Tome of the Pyromancer: Darkflame’s Grace Part 6
Let's continue our site exploration. Aquilia, Shadow, and the bubblefish are after some notes that Griff the antiquarian lost, containing information regarding the Thousand-Eye cult and its curses.
The site also contain an annotated beginner's Tome of the Darkflame discipline found on UD4.
Site Exploration
Area 3
The next chamber was strangely well preserved. A faint smell of smoke lingered in the air.
A young woman stood beside a cluttered table, surrounded by texts and what seemed like ritual items. She startled when Aquilia entered.
“Oh, my,” she said, eyes wide under her hat. “I’ve been engrossed with these books. I didn’t notice you. Who might you be? Ah, well met, Aquilia. I’m Sara.”
Sara hunched over an opened book. “Necromancy is simply fascinating, isn’t it?” She closed it then crossed her arms. “The undead are a fascinating mystery to me. I wonder if the Darkflame can be used to cheat death. How free I would be without that fear hanging over me.”
Aquilia sighed, pitying the apprentice. She showed Sara the principles Monza had taught her. Death was not an enemy to be defeated or a misfortune to avoid. It was as fundamental to life as breathing. The Somber Darkflame cheated nothing. It shepherded those approaching the end.
As she passed her knowledge, Sara’s demeanor changed. Aquilia recognized the guilt of those who dabbled in the forbidden arts and regretted it. The corrupted teachings wormed their way into the mind, and most fell prey to their defiling.
“I was foolish. I’m glad I found you in time, Aquilia. This entire place is dedicated to desecrating your art. I shall cleanse the temple of all its corruption, burning the dark works staining and destroying the foul experiments they held here.”
Aquilia offered her help. Sara gladly accepted. “You have my gratitude. I don’t know that I’m strong enough to resist their lure by myself. Would you take an apprentice, Aquilia? You have a gentle method that makes me want to learn more.”
An apprentice? Aquilia was but an apprentice herself, her tutelage cut short by the destruction of Lithuria and Master Monza’s temple.
But if she could pass along Monza’s legacy, she would. One more student under the Darkflame’s grace was a way to honor the discipline.
Aquilia nodded, and they began cleansing the chamber.
As Sara sorted through the texts, one ancient tome suddenly opened beneath her hands. Its pages demanded her full attention. Her eyes widened, and the words inside the book pulled at her mind, compelling her to absorb them.
“Ah…”
Sara fought back, slammed it shut, and hurled it into the flames. Gasping, she watched until it burned to ash.
Meanwhile, a curious tome grabbed Aquilia’s attention. She picked it up and read it. It was meant for novices, but the pages were covered in annotations, marginalia, underlines, and highlights. She smiled at the familiar handwriting.
Turning to the inner cover, she found a name written in faded ink: Monza Springthorn.
She held the book against her chest. As soon as she left the temple, she would study it.
UD6: 2, down to UD4
The tome is here. I have an idea for it.
Exits: 2
Recent, Eerie
Area type: NPC > Mage (Name: Sara, Vigor 13, AR 0, Atk d6, Morale 8)
Reaction: Actively helpful
Triple-O Dynamics: Guilty
Sparks: Increase, UndeadSara feels guilty for looking into raising undead or maybe even becoming one?
Would Sara like to come along? Yes, but..
Sparks: Prepare, TowerI'm reading this as she wants to sweep the site to atone for her attempts at necromancy. She wants to rid it of the profaned texts and burn the dark experiments within.
Aquilia understands and offers help. Does Sara accept? Yes, and...
Sparks: ControlShe gladly accepts, for she fears succumbing to the powers contained in those sacred and perverted resources.
Like last session, I'm setting a new goal using the Runequest GME supplement. It's set to Easy, increasing Headway by 20% with each progress.
To make progress, Aquilia and Sara will scavenge each room in the dungeon they pass by to destroy the texts that defile the Darkflame. I'll roll a d6 for it. On 5 and 6, a trap is activated during that activity.
Let's start with the current room:
d6 scavenge: 5, Trap > Strength based > Entangled or crushing damage
Did Aquilia activate it? No. Sara then.
Sparks: Defiled, Elder
An ancient tome overpowers Sara's will, forcing her to read it and crush her mind.
Sara's Strength check (2d6+1): 8, success!
She manages to slam it closed and throw it in the fire.Sara's goal: +20% Headway (20%)
Area 4
UD4: 3, no change
Exits: 1
Foreboding, Bypass
Area type: Boon > 1 Healing Supply (8), 1 Ration (5), 1 Dried Firedrake Liver (1), and 10 sp (87).
d6 scavenge: 3, no traps found
Sara's goal: +20% Headway (40%)
Area 5
UD4: 3, no change
Exits: 2
Cinders, Natural
Area type: Trap > Strength based > Elemental damage
Aquilia Strength check: 6, fail
d6 damage: 1
A trapped furnace centipede jumps and spits fire at Aquilia, burning her shoulder before she can dodge it.
d6 scavenge: 2, no traps found
Sara's goal: +20% Headway (60%)
Area 6
The chamber trembled as two enormous beetles charged Aquilia and the others. Their charred shells gleamed with orange, and the huge mandibles snapped as they advanced.
Aquilia raised the Darkflame Spine, and black fire engulfed the weapon. She caught the first charge head on, and the beetle ripped through her defense to tear her flesh.
Sara bludgeoned the creature with her staff. The bubblefish slammed into the beetles, its countless eyes flashing. However, the beetles' hardened shell absorbed most of the strikes.
The creatures pressed their assault. Doubt sprouted in Aquilia's mind. These pyromancy-modified monsters could bury them in this place.
Then she found an opening. Her Darkflame-coated Relic finally pierced the charred carapace, and the beetle collapsed, bleeding black and orange.
The second one recoiled, mandibles clicking madly. It crept away from its fallen kin, then turned and scuttled into the darkness.
Aquilia leaned against her sword, panting and bleeding.
Sara helped tend her wounds while the Bubblefish hovered nearby, its eyes blinking with concern.
UD4: 3, no change
Exits: 2
Opportunity, Important
Area type: Encounter > Pool 2 > d2 (=2) Giant Char Beetle (Vigor 14, 16 Atk d6A, AR 2, Morale 8)These are the most terrifying creatures I've found so far, and it's not even a close. Even with 3 characters.
That d6 damage with Advantage hurts! I had to use 2 healing items on Aquilia, and if I hadn't increased her Vigor she would have kicked it.
I cast Darkflame Weapon at the beginning, but missed a lot of attacks. Their AR is hard to get through. After killing one of them, the other failed the Morale check and ran away. Tough battle!
No loot acquired. Aquilia sits with 12 Vigor.
d6 scavenge: 4, no traps found.
Sara's goal: +20% Headway (80%)
Area 7
The next area opened into a dry, overgrown garden. Withered vines twisted across the stone, as flowers, some blossoming, others old and withered, framed the place.
An undead brute knelt among the weeds.
Aquilia and Sara raised their weapons, but the creature simply gave them a disinterested look and returned to its gardening, carefully clearing weeds from around a crumbling statue.
“My master tended this garden," it said. "I have tended it in his stead."
Aquilia approached the ancient sage's remains nearby. Little remained of them but a fragile skeleton. Sara started cleansing the place of its dark texts and tools. The brute watched her, and Aquilia told their goal.
“Hm," its deep voice echoed around. "I shall help.”
Together, they cleared the garden and burned the profaned texts hidden among the overgrowth.
Aquilia studied the brute, cursed by undeath. She asked if it wanted to finally be laid to rest.
The creature shook its head. “No. I have purpose here. My master is gone, but this garden remembers him, and so do I. So I tend it. I honor him.”
Aquilia deeply understood that sentiment. The brute had found contentment in preserving a memory. Yet Aquilia could not help but wonder if she was doing the same.
Was her pilgrimage truly about preserving Monza's teachings and the true purpose of the Darkflame?
Or was she simply tending the memory of someone she could not let go?
Sara shot a few glances at the brute, then whispered to Aquilia, "Shouldn't we just kill it, anyway? Undeath is a perversion of life and death, is it not?"
Aquilia couldn't help but notice she shotting the same look at Shadow, who whimpered.
Aquilia was now responsible for Sara's philosophy, so she saw it as a teaching moment. There was a distinction between defiance and acceptance.
The brute found a purpose in that state, but it wasn't trying to escape death. Killing it because its body died would be as dogmatic as refusing to let the dead rest.
We are shepherds, not executioners, Master Monza's words rang in her mind. The Somber Darkflame did not demand death, but sought understanding. That was the fundamental precept ingrained in all initiates.
She hoped she had the wisdom to impart that difference.
UD4: 4, no change (this is the longest UD4 in recorded history)
Exits: 2
Natural, Dry
Area type: Encounter > Undead Brute
Reaction: Actively helpful
Sparks: Overgrown, Closed, SageThe undead brute is tending to a sage's garden long after their death. The sage is barely a skeleton anymore.
It helps Aquilia and Sara cleanse the place.
Sara's goal: +20% Headway (100%)
Would it like to die? No, and... It's found contentment in that routine. It helps preserve the sage's memory.
This brings Sara's goal to 100%. It's time to make a Headway check:
d100: 82 = Success, but with a complication
Sparks: Maintain, RuinsRemember, a full success is achieved by rolling less than one-fifth, or 20%, of the percentage (20% in this case).
I'm interpreting the complication as Sara feeling that her atonement will be complete if they seal off the place for good to avoid banditry, looting, and more wanderers defiling the sacred texts.
They will do it when they leave the temple.
End of session
+1 XP (3). Aquilia reaches Level 3!
That battle against the beetles made me scared. It was the first demanding combat, and I think Aquilia needs some Strength. I'm increasing it to 1.
Notes
That UD4 is overstaying its welcome, isn't it? Jeez, it never ends.
After that beetle-related scare, increasing Strength will help a bit with combat. I'm dying to get some new pyromancies, too.
Sara was a nice, random find. I think it made for a cool moment to have Aquilia become a teacher.
The site delve continues next time.
Tome of the Pyromancer is available on Itch.