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Well, uh, take that, Elly's cult! ...twentyish (?) years after she was exiled. In an alternate timeline. (Fifteen? I think you mentioned it was five between Exile 1 and 2, and ten more between 2 and 3. That said, that'd make Art about 45, which seems a bit early for a bad back.) Also, if you didn't post the bit about the 'Fiesty Slap of Pain!' in a screenshot, I'm not sure I would have believed it was real.
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Sep 1, 2016 15:44
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berryjon posted:
 Nice to see that Elly is remembered. Retroactively, in a way. The Mad Monks are amazing, and their dungeon even moreso. It's super-easy to accidentally stumble into the unlock conditions for the quest, too.
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Sep 1, 2016 16:06
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vdate posted:Well, uh, take that, Elly's cult! Delilah may or may not be correct on any of her suppositions. TooMuchAbstraction posted:
Waitaminute, that's the wrong NPC graphic. Hold on, let me fix that.  -> 
berryjon fucked around with this message at 16:12 on Sep 1, 2016 |
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Sep 1, 2016 16:07
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quote is not edit.
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Sep 1, 2016 16:12
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Mr. Vogel was apparently fond enough of Vakohs to bring him back for seconds in one of the mini-adventures packaged with the Blades of Avernum adventure creator system.
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Sep 1, 2016 20:51
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I can't help but hear "PAIN IS THE WORD!" like the Mad Monk is singing "Bird's the Word" and doing that crazy bird dance.
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Sep 2, 2016 02:08
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I'm sorry, but you guys keep mentioning someone named Elly in relation to some cult, and I don't know who you're talking about. I looked through the Exile I LP on the archive and got no answers.
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Sep 2, 2016 04:23
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LuffyVeggies posted:I'm sorry, but you guys keep mentioning someone named Elly in relation to some cult, and I don't know who you're talking about. I looked through the Exile I LP on the archive and got no answers. TooMuchAbstraction has an ongoing LP of the re-remake of Exile 1, in a similar style to this one (each party member is given personality and characterization). You can meet Elly there. She and the rest of the gang are pretty glorious.
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Sep 2, 2016 04:38
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Vil posted:TooMuchAbstraction has an ongoing LP of the re-remake of Exile 1, in a similar style to this one (each party member is given personality and characterization). You can meet Elly there. She and the rest of the gang are pretty glorious. Oh, okay. I had been following TMA's LP for a while, but I only lurked and haven't checked it out for months. That does explain it.
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Sep 2, 2016 09:07
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Update 030 – Porter's Rest, Gorst and Gidrik Today's update is going to be a bit on the short side. I've gotten into the habit of recording several updates worth of material at a time, then processing them into more rational chunks. As a result, this particular update has us going through the central Karnold Provice before leading up to the provincial capital of Sharimik. But the three places we will visit today are all towns, and not well populated ones. I've tried to pad it out where I can, but in the end, this is it.  "Where are we?" "Can't you tell?" "No, it's too bright." "He does have a point, though we've been up here for nearly two months now. I'm surprised we haven't had to spend a week with our skin and fur burning from the intense light." "But it's actually been pretty cloudy. I mean, we've been near the ocean for the most part, so you'd expect less in the way of sweltering heat and more in the way of rain." "Which we haven't gotten. Is it winter or fall? I can't really tell." "But, to answer your question, Sass. We're headed west from Golddale, toward Porter's Retreat." I live in Alberta, and one of the things we were taught when I was younger that the highway between the two major cities in the province – Edmonton and Calgary – has towns/villages/cities on it at regular intervals. They were spaced that way because it was the distance people could travel in a day along the road at the time. As we're about to see, Porter's Retreat has the same theory behind it. “We're here.”  “Well, nice to see this place.” “Uh.. Hey there.” This woman's skin is dark enough she could pass for a surface dweller, but you immediately recognize her for what she is: an Exile. She looks nervous. “I'm Bronwyn. You are?” “I'm Jen. We shouldn't talk.” “Your job can't be that important, that you can't spare some time to chat, can it?” “I'm Unspecified Services, formerly selling food in Formello. Look, we shouldn't talk.” “We have a Slith in our party. No one is going to notice you..” She looks more nervous with every moment you spend talking to you. “Look, I'm Unspecified Services, like you. And again, we really, really shouldn't be seen talking.” “Honey, we're talking to everyone.” “Right. Look. There's a woman on our side. She's collecting info in Sharamik and Lorelei. You'll recognize her as an Exile. Look for her. She can help. Now go away.” “Fine. Just trying to be friendly.”* * *  “Travellers, huh? Welcome.” You meet a small man, hunched over the table, making intricate notes on a map with a feather pen. “Very much so. You?” He looks up. “I'm Kendrick. Greetings!” “Matthias. So, you look like the cartography type.” “Yes, I'm a mapmaker. It's a very useful trade in these parts.” “I would say so. You selling?” “I take great pride in my trade! You can purchase a beautiful map of this area for only 50 gold.” “While I count out the money, what do you think of your trade?” “This is one of the few known areas that hasn't been totally explored.” “The entirety of the world hasn't been explored yet. You're not out of a job. Besides, there's always Exile.” “You're kidding, right? Of course you are. Everything the Empire owns is so settled and covered and recovered. Valorim is the only place a decent mapmaker can go to do interesting work. There's plenty of monsters here, of course, but I just avoid them.” “You avoid the monsters?” “I run! All in a day's work.” “Well, here's your 50 Gold. I'll buy that map now.”  “Uh... there's a problem here.” “What?” “The town there is named Gebra, not Caebra.” “What? You have to be joking.” “Wish I was. We were just there, recently.” “Excuse me. I need to go somewhere private and yell at the walls for a few minutes.” “You go do that.” This map sent me into a frenzy for a few minutes. I had no idea where or what Caebra was until I looked at the master map from the walkthrough and realized that the names were different. Similar, but different. Also, the island with the town of Gorst really confused me until I went poking around later in the update and found how to get there. Libras leads to the Lost Isle, where we found the Basilisks, and Storm Port to G/Ca-ebra. I think Vogel designed the content of the islands first, then placed them later. A tall, thin woman tends the bar. She looks you over nervously as you approach. “Morning! Or is it afternoon yet? I'm Delilah.” “I'm Elise,” she says. She's clearly on edge. “You don't need to worry about us. We're just normal passers-by.” “I run the Porter's Retreat. That's where you are, you know. We have a round of beer for 3 gold, and a decent room for 5.” She looks around nervously as she speaks. “Sorry, I've been a bit on edge.” “What's got you set worried?” “There's a bunch of troglodytes living to the north. Yeah, troglodytes! There are still some around, and they're raiding us non-stop! The Porter's Retreat is the only place near here where merchants can be safe.” “We saw the guards outside. Your merchants can't be that put out, can they?” “And because of them, we're the only safe place for many miles around. We get a lot of nervous people.” “Well, being the first major stop headed out from Golddale, you'd think that people would work hard to secure the route.” She shakes her head. “We're well armed, but we hope Sharimik or the Empire or someone does something soon. The things are really too tough for us to fight on our own.” “Well, we're headed that way. We'll see what we can do.” I would just like to point out that it's been spelled Sharamik and Sharimik at various times. And this is a constant inconsistency. Although digging into the raw text file indicates that the 'a' variant is used only 8 times, while the 'i' version is used 57. I'm just going to write that off as people's accents, and move on.  “I'm no thief. Besides, how would I carry all that?” “You know, I'm beginning to think picking up some horses might be a good idea. Assuming we can find one for Sass.”* * * So, in my mad quest to reconcile the map I just bought with what I knew, I went running back down to the south coast to figure it out. Not that I could have left it for another round of Things Missed, mind you. “We never rode on this boat!” “Must we?” “Yes!”  “Where is everyone?” “This place is a wreck.” “And has been for some time.” “Whatever happened here moved the anvil. Or more like moved the ground the Anvil was on.”  “Written invitation? Why not?”  “Ugh!” “Oh dear. FIRE!”   “Anything interesting?” “Not really.” “You know, the more I look at this, the more this damage doesn't look artificial.” “It's like it was washed out.” “Flooding? Then those spirits we found were people trying to take shelter?” “That sounds... harsh.” “This building looks intact actually.”  “Interlopers! I think.” This man might have once been rather imposing and sinister looking. His robes are faded, however, and his hair is graying. He seems very pleases to have a visitor. “Uh... hello?” “I am ANZOVIN! Welcome to my shrine.” “Art, and the rest. So, this is your shrine?” “I rule this temple, the Temple of Surging Darkness!” He emits a laugh that was intended to sound sinister, but sounds rather asthmatic instead. You notice the temple is looking rather run down and the walls are cracked.  “Surging Darkness?” “sounds like he's worshipping whatever storm came through here” “i think you're right” He grins evilly. “Yes, puny mortals! We believe the darker powers are waiting for cruel forces to rise among the humans!” “Safe!” “Species centrism at work.” “Oh, and the Nephilim as well. And whatever you are. You lizard thing.” “I'm Sass!” “So, about these cruel forces?” “Yes! These cruel forces will be imbued by mighty energy by those unholy powers, and from there we, umm ... that is to say, they will rise up, and RULE the WORLD!” I love this guy. Seriously. He's such a ham. “You know, ruling the world isn't easy.” “Yes!” He laughs sinisterly, turns to the altar and notices that it's looking very cracked and shabby indeed. He turns back to you, looking embarrassed. “Sorry about that. This was all a lot more impressive before the storms.” “We were figuring something like that happened. Was the storm serious?” “Yeah. We got hit by serious storms about a year back. Buildings fell over. Some people dies. Most left. I had this shrine, and that's better than nothing, so I stayed. I gather herbs. And make a few undead to relieve the tedium.” “Undead?” “Well, wouldn't you?” “No.” “So, what about these herbs you've been collecting?” “There are some good alchemical herbs on this island.” He thinks “Care to purchase some?” Another ingredient seller. “Thanks for stopping by! I promise, next time I'll have something a bit more ominous!” “I feel sad for him. It's obvious he needs help.” “Like we can? We're not exactly the right kind of people to fix these sorts of problems.” “This entire island looks like its taken a beating from the storms. It's sad, really.” “Let's go back.” And that's the entire purpose of Gorst. Abandoned town due to (probable) hurricanes, and a slightly unhinged man selling Ember Flowers. * * * “I wanna get my weapon better!” “You mean that Augmentation service in ... Libras, was it?” “Yeah!” “I can't complain. I got mine done.” “And we can afford the service.”  “!!!” Went from effectively a Bronze Halberd to a Steel one.  I really didn't buy an upgrade from that hidden store by Pergies! Then this could have been an 18/+5 weapon! That would be glorious to behold in combat, that's for sure.* * *  “So, according to this map, the next town north is ... Gidrik? Gidirk? I can't trust the names on this map at this point.”  “At least we're in the right place.” “Gidrik it is.” “Morning.” “Oh. You. We were warned about you. But we've got too many problems as it is to deal with you properly.” “But we're nice!” “Don't care.” “Be careful everyone, but be polite.” “As usual then.” “Hello there.” A dark and mysterious woman sits behind the counter, mixing up a potion. The smells are alternately wonderful and nauseating. “Note to self – air out before getting close to Matthias.” “I am Zamora,” she says in a soft voice. “Bronwyn. So, is this your thing? I didn't see a sign outside, but you're obviously open.” “I make potions of all sorts. Wondrous things, they are.” She smiles and tastes the brown concoction she's working on. “Also, I work with other alchemists.” “Neat. Is there an Alchemists' Guild or something?” “Not as such. Rather we're a loose alliance at this point. It's hard to create a Guild with all the other problems out there.” She smiles. “In fact, one of us was through recently. Told me of some unusual metal he'd found. He concealed a scroll with a map to it, which he told me about. Then he had the misfortune of being spitted by a Troglodyte. In fact, for only 500 gold, I may be persuaded to say where the scroll is.” “If it's the same metal we encountered earlier, then I wonder if we'll meet those same people again...? Sure. Here's your money.” “I'll look into it. Thanks. Let's see what you have in stock.” Nothing really interesting. “Huh. I'm early.” This is a heavily whiskered man with a lot of hair growing out of his nose. He smells very strongly of horses. “Uh.. hi?” “I'm Bryk. That's what they call me!” “Do they now.” He snorts, and takes a pull of whiskey. “I look after horses. They're my babies!” “Yeah. Look. I...” Half the price of the guy down by Krizsan, and I really need to pick some up. I think I will after dealing with Sharimik. “Lots of them. Huh.” “This isn't a port down! It's barely a beach!”  Generic.  “I wonder if there are any non speciests here.” “Get out you furball!” “Nope.”* * *  “Next stop, Sharamik.” “Sharimik.” “That's what I said.” “There's a strange feeling in the air...”  “This is reminding me uncomfortably of the Slith War.” “But we're friends now!” “Now, yes. But not then. Not with all of you.” “Still aren't. Too many factions involved.”  “Incoming from the south.”  We've seen Troglodytes before. But there were two new ones in the battle:  “You know, I could have sworn that the Empire drove them to extinction. How were these ones missed?” “I don't know.” “But that's enough of that. We're here at Sharimik.” Once again, sorry for the short update, but there's no real way to include the whole of Shari(a)mik in this update. See you next time!
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Sep 3, 2016 05:50
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I wouldn't worry too much about update length. Some of 'em are short, that's just how it goes. It's interesting just how many alchemist supply stores there are in the southeast of Valorim. Seems like most of 'em are either there or on Bigail, as I recall. Being able to buy ingredients in bulk can go a long way towards making an alchemist party member useful -- if you can just manufacture energy potions on-demand, then you can afford to sling spells around with wild abandon, which makes every single fight vastly easier.
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Sep 3, 2016 06:39
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:It's interesting just how many alchemist supply stores there are in the southeast of Valorim. Seems like most of 'em are either there or on Bigail, as I recall. Being able to buy ingredients in bulk can go a long way towards making an alchemist party member useful -- if you can just manufacture energy potions on-demand, then you can afford to sling spells around with wild abandon, which makes every single fight vastly easier. Every single alchemical ingredient - including Greymold - is available for sale in the Karnold Province. I need to keep this in mind when I finish off the Mad Monks and get their final quest reward.
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Sep 3, 2016 06:54
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I've been playing through slowly on my own, just got through with Bigail, and there is a completely stupid amount of Graymold just laying around.
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Sep 3, 2016 08:10
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Shari(a)mik? Sharia-mik! Vogel's hidden sympathies finally revealed! 
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Sep 3, 2016 12:35
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Woah, you live in Alberta too, berryjon? Geez, now I wonder if we ever accidentally ran into each other and didn't know it. I'm actually going up to Edmonton for the next day right now (wedding, don't ask). But drat, the tomb of Vahkos must've taken it out of your party in-game if they didn't even finish the trip back up to the remote East. Now to Sharimik! Or Sharamik? Whatever. Po-tay-to, po-tah-to,;to-may-to, to-mah-to; sunset, bird on fire; they're all different ways of saying the same thing.
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Sep 3, 2016 16:10
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Yeah, something's super-obviously going on with those islands, but I thought the undead would turn out to be some kind of big global threat too, and they were just tied to that dungeon.
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Sep 8, 2016 05:11
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Update 031 – Shari(a)mik “I feel like I missed something important back east.” “You probably did.” “But those undead hordes were something of a nuisance.” “Yeah, they're not fun to fight.” “And they will naturally decay over time now that the Vampire is dead.” “I concur. Besides, we should advance our actual objectives every now and again, rather than how we keep getting sidetracked as we have been.” “Your turn, I see.” “Regardless, let's see what this town is like.”  “Where are the guards?” Had we not taken care of the Slimes or the Roaches, we would not be allowed into town. It's roadblocking, but roadblocking that makes sense. You're Exiles. Why would the major cities let you in? “This is very, very quiet.” “Look at the people, they're afraid of us, but they're afraid of the Troglodytes even more.” “Good idea to stick together then.” “Should we really be going though the town's walls like this?” “No, but it's still something we should check, to know just how far our hospitality goes.”  “That was rude!” “Very.” “I think we're done here. Let's get into the town proper.”  “Well, this is convenient. Right by the gate we came in.”  “The metalwork is very well done.” “Yeah, but I wonder what the alloy is like? Pure gold in that volume would be heavy.” “Could be gilded.” “Could we not talk about that? The door's open.” “You must be the mayor.” A harsh looking man watches you dryly from behind his desk. His clothes are very ostentatious, and his mayor's sash is made of remarkably rich fabric. He wears a gold circlet. “I am Mayor Knight of Sharimik. Welcome to my office.” “Hello Mayor. My name is Art, out of the Krizsan Province.” “Dispense with the facade. I know where you're really from. I've received the missives from Krizsan and Shayder. They're the only reason you were allowed in my city at all.” “Fine. Why were we allowed in?” He looks sombre. “Well, it's complicated, but at the heart of it, I am trying to maintain control.” “How complicated could it be? Are you not the legal and legitimate authority in this city?” “And yet, attacks come at us from all sides. The Empire has abandoned us. I guide my people upon the only safe path left to us.” “We noticed the damage to your walls. You have weathered the attacks well.” “We have foes, both outside and inside. The Troglos come at us from without, and subversives cause rot from within.” “I want to state categorically that we are not involved with anything like that. We don't deal in subversives like that.” That's ... weird. That is the Mayor's generic “non answer”. That is, when you ask about something that doesn't have a specific response, he defaults to that. Yet, given the hyper-link nature of the conversation, why is it that clicking on 'subversives' results in this? Could there be a missing dialogue box? The master text dump doesn't indicate that there is something missing, so I can't tell. “So, what can you tell us about the Troglodyte menace? Surely that's not a state secret.” “Word has spread of the pale travellers who helped end the plagues to the south and west. I, therefore, let you come here in the hope that you could be convinced to undertake a quest for us.” “Oh joy. A quest.” “Don't be so flippant, Exile. I have power here, and despite your works, if I decide you go to jail, you will end up there. I have more than enough people, and you don't have the home ground advantage here.” "Recently, a Troglo envoy came to our walls, bearing a scroll. The envoy shouted that the King of the Troglodytes wished for us to send diplomats to him. It left the scroll and fled. Since then, we have been unable to find anyone both skilled and smart enough to deserve the mission, and suicidal enough to take it. I will reward you. Alas, there is a problem.” “We fix problems!” “Not this kind, I assure you, Slith.” “I'm Sass!” “... Sass. No, you see, Sharimik is ruled by a triad right now. Empire rules bind us still. Before you can go on a mission for us, you need to get approval from Commander Corie and Internal Affairs Supervisor Levin. Go ask them about this mission. Convince them to allow you to undertake it, and I will assist you.” “Tell me about Coire and Levin” “Commander Coire has her office in the barracks on the north side of town. If you can't find here there, someone will know where she went.” "As for Levin? A superb gentleman. My right hand man. He's just next door." “So, what's the status with the Empire? We're further north, so we're hoping to meet someone official, sooner rather than later.” “The Empire has not sent us guidance, supplies or reinforcements for months and months. We have to look after ourselves. They have shut us off since the Disaster at Tinraya.” “What happened at Tinraya?” “I'm not authorized to tell you that.” “So, what sort of path are you taking? You're across the straight from the Anama, pretty much everything south and east is empty. There's a lot for you to do.” “CONTROL! Control is how the Empire rules, and through it we can keep Karnold Province safe! Our discipline will help us defeat the Troglos.” He doesn't grin. “That is why you were allowed to enter.” “Not going to try this one.”  “Mayor?” “Ah, there you are, Sandra. Show these people to Levin's office. Make sure they don't get lost on the way.” “Of course, mayor. Follow me please.” “...” This woman has a light dusting of makeup on her face, put there to make her skin darker. You, however, immediately recognize her as an Exile. She pulls you aside to speak in private. I swear, I did nothing to put her in the Mayor's office. It just worked out like that. “I'm Sandra. Unspecified Services. Pleased to meet you.” “Art. Same.” “I've heard about your accomplishments. Excellent.” “Thanks!” “What are you doing here? And how long have the Services been here?” “We're the only branch of the Exile Government doing anything up here right now. And I've been moving between Sharimik and Lorelei, looking things over.” “Glad we caught you here then. And the mayor knows you?” “I'm one of his couriers. If he knows my origins, he's not letting on. It's not like we have him,” she gestures at Sass, “to attract attention.” “So, aside from that, what's have you been looking at?” “Right now? Troglodytes here, and Giants up north. There's the ridge of mountains in the way, keeping the monsters apart. Gale is being attacked by utterly lethal golems, and the Keep of Tinraya was utterly destroyed.” “Matches what I learned down in Silvar, though what destroyed Tinraya?” “Strongest fort in Valorim. Made the Ziggurat look pathetic. Some sort of bizzare monster, unlike anything ever seen wiped it out. Can't find anything else about it, but I'm working on it.” “Thanks. Anything else?” “You guys are really going places. Been to the Bunker yet?” “The Bunker?” “It's back down in New Cotra. A few mages, trying to figure out outlandish solutions to our problems. They might be able to help you. Talk to Captain Johnson. He'll tell you how to enter.” “Johnson isn't exactly the talkative type.” “Yeah, he's a bitter old guy. You may have to press him about it. When you talk to him, mention my name if he gives you trouble.” “Will do.” “So, yeah. Door in the corner leads to the Library. Then the other one there is Levin. I think he'll be easy to convince.” “Thanks. Have a nice day, and stay safe.” “You too.”  “There's something in the back corner here.”  Behind this door is something vital to the completion of the game, and it can only be gotten by resolving the Troglo quest. What is it? Find out in a couple updates. “Well, let's see what this Levin has to say for himself.  “Come in.” The man sitting behind this desk looks as close to a spider as any human can get. He sizes you up with beady eyes. “I am Internal Affairs Supervisor Levin.” “I presume you know who we are?” “Yes. Yes I do.” He grins and twitches slightly. “Many tasks fall to me. I maintain loyalty. I and the chief Jobs dispatcher. I am mapmaking coordinator. And I assist Mayor Knight whenever possible.” “I would suspect that loyalty is not a problem, when there are external threats.” His mouth twitches in disapproval. “I'm sorry. You're not allowed to know about that.” whut. The same, generic 'no answer'? Something's weird here, and I intend to get to the bottom of it. “What jobs can we do for you?” “See? That's the kind of loyalty I like. Honest and given freely. I wish I had more strong backs like yours, lizard.” “You have to find people to take a boat ride? Fenris Port and Sharimik are connected by a ferry!” “You would be surprised.” “And the maps that you offer?” “I tell official, Empire-sanctioned mapmakers in the area what areas need mapmaking, and compile the fruits of the their labors. Would you like to purchase a map of Karnold Province? Only 300 Gold.” Six times the cost of the man in Porter's Rest. I pass. “So, tell us about Mayor Knight. He recommended us to talk to you.” “Mayor Knight is a wise and strong willed man, and I am proud to be his right hand. By the way, I understand he has been looking for someone to undertake a mission. And has found you.” “And he sent us to you for permission for the mission.” “So, you want permission, eh? Well, it's no problem. However, there's a lot of paperwork to fill out. Especially when dealing with independent contractors. I'll need to fill those out first. And then there's the filing fee for those papers.” “Give me 1000 gold, and I'll give you permission.” “I'm sorry, are you soliciting a bribe?” “No. Fees. Taxes.” “You're having problems paying people to take a boat ride, and you expect us to pay?” “Yes.” “There's no negotiating with him. Let's just pay, and get on with the mission.” “Right. Now to talk to the Commander.” “Wow, paper must be really expensive if we need to spend that much money on paper!” “No one tell him. I want to enjoy basking in the innocence for as long as I can.” “You're no fun.”  “EEEEEeeeee! We have to visit!” “Hello!” A serene looking woman stands before her altar, thinking happy thoughts. You interrupt them. “I am Mother Ellyn.” “Delilah! I like your sign!” “Thank you! I am the priestess of the Shrine of Happy Thoughts. May I provide assistance?” “Tell me more about your Happy Thoughts!” She looks slightly embarrassed. “Well, I wanted to start a faith to guide people and make their lives better. Unfortunately, I couldn't come up with a good guiding principle. So I improvised.” “You improvised?” “I made the Shrine of Happy Thoughts based on the principle that, well, things would be a lot better if people were kind and just tried to be nice to each other for a change. Of course, it hasn't been popular at all. But you can't blame me for trying.” “No, I can't. Ever heard of the Church of Joy?” “... No?” “You should! The Tenants are very similar.” “Before you two get stuck discussing the finer points of positivist theology, you said you offered services?” “Ah yes! I can teach a variety of spells, and I can heal your wounds.” “Let's see what you have for spells please.” Fifth level Priest Spells! Art skips Summon Host, but grabs the rest. Delilah has the first five thanks to her Anama membership, while everyone else is currently capped at level 3 spells.  “And it's true. There are worms here.” “Delilah? You talk shop. We'll talk with this guy.” You meet one of the Empire's archers. Empire Archers then to be the most skilled and lethal known, and this one looks to be no exception. However, he also looks somewhat depressed. “You have a problem?” “I wish you were the biggest of my problems. I'm Sloan.” He doesn't look pleased that you're talking to him. “What's bothering you?” “I ... I ... Wait a minute! I don't have to talk to you! I have enough problems.” “Unless they involve monster, I doubt your problems are that serious.” “Hey! Even if I wanted to talk to you, which I don't, these days it's not too smart being seen talking to Exiles. So buzz off!” “Oh no. Exiles are here.” I love the occasional recognition that under normal circumstances, we'd be locked in a dungeon somewhere waiting for powerful people from the Empire to show up and do nasty things until they know everything we know. “And away we go.” “Yeah, he's not polite at all!” “At least he was just in front of where we need to go next.”  The garrison commander of Sharimik watches you with skepticism. She seems unwilling but resigned to give you some of her valuable time. “The name is Commander Corie,” she says. “Hello ma'am.” “I run the Sharamik garrison. Quite a job. I also help Mayor Knight as best I can. Which is probably why you're here.” “Sharamik has been for some time, the main military depot for southern Valorim. I'm in charge of looking after it. Quite the responsibility.” “Mayor Knight sent us to talk to you.” “I know. I know. He's in charge of anything in Sharamik that isn't military. A competent administrator, although I am concerned about his inability to get anyone to go on this mission he's been talking about.” “Can't even get people to go to Fenris Port, despite going on and on about control.” “And now he's trying to foist this mission off on us.” She frowns. “I can't believe Mayor Knight wants to give you this mission. You want permission? Prove your worth. The Troglos have a giant altar in the hills east of Angel's rest. Find it. Destroy it, and permission is yours. Problems is ... my scouts have reported its magical. You may need the Ritual of Sanctification.” “Oh. poo poo.” “The Ritual? You know it, Art?” “I used to. Found a copy of it in Formello. Except it was an older version of the Ritual, and once the needs of the War was over, I let it slip my mind. It's really easy, when you think about it – or don't as the case may be.” “I forgot.” Thus explaining why I didn't cheat the spell into Art's spell list at the start of the LP like I may have planned once. “All this holy mumbo jumbo is beyond me. I haven't the foggiest idea how to destroy an altar like that conventionally, else I would have done so already. Tell you who might though. Talk to Nydia. She's in Softport, to the north. Tell her my name ... she served with me once. If she knows anything about this Ritual, or how to destroy this altar, she'll tell you. And that's the last help you'll get from me.” “Understood. And thank you.” “Don't thank me. The Altar is still out there.” “I am deliberately ignoring the damage to that wall.”   You meet a very pretty young woman, busy chopping garlic. The counter is covered with delicious looking food. She doesn't look up as you come in. “I'm Ginny! Welcome to my shop.” “I'm Sass! Your food smells good! You cook lizard?” “Lizard...?” She only blinks once as she looks up at the towering Slith. She indicates the counter in front of her. “Doesn't this all look good? It can all be yours! I have all sorts of food for sale.” She smiles. “It's nice to have customers. It's been lonely lately.” “Why would you be lonely? You make food!” “With all the monsters about, the merchants I always talked to don't come through much any more. I talk to the townspeople, but some of the are, well, ungrateful.” She looks irked as she says it. “Who would dare be ungrateful of the one who makes food?” “I was really interested in Sloan, one of the Archers in town. I gave him a ring for luck while fighting the troglos. It was a family heirloom. He lost it! Can you believe it! If someone could get the ring Sloan lost, I'd be very grateful.” “Are rings important?” “YES!” “I mean, he came in, apologized, said the ring was gone, and left! And I haven't seen him since! What sort of way is that for a gentleman to act?” “It's not. We just saw him out on the road. We'll get to the bottom of this, one way or the other.” “Thanks!” “Now, to look next door.”  I panicked at this moment. I thought I was too late, and that the Troglodytes have done some permanent damage to the town. Turns out, it's this way even if you're absurdly early. “Swords by the door? I think I know what's here.” The man behind the counter is not at all your ordinary, muscle-bound blacksmith. In fact, he's a rather bland looking mage. He's holding a steel broadsword, and looking at it with a practiced eye. He mumbles a few words of a spell and runs his fingers over the blade of the weapon he's holding. The metal glows red hot for a moment. The man looks up at you. “Welcome. I am known as Grove.” “Niarl. So, you're in charge here?” “Well, I have a variety of high-quality weapons available. You can see me your excess goods if you wish. But my customers most value me for my magical skills.” “We saw your little demonstration earlier. You use magic on your weapons a lot?” If I could afford it, I would, without hesitation, put Flaming on Bronwyn's weapon. The chance for bonus damage to anyone not immune to Fire? Heck yes!  “Let's see if they'll let us in.”  “Definitely not here.” “Lots of nice stuff.” “Aw crap.” “CHARGE!” Wait... Troglodyte Khazi? That's new. One scry coming right up! After it's taken some damage from the friendly defenders. Mage 6 and Priest 6?!? At least the Khazi is squishy. “What made you think you would get anything done?” Actually, this reminds me of the Empire attack on Almaria back in E2 more than anything else. “We'll report this. We suggest you leave.” “Nice harbor. Don't want to go swimming though.” “Hold on, I think I saw someone duck into the trees back that way...” “Oh, it's just you.” “Just us?” You stumble over a small, middle-aged man, who is sitting concealed behind a clump of trees. He looks panicked at first, but relaxes after looking you over for a moment. “Yeah, at least with Exiles, I know where I stand. I'm Grassi. Move in quick! Don't let anyone see you!” “So, what brings you back here?” “I'm an alchemist by trade.” He motions for you to get closer. “You can't be too careful!” “Careful about what?” He looks sombre, and shrinks further back into the bushes. “Well, there's the troglodytes, of course. What's worse, there's Mayor Knight.” “Let's start with the non-obvious point. Troglos?” “Troglodyte patrols hit town all the time. Their mages hit us with Shockwaves, and cast spells so their fighters can fly in and cause all sorts of havoc! That's why I hide. Wouldn't you?” Well, aside from the fact that Shockwave is a Level 7 spell, and the highest I've seen so far is a 6 from the Khazi just now... Come to think of it, Shockwave must be a real pain to try and counter. It's got the widest area of any offensive spell, and grows stronger with range. A besieging wizard could stand at maximum range – and do maximum damage over maximum area to the defender's walls. And casting Flight to go over? Yeah, I can see that. “And the more obvious problem? The Mayor?” “We've not heard anything from the Empire for months! Knight is using the opportunity to take total control of the town. He and his flunkies punish anyone who questions them! Can you blame me for just thinking back here, out of the way?” “No. Not really.” What he sells. “Thanks for your time.” A scruffy looking sailor type is selling tickets by the dock. “Hello there.” “Kurt. I got tickets to Farport. Fifteen Gold. And that's all I have to talk about.” ... I could have sworn Sharimik was connected to Fenris Port! Or is it Softport and Fenris Port? “You don't want to talk?” “How nice. Maybe this man will be more chatty.”  This mage is practically ready to stumble into you. It's obvious that it's been quite some time since he's slept. “Good sir! You really should rest yourself. A sound mind, and all that. If I may your name?” “Why is he talking like that?” “I have no idea.” “Sean,” he mumbles. “What are you busy with that keeps you occupied so?” He stares off into space for a minute or so while trying to formulate an answer. Finally he says “Maintain the barriers.” “Barriers?” “Troglos keep knocking down walls. We make magic barriers to plug holes. They dispel barriers. Big pain, those dispel spells.” “It is too bad you cannot return the favor and dispel some of theirs as well.” He teeters a bit. “Dispelling Barriers rare and powerful spell. Anyone knowing it can mess up our defenses. You want to learn?” “Yes, I would like to learn.” And there's our reward for completing the Troglodyte Quest. DISPEL BARRIER! “...!!! That's where I remember you now!” “What?” “You used to work at Fort Emerald!” “I did. I used the Emerald there to help offset my condition. What of it?” “Nothing. Just remembered that was one of the places that was authorized to teach Dispel Barrier back during the invasion, and I think you tended to be along the north wall.” “I go where my nation needs me. No more, no less.” “This is fine and all, but I really want to find out where those Trogs came from. If we're allowed back into the warehouse, that is.” “This is weird, but I'm not going to complain.”  Turns out, there are a lot of Empire Archers around. Finding Sloan is annoying, especially as they'll all move around. But find him I did! Somewhere. Where I forgot to screenshot. “You lost a woman's ring?!?!” “You. Don't do anything stupid. I'm fixing this.”  “Supplies!” The man behind the counter is busy polishing some lockpicks. “I'm Ballard. You must be the ... foreigners people are talking about.” “I'm not 'foreign'! I'm Sass!” “That's nice. I make tools. You can purchase them. And it makes me very happy.” He grins, in order to show how happy he is. “Are you from those islands to the south? Because those people are happy too, and it's not a good thing.” “Incredibly happy. I could not be happier with the rulership of our town.” “But your ruler is the Empire, right? I'm confused!” He continues to smile, but his eyes watch you carefully. He speaks clearly and deliberately. “Yes, I could not be more happy with the leadership of our mighty city. I am very content and feel safe. All right?” “But..!” “Yes, we understand. We shall be leaving.” “That is not good.” “This place is a powder keg, ready to ignite. The cause of their problems is also the only thing keeping it from happening.” “So, what happens when – not if – we deal with the Troglodyte menace?”  “There are no stupid questions.” “Just stupid answers.” “You have no idea how many times I had to explain why I wrote that into the training manual. It's a warning for the people who know more to not to make assumptions about their students.”  A man, small, wiry, muscular and leather-clad, it looking you over. His opinion of you seems to be worsening by the moment. “Too old. No idea. Passable. No idea how to hold that. Same. Too old again.” “Now that you've finished stating the obvious, you are...?” “I'm Starcap. I spend my life educating cavenewts like you. Fulfilling? I think not.” “You know where we're from right? I mean, it's not exactly a secret.” “Yeah. What of it?” “Then why did you call us cavenewts? When even we don't use that phrase.” “Actually, Sliths do.” “And I was part of the army then. Learned it from some prisoners. I don't hold a grudge.” “So what about your work then, do you not find fulfilling?” “How could any job that involves constant work with smelly, unkempt, manners-impaired adventurers be fulfilling?” “I like you!” “Just not in that way, you know.” “I think we'll be back.”  “Hey there.”  You meet Sharimik's missile maker. He is putting the final polish on an intensely sharp throwing knife. “I'm Issac. Welcome.” “Thanks for the invitation.” “You can purchase missiles from me. Quality goods, I assure you. Distracts me from my worries.” “What are you worried about?” He looks around to make sure nobody is listening in. “I can tell you about this, but nobody else. We've all heard how brave you are, and it's best not to let our leaders hear us express our skepticism. I am concerned about my child.” “Worry for a child is only natural.” “We are attacked by Troglos all the time. I'm planning to send my daughter, Kelly, to Softport. A much safer place to be. I will miss her so, though.” He sighs. “Thank you for letting me unburden my soul.” “Well, there is a church about thinking happy thoughts in town. Perhaps you should visit? I'm sure your leaders would approve.” He looks grim. “In the absence of the Empire's influence, Mayor Knight grows more controlling every day. Nobody has been punished for saying the wrong thing yet, but some of us fear it is only a matter of time.” “We understand. But if you must send your child away, send her to Krizsan, or Shayder. The Plagues there are defeated.”  “I bet this person does magical identification.” You meet a wizened old man with a carefully trimmed white beard. He sets down a thick, leather bound book to speak with you. He's pale enough to have come from Exile. “And I can hear you through the door. I am known to people in general as Spragins.” “I apologize.” He takes a deep breath to put his thoughts in order. “Well, I do do magic, I suppose. That seems to be a good overall description of my activities.” “Surely 'Magic' is such a general descriptor?” “Yes, magic does seem to be a good catch-all sort of term for it. For example, I can magically identify your items for a small fee. Or I teach spells to passing mages, for a price. And, of course, I do research. That would seem to be an excellent summary of the current activities I am referring to when using the generic term 'magic'.” “If I may, what are you researching?” Never happens, to the best of my knowledge. Also, have to get Magic Map. I know where it is, and it's near by. I also load up Matthias and Ni'aurrl with the level 5 spells. “The Inn! Finally!” A man sits at one of the inn's tables. The Table has several shields on it, and the man is polishing one of them. “I'm Ehrenfeld.” “Ah... this is a weird place to put a shop.” “Well, my shop was destroyed in a troglo raid, so I have to run my business here for now. Care to see my wares?” Pass. “What about the Troglos?” “Those vermin! I hope we wipe them out again.” He thinks “Oh well, I almost have enough money to rebuild my shop, and at least I have my health!” “Not if you keep drinking away your profits!” The owner of the inn looks like someone who is young, but has been rapidly aged by circumstances. She looks glad to see a customer. “I'm Quinn,” she says. “Bronwyn.” “I run this inn, and let me tell you, it's one trial or tribulation after another, if you care, which you don't. But look, we have a reasonably safe room for 10 gold. We have rounds of beer for 2 gold, and fine bourbon for 12. I recommend the bourbon.” “Hit me for the good stuff.” She pours you several shots of strong liquor. The stuff hurts even your toughened throats. She leans close to you. “By the way, I've been hearing intriguing rumors about a certain artifact. My knowledge will only cost 100 gold.” “Oh fine. It's not like I'll make it back in an hour or so. What is your knowledge?” She gladly takes the money. “Thanks! There was this trooper named Masok, out of Angel's Rest, in here the other day. When drunk, I heard him mention something about a halberd, the best ever made and how he could find it. Can't hurt to ask him about it!” And thus, we begin the quest for the most powerful weapon in the game. Which we won't get to for quite a while. “So, what troubles you?” “Well, the troglos use spells to move their ambushers into town, and guess what building tends to be the first they hit! That's right ... my inn.” She shakes her head. “It's one continuous bother, let me tell you.” “But that's not what's really bothering you, is it?” “I tell you, it's the people running this dump! They ...” she stops herself, and suddenly looks around to see who's listening. Worried, she says “Sorry. Forgot myself for a moment there? Care for some bourbon?” “Already had, thanks. But I think it's time for us to move on.”
berryjon fucked around with this message at 15:47 on Sep 9, 2016 |
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Sep 9, 2016 07:11
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This last update came up right against the character limit for the post. I'll deal with the ring, and the missing conversation (that's pure fluff, as well as WAFFy) shortly-ish.
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Sep 9, 2016 07:14
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Well that's interesting, an extrinsic threat coupled with an intrinsic one and they keep each other in check. This town is gonna rip itself apart
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Sep 9, 2016 07:39
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berryjon posted:
That said, it's wonderful for exploiting: If you cast it on a weapon, any weapon, it dramatically increases the value of the weapon. Ridiculously so - some vanilla Iron Sword with the Flame enchantment is suddenly worth thousands of gold. An already high-value weapon like a Steel Halberd can actually become so valuable that selling it can actually cause a money overflow error (!) and make your funds turn negative. Even more importantly, the value is high enough that you can buy a weapon, enchant it, then sell it immediately and make a crapton of profit.  *IIRC, that's found at the military camp in Tevrono, but might be Gale quote:
Though really, it's one of the few quests more involved than "just walk in and slaughter everything" so it's worth doing the quest regardless. MagusofStars fucked around with this message at 09:47 on Sep 9, 2016 |
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Sep 9, 2016 09:37
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berryjon posted:
Also typo I noticed berryjon posted:
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Sep 9, 2016 11:21
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Was the bit about the Church of Joy having similar tenants a pun, or was it a typo for tenets?
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Sep 9, 2016 14:10
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MagusofStars posted:This is not the Flaming enchantment which causes you to do fire damage on top of your normal attack*. Instead, this allows you to cast the spell Flame from your weapon a limited number of times as a usable item (a'la Scrioth of the first game). However, it still has limited charges, so it's a waste of your enchantment. If you really want it, grab a stick off the ground and custom-make your own Wand of Flame rather than wasting the ability to enchant a good weapon. The cash overflow error is pretty funny. The game doesn't really handle getting negative gold that well and you can still buy everything in a shop like you had positive gold. Not useful though since if you've got 30k gold you can buy a bunch of everything in a normal shop anyways and as soon as you move it "drops the excess" negative gold. Also Sandra's icon changes to the apprentice mage halfway through the conversation. (fun fact, there's no check to see if you've talked to her so you can fire up a new game and immediately ask the commander about her)
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Sep 9, 2016 14:58
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EponymousMrYar posted:Well that's interesting, an extrinsic threat coupled with an intrinsic one and they keep each other in check. This town is gonna rip itself apart radintorov posted:I hope we'll see how this turns out since it's an interesting setup with good story potential, though given other previous elements from Vogel I'm not too worried. Parts Kit posted:Also Sandra's icon changes to the apprentice mage halfway through the conversation. (fun fact, there's no check to see if you've talked to her so you can fire up a new game and immediately ask the commander about her) Fix'd. Caused by me changing my shorthand from [bluedress] to [bluerobes] by accident (I let my fingers walk while transcribing), and not noticing it. Thanks! Rockopolis posted:Was the bit about the Church of Joy having similar tenants a pun, or was it a typo for tenets?
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Sep 9, 2016 15:53
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I forgot to mention this long ago, but we're now in the Registered section of the game. Back before the game was freeware (when I had the shareware version in a collection of shareware games I got bought as a gift), if you hadn't registered, you could still go pretty much anywhere on the overworld. However, any surface town/city northeast of I think, Bolton (whichever one had the shop with that glitched-hostile evil Acolyte identifying spells) and not on Bigail were inaccessible, and I think (but don't know for sure) that the second half of the Murder Cave was blocked off as well. I think Exile III has the smallest ratio of amount-of-game-you-can-complete-before-paying out of the original trilogy.MagusofStars posted:If you really want [flame-cast enchantment], grab a stick off the ground and custom-make your own Wand of Flame rather than wasting the ability to enchant a good weapon. I actually tried that last time I played. He doesn't accept sticks - no price shows up next to them to enchant them.
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Sep 9, 2016 22:41
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LuffyVeggies posted:I actually tried that last time I played. He doesn't accept sticks - no price shows up next to them to enchant them. Hm. I seem to remember it working, but it might just have been a cheap like Stone Dagger or something. Regardless, it's not really worth using - it's pretty rare that your fighters can't find anything better to do than toss out a crummy Flame spell.
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Sep 10, 2016 03:08
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Update 032 – Angel's Rest, Aminro, Softport, the House on the Hill and Adobe Hut Sharimik is huge, and actually well developed. I cut out some stuff, so let me deal with it now... * * *  “Temporary patches, I see.” “I see something shiny!”  “Now, let's deliver this back to her.”   “And that's our good deed for the day. Now, what's next?”  * * * I also promised a missed conversation, except I seem to have removed the transcription from my files. That's alright, I need to come back to Sharimik at least twice before the quest is completed. I'll catch it then.  “Natural response, despite us obviously not being Troglodytes.” “So, why are we headed east instead of north to Softport?” “Scouting out the two towns this way first.” “Makes sense. Besides, don't we have a couple leads on things in those two towns?” “The best weapon ever!” “And there's that hidden map, in the 'rock face', whatever that means.”  “Which way first?” “Flip a coin!” “Heads or Tails?” “Tails!” “East it is!” “How was that supposed to work?” “Be nice.”  “Another instance where the official spelling uses an 'i'. I must conclude that the 'a' is just an accent.”  “Wow, that smells just like home!” “We got word from Corie that you'd be by sooner or later. Just don't do anything stupid.” “We won't. We doing some reconnaissance first.” “That I can understand. Just be careful. People are nervous enough as it is.” “We'll be polite!” “Well, let's be about then!” Let's start going clockwise around the town, shall we? First stop – Troglodytes hidden in this little apartment in the south-west corner. I remove the problem before it becomes one. “Hello?” You meet a grim, squat halberdier of the Empire army. It's amazing how total his disinterest in speaking with you is. “So, I'm Bronwyn. I was told that there was a man named Makos in town?” “Masok.” The word sounds like lit was ripped out of him with a hook. “I am a soldier.” “Right! Yeah, so I was told you knew something about...” “Yeah. And that's all.” He turns away. What an uninteresting conversation. “Oh come on. I heard you knew about the halberd.” He looks angry that you know, and then confused, and then he thinks it over. His voice is quiet. Look. There's this thing called the Black Halberd. It's sort of a legend. The best ever made. Nobody really believes in it. I sure didn't. Until I found a scroll.” “I found it in a stump. No kidding. It's old, and it's supposed to give directions to where the halberd is. Don't believe it's real? No difference to me. I can get it by myself. But if you want to purchase it from me, that'd be good too. Only 2000 gold.” Total intrinsic cost to get the Black Halberd: 12+100+2000 gold. It's a steal for five times that price once we get it. He says “Also, I'm selling this because the thing is far away. Hundreds of miles northwest, far north of the town of Calloc. Good luck finding it.” We're going to be keeping this for a long time to come. Although I may just drop it off in a storage location until I'm ready to make the run for it. “And you must be the innkeeper!” A young, radiantly beautiful woman works behind the bar. She moves like a sylph, almost floating off the ground. Of course, you may only think that because the mead she's serving smells so good. “Um... Hello?” She graces you with a dimpled smile. “I'm Adrianne. May I help you?” “I asked if you were the innkeeper.” “I am! Our best room is free. Only 8 gold. We still have some of our wonderful, locally made mead. A mere 10 gold for a round.” “Free 8 Gold? Uh... Let's try the mead, thank you.” The mead is rich and exquisite. Soon your head is spinning. You hadn't realized how much you were missing out on in Exile. When you're done, Adrianne leans close. “Fresh goblets of mead will only be 5 gold! I like your faces!” “I like my face too. More mead please.” She fills your goblets with the ambrosia. As she does, she makes conversation. “You know, some soldiers were through here recently. That talked about having seen dragons.” “Dragons? Pft. Yeah. The Empire drove them all away years ago, and the last known living ones are in Exile.” “Yeah. Sounds fishy to me too. If you ask me, which you already have, they said they saw some dragons flying overhead near some mountains somewhere. Look – one of them was a captain, and they said they were Lorelei, to the north. If you see them, and are interested, be sure to ask.” “I think we will.” “Are they sure they didn't see large drakes, or something?” “Maybe? I don't know. We'd have to ask.” “I wanna meet a dragon!” “And if we do, I get to ask them about the evidence we found on Bigail. joy.” “Hello there.” You meet a haggard woman with long, dark hair. She wears the robes of a priest over her armor, and her garb shows the wear and tear of recent combat. “I am Matthias, we're doing some work on behalf of Mayor Knight and Commander Corie.” “I am Empire War Priestess Shahpur.” “Huh, haven't heard that title in a while.” She pats a massive mace hanging at her belt. “I help in the constant battle against the troglos. 'Tis a chore, but I have my faith to preserve me.” “Anything you can tell us about the Troglodytes that could be a help?” “They're vicious and endless foes, but I'm preserved by my prayers.” “Your prayers must be very powerful to ward off such foes.” “I am one of the Anama. I sustain myself through holy power, without using the dark works of magic.” “Yeah, Art casts Manna when she needs to as well.” “A useful spell, but it doesn't beat real food.” You know, for all the harping on about how poorly thought out the Anama are as a religion and philosophy, I do like the fact that Vogel made sure that there were people like Shahpur here who are open about their membership, but are unequivocally good guys. It's a level of nuance that you don't find from a lot of other fictional religions.  “Oooh! This must be where the sulphur is coming from!”  Merry Count posted:  These are both generic shops, with nothing of interest to them.  “You don't need to be here.” “Yes, sir.”  “Lots of those here.” “Because of the attacks.” “That's it for this town. We'll backtrack along the road, then head north.”* * *  “You know, this really does look like a nice place, even though the monsters are everywhere.”  “I know. Makes you wonder why this place, why now?” “One plague, you could chalk up to a rogue mage, or perhaps an accident. Two would be an epic coincidence based on the remoteness of Valorim But Slimes, Roaches, Troglodytes, Giants, Golems and whatever it was that attacked Tinraya? That's enemy action.” “Yeah, but which enemy. That's the question. So far we have Erika and the Dragons as possible culprits, and yet I can't see them doing either.” “Who else is there?” “Exile. The Vahanatai. Internal factors to the Empire seeking to cause chaos. We don't know yet, nor do we have enough information.” “Best behaviour people. Those are thick walls.”  “These walls need repair.” “oh” “We have been alerted to your existence. Don't cause trouble, and we won't end it.” “Yes sir.” “Oh! Hello there!” This man, wearing the sash and insignia of a mayor of the Empire, sits here drinking ale. Lots of it. “I am known as Najib. That's Mayor Najib!” He belches. “Uh.. what are you doing?” He laughs. “I'm planning strategy! What do you think I'm doing?” He takes a long swing of ale. “My elders say you can't do planning after celebrating a victory like you are.” “Yeah. Right. Planning how to hold off endless hordes of Troglos with almost no troops and no reinforcements. How to to anything when the Empire has quarantined the area.” “I agree! Troglodytes are bad.” “They breed like bunnies, and they're smart and ruthless. Like nothing we've ever fought before!” He drinks more. “What is quarantine?” “Bet you hadn't heard about that! The Keep of Tinraya's been destroyed by monsters! Totally. The Empire has shut is all off to die. To keep the monsters from spreading.” He takes a long swig of ale. “And that's why I drink.” “Where is Tinraya? “Won't do you any good to know. The biggest, strongest city in Valorim is now just a smoking hole. Sobering, eh?” “That's sad. I'm gonna talk to the barkeep now.” Unusually, the innkeeper has a battleaxe swinging at his side, and wears a breastplate which shows the scratches and marks of recent combat. He's so tired he can barely remain standing. “Hi! I'm Sass.” “Barber,” he mumbles. “Welcome to my inn.” “You look tired. How's the inn?” “No booze left. Not much at all. Just a room. Only 5 gold. It's been a nightmare.” “But you need to sleep to have those.” “Castle Troglo isn't too far from here, and there's not a damned thing anyone can do about it. We eat the worst of the raids, and get hit often too. It's hard to keep hope sometimes.” He almost nods off several times while speaking. “But where there's life, there's hope!” “I'm afraid this town will fall any day now. I'm so tired. My apologies. This used to be a beautiful town. No more.”    “Well, if the Mayor is useless, I doubt he'll mind if we rummage through his office.” “You know it actually looks quite cosy in here.” “Yes, but there's nothing either.”  “Standard pressure plate designed to keep people from spiriting out ores and such. Easy.” “Yeah, but the entire north wall of this town are copies of these warehouses. And I'm not about to search through all of them.” “Yeah, it wouldn't be a good use of our time.” “Only rocks here.” “Let's look at it anyways.”  There's no way to trigger this except by looking at that tile while standing next to it. You can't move onto it. “Where is Eagle Rock?” “We'll find out eventually. Come on, there's nothing for us here.”  “Would have been nice to know that sooner, but oh well.” “Where next?” “I think Softport is next. Find out more about the Ritual.” “Couldn't we go back to Fort Emergence and ask Anaximander?” “That would still involve sending a message to Formello, and asking the Mother there to send someone who could cast it up to Fort Emergence to teach it to us.” “Are you sure you've forgotten it?” “... Are you calling me old?” “No. But you do have a matronly air about you.” “Look, I don't know the spell any more. It's long, it's complicated, and it takes a lot out of you.” “Hrm, now that I think about it...” “Staying out of this.” “As am I.” “Staying out of what?” “Nothing you need to think about.” “Hey, look! A distraction!” I have no idea how this works, but you can encounter this person randomly between Lorelei and Sharimik. He acts as a Random Store. And after my windfall with the previous one, I am not holding my breath. “Thanks, but no thanks.” “It just occurred to me that we don't have anyone here who specializes in blunt weapons.” “You and I use blades. Sass has his polearm. Delilah and her crossbow. Ni'aurrl and Matthais have skipped.” “Don't look to me. I'm not about to pick up that sort of skill. I don't have the skill for it.” “And I'm not about to fill the requisite racial profiling, thank you.”   “You know, some days, I really regret leaving Emerald.” “Then you wouldn't be in the sun!” “And that makes it all worth while.” “I wonder how close we are to Bigail?” “Pretty close, I'd say.” “LOOK OUT!”  “Oh crud. We were told about this.”  “We're that far north?”  I don't see what the problem is. We encountered one back in Krizsan. And there are Giants in Exile. If the Sliths could make it to the surface, why not these guys? Oh well, we'll deal with them as a strategic threat later. For now, they're just a road bump. But that road will get a lot more bumpy in the future. “Right. We'll mark this line of trees. North be Giants! South be Troglodytes. Who dies first? Whoever pisses me off more.” “Getting ahead of yourself a little?” “Shut up.”  “Welcome to Softport. Commander Corie sent word you were coming. Didn't say why.” “Have to talk to a certain priest.” “Oh. She's in the south-west quadrant.” “Thanks.”  “This is, what, the third such church?” “Yep!” “Yep, shows what it is too.” You meet a priestess. She's counting several piles of gold on top of the altar. When you approach, she scoops in all into a pouch. “I'm Nydia. Welcome.” “Hello!” “You do this. You're more experienced.” “I'm a priestess of the Church of the Divine Lucre. We sell salvation at reasonable rates.” “Art. Follower of the Mother-Of-Us-All. And salvation? Really?” “Actually, I am not yet authorized to grant absolution. Haven't saved up enough to buy the ability. But I can do healing, if you wish and have the money.” “Actually, we came about something else. You see...” She looks suspicious. “Who told you to ask me about that?”   “Thank you for your time.” “Even further north?” “This is beginning to sound like a fools errand.” “I'll do it! “Wrong kind of fool.” “We have to explore anyways, and verifying that this knowledge is on the Surface is a legitimate use of our time.” “I agree with Art. We should investigate.” “But first, the rest of the town!” There's a very generic armor shop I skip. You miss nothing.  “Well, here's hoping.” The constant attacks of monsters in Valorim have caused the mayors and leaders to have a constant and edgy expression. The mayor of Scowcroft is no exception. However, he seems pleased to see you. HOLD THE PHONE! Actually, before you think that's an accident, here's the screencap: It seems like Vogel mixed up this NPC's name with his town. Heh. “Greetings.” “I'm Mayor Scowcroft, welcome to you!” “I'm Bronwyn. How are you?” “Oh, I just try to deal with all the monsters as best I can. I haven't been nearly as effective as your group though.” “...” I had to show that just to prove I'm not putting words in his mouth. This is the best Mayor so far, and every time I look at his dialogue, I just grin. “Officially, we've not Exiles, but thanks for that vote of confidence. It's a nice change of pace.” He leans close. “I sure don't want to mess around with you, being as you're famous and brave and all. But I'd love to help you if I could.” “And if you could offer help, even though you can't, what would it entail?” “Be sure to search my bookshelves, and help yourself to anything you find.” He grins conspiratorially. “We'll be sure to do so, thanks.” “No idea what this is, but it won't hurt.” “Oh, hello there.” A wiry man sits cross-legged by the dock, selling tickets. “I'm Terry.” He scratches himself. “You sell tickets?” “I have tickets to Fenris Port, only 10 gold.” “This makes more sense why Levin couldn't get people to make that delivery. If they have to come up here, and couldn't charter a boat to make the run.” “Well, it's not like we took the job. And why bother running back to take it?” “She has a point. Let us simply move on.” “Well, we now have two routes to go.” “Let's follow the river! Rivers come from higher places, right?” “You're learning!”  “Nice to know for later.” “And convenient mountains. We should check them out.” “They're not too the north!” “Mistakes can happen.” “And she was emotional.” “Well, that was easy.” “No one's home?”  Welcome to the House on the Hill! This is central Valorim's 'storage point'. Much like Fort Emergence, we can rest here for free, and store our items indefinitely without them going missing. There's one more such location in the game, but it's much further north. “I can feel power coming from that book.” “I can't understand this. Yet.” I want this bad. It's where you can get Magic Map, but Matthias' 15 Magic Lore isn't enough. Well, he does have 22 Skill points, so I suppose I can spare a few more points for that. Or I can cheat the spell in, and cheat all the town maps in. But where's the fun in that? Let's at least pretend to be legitimate here! “We can leave our stuff here, once Bronwyn changes the locks.” “Working on it!”  “Just give me some time to air out the beds.” “Nice place. Have to keep it.” “But not what we're looking for.”  “Who is there?” “No idea, but we should stick to the road for now.”  “Let's cross this bridge!”  * * *  “You know, I think that the middle of this continent is ... under developed.” “Historically speaking, development first occurs along rivers or other sources of fresh water, then coastlines for the trade. A rough interior like that would be 'filled in' as time goes by, and people search for resources to exploit, or expand due to population pressure.” “Another set of mountains, though I don't think this is a range.”  “And someone lives up here.” “Yes, that's the place!”  “Sign says...” “It says enter, right?” “That's usually how it works.” You meet a pale, thin priest with worn clothes and a worn face. He looks very upset that you've intruded on his solitude. “Pardon me, sir?” “I don't want you here.” “But we'll only be a moment!” And with that, we are teleported out of the map, and back onto the overworld. Let's try that again, shall we? “We're here about a Troglodyte Altar! We were told you could help!” “You forgot this?” “Shut up, and count your blessings that he was so willing to help. We should go.” And that's far easier than getting it in Exile 2, let me tell you.* * *  “Oooh!” “Didn't see any. Maybe next time.”  “At least we have an idea of where that town is, given how many times its cropped up in discussion.” “This is an amazing Bridge! “It is.”* * *  “Onward! But first, making sure both Matthias and I have the strength to cast our new spell.” Which translates to 'I forgot I needed training until I wrote this update, so I'll do that at the start of the next. A lot of levels have been acquired, so there's plenty of skill to go around. See you next time, when we start to deal with the Troglodyte Quest!
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Sep 10, 2016 08:06
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Isn't there another storage space in Lorelei or was that the one you were talking about?berryjon posted:
 I'm sure I never knew this existed. edit: for mage lore, you only need the number of points to be in the entire party, not on one person, so you could just buy a point or two on each person and not use up so many of Matthias' points on it.
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Sep 10, 2016 10:22
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Just two things to mention in this update. The first is that these are specifically Hill Giants the party encountered, which have indeed been exterminated for... I'm not sure how long. At least a century? Something like that. They're not the Cave Giants that the Exiles are accustomed to. (Also, Hill Giants can throw rocks, which hurts a LOT more than you'd think). Second, there's an alternative place you can get Magic Map. From another stone circle. If Art and Company is still going after those.
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Sep 10, 2016 17:23
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LuffyVeggies posted:Second, there's an alternative place you can get Magic Map. From another stone circle. If Art and Company is still going after those. I walked right past the one in Karnold province on my way to deal with the Vampire. 
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Sep 10, 2016 19:01
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GodFish posted:
I'm pretty sure you're supposed to learn about it from an NPC somewhere, who saw someone stashing something in the rock there. But it's not a huge deal to miss out on.
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Sep 10, 2016 19:08
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:I'm pretty sure you're supposed to learn about it from an NPC somewhere, who saw someone stashing something in the rock there. But it's not a huge deal to miss out on. Yeah. You pay the Alchemist in Gidrik, and she tells you what to look for.
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Sep 10, 2016 19:31
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Update 033 – Troglodyte Temple “Training First!” “Yay! “Hey there!” You meet a small girl who's running down the street bouncing a ball. She stops to watch you. “You're adventurers, right?” “On occasion. And you are?” “I'm Kelly. Hi!” “Hi!” She jumps up and down. “Wow! I've never met real adventurers before! I wish I was one! I could look after my daddy.” “Something wrong with your daddy?” “He's the missile guy! He's real worried about all the troglos, and might send me away. I hope he doesn't. I'd miss him.” She thinks. “Catch!” * * * So, training time. I've only got 2300 gold at the moment, so finances are a little tight. I won't spend all my points though. I do do another round of training at the end, so stay tuned. Art just gets 10 more SP at this time. Sass picks up Mage 3, Priest 3, round 10 in Pole Weapons, and 9 more SP. With his middling Intelligence at this point, he's best served as a Buff/Debuff/Status guy, saving damage for his Halberd. Assassination 10 might be overdoing it... Oh, who am I kidding? Just 10 more SP, same as the others. The free Spell Points from the Anama don't quite cover what you need for the Ritual, but its a start. More Spell Points, and enough Mage Lore to put me over what is needed to get Magic Map from the House on the Hill. And once again, more Spell Points. After this, I have 24 gold left, so no more training for me.* * *  “Before we head out to the temple, let's go back to that house. I want one more crack at the book.” “You mean now that I've got some more skill in deciphering such texts?” “I didn't say it.” “Is this the south end of that mountain range with the house, I wonder?” “I don't think so. We're barely north of Sharamik.” “I thought we had established by majority response that the proper pronunciation is Sharimik, not -amik?” “I can say it how I want to!” “Not going to weigh in on this, Art?” “What? No! It's amazing enough that he doesn't slur his esses when talking. I'm not about to push my luck!”    “Hail and well met!” “Hail. One moment, your approach has been noted. Someone will be out to see you.” Oh hell yes. Watch this! “I think we can do that.”  Now, you're probably thinking “400 gold for 100 food? That's stupidly cheap! There's no way to pull a profit.”, and you would be right. It is. Except that we have the Manna spell, and can thus make as much food as we want, with the only cost being the time needed to regenerate the Spell Points used. “So, how much do you need?” “We can take three more loads like that.” “DONE!” And if you come back here after the fourth load of food: “Easiest money I've ever made.” “Are you sure you're not a practising member of the Church of the Divine Lucre?” “Nope. Mother-of-us-all.” “We're here.”  Finally! Time to cheat!  “I feel so much more empowered now that we can see ahead.” “Good, we can try it out at the Troglodyte Temple, wherever that is.”* * *  “Maybe we can ask them?” “They call that stealth?” Behold, the new combat paradigm. Art moves up, casts 'Curse All'. Sass and Bronwyn move up beside her. Delilah moves up, casts 'Bless Party', Ni'aurrl casts 'Slow Group' and Matthias rounds off with 'Major Haste'. The end result is everyone on my side is faster and stronger, while everyone on the other side is slower and worse off. I like this, except it can be a pain to do repeatedly. “Awww... no one said anything.” “Past here, it seems is Troglo territory.”  “See?” “We'll head south to the river, then go east along that until we reach something.” “Something enough?” “Yes, I think a mountain range would be a nice place to start.” “And look, a convenient path up!” “And well travelled too. These are religious icons.” “Lovely.” “No signs of guard.” “Or patrols.”  “Nice fishing!” “Let me map the place with our awesome new spell!” “Oh right. It maps everything, but doesn't mean I can see everything.” “Yeah, but without it, we would have never realized that small hidden chamber to our north exists.” “But how do we get into it? That is the question.” “Isn't this more important?” “Yeah. This is supposed to be a temple. Where is everyone?”  “Perhaps it's one of those things that when not in use, it is left alone?” “Doesn't explain the lack of guards.” “There will probably be something with those pools.” “You know, most of the time, the pools tend to be fairly impartial as to who they work for. It's finding out how they work that's the problem.” “Found the way in!” “Odd that this statue is movable like this. It indicates that this hidden area is known about.” “Hold on, let me set up the Firewalk.” “Where is this passage going?” “I'm glad I'm not claustrophobic.” “And one Shatter later...”  “I cast Light!” All this gear is Steel. Helm, Large Shied, Breastplate, Great Mace, and a couple ornamental rings. In all honestly, they're too heavy to cart around, and not cost effective to do so. I eventually just drop them somewhere for more expensive, less weighty objects. Seriously, I'm already at the point where I only grab rings, potions, wands and scrolls for the cost/weight ratio. Nothing else is worth it. “Where is everyone?” “These aren't the pools we're looking for.” “Nor is this.” “Hold on. We have a map, right?” “Yes?” “Well, that means I can break out the supplementary spell.” “What spell?” “I'm curious too.” “What? You guys never cast Detect Life before?” “But that only works on places you've... seen...”   “There they are. Waiting further in. If we went straight up the middle like fools, they'd flank us.” “So we get to ambush them instead?” “I like that plan.” “I approve of any plan that gives us an advantage.” “This seems like a nice spot.” “Yay!” “More from this way.” “Well, I suppose this is better than them coming all at once from two sides.” “Irregular waves make for poor centralizing of Firestorm though.” “And they... Bronwyn?” “Yeah?” “I'm pretty sure that statue cast a spell. Can you check it out?”  “Well, what do you know.”    “More like a nuisance, really.”  “And that's the last of them. Nice going, team.” “Yay!” “Curious though, this appears to be a proper cairn.” “Is the underscore a working symbol on the Troglo language? And more importantly, why was this written in Imperial Standard in the first place?”  “Well, it's nice knowing that the altar we're here to destroy has already been bloodied. That'll make our job much harder.” “Last one over here.” Yep, buried among all those who gave their lives for the Troglodyte causes, are mothers. Kinda sad when you think about it, but also not without real-world precedent. “Just a dining hall.” “And here on the south side, just sleeping areas.” “And storage.” “These aren't opaque. We can go through them.” “And it'll hurt.” “I'll heal, don't worry.”  “Once my hands stop shaking, I'll take care of that.” “Done!” Random Basilisk Count posted: I hate you. “Let's see what the loot is like back here.” “All junk.” “We'll have to come back later to deal with this last barrier though.” “And another set of cairns, mirroring the ones to the north. Let's see what the stones say.”  “Triple Patrol? Is this something we want to ask Corie about when we get back?” “I think we can skip that question.”  “Previous kings? Wait, how long have they been active? The projected timeline makes no sense, unless kings are ousted through murder.” “Back here is another one...”   “Heroes die but once, while Cowards die a thousand deaths.” “Yeah. Well, that's nice and all, but we still haven't found that altar. There were some passages further back where I killed those magic-tossing statues, so it's probably back there.” “Next stop then.”      “Another straight run up to the altar.” “But there looks to be a secondary altar to the south that may need to be eradicated.” “Two evil things for the price of one!” “Or one could be a distraction while the other is the important one.” “I'd say that the hidden one is more important.” “Agreed.” “How about we deal with the local celebrants first?” “Done.” “Approaching this alter could be problematic.” Oh hey! Remember how the Slime Pits generated Sleep Clouds around them ,and we had to throw a fireball from long range to take them out? Well, this particular altar does the same thing, except with Shock fields. “Before we take this one out, we should check out the other one and secure it.” “Or just check out this other building first.” “A lot of supplies for their rituals. Robes, skulls, candles...” “Not human skulls, thankfully.” “Nice to know there's loot for all our troubles.”  “Isn't it nice when people announce themselves first?”   ] “Awww.. no one is here.” “They were probably downstairs or around the altar up here.”  “Too bad for you, being the cook for the day?”  “Now this is either a trap, or a treasure trove of information.”  “Well, this is interesting.”  Reload. No sense in wasting time or SP on healing when I have multiple altars to destroy. “It's heavilly trapped, and we don't have the time to properly fix that. We should just be going.” “Yeah, you're right. Oh well, maybe another time.” “More Statues. Just as vulnerable.”  “Private Altar for the high priests and mages? No way we should leave this unmolested.” “Ugh.” Ah cripes! Blade Barriers! Blade is the highest class of barrier spell in the game, and it the most powerful – not only because it deals physical damage rather than some flavor of magical. I also realize that I haven't show something off yet, though I should have. Let's do the colossally dumb thing and pray.  Behold! The Game Over screen! First time you'll see this, and also the last. “But no one would be that stupid. Come on, let's regain our strength, then blow this thing up.”   “Uh oh.” “I think we'll just wait here until the Blades wear it down a little.”   “And stay dead!” “I'm more curious as to why it was holding onto Vahnatai weapons.” “A mystery for the ages.” “Well, let's go look at that chest.”  “Not bad.” “Time to blow up the other one!”     “Oh joy. Hordelings.” Eight of them, actually, paired up at the corners around the altar. They're speedbumps for the party at this point. “That's two for two. I thin we can get out of here now.” “And may we never have to come here again.”* * *  “We're back!” “Mentioning the second altar would have been nice.” “Second altar? Oh boy. Let me hear your report.” “Sure, this is how our mission went down...” “Thanks. We'll go talk to Knight now.” “You've done us a good turn, Exile. I'll remember this.”* * *  “Mayor. We have the permission of the other two now.” He nods. “Permission has been attained. Well done.” He gives you a battered leather scroll. “Go speak with the King of the Troglos, and bring proof that you have spoken with him, and the reward will be yours.” “Are you certain you want ... independent contractors like ourselves dealing in diplomacy?” “You won't be. You're just disposable messengers. Nothing more.” “Yeah, we'll see how long that lasts. Oh, question for you.” “I may deign to answer.” “Where's the Dervish? We've met two so far, one in Kirzsan and one on Bigail. Where's the one tasked with investigating the Troglodyte menace?” “I don't know. You may want to check in Lorelei. They don't have the control we have, and thus would need the help.” “... Thanks anyways.”* * *  “Now, to find Castle Troglo.” “But where to start?”
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Sep 13, 2016 00:25
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Never found that second altar either. Gotta say Haakai feel much more dangerous in Exile 3 than in the earlier games.
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Sep 13, 2016 02:21
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GodFish posted:Never found that second altar either. The bigger, bluer sprite does a lot for conveying menace even if statistically they might not be all that different from prior incarnations (I have no idea what the Exile 2 Haakai's stats are).
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Sep 13, 2016 02:39
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GodFish posted:Never found that second altar either. I took one look at the stat block, backed out, closed the door, and waited for the Blade Barriers to take about a third to a half of its health off before charging in. I wish I had Demonslayer but it's only available by cheating it in, as it doesn't appear in the game properly.
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Sep 13, 2016 03:14
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berryjon posted:I took one look at the stat block, backed out, closed the door, and waited for the Blade Barriers to take about a third to a half of its health off before charging in. I wish I had Demonslayer but it's only available by cheating it in, as it doesn't appear in the game properly. Honestly, at the point in the game you come across this specific Haakai, what you did is the only feasible way to defeat it. It's way overpowered for a party just starting on plague 3. I seem to recall reading that in the remake, Demonslayer is available in the final dungeon, but by that point there's not much reason to take it. Finally, you're not even keeping any of that armor for say, Bronwyn to wear?
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Sep 13, 2016 04:24
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Bronwyn is currently sitting on 4 Encumbrance. Dropping major steel equipment on her isn't going to do her any favors, and she's already loosing 1AP every round. I need to improver her Defense, and optimize her equipment to compensate.
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Sep 13, 2016 04:49
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I'm curious -- with the Bless/Curse combination going, how often do you get hit in melee / by mundane ranged attacks? Those are all that armor helps you with, after all, so there's not much point in investing in more heavy armor if you're already not getting hit. Of course, casting Bless/Curse for every fight gets expensive, but still, at some point additional encumbering armor just becomes an unnecessary luxury. I'm used to that happening pretty quickly for singleton parties...but the singleton gets to equip all the best gear, so that's not really surprising!
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Sep 13, 2016 04:52
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Huh. We're actually trying diplomacy? Or does our aspiring lord here look to join the winning side?
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Sep 14, 2016 02:38
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