Let's Save Daria! Let's Play The Lost Heir Trilogy from ChoiceOfGames

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Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

Yea, I'm sure we'll have opportunities to fail without going out of our way for them yet.

# ? Nov 3, 2017 13:56

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# ? Jun 9, 2024 08:39

FoolyCharged: Oct 11, 2012; Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

Oh good, not only are we working for an enterprising small business owner(tm), but he's in a "condition" his wife is worrying about. That surely won't come up later.

Go ahead and show him the "loyalty" he's due and give a Not so rousing speech before we actually do our job.

# ? Nov 3, 2017 15:08

sullat: Jan 9, 2012

When you have the ability to create magical hammers with your mind, the world looks like a nail.

# ? Nov 3, 2017 16:29

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Thanks, voters. As stated before, I'll make our possible success canon while playing out failures. I will leave the options to fail on the table for future decisions, moving ahead when I feel I should. Failure consequences will not be revealed until after each bad situation is over. I may put required conditions to succeed or fail under spoilers, but this will be subject to my time and memory. If at any time you think I am wrong about a check amount and we can pass it, let me know. If enough people and my own tests agree, I will go with your suggestion. Renata's Stats will be updated once per page, checked via the game. Please note that some options need equipment to unlock. You can't shoot a Bow if you don't have one, and you can't stab anything without a Dagger or Sword.

That said, let's do what we can for 'Master' Jett's sheep.

When all else fails, try Magic... posted:

Master Jett looks at you and the other guards after he finishes his first night's camp inspection.

- "Everyone settled in? Good. If there are any special protections for the camp you want to try, please start doing them now. It's too late for Nature advice, you probably should have talked to me sooner. I know guards can keep away most of the big predators like wolves and Dire Eagles, but there's a foxhole right over by those lambs. Anyone without a good Nature Skill would have probably missed that, or any other foxholes I haven't noticed. Jethro, can you park a wagon in front of that foxhole please?"

The indicated farmhand complies.

- "Thank you. Anyone else want to point out something special? No Bards or Priests here, right? And nobody who knows how to set up alarm bell traps? I had a Rogue employee with such a system once, never figured out how it worked exactly. Can anybody do anything else for my... our sheep?"

You contemplate using your Magic, but your boss has yet to earn your respect, so you hold off for the moment.

- "No? What about extra shifts tonight, then? Anyone?"

Bobby's brother Ted volunteers.

- "I'll take an extra shift!"

- "Are you sucking up to me, or can you really stay awake? I'm not going to let more than one person sleep in a wagon while we travel tomorrow. Well?"

- "Uh, I guess I'll... try."

- "That's the spirit! Thanks, whatever your name is. See you all in the morning."

Master Jett turns and walks off. You frown as you hear your fellow guards grumbling at each other afterwards.

- "Ted, what the hell? You're lazy, you'll never stay up all night!"

- "I gotta look good for the boss. Can't you stay up and help me?"

- "Hell no! I hate this job already. I really wish someone had told me it was just a glorified shepherd position! I would have quit before I took it!"

Vicky agrees.

- "You can still quit, you know. We can all quit. Right, Mary?"

Mary is the fourth young guard whose name you hadn't learned already. She carries a bow and a quiver of arrows along with two short swords sheathed on her back while Ted, Bobby, and Vicky have swords at their belts.

- "Let's not quit. It'd be better to just make it to Ludd, get our pay, and then never work as adventurers again. That's what I'm doing. Our first day was boring. Surely all the other days will be the same!"

You look at Theo for his take on the situation. He shrugs.

- "I'm just here for extra ale money. I really don't care if this job succeeds or fails."

My fellow guards are all inept, you think to yourself. I'm not, though- I think. A situation like this is where a Princess and future Queen of Daria should step up. My mother and father would do that for sure. When I was a child, I heard my mother change people's minds with her speeches many times. My father was also good at that. Maybe I can do the same.

You clear your throat loudly and step to where all the other guards can see you. You let the moment and your personal Charm inspire your speech as best they can.

"My fellow glorified shepherds! Your attention please! Friends, farmhands, fellow adventurers, lend me your ears!"

The other guards at once fall quiet. Theo raises an eyebrow and smirks in anticipation. Master Jett and his farmhands also stop what they are doing to listen to your words.

Your first speech isn't very good, but perhaps you could do better when you actually become Queen of Daria, assuming that still might happen in your future.

"My name is Renata. Yes, the same as the last Princess of Daria, the girl who would have ruled our nation one day had her parents not met a tragic fate when she was young. I cannot confirm or deny that I am that same girl, at least not right now. But please, listen to me as though I were, for all our sakes!

"Our employer, the farmer Jett, has set a great task before us. We must protect this herd of sheep, whatever our feelings regarding the matter. Neither Jett nor anyone else can make money from selling the sheep if they are lost. We are all invested in this, as we have been told. It is true that most of us do not have the Skills to do anything special to perform our job better. Even if we possess such Skills, we may not be willing to use them. But there is one thing anyone can do in the absence of Skills, and that is to be extra diligent!"

Ted bows, but you wave him off.

"If one person cannot be more diligent than anyone else, all must make their best effort to be so! My fellow guards, you must remain awake and attentive! Farmhands, you must take proper care with your duties too. Smart bandits and other serious threats to our sheep can be countered, but if no one takes extra care with these sheep, some will be lost to sneaky threats, accidents, and mistakes no matter what! Sheep can stray from the herd! Wolves and other predators can sneak past inattentive guards and attack the sheep. Other situations can also happen. Take that foxhole behind the wagon over there as an example! Take the other foxholes I'm certain exist nearby as the same!

"My fellow guards, please, do not falter in your duties! We must be prepared and do our jobs. Farmhands, I hope you are also listening. You are not guards, but you can very well help us nonetheless. A shepherd, even a temporary one, must tend their flock and at times fight off the wolves! If a threat to the flock comes, we must show that threat it will not take either our lives, our money, or our freedom!"

You look right at Mary and the other young guards during your conclusion.

"Do not become complacent either! This day may have been boring, but it was just one day. A day may come on this journey when the wolves become vicious and the courage of Daria's people who guard these sheep fail! I do not want this to be that day. I do not want that day to be tomorrow, either, or the next day, or any day following before we arrive in Ludd. I hope you all hold the same desire. Please do your jobs well, women and men of my land!"

There is silence after you finish. Master Jett grimaces and a few others in the audience shift back and forth nervously. Theo claps sarcastically for an instant, but stops when you look in his direction.

- "..."

- "That was, um, a good effort, Princess. That's my new nickname for you, so you know. We'll find out in the morning if your speech did any good."

You feel a bit embarassed as your audience turns away. Jett retires to his tent and so do the farmhands. The other guards gather around a nearby campfire. No one really seemed inspired by your words. Your parents would have honestly clapped for you, were they alive, and your mentor Sister Geri might have done the same, but none of them are here now. No friends like Gale or Karla are either. You are truly on your own. Even Theo, whom you've connected with a little, is not yet your friend.

You sigh and join the other guards at the campfire. Bobby critiques your speech.

- "Great words, Renata. Two more Charm points from you in that speech and I might have stayed up to help my brother! As it is, he'll have to stand watch on his own. Right, Ted?"

- "Well, someone else is taking watch besides me. It was an extra watch, wasn't it?"

Theo holds out five sticks of varying lengths.

- "My people have a method to decide watch. I'll use it here. There's six of us, three can stand watch for three hour shifts each night. One person can do extra watches if they want and help out as long as they can. Ted can do extra today, since he volunteered. Everyone else, pick your sticks. Shortest gets first watch, longest second, since I'm chief guard I'll pick who takes third. Tonight for third, I pick me."

Bobby draws the longest stick and grumbles. You and Vicky draw average sticks. Mary draws the shortest stick and sighs.

- "And I was hoping not to be bored out of my mind again today!"

You shake your head as you look at your own stick. You don't have any more Endurance than Ted, but you might have tried to stay awake anyway if you'd had better luck!

- "We'll all get a chance to do last watch at some point. Renata can do it tomorrow. Extra watches are still available too, if anyone else wants them."

No one seems interested. Mary and Ted leave the campfire to start their shifts on watch. Bobby and Vicky retire to their tents after saying goodnight. Theo is about to do the same when you stop him.

"Hey Theo, I need to tell you something. I'm using Magic tonight to help those on watch. I don't want 'Master' Jett knowing about it, but you seem alright, so I'll tell you. Can you keep it to yourself?"

Theo smiles.

- "I've seen a few shamans use Magic in such ways back home. Did you go to Daria's Academy of Wizards?"

"No, I'm just a... dabbler."

- "I hope you have enough Magic Skill then, and a Spellbook. Otherwise your Magic might not work."

Thankfully, you have both enough Skill and a Spellbook. You know your wards will work perfectly, having practiced them before. "If you hear a large cat screaming loud, that's my wards. We'll need to get to the noise's location immediately. The noise should wake everyone up, even if they don't know what it is. I'll reveal my Magic to everyone if it becomes necessary."

- "Gotcha. Thanks for letting me know."

Theo retires to his tent with a farewell nod. You cast your wards, then go to bed yourself.

I played out the reasons for possible failures based on my own memories above. I've had them all with various characters. Note that we don't actually need a Spellbook to cast spells, but the game uses that as an excuse sometimes if you lack the Magic Skill. It is not possible to pass the game's first Magic test without a Spellbook- Sir Grady's mustache needs 20 Magic to burn, not 10- that was a mistake, and only a Spellbook will give enough. Other failures will direct you on the Magic path, per my further testing of the game.

A fail here would have only cost us 50 Sheep Health. The game is forgiving this early. Sheep Health will remain at 5000, at least for now. It is presumed our help only contributes a little, even if it is continued each successive night.

Now, the results of what we did.

Helping the sheep posted:

The first night goes ok. Some foxholes were missed, Mary was bored, and both Bobby and Ted fell asleep during their watches, but nothing untoward happened. Your Magic wards must have picked up the slack.

As the journey continues, you keep putting similar wards around each night's campsite. On the third night following your departure, a ward is triggered by a lone roving wolf. The entire camp quickly awakens and drives off the wolf before it can kill any sheep. Master Jett is surprised after the incident.

- "Ok, who's the secret Magic-user?"

You nervously step forward. "That'd be me."

- "Excellent initiave, Princess! Your speech may have sucked, but Magic is a good compensator. Great job helping everyone get their bonus. You have extra duties now. I'm putting you in charge of the spare sheep blankets that aren't in use. Those blankets preserve the wool, so they're very important. Document and account for them each day. Any questions, you know where to find me. Everyone else, please remember 'Princess' Renata's wards!"

You are bothered by Jett's attentions, but you try not to let it get to you. The shepherds and the other guards thank you for casting the wards and seem glad for the help. Theo seems particularly pleased, but he doesn't spend any more time with you than he did before. (No Theo Bonus here, succeed or fail).

As your journey continues, the days go by slowly. Every night your wards work well, alerting the shepherds and the guards to danger. Master Jett is impressed by the magic and every sheep is accounted for each morning. Usually with a band this large, a few sheep would wander off or get taken by predators, but with your incantations, they are all kept safe.

(Magic +3)

The evening fires are social and entertaining. The shepherds and guards sit together, talking about their lives and about Ludd, the city where the sheep are being taken to. The night sky is full of stars and the noises the sheep make are soft and sleepy.

One night while you are on watch, you overhear Master Jett talking to his head farmhand Jethro.

- "I have mixed feelings. I'll be happy to sell off my flocks in Ludd and retire, but I'll miss it. My wife will be happy when I return with the money; she wants to buy a big new house in Elmvale."

Jethro grunts in response. You have learned by now that he does not often speak in complete words. As the conversation continues, you learn that Master Jett is expecting a large profit from selling the sheep, but outside the employee bonuses, he does not plan on sharing that sum with anyone. Jethro is his longtime farmhand, so he is the only one Master Jett is trusting with his plans. You set aside your own secret knowledge of Jett's plans for now, as your journey still has many miles remaining.

A couple more days go by. At the end of the first week, you are starting to feel that you have known everyone for a long time. Ted is still lazy and has stopped volunteering for extra duties, but your wards are compensating. Vicky and Bobby continue to be average. Mary has started to exercise her Nature Knowledge hobby to point out foxholes, helping your wards. Theo is mostly avoiding you, though he might be a good friend one day. Jethro and the other shepherds/farmhands do not socialize with the guards very much. Master Jett visits your campfire occasionally and remains pleased.

The other four young guards seem nice enough, as they politely listen to Master Jett. Theo isn't rude to his employer, but you can tell that he is bored with the mundane talk and other activities. He sits slightly apart from the other guards each night, often running his fingers along the haft of his enormous warhammer.

On various nights during the trip's first week you...

1. Get to know Theo. "Where are you from, Theo?" (Relations option, positive results, also Geography bonus)

2. Sit next to the handsome warrior and put a hand on Theo's muscular leg. (Romance option, not his type, fail)

3. Invite Theo to share your tent one night. (Romance option, serious fail, see previous update)

4. Pick flowers for Theo. (neutral Romance option, humorous)

5. Try to steal from the tents of Master Jett, Theo, and everyone else. (free Stealth boost and possible GP if you already had Stealth, also Evil)

6. Do nothing special and go to bed.

The last option will move the plot ahead. All previous options are free to take, but I will only have Renata do them if there are votes in favor. Any option with at least two votes gets approval, multiple votes ok. A vote in disfavor is also ok here if you want to counter an action. Changed votes permitted until next update, via edit or new reply. I'll play out the results of these actions in mini-updates tonight as votes come in. Please reference previous discussions of Romance if you want to take Romantic actions towards Theo.

The next main plot advancing update will come after we make the decision to move forward from here. I'm not setting a time for that update just yet. It will present a big plot decision I'll need to prepare for- Will we Summon Demons or not this run? The second run here, if there is one, will show off the opposite decision of our first choice.

Stats posted:

Stats

Renata, the Monk

Health: 100%

Specialized Training: 1 Monk level.

INVENTORY
- a Pouch on your belt containing 100 Gold Pieces (GP)
- an expensive Spellbook in a special holster
- a Dagger in your sleeve

A Backpack containing:
- a black Runebag with 3 glowing Demon Stones and 1 unglowing Demon Stone in it.
- a Rope.
- a water skin.
- flint and steel.
- a sleeping roll.

Animal Companions, Pets, and Familiars- None.
Mounts- None.

MORALITY:
Good: 46% Evil: 54%

ABILITIES:
Agility: 22%
Charm: 43%
Endurance: 20%
Perception: 33%
Strength: 20%
Willpower: 20%

SKILLS:
Archery: 0%
Devices: 0%
Magic: 50%
Blades: 0%
Stealth: 13%
Unarmed: 23%

KNOWLEDGE:
Arcana: 52%
Geography: 30%
History: 43%
Nature: 20%
Religion: 55%

RELATIONSHIPS:
Gale, friend and future Rogue 63%
Sister Geri, our Mentor 81%
Karla, Archer friend 74%
Theo, barbarian warrior, possible love interest 56%

# ? Nov 3, 2017 22:52

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

Start charming Theo, but don't try too hard. Get to know him, then let him know we are interested by getting him some flowers!

# ? Nov 3, 2017 23:10

anakha: Sep 16, 2009

Avalerion posted:

Start charming Theo, but don't try too hard. Get to know him, then let him know we are interested by getting him some flowers!

This.

# ? Nov 3, 2017 23:37

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Getting to Know Theo posted:

One night you sit by the fire chatting with Theo. Neither of you has watch that night, and no one else is paying attention.

"So, where you from, Theo?" you ask. Theo's mentions of his people have captured your interest.

Theo stares into the fire as he answers you.

- "The Norgan."

"The northern mountains are beautiful, I hear," you respond, remembering your Geography lessons with poor old Harmond, your tutor.
(Geography +3 and Theo Relationship +3)

- "It's in the Bandar duchy now."

His words are a reminder that the Kingdom of Daria is no more. "Do you miss the kingdom?" you ask.

The large man shrugs his shoulders.

- "A queen or a duke, it makes no difference to the mountain-folk."

Theo responds to your inquiries a bit further.

- "So where are you from, Princess?"

"Daria, Tornassa... and, um, please don't call me Princess. My name is Renata."

- "Ok, I won't call you anything else. I may have met you before now. I can't remember."

"It's fine. Whether we knew each other previously or not, I think we're getting to be friends."

- "Friends.... friends are good."

The Geography bonus above actually comes from a hidden test. We need 30 Geography to pass here (I think). Studying Geography at some point before this is necessary for the bonus. Fail the check, you don't recall Harmond's Geography lessons, so no bonus. You get the Theo Relations boost either way.

Edit- Daria History Notes- I'm not sure if Theo's Norgan People are the same Barbarians who feature in Life of a Wizard. If so, they are not united in a single large tribe in Lost Heir as they are in LoaW. They also have been conquered and made subject to the Kingdom of Daria, assuming this game comes after LoaW. There are some other differences too. But the general flavor is the same.

Give Theo flowers posted:

Friends are good, you reflect, but more than that is better. I'd like Theo to be more than a friend.

You attempt to capture the warrior's interest further after getting to know him. "So, are you any good with that hammer?"

- "Very good. I wield this hammer to emulate Thor, a God among my people. I am also skilled in Nature, Strength, and Endurance."

Theo looks at you and frowns.

- "Renata, do not take this the wrong way, but I think you need a bit more muscle. I could help you develop some if you are interested."

You don't feel such an interest at this time, but you might in the future. "Maybe."

- "I can't work out much on this trip. My duties as head guard take precedence. But if we continue traveling together later, perhaps..."

"You might want to stay with me?"

- "I am a lone adventurer. I have been mostly alone since I left my home. I would like... companions at some point. Your Magic interests me. Do you know anything else?"

You stand up and demonstrate a few of your Monk katas. Theo blinks as he watches.

- "I've never seen anything like that before."

"It's Monk Unarmed Fighting Skills. I don't know them very well. My Mentor taught me, but I need more study to really use them."

- "Hmm. I should probably meet your Mentor. Your kicks and punches seem a bit... interesting. There is a certain mountain near the home of my people. I have heard Monks train with each other in a monastery at its peak. I have never been there."

You remember what Sister Geri told you. "The monastery is the Eye of Heaven."

- "Is that what it's called? I did not know. You should continue your Unarmed studies if you so desire. Many monsters do not expect Unarmed fighters, in my experience. They often do not know how to counter their attacks. The Eye of Heaven might help you. There is also another mountain in the Norgan with an elemental vortex. Many Wizards study it. You might visit that mountain, or the Eye of Heaven, if you ever journey to my homeland."

"Thanks. I guess we'll see what the future holds."

Theo seems pleased to talk to you, yet you desire more than that from your Relationship. You want to be more than friends with him. But he is not making the first move. So you decide to do so yourself, with something that can be easily rejected if he is not interested.

You pick some flowers you pass one day during the first week and present them to Theo with a smile. His reaction is a surprise.

- "Uh, thanks."

He takes the flowers, but does nothing further immediately.

A short time later, you see Theo feeding the plants to one of the sheep as he passes the time guarding the flock.

You shake your head when you see Theo feed the sheep your gift of flowers. How could he be rejecting me? I thought he was interested.

Vicky sees your disappointment and gives you a few comforting words.

- "Don't bother, Renata. He's a barbarian. They don't respond to things like that the same as Daria's people!"

You glare at her. "You were perfectly happy to flirt with him before we left."

- "Well, that was before I learned where he was from and tried giving him flowers myself the other day while you were out on watch. It didn't work any better than your gift. Mary's more Charming than me and she propositioned him last night while you were asleep, but he rejected her even though he said maybe. If he's going to hook up with anyone, it won't be during this trip!"

Your heart sinks when you hear this. I guess Theo's too professional. But maybe if I make the approach...? Or should I get to know him after this trip instead? He said he might want me as a companion, but I can tell he's not sure yet. I need to do something big to get him on my side. But what?

You express your concerns to Vicky. She's another woman and doesn't seem interested in Theo anymore, so you trust her. She is noncommittal.

- "I don't know. Maybe if there's a big monster and you help kill it? I think barbarians are into bravery. I'm not very brave, so I really don't know. Please don't ask me about this again, okay? I'll probably never see you again after we get to Ludd. I just want to get through this trip without getting killed."

"Thanks anyway." You shrug off the reminder that Vicky is not your friend, stop thinking about Theo for the moment, and return to your other concerns.

Our Romance flag for Theo is now on, not that it means anything. We'll need to pass this quest before he can return any interest we show in him. No spoilers for what happens later if he does. There are still a few significant Relations factors ahead. If we give him flowers again later, after a Romance is possible, assuming one's in progress, he will appreciate them.

Note that this is the first time we've seen an opportunity to flip on a Romance flag. We chose to make the previous available partners our non-attracted gender, so we didn't get any options there. You can flip on Gill/Gale or Peter/Petra's flag as early as childhood (touch their hand shyly or kiss them), then confirm it later when you meet them again (this requires a hug and maybe a further kiss, then rejecting Theo through various options if you're Romancing him at the time or rejecting Theo at some point prior). Karl/a's flag has to be flipped on when you first meet them through holding hands or a kiss, then you must stay true. Theo/Thea can be harder to Romance than previously available partners. Their Relations start out lower and the character's a bit more subtle. Jace/Jess, if we had the chance to Romance them, can be even worse difficulty. Same for the LH2 and 3 Romance Partners. I'll address them at the proper time.

Current Remaining Options posted:

1. Put a hand on Theo's muscular leg beside the fire.

2. Invite Theo to share your tent one night.

3. Try to steal from Master Jett, Theo, and everyone else.

4. Stop doing special actions and go to bed.

I'll try to make the Summon Demons Choice update before I sleep tonight. Can't say when that will be right now. But it will be sometime after 0100 CST. If you want us to take any remaining free actions before then, please vote.

achtungnight fucked around with this message at 03:32 on Nov 4, 2017

# ? Nov 4, 2017 02:49

Added Space: Jul 13, 2012; Free Markets
Free People

Curse you Hayard-Gunnes!

That's enough for today.

No stealing, to bed

# ? Nov 4, 2017 04:21

FoolyCharged: Oct 11, 2012; Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

Added Space posted:

That's enough for today.

No stealing, to bed

# ? Nov 4, 2017 05:31

anakha: Sep 16, 2009

Added Space posted:

That's enough for today.

No stealing, to bed

# ? Nov 4, 2017 05:59

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

Added Space posted:

No stealing, to bed

This.

# ? Nov 4, 2017 07:52

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

No theft? Free money and Stealth, no long-term consequences besides 3 Evil points... ok, unanimous, never mind.

After previous decisions... posted:

You stop your special actions for the remainder of the first week of your journey with Master Jett's sheep. You are mostly satisfied with the results. The journey continues uneventfully for a while longer. On the eighth day, Master Jett makes a new statement.

- "I heard through camp gossip that one or more of you lady guards is attempting to Romance our head guard, the barbarian. What's his name?"

You are first to answer the farmer. "Theo!"

- "Right, Theo. I haven't really set a policy on workplace Romance before now. It's... not acceptable. It will interfere with your duties to watch the sheep and I don't want to hear about any more of it. Theo, is that okay with you?"

- "..."

- "Ladies?"

You, Vicky, and Mary say nothing. "..." It seems you will have to put overt Romance on hold the rest of the trip.

- "I'm glad everyone agrees. I also want to mention our official big monster policy right now. We haven't met a big monster yet this trip, but we might. By a big monster, I mean a serious threat. A Giant, Dragon, or other creature of similar size and ferocity. It doesn't have to be intelligent, just big and really dangerous. Can anyone tell me what will happen if we meet a big monster?"

Although you have not yet directly seen a big monster like Jett describes, you can make a guess from stories you have heard. "The monster will start attacking people and we'll have to fight it. Or run."

- "That's probably right. The sheep will almost certainly start running. And yes, some of you might want to fight the monster or run too. What do you think should be the priority?"

- "We should fight the monster. Be very aggressive."

You nod, smiling at the idea of heroism. The other young guards seem to agree with you and Theo, though you can tell they are also wondering how effective their aggression could be.

Jett, meanwhile, shakes his head at Theo's reply.

- "Wrong. Your priority is the sheep. If they run, my farmhands might not be able to catch all of them. I don't care if a big monster is killed or not, although killing it quickly would be better than otherwise. But the longer you take to kill it or drive it off, the greater your chances of getting hurt and the risk to your life. If you can't fight the monster, protect yourselves. If you can and must kill it, do so. But remember one thing- if my sheep panic and escape while the monster's distracting you, your bonus will be affected. Remember that if we ever meet a serious threat out here. Please."

You wonder about Jett's statement. He does not clarify it further and walks away from you. Theo, however, has a response. The warrior looks at you and all the young guards, pointing a meaty finger at Jett's departing back.

- "That man is a coward! He would never have respect among my people. Never mind how much money he has."

Theo grumbles a bit more under his breath, then returns to his tent. You feel some pleasure that he agrees with your assessment of Jett thus far. Bobby, Vicky, Mary, and Ted have no comments they are willing to make.

The journey progresses, and soon you are nearing the border between the duchies of Uddo and Eddan. It is the thirteenth day of your journey. That night, you make a decision that will greatly impact the remainder of your life.

You have extra watch that night, but you have volunteered for reasons that have nothing to do with protecting the sheep. You have been thinking about something all trip, and the time has come when you can no longer put it aside. You have to decide what you will do going forward, once and for all.

You tell your fellow on-duty guard, Mary, that you are going to scout a short distance around the camp. You'll be out of sight, but still close enough for yelling.

- "Ok, Renata. Scouting is a good idea, anyway. We cross the border tomorrow and I think parts of Eddan are Troll country. A Troll is a pretty big monster, right?"

You nod at her, in both confirmation and thanks. You then depart the camp and head into a large patch of trees that is near your camp on the Eddan plains..

Ok, that's the fanfic stuff for this update. Back to canon.

Big Decision posted:

The moment you find yourself alone, you take out your new Runebag that Sister Geri had given you. The four Demon Stones in the bag are about the size of small radishes and covered with runes. Three of them are glowing with mystical light, but the one that Zusak stole from the royal treasury isn't. Your parents were against Demon Summoning, but were unable to stop the practice entirely, although they were able to restrict the practice to those licensed by the Academy. Those who became licensed quickly banded together, becoming the Consortium of Planewalkers.

The key to your parents' deaths and the destruction of the kingdom is connected to these stones. That doesn't mean that you have to learn how to work them, but it might help. It would be dangerous, but it might give you great power. Will you try to use the Demon Stones?

You are unsure what, if anything you could and would do with the Demon Stones' power. But you do know that, right now and for the foreseeable future, you must make your decision either to start studying and using them or keep them unused in your Runebag as long as you possibly can.

I have discussed Demon Summoning quite a bit in this LP before now. Catch up on previous updates if you need to- here's the biggest-Harmond's lecture, which I have edited since original posting. A few further words on what Demon Summoning does to the game. Open spoilers, beware.

- This is the only chance to flip on the flag that we are or are not going to practice Demon Summoning. If we flip the flag here, we can't back out later and it stays on even if we actually never Summon a Demon. If we don't flip the flag here, we can't Summon or control Demons until it becomes plot mandatory in LH3. And even then, we will never be anything but a bumbler at Demon Summoning. Even if we start doing it here, we will not be skilled for some time. Demon Summoner and Demon Master are special character Classes that are only unlocked if you choose to Summon Demons. And they are only different in flavor from other game Classes. You can easily dabble in Demon Summoning while your main class is something else. Even if you don't pick the special Demon Summoning Classes, you can still do a few nice amateur tricks with Demon Summoning. If you choose to specialize in Demon Summoning, true Master Summoners like Zusak will always be better.

-There are six plot-related Demons we can Summon, we have three already. Only characters who specialize in Demon Summoning can access more Demons than the plot gives you (there are four others possible, I think). And the effects of all these Demons, along with the plot Demons, can be duplicated with appropriate Skill Checks or other success/failure options. Only one plot Demon is particularly special. The rest are just entertainment. The special Demon, Tyborr, adds to the story, but I'll fill in the blanks via fanfic if we don't get the chance to Summon him. Or you can override me if you think Summoning and meeting Tyborr would make more sense. You have to pick Summoning for that now though.

- Demon Summoners have extra options to handle various situations, but they also have a justly bad reputation. Various characters in the game will not like it if we practice Demon Summoning. Our parents would have been appalled. The general public of Daria will be frightened. Our party members will be okay with helping us learn the art, but always a bit nervous around it. And our Mentor... well, they will deny us one of LH1's 8 mystic Artifacts if we become a Demon Summoner. They'll still help us learn the art, but as mentioned before, they consider it a dangerous crutch. Only the Consortium of Planewalkers and the bad guys in LH1 are really okay with Demon Summoning. Our character can do it, but it comes with a price.

- Short term, it means missing the artifact awarded for choosing not to do it (1 of 8 artifacts in LH1, we currently have a chance at 6, Achievement for 4). Long term, it means arousing a lot of suspicion and fear in exchange for extra options in various choices. Tyborr's story details (which you can get despite the high Willpower it takes to control him if you make the right decisions, only if you make those decisions, and I'm not sure enough Willpower to control Tyborr is even possible, even via cheating, the game has a lock in place for that if you recall), extra choice options, and a better grasp of some story moments in LH3 are the only long-term rewards.

- The main price is not just public fear. It's danger. Remember, the ability to control Demons is governed by our Willpower. That stat is not easy to build in the game, never mind that it's only used for Summoning Demons. Only specialized Demon Summoners can get it above a certain level (55). There are two optional choices to increase Willpower outside Class level, one of which we've already failed to take. If our Willlpower is too low for a particular Demon, it might possess our character if we Summon it and bad things will happen in the game if it does. That could include loss of Health, loss of Gold, loss of Sheep while we're on our current quest, and other losses besides. You have to know what you're doing when you Summon Demons, and I won't help with every possible situation. I've played these games a lot and I love them, but there are some things I have not done and will not do.

- Keeping all the above in mind, I will allow us to Summon Demons in this LP if readers vote for that in the majority. This is our one and only chance to decide to do it outside the mandated plot events. I would be remiss if I mandated either course ironclad. I also think Demon Summoning was well done in this game, so I would not mind showing it off. Whatever decision readers make here is fine with me. I will only mandate that if there is a second game run here, we'll need to show off the opposite decision.

One more thing. The game prevents this next bit unless you choose to Summon Demons, but I find the knowledge harmless, so...

What Demons do we have? posted:

You examine your Demon Stones closely before making your final decision to attempt using them. You have never had the chance to look at them closely before now. Even when you had the Stones, looking closely at them was not your immediate concern.

There are four Demon Stones total. The first is the dull un-glowing Stone in which Zusak, the evil sorcerer who masterminded your parents' demise, was so interested. It seems the same as when you saw it before, its runes too faded to read and any power inside unable to be tapped. The other Stones you can tell have power available.

Each is a certain color and has unique runes on it. Your Arcana Skills allow you to read all these runes.

The smallest Stone is an ice blue egg whose runes read "Xi'atta".

The second Stone is a rough dust brown pebble and reads "Zon'ch".

The other Stone is a green orb with runes that read "Brahl".

Two of these Demon names are familiar. You saw Zusak Summon them when he attacked your castle and raided its Treasure Vault. The third Demon, Zon'ch, is unknown to you at this time.

You consider carefully all you know about Demon Stones and then decide...

1. Yes, I will try to learn how to use the Demon Stones.

2. No, I will respect my parents' and Sister Geri's wishes and not use them.

Ok, that's the last teaser. This decision is up to you now. It will be made at the next update and it will be permanent either way. Good luck.

This is a big decision many have been waiting to make. I'll give it until around 1700 CST this afternoon, possibly updating sooner if we have a high majority.

achtungnight fucked around with this message at 11:52 on Nov 4, 2017

# ? Nov 4, 2017 10:40

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

No demon summoning.

# ? Nov 4, 2017 11:43

LupusAter: Sep 5, 2011

No summoning, our stats are already wonky enough without adding Willpower training.

# ? Nov 4, 2017 12:11

FoolyCharged: Oct 11, 2012; Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

Avalerion posted:

No demon summoning.

Sounds like its required later and will have fummy and acceptable failures.

# ? Nov 4, 2017 14:13

sullat: Jan 9, 2012

Our parents were against it, our parents wouldn't like it, and our parents are dead. Why should we deny ourselves a useful tool, merely because it reminds us of our mortality? Take what is ours, summon them demons.

# ? Nov 4, 2017 15:57

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Ok, Tally is 3-1 against Demon Summoning. I'm still waiting a bit longer to move forward.

I'm posting this essay now, however, so that you can be aware of something else important in the game. It doesn't have much to do with Demon Summoning, but it does with another important game concern that will impact our future decisions. Read it or not if you wish. Changed and new votes on Demon Summoning are still being collected until the next update.

While you're thinking, meditate on this-

Morality in the Lost Heir

I've talked about game Morality before, but never exclusively or at length. This is a good time. Let's start with a homage.

Wheel of Morality, turn turn turn! Tell us the lesson that we should learn!

If you remember the cartoon referenced above, congratulations. You've seen some great entertainment, never mind the lessons. If you haven't seen Animaniacs, check it out.

I usually like Morality in video games, when it's done well. It can be good to learn lessons and observe profitable results from acting in accordance with morality, just like in real life. It can also be fun to act outside morality in a relatively safe and free environment, doing things that in real life would be both stupid and insane. For example of the latter, take a Grand Theft Auto style game where you can steal cars, beat up random strangers, and as you progress massacre hundreds of police. Naturally, I usually have infinite ammo and invincibility cheat codes on for maximum carnage potential when playing GTA.

Morality in video games, when done well, can add significantly to the experience. It keeps ratings appropriate for various audiences, improves storytelling, and makes things more fun.

Morality in video games is always a crap shoot for a player to experience, though. If it's done poorly, you will be unsatisfied. You may find you have to be Good for the story to progress in the best way, and then roll your eyes as you pick every option to aid others, be nice, and keep from screaming your head off in frustration. Or you may decide to be Evil all the time because no one ever thanks you properly when you act Good and the game is overly encouraging you to be bad. Then you get disgusted by your character's cartoon villainy and wonder if you have any redeeming qualities whatsoever.

At the worst extremes, you are forced to pick a particular path (Good or Evil) and you are denied many great rewards if you don't pick a path. I'm sure you can all think of examples, I won't mention any. But for an excellent online essay that does, check here. You don't want to force morality on game players, is my point.

What do you need to do for a well-played Morality system? In my opinion, you have to make it a largely optional feature of the game. It's there, but it's not mandatory. You can complete the game without it. If you choose to exercise the Morality system, there are various rewards, but ideally they are pretty much the same except for flavor and other things that fit the style of being Good or Evil. Being Neutral, ideally, should also have rewards.

Morality is a feature of many Choice of Games titles. You earn certain rewards for acting in various ways. Most titles pretty much feature the same general system as Lost Heir. Good characters are nice, kind, just, and frequently aid others without expected reward. Evil characters are mean, selfish, petty, and frequently use violence and power to punish others. Good people help others. Evil people steal from and murder others. Good people are reviled by Evil people, and even if willing to forgive them, can punish them righteously. Evil people mock and deride Good people, laughing manically while they bombard their victims with lightning, sword thrusts, etc. Pick one or the other extreme, and the game rewards change based on how you act.

Does Lost Heir address Morality well? Honestly, I think Lucid's previous title Life of a Wizard did it better. In that game, being 100%+ Good means you get other people's respect and eventually the powers of an Angel. Being 100%+ Evil means you get other people's fear and the powers of a Demon. Outside flavor, pretty much the same. If you're Neutral, you're teased by the rewards of being otherwise, but there's still the path of the Druid to interest you. It gives some nice flavors of ultimate power too. My only character who ever achieved ultimate peace in LoaW was a Druid.

Lost Heir doesn't do the same stuff with Morality, unfortunately. You can still complete the game if you ignore it. However, it is difficult because not finding an extreme denies you various rewards. And what rewards exist are IMHO mostly unsatisfying.

The best Good rewards can sometimes give you stat penalties if you grab them. Our next decision is an example. Also, even if you are Evil, party members and other characters can be corrupted and learn to fear your Evil, but they themselves remain largely Good or Neutral even if you try to motivate them otherwise. Then there are character Classes such as Paladin and Dark Knight, along with Good/Evil Priest/ess, that force Morality on you to keep their power rewards. You will get frustrated or disappointed that you can't go to the opposite extreme and keep such a class. I have felt that way many times. It's not always simple to put Good or Evil aside and act the other way.

The fact that you can amass Good or Evil over 100% is only minor satisfaction. Yeah, my Paladin who's been kind all through LH1 and 2 can lose his cool in LH3 and throw someone in the dungeons, but seeing the Evil points after you've been Good thus far still hurts. Same for my totally Evil scary Vampire Lord who suddenly meets a poor orphan and is moved to adopt them. Yeah, I can tell myself I'm raising the orphan to one day be an Evil person like me, but then the game awards me Good points for the adoption and has the orphan turn out Good in the game regardless. And if I try to hurt the orphan in anger, they run away and I never see them again. Foul!

Worse than that- you need Evil or Good to do some of the coolest things in LH. You can imagine how satisfying it is to, say, be a good Priest who suddenly wants to dabble in Necromancy only to be told "your Alignment won't stomach that". Or to be a worshipper of the Evil Goddess Shadi and have a Priest of your same Goddess attack you. I get that an Evil Goddess should reward the strong, but come on!

The worst part, if anything, some of the rewards are skewed towards Evil. Evil characters will make more money and amass greater power more easily and quickly than Good characters. It's easier to use Fear than Persuasion to get what you want. At the worst extreme, there is a way in LH3 to bring back a dead friend as an ally. But you have to put up with serious Evil to do it. There is no Good path to do the same thing I have yet to find that does not involve serious sacrifice. Veteran players will know what I'm talking about. I will not spoil it for others. You'll know what I'm talking about if you stay with this LP long enough.

Red X

Don't get me wrong, there are some Good rewards too. But they're not as easy to get as the Evil ones. And it's pretty clear what the Evil ones are. That was the author's intention, as I'll say below.

Before I talk about that, I should note that the Neutral rewards are gone. It's very hard to stay Neutral the way the game is presented. There's almost no motivation. You don't need Neutrality to be a Druid. Evil Druids can grab the Druid of Decay Prestige Class, while Good Druids have no similar Prestige Class of their own. Druid of Decay's still on my to-play list, so I can't say how cool it is. Other Evil classes, like Dark Knight and Necromancer, are pretty cool. Paladin is largely same as Dark Knight, opposite flavor, that's fine. Same for Good/Evil Priest. There is no reward for other traditionally Neutral characters. A Monk, for example, can't really stay Neutral and be rewarded. At least, not in any way that I've found. Prince Bill tried, but he screwed up and had to Martyr himself at the end of LH3, then went to Hell. :devil:

I've had no other serious Monk characters. Maybe Renata will be different.

Lucid has expressed some opinions regarding LH Morality on the Choice of Games forums. He basically felt that it would be interesting to make Good characters work harder and see if they enjoyed it. Evil characters, meanwhile, would have fear and personal power to help them. It's not easy to be Neutral, or waver between Good and Evil, when you're a future or current ruler of an entire fantasy realm. I don't entirely agree with all that. But the game forces me to put up with my issues when I play.

I had a different opinion of LH Morality earlier, but after further testing of the game, it's changed. Am I still satisfied? Yes. But any game will grate on you after enough play. Don't worry, I'm going to finish this LP of LH's first run and maybe even a second and third. I'm fine with that. This is the only play by post LP of LH I've found online, and thus far it is making me proud. I want to maintain that with readers' help.

Ok, personal stuff over. Now what does Morality do in the Lost Heir games? Well, as stated before, it motivates you to be selfish or kind at various points. Most Morality choices are obvious. The first few don't really matter because they only award a few Good or Evil points either way unless you hit a great extreme.

Starting in LH2, you will have other stats that being Good or Evil aid and thus you will want to keep being one or the other Morality. It doesn't matter how much you might want to waver. If you do, you risk screwing something up. The stats in question are called Citizen Reputation and Citizen Fear, and they do carry over to LH3. Think of a high level of the first stat as ruling your kingdom with popularity and inspiring Daria's patriots, like US Presidents Washington or FDR. The other extreme stat makes you Josef Stalin or Ivan the Terrible. Everyone will be so afraid of you they'll do what you want if you merely remind them what might happen to them if they don't do as you wish. If you don't know what real life historical personages I'm talking about, google those names. I have yet to do a successful Machiavelli run that's high on both Reputation and Fear. I imagine that would be very hard.

Our character Renata is skewed towards Evil right now, but not much. A 46-54 split is only one point short of LoaW Neutrality. It's not a big deal. We can atone easily and do better. Or we can fall down the slippery slope. We're about to make a major decision towards that once we finish this quest. Yeah, it's still easy to screw up being Good and lose the long-term reward for such, and vice versa, but the choice to rob Master Jett or not at the end of this quest is still a big deal. It is one of the best serious long-term rewards/consequences Morality decisions I have ever seen in a game, and I do not give that statement lightly. Thus we are at the point in the LP where game Morality has to be addressed in depth.

There are many reasons why a particular Prince/ss would want to rob Jett or not. Maybe they were an Evil person in the first place. Maybe they were motivated by the Greater Good as they imagined it, and either kept going to extremes in support of that or realized they were wrong and turned Good with time but still had the great sin hanging over them later on. Maybe they didn't like Jett hoarding money for himself and acting like a real life pointy-haired boss (that's largely my imagination, but the game does help me portray him that way). Or if they didn't rob Jett, the Prince/ss in question was naive and didn't really know what they were doing (the long term reward for sparing Jett isn't a sure thing, as we'll see if we spare him). Or they were Good people and stayed that way, not tempted by money. Or they were inspired to be Good by their parents and friends.

I need to expand on the last statement. A lot of ally characters in this game are Good in alignment, others are at best Neutral. I'll use the Dungeons & Dragons Alignment system to describe them. Click here if not familiar. Basically it's two sets of axes. The first is Lawful-Neutral-Chaotic and measures how predictable and fanatical you are. The second is Good-Neutral-Evil and measures your selfishness or lack thereof. In Lost Heir, our Prince/ss's parents are a Lawful Good king and queen. Our Mentor is also Good of some type- Lawful for Sir Grady, Neutral for Lady Emaline & Sister Geri, Chaotic for Amos. Most people in LH we'll meet who aren't villains are Good. Even the Bandits we can encounter in LH2 and 3 are crooks just trying to get by, as you'll discover if you spare their lives. :rolleyes:

Most of our potential companions are Neutral Neutral or Chaotic Neutral. We can skew them towards Good or Evil based on our actions. This is true of Theo/Thea, Gill/Gale, Karl/a, and the other two potentials we'll meet in LH3. All these characters keep their general personalities no matter your level of Good or Evil, but you can imagine them changing a bit towards each extreme in response to your actions. Jace/Jess is largely the same, they're skewed Evil when you meet them, but it's easy to imagine them becoming Good or way more Evil if you befriend and influence them the right way. Peter/Petra and Brinn/Bran, who we'll meet in LH2, are the big exceptions. Both are Lawful Good. Petra can be corrupted to Romance an Evil character, but she remains a Good deity's Cleric. I like to imagine her sinning alongside the Evil characters I've had Romance her, then flaying herself every night.

I have yet to do an Evil Romance with Bran- competence is required for that.

There's also your adopted child party member you might pick up in LH2 and watch grow to maturity in LH3. Their character is extreme Chaotic Good and will remain so even if raised by an Evil despot like Prince Barry the Black Knight or Princess Nadia, Vampire Queen and Grand Mistress of the Demon Army. It's unsettling. But I'm getting far ahead.

One currently relevant thing. Demon Summoning in LH usually does not influence Morality directly. It scares people, yes, but you don't get Good or Evil points for it. At least, not according to my memory. I won't say much right now about why that might be. Yeah, a Demon possesses you and makes you do something terrible, you may or may not be responsible. But if you Summoned the Demon in the first place... Never mind.

Necromancy and Soulburning are Forbidden Magics in the LH games. Supporting them requires putting up with Evil at certain levels, even if you're of a good heart and honestly want to help your husband Jace like my character Princess/Dame Leah the Knight Champion, almost-Paladin. I'm not sure why Demon Summoning is feared yet spared the Evil points if you do it while still helping you amass Citizen Fear. Let's not discuss that in depth right now. A better time will come in LH2.

The Morality decision that will come next update- if Demon Summoning doesn't happen first, it still might- is an easy one. So is sparing or killing Jett, when you first approach the decision. Maintaining your path afterwards is difficult. I welcome players who pursue either challenge, or who choose to forsake Morality in the name of just having fun. I hope that by this essay's end and our next decision you are properly motivated to decide what you will do.

Now let me close by spinning the Wheel of Morality. [AN does so] Trip to Tahiti! Excellent! I'll be back here in a few minutes after visiting Tahiti in my imagination. See you then. Keep voting please.

# ? Nov 4, 2017 22:10

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Final Demon Summoning Tally 3-1 against.

Ok, that's it for the voting on Demon Summoning. The idea is nixed for this run. No problem. On our second run here, if there is one (I'm not deciding till the first run's over, no matter how long that takes), I will mandate the opposite decision and help voters choose our path as much as I can and am willing to do- just as I am this run.

I agree our Stats may not be in favor of doing Demon Summoning well this run. It's not been my favorite specialty the times I've done it. The story's been good, even without my imaginary additions, but... well, which do you prefer? Summoning a big ugly Demon to tear apart a bad guy or doing it yourself with a well-trained Sword or Magic attack? You tell me. Never mind the risk of not having the Willpower to control the Demon in question, I just like being badass. :black101:

Ok, let's make this permanent in game terms-

Let's do Zusak some damage posted:

You make your decision, hoping it is correct.

You know that there is one thing you would prefer to do, and that is never to Summon Demons if you can help it. You resolve to remove all possible temptations.

You draw your Dagger and use it to scratch the runes on your three glowing Demon Stones in key places, preventing the Demons' true names from being correctly read and thus correctly pronounced. Neither you nor anyone else will ever be able to safely use the Brahl, Xi'atta, or Zon'ch Demon Stones again. It is not much revenge for the deaths of your parents and potential mentors, but it is a good first blow against Zusak.

You regret that you are not able to read the un-glowing Demon Stone's runes and damage them in the same way. You instead resolve to keep it away from Zusak as long as you can. If you can meet him and kill him, then put the un-glowing Stone away in a vault forever like your parents did, that would be fine. Or maybe you can find a way to damage or destroy the Stone at some point in the future, that would be even better. The Gods only know what Zusak could do with the Stone if he ever got it back.

I'll give you three guesses what's going to happen at the end of Lost Heir 2.

On the upside, we just effectively killed Brahl, Xi'atta, and Zon'ch. They won't be seen again in this run of the LH games. Here's Zon'ch's intended picture, for the curious-

I recognize this vote may disappoint some of you. In a second run of LH on SA, we will be Summoning Demons both to show it off and to alleviate the disappointment of those opposed to the way this choice went. The same will be true of other decisions, such as robbing or sparing Master Jett. It will take some time to get there, but it will probably come. If you can't wait or you're too afraid I won't do a second run- I'll admit, I am not going to decide for sure until this run is over- you can always buy the LH games and find out for yourself what happens if you do something other than what we do in this run. Check the LP's opening post for available versions of the game.

Anyway, let's move forward with the story. As you may have guessed from the last update, we'll soon have to deal with a big monster. It will be our first real combat since childhood, and our first game boss. But there is one decision left and a little more bonding to do, in the calm before that storm.

Back to Camp posted:

You put the now-useless Demon Stones back into your Runebag and bury it safely in your backpack once more. It's enough to know that the Stones are important to Zusak without actually using them.

After putting your Demon Stones away, you return to camp and finish your watch without further serious challenges. A Coyote triggers one of your wards, but Mary shoots it with an arrow and scares it away before it can attack the sheep.

A Mountain Lion approaches the camp later that night- your wards don't help much because they sound similar to the Lion and scare people into thinking there's more than one Lion- but Theo is on duty by then and he drives off the Lion. You then change your ward alarm to sound like an Elmvale Temple bell, just in case more Lions show up. You make sure everyone is familiar with the new tone.

The next day there is a terrible rainstorm. The sheep caravan is forced to delay its border crossing. Master Jett is disappointed, but stays in his tent. You and the other guards watch the camp instead of travelling. It is a nice change from having to move.

During lunch, Theo speaks to you and the other young guards in your communal shelter.

- "I want to say some things to all of you about adventuring. I wouldn't normally be doing this, but for some reason I feel attached to all of you. Especially..."

He looks right at you, but turns away before anyone else notices.

- "Never mind. My point is, I do not want any of you here to die during this journey. I would prefer we all live through it. Therefore I will assist your adventuring careers, as best I can. I am a veteran, I know how to best be an adventurer. To do it well, there are three serious challenges you must meet. I have a feeling we may meet them all during this journey."

- "We've already met the first. It's boredom, right?"

- "No, boredom is merely a fact of life, not a challenge. You all still need to face the three serious challenges. I hope you will get the chance. Only after facing them will you be able to decide if adventuring is truly the job for you. I have made my decision. You all need to make yours."

He looks right at you again when he makes the last statement. You feel your insides clench. "Describe these challenges, please."

- "First is something Master Jett brought up a short time ago. Big monsters. You will have to face big monsters as an adventurer. There is nothing like the feeling you get going up against one or more of them. They often have good treasure, and even if they don't, the feeling you get facing them can be treasure on its own. If you have the Skills to triumph against a big monster and can use them, it is good. If you don't have the Skills, well.... I won't say more. But if you want true treasure and satisfaction from this job, you will need to defeat big monsters."

- "But Master Jett said..."

- "I know what he said. You can think about it and agree with him if you want. But each of you needs to decide for yourselves, as soon as possible, whether or not you are cowards. If you meet a big monster before you decide, it may not give you the chance. I think you know how I will judge you if you show weakness before a big monster."

- "But our money..."

- "Money is only one possible reward from life. There is also something Master Jett has not considered. If a big monster can be killed or driven off quickly, any losses from its presence will be minimal. If you are capable of defeating a big monster, I want to see you do it. If you aren't capable on your own, help me with the task. I will help you as well, if necessary."

Vicky seems very surprised by this last statement.

- "You don't want the kill for yourself, the pride and glory?"

- "Glory is fleeting. Pride can come in many ways. I would get equal satisfaction from any of them. I also know from my experience that it is often not easy, if it is even possible, to defeat big monsters by yourself."

He goes on to explain a few weaknesses of big monsters, and how groups can better counter and defeat them than individuals. You nod in agreement with many of his statements, as do the other young guards. All five of you chime in with stories you have heard and read. Theo confirms and debunks a few of them for you. He smiles at the end of the discussion.

- "Remember two things. If you have Skills, use them. Life or death, use the best Skill you can. A big monster will always present you a choice of life or death. Second, if you know you lack Skill or are uncertain, seek and follow the orders of someone more experienced. For this adventure, that would be me."

You nod in thanks. "You said there were three challenges. What are the other two?"

Theo's eyes flash with mirth.

- "This is your first lesson. I'll give you the second after I see how you face the first."

You want to press him for more advice, but you are sure he won't give any at this time. You only hope you can prove yourself when the challenge arrives. Your past teachers, Harmond and Sister Geri, were sometimes the same way.

The fifteenth day of your journey, the rainstorm is over. Jett forces the caravan to move quickly to make up for lost time. You are allowed to settle down once you are closer to the duchy border and Theo reminds Jett you're now in monster territory and will likely be so for the next week. Jett grumbles but has to take heed. He does not like risking his sheep against the Orcs, Trolls, and other monsters that wander the lonelier plains of Eddan, but he knows it is best to move carefully through their territory.

- "We'll be in Eddan soon, it's not much farther. Our journey's already almost half done. No serious monsters or sheep losses yet, either. Cheer up, people!"

Your fellow Guards express developed attitudes while on patrol later that day.

- "I might decide to stick with this career after all. Working caravan security is boring, but it seems like that's the only serious problem."

- "I agree. The hardest part of security is staying awake."

- "It can't be all there is to being an Adventurer, though. When are we going to find treasure or slay Dragons?"

- "Yeah. I'd like to meet a handsome man or beautiful woman who's actually interested in me too."

You are about to voice your own feelings, but Theo interrupts you.

- "You all need to take care what you think. Some of you have forgotten what I told you yesterday. I shall remind you."

He does so, then continues speaking.

- "It is true that being an Adventurer is easy when it's boring. It may also seem easy in the stories. But you may someday find your lives or other people's in serious danger. All it takes is one big monster. One bad day."

You press Theo, wanting to hear his veteran wisdom. A real life adventurer like him would know of situations outside the stories you've heard, and since you are now living such a story, real life experience might help you. Theo has largely kept such things to himself thus far. "Can't you tell us more about big monsters?"

- "It is best I not. Some of my experiences as an adventurer have... disillusioned me. Others have enriched me. Either might happen to you on this trip. I will remind you all, you are yet unchallenged. And there are two things worse than a big monster for an Adventurer. Maybe later I'll tell you what they are."

Theo says nothing further for the moment and walks to the other side of the herd. You shrug and decide to wait for him to tell you more later.

That night, something else happens. It seems of only minor importance at the time, but in retrospect it may motivate your future conduct in many ways.

You pitch your tents and set up camp, then draw second watch. A few minutes into your watch, you notice the air is heavy with cold moisture from the recent rain storm. You bundle your cloak tighter about your body to shield from the cold. All around the camp, other people are performing similar actions. Several minutes later, as you watch everyone doing this, you hear crying from the edge of the camp site. The youngest shepherd, a little girl several years younger than yourself, sees you approach her and begins pouring out her tale.

"What's wrong?" you ask the young shepherd girl, whose name is Leigh Anne.

- "My cloak. I forgot it. My momma gave me it and told me not to lose it. I only noticed it missing just now. I left my cloak on that big boulder near the creek at last night's camp."

You recall the boulder. If you stayed up all night and ran, you might be able to grab the cloak and even get back before the herd moved on in the morning, but it would be exhausting. The moisture in the air might also be an issue.

While you think about what to do, Leigh Anne keeps sobbing.

- "I know Master Jett put you in charge of the spare sheep blankets. I would like one to replace my cloak. Master Jett said no, the blankets are for the sheep and not the shepherds. But what do you say? Please, help me, Princess! Please."

You-

1. Allow the girl to use one of the spare sheep blankets.

2. Tell the girl to stop whining like a baby.

3. Ask Master Jett's permission to go back and get Leigh Anne's cloak.

This is a straight up Morality decision. It's not major, there's no plot impact, and only one choice has any stat impact. That one's pretty obvious (#3). But we need to make this decision to progress. If you are unsure how to vote, I posted a Morality essay earlier this afternoon and I have talked about it previously. I'll tally and move forward past this tomorrow afternoon.

Next update- One Big Monster. One Bad Day.

# ? Nov 4, 2017 22:41

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

Give her a sheep blanket.

I kind of see Renata as more of a pragmatic/amoral one rather than dedicated to evil or just a dick at this point (though depending on how voting goes that might change!).

# ? Nov 4, 2017 23:04

sullat: Jan 9, 2012

Running back seems really impractical, just give her a sheep blanket

# ? Nov 5, 2017 03:01

FoolyCharged: Oct 11, 2012; Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

Give her a blanket. Not because she needs it, but because our employer is a dick and we should spite him.

# ? Nov 5, 2017 03:46

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Early update, thanks for the quick decision.

Give the girl a blanket! posted:

You nod at Leigh Anne and take her to the wagon where the blankets are stored. Documenting them each day has been a chore for you the past week and a half, you've never really paid it much thought. But now you see what good can be done with the blankets besides preserving wool.

"Take this blanket," you say, "but before you go, please tell me why you are here. It seems strange that a girl your age would travel with us." You have wondered about this before, but not had the chance to ask.

- "Poppa brought me along. He's one of the other shepherds and is teaching me his trade."

"Okay, can you please tell your father I gave you this blanket? Maybe he can smooth things over with Master Jett if he notices you have it."' You are concerned Jett might learn what you have done and take offense.

- "Yes, ma'am."

"Also be careful from now on to hold on to your belongings. Next time you might lose something more important than a cloak."

She nods silently at your advice and does as you suggest. It will teach her to be more mindful of her belongings in the future.
(Good +3)

We are now 49/51 Good/Evil. Not significant. Telling the girl to stop whining would have awarded 3 Evil. Getting her cloak back would have awarded 15 Good at the cost of some Strength, Endurance, and Agility for catching a terrible cold while running back to the previous camp. That is the kind of decision you don't make again once you know it's there.

It is perfectly possible to amass 100+ Good through small actions like this throughout the game. You don't need to do anything drastic like the exhausting option or big charity donations- not as long as you're avoiding Evil anyway. And Evil can go up pretty drastically if you do serious Evil acts. We'll get an opportunity to see that at the end of this quest.

The Next Morning... posted:

At breakfast the next morning, Master Jett approaches you.

- "I heard about what you did with Jethro's daughter and the sheep blanket."

You blink. You had not know Leigh Anne was the child of Jett's most trusted farmhand. You wonder if Jett is about to do something petty like dock your pay because you gave away the sheep blanket.

- "I want you to know, I think you did the right thing. Jethro offered to buy the blanket from me, I let him take it free because he was really upset about what I said to his daughter, so... I will admit I made a mistake. I appreciate you helping me recover from it. You won't get any punishment. I've already apologized to Leigh Anne and Jethro. Now I'm apologizing to you."

"Thank you." You feel gratified that Jett's karma seems to finally be catching up to him.

- "You're doing a heck of a job, Princess. I really appreciate it. Keep it up. I'm very glad I hired you as a guard."

"Can you please stop calling me Princess? My name is Renata, and I don't want people calling me anything else right now."

- "Ok, Renata. It will be as you say."

You smile again as he walks off.

After breakfast, Theo reminds you and the other guards that you will cross the border into Eddan today. He says that the area through which you will travel is a known territory of big monsters and reminds you all again of what he has told you about big monsters. You feel nervous while you listen. The fact that Mary, Bobby, Vicky, and Ted are all wearing red shirts for some reason does not help. You wonder if you will meet a big monster sometime today.

We will meet a big monster and our four young generic adventurer pals will be in danger of getting killed. The sheep will be in danger too. Let's see what we can do about that.

Big Monster posted:

It is not much surprise that later that afternoon, a monster indeed appears.

An hour after midday, you find yourself walking near the front of the band. You are passing through the last forests of Uddo as the plains of Eddan begin to take over the landscape.

Movement between the tree trunks ahead of you catches your eye. The sheep are following behind you, walking calmly along the forest path. You hold up your hand and turn back to the shepherds. Jethro sees the signal and at once halts the long string of animals. You spot Theo jogging forward to see why you called a stop. If you're wrong, you know that Master Jett will be upset, since it takes a lot of work to get the sheep all moving forward again.

You know you have done the right thing when a large green man-shaped beast steps out from between the trees ahead of you.

There's a hidden Perception check here. If we lack 30 Perception, we will lose 100 Sheep Health because we don't spot this monster before it attacks the herd. Monk training helped again! But I think there really should be a Perception bonus awarded if we pass the check. Guess I found a bug.

quote:

Theo gasps when he sees the monster. He grabs his hammer and yells at the other guards.

- "Troll!"

Daria Trolls are pretty much the same as Dungeons & Dragons trolls. They're large ugly beasts known for their brute strength and the ability to regenerate wounds. There is but one method to counter the latter ability. Renata has access to that method.

I'm going to show off every round of this encounter. It's a bit risky for five first level adventurers, never mind numbers and the presence of a mid-level Barbarian ally (Theo). Failing Skill Checks throughout the encounter can kill all the redshirts, thus hurting the sheep, and we can take Health damage too if we attack the Troll and our Skill can't meet or surpass what is needed. If we can kill the beast without being knocked unconscious, there are rewards. If you know anything about D&D trolls, it should be already clear how this Troll's going to die.

Troll Attack, Round 1! posted:

The Troll bellows and advances towards the flock of sheep. The sheep bleat loudly and panic, scattering all over the trail. Jett and the shepherds panic also, retreating and trying to contain the sheep before they can get away.

Your four fellow young guards run forward, weapons in hand. Mary misses the Troll with her first arrow. Bobby, Ted, and Vicky all have their swords ready, but they are not immediately close to the Troll. Theo waves his hammer at the Troll, trying to lure it towards him and distract it. The Troll accepts his challenge and advances, claws lashing the air. Bobby, Vicky, and Ted move to support Theo while Mary nocks another arrow and looks for a clear shot.

The Troll is not targeting you at the moment. You...

1. Circle around the Troll and try to stab it with your Dagger. Fail, needs 40 Blades, sword attack needs same.

2. Cast a blast of fire at the monster. Needs 40 Magic, will succeed and wound Troll for 25/100 Health.

3. Attack the troll with your bare hands. Fail, needs 30 Unarmed. Success means we punch the Troll in the face several times and wound it, then it regenerates.

4. Watch as Theo and the other guards fight the monster. Take this option to skip to the next round if you aren't sure what to do here, however it will cost you a redshirt and some sheep.

5. Run away from the danger as fast as you can and hide. Fail entire encounter, lose 25 Theo Relations, all 4 redshirts, and over 1000 Sheep Health. No chance at good bonus payment for the quest if you do this.

Other options we don't have available include firing Arrows at the Troll (succeed in hitting it at 40 Archery); inspiring the other guards and Theo via a Bless Spell (needs Priest) or Music (needs Bard)- either of which will help them to wound the Troll and survive the first round; and lighting our Lantern if we had one. Using our Lantern here is a gimmick to kill the Troll if we lack the Skill to create a sustained fire with Magic or Nature (next round we'll get the chance to do that). We can follow up after lighting the Lantern in Round 1 by throwing it at the Troll like a Molotov cocktail or smashing it on the ground to quickly create a sustained fire in Round 2. You'll learn how that helps next update. Using a Lantern also saves the redshirts. It's not the best way to take out the Troll, though.

You can look under the spoilers above or make an easy guess what Renata needs to do to wound the Troll. I'll proceed with the majority vote this afternoon. This fight will last 2-4 rounds, by the way. Remember that failure each round might cost us redshirts, Sheep, and Health.

achtungnight fucked around with this message at 21:12 on Nov 5, 2017

# ? Nov 5, 2017 16:10

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

Blast of fire, the trolls traditional weakness!

# ? Nov 5, 2017 17:06

FoolyCharged: Oct 11, 2012; Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

Avalerion posted:

Blast of fire, the trolls traditional weakness!

# ? Nov 5, 2017 17:26

sullat: Jan 9, 2012

Do magey stuff, that's what we're here for.

# ? Nov 5, 2017 17:53

Sylphosaurus: Sep 6, 2007

Burn, baby, burn i.e go Mage on it's rear end.

# ? Nov 5, 2017 21:43

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Blasting Troll with Fire! posted:

You recall the perfect spell from your Spellbook. You say the incantation and raise your hand, causing a small burst of flame to erupt from your palm. It strikes the Troll in the shoulder, causing it to scream from the pain.

(Magic +3 and Troll Health -25 to 75/100)

Ok, we wounded the Troll, but it's going to take more than one burst of fire to kill it. We also get an Arcana bonus for using fire here.

Troll Attack, Round 2 posted:

Your fire spell has damaged the Troll, yet it remains standing. It roars in your direction, but is unable to break off from your companions who are attacking it to charge at you.

Meanwhile, Jett is panicking even more behind you, shouting at his shepherds to help him gather the scattering sheep flock. A glance over your shoulder is enough to tell you he will probably lose sheep without additional help. There are too many frightened sheep running around for the shepherds to capture them all without aid.

Looking back at the fight with the Troll, you see the Troll take damage from your fellow guards' attacks. Mary's second arrow scores a hit, and Bobby and Vicky's swords sink into the Troll's flesh as well. Ted stabs too, but his sword bounces off something tucked inside the Troll's rough hide tunic, creating a hollow metallic clang. The Troll laughs as it regenerates its wounds, then lashes out at its attackers. Ted and Vicky are both scratched, damaged but not yet out of the fight. Theo shouts at the young guards as he raises his hammer for a mighty blow.

- "We need a fire!"

Theo's large hammer smashes solidly into the leg of the Troll after his shout. The monster wobbles on its broken leg, but instead of falling, you watch as the leg snaps back into place and heals itself. The other guards ignore Theo's words and continue to fight the Troll with swords and arrows. The shepherds and Master Jett continue to mostly ignore the fight as they struggle to keep the sheep from scattering across the forest.

You find yourself agreeing with Theo�a fire is the only way to keep a Troll from regenerating.
(Arcana +3)

In the chaos of battle, Theo has not noticed that you have already set the Troll on fire once.

As the fight continues, several strategies occur to you. First, you could break off and help Master Jett contain the fleeing sheep with some quick wards. That would prevent losses and possibly impress him enough to not deny you a bonus later. It would mean abandoning your companions, though. Any who survived the Troll's attack would not appreciate your actions. Theo would also be disappointed.

You could also continue to stay back from the fight and build or conjure up a large fire. It would be easier than direct combat with the Troll. However, your companions would take the brunt of the Troll's attacks if you did that. More than likely, one or more of them might be killed. Once you had a fire going, you could attempt to push the Troll into it, or grab and hurl a flaming log at the Troll. You could even lure the Troll near the fire and trip it using a sneak attack- but you don't think your Stealth would be enough for that. If all else failed, you could get Theo's attention and have him push the Troll into the fire. His Strength would surely suffice for the task and he'd understand if you lacked the Skill to do better on your own. Even if the younger guards died, things would be okay.

The most risky tactic would be to engage the Troll directly and attempt to immobilize it somehow. Sustained sword blows, arrows, martial arts grabs and throws, or direct bombardment with Magic fire could all accomplish that. Theo and the other guards could then break off from the Troll and build a large fire themselves if one was still necessary. You know that both Theo and Mary have enough Nature Skills to make a fire quickly under pressure. Theo also has the Strength to pick up and throw the unconscious Troll into the fire if you knocked it out first. If you lacked the Skill to immobilize the Troll, though, you would surely be knocked out or killed by its attacks once you began to try.

You decide to-

1. Help Jett and the shepherds to keep the sheep from running.

2. Build a fire (needs 40 Nature to be done quickly, we will fail and two redshirts will be killed when they break off to help)

3. Conjure a fire. (needs 20 Magic, this will succeed but it will also get some redshirts killed as they are exposed to danger while we're conjuring)

4. Attempt to immobilize the Troll with Magic. (needs 50 Magic, will succeed and save all redshirts while killing the Troll)

5. Attempt to immobilize the Troll with your hands. (needs 40 Unarmed, we willl be knocked out when we fail, to see what a success looks like, click here and imagine King's opponent is the Troll.)

Ok, a few words on the above options, open spoilers. Helping kill the Troll will lose us 100 Sheep, plus an additional 100 for every redshirt that gets killed if we don't or can't attack it for maximum damage. If we get knocked out and Theo is injured killing the Troll by himself afterwards, that loses an additional 200 Sheep (I think). The game says you're ignoring Theo's orders if you attempt to immobilize the Troll yourself, implying poor Relations will result. That's actually not true- he's cool with witnessing bravery as stated earlier in his original advice to us young guards. Attempting to immobilize the Troll without the appropriate Skill level will get us knocked out and lead to maximum Sheep loss after this fight is over.

Building or conjuring up a fire will get at least one redshirt killed while you do it, two if somebody has to break off from the fight to help you because your Skill is lacking. It takes less Skill to accomplish than immobilizing the Troll and is less risky, but you will get people killed doing it. If you do build a fire, you can push the Troll into it (needs 40 Strength), throw a flaming brand at the Troll and kill it that way (needs 40 Agility), or sneak around the Troll and trip it into the fire (needs 20 Stealth). This will do 50 damage to the Troll and then Theo makes up the slack, while redshirts die. If you can't damage the Troll with a fire you build or conjure yourself (like us, we lack all relevant Skill levels), Theo can push the troll into the fire and that will kill it. However, redshirts will die while he does that. The same is true if you don't damage the Troll on the first round and Theo has to help you burn it in Round 3 or 4 (immobilizing it in Round 2 does 75 damage, but Theo will need to knock off the additional 25 if you didn't already).

Having a lit Lantern ready here means you can smash it onto the ground to make a quick fire (saving 1 of 2 possible redshirts, but more will die if you require Theo's help after the fire is created). You can also throw the Lantern at the Troll and kill it that way, hitting with 40 Agility and saving all redshirts (only 100 Sheep loss). But doing either destroys the Lantern and you'll need it or 20 Magic to get an optional reward in a later encounter on this quest. So that's not the best strategy even though it works when you lack other Skills.

After the Troll is killed, we will automatically help Master Jett gather the sheep as best we can. Without the redshirts around to pitch in, we will find we sustained increased Sheep loss. But we can prevent any Sheep loss if we run help Jett on round 2 instead of engaging the Troll. It just means all the redshirts will die and Theo loses 5 Relations towards us because we ran. Later, we still get bonus money from Jett and the plot ensures Theo will stay our friend, just with lowered Relations.

So our strategies to finish this without getting knocked out are...

Round 2 Options posted:

1. Break off and help contain the escaping sheep. (no Sheep losses after the fight, but redshirts will die and -5 Theo Relations)

2. Step back, conjure up a fire, and then let Theo push the Troll into it. (gains +3 Magic and +5 Theo Relations for doing the best we could, but lose lots of Sheep and the redshirts will die)

3. Take maximum risk, try to immobilize the Troll with magic. (Gain +3 Magic, +5 Theo Relations, Troll dies, redshirts live, we lose 100 Sheep)

What do you want to do? Quick good majority, and I can finish this fight before I leave for work at 1730 CST. Otherwise, next update will be tomorrow morning.

achtungnight fucked around with this message at 22:24 on Nov 5, 2017

# ? Nov 5, 2017 22:21

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

Screw Jett, be a hero and immobilize that troll. :flame:

# ? Nov 5, 2017 22:38

FoolyCharged: Oct 11, 2012; Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

kill it with fire. Our boss sucks and should be left to rot. No sense in letting our jerk coworkers die if it just hurts us.

# ? Nov 5, 2017 22:41

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

I concur. And none of our co-workers are jerks, really. They just aren't willing to be our friends- but they will be after we save their lives. Who knows, they might even end up in Queen Renata's army in LH 2 and 3.

Jett's fate is yet to be determined.

Troll Attack Conclusion posted:

You know that to save your fellow guards, you must battle the Troll yourself. Any losses of Sheep that would result would be acceptable. It is the honorable thing to do, and would be supported by every hero whom you have ever known.

You rush into melee, muttering magical words under your breath, and attempt to cover the Troll with magical fire. Unfortunately, you haven't had the opportunities to learn combat Magic as well as you would have liked. You still manage to do well, since fire is the bane of Trolls. Your victim falls to the ground in a blackened husk.
(Magic +3 and Troll Health 0/100)

Theo and the other guards shout with joy when they witness your deed. You smile as you accept their proud claps on the back.

Congratulations, that's our first combat kill!

I won't have the ability to show off and spoil future fights like I did this one. They get harder, and I haven't mapped them out as much. But I think the regulars here watching Renata's Skills should be able to help.

Troll Battle Aftermath. posted:

After the battle, the Troll lies dead on the ground. Theo pokes at the burned remains with his hammer while Master Jett and the shepherds gather what they can find of the flock and begin to herd them into one location. You and the other guards help look for the missing sheep.

When you return to Theo, you see the large warrior pull a small metal box from the Troll's burned corpse. He turns it over a few times, glances at you, and then puts the box in his pocket. Your blood quickens in your veins as you realize what the box is.

It is a Som-Reth Welcome Box, an artifact of the ancient Demon Summoning civilization Harmond lectured you about on the day of your parents' deaths. You don't have the chance to ask Theo about the Box immediately, but you know you will later that night at camp.

The Troll unfortunately carried no other treasure. Theo keeps the Box for himself, saying nothing about it to anyone else.

Your band is exhausted at the end of the day when camp is finally set up. Master Jett walks among the sheep, trying to get a feel for how many are lost.
(Sheep -100 from Troll battle, 4900 Sheep Health remains)

Meanwhile, Theo is sitting at the fire alone, looking at the Box he found on the Troll. Everyone else is ignoring him, setting up camp or recuperating from the attack.

You walk over to the fire and wave at Theo. "Hey Theo..."

Theo addresses you with a friendly smile.

- "You were very brave today, Renata! You didn't entirely follow my instruction, but you killed that beast! The shepherds are already talking about you and the tale will spread."
(Theo Relationship +5)

You smile. "That's good, but I need to talk to you about that Box there."

- "It's a mysterious item. What of it?"

"I know what the Box is," you say. "It's a Som'Reth 'Welcome Box.' It's used to gain access to Som'Reth strongholds."

Theo blinks. He clearly does not know what you are talking about.

1. You say, "Pass it to me. Let me see if I can open it."

2. Don't even try to open it.

Seems the Troll was carrying some plot. Renata will tell Theo more about the Som'Reth next update. In the meantime, do you think we have the Skills necessary to open the Box?

# ? Nov 5, 2017 23:21

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Nope, we don't. posted:

You poke at and tinker with the Box, but without a decent set of Lockpicks, you realize that you'll never get it open.

Opening the Som'Reth Welcome Box takes Lockpicks and 30 Devices Skill. Inside are a Som'Reth Map and Key, plus LH1's first available Mystic Artifact- the Gloves of Archery (Archery +20). That artifact isn't worth much to our current build, so it's fine that we're not getting it this run. Gale can open the Box later and give it to another party member who would make better use of it.

Filling Theo in posted:

You sigh after failing to open the box and hand it back to Theo.

"If you can get it open," you say, "you'll find a map to a Som'Reth stronghold etched on the inner walls and a stone that will act like a key. Have you heard of the Som'Reth?"

Theo shakes his head.

"They built enormous cities across Daria millennia before its founding. It was an amazing society of inventors and Wizards. It was as though every member was Academy trained. Nobody knows for sure what happened to them, but they are all gone now. Only the ruins of their cities remain."

- "Hmm... And is there treasure in such ruins?"

You nod."Trolls are strange creatures. Their regeneration makes guessing their age impossible. It's entirely probable that the Troll we fought today was a thousand years old or more. Whether it killed the owner of that Box and kept it, or whether it was entrusted with the Box as a guard or servant, we'll never know."

The beginning of a plan starts to form in your mind.

"You won't get much money for selling that Box, Theo. But the Consortium of Planewalkers has deep pockets when it comes to Som'Reth artifacts. They would pay a lot for what we could find in the stronghold to which the Box's map leads."

You can tell that you've set the wheels turning in Theo's head. They aren't turning quickly enough just yet, but he is considering your words.

You help him out a little, unafraid to do so given your good Relationship. "I could help you find the Som'Reth ruins and explore them. Then we could sell all the treasure we find inside to the Consortium or anyone else interested."

Theo's eyes light up as he considers the idea.

- "That would be nice, Renata. I think that after we arrive in Ludd, you and I should talk more about this Box. No one here can open it, but I'm sure Fett, Guildmaster of the Ludd Thieves, will be able to find someone who can. Then perhaps you and I could go to the Ruins mapped in the box together and find the treasure of which you speak."

"Great!" You know that exploring Som'Reth Ruins would help you learn more about Demon Summoning, and treasure would be a nice bonus. Later, you could also use what you find to infiltrate the Consortium's fortress in Vernex, get close to Zusak, and possibly avenge your parents' deaths.

Theo puts the Box away and smiles at you again.

- "However, before we do that, I'll need you to prove yourself to me as an Adventurer. You're the only one here who's really done that so far. You've already faced the first great challenge, but two worse ones remain."

You remember his lessons. "Ok, so what's the second? What's worse than big monsters?"

- "Smart monsters. They aren't always more dangerous or harder to kill, but they take different tactics to counter. They work together, set traps, and do other things most big monsters wouldn't be able to accomplish. I think we might meet some smart monsters later on this trip. Do well against them, like you did with the Troll, and I'll consider letting you come with me to find out more about what my Box contains."

"Deal." You and Theo shake hands. The rest of the night passes without incident.

The next few days are also uneventful as the forest dwindles into plains. It is much easier to roam across the flat land where it doesn't take hours to find sheep that wander off the forest trail.

As you travel, you reflect on your journey.

The life of an adventurer is much more difficult than you had expected. The Troll attack had been intense. Your mind is filled with these thoughts when a movement catches your eye among the sheep on the far edge of the band. Two of the sheep you saw on the edge earlier have suddenly vanished from your sight without apparent explanation.

1. Call to Theo.

2. Check it out alone.

3. Ignore it.

We've faced one serious plot-mandated danger already this trip. The above situation is optional to deal with (-100 Sheep Health if we ignore it), but it has an optional reward. There are 8 magical Artifacts available in Lost Heir 1. Each provides special bonuses. Getting 4 of them results in an Achievement- Artificer. We've already missed the first Artifact, the Gloves of Archery that were inside the Som'Reth Welcome Box. Gale will be retrieving those when she opens the Box later and after that she'll give them to Karla. But we can get the second Artifact here if you want to try for it. Theo can also help us get it. Please vote for above option per your preference. We're going to need to fight some smart monsters.

One thing I forgot to mention earlier- if redshirts do die when you fight the Troll, they are unceremoniously buried in an unmarked grave before you continue. A Priest character can pick up free Religion Points by performing a funeral service, with appropriate flavor text for Evil or Good Priests about the service's exact effects. It's a nice touch.

Next update- tomorrow morning around 0900 CST if good majority of votes.

achtungnight fucked around with this message at 00:00 on Nov 6, 2017

# ? Nov 5, 2017 23:58

Lord Koth: Jan 8, 2012

Out of idle curiosity, is there any way to get through this with 0 sheep killed? Bonus given when they're delivered mentions something about 4950 needed alive for the next level of bonus, but I've never gotten through this journey without a minimum of 100 killed there - though admittedly I've not gotten around to trying every option and class.

# ? Nov 6, 2017 00:11

anakha: Sep 16, 2009

Get Theo to help.

# ? Nov 6, 2017 00:32

sullat: Jan 9, 2012

His box? Jerk. Go it alone

# ? Nov 6, 2017 00:47

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Lord Koth- I�m not sure we can get through with zero Sheep killed. Helping the flock at the beginning saves 50, having 30 Perception when you meet the Troll saves 100, running from the Troll and leaving Theo and the redshirts to handle it on Round 2 of the Troll Attack saves at least 100 at the cost of 5 Theo Relations, not Summoning Brahl saves some more, and not ignoring our current optional side quest saves 100, so finishing this with full Sheep Health is probably possible. I just have yet to play a character able and willing to do all those things.

We can bring Theo along on this quest if we want his help, original & canon interactions, and maybe a Relations opportunity. We do have the Skills to go it alone though if we�re smart. What do you want to do? I�ll proceed with the majority opinion next update. There�s no way to get the Som�Reth Box from Theo and do that quest alone. He�s necessary for it per plot, along with two other companions we�ll pick up in Ludd- Jess & Gale.

achtungnight fucked around with this message at 01:12 on Nov 6, 2017

# ? Nov 6, 2017 00:58

Lord Koth: Jan 8, 2012

Yeah, doing some brief checking it's helping gather sheep in Round 2 that gives you full marks, assuming you can pass all the other checks. Just find that one a bit counterintuitive. Oh well.

# ? Nov 6, 2017 01:48

Avalerion: Oct 19, 2012

Call Theo.

I find the gloves of archery hard to make use off anyway. Other than a pretty high devices you also need to already have some skill with bows for the bonus to make a difference, but thieves are generally more blade focused.

Avalerion fucked around with this message at 07:50 on Nov 6, 2017

# ? Nov 6, 2017 07:44

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Lord Koth- I personally prefer killing the Troll, saving the redshirt guards, and earning a heroic Skill bonus to saving the maximum Sheep. It�s the one thing that stops me most of the time.

But I suppose it�s good that the Troll encounter can be handled various ways depending on your preference and build.

Avalerion- I first got the Gloves of Archery using my Bow wielding Bard character Princess Alicia. She made good use of them. I was building up her Devices per a walkthrough that let me get all 8 artifacts in LH 1 with a Bard. Later I found this ruined me in LH3 when I got the Bard side quest to write an awesome song of the ages and my Devices was good but not good enough (no sweet instrument solos for Alicia�s song, :argh:

). My Religion, History and other relevant stats were also lacking even though Alicia later got the best game ending. One day I will try again.

It is actually impossible to get the Gloves for some classes. Squire for example. I recently heard that there�s an archery tournament quest Squires can do in LH2 where they make you remove the Gloves if you have them on even though Squires can�t get the Gloves normally (the only way to get 30 Devices by then is to both pick Lockpicks as prized possession and train in Devices with Mentor if you�re not Assassin or Thief, and if you train in Devices with Sir Grady, possible Relations fall below 55 and no Squire class for you)- no cheating in the tournament. :rolleyes:

Tally is 2-1 in favor of Bringing Theo. I�ll proceed that way in the morning unless votes swing otherwise between then and now. I�ve been thinking a bit tonight about how this quest and the following big game plot decisions (rob or spare Master Jett, help finance Theo�s Som�Reth expedition or not) should proceed in my original take. The plans are... interesting given the possibility of Renata & Theo doing a Romance after both events.

# ? Nov 6, 2017 10:24

FoolyCharged: Oct 11, 2012; Cheating at a raffle? I sentence you to 1 year in jail! No! Two years! Three! Four! Five years! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Somebody call for an ant?

bring theo

# ? Nov 6, 2017 14:03

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# ? Jun 9, 2024 08:39

achtungnight: Oct 5, 2014; I get my fun here. Enjoy!

Ok, we're bringing Theo. As mentioned earlier, I've decided to play this event and subsequent events out a certain way for how he and our heroine will be developing their possible Romance later on. Hope readers like how it turns out. I try to think about similar events for all my LH characters, aided by the games.

Getting Theo's Attention posted:

Before you decide how to respond to the sudden mysterious disappearance of the two sheep, you recall the events of the past few days. It has not been completely uneventful.

Whenever he can get you alone, Theo has been regularly pressing you for more information about Som'Reth Ruins and the dangers of exploring them. You have told him all you can, giving him information from Harmond's lessons and every relevant book you have read since the day your parents died. Theo now knows most of what you do regarding the Som'Reth, including that their Ruins are often full of dangerous traps and monsters and that extremist members of the Consortium of Planewalkers sometimes encircle them with guards. He has refused to tell you exactly why he wants this information, saying only that it is important for him to know if you will be exploring Som'Reth Ruins together in the future.

You have realized by now that Theo is a lot more intelligent than he sometimes lets on. In fact, he's almost as smart as you are. It is an interesting and unexpected counterpoint to his large muscles and often silent manner. A lot of people, including Master Jett, treat Theo as a stupid barbarian. He allows this and even takes advantage of it at times. You have discerned that this is partly because he knows he cannot do much to counter such treatment. There may be other reasons as well.

Theo is also frustrating you quite a bit of late. He says he wants you to prove yourself to him, show him the kind of person you are. It is unclear why exactly he is making this demand.

You aren't the only one he's frustrating lately either. Theo and Master Jett have had regular arguments the past few days about which route they should take across the Ludd plains and whether they should proceed quickly or cautiously. Jett demands speed, saying your caravan needs to reach Ludd. Theo stresses the opposite course. If the caravan runs into an unexpected situation- another big monster like the Troll, or a smart group of monsters or bandits- he does not want to take losses by rushing into things. Master Jett is grudgingly deferring to Theo because he seems to know the roads across Eddan better than anyone else. You and the other young guards have wondered on occasion whether Theo is in fact trying to lead the caravan into a dangerous situation. Theo wants to test you against such a thing as adventurers, and see how you will respond.

You recognize that the missing sheep you've noticed is a situation like Theo desires. If you are to prove yourself to him, you will need to show him that you can handle such events. Your bravery against the Troll was only the first step.

You look around the herd, see Theo talking to Master Jett in the middle, and jog over to them. "Theo!" you call out. Theo and Jett look at you, and you describe what you have seen.

- "Those sheep sound like two of my prize ewes. I can't lose them, not now! We've been doing so well."

- "I think Renata and I should investigate their disappearance. It will require we break off from the caravan for perhaps a few hours. You can head on down the trail without us, but please do not go too far ahead."

- "I don't like you leaving, but I like losing my sheep even less. I trust you both. Good luck."

Theo puts Mary in charge of the other guards while you are gone, then asks if you are ready. You nod.

- "Okay, let's go."

Theo takes the large hammer from his belt and walks with you to the edge of the flock where the sheep disappeared.

As you walk, you see a third sheep disappear in the distance. This is immediately followed by another. Your keen eye notices the edge of a large grass-covered pit trap to which these latest unfortunate sheep have fallen prey.

"Look out!" you shout at Theo.

Theo skids to a halt just before barrelling over the pit trap's edge. You approach the pit and look down to see the two sheep impaled on sharp spikes. Both are badly injured, but not dead. Theo gives you a grateful look, realizing that you may have just saved his life.

This is another bug. You need to pass a hidden 30 Devices or 30 Perception test here to avoid falling into the pit trap and taking 40 Health damage. But you get no bonus to either stat for passing. Nor any Theo Relations for spotting the trap and saving Theo.

You can get Relations points if you fall in, however, if I recall correctly. If Theo is with you when you fall in, he lands unconscious and impales his leg on the pit's spikes. You then have to bandage his wounds as best you can before you can continue. A Priest can heal Theo and get him back up, earning Relations and Religion. You can get free Religion anyway if you try to heal him with divine Magic and realize only Priests can do that.

Also, if you don't mind Evil points, you can search the unconscious Theo and steal 75 GP from him before healing or bandaging him, and he'll never find out ("your coins were lost in the fall"). The game frames that decision by saying you're hoping to steal the Som'Reth Welcome Box Theo took from the Troll. He doesn't have it on him, naturally. The plot will then have Theo hire you or take you on as an adventuring partner to help him explore the Ruins after you reach Ludd. The latter course is a lot better for earned treasure and Relations. We'll deal further with the decision when it comes.

If you leave this quest before its full completion, the game describes it as though you are forsaking Theo if you leave him behind unconscious. He also disappears from the text at a certain point even if you brought him with you to begin with. I'm fixing the plot holes as best I can. It's a good bonding activity for the Relations Theo and Renata will later earn.

Here and Now posted:

Theo stands on the edge of the pit trap and looks down.

- "Yep. Smart monsters for sure. It's good you noticed this, Renata. Master Jett would have lost more sheep if it was missed or ignored."

You nod in agreement. "What should we do now?"

Theo smiles.

- "You tell me."

You look over the pit's edge and think about what sort of system whatever creature that created this pit trap might be using to retrieve the sheep that fall inside. You have seen few obvious signs of strange creatures in the area the past few days, and Theo is not providing specifics if he even knows anything.

Two possible courses of action appear in your mind.

"We can leave the sheep here and go get help to get them out. Jett probably won't let us stay behind any longer if we do that, though. It might be better to climb down into that pit while we're here, and search it."

- "I agree. If these smart monsters are what I think they are, they'll have more pits in this area and a network of underground tunnels connecting them to their lair. We'll need to search this pit to find that lair. The other two missing sheep may be inside the lair, if they are not lying in another pit nearby."

Theo shakes his head when you press him for more information. It seems he wants you to take the lead in this situation.

You decide to...

1. Climb down the pit (needs Agility test).

2. Use your Rope to climb down (adds bonus to above test)

3. Leave the sheep and go get help.

In the canon game, our Sheep Health is now preserved at 4900/5000 until we reach Ludd, meaning we'll get the best bonus for this quest possible if we killed the Troll. This is a good thing. I'll cover whether we might want to rob Jett instead after we finish this optional bit. For now, rest assured that original flavor text will fill in the blanks to preserve numbers if we decide to leave this quest before completion.

This quest will require several decisions to keep going forward, and we have to pick the right option each time. First, we have two options to get down into the Pit and search it since we didn't fall in. Which should we take? I'll check in around 1700 CST.

# ? Nov 6, 2017 16:21

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