More than Nothing: Blood Hex

[Part of the Party Time journal]

(Using Jenga) The prisoners get the key from the dead fat guard who choked on his tea then fight their way out of the guard house to find themselves at the courtyard patrolled by a bunch more guards whom they sneak past to get to the West Wing of the manor where they sneak into the stables and knock out the stable hand, take a bunch of horses and try to flee. But no, they do not get far enough as the bell rings out and an explosion follows killing them again and restarting the loop.

This time around they move quicker as the things they've succeeded in are already auto-successes. They get out, cross to the West Wing and beat up a pair of hall guards before breaking into Duchess Verona's room, Ughhh KO-ing her, finding a silver blade and Moomba KO-ing the guard captain in his office - finding he's the one who set the trap (hating having his friends been drafted into a crusade which they didn't return from ). They also get into a messy library where Raah-min convinces the old librarian to help them find the Bridgerton Blood hex (he was sleeping on it) and learn how to disarm the "bomb". They need a silver blade, blood from a fresh corpse and leviathan blood to pierce the bomb made of six baby hearts (anything else sets it off).

So they KO the stable hand again and get blood from the recently beheaded guy stored there then sneak to the East Wing kitchens, dodging the busy chefs to get to the pantry where there's a bottle labeled leviathan blood. With everything in hand they sneak up to the bell tower and disarm the bomb just as Papa Smorfonof and his entourage arrive. Then, as before, they get to the stables to steal the horses and flee - escaping both the palace grounds and the time loop with more than nothing, especially as having been etched with mystical tattoos has improved each of their powers a little bit!

They ride hard for Belesia (back to normal rolling encounters), and bypass many injustices done by the Numerologist Inquisition "to save time". Good thing they help out a medicine woman about to be burned by an angry mob calling her a witch though, as she points them towards a shortcut. A lone Inquisition agent catches up to them but is easily beheaded by Jerghon G before he can do anything.

Soon enough they reach the border, and Belesian sentries take them in while the remaining Inquisition pursuers back off, not wanting to start a war with another nation. Soon they are taken to Lord Valois who welcomes them and gives them residency and citizenship in his lands in exchange that should the need arise, they be available to be called upon for service.

[Inspiration from Long may she Reign and Suffer Not]