Well, in the non-Magnamund world, Melbourne City FC came second in their match with Sydney FC.
If only there was some other sporting result that could make me feel better….
Oh, I’m sorry, what did you say about the cricket?
Darn right.
Anyway, back to Castle Death. I’m sure that after our (semi-) triumphant outing last time, nothing could possibly ruin my mood now – right?
After basking in the triumph of my victory over….spider-webs… I dash up the stairs and out into the open air.
[EDITED ASIDE : I’m not going to alter what I have said here, but after consultation with Lone Wolf experts, I’ve changed the ruling on what weapon I lose due to the below. See the next post for a more detailed explanation]
As an….aside, the book calmly, and with no shame whatsoever, casually mentions that during the struggle with the spider-web (!!!) I have lost one of my weapons (?!?) and the second item from my backpack.
So, just to confirm, I emerged from a pitched battle with some kind of sentient (?!) spider-web, drop a unique valuable weapon (the Silver Bow – I’m obviously not taking any chance as losing the Sommerswerd) and I apparently just say ‘Oh well, them’s the breaks’ and don’t, you know, go back and check the floor.
Ridiculous. Maybe the book assumed that I’d have what my wife calls a ‘man look’ and therefore have no chance of finding A LONGBOW.
Yeesh.
Aside : I did a bit of research on Project Aon to see if it would be permitted to, for the purposes of this calamity, count my Jewelled Mace as a Weapon. However, the JM is a ‘weapon-like Special Item’ and I figure that if it doesn’t count towards my ‘two weapon limit’ then I can’t call it a ‘Weapon’ for the purpose of picking something to lose.
And for those rules lawyers out there, my second back pack item is (or was) my trusty rope. Because of course, that would fall out of your backpack without noticing.
Anyway, after a suitable interval of feeling sorry for myself, I note that I am in the ruins of a ‘small storehouse’ and I can see the ruins of Kazan-Oud.
The structure is in ruins, with mildew and growth everywhere, with only stone buildings still standing. The obvious conclusion is that there has been a massive fire of intense heat….
YES JULIE DELPY IS HOT BUT YOU KNOW THAT’S NOT WHAT THE BOOK MEANT, LONE WOLF. GET YOUR HEAD IN THE GAME.
*Clears throat meaningfully*
Taking advantage of my distraction, some flying monstrosity swoops out of the door and past me, before turning and trying to introduce its morning star to my head.
Lone Wolf – CS : 33, E : 27
Oudakon – CS : 20, E : 29
Notwithstanding his hideous appearance, my MEGASWORD does the job, for the loss of only 1 Endurance.
Aside : Interestingly, my Jewelled Mace would have added +5 to my CS if I’d used it in the battle.
A sudden chill sweeps over me, as if someone ‘walked over my grave’ or I contemplated the fact that Donald Trump had control of the nuclear codes.
I make a ‘quick check of my equipment’ WHICH I MAYBE SHOULD HAVE DONE AFTER LOSING MY PRECIOUS BOW before entering what is left of the ‘Great Hall’.
In an atmospheric description, I creep down the cracked, desolate floor of the Great Hall, while listening to dripping water and the storm outside.
A pitted yet enormous broadsword hangs over the fireplace and I notice that a dead body is lying in the back of the said fireplace, effectively serving as a wedge in holding open what is evidently a secret passage.
Another victim of watching too many Rob Schneider movies, I can only assume.
Aside : For one of the great smackdowns of all time, read this review by Roger Ebert of Deuce Bigelow 2. I don’t even smoke, but I needed a cigarette after reading it.
*Focus*
Project Aon link – Dead body in fireplace
I, naturally, check out the dead body, for humanitarian (loot) reasons, and to (loot) see if anything can be (loot) done for him (loot) and to search for identifying marks (loot).
I don’t find any loot, but I do note that there is no readily apparent cause of death, apart from the fact that the corpse’s eyes [EDITED : thanks, Ed] are missing leaving only black holes, while ‘greenish fluid’ leaks from his mouth.
Regaining my composure, I move stealthily into the dark passage.
I move down the corridor, before my path is blocked by a portcullis, with a strange plaque attached, showing the following symbol :
Project Aon link – Plaque on portcullis
There is a dial near the wall with the numbers 1 to 40, along with a lever that can be turned to a particular number.
My skill of Pathmanship tells me that I need to guess the exact number of triangles on the plaque to gain entry. My skill of Divination tells me (duh) that there is a trap lying in wait if I guess incorrectly.
Have your guesses in comments!
Base Stats : CS : 18, E : 22, GC 31
Final Stats : CS : 33, E : 27
Weapons : Sommerswerd (+8 CS)
Backpack : Potion of Laumspur (+4E), Meal, Red Robe, Alether Berries (3) (+2 CS), Lantern
Special Items : Jewelled Mace, Brass Whistle, Copper Key, Map, Crystal Star, Shield (+2 CS), Sommerswerd, Padded Waistcoat (+2 E), Chainmail Waistcoat (+4 E) Blue Stone Triangle Pendant, Diamond, Ornate Silver Key, Dagger of Vashna, Quiver (6 arrows), Boat Ticket, Power Key, Fireseeds (3)
Kai Monastery storage : Map of Tekaro, Potion of Laumspur (+4E)
Magnakai Rank : Primate
Magnakai Disciplines : Weaponmastery (+3 CS in Sword, Bow, Mace, Dagger), Pathmanship, Huntmastery, Divination
Lore-Circles : Fire (+1 CS, +2 E)
Kai Disciplines : Camouflage, Animal Kinship, Tracking, Hunting, Sixth Sense, Healing, Mind Over Matter, Mindblast (+2CS), Mindshield, Weaponskill (+2 CS in Short Sword)
Paragraph : 306
LONE WOLF PLAYTHROUGH 
You know, the Sommerswerd and the Silver Bow are also both weapon-like special items. There’s clarification in the Project Aon FAQ that if you’re carrying any regular weapons you lose a regular weapon, and if not you lose a weapon-like special item of your choice. So assuming you weren’t carrying any regular weapons, there’s no reason you can’t toss the Jeweled Mace.
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Sommerswerd is a special item that you carry in a scabbard at your waist (not exact words) from Fire on the Water. I’m with Justsomeguy here.
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My apologies to Aussiesmurf. While its true that the Sommerswerd should have been counted as a special item (Fire, section 79) as is the Jewelled Mace (Shadow, section 35) but the Silver Oak Bow is (Chasm, section 252) a weapon. If the Sommerswerd had been correctly cataloged Aussiesmurf could have had a spare weapon for just this sort of occasion, but it wasn’t and he didn’t and he’s continuing to show more honesty in one blog than I usually do in an entire book.
On the plus side he’ll be dead soon enough so NEXT time he can have a spare weapon and keep the Megabow.
Again, I apologise for doubting my sort-of lawyer when it’s his possessions he’s losing.
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The Jewelled Mace, Sommerswerd, and Silver Bow of Duadon are all in the same classification. I can’t see any justification for treating them differently. Either they are all weapons, or they are all weapon-like Special Items.
And yeah, the Jewelled Mace is by far the best to lose. It’s inferior to the Sommerswerd in every way, and in those rare times you can’t use the ‘swerd the Dagger of Vashna will be a better substitute.
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13, and after discovering Roger Ebert had cancer, Rob Schneider sent flowers and a note of encouragement, signing it “your least favorite movie star”. Ebert thanked him on his blog and, as a true lover of film, expressed his hope that Schneider could one day make a wonderful movie. That he never did really doesn’t matter.
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I don’t find any loot, but I do note that there is no readily apparent cause of death, apart from the fact that are missing leaving only black holes
So missing that even the words indicating what’s missing are missing.
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A tough, but fair comment. Edited now. Its almost like writing these after a few drinks late at night makes you more prone to mistakes!
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So … after joining in an unfair harassing of you for following the rules I’ll just pretend that never happened and comment on the blog instead.
As I’m an Overseas Citizen of India I could make a narky remark about if you support enough teams one of them must win occasionally but as an Irish citizen who’s had to call Help Centre’s in India I say “Go Aussies, Go Aussies, Go Go Go”. When taken to logical conclusions all nationalism becomes ridiculous.
At this point I notice you’re adapting the loss of your megabow rendering my above apology ridiculous …. oh well, I aim for the ridiculous anyway. Fully agree with your leaving this blog as is because its hilarious but look forward to your explanation and new decision (plus you’ll be dead soon and have to replay this again anyway 😈).
As for going back for your lost property, I think the implication is that there’s still lots of strands there and Lone Wolf shares my attitude to going back into a corridor full of spider webs. But for that Bow, or even the Jewelled Mace, I’d be tempted to go back … and probably get killed in the process.
As for the rope, I assumed the spider webs just hooked it out to, you know, get friendly with the closest thing to itself.
Thank you for another Miss Delpy photo, like Manowar she is always welcome.
A desolate atmospheric Labyrinth with random monsters jumping out at you, I point out that Resident Evil didn’t come out for another ten years.
Don’t think of stripping the dead as Looting, think of it instead as a form of recycling. So you were actually helping the environment, or trying too at any rate ☺
Oh, yeah, you also wanted us to guess the answer to the lock but we were too busy ragging you I mean giving constructive criticism when you were down. The answer can’t be “one, two, three, four, sigh, five” as there’s at most three digits so I go for
1
2
3
Roll on next post.
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With the publication of your next entry I look again at the riddle posed, look at the answer I gave and wonder at how I so totally … misread doesn’t even come close. Making it worse is that I have full recollection of what I was thinking and can’t even claim the use of ANY mind altering substances (not even chocolate). No possible excuse, not even extenuating circumstances, you wrote A, I read 🐢.
Never shall I so long for an edit key as I do this time.
/Fenrir slink off with his mangy tail between his mangy legs/
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