Part 27: Sword Enlargement

Update 18: Sword Enlargement



With everyone once again made of flesh rather than granite or dust, the party returned to the dungeon under Dragadune and continued exploring the third floor.



"There's another of those cryptic messages. What could they possibly mean?"



"Sure, let's hit a random gong and attract the attention of every monster within earshot. That makes perfect sense."



"Dammit, Jostiband."
"Sorry, but you know me. I have an irresistible compulsion to manipulate every manipulable object we come across."
"Well, what's done is done. Let's check that room over there."



"A teleportation trap. Cute."
"On the bright side, this means that any monsters that were following us don't know where the hell we are any more. Unfortunately, neither do we."



"Have we found our way back to where we were? Is this the same gong as before or a new gong?"
"I dunno. It's just a gong. They all look the same to me."
"There's only one way to find out!"



"How was hitting it supposed to help us figure out whether it was the same gong or not?"
"It made a different noise, didn't it?"
"But how did you know-- never mind."



After striking the gong, the party continued exploring the southern half of the dungeon until their path was blocked by an invisible barrier.

"Well, that's no problem. I'll just Etherealise us all through it and--"



"I really do need to lay off the absinthe. Now I'm seeing double."
"Didn't we already kill this guy? Why are there two of him now?"
"Maybe after we defeated him the first time he came back with reinforcements."
"But that's not -- he can't -- it isn't -- ghhhhh..."
"Maybe we should just get this over with before anyone else suffers a brain aneurysm."



After defeating the monsters, the party looted their bodies and found a chest made of a hard, shiny black substance.

"I've heard rumours of these. Black boxes, the ultimate test of a master thief's skills. If I open it successfully, untold wealth awaits us."
"And if you fail?"
"Then it fires a death ray and we probably all die."
"I'm, uh, gonna stand way over there now."



"Oh, ye of little faith. Not only did we survive, but the chest is full of magical weapons."
"Hey, is that sword what I think it is? Give me a look at that!"
"Sure, whatever you say. It's too big for me anyway."
"I was right! This is The Flamberge!"
"It sure is. But we've already got plenty of flamberges."
"Not a flamberge, The Flamberge! The most powerful weapon ever forged! Its obsidian blade can cut through almost anything, and it grants the wielder superhuman strength."
"Is that so? I think I'll be taking that sword."
"If it'll stop your complaining, you're welcome to it. Some of us don't measure our worth by the size of our weapons."
"You'd have a lot more credibility there if you weren't lugging that enormous bow around."
"So, hey, how about those rooms to the south? They look interesting, don't they? Let's end this conversation now and go check them out."



"Three tones? There must be a third gong around here somewhere. It would appear that we've been unknowingly participating in a sacred ritual."
"This isn't going to be the kind of ritual that ends in a horde of demons being summoned to kill us, is it?"
"Aw, c'mon. The Clerics of the North, East and West were all really friendly and helpful. Just because the Clerics of the South are holed up at the bottom of a monster-infested dungeon, doesn't mean they're bad people. Let's go find the third gong."

Some exploration and several battles later...



"It's about time. Now we can finally hit that gong, go back to the clerics and get out of here."



"Well, that one was quiet enough that it might not even have alerted all the monsters down here to our location again. Looks like it's our lucky day! I wonder what the clerics have to offer us."



"But there's a solid brick wall behind you! If we try to advance any further, we'll just run into it and hurt our noses."
"Not that kind of advancement, you dolt. Statistical advancement."
"Huh?"
"Okay, you know those pools in the desert that ostensibly made you smarter and wiser? Go back to them and they'll work a second time. Heaven knows you're clearly in dire need of them."
"I think we're done here. Time to get back to the surface and do as the clerics told us to."
"Can we at least rob the clerics first?"
"No."





"Well, that was almost worth all the trouble we went to. I wonder if there are places to enhance our other abilities as well."



Having survived their most difficult adventure so far, the party returned to Dusk more powerful than ever.



"I've got the best sword in Varn! Nothing can stand against me now! Oh, and this sapphire amulet is supposed to increase my magic resistance. I don't really care about that."



"With my new shield and armour, I am unreasonably well-protected against any trap, monster or other miscellaneous hazard that may come our way."



"Aww, all I got from that dungeon was a hand-me-down magic flamberge. Well, that and the personality boost."



"No new equipment for me, but my magic's stronger than ever!"



"As long as I stay strong in my faith, my quest for the Inner Sanctum cannot fail! Even if we still don't have any idea what the Inner Sanctum is, we're sure to find it sooner or later."



"I miss my old bracers. But on the bright side, I've got my very own wand of fire, and these boots let me run like the wind!"

Where should the party go next? The cavern under Dusk remains unexplored, and so does the one under Portsmith (which may hold the secret to surviving an encounter with the Succubus Queen). The town of Erliquin and its cavern are also mostly untouched. Alternatively, the party could visit the castles of Varn and start trying to find the escaped prisoner from the spaceship. The choice is yours; vote now!