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  : The vote was a bit of a blowout in favour of keeping those luscious whiskers. I’m sure Rukey will be glad to hear that. : You suggest that Rukey’s mustache looks perfectly fine. He grins wide at you. : Couldn’t agree more, chum. I knew straightaway that you’re a real judge of character. Anyway! Got to check the wheels again for mites. See you around!: He bounds off, out of the wagon. : Characters can get bonuses that assist them in Sportsball for just about anything, up to and including just having a good chat with them beforehand. When there’s a fork in the road and a character wants you to take one path for whatever reason, there’s a good chance that that character will receive a temporary buff like this one.: … but, it’s not always guaranteed. Sometimes, you might get nothing. Even worse, characters might get debuffs if the interaction doesn’t play out the way they had hoped. Your choices can significantly impact the performance of any given character for the Rites, so you’ll want to weigh your options carefully. : There’s nothing left for us in the Ridge of Gol now, so let’s move on to the Spring of Jomuer. : At least we won’t be in strictly-unfamiliar territory. Rukey’s done us right so far.  Gfy : The climate here in Jomeur Valley is hot and uncomfortable. On top of that… : We have a stowaway.  Music: Moon Touched: She must have latched onto the undercarriage as you crossed the Ridge. Her manner is odd, though you sense she means no harm. She must have overheard some of your fellow exiles’ conversations.: Her arms must be very tired.: You need but say the word, Hedwyn. : Oh come on, you can’t be serious, Jodi. She’s just some kid! Who managed to climb aboard our wagon undetected, but still. : Do it, Jodi.: Jodariel approaches the girl and looms over her. : Listen to me, girl. We cannot guarantee that we shall get you home, or any one of us. But, at present, we have room for you, and adequate provisions. You may accompany us for the time.: Of the three others in the wagon, it’s Jodariel that’s the welcoming committee, and she wanted to leave us in the dirt to die, so, cool.  : Really? You are so kind! You are most kind, to someone you just met, like me. May the Eight Scribes smile upon you all!: She claps her hands, bursts into laughter, and performs some sort of dance. Rukey stares at all of this, and leans in close to Hedwyn. : Hey, so, uh… what gives? First the Reader, now we’re taking her along? What, we gonna take in every mite-bitten drive-imp we find now, too? : Who, Sandalwood? I thought you said he asked we find someone to fit in every type of mask. Near as I can tell, yours would fit her just fine! : He asked that we use our best judgment. Besides… we send her away, she’ll go telling anyone she finds about us. We can’t risk that right now. : So, um, I can come in? It’s very hot, and, I’m a little thirsty, and a little tired too. : Yes, you’re welcome here with us. One question, though…. What do we call you? : Um! Well, this is embarrassing, I think, but I don’t know for sure? It’s just, back home, they called me lots of names. Like, the color of my hair. : They made fun of you just ‘cause you got gray hair? Gfy  : This girl is highly susceptible to suggestion, and as long as the name we ‘suggest’ rhymes with gray, she’ll take it. We can name her any of the following:
First to 5 votes gets the win, or the name with the most votes after eight hours, whichever comes first.
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Jan 3, 2018 20:38
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Im Gae
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Jan 3, 2018 21:00
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Buller posted:Im Gae same
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Jan 3, 2018 21:04
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I say we go with Shae.
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Jan 3, 2018 21:21
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I'm Mae!
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Jan 3, 2018 21:23
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Zhae.
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Jan 3, 2018 21:23
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She is Gae.
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Jan 3, 2018 21:51
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She's clearly a Bae.
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Jan 3, 2018 21:52
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GunnerJ posted:She's clearly a Bae. This one can't possibly be right. She's clearly Gae.
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Jan 3, 2018 21:56
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Mae? Is that you? Edit: She's even got the Nightmare Eyes. Olive Branch fucked around with this message at 22:00 on Jan 3, 2018 |
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Jan 3, 2018 21:57
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Olive Branch posted:Mae? Is that you?
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Jan 3, 2018 22:16
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I went with Xae on my playthrough, and it is with Xae I shall remain.
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Jan 3, 2018 22:31
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Gonna have to go with Mae on this one, as good as the im gay joke is.
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Jan 3, 2018 22:32
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Olive Branch posted:Mae? Is that you? Yes. I am sure she is a cat person.
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Jan 3, 2018 22:35
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Mae is bae (but not Bae)
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Jan 3, 2018 22:57
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That pushes Mae into victory, by my count.
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Jan 3, 2018 23:00
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You really gonna name her after the sound sheep makes?
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Jan 3, 2018 23:10
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Maple Leaf posted:That pushes Mae into victory, by my count. Really? That is all you are going to say?
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Jan 4, 2018 00:04
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I know the vote is over but personally always called her Fae because she seems a little fey-touched to me. Anyway, I love the psych-out of Hedwyn being like "Do it, Jodi" and then what Jodi does is be the Mom Friend.
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Jan 4, 2018 01:18
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Slaan posted:Really? That is all you are going to say? When you are aaaaaaaall Alooooone May-be, the one who, Is waiting for you, Will prove untrue, Then what will you do?
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Jan 4, 2018 01:49
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Gae and Bae are funny but Mae seems like an actual name to me.
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Jan 4, 2018 02:29
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CuwiKhons posted:I know the vote is over but personally always called her Fae because she seems a little fey-touched to me. I'm starting to suspect Jodariel might be kind of nice.
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Jan 4, 2018 02:31
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Mzbundifund posted:I'm starting to suspect Jodariel might be kind of nice. EDIT: You're all clicking the music icons, right? Be sure to click the Gyfs too. Animations are pretty. Olive Branch fucked around with this message at 04:37 on Jan 4, 2018 |
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Jan 4, 2018 04:27
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Sorry for the tardy update, I had a bitch of a weekend. ---------------  : She does according to a handful of us, at least! The results were neck-and-neck between Mae and Gae, but Mae clutched it out in the end.: You suggest that the stowaway girl’s name is Mae. : Why, that’s it! My name is Mae! My name is Mae!: Where I am from they called me Mae the Moon-Touched… but, I guess maybe you don’t have to say that part, because, I didn’t really like it.: Your fellow exiles decide to bring Mae along, for now. She almost collapses from exhaustion, so you take her in and show her somewhere she can rest.  Gfy : Music: Through The Valley: The blackwagon arrives in a somewhat peaceful stretch of Jomuer Valley. Your companions wish to hole up here for the night, to give Mae and all of you a little time to rest. : This screen is similar to the one before the Rites, but the difference is that the button in the lower-right hand corner of the screen is asking us to ‘consider our options’ instead of beginning the Rite. Rites only happen at nighttime, after all, and it’s the middle of the day.: Let’s check in on the blackwagon first, though, since we have someone that wants to talk to us, and choosing to ‘consider our options’ will end our pit-stop. : No new pages; no new little baubles that we’ve picked up; just inquisitive Mae, looking to have a word with us. Let’s see what’s on her mind.: Mae seems to be recovering well since you found her. She seems fascinated by everything and everyone in the wagon.: Oh! Hi, Mister! You are the one who knew my name, you guessed it right, you did! Thank you for your hospitality! I’ve just been eating with the imps and talking to the wagon. : This wagon, he and I are the same age! Almost to the very day. But I am older, by three weeks. So I am giving him a hard time. Little brother, I call him. He is a good wagon isn’t he. He will take us very, very far.: My little brother, sure, he pulls at my hair at times and I don’t like it very much. But he is family! I am happy to be here with my family. : I thought that I had lost them all again. I thought that I had lost them all.: Oh, but we have stopped, now, haven’t we? Then I should go outside, to dance, in case the Scribes are watching! Bye, Mister!: Smiling back at you, she prances out the door.: … cute kid. : With our business in the blackwagon completed, it’s time to kick back for some R and R. : Best get used to your new life here, Reader. We seldom get such moments of reprieve. Perhaps some further study of that Book shall pass the time.: You could join me for a little stroll if you’re feeling up to it! Always something to be foraged around here.: Or you could teach us more of what you know. Prepare us for the next Rite. In any case… we do what we can to stay busy. Keeps the sense of isolation well at bay.  : Whenever we get a moment to ourselves, we’ll have the option to do one of three things: study the book; go for a walk; or tutor a single companion. You can only choose one per sitting, of course.: Foraging can get us any number of things, including vendor trash for the Slugmarket or equipment that can assist us in the Rites (more on that in a second). Studying the book can grant us a permanent buff to all characters in a single stat. And tutoring a companion will boost their Enlightenment, which can bring them closer to a level up.: Personally, I was never one for the buffs; the boost you get is so minuscule and you have to choose to study so often for it to matter that it seemed like a waste compared to the other two options.. And foraging, while highly useful later, isn’t too necessary right now when we don’t even know what the Slugmarket is yet. So, right now, I think tutoring someone might be our best option. Gfy  : We can choose between Hedwyn, Rukey, and Jodariel. Whoever we choose will get an immediate boost in their Enlightenment, and if we choose Hedwyn or Rukey, they’ll gain enough to reach the next level. Hedwyn is closest to the next level, so let’s go with him.: Sure thing friend, I appreciate the offer. Where to begin?: You illustrate to Hedwyn some of the intricacies of the Rites, focusing on how all three in a triumvirate can move and act as of one mind. You sense he grasps some of the concepts.: Or, we could, you know, ask him if he understands instead of trusting our gut. Gfy : I think I’m beginning to understand something of all this, my friend. : With a new level, Hedwyn gains himself a brand-spanking-new perk and gives us access to his perk trees. The first-level perk on the left is Martial Training, which rewards Hedwyn with an additional 50% stamina, and the one on the right is Shared Tenacity, where Hedwyn and his allies regenerate stamina twice as quickly as usual.: Like with Jodariel, and like with all characters, we should really be focusing on the third-level perks the most, since those are the most blatantly overpowered. The third-level perk on the left is Burning Resolve, wherein our own Pyre recovers energy equal to half of the damage Hedwyn does to his adversaries’ Pyre, and the one on the right is Divine Retribution, where any adversary banished (and not just by Hedwyn!) remain banished for an additional two seconds.: To me, there are three major arguments for Divine Retribution: the first that Burning Resolve requires that our own Pyre be doused in the first place, and if I’m playing like I should be, that ought to never happen. The second is that Divine Retribution gives a significant buff to everyone in Hedwyn’s party, not just himself (although it does require him be in it, but, you know, that applies to all buffs).: And the third is that both the second-level perks in the left tree are kinda garbage (Power-Casting, or releasing your Aura with the right timing like I demonstrated in the first video, sends Hedwyn’s Aura in a wider, longer line than usual; and if Hedwyn collides with an enemy in the air, that enemy is banished), at least compared to the ones on the right (any teammate can revive any other teammate by going to where they were banished, and, while bearing the Orb, all allies move faster than usual).: Basically, it boils down to the left tree giving buffs to only Hedwyn and those buffs only activating in specific situations, while the right tree buffs everyone on Hedwyn’s team for more general purposes. It’s a bit of a no-brainer when you put it that way, so, gimme dat Shared Tenacity. : Now that we’re done tutoring, we can move on with our journey.: The path leading further west splits off, and once again your fellow exiles turn the choice of where to go over to you. Mae seems enthusiastic for whichever route you choose. : Charming names, they really make me want to visit them both.  : The basic question here is, to we want a buff to Glory, or to Quickness? In my opinion, all that strength isn’t going to matter if we don’t have the speed to make it to the enemy’s Pyre, or if we’re too slow to avoid banishment. Also, for as foretelling as a name like ‘Fallflat’ is, I’d still rather not go to a place called ‘Gluehive.’ Gfy : Mae is behaving stranger than usual as you traverse the dry flats of Fallflat.: This was the path that Jomuer Many-Mane ran across, so many, many times! Can you not feel his presence, him and all his friends, here in the sand, and in the air, and all about?: At first you pay it little heed, though later you observe your fellow exiles seem to have more of a lightness in their step. Perhaps it was the previous day’s rest that did everyone good. Gfy : And finally, it’s time to move on to the anointed area and prepare for the Rite.: En route to the Spring of Jomuer you hear all about the roving Slugmarket, which appears to be nearby. Rukey insists you take a look after you settle in. : And there it is, the oft-mentioned Slugmarket, headed by an actual slug. The Slugmarket will appear at most locations where the Rites take place, to allow you the opportunity to gear up for the upcoming trial. This is where we’ll be spending our hard-earned cash. : Music: Dirty Deal: Hey, Ron. It’s going.: Say, how come you’ve set up shop all the way out here? Isn’t this a little out of the way? : Oh, well let’s just say you guys, you ain’t my only customers! You see, Dad and I, we know this business pretty good, we been around the block, and so…: As Ron keeps blathering, Rukey signals to you in a furtive way.: Here’s the deal, chum. Got an informant says there’s something here connected to this Rites business. See if you can spot it. Should be able to pawn some of our stuff to make the trade.: And, don’t even worry about Falcon Ron. : …so anyways, you guys got something for me, or what? That Plain Parcel you got there, I could take it off your paws, if you want. : First of all, ‘Falcon Ron’ is an awesome name.: Whenever we have any material goods to our name, we can barter them off to Ron for a bit of extra cash, and in turn use that cash to buy goods back from him. We already have ten coins to our name, and moving the Plain Parcel to Ron’s inventory will trade it for another thirty.: H, hey, you know, I’ll take it, Mister Greentail, though you drive a pretty hard bargain! Now, you gonna take something off my hands here, or what? : Whenever you’re in the Slugmarket and browsing its wares, Ron fills the empty air with constant mutterings to himself. It’s just babble; he never actually says words, and I doubt anything he says means anything in whatever language is spoken in Pyre’s universe.: So, you can click on him to make him shut up, and click him again to allow him to resume. But, anyway, we’re here to purchase something. : These are called Talismans, and they can be equipped onto your characters to provide them with buffs. Each Talisman is unique, with different properties, and some of them even come with prerequisites and conditions. The Moon Crest is a pretty decent choice, giving whoever holds it a thirty percent chance to return immediately upon banishment-by-adversary.: Moving from right to left, we also have the Lunar Glass, which allows the bearer of the Orb to move ten percent faster; a Cur Fang, which allows the bearer to do an additional two damage to an enemy’s Pyre; and an Ashen Coal, which provides the bearer’s Pyre with an additional seven HP at the start of a Rite.: The Cur Fang and the Ashen Coal are both pretty neat, but the real prizes here are the Moon Crest and the Lunar Glass, at least in my opinion. Let’s go ahead and buy that Crest. : Apparently any one of us bozos can get a little edge out of that thing, during the Rites, I mean. Just a question of who gets to try it out. : The Moon Crest has no prerequisites or conditions, and can be equipped by anyone. And it’s not a permanent choice: you can un-equip and re-equip Talismans as many times as you want. You’ll even be given the opportunity to change your loadout just before the Rite begins, so if I don’t like my choices now, I can change my mind before game time.: Since my choice isn’t imperative right this red-hot second, let’s just slap it onto Hedwyn for now. : …anyways, Dad over here, his feet, you know, we’ve been having some trouble with his feet, getting real something or other from all the hoofing around, and so you see…: Rukey indicates to you that now would be a good time to depart.: See you, Mister Greentail! And your friend there too, I like him, seems real nice, you know?: You know, I don't mind Ron. : We’re about ready to begin the next Rite, but someone’s got business with us in the blackwagon. We also unlocked a new page recently. : Hedwyn this time. It’d be rude to start reading a book when he’s clearly trying to get our attention, so, let’s see what’s on his mind.: Hedwyn motions for you to join him. While his manner is as easygoing as ever, you sense his contemplative mood.: You were wondering about this wagon. It’s a long story, but I’m going to keep it short. : One of the crazy things I heard one day is that there’s a group of exiles out there fighting one another for their freedom… under the stars, while wearing masks and dresses.: Everyone I was with just laughed. But something about the story stuck with me and I started to do some digging. Got in touch with Jodi, who I knew. She got in touch with Rukey. He knew who to ask, and it turned out, I knew how to answer. That’s when we got in touch with our contact. Sandalwood.: We talked only through messengers. Never met in person. I must have gained his trust. He told me to go search in the Sandfolds. Gave an exact location. Told me to bring my friend…. Then, he said to get a Reader.: The wagon was almost completely buried when we found it. The minstrel was out cold in the corner, just the way you saw him. The rest, you know. : One day maybe we’ll meet up with our informant and learn more. But now you know as much as any of us do. So, that’s how we got here. How we met you. Anyway, I’ll leave you to it, see you later on.: He nods at you, and heads out, leaving you there in the blackwagon. : Well… alright, then. It wasn’t quite as informative as I hoped it would be, but we learned that the blackwagon belongs to Sandalwood and that we’re all pretty clueless about the wagon and the Rites. Whoever the Nightwings were before now were fairly prolific, going by what Lendel said.: Anyway, let’s read that next page. Take a look, it’s in a book! Gfy  : Now that we’ve done everything there is to do, it’s finally time to begin the Rite. It feels like it’s been a while since we’ve had one! : As you complete preparations for the Rites to commence, you notice Mae approaching. : We can go home?: Mae! I thought I made myself quite clear that you were not to touch those robes.: Oh! I’m sorry, Miss Jodariel, I just thought that maybe you were being funny at the time? : … Unbelievable.: Jodi’s right. Imagine her, Jodariel, telling a joke.: Hey, uh… something’s happening in the sky. I think we’re up. Gfy   : A Choice To Make – Gameplay: Music: Glorious Tradition : Whenever a character doesn’t participate in the Rites, they get Inspiration rather than Enlightenment, as represented by the bit of green in Hedwyn’s Enlightenment bar. Basically, Inspiration is an I.O.U on Enlightenment, and the next time Hedwyn participates in the Rites, he’ll redeem his Inspiration for extra Enlightenment.: I think you can only redeem one-thousand Inspiration for Enlightenment at a time, so if you have more than that, you need to participate in the Rites again to keep redeeming. Also, obviously, you’d get more Enlightenment by just participating in the first place; this system is just in place to keep any character from falling too far behind, assuming you rotate them semi-regularly. : Meanwhile, Rukey’s got himself a level up.: Rukey’s two perk trees rely on his mobility, in the left tree, and his power and perseverance for the right tree. For the most part, I think the tree on the left is the better option, except… : … this level three perk is way too juicy to pass up. When any participant throws the Orb into the pyre, they aren’t banished, but in order to do full damage, they need some time to charge up their throw. Rukey has the speed to just get the dunk, and he wouldn’t be banished if he has this perk in place.: For posterity, his left tree perks are: Cloud Jump (gives Rukey a double jump. Dalbert used this to avoid one of Jodariel’s strikes); Lucky Break (gives Rukey a fifty-percent chance to return to play after one second if an adversary banishes him); Lightning Run (increases Rukey’s acceleration and top speed); and Moon Sault (gives Rukey a triple jump).: His right tree perks are: Glory Dive (Rukey deals an additional 5 damage to an adversary’s Pyre if he dunks in it, putting him up to 20, equal to Hedwyn and Mae); Keen Eye (Rukey’s Aura can be cast 50% further); Explosive Temper (Rukey’s Aura gains an area-of-effect to it when he banishes an adversary, and the blast can catch other adversaries); and, as shown, Guiding Light.: Glory Dive is really kind of unnecessary, but we need it if we want Guiding Light, so, I’m getting that. I’m thinking of getting Glory Dive, Keen Eye, Guiding Light, and then Cloud Jump, but I might change my mind later. : This being Mae’s first Rite, she hasn’t gained enough Enlightenment to gain a level up. She’s about halfway to her first level.  : You… you’re one of them. What do you want? Father needs me.: Oh! I’m sorry, I think that I forgot what I was going to say, I’m so embarrassed, I….: What is the matter with you…? It is against the Rites for us to even speak like this!: Um, I did not know that, I don’t think? No one said anything like that to me, but then, all this, it’s very new to me, and so, I thought, maybe… : You cannot be serious.: Yes! I mean, I like to laugh, I like to laugh a lot, and you, how about you…?: … This is a Nightwings trick. Father told me not to speak with any of you.: But, I just…!: … I have to go.: Wait…! Almer, wait, I think that was your name, was that even your name?: Wait….: Aw, someone has an unrequited crush   Gfy : As you return to the wagon after vanquishing the Fate, you notice Jodariel tense up and frown.: Where did he go.: Who? Wait… the sleeping guy?: The minstrel… he’s gone.: You see it is true. There is no trace of the lone minstrel, who had been lying still in the corner of the wagon all this time. You join the others in search for him outside. : We’ll worry about the minstrel, my friend. You worry about the stars. Wherever they guide us, we’re going. Gfy : Everyone! We’re headed back east, all the way across the valley.: Towards the Cairn of Ha’ub, then. : That’s right. We have to risk it.: What if that minstrel guy doesn’t turn up by then?: We shall find him. On this night or another.  : Before we set out, someone wants to talk to us in the blackwagon once more. May as well give them a word. : After having defeated the Fate in the Rite last night, you find Hedwyn off on his own. You sense he wants to talk about your decision to exclude him from conducting the Rite.: I guess we’ll have some tough choices to make before all this is over, my friend. Just been thinking about that.: You volunteered to sit out. That was not a difficult decision for me.: I’m glad you let the others go instead of me during the Rite. I mean that. All the more since we succeeded. : I don’t know what’s more intense, participating in the Rite, or just watching from the sidelines! Anyway, thank you for checking in, I’m off to go make sure we’re ready to move.: He departs to check on things outside. You sense that he has no misgivings about what transpired, and is more concerned at present about the missing minstrel. : Well, at least Hedwyn is in generally good spirits, considering. Onwards, to the Cairn of Ha’ub!
Maple Leaf fucked around with this message at 08:06 on May 12, 2018 |
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Jan 9, 2018 07:27
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Just to correct Maple Leaf, reading about the Book gives permanent buffs, not temporary (a maximum of +2 for each attribute). There is a reward for doing the book eight times as an activity, too.
Olive Branch fucked around with this message at 08:55 on Jan 9, 2018 |
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Jan 9, 2018 08:28
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anyone who tells falcon ron to shut up is a monster
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Jan 9, 2018 09:48
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Are there ways to seriously screw yourself by accidentally making too many wrong choices?
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Jan 9, 2018 23:56
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I think there are no actual wrong choices, not even losing a Rite.
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Jan 10, 2018 00:03
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Olive Branch posted:Just to correct Maple Leaf, reading about the Book gives permanent buffs, not temporary (a maximum of +2 for each attribute). There is a reward for doing the book eight times as an activity, too. You also get so many opportunities do it that frankly, it's well worth it to just max it out. Little experience boosts can be nice in the early game and it's nice when somebody is really close to leveling up, but the permanent benefits to your entire party are very very good.
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Jan 10, 2018 00:58
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Yeah, +2 to everything isn't to be sneezed at. Quickness: +0.66m/s. Jodariel's starting Quickness is 6. Rukey's is 18. Presence: I'm not completely certain but I think it's +0.66m diameter. Rukey's starting Presence is 3. Jodariel's is 25. Hope: -0.66s banishment, from a max of, uh. 10s? I forget. Okay, this is probably the least useful. Jodariel's starting Hope is 9. Rukey's is 25. Glory: Obviously, +2 damage per dunk. This may not seem like a very big deal but viewed at scale; it's 10 extra points per 5 dunks, which starts Mattering when you field players with less than 20 Glory, and takes a bit of the edge off certain... obstacle.
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Jan 10, 2018 01:21
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I'm going to defend Hedwyn's air tackle, it makes him an excellent defender and gives him an edge when trying to reach the ball by jumping. You can banish the opposing player then grab the ball in a single leap.
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Jan 10, 2018 02:01
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: There is still no sign of the lone minstrel, although Jodariel tracks potential signs of movement east, the same way you are headed. You consider where to search for him. : We’re headed back east no matter what we choose, but, like our journey here, we can choose to head either through Gluehive, or through Fallflat.  : On top of me still not really wanting to go to a place called Gluehive, I think, if the minstrel were anything of a survivalist at all, he’d probably tend to stick around the path that he knows. But, then again, that assumes that he was conscious and aware when he was in the blackwagon with us.: It’s ultimately a fifty-fifty, and I don’t wanna go to Gluehive, so. Gfy : As you make your way through the stark badlands of Fallflat, all there is to show for the missing minstrel is a deeper scowl on Jodariel’s face. : Blast. I felt certain that he would have taken our same route to the Spring of Jomuer.: It’s all right, Jodi. He could have gone anywhere. Likely there was nothing to be found either way. We should keep moving.: You pick up bits of pieces of the minstrel’s significance to your fellow exiles. He was there when they first discovered the blackwagon, but they speak little more of it for now. Gfy : Stop the wagon.: What, how come?: Because of her. : Does she mean what I think she means?: I believe so.: Your fellow exiles scramble to prepare the wagon for whatever is out there. Once you help them settle in, perhaps you can learn more of their source of concern. : Unusually, there is nothing to do on this screen. Nobody in the blackwagon has anything to say to us; we haven’t unlocked any new pages in the book; and the Slugmarket isn’t here. I guess this is just an opportunity to save and quit if you want?: That said, I forgot to post Mae’s bio, so I’ll take this opportunity to do that now. : That done, let’s just go ahead and prepare for whatever’s incoming for tonight. : They fear the Scribes! They fear the Scribes, I know they do!: What’s she talking about? What’s going on?: Howlers. Lots of them.: Then, what are we gonna do?: They fear the Scribes!: Calm yourself, Mae. We shall give them reason to fear us, as well. Music: Night Howlers: We’ll use the raiments and the Books. : Indeed. One of us can draw them out, under the Reader’s watch… It shall be just like one of our Rites. : It seems we need your help in this, my friend. We just need a volunteer to go with you.: Good to know I’ve been voluntold.: I will do it, Mister! Please, you have to let me, and, the Scribes, they will protect me, I know they will!: Jodariel exchanges looks with Hedwyn. Each of them nods at you as if to signal their approval. They’re Here – Gameplay: The howling subsides as your fellow exiles scramble out to check on Mae. Music: Flutter Fly  : Scree, hee!!: Isn’t he the best?! Can we keep him?: Scree, hoo…!: You sense a depth of experience in this creature. At least judging by drive-imp standards.: In fact, you feel a connection to him. If you concentrate, perhaps you can derive some meaning from his calls and screeches. : This little guy communicates entirely via screeches and coos, but we can understand him if we try really, really hard. Which means hovering my icon over his sentences, every single time he says anything at all. Rather than do my usual thing, which is hotlinking a cropped image to these unique overlays, I’ll just write out all the translations instead of the unintelligible screeches, because that’ll be half as much work for me. : (The drive-imp seems both excited and frustrated by something. You sense some pattern in the drive-imp’s screeches. He seems welcoming of this.): (The drive-imp seems to have history with your blackwagon. You are beginning to understand him.) : The drive-imp seems satisfied at having gotten through to you, and you explain to your companions what little you have learned of him so far. No one argues against letting the creature come along. Inside the wagon, the other drive-umps stare at him with something like reverence.  : So, we’ve gotten two humans, a demon, a dog, and a species of imp that specializes in driving wagons. Welcome to Pyre. : Other than striking up a conversation with our new Furby, we’re still at a dearth of things to do at this stop. So we’re a bit starved for conversation, even if it’s with something that can’t properly speak back. Let’s see what’s on its mind.: You can see the little imp has made himself at home. He rushes right up to you.: (Your new imp companion seems very pleased to be in the wagon. He indicates he was able to find you thanks to the swarm of howlers.) : (He plans to set up a nest that should ward off any further trouble from them. He looks forward to the road ahead with everyone, and believes it shall be worth it.) : He bounds off towards his brethren settled in the wagon’s rafters.: He’s very expressive. But then again, I should hope he is; his face takes up, like, thirty-percent of his body.: Anyway, now that we’ve gotten our little imp friend, we’re free to continue our journey eastward. We’re only given one option to progress this time.  Gfy : Hedwyn orders the wagon to a halt somewhere in the desolate sprawl of Jomuer Valley.: There’s someone on the road. Be careful, everyone.: The figure watching the blackwagon from afar approaches, arms spread wide, although a hat and cloak conceal the figure’s features.: Then, the imp rushes out toward whomever it is.: (The imp is very riled up at the sight of whoever is approaching, though in an almost joyous way?) : The imp called Ti’zo appears very pleased. The lone minstrel turns toward the rest of you. : Hello. We have not met, but I know who you are, or who you must be. I returned as promptly as I could.: Have you walked with the Scribes themselves, because, I think maybe you have?: Hello, indeed. You had us worried there when you took off.: I should knock him back into his slumber. : Your client?: Aye, my client. Sandalwood. He is your point of contact, as I understand. You did not find his wagon by mistake.: So, what now?: You continue down the path. That is why I am here. When we meet my client, he shall explain. For now, you have a job to do. I assure you that I shall not interfere. But, I mean to accompany you. Would that be alright?: Hedwyn and the others exchange looks.: Welcome back, minstrel. You got a name? : The Lone Minstrel returns to the blackwagon with your fellow exiles.  Gfy : The Cairn of Ha’ub is a foreboding sight. It is here that the next Rite is soon to commence.: If by ‘foreboding’ you mean ‘metal as hell’  : Reader? If you have a moment, once we are settled on these grounds, I wish to speak with you in the wagon, at your leisure. : This is a pretty busy stop! We have something new in the Slugmarket; a new page unlocked in the book; and Tariq wants to speak with us in the blackwagon. Might as well start with him. : On top of everything else, we’ve also unlocked Tariq’s lute for our perusal. More on that in a minute, though.: The Line Minstrel seems to have situated himself in the wagon. He is very still, not unlike when he was sleeping.: Reader. I shall keep this brief, as you shortly have a Rite you must conduct.: You have read something of the Book of Rites. Which means that you may know something of my nature. : Forgive me, for I spoke too soon. Suffice it I have served the Nightwings for some time. Conduct the Rites with glory, and you shall achieve what you seek.: The Lone Minstrel nods farewell to you and steps away.: … wait, that’s the whole conversation? As soon as Tariq learned that we hadn’t read too much of the book yet, he just drops everything? That’s… it doesn’t leave a great taste in my mouth, but whatever, Pyre is all about the mystical ‘you’ll find out when you’re older’ character stuff.: Let’s take a look at the Lute first. : The Lone Minstrel and his white lute chronicle the journey of the Nightwings through song. Using it, you may hear glimpses of your past experiences across the Downside. : So, yeah, it’s just a sound test for all the songs you’ve heard so far. Nothing too exciting or anything, but if you have a favourite song and want to listen to it again (or look up its name so you can find it on Youtube), this is where you’d go.: The last thing to do in the blackwagon right now is to check out that brand new page we just unlocked.Gfy  : There’s one thing left to check out before we commence with the Rite, and that’s to pay a visit to Ron at the Slugmarket. Let’s see what else he has available for us. : Uh, Ron? How’d you make it all this way ahead of us?: Eh, come on now, Mister Greentail, can’t just give up all my business secrets, am I right?: What I CAN do, though, seeing as you been such a good customer and all, is provide for you a sample of a little something-something you might like?: Here, check this out! Seeing as you bought that Moon Crest thinger from me last time, why, I’m just thinking you could use THIS, and I got more, if you want! : Pinch of Stardust can be combined with most (not all) Talismans in order to improve their performance. For example, if a Talisman grants a +1 to Quickness, we can buff that Talisman to improve that to +2. Which doesn’t sound like a lot, but Pyre isn’t about big numbers, and any buff is a substantial one.: We can also combine a Pinch of Stardust to another Pinch of Stardust to create an even bigger blunt that will improve a Talisman by two (or more!) levels per application. Obviously, when you use the Stardust, you consume it. : Ron’s got the same stuff as before, and our little spat with the Howlers has given us a bit of spending money, but I’m not too interested in blowing my cash on anything – except this little parchment. : Whoever bears this contract gets one dollar each time they banish an adversary, with a maximum of ten Pyrebux per Rite. Using a Stardust on this contract will boost that limit to eleven. This will be our primary way to obtain any cash for quite a while yet, so yeah, we’re going to want this one for now. It’ll be quite a popular Talisman for the early game, until we get other ways to earn cash. : Thanks, guys! Good luck in that thing you’re going to tonight.: We’re as geared up as we’re going to be, so let’s go ahead and commence that poo poo. : You and your fellow exiles gather around the scared site known as the Cairn of Ha’ub, anticipating the hour that the Rites are to commence again.: All is quiet for a time, then… Music: Thrash Pack: I think this song is my favourite in the entire OST, and that’s really saying something.: Psst! That’s Barker Ashpaws. Real piece of work. Just don’t make eye contact. : Oy well would you look at this lot! Even got one of our own! Consorting with the two-leggers! You’re a disgrace there, mate, you realize?: Uh, good to see you, Barker, you’re looking well! Didn’t know you knew about the Rites! : Oy I know ‘bout a lot of things my friend! For instance I know you’re going to be very, very sad after we wipe the floor with you here.: Don’t know whose back you scratched to earn yourself a spot on the high-and-mighty Nightwings, there, but I am gonna make sure all of you regret it. Because, why not? : The cur Barker laughs away as his pack stumbles after him. You hear them howling and cackling as the stars above begin to glow.Gfy  : As the stars shine down upon you, the pack of curs you stand against this night continue hooting and howling.: Oy come on you lot, let’s boil some blood!!: Then Rukey pulls you aside.: Um… look, chum, I don’t know how to say this, but I can’t go against these guys. Just, trust me on this one, OK?: You sense he means it. You make a mental note to ask about his history with Barker whenever time permits.: It’s all right, Rukey. We can take care of them. : This ought to be good.: Do not be coy with us, minstrel. Don the robes if you intend to stand with us.: Oh, I did not mean myself. The Rites are not for me. I was instead referring to this little one. : (Ti’zo seems to be volunteering to take on your adversaries, the Dissidents.): Absurd. The imp knows the Rites?: I get the feeling that Ti’zo knows a lot of things.: He knows a great deal. So long as the Nightwings stand together, he shall be at their side.: Though, you need not take my word for it.: Ti’zo? Our adversaries seem to be preoccupied. Perhaps you might quickly show our comrades what you can do?: The little imp peers at you. You sense his connection to the Rites as he awaits your guidance.  : (Ti’zo seems excited to demonstrate some of his favorite tricks.): Reader? Influencing Ti’zo may take some getting used to. He is inviting you to try. : Ti’zo has the slowest walk speed of all the companions. Which makes sense, considering how stubby his legs are. However, he makes up for it in his utilities, which are very unique and very powerful by themselves. : Instead of a regular jump, Ti’zo can instead flutter in the air for as long as he has stamina. Auras will have no effect on him and the only way to knock him down is for enemies to jump into him. His fly speed is the same as his run speed, so this is inherently a more defensive maneuver than anything, but if your opponents are outnumbered and focus more on your grounded units, Ti’zo can give them the slip pretty easily. : Ti’zo cannot dash like other characters, again because of his stubby legs, but instead he can leap forward a small distance very quickly. It accomplishes essentially the same thing as regularly dashing and it costs stamina per leap, ultimately evening out with the rest of his companions. Ti’zo’s ‘zip,’ however, stops him when he lands after each leap, giving you a bit more stopping power than anyone else. : And, the big one: instead of casting Ti’zo’s Aura like everyone else (and, by the way, Ti’zo’s default Aura size is massive, second only to Jodariel), Ti’zo instead implodes himself in a massive bubble of Aura. This screenshot is Ti’zo’s maximum blast radius, and unlike everyone else, he cannot Power Cast.: When Ti’zo implodes himself, he takes himself out of the game momentarily, but always for significantly less time than any adversaries he happens to catch in the blast. All in all, Ti’zo lacks offensive capabilities and because his implosion takes himself out, he isn’t a very strong forward. But his quickness, and his ability to stall while fluttering, makes him a great defensive lineman, and the radius and charge time of his implosion is a great panic button. : Well done as ever, Ti’zo.: (Ti’zo is happy to lend his support during the Rites, if you could use his help.): Well, then, Reader? Who shall conduct the Rites in the name of the Nightwings? : That’s a good question. As you can see, Rukey has taken himself out of the equation and is completely unwilling to compete against Barker. So, Rukey excepted, who do we choose to compete against the Dissidents?: You can choose any three of our remaining characters: Hedwyn, Jodariel, Mae, and Ti’zo. Five votes gets the character in the game, and choice order is determined in the order in which the characters receive their five votes (so, if Hedwyn gets to five first, and then Jodariel and Mae, Hedwyn is the forward).
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Jan 16, 2018 07:02
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Ti'zo, Mae, and Hedwyn. Might as well let the new guys get their feet wet, and Hedwyn's better at the people skills thing than the alternative.
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Jan 16, 2018 07:18
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Ti'zo, Mae, and Hedwyn. Jodariel can take a backseat while we play catchup with the newbies.
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Jan 16, 2018 08:54
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Ti'Zo, Mae and Hedwyn. I'm interested in seeing where Mae's perk tree ends up going, Ti'zo is adorable and seems like a very interesting playstyle and Hedwyn's just like my favorite dude right now. In the future, I'd love to see how Ti'zo and Jodi play along though, seems like they'd be a monstrous defensive line if paired up together.
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Jan 16, 2018 11:31
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Ti'Zo, Mae and Hedwyn. Feels like two slowpokes in the field, Ti'Zo and Jodi, would be devastating to our offense. And you know what they say about the best defence... Absolutely loving this LP. You're doing a fabulous job, Maple Leaf. Your comments are exactly the right balance between informative and entertaining, without talking away from the game's atmosphere.
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Jan 16, 2018 12:11
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Ti'zo, Mae and Hedwyn. Also seconding the love for Thrash Pack. It's the only song I listened to again on Tariq's lute.
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Jan 16, 2018 13:23
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Well, that was easy! We'll compete against the Dissidents with Ti'zo, Mae, and Hedwyn.
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Jan 16, 2018 17:26
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Sorry if I missed it, but how does power casting differ from normal casting? It looked functionally the same in the Banish-the-Howlers minigame.
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Jan 16, 2018 17:51
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Your aura travels faster when you power-cast.
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Jan 16, 2018 17:58
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