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JamieTheD posted:I made you a fanart. I hope it wasn't presumptuous to give Solution a face, as having mine burnt off by a Fyora often offends!  Awesome! I'm adding this portrait to the 2nd post along with the poetry!I've been trying to convince myself that struggling with my decade-old Wacom tablet is worth the sake of some fyora art, but I just haven't quite gotten there.
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Jan 16, 2017 22:37
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POOL IS CLOSED posted:
Yeah, I know where you're coming from, never *did* get the hang of lizards. Although you could no doubt use Monster Hunter's early game enemies as a reference, if you went there. Also, glad you like it!  EDIT: A larger version is Up on my dA. JamieTheD fucked around with this message at 22:48 on Jan 16, 2017 |
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Jan 16, 2017 22:43
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I've missed a fair amount. Anyways, I just wanted to say that the mines was the first location of my original shaper playthrough where I started to appreciate the virtues of a smaller party. It will only get worse  Also, congrats on going Gold, you deserve it.
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Jan 17, 2017 02:26
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mauman posted:I've missed a fair amount. Rollin around with a squad of the tier 3 fire creations is the COOLNESS, especially their upgraded form. Even just 2-3 of those babies can wipe the floor with basically everything.
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Jan 17, 2017 02:45
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Chronische posted:Rollin around with a squad of the tier 3 fire creations is the COOLNESS, especially their upgraded form. Even just 2-3 of those babies can wipe the floor with basically everything. Absolutely agreed. But why bring three when you can have four? (Admittedly I have to chain-chug essence pods if I want to haste frequently but whatever.)
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Jan 17, 2017 04:41
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vdate posted:Absolutely agreed. But why bring three when you can have four? (Admittedly I have to chain-chug essence pods if I want to haste frequently but whatever.) Personally I capped out my int to have as many as I could possibly have. Meant I never really had enough essence for buffs, but man, who needs buffs when you have 5 of those guys hanging around? Not like I wasn't swimming in the various spores by that point in the game, either.
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Jan 17, 2017 07:10
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All caught up again and looking forward to the next adventures, sad that the old crew died but they lived a long and healthy life for as long as they could. Also feel free to use my name for future creations.
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Jan 17, 2017 16:07
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Holy crap - was GreatEvilKing our very first creation? Did a base-level (or level 3, or whatever it was at creation) fyora somehow manage to survive for 33 updates?! Good heavens. They're almost as fragile as artila beyond a certain point in my experience, so that's gotta be some kind of longevity-in-danger achievement. If I weren't so lazy I'd go through the thread and track creation survival times, because I'm genuinely pretty interested in what that chart might look like at the end of the game. Also, while Solution's internal monologue was pretty dismal in the Arena, I can't imagine it's getting any better after the death of her oldest creation.
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Jan 17, 2017 16:56
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GreatEvilKing will return to Solution again someday in new form, it is A Fyora's Purpose.
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Jan 17, 2017 17:15
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I'm continually impressed with the narration and the amount of effort put into this LP. Props!
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Jan 17, 2017 18:27
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Fyoras are pretty good switch-hitters, but yeah, it seems like their time has come. Just too much random damage incoming.
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Jan 17, 2017 18:35
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Thanks, guys! We even hit the funny sex number of votes last night. Well done! I know narrative LPs aren't everyone's thing and the 2nd person perspective is unusual, but I'm really pleasantly surprised by the LP's reception. Geneforge is a really excellent series, though, so it shouldn't be so surprising. I plan to have another update this afternoon. We're popping around a lot between areas -- part of that is because of my metagame plan, and part of that is, I dunno, attention span tax. I want to get us through the last of the content I screenshotted before the holidays, and then we may have a vote about where Solution heads next once we've gotten to a natural stopping point. Vadoc posted:All caught up again and looking forward to the next adventures, sad that the old crew died but they lived a long and healthy life for as long as they could. I'll add you to the list! vdate posted:Holy crap - was GreatEvilKing our very first creation? Did a base-level (or level 3, or whatever it was at creation) fyora somehow manage to survive for 33 updates?! Good heavens. They're almost as fragile as artila beyond a certain point in my experience, so that's gotta be some kind of longevity-in-danger achievement. If I weren't so lazy I'd go through the thread and track creation survival times, because I'm genuinely pretty interested in what that chart might look like at the end of the game. GreatEvilKing was the first named creation, but I think we may have lost a pair of fyoras and one thahd before Solution began naming her creations. I tried checking earlier, but honestly, I hadn't had my coffee yet, and there are limits to what I can do without coffee. Vadoc posted:GreatEvilKing will return to Solution again someday in new form, it is A Fyora's Purpose. I'm gonna remember this post, mark my words. Glazius posted:Fyoras are pretty good switch-hitters, but yeah, it seems like their time has come. Just too much random damage incoming. Believe it or not, we're approaching end-game, so it's miraculous that we've had 4 starter creations last this long.
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Jan 17, 2017 19:12
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Night10194 posted:Our puppies are dead!
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Jan 17, 2017 21:34
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Once this is over Solution is going to become the crazy fyora lady who lives at the edge of town. She'll have north of fifty of them and birds and rodents will evolve a built-in GPS to avoid all anywhere close to where she lives. She always comment that they are all so cute while having tea.
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Jan 17, 2017 22:02
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Everyone watches Fyora Rescue Rangers on the crystal boob tube but Solution will own every piece of merchandise.
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Jan 17, 2017 22:04
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Paying Tuition Last time, Solution returned to the western side of the island. We followed her vlish's perspectives as they shepherded her creations through the ancient crypt. Unfortunately, her team suffered casualties, not the least of whom was GreatEvilKing, her first named creation. Solution wasn't able to make any further headway there due to the complex crystal detonators, so she withdrew her surviving creations, reinforced the team with more terror vlish, and departed for Sholai territory.  You don't want to acknowledge what you've lost, yet you can hardly avoid it. Forgetting GreatEvilKing would be a great disservice to all it did in your service. Now the fyora's essence has been dispersed. You hope that, in some way, the essence of GreatEvilKing and idhrendur have become entangled with your own. After all, you created them from your essence. Even if they didn't return to you, you can hope that somehow, they've imprinted on you in a more tangible way than mere memory. GreatEvilKing and idhrendur have traveled with you since almost the beginning. They were the first creations you named, and among the very first that you ever created. They were imperfect, but so are you. Without them, you are lessened, even though you can create beings stronger than the fyoras ever could have become. Without any means of passing through the mine-infested crypts that claimed GreatEvilKing and Random rear end in a top hat, you turn eastward, back to the Sholai-infested lands.  The guards are still quite active. You're not sure they've realized that you've passed through here yet, though, since the Sholai still haven't fixed the gaps in their patrol. Until we clear this area, we will have to manually cross it.   This time, as soon as you hit the desolate zone, Sholai warriors spot you and immediately charge. You don't know if they were waiting for you or if you've merely found yourself in the wrong place at the wrong time. You don't want to kill these outsiders, but it's you or them.  Besides, they never should have come here. TooMuchAbs proves that it can still protect you by terrorizing the outsiders. As soon as they're struck, the warriors turn tail.  But they can't flee from an artila's acid.  Some of the Sholai have taken to the thorn batons. One falls while trying to reload -- he should have stuck to his sword, like the pair that rush through your creations to attack you.  Your creations don't stand idly by while Sholai try to murder their creator. RickVoid coughs up a gob of acid that leaves the Sholai warrior screaming and clawing at his own skin as his companion dies.  Then he dies, too. With this, Geokinesis achieves its first kill.  As you continue west along the winding road, one of the Sholai who fled before doubles back. Alone, he's no threat. He must know that, but perhaps he can't bear the shame of surviving when all his fellows fell.  You duck off the main road as quickly as you can. If there are any other patrols, let them think their friends were killed by rogues; you'd rather avoid them. Amid the Shaper ruins are more broken statues. The Takers couldn't have traveled this far; time must be to blame. There's also a sign here that reads "Trading Post." You head for the ruins.  Plenty of trash has been heaped up around this small compound. Your experiences so far indicate that there must be tinker serviles about.  Game Text posted:This building is fairly intact. Its contents aren't. Scavenging serviles have filled these rooms with all sorts of trash, scavenged from all this side of the island. This servile has been left worn and ragged by years in this harsh environment but he has made a good effort to remain neat and presentable. He bows humbly to you. "Thank you, Shaper. Thank you for visiting our humble shop. I am Znaf. Welcome. Welcome." "Tell me about your shop," you say. It reminds you of the junkyard -- Proof would certainly envy this pair. "Well, I live here with Flig. We scavenge and find the goods you Shapers generously left behind for us. We repair them and trade them to Sholai and other serviles." Znaf smiles. You wonder if he's with the Obeyers; a Taker would never describe a Shaper as generous, not even in jest. "Tell me about Flig." "She is my bonded, and has been for almost 20 years," he says. "That is a long time for serviles on Sucia Island. Normally, one or the other of us would be dead by now." That seems to be true. The only times serviles have talked about their bonds with you is in the context of one bondmate being dead thanks to rogues... We could demand all his supplies, but he'd refuse, and that's not Solution's style. "There is something else I'd like to know." "Yes?" he asks, attentive as a merchant. "What do you know about the Sholai?" Znaf and his bondmate trade with them, so maybe he can give you some useful intelligence about their activities. "We trade with them. We don't know from where they come or what they do. We just learn a little of their tongue and trade things with them. It is not to serviles to know whether they are good or bad," Znaf says. "Wait. You know their language? Can you teach me?" You could argue about whether or not it's a servile's duty to figure out whether trading with the outsiders is right or wrong, but that's pointless. It's not as though Znaf could have asked anyone, and if he didn't trade, he might very well have been slain instead. "Why, Shaper, that is a wonderful idea. I would love to teach you. And for a small fee, I can do this. I think 1000 coins is fair for my knowledge," he says, eyes gleaming. That Agent who made Dispenser had the wrong idea. She should have put serviles in charge of dispensing enchanted goods. "Nonsense. That's a ridiculous fee for a few hours of your time," you say. "I will pay 500, and not a penny more." You could try forcing him to teach you for free, but you sense that it would be a waste of your time. Znaf is a reasonable servile. He expected you to haggle, and he agrees to your price. Znaf is a skilled teacher, and very bright for a servile. He has picked up a lot from his dealings with the Sholai. He spends several hours helping you expand your vocabulary and improve your syntax. (Your knowledge of the Sholai tongue improves.) When the lesson ends, you ask, almost as an afterthought, "Can I trade with you?"  If you're running out of merchants to bleed dry of coin, take heart: Znaf has a nice chunk of change!  You've just set foot in the workshop when you meet a small, unwashed servile female. Many rusty tools hang from her belt. She seems a bit more comfortable with devices and machines than living things. Still, she knows enough to show respect to a Shaper. "Welcome to workshop, Shaper. I am Flig. Tinker Flig." "You are a tinker all the way out here?" you ask. "This is where all the stuff is. South, near the villages, everything good is picked away. Up here is where all the good scavenging is. Get the goods, take south to sell. Works well," Flig says. "What do you think of the Awakened and the Obeyers and so on?" "We don't. We respect Shapers. They make the great goods we repair. So Shapers are great. That's all we think about it." You laugh; Flig looks puzzled, but says nothing. She's not as canny as her partner. "What do you know about the outsiders?" you ask. "The Sholai? They trade with us. Don't hurt us. Kill most rogues. So they're fine to us. We don't know what they are or what they want, but they make lives happier," she says. So the serviles out here see them as benefactors, almost. At least more harmful than helpful. You suspect you won't get any direct aid from this pair against the Sholai in the region. You hope Znaf and Flig don't inform on you instead. A change of subject might be well-advised. "Isn't it dangerous out here?" "Sometimes Znaf and I feel sick, but we're here for a long time, and sires and grandsires before us. We get used to sickness over many years. Or, at least, takes longer to kill us than did before." Interesting, if sad. "Where does the sickness come from?" you ask. Maybe you can figure out the source of the contamination and do something to stop it. You doubt it's reversible. "Don't know, but have guess," Flig says. "Old Shaper workshop west of here, not far, called South Workshop filled with things. Slimes. Worst there, much choking and gasping. Even we don't scavenge there." When you first experienced the poisoned wastes, you suspected Shaper wastes that were badly stored. Later, the evidence suggested the poisons predate the Shapers who settled on Sucia Island, but now you've circled back to the old Shapers once again. You make a note to find South Workshop. You hope it isn't as bad as Flig describes. "What is the worst thing threatening you now?" She frowns. "Sholai not all helpful. They make battle beta and gets wounded and runs off. It's hiding near here. They leave it be, and it scares us. Chases me and Znaf. One day it might kill us." She looks cagey. "If you kill it, we have something to offer in trade. Good thing. It north of here, in glade. Look careful for hidden path. It take you there. Kill beta, and we help you." As usual, it's another errand. A murder-errand. "I'll look into it," you say. You're less interested in Flig's "good thing" than in a guarantee that the serviles won't mention you to the Sholai. Helping this pair out might create just enough goodwill between you that you won't have to worry about running headlong into another Sholai patrol for a while. "Can I trade with you?" you ask. "Oh, I don't do business. Znaf does business. I fix. I know much about fixing. He trades." She smiles. It's an efficient division of labor. You wonder if her ancestors were also tinkers. "Tell me about Znaf." "He is my bonded. We here many years together. We raise children. Some live, and go south to trade there. Happy here, though sometimes there is choking and fear." Znaf is very matter of fact about the situation up here. It's almost unnerving. "Can you teach me about mechanics?" you ask. "Ah. Znaf tell me this might happen. He says my knowledge is valuable. He says I should charge 2000 coins for training. No less." You try to haggle with her, but Flig is bargain-proof. Her bondmate told her to charge 2000 coins, and 2000 coins is all she'll agree to. Eventually, you surrender. "Expensive, but fair." You count out the coins and pile them up on the nearby bench. Flig isn't good at working with others or making herself understood, but her skill is great. You watch what she does closely, and her example is very instructional. After an hour of this, you feel you know more about machinery and traps. At the end of the lesson, Flig says, "There. Now, excuse me, Shaper. I must rest." You certainly know more than when you started, but you sense that Flig can still teach you more. Besides, you are festooned with coins, enough that you could probably make a robe, tunic, and bridal train with all the money you've collected. You work out a deal with Znaf to stay for several days and study under Flig.  During the week, you stay in a small, one-room ruin nearby. Most of the time, you stay indoors. You have to take extra care that the Sholai don't suspect your presence. Being cooped up drives your creations stir-crazy, even the vlish, who otherwise have such a level of calmness that it's almost alien.  That first night, you're certain the Sholai will discover you while they ransack the road and ruins in search of whoever or whatever killed their patrol. You move between several hiding places to avoid discovery, since you can't be sure the Sholai won't check your temporary accommodations. The next morning, you step out into the cold and warm yourself by the bonfire. The piles of trash look even messier than when you first saw them the day before.  Flig has maintained the nearby essence pools, so you make use of them to boost your strength. You weren't able to rest while the Sholai conducted their search.  Though it's risky, you also take the time to explore. The dead woods are riddled with footpaths, and the Sholai never enter them, not even to see if any murderers hide there.  It's probably because the Sholai already know about the murder cult tucked away back here. Too bad Znaf and Flig didn't think to warn you... or the murder cultists.   These cultists seem to be of a kind with those you wiped out by Kazg. No one will miss them. You check the tome they left behind. Game Text posted:This book is filled with deranged servile rantings. These crazed, rogue creations believe that the Shapers are their evil oppressors and that, even stranger, a course of meditation and self-denial can help them gain magical powers. The game doesn't have a script here to check if you've already been to the Shrine or not.  Game Text posted:When you get close to the altar, there is a flash of light. Your skin starts to burn. You quickly cast cure to neutralize the acid before it can do much besides peel your skin. It feels like a very bad sunburn, but it could've been worse. How did the serviles manage to imbue the altar with this much magical power? Unfortunately, you don't know anything about de-consecrating altars, so you leave it alone. Without anyone here to maintain it, the altar will probably revert to an inert hunk of furniture eventually.  You also explore the northern paths. There must have been more structures here long ago, judging by some of the surviving mosaics and pillars. What this place was used for is anyone's guess.  Your luck isn't always the best. Sometimes, a scout detects you during your wanderings, and you're forced to silence them permanently.    Solution has killed enough patrolling Sholai that we can now freely pass this zone. Since we haven't done anything to the Patrolled Dell, though, pacifying the Winding Road is not that useful yet. Eventually, the Sholai seem to pull back from this area. They haven't found you yet, but it's only a matter of time before they figure out what's going on. Flig doesn't get better at teaching, but you get better at understanding what she's trying to say. By the time you're through, your load is several pounds lighter and you are confident that Sucia Island doesn't have many traps that you can't handle. That means you can return to the crypts and conquer them... and in some small way, avenge your fallen creations. Your comrades. You never do find that battle beta.   When you make your way back through the dell, you find an ambush awaiting you at the haunted pylons. It's a strange thing to think, but you're glad the ambushers are ghosts, not Sholai. The ghosts don't hold you back for long.   You're sweating when you return to the ancient crypt. The crystal you fatefully triggered during your last visit, the one which activated the sleeping turret that you and your creations missed during the initial sweep for hostiles, has reset in your absence. You pull on the tinker's gloves and go to work. Deactivating the mines is stressful work. With the benefit of Flig's lessons, you now understand how the crystals work, but that doesn't mean this is easy. The crystals are tied to spore mines in addition to the reaper turrets. Fortunately, your creations killed most, if not all of the reaper turrets last time, leaving only their thorns behind. But the spore mines are a big enough problem on their own. These are large and healthy, and they don't care if they blow up you or any other being. Moreover, the crystal detonators aren't simply tied to the nearest spore mines. The trapmaker was much more cunning than that. Some of the spore mines are several paces away, often significantly closer to other crystal detonators. If you trigger one detonator and move on thinking that you can just clear a different path, you'll almost certainly find a nasty surprise waiting for you.  You take the opportunity to investigate the sarcophagi and the pylons that your creations couldn't check on your behalf. Some of these ancients were buried with interesting articles. Game Text posted:This pylon is carved with many intricate inscriptions and drawings. You think the designs are sketches of the figures buried here when they were alive, and of the funerals of the deceased. The pylons are much the same as what you've seen before, but since you've uncovered a few secrets by examining them, you check every pylon you come across.  Some turrets remain. You're not entirely sure if they were replaced or if your creations didn't actually destroy all of them the first time. This one is in such a conspicuous place that you can't believe that TooMuchAbs didn't see it crushed. Still, you make it through mostly unscathed.   The finely-built tunnel at the far end of the crypts leads you to a dreary new landscape.  A massive, old cryodrayk lumbers towards you. It seems perfectly comfortable in the chill of these hills. It doesn't look like it is going to attack you. For now. It says, "Ah, another Shaper has returned. Another Shaper to deal with besides Goettsch. I need to speak with you now. You are in great danger here." Goettsch! You're excited by this even as you're repulsed by dealing with yet another horrifying drayk creature. You force yourself to focus on what the monster is saying. "What sort of danger am I in?" "Well, even now, my drayk servants have begun to hunt you. When they find your scent, they will relentlessly slay you." The cryodrayk seems to think this is all very reasonable. You don't feel the same way. "Why have they turned on me?" you ask, unable to contain your disbelief. You haven't offended Syros, and you've never even met this creature, so why would drayks turn on a Shaper? "Because the other Shaper, Goettsch, was here before you. When he fled into these hills, he met me. He soon saw that I would not obey him. So he bought my alliance. I have commanded my drayks to destroy you. But, because I still feel some gratitude to the Shapers for my creation, I will give you this warning. Leave now, and you will be safe." Goettsch asked this thing to hunt you? Not only that, but even a full Shaper couldn't command a drayk's obedience? You take a deep breath and exhale through your nose. As long as the drayk is talking, you're probably safe. Unless it's just trying to distract you while its servants stalk you. "What Shaper created you?" you ask. "It was long ago and not important. His name was Defniel. He left the island and left me here. Alone." The cryodrayk's words still ring with an old hurt, but you don't care very much about its betrayed feelings right now. As far as you're concerned, that's ancient history. You have much more pressing concerns to investigate, anyway. It's just that you don't want to seem too eager -- drayks don't seem very trustworthy. "Goettsch bought your help? How?" "My kind, as created by you, has a certain lust for money. You Shapers tried to breed it out of us, but to no avail. Goettsch offered me gold and jewels, stolen from the Sholai. And I accepted." "Can I, perhaps, buy safe passage from you?" Rhakkus grins. "You Shapers are not as proud as I remember you being. Such crass trade with a mere creation? I am amused. Still, I owe Goettsch no great loyalty. If you give me 2500 coins, I will instruct my servants to be, shall we say, less aggressive in chasing you." Rhakkus doesn't actually introduce himself during the dialogue, which is unusual. If we accept Rhakkus' deal, we fork over 2,500 coins: "Rhakkus eagerly takes the money. 'Excellent. I will instruct my drayks to let you pass.'" To hell with that, though. All that happens is the cryodrayks don't patrol the zone. If you run into them while you explore Drayk's Vale, they're still hostile. Less aggressive? That's not good enough. For that sum, you could learn even more about machinery from Flig. "How can I get that much money?" You just can't believe that price. "Well," the drayk replies, adopting an oily tone, "you could trade with me. I am, as always, eager to enlarge my hoard, and to dispose of items of no interest to me." "I would like to trade with you."  Rhakkus doesn't offer anything special. He's mostly here to fob off your vendor trash on, especially jewels. If you plan on killing him, wait til you've cleared out his stash of coin. "Tell me about Goettsch," you say. "I met him over a month ago. He was fleeing up into these hills, escaping the Sholai, leaving traps and creations behind him." You've run into a fair number of both obstacles on the western half of the island. Those must have been Goettsch's defenses. He probably won't be pleased with your bumbling. "Once he saw that l was a free creature, a rogue, in your terms, he spoke with me fairly. Then he continued on." Then Goettsch didn't want to waste his resources or risk himself dealing with drayks any more than you do. "Where is Goettsch now?" "He is to the west, in the temple, the largest building in these ruins. He is on the other side of the ruins of a city. If you see him, you may be able to talk with him. He seemed a rational soul," the drayk says. That's a relief, though it's hard to know what qualifies as rational to a drayk. You haven't forgotten Syros, after all. "What do you know about these ruins?" If you're to make your way to Goettsch, knowing more about the lay of the land can't hurt. If you'd anticipated the challenges at the ancient crypt, things could've turned out differently... "When the Shapers were here, when I was created, these ruins were already ancient and already infested with ghosts. The Shapers had just begun to explore them and try to learn their secrets when this island was Barred." You're too anxious to continue interrogating the drayk and instead break off the conversation abruptly and, to be honest, rather rudely. The drayk doesn't seem to care; if it does, it's merely entertained by your fear. We can tell Rhakkus to do his worst, but he just rolls his eyes at us and returns to his den. He doesn't go hostile.  You scout westward, but you can't shake the sensation that something's watching you very intently. Game Text posted:This large obelisk used to have numerous inscriptions on it. They have all been worn away. It also used to have something set in the stone at the tip. It has been pried out, probably with a knife. The nerves are too much for you. Perhaps it's because you just completed a tense, multiple hour session of minesweeping on the way here. You backtrack to friendlier lands.  Ellhrah's Keep hasn't changed since your last visit. After you unload some of the fruits of your labor, you approach Ellhrah again. "Have you had a change of heart, by chance, and slain Control Four?" he asks. You shake your head. "I would gladly help you, but time is short, and there is great danger on this isle. Every day of delay costs servile lives. Accept me in your number now, before it is too late." Ellhrah thinks long about your words. "It is difficult to trust a Shaper. We know too well how your kind feels about us. Still, there is truth in what you say. Leave me now and think about what you are saying. Then, if you wish, you may join the Awakened." You take the servile leader at his word and find a place to rest in the unoccupied part of the fort. It's a little cold, but every Shaper has enough magic to take care of such a trivial thing. Titty baby curls up at your feet and you dream long and restlessly of fyoras hunting something unseen in the fields of Pentil. No matter how hard you try, you can't find the hidden danger they're trying to protect you from. You wake up feeling drained, but a servile guard has come to lead you back to Ellhrah. "I still wish to join the Awakened," you say without further preamble. Ellhrah walks over to you and puts his hand on your shoulder. "Shaper, do you swear on the honor of our people to support servile dignity, peace, and independence, and, if need be, to fight to bring those ends about?" "I do so swear," you say. Your lie will never be recorded in any history book, but you feel a twinge of conscience. You don't like to deceive people, and serviles are now, for better or worse, people to you. You're not even sure what you're fighting for now besides the truth. When you think of it that way, all your efforts appear selfish. Looking for the truth for its own sake reeks of vanity. But you're not sure what else you can do. "Then, from this day forward, we count you among our number. When you are confused about what path to follow, come to me, and I will share my wisdom with you." He removes a gold key and a bronze key from his pocket and hands them to you. "These keys will give you the run of our fortress. There are many useful supplies here for you. Thank you again, Shaper. This is the greatest day in the short history of our sect. We have convinced our first Shaper." The gold key actually doesn't unlock all the chests in the southwestern storage tunnel, and we've gotten almost all the important stuff anyway. We've already gotten the cure, fyora, and firebolt canisters, as well as the mind nutrients, girdle of nimbleness, and the discipline wand. The remaining loot is a nice sum of coins and some gems. Ellhrah is triumphant, even though you didn't take care of the control mind for him. You, however, can only muster a sickly approximation of a smile. He must notice, but if he interprets it as anything other than a response to his "convincing," you'll never know. "I want to discuss which path I should follow on this isle," you say. "Now that you are Awakened, I hope that you will avail yourself of my wisdom whenever you can. If you learn anything interesting, come and speak with me, and perhaps I will be able to aid you," Ellhrah replies. Your dialogue options here are basically the same as they are with Clois and Rydell. Once again, we're too high level to get any benefit from completing these little quests. "There is a man named Trajkov on this island. He comes from over the sea, and he is trying to utilize some sort of Shaper power. He lives in the research warrens to the northeast," you tell him. There's so much more to say, but the Awakened can hardly do anything about the outsider situation but hunker down. "This is a great concern. It is bad enough that the Shapers wield the powers that they do. A rogue, insane human wielding your power could be incredibly dangerous. Learn all about this strange power that you can," he says. "The Shapers left a powerful secret on this island. It's called the Geneforge. It can make whoever uses it incredibly powerful." You don't even want to get into the madness about scrolls and gene-editing. "Really?" Ellhrah's eyes light up. "How very interesting. See if you can find out where it is and who controls it. This might be usable to further the cause of the Awakened." You should have expected this kind of response from the Awakened. They are the weakest servile sect by far. They control some of the best land, but the depredations and manipulations by the Obeyers, and the madness and blindness of the Takers, have left the Awakened trapped, feeble, and desperate. "Trajkov holds the Geneforge, which can make one of my kind incredibly powerful. However, he can't use it." He needs you. "But perhaps you can. I have thought on this, Shaper, and I have an idea." Ellhrah seems pleased with himself. "When you return to your people and they learn of us, I have no delusions. They will rise up and crush us utterly. But there may be a way out. If you return though, and are powerful enough, you may be able to provide a significant argument for leaving us alone. Power comes through strength. If you make them feel that our cause is strong, they may let us be. "Go to the northeastern warrens. Use the Geneforge. Take the power into yourself. Then, maybe, we will be strong enough to claim our independence." You're disappointed to hear might makes right from Ellhrah's lips. You shouldn't be, but you are anyway. This isn't the wisdom you still secretly hope to hear. You need to hear it from someone. Anyone. You promise Ellhrah you’ll do your best. The northeastern warrens are almost certainly within your reach now; it's just a question of whether you'll need to cut a path through all the Sholai guarding them, or if you can get back on the path that Trajkov wanted cleared for you.  Swan still lingers in the meeting chambers. He greets you as soon as he notices you. "Can you teach me?" you ask. He's no doubt aware that you're now one of his allies. Swan teaches you for several hours, sharing many useful secrets for fighting rogue creations. It is a humbling experience. You had never realized how stupid and clumsy your Shaper creations could be. The serviles here have grown quite adept at hunting them. At the end of the session, you are tired and sweating, but you know much more about combat. "Can you teach me more?" you pant. "I'm afraid not," Swan replies. "I have taught you all I know." It's probably more the case that he's taught you all he thinks there's time for. You've already spent a week studying machines, and more time wandering the north country and harassing Sholai. Joining the Awakened gives you access to a one-time training session with Swan. It's free! And it totals 6 skill increases, as you can see in the screenshot. That's pretty dang good. These skills aren't the most useful for a Shaper, especially not one with Solution's build, but quick action helps everyone and you never know when your Shaper will need to stick someone. The merchants are much happier to see you on your way out. "Greetings, fellow Awakened. It is an honor to meet one who is both a Shaper and a fellow believer. May I interest you in my wares? I will give you a very good deal." Their prices are significantly lower now, so I clear out the few useful bits and bobs on offer - spores and living tools - and then it's time to go. Before you leave, you talk to Ellhrah one last time. "There is someone in your employ named Ting," you tell him. "I believe she is a spy for the Takers." He nods. "I suspected as much. Thank you for your confirmation." He calls in a guard and whispers in his ear for a minute. He leaves quickly. "The Takers have made no secret of the fact that they want me dead. I can't tolerate their followers until they are peaceful to us."   Game Text posted:You return to the village of Vakkiri. The serviles here seem much more pleased to see you than they did the last time you were here. The Awakened are much more welcoming of you than the Obeyers of Pentil ever were. Each servile greets you as you pass. It's awkward.  You stop to talk to Clakkit. "Talk you more," he says. "Me talk. Me know." "What sort of things do you know?" you ask. "Servile nervous. You do thing make think you want servile be slave not free." "What sort of crimes have we committed?" you ask. If the Vakkiri Awakened are nervous, they're putting on an excellent show. You wonder if Clakkit knows what he's talking about. Maybe it's because you abandoned your alliance of convenience with the Obeyers. "Servile worship you almost. Dangerous how much servile like you. They think you hero," he says. "But," he shrugs, "no new rumor."  You visit with Sencia next. "I have found the spy. It is Nabb," you tell her. "I knew it. And, no doubt, he has fled town by now. Thank you for letting me know. Ellhrah will appreciate your aid." She reaches up and places a hand upon your shoulder. "In the name of the Awakened, I thank you. We will remember this." So much for fair pay for fair work. Then again, you did sit on this knowledge for weeks after Nabb outed himself as a spy. You can't get worked up about the lack of a reward given your own duplicity. While you're in the traveling mood, you cross through Pentil. No one stops you; the serviles remain respectful. Maybe they haven't yet learned that you've abandoned the Obeyers... It's hard to say. You decide not to push the issue. You do have a target, though: the lone servile holed up in East Pentil. Sorkin gives you the same suspicious look as he did when you first met him. "I am Awakened, like you," he says at last. News travels far faster than you can. The Obeyers must know, then. "Aren't you worried about being out here? Won't the Obeyers harm you?" "More than they usually hurt us? More than they hurt us by keeping our village small and hungry? No. Rydell knows I am here, and he treats me like a diplomat and an envoy. He knows that we have common enemies in the outsider humans and the rogue creations." "Why are you here?" "I deal with Rydell on behalf of Ellhrah. We and the Obeyers have common enemies, in the Takers and the other threats. I am also here to gather information, both about Pentil and the outsiders." "What have you learned about Pentil?" you ask. "For once, its strength and wealth have been challenged. Its position in the middle of the island has enabled it to be surrounded by rogues. Though we feel bad about it, we feel that there is a certain amount of justice in their plight," Sorkin says. It's a fair strategic assessment from what you can tell. "What are the outsiders?" "They are humans. They are from far away, over the sea, we think. They landed on Sucia Island some time ago. They live to the east. Their language, dress, and manners are unfamiliar to us, though progress has been made on the language. We do not know what they are doing here, but we have our suspicions." He doesn't seem to know anything you don't. You press onward anyway, seeking the slightest chance that something useful might slip out. "What do you suspect?" "They arrive and, not long after, the island is crawling with hostile monsters. Are they linked? I have little doubt. The question is, how? Are the outsiders making the things? Or is the island itself creating them as a defense?" Sorkin's second theory is terrifying, and thankfully doesn't seem to be the case. If this spy knows anything interesting, he's not sharing it with you. You switch to another subject of interest. "What do you know about their language?" Uncharacteristically, Sorkin grins. "I am afraid, Shaper, that I have engaged in a little bit of espionage. I have made the acquaintance of Learned Jaffee, inside the town. And I found out that he had made some progress learning their language. So, when I knew that he would be away, I snuck into his home and read his notes. He'd learned some of the language. Simple words. Pronunciations. Not enough by itself, but if you learned more, you might be able to converse with outsiders." Sorkin spends several hours explaining what he has learned of the outsider language to you. It is very strange and foreign sounding, but you make some progress towards being able to converse in a very simple way. (You have had a lesson in the outsider language.) The game doesn’t check to see if you’ve already learned from Jaffee, but this lesson also doesn’t help you if you’ve already learned about the Sholai language from him. Same as the situation with Toivo and the spy outside Kazg. It's mostly a rehash of what you already learned from Jaffee, but the extra practice is useful. "Have you learned anything of what is east of here? Like where I might find a boat?" you ask. You've located one potential escape, but it looks hopeless. "I am sorry. No. There are two bridges over the river to the east. That is all I know." Next time: Bonus Ghost Hot Tub
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Jan 17, 2017 22:45
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Bonus Ghost Hot Tub Another time, in the Valley of the Wind, a different Solution makes a different choice.  Game Text posted:The pool looks very warm and welcoming. The steam smells sweet and refreshing. It would be very easy to slip into ii for a few minutes of relaxation. You're gonna use that pool. Game Text posted:You slip out of your armor, first checking to make sure you are safe from immediate attack. Then you get into the pool. 
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Jan 17, 2017 22:55
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Does Solution have total Sholai language comprehension at this point? Or, at least, as much as its possible to gain? I seem to recall that it's three lessons to gain "mastery."
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Jan 18, 2017 00:02
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PurpleXVI posted:Does Solution have total Sholai language comprehension at this point? Or, at least, as much as its possible to gain? I seem to recall that it's three lessons to gain "mastery." I don't believe we get any benefit (aside from exp gain if the PC is of an appropriate level) once we obtain 3 unique sources of tutelage, so everything is gravy at this point.
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Jan 18, 2017 00:03
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Dang. Fighting through all those drayks isn't going to be easy.
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Jan 18, 2017 00:16
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Perhaps by the time Vogel gets around to remaking the Geneforge series we will already have our own roamers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tf7IEVTDjng
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Jan 18, 2017 00:56
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When you put it that way, I suppose we already have servant minds. They basically are immobile databases with limited access to automated facilities management functions.
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Jan 18, 2017 01:46
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POOL IS CLOSED posted:
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Jan 18, 2017 16:34
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Xander77 posted:Also, I understand that you can now access the worst ending by stealing a boat and just sailing away? Will you be saving all the endings for a final post, or showing them off as we gain access? At this point, it's probably just barely possible to maybe cross that zone, so I won't be showing an attempt until later, probably in a wrap-up post.
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Jan 18, 2017 16:50
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Yeah you -could- do it but the guards are past crazy nasty and well into hella nasty.POOL IS CLOSED posted:When you put it that way, I suppose we already have servant minds. They basically are immobile databases with limited access to automated facilities management functions. 
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Jan 18, 2017 17:11
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Whoever added googly eyes to that ambulatory robot arm is the hero science deserves.
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Jan 18, 2017 17:44
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The Secret (It's Not Positivity) Rhakkus will seek you out every time you enter Drayk's Vale to give you his spiel. Unless he's dead, that is. You return to the drayk's wasteland. As you walk south, you realize that the terrible paranoia you suffered from on your last trip here wasn't entirely unwarranted. Shades keep silent vigil in nooks and crannies in the rock. You don't need to see their eyes to know that they're watching you.  These creatures are not stealthy. Brush and bones crunch beneath them. You hear the drayk's servants before you see them. Either they're unskillful or they wish to terrorize you. Your creations kill the first cryodrayk before it reaches your front line. Then Geokinesis turns on the second...  It falls. The third and fourth cryodrayks don't get to show their snouts before you; the terror vlish destroy them.  Even arrogant drayks are not immune to fear.   The cryodrayks are strong, but unless they organize before attacking you, they can't overcome your creations. One cryodrayk spews a gob of bluish energy at RickVoid. Frost races over the artila's skin. The attack looks like a significantly more powerful ice lance, much like what some of your crystals are enchanted to mimic.   The last cryodrayk flees after the artilas cover it in acid. You hear its pained hisses whisper through the canyons, but you're not going to chase after the beast. You don't know your way around this area, and you don't want to throw yourself headlong into an ambush. Instead, you pause to investigate another pylon. Game Text posted:This large obelisk used to have numerous inscriptions on it. They have all been worn away by years of wind and weather. There is also a stone set into the tip. You inspect it more closely. It's a gemstone! For now, you regretfully leave the treasure behind. You can't be too sure who -- or what -- is watching, and there's still at least two cryodrayks out here.  Another drayk passes by north of you. After a taste of vlish terror and artila acid, it retreats.   There's a tunnel bored into the southern canyon wall. The rugs laid out in its mouth catch your eye and draw you in.  The resident even has their own storage cellar.  You meet an old, hunched over, servile hermit. Despite his age and physical weakness, he has a strange, authoritative aura around him. You have to remind yourself that you are dealing with a creation here, not an equal. With difficulty, the hermit stands up straight when you enter. "I am Halm. Welcome to my cave." If we had a token of alliance with the Takers, Halm would not deal with us. "What are you doing out here?" you ask. This canyon is far from the servile societies to the south and deeply embedded in rogue territory. "I prefer to live alone. To think. To give advice when advice is sought. I used to live close to the cities. No longer. Their sects have gone mad. Each sect began with a grain of wisdom. But that grain has, in each case, been blown away by the winds of rigidity and fanaticism." "Why did you move?" "The rogues. The warfare, servile versus servile. The outsiders. The madness. I had to leave," Halm says. "To come up here was dangerous. Though the shades of these ruins did not, for some reason, attack me, it was a terrifying journey. Now that I am here, I will remain until sanity returns." You don't think you could remain sane with the shades watching you for very long. You might decide to disperse them... but that probably doesn't matter to Halm. The serviles are almost irrelevant at this point, but perhaps Halm has some useful insights. "What do you think of the Awakened?" "They want equality from the Shapers. But the Shapers will never give it. They are questing for the impossible." You must agree, but you can't say so, not to a servile. "What about the Obeyers?" "They worship you as Gods. But you are not Gods. There is no truth to this path." "And the Takers?" you ask. "They wish war. War is not necessary. They throw in with your enemies. This path will only get them destroyed," he replies. Unless you can convince Gnorrel otherwise... you know this prediction is also true. And you doubt you have the power to turn her and the rest of the Takers from their course. "I have another question," you say. "What else would you like to know?" You marvel at how calm and resonant this small servile's voice is. You clear your throat. "What can you tell me about these ruins?" "They are very old. But I am sure you know that. They are full of capricious ghosts, who may attack outsiders. That much is clear as well," Halm says. "To the west, you will find the core of the ruined city. There are many living chambers, and shops, and an enormous temple." The temple seems to loom in the local imagination. "What do you know about the temple?" "There is another Shaper here. I don't know anything about him but his name. Goettsch. I have never been there. Too dangerous. Too many shades." It's hard not to wince. Your latest battles with shades have been quite costly. Still, it seems you don't have much of a choice if you want to find another Shaper. It's sounding less and less, though, like you need to rescue him from hiding, and more like you only need to let him know about the existence of a boat. Maybe he can clear the path where you cannot. "Do you know that drayk?" "Rhakkus. We are cordial. I was able to convince him that I was no threat. He respects my wisdom and I respect his age." You're not sure if that's an oblique insult. "You are strangely confident for a servile," you say. "Perhaps. Perhaps I am. I have spent my life learning how to best communicate, to convince others of my point of view and my good intentions. I have, in the past, shared my rhetorical gifts with others. Convincing others of things is a skill. It can be learned." "Would you teach me your secrets?" you ask. He nods. "I can. I can teach you, for a donation. Give me 2000 coins, and I will tell you some of what I know." "You're a hermit," you say. "What would you do with all that money?" "I would use it. Turbulent times are coming. We serviles will need to interact with others. We will need to trade. When that time comes, I will use your donation to better the lot of my kind." "I'll consider your offer." Two thousand coins is a lot, and at this point, you're confident in your ability to persuade and even intimidate. You've learned a great deal about how to handle independent, rogue creations in ways that don't require magical fire and acid. So the benefit of racing to this area without joining the Takers is that Halm can teach you Leadership. One point per 2,000 coins, and you can buy points multiple times as long as your money holds out. We have long since passed the point where more leadership is useful, though.  On your way out, you encounter another cryodrayk. This one has violated the sanctuary of Halm's cave to track you down. You take care of it.   You follow the canyon west, past a pylon without a gem, and find another hunting drayk.  After it falls, you investigate the nearby pylon. It too has a large emerald.  Game Text posted:This looks like the entrance to another ruined crypt. There are inscriptions on many of the walls, all written in the lost language of the extinct natives.  The interior is littered with remains in various states of decay. The arms and armor of challengers have been left among the limbs and bones out of laziness or to signal that the master of this place is not to be trifled with. As you head north, Rhakkus clears his throat. "Stop, Shaper. I will not tolerate outsiders approaching my hoard." This is where the generic cryodrayks would be chilling if we had bribed Rhakkus. You shrug and leave. By now, Rhakkus must know that you've killed dozens of his hunters. Seriously, Solution has killed a lot of cryodrayks. They don't match up well against terror vlish.   The canyon narrows as it heads north, then widens to reveal still another pylon. South of this fifth and final pylon is a glade tucked in the middle of the massive rock formations. The trees here barely provide any shade from the sun.   You return south to rest, then head north and west, past the drayk's vale and into the ruined city Halm described. Game Text posted:You stride into a ruined city. By Shaper standards, it is a small thing, several rows of buildings hewn out of the walls of this mountain. However, it is very impressive work from ancients whom you had thought, likely as not, were savages. This isn't an idle warning. If you take anything from the huts, ghostly witnesses will turn hostile. Nothing is marked as "not yours."   You enter one of the simple homes and kneel to examine an intact plate. You turn it over, which proves to be a mistake. Something howls outside -- it seems your simple curiosity has been mistaken for an act of theft. You rally your creations to your defense.   These ghosts are much stronger than their counterparts to the south. Perhaps this city is the heart of their power, or maybe these ghosts are just newer by comparison, and haven't lost as much of themselves to time. In the furthest chamber, you find something interesting. Game Text posted:There is a pool of beautiful, crystalline water here. The water sparkles brightly, despite the lack of light in this dark chamber. The water is strangely clear of muck and algae. Looking at it makes you feel very thirsty. You've already drunk the better part of your water, and this pool doesn't seem tainted like the other pools you've found in the northern wastes. Besides, the last time you risked a ghostly pool, it actually turned out to be quite nice. Game Text posted:You drink several long swallows of the clear water. The pool is, of course, enchanted, and the magic is beneficial. You feel energized. The people who lived here must have had skilled magicians, to have created magic which lasted this long. This is a nice little healing spot and it doesn't murder you if you've already pissed off the shades.  You find what must be the entrance to the temple. There's no sign of recent habitation -- this must not be where Goettsch has holed up.  Game Text posted:You step inside an ancient temple. It's a massive structure, huge halls carved out of solid stone. It's very imposing, even to you. Game Text posted:There is a pillar along the pathway into the temple. There are carvings on it, depicting crude, humanoid figures, all in a long line, touching the pillar as they walk into the temple. You touch the bare spot, like you have many times before. Game Text posted:When you rub the worn area, you feel a sharp stinging sensation all over your body. You jerk your hand away. For some reason, the obelisk rejected you. This pylon must be related to all the other pylons that have stung you. The design is very familiar at this point. You shake yourself in an attempt to be rid of the intense pins and needles feeling, but it doesn't help. Eventually, the sensation ebbs away.  Game Text posted:The magical notes are denser here, and chairs were set up so that it could be inspected closely. You look at it all, but it still doesn't make sense. You think back to the ruins where you saw fyora art by fyoras. It doesn't make sense. Nothing makes sense. For now you leave rather than risk whatever surprise is in store for anyone who crosses the glowing runes. One thing is clear: the ancients here had potent magic. You need to think on this a little longer. Clearly it's all tied to the pylons you've seen. The ancients had some sort of pilgrimage rite, you think, that required paying their respects at pylons. You've visited many of them, and they've almost all been up here at the wastes. In fact, the pylons depicting figures touching them were all wasteland pylons.  Outside, you find the ruins of what must have been a tavern or communal dining area. Some of the pitchers are even intact.   You also find a large patrol of powerful creations -- battle betas, terror vlish, and even a battle gamma. This will not be an easy fight.  A second hostile vlish approaches from the south and targets Geokinesis. Fortunately, Geokinesis resists the rogue's psychic pressure. Two battle betas flank it while your other creations concentrate fire on a third, crippling it.   This is one of the largest scale battles you've fought so far, with at least seven betas or gammas and two hostile vlish. The only times you've been pitted against more foes were when you assaulted the ghost gate and when you stumbled into the standing stone circle near Kazg.   You focus on thinning the attackers out by using your vlish to terrorize them. Lack of focused fire means enemies aren't falling before they can hurt your creations, but if some of the betas and vlish flee, then you can focus more on those who remain. Meanwhile, the ghosts of the waste flit through the battle, ignoring both sides.   Even as you direct your vlish to scare off the betas, the rogue vlish are trying to do the same with your forces. Geokinesis, who has taken the brunt of the betas' attacks, breaks and tries to flee.  You break out a bag of healing spores to restore your creations and keep Geokinesis from dying when it withdraws. Then you cast a speed spell on your team. Meanwhile, your artilas and TooMuchAbs turn their attention on the rogue vlish.   The terror tactics yield fruit. The battle betas flee, and the new focus on the rogue vlish fells one. The battle gamma tries to pull back now that more of your creations are free to repel it.   You focus on reinforcing your creations, though there's only so much you can do to maintain their morale while the last terror vlish tries to chase them off. The battle gamma falls, but your creations can't resist the vlish. Placid saviour and RickVoid both fall prey to the rogue, scattering to the winds before cowering. You're left with TooMuchAbs, Talow, and titty baby.  At last, it finally dies. You head south into another ruin before the battle betas can gather their senses and come after you. Fortunately, your own creations have already recovered their wits.  There's a chest in here. You wait until the coast is clear before you open it, but... once again, there's a howl from outside. A wastes ghost races in to confront you.  You withdraw deeper into the ruin. Game Text posted:There is a shade in the corner of this cell, held still by ghostly shackles on its wrists and ankles. "What are you doing here?" you ask. The ghost either doesn't understand or can't respond intelligibly. "Aaaaahhh! Aaaaahhhh!" It's cruel to shackle someone even into the afterlife. Game Text posted:Realizing that your weapon would scare the shade, you look around and find a rock. You move towards the shade carefully. It holds out the shackles, and you swing the rock through them. Hell yeah, a point of luck! Freeing this phantom seems to piss everyone off, though.   You nearly die when you head south to engage another wailing ghost. It reaches into your chest when you draw too near and you feel just for a moment the agony and horror of a stopped heart.   Your creations step in and destroy the ghost, then lead the assault against those waiting outside of the ruins. You heal yourself in the wake of that near death experience.   But with those ghosts out of the way, you seem to have the full run of this dead city.  Maybe. Game Text posted:As you walk along this pathway, the things around you seem to change. They seem newer, as if they hadn't been exposed to millennia of weather, but they also look waxy, strange, unreal.   The strange witch spirit is quickly torn asunder by your trio of vlish. Something brilliant and green glints on the ground where she hovered -- it's a large, flawless emerald, much like those on the pylons east of the city.  In addition to the emerald, the witch has quite a lot of pods and spores. It's our first time picking up restoration spores, which are basically the ultimate one-use healing item. There's also a steel dagger among the spores, but that's a case of too little, too late.  Our magic shaping is so buff. The only thing left to do in these ruins is pass the runes and enter the heart of the temple, but you need to figure out what the pylon there requires of you first. Solution could cross the runes, of course, but she'd take massive damage. It's not worth it when there's another way. So you return to the drayk's vale and head north instead.   Battle alphas are one of the most difficult and powerful creations. They are massive slabs of muscle, with dedicated (if tiny) brains. This creature has clearly been given a series of instructions, which he is carrying out now. He lumbers up to you and says, "You in home of Goettsch now. Goettsch say he see and talk with you. You follow me. Stay close. Other creatures here kill you quick." The creature turns to walk off. "Tell me about Goettsch?" you try. You've got a really bad feeling about this. "I take you to Goettsch now. He tell you all about Goettsch. You follow me." The gamma turns around again. "Uh, lead on. I will follow," you say. "Yes. You follow me. You not follow, and guards kill you. Follow now." The battle gamma strides off faster than you can manage. Not that you even make an effort. Instead, you immediately turn around and leave.  Back in the drayk's vale, you return to the emerald pylons. First of all, you're almost flat broke thanks to your lessons with Flig. If you want to bribe your way through future encounters with rogues like Rhakkus, you'll need more money. The ghosts out here almost certainly won't like it, but they're dead and don't need any drat jewels. Game Text posted:It is easy. You take your weapon, knock the huge gemstone out of its setting, and pocket it.   The quiet shades pour noiselessly out of the cliffs. They're powerful, and soon, they have numbers on their side.    But even the dead know fear, and more importantly, they aren't proof against any of your weapons, magical or mundane.   Titty baby fights to the last. You grit your teeth; the poor fyora was far outmatched, and now goes to join GreatEvilKing, for whom it was shaped as a companion.  Geokinesis flees as its wounds mount.   But the last three ghosts fall one by one. You heal yourself and the survivors before taking care of the rest of the jeweled pillars. No more ghosts attack -- you've banished them all.  Then you visit the ritual pylon. Game Text posted:You rub the worn area. You don't feel anything special. This is the message you should receive when you rub the correct pylon in the correct order. First, we start in Drayk's Vale.  Another ritual pylon is tucked all the way at the end of a dull, undecorated corridor in the ancient crypts. You rub it.  You proceed to Diarazad. This pylon is tucked away in a curve of the canyon. You rub this one, too.  While you're in Diarazad, you unlock the lever using the tricks Flig taught you. The door slides open, revealing a pile of ghosts thirsty for blood.   This greeting party wasn't ready to be met with equal enthusiasm, though.  When the last of the ghosts is dispatched to their final reward, you walk into the corridor. Guardian statues stare out of the alcoves. You don't think you want to meet with whatever protectors are further inside this so-called Diarazad.  You return to the junkyard and drop off more Shaper equipment, then return to the mineral-covered pylon across the valley. You rub the spot and nothing happens. Maybe you really weren't meant to be stung all those other times... or maybe you're just doing it wrong now.  A few more clawbugs cross your path in the dry wastes, but they hardly qualify as a hardship now. You return to the pylon in the breeched chamber and rub the bare spot.  Then you do the same with the pylon in the western wastes. You're gradually tracing a circuit through these lands that mimics the rise of the sun in the east and its circuit to sunset in the west. Yup, we're going clockwise on the world map, folks.  Then you return to the valley of the wind where the ghost gates cost you so much. The out of the way pylon here seems as inert as the others now.  No ghosts get in your way when you come back to the dead city. You step into the temple once more. Game Text posted:You rub the worn area. You feel a warm, blessed sensation. You also feel a strange, almost overpowering desire to enter the temple. This message indicates success. So here's the rundown: going clockwise on the map, start with the pylon in Drayk's Vale > Ancient Crypt > Diarazad > Junkyard > Dry Wastes > Western Wastes > Valley of the Wind > then the ultimate pylon is in Spirit's City. The messages for pylons touched in the correct order are that you don't feel anything. If you get the stung message, you hosed up, so go reset at the Spirit's City and try again. Don't feel bad if you didn't figure this puzzle out; there's really no reason to "get" it, because there really aren't any clues in game about what order you should touch the pylons in, nor is there any list of where they're all located. You get one Shaper diary that touches on the mystery, but that's it. This is just an easter egg for nerds. What you're about to see is never mentioned again in the entire series.  Without the blessing from the ritual pilgrimage, they would have flared up and burned the poo poo out of the party.  Game Text posted:You enter the temple. You feel very cold and alone, and very unwelcome. Shadowy eyes watch you carefully from the darkness, waiting for a misstep, so that they might devour you.  You meet yet another ancient ghost. It surprises you in two ways. First, it doesn't attack you. Second, it begins to speak, and you understand it! It speaks your tongue perfectly clearly. Perhaps some magic is at work. "Hello, visitor. I welcome you, as long as you bring peace and do not go where you are not bidden. Have you found the secret yet?" "What secret?" you ask. As far as you're concerned, the means of entering this temple safely are the real secret. The shade points at the northeast passage. "There. You may go there. Only there. There is the secret. When you have seen the secret, return." A brief, un-screencapped interlude where I mistake cardinal directions and go into the wrong hallway, all the ghosts scream, and the party is swiftly blown into gory chunks.  Game Text posted:You immediately recognize the main feature of this plain room. It's a tiny stone platform, in the northeast corner. It is very bare, very rough, very old, but its purpose it still clear.  "Now we will speak further," the priest spirit says. "I will discuss the secret." "Are you the ancestors of my people?" you ask. Your voice is low and filled with awe by what you've found here. "Yes. That is the secret. You performed the rituals, and you entered, and I share with you what has been shared with no other." "What happened to you?" These people, your predecessors, were long gone before the Shapers came to this island. Before the Shapers returned to this island. "We had magic. Our people, we had magic. We did all we could with it. Then we used it to discover things. We looked deep below the earth and beyond the sun. And then we looked within. We looked deep within ourselves, our bodies." "And what did you see there?" "You know. You know the secret. You know how to use magic to rebuild life. It all started in here, in this temple. We turned it from a place of worship to a place of work," the priest says. "We worked on warping life, remaking it, reshaping it for our purposes. And thus this building was the seed of our doom." That last chills you. Doom doesn't sound like a frivolous word when it's pronounced by a ghost who might well be one of your direct ancestors. "Doom? How?" "We used the power as a weapon. And as a bludgeon. We were not careful. Not precise. Our magicians randomly warped our enemies. Twisted their parts, destroyed their organs. Made them fall." You shudder at what the ghostly priest describes. Such methods are forbidden... And now you know that this proscription came not from careful consideration, but from direct observation of the outcome. "We tried to form an empire against the savages around us, starting here. But the random way we attacked changed things. Created horrible creatures, stronger than what we attacked. Made diseases." "And then?" you prompt the ghost. "Most of us died. The rest fled this place, fled these green lands, which became infected, dusty wastes. Taking with us our secrets and our wisdom. We went to the mainland. And then, I would guess, we became you. There, the story ends." You become silent for a while, contemplating the priest's words. This is the last place you expected to find answers to the question of what is killing Sucia Island. So it wasn't the Shapers of two hundred years ago who set off the desertification. You're sure they didn't help the situation, but they didn't cause it. Your people's predecessors did, and in so doing, gave birth to the first restrictions on the magic of Shaping. Uncontrolled Shaping yields monstrous results -- this isn't hypothetical, but simply the truth, which you can see all around you. Sucia Island is the embodiment of the cautionary tales of what can happen with unrestricted Shaping. Finally, you say, "I have another question." "Now we will speak further," the spirit says. "I will discuss the secret." "If our people are the same, can you get the ghosts to stop attacking me?" you ask. "Not ghosts. Some of our kind, with magic and knowledge of Shaping, they adopted that form, striving for long life. I was one such. OnIy I maintained my thoughts. All the rest became mindless, haunted beings, waiting for the release of death. The mercy. I cannot control them. Nobody can. They have no minds to control anymore." You blanch. All the things you thought were ghosts -- alive? Near immortal? They aren't so different from the shade-creations in the High Defense Holding Cells. At least you granted them mercy of a kind... "My people were here for a while, researching. Did they ever contact you?" "No, but had they stayed longer, they would have. And I would have spoken with them. But they were too distracted. So they never came." That seems like the true tragedy. Perhaps if the Shapers of two centuries ago had been confronted by the consequences of recklessness, this might not have come about. "There are enemies of our people on this island. Will you help me?" "I have little mind left, only enough to tell stories and to defend this sacred place. That is all I can do. I cannot even understand what you just said." Your heart drops a little at that. All this power, all this wisdom, and the longevity that these people Shaped into themselves resulted in little more than a curse. You leave without straying into the other corridors. They are not for you, and, at least for now, you will try to respect these spirits' efforts to preserve the secrets and dignity of your predecessors. But even they deserve the mercy of rest. You think you will try to return before you leave Sucia Island.  Next time: ???
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Jan 18, 2017 19:08
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 A vote! I've reached the end of the material I screencapped before the holidays. We've got some choices to make. As always, help me out by bolding your vote. First: our party is down to only two species, not counting Solution. That means we can have a new creation type. Our available options are: Battle Alphas, Glaahks, Cryoas, Pyroroamers, Searing Artilas, and Plated Bugs. Pick one and only one. Second: we need to decide where Solution will go next. Pick your top two options. A. Track down Goettsch. To do this, we'll start in The Sentinels zone, not in The Great Temple. For reasons. B. Slay drayks. We've tolerated Syros and Rhakkus long enough.  There will be blood!C. Join the Takers. They're the last sect we've yet to screw over by taking all their poo poo and flouncing. They have something that will let us pass peacefully through most of Sholai territory. D. Solve the crescent stone mystery. We unlocked the path in Diarazad. We can attempt a suicide run of one of the most difficult zones in the game. E. The Power Station. We avoided it last time, but you know, loot and canisters might be hidden in there! F. South Workshop. The serviles on the Winding Road mentioned that the place is poisoning its surroundings. Perhaps we can do something positive for the innocent beings on Sucia Island. Alternatively, it probably has some useful poo poo that will be worth Solution's while. (Or the whole party suffocates in an oxygen-insufficient closed environment, whatever.) G. The Guarded Docks. If you want me to suffer, I can try to get us the first available ending, but even success will be an awful bloodbath.
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Jan 18, 2017 19:21
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Huh. I had been thinking to myself that the natives had perhaps been the predecessors of the serviles, not the shapers. Maybe they still were, considering. Let's see some Glaahks, slay the Drayks, and track down Goettsch!
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Jan 18, 2017 19:34
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POOL IS CLOSED posted:First: our party is down to only two species, not counting Solution. That means we can have a new creation type. Our available options are: Battle Alphas, Glaahks, Cryoas, Pyroroamers, Searing Artilas, and Plated Bugs. Pick one and only one. Is there any information, either linked back in the thread or not yet disclosed, that would assist in making a wiser decision here? As for itinerary, FA. As much as I think that gently caress a drayk, the named ones aren't really to be trifled with. Unless we're about to get too high level to benefit from it or something.
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Jan 18, 2017 19:49
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This is essentially a blind decision -- don't worry, I won't be more crippled by the choice of any of the listed creations than I was by having base fyoras. Any of these creatures will be an improvement. However, the battle alphas and plated bugs belong to Solution's weakest Shaping skill, battle shaping. Glaahks and searing artilas belong to her strongest skill, magic shaping. Solution is fairly decent at fire shaping, so cryoas will probably be decent and also provide access to an unusual damage type, ice. Searing artilas are stronger versions of the base artilas we've had for most of the game and do the same damage type.
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Jan 18, 2017 20:04
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Platebugs, F. South Workshop and B. Slay drayks. Claw bugs are bad in a lot of ways, but nothing tops drayks for worst conceived shaper beast.
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Jan 18, 2017 20:06
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POOL IS CLOSED posted:This is essentially a blind decision -- don't worry, I won't be more crippled by the choice of any of the listed creations than I was by having base fyoras. Any of these creatures will be an improvement. Then cryoas, so Solution can have a more perfect form of dinofriend 
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Jan 18, 2017 20:16
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Glaahks. I want to know more about them, and they seem neat.
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Jan 18, 2017 21:37
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Cryoas, A, and... F. edit: changed my mind. Let's see if Solution can fix the fuckups of prior Shapers. The Tomb of Horrors can come later.
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Jan 18, 2017 21:47
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Glaahks D. Solve the crescent stone mystery. E. The Power Station.
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Jan 18, 2017 21:53
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D. Solve the crescent stone mystery Also, assuming you had the power to NOT be blown into chunks by walking down the wrong corridors in the temple, do they contain anything useful? Canisters or the like?
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Jan 18, 2017 22:08
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PurpleXVI posted:Also, assuming you had the power to NOT be blown into chunks by walking down the wrong corridors in the temple, do they contain anything useful? Canisters or the like? Canisters are very solidly "modern" compared to the spirit temple, and no other living beings besides us have entered it since... probably since all the "survivors" of our predecessor civilization went totally necromantic. It's not a very profitable place to loot, not when compared to the challenge of its protectors. e. like for real, if you check out some of the dialogue in the screenshots where i reloaded, you'll probably see triple digits of damage.
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Jan 18, 2017 22:25
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Cryoas. It's only right.
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Jan 18, 2017 22:47
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| # ? May 10, 2024 00:08 |
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Glaahk, Takers, Crescent Stone
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Jan 18, 2017 23:00
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