Runic Hound

Opponent

Image
Combat Name	The hound
HP	40-60
Stats	Perception: Reflexes: 27ish or more (at 27 reflexes, I failed to run away 20 times in a row) Strength: Will:
Power	Melee: 4-5 Ranged: Fire: Etheric: Stealth: Evasion: Unopposed: 0
Defense	Melee: Ranged: Fire: Etheric: Stealth: Reactive:
Hidden Flags	Hound
Awards	5 XP You learned a new Technique: Runic Howl (with binding tome)

Encountered

Called Back to the Tablet

Attacks

Info

Technique	Chain	Power	Dam	Type	Notes
Ghoul Bite	1	9-10		Melee
Latch and Shake	2			Melee	(normally)
''		15	15-?	Melee	(unopposed)
Lunge Bite	3	13-14		Melee?

Text

Technique	Text
Ghoul Bite	The hound latches onto you and tears a chunk out of you with its teeth, dealing x damage.
Latch and Shake	The hound bites you and shakes for x damage. Or, unopposed?: The hound clenches its teeth around you and shakes for x damage.
Lunge Bite	The hound lunges out at you, biting down for x damage.

Chains (to do)

Chain		Chance
1:2	Ghoul Bite:Latch and Shake	1/x
1:2:3	Ghoul Bite:Latch and Shake:Lunge Bite	1/x
2	Latch and Shake	1/x

Notes

The hound has impenetrable armor until you use the right combination of runes on it.

To defeat it, do the following.

1. Attack it with any technique that does at least one damage. It will block this damage with one of the following messages (first column).
2. Obtain the corresponding Script effect in the second column.
3. Attack it again, doing at least one damage. You will breakthrough that defense, but then get blocked by another random defense. (third column).
4. Repeat steps 2-3 three more times.
5. When you have cycled through all four script effects, the last time you will get the following:

<Breakthrough message>, breaking through its last layer of defenses.

1. You can now attack it like normal.

Block	Script	Breakthrough
the hound's will is unbreakable	Flowing Script	The hound's indomitable will is based on words, words you can undo, but <next block>.
you are not fast enough to connect	Blocky Script	You anticipate the hound's movements, written plain as day on its stony flesh, but <next block>.
but you cannot contend with the hound's strength	Angular Script	The secrets to overwhelming the hound's strength were written right there all along, but <next block>.
but you cannot see a way through its defenses	Mysterious Script	The writing tells you what the hound sees, allowing you to find its blind spots, but <next block>.

Note: the above is either wrong or randomized per player. I got "but you cannot see a way through its defenses" with Angular Script and "but you cannot contend with the hound's strength" with Mysterious Script.

(Note — you must actually attack it between each stage; simply using the script technique is not enough. You can chain attacks with script effects (or vice versa) as long as you still follow the sequence of steps listed above. Also note — if you use one of the rune effects that removes the script effect (eg. the crackle and falter one), that does not work if you use it in the pass where you would have advanced to the next block.)

---

Defeating the hound with a binding tome equipped results in the following:

The hound lets out a long, mournful howl as it collapses back into formless stone. It's… indescribably lonely and sad, as though it's wordlessly expressing the betrayal of its only friend.

You learned a new Technique: Runic Howl