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Maybe dragons reproduce by parthenogenesis?
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Jan 19, 2017 16:49
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The sad thought is if the father's Motrax. Then again that's a little heartwarming, too.
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Jan 19, 2017 20:27
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Update 048 – Hawke's Mansion and Malloc I'm sorry. No more Map updates. There's too much work for too little gain, and the effort involved it draining energy I could better use to get to the finish line. So, back to the story!  “So, here's the plan. Roughly. We take the amulet back to Fort Emergence, show the crystals, talk to Rentar-Ihrno about this, then come back and do something I've been meaning to do. This last item is a stupid idea, and one I don't really expect to pan out, but I have to try anyways." “You're leaving the horses?” “What is this idea?” “I presume it's going to be something ridiculous.” “I doubt she's going to leave the horses.” “Ridiculous or nor, it I suspect it will be interesting.” “But the Horses!” “Actually, this idea of mine is only going to be the first step. The rest will have to be done later, by other people.” “Look, here's a map. We're between Calloc and Dorngas, and not that far from Lorelei. We can leave the horses safe here, and come back using the teleporter to Lorelei.”  “Don't worry!” “And we're off!”  “Well, here's the crystal evidence.” You give Berra the crystal shards from the caves below the giant fortress. He moves off to test them, then returns. “Well, it's not conclusive, but the Vahnatai are the true masters of magic using crystals. This may have been made by them.” “Tell me something I don't know.” “Not everyone has the same experience that you do with that culture. What is obvious to you requires verifiable evidence for other people. Now get out and report back to Anaximander.” “Anaximander!”  “I don't even know what to say about those things. That the Dragons are putting their vendetta on hold to deal with them is more frightening than anything else. But they're not the only thing you need to deal with.” “And once again, your personal standing with that group will come into play. We need you to go up there, and use that to try and figure out what's up.” “I was already planning on talking to Rentar-Ihrno.” “Then get to it.” But first!   I picked up 8 of them. I would like everyone to VOTE on where they should go – I'll do training at the end of the update so you'll know where everyone is at.  “Now, where is she?” “Perhaps in the quarter protected by a barrier?” “Before we go breaking and entering, let's look around.”  “Hello again. We are looking for Rentar-Ihrno.” “She is around, I know not where.” Not shown: Me wandering around for several minutes to find Rentar-Ihrno. “Alright Matthias, your turn.” “Not much of a defence if it's just one standard barrier.”  “That, on the other hand, is not normal.” It's been pointed out in the thread that each of the three suspects have a secure area in their 'home' that you cannot access through normal means. This is the area for the Vahnatai. “Where is she?”  “You were looking for me, Art-Iktah?” “Thank you.” “A moment, Art-Iktah. Were it anyone else, I would not say this, but you are you. I have no doubt that you will find those responsible. When you do, I will ... trust in your actions. That you will do the right thing by your people and mine.”* * *  “Ah, the lovely Tower. More power for everyone!” “You guys go on ahead, I'm going to talk to a friend.” “Sure. See you later!” “... and that's that. Everything that's happened so far.” “Well, I can tell you one thing that has gone unequivocally right.” “And what would that be, oh mage of mages?” “The spell we placed on you all to allow you to adapt slowly to the sun's energy worked out. The first people up there quickly developed severe sunburn, and were too busy being in agony to be of any use. So we had to develop a new set of spells to protect you all from the sun.” “...” “Really?” “Yep. I'm surprised you didn't figure that out for yourself.” “I've had other things on my mind.” “So you've had.” “It's just... I mean... Any of them...” “I think you would be most comfortable if it were the Dragons doing this. They are the suspects that you are least familiar with. So coming into conflict with them is something you can envision yourself doing without regret.” “If it was Erika... we've known each other for ten years now.” “I dare say that the more important aspect to that relationship is that Erika knows you. If she was doing this, then she would be betraying you personally.” “I wish I knew where Bon-Ihrno is. That way I could talk to someone more diplomatic than Rentar-Ihrno.” “And yet with them, they view you – rightly – as a hero. They trust you in a way that you don't know how to handle. If it is them, you have to wonder – what does that make you, if they would do this, and you are still their hero?”* * * “Hey sir!” “We are not going to summon DEMONS!” “But knowing how also means you know how to recognize the signs and it will help in other means.” “And the Mind Duel spell?” “You would be surprised at how useful it is.”* * * “Alrght, everyone is on the same page?” “I don't have any paper!”  “Right. Teleport back to Lorelei, recover the horses, do your thing, and ... then what?” “I'm thinking we'll need to investigate the Golems as well. We know the Dragons are working on those Alien Beasts.” “That reminds me, Delenn from Golddale wants us to steal that book from here. Should we?” “Identify is useful, but I don't want to risk angering the man who has been so helpful to us.” There's also another reason to steal that book, though I may just save it for a bonus update.    “And now, for my brilliant plan!” “Do we want to know?” “Maybe?” “Then why are we headed for the office of Internal Affairs?” “I wasn't expecting to see you back. I've been hearing good things recently, though it seems you've been dealing with smaller things.” “Just doing cleanup before going north. But for now, there's something more important I need to do. You know who I work for, right?” “Yes.” “You ready to make that official?” He leans back, slightly suspicious. “What do you want?” “I want to buy Hawke's Manse.” “That's 8000 gold.” “Here.” She dumps the money on his desk – imperial currency all. “Why the showmanship?” He hands her an iron key. “You know that once this is all done, someone higher up is going to order it repossessed. You're Exiles!” “It would be rude to confiscate an embassy, don't you think?”   “And that is the plan. Centrally located on the continent, relatively isolated from the locals, and now it's mine.” “You bought a mansion to turn it into an embassy?” “Wouldn't it be more like a consulate?” “There is no way this is going to work out. The Empire wouldn't stand for it.” “What's an embassy?” “It's a building for diplomacy between two sovereign states. And I agree with Bronwyn. This can't work. It's showmanship and grandstanding.” “I will make it work. And the first part is doing this. Because if the Empire sees we're willing to talk, to negotiate, and to co-exist peacefully, even if this one fails, the next one might not.” “That's all well and good, but perhaps we should investigate the premesis first? See what we have?” “I have.” “I wonder who Hawke was?” I swear, if this is something that a certain character from Dragon Age is a reference too, I'd be surprised.  “Let's see what my new house is like. Or at least mine until I hand the keys over to Anaximander.” “Let's see what the floor plan is like.” “Small, but cozy.” “I own this place now!” “Uh huh.” “Look, I got the key, and everything.” You meet the elderly, crabby woman who greeted you when you first entered your house. She's busy dusting. “Hi boss. I'm Majorie.” “Hi Majorie!” “I got to say, I'm not surprised that this place wound up in the hands of ... foreigners.” She straightens up proudly to her full five feet of height. “I'm the caretaker for Hawke's Manse.” “I'm Sass!” “I wasn't told there was already a staff here. I assumed I would have to deal with that, or something like that.” “Actually, I've been paid by the estate. I have to be here. Because of the curse, you see.” “curse. Of course there's a curse. Why wouldn't there be?” “The curse has been in place for many years. Nobody knows who caused it, or what the effects would be. All we know is that, if Hawke's Manse ever doesn't have a caretaker, horrible things would happen.” She looks at you smugly. “So I have to be here. Get used to it.” “So, tell me about the manse.” I had to show that, rather than transcribe it for that last comment. Also, this is the third “Free resting and Item Storage” location in the game – and the last. “So, what happened to Hawke, the previous master?” She shakers her head sadly. “Killed by a giant's rock. In the courtyard. Tragic.” “Very. Listen, I have plans for this place. Nothing illegal, I assure you. But if you ever feel that you can't work here any further, let me or my people know. We'll make sure your severance is good, and we'll make sure you get a good letter of recommendation.” “Oh, we'll see about that. But thank you anyway. In the meantime, why don't you have a look around?” “Thank you.” “Small shrine.” “Target practice?” “Oooh! Books. Let's see what we have here.” “...”   “These need to be bigger. Proper statues are HUGE!”  There's something charming about the line regarding guests. Every time I read it, I get a little smile on my face. “Well, this is interesting.”  “I don't think our caretaker is doing a complete job.”  “Nice room.”  “Changing rooms. Very posh.” “Nice dancing room. Too bad I can't dance.”      “This is a lot of storage space. How much did he need?” “Enough to host parties, I think.” “Nice garden.” I'm missing something here, as I know there's something that needs to happen. Except it turns out that I need to wait for new days to roll around for this series of events to happen. Which caused me no end of stress after failing to find Rentar-Ihrno for far too long. “Well, back to the cruel world outside.”  “It's not that cold!” “Now, let's go get our horses.” “HORSIES!” Some of you may remember that there is a thread hanging where we've been asked to smuggle some drugs into Lorelei. Now, all the obvious ways into town are guarded. Except for this... Just fly over the river!* * * “YAY! Horsies back!”    I really want to avoid Footracer for now. Besides, I can't do anything in there until we deal with the Golem plague. Which means going in a more nor'east direction, rather than north and west. But there are still the towns around the lake to check out. “Small town.” ARGH! Once again, a town that could fit into a small map is shoe-horned into a huge one! WHY?!?!?  Merry Count posted: I think I missed a couple somewhere...  “Books!” “...” “Huh. Hello.” You meet the trainer of Malloc. He's an educated Nephilim, a rarity in the cities of the Empire (or anywhere). He sits patiently and alertly, ready to increase your skills. “I am Mrrr.” “Ni'aurrl. What do you do here?” He purrs. “I am the trainer of Malloc. I don't have many other interests, really.” “No interests? Why is that?” His whiskers twitch. “I have so many other skills to master. Don't really have much time for hobbies." Let's get training! I had to take a break to sell some stuff to finish paying for everything, so don't mind when my gold level jumps up. Art gets Priest 7, which means she can now cast Avatar, the one spell she is perfectly capable of breaking over her knee with how powerful it is. She also picks up more SP. Art is also less than 10 levels from maxing out. I forgot to take a picture of the 'Before' Sass, but he has gotten Priest 5, Mage 5 and more SP. As a support caster, his Intelligence stat doesn't need improvement. I did not forget to take a before picture, but all she got was four points in Luck. For the rest of the game, the rest will go into Edged Weapons and Assassination, though she doesn't need as much of the latter. Matthias picked up Mage 7 (MAJOR BLESSING!) and more Spell points to fuel that. I also spent 1 skill point to bring him up to 50 HP even. Delilah started with 24 skill points, and she purchased Priest 7, 10 SP, and maxed out her Intelligence. And lastly, Ni'aurrl picked up Mage 7, Priest 5, and a couple more SP. Soon, she will be a better Peregrine IV than Peregrine ever was! “No one will ever be more me than me!” “Ugh, need drink.” “Got you covered!” “Leave some for me!” You meet a middle aged woman, deep into her fourth tankard of ale. She looks blearily up at you. “Hello there. And you are?” “I'm Mia.” “And what are you doing here?” “I'm drowning my sorrows. Why shouldn't I?” “And why are you sorrowful?” “In memory of my poor child.” “My poor son, lost fishing on Lake Tomor. His boat went out, and hasn't returned Oh, for something to remember him by.” “Do you not have memories?” “I gave him a silver ring, a family heirloom. Oh, what I would give to have it back again!” “Do you not want your son back?” “The lake doesn't give up her dead, when the gales of November come early.”* * * New day, back to Lorelei and the Manse for the next event!  “Rat extermination? Really?” “Should be easy.” “Well, they're Mung Rats. Which would actually require some effort.”  “GET OUTTA MY HOUSE!” “The rats are dead.” “Oh good. I'm certain something will come up again.”* * *  “So, the plan is to circle around the lake to the north, then aim for Gale. It's the last major city on the continent, and we can get in there to begin to deal with the problems there. Eventually.”  “Well, there is that library in Moon. I think research there might help.” This is actually off the beaten path to the west while I was looking for Dorngas. I'll have to come back later. To get that town. I pass for now. Free skill points are nice, but Delilah is our only archer, and that's a secondary aspect to her build.  “North it is.”  “Hello?” More confirmation of information we already have. “This is a HUGE lake!” “Moon can't be much further.” “No, we haven't.”  “Oh, I can almost smell the books.” “Libraries!” “...”
berryjon fucked around with this message at 03:10 on Feb 14, 2017 |
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Feb 13, 2017 01:55
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You have a missing [/i] shortly after buying Hawke's Manse. I always did love that though. Sure, our band of merry murder hobos can afford to buy a mansion. Why not?
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Feb 13, 2017 02:16
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:You have a missing [/i] shortly after buying Hawke's Manse. Tag fixed. And it's not a mansion. It's an Embassy. Eventually. And don't forget to suggest who should get those knowledge potions.
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Feb 13, 2017 03:02
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I know I've said this before but your characterization of Peregrine IV is awesome. Better than I ever imagined when I suggested him all the way back at the start of the E1 LP. Edit: Give potions to Art.
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Feb 13, 2017 03:03
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Give 'em all to Matthias, have him spend the points on Alchemy.
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Feb 13, 2017 03:07
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Hooray for a mansion! With a rather unusual curse!TooMuchAbstraction posted:Give 'em all to Matthias, have him spend the points on Alchemy. I vote for this, especially if it helps get rid of his constant diseasing by now.
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Feb 13, 2017 03:53
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EponymousMrYar posted:I vote for this, especially if it helps get rid of his constant diseasing by now. Don't worry, I have a plot point to get rid of that! 
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Feb 13, 2017 04:00
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I'm pretty sure you've still missed something in Hawke Embassy, in one of the statues.
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Feb 13, 2017 05:56
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GodFish posted:I'm pretty sure you've still missed something in Hawke Embassy, in one of the statues. berryjon is waiting for the right event.
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Feb 13, 2017 06:03
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:berryjon is waiting for the right event. I didn't even know there was more than the rats, ha. I just searched everything constantly.
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Feb 13, 2017 06:10
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What, are we going to have a town named Strcmp next? I feel like Vogel may have been running out of ideas here. Though I did laugh at it, so...
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Feb 13, 2017 11:54
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Well, Terry Pratchett did name the Ramtop Mountains after the ZX Spectrum variable of the same name, so there's precedent.
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Feb 13, 2017 13:08
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Oh my god I had not noticed the nerdy programming jokes in either work. Definitely drop the map updates if you are not enjoying them Berryjon . Don't know about everyone else but I am here for the plot and characters
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Feb 13, 2017 14:33
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Tax Refund posted:What, are we going to have a town named Strcmp next? I feel like Vogel may have been running out of ideas here. Vogel is very open about having trouble coming up with names for things. Krizsan is his wife's name, if I recall correctly, and many other places and/or characters are named after his friends, LARPer buddies, characters from TV shows (he's pulled this trick at least twice, IIRC), etc. malloc (and its sister town calloc) are both named after memory allocation routines in the C standard library, for those not getting the joke.
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Feb 13, 2017 16:28
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I kind of wonder if the small towns large maps thing is due to a limit on the number of small maps that can exist. I might put the game on my system just to poke at it a little. No votes on the knowledge brews from me. I don't have a good sense of what adds to the character builds any more.
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Feb 13, 2017 21:42
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idhrendur posted:I kind of wonder if the small towns large maps thing is due to a limit on the number of small maps that can exist. I might put the game on my system just to poke at it a little. If you want to look into that, I would suggest using the Blades of Exile editor. It's the same engine, so any limitations are the same there. If that game has a limit to the small-ish maps, then, yes, Exile 3 would have the same limit. I don't see why though.
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Feb 13, 2017 22:10
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I could see page size issues not making it more memory efficient to use small maps as opposed to medium ones, no matter the size of the map you're still using one full page below a certain size so why bother?
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Feb 13, 2017 22:43
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My guess is that Vogel started out intending to make a larger town, but scope changed at some point and he never got around to adding the additional content the town would call for, and it's easier to just leave it as a small town in a big plot of land than it is to transplant to a smaller map. This is especially true if he didn't have good map authoring tools supporting e.g. copy/paste across maps, which wouldn't be surprising to me.
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Feb 13, 2017 23:38
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I can confirm that changing the size of a town in the BoE editor is a right pain, so I can't imagine it'd be any easier in whatever tools he was using before he polished them up for Blades.
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Feb 14, 2017 01:59
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So, is it safe to guess you have to deal with some minor issue each time you come back to the not-yet-an-embassy? Or at least after you've spent a decent chunk of time away.berryjon posted:what does that make if, if they would do this, and you are still their hero? Wasn't sure if the second one was lowercase on purpose. Zagglezig fucked around with this message at 02:28 on Feb 14, 2017 |
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Feb 14, 2017 02:23
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I do like that there's managed to be a little genuine mystery here, at least for a while. You need GM fiat to get any real kinds of mysteries going, anyhow.
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Feb 14, 2017 04:52
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Glazius posted:I do like that there's managed to be a little genuine mystery here, at least for a while. You need GM fiat to get any real kinds of mysteries going, anyhow. Blosk in the first game had a neat 'mystery' that required talking to people, investigating things, even a fight, followed by a badass finish. RL has decided to hit me a few times over the head. Therefore I've played ahead a bit, and gotten another 750 images taken. That's 5-7 updates ready for processing, give or take. I'll keep them coming out as best I can.
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Feb 14, 2017 07:34
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That's cool, don't let it burn you out or take too much time away from real life stuff. And also don't forget there is a B&W world map in the hintbook on Spiderweb's site if you still want to post a huge map at some point.
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Feb 15, 2017 02:02
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Parts Kit posted:That's cool, don't let it burn you out or take too much time away from real life stuff. And also don't forget there is a B&W world map in the hintbook on Spiderweb's site if you still want to post a huge map at some point. Nah, it's a move of necessity that came sooner rather than later. I've had to pack up the computer I play the game on, so I took a couple hours to record a few updates worth of material to cover me in the meantime. As for the map? Spoiler!  For reference, Location #56 is Lorelei. We're only half-way up the continent.
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Feb 15, 2017 07:23
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Even though I wouldn't expect it before spring 2018 at best, I am almost irrationally excited for the reremake of Ruined World even though I still wish that Jeff hadn't chopped the max party size down to four. I'm more excited for that game than I have been for any game in a long time... in fact, I'm more excited for that than I am Breath of the Wild and the Nintendo Switch, and that's an entire new console that comes out in just over two weeks rather than a year or more.
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Feb 16, 2017 00:15
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The next update is several towns worth of talking. It's taking a while to transcribe, sorry to say. In the meantime, have a glimpse into what is in store for Art and her motley crew: 
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Mar 3, 2017 04:39
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Oh dear. That brings back bad memories of sucking, and using the editor to give myself a bunch of shielding crystals.
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Mar 3, 2017 05:29
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Honestly I found the jeweled ones to be more annoying.
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Mar 3, 2017 05:46
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Just all of them. And that place. And arrrrrgh. And again, not being great at the game.
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Mar 3, 2017 07:01
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Tylana posted:Just all of them. And that place. And arrrrrgh. And again, not being great at the game. My backlog of images ends with me standing at the front door to that place. There's a reason why I place the Golems ahead of the Alien Beasts in terms of 'I hate this Quest'. And that place is reasons 1, 2, 3, and 4.
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Mar 3, 2017 07:08
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I will exercise my schadenfreude on that episode then. The weirdest thing I find with the LP though, is I don't think I ever directly bought SP or anything like that. But then my casters would all start with Mage3/Priest3 and as they cap at 7, just had 3 red mages of doom. Who probably had only 2/3s of the intelligence stat.
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Mar 3, 2017 07:24
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Update 049 – Moon, Bremerton, Bengaro, Poulsbo “So, what's the Moon doing here?” “I know I'm going to regret this, but what are you talking about?” “So, the moon is that big thing that floats in the sky at night, right?” “Yes?” “And this place is also called 'Moon'.” “Yes...”  “Does this mean that this is where the Moon goes when it's not in the sky?” :facepalm: “No, Sass. That's not it. Rather, it is tradition in both our cultures to name places for something else? This town is named for the moon, not because it has anything to do with it directly.” “But that's no fun!” “We'll, for a town that apparently has this huge library, it's pretty small.” Generic Repeat of Complaint about Towns on maps that are too big for them. “Everyone knows the drill by now, I hope.” “TO THE TAVERN!” “Hello!” “AHHHHH!!!!!! MONSTER!” “WHERE? Where?” “AAAAAHHHHHhhhhhh.......” “Must have run away from all the noise.” “Hello!” The innkeeper is clearly very nervous. She washes the counter quickly, always watching the door. “I am Lumok. Welcome to my inn.” Her voice is high-pitched and uneven. “I'm Sass! What do you serve here?” “We have a free room for only 10 gold. We have beer for 5, and our specialty bourbon for 15.” “I'll try the bourbon please! I've never had it before!” The bourbon is strong and excellent. As you sip, Lumok says “Would you like some advice, friends?” “If this is about me being a Slithzerikai, we've gotten plenty of advice about that.” “If you're heading north, forget it. People aren't supposed to speak of it, but Valorim has been quarantined. Blackcrag Fortress has been closed off.” “Everyone knows about the Quarantine. But what's this about Blackcrag Fortress?” “Our greatest fort is taken from us. Now we cannot go there when the alien beasts come back.” “But I thought the Alien beasts were...” She looks visibly upset. “The destroyers of the Keep of Tinraya! I will not speak of it. Want to know more? Go to Dorgas?” “And where is Dorgas?” “Southwest.”  “Moon, my arse. Though we are tight on money after Art's little excursion, so no buying real food for now.”  “HEAVEN!”  “Not quite, but it's good to know I'm appreciated.” You meet Moon's librarian. She turns to you and nods in a businesslike way. “I am Cerulian, Exile. Greetings.” She speaks tersely, seemingly nervous and uninterested in talking to you. “Matthias, Tower of Magi, Exile. Thank you for allowing me in.” “I run the library of Moon. I also do item identification, if that's what you need.” “If I may, the library?” She points at the northern doors. “Through there is one of the greatest magical libraries in Valorim. Certain authorized persons can enter.” “I see. And how does one obtain authorization?” “People become authorized by paying a fee, which is used to obtain new tomes and maintain the ones we already have. If you wish to obtain access, it is only 4000 gold.” “I'll have to get back to you on that.”  “Oh, blessed beauty!” “Do be careful, cleaning drool out of books is a pain.”* * *  “I expected more.” “As did I. At least the bourbon was good.” “I can't stand the stuff.” “Well, good thing I took yours then!” “Whatever. So, are we headed to Dorgas yet?” “No, this is the first town that encircles this lake – what ever it is called. We should circle around it, and see what comes of that.”* * *  * * *  * * *  * * *   “You know, that journey seemed a lot longer than it should have.” “Probably because we're on the north side of the lake now.”    “And an Appleton as well.” “This must be Bannerton.” “Bremerton.” “I have been sitting in this saddle for 80 miles. I'll call it what I want to call it.” Repeat of previous complaint goes here.  “...” “No. Too easy.”  “HORSIES!” You meet an older woman, who looks something like an evil grandmother. Her smile is cold, and her skin seems stretched tight over her face. She is surrounded by bits, bridles and other horse riding gear. “I am Craswell.” “Sass!” She graces you with a pinched smile. “I am the horse breeder.” “I saw your sign! I like horses! “Yes. With all the monsters about, a way to move quickly is greatly valued. It is futile, of course, but you could still purchase some of my horses for 750 gold.” “Uh... what's futile?” “Why even attempt to flee them? After all, they are so clearly a judgement!” “Uh....” “They are a punishment for our wicked, magic using ways! The Gods have frowned on us, and this is our punishment. Do you think a mere horse will help you escape the wrath of the almighty?” “Have you, perhaps, heard of the Anama?” “I need an adult” “We believe that magic is a demonic art, and its use will lead you into Hell. I strongly suggest you repent! Otherwise, no horse or spell in the world will save you from your cruel, eternal judgement.” The conversation seems to have taken a dark turn. Just proof that not all the Anama are warm and fuzzy people. “Afternoon.” Despite the niceness of his ship and the quality of his clothes, this man's essential scruffiness cannot help but shine through. He is polishing a small blue crystal. “I am Vargo,” he says in a raspy voice. “Welcome to my shop.” “And what sort of supplies do you offer?” “I run this fine crystal shop here. Feel free to browse.” “Anything practical?” “I have crystals of all sorts for luck, for decoration, and for spell casting. Quite a nice selection, in fact. All of it for purchase at reasonable rates. He grins. “Great business, eh? Definitely a step up from my sailor days.” “You don't looks like the sailor type to me.” He scratches himself cheerfully. “I was quite the wild one when I was younger. The stories I could tell.” “Well, I have time for stories.” He chuckles. “Oh, you don't want to hear the stuff I was up to. Though once, I was up to a bit of larceny with an old dog named Abruzzo. We got a big pile of loot, and he took it all and fled west.” He grins mischievously. “If you ever meet him, mention my name to him. It'll sure give him a start!” Another sidequest for the pile. His prices are also not at all “Reasonable”.  “Hrm, I suppose I should start thinking about that.” “Hello Merry!””Merry Count” posted: “Nice town.” “Scary lady!” “There there, she isn't typical. Maybe something bad happened to her, and she's lashing out?” “That sounds ... reasonable.”* * *   “Ugh. Finding the ring that fisherman had is going to be a pain.” There are also, contrary to my previous statement – no boats in Valorim. They're only in Upper Exile. Not that it would do me much good.  “All the more reason to practice with my Precious!” The lack of a boat, even here, annoys me. Yes, this lake and the two rivers that flow out of it bisect the continent, allowing a shrewd navigator to cut days off their journey, but would it have been difficult to put a boat here and block off the rivers with rocks at some point?  “Curses.” I think I missed a spot or two.* * *    “Hello.” “Hello.” “Goodbye.” “Goodbye.”  “Which way?” “Hrm... We're roughly west of Lorelei, so either Spineridge or Bengaro.” “Bengaro it is.” “Normally, I would say stick to the roads, but this is still a nice view of the inland ocean.” “It's more a large lake.”   “I really want to swim, but I know better than to go alone.”  “I'm pretty sure the Giants have other things they are worried about. Like the Troglodytes.”  “Welcome to Bengaro. Beware of Giants throwing Boulders.” “Thanks.”  “How ... redundant, being out in the open like this.” “Merry.””Merry Count” posted:  This man walks only with great difficulty. It's easy to see why. He has a heavy bandage around his chest and struggles to carry a massive backpack. “Hello there.” He sets down his pack and says “I'm Alonzo. You must be the ... people from down south we've been hearing about.” “You can say the word.” “Rather not. You never know who might take offence.” He opens his pack, revealing racks filled with small, liquid vials. “I am a potion salesman. I'm from Appleton. I only narrowly escaped.” “What happened at Appleton?” He looks at you sadly. “Appleton was a town to the east. I say was. The giants sacked it. It's rubble now. Many died.” He looks down at the bandage. “I only got out with a serious wound.” “When was that? The Giants stopped attacking human settlements weeks ago!” “It was just before then. I don't hold it against you guys.” “But even then, your wound should have healed already!” “A giant's bounder broke four of my ribs. I managed to get to Bengaro, but only with much agony. To make a long story short, now I'm here. Safe, for now. But the trip did me no favors, and I'm looking at months of recovery.” “It's not much.” “But it's better than nothing.” I'd grab some energy potions as this is a caster-heavy group, but I'm still saving up the 4000 to get into the Moon Library.  This man looks like another Empire citizen. A harmless and hard working farmer. Then he walks close to you. He clearly wants to speak with you. “And you are?” “I am Kagan. I'm glad to meet you at last. Had to wait for Alonzo to leave. It was nice, helping him heal like that. He's been staying at my place on occasion. Least I could do.” “It was Ni'aurrl who did that, not I. But I'll pass along the thanks.” “Wait! I know I don't look like it, but I'm an Exile! Unspecified Services! I have information for you!” “Sure. Pull the other one. It has bells on it.” “I and one other were sent to do recon against the Giants, to try and find out what created them. It didn't work out. That's why I have information for you!” “My compatriot and I were trying to sneak into the giants cavern. Unfortunately, our stealth spell didn't hold out.” “We've been through there. Both of them.” “Well, we got caught. My friend was slain. I escaped. But worst of all, we lost Smite.” “Smite.” “Smite is a magical hammer, first retrieved by the First Exile Escape Committee over a decade ago. It fell back into the hands of the Empire during the war, but was recovered shortly after their teleporter imploded. It has the power to slay giants with mighty blows! The Giants took it. But maybe you could regain it!” “And where did you lose it?” “We lost the hammer in the forge. A lava and blacksmith filled cavern near the caves themselves. If you could, retrieving that hammer would be a huge help.” “Was he talking about Smite?” “Yes.” “But didn't we already retrieve that, and leave it in Fort Emergence?” “Yes.” “Should we tell him?” “... Nah.”* * *  There was supposed to be the next point for Hawke's Manse here, but it didn't trigger. I could brute force the end-game here, but I want it to play out normally. And this is north of Lorelei, the actual way you use to bypass all the checkpoints around it. I'll be using this later when I finally do the drug smuggling run. Now, time to find Appleton, and check that out. “Been there, done that.”   “This looks like the work of the Giants.”  “Not a destroyed town.” “And a perfectly ordinary town as well.” “Ordinary enough to have a secret passage on one of the outer walls.” “Maybe the entrance is in the store beside it?” “What is it about us that makes this a good idea?” “Are you still on that?” “It helps me stay awake when it's my shift on watch.”  “Hi Merry!””Merry Count” posted: “Nope. I think we need to go outside the walls for this.”  Huh. There's supposed to be a faint 'door' outline when you pass through a secret passage, but there's none like that here. I wonder why? “Or it could just be a hole for mung rats, and nothing special.” “We should take them out anyway.” “Except it appears that these are mere Vapour Rats. Oh well, same thing in the end.” “That is not a Rat.” “Those are not rats.”  “I can't tell what these bones used to be.” “Then we had better alert the local militia.”  “I like these guys!”  You meet an Empire soldier. Although he wears chain mail, he clearly is not a melee fighter. He is small, old and twisted with pale chalky skin and a cold gaze. “I am Commander Daltrey.” He smiles thinly. “I wish to speak with you, Exiles.” “Great! We can skip the subterfuge. We dealt with some giants trapped in your walls.” “Good. They sneak in far too often, though I suspected we had a couple of refugees for a couple nights now. But as for you, I want to make one thing quite clear.” “I was privileged to practice my craft on many of you during the Exile War.” “Craft?” His face twitches slightly. “I am an interrogator.” “Ornotha Ziggurat.” “Yes. And I was there the day you and those freaks attacked.” “Want to make something of it?” “No. I get answers from prisoners. By whatever means are necessary. What's past is past. I wish to tell you some things I determined from a giant who became my prisoner.” “Let me stop you there. We've already got the Giants and the Troglodytes fighting each other. Is this something so important that it may already be weeks obsolete?” “Yes, Assassin, I think it is. Do you wish to learn?” “Why not?” He chuckles dryly. “The giant held up well under his torments, but twice the size, twice the nerves. He told me that the giants have four tribes, and a huge temple in addition.” “I don't remember running across a temple.” “The temple is in the lower network of the caverns. It has a guarded room filled with some of the loot they have taken as prizes.” “Don't you think this information might be worth a little change? A fifty gold donation, perhaps?” “Here.” I think I'll call it an update here. It's two in the morning for me, and my niece's birthday is tomorrow, so I have things to help out with. Like CAKE! Which none of you will get.
berryjon fucked around with this message at 20:20 on Mar 22, 2017 |
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Mar 3, 2017 10:04
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berryjon posted:
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Mar 3, 2017 12:23
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radintorov posted:Missing portrait. No there isn't.
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Mar 3, 2017 20:01
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I have to wonder about the ceiling height of that secret passage, if giants can regularly sneak in. It looks like a bit of a tight fit for them.berryjon posted:Well, good think I took yours then! Couple more spots where I'm sure there aren't any issues.
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Mar 3, 2017 21:32
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Zagglezig posted:I have to wonder about the ceiling height of that secret passage, if giants can regularly sneak in. It looks like a bit of a tight fit for them. And I fixed the stuff you pointed out, thanks.
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Mar 3, 2017 21:55
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I'm late to the party, but I would also like to register my frustration at that place .
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Mar 3, 2017 21:59
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The way that interrogator talks makes it seem like the giants were refugees from the trog war.
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Mar 4, 2017 13:19
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