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RabidWeasel posted:It feels like a shame that there's so much content in this module that you're encouraged to just gloss over. One of the reasons why I'm not a fan of time-restricted quests even when they make sense in terms of the story. I agree. I think that berryjon should have done one run, 100% completionist, then just shown off both endings as little vignettes.
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Dec 13, 2022 22:53
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I appreciated how the speed run empathized just how much content you were missing, it rouses the curiousity for what's actually in it.
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Dec 13, 2022 22:57
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From what I dimly remember having played this back in the day, it's possible to do at least 80% of the scenario and still make it in time. You'll benefit strongly from certain kinds of builds, though -- in particular, energy potions and traits like Regeneration that reduce the amount of resting you have to do can be invaluable. I recognize that 80% isn't good enough for some players, and I'm not going to fault you for that. Some folks are going to chafe at a time limit even if that time limit is so generous as to be functionally meaningless. That's just part of the psychology of games. I think this was a worthy experiment though, and it definitely creates a very different feeling than most scenarios do.
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Dec 13, 2022 23:17
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:From what I dimly remember having played this back in the day, it's possible to do at least 80% of the scenario and still make it in time. You'll benefit strongly from certain kinds of builds, though -- in particular, energy potions and traits like Regeneration that reduce the amount of resting you have to do can be invaluable. -Exploring a bunch of minor side passages right near Fort Goodling when they've already told you your destination is downriver past the marker -Sleeping in the cursed room of the crypt rather than just pushing through -Fully exploring all of the dead-end river branches that all led to the same Slith encampment - in reality, you'd sail down one, then walk on land to the branch that continues and realize "oh, there's where the river continues" -Mining ore for money when the text box literally warns you it'll take a day or so of time -Going through a place literally named "Dark Maze" rather than taking a conveniently placed gate Plus presumably other various minor time wasted along the way resting rather than Energy Potions or etc. That said, I definitely get the idea of feeling annoyed by it because I don't love time limits either - even if they're generous enough it doesn't need to affect my gameplay, I still always feel the subtle push to avoid exploring. MagusofStars fucked around with this message at 00:37 on Dec 14, 2022 |
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Dec 14, 2022 00:22
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Scenario 3A - The Long Run Chapter 5 - Opal Citadel and the Opal Mines  "Keep running!" "Is she behind us?" "I don't feel anything!" "We're doomed!" "not yet!" "TELL THAT TO THE LICH WE STOLL STUFF FROM!" "That's stole something from. And you know, that's what got us into this in the first place."  "Hey, look, another problem!" "Great idea! We can hide from the Lich IN THE EMPIRE! "I zee no other option." "Oh. I zee." "This was... is an Empire expedition that got trapped down here?" "Yez, az is mozt likely. They still call uz Exiles for starters."  I can't go further east here as I would be too close to the edge of the game map. This happens a couple times in this scenario, more than many others. "We muzt be careful, I zee to the south a gap...." "I don't want to, but the options are going back through Morag's area. So...." "Get a move on, Danger!"  "I hope you're happy, there's no way back up." If only zomeone could invent spiked shoez big enough for Slithzerikai." "Regardlezzz, thiz side crevasse izn't abandoned. We zhould be able to leave." "Or at least hide from the Lich in this massive mess of rocks and cavewood." * * *  "That path to the eazt is a dead-end. I can tell from here." "But there iz a path hidden from plain zight to the wezt."  "Hey, there's some neat stuff back here!" Just some Mandrake Root. I swear, I'll do Alchemy one of these years, I swear! "Regardlezz of their uze, we should press south." "Uh ... guys.... I know we backtracked to where Zaka commented about the path to the east, but... uh..." "Oh dear."  So, this entire area is something of a maze. With one way teleporters that put you in a position where you have to back-track to get back onto course. Another time-eater. "Hey, I think we can fit through here!" And this is the way through this maze - a few of the tiles that you would think are unpassable actually are. "And another gap here." "And here." "Interezting. With my calculaztions abzolutely correct, we are adjacent to the location where we attacked the Ice Drakes, and obtained their Key."  "We go this way if we want to get back into the Maze. I think not." "Or at least see if there is another way out that won't involve as much backtracking."  "Hidden. Clever." "Not clever enough." "I can see down into the long run north of the Unicorn Gate. I would rather take this way down." "But there's one thing here that we haven't looked at, that we know is here." "Ah, right, the mezzage carried by the miner we found." "I will not say it waz the smart decision to come here, but here we are. Alzo, thiz is the lazt place to check for remnants of the Empire's force."  "Of all the things I was expecting when approaching this place, I'm going to put 'Storefront' near the bottom. Who wants to do shopping?" "Then let's go in and see what they have for sale."  "We have money! We are willing to spend!" "Worry about the undead .... business?" "This is where he went, but I only see a locked gate on the other side." "And here's another way through."  "Which would be the service entrance, and ad-hoc moat." "How dangerous could they be?" "Major blessing, rush the bridge, open the door on the other side, fight our way in?" "Can I just say how much I enjoy that everyone here is on the same wavelength when it comes to killing the Empire?" The only hiccup in that plan is that the door at the end of the bridge is locked, and you can't cast Unlock or pick it while in combat mode. So you have to drop out of combat, take a round of attacks, then unlock it, which opens the door and you take another round of attacks before you get back into combat mode and start killing everything. "Man, they love their hidden doors, don't they? Aside from it being bloody obvious that they needed access toi the murder holes." "Here's the other one." "And here iz the regular exit, now that we have cleared out the defenders." "Garbage pit, well away from everything else." "Hello! Avon Calling!" "What is Avon?" "I have no idea, really. I heard it from some old lady when I was young." "Never heard of it." "Actually, it's a company that specializes in door-to-door sales of products aimed at stay-at-home parents, and that was their traditional greeting when they knocked on the door." "What? Seriously?" Yeah, it's a surface thing." "How do you know that?" "My mom worked for them." "Well, they're not talking. Shall we?" Once you get through this double-wall, it's clear sailing really. "No one elze." "BOOKZ!" "Oh."  And as far as I know, there is no way to get anything useful out of this. "Will these books be as dissapointing as the last?" "Do not ruin thiz for me." "That's some exposition." "Lazt one."  "OW!" Everyone loses 25 SP "Private roomz. Careful of trapz." "That's my job. You worry about yours."  "I am beginning to worry about the mental stability of these people." "BEGINNING?!?!" "I can tell, there iz a pazzage down on the other zide of thiz wall." "We can all see the sloped roof to the stairs just fine." "And the spiders aren't even Giant." "At least they're not Friendly Intelligent ones." "No, the localz are normal sized and hoztile." "Best room in the place." "Commencing ransacking."  "Interesting. You know, I'm surprised more of these haven't shown up in Exile proper." "The Vahnatai had no reazon to go there, really. Humanz moved into a region they had no uze for, and encountered uz instead." "OW! Stop being distracted!"   "You were zaying?" "He waz saying, do not approach thiz altar, az it iz giving off powerful shock." "Local treasure room, behind the gate leading to the store. Must be something worth looting in here." "While you were talking, I was checking. Not really, just more Opals." "All that's left iz this obviously fortified downward accezz." "Yep, just ignore the defenders." "And it got dark very quickly."  "I feel sorry for any group that depends on torches or lanterns for their light; when Light and Long Light exist." "Or, you know, having a light source above your head just makes you a target for everyone looking to shoot you." "Like those guys?" "Yez, them. Grouped up for a Firestorm, they are." "Or we could huddle up back here and wait for them to come to uz." "Access to a second chamber back here. And giant lizards they're using for meat." "And we're clear. Lighting up."   "Neat, that Opal rolled back there. I should be able to reach it... Got it!" "And there's lots of mushroom food lying around as well, ready to be harvested." "My scrying revealed thiz side passage."  "There iz no threat here." "Hey guys! The gate to the east just opened up!" "There was a gate to the east?" "Yeah, this one." "Hold on, there iz something elze I see." "What?" "Thiz." "We should keep these; they're on the defensive now and if we can cripple them, a better raid later can finish them off." "And back to the mines themselves, it looks like."  "Very mine-y." "Like any of us know anything about it." "I did read zome of that treatise on mining from the School of Magery. I can tell you.... nothing." "At leazt they keep their equipment secured when not in uze." "Guards!" "They can't really stop us, we have numbers." "But they have defensive pozitions and knowledge of the terrain." "Or we could reach their innermost storage facility while you were talking." "Oh come on, they barely got started." "Oh, of course there would be guards here instead of massing force at a single location to overwhelm us."  "I'm just going to assume this stupidity is the result of isolation and a lack of practice and training." "Whatever happened to the guy who was enraged at what happened in the Valley?" "Different contexts and expectations. These people were isolated and forced to make due with what they had, unable to go forward or back. The Valley was the result of malfeasance, ignorance, and sheer, rank stupidity, and that pissed me off." "Found a secret." "Be careful, I sense curiouz Magicz here." "How curious?" "Ztep forward." "What gives? Usually the teleporters move us away, not towards." "No, but it also opened up this small subby here." "Correct. Step into it, and it advnaczed the wards one degree. Then, repeat the procez." "This spot didn't exist until Danger went through that second teleportation." "How many more times?" "Should be lazt." "Here we go!" I make this look easy, but it was extremely frustrating playing through it before I cracked open the guide. "A lever there. Pull it." "After this."   "Interezting. A purely mechanical device. It lowered thiz bar." And some pretty neat environmental storytelling. This pillar drops down to the 'half' tile with the first pillar to show that it is going down. "And thiz one too." "That thing blocking us from the chest is gone." "Let me check for traps.   "It's... it's.... beutiful." "Wow. That's... wow." This is also one of the items we can use to pass by Khoth, and we have two of the three. Here's the thing though. Extra items like this are tagged to increase your monetary rewards at the end of the scenario. Getting all three - the Scroll, the Opal and the Crystal - then giving up one to Khoth, nets you a nice sum of coins at the end. "Time to leave." "Agreed."* * * "Slight problem." "What?" "No bridge." "..." "..." "...." "How about we hit that button again? It seems to me that removing a piece of bridge and opening the gate in the same action could be reversed." "Makz sense."  "Told you."  "That should leave our path clear."* * *  "And we are clear." "We can do this. Get back onto the Run."  I'm not sure how much time these descents actually take. "And now, back north, but avoid Morag." "Agreed." "We can... try. These appear to have been sent by the Lich." No, they're random encounters that spawned on the over-world. Undead, we've dealt with already. But....  But the numbers don't describe what the Gazers really do.  They can summon demons. Multiple times per turn. The best way to deal with them is to break out the Anti-Magic Field, and hope for the best. Like so. Thankfully, like all summons, they disappear after, I want to say, 8 turns? Like this: * * *  "There iz this side pazzage we failed to look into before." "Might az well." "... does anyone know how to fly?"  "I do now." "But I can only make it 3/4 of the way there. We have to go around to the other side for me to reach." I cheated the Flight spell onto Tokka, as he can cast it, and found out that at his level/skill, his flight range is only THREE. God, I miss the Orb of Thralni. Six tile flight? Please and thank you. So, I have to go around. "Wow. An actual ambush, written demands and sure, we could fight our way out, but...." "You have to respect that sort of work." "500 gold should do it. We're not hurting for cash." * * *  "And set down gently." "Hello?"  "Tokka, let's leave before the Gazers realize we just ROBBED THEM." "Agreed." "And there's nothing left between us and escape from Morag!"  "Uh... guys?" "What?" "Remember what comes next?" Poppies.* * *    
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Dec 18, 2022 04:05
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The idea that you have to have a specific mage spell that isn't available to retroactively get in the scenario to find a Gazer ambush is kind of... spectacular.
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Dec 18, 2022 04:41
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It's a nice reminder that any party could be playing through the scenario at any time.
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Dec 18, 2022 04:46
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So..... Long time readers might know that the protagonist of my three Exile LP's - Art (  ) - wielded the best one-handed weapon in the game, the Alien Blade, which was a suped up Vahnatai Waveblade. In fact, I made it a point of getting them in each game for her progression - except for the one in 3 because the damned event didn't fire. So powerful, that there is only one fixed version of it in each full game.Guess how many fixed ones are found in this scenario?
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Dec 18, 2022 06:04
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berryjon posted:Guess how many fixed ones are found in this scenario? 11.6
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Dec 18, 2022 06:42
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The Opal Citadel is an interesting concept, the Empire fort that basically got trapped in time as they were unable to keep up with the news and slowly went mad with zero outside contacts.berryjon posted:Guess how many fixed ones are found in this scenario? But I'm also going to say that you're probably going to find an even better weapon in whatever high level scenario you run next, because the customizer allows for making poo poo that puts every existing weapon to shame.
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Dec 18, 2022 14:38
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That's one of my favorite dungeons. Until the 1970s there were still a few Japanese soldiers hiding in the Pacific who thought the second world war was ongoing. Might have been the inspiration here?
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Dec 18, 2022 22:45
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Just as a quick note -- the Fly spell always has a range of 3. That's presumably to make sure that you actually do the Orb of Thralni quest in Exile 3, instead of just buying the spell. And I'd guess that the terrain you found was set up the way it was to make sure that you couldn't use the gazer nest event to skip any content.
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Dec 19, 2022 22:28
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I thought I remembered it being a range of 4 in E3. Been long enough I certainly won't swear to it though.
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Dec 20, 2022 07:37
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Scenario 3A - The Long Run Chapter 6 - The Poppy Cave, Kimzahn's Caldera, The Spiral Crypt  "Yez, the Poppy cavern. However, we have the protections of the Lich." "Assuming we can trust it." "Well, we were told by the shade and by the unicorns that the Lich would keep its word, but would aggressively negotiate down its rewards if possible." "Then truzt we muzt." "Then here we go." "HAHAHAHAH! WE ARE PROTECTED!" "Woo-hoo!" "Too bad we can't harvest this stuff for later use. Can you imagine putting the dragon to sleep with this to allow us to get by?" "I'm sure that Khoth would not be bothered by zuch things." I am curiouz az to how they proliferate zo." "Yeah, but that's to the nor'west corner of the cavern. Are you sure?" "We are protected. Why not? Worse comes to worst we'll discover something that'll need to be put down or worse." True to the basic warning you get when you enter the cavern, the safest path is to loop around the south-east and up the far wall. If you go north from the entrance, every poppy tile will cause you to lose time, rather than some of them. I suppose I could crack open the scenario editor and look at which tiles are flagged, but that would be too easy.  "Ah! A geothermiz cavern, one that creatz conditions for the poppiez to flouriz." "Yeah... but is that a building on the north side?" "It iz. Who could live here?"  "Come in peace, mortals." "Hail, we come in peace." "Hello, my name is very long and part of my lineage. You may call me Kimzahn. I live here for now, working on my forge work. I like customers. I only take heroes for them." "How do you determine a hero?" "You're here, therefore you have the might of some sort to get through the Poppy Cavern. You qualify. Now, I sell Steel and Magic weapons, at a markup, but I can also augment your weapons if you want."  Flaming is a damage multiplier on a previously non-magical weapon. It is the best thing you can do to a weapon, but the cost here can grow out of hand very quickly. I spent 4000 gold on the Iron Wave Blade. If would have cost me 18000 (!) to augment the Iron Halberd on Tokka. "Excellent! Much better than granting wishes." "You grant wishes?" "No. You see, in our culture, we see the granting of wishes as a way to gain honor. You creatures of flesh value things that we do not, so if we can grant a wish for something you desire but we do not, in the exchange, we gain honor for ourselves. It all makes perfect sense. And we thank you mortals for the honor. But I'm not doing that right now. I'm practicing my forge workk instead." "Thanks!" "Nice Forge." "Thanks."  "Nice pets." "Thanks." "OK, I love this new sword, but shall we head out now?" "Of courz." And that's your reward for getting through the densest poppy mushrooms in the cavern. Access to a shop that sells top of the line weapons, and a very expensive upgrade to make them more lethal. "That? What iz that?" "We should help them." "If we can. They appear to be in bad shape." "I think this is worse than Skirbbane!" "Don't even joke about that." This starts a battle that I forget to take a picture of it in the process of happening. There is about a dozen of these guys, and they are no threat to us at all. "Zpare your tearz. They were gone already." "Truth." "I know. But who were these people? How did they get here? When?" "I don't know. I don't think we'll ever find out." "They were not Heroes as Kimzahn would have them." "There iz also a small zide cavern in the south-eazt corner." "You want us to go all the way over there?!?!" "I do. And recall that I am in charge for thiz trip." "You were in charge for the first time! Why are you still in charge?" "Anaximander didn't bother to change it up, so why bother?" "Too late, we're already here."    "These were dangerous back in the Valley. No longer."  "Well, we came all this way, let's see what we get." "We have the time, let uz look." "I hate you." "Thiz knife is Magic."  "Yeah, not worth it."  "And thuz, we pass through the cavern, far faster than the firzt time." "I, for one, am glad for our negotiationz down." "Still stole that scroll. That's not going to haunt us to the end, iz it?" "Is, not iz." "That's what I said!"   "And what do we call thiz part of the cavernz?" "Well, this is where the Tomb of the Bok is, as well as that implied Tomb we really lucked our way in going through." "The Tomb Cavern?" "As good as any."  "And last time, we didn't really explore around the outside of the cavern, did we?" "No, not really." "Which iz good for uz, as there iz this pazzage here, up from the sandy beach." "Aside from being leagues underground, and lit by mushrooms and fungui more than anything, if this were on the surface, it would be pretty decent." So, I reached Day 20 here, which means I have until the end of the date to complete the scenario. I will show off the alternate end condition when I get there, so at this point, rather than sit on that message for now, I rewind the clock back to day 5. Remember that when you set a date, it goes back to the *end* of that date, so for those of you keeping track of how much time I'm really taking, add 14 days to what it says in the screenshots. "Ah, no time reztraintz at all!" "How relaxing." "Beware, something approachez." "What?"    Meet one of the most dangerous enemies in the game. On the surface, they don't seem like much, but look again. That armor is a *huge* advantage, and they have Spell Points for days and days. They're also immune to everything except physical beatings, and they resist poison. And if you do wind up casting spells on them? They absorb them. If this means it replenishes their SP? I don't know. This is actually the third time I wound up fighting this encounter. Previous encounters wound up with chained Demon summons, which gets bad really quickly. They are also one of the smartest enemies in the game, and they will Haste themselves and Slow you in the process. The tide of the action economy can quickly turn against you. This is the best way I've found to fight them. Advance under the cover of overlapping Anti-Magic fields. This high level spell prevents spells from being cast into or out of them, and it does funky things to the Rakshasa's combat AI. You see, if they can't cast spells at you, then they won't try to slow you. And while they will Haste themselves, obviously, if they can't attack you with their spells, they won't summon Demons either as that is an 'attack'. With this in mind, I can slowly advance with Tokka stepping out of the Anti-Magic field just enough to cast the next one, and get closer to the enemies, who have yet to move.  "Juzt a little clozer! Curze this leg slowing me down on land!" "Best money spent ever!" "Zafe!" Look at Shinwell's damage there. The extra damage on his attacks comes from the Flaming quality of the Iron Waveblade he has, which makes this fight go by so much easier. Of course, I had to drop Anti-magic protection when I charged in, so a couple demons got summoned, and there are some ghouls out there. Nothing serious, as I can now pound down the enemy safely. "WE ARE NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN!" "Agreed!" "Does this mean they were headed north to that Troglodyte fortress?" "Probably." "Regardlezz, there iz nothing elz for us back thiz way. To the tomb, and the boatz within."  "That was quick." "Quick-ish." "Thiz place iz small, but we cannot let our guard down with the creaturez inszide and the teleporters." Truth be told, I despise this dungeon and the effort I went through to 100% it. If you just want to get through, head up the stairs in the north-west corner of the first floor, hit the first check that you get to (I'll show you where on the map), go back downstairs, and leave. It's getting the rest that caused me agony and deep frustration. "You know, we could do this with the lights on now. We can handle the beasts defending this place." "No zenze in taking risks." "Hello? When haven't we been taking risks?" "When we uze our previous knolwedge to avoid traps."  Look, I'm going to skip all the exploration part, and suggest you look to the map below for the Spiraling Crypt. The purple dot represents represents the party when I took the screenshot of the map. I have color-coded dots in each room for which colour of dot gets added to the party. HOWEVER, each dot has a time limit to them, and getting to the central area of level 3 requires very tight time constraints to get all four dots active at the same time and reach the Check tile. Tiles marked with a "C" are Check Tiles. You touch one with all light dots, or all dark dots, and you get a prize! Tiles marked with a "T" are traps, and spawn enemies to fight. The "X" tiles clear all your active motes of light, resetting you to the start in case you make a mistake. Like so. The tiles in the outer corner rooms are hints to get through. "This iz a legitimately difficult puzzle to solve. I fear that otherz may not have our zkill at thiz." "I bet they never had to push a barrel into water either."  "And now the way iz clear to leave." "Or we could figure all this out and see what's up above?" "Taking risks?" "It had better be worth it."  "Might as well have a look." "Undead." "And the things the undead summon!" "Nothing up here, just an empty corridor around the outside. We'll have to figure it out downstairs." If you hit a Check Tile with Green, Orange, Yellow and Red lights lit up, you can advance out the boats. However, if you touch a check with Grey, Black, Brown and Blue, you instead get this message: "What pillar?" "Well, I made notes back when we were doing this the first time, and were getting teleported around." "You did?" "You were? Check your tenses." "Shut up." "It was in the south-west room. Enter that room through the door and walk into the teleporter that will take us to the south-east. In there is another teleporter back to the south-west, and we end up..." "We just need to get there without triggering trapz."  "Back up stairs?" "Yes." "Something has changed...." "The zounds are different." "Thiz is new. Prepare for a fight."  "And this should take us up into the central part of the top floor."  "Hello? Cleaning zervice." "I can tell, the spirit iz enraged and cannot be placated. Only deztroyed." "All in favor?" "Aye."  "Hey how dangerous is this thing?"   Death Touch?!?! This guy has the ability to simply kill anyone he attacks in melee! And has Mage 7! This is one hell of a fight, but he's not immune to stacked Buffs and Debuffs, and you can whittle him down as fast as you can because every attack he makes has a chance to just outright kill someone. "Dispel Undead! Dispel Undead!" "That wasn't close at all." "Nope, our dispelling bypassed its defenses quite effectively." "That, and I dropped an Anti-Magic field onto it at the start of the fight." "Braggart." "Well, let's loot the place then."  "The only one that's locked. The rest are empty." "This isn't a regular Waveblade. Those weight 20. This one weighs 30." "We can identify it properly later." Keep this one in mind for later. "And so we leave, not needing to worry about coming back ever again."  "Well, that was fun. Let's never do that again." Jeff, of all the puzzles you have ever made for the Exile series, this colour puzzle is the single most aggrivating and fury-inducing one I have ever encountered. I will enjoy seeing how you overhauled it when BackupDancer gets to it in his Blades of Avernum LP. "So, are we going to skip the Vahnatai and the Crystal Soul this time? We did it last time?" "No, we should do it again, az last time, we did not map the environs. And I believe we mizzed conversations in our hazt." "And we are here." "Theze time skipz can be jarring." "What?" "Never mind. Who gets to visit the Soul this time?" "You juzt volunteered." "Do not worry about the mapz. We will get them completely when we come back." "I hate you all." "Uh, hey." "I am Casser-Bok, you know this. Talking to me reveals the location of the Vahnatai to the north. You've talked to me, now go." "Gone!" "We good?" "We're good. Next stop, the Vahnatai, then the Troglodytes."
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Jan 2, 2023 03:49
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I still don't understand how that colour puzzle works, but I understand if you don't wish to explain it. ===================================================================== For both personal and professional reasons, Jovanna getting laughed at for picking up the Slith accent made me smile.
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Jan 2, 2023 16:57
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JustJeff88 posted:I still don't understand how that colour puzzle works, but I understand if you don't wish to explain it. I don't understand it either. There's one message in the four corners that's basically a "hey, if you activate all four dark colored lights, then check, you can go further into the dungeon", then you have to find the four 'dark' lights, wonder which is darker - orange or blue (it's blue), and the black light goes away stupidly fast. I spent 20+ minutes mapping out the floor, trying to get it to work out. Oh, and there's no way to tell what lights you have on at the moment. I hate it, despise it, and there's no sign or reason for it.
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Jan 2, 2023 18:36
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If memory serves, when you step on the rune for a light it'll specify something like "a bright, cheery purple" or "a dark, muddy brown".
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Jan 3, 2023 14:54
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Whybird posted:If memory serves, when you step on the rune for a light it'll specify something like "a bright, cheery purple" or "a dark, muddy brown". Yes, it does that, but there's no way to check what colours you have at the moment are, to make sure you have the right ones.
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Jan 4, 2023 00:28
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Scenario 3A - The Long Run Chapter 7 - The Vahnatai  "So, that was a nice nap. I feel nice and refreshed." "You're telling me, I felt like I slept for over a week." "You humanz, that iz ridiculous." "Hey, when you can, you can. Besides, it's nice to rest on occasion." "I have to agree with that." "I have alzo completed work on the boat, it did not need it, but it haz been patched." "That's nice, actually. This little loop of sand makes for an excellent, if desolate, camp ground." "What? Planning a vacation already?" "Look, after all these missions, maybe we should take one? Do something relaxing for a while." "Right, knowing people like us, it would be a busman's holiday." "You humanz are crazy. Back in the boat." "Az I recall, thiz large body of water leads to the Troglodyte gate-castle." "As I recall, there was a nest of hydras on one of the islands, but nothing else really on the lake. We never really looked at the caverns, did we?" "No, we did not." "We shall inveztigate the south-eazt corner firzt, then cross to the North-wezt. Everyone in the boat." "Yay."* * *  "We are here, but we muzt be careful." "What iz it that you see, priest?" "That." This entire section of the map is covered in hidden event flags where when you walk on them, if you don't have anyone with the Cave Lore trait (thanks Zaka!), you take unavoidable damage form falling rocks. But if you do, you can get through here, smooth sailing. "What iz this?" "It's a door." "I can see that. But you see that sign there?" "You mean the dragon?" "The key we got from the Ice drakes, far to the south!" "We know thiz iz not Koth's. It muzt be from a dead dragon." "Yoink!" "That was a bad choice." "But the running away allowed me to identify some of our gianz. The sword from the Zahnatai tomb? Look at it." One. "Holy poo poo." "Hey guys, while you are drooling over an ancient artifact of immesuarble power, uh... we can't go further to the north west." "What do you mean?" "There's no way though here." Sadly, the game's map limits and what Jeff laid out on the map don't interact. I cannot go west from this vertical line at all, which means that little area to the south cannot be accessed. "Two areas barely worth our time. I guess this meanz we zhall speak to the Vahnatai next."* * *  "At least the path is pretty clear. This entire section of the map is pretty much filler, but it is here. "Oh, right. Forgot about these tunnels." Here, almost at the end, there isn't a lot in the way of getting to the end. This mazelike-map isn't hard to navigate, and the enemies are what we've seen before. However, there is a lot of rubble here that take up more time to pass by than normal, so if you're doing this legit, which I am not, pick your path with care. "Hrm, thiz tunnel looks fresh." "Must we?" "No, we don't." "But we do it anyway." "Oh, just more Dark Wurms." "Easy prey at this point. Any objections?" "none."   Look, this would be a dangerous fight, but this party is well prepared to handle it, so I'm not going to bother you all with the details. "Uh...." "You're kidding, right?" Alien Blade number 2. "But there iz nothing left between uz and the Vahnatai now." "Thiz place iz no threat to uz. Let uz play our respects to the Vahnatai and be on our way." "Huh, must have been busy fighting the Wyrms, the Slugs and the other stuff here to not notice these passages." "That iz true." "Some of thse could have been very useful to get around last time." "But we wouls ztill have to fight through slugs to get here." "Better wazh up first, no sense in tracking acid through here." While doing IDing and selling, I was reminded by someone in the thread that Iglit here shares a name as one of the people in Avit, where the party from Exile 2 first entered into the Vahnatai lands. She is the one who pointed the party at the Three Tests needed to exploit a loophole in Vahnatai law with regards to access to the Olgai Council. She does not show up in Exile 3. Maybe these are the same? Maybe not. And proof of two Alien Blades. No cheating here! "Yo." "Yo." "You be here about that crackpot to the south, right?" "Very." "Looks, dudes and dudettes. He's cracked, you hear? He ain't coming back. You tell him that." "We will."  "And now we have to decide who will brave the wrath of the Bok this time." "Not it." "Not it!" "Not... drat." "Should we open up the Troglodyte fortress now?" "We will have to come back regardlezz. We zhall do it then."* * *  "At leazt I have all the potionz we have accumulated."  "Hello?" "Oh, there you are. Did they change their mind?" "No, no they haven't."  "GET OUT!" "Fine. Be zat way." "I wonder why thiz was not uzed lazt time." "Ah, I have to go the long way around." "And thiz is the one I muzt take. Better be prepared. Or save my mana for when I need it."  "When thiz waz last traversssed, they stayed on the path. What happenz if I step off of it?"  "Good enough. Stay on the path or take harm. Now, time to explore." This is odd, remnants of the original cavernz?" "No real threat thankz to Major Blessing." "And zome loot for the troubles. Nothing much." "According to the map, thiz iz central located." "Oh. Thiz is not good." "This iz where Casser-Bok haz been leaving the bodiez of hisss people." "Regardlez, I muzt go forward." "AND ZTOP THAT!" Surprisingly annoying for such a relatively weak creature. It helps that you're coming in here with just one person, and not multiple. Of course, Tokka has no way to deal with Disease, so I crack open the character editor to go cure that at some point. "And thiz is the small maze that was bypazzed last time." "Stepping on a glyph on the floor openz the exit, obviously." "And then taking one more step clozes it." "However, there are hidden glyphz that I can use. It appearz as though the closing glyphz are not visible to the naked eye." "I mean, I could take the hidden pazzage to the north, but thiz is now a matter of prode." "And after ztepping on that tile, I see the exit open."  "And thiz tile closes. I juzt need to find a path now that avoids closing, or failing that, uze the bypass." "There we go, trial and error. Simple, really. Whize confuzez me as to why thiz is called the 'Searing Searing Maze." "Though I never stepped on that tile, which may have something to do with it. And thiz next puzzle iz solves already, so I just need to repeat the solution. Upper Left, Lower Right, Upper Right, Lower Left." "And through." "You has it?" "Yez, all three items required to get past the Dragon." "Nice! We'll which one he wants and sell the others when we get back to Avernum!" "Sure, but first, let's have a look at the map we got." "And that means now we go back north to the Troglodyte Fortress/Gate." "You mean back to the land access side of it?"  "You know what he meant."  "Thiz is interezting. We don't normally see human-styled facilities like this." "Yeah, we kinda looped south and never really came this way last time. It's almost comfy here." "Azide from the hostile locals, yes. Thiz could be a forge room for the sale of equipment." "And thiz is for identification or other magical services." "Definitely see this as a ... alternative good store." "And here we have alchemy and potions." "It's interesting how much value we place in visual ques as to the purpose of a location." "How about we deal with the hostile locals first?" "They do appear to be coming acroz the bridge from the north-eastern zide of the fortress." "Well, that's that. Anything else over here aside from being on the other side of destroying a town that we're usualy the victim of at the hands of the Empire?"  "Not really, and we passed through this processing area earlier."  "Yeah, because they're trying to farm or domesticate the Spiny Wurms." "Got to give them credit for trying."  "At least the bridge is still here." "And the machines." "Activate it and we can be on our way." "Done." "Nothing on the shelves or in the chest." "There iz no way thiz is safe."  Praying here will deal 100 damage to everyone. So, don't? "Thiz looks like it could be the Priest-Mayor's office." "Why is it Priest-Mayor and not Mayor-Priest?"  "It iz because Priest iz the higher title, and comez first." "Anyone else finding this funny?" "If the Troglodytez cannot be seen az securing the Run, then yes, the attacking Slith clanz would seek more viable alliez." "Hey guys, wanna bet on the nature of this trap?"  "Fall into pit, Troglodytes throw rocks." "It fills with water!" "No, won't work. Sliths can swim! And sometimes even humans." "If humanz were meant to swim, you would have been hatches as Slithzerikai." "Oh, it summons Shades." Shades who have the combat initiative, will gladly cast Slow Group and then drain/freeze/kill you to death. I reloaded and prepared with Major Blessing. "And this is why we prepare before triggering obvious traps." "And Anti-Magic Field iz undeniably over powered." "And what do we have here in the treasure room?" "MINE!" "Trash." "Nothing good." "And some loose change." "And the dining area is empty when everyone attacked us in the Town Quarter." "They left good food behind." "And some not-so-good food." "Other gatz. And not it iz open." "There's no way into this from inside. I think we'll need to go outside." "Then we zhall." "This never ceases to humor me."* * *  "Ztill no signs of life." "Might as well land here and we'll get that chest." "Like this."  "Not worth it." You can accidentally soft-lock the game here. You see, this strip of land on the north side of the map means you can leave town going north. However if you do so, you are sent out of town to the north - onto water. You can then step onto land to the west - which you can see in the following picture beside the boat - but in doing so, you lose access to the boat you were just in as you can no longer physically access it. No more boat, no way to go forward! Leave the scenario and try again!  "And north we go. Only one thing left in front of uz." "A Dragon."
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Jan 28, 2023 21:27
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Alright, so, with that out of the way, I should be able to wrap this Scenario up in the next update. This means that I will be needing to tread into uncharted waters with the next scenarios and team(s). To that end, I think I'm going to retire the current party moving forward. To that end, I do have a couple of characters already submitted, but a few more to fill out the party won't hurt at all. Or, I can do my single-PC challenge run and show that off, finally. If you want to contribute to the new party, submit a character, and I don't care if you've submitted before. Visit This finely crafted link and suggest (a) Scenario(s) to do. I'm going to tell you all right now, the Spheres Trilogy is going to get done, come hell and High water. It's the only custom scenario I still remember 20 years later, for a myriad of reasons. These are potentially unpolished and unrefined works, so things might break. This is also a way to look for more scenarios as well..
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Jan 28, 2023 21:39
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Just skimming the list, here's three that seemed potentially interesting based on the descriptions.
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Jan 28, 2023 23:40
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MagusofStars posted:I'm guessing that Nightfall is a reference to the Asimov short story, widely considered one of the best sci-fi short stories ever written. Presumably the scenario doesn't live up to that level of billing, but still could be cool. Yes it does, and now that you mentioned it.... I don't think it does. But hey, that's what being in the LP is for!
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Jan 29, 2023 00:10
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Doom Moon and its sequel are not what I'd call good scenarios, but they are definitely ambitious scenarios, and they are very definitely not boring scenarios. Tatterdemalion was very highly-regarded at its time, definitely recommend that one. An Apology was pretty great too, if memory serves. E: and New Life was written by a teenaged Whybird, and I genuinely can't remember how well it holds up. Whybird fucked around with this message at 00:59 on Jan 29, 2023 |
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Jan 29, 2023 00:51
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Gonna re-suggest a character: Jeffogel Vogel, a Human mage who knows the true nature of this world... ...or he loves acting all mysterious and messing with people. It's hard to say.
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Jan 29, 2023 01:42
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Character suggestion, a repeat from your Exile 3 LP, as best I can recall him: John, a regenerating human, except his sprite should be the jeweled golem sprite. He's the result of Exile's research into the Crystal Souls after the events of Exile 2. Unlike Crystal Souls, John is a wholly synthetic life form, with no memories prior to being "switched on" in a secret lab. This makes him a bit of a blank slate. John is resilient, but far from indestructible. His personality degrades when he has been badly-damaged. As yet this has not resulted in any friendly-fire events, but it was sufficiently discomfiting to the researchers that made him that they handed him over to Unspecified Services after giving him only basic training. Build him however you like, and interpret the above description as you like, as well.
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Jan 29, 2023 05:17
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Scenario 3A - The Long Run Chapter 8 - This is the End  "No matter how much we look, there iz no way around thiz." "At least we know the general path this time, no spending way too much time going the wrong direction." "And we have optionz for the Dragon." "Look, standing out here isn't going to change things. We need to go forward." "Yes, Forward. Into a Dragon." "Well, there's no going backwards." "I mean, we could?" "Just get in here."   "So, as I recal from our first, quite bad effort, we then go eazt first, introduce ourselvez and inform the guardian spirit we have a gift." "Yeah, then go back west to the other end to get to the back half." "I am not looking forward to that last fight again." "We are more prepared thiz time." "Major Blezzing absolvez many crimez." "That it does." "So, did you tell Art about me?" "Who?" "I suppose she goes by a different name now. I can tell that you have." "Right, that actually isn't that bad." "Not with a full map of the plaze allowing us to plan our routez ahead of time." "Oh, some of the shifting floors change direction based on where you go. It's that way to avoid skipping." "You are cruel and capricious." "Thank you!"   "No offense, but you're being very chatty." "Look, yes, I picked this place because it was out of the way, and I could get some quiet reading done, but you're also the first intelligent guests I've had who didn't try to make stupid demands of me." "Point of order, but by definition, are not any and all demands made to a dragon, stupid?" "That iz true." "Oh, hey, does the name Pythras mean anything to you?" "Let me think." "OK, how would we even get to that? All the paths are moving away from it." "Hidden doors, maybe?" I never get to it. "Much like that one we uzed to get around a turn we would otherwise be unable to slip north on." "Which leadz us here." "Two Efreet here, and they have the damage sharing aspect to them." "Which means running past them, looping back to the north, and head for the next room." "Now I remember that name. Why do you ask?" "She was a prisoner in the former Empire School of Magery in a certain vale on the surface. We released her." "what" "Run! Run!" "Through!" "Oh, wrong way." Thanks to a couple of misclicks, Zaka and Cooper are in the wrong position. So I'm going to abuse the game's mechanics to put the rest of the party at the goal, and then leave combat mode. This will return the party to their 'average' location, and if four people are in one spot and two aren't, the two will go to the four. "Here we are!" "Room clear." "And we're all here now. No activated golems yet." "And Khoth is being quiet. Let's get through this, hopefully with our lives intact." "And right on time." "And slowed." "Hrm, I zould Scry some of theze."    "No wonder they're so resistant to damage! Look at that Armor and Skill values!" "It matterz not. We are victorious." "And no hostile Efreet this time either. Weird." "I'm not complaining and neither should you." "And we are through." "Should we try one of the glyphs this time?"   "no." "I have heard this name before, come before me."  Look, I'm still not using this ugly red dragon image for the Dragons. Not if I can help it.   Anyone who thinks that you can kill this Dragon? I'm sure you can. Sure you can. "I can use this to help me with my search for Pythras." "We do have this Opal and this Lens as well." "Nope, just the Scroll." So, you're not actually given a choice as to which treasure you give him. The game is set up to check items you could have in a specific order - Scroll - Opal - Lens - and Khoth will only ask for them in that order. You can't skip, sadly. "There iz no sense in arguing. The Scroll iz yours." "Excellent." "Now, go." "OK, thiz is more accessable." "You want to try to steal from a Dragon." "Why not?" "Because it's stupid, that's why!" This hallway is very attrition based. There are hidden events that deal unblockable fire damage all over the place, and you will get burned 6-7 times on the way in, in addition to three layers of Barriers. And at the end, there is this: One last warning before YOU GET WRECKED. How wrecked? Well, I cast Protection on the party, halving all damage done to them, and making Tokka Actually Invincible. I should use this spell more often, but Tokka is usually playing Speed Games with the enemy and can't spare the time. You then attempt to enter the glpyhs and....  Tokka survives because he takes no damage. Hox survives because he has over 200 HP at this point, and face-tanked it all. Everyone else is Dusted, which is deader than dead. And I haven't crossed the tile yet! "A point iz made, and doing that would be self-defeating. Let uz go forth." "Before we go, I see something, a crack..." "Ah, Mandrake root. Neat."  "And with that, we are clear. North to the Fort." "How are we supposed to get through this again?" "Dumb mammals." "We're not!" "You know, we didn't go this way last time, we just started to loop around." "Those are somre pretty big tracks." "Yez, that is very big."   You see that Drake Lord? I DO NOT WIN THIS FIGHT. He will cheerfully cast Slow Group and Avatar at every opportunity. The former, you know well enough by how I abuse it. The latter? Well, it's the "Art becomes a Solo Turbo-blender Murder Goddess" spell. I get wrecked here, despite my best efforts, though it's probably because I screwed up my 'advance while under cover of Anti-Magic Cloud' plan. "Yeah, I don't think we want to pick this fight. Run away!" "Which way did we go last time?" "I do not remember."  "This could take some time, except we still have the warding charms." "But if we go the long way around...."  "There's a Slith attack trying to come up the back." "I say we deal with them."     "And we are here." I make an extra save at this point. I'm just doing the pre-20 day here to get a map of Cavalier, then adjust the day on the second save file to get the after-20 day map and show off the bad ending. The other NPC's wander around town, so nailing down a location for them is impossible. "Haz it really been that long? I cannot recall any more." "We can wait more."  "And now, we arrive!   "There iz nothing left." "Except scavengers and the like." "Everyone is dead, and there is nothing left...." "We can go around and fight the looters, but there's nothing around to save." "Here's hoping the exit is OK." "Out of the way!"  Thanks to the events of Avernum 6, we know that the Fort did not fall in this scenario. But it's still the bad ending, and you can re-try to do a better run again.   Some of those extra unique items we picked up along the way sell for more money, a way to reward you for all your hard work. But it's little consolation for failing to save the fort. Join me next time with a new team, and Community Scenarios! * * * "Well, making it is important to our strategic goals, but the Fort cannot hold out forever." "No, it cannot." "I think the important bit is that we now have a better idea of what lay on that axis of approach to Avernum. One of Khoth's lairs is good to know about, as is the presence of this now-hostile Morag." "Sorry?" "Don't be. Liches are capricious at the best of times. The other things you encountered on the way have been noted and will affect the planning done by Prince Karmas and The Castle as well." "And what of uz?"  "You're on mandated vacation now. Everyone, take a break and I'll assign the next jobs to new people. And everyone? Thank you. I know this hasn't been the best of jobs, but you did it well enough that I can't complain." "A place twice the length of Avernum, if not more. So much unseen, and so much more to see."
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Jan 29, 2023 19:45
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So, I have a few suggestions for Scenarios, a place to start with. And 4 characters in the line for a party. I can do a party of 4, and my solo-party is strictly a challenge run for myself, so I would like to hold out for two more characters before I start the next scenario.
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Jan 29, 2023 19:48
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Honestly, my vote is for you to do what you think would be most fun to write. You've done a great job so far and I'm really enjoying it, so have a freebie.
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Jan 29, 2023 20:22
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I think that you should do a new party and start with the scenarios that you mentioned remembering fondly from your youth. Solo runs are boring - don't do those. Personally, I think that you should take this thread now that the 'canon' is over and submit it to the archives as its own entity to complement your LPs of 1-3, then have another thread for fan contact. That way you have an Exile omnibus of sorts.
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Jan 29, 2023 22:54
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After your input, I've decided that I'm going to Tatterdemalion as the next scenario. However, due to the Gimmick, I'm going to, once the end of the first act is done, ask you guys to vote about which party to take forward into the scenario.
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Feb 1, 2023 04:13
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Scenario 4 - Tatterdemalion Chapter 1 - Lucky and the Grove Hello and welcome back. Today, I will be starting on the fan created scenarios for Blades of Exile, and it is one that... well, I'll let the first of many people in the thread comment for me. And others have added their own takes to what I should do first, so in the end, I had to bow to public pressure for this, the first scenario. Tarl Roger Kudrick was a prolific scenario designer, and was as near as I can tell, was well regarded for their skill in both scenario scripting as well as the stories involved. Tatter was called the best of his works, if 20 years later, people are still demanding that it be played is any indication. I have no memory of him or his works. I have the Sphere's Trilogy stuck in my brain. So going into this, I have no idea what is or is not. What I do know is that this scenario is designed for a starting party of Level 1 characters, and is expected to end before Level 20. Past that, not much. But that still leaves me with a party. I gave the scenario a test run, and I discovered a gimmick to it, one that, well, I didn't like. I really didn't like it. I'm hoping that deeper into the scenario, something is done about it, but I didn't get to that point yet. To that end, allow me to introduce my Party for this Scenario, and only this scenario. "Y'allo."   When you see the gimmick, you'll understand why I went with this 'build'. This is also NOT how I would handle a Solo Character, so this won't count! Anyway, on with the Scenario.* * *  "Who needs skill when y'have luck?" "I have no idea how you got the slot, and why they're only accepting one person. This has so many bad signs all over it, that I can't in good faith do more than tell you that the job actually exists." "Don't ya worry, Ma'am. Nothing bad'll happen to me. I'm pretty sure of that."  "Well, ain't this just grand. Wish I had me horse, but what can you do about it? Anyways, Hullo there!" Before you is a Nephil dressed in a warrior's garb. But he doesn't look like a warrior. He looks exactly like what he is: an anxious diplomat. "I am Tocaunde. My title is 'Grovetender'. What is your name?" "Lucky. Thank'ye for the invite. What does yer title mean?" "I am second-in-command of the Grove. Where the Berries are grown. I have been sent here to lead you to Triane, if you are willing to help us solve our problem." "Well ain't that a lush! But before I can accept, I gotta know more about what sort'o ruckus I'm here gettin myself into. What's that job again? Grovetender?" "The Grove is where the Berries are grown. The Berries are magical and are the essence of lice in Triane. I am second only to the Grovekeeper Verena in my authority over and responsibility to the Grove. But time is wasting. Do you accept the mission?" "Now, hold yer hippogrifs there, m'friend! What's this about the Berries that makes them so important?" Tocaunde looks uncomfprtable. "I shouldn't have mentioned them. Outsiders will only bring trouble by learning of them. Please, let us return to the matter at hand. Will you accept the mission?" "That's nice, but what about there here Verena person? Who is she? He? Don't rightly know Nephil naming conventions well enough." "Her. Verena is the highest authority in Triane, although the three factions don't always see it that way. She is the leader of our clan, and had the greatest authority over, and responsibility to the Grove. You will meet her seen, for she is the one calling for assistance. She will explain your mission." "Well, I can see I ain't goin' for'ard until I agree, so I might as well." Tocaunde smiles. "Splendid! Now I can lead you to Triane. Please, follow me." "Gotta say, this... ain't looking like a planned thing." "But nothin' to it! A job's a job."   "How far, If I might be askin?" "Quite a ways. Some regions escaped the Empire's notice because there was no viable overland route to them, which helped us quite a bit. Now come."  "Well, he did say Grove, so it's only natural-like that I be in some trees. I see Toucan over there, so that means that Vecna needs to be over yonder. Yo! Toucan!" Tocaunde is here, supervising workers. "Hello again? A breath of fresh air after the long journey here? I can understand that." "You could be sayin' that. Back to work already? No time for a break?" "Sadly, yes. I am in charge of harvesting the Berries, but I also shouldn't be talking to you until after you talk to Verena." "I should, shouldn't I?" "Yes, yes you should."  "Hello there, ma'am." A fiery old Nephil is standing in the center of the Grove. She looks anxious, but her worry in no way diminishes her powerful air of authority. "Greetings, outsider. I am Verena, and my title is Grovekeeper." Her voice is elegant and refined, although still raspy with age. "Name's Lucky, Ma'am. If you don't mind me asking, Toucan over there was pretty uptight about answerin' some questions for me." "I will answer your first question then. I am in charge of all aspects of growing and distributing the Berries. I am also empowered by the 'Three Groups' to tell you about your mission here." "Ah-ha! Learnin! What's so special about these here Berries that has people up in arms about them?" "The Berries are the prime source of food in the Triane. They grow only in this valley's unique soil. They hone the mind and body, and enhance one's confidence and dedication to a set of beliefs. Do not eat uncooked Berries. They are astonishingly poisonous." "Look, I may not be the brightest bulb in the patch, but even I get how having a single source of food can be bad." "Yes," she looks slightly unhappy. "The Berries are wonderful, but they have hurt relations among the Groups. Each Group has its own way of life, and a steady diet of Berries only serves to make each group convinced that its way is supreme. The Groups do not get along well." "Might as well bite the shot here. What are these Groups?" "There are three Groups in Triane. They are the Bodyguards, the Sorcerers and the Holy Ones. Each is dedicated to its own beliefs." "Might as well go down the line then. Bodyguards?" "The Bodyguards believe that true power comes from inside the self, and can only be developed through physical training. They are outstandind warriors, but have other skills as well. They loathe the Holy Ones, but are Neutral to the Sorcerers. Some Bodyguards believe Magic Weapons, for instance, are useful, while other disdain them." "The Holy Ones believe that all power comes from their diety, Calius. All things happen because Calius wills it. They don't mind the Bodyguards so much because they believe that Calius gave us bodies, so bodies should be well maintained. But they hate the Sorcerers, who believe that magic is not from any divine source at all." "Finally, the Sorcerers believe that true power exists in magic, which is a natural energy, like heat. In their eyes, only magical skills are worth learning. They don't mind the Holy Ones too much - they believe that Priests use a special, although inefficient, form of magic - but they cannot stand the Bodyguards." After he's finished drawing a triangle showing the relations, he looks back up at Verena. "Right, got that all down. I think it's time that ya tell me all about this here mission y'all have." Verena looks very serious. "Your missions. Yes. Well, the first thing you should know is that Triane, and its inhabitants WILL NOT survive without your help." "Yeesh, no need to yell, lady." "The second thing is that the Three Groups would rather die that be saved by outsiders such as yourself. You must..." She hesitates. "Must...?" Verena composes herself. If you are to stay in Triane for more than a short white, you will have to join one of the Three Groups. Allow me to explain." "That's a lot to take in. I mean, you haven't really explained your part in all of this, or why you're in desperate need of help." She thinks solemnly for a minute. Then she shakes her head. "Well, the future is the future, ... is the future. Ask me about our ENEMIES!" "Stop. Yelling. Please. So yes, what's this about the future? You kinda spaced out there, lady." Verena looks grim and mildly disturbed. "I have certain ... abilities ... that the Berries have strengthened over the years. Sometimes, I see the future. But there is a great blockage for some reason, whenever I look now. This blockage is like a wall, and has been here since Triane voted to ask for help from outside. I think I know what it means." "Don't keep me waiting." "I think it means that something very important is going to happen when you decide what Group to join. There are tremendously powerful forces operating in Triane right now, and I'm almost afraid to see what could come from the magic invoked by the Ceremony. Please, leave this topic alone for now. I need to tell you about our enemies." "Well, seein' as how you're all not in a yelling mood now, sure, let's chat about you folk's enemies." "Triane has two enemies. One, the first, is the ancient foe of the Nephilim, the Avians." Then she stops. For the first time, she actually seems to lack confidence. "The second," she says, and her voice has dropped almost to a whisper, "Is the Tatterdemalion." "OK, let's start with the obvious thing. That's the beef with the Avians?" "So noted. Anything to say about the Tattermerallion?"   "I'll see what I can do, Ma'am." "This don't make a lick'o sense. People hating each other like this? The Nephil above it all? Or are they responsible? I don't think talking to these three Groups will help me any, but you don't hit a goblin if you don't swing." "Right, which way to go? Normally, I would flip a coin, but I'm out of three sided ones. Maybe these signs will help?"   "Informative, but not helping any! You know what? Maybe I should take a nap and see what comes in the morning. Because I think the boss lady was right. This whole thing stinks to high heaven!" There is a LOT of talking in the first four towns. Transcribing them manually because there's no dialog dump takes time and effort. I will do the 'home towns' for the three factions next time, then after that, a CHOICE! Oh, and if anyone has the walkthrough kicking around, could you send it to me? PMs works. I have no way of contacting the author anymore.
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Feb 19, 2023 23:53
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Interesting start. I have no knowledge of this scenario whatsoever, so I'm going to wildly speculate a few things because why not: 1.) The Berries/Ceremony screws with your stats in some way that means it makes no sense to do a normal build and that's why there's the weird as gently caress all Luck/zero combat stats setup. 2.) The Berries are clearly highly addictive in addition to being mind-altering. At least part of our mission is going to involve figuring this out (as outsiders coming in clean) and trying to find a way to break the cycle. 3.) The Avians aren't responsible for summoning/breeding/controlling the TD; just seems way too obvious of an answer. Of course, they're perfectly happy to take advantage of it, but it's not actually their direct handiwork. 4.) This is going to get pretty loving creepy, because it already is starting off pretty weird.
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Feb 20, 2023 01:19
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When I saw the goofy build, vaguely disturbing premise and Belgian cartoon characters, I knew that we were in for a... treat? I agree with MagusofStars that the 'berries' are a drug reference or some sort of contrived puzzle. quote:"Well, he did say Grove, so it's only natural-like that I be in some trees. I see Toucan over there, so that means that Vecna needs to be over yonder. Yo! Toucan!" The last thing that his scenario needs are liches missing both a hand and an eye.
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Feb 20, 2023 04:31
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JustJeff88 posted:The last thing that his scenario needs are liches missing both a hand and an eye. I decided that Lucky won't bother to remember people's names properly unless he likes you. Like Eugene. Who is Eugene? You'll find out next update!
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Feb 20, 2023 05:11
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Scenario 4 - Tatterdemalion Chapter 2 - The Three Towns "The sun is shining, the birds are in the sky, and for some reason, I went down the south-east branch of the Valley and here I am. Wherever here is. I mean, by the sign, this is supposed to be Aegre. However you pronounce that."  "Preventative measures are more in like with magecraft, while Priests tend to be restorative in nature. But hey, what can I say? Water is water, cool and crisp!"  "Well now, whatyda suppose is up with this place? Sounds like a right riot to me!" "Hey there, little fellah! Don't mind if I pass by? Gotta talk shop to the locals." "Why, I do mind!" It is not likely that you were just thinking, "What this place needs is a giant, dancing bat." But lo and behold, there's one right here. "I'm Eugene!" says the bat. "Eugene the Info-Bat! Wanna dance?" "Why as I live and breathe! Info, huh? Izzat yer Job?" "I tell people things. If I think they need to know them. Otherwise, I just dance. Hey, are you that outsider?" "Yes sir, I am! Lucky's the name and pleased to meet your acquaintance! I for sure am that outsider everyone keeps yammering on about." "I knew it! Yeah - we've all consented to let visitors in, for the first time! They're... YOU'RE going to help us out? Right?" Eugene leans forward and hovers. "You'll have to join a group you know. You should join us - The Sorcerers! We're the coolest!" "So I hear. But truth be told, I have to speak to everyone first. Make an informed decision. What can you tell me about the Sorcerers?" "Yeah! We're the best! We use magic! And we dance! Do the monkey!" Eugene gyrates wildly in the air. "We're WAY better than those Bodyguard dupes, or the Holy Ones." "You know what? A good dance sounds like a jolly thing right now. On a 1-2-3-4!" "You're good there, pardner! Why, I would love to dance again. But work's gotta work. What's the switch with the Bodyguards?" Eugene sticks his tongue out. "BELAH! Those people have no sense of humor at all. They're totally not interested in magic. They don't do ANYTHING cool, like we Sorcerers do." "And they're smelly too, right?" "And what's the word on them Holy Ones? They bad folks too?" "Awww, I guess the Holy Ones are okay. They do use spells, and they sort of dance. At some of their religious rituals. But they're too stuffy for me. C'mon, join us Sorcerers. Don't be a Bodyguard!" "Well, If I choose to go this way, it will be because of you, of that I'm sure." "You're awesome!" "But I still gotta check things out. You OK if I go by?" "Be my guest!" "Hrm, main street down the middle, buildings on each side, and a larger one at the end of the road. Might as well check where the general store is."  "Is this going to be a thing, friend?" "Yeah, the bosses like it when I help people who are too dumb to read." "Well now, that's right rude." "Hey, I'm not saying you're a Bodyguard - don't be a Bodyguard - but the assumption kinda is if you're not one of us... welllllllllllllllllllllllllll......." "I won't take it personally then." "Hey there!' This man is rushing about the alchemy lab, supervising various Sorcerers as they work on potions and such. His robes are huge and flowing, yet somehow, they never get in his way. "I'm Sulligan! You must be the new guy?" "Lucky's the name, talking's the game. What do you do around here?" "I'm in charge of the lab. Do you want to work on something here? If so, help yourself. I also sell alchemical ingredients if you're a bit short on them." Until you join one of the Groups, everyone will charge excessively for their products. Once you join a gorup, their prices go down, and their selection goes up. "Too expensive for my blood, but thanks. Anyway, yessir, I'm the local outsider! Hit me with the pitch." "I was wondering when you'd get here. You are going to join us, right? I mean, we all agreed we'd let you join whoever you wanted to, but come on, what other choice is there?" He grins infectiously, but also sincerely. "I hope you decide to become a Sorcerer. Talk to the people in charge, they'll make our case." "I'll let you get back to your work then. Thank you for your time." "Ah! Pardon me, Ma'am. Looked like a storeroom. Sully back there said I could see what you had." This is a fairly young woman with an intense, careful gaze. Her shop is very orderly. "I'm Galene. I don't see any affiliation markings you, so I'll assume you're those newcomers." She doesn't seem entirely happy to see you. "As you can obviously tell, I am a Sorcerer, but I specialize in Alchemy. I can see you some potions if you want, but you're not one of us, so I'll have to charge you extra." You don't need to see the prices. Really, each of the towns has relevant stores for stuff, and they're all the same theme. Show your membership card, get a deal. No card? You get the tourist prices. "I need to get the snooty out of my hat. Fresh air!" "I mean, sleepers gotta sleep, right? I'd hate to walk in on someone putting their boot to my door when I'm in the bath, so I won't be rude back."  "I can almost hear the piano. Except there is none. Not even ambient music." "Undead barkeeper or man sitting with a tree in front of him like he's being hidden. This could actually be a hard decision!" Slouched in this chair is a middle-aged man in blue robes. Above him is a sign that says "World's Laziest Wizard". The sign is within easy reach, but he's apparently never taken it down. "Hey there, folks. Name's Lucky. You?" He sighs. "Hiruu. I'm retired. Go away." "Is that any way to represent your Group? I thought everyone was all gung-ho about getting me to join them or something stupid like that." "I'm retired! I invented a spell that makes sure I never have to eat, drink, go to the bathroom or any of that. So I'm going to stay right here where I'm comfortable. I haven't moved from this chair in years. Don't plan to either. So go away, Outsider." "Well, fine, be that way. What about you, Mister Ghost, what's your take?" As hard as it is to believe, there's a ghost behind the counter. The ghost seems to be cooking. "Hello, I'm Cortlind. I'm the cook here. I died in a freak accident that made me a ghost. Now I can't do magic. So I cook." "Well ain't that a right shame. Did you like to cook before yer untimely death?" "Not really. Like I said, I cook. I don't care what guild you belong to. Everybody needs to eat," "Except me!" "Except him. And I'm too dead to care about rivalries. You want some food? Vilonia won't mind." "And who is Violin? I mean Vilonia?" "She's the head Sorcerer. She's in her office, in the northern part of the city. North, and on the left. If you haven't already seen her, you should." "I'll keep that in mind. What's the pricing for the grub?" "You must be the only person who isn't going to gouge me for prices until I join one of the clubs. You're a cool dude, Cortlind. You, and Eugene." "My pleasure."  "Ah. Members only. Guess that'll be the same no matter where you go." "Yeppers!" "Cortlind says that the big boss lady is on the left. So who is on the right? And why doesn't the path actually go up to their doors? Strange...."  Vilonia is a regal-looking human woman in, perhaps, her early 50's. She wears a green shirt and a long green skirt. The shirt has words embroidered on it: "Why be Average?" "Why indeed? Sorry for the intrusion, I was told I could find you here. Lucky's the name, Outsidering is the game." "I'm Vilonia. Welcome to Aegre. I am the leader of the Sorcerers. I voted to have you - well, not you personally, of course, but - anyway," She starts over. "Triane needs your help desperately." "Well, that's that and this is this. Tell me a little about the Sorcerers, if'n you don't mind." "Well, I'd love you to be one of the Sorcerers. But you wouldn't be like us, exactly. Because you haven't lived here. That means you wouldn't be like the other Groups, either, if you joined them." She things for a moment. "If you do choose to become a Bodyguard, return to me and ask me about what 'service' you could provide." "Uh...."  "NOT THAT!" "Ah, good. Good. So, about this here vote?" "We've all agreed we're not going to accept your help unless you show some commitment to Triane first. That means joining one of our Groups. Naturally, I think you should join us, but..." She smiles. "I've been known to be biased about things like this." "Then lets get down to brass tacks. What's this about the help you folks need?" "I assume Verena's told you about the Avians. Well, I consider them secondary. We can handle them, if we get to the root of the other problem. Verena calls it the Tatterdemalion, of the 'Raggedy Man'." "Y'know, that don't tell me much about them. Why don't'cha start with the Avians?" "Like I said, I'm not worried about the Avians. I have the bodyguards as much as anyone, but all three Groups working together? We can handle them. However, that's not going to happen until whoever's responsible for Tall, Dark and Tattered has been FOUND and PUNISHED. I have a theory." "Less yellin' if it pleases you and me. But go ahead, out with this Theory." "Most of us thing it's the Bodyguards, but I don't. I think it's the Holy Ones. How could the Bodyguards summon anything?" she scoffs. "They can't even summon courage." She laughs at her own joke for a moment, then sighs at your silence. "Well, that's not fair. You know, for you being a Bodyguard is an option." "Which leads you and I back into the note that you hate the Bodyguards, but you want them to do something for you." "Yes, but for now, I know you need to talk to the others. And I have my work ahead of me. So I dismiss you." "Well now, I don't think she meant that quite so literally. But she did pop me down in front of this other door. Probably an office or some such." "Or not. Pardon the intrusion sir." "I'm Yunam," he says. "I see you're not from around here." Yunam doesn't look like a typical wizard. Perhaps behind a bureaucrat has grown on him. He looks you over. "You look like you'd make a good Sorcerer. You did come from Verena, right?" "Yeah, Verona told me a whole lotta hot air, and I gotta figure things out for myself. I'm sure you know how that goes." "I know. I'm in charge of everything here in Aegre. Only Vilonia's authority is greater that mine. I also sell some of the more powerful Wizard spells - but only to other Sorcerers." "gotcha." "Well, that's all I can do here. Now, North or West? Lemme flip a coin here..."* * *  "And west it is! Dolomite is the name, and what is your game?" "Well, I gotta tip the hat for respect for their hard work and effort, but, uh... yeah." "This is the right place, right? Where the Bodyguards live?" "Now hold on a moment there! I know that Lady Luck smiles upon me as one of her children, but that ain't magic!"  "Besides, time is a wasting. Gotta see which way to go from here."  "already regretting this." "Hail the Outsider!" This man is pounding dents out of very used armor. He looks up at you. "I am Sarien, master armorsmith. Are you here to become new Bodyguards?" "Testing the waters, so to speak. Gonna make a spiel about how good the Bodyguards are?" Sarien flexes his huge muscles. "You really should. Those other groups, they're flabby and weak. They rely on all kinds of external sources of power. Like, magic or gods. You know - things that will vanish. Things you can't trust." "You can't rely on magic or gods. Someday, they won't be around anymore. But the body! That will be with you as long as you live. Your body, your mind, your skills..? These. These you can trust." He points in the direction of the main hall to the north west. "Talk to Arichat, he'll explain all." "So Arichat is your leader? Nice!" "Arichat is the wisest person in Dolomite. He's not our real leader, but I think he should be. Our real leaders, right now anyway, are Helfin and Revee. They're good, and I follow them. But they're not Arichat." "Interesting. I will talk to him later then."  "Yeah, no. Also, kinda funny that the anti-magic group uses anti-magic to keep magic users out. At least, I think it would be funny."  "No sensing in waiting, best get my gallop on. Hello?" "Such is the sound of crickets."  "If I ever say a word of strife towards a person of these talents, may every god and demon strike me dead for the sin." "Pardon the intrusion, good sir. Name's Lucky." This is a grim man wearing ordinary clothes. He doesn't look happy. "Arichat," he says grumpily. "I'm the quartermaster. I'm in charge of inventory. I'm not allowed to discuss it, so don't ask." He looks you over a second time. "You're the outsider." "Wh..." "Yeah, that's what I thought. Well, unless you're going to become a Bodyguard, I don't know why we even let you in. You smell like magic to me." "Now..." "Yeah," says Arichat, as if he's talking to himself. "You smell like magic all right. Makes me want to PUKE. Don't you have business elsewhere? Maybe you should leave?" "That sounds like a fine and dandy thing to do." "What a rude twat, that Archie. Maybe I'll have better luck with the people actually in charge." "And right to the big man himself! Wait. I don't know if he's a he or she's a she. Making that mistake would be embarrassing." "Why, hello there sir! Outsiding is my game, and Lucky is my name." This man looks extremely serious. He's pouring over paperwork and studying reports. He looks up at your arrival. "Hello! I'm Chief Bodyguard Helfin." Like the other people Dolomite, Helfin is in prime physical condition, only more so. He radiates charisma. "Let me put it this way - the blame stops here. I have the pleasure and burden of running Dolomite. So, what did Verena say about our Group?" "Truth be told, she didn't say much. Lotta air and wind, but no leaves if you catch me." "Yes, that sounds like her. Always fair, and ALWAYS noncommittal." He looks annoyed. "I have a problem with her." "I have a problem with people yelling in close quarters, but what is your problem?" "Verena told you about the Avians and the Monster, right? Of course she did. I bet she didn't tell you that she could probably beat them both single-handedly, if she wasn't so AFRAID!" He finally sets down his papers, and stands to shake your hand" "You're going to have to run this by me again, I seem to be gettin' hard'o hearing what with all the yelling going on. Why would she be afraid?" "I'm not much for wizards or priests, you know. But Verena is one of the most powerful of both this world has ever seen. She calls US Berry addicts? She should look into a mirror sometime. You know, I wonder...." "Redmark, Garzahad, Kai-Lyss, I can name some pretty powerful casters. But what's stuck in yer craw?" "Don't mention this to any of the Nephil, but I wonder if Verena herself didn't make the Tatterdemalion appear. It seems to attack all of us humans equally, but never the Grove. She's always wanted to open Triane to other. This whole thing gives her the excuse she always wanted. Anyway, enough about that. Let's talk more about real things. Like the Bodyguard." "Well, sell me on it!" "We Bodyguards prize naturally learned, physical skills over all. We are very independent and we believe in our own abilities. I think you would make an EXCELLENT Bodyguard. But, you do have other options." "And yer thoughts on these other options?" "I would still welcome you if you became, say, Holy Ones." "Why that thought?" "Look, you won't be like THEM. You weren't born here, and I know that's important. You'll probably still be sensible. I'll never turn a Bodyguard convert away, but if you do become Holy ones, come back and ask me about the Temple." "I understand, goodman."  "Hrm, I can see why people would say REE-vh. Nice to be informed ahead of time."  There is a large, muscular woman wearing battle armor. She is sitting at a desk that's far too small for her, but she doesn't seem to be the complaining type. "I'm second in command Revee. That's pronounced Reh-VEY, please. You must be Verena's ... pick." "Yes, I read the sign before entering. Thanking you kindly for the educationalizing." "Good, because you need to see Helfin. He's across the hall. I have nothing to say to you." "Well, as I live and breathe, I'm beginning to sense a theme here, or perhaps a pattern. I'll need to talk to the Holy Ones first though, to get things straight from them. But while I can see the rest of the town isn't really friendly to me, this side building is different." "Howdy!" There's a Nephil in Dolomite! The rest of the community seems to be humans-only. What could this one be doing here? "Hello! How are you?" he says happily. "My name is Dreffle." "Lucky. What brings you here?" "I'm a trader. I pay rent to the Bodyguards, and provide them with services, like item identification. I also buy things from them. I'm very useful to have around. I also know a lot of things." "You sound like a person to know. What can you tell me about the Bodyguards?" "Oh, the Bodyguards are pretty okay in general. I guess. But they don't like Magic too much. You know, I think if you became a Bodyguard, you'll never be able to use magic again, or maybe you just won't want to. No one around here does, although some of them use magic weapons. But not Arichat." "You know, you're not the first person I've met who've called Archie out by name. What's his deal?" Dreffle looks a bit annoyed. "I shouldn't have said that. Look, if you become a bodyguard, that's up to you. They're a fine people. But I think some of them just eat too many Berries, that's all. Like Arichat and his whole 'inner circle'." "Nuthin good has ever come from an Inner Circle, and knowing they exist can affect my decision." "I think I should be heading out now, before any further heat comes your way. Be seeing you later." Yes, that is a good idea."* * * "This place has deeper problems than they realize. Fixing this isn't for someone like me!"* * *  "And what's this? A cottage hidden away just north-west of the Grove? Curious. At least, I think it is, I'm not so sure it's even real..." "Right, Fae. It should have been obvious." "Y'allo? Innocent wanderer here. I mean no harm, and bring no harm with me." "Enter!" "Ah... Hello?" Here is a quite scarred, skin-and-bones human make wearing animal skins for clothes. He was staring balefully at the walls, but now focuses his attention on you. "Greetings!" he says. "I am Oasil. You don't smell like you're from around here. You don't have that Berry-stink!" "I'm the Outsider. What are you doing here?" "Job? Oh, I do all kinds of things. I am an impartial trainer, for instance. I identify and even buy miscellaneous items. I can heal the sick and wounded. I am also an outcast!" "How is Outcast different from being an Outsider?" "Yes, something has changed. But I can sense that things have not changed. Odd. New people have come in, but for now, I can help you." A Faction neutral trainer, item IDer and loot purchaser, as well as healer. Nice. "Thanks. I'll see you around then." * * * "What does it say about my life when that's not even weird anymore?" "And by process of elimination, the north branch of the valley has the Holy Ones.  "Don't mind if I do! Now, about that tower."  "I was, truth be told, not expecting this level of ... no wall-ness." "Yeah, this is getting spooky vibing. But it looks like something's in the corners?"  This woman doesn't look like a typical Holy One. She is dressed more as a Warrior. However, she wears an amulet that clearly signifies her allegiance to this community. "I'm Nable and you must be Verena's strangers." "Lucky, Miss. And what service do you bring to the table between us?" "I make and sell weapons. We do have enemies you know." Alternate selection from the Bodyguards. "Currently, our biggest problems are the Avians, and the hell-spawned 'Raggedy Man'. And of course, there's the perpetual problem of ... how should I put this?" She stares meaningfully at you. "Non-believers." "Right. I can read the signs on the wall. Have a nice day." This man is wearing bulky armor and carries a huge shield. The shield bears the rounded, reverse 'N' symbol of the Holy Ones. "I am Conray!" He looks you over. "Hrmm, do I sense a potential convert?" "I'm still weighing my choices. What's your part in all this?" "I make and sell armor and shields. Sometimes, sadly, faith alone isn't defense enough against the forces of the blasphemous." "Surely, y'all can deal with a little bit'o blasphemy?" "Evil is everywhere," Conray tells this to you with the sure look of one who has seen too much of it. "Especially now. Bit, I will say not more of this to you, doe you are not our kind. Unless, of course, if you were to join us?" "Still looking around, but I'll keep that in mind." "Oh hey! Uh... I can't tell who is in charge or not." "I am." "I would only be able to add anything if you were one of us, so please speak to Dothar." Dothar is the head priest of the Holy Ones. He stands at his altar, leading by example ... and watching you approach. "I am Dothar. Welcome to Opelka in the name of Divine Calius, and her Holy Ones. I am the spiritual and bureaucratic leader of this community. I am also here to ask for your help." "And what, being truth from your lips, do you need help with?" "Crimes against Divine Calius! Crimes against Humanity! It leaps up from the Earth, strikes quickly, and drags bodies beneath the ground again! But when you dig for it ... you find nothing!" He shakes his head. "Calius wants you to solve this problem. And not us. She ... doesn't feel we are up to the task." "Then let's talk of happier things, my friend. What of Calius?" He head bows. "The Divine Calius sets and example for all to follow, if they are wise enough to do so. Her unparalleled wisdom and power is a beacon in this world of dark, uncertain things." "Sounds like you doubt your ability to resolve this task set before you." "We three leaders of the Three Cities of Triane have decided, regrettably, that in the current state of affairs, we must look to others to aid up in our plight. Ask as you will about our sect, the Avians, the Ragged Thing, or... well, never mind." "A'ight then. Your faith is yer own, so what's this about the Avians?" "The Avians, we know little about. Save this, that they are dangerous and flexible, like humans. I mean that they have spell casters and fighters and so forth. They are also apparently the ancient enemy of the Nephil, but I know little else." "And the Raggedy man?" "Of that, I know only three facts." "One. It is new to Triane. Six weeks ago is when it first appeared. Two. It lives under ground, and can swim through the earth like water. Three... It is evil. VERY evil, and none of us can seem to affect it. Oh!" his anguish is sincere, "the CRIMES it has committed!" "And even if you do save us all," he finally says quietly, "we will have much to atone for. Please. Go forth and help us. Save us, for we cannot." "It's on the list of things to do. You have my word." "This is almost too much for one man, isn't it?"  "What?"  Ha. Ha. I still check everything. This man is working among the stacks of books - dusting them, arranging them, and so forth. He looks like he's daydreaming. He also doesn't look very happy. "Ledland," he sighs at your approach. "I'm the chief librarian for the Holy Ones. These shelves contain our history and non-magical knowledge." He adds under his breath, "Like any of this really matters." "Hey now, it can't be that bad, can it? You matter." Ledland looks embarrassed, then guilty. But then he remembers you're not Holy Ones and opens up a bit. "I didn't want to be a Holy One, you know." He looks around to make sure you're alone - and you are. "No, I wanted to be a Sorcerer." "You did? What happened?" "Yup. But no, they said I wasn't talented enough. So I joined the Holy Ones. At least I still get to cast spells." No other Holy One has seemed so indifferent to their religion before. You wonder why he feels this way - and if you should ask him about his feelings. "Man, I feel you. Want to let it out?" He sighs again. "It's that obvious? Well, I better work on hiding it. Don't tell anyone, all right?" He continues dusting shelves. "At least I'm not the only mismatch." "Look, I'm going to be going around everywhere Ledland. If you know more about these... mismatches, I want to know." "Wait, what do you mean, change?" "Right. For instance, I used to have a lot of general magical knowledge. Now I don't. I'm slower, physically, than I used to be. Of course, I gained a lot of other skills. I'd rather not talk about this anymore." He grunts. "Conversion!" "So what is the process of conversion like?" "You eat an awful lot of Berries when you join a Group. You'll see. I understand YOU'RE going to have to join a group, or we're all going to kick you out. And probably get slaughtered." He stares ahead, past the books he's cleaning. "Idiots" "Preaching to the choir, my friend, if you'll pardon the phrase." "Ledland?" "Ledland?"* * * Decision Time! Which Guild will our Plucky Protagonist Join? The story is different for each side, so I will be doing each in turn. Vote for whichever order you want me to tackle them, and I will.
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Feb 21, 2023 01:02
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Least obnoxious right off the bat (so to speak) are the Sorcerers.
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Feb 21, 2023 05:09
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I'm getting Geneforge vibes here. The berries are instead of canisters. I assume you invested heavily into luck because other stats/skills get basically reset when you join a group...guess we'll find out soon enough. Join the Bodyguards first, mostly because that will, I assume, best set us up to see one of the more blatant consequences of having an extremely high luck score.
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Feb 21, 2023 05:16
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Sorcerers first. Eugene's with them, that seems reason enough.
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Feb 21, 2023 05:42
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Get swole, get bro, get bodyguards
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Feb 21, 2023 05:55
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| # ? May 6, 2024 07:48 |
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Sorcerers.
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Feb 21, 2023 07:37
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