Sanguis Sanctus Chapter 2

To the Docks!

My character, Trifon, leveled up last week, but I failed to give him his new Special ability. As a Disgraced character, he can choose any special ability from another class.

I am tempted to take Miracles from the Priest class. Since Trifon cursed God, I think it would be interesting for God to “still love him” and grant him the use of miracles. Let’s do it!

Miracles: Each day can cast d4 miracles. Choose from the “type” (Blessed be, Begone, and May thy) and roll a d4 to randomly see what is granted.

This day: d4=4!

Nice, we’ll need these.

In the last episode, Trifon returned to his home, a mausoleum in the Necropolis of Kerameikos, to find all of his people slain, except for the trader, Tio. In extreme anger and depression, Trifon cursed God, and a part of his soul left his body until he could find grace again. While he wept, a vampire returned to the noise and Trifon was able to harm it enough for it to flee, dropping its sword. The man Tio has an ancient holy relic that he believes needs to be taken to Rome. Trifon has agreed to help him.

Trifon and Tio emerged from the mausoleum, the dimness of the everlasting night still brighter than the torchlit shadows of the tomb. Trifon turned back to look at his wife and daughter a final time. The refurbished tomb now fulfilled its original purpose once again. He kissed his hand and placed it onto the doorframe, then closed the door.

Wrapped in the flag of Kerameikos, he looked like an overzealous patriot as he and Tio crept down the silent streets. Silent except for the occasional scream as vampires purged the necropolis of its living inhabitants.

“It’s not far now,” Tio whispered as they walked along. They dared not light a torch and draw attention to themselves. Every shadow between the beautifully crafted tombs threatened to hide an enemy, but so far, they had not been spotted.

The cut under Trfion’s eye was beginning to swell and obscure his vision.

“Are you ok, that cut is looking worse.”

“What can be done, I am not blessed by God any longer,” Trifon growled.

Cast Blessing Miracle d4=1. +1 HP to all creatures nearby
Trifon 5/16 HP.
Miracles left=3

As he uttered the words, he could feel the skin on his face tugging. Tio gasped as he watched the wound close on its own and the skin reduced its swelling. Tio made the sign of the cross on himself.

“I would not discount God yet, my friend. He is still with you.”

Trifon wanted to growl another curse but held his tongue. He could settle his anger with God later.

Random Encounter table Town 2d6=7. 1 Demonsiege Weapon. Jesus! Why in the world would this be put as the most common encounter on a 2d6 table! Reading through the entries, it is almost backwards to what you would expect. The most extreme encounters are on 5,6,7,8,9 and the more “ordinary” encounters are 2 and 12.

Oh well!

Art from Sanguis Sanctus

As they neared the docks, the ground rumbled beneath their feet. Then again. And again. All was silent. Then BOOM! A thunderous roar filled the air. The sound of masonry and stone being shattered apart and tumbling to the ground added to the cacophony.

“Lord, save us!” Tio yelled. Trifon could not hear him over the ringing in his ears.

Whatever had just happened, it was situated between them and the docks. Trifon motioned for Tio to stay there and he crept forward, sword flashing in the dim light. He peeked around the corner of a building and barely suppressed a shudder.

Filling the entirety of the square in front of the docks was a monstrous beast. It had a rounded, hardened body, with six articulated legs. Protruding from the front were two massive claws flanking a ghostly slightly humanoid shaped face. Above it all, thrust from the shell as if it were forced through the chitin, a colossal cannon. Sitting atop it, laughing maniacally, though Trifon could not hear him, was a vampire.

Trifon pulled back behind the building. How would they ever get past that thing and onto Tio’s ship? And even if they made it to the ship, how would they escape without being blown to bits by that cannon?

Spark tables: Protect + Treachery

Trifon started back toward Tio, and when he deafly rounded the corner, he stumbled into another vampire, this one holding a crossbow.

Surprise: 6,2. PC, no. Vampire, yes

Trifon attack d20+1=19. Hit.
Use Blessing to Maximize Damage
7 damage – 1 armor (d2)=6. Vampire -1 HD. 1 HD left

Trifon jabbed with his sword, untrained in its use. But the sharpened steel sliced into the vampire’s back, only missing its heart by mere inches.

Initiative PC

Trifon attack d20+1=19 Hit.
1d6+1=6. Killed

Trifon +2 HP. 7/16.

The vampire gasped in pain and stumbled forward. Before he could recover, Trifon followed up with a decapitating blow, the vampire’s severed head rolling across the street, his body slumping to ground.

Trifon looked around wildly, his hearing slowly beginning to return. The streets were silent, except for the occasional laughter from the mounted vampire a few streets over. Quickly, Trifon scooped up the crossbow and the bolts.

I’ll utilize Usage die for the bolt ammo. How much ammo did he have?
1-d4, 2-d6, 3-d8, 4-d10. D4=3. I’ll start with d8 ammo. Every time I fire, I’ll roll the d8. If I get a 1 or a 2, I’ll decrease the usage die a step. Once the d4 rolls a 1 or 2, I’ll be out.

Trifon quickly worked out how to utilize the weapon, and hopefully his inexperience would not cost him his life. But this weapon was his only chance at killing that vampire riding the large beast. How the beast would react without a rider…well…he would have to cross that bridge later.

He crept back around the corner once again and peeked, he could see the vampire was preparing another shot with the cannon. Trifon covered his ears with his palms.

WHOOM!

The earth shook from the concussion of the blast. The massive cannonball soared into a building a few blocks over, reducing it to rubble.

“Begone you foul beast!” Trifon muttered aloud.

Begone Miracle cast d4=4. 3d6+3 damage to a creature you can see.
3d6+3=14. 4 HD damage. The demonsiege weapon has 2 HD left.
2 Miracles left

Before he could aim and fire his crossbow, a lightning bolt lanced from the heavens. It struck the metal cannon thrusting from the shell of the beast and it cracked with a loud explosion. The beast stumbled to the side of the street from the impact and crashed into a nearby building. Its vampire rider was crushed as the masonry collapsed onto it.

The beast wailed in agony and rage. It then began to flail about itself with its giant pincers, destroying everything in its path.

What had just happened!? Had God heard his muttered words? He had no time to contemplate and aimed his first bolt for the beast’s ghostly face.

Initiative PC

Trifon attack d20-1=14 (Demonsiege has a DR of 10 because it is so massive)
1d8 -d4 armor=3-2=1. No damage.
Usage die d8=3 No usage

Trifon fired his first bolt and it skipped harmlessly from the hardened carapace of the rampaging demonic creature.

Oracle, does it see Trifon to attack him? 3 No

Trifon attack d20-1=5 miss
Usage die d8=8

Oracle does it see Trifon? 7 No

Trifon attack d20-1=17 Hit
1d8-d4 armor=3-4=0 No damage
Usage= 5

Miracle Begone d4=1. 1d4 damage to Creature you can see
1d4=1 No damage
Miracles 1 left

Oracle does it see Trifon? 17 Yes

Initiative PC

Trifon attack =14 Hit
6-4=2. -1 HD. 1HD left
Usage=5

Morale 11 vs 8= Enemy flees

Trifon +2 HP. 9/16

Trifon fired a few more bolts ineffectually at the beast as it stomped around the square, smashing into surrounding buildings.

“Please Lord, if you are listening, help me once again.” He said meekly. Pieces of masonry collapsed onto the monster as it thrashed about, but it did not seem to harm him. Perhaps God was not intervening on his behalf after all. It had only been happenstance before. Or something else.

He fired another shot, and this one plunged into the black hole that was one of its eye sockets. It wailed in pain! It spun on its spindly chitinous legs, and fled into the water, sinking beneath the surface.

Trifon looked around at the devastation. Hopefully no one had been in those buildings. Likely if they had, they were already dead like those in his own sanctuary. He raced back around the building to where Tio cowered in an alley.

“Let’s go!” Trifon growled.

“What was going on over there?” Tio whimpered.

“No time to explain, get to the ship!”

The two men raced through the streets to where Tio’s small coastal trade craft was moored. They quickly prepared the ship and soon were sailing out of the bay and into the Mediterranean. Next stop, Rome!

End of scene

Trifon level up.

D10 HP increase=2. HP Max at 18

Ability increase Presence d6=2. Increase from -1 to 0

Test Sword for damage increase d6=2 No

Consume 1 ration. 6 remaining
Rest for the night d6 HP=1. Bah
10/18 HP.

D2 Blessings=1.
d4 Miracles=3
I need to make sure I’m using all of my daily abilities!