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Parts Kit
Jun 9, 2006

durr
i have a hole in my head
durr
Are the Rakshasa vulnerable to Ravage Spirit? I remember from the previous games they counted as demons for Demonslayer's extra damage, but then again they have magic immunity.

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berryjon
May 30, 2011

I have an invasion to go to.

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

Are you going to rob the Anama? What about the towns of Sharimik or Gale?

Yes, maybe, maybe.

Parts Kit posted:

Are the Rakshasa vulnerable to Ravage Spirit? I remember from the previous games they counted as demons for Demonslayer's extra damage, but then again they have magic immunity.

Not in this game. I checked back in Erox, but the game just tells you that your target isn't a demon. :sigh:

TooMuchAbstraction
Oct 14, 2012

I spent four years making
Waves of Steel
Hell yes I'm going to turn my avatar into an ad for it.
Fun Shoe
Oh, incidentally -- Anama Rings, whether counterfeit or real, give you a bonus saving throw against various magical effects, including slowing. They're easily worth the purchase price for that reason alone.

GodFish
Oct 10, 2012

We're your first, last, and only line of defense. We live in secret. We exist in shadow.

And we dress in black.

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

Oh, incidentally -- Anama Rings, whether counterfeit or real, give you a bonus saving throw against various magical effects, including slowing. They're easily worth the purchase price for that reason alone.

There are a couple places with nice spells that won't let you in if you have the rings though, real or fake.

JustJeff88
Jan 15, 2008

I AM
CONSISTENTLY
ANNOYING
...
JUST TERRIBLE


THIS BADGE OF SHAME IS WORTH 0.45 DOUBLE DRAGON ADVANCES

:dogout:
of SA-Mart forever

berryjon posted:

It's a long weekend up here in the great white north. I'd have another one or two done today, but I'm being dragged off to the swimming pool with my family, and then I go back to work bright and early tomorrow morning.

Queen Victoria would want you to spend her day involved with saving empires; she was big on those.

She was also notoriously hydrophobic.

LuffyVeggies
Mar 11, 2016

TooMuchAbstraction posted:

Oh, incidentally -- Anama Rings, whether counterfeit or real, give you a bonus saving throw against various magical effects, including slowing. They're easily worth the purchase price for that reason alone.

I believe I already mentioned this in a much earlier update. But I also said I wasn't sure if it was true.

TooMuchAbstraction
Oct 14, 2012

I spent four years making
Waves of Steel
Hell yes I'm going to turn my avatar into an ad for it.
Fun Shoe

LuffyVeggies posted:

I believe I already mentioned this in a much earlier update. But I also said I wasn't sure if it was true.

Aha, sorry for forgetting. In my defense, it's been a long time. But yes, it's definitely true; spells like Slow/Curse are usually irresistable, but if you have Anama rings, then sometimes you'll resist them. My gut feeling says it's a 25% or 33% resist rate; not a game changer, but quite nice when it happens, because debuffs in this game are so debilitating.

berryjon
May 30, 2011

I have an invasion to go to.
Update 66 – Blackcrag Fortress




"So, is this the last town before the Fortress?"

"Yes. We should stop by and see if there is any news, or perhaps last-minute supplies.”

“I agree.”

“As do I.”

“To the town!”




“This isn't good.”



“I can hear them.”

“Yeah. Alien Beasts.”

“Right, switching out my sword then.”




During this fight, I encounter the 'leader' version of the Alien Beasts. May I present:



A major wrecker of a party, with a skill of 36 (meaning you need at least 16 Defence or equivalent to even think about having a chance to not get hurt) and the ability (on paper) to one-shot anyone with less than 130 HP.



“That's all of them.”

“This entire town has been savaged, hasn't it?”

“Which speaks volumes on how well the Empire can project force into Valorim.”




“Ugh.”



“Yeah, that's just a sigh of how far down this place has gone.”




“Nothing in here.”



“I don't think anything is here.”







“That was depressing.”

“Very.”



“Might as well keep going north.”



“What is this?”



THERE IS A WHOLE ARMY HERE??”




“Hail!”



“I remember you, Ma'am.”

“I don't recall you. My apologies.”

“That's alright. You do good work, and I was only an initiate at the time.”

“Now is not the time for a class reunion!”




“And this must be the back entrance to the Fortress.”

“Let's try the front first though.”




“Almost there.”




“Worried?”




“I just keep telling myself that the Spire was worse.”




“Let's do this.”




“Seriously?”

“Yes. Now, leave.”

“mgrgr”

* * *



“Ah, this is the northern most reach of the wall around Footracer.”

:ssj:

“Let's keep walking away from Blackcrag for a bit to let her cool off.”



' “Nice, using that Mesa as an anchor point on the corner.”



“Wait! Do you hear that?”



“Hey Art, wanna kill some Alien Beasts?”




:black101:

“Let's head back.”

* * *




“Yeah, that's bigger than the Castle.”



Just to give you an idea of the terrain at the north side of Valorim – that's Blackcrag at the end of the road, and we're standing one tile north of that event. The fortress is so big you can see it around the curvature of the earth.



“Might as well.”



“Oooh. This looks interesting.”



If you haven't purchased permission to be here, you'll have to fight your way through the first part of this dungeon.




“Well, it's obvious who these people are.”

“The Unblinking Eye!”




“We were told that we could use the inn.”



I don't remember seeing any other Orge Mages or Nephar in this game. These two generic NPCs might be the only examples of them in the game!

The man walking about the room seems unfriendly in the extreme, much like everyone else. However, he is at least willing to talk to you. “You may call me Velasquez,” he says. “It's not my real name, but for you it will do.”

“Hello. Don't get many visitors up here, do you?”

“Most people who come here are in the Guild, or the foolish. You here is only allowed due to the exceptional circumstances. We were expecting you. Just follow the rules, and everyone will be happy. Room's 50 gold. Drink for 25.”

“Let's start with the important stuff. Drink!

You pay an excessive amount of money for the bitter, oily whisky that makes your eyes water. “You drink well,” he says. You can sell me your loot if you wish.”

I unload a lot of my spare stuff. Only about 5k worth though.

“And the Rules?”

“Don't talk to people. Don't pick things up. Don't go where you aren't wanted. Go to Blackcrag or Leave.”

“And how to we get to Blackcrag?”

“The passage to Blackcrag is north of the inn. Before you go, there's a button hidden in my office. Press it once to make it possible to get through. Now go.”

“We'll be leaving. Thanks for the drink.”

“My stomach is still on fire!”




“Press the button.”

“Yay!”



“Yeah, let's not.”




“At least these people are considerate of needs of the continent.”




“Well, I'm glad we're not thieves. Therefore we're not troublemakers.”



Did you know you can use Piercing Crystals on locked doors? I used three of them here to get through, as I don't really need them any more. I only wanted them for the Tower of Zkal, and from here on to the end game, I won't be in that situation again.



“We might have to stock up on those again. A good excuse to get back to Shayder.”



“Looks easy enough.”

“Except for that last room.”




If you haven't pressed that button in the Inn, the bridge will give way as you cross over it, killing you all.




“Remember when these were a threat?” :flame:




“Because of course there would be a Doomguard at the last point.”



My brilliant plan to contain the Doom guard to prevent it from splitting! Except it was walk through Fire Barriers.



So I deal with it like this.




“There we go.”



“This could go wrong in so many ways.”



“But it hasn't!”



“I suspect that this passage was a appropriated Siege hole for the Fortress. Nice to know.”



“Oh gods! You're actually here!”

“Hello.”

You are welcomed to mighty Blackcrag Fortress by a small, mousy man. Probably a valet. He seems terrified of you. “I am Seymore.” He adds nonverbally, “Don't hit me.”

“This is an odd place for someone to be. Why are you here?”

He shifts his weight nervously from foot to foot. “I was, well, left to wait here and give you a message.”

“Well, that's nice of you. What is the Message?”

“I was told to stay here and to tell you that Empress Prazac herself wishes to meet you.”

“Well, that explains a lot. The Empress has contact with the Guild.”

“She is the leader of the whole Empire! She need not consort with criminals!”

“And where do we go to meet her?”

“She's in the throne room. You can get to it to the south. Though you'll have to do some looking to find the way. Just be careful.”

“Why?”

He fidgets. “They tell me some people don't want you to be here, so you're supposed to stay out of sight. Just so you know.”

“I hate politics.”

“If that is all, Ma'am?”

“Dismissed.”



“People don't want us here.”

“But the Empress does.”

“This has all the makings of a problem.”

“Let's knock on doors and see who likes us or not?”

“I like that idea!”

“It's a bad one!”

“Even better!”




“Knock knock?”

“Huh? Oh.” This room is filled with foul smells, vials and gourds cover every available surface. And the solitary man in the room's hands are covered with grisly, permanent stains. Must be an alchemist. “I am Howar.”

“Hello. I'm Delilah.”

“I am the alchemist for Blackcrag. Here to do major research.” He looks you over appraisingly. “I also have a few recipes I teach on the side.”

“So, what is it like in Blackcrag?”

“Many mages are here to do research. It's part of why Valorim has been put under quarantine.”

“Nobody is being let out of Valorim, to help make sure none of the monsters sneak out with them. The Empress is trying to buy time so we can research to find out ways to combat the creatures. That's why we mages are here.”

“Sword and spell seem to work well.”

“Exceptions do not a rule make.”

“Thank you for your time.”




“Come in.”

“Greetings.”



There is a woman sitting at her desk, holding a powerful looking glass in her hand. She is examining a huge cockroach. She pauses, however, when you enter. “I am Petrie. Greetings. You have given me a reason to take a break from doing research on this vile beast.”

“The 'roach? Yes, it is quite vile, but their source has been eliminated.”

“I know you wiped them out, but we still need to figure out how they were made Otherwise the next such creature to come along will slay us.” She pokes it. “But I am sure you have other interests.”

“We do have many interests.”

“We were told that you might be coming. And that we should assist you if at all possible. I know several spells of great power, which I can teach you if you wish.”

“Which ones?”



Dear lord, look at those prices!

“Shockwave please.”




“HELLO!”



A dour mage sits at his desk, examining a vial filled with ochre slime. “I am Shane,” he says grimly. “I know who you are. There is no need to introduce yourselves.”

“Well, why are you here then?”

“Well, I had a booming business. But I had to interrupt it when I was forced to come here.”

“Why would your business be exploding?”

“...”

“I have a thriving trade in magical items. Highly reliable and hand crafted. I did bring some with me when I was forced to come here in the hope of wresting some profit from this tedious exercise. Care to purchase some?”



Pass.

“You say you were forced?”

“All the powerful magicians within 500 miles were brought to this area, to try to figure out what the monsters in Valorim were there for. Like the fate of those barbarians is our problem!” He looks at the slime grumpily.

“They are not barbarians!”



“I'm going to walk away before I hit you.”



“Ah, hello there. Are you a cook here?”

You stumble upon one of Blackcrag Fortress' large number of serving wenches. She is clearly terrified of you.

Yeah, I can see that. Art and company are a well equipped strike force. Now that they're inside, it would take the power of plot to stop them from killing everyone in the Fortress.

“I'm Promise,” she stammers. “I'm ... I'm ... I work in the kitchen.” She stares at your faces intently, recognizing the paleness that marks Exiles.

“Bronwyn. So, when is lunch?”

“Later! I need to get back to work!” She backs away. “Sorry!” She runs away.



“Well, this is convenient.”

“Only way we can go. If we go west, they won't let us.”






“Oh, hey! Here's the other factors who don't like us. I was wondering when you would show up.”

“For the Empire!”





:black101:



“Did they expect some other response? It's not like we're random people on the street!”



“And here is the way back in.”




“Humans make worse statues than Slithzerikai.”

“Both of whom are better than my people.”




“I wonder what they use to store things.”




“I think someone else stole everything first.” :(




“Yeah, like they would keep anything sensitive in here knowing we were coming through.”



“Hello.”

An officious bureaucrat stands by the door to the throne room, waiting. He sniffs slightly as you approach. “Chief Valorim Liaison Vladimir, at your service.”

“Art, Field Operative, Unspecified Services. Exile. We have an appointment.”

“Yes, you are here to see Empress Prazac. Though I suspect I should be glad that the violated protocol is the least of my worries.”

“We are indeed here to meet with the Empress at her summoning.”

“So I am aware. However, the situation has several complexities.”

“What is the protocol?”

“Probably things like cleaning up and wearing nice clothes.”

“What is the nature of these complexities?”

“Everything is currently unstable. Certain factions, should they find that the Empress is dealing with Exiles, would become very aggravated. And there would be difficulties. Serious difficulties.

“I am aware. Is the Dorikas family still in power?”

“They still object to the policies of the Empress after they lost the favour of her father. And while I may give you permission to enter, protocol demands that you request it first.”

“I, Art, representative of Exile, hereby request permission to meet with the Empress.”

“You may enter.”



“Well, this should be interesting.”



“Art.”

“Prazac. First of her Name.”

berryjon fucked around with this message at 13:14 on May 31, 2017

EponymousMrYar
Jan 4, 2015

The enemy of my enemy is my enemy.
Is it time for Art to go two for two on the Empire's rulers!?

berryjon
May 30, 2011

I have an invasion to go to.

EponymousMrYar posted:

Is it time for Art to go two for two on the Empire's rulers!?

You mean three for three. She already took out Garzahd as well as Hawethorn III.

wiegieman
Apr 22, 2010

Royalty is a continuous cutting motion


Hawthorne didn't really count. Everyone knew it was Garzahd who really ruled the Empire.

Whybird
Aug 2, 2009

Phaiston have long avoided the tightly competetive defence sector, but the IRDA Act 2052 has given us the freedom we need to bring out something really special.

https://team-robostar.itch.io/robostar


Nap Ghost
Hawthorne Did Nothing Wrong.

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
I have no idea if this is some kind of final confrontation or if there's a whole crazy bonus overworld out there waiting for us. I like that unpredictability.

berryjon
May 30, 2011

I have an invasion to go to.

Glazius posted:

I have no idea if this is some kind of final confrontation or if there's a whole crazy bonus overworld out there waiting for us. I like that unpredictability.

There's approximately 1/6 of the overworld map to go - less than a dozen dungeons I think.

The next update will be "berryjon does narration", and I want to do it justice.

Zebrin
Mar 12, 2010

Chopping trees down and making elves cry.
Good luck, This has had a lot of build up coming to a head.

POOL IS CLOSED
Jul 14, 2011

I'm just exploding with mackerel. This is the aji wo kutta of my discontent.
Pillbug
You'll definitely nail it.

berryjon
May 30, 2011

I have an invasion to go to.
For a moment, no one said a word in the hall. Sitting on her throne, the Empress of the Empire looked down on the band of Exiles. She was not angry. Nor was she cruel. Not nervous our skeptical. She was alert and not hostile.

“Have you dined?” Prazac asked, offering hospitality in her court.

Art bit back her first response. Her team and Exile behind her needed her to be the best she could be for this encounter. And that meant not making her usual stress-relieving comments at the woman who could restart the war against Exile with less than a breath.

“We have, your Highness,” she thanked her instead with a slight bow. “Though if you are offering, water would suffice.”

The Empress made no indication that she had heard, but a moment later, Vladimir, the doorman entered with one of the servants in tow. They had mugs and drinks for all. Soon, the Exiles and the Empress were served.

Sass leaned over to speak to Bronwyn. “I thought there was going to be a fight, not drinks,” the massive Slithzerikai whispered.

Bronwyn shook her head in the negative. “No. This is too important for a fight.” She downed her clear drink in a single long motion. “Besides, there is probably a small army behind every door. Even we couldn't win against those odds.”

Art and Prazac sipped their own drinks, both refusing to back down in the face of the other.

“Why did you summon us?” Art finally broke the stalemate between them with the most important question at the moment.

“For many reasons,” the Empress replied. “Though if you were to reduce it to its most simple, then I am here because there is a mess that must be dealt with.” Her voice is calm, measured and utterly confident.

“Funny, I didn't take you for the janitorial type.” Art spoke the words before she could stop herself, instantly regretting it.

But if the Empress took offence, she did not show it. “In a way, yes. I have, since my ascension to the throne, been repairing the damage caused by my father's poor policies, and the actions of my ... guardian.”

“Garzahd.” It was Ni'aurrl who spoke his name.

Everyone in the room affiliated with the Empire flinched. Even now, years after his death, the name of the vile wizard still struck deep. “Yes,” Prazac confirmed. “His attack on Exile was poorly planned, and foolishly executed. He created more problems than he solved.”

“I know,” Art pointed out with a harsh edge. “I fixed them.”

“You slew him,” the young Empress corrected the older woman. “The problems you fixed then were not ours.” She sighed, reclining in her throne as she gazed at the water in her glass. “So many problems. And Valorim is but one.”

“We know who is causing this,” Art offered.

“Should we tell them?” Delilah questioned. “They can't help.”

“The Vahnatai,” Prazac supplied. “Another problem of our creation. The issue was forced when the war expanded beyond our ability to control.”

“You were never in control,” Art shot back.

“No, I was not.”

“So what do you want? Because if you're just here to commiserate over the repeated blunders of the Empire, I have better things to do.”

For a minute, the Empress said nothing. She just looked at Art. “I wonder,” she finally said, “what would it be like to have someone as blunt as you in my court.” She sipped her drink to empty it, then held the glass aside for it to be refilled. “I am surrounded by two types of people. Three, really. The first are the sycophants, those who would agree with me regardless of all other considerations in hope of gaining my favour. Then there are those who would oppose me in covert manners while playing at being the former. They seek to take more than what they have, from their peers or from me.”

She glanced at the two Dervishes who flanked her, guards of last resort. “Then there are those who are not loyal to anyone, but the Empire itself. Them, I find I can trust most as they do not care for me at all.”

“Sounds hard,” Sass said.

Prazac nodded. “It is. Such are the limitations of power. It is said that when one has no power, one has all the choices in the world. But as one gains more power, your choices diminish until at last, when one has all the power in the world, they find that they no longer have any choices at all.”

Art crossed her arms, keeping her hands away from the swords at her waist. “An answer, please?”

“I wish to commission you all for tasks completed and uncompleted.” Prazac turned her attention back to Art. “It would be unseemly if the problems of Valorim were to be completed by Exiles of all people.”

“Sounds self-serving.”

“It is.” The Empress responded as directly as Art made her own comment.

“Good. Because wasting my time isn't the best thing to be doing,” Art frowned at the Empress, expressing her displeasure without words.

“First, then, an offer in good faith. The Alien Beasts. We have uncovered the source of their creation.” Prazac stood up, though she was already higher than everyone else on her throne. “They are not creatures of this world.”

“You're not saying anything we don't already know,” Art bluffed.

Prazac called it. “They are the same creations as those in Avadon.”

Any bluster Art had fell away. “The Black Fortress.” It wasn't a question. It was a statement filled with dread.

“Yes,” Prazac confirmed. “Our sages have determined that the creation of these creatures is functionally similar to the incident in that ancient and ruined fortress.”

Ni'aurrl raised one furred hand. “Nephilim and Exile here. Can someone fill me in here? What is Avadon, and what makes this all relevant?”

Art and Prazac shared a look, then Art was the one who spoke. “Avadon was an old fortress. It used to be important, but not any more. It had fallen into ruin. Then, about 30 years ago, a mad wizard moved in and conducted stupid experiments.”

“He attempted to scry himself,” Prazac said with a shake of her head. “A lesson taught to everyone ever not to do.”

“The Empire sent in a company of soldiers with magical support to suppress the creations caused by the break in reality. Things went bad and in the end, only six out of five hundred made it out alive, mission successful.”

Things clicked in Bronwyn's head. “You.”

Art nodded. “I was an apprentice priest at the time, assigned to field duties. The things we fought down there were ... wrong. I didn't make the connection with the beasts. These ones are too ... material.”

Prazac spoke, “And you are the only living survivor, Art. The rest have died from the energies they faced. The events that promoted you to Dervish for your service to the Empire are being repeated in Footracer Province.”

She gestured, and Vladimir produced a scroll, which he handed to her. Prazac opened it up and did not bother to read it. “First, in recognition for your efforts in combating the Plagues of Valorim, this document,” she tapped the scroll in hand, “proves that one-hundred and twenty six days ago, a team of six Dervishes were inserted into southern Valorim near Krizsan. They were given orders to deal with the Plagues. You.”

Bronwyn's jaw fell open. “What?”

Prazac gave a hint of a self-satisfied smile. “Yes. Quite elegant, don't you think? It is not unknown for individuals to be promoted straight into the ranks of the Dervishes for their actions.” Art only glared, but the Empress pressed on. “And because the Dervishes are extensions of my authority, I can take the credit for providing the scalpel to remove these tumours, rather than risking my armies in battles the enemies we faced were meant to counter.”

“You can't be serious,” Delilah objected. “We're Exiles!”

“Not anymore,” Prazac stated. “For services rendered, the crimes for which the four humans were convicted of have been pardoned and redacted from all records.”

Sass looked at the Nephil, and Ni'aurrl looked at the Slithzerikai. “What about us?”

“It is the opinion of the Empress and her court, that forces spent suppressing and containing certain unfriendly species would be better served elsewhere. With this, the Nephilim and the Slithzerikai would be given the status of 'Friendly Species', and you two would be promoted for services made to the Empire.”

“Which means?” Ni'aurrl questioned.

“It means that it would be illegal to discriminate against them,” Bronwyn supplied. “Though they would still be second-class citizens in the Empire, they would still be citizens.”

“Which means I can tax them,” Prazac smiled. “More money for the Empire is always a good thing.”

“Sounds like you're getting the best of this deal,” Art said bitterly. “You're getting a whole continent, and you're handing out crumbs to those who are dying for it.”

“That is not true,” Prazac said. “The position of Dervish has its own benefits, but I am not above making further boons in your regard. I have covered the desires of Dervish Ni'aurrl and Dervish Sasserithrasix, though they know it not. For Dervish Matthias, death in the line of duty assures that his family is presented with his pension, and all fallen Dervishes are remembered in accordance with their deeds. They will be restored to their place, and his fellows – your fellows – will see to it.”

Art flicked her eyes at the two who flanked the Empress. What she saw did not end her worry, but did belay it.

“Blue 'Bloodwyn' Bronwyn, your situation is not unknown to us. Your crimes are absolved, and you will find that when this quest is resolved, your skills will be needed and called upon by your fellow Dervishes. Delilah, I can offer you little but the recognition that your actions in the future with regards to the ring on your finger will be sanctioned by the Empire and accounted for when a full reckoning of Valorim is tallied.”

“Art's not listed,” Sass pointed out the obvious.

“No, for her, I can offer her no gold, no wealth. What I can give her is something far more personal.” The Empress took a moment to sip from her cup again. “Art, I can give you your daughter back.”

For a moment, there was no response from anyone in the room.

“You can't do that.”

It was confusing for a moment, but then it was placed as Art whispering.

“I can, and I will. Your daughter will recognize you.”

“No. She can't.”

“What makes you say that?” Prazac switched from commanding to questioning. “It would be done.”

“Because she wouldn't remember me,” Art said softly, staring down at the immaculate floor of the throne room. “She wouldn't know me any more. She's grown up, become her own person in the years since I was Exiled. I would be a stranger forced into her life, no end to the troubles I would cause. I love her, but I don't know if I could see her, even if she was standing right in front of me.”

“You don't ... want her?” Prazac asked, finding her intentions taken apart by someone who refused a boon on the grounds of it being wrong in some way. “But ones family is important.”

“I killed your father. Or did you forget that?”

“You did. You also slew Garzahd, who used me as little more than a puppet so he could rule from behind me,” Prazac confirmed. “And I do not miss my father. He was cruel and capricious at the best of times. That my Dervish slew the two men between me and the throne, it could be taken by those who see the world in such terms, as a sign of the same cunning they think they have.”

Prazac turned her back. “I never had mother, you know? Even in the secret records, her name was removed. And sometimes, I wonder what crime she could have committed to have her memory damned like that. But you? With you, I can fix that.”

Art shook her head. “No. I'll take nothing of the sort. What you offer is impossible.”

“At least take the title back!” Bronwyn hissed. “It is too important!”

“You seem eager for such a thing,” Prazac turned her attention to Bronwyn. “Why?”

Setting down her pack, Bronwyn rummaged through it before finding the book she stole from the commander's office in Gale. She handed it to the Empress. “Because as a Dervish, this would be punished.”

Prazac took the book, and flipped through it. Her face grew darker with each passing page. “I have to thank you for this, Dervish Blue. Such cowardice must be dealt with. And I have the tools to deal with it.” The smile she gave was cruel, the promise of righteous vengeance. “General Baziron will be rewarded, I will see to that.”

“But be that as it may,” Prazac gestured and Vladimir switched scrolls in her hand, “This message is for Micah and Karmas of Exile.” She handed it to Art who looked at the Imperial Seal on it with some confusion. “There are additional things that must be sorted out, so I am charging you, my Dervishes, with delivering this message, and returning with their response. It must be done before I can allow you access to Footracer Province to finish what you have started.”

Art put the scroll away carefully. “It will be done, Empress.”




“That wasn't what I was expecting.”

“Nor I.”

“What were you expecting?”

“Not that.”



“Let's just get back to Fort Emergence.”

* * *



“This wall is still imposing. I wonder why they didn't try this during the Exile Invasion?”



“It would have taken too long.”




“We need to stop these things, more than any other.”

* * *



“Alright, let's go talk to Anaximander. He'll know where Karmas is.”



“Come in.”



I really don't think we just spent two days in the office.




“That's it? What was in the document?”

The item description for the document is a spoiler for the plot. But if you want to know, here it is, in spoiler tags:


“I can't tell you. Not yet. But it may just mean the end of Exile if we go about things the wrong way, or the right way.”

“But before then, there is something else I need from you. Go find Captain Johnson. Talk to him about the things that you know. Come back when you've dealt with that. There's no need to think that we are being hasty with our response to the Empress.”

“What are you thinking?”

“That we need more time.”

“Understood.”



“Captain Johnson.”

“What do you want?” He spat to one side.

“Right! You're the one we're supposed to talk about the bunker too!”

He looks startled. “Who told you that?”

Sandra did.”

He looks furious. “drat her! All right. The bunker is in new Cotra. To enter it, walk up to the centre of the east side, and say 'Galros'. Now, get away from me.”

“Why would he be angry if Anaximander told us to talk to him?”

* * *



“You know, I remember looking at this building a long time ago.”





“And that's that. I wonder why Anaximander wanted us to come here.”




“Well, it's not for the treasure.”



“Hello!”

You meet a tottering old Slith. His once-green scales darkening around the edges with age. It wears many amulets and teeth around its neck. “Ssss. Greetingsss. Welcome to the Bunker. I am Pathass.”

“Sass!”

He speaks in a shaky, sibilant voice. “At the asking of Exile, I have come to the Bunker. I help with their research.”

“What is the Bunker?”

“Thissss was built here with the help of the New Cotranssss asss a sssort of magical crississss handling center. We wait here for some need for research and then we ressspond. The people here have been a great assistance.”

“The people of New Cotra? Why are you here, and not at Fort Emergence?”

“Protection. For ussss and them. They bring us food at night, and they keep thisss place ssecret. And they give us company sometimes. Thissss can be a lonely place to wait.”

“Ah. What are you here to research?”

He sighs. “I am a priesst of my people normally. But I am also one of their strongest mages. Only my pupil, Kai-Lyss can be said to be my greater. I know much about metal working too. That is why they asssked for me. I miss my temple. Of course, it is an opportunity too.”

“Which temple?”

“Down in our city of Gnass. In the Great Cave, in Exile. It iss a beautiful city. I misss it.”

“What sort of opportunities do you get up here?”

“I meet great magesss and mindss of Exile. Like Erika. I met her not long ago.”

“We've met Erika too!”

“Yess. She isss the greatessst mage of Exile. She livessss up here now, to the northeasst. But she can never again go to the surface.”

“Why is that?”

“They cursed her when they banished her, so much they feared her power. If ever again she sees the ssun, it will slay her inssstantly. That is why she hates the Empire so much.”

“Thank you for your time.”

“Yeah, let's not blab how to kill Erika Redmark, even if that is true. Which it isn't.”



“Ah, hello there.”

“Yes, we've been expecting you. This tiny woman would look like someone's friendly old grandmother were it not for the aura of power emanating from her, and for the Vahnatai chair she sits perfectly comfortably in. “I am called Enla. Welcome to the bunker.”

“We heard from Pathas about the nature of the bunker. Is there anything you would like to add?”

“Not really. Once, I studied dragons. Now I do research here.”

“The Dragons?”

She looks sad. “We studied Motrax, oldest of the mighty serpents living in Exile. Then he died. And the other dragons disappeared.”

“I REMEMBER YOU!”

“What are you talking about?”

“You're the one who was interrogating him about the Vahnatai after they brought the barriers down! Even after he said he didn't know anything!”

“How would you know... tha... t. Oh. you.”

“Me.”

“Then let us speak no further on that subject. As for the other dragons, they are a great mystery. Sulfras, Khoth and Athron were the other dragons in the underworld. However, they disappeared after the Empire War. We have few guesses of where they went.”

“And what are those guesses?”

“Maybe down further into the caves. Or more likely the surface, although that would be an invitation for the Empire to attack them. The Empire despises any power it can't control, and they would despise the Empire back.”

“So, change of subject. What do you research here?”

“Well, I study Vahnatai magic.”

“What about the Vahnatai?”

“It is amazing what they can do with a simple crystal. For example, they can make actual life in crystalline form.”

“Like the Soul crystals?”

“We can do nothing near what they can do. But we have a few ideas. Nothing I want to talk about now, of course.”

“Understandable.”



“Art, and her companions.” You see an ancient and withered mage, hunched back in a large, carved chair. He was meditating while staring into a small brazier. Now he looks up as if he was expecting you. “For the benefit of the others, I am Ostoth. Welcome to the Bunker.”

“Hello again. Nice Bunker you have here.”

“Yes, I should explain what we are doing here. We are doing research. We are trying to craft tools to use against the enemies of Exile.”

“What is it that you are researching?”

He looks uncomfortable.. “When we found out about the monsters on the surface, we realized we may need to craft a weapon to help you fight them.”

“A weapon.”



“It is the Vahnatai. Rentar-Ihrno leads them.”



You now need to leave town, and come back Four Days later. I spent the time outside of town casting Mana to restore my food, and camping away the turns, occasionally moving to scare off roving bands of monsters that run away from me.



And after.



“And?”

Ostoth looks very grim. “We have made a magical device for you, but at great cost. Both Pathass and Enla put too much of their energy into it. Pathass is dead. Enla has left to try to recover. Their sacrifice, however, was not in vain. We have crafted a tool for you to use. Would you like a description?”

“You have my sympathies. Describe this weapon, please.”

“The Vahnatai create intelligent beings in crystal forms. We've done the same. We've made a slightly sentient crystal which may be able to interfere with their crystals. We aren't sure if it will work, but it might. Look for this device in the chest in the next room. We hope you can justify the horrible price we have paid for it.”

“Pathass will have a huge statue. That is all that is needed.”




“They really are gone.”



“What do we have here?”



“What is it?”

“I don't know.”



“Let's go.”

* * *


Just all the other spawns in the area that couldn't get to me across the river.

* * *



“So, now we go back to Prazac?”

“No. We actually have some metal to deliver to a blacksmith.”

“WHAT? Are you serious?



“Totally.”



“Hey, here's the metal you wanted.”

You show him the piece of metal you found. “That would be perfect!” You pay him the 1000 gold. He takes the metal. “Now go away!” he yells. “Come back much later! I will get to work.” He grins in anticipation, and turns to his anvil.

Three days later...



There is no further metal. There are only three pieces in the game, and each has a purpose. The first is associated with the Inn of Blades quest that introduces you to the existence of the Thieves Guild. The second is used by the Dragons to make the Beastslayer. The last is done by this man to make this:



To be tossed at the next vendor for the cash.

* * *


“You know, I'm not shocked that we still have to use the back door.”



“You return.”

“Here.”



“Is there anything else to say?”

“No. I have considered your position, and I have come to realize that you have spent more time than I on it. Your logic is acceptable. But know this, Dervish Art, you will be rewarded, one way or another. It is not the way of the Empire to turn away from those who have given us aid.”

“Then farewell.”

“And you. May we meet again under better circumstances, that I can give you what you want, and you to receive it.”

“For both of our benefits, that can never happen.”

* * *



“One last province. Ruins await us. And the whole world if we fail.”

“How very poetic.”




“That's a lot.”





“CHARGE!”



“Welcome to Footracer Province End of the road.”

* * *

In Blackcrag Fortress, Empress Prazac met with her generals. “Send a message to Dervish Kalidan and his army. He is to move to Tevrono and relieve General Baziron. Inform the General that the Third Army is to be placed under his command. He is tasked with securing the province from further Golem attacks, then he is to turn his attentions to Gale.” She tapped the book her Dervish gave to her in her hand. “He is to then treat Gale as a rebellious city. One chance for their leadership to surrender for their impudence in attempting to stifle the works of my Dervishes. One chance to come before me in judgment. If they fail, they will wish we still sent people into Exile.”

One of her Generals saluted with a grim smile. “It will be as you command, Empress.”

“Vladimir, please make sure the paperwork is in order. Those who aided our Dervishes in their mission are to be rewarded, even if they are not ones who expect it. Reports of this mage north of Krizsan with a primitive portal network interests me, and his research should be granted my benevolent attention.”

“It will be as you command, Empress.”

“Good. Another message is to be sent to Lorelei. Inform them that we accept the existence of an Exile embassy in their city, and they are to prepare to become the regional capital now that Tinraya can no longer serve.”

“It will be as you command, Empress.”


* * *

“People of Exile,” the voice of Prince-General Karmas was magically transmitted throughout the caverns, reaching every city and town that it could. “For many long years, we have been a people lost. Lost from our homes on the surface, and from our families. We have been shattered as individuals in the face of something more horrifying than we could comprehend.”

“But we are still people. We have kept our vital essences in the face of odds that would seem insurmountable. Our king, Micah, led the first battles against the forces that would have stopped us from carving out a home of our own. And he was successful.”

“No. It was WE who were successful. No man is a nation unto themselves, and we strove together to make what we have today. And we cannot forget that. We are a people.”

“Many of you have heard the rumours. Of Upper Exile, and the Surface. I speak to you now to confirm some of that. Yes, we have contacted the Surface. The Empire is in turmoil, as the loss of the tyrants Hawthorne and Garzahd has left the Empress Prazac in a precarious position. She must act against those inside the Empire who would tear down the faint protections it offers their citizens, and can ill afford another enemy.

“We would be that enemy, in worse days.”

“You all remember the dark days of the invasion. The sack of Cotra, the battles in the tunnels. The breaking of the Seige of Spire and the Abyss. Our new allies from further below. But we as a people, we were the ones who persevered. We survived. And more importantly, we won.”

“It is because we won that I can say these words today.”

“Exile is a state of being. We called this place that because that is what we were. Exiles from our homes. But as the years passed, we changed. We founded towns and cities, raised crops and families. We made for ourselves our own lands.”

“When the Empire came to take that from us, they failed.”

“Empress Prazac of the Empire, has recognized this. She does not desire us or the Vahnatai as enemies. There is nothing to be gained from it. And while the Surface is in turmoil as our victory still resounds, it is our brave explorers on the surface who are making contacts with the people most harmed by the follies of the Empire's last two rulers.”

“The continent of Valorim has been beset by monsters, foul creations of madness and vengeance. And we have been rendering aid where the Empire could not.”

“And the Empire cannot turn away from that. Not when they could not help their own people.”

“Thus, secret negotiations happened between Empress Prazac and King Micah. Through intermediaries, we have an official end to hostilities between the Empire and us. We will not prosecute further military retaliation against the Empire for their attack upon our homes and families. We will aid them against these threats that could grow to harm us as well.”

“And in exchange, the Empire formally recognizes our independence. We are a nation unto ourselves. There will be more discussions in the future, but for the first time since the founding of the Empire, they have lost ground. They have tried to treat us as a rebellious province and failed. They will yield a province on their borders to us, a place on the surface to call our own – if we can make it ours.”

“But Exile cannot accept these terms.”

“Exile is a state of being. And no one can be home in Exile. It is defiance of the word. But we still exist. And we must accept. There can be no more Exile.”

“Near the capital of the Empire is a volcano, which was believed to be the entrance to the underworld. It is called Avernus. We are that underworld. And while that place does not connect to our caverns, the name rings true. We are that underworld.”

“Exile is no more. We cannot live our lives knowing that the very name we have given to our homes is a cruel thing. We must take a name for ourselves. To finish what we started.”

“Exile is no more.”

“We are Avernum. And we will return to the sun.”


* * *

Naturally, the conversation with Prazac is different in the actual game. Let me show you:

Look / Name / Job:


Empire:


Disasters:


Exile:


Enemies:


Mess:


Avoided:


Mission:



Update 67 – Empress Prazac and Avernum

See you next time, when we start in on Footracer Province, and I keep an eye on the date. Something still needs to happen, and I hoped it would have triggered by now.

berryjon fucked around with this message at 13:17 on May 31, 2017

POOL IS CLOSED
Jul 14, 2011

I'm just exploding with mackerel. This is the aji wo kutta of my discontent.
Pillbug
:dance: Yes! Nicely done.

Epsilon Moonshade
Nov 22, 2016

Not an excellent host.

POOL IS CLOSED posted:

:dance: Yes! Nicely done.

:allears:

I certainly enjoyed it.

Still more to go though!

MagusofStars
Mar 31, 2012



That's a pretty awesome reveal. Well done.

In case anyone's wondering, this is not just idle text. It's possible to get to the Bunker well before this, as soon as you first hear about it from Sandra*. This means you can get there before getting the Crystal Soul controlling the Golems (i.e., incontrovertible proof per Berra) and before the subsequent admission of guilt by the Vahnatai in Ghikra. So the game does allow you to ask them to make a weapon against Erika or the dragons, if you were faked out by the phony 'proof' from the slimes or roaches. And yes, if they make that weapon, you are then stuck without the anti-Vahnatai crystal. Fortunately, this isn't a game-ending mistake - not having the right weapon makes a certain part of the end-game notably more difficult, but it's still completely viable.

The anti-dragon weapon is actually an equippable sword that does extra damage to dragons, basically a dragon-equivalent of the Beastslayer Blade. I can't actually remember what the anti-Erika weapon is but I think it's some special item that helps neutralize some of her abilities if you fight her. Note that if you've got the Editor, you can actually manually add the other items if you're curious and/or planning on hunting some dragon/archmage in your spare time.

*Technically, the requirement is only asking the Captain about "bunker", so you could do that with the keyword system before even leaving Fort Emergence for the first time...but you'd only know to do that if you'd already played the game before.

TooMuchAbstraction
Oct 14, 2012

I spent four years making
Waves of Steel
Hell yes I'm going to turn my avatar into an ad for it.
Fun Shoe

MagusofStars posted:

*Technically, the requirement is only asking the Captain about "bunker", so you could do that with the keyword system before even leaving Fort Emergence for the first time...but you'd only know to do that if you'd already played the game before.

The game does pull a fast one on you here in that the actual keyword is sandopolis zone, er, Sandra (only the first 4 letters of the keyword actually matter). You can ask about the Bunker all you like, but unless you remember who gave you the hint it won't help you any.

Also, having the Thought Crystal doesn't help against either of the Golem or Giant/Troglo plagues, even though the Golem plague is explicitly being controlled by a Crystal Soul.

I never really bothered to try to kill the dragons or Erika, but I'd feel like things were a bit off if the final boss were just hanging out in a random town somewhere waiting for you to attack them. Then again, that could be an amusing curveball to throw the player. Not something Vogel would pull, but amusing.

Zagglezig
Oct 16, 2012
Yeah, that was some good stuff. Can you actually do anything to deal with Gale?
Guessing from the comments that you can't get a weapon for a culprit you didn't find "evidence" for.


Update 66

berryjon posted:

Otherwise the net such creature to come along will slay us.

Update 67

berryjon posted:

Alright, let's go talk to Anaxiamander.

a sssort of magical cirssissss handling center

Sass, the people of New Cotra?

Welcome to the Buker.

Couple things: should that be "crisis"? And did you mean for Sass to introduce himself a second time?

MagusofStars
Mar 31, 2012



Zagglezig posted:

Guessing from the comments that you can't get a weapon for a culprit you didn't find "evidence" for.
You aren't required to get the actual evidence to get a weapon for the Vahnatai, dragons or Erika, you can just type their name into the parser and Ossoth will go ahead and make it even if you've never found the actual piece of proof from the major dungeons. Which is probably good given that most of the evidence is easily missed - Erika's rune is behind a hidden wall, dragon scales can be missed if you circle north instead of south, and you might miss the troglodyte/giant crystal shards if you're focused on running away while a battle rages around you.

However, these are the only names it'll accept - even if you have a baseless suspicion of Anamixander or the Anama or Prazac, you'll get no response from Ossoth.

berryjon
May 30, 2011

I have an invasion to go to.

Zagglezig posted:

Yeah, that was some good stuff. Can you actually do anything to deal with Gale?

No, but I'm not about to leave that dangling.

TooMuchAbstraction
Oct 14, 2012

I spent four years making
Waves of Steel
Hell yes I'm going to turn my avatar into an ad for it.
Fun Shoe

Zagglezig posted:

Yeah, that was some good stuff. Can you actually do anything to deal with Gale?

You can rob their treasury, but that's it.

Come to think, I believe all of the province capitals are completely optional. All you get in Krizsan is a hint to go check out the bandit tower along the coast (which is what gives you the actual clue of where the Slime Pit is). Likewise in Shayder, the librarian will clue you in on the wizard that has the Phoenix Egg (and perhaps other townsfolk will tell you about the GIFTS), but I'm pretty sure that you don't need to have talked to him to get the egg. Sharimik is completely skippable; all its quest gets you is the Dispel Barrier spell, and you can sub in Piercing Crystals for that. Lorelei's quest re: the giants doesn't even resolve anything, it's just a source of cash and an excuse to go into the giants' caves (which is where you get the map to the barrier crystal). And Gale gives you a hint about the flying wizard that knows where the Golem Factory is, but I think there's other hints about him and anyway you can find him on your own if you're thorough.

That puts the actually-mandatory-to-progress towns at, uh, Tevrono (wait, do you have to talk to General Baziron?), the town that the Phoenix Egg wizard is in, and the Remote Aerie (technically a town, even if it only has one person in it). And I guess Fort Emergence, Ghikra, and maybe New Formello. Good thing Fort Emergence has a trainer, or a minimum-towns run would be kind of a pain in the rear end. :v:

(Good luck getting the piercing crystals you need, though)

GodFish
Oct 10, 2012

We're your first, last, and only line of defense. We live in secret. We exist in shadow.

And we dress in black.
Do you need to talk to a mayor to not get killed by troops for your credit for stopping the plagues?

TooMuchAbstraction
Oct 14, 2012

I spent four years making
Waves of Steel
Hell yes I'm going to turn my avatar into an ad for it.
Fun Shoe
I don't think so. You aren't allowed into Lorelei/Sharimik/Gale until you've done one of Slimes or Cockroaches, but I'm pretty sure the trigger for that is just ending the plague, same as the trigger for getting more training at the Tower of the Magi. Likewise you aren't allowed into Prazac's chamber until you've done one "lesser" plague and one "greater" plague, but again I don't think you actually have to tell anyone about it; they just know.

A speedrun would probably go to Jordan's Tower, then the Slime Pit, then all the way out to the Barrier Tunnel (to finish the troglo/giant quest, ideally without ever seeing a troglodyte or giant), then to Blackcrag and the Alien Beasts. They'd probably make a pitstop in Lorelei to train and purchase access to the Blackcrag back entrance; that's almost certainly faster than fighting your way through. But that's not mandatory.

Cerebral Bore
Apr 21, 2010


Fun Shoe
The problem with that is that IIRC some dungeons don't even show up on the map unless you've triggered an event that reveals them, and I think Jordan's Tower and the Barrier Tunnel are two of them.

Cerebral Bore fucked around with this message at 17:41 on May 31, 2017

TooMuchAbstraction
Oct 14, 2012

I spent four years making
Waves of Steel
Hell yes I'm going to turn my avatar into an ad for it.
Fun Shoe

Cerebral Bore posted:

The problem with that is that IIRC some dungeons don't even show up on the map unless you've triggered an event that reveals them, and I think Jordan's Tower and the Barrier Tunnel are two of them.

I'm just about positive that Jordan's Tower is accessible any time, since the entire point of it is to unhide the Slime Pit. It'd be kind of weird to have a chain of two dungeons that need to be unhidden by external triggers. I think that the Barrier Tunnel is likewise readily-accessible; it's just "hidden" in that it's incredibly remote. Generally when there's a dungeon that has a special trigger to become accessible, you get a special message when you've satisfied the trigger and found the dungeon for the first time.

The artifact quest dungeons are a notable exception, granted. And it does feel a bit odd that you'd just be able to waltz into the final dungeon for the troglo/giants quest if you know where to go, when all of the other plagues require you to jump through some hoops first. But the troglo/giants quest is weird to begin with, given that it has two plagues, two provinces, the related quests don't really accomplish anything, and when you're done the giants and troglos are still there, just very distracted.

Cerebral Bore
Apr 21, 2010


Fun Shoe
I might very well be wrong on this, but that's how I recall it. Though on second thought, it's also possible that I'm mixing up Exile 3 and Avernum 3 here.

FreakyM
May 7, 2013

MagusofStars posted:

I can't actually remember what the anti-Erika weapon is but I think it's some special item that helps neutralize some of her abilities if you fight her. Note that if you've got the Editor, you can actually manually add the other items if you're curious and/or planning on hunting some dragon/archmage in your spare time.

Slight spoiler, I guess:

The anti-Erika "weapon" prevents you from being instagibbed by a trigger in her tower. You still have to fight her and 4 doomguards. Can't remember if she drops anything noteworthy, or if you can access her chambers afterwards.

Andyzero
May 22, 2009

I used to spoil, I'm sorry.
Berryjon, it has been a pleasure reading your Let's Play. You put the "role-play" back into Role Playing Game.

berryjon
May 30, 2011

I have an invasion to go to.

Andyzero posted:

Berryjon, it has been a pleasure reading your Let's Play. You put the "role-play" back into Role Playing Game.

The difference is in being told a story, and telling a story. The Exile Trilogy is enough of the latter that you can write your own story into it, and not ruin it. So I did.

Go ahead and have Shepard try to be as "fed up with this poo poo" as Art gets, and see how well that jives with the next cinematic that is thrown in your face.

Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
Wow. That's a hell of a welcoming committee. I suppose it's a good check. You must be at least that killy to hit the endgame.

TooMuchAbstraction
Oct 14, 2012

I spent four years making
Waves of Steel
Hell yes I'm going to turn my avatar into an ad for it.
Fun Shoe

Glazius posted:

Wow. That's a hell of a welcoming committee. I suppose it's a good check. You must be at least that killy to hit the endgame.

Heh.

So, uh.

You can run from those fights. Any fight in the overworld? Just run away, and the game'll act as if you won. This saved me so much grief in the endgame. There's zero point to loot and levels if you don't plan on returning to a friendly town, so you may as well just make like Monty Python and run away. And there are a lot of big, nasty, overworld fights in the endgame.

berryjon
May 30, 2011

I have an invasion to go to.

I'm standing at the doors to the Keep of Tinraya. Sass has pushed to Level 44, Delilah and Ni'aurrl are at 43 each. I want to see how close I can get everyone to Level 50 for the last dungeon.

Still haven't seen that last timed event, so I may back track, start doing messenger quests to gain money and pass the time, and invest in that money in Skill potions.

Oh, and does anyone know how to get into the west half of Blackcrag?

Vil
Sep 10, 2011

berryjon posted:

Oh, and does anyone know how to get into the west half of Blackcrag?

Way back when we were discussing inaccessible areas as they came up with Erika and Sulfras (and Ghikra except that was misdirection since as you showed, you can totally get into that section), I mentioned I knew of a third one but it would be spoilers at that point. Most of Blackcrag is that third one, as far as I know, and you can't actually get in there.

TooMuchAbstraction
Oct 14, 2012

I spent four years making
Waves of Steel
Hell yes I'm going to turn my avatar into an ad for it.
Fun Shoe
You can access the smith in Blackcrag. She's hidden behind like 10 force barriers, has the same exorbitant prices as the other vendors, and can augment weapons with the flaming power, same as the smith at Tevrono. But as far as I'm aware, that and the kitchens are the only accessible parts of Blackcrag that you didn't show.

berryjon
May 30, 2011

I have an invasion to go to.
Update 068 – Footracer Province



“The last place we haven't been too. It's so scary!”

“And cool. These walls stop ground-level winds. It's almost stale.”

“It's death, that's what it is.”

“I agree. This place, it is empty.”

“Not empty. Emptier, of course. We just killed a couple dozen of the Beasts. But there is still the last source of Rentar-Ihrno's plagues somewhere in this province, and we have no idea where to start.”



“The Keep of Tinraya. It's to the west. If anything survived, it would be there.”



“So naturally, Art leads us North, instead.”

“Hey, the map showed four towns in the province. I want to see what happened to them.”

“We know what happened to them!”

“Or maybe what's left?”



“Map says this was Wyvern Pass. Noting the lack of a real 'pass' and the definite lack of flying creature.”

“At least the Alien Beasts don't fly!”

“Thank everything for that.”



“This wouldn't have been much of a place even before the Alien Beasts got to it.”



“Oh, that doesn't look nice.”



“Let me see what it says here...”



“Makes sense. These are Quickfire containers.”

“Should we explore?”

“It wouldn't hurt.”

:doh: “Did anyone else read the sign of impending doom?”



“Oh, we don't need quickfire for that. Just endless hordes of Alien Beasts.”



“I see what you mean.”



“It wasn't that bad!”





“I doubt we'll need raw ores where we're going.”

“I agree. We should leave it.”



“Wrecked.”



“Ruined.”



“Devestated.”

“Devastated.”



“Oh, my turn for a synonym? Um... Trashed?”



“Someone had their last stand here.”



“At least they tried.”



“Or we could finally step on a trap.”



“RUN!”



“WHY DID THIS HAVE TO HAPPEN TO ME!”



“Outrunning Quickfire is something that happens to me more often than not. I wonder why?”

There are four towns surrounding the Keep of Tinraya here in the front half of Footracer Province. You've seen what happens in two of them. They're empty of all but meagre loot, and plenty of Alien Beasts until you finally wander over a rune by accident and have to run away from Quickfire, which locks off the town for several days.



“Well, this looks like a pass.”

“Still no Wyverns.”




“I wonder if they had anything useful...”




“Just bait.”

“When are we going to fish?”



“And back on the road for now – or what's left of it.”



“And another town.”

“But first, a sign!”



“Let's see if the traps are different.”




“Nope. Not bothering.”




“Perhaps this would be a good time to bypass an enemy strongpoint?”



“MY PRECIOUS BABY!”

“Why won't you work?”

“Did someone hurt you? Mommy will make it all better!”

“There appears to be some sort of wide-area diffusion spell in the region, preventing the Flight Spell from forming in the first place. If we are to cross the river, it would have to be on foot.”

“That's evil. I feel the need to vent my frustrations on something. Oh look, Alien Beasts, just lined up for the slaughter!”





“CHARGE!”



“And that makes me feel better. Slightly.”



“This region will take years to recover. The damage to the infrastructure is extensive.”




“Which means this is the Keep of Tinraya.”

“Which means we'll check out the other two towns first.”




“Which means that there are Alien Beasts guarding the other approach as well.”

“Still feeling annoyed.”

“CHARGE!”

* * *



“So, this is the southern entrance to the region. Nice to know.”




“Well, this is unusual.”



“That's a lot of marsh.”

“A different type of trap?”



“Perhaps.”



“Ugh, this place reeks.”



“Oh, that explains it. Someone tried to defend this place by summoning something even worse than the Alien Beasts.”



“I vote we kill them all, then leave.”

“Seconded!”

“Thirded!'

“Passed!”

“Unanimously.”



“And this way must be the last town.”



“What horrible trap awaits us this time?”

“It won't be horrible. Just tedious. Or necessary for us to run.”




“Buildings aren't falling over?”



“Maybe they just didn't bother finishing. Or will come back later.”



“Perhaps.”



“Still waiting for that trap.”




“That's bad.”




“The Barracks are intact? Weird.”

“Very.”



There's the trap!”



“Right, let's just fight our way out.”



“That was ... intense for a few moments.”



“I wonder if any of the books survived?”



“Guess not.” :(

“Guess again!”



“Except we already know both of those.”

“And there's something in the desk here...”



“What does it say?”



“I, uh, think it's the first draft for that book we've seen around.”

I'm confused too, but it's not the first time that something has been mislabelled, or glitched to do the wrong thing. The Airy Stone for starters. I have no idea what this piece of paper could actually be saying, as all it does is go to this book instead.

“Well, that's enough wandering around. Let's do this.”


berryjon fucked around with this message at 02:24 on Jun 5, 2017

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Glazius
Jul 22, 2007

Hail all those who are able,
any mouse can,
any mouse will,
but the Guard prevail.

Clapping Larry
Huh. They turned off the orb for the endgame. I suppose that makes a certain amount of sense.

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