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Gologle posted:You're correct, but also, it is genuinely bugged. You are not supposed to lose that many. Oh I know that.
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Sep 28, 2018 02:56
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FairGame posted:Instead, he uses it after being knocked back and does significant armor dage to ONLY his teammates. ... B, homes.
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Sep 28, 2018 07:28
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B - Save the people!
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Sep 28, 2018 20:28
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Market
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Sep 28, 2018 21:01
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Save the rich!
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Sep 28, 2018 21:13
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D. Save the families and the market, the rich are fattier and will make better rations for the Horseborn.
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Sep 29, 2018 00:53
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Protect the free market!
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Sep 29, 2018 02:25
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VOTING CLOSED. It's a close thing, but we will not split the party and will instead go to save the families of Lundar. Either 1 very long update or two smaller ones before the next vote. We'll see how much I'm able to get done.
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Sep 29, 2018 03:40
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UPDATE 21: BLACK BLOOD OF THE EARTH, PART 1 Per your vote.   : We'll save the families in the houses. We get Iver to rank 8. We still haven't seen any of the amazing rank 10 items which is a bit frustrating. But We max out Iver's willpower.  Not a terribly difficult fight, but then again nothing is when you have Alette apparently. : We fight to protect the people of Lundar! Stop these horseborn! The people of Lundar need our protection! Honestly I know I'm a little shy on battle screenshots, but there's not much to show. Horseborn run in. Get destroyed by Alette. Eventually I break ranks and finish them off. Yay.  He composes himself before saying, "You saved them! The families of Lundar are alive because of you." The old man's smile fades. "Our fighters are dead, and most of the grain stores are gone. Never thought I'd say this, but near two hundred of us would gladly follow you wherever you're going." We have the option to refuse, but I can't imagine why we saved all of them only to consign them to starvation, so... : You're welcome to join us, but it's not an easy trek."We're used to hardships, have no doubt," the man says. "And here, to show my thanks." We get an artifact (we'll see what it does next chapter) and also +120 supplies. Ro'Ech, Derdriu, and Scathach catch the man's attention and he sneers. "Do these three belong to you? I reckon the people around here would pay good coin to see them gutted."  : Belong to...no. And no one is gutting anyone! They just helped save your town. : Well, my dog bit one of the attackers too, but I don't let it in my shop. Keep those pets on short leashes.It's all you can do to keep Oddleif from arguing with the man. She storms off, muttering things best not repeated.   : I'm not sure how so many of us made it through that.: I never expected to see horseborn in my life, let alone fight them. And the dredge seemed desperate.: Fighting like us, you mean. Like they've got nothing left to lose.  : That name was a lifetime ago for Iver. Let it go. : A human lifetime or two, but don't forget how long we varl live.: Longer than we know what to do with, in most cases.You look at Iver, wondering what is going on in his head. : drat, Yngvar. If you're always like this, I'm glad you left the varl towns when you did. As for me, I believe it's time for a drink and rest.Juno walks up to your group unexpectedly.   : Lundar, or what's left of it, is defensible and will allow everyone some greatly needed rest.: I won't argue with the Valka on that front.: And I'm in no hurry to enter the Old Wood. I've heard strange things about that place.: I'm sure it will be fine.You watch the Valka as everyone moves on. She looks less confident than you've ever seen her before.  Whatever horrors await in the Old Wood, however, will need to wait. It's time for more Bolverk and the Ravens.  Alette's gonna catch her breath in Grundar for a little while.  And if you recall, when we last left Bolverk, he'd met Zefr and Nikels, a Valka and her apprentice, in Bindal. Zefr informed Bolverk that Juno was dead. Which, as y'all pointed out, isn't necessarily this great revelation since she certainly appeared dead to Hakon and Mogr once upon a time.  We're immediately given a scene of the Ravens wandering around in a snowstorm.  Which makes Bolverk angry. Everything makes Bolverk angry.   : Probably rumbling of that paunch of yours again. Or not.  : Ambush! And so we're immediately thrown into combat. No opportunity to reposition or level or anything. Just fighting. And Bolverk's group isn't nearly as strong as Alette's. The 2nd strongest fighter in the group is Krumr, and we weren't given him in this fight. So we're going to rely a lot on Bolverk's "cull the weak" to thin out the enemy ranks a bit.  Here, Bolverk got surrounded by stalkers--they're invisible and don't unstealth when you trip over them. But since they're pretty clearly dead-set on attacking him, I use Bear Rage so that he'll counterattack anything.  Which means this stalker eats double 6 strength hits when it hits Bolverk.  Folka's champion is pretty important to keep Bolverk from getting maimed. At full strength he's really good. The minute he starts taking strength damage he becomes a liability.  I'd been hoping to get more kills for Oli or Sparr, but it wasn't to be. Bolverk destroys all.  : I want every one of our fighters ready to move. Now! Set a post inside these gates for them to wait for me. : Where's that faen Valka? : Maybe up on the wall.  : Valka Zefr! I've never heard you speak like that.The silent appearance of the two menders surprises you.  : You were outside the walls. What did you see?: Dredge scouts. I'll wager my axes there's an army of them coming this way.The younger mender's eyes go wide as he stares at Claw and Fang. : And if that's true, they'll level this place. The storm must have hidden their approach.: Or kept them at bay. But why are they here? Why now?: I don't care. We're heading for the mountains. : Huh. I'd forgotten about that.Nikels' eyes light up. : It was you, Fjorinn, and a handful or Ravens tracking down the bandit who called himself the Draugr of Denglr. The river--A warhorn blares across the town. The army of dredge you suspected is real. : Nikels, find Gudmundr. Have his guards try to calm the people, but bring him to meet us at the barn with the cart.The young mender follows orders without question. Not a bad quality. : The cart's not your business.: I disagree. A dead Valka gives you a cart to hide in the deepest recess of a river and suddenly an army of dredge appears? If you haven't already tried, I doubt you'd be able to open the cart. If it's woven shut as I suspect, I'm the only one here who can open it.: We told you: Juno's not dead. We were just traveling with her. : You killed one of your own?: It's a very rare sentence for only the worst offenses. Altering people's minds, their thoughts, is one such offense. : ...Zefr notices the silent exchange but does not question you. : Regardless, Juno was put to death and Eyvind was imprisoned. In his grief, he escaped and stole away with Juno's body, but for what purpose is anyone's guess. So, no. You will not be paid by the council for a job issued by a Valka whose life we ended.Your irritation is rising when another war horn sounds. Two horns means a large force approaches. : Collect what you need and hurry to the barn! It's time to discover why you're really here. We have the opportunity to mess around in town a bit, but it's not really worthwhile.  And the market doesn't have anything we want, either.  So we'll head to the barn.  What's in the cart?  Whatever it is, it's big.  And shocking.  And Bolverk doesn't like it.  Oh. Yeah, that makes sense.  You see a strange tower of white stone. Lightning. Fear. Confusion. Distrust. There is a wrongness about it all. : Bolverk. Hey!Her voice draws you from the dream and she's shaking you by the straps of your cloak. Everyone is watching. "Another dream?" she asks. Your eyes finally focus on hers. : A white stone tower. Lightning.: What are you talking about?: I saw a tower. Lightning. I...I don't know what I saw.The Valka pauses briefly before shrugging.  We will never be rid of Bellower.  : He's dead. Who cares if they take him?: He cannot die. His immortality is more than rumor. Dredge lives have no natural end, but they can be killed. All except the immortal Sundr, Bellower.: They live forever? : The Sundr looks dead to me.: My guess is that arrow is somehow keeping him asleep.: So if I pull it out?: I do not see that being to anyone's advantage.: I've used threats to my advantage for years.Zefr looks at you and her face drops. She changes the topic. : The storm to the south and the dredge army to the north leaves us with one way out: the mines.: Wait. Our way out is to sit in a hole in the ground? : The families will only slow us down. Leave them.Zefr's face hardens and the air around you thickens. : That attitude may work in your company of mercenaries, varl. But not with me. Only I know the way, so we will leave here with the families of Bindal or not at all.A growl begins in your chest, but Folka breaks the tension. : If we go with you, what is required?: We only have a couple of hours to move food and people to the mine. I'll be at the opening preparing the way. Help load carts near the gates or warn the families in the houses of our immediate departure.Without waiting for a response, Zefr hurries away. : You know, we could always take Bellower's cart and make a break into the mountains.The two of you reseal Bellower's cart.  : I'm not playing nursemaid to these people. Let's go.The shieldmaiden follows you to the Ravens' post without another word. Bolverk's not a good guy. Why play the hero?  "Faen idiots!" Folka screams. "Wrong time for any of that!" Your thoughts exactly. She looks at you. "What do you want to do?" : It's no good. By the time we round up the others, we'll miss our opportunity.Folka's shoulders droop and she nods.  Oh, looting? Well that's good at least.  Screw the houses. We're going to check out the Great Hall.  : We'll try it your way. Mogun, you're up.You practically toss the man onto the snow-covered roof, and he slips a few times before making it under an eave. Time passes without any sign from him, but one of the Ravens warns you that a group is coming out the front. "Let's go!" you order, and all of you return to the Ravens' post, minus Mogun. A short time later, you're surprised by who approaches.   : You and your fighters could've really helped us today, but you don't do anything without payment. In different times we'd have killed these pathetic thieves, but we need fighters for whatever's coming. We should all get to the mines. We'll see it momentarily. It's...not great. At least not in this caravan.  And so we head underground, with a shitload of civilians.  We're barely inside before things start going haywire, though.  : We're mercenaries, not volunteers.: And no price will cover the cost of us all dying in this mine shaft! I'll head back there if you won't, but if I die up there...the torches will burn out, the food will run out, and then the real horror will start.: We'll do it. But we'll talk price later.: Yes we will. We need to talk about many things.: Ravens! Back to the top!Heading up the mine shaft is like swimming against a current. Frightened villagers push forward and you barely have room to get past the yox and cart.  The Ravens are a bunch of lunatics, but they're our lunatics.  Here's the problem with this item that Mogun stole. There's literally only 1 ranged fighter, Oli, in the whole caravan. And the only reason you'd really want to use him, since he doesn't get Puncture, is for his axe storm. Which means you'd never be using Armor Break with him. Then again, there's a break talent for puncture so maybe you could make him a poor man's archer with exceptionally high strength... Let's check out our new additions.  Zefr is a Valka--a mender, but different from Eyvind.  Runic Gale is an interesting ability, but I don't particularly like its randomness. Her second ability that she gets at level 6 is amazing though. She also mends. We know how that works.  And then there's Nikels, who is worse than Zefr in every way. Lower level, lower willpower (which means less mending), and the only skill he gets is mend.  Gudmundr is new too but I forgot to screenshot his stat page. He's a raidmaster, like Egil. Only with a lower armor base, unlike Egil. He sucks.  Anyway, we end up in batle and for whatever reason Folka calls attention to the Gloomwarden, ignoring the fact there are two stonesingers who can Umbrage the enemy up to insane strength levels.  This is a VERY tough fight.  So we'll open it by having Folka act as a tank, granting as much armor to her as we can. 20 armor is really good for a human!  The Gloomwarden casts thorns. Next dredge I attack in melee range will do some chip damage to me. Not a big deal.  Here's Zefr's Runic Gale in action.  We get 4 random spots that have bonuses. Unfortunately, we rolled 3 +3 willpower spots and 1 +3 armor spot. And the +3 armor spot is largely out of the way. Not great for this early in the battle. Yes, btw, enemies can collect the powerups too.  Still, I guess it's better than nothing so Bolverk dashes forward to mess up the Gloomwarden.  The stonesinger immediately flees and starts casting umbrage.  So does his buddy. We're in a LOT of trouble.  Now this...this is more like it. It's not +3 strength, mind you. It's +3 strength DAMAGE per tile. You don't gain any more HP, as it were, but you become a lot more damaging.  Stonesinger 1 gets off his umbrage.  Bolverk maims the Gloomwarden thanks to his attack boost, right before it has a turn.  Ugh.  In earlier versions of this game, killing a stonesinger would remove umbrage. So we make the stonesinger a priority target. It doesn't work, though.  And Folka takes 7 armor damage while absorbing a hit that would've done 14 damage to Krumr.  Krumr takes out a scourge, but those slingers are still really strong.  Oli does some decent axe storm chip damage but it's not enough.  Folka's on her last legs, with her shield shattered. But she tanked the necessary hits so that Krumr could get off a full strength tempest.  The nice part about umbrage going off so much is that the enemy ends up with like no armor. Easy pickings for Bolverk.  We can't move fast enough to save Folka, though--poison damage from the stonesinger drops her right in the middle of PILLAGE! mode.  We get the last laugh, however.  But more big dredge arrive on the scene. We're in no shape to continue fighting, and we don't even get the option. : Fall back! We're closing the mine! You turn and look at the grey sky, the snow, Bindal, and the dredge walking toward you. With a hefty swing, the timber snaps and rocks begin to fall. You drop the hammer and race down the shaft toward the light of the torches.  Nowhere to go but down.  Zefr's probably not real happy about our being a huge jerk.  So let's go see.  : What are we doing down here?: Staying alive and keeping Bellower from the dredge. I thought that was obvious.: But we keep heading down like we're hunting dwarves.The Valka gives you the ghost of a smile. : Until today, no one but a few on the council knew about these tunnels, not even menders. We didn't create them, but we have used them a great deal over the years to travel far distances quickly. : Where do they lead?: Practically everywhere. Arberrang, Voe, Grofheim...or what's left of it. I'm not sure anyone knows the full extenet of these underground paths, but we are about to enter a corridor, one of the main tunnels.: Where are we headed? : You want us to drag him to bloody Manaharr, don't you?: Manaharr is the safest place to secure Bellower's body. Whatever drew the dredge army toward us in Bindal, the council can find a way to stop it.: And what about my Ravens? So far, helping Valka pays less than a Bloodshed Coin.: And that is why I am talking to you alone now. The corridor will lead us to Manaharr in a week's time. See us there safely and I give you a genuine Valka oath: you will be rewarded well enough to never need work again.You look around at the cave walls and back the way you came. : We'll go to Manharr. We were heading there after the Blue River anyway. I'm not going to Manaharr with this many civilians and this few fighters. We train up 200 fighters from our stock of peasants. This also gives us 4 days of rest to get Folka back on her feet.  I've really been struggling with Folka this game and I don't know why. Anyway, I level her up. Maybe that will help?  Deeper. Darker.  Don't know what a lot of these events do; I've only played this once. We'll push ahead. With large strides, you clamber over slick rocks and get in front of the others. You stop at the sight of long blades of pale grass blowing as if on a windy plain, but there is no wind. The sound is just like running water. "It's just up here!" a young man says, rushing past you. Vines lash out like whips from beneath the grass and grab the man's legs, sinking thorns deep into his skin. You reach for him, but his body falls lifeless almost instantly. A few more cracks of the vines sound out down the row. "Get back!" you roar, and everyone obeys, falling back to the path. "This is terrible," Zefr says, taking the deaths personally. "We should stick to the paths as much as possible. Too much can go wrong down here." The faces of those passing you are frightened. Welp.  Soon after, we have this encounter. The man's sudden appearance makes you tense.  : I didn't mean to sneak up on you. It's something I do. I mean...it's something I've learned to do.: Something that will get you killed if you do it to me again.: Under...okay, yes. Understood. But, it does have its uses. Just allow me to fight alongside you in a...well, a fight. You won't regret it.You scoff and turn away fromt he man only to see Gudmundr approach.  : Then you fight next to him. People near me tend to get hurt, but his injuries won't be an accident. So...let's meet our new guy after we talk to Nikels.  : Bolverk, I was thinking. Well, wondering. About what it takes to become a Raven. I've never heard stories about a test or trials to join. Is there a test?: What do you care? Aren't you Zefr's lackey?: Well, apprentice, yes. I'm a full mender training to become a Valka. Part of our training requires world experience.: Couldn't you work with a blacksmith or something? : Would you kill someone for coin?: Kill for...The mender's face pales a bit. : I mean, I guess. If that was the job.Folka walks up and clamps a hand on one of Nikels' now sagging shoulders. : Most of what we do never makes it into the skald songs.: I guess I need to think on this a bit more.: Let us know in Manaharr.Nikels nods as you walk off. Well, that was...honest, at least.  So...Dytch. The tracker. He has the same passive as Eirik and Rook which allows him to move in and out of allied units freely. But the real attractive thing about him, besides the beard, is his "Track" special ability. You know how stalkers can stealth? Now we have a unit that can do it too. And when he attacks from stealth, he ignores a portion of the enemy's armor. Meaning we can stealth him to block paths to steal enemy turns. Or we can sneak him up to someone and maim them with a 14 (11 strength + 3 exertion) damage strike. Maybe more if we crit. Dytch is awesome, but needs a LOT of leveling up.  So we'll level him up a bit, as recruiting him unlocks a new training battle.  We have to pick up 4 runic gale powerups, and then backstab things to death 3 times. Not too hard given how many varl there are on the map that get in one another's way.  Piece of cake.  And now Dytch is level 5. On his way to 6, when he'll get Rally (like Eirik). You can use Rally from stealth, so Dytch can become a stealthed willpower battery.  Dytch is also super interested in some new woman in the caravan. : Who is she? Not sure. Maybe there's a part two to this event?  : We've lost a few families. We need to stop and find them.We lose 44 clansmen.  To hell with it. I'm sure I know what this does... : WE'RE OVER HERE!  Yeah that's about what I expected.  Meet the Vile Skulker, a tougher and varl-sized cousin to the regular skulker. Otherwise no real difference.  I should really level up Bersi or Sigbjorn, because Tempest is just outrageously strong.  Zefr falls (4 day injury) in this battle when she gets swarmed by invisible skulkers.  On the whole, though, it's pretty easy.  We'll camp for a bit to get Zefr's strength back. She doesn't need strength, but she at least needs to not die in 1 hit. <Cutting here because of character limits on SA> FairGame fucked around with this message at 00:59 on Oct 2, 2018 |
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Sep 30, 2018 00:15
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UPDATE 22: BLACK BLOOD OF THE EARTH, PART 2 <continuing immediately from the last post because of character count issues>  : What's going through that wrinkled head of yours? : Why do you still run jobs with me?: We're down in the ground deeper than the gods ever wanted us, and that's what you ask?He smiles and coughs a little. : Funny thing, getting old. The things you want, the things that make you smile...they change. Remember when I joined the Ravens? It was women, gold, fighting, and drink for me, in that order. Of course, you varl never understand the desire for women. Depths, maybe that's a blessing.: I don't need to waste my time trying to impress someone.Sparr chuckles and nods with a distant look in his eyes. : So, what do you want now?: Well, new places I suppose. But I like my memories of old ones, too.He plinks a couple of sad notes, perhaps a song for battle in his mind. : Companions more than anything though. You and these Ravens. What other family does an old mercenary like me have?The old man appears lost in thought and you leave him to it.  Dytch got enough for level 6 that battle. Now he can use the pipe plant which restores a ton of willpower on rest.  It's dark. And we're thirsty. Folka looks at you. "If these people start getting desperate for water down here..." You cut her off. : I know. Send out some scouts. We'll camp here until they return.Some of your Ravens and other members of the caravan group up and grab torches, rope, and water skins before heading off in different directions. : Better catch some rest while you can. Nothing to do until they get back anyway. A hundred members break formation to dig holes in the cavern floor and place stone bowls in the depressions. The bowls quickly fill with water and the first is offered to you. You slake your thirst before seeing your red-armored reflection in the bowl. Suddenly these visions make a lot more sense. Bellower isn't resting easily. We briefly had Alette having visions after arriving in Ormsdalr. Bolverk's been exposed to sleeping Bellower a lot longer...  : Dig holes. Put bowls down in them. See if they fill with water.She sets some Ravens to follow you strange commands and shortly after you hear the whooping cheers of success. The celebration brings all the scouts back early. We gain some renown and a ton of supplies. I guess there are advantages for being the recipient of loud Sundr dreams.  We come across a bridge. There are like zero bridges in this game that don't have an event tied to them.  : Valka. You and the cub are menders. Mend.Both Zefr and Nikels move through the crowd and begin tracing patterns in the air with their staves. The only thing you see is a slight lift in the bridge, but they walk across first to calm any fears. The caravan crosses without incident.  We pain a little closer to the rest of the party as we approach...something.  : I've slept in caves like this for entire winters, but there's something about this place. Something old, unfamiliar. I don't like it. Then again, I don't like all these humans on the verge of panic, either. Maybe these dwellings up ahead will calm them down. Welcome to an underground Godstone. I love the artwork in this game.  She wanders around the glowing pools of the godstone. "If we are correct, Vez'nan was not their only god, but he became one of the most powerful at the cost of everything dear to him." She looks at you. "Of course, if what you hold dear is something like control, maybe there is power in letting go."  Bindal is a mining town. Let's let the miners, well...mine. The clansmen go about their work. You never knew that these men had the skills they did; two leverage the ends of large picks while two men in the front guide the tips. These men are miners. It takes only minutes for them to skillfully pry the gem from its deep socket. Talented workers who should be learned from, not dominated. A man from behind claps you on the back, smiling. The miners walk forward and place the red gem in your hands with grateful smiles. We gain the Gem of Vez'Nan, which is really drat good. It's rank 8, which is a problem--only Bolverk can use it right now. It gives 30% crit chance, +2 strength, +3 to strength talents, and takes 4 willpower away from you. Bolverk has a TON of willpower, and if I level him to 9 when he can start critting enemies, he'll have a 45% chance of critting on any swing. And do it with 15 strength (plus whatever he gets from Zefr). And do it twice per turn. And that's if I'm not using Cull the Weak. In short, it's awesome in the right hands.  Let's see what Bak is up to. I like him as a unit but I've really just not been able to figure out a way to squeeze him into the party.  : If you take off down one of these tunnels, we're not going after you.Bak doesn't respond.   : Never mind. I don't like him.Folka gives you a look before turning to Bak. : Tell me the best part of it all first. : The best part? It may all be over sooner than we think.You squint, not liking his words. : That's...not really what I meant, but go ahead: what's the worst part of everything?: It's the silence.You give Folka a look. : He hasn't slept near Oli. That man makes all kinds of strange sounds.: That's just noise. There's a silence from the loneliness.Folka inhales sharply; he's hit a sore spot. : Maybe these tunnels and caves make it worse. There used to be days of talk. We used to laugh.: Are you talking about your faen spear again?Bak turns and stares at you with eyes of a man undecided on going mad. : Lofn helps where she can, but no. There was another. Now there's an endless hole shaped like her, and if I don't keep filling it with work or drink...He walks away without finishing his thought.  : He's not crazy. He's alone. Whoever she was, he still thinks she was the greatest. I'm jealous of her. It would be nice to have someone feel that way about me.You shake your head, snort, and walk away. Faen humans. This is low-key one of my favorite scenes. Bak is nobody of importance to the story, really. Just a guy doing the best he can in the end of the world. But he had a wife, perhaps a family. And he's not remotely OK even as he soldiers on. Folka gets it. Bolverk can't get it. Varl don't take mates and can't procreate. They can't know the loss of a loved one like the humans can.  Anyway, let's check out the pools that Zefr referenced.  We choose the middle pool. I rolled a 1d3 online.   Everyone in the party seems to've gained credit for a few kills. As folks in this thread have pointed out, you can get credit for kills in training, so this is a pretty crummy reward. But I don't really like training for the sake of kills, so I think it's great. I think the other two choices give us additional supplies (or maybe renown) and one gets Bolverk injured because he's not supposed to know the future. Or something like that. I picked the future one in my Rook playthrough, and picked the past in this playthrough before I realized I needed to restart to deal with all the bugs.  Why is getting Zefr enough kills to hit rank 6 important? Because Breeze is an incredible ability and I cannot wait to show it off.  Zefr really has rubbish stats. I'm putting everything in willpower so she can mend, but I need to work on that armor or she's just gonna die all the time. Anyway, we're done at Vez'nan. Let's keep moving.  We'll let Folka handle this.   Others start collecting the berries to eat and squeeze, waving glowing hands in the dark. Mothers rub their smiling children in the juices in order to keep track of them. The shieldmaiden turns and gives you a cocky grin. You snort and move on. That worked out pretty well! We gain some renown and supplies, and also some morale.  We venture further into the depths. It's almost impossible to see beyond the front of the caravan, and...this probably isn't good.  Oh hey, time for more Bellower-vision.  [Bellower]: Lightning! White Tower...Who...Am...I? You blink rapidly, but everything is dark. A purple glow casts its light on the skin of someone next to you. You growl and instantly have Claw and Fang in your hands.  Zefr approaches. "Is everything okay? You look..." Your face snaps towards hers. "Everything's fine, Valka!" She studies your face, then Folka's before saying, "Then we should keep moving. The air feels full of warning." You walk past her without another word.  Valka Egg Shen takes us into the center of the earth. I should go watch Big Trouble in Little China again. : What are we looking at, Valka? The center of the world?: For the others' sake, it's best we not discuss it. There are 700 in this caravan, and we seem impossibly small in this...whatever it is.  Crap. You feel more than hear a sound. Vibrations through the cavern floor, perhaps. "Get ready for anything," you say, and the Ravens spread the word down the line, each fighter drawing their weapons. : Valka, you're getting us out of this one. Clear?She looks concerned, but before she responds, you see movement over the rise in the massive cavern. It's the silhouette of a dredge force with large shapes you have never before seen.  Time to fight in the middle of the earth. Oli gets to 11 strength as he hits rank 5. The more times he can connect with axe storm, the better he'll be.  Finally we get to use Dytch in battle.  This is a pretty non-threatening formation. If we had archers it'd be better since the big guys can't cross those cracks in the floor without taking the long way around. But Bolverk can deal with the slinger on the left, and this should be fine.  Step 1: buff the heck out of Bolverk.  Step 2: have an idiot stoneguard try to close into melee range to whack Krumr, but bounce off of a stealthed Dytch, losing his turn.  Step 3: mash the slinger into a pile of rubble with a buffed Bolverk. Except the minute he goes down...  That's...a large stonesinger.  Whose eyes are stitched shut.  Well I guess it's not gonna block the eyesight anyway?  And we have ourselves a bossfight as the giant stonesinger is at the head of a line of tons of dredge.  She immediately starts casting something...  And the slinger we just wrecked comes back to life.  : She is the Sundr Eyeless and can raise the fallen! Destroy her!So now we have a proper bossfight against Eyeless. Eyeless is, in many ways, even more horrible to fight than Bellower. Her base stats are something like 23/23, which is stronger than Bellower. And her melee attack poisons like any other stonesinger. And knocks you back. But more dangerous still: as she takes damage, she can warp into any downed unit on the board--ally or enemy, raising it and fighting as it for a while. In the possessed unit form she has reduced stats, but the minute you kill the possessed unit, she comes back in her regular body. And gets to immediately take a turn. So if you've been fighting a bunch of things and are standing on top of a pile of bodies, you make a kill, and then suddenly this giant damned stonesinger comes out of nowhere with 23 strength and one-shots one of your heroes. It's awful. There's a moderate workaround here that we'll use because it's necessary. I think you can't lose this fight without a hard campaign game over.  The trick to fighting Eyeless: kill her possessed unit with Bolverk's Cull the Weak, which gives him next turn.  So now Bolverk can easily rush Eyeless and break her armor and do a bit of strength damage. He'll take a beating for it, but getting her to damage-able is well worth it.  Especially because with the Namejs' Ring he is basically immune to poison (though not from passing the poison status to adjacent units, as I realized too late) and he also doesn't take the full weight of the blow. He's still somewhat combat effective.  Zefr nearly gets one-shot by the slinger. Gotta work on that armor.  Here is Krumr's movement radius while under the effects of Zefr's Breeze. If there's ANY path to a location, you can get there. So he'll get himself in position to tempest both these clowns AND be in striking range of Eyeless next turn.  I screwed up here. The goal was to put Dytch somewhere that Eyeless would waste her turn trying to get to a soft target like Oli. Except Oli is diseased from standing next to Bolverk. And now Dytch is diseased from standing next to Oli. So Dytch will take +1 damage on his next turn, which will immediately un-stealth him. I've effectively rendered his awesome ability null for the rest of the fight.  I also got a little too cute here. I wanted the renown for clearing the board, but I left Eyeless alive too long.  Still, Krumr is going to absolutely wreck Eyeless in a moment. I need to get his exertion up, though--he only has the movement to collect ONE of those strength runes.  Take that!  Oli taking an injury here was wholly unnecessary. I could've killed Eyeless with Bolverk a while ago.  By the way, Eyeless also has 5 break and 3 exertion and a ludicrous willpower pool. So she will break 8 armor per turn. It's bonkers.  Enough of this. Dytch doesn't need stealth to take down a target so wounded.  But instead of dying, Eyeless starts to bring the cave down on us.   He turns to you and says, "I'm sorry if I was a nuisance." A large rock falls nearby and he stumbles away, back towards Eyeless. Nikels begins tracing a pattern in the air. You yell for everyone to keep moving, tossing those who stop to turn around. When you look back, Zefr is standing behind Nikels, tracing an alternate pattern. The young man glows only for a moment, hair flapping as if a giant gust is blowing past him, then he crumbles. Eyeless grows quiet in the distance. You watch the form of the Sundr shake and struggle to maintain its form. Then it fades, like snow blowing over a hilltop. A few more rocks tumble down and you grab the sagging Valka before she is crushed. Once you have met up with everyone else, you tally the numbers. The losses are not as bad as they could have been.  RIP Nikels. It's unavoidable.  We keep moving further from Eyeless, who almost certainly is still alive behind all that rubble.  : Then get us to the surface.: But I won't know where we'll appear. We could wind up in Strand.: It's better than being lost down here. Alas, we don't get a chance to get to the surface before we have another fight.  We have a new unit to worry about. Not just dredge, but warped dredge. And they're awful.  Bolverk will have the Gem of Vez'Nan available to fight warped dredge. We'll need it.  "Oh, there are only 3 of them," you might say. But: 1.) Remember how turn order works in this game. We're at a disadvantage and they're all strong as heck. 2.) Warped dredge are insanely dangerous. They can attack at range with "soul bond," which does damage to a unit through armor calculated as "unit willpower subtracted from dredge willpower." Oh, and a character under soul bond takes damage instead of the dredge when you damage the dredge. Meaning you can only do armor damage to something that moves twice as fast as you and can one-shot many of your units. They're AWFUL. Oh and when they die they leave a pile of dust as a hazard on the battlefield. If you step in it, you lose 1 willpower. Which is AWESOME since they do damage calculated off of willpower difference.  Krumr is now bonded to the far one, but it's so far away it's not that much of an issue. We can't reach it to do damage to it instead of Krumr anyway.  Zefr makes a pretty rubbish Runic Gale. No strength, and the tiles are too far out of Bolverk's way to be helpful.  Still, at least we've maimed one of them. We'll leave it alive so it sucks up turns.  Dytch backstabs the other.  This could have gone a lot worse. Folka went down tanking, but that's what she does.  Old Man Sparr finishes the last one.  The Valka is using her spear to sift through the glowing remains. Her face strains to hide her fear.  Huh.  : They looked like some kind of dredge to me. So does this one.: This one is a...mender of sorts.: You know one of these slags?: I know quite a few.Folka gasps and you find yourself growling, but Zefr ignores the response.  : He says "Greetings," and that he...dreamed...of you?All of the clansmen and fighters back away and whisper.   VOTE TIMEThere is now a dredge stonesinger traveling with us. Zefr seems to think it's OK. On the other hand, stonesingers are trouble and even if they weren't the Ravens all hate them. They're not having the same weird Bellower dreams that Bolverk is, and who's to say if the stonesinger will be friendly once he realizes that Bolverk doesn't like Bellower and that he's not a willing vessel for these dreams? Do we: A.) Kill the stonesinger B.) Let it come with us and see what happens FairGame fucked around with this message at 00:59 on Oct 2, 2018 |
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Sep 30, 2018 00:16
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Choice B so we can potentially learn more about the dredge.
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Sep 30, 2018 01:15
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Kill the slag Also,  I think all wizards should announce their presence like this "The loving Wizard is here. Kneel."
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Sep 30, 2018 01:27
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B
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Sep 30, 2018 01:38
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B The writing in this game is so drat good.
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Sep 30, 2018 01:45
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BFairGame posted:Folka walks up and clamps a hand on one of Nikels' now sagging shoulders. Missing a [/i] somewhere in here. ultrafilter fucked around with this message at 01:53 on Sep 30, 2018 |
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Sep 30, 2018 01:48
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B.) Let it come with us and see what happens B.) LET IT COME WITH US AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS
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Sep 30, 2018 01:51
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B. Surely nothing bad will happen. Surely.
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Sep 30, 2018 01:51
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I want to say A, but something compels me to say B instead.
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Sep 30, 2018 01:52
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B I promise I'll feed him and take him for walks and hug him and play with him please please please dad
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Sep 30, 2018 01:55
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Kill it with fire. BTW, whatever happened to that dredge baby from TBS1?
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Sep 30, 2018 02:50
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B. Seems legit.
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Sep 30, 2018 02:53
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sullat posted:Kill it with fire. BTW, whatever happened to that dredge baby from TBS1? It’s with the Skogr caravan. There’s a flag for it in the savefile that I noticed as I was fixing stuff. But, like...it’s a baby. Don’t expect it to be joining the party anytime soon.
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Sep 30, 2018 02:53
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B for sure. I welcome our large new friend.
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Sep 30, 2018 02:58
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B because it'd have to be one hell of a curve ball for that NOT to produce some interesting shenanigans. And we're starved for Dredge info that isn't being dragged out of Bellower hallucinations.
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Sep 30, 2018 03:22
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B. Egil isn't in this caravan so recruiting suspicious-looking people shouldn't go THAT badly.
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Sep 30, 2018 03:23
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I am goddamn intrigued by this Bellower thing. One god-made thing picking up on the... dreams? of another one.
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Sep 30, 2018 03:39
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The Stonesinger fills me with umbrage A. Kill him
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Sep 30, 2018 03:43
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I think A is the only sensible option, but I really want to see what happens. B! I also somehow mostly forgot about Bellower, him being in Bolverk's caravan is very concerning 
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Sep 30, 2018 07:56
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Keep It We're mercenaries. This stone-beast thing does not eat. It does not consume supplies. More importantly as mercenaries WE DO NOT HAVE TO PAY IT. It is a free sellsword.
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Sep 30, 2018 09:15
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Just thought about it: quote:The corridor will lead us to Manaharr in a week's time. See us there safely and I give you a genuine Valka oath: you will be rewarded well enough to never need work again. If they kill Bolverk to keep the secret of Bellower, he will never have to work again
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Sep 30, 2018 09:27
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Torrannor posted:Just thought about it: Mental note. For future contracts and blood oaths, a lawyer must be present. ... What would a Viking lawyer that negotiates between the immortal children of the vanished gods and the nigh insane wizards be like?
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Sep 30, 2018 09:31
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I think viking contracts are no different than PMC contracts US makes on a regular basis: ignore all ethical standards, pay accordingly.
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Sep 30, 2018 09:59
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This seems overwhelming. We'll let the stonesinger join us. VOTE CLOSED
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Sep 30, 2018 13:59
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Man, I loved this chapter. But I didn't learn about Zefr's Breeze ability until long after I beat the game--I didn't like Runic Gale at all and didn't use her enough to get her to 6.
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Sep 30, 2018 19:49
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Working on the next post right now. But, uh...I think I've gotten too used to Alette just auto-winning fights for me. We're going to have a bloodbath on our hands...
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Sep 30, 2018 20:08
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UPDATE 23: OUR STEPS TO THE NIGHT When we last left off, we were trying to figure out what to do with the friendly-seeming stonesinger. : Ask it what those things were.The Valka again makes unfamiliar sounds like a skald trying to find the right tune and the stonesinger responds. : He says they are...a nightmare. Then something about mercy and he thanks you. Their language is difficult for me, but I can learn more from him once he is healed.: And where do you plan to heal him?: In a cart on our way to Manaharr. : I want to hear more. Let's get him in a cart.: This is a mistake. This isn't like you. We kill those things, not invite them into camp!The shieldmaiden walks off instead of saying anything else. Zefr looks at you. : She'll get over it.Zefr thanks you again as the stonesinger is lifted into a cart. He hums something you cannot understand.  And so we continue our journey, one wounded stonesinger stronger.  Soon after, it turns out Zefr's lost.  But our stonesinger...friend?...navigates us back to "our world."  Sure enough, we seem to be reaching the surface.  A good number of fighters, and even clansmen from Bindal, run for the exit without looking back. Folka says nothing, but her silence says everything. Everyone continues moving forward, the fear of the warped, twisted creatures fresh on their mind. You notice something strange about the light coming from the exit - it is not pure daylight. A bunch of fighters and clansmen disaffect. Screw 'em. Fewer mouths to feed.  Almost out...but apparently something's wrong on the surface...  The clouds are purple and there's a giant dark...orb?...on the horizon. : What in the depths am I looking at, Valka?: I...don't know. And on that reassuring note...  It's time to head back to Alette's group.  Bolverk's Ravens basically went through the mountain range between Bindal and Brunthal underground. They're not that far from Alette's caravan now.  Barely a couple days south, Alette is in Lundar, recuperating.  He tosses aside a whittled stick. "And I doubt we'll get out of here without talking to that old man again. I think his name's Josurr. Seems he's the temporary leader since their governor was killed."  There's no market in Lundar. It was destroyed when we chose to save civilians last chapter.  : I want to know about you and Derdriu. : Derdriu?He whips his tail and stands taller, prouder. : Derdriu...mate. Me hers. Hers...mine. When food much...again, strong young for Derdriu and me.Oddleif looks at you with arched eyebrows.  You smile and shrug before looking back at Ro'Ech. : Why did you attack other horseborn?His eyes dart around, and he repeats your words silently, slowly, before preparing his response. : Other like me...wrong. Friend no.You look at Oddleif to see if she undestands, but she only shakes her head a bit. : Fight...friend no. Other wrong.: You fought them because they're not your friends?Ro'Ech squints while studying Oddleif's mouth moving. : Friend no.: If you're going to join us, you have to follow orders.He doesn't seem to understand your words, but your tone makes him step back a pace. : You are not in trouble. But we are a herd. Alette is our leader.Oddleif points to you and speaks slowly. : We follow orders from leader. You follow orders from leader.You cannot be sure how much Ro'Ech understands. His jaw clenches and he stands straighter. He snorts and kicks up dirt with a hoof. : He doesn't seem to like that, does he?: No, but he'll learn to appreciate it.: I'm glad a I had a chance to talk to you, Ro'Ech. Ro'Ech simply stares at you. Everyone feels awkward at the inability to communicate, so you smile at him. : Thank you.: Thank.He taps a hoof to the ground a few times before trotting off. : My best guess is there are different herds like clans, but they don't really get along.: Maybe this herd attacking Lundar was just a particular enemy.: Maybe.She smiles and leaves you to your confusion. ...maybe Rugga's right. Having this many wildcards in the caravan is going to be a challenge. Or a danger.  Anyway, let's see what old man Josurr wants.  : You know we're heading to Arberrang. I've been very clear about that. : But what if those dredge return? Or those flea-ridden horseborn?: I'm not sure about the horseborn, but you can count on more dredge. : They're running from something. Same as us.: But you're running from them. What are they running from?: That's what we'd all like to know.Josurr's eyes dart around for a moment. : Does that mean you'll take us with you? : Are you ready to sew your banner into ours?: Wait a minute, girl. You may have charmed a few other towns into that banner, but this is Lundar.: Fine. Stay here. We're leaving. : Great. Then that's settled.: Josurr, what can you tell us about the Old Wood?: Is that where you're headed? With this many?When he sees you nod, his lips purse and move from side to side. : Well, strange things happen in that place. It's a place where people go missing or come back happier than ever.: Is it dangerous?: You charged into a town under attack by horseborn and dredge. I'm not sure what you consider dangerous.: I guess that means we'll find out.You agree and call for everyone to move out.  Oh hey, I forgot to edit people back in after the Lundar fight bugged out on losses. Oh well. We get a bunch more clansmen and I think it's probably fine.  We leave Lundar behind, and it turns out that the Old Wood is really pretty.  However, about halfway between Lundar and the cover of the Old Wood, another kragsmen ambush.  Mogr knows this tactic, though. We turtle up and protect both sides.  : It's a game of patience now. If they stick with us, they'll expose themselves and we'll hit them hard. Nothing comes of it. I guess we chose correctly. Could've sworn I did the same thing in my Rook game only to get slaughtered, but maybe there's a fighter check involved and you can't turtle up with < X fighters. Or maybe it was just bugged. Anyway, we're fine here.  A pity the Old Wood is so dangerous, because it's damned pretty.  : Nothing but game trails into this place. For this many people? I don't like it.He looks agitated, nervous. Glancing around, you notice the other varl - and even the horseborn - acting similarly. : Tight places like this don't sit well with us. No room to stand or swing. Just another place I don't belong.Iver's growing concern with feeling useless is somewhat puzzling, but you keep it to yourself. For all its majesty and storied past filled with legendary hunts, the dense foliage and spore-filled air of the Old Wood feels eerie.  We're barely half a day's march into the woods when this happens. : Why were you stealing? Drifters are people without a banner. They are blamed for all sorts of woes, mostly undeserved. The varl and clansmen alike run them off before you can make sense of it all, but you are left wondering what will become of them. We lose 24 clansmen. And, uh...I think we know what will become of them.   We're now fully into the Old Wood, and the town of Etingbekkr is in the distance.  Ugh, these guys again.  : And if I say no?"Don't do that," he says plainly. : Fine, but there better be no trouble."We're a rough crowd, right? But we'll keep our distance," he says before whistling. Kragsmen appear all around you, each carrying food and weapons. They nod as they fall in line. I've never had this event before. Looking at the game code, seems like I got it because we took the muddy path instead of the stone path earlier. The stone path, by the way, is a kragsmen cemetery. They get real upset at us defiling their cemetery and we end up in a war with them. There's some other stuff too but we'll get to that later. More importantly, the kragsmen detachment is 100 fighters strong. Our caravan is drat big now.  Oddleif looks concerned. : I'm not sure if that's the right attitude or not. It keeps them from worrying all the time, but it keeps them from being cautious, too.: What's the point in caution? Look around. If it is that massive Serpent causing these quakes, it could be an arrow's range away and we'd never know it for all these trees.His words do little to quash the acrid dread in your gut.  Iver being pretty morose notwithstanding, we reach the outskirts of Etingbekkr unscathed.  : Let's see if we can help.(This is obviously going to lead to a fight, but we've never turned down a fight previously and we're not going to start now.) While she doesn't understand your words, your movement toward the village prompts Derdriu to move forward quickly. Only Ro'Ech is able to slow her, and keep her near the caravan. Your arrival through the smoke is unexpected by the hoofed pillagers. Some unite to hold you off, while others, smeared in blue war paint, flee into the surrounding woods.  All 3 horseborn are required in the party for this fight.   And yeah, I haven't been showing off all the character bios. Sorry. Anyway, yeah. Ro'Ech is only ten years old.  Nothing we haven't seen before, except the horseborn in the back is varl-sized and has a special name. The same name that Scathach mentioned a while back when explaining who some of the enemy horseborn were.  I have kinda gotten tired of overwatching everything. It's effective, sure. But sometimes you just want to smash things with Iver.  Ro'Ech kicks the leader in the face, which will stun him and skip his turn. Mule kick is a great move.  Here's the thing about this battle: there are unending numbers of horseborn and you can farm renown all day if you're so inclined. The battle ends as soon as you kill the leader, but if you don't, every few horseborn that die will summon new ones. If we'd gotten Eirik to level 6 where he could learn the "Track" ability I'd have maybe farmed a bit since we could have just wasted all the boss's turns. But we didn't, so I didn't.  Honestly, I really did try to maximize kills and eke out a bit more renown, but eventually Trigecannthae, the horseborn enemy leader, gets a turn, wanders into Alette's overwatch, and that's that. Drops the Gold Bridle, though, which is a ludicrously good item and I think the only item in the first 2 games that you get from an enemy body.  "We can never repay you," the village leader states. "But we will spread word of what you did here today across the woods and hills. Thank you." It only gets us 5 renown. Turns out you don't really get that much fame when the world is ending and most people who aren't dead are already in your caravan.   Rugga at least likes what we've done, though. And we played hardball with Josurr to get the survivors of Lundar into the caravan. When we hit Arberrang, it'll be with a strong banner--just as he asked.  There's a pretty interesting item in the market here. -5 str attack doesn't reduce your strength but rather just the amount of damage you do on a strength attack. For characters that focus on breaking, it's really good. Yrsa's slag and burn, for example, is independent of strength. I probably should have purchased this actually.  The Gold Bridle is awesome. As soon as I get Iver to 10, he's gonna use it.  We leave Etingbekkr and continue onward. However, it's not too long before we run into a woman tied to a post, surrounded by some armed men.  : She'll die on her own after that long with nothing to eat or drink."That's not on us," the guard responds. "But if you want to set her free we'd be bigger fools than you to get in your way. : How do you know she's a witch?Everyone looks at the woman who is grinning a toothless grin. She scratches at the tree bark and calls out the dead gods one by one. "If that's not enough," the guard says, "she was seen squeezing mistletoe berries into water troughs. I think I heard that makes you sick." The other guards bob their heads in agreement. : Yrsa, any thoughts?Yrsa smiles and saunters toward the tied woman. She says a few quiet words to the prisoner and looks her over before returning.  : My suggestion? Burn her and the tree to the ground....Well, that's not what I expected. But I know better than to cross Yrsa or expect that doing good will be its own reward.  : I don't like it. But this isn't our concern."We don't like it either," the guard says, "but thanks for leaving us to it." As the caravan rolls by, the woman screams curses and hexes, leaving most feeling sorry for her or scared. We lose morale. Don't know if there's a better way of handling that event.  Despite the woods being incredibly pretty, our morale is really low the deeper we go.  ...and suddenly we arrive in an unnamed village.  Uh...hi?  : Is everything alright here? : Yes, everything is fine.An awkward silence hangs in the air. : Fine, I'll say it. You look like you fought a bear and lost.: Oh! Do you normally insult those who offer you a place to rest?: He didn't mean to be rude, but your clothes are torn and you're bleeding.: Daily chores. The woods keep us busy and are unforgiving if you're not paying attention.: So it was a beast.: Brambles.Iver gives you a skeptical look, but says nothing. : Please, make yourselves at home. WE have good food and strong drink, enough for everyone.The man begins walking away. : Wait, what's your name?He smiles again.  With that, he shuffles away around a building. Sure, man. We're not staying in your village.  Things get even weirder the further we go in. : Why is the flower perfect?"You wouldn't understand," he says. "Colors have meaning and the light is just...it's perfect." The others agree and seem offended by your question. : Enough. Keep moving.  6 clansmen leave so they can study flowers for the rest of their lives. Which I imagine will be fairly short.   Oh c'mon I befriended you guys!  Since you haven't seen them in any other battle. War bears have a lot of strength and also you have to take out their armor before you can do any strength damage. They're like Folka. Only dangerous.  Iver with the Gold Bridle is gonna be nuts. When he crits, he just absolutely mangles things.  Really not much to talk about in this fight. Just a bunch of overwatch.   Everyone's home is getting ruined by whatever's happening to the world.  Iver hits rank 10. He now has rank 1 talent in all but armor (where both talents are garbage anyway). And with the gold bridle, that's rank 4. He's awesome.  I just wanted to show off the artwork for the camp screen in the Old Wood.  As we depart, we come upon the only godstone in the Old Wood: Geirradr.  This is never addressed in the games--a lot is left to interpretation or subtext. But look at the godstone. And look at this guy. We've already seen instances of the gods not actually being fully dead. Aselei, or an avatar of hers, put an item in Alette's pack back when we were on the Ormsa. Stravhs is keeping Bellower mostly dead. Is it possible that the unnamed village was where Geirradr's resting place? Or maybe I'm completely off base here.  Known as the god of wise counsel and direction, Geirradr is accredited with all types of discoveries and good decisions. As you pull away large strands of ivy, Aleo reads aloud the tale inscribed.  As you think about the story, you discover a small nook in the stone. Inside is a lock of red hair tied with sewn cloth. We get Brenna's Lock and I'll show it off later. Suffice to say, it's not great. Or maybe I just don't know the appropriate use case for it. The clansmen go about their rituals with the godstone and are soon ready to move one, but up ahead others have decided to make camp. You stifle a yawn but look forward to some rest.  We're literally forced to rest. Also I forgot to do a training battle which is why I'm so renown starved. Oh well.   : Have you memorized the basic threads of mending yet?: I...think so. It's hard to find time to practice, though. It feels like someone always needs something. : Are you going to show me more?: Part of weaving is knowing what pattern you're looking to create before you ever begin.: Right. So, I want to mend a wound like you did with Iver's arm.The mender smiles. : And I want to use your bow to fire an arrow through a line of enemies.: Yeah, but that took years for me to...oh. I get it.: We'll start small. I'll show you a pattern so tiny it will feel like you're doing nothing, but it's the foundation of many great woven spells.Eyvind's instructions are easy to follow, but tough to repeat accurately more than twice in a row. : You're getting it. You just need to relax, and--A violent rumble in the ground silences him. His face grows concerned. : Juno!He bolts through the shaking woods faster than you imagined he could move.  She's fine, Eyvind.  Or not.  OK yeah that's not great.  Remember what Iver said about the Serpent being within an arrow shot and we wouldn't know until it was too late? It's too late.  Before she's swallowed whole, Juno does whatever telepathy thingy she did with Eyvind when she was mostly dead atop Ridgehorn. : Eyvind, RUN! And then she's gone, and our camp is destroyed.  But as with the last time Juno faced the serpent, she's not dead. Only mostly dead.  : I've been here before. But not like this. : Se kit res ta. (If anyone wants to translate that?): An ancient tongue. I...know the language. : I'm...I'm no longer sure I can die.: Troublesome.: You've been hunting me.  : You should not be here, so nothing is yours.: False. I am created by a god to become a god. It is you who should no longer be here.: A mistake was made, but this is not your time.: This is my only time. Because of you.Everything shakes violently.  : Perhaps we want the same thing?: Your schemes are insignificant. Would you humor a gnat's requests? Besides, if you truly desire the same as me, release your grip on that which currently sustains you.: And allow you to destroy all that lives? To what end?: To the end. Just as the world started, so must it cease. All things have an end.: And so must you. The others with me will find a way to stop you.The space shudders again. : The others? Could they be your end as well? No...you can control them all. That image of Bolverk is there for a fraction of a second. I was lucky to catch it. So was the Serpent, apparently. : So...there is one you cannot control. He would be my salvation, but...Another shudder : I feel it too. We are both dying!: No satisfaction in mutual destruction. Impatience has undone me. Frustrating to learn a solution too late.The space shakes horribly one last time.  ? The Serpent hisses just before a flashing light. A terrible pain rips through you both. The two of you shriek simultaneously, and your vision dims.  Arc lightning: good at bringing down more than just stone bridges. : Who are...what...happened?: Hush, Juno. You're safe now. I'll always keep you safe.: Eyvind, what did you--how did you do this?: Save your questions. We should get away from here.All those shudders? Eyvind was pulling down ludicrous amounts of lightning, far beyond anything he'd done before. He took down the World Serpent. Or at least wounded the hell out of it enough that he could get Juno's body back.  Eyvind's assault was not enough to save much of the caravan, though. Look how low the numbers are (and how bad the morale is) compared to what it was before the Serpent attacked. It slithers off somewhere, that gaping wound still in its belly. But the damage is done.  We get a few people back. It's not enough.  : I feel the same way.: I couldn't do a drat thing to help.You have never seen the varl like this. : We all scattered like roaches. I don't know if the ones missing are dead or just lost.: I couldn't tell if we were chasing that Serpent or trying to get away from it.: And the way Eyvind threw lightning at it.: I've never seen anything like that, and I've lived a long damned time. : It was a pretty brave thing to do.: Brave. Stupid. I'm sure everyone here has a different opinion. None of them really matter because it happened. We move on like we always do.You both look towards Juno and Eyvind. : With the little I've learned about spellweaving, I don't think he's an ordinary mender. And a Valka being swallowed by a Serpent and cut out by lightning? It sounds like one of Aleo's tales. How did she live through that?: I don't know how any of us...He looks around.  The silence that follows becomes an unavoidable presence.  Whatever hopes we had of arriving in Arberrang as a strong army are now dashed. But we have nowhere else to go. We forge onward.  To be fair, she'd freak me out too at this point.  : Train more fighters. That should keep them distracted. : A hundred new fighters will give us all a bit of courage.: Let's hope so. Or at least some sense of purpose. Fiskivik is a fishing village not far from Arberrang. This is the state we'll arrive at the capital in, most likely. : There are signs of recent fighting all around Fiskivik, but it might provide a meeting ground for all who scattered when the Serpent struck. : I'm worried about all the people we're missing. Scattering like that in the Old Wood...I feel guilty.: You can't prepare for a giant snake busting up your camp.: But these people depend on me. I gave them my oath we would get to Arberrang.: Then keep going. From the moment you left Skogr, you knew everyone wouldn't make it. But the rest of you can. Besides, what else can you do? You'll stay alive, and as long as you do, these people are going to follow you.: You keep saying "you" instead of "we." Are you trying to tell me something?The giant varl sighs.  : What? Join them where?: They haven't filled me in on most of the plans. But they said I'm needed and that we're leaving the caravan. : Leaving? All three of you?: All three of us.: Why would you do this to me? Why now? Look at what's left of this caravan.: I've seen who is left. A bunch of varl who depend on you and Hakon, not me.: But I never would've made it this far without you.: Then I've done my job. This isn't easy, but don't make it harder than it has to be.Before you can respond, Juno and Eyvind arrive. Her hollow appearance catches you off guard.  : What he could. What's this all about? : We are no longer good for the caravan. Our presence not only scares the clansmen, but puts them in real danger. Beyond that, the Serpent's attack has clarified our need to move quickly, something we cannot do with all of you.: But this caravan needs the three of you. I need you to help get these people to Arberrang. : That's right. Lend me your map.Confused, you hand your map to the Valka. She and Eyvind hold it at corners while tracing patterns with spear and staff. The map glows faintly and loose threads from her cloak and his tunic snake through the aged material. THe image pulses, it looks alive.  The map gained color! And...it now shows all the giant fissures in the ground where the world is, quite literally, breaking. Oh, and...  There's a spreading darkness on the map. You can't interact with any of the landmarks on the map in the purple. Because they are gone.  Assuming it spreads outward from a central point, the darkness started out just a bit north of Grofheim. If this is where it started, then that's where the dredge would've started running. And that'd explain why so many of them were at Grofheim to the point that the varl capital fell easily.  We don't really have a good sense of how quickly the darkness is spreading, or if it's gaining speed. But Bindal--which is empty thanks to the efforts of Zefr and Bolverk--was the next major city to fall. Either that or Ormsdallr, but the fissure took care of that before the darkness could.  We're heading to Arberrang, which is about as westward as we can get short of going south into Dalalond--where the horseborn used to live before the plains broke. And where Ubin allegedly is right now. If that darkness reaches Arberrang, though...  It probably won't be good for anyone. Not even the World Serpent likes the darkness.  : I've spoken about a Darkness enshrouding the land, and now you bear witness to it on your map. The sky will soon reflect the truth shown here.(That's the giant dark orb that Bolverk saw on the horizon, then.)  : Even the chasms opening across the land are displayed, but your path to Arberrang is clear.: Speed will be your ally now. With so few, you should be able to outpace whatever comes your way. : I still don't understand why you need Iver.: A one-armed varl brings good luck.You shake your head but refuse to look at the varl. : Iver's strength and resolve will be necessary for us in the days ahead. It's the same resolve you use daily, and you will have Hakon and the remaining varl with you for strength. : But Iver's my friend.Iver exhales loudly, like he is releasing a breath he has held in for ages.  : I doubt that will change even if I live another century or two, and it sure won't change with distance. Understand?No words come to mind, so you simply nod. : You and the rest of the caravan are needed in Arberrang. What will assault you there will require every bit of your wits and strength to survive. And even then, you will perish if we do not succeed.: How will I know if you succeed?: You'll know because you'll still be alive. You must get to the capital. You must stay alive. No matter what occurs, hold out as long as you can. Silence follows her words. : You keep saying a darkness, but what is it?Juno stares at you. Your concern about the darkness starts to fade until Eyvind touches her shoulder.  : Then why is it here?: Because I--: Eyvind, that's enough!The Valka looks at you, and for a moment, her hard-eyed expression cracks. : We're trying to do what we have to.You notice her spear moving ever so slightly before your mind moves to other things. : What can I expect in Arberrang?: I wish I could promise you nothing but safety, but Arberrang will be the refuge for so many.: Clans will vie for power the way they always do, even in the face of destruction. Remember: you are a Sundr slayer. Your reputation will help you a great deal.: That doesn't really put me at ease.: Just use what you've learned on this journey to keep the others alive.: I should get the clan ready to head up the coast and west to Arberrang.: If you were anyone else, I'd stick around to help, but there's no one alive better suited to take care of these folks.You look at the giant varl who has been with you through so much. : 'Till we see each other again, then?: In some form or another, I imagine.The two of you smile. : Before I go, I think it's time you became Alette again. Your hood might still serve you in a fight, but otherwise, pull it down. These people deserve to look their leader in the eye. : Thank you, Iver. You're probably right. : You as well, Eyvind.Iver and Eyvind find a small fishing skiff. The once clear water of the Fiska Bay is turning green and foul as the varl hauls the vessel toward the receding tide. : I'm sorry for the hardship that has become your life. Though it probably means little to hear it from me, you've done great work in making it this far. Continue to push hard for the capital. With luck, my small force will face and defeat the Darkness before it reaches you. I hope our efforts will not be in vain.: Then I hope luck is with you as well. Take care of Iver.The Valka gives you a small smile before following the other two. You turn to the caravan. : Everyone on your feet! We're pushing to Arberrang!We still don't have good answers. Juno was clearly mind controlling Alette there when Eyvind was about to explain what happened. And it seems like Iver is sailing off into certain doom with our two mender friends/"friends." I'd also like to point out how devastating this is in a Rook game. We've been skating easily thanks to Alette's overwatch, but Rook's caravan doesn't get that ability. He has to actually fight battles legitimately. Which means judicious use of Iver and Eyvind, arguably the two best units in the game. And now they both leave, taking with them all the renown and items you poured into them. It's a brutal moment from a story standpoint in both scenarios, but it gives you the extra kick in the teeth from a gameplay standpoint if you're Rook, the unluckiest man alive. But there's nothing to be done for it. There is no way to stop Iver, Eyvind, and Juno leaving the caravan at this point. All we can do is wish them well and hope they return safely. BGM: Our Steps to the Night Great song, but do not watch the video. Spoilers. We watch Iver, Rook's best friend and the strongest and best damned varl alive, sail off into the unknown. FairGame fucked around with this message at 23:25 on Oct 2, 2018 |
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Oct 1, 2018 00:42
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FairGame posted:Juno stares at you. Your concern about the darkness starts to fade until Eyvind touches her shoulder. And this manages to not be the biggest problem here, because she managed to pick up a bit of World-Eating Serpent power at some point and that's apparently screwing things up even more. At this point I'm assuming there's several layers of poo poo gone wrong that overlapped just the right way to cause the darkness.
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Oct 1, 2018 01:33
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Way to gently caress up Ragnarok and make turbo-Ragnarok, guys. I'm gonna miss Iver so much.
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Oct 1, 2018 01:44
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This dialogue shouldn't be used for Alette. It sounds more like it is directed towards Rook, if he were alive. I remember this line from his playthrough. Alette is far cry from being a father and a husband, like Ro'Etch is implying. I think the game should have given a different line for this particular dialogue.
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Oct 1, 2018 01:54
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ArcadePark posted:
I didn't even realize, but yeah. In general they do a good job of having distinct events and reactions by other characters for both Skogr POV options. This seems a bit of a slip. Had they used "admirable" or "familiar" instead of "attractive," it'd work just fine. But as is it's clearly some leftover text for the Oddleif romance. (I'm assuming Egil will get a similar thing later, and hopefully it is handled as elegantly as Oddleif is in a Rook game. Or maybe he gets killed. That would also be in character.)
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Oct 1, 2018 03:01
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