We are in orcish lands, and sure enough, orc-based random ecounters start popping up. Seems I get this one for having positive relations:
Heavily tempted to pick the top one, as a nod to Cohen the Barbarian and my favourite author, Sir Terry Pratchett.
I did the obvious though, and picked the Conan quote instead.
More time passed means more levelups. Brainwulf improves, as does our newest gatherer.
On the orc island, we get a physical challenge random adventure, and the orcs approve of our foolhardyness.
baud improves her gathering skills.
And then
Crooked Bee gets to choose between staying a hunter, or changing to healer.
Don't have a healer yet, so I am tempted into taking that choice.
Her level is downsized to 8, meaning she'll probably level faster than most of the exploratory team. Looks promising.
Another random encounter shows, with a choice between different challenges that can lead to some boosts to our team. I'd hoped for more though, maybe a new recruit, and chose to challenge the elf.
Andnjord is not really going to benefit from that increase, but I don't look a gift horse in the mouth.
And already,
Crooked Bee is getting a level up. I like the name of that skill :D
Well, being near orcs and having found one of their villages, I decide to grind their rep a bit.
Before I can do that though, we get more lore exposition. Seems there's a task for me to do on this island too, related to the cosmic tree and seed?
I intend to wrap things up on the green island first though. Then we shall see if it is necessary to do stuff back here too.
But first, a rep boosting quest.
That's a nice surprise, it boosted both orcish and dwarven rep. I had expected to have to slaughter all the dwarves.
Back with the gatherers, our crazed rabbit lover levels up.
Deciding that I want to find the island with metal resources, I leave the orcish lands behind, and travel to the eastern island. Turns out it is the shadow lands. Not metallic. Ohwell.
I'll explore a bit all the same.
This is where we can follow up on the Vohl quest, it triggers randomly but very soon after landing on the island.
Also, the neutral mobs roaming the island aren't talkative, but not engaging them is acutally an option.
Another levelup, this one of an unclaimed Zerca.
Back to the Vohl curse quest.
Some challenges are deceiving a bit. They read as low level, but then you learn that only one of your characters can take part, and it can turn tricky.
Storyfag pulls through though.
And a new child to drag along! Excellent. This child also starts off with good mystical stats, meaning we can choose to train him as another Vohl.
Also, he mentioned a dragon, right?
It was alone, so we take it down without too much of a fuss. We're now dragonslayers! Yay us! Don't mind the fact that the dragon was already dead. That's besides the point.
It does give us some more xp, and som levelups.
In the shadowlands we stumble upon a random adventure dealing with necromancy.
Touch the ash or not?
...
Of course we touch it!
Then more levelups happen!
Deciding that taking the ship back once I got the resources I'm after is taking too long, I unlock a special ritual. It's going to be pricey in resources, but it can save us some time. I'll take it.
We've unlocked some more terrain research.
Back in the village, our stores are positively overflowing. Mostly with crap resources that I haven't arsed with trading off, but we do present a target. So naturally, we get this random event.
The thieves aren't getting off the hook easily.
Meanwhile, our explorers hit the last island. This is the metal lands. Where dwarves reside, and we can find the resources we want to forge the Other Ring..
Our gatherer group back on the starter island encounter a demon riding a goat..
We don't let ourselves be bullied that easily. Now if only the demon had wanted a dance or a little tune, we could've worked something out. Instead it had to turn nasty. Ohwell. It gives us xp.
And then we turn to the bandits who robbed us. I love the parley option, so naturally I choose that one.
It's a good thing
Grimwulf is such an attractive fella, isn't it? :D Both he and
hello friend pick up some new tricks from the experience somehow.
On the metallic island, we find a dwarven village and get more exposition.
Well. It's on our to-do list then. After we beat an uppity elven mage, right?
But while we're on dwarven lands, let's grind their rep a little.
Some levelups occur.
Back in the village, we get an odd random encounter. Winning a challenge assures we get a positive outcome.
Nice boosts blessings aside. Any random encounter that actually leads to increased stats is a win in my book.
After that encounter, we get one with some tiny tricksters. Playing disinterested pays off.
By now, the neutral slavyan bands roaming the countryside counts as "allies". Nice touch.
We get a three-peat of the encounter that got us two zercas previously. This time I decide to test what happens if you side with the spirit of darkness instead.
Statboost, some resources, and a hefty increase to shadowkin reputation. Duly noted. Zercas are pretty sweet too though..
New island, means new terrain artefacts and therefore new terrain research.
Andnjord gets a levelup, and we start to prepare the moon bridge ritual. We've almost got the resources needed..
Just before the leave the metallic island, we get a random encounter with a large payoff.
The more different foods you've got, the better morale boost by the end of the turn. Better morale means more buffs. I'll screenshot them next update.
Back in the village, it seems we're preparing a feast! There's a marriage going on...
Congratulations
Reinhardt ! You've married our unclaimed human warrioress!
And then the moon bridge ritual kicks in. No fancy animations or stuff like that. The group using it is just immediately teleported next to the other nearest group. In this case the village.
Forging can commence!
Before it completes, I explore a nearby "lightbringers" marked location. Seems I missed this adventure before I went sailing. It's storyexposition.
Branching possibilities, and it seems I'm not locked out of any yet?
I'm not in any hurry though. There might be a hidden counter somewhere in the game, but I've yet to see really scary mobs roaming the map. The most difficult encounters have all been static so far, so I'll do some more exploring. Or at least finish forging that ring, and maybe some equipment, before I seek a showdown.
First though, the Vohl curse boy grows up.
He doesn't quite manage becoming a Vohl himself though. Seems he was too damaged. Or just not as lucky as
Storyfag (I didn't reload the save this time, as we already have two magicusers, a Vohl and a Witch).
Immediately after, I get an event with a witch, which allows me to lift the curse on the newly appointed Gusla.
And finally....
The ring!
Look at Bees stats after equipping it... Looks a bit like an I-win button. Or at the very least a really powerful buff that'll help us past a whole lot of battles I'll expect.
I'm not settled on whether she keeps the ring though.
Storyfag has this sweet skill that allows him to damage anyone who damages him, and with the hefty statboost, the damage dealt will be severe.
Also, our witch has the "Rain of Frogs" spell, which deals high damage and hits EVERYONE on the battlefield, the witch excluded. Which could make for some hilarious battles with her as the only one on our side of the field.
These are things I'll ponder, and quite possibly test, during the next update.