Each of the lunariums that top the towers of Three Moons Vault send beams of light outward. Only one light, the red, spotlights into the sky, with the white shining perpendicular to the black, and the black likewise to the red.
Between them all, a floor of solid moonlight centers on a marble moondisk where Teremini Nightsedge concentrates on a Piece of the Rod of Seven Parts for her ritual.
Bobby and Diana turn to face Nightsedge, while Hank slowly and painfully tries to prop himself up on the steps of the white lunarium.
ROUND EIGHT, draw for Initiative.
🎴(8)-->(1)
🎴(4)-->(2)
🎴(2)-->(4)
🎴(1)-->(8)
🎴(9)
Well, that was incredibly lucky.
Bobby! Diana! Get clear! I have no idea what's going to happen when I use the last mirror!
Aw~wwww... Fine!
Bobby runs full-out to cross the moonbridge and jump into the red luminarium, next to his sister.
Wh-- what? No! No!!!
D-- Diana?
Don't worry, Hank! I gotcha! Come on, leader!
(picking him up and dusting him off)
Rallying: Diana's PERSUADE (8), rolls a ⬙(2) = Success!
Thanks. Okay, let's see how disruptive we can be!
Hank draws himself up, then readies an Arrow of Light, taking aim at the Piece of the Rod of Seven Parts, hovering in front of Nightsedge as she mumbles her spell.
BOWS (14), rolls a ⬙(4) = Hit! with BOW OF LIGHT magic PL2
The Arrow of Light hits the Rod piece directly, and transforms into a lasso of light that snares the piece as it floats midair.
What are you doing?! You can't!
The hardlight structure of the moonbridges flicker and flash as her spell's strength begins to waver.
Uh, can't forget: Death Roll: Hank's CON (16), rolls a ⬙(1) = a dragon! Well, then! 2 Successes!
Now, Sheila!
Okay... here goes!
She plunges the red mirror into the spotlight, moving it so that it refracts across the expanse of the Three Moons Vault and onto the white crystal in its lunarium. The beams of light now criss-cross the perimeter of the vault, and cause a backlash that ripples energy up and down the beams of light. Lightning flares back and forth, and the moonbridges flicker and crack.
My ritual! My power! You've ruined everything! Oh, Lord Soth! Pity me! And curse all those who oppose your will! May your n--
In a sudden spasm of flared light and wind, the energy backlash surges. The moonbridges disappear, as the light from the crystals extinguish. The moondisk, carrying Nightsedge, plummets to the ground below.
Aiyee-eeeeeeeeeee!!!
The rumble of thunder and her scream subsides.
Hank pulls up his lasso of light, which still holds fast the piece of the Rod of Seven Parts. He holds in up with his hand.
We did it! We have the piece!
Thank god. Now we can get out of this creepy place.
But, Sheila! Yesterday, it was vampires! Today, it was werewolves! You know what this means for tomorrow?
I'm afraid to ask.
Mummies! I'm sure of it!
Oh, Bobby...
Technically, rules as written we can't end Initiative until we finish Hank's death rolls.
Death Roll: Hank's CON (16), rolls a ⬙(5) = Success! Okay, he'll be fine.
While we're at it, let's LEVEL UP.
✦ Did you participate in the game session? BOBBY ✅ DIANA ✅ HANK ✅ SHEILA ✅
✦ Did you explore a new location? BOBBY ✅ DIANA ✅ HANK ✅ SHEILA ✅
✦ Did you defeat one or more dangerous adversaries? BOBBY ✅ DIANA ✅ HANK ✅ SHEILA ✅
✦ Did you overcome an obstacle without using force? BOBBY ✅ DIANA ✅ HANK ✅ SHEILA ✅
✦ Did you give in to your weakness (optional rule)? BOBBY ✅ SHEILA ✅
Totals: BOBBY 5, DIANA 4, HANK 4, SHEILA 5. Tag that many skills. If already tagged (because you rolled a Demon or a Dragon with that skill during the chapter) you cannot double-tag. Roll *above* that number to advance the skill by +1.
to be continued in 9.1 The Sanctum Library . . .
with the DAGGERHEART system!
GM FOOTNOTES:
Okay, the initiative swaps were *crazy*. Basically, Sheila could stop the ritual on her turn, but swapped initiative so that people could run to safety. Hank swapped so that Diana could rally him instead of doing it himself (with a bane.) Rules as written, that should be okay, but it doesn't seem like people that are un-rallied with 0HP should be able to do that.
In retrospect, allowing Nightsedge a 6-success action clock may have been too much. That said, she rolled terribly, so that's what allowed it to stretch to 8 rounds. Would a 4-success clock it be normally too easy, since on average she would complete it in 4 rounds? Hmm.