire as he arrives at the ramp, fails to take it out, and breaks his legs, sliding down the ramp and somehow missing the thorns before headfirst impaling on the board. Minerva does an elegant showboat, while Tulip shoulder charges the side of the hoop and rolls down the ramp, and smears herself across the thorns, crashing onto them in an explosion of burning glitter.
Arcadia and I perform the finale, demolishing the ramp and setting the slime aflame, before we head off into the exit tunnel, dragging Boom Boom with us. 
There, the demonic healers tend to the remaining damage, making some offers to Boom Boom of further body modifications. 

===Astrology Readings===
====Minerva early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The room is quiet except for the faint hiss of oil burning in the lamp. 
Minerva sits perfectly still at the table, the small brass lamp placed directly before her, its flame steady and bright. The shutters are closed, the rest of the room dim, leaving the flame as the only true light. Shadows gather in the corners like silent witnesses. 
She leans forward slightly, eyes fixed on the flame. 
Minutes pass. 
Then more. 
At first the flame flickers normally, but as the ritual deepens it begins to burn unnaturally steady, the light growing sharper, almost crystalline. The reflections in Minerva’s eyes begin to shift as though she is no longer looking at a lamp at all, but into something far deeper. 
Half an hour passes. 
The air grows strangely heavy, and the flame stretches upward for a moment as though reaching toward something unseen. 
Minerva’s breathing slows. 
Finally she speaks, her voice quiet but certain. 
“Strange…” 
She does not look away from the flame. 
“This light… it is not alone tonight.” 
Her fingers slowly trace invisible lines across the table, following patterns only she can see. 
“There is a star watching us. Not one of the familiar constellations… something older.” 
The flame suddenly flickers sideways, casting long warped shadows across the walls. 
Minerva blinks once, slowly. 
“It watches with interest.” 
She finally leans back from the lamp, rubbing her eyes as though waking from a long dream. 
“The signs say that soon our deeds will be… observed.” 
Her gaze drifts briefly toward the party. 
“Not judged by battle or strength alone.” 
She pauses. 
“But by how well we perform.” 
The lamp flickers again. 
For a moment—just a moment—it seems as though the flame bends toward the group, like a curious eye examining them. 
Then it settles back into an ordinary flame. 
Minerva exhales slowly. 
“The stars are… very interested in what comes next.” 
 
====Arcadia early reading (3rd Fruit)====
The tavern has grown quieter as the night deepens. 
Below, the common room still murmurs with the low sounds of conversation, the clatter of mugs, and the occasional burst of laughter. But up on the narrow wooden balcony above the street, the noise fades into a distant hum. 
Arcadia sits alone at the railing. 
She has chosen a spot where the lanterns from the street do not reach, leaving the sky wide and dark above her. Her staff rests beside her chair, and a half-finished drink sits forgotten on the small table. 
For the next hour she does nothing but watch the stars. 
At first her gaze moves slowly across the familiar constellations—the Crown, the Lantern Bearer, the Hunter. Patterns she has studied countless times before. Her eyes track them carefully, measuring angles, distances, the slow turn of the heavens as the night passes. 
Time stretches. 
A breeze drifts through the street below, carrying the scent of woodsmoke and roasting meat from the tavern kitchens. Someone inside starts a song. Arcadia does not notice. 
Her focus narrows. 
She lifts a hand and begins tracing faint lines in the air, connecting stars that only she can see the meaning of. Invisible geometry forming between distant points of light. 
Then she pauses. 
Something about the Hunter catches her attention. 
The constellation burns bright tonight, its familiar shape easy to see even above the dim glow of the town. 
Arcadia tilts her head slightly. 
The shape feels wrong. 
She studies it longer, narrowing her eyes. Slowly she turns her head to the side, adjusting her perspective. 
The pattern becomes clear. 
The Hunter is inverted. 
The spear that should point proudly across the sky now angles downward, the stance twisted in a way that makes the whole figure look unbalanced—almost as though the heavens themselves have turned the constellation upside down. 
Arcadia lifts a finger and traces the shape again, confirming the alignment. 
The hunters stand where the prey should be. 
She exhales slowly. 
Her gaze drifts outward, scanning the surrounding sky. 
There are other stars there tonight—dim ones, scattered around the Hunter’s position. Not part of any known constellation, but present nonetheless. 
They cluster loosely around the inverted figure. 
Watching. 
Arcadia sits very still as the thought settles in her mind. 
The hunters are not alone in the sky tonight. 
She lowers her hand and leans back in her chair, committing the strange pattern to memory as the stars continue their silent march across the night. 
Whatever the heavens are arranging… 
…it is almost as though the hunt itself is part of something larger. 
 

== Buffs & Mil Sci ==
<css>
table.buffs { border: 1px solid #BBBBBB; border-radius: 2px; border-spacing: 1px; width: 100%; }
table.buffs th { text-align: center; width: 3%; }
table.buffs td { text-align: center; }
table.buffs th.mg { text-align: left; width: 20%; }
table.buffs td.mg { text-align: left; }
table.buffs th.rk { width: 5%; }
table.buffs td.rk { }
table.buffs th.ef { text-align: left; width: 25%; }
table.buffs td.ef { text-align: left;}
table.buffs th.du { width: 10%; }
table.buffs td.du { }
table.AstroNum td { text-align: center; padding: 1px 0.5em; }
</css>
=== Long term Buffs and Abilities ===
{| class="buffs" | 
|+ '''Long Term (assumed always on)'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Cat Vision (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | See 160' in the dark.
|class="du" | 12 Hours.
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|  N
|-
|class="mg" | Coruscade (Mi)
|class="rk" | 18
|class="ef" | +38 defense
|class="du" | 9.5 hrs
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|  Day
|-
|class="mg" | Armour of Earth (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +24% defence, +1 damage reduction.
|class="du" | 6 hrs
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|  Night
|-
|class="mg" | Fire proofing (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | Immune to non-magical fires up to large bonfire strength.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Fire Armour (BB)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 56 magical fire ablative.
|class="du" | 14 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Overland Way (Ku)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | Up to 12 Entities get +7 mph to overland speed in good terrain. Total speed is then affected by terrain. -3 Exercise Ft/hour.
|class="du" | hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Witchsight (Mi)
|class="rk" | 12
|class="ef" | See invisible, see in dark 150ft
|class="du" | 6.5 hrs
|  Tal
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  Tal
|  ?
|  Y
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +13 to EN.
|class="du" | 11 hrs
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  -
|  Y
|  Y
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  Y
|-
|class="mg" | Strength of Stone (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11
|class="ef" | +11 to EN. ST for bear
|class="du" | 12 hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  Y
|  -
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|-
|class="mg" | Corriscade/Shadow Form (Arc)
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | 28 Defence, half in close
|class="du" | ? hrs
|  Y
|  Y
|  N
|  Y
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  N
|  N
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

=== Short Term ===
{| class="buffs" |
|+ '''Short Term/Situational'''
|-
!class="mg" | Magic (caster)
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" | Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Animal 1" | Bear
!Title="Animal 2" | Python
!Title="Animal 3" | War Dog
!Title="Animal 2" | Raven
!Title="Animal 3" | Midsummer Vixen
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Trollskin (Ku)
|class="rk" | 10
|class="ef" | Heal 1 EN a pulse, and do not die from (non Acid/Fire) damage.
|class="du" | 80 sec.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Diamond Weapon (Ku) (Tu)
|class="rk" | 11 (10)
|class="ef" | +11% S.C. Attackers fumble 5% more often.
|class="du" | 16 Min.
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Create Light Sword (Mi)
|class="rk" | 8
|class="ef" | SC+9 DM+3 vs Dark
|class="du" | 13 mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Weapon of Flames
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +16SC +8Dmg
|class="du" | 20 mins
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  Sit (Warhammer)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  H1/2 Glaive
|-
|class="mg" | Resistance to Light (Mi)
|class="rk" | 15
|class="ef" | +32 resistance to light spells. See in Rk20 light
|class="du" | 2.6 hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Creating Light/Dark Sword
|class="rk" | 13
|class="ef" | +14%, +4 DM vs everything, +6 vs the right aspect entity.
|class="du" | 18 Mins
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  -
|  Y
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

===Talents, Skills, other buffs===
{| class="buffs" |-

!class="mg" | Magic / Skill / Etc
!class="rk" | Rk
!class="ef" style="width:120px;"| Effects
!class="du" | Duration
!Title="Tulip" | Tulip
!Title="Kurt" | Kurt
!Title="Arcadia" | Arcadia
!Title="Luna" | Luna (Dire Wolf)
!Title="Minerva" | Minerva
!Title="Aquila" | Aquila (Eagle)
!Title="Boom Boom" | Boom Boom
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Detect Hidden and Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Chance to detect ambush.
|class="du" | hrs
|  126%(142% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  116% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Ranger - Tracking.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  76%(100% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  99% (Rk 3 Plains)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Herbalist - Find herbs.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Modified by herb being searched for.
|class="du" | hrs
|  101%(127% w.spell) +10% woods -5roll
|  213% (Rk 5)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Detect Traps.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Thief - Find hidden.
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  65% (Rk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Spy - Enhanced Memory
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  74% (rnk 2)
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  139% (Rank 6)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Detect Fumes
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  74 (rank 10)
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|class="mg" | Name
|class="rk" | ##
|class="ef" | Magic
|class="du" | hrs
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|  ?
|-
|}

====Animal (and other) Companions====
{| class="companions" |
{| class="companions" |
! Animal
! Base key stats
! Always on
! Effects
|-
|align="center" | Bear (Tu)
|align="center" | 22PC 39PS 15MD 14AG 6TMR 9WP -MA 34EN 38FT
|align="center" | animal growth, armour earth, strength stones, blending, in combat: enchanted fang
|align="center" | bind animal, in-card, natural weapons are magical weapons of cold +5dmg, enchanted fang +3dmg,
|-
|align="center" | Massive Python (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 50PS -MD 12AG 9TMR 16WP -MA 30EN 35FT
|align="center" | slithering 450, climbing 200
|align="center" | magical staff
|-
|align="center" | War dog Sabrina (Tu)
|align="center" | 24PC 11PS 19MD 20AG 8TMR 21WP 18EN 33FT
|align="center" | armour earth, strength stones, blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Raven (Tu)
|align="center" | 18PC 3PS 23MD 22AG 12TMR 22WP 10EN 24FT
|align="center" | blending
|align="center" | vanilla bound animal, in card
|-
|align="center" | Midsummer Vixen (Tu)
|align="center" | 12PC 5PS 19MD 24AG 6TMR 7EN 12FT 8MA
|align="center" | special ritually bound, blending
|align="center" | petit mort self, firelight and pyrotechnics from her tail
|-
|}

===Other buffs===
* Kurt: Transformation to a Werebear, and the ability to grow vines from himself.
* Boom Boom: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip: 4 * Thorny vines that can be targeted by Enchant Plants.
* Tulip's Bear: Trial Heavy Plate armour (with minor environmental comfort controls). Silvered Claws and Teeth for undead fighting. (Rank 0)
* Lady Arcadia: Can into a duplicate of La Luna, can cast druidcraft
===Cumulative Boon List===
Best Entrance.
* Boost for our lowest stat
* Boost to our greater.
Floor is lava:
* one buff spell, non-defence), that the party can cast at R20, cast on you at no cost. before each task.
* Add 1 to the highest rank skill each character has.
Best Landing
* TBC

===Daily Casting===
* Tulip party Strength Stones, 4 * converse animals, bear, dog, raven, fox, 1 * Tracking 1 * Detect Traps & Snares
* Kurt - 1 * Herbal Lore, 1 * Detect Traps & Snares, 1 * Overland Way, 1 * Cat Vision.
* Arcadia
* Minerva Witchsight x3or4 Coruscade x1or2 Resistance to Light (when needed)
(Minerva can buff the entire party in one cast - so cheap on fatigue).
* Boom Boom - Fire Proofing, Fire Armour (How much Ft does Boom Boom use for this?)

===Ft Recovery===
* Herbal Teas - +4 Ft per meal.
* Fireball Whiskies - Restoratives from Boom Boom - 8/16. (36)

=== Unengaged Initatives ===
* Minerva: D+39
* Kurt: D+23 (26)

=== Watch Order ===
<css>
table.watches th, table.watches td { text-align: center; }
table.watches th { min-width: 3em; }
</css>
{| class="watches" |
|-
! 1 !! 2 !! 3 !! 4 !! 5 !! 6 !! 7 !! 8 !! 9 !! 10 !! 11 !! 12
|-
| colspan="3" | 1
| colspan="3" | 2
| colspan="3" | 3
| colspan="3" | 4
|-
| colspan="4" | 5
| colspan="4" | 6
| colspan="4" | 7
|}

=== Marching Order ===

{| width="90%"
!colspan="3" align="center"| Skirmish Formations (Front)
|-
|align="center"| ''Default''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Tracking/Scouting''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|align="center"| ''Single File/Danger''
1
2
3
4
5
6
|}

=== Pets and followers ===

==Loot==
===Cash value stuff===
===Minor items===
===Major items===
===Non-physical gains===
===Expenses===
* 12,000sp each for greaters.

== Calendar ==

{| cellspacing=1 width="100%" border=0 class="Season" id="Autumn"
! colspan=15 | <h1>Autumn</h1>
|-
| class="calMoon" |  
! colspan=2 | Moonday
! colspan=2 | Duesday
! colspan=2 | W'ansday
! colspan=2 | Th'rsday
! colspan=2 | Frysday
! colspan=2 | Reapsday
! colspan=2 | Sunday
|-
| class="calMoon" | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| colspan=14 | [[Lugnasad]]
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Fruit]] (4)
|-
| colspan=3 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 || Guild Meeting Astrology: Warrior
| class=day | 2 || Portal to Brastor Landing.
| class=day | 3 || Arcadia, Tulip, Minerva to Emmitsburg.
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 || Preparations completed.
| class=day | 6 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 || Party 'kidnapped' by Seir. Time from here on gets unreliable.
| class=day | 9 || Party arena entrance.
| class=day | 10 || Floor is Lava
| class=day | 11 || Best Landing
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 ||  
| class=day | 18 || Astrology: Warrior ends
| class=day | 19 || Astrology: King starts
| class=day | 20 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=8 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Harvest]] (5)
|-
| colspan=7 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
| class=day | 10 ||  
| class=day | 11 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 || Astrology: King ends
| class=day | 15 || Equinox Astrology: Mother starts
| class=day | 16 ||  
| class=day | 17 || Seagate Autumn Fair
| class=day | 18 || Seagate Autumn Fair
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 19 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvest_moon Harvest Moon]
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 || Michaelmas
| class=day | 30 ||  
| colspan=4 |  
|-
! colspan=15 | [[Vintage]](6)
|-
| colspan=11 height=54px |  
| class=day | 1 ||  
| class=day | 2 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon2.jpg]]
| class=day | 3 ||  
| class=day | 4 ||  
| class=day | 5 ||  
| class=day | 6 ||  
| class=day | 7 ||  
| class=day | 8 ||  
| class=day | 9 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon3.jpg]]
| class=day | 10 || Astrology: Mother ends
| class=day | 11 || Astrology: Magician starts
| class=day | 12 ||  
| class=day | 13 ||  
| class=day | 14 ||  
| class=day | 15 ||  
| class=day | 16 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon0.jpg]]
| class=day | 17 || [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hunter%27s_moon Blood Moon]
| class=day | 18 ||  
| class=day | 19 ||  
| class=day | 20 ||  
| class=day | 21 ||  
| class=day | 22 ||  
| class=day | 23 ||  
|-
| class="calMoon" height=54px | [[Image:moon1.jpg]]
| class=day | 24 ||  
| class=day | 25 ||  
| class=day | 26 ||  
| class=day | 27 ||  
| class=day | 28 ||  
| class=day | 29 ||  
| class=day | 30 || Beerfest
|}