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Completed Let's get rather hungry! Again! Faery Tale Adventure II: Halls of the Dead LP

Joined
May 10, 2011
Messages
1,059
I just felt a sudden urge to circlejerk a little, so...

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mobygames said:
Faery Tale Adventure II is the sequel to MicroIllusions' classic RPG. The three brothers, introduced in the first game, have been teleported to a foreign country where they have to save the local people from evil powers spreading in the once peaceful lands. The graphics resemble those in Ultima VIII: Pagan and the gaming world is large.
mobygames said:
As you might already know, the Dreamer's Guild went out of business while making the game, and towards the end, had to release it quickly in order for it to be released at all. Therefore, a lot of things were missed, not finished, left half done. You can find all sorts of quest items throughout the game, though you will not be able to do a thing with them.

That sure sounds like a lot of fun, doesn't it? :roll:
Let's see for ourselves!

Part I: Call of Andymans

We'll kick things off with a spoiler inside a spoiler! History of the Universe, taken straight from the manual.

The History of the Universe

The Age of Powers

Before man, before Time, before even the gods themselves, the mist of the Old Universe was home to only the Powers of Order and Chaos. Since Reason or Love had not been created, two Powers, Order (named Saroth) and Chaos (named Tholis), swore eternal hatred for the other. Saroth, with his Rod of Rule, and Tholis, with the Dice of Chance, struck blow after relentless blow on one another for uncountable millennia.

Time was born then, and its emergence signaled the first shift in the creation of a New Universe. The randomness of What Was began to take shape into something tangible: a Universe measured in Time, confined by Dimension, and filled with Matter.

As the Universe took on a naturally more ordered shape, Saroth's blows became stronger. Sensing he held the upper hand, Saroth redoubled his attacks to be certain that Tholis could play no hand in the formation of the New Age.

Weakened by the unrelenting blows of his enemy and the shifting of natural events, Tholis had no choice but to allow his fate to be determined by Luck. He dropped his defenses, and waited for Saroth to strike...

Order landed a crippling blow. Chaos exploded into one million and one pieces, spreading the length of the Universe. Tholis, scattered to infinity, was no more. Saroth had nearly perished as well, for the explosion of Tholis had nearly consumed him. Staggering and weak, Order had no choice but to rest.

For epochs he slept, and in this time, the Universe underwent a change that nearly followed Saroth's plan. Stars emerged, planets formed, and the Universe took on an Ordered shape.

Saroth did not, however, plan for his blood to mix with the Shards of Chaos and form a new race of beings. They were called Mortals...and their tales were to fill the books of the Second Age.

The Age of Mortals

Mortals were limited by finite understanding, but blessed with infinite feeling. Love and reason, ideas that never existed before, flourished because of this new race. Though fragile and linked to the matter of the Universe, mortals could rapidly change events on the cosmic level.

Settled in the material plane, mortals quickly proved their might. Magic, a force that could control nearly anything, was invented by a human named Sentiffin and was used to control the Elements--old minions of Tholis. The great Dwarven King Thorl Owmsbutt tamed the Universal Fire, marking the first time a mortal controlled it without Magic. The Elven nations revolted against their unjust, controlling gods and formed free, open societies. Hand in hand with these advances, virtue, emotion, and a sense of well being flourished. Mortals had acquired souls.

Perhaps this is what awoke Saroth (for it is said that the mortal soul is so unpredictable that it must hold a piece of Tholis inside it). Upon looking over the works of man, elf, and dwarf, Saroth first knew fear. This fear turned to hatred quickly.

Still wounded, Saroth knew he could not compete against these numerous and resilient mortals. He decided to assume a mortal shape. In this new shell (made from the same elements as the new Universe), his healing accelerated. Though not as powerful as his previous incarnation, this New spirit named Sariloth quickly amassed an army of beings to support him and his plan to unite the Universe in Rigid Order.

Upon the moment he arrived on the material plane, Sariloth found that his ancient enemy, Tholis, was not slain. If anything, the Spirit of Chaos was more present than ever. The most perfectly ordered system had enough Chaos within it to make it imperfect: a drop of water would never follow exactly the same path twice, an invincible army would sometimes be beaten by a far inferior foe, and planets would randomly, unexplainably decay in their orbits and be sucked into great holes in Space.

In fact, Tholis had learned the same valuable lesson as Saroth: mortality had great advantages. He had assumed a mortal body as well, and took the name of Thorolis, the Spirit of Chance. Since he could not stand toe-to-toe with Sariloth with hope of prevailing, he worked behind the scenes, complicating the smallest of battles and the largest of campaigns, Thorolis challenged Sariloth at every step.

While Thorolis acted seemingly out of pattern and as randomly as was his essence, Sariloth, in his namesake fashion, had formulated an intricate plan to wrest control over this New Age. In a Universe so rich with natural energy as the Universe of Mortals, Sariloth quickly devised a scheme to steal this power and fuel a final assault on Thorolis.

Sariloth fled to the Underworld, a nether region below a land named Farr that teemed with natural energy. Legends that Sariloth had taken residence in the Underworld spread among the mortals in the land above. Many pilgrims, zealots and fools went to the Lord of Order to appease him and earn a place within his ranks. None returned to the mortal world. Sariloth's Underworld dominion soon became known as the Halls of the Dead.

Sariloth's might did attract three great mortal powers who could aid him. These beings were made his lieutenants. An evil and powerful Wizard named Roska was first to join. He pledged his heart to the Lord of Order in return for a kingdom. Sariloth took his gift and his allegiance, and tasked him to begin producing a means to sap Farr of its energies. Kaidar, the Dark Elf, was also welcomed into the ranks of the Lord of Order. A trickster and mover of shadow, Kaidar provided the stealth and deception that Sariloth so badly needed to hide his plan from Thorolis. A final agent was the Dragon, Irastikaan. Fiery in temper and breath, she protected the Plan by brute force, quickly putting down any mortal uprising against Sariloth.

Their plan was terrible and destructive. With the help of Roska's disembodied heart, Sariloth created eight stones of great magical power. Called Tapstones, the agents quietly placed one in each of Farr's kingdoms. Slowly, these stones drained the essence of their respective lands. The natural Elemental powers, the powers of the Mortals, and even the powers of the Spirits who protected the land were slowly siphoned away to Sariloth.

Though allies joined Sariloth, enemies also heard of his plans (no doubt thanks to the ever-present hand of Thorolis). Wildevarr, the center land of Farr, had three powerful animal spirits - a Trinity of raging stallions - who also used the energy of the land. However, unlike Sariloth, they used these riches to protect the natural essence of the land.

These spirit steeds fought blow for blow against Sariloth until the hidden Tapstone began to sap them as well. Their strength ebbing and very near defeat, the Steeds took a chance on Luck. As Tholis did to Saroth eons before, the Steeds gave in to Luck and allowed themselves to be consumed by the Wildevarr Tapstone.

They disappeared from Farr and were thought consumed. As Luck would have it, they were not destroyed. They resided within the Stone, as did all of the energy stolen from the land. Again, Luck played another card. The Wildevarr Tapstone, the first constructed by Roska, had a flaw in its crystal makeup (most likely the hatred Roska held in his awful heart). The Steeds attacked the crack, and with their combined effort, they pierced the stone. The rightful energy returned to Wildevarr, and the crystal was destroyed completely.

Weakened by the Tapstone, the Steeds knew that they could do nothing more to stop Sariloth. Only a force with strength, determination, and virtue could hope to defeat Sariloth.

Such a force did exist. Actually, three did. Three heroes from another land had once before put down a great evil. These brothers, if any, could liberate Farr from the grip of Sariloth.

Mustering the strength they had, the Steeds traveled to their heroes' plane. They entreated the brother to stand against Order. The Brothers accepted, as any real heroes would, and returned with the spirits back to Farr.

But Luck had been tested too often. On their return, the Steeds were completely drained from their flight, leaving an opening for Sariloth. He stuck decisively, and encased the Three Stallions in a block of solid Order. Locked within granite, the Steeds could do nothing but wait and hope for the heroes to complete their epic quest.

As must we all...

The last few paragraphs can be seen in this here video:


With introductions out of the way, we're now ready for another adventure.

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:desu:

We start out in the hamlet of Padavis in the land of Wildevarr.

Wildevarr is the sparsely populated land in the center of Farr. While it does have its dangers, it is relatively peaceful compared to the other lands.
The hamlet of Padavis is in the center of Wildevarr and, therefore, all of Farr. The Stallion Trinity has guarded the town during all past troubles, but has been strangely absent during these most recent plagues.
Not only do Bandits and goblins stalk the countryside, but two haunted strongholds are nearby: an underground enchanter's lair, and Castle Jovanc (where murder claimed the lives of an entire noble family). Recently, travelers have seen the ghosts of the Jovanc household stalking the battlements. Are these rumors, or is the curse on the Land even unsettling the dead?
Treasure seekers to the local caves had best be careful.
Surprises fill this peaceful land, and it is by no accident that some say the gates of the Underworld lie in the quiet hamlet of Padavis.

Alright, let's check out our party's inventory.

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Julian doesn't have much in terms of equipment. A dagger and bag with a few gold coins and a map.

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But there is also another inventory, a mental one. It contains ideas, which are basically a topics for conversations.

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To talk with NPCs you must drop ideas onto them.

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This tab holds spells, but Julian doesn't know any yet.

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Julian's skills are as follows:
Brawn - 2
Swordcraft - 2
Agility - 1
Bludgeon - 3
Archery - 1
Shieldcraft - 2
Spellcraft - 1

Phillip and Kevin start with the same equipment, but with different skills.

Phillip:
Brawn - 2
Swordcraft - 2
Agility - 3
Bludgeon - 1
Archery - 2
Shieldcraft - 1
Spellcraft - 2

Kevin:
Brawn - 1
Swordcraft - 1
Agility - 2
Bludgeon - 1
Archery - 1
Shieldcraft - 1
Spellcraft - 3

If I'm not mistaken, skills can be improved by use or by trainers.

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We make our way into a tavern and start a conversation.

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I saw some rats on the way in. Me and my brothers here are providing pest control services. You interested? Or maybe you need some potions delivered somewhere?

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Thank you, we'll look into it.

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But first we are going to grab everything that isn't nailed down.

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'Twas first a red apple, forbidden fruit,
That tempted Mankind off its lofty pursuit.
Deliciously tempting! For even one taste,
You'd click up your heels and fall on your face.
Ambrosial aroma, so fresh and so sweet,
You'd swear life held nothing better to eat.

But a pleasing outside may hide what's in store --
Even apples of gold can have worms at the core.
Worms of jealousy, pettiness and rage,
Pulling us back to a much darker age
Where men care for nothing save the glitter of gold,
Act without thinking, and do what they're told.

Worms of desires, worms of deceit,
Worms of confusion dark and discreet.
So beware of these apples, though pleasing they are,
They'll muddle your mind and lead you afar.
Gathered together, their power is great
To change circumstance and circumvent fate,
To change a man's fortune from niches to strife,
Give bloom to the winter, bring statues to life,
Make minutes seem endless, turn day into night.
Beware, my young listener, if the enter your sight.

Three mystical apples, precious and rare, colour of gold, whither and where?
Scatter about, blown to the winds, by their hand the trouble begins.

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Smithing Hammer Smithy
Serving Padavis for a decade of winters.
For the finest quality in the land or any other, seek Hildebrand.
(coin or fermented barter accepted)

Swordsman Jar Dighton seeks the unenlightened to train.
Reasonably priced.
Seek on the streets of Padavis.

People of Padavis,
Though drained as many of you are, my temple will always serve your needs, even until the last of my soul is stolen from me.
Those beset by melancholy, a shivered spine, or wound of body or soul may call upon me.
At any moment, I will be there with what aid I can muster.
There is no denying that this Blight has affected us all.
We must stick together in the power of the land and in the power of our community to be strongest now.
Some day, as was prophesied by the Steed Totem, the Blight will be lifted, my people.
We all hope that day will be soon.
-Moon Priestess

IT'S THE GOBLINS!
It's no secret that Wildevarr is not safe!
Abductions, Crime, Robbery, Nighttime Raids.
There is no peace. The truce is a joke!
The GOBLINS are not to be trusted!
They are unnatural, evil, ugly creatures of Underworld!
THEY SHOULD BE MERCILESSLY CRUSHED NOW, before the come for our women and children!
The time for action is NOW, people of Padavis!
Or will you cowardly await your doom at the hands of these vile monsters?
This is our country, and if there are any problems in the land... IT'S THE GOBLINS!
So let us go south and slay every last one of them.

:salute:

Missing:
The Maldav bowman: Jorl Sebrinac.
Passed through Padavis, tow weeks ago, asking of Castle Jovanc.
Did not return.
Feared claimed by the wraiths of the keep.
Any information posted on his whereabouts would be met with appreciation.

Traveler, beware of the Sorceror's Lair.
Sits it now to the south and east, and upon tired soul, it shall sure feast.
Yet should ye mighty go, horrors wait there you can't possibly know.

Ulinurius
Spell scrolls and spell training for those in need of such.
He is usually found in the mill in south part of town.

Volunteers Wanted
As most of you know, courtesy of the three Spirit Steeds, we now have a new statue in the courtyyard. As statues of this nature tend to attract the local bird population, who then make themselves right at home, if you catch my drift, on these here statues, we need volunteers from the town to keep this here statue looking spiffy.
It is unclear at this point how long the Steeds will stay this way. They were expected to lead a battle in the Halls of the Dead, but then they just sort of hardened, and that was that, as the say.
If you can volunteer a couple hours of your time a month, it would be appreciated. I'm sure them Steeds'l be grateful too.
Signed,
Guglion, Chief of Maintenance

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Let's ransack the second floor.

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Garbage we collected so far.

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We found bow and arrows for Phillip in the cellar :incline:

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...associates. The usual grog will be just fine, and perhaps some of those little pork balls as appetizers. He just loves those. You can send the bill to the usual place.
By the way, I was wondering if you'd hear anything about Kram the Mad having a tesseract key. There's a rumour going around that it used to belong to Ruragon, but somehow Kram the Mad got ahold of it. Mrs. Riddenbutter, you know me -- I don't like to talk ill of anyone -- but they don't call him Kram the Mad for naught! And, as for his having a tesseract key, that's a little like giving a fish a broadsword, isn't it? I just don't know. Maybe it's not my place to say anything, but I thought you should know. Please drop me a line if you hear anything, won't you?
When the master passes out, be so kind as to cover him up. I'll be 'round to pick him up in the morning.
Love,
Gwynnthelene

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We barge into an empty house. More books inside.

:rage:

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...local thieves would love that to happen (especially that Tessay!)). Am I just ineffectual? People and things keep disappearing, and when I go to look for them, I come back and things are even worse. Have I done the right thing in coming here?
But I wonder: did the rebels in Darnoc need me if I was going to be an ineffectual lieutenant in their movement? The gods' know I can't solve a problem in this flea-speck burg (I can't even catch a rat!), so how in Sariloth's name could I hope to organize a revolt in a town where there's something real at stake?
I may never know unless I go back. And I can't leave until I prove that I can do some good around here. I just hope I don't get nibbled up by rats in the meantime.

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...appeased by Riddenbutter's Righteous Ale at the Glass Sparrow. Odd etching found in tree about someone named Keyser Sose. Tree chopped down and given to Peddlar. Hildebrand drunk. Mended wound from falling into anvil.
3 - Hildebrand drunk. Walked him home. Tessay fined for vagrancy. Wyvern spotted circling outside of town. Graveyard looted. (Sick maggots!) Vakirin robbed. No leads and no real surprise in my mind. Glass Sparrow Inn vandalized. Mrs. Riddenbutter would not file complaint. Gave warning to Birket Stonewheel: singing love songs to self too loudly late at night. (note: watch him... seems like he may snap)
4 - Bar fight. Noon time. Started by a drunken Hildebrand. Dunked him twice in Kotat River for punishment. Cheryl Danby abducted. No leads. Bandits? Goblins? Bar fight. Mid day. One dead, five wounded, one badly pinched bar maid. Hildebrand found drunk in Granary. Bar fight. Lat at night. Three dead, five wounded. Shadow creature spotted by child under bed. True or false?
5 - Shadow creature spotted within city gates. True: I saw it. Have Moon Priestess cast another charm to...

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Dark Elves? Out here? Investigate.
With more undead being spotted, could the Wizard be back from dead?
Who is Keyser Sose?
Would capital punishment be effective in Padavis? -discuss with Mrs. R., Moon Priestess, and Peddlar
Rats! Get rid of them! Meet Wort to discuss.

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Yay, a mouldy healing scroll! More on magic scrolls later.

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We were wandering around the village, stealing stuff, when suddenly a man named Kwarrel approached...

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:kwanzania: You must help me and my family. My wife and child are trapped... in a cave! I myself was wounded when goblins attacked!
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Excuse me, do I know you? Sir..?

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:salute:

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He had a chest on him.

:hmmm:

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There is something under the pillow...

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:yeah:

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Don't really need anything at the moment.

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And here we don't have enough goldz to purchase anything.

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Impressive.

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We got ourselves a short sword and a bronze long sword!

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Drunkard smith.

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This fellow will buy any junk we collected. I must say, trading is pretty tedious. You drop items one by one and every time there is a spoken line from the merchant and a confirmation afterwards.

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Can't afford anything right now.

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And every place is Here.

O Mystical Key to the Universe,
Where do your Starways lead?
Are there any to take me to Peace?
Are there any to take me to Joy?

Are there any to take me to Myself?

-- Sylyryn the Bard

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Dearest Vakirin,
Do I dream, but did your gaze pass upon me the other day and you did not run in fear at my sight?
Do I wish too much, or could your grace and charm ever love a knave as base and cowardly as me?
I do dream...
And I do wish...
That some day your heart will be mine.
- Your secret admirer

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Uhm... "Work"?
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Yes. My skin is rather beautiful, isn't it?
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Mhm, I see... "Food"?
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Oh, I don't like to eat at this time of the day. A woman has to watch her weight.
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Fair enough. You know, I don't want to sound rude, but... "Container"?
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My heart is empty, but longs for the love of a true man.
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But of course! Here, take this letter.

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I thought Birket was the one sending me these anonymous letters d'amour. But how can he know I love him in kind...
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...Wait! I have an idea. Oh, gentle messenger! Take this letter to my beloved. Your deeds are the Gods' work!

:roll:

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She replies? Happy news! These words are like liquor for my drunken heart! Thank you, my friend. Your deeds will be rewarded! Take this coach pass, my brother! Use it for free travel sometime!

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We don't need healing, but there seems to be a p. extensive library in the next room. Oh boy...

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The one that sapped the heat of the Land came first.
He built a tower of malice in the West, watching from high the People as they slept.
He stole their golden dreams and turned them black. He took their souls without their notice during those nights.
And now, in the day, he bathes in their fears.
It was he who stole the heart of the land. All for the awe of his rigid Master.

The one that burrowed below the earth came next.
From the blackest of shadows he came to Farr's darkest realm he went to carve his evil warren.
The land withered at every swing of his minions axe.
Farr was fatally stung by this poison: The riches of its soil, the purity if its air, the sweep of its horizon curdled and spoiled.
It was he who stole the blood of the land. All for the awe of his rigid Master.

The one that sucked the people's marrow came last.
She spread her shadow wings over the East, and the sun was silent for months.
Men's backs went weak, women could not bear seed, and children cried in terror at the sound of her awful shrieks.
Struck dumb, they marched to her Red Castle of Teeth and gave themselves willingly to her, stunned by the black beauty of her eyes.
They fill her scaled belly with their bones, and it was she who broke the people of the land.
All for the awe of her rigid Master.

And so the Three came onto Farr. One sapped the heat of the Land, one burrowed below it, one fed off of its people's bones. But they were nothing without their Master.
And to speak with Him, the Lord of the Halls of the Dead, They each stole a Piece of Fruit from the Golden Tree of Life.
Legend says: That when each Piece would be placed upon its doorstep, the Halls of the Dead will swing open.
Then the lifelessness of Order will sweep from its gloomy subterranean depths, and All will be forever encased in ice.

How stereotypical.

The Seven Beasts
In the days before, the Land was dying. Seas boiled, the Land shook, and plague swept over men.
The great hero Attentroch journeyed to Farr with hopes of ending the scourge. He was pious and virtuous, clever and strong. It was said that his heart was the most pure mortal heart in all the Universe. If anyone could stop the plague's spread, it would be he.
He searched the Land, braving bandits and sickness and fell creatures at every turn. Only after walking one thousand mules did he learn of the Seven Beasts that sat in each corner of the Land. These beasts were horrible creatures: no weapon could crack their hides, no man could outrun them, and no amount of food could sate their ravenous appetite. They sat in their awful caves and drank the life-blood of the Land. As the Land died, they grew stronger.
Attentroch had his Golden Rope, and could no doubt use it to wrap a beast up and cast it into the heavens, but of the others? Six more would still sap the land.
So he went to the seven corners of the Farr, and to each beast he promised his heart, so long as they would stop draining the Land - such a prize would feed them for centuries. One by one, he offered this prize, and one by one they agreed to meet him in the center of Farr.
So from each corner they came: from the frozen wastes to the hazy jungles to the rolling planes. The came to the center of Farr to devour the heart of Attentroch.
And as they arrived, they saw the other beasts arriving. Their small hearts pulsed with greed, for the other would steal the heart. They launched themselves at each other with greedy teeth and claws. No matter how string each blow was, it was not a killing strike - it only made them more spiteful and more incensed to continue fighting.
With rage and hatred blinding them, Attentroch quickly wrapped them in his Golden Rope and threw them into the sky. They cursed him and swore vengeance, but soon forgot, wanting more to fight than do anything else.
With the seven beasts gone, brought together by Attentroch's wit, the Land awoke. Spring bloomed, winter died, and men fought off their sickness.
And so it is said, reader, that when the Land is in jeopardy, go to the Land and look for the beasts or their tokens as Attentroch did. Join them and cast them from the Land, and it shall awaken again.

The purple book lists all the previous Moon Priestesses and their deeds, no way am I typing that out.

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Where Order is rigid and unshakable, its memory flawless for eons, Chaos is the opposite.
Chaos often drops things, easily forgetting the, as his mind skips on to other things randomly (he's quite easily distracted).
Some call these dropped baubles lucky charms or karma, others say they are bad omens and cursed accidents -- whatever they are, they are at play in the world of mortals.
As foolish as it would seem to try to relax Order, there is little that can be done to reform Chaos. Man must work within the lines set down by Order and Chaos. Where one pulls, the other pushes. Where one is plentiful, the other is small, but ever-present.
And one must wonder: what if they could be joined? What if these Object of Chaos could be bound to the Rigidity of Order? What if the battles could be eased by allowing them to support each other? They need not be bitter enemies, after all. In the lands of men and elves and goblins, there are no victors in war. Conflict leads to death and pain and suffering.
Only balance, peace and harmony, can there be total enlightenment.
Perhaps the next Era could be such an Age.

O Priestess of the Moon, help us in our time of despair. The time of the end draws close. By the time you read this, I will have left the body and returned to shadow. You must tell my story to all who will listen.
I had been sneaking down into the Dwarven mines, raiding them for leftover gems and minerals. While following an unfamiliar branch of a mine, I came upon what looked like a stone. It's beauty beyond description, glowing from within, both captivated and terrified me. I could not help but walk toward it, and when I did, I felt the Power. Approaching this huge gem, I felt as if my very life was being drained from me. Nay, more than my life...my while being. I felt as if it were tapping the essence of my very soul. I fought my way back outside, but I could feel the Power eating away at me from inside. I knew that this life-tapping stone would eventually consume me, as it will draw all life into the Void.
You must find someone to destroy it! Stop at nothing! Wade through the River of Lava if you must, but find a way to stop this horrible thing! There can be no peace while this monster exists.
Tell the people! You must tell them!

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Too pricey. Oh well.

And that's about all there is for the hamlet of Pavadis for now. Let's dig through the scrolls we scavenged so far.

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Our bros learn spells by reading scrolls. After reading, scroll is destroyed.

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We found multiple Minor Healing scrolls, so everybody know this spell now.

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And there you have it. Next time we'll wade into the wilderness! Probably.
 

Crooked Bee

(no longer) a wide-wandering bee
Patron
Joined
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Owmsbutt? :roll:

Fair enough. You know, I don't want to sound rude, but... "Container"?

:lol:

Also, in days of yore, whenever someone mentioned Andyman by name he would appear in person. I wonder if that still holds true.
 

Brother None

inXile Entertainment
Developer
Joined
Jul 11, 2004
Messages
5,673
So it's a whole different setting, just sharing the three bros? Seems kinda weaksauce for a sequel, the bros aren't that interesting :P

Also haha, dude is in despair about his family, dies in front of you, and first thing you do is loot his corpse. This is a true RPG! :salute:
 

lightbane

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
10,158
The sequel's lp!! Awesome :love:


The great Dwarven King Thorl Owmsbutt tamed the Universal Fire, marking the first time a mortal controlled it without Magic.

Then maybe Gwyn, the Lord of Fire, was an extremely obscure reference...
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Andyman Messiah

Mr. Ed-ucated
Joined
Jan 27, 2004
Messages
9,933
Location
Narnia
whenever someone mentioned Andyman by name he would appear in person. I wonder if that still holds true.
It's true. I'm kind of a slut. The deal is also that you ask me something. Otherwise I'll just read the post, smile at my name and go on my merry way.

Also oi m8 wots all this then...?
Also 2 make sure you write andyman and not andymans since I never search for more than one copy of myself and searching for andyman doesn't include the results for andymans. I gots demandses. Follows themses.
 
Joined
May 10, 2011
Messages
1,059
Part II: I want to cast my Icicle! Icicle! Icicle!

The time has come for our first foray into the wilderness!

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We are leaving Padavis through the northern gate.

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Our first victim is an innocent looking goblin.

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When monster attacks one of our bros, combat mode is activated. Whilst in this mode, the game is paused if selected character has nothing to do. Whenever you attack, cast spell or do just about anything else, the game goes back to real-time. Notice that if you want to hit your enemy with some ranged spell before it comes close, you better hurry the fuck up, because combat mode is not activating before someone is getting hit.
Overall, I'd say it is clunky as fuck to be honest.

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Our first trophies :love:

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Goblins are not the only inhabitants of this scenic region, many criminal individuals are roaming this land in search of easy money. We slaughter them, of course.

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We haven't gotten too far, but our pockets are full already. Let's fill them with gold!

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:hmmm:

It will be a long trading session...

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It took me a good five minutes to sell everything. Guess I'll be more picky in regards to loot from now on.

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Kevin makes some food with "Bounty of the Earth" spell to improve his Spellcraft skill and expand green mana pool :M

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Another trip to the forest, this time we are going eastward.

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Can't wait to get inside that cave.

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Looks like a bandit hideout to me. Good thing Kevin knows "Icicles" spell, since it can one-shot kill any of these outlaws. Though it's best to keep it for a large groups of enemies, since mana regeneration is kinda slowish.

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This must've been the bandits' leader. It took 2 (two!) icicles to finish him off :roll:

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:incline:

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Another offensive spell. It goes to Phillip.

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Eh, this one goes to Julian.

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The right wing of this cave has some goodies too.

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Alright, first dungeon cleared! :salute:

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After selling excessive loot, we go south.

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IT'S THE GOBLINS!

:x

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Mysterious obelisks.

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And another cave nearby. Neat.

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:what:

Cave greets us with a fire spewing contraption. I had to disband my party and guide them safely over the corner one by one.

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We advance through the cave leaving a trail of dead goblin bodies behind.

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The door is locked, but we've found a key on one of the goblins.

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:eek:

The second floor is crawling with undead!

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This door is locked.

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Looks tough...

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And tough he was. Loot is nice though.

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:yeah:

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This switch opens the door we saw earlier.

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:hmmm:

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:smug:

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...here. Little did I know the horror of his plan. He wants it all. He'll stop at nothing everything is under his control.
He's quite mad. As mad as I thought Tholis was, Sariloth is twice as mad.
Now, I'm trapped with his legion and cannot get out. Even if I had a tesseract key, the Stargate here does not function. It is said that the Object of Hope can restore it, but I know not of this object, nor where it can be found. Therefore, all is lost unless I can find someone to liberate me from this dark place.
Please help me. You must tell the people that Sariloth will ne'er rest until he has it all. Wake up, people of Farr. Time is short.
Time is short.

Note that not all typos and inconsistencies in these books and scrolls are my fault :M

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Going deeper.

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...Adepts in the Abbey of Falken - (which now would be somewhere in Aroblin). The Abbey Clerics led a peaceful life, for many years, and took care of their land and people. Until one fateful day when another promising young Adept named Phoebus started to become disenchanted with the Light, and secretly started to worship the Dark, practicing summoning undead and demons.
Phoebus started to turn evil, right under the eyes his fellow Adepts who did not even notice. All but one, that is, young THeodar. Theodar began to speak of his concerns about Brother Phoebus, but none would listen, calling Theodar jealous of Phoebus in God's eyes. Theodar, fearing for his own life now, took his trusty longsword to the Elders at the edge of Aroblon, and had it blessed by the high-priest with magick that would protect him from evil.
When he returned to his Abbey, he found it in ruins, burning with with the fires of Hell, and dozens of skeletons and undead dancing around.
Running around like a madman, was Phoebus laughing like the Devil himself and slaying his fellow Adepts. Bravely, Theodar charged in wielding his magic sword, slashing down all of the Undead creatures.
At the end, it was Phoebus and Theodar, facing each other down. Theodar with his Darksweeper, and Phoebus with his bloody shortsword. The two struck each other with fatal blows, and the powerful force of the magick of Light and Dark collided, totally annihilating the area for miles around, volcanos sprung up and the land started to become the wasteland of Aroblin as it is known now. As for Theodar, Phoebus and Darksweeper? Swallowed up under Aroblin... To be found deep in the dungeon mines...? Who knows!

Awesome story.

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Only two bros can go beyond the gate.

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For no reason at all I decided to leave Phillip behind.

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Oh hi.

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Uh-oh, he's getting aggressive!

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Still, icicles are doing their job.

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:salute:

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Wasn't he supposed to have a tesseract key or something? Oh well, I cannot into geometry anyway.

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...while you have received payment from the Cult, you have chosen to ignore the arrangement previously contracted for. This cannot continue.
You are in breach of our agreement in the following:
1: You have failed to supply specified quantity of virgin hearts to Lord Roska
2: You have failed to secure a suitable position for the Wildevarr Tapstone
3: You have failed to stop the accursed Steed Totem from bringing in otherworldly aid (rumors abound that extraplanars are in Farr, working now to unseam our delicate plans).
Since the latter two points have been recently reevaluated, your oath breach in these ares are moot.
However, unless fealty is immediately paid to Roska in the West (according to the previously decided upon sacrifice schedule), we have no choice but to consider our bargain null and void.
The Cult will reclaim what was given, by force if necessary. Suitable interest will also be extracted. Roska must be fed.
Consider this your final warning.
Lord Thebe
High Priest of the Cult of Sariloth

The plot, it thickens.

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Nothing to see here, let's get out.

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:rage:

Respawning goblins!

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Ah, it's good to breathe fresh air again.

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An item-buyer just a few steps away from the dungeon. How convenient.

This concludes second update. Next time we'll kill more goblins, find better equipment and explore places we haven't seen before! You know, the usual stuff.

But before that, I have loot to sell.
:rage:
 

Brother None

inXile Entertainment
Developer
Joined
Jul 11, 2004
Messages
5,673
Haha, you'd think loot-selling would be one of the first things to get right. Oh, the good old days, when shoddy interface design like that was still the standard.

I do kind of find the look of it appalling. It's not super well done but it brings back memories.
 

SCO

Arcane
In My Safe Space
Joined
Feb 3, 2009
Messages
16,320
Shadorwun: Hong Kong
"appalling"

this word - i don't think you're using it right
 

CappenVarra

phase-based phantasmist
Patron
Joined
Mar 14, 2011
Messages
2,912
Location
Ardamai
There's an interesting game hiding somewhere inside this... It just requires changing about 90% of the game as is? (rhetorical question)
 
Joined
May 10, 2011
Messages
1,059
More like finishing 90% of the game. But hey, it could just be the way I'm presenting stuff :roll:
 
Joined
May 10, 2011
Messages
1,059
Part III: Into the North

Let's continue our anti-goblin crusade.

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At the beginning of the last update, goblins were a little threatening. Now they are harmless. Kevin, for example, can kill five goblins with his magic tricks, before they can even reach him.

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A Goblin Village! Let the bloodshed commence!

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Colored mana potions permanently increase corresponding mana pools.

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My, what a coincidence! So are we.

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Eh, I'm not gonna bother with this, inventory management is not what I want to do here. By the way, I also got rid of all the bows we found so far, since we can fireball enemies from the distance without the need to collect ammunition.

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These are those people whom dying chest-bearer begged us to rescue in the first update. Alas, we're too late.

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...survivors were brought here. They were all killed: tortured. I escaped, but not without cost.
But the goblins are not the threat I speak of. There is a terrible evil in the Old Palace in Bilton. It sapped our strength the moment we stepped in the room with it. It is a stone like none I have ever seen. Beautiful. So cold. I feel that it could be taking the strength of the land. It's causing the Blight!
My gut has run red for hours and I lose strength. I hear the snorts and grunts of my captors more often now. I know the end is near.
Reader, take this knowledge. Guard it with your life and fly to a hero who may do a great deed to end this Blight. If you don't, who will?

It's just like those Tapstones intro talked about. We should visit this Bilton someday.

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Looks like I've missed a secret door :oops:

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Goblin Village secured :salute: Let's return to Kram's lair and search for the secret door.

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:hmmm:

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This wall block looks different.

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:eek:

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Yes! Tesseract Key is finally ours!.. I'm not sure what it opens though.

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I wonder how much this costs.

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Niiice.

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Since we have a hefty amount of gold on our hands, and since we also know that wizards are way more :obviously: than fighters, I've decided to spend our hard-earned money to get some magic scrolls for Julian and Phillip.

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Phillip gets Flaming Orb.

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And these two go to Julian.

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We immediately test our newly-learned spells on local children's population M:

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How very Pakistani.

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Let's see where the northern road will lead us!

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That's where.

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:eek:

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He's not aggressive, but he don't want to talk either. We'll leave him be.

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That's a lot of skeletons.

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But they are nothing against our magic :smug:

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Hey, I remember reading about him. He's the guy with hell-spawned sword!

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:incline:

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The first floor is cleared, going up.

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Oozes are pretty tough. And there seems to be and endless stream of them coming from the downstairs.

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That's why we close the door and go elsewhere.

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...nodded: "Must a Door always look like a Door?"
The young man paused: "It often does."
The holy man sighed: "But it need not be. It might be broken and old, but it shall work..."
The boy interrupted: "...if one has the Key?"
The cleric nodded...
...and the disciple smiled wide.
He then heard: "It is most unwise to interrupt your master."
His smile faded.

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If you look at Julian's inventory, you'll see that we have found a Toy Bear.

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And then, each hole must be dealt with separately, but ultimately together. For if one hole is sealed with wax and a another with metal, near a fire, one will hold and one will melt leaving the bucket empty again.
A good carpenter will: fix a bucket when it is empty, fill its holes one by one, seal those holes in the same way -- together.
And then, with a little Luck, will the bucket carry water again.
A good bucket does not go without carrying water for long, and a blightless land will take flower when its season of bloom arrives.

:hearnoevil:

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...its beauty and location. We hope it serves you well.
From here, my courier will stop at the house of Lord Jovanc to entreat his support for you. He has a large army of creatures at his disposal, and could become useful if the people of Farr become agitated.
Jovanc is rumored to be unliving, and may therefore be difficult to deal with. My courier will discern this for certain, and if you are reading this, he has completed his journey and will inform you as to the current state of those affairs.
Know that the resources of the Network and the Cult are completely at your disposal. Should you be desirous of earthly possession or service, alert us and we will provide immediate assistance.
Your most sincerely,
Lord Thebe
High Priest of the Cult of Sariloth

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Back to the first floor.

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:salute:

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Ok, moving on.

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Well, Bilton looks like a good place to go to.

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Enemies are getting stronger, but not too much.

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We're pretty far from Padavis now. Still, no Bilton in sight.

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And here the road ends.

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Let's look around and see what we can find.

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:incline:

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:what:

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I'm glad we decided to explore this cave.

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Not the most complex dungeon you have ever seen :roll:

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After some wandering, I've decided to go back a little and maybe take another turn somewhere.

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Is this Bilton?

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Looks like it is! :incline:
 

lightbane

Arcane
Joined
Dec 27, 2008
Messages
10,158
61f90.png

Truly a trio of heroes. And doesn't nothing happen for such action? No consequences?
 
Joined
May 10, 2011
Messages
1,059
Locals become hostile, so I actually reloaded :roll: We can easily wipe this whole village out though.
 
Joined
May 10, 2011
Messages
1,059
Part IV: Gold Rush

So... Bilton, eh?

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I'll go ahead and show you the map. As you can see, this city is divided into three parts: Commoner's Quarter, Merchant's Quarter and the prestigious Noble's Quarter.

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Bilton looks big, but there isn't much going on.

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There are a lot of people here, but they all mostly repeat the same rumors.

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There are also a few books and lots of colored potions lying around, waiting to be found.

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...illusion, told, humorous stories, drooled, bent my body into untoward shapes, and made numerous grotesque faces for your amusement. Some of you have repaid me with kindness -- a coin here and there, or the occasional meal -- but for the most part, you have remained unresponsive to my antics. You even stooped so low as to pelt me with rotten fruit and vegetables during one particularly unfortunate performance. How was I to know that a recitation of Dwarven love poems would draw such ire?
Throughout my entire career, I have searched for three legendary Golden Apples to better confound and mystify you. Had I but found them, my level of trickery would have increased a thousand fold -- think what amusements I could have then concocted! With those three apples together, I could have made even a cold stone statue come to life and dance with delight. Alas, I hear that these three apples were stolen by the villain Sariloth and secreted to three separate locations by his evil minions. I suppose some people don't like a good joke.
Therefore, I bid you farewell and adieu. I go to take my show on the road, for there is always and audience waiting somewhere.
Signed,
Hogsbreath the Foole
P.S. If you should have a change of heart, I can be reached through my agent, Sol Lazaar.

Fuck that loser.

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A Wizards' Guild.

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:what:

We only have about 1.5k gold.

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...extend the arc, just as in physical science.
Therefore, I am going to plunge myself into the depths of despair, with the intention that at the opposite end of this cycle lies incomparable happiness. I will find nirvana through misery.
I would urge all who read this to do the same. If you truly want to know misery, seek the Rock of Despair. Then you will truly know the depths to which you must sink. In fact, I predict that when the Rock of Despair's pendulum starts back on the upswing, and things turn around for it...
...you're going to be seeing one happy Rock.
Trust me on this one!
Signed,
Bobbo the Thinker

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...of potential energy. Also, there are forms of energy that draw from other forms of energy. Fire, for example, must have fuel to burn. The energy in the fuel feeds the energy in the fire. This is one of the laws put into motion by Saroth himself. He cannot contradict his own laws, for that would go against his very nature.
Therefore, if a sort of negative energy, or an object that consumes energy, is to be found, one should first look for the source of energy on which that negative energy feeds.
Such is as it is with Creation. Such is as it is with Life.

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:salute:

I think I know in which direction we'll set forth next.

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:incline: Let's test this one out.

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Kevin almost killed himself :M

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...clear when offering explanations of the conflict that has lead us to our current crisis. You seem to, as so many have, confused Saroth with Sariloth, and Tholis with Thorolis. Allow me to explicate and hopefully clarify the distinctions. Saroth and Tholis existed in The Old Age, before recorded history. Before anything except Saroth and Tholis, in fact. Saroth and Tholis were not physical beings as we understand them. Rather, they were Powers -- unmanifest and absolute. They were pure consciousness, able to affect each other through the use of their own conscious will, and limited to neither physical laws nor the laws of magic. However, with Order and Chaos being polar opposites, it was their nature to resist each other, and therefore the war was waged. During this epic struggle, the space between their blows became measured, and thus was Time born, setting the transition to the New Age in motion. Saroth's perceived victory over Tholis signaled the emergence of the New Age -- the age of manifestation. Natural of space and time developed, and energy condensed into matter in conformance with these laws.
However, the last thing that Saroth expected was the emergence of Mortals.
Mortals, being a mixture of both Saroth and Tholis, introduced new elements of randomness into the universe heretofore unknown. It is this randomness that frightened Saroth into assuming a mortal form, thereby to better cope with the mortals and learn firsthand of their weaknesses. Tholis, too, discovered that manifesting a mortal form would provide a strategic advantage, so he became Thorolis in order to walk among men and create uncertainty. It is the continuing battle of these Powers, now in mortal form, that has created the unhappy situation that we are now in.
The gravity of the outcome of this struggle is obvious. Being the offspring of Sartoh and Tholis, we each share their natures to a certain degree. Like Saroth, we like order -- to know what is going to happen, to know all is as it should be, not liking surprises, etc. However, to progress as a race, we must also have Chaos, for it is from chaos that all things new are born. Without it there would be no creativity, no discovery -- no advancement. It is these very qualities which make mortals unique, and give us a special place within Creation. That is why there is more at stake in this struggle that our lives. Yea, these forces battle for our very essence -- our souls
I hope this sheds further light on the subject of my lecture. If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact me, or attend my next one which is coming up in three weeks. Again, thank you for your kind letter and compliments.
The cookies were also greatly appreciated.
Yours truly,
Mikkelnie, the Scholar

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Gold Key.
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I like your face, my boy. How about this? For you, and only you, two hundred sovereigns. No more, no less.
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An excellent offer.
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Oh, my boy. I could tell you wouldn't pass up a steal like that.

We repeat this conversation seven more times. Unlike some other games, keys in FTA2 are reusable, so it seems like a good investment to make.

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This leaves us with an impressive collection of keys and a measly 118 gold coins.

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People at Noble's Quarter are not too friendly.

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...the Dark Elf prince of the same name in Hethrallin's Darkunder late towards the close of the First Age. The Rakain could command any mortal to do the owner's bidding. Rich men, poor men, princes and paupers all were helpless under the Raikain's sway. The elf prince quickly built himself a limitless army of followers and threatened to march on the Kingdom of the Gods and the planes of the Eternals. Were it not for the great dark elf thief F'ehren (with traveling companions Astrid Kersana and Darda Waylaid) journeying to the Plane of Force to tell the Force Eternal of Raikain's plans, the realm may still fly under Raikain's purple banner. Force lanced Raikain for his presumption, granted him eternal life, and banished to suffer within the Void for all Eternity.
F'ehren, well known for his honor as a thief, was presented the Raikain (in a lesser form that allows minor extra-sensory perceptions) as a gift by the Force Eternal. F'ehgren still carries the Raikain and is known to us it to win at gambling and bones.
The Tesseract hand still more practical purpose. Discovered quite accidentally by the first Lord High Mage of Pentere when tending to a sick branch on the Tree of Life, the Tesseeract key opened a doorway to the Plane Above, where travel was shortened. Used primarily by the Pentere Mages, their council, and the blue blood of Kiger's line to speed to any point in Farr quickly. The Tesseract Key was lost during the siege of Bilton by the Army of Jainil'li and the Wyrm, Black Mire, when Bilton's enormous Watchrider attempted to be brought back home through it. Jainil'lo could not control Bilton, but no one is certain what became of the Tesseract. Bard songs speak of it hiding in the Underworld, drifting frozen in glaciers floating in the Mons Sear, or, worse yet, trapped in the Plane Above, never to be found in mortal lands again.
The Un-named key, sometimes called Ratom's Horrible Bag, was used only once. Found by the Mage Ratom in the land Ione that once sat in Farr's northeast corner, the key first manifested itself as a bag capable of holding its own weight one million times over. Ratom, ever foolish and arrogant, turned the bag inside-out to study how it worked. It slowly enveloped the entire land. threatening to ingest all of Farr and the known universe. Was it not for the Party of the Amorphous Blob halting its expansion expansion by sewing the bag up with the Platinum String from the belly of the Witch King, the Un-named's ravenous appetite may have destroyed even the Eternals. The bag is thought to be destroyed, tossed into the Acid Eddies of the Astral Plane by the great warrior Pylanthius.

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...goodwill, while Five mines gold eons old, and steals it still.
Six sits inside steps ascending up to heaven,
And final bathes in legend, and is simply called Seven.

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After satisfying our housebarging needs, we came to the doorsteps of an Old Castle.

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The castle is empty for some reason.

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There are two staircases that goes down.

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The first one leads us to some sort of underground library.

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...mistakes upon his Court, he generally disliked his subjects, his inaction in dealing with the Ogre population led to his downfall. Yet, above that, he loved his family; his queen, Arelja, and his daughter Bryther, were the center of his life.
In the years of the Border Wars, Karassmus made some very unpopular decisions. The ogres in the Borderlands grew to incredible numbers. The were too arrogant and too brutish to organize themselves effectively, but had the done so, you might be reading and ogre historian's writing right now. At any rate, the King did nothing to stop them. The Guard stayed close to home, more for Krassmus's paranoia of a revolt than any other reason. Meanwhile, traveling merchants were attacked and slain, border farms were burnt, and border villages were sacked. The people were afraid. Despite his accusations against his Court, the people knew it was Karassmus who was failing. The grew hateful And then the darker times occurred...
The first assassination attempt came quickly after the first ogre skirmishes. Then another. And another. Ten in all, each failed the preceding by a slimmer margin. Fearing for his wife's and daughter's safety, Karassmus arranged to have them taken to their country estate in the utmost secrecy. It was to be the most important, and most destructive decision of his reign.
Their carriage was ambushed. A large ogre party had slipped by the Border Guard. Outnumbered three-to-one, the King's Guard was slughtered, Queen Arelja was massacred, and the Babe, Brythe, Heir to the Throne, was slain. In one quick attack, Pentere's future disappeared.
The King's Captain of the Guard barely made it to the castle with news of the tragedy. With his dying breath, he informed the King of the sad news. I still remember the King's eyes then. He didn't move, he didn't blink, he did nothing. He sat there unwavering. The moment his first tear dropped onto his regalia, he collapsed entirely, sobbing like a child.
His sorrow quickly escalatd into vengeance. The Royal Guard took mount to rid the countryside of every ogre, whatever the cost. They near succeeded, razing acre upon acre, laying waste to forests, leaving the bloody carcasses and the stench of rotting ogre in their wake. Karassmus had won the war, but he had lost the most important battle.
He soon contracted moody melancholy, a disease that preys upon the weary-souled. The Royal casks of wine could not be cracked open fast enough to calm his depression. Stumbling around the castle, screaming laments at the top of his lings, Krassmus was a pitiful sight. His death was an afterthought. He was such a wreck of a man in those final days, the Council of Elders was amazed that he didn't perish sooner. Moody melancholy is quite quick and quite lethal. Sadly, there are many who believe that he fell to his death of his own accord. There are others that truly believe he slipped. I am not sure.
Whatever the case, one thing is certain: Karassmus did not die from the fall.
He died of a broken heart.

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...compelling artifacts in all of Farr's history.
It has a number of strange properties:
The Regalia is made up of three pieces: a Crown, and Orb, and a Scepter. No person can hold all three of the pieces at once unless he or she is ruling sovereign of Pentere. If no heir is alive, and the current Sovereign has not decreed one, the Council of Elders may elect one to the position.
The Regalia will sit with the latest Sovereign, even after death, until the next King is properly placed upon the throne.
The Regalia allows the Sovereign to ordain eight of his closest retainers to become members of the Council of Elders. The Council acts as the Sovereign's private confidant, advisor, and executor of the Sovereign's will.
The Regalia allows the Sovereign to know the whereabouts of each member of the Council of Elders at any time. This is to ensure that the Council will remain loyal to the Throne.
Created in the last years of Kiger's life when his heirs squabbled over the rights to the Throne, the Regalia's many properties allow it to positively, and unequivocally, determine who is the correct heir.

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...tl;dr speech about dear leader falling off his balcony.

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...grain of wheat to sprout in the ground.
Disenfranchised men from every corner of the Realm heard of his greatness. They traveled thousands of leagues to meet him. His monstrous frame, his pure heart, and his sterling honor (and the other honor) made men fall before him, swearing fealty until their dying day. Kiger Hall was built, and he was named Kinger I, Kiger the Great.
His lands and power grew as rapidly as his reputation grew. People rallied to his call, and before many winters, his homestead grew into an estate, fed by a community of loyal retainers and lords, his community quickly became a town, his town quickly became a city and his city quickly became the center of the continent.
From his strength, lawlessness became community; from his wisdom, tribes of men became joined in a brotherhood; from his loins, a line of great kings sprung.

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...flourish
Sitting in the courtyard of his Great Hall, the Tree's roots spread as fast as Kiger's kingdom. Along every road, under every building, beneath every citizen's foot is a root of the Golden Tree. Platinum flowers would bloom during the land's good times. The high winds would sweep them to the kingdom's edges, pushing Pentere's boundaries to greater lengths. As each new heir in Kiger's line ascended to the throne, a new branch would bud. A good ruler would produce a sturdy limb, strong enough to last an eternity; a poor ruler's bough would quickly grow sickly, withering into uselessness at his death.
So, as long as the Golden Tree lives, so shall Pentere.
It is the land's essence. Its most magical citizen. And its greatest treasure.
Long love the Golden Tree, and long live Pentere.

There are also six books from "Laws of Pentere" series, but they are all BSB, so we'll skip them.

Let's see where the second staircase will take us.

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Straight into the dungeon full of nasty ogres!

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Also ogre-chefs!

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And zombies!

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At the end of corridor we meet two named ogres guarding the gate.

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Despite being named, they don't seem to be any more difficult, then your average ogre.

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Behind the gate we find a royal tomb.

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:hmmm:

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We came across another gate, which was locked, but one of the keys we purchased earlier did the job.

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An ambush!

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A well placed Death Cloud helps though :smug:

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What's that green thingie?

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Huh.

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We take the Tapstone and the Golden Tree is restored :salute:

Before we go back, let's see what's inside the tower to the left.

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...moment.)! Seemingly, Sentiiffin's Calamity did not do as much damage as scholar had thought. Let us hope that stories of Tamnath's riches are not only rumors... I have taken a party of men and a spellcaster there to map and scout it. The infamous pirate Muybridge has the region completely under his control. He may have to be disposed before any others can venture here, and my arrangement with him has been tenuous to say the least.
Regardless, I will send word to you whey it may be safe to come and behold this sunken city's riches for yourself. I look forward to personally showing you.
Your humble servant,
Toade

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...(peaks as large as those making up the center of the continent).
However, a major geographic difference does underscore the major social difference between the two. Aroblin's Easternmost boundary is the Ocean of Aroblin, and during the Plane Migrate at the beginning of the First Age, the Dwarfather Durnl Ironhammer led his people to the Aroblin Mines and found there many generations' worth of riches to take from the land. This, Durnl's descendants still mine the minerals of the region and constitute the largest dwarven population in all of Farr.
To date, Aroblin has only fallen under outside influence once, when the Ogre Mage Jainil'li levied an army of ogres, goblins, brigands from the Amber Castle and seized the dwarven mines of Durnl's kin. Jainil'li is said to have found two of the three golden apples necessary to take his forces into the Underworld (to do what, once there, historians can only speculate). Slain by the great heroes in the Party of the Amorphous, Aroblin has not seen the likes of Jainil'li in its long history. Since the Blight, few dwarves have been seen, little of the dwarf's mineral can be found in circulation, and fewer travelers journey to Aroblin. Could a power of greater strength than Jainil'li sit within the Amber Castle? And what of the mines? Why do their tunnels stay silent? Could a Leech rest there as well?

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...All commerce has been ceased in that land, and visitors are strongly recommended to avoid travel in the Far South at all costs.

We're done here.

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Being the fools that we are, we will start looking for the Amber Castle.

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Looks like we're on the right track.

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Do you see those red and purple pixels near the cursor?

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Yup, it's the enemy. Besides being so hard to spot, pixies also throw paralyzing spells at us.

:x

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These scaly bastards wear some nice sapphire armor.

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We have missed our destination again :M Let's go back.

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Behold, the Amber Castle.

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On the first there are three teleporters behind locked doors.

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And a set of levers on the second. Operating these levers opens doors on the first floor.
Easy.

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Every teleporter leads to a small area.

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Each area has a key hidden somewhere.

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Those three keys allows us to enter the final, fourth, teleporter.

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Nothing out of the ordinary so far.

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:incline:

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This looks a bit suspicious...

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:what:

Ohfuckohfuck, we start throwing all spells we have at this beast.

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We won't survive another breath attack! :eek:

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Fortunately, the first attack was also the last :smug:

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Golden Apple, a letter, another Tesseract Key and a scroll.

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...pleased with your progress, and more importantly, he is pleased with your progress.
We think that he would like to commend you personally, but his attention has been centered on Kaidar in the caves of Hethrallin. Once those affairs are sealed, perhaps Sariloth will see fit to visit you.
In the light of recent intrusion of the extra-planars, we hope you will continue the exceptional duty. We have every belief that you will.
Sincerely,
Lord Thebe,
High Priest of the Cult of Sariloth

But that's not all this cave has to offer...

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:yeah:
 

Crooked Bee

(no longer) a wide-wandering bee
Patron
Joined
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In quarantine
Codex 2013 Codex 2014 PC RPG Website of the Year, 2015 Codex 2016 - The Age of Grimoire MCA Serpent in the Staglands Dead State Divinity: Original Sin Project: Eternity Torment: Tides of Numenera Wasteland 2 Shadorwun: Hong Kong Divinity: Original Sin 2 BattleTech Pillars of Eternity 2: Deadfire
:salute:

I can almost hear you sigh whenever you find another book or scroll to transcribe. :lol:

Also the Amber Castle looks funny.
 

CappenVarra

phase-based phantasmist
Patron
Joined
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Messages
2,912
Location
Ardamai
Cleve, the early years?

In other words: STFU, newfag?

Alas, I hear that these three apples were stolen by the villain Sariloth and secreted to three separate locations by his evil minions. I suppose some people don't like a good joke.
Alas.

Therefore, I am going to plunge myself into the depths of despair, with the intention that at the opposite end of this cycle lies incomparable happiness. I will find nirvana through misery.
:surfsolar: :lol:

The cookies were also greatly appreciated.
Academics. Academics never change.

F'ehren, well known for his honor as a thief
:lol:

Found by the Mage Ratom in the land Ione that once sat in Farr's northeast corner, the key first manifested itself as a bag capable of holding its own weight one million times over. Ratom, ever foolish and arrogant, turned the bag inside-out to study how it worked. It slowly enveloped the entire land. threatening to ingest all of Farr and the known universe. Was it not for the Party of the Amorphous Blob halting its expansion expansion by sewing the bag up with the Platinum String from the belly of the Witch King, the Un-named's ravenous appetite may have destroyed even the Eternals. The bag is thought to be destroyed, tossed into the Acid Eddies of the Astral Plane by the great warrior Pylanthius.
Did I mention that the books in this game are just grand? Forget about the game, transcribe moar books! :love:

Ok, seriously, you aren't actually transcribing them by hand, are you? Because that would be just daft (since you can open SCRIPTS.HRS and Ctrl+F the text you want, e.g. searching for "well known for his honor as a thief" gets you that story etc.). Ehem.

He soon contracted moody melancholy, a disease that preys upon the weary-souled. The Royal casks of wine could not be cracked open fast enough to calm his depression. Stumbling around the castle, screaming laments at the top of his lings, Krassmus was a pitiful sight. His death was an afterthought. He was such a wreck of a man in those final days, the Council of Elders was amazed that he didn't perish sooner. Moody melancholy is quite quick and quite lethal. Sadly, there are many who believe that he fell to his death of his own accord. There are others that truly believe he slipped. I am not sure.
Whatever the case, one thing is certain: Karassmus did not die from the fall.
He died of a broken heart.
Truly, a story of a codexer unable to cope with the decline... :sigh:

Disenfranchised men from every corner of the Realm heard of his greatness. They traveled thousands of leagues to meet him. His monstrous frame, his pure heart, and his sterling honor (and the other honor) made men fall before him, swearing fealty until their dying day.
Tsk, tsk, oglafing a BSB story...


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Behold, the Amber Castle.
Holy 1eyedking, that is one tacky castle!
 

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