Completed Let's play Tyranny, a classic old-school cRPG -- Blind LP -- Make Terratus Great Again!

[Zanzoken]

Chapter 5: The Eagle Has Landed

Spoiler

Now that the fancy prologue is done, the actual beginning of the game is imminent.

But first, more exposition slides…

This is a pretty anemic setup for the plot, but at least the goal is simple. Either we put down the rebellion or everyone in the region dies, us included.

The rubble falls in behind us to seal us in the valley, and immediately we meet our first NPC. I turned on DK mode for a laugh.

Trump quickly ditches the silly helmet to introduce this new world to his glorious mane.

A young lady greets him courteously.

Kyros the Overlord be praised! When I heard the avalanche, I feared the valley was sealed with you on the other side.

Her name is Aurora, and she’s quite the qt.

Also, we see from the tooltip that Trump has the title of “Governor of Lethian’s Crossing”. He just got here, and is already a governor! Clearly these people are an excellent judge of character.

Time to dazzle her with our brilliance.

Can you hear that hum in the air – that glow around the rocks? The avalanche is Kyros’ magic – the Overlord has sealed the valley.

She's clever enough to know that we're not just here to see the sights.

No reason to sugarcoat it.

I come bearing an Edict of Kyros. Our soldiers will complete their task or die.

Everyone knows that Edicts are bad news, so she's understandably concerned.

Since she caught herself making excuses, we’ll let her off the hook.

If we all follow Kyros’ will and stop the insurrection, no harm will come to any of us.

I’ve seen why they call you Stormcaller! I saw first hand what happened to Stalwart for their refusal to fight. Now we are the ones guilty of stalling and offending the Overlord!

Stormcaller… now that has a nice ring to it.

I’m sorry. As you said, if we follow Kyros’ will, there is no need for concern – as ever the case.

Trump figures she’s primed for a pussy grab and is about to move in when suddenly…

More runners… third time this week. The oathbreakers keep trying to send messengers through the mountains to gather help from outside the valley. But they’re a bit too late for that now. Come, let’s show these oathbreakers a good fight.

A brief fracas ensues where we tag team a dude wielding a spear (no, not like that). Aurora immediately rushes ahead down the winding path.

We don’t really have time for this shit.

Carry on.

There’s a big boulder obstructing the path ahead. Aurora asks if Trump can fit through the rubble, which surprisingly, he can.

There’s also an option to push the boulder out of the way, but we lack the Athletics skill.

Pffft, not like Biden could've moved it either. He would've died in the tutorial fight!

The next encounter is one Disfavored soldier surrounded by two enemies. One wielding a glaive, the other throwing javelins. Trump and Aurora join the fight and make rather quick work of them.

Aurora scampers ahead again, vanishing from our sight. Trump has a short conversation with the wounded Disfavored soldier, but the guy refuses our aid, proclaiming “Graven Ashe will protect”.

We run into another fight not far down the path.

I recognize Verse from reading about the game back in the day, and remember she is one of our companions.

One of the enemies remarks how stunning and brave she is, just in case we hadn’t noticed.

This one’s crazy! Too much lead in her water. We should cut our losses and turn back.

Verse notices Trump’s presence.

Let’s troll her a little bit.

That depends. Who are you?

Lol. Okay, let’s help her out.

Sounds like you could use my help.

Apparently this inspires Fear in her. Good!

I’m no water lily, but I’d welcome an extra blade.

The combat UI is… busy. Icons, meters, floating numbers, spell animations… it get muddled quickly.

And unfortunately, I don’t see any options in the settings to turn any of this stuff off.

Anyway, we make quick work of the bad guys and then stop to chat for a minute.

Whew! I can tell you didn’t spend the conquest in a diplomat’s tent.

Trump decides to sweet talk her a little bit, and pays her a compliment that sounds suspiciously like it was written by a socially awkward video game nerd.

You fight like a storm. What’s your role in the army?

The sound of her ladyparts drying up is almost audible.

A Scarlet Fury – one of the elite killers of our ignoble gang. You’ll see more than a few of us around camp, but don’t let that fool you. We’re a rare breed.

Okay...

Most of the ‘soldiers’ in the Scarlet Chorus are little more than farmers and children armed with rusted forks. Makes them easier to control.

She goes on.

That’s enough chit-chat, we’ve got stuff to do.

I’m ready if you are.

Verse suggests we stop and search for loot. Well, in that case...

Trump’s not one to get hung up on sanctimony.

I see your point. Nice and practical.

No reason to pity the fallen. Before long, we might wish we had joined them here. But at least we’ll enjoy heavy pockets and warm toes.

Trump's thinking about warming up her "toe" already.

For the Voices of Nerat!

You know, I was expecting Verse to be a dangerhair edgelord, but so far she’s not so bad.

Anyway, before we keep going, let’s take a minute to check out all the different screens we have.

First is the inventory. A very close adaptation from PoE.

Character sheet, which is hideous.

Six different talent trees to choose from.

Journal.

Reputation. I’m absolutely shocked to learn that the choices we made in the prologue didn’t have much of an impact here.

Spell Creation. Maybe we can use this to give Trump some cool signature moves?

The next window over says “Spire”, but it’s grayed out for now.

And finally, we have Missives, which is currently empty.

While we’re here, let’s check out Verse too. Looks like she can spec for either melee or ranged.

All right, back to the action. A gang of mooks is now headed our way going double-time.

Eyes forward, no looking back!

The leader halts and tries to say something tough, but he ain’t no John Wayne.

Still, we’re outnumbered 5-to-2, so Trump tries to talk them into letting their guard down.

I applaud your bravery, but I implore you to end this foolishness and lay down your arms.

Very eloquent, but they don’t fall for it.

Not a chance. If I surrender, I’m as good as dead. At least we can drag some of Kyros’ chosen along our short journey to the void.

Just then, we hear chanting coming from the south.

Scarlet Chorus reinforcements! Hurry!

And indeed it is. A friendly squad joins the fray, led by a mage called Mocking Blaze.

The bad guy tries to get his men to disengage, but his troops are itching to fight.

Hold position, all of you! You there – keep to the path! No! Don’t engage them, we need to run!

With the odds now shifted in our favor, the fight goes smoothly enough.

One noteworthy aspect of the combat system is that the PC and companions have the ability to execute combo attacks.

Trump and Verse share a combo move called “Blood Soaks Stone” where Verse knocks a bad guy to the ground…

And then Trump comes over the top and smashes them in the face, causing a Bleeding effect.

Pretty cool, although it would make more sense if these abilities weren’t available with someone you just met and had to be unlocked through the Experience or Reputation systems.

Suddenly a messenger arrives.

Come quick, we have a situation on the cliffside. They have the commander!

It sounds pretty urgent, but the fact that this is a cRPG means we can always spare a moment to search through random containers for trash loot. There are a few bits and baubles, as well as some nice environmental storytelling contrasting the disciplined nature of the Disfavored with the anarchy of the Scarlet Chorus.

Okay, let’s go try to save the captain.

I turned DK mode off a while ago because it made the combat impossible to follow, but I guess one guy didn’t get the message.

All jokes aside, the Disfavored commander, Drastus, is in a bad spot here. He’s not afraid to die though, or at least, is confident that Graven Ashe can save him.

Skewer him! Worry not for me, Graven Ashe will protect!

The other wounded Disfavored from before said that same line, so I check the tooltip. Apparently Graven Ashe has some powerful healing magic that can bring his guys back from serious injuries. But it also says that Drastus is being fabulously optimistic about his chances here. If this Vendrian scum manages to open up our guy's carotid artery, it'll be goodnight Irene.

Mocking Blaze, the Scarlet Chorus mage from before, throws in her two cents.

You heard the man, he plainly invited you to use that little blade of yours. What are you waiting for, permission from your pimp?

I see how she got her name because that’s actually a pretty good burn.

Trump appears to be the senior person in charge here, so it’s up to us to figure this out.

Once again we lack the athletic ability to pull off any kind of Walker Texas Ranger shit, so I guess we’ll have to try talking him down.

Release the prisoner and you might know the inside of a cell.

Not a very strong sales pitch. To the surprise of no one, the assailant is unfazed.

And I’m sure that cell will have daily visits from Scarlet Chorus cads thirsty for a bit of torture! I’d rather take my chances with death.

Once again Mocking Blaze starts running her yap.

Now that’s unfair! I assure you, it’s more a hunger for torture than a thirst. But you are correct – we have no charity left for those who laughed at our mercy once before.

She puffs out her chest.

If you fools won’t deal with him maybe I will.

A worried red shirt interjects.

Whatever you’re thinking – don’t! Not until commander Drastus is safe!

This is going from bad to worse, and we’re left with no other option except the Chuck Norris route, which as previously stated we are woefully unqualified for.

We have to help Drastus!

It’s a shitty plan, and ends how most shitty plans do – in disaster.

With the hostage out of the way, nothing is stopping the rest of the team from mobbing Drastus’ killer. But because the developers were too lazy to actually animate this, he simply drops dead.

Meanwhile, Aurora has just returned from wherever the fuck she ran off to, and apparently didn't get the DK mode memo either.

Drastus’ death will be a setback – he was a fine steward of this steadfast. But with the losses we’ve sustained in this war, I’m the next in command. I will aspire to be half the leader Drastus was.

I feel like she’s setting some pretty low expectations for herself, considering Drastus was apparently foolhardy enough to let himself be disarmed, cornered, and shanked by some jabroni. But then again, I’m new here.

She hands us a paper with some writing on it, but is embarrassed to admit that she doesn’t know how to read.

It’s just a propaganda leaflet.

Recruitment material – they were trying to bring more traitors to the fight.

There were likely other groups trying to flee the valley, but we can rest knowing we stopped this group… a shame it’s at such a high cost.

Am I the only one who remembers that Kyros already sealed the exit?

The Archons are expecting you at the Disfavored war camp. When you are ready to leave, exit by the southeast gate and keep going that way through the foothills.

And that’s that. Just off to the side we find yet another test of athleticism. I don’t know if it’s possible to use companions to pass skill checks like this, but in this case it’s moot because neither of us has the required skill.

We head toward the exit but apparently that one enemy commander we beat up before is still alive, and Aurora and Mocking Blaze can’t agree on what to do with him.

The prisoner is from the Tarkis clan? Then he’s not just any oathbreaker, he’s one of their leaders. No mercy for those who foment rebellion. Find a post and string him up… if his wounds don’t kill him, thirst, starvation, and infection will do the rest.

All must be given a chance to find absolution in service to the Scarlet Chorus. And you know full well this has always been our way. He has a chance to be a slave or soldier – only then do we feed him to the pigs.

I tire of this nonsense. You keep recruiting these oathbreakers, then you fail to inflict order and they defect – and we have to fight them all over again! I will not let another one of these southnobs come back to haunt us!

Well I insist this oathbreaker be taken to the Voices of Nerat… leaving us at an impasse. Fortunately, we have a Fatebinder here to settle the matter for us. So… what say you? What should become of this prisoner?

Despite what you may have seen in those dirty movies that Ted Cruz likes to watch, there's no satisfying both of these woman at the same time. Trump will have to choose.

What say you, esteemed Codex?

 

[baud]

kill him

 

[Darth Roxor]

The combat UI is… busy. Icons, meters, floating numbers, spell animations… it get muddled quickly.

classic poe engine

suffer not the rebel

 

[Erebus]

Executing the man is arguably more merciful than sending him to the Voices of Nerat, but let's do it anyway.

(The Scarlet Chorus is always looking for opportunities to recruit new members, which is why they wanted a warning to be sent before the destruction of Stalwart.)

 

[Strange Fellow]

Kill, kill. The empire needs a strong hand, not filthy libruls afraid of a little bloodshed.

I salute you for transcribing all this. My eyes are glazing over already. I remember glancing over a Tides of Numanuma LP somewhere or other, to get an unbiased sample of the writing, and it was so awful it was hilarious. Wonder how this'll turn out. Probably a lot better, although that might make the LP less entertaining. Then again:

If only there were some sort of visual representation that could show us the oathbreaker warrior holding a Disfavored officer at knife point.

 

[Zanzoken]

I salute you for transcribing all this. My eyes are glazing over already. I remember glancing over a Tides of Numanuma LP somewhere or other, to get an unbiased sample of the writing, and it was so awful it was hilarious. Wonder how this'll turn out. Probably a lot better, although that might make the LP less entertaining. Then again:

If only there were some sort of visual representation that could show us the oathbreaker warrior holding a Disfavored officer at knife point.

Cheers, fren. Obsidian's writers are not afraid to use a dozen words when three will do, that's for sure. Given the effort involved I will probably just be summarizing all of the conversations that are not important to the story, as well as most (if not all) side quests that I take on.

I am still a little undecided on the format. I initially took screenshots of all these convos while playing, but it came out to almost a hundred. So I figured I could reduce that number by just transcribing the filler dialogue and saving screenshots for decision points, or when a visual representation is important to the scene.

This is my first LP so happy to receive any input as far as what's better to read (or anything that can reduce the administrative burden on my side).

 

[Darth Roxor]

Yeah, you definitely shouldn't screen and transcribe all the dialogue with 100% accuracy or this LP will take two years judging by the word salad.

And tbh I've already started ignoring most of the dialogue text

 

[Zanzoken]

Chapter 6: Pressing the Nuclear Button

Spoiler

Picking right up from where we left off, Trump is ready to make a decision regarding captive the Vendrian Guard.

Execute the oathbreaker. One chance to surrender is enough.

Happily. This one will pay for Drastus and all my other brothers and sisters that perished here in Vendrien's Well.

She turns to her subordinates.

You heard the Fatebinder -- kill him, but make an example of him. Find a post that's not in use and string him up.

She turns back to us.

Until next time, Fatebinder. I know you have important business in the valley. No point in keeping you. For the glory of Kyros!

Before heading out, we offload some loot at the vendor. On our way out of town, the traitor we just sentenced to death has indeed been hanged to a post. He calls out and asks us to give him a quick death, so Trump has Verse put him out of his misery.

Now I know how Hillary felt all those times! What a rush!

Exiting the area gives us our first look at the world map. There are two layers to it.

The journey to the Disfavored camp takes a few hours. Once we arrive, Verse asks to stop for a quick pow-wow.

What's that?

Trump decides to indulge her.

I'm here to deliver an Edict from Kyros.

Of course we know what it says. But you should always leave 'em wanting more.

That is not for you to know.

She doesn't take issue with it.

If you're telling the truth, I suppose I'll hear about it soon enough anyway.

I really ought to be meeting with the Archons.

The war tent is just past the center of the camp.

She pauses.

One last thing... be careful around these Disfavored types. They take their work seriously, and most have suffered too many blows to the head.

Duly noted. She seems earnest enough, but Trump is wary of her, given that there's a good chance she is spying on us for Nerat.

At the front gate to the camp, the guards are aware that a celebrity is in their midst.

Trump has no fucking clue who this guy is.

I'm sorry, but with the helmet, it's hard to tell a face.

The soldier says not to worry and compliments Trump's performance during the battle of Bastard City. Then we head in.

It's not a big camp, so the Archon's tent is easy enough to find. The troops guarding its entrance salute their future Emperor.

Upon entry to the tent, we find Graven Ashe and The Voices of Nerat, each flanked by their second-in-command, engaged in a heated discussion about the current situation.

Ashe speaks first.

Nerat is quick to retort.

An interesting thing to note about Nerat is that he apparently has the power of telepathy. When speaking with him, we can mouse over the tooltip about him twirling his rod (ahem) and find that he's also speaking directly into Trump's head. Jewish trickery, indeed.

Verse whispers something in Trump's ear.

Let's give them the floor for now.

[Remain silent.]

I always know you've run out of things to say when you resort to mocking my vassals. If we are to speak of treachery, why is it that my scouts see Scarlet Chorus warriors defecting back to the Vendrien Guard? Your fearsome reputation has gone flaccid, for it seems you cannot control your soldiers... or perhaps you simply choose not to.

Ashe's lieutenant, known as Iron Marshal Erenyos, speaks up.

My Lords, the Fatebinder has arrived. Perhaps we could table this discussion and let our guest speak.

They ignore her.

Speaking of strategic failures, who was it that insisted this valley would need only a token garrison? For some strange reason, we can't seem to recall which balding half-wit grossly underestimated the enemy. Thoughts?

(telepathically) Can you hear us, Fatebinder? Cough if we have your attention.

We have another chance to interrupt, but Trump's content to just keep watching the show for now. Odds are we will eventually have to fight one if not both of these guys, so let's learn all we can about them.

And I thought you had left agents within these Tiersmen when they surrendered. Either you failed to see this coming, or you knew and let it happen -- incompetent or in cahoots, either way this mess has your filthy stink all over it.

These guys really don't mince words with each other.

We look forward to seeing you explain to Tunon why the Archon of War could not close the vice on this trivial little insurgency. When we are crowned ruler of the Tiers, we shall have this place renamed to Ashe's Folly in your honor.

(telepathically) Hello? Fatebinder? We know you can hear us. Now you know we know you know. Come on... these meetings with Ashe are so boring. Cough if we have your attention.

Not going to give him the satisfaction. We continue to remain silent.

If I could trust the information I get from you and your conscripted mouth breathers, perhaps I'd order my cohorts around a bit more aggressively. But last time I trusted your 'all clear' report, my troops failed to come home.

Oh Ashe old boy... if you're going to have a little sob every time one of your nieces or nephews dies to the Tiersmen, perhaps we should have Sirin sing you some calming lullabies to help you cope with your grief.

(telepathically) Suit yourself, Fatebinder. The more you ignore us...

Erenyos isn't going to stand for that.

Hold your tongue! I will not have you denigrate the honor of our fallen brethren.

She places her hand on the hilt of her sword, but doesn't draw it.

I'd be doing us all a favor if I cracked open that excuse for a head.

Nerat's second, a shifty fellow named Fifth Eye, tries to ease the tension.

They bicker like children, do they not?

Everyone glares at him.

I uh... meant only to say welcome, welcome to our guest the Fatebinder! And not a moment too soon!

Erenyos turns to speak to Trump.

Would be interesting to see what the Diplomat response would be, but since that's not our background we opt for a standard greeting.

Apologies for the sudden entrance. I've traveled long to be here.

Stormcaller, it is an honor to have you with us. I would imagine you are here with another of Kyros' Edicts -- perhaps another catastrophe that will punish our foes for hiding behind their walls?

Not exactly. Nerat speaks next.

Trump refuses to take the bait about Drastus.

I come bearing an Edict of Kyros.

Ashe pays tribute to our past victories.

Also, here's the tooltip for "Day of Swords" since that's not clear from the story.

Time to get down to business. Trump throws in a little jab to put these guys on notice.

It seems you need some encouragement to work together. Kyros' Edict will end the lives of everyone in this valley unless Ascension Hall is claimed by Kyros' Day of Swords.

A spooky energy fills the room, and emanates from the scroll as we read the fateful words.

The Overlord means to compel us into action, no doubt the avalanches in the mountains are part of this ultimatum. We must conquer the oathbreakers or die in failure. There is no room for error, and no other way out of this valley alive.

Yep, them's the breaks.

We'll need to advance across the Matani -- we lose everything if we stand still. And we move to backup plan green -- the Earthshakers didn't make it over the mountain in time, so we do this the hard way -- over the walls, instead of through.

Nerat pipes up with more smartassery.

(telepathically) Watch him squirm... so many tears over replaceable, expendable, useless soldiers. I miss the old Archon of War... you'd never see Blood Echo in a blubbering mess over a few dead killers. He'd use the knuckle bones of his best disciples for jewelry, and even made a breast plate out of his dead brother's....

You know, I'm starting to believe that Nerat is a bit of an asshole. And no one is going to out asshole Trump. Let's cut this kike down to size.

They call you the Archon of Secrets, but you certainly don't seem to know anything remotely useful.

Everyone in the room perks up.

I second the Fatebinder! Thought you had the memories of one of those oathbreakers rattling about that bronze gourd of yours. Would Kyros' mighty spy master please enlighten this gathering of allies with some scrap of strategic insight?

Nerat doesn't retort, but instead spins his head around on his shoulders so that another side of his mask is facing forward. When he speaks, it's someone else's voice, trembling with fear.

Our river was to be the bulwark, but with the Tidecasters slain, what hope remains? It's so cold in here. Help me.. please...

His head swivels back to normal. Pretty neat gimmick.

Our sources tell us the oathbreakers had some sort of magical trick in store... but this knowledge is tinged with fear, trepidation. If we make a move for the Matani, we suspect the oathbreakers will mount a counterattack that is... equal parts valiant and futile.

Trump wants some additional context.

That voice -- who was it?

Trump decides that Ashe needs his cage rattled too. Nerat may be an asshole, but he's not necessarily wrong.

No more sitting idle. I expect the Disfavored to be on the march at once.

Ashe doesn't appreciate the comment.

You've delivered your Edict, do not pretend it gives you the right to give orders to an Archon.

Fair enough old man, just get it done.

My Lord, Barik and his band have been drilled on the Echocall assault plan. The Crescent Runners should be briefing him as we speak regarding the latest enemy movements along the river. I will dispatch him at once.

Fifth Eye realizes its his turn to talk.

And I will ensure the Chorus stands ready to march. If the Disfavored can take the river, the Chorus has the manpower to secure the outer ring of the valley.

Okay great.

Our soldiers clamor for battle, and at last we shall have it! Verse, we command you to continue guarding the Fatebinder -- Tunon's chosen is our honored guest, and must be shown the finest hospitality.

I won't let you down, boss. He'll get through the campaign in one piece, as long as he doesn't do anything too stupid.

Better watch that tone, sugar. Nerat's ready to make his exit.

It'll take more than a bit of Jew gold to buy our affection, fella...

[Catch the rings.]

... but it's a start.

And with that, Nerat and Fivehead take their leave.

Finally, the fool and his puppet are gone, perhaps now I can hear myself think. Rarely do I question Kyros' judgment, but I will never understand why the Voices of Nerat is given such authority. I shudder to think what will become of us all should Tunon favor him in the end.

It's called "globohomo".

Though the Edict threatens the Scarlet Chorus just as it threatens us, I cannot shake the feeling that our 'allies' will work against us.

You think?

You've shown your worth in war, and your name has been known to the legion since the very beginning of this long conquest. So I'd ask that you join us this one last time, and help us wrap up this last objective.

I wonder if we had sided with the Chorus more in the prologue, if we'd be getting a similar pep talk from Nerat instead.

If you wish to be counted amongst the glorious, speak with the Iron Marshal -- she will direct the order of battle until we are ready for the final push into the Citadel.

Guess we don't have anything better to do. What about the Chorus side of the equation?

And what of the Scarlet Chorus? How will they be helping?

I ask myself that question often. While we take the river crossing, the Scarlet Chorus should be using their sizable presence to remove the oathbreaker patrols lurking in the outer valley.

The oathbreakers have maintained a sizable force outside the citadel. We need the Chorus' manpower to scour the region. Otherwise, the oathbreakers will attack at our heels once we cross the Matani.

I'm sure we can count on them to watch our backs.

I would be honored to help.

I will be at the training grounds, readying the soldiers -- find me there when you are ready.

She salutes Ashe and turns to leave.

And though I am loath to mention it, the Chorus can likely use your assistance. They certainly won't secure the outer valley on their own. Fifth Eye will be somewhere in that rat's nest they call a camp, due east. Seek him out, if you must.

She exits, leaving just Trump, Verse, and Ashe left in the tent. The crit path conversation is finally over.

Before leaving, we take a moment to speak with Ashe about a couple other things. Trump asks why they've had such a hard time dealing with this rebellion, and Ashe confides that early in the conflict the Disfavored sent a raiding party to capture the citadel, but they were slaughtered to the last man and he's not sure what went wrong.

We also ask about the start of the uprising, where the local garrison was massacred. Ashe drops something of a bombshell, and says he believes they were sabotaged by The Voices of Nerat. Trump asks what proof he has, and Ashe responds by telling us a little more about his healing powers. Not only can he heal his soldiers from a distance, but he can even sense whenever they are injured or killed. And the soldiers who died in the uprising weren't killed in the battle, but afterward, by some kind of horrible magic. One of the casualties was Ashe's own son.

Trump passes a Lore check to inform Ashe that the locals have customs against killing prisoners, which increases the likelihood of foul play among our allies.

With that, we exit Ashe's tent and take stock of things. Today's date is the 18th, so we have 8 days to complete our mission before the Edict hits. Running out of time will presumably mean game over.

We have two active quests in our journal, to prepare each of the two factions for their role in the upcoming battle.

I don't know if we'll have time to complete both missions, so let's operate with the assumption that we won't. Is it better to stay here and help the Disfavored, or seek out the Scarlet Chorus camp and see what's going on there?

 

[Darth Roxor]

His head swivels back to normal. Pretty neat gimmick.

The telepathy in tooltips thing is not bad.

Obviously stick with the disfavoured. Trump wouldn't want to be seen mingling with the democrats.

 

[Sranchammer]

Long Live Kyros!

 

[Strange Fellow]

This isn't just any Fatebinder, this is the Stormcaller! HRH Donald J. Trump fought with us all the way back to the Gates of Judgement - served on the front lines, saw it with my own eyes.

Governor HRH Donald J. Trump, long have we been honored by your iron, now we are honored by your presence. Stormcaller, it is an honor to have you with us.

As for what you should do, you have to go with Ashe, because playing with his dick (I'm sorry, his "scepter") in plain sight throughout that whole conversation is a power move worthy of the God Emperor himself.

 

[baud]

help with the disfavored.

Ashe drops something of a bombshell, and says he believes they were sabotaged by The Voices of Nerat... which increases the likelihood of foul play among our allies.

who wanna bet that the scarlet chorus would have a similar story, how their effort were sabotaged by Ashe

As for what you should do, you have to go with Ashe, because playing with his dick (I'm sorry, his "scepter") in plain sight throughout that whole conversation is a power move worthy of the God Emperor himself.

it was the other guy, the voices of nerat, leader of the scarlet chorus, who played with his scepter during the whole meeting

 

[Strange Fellow]

it was the other guy, the voices of nerat, leader of the scarlet chorus, who played with his scepter during the whole meeting

...well then

Lesson learned: looking at the portrait on the left hand side of the dialogue window to see who's speaking, like in every other RPG, doesn't work here. Reading the dialogue also doesn't work because everyone has several The Superlordking of Adjectives titles that don't correspond to the portrait names.

Spoiler

It's the game's fault!

Scarlet Chorus it is. Much cooler name anyway.

 

[baud]

it was the other guy, the voices of nerat, leader of the scarlet chorus, who played with his scepter during the whole meeting

...well then

Lesson learned: looking at the portrait on the left hand side of the dialogue window to see who's speaking, like in every other RPG, doesn't work here. Reading the dialogue also doesn't work because everyone has several The Superlordking of Adjectives titles that don't correspond to the portrait names.

yeah, it's annoying when a character is alternatively called by his name, surname, title, secondary title

 

[Zanzoken]

Chapter 7: Can't Make An Omelette Without Breaking A Few Skulls

Spoiler

Upon leaving the Archon's tent, the message icon pops up on Verse's portrait indicating she wants to talk. She admits that after seeing Trump read the Edict she's a little bit in awe of him, and affirms that she's glad to be tagging along.

We take a moment to learn some more about her. She's got a very high opinion of herself as a fighter, and has plenty of pretentious metaphors where she likens killing people to making fine art.

Do you even hear yourself when you talk?

Despite her claims of having a PhD in badassery, Verse admits that she once had a moment where she froze up in battle, which led to her three closest Scarlet Fury "sisters" being killed.

She also confesses to being a big fan of old school WWF wrestling, including Terry Taylor a.k.a. the "Red Rooster", who inspired her look.

Red Rooster

That expression on his face says "this shit is going to kill my career, isn't it?" And sure enough, it did.

Anyway, time is wasting, so Trump heads down to find Erenyos, who is drilling troops near the entrance of the fort.

We discuss the Disfavored's role in the coming battle, which is fairly straightforward. The iron legion needs to fight its way across the Matani river and gain a foothold in order to launch an attack on the citadel.

Erenyos asks us to assist preparations at Echocall Crossing, which is led by a fellow named Antio. She also assigns us a Stoneshield bodyguard, Barik, who is unique in that his armor has somehow fused itself to his body.

Here are Barik's relevant sheets. He can be developed in one of two ways -- melee DPS or tank.

We also take a minute to speak with Barik before shoving off. Besides his bizarre Tin Man appearance, we learn he is a veteran of the Stalwart campaign, and he and Verse are already acquainted. Otherwise, the dude seems like a typical ra-ra Disfavored grunt.

And finally, we speak to the quartermaster and pick up a side quest to find a shipment of iron ore which has gone missing on the river.

We're ready to head for Echocall, but it appears the Scarlet Chorus camp is literally right on the way, so we may as well check it out first.

However, we get ambushed halfway there by a random (or not so random) encounter.

It's a mage of some kind, along with two members of the Vendrien Guard.

But apparently they only want to parlay, as indicated by a "blue flag" of peace.

Trump's in no mood to deal with delays.

You would detain a Fatebinder of the Archon of Justice? Unwise.

She claps back.

Trump has had to endure years of disrespect from smug, floofy-haired cunts just like this. But now he has the opportunity to do something about it.

[draws weapon] Run while you can.

She's still not getting it.

Verse steps in to de-escalate.

Point taken.

But if it wasn't for running afoul of Tunon, this bitch would be dead.

I am Eb of the School of Tides, and today I speak on behalf of the Vendrien Guard.

Exactly the type of stupid fucking name you would expect for a person who looks like this.

As is our custom, we are ready to kill to defend our lands, but we kill only in fair battle, we don't slay our prisoners. We know this isn't Kyros' way, but we must have hope.

Whatever. She wants to know where Demos is, the oathbreaker we sentenced to die.

Negotiate, you say?

Assuming he's our prisoner, what would you offer in exchange?

We would offer you five Choirmen that got lost on patrol. They're healthy, got all their limbs too.

I would not have us barter with oathbreakers... certainly not for anything less than Disfavored lives.

Can't disagree with him there.

You say there's something worth less than a Disfavored life? Call me intrigued.

Yes, it's called a communist.

We have the option to try to trick them into something, but it's not worth the trouble.

Tarkis Demos is dead.

I see. That is as I feared, but thank you for telling me all the same, I prefer closure to wishful thinking.

One thing that should be made clear is that when I transcribe dialogue, I am writing it exactly as it appears in the game. These run-on sentences are embarrassing for supposedly professional writers.

If I may make one more inquiry. What of Pelox Tyrel? Did he survive?

Nope! lol

Another dead oathbreaker. Whomever you will ask about next, I assure you, nothing can be done.

dealwithit.gif

My apologies, Fatebinder. I had a terrible feeling this errand was in vain from the start.

Yeah, and you managed to make a powerful enemy too, bitch.

We're through. Leave while you still can.

I doubt we've seen the last of her.

Anyway, we finally reach the Scarlet Chorus camp. The first thing we run across is a dust-up between two rival gangs. According to Verse, this is how they establish military hierarchy.

Trump urges them to go for it, but instead of a winner it ends with almost everyone dead, including both would-be bosses. There's a lesson to be learned here, but these aren't learning animals.

A couple of female guards stop us at the gate. The Chorus seems to be primarily made up of women, which explains a lot actually.

I'm always in the right place.

She likes that, and though wary of Barik, lets us in without issue.

While exploring the dirty, unkempt, shithole of a camp, we run into another Scarlet Fury who is high on the smell of her own farts. She asks us to help find some new recruits for the Chorus and we pick up another sidequest.

Time to go to check in with Queer Eye.

Fifth Eye says that in addition to the main force at the Citadel, he believes there is a second camp of oathbreakers somewhere in the valley. If we don't take care of them, the assault on the citadel will be vulnerable to counter-attack.

Chorus scouts have captured a prisoner who claims to know the camp's location, and Fifth Eye wants help interrogating her.

Trump doesn't feel this falls within his purview, given that the Voices of Nerat can literally read people's minds. Fifth Eye doesn't want Nerat to get involved, but we finally agree to help if he promises to share some magical lore with us after this is all over.

We walk down to the prisoner poles to get started.

The young lady in question appears ready to sing like a pigeon, but Fifth Eye doubts her honesty. Trump gets her to admit that she doesn't actually know the location, but she points out their commander among a pile of bodies and says he's carrying a written copy of their orders.

Unfortunately, the note is written in code. Fivehead is pissed and ready to execute the prisoner, but Trump convinces him to let her join the Chorus -- if she proves her loyalty by bludgeoning her two remaining comrades to death with a rock.

I will be reusing that one once we reboot The Apprentice!

Unfortunately, we're still no closer to deciphering the message. Just then, the last remaining prisoner on the pole chimes in.

According to the dialogue box, the old man's name is Lantry.

Can you read this?

Well let me see... I can't... umm... hmmm... uh huh...

So... I don't know exactly what it says but... I'm half certain that's Sage Selwin's handwriting. I'm sure I could decipher that in a few hours' time. Don't NEED my hands free, but... I think better when not tied to a post. I know, I'm weird that way.

Why does he talk like a Southern California hipster?

Anyway, Fifth Eye is unimpressed, and Trump's not sure this guy isn't bullshitting either. But he's the best lead we have at the moment.

Fifth Eye decides that the old man will have a trial by combat, which is a completely ridiculous idea but also on-brand for his character. Lantry is desperate for our help.

The guy could be helpful, but risking our neck for him is a little much to ask.

As a Fatebinder, it is not my place to tell the Chorus how to conduct trials on their own land.

Fifth Eye is jubilant at this, but Lantry persists.

All right then. In RPG terms it's been ages since we got to kill something, and Trump reasons that giving the Chorus a good thrashing on their home turf would be a bold power move.

Fine. But I'll be his champion -- this one needs to live.

Verse and Barik both say they are happy to get some action too.

Lantry is unchained, and Fifth Eye gathers the horde for the spectacle.

The challengers step up...

Seriously though, look at this clusterfuck...

... and it's over.

Lantry fulfills his end of the bargain by translating the parchment, and we learn that the enemy is congregating near someplace called Tripnettle. Fifth Eye asks us to go check it out on his behalf.

Lantry then asks if he can join the party. Trump is skeptical, until...

A biography, you say? Welcome aboard, old friend!

But first, swear a personal oath of fealty to your God Emperor.

Since the game only allows four to a party, we're now fully staffed. Here's the relevant info on Lantry.

At first glance I thought he was a healer, but the "Preservation" talent tree looks kind of shitty. I'll have to think about how best to use him.

So for our next stop, we have three options to choose from.

Echocall Crossing, to help the Disfavored. It's fairly close by.

Tripnettle, to help the Scarlet Chorus. A much longer journey.

Or there's also a remote settlement we can visit, if we want to help the Chorus with its recruiting efforts.

Where to, co-pilots?

 

[Darth Roxor]

why does barik smell of feces

does he shit into his armour

that sounds like an awfully specific bit of information

also wot's up with those green texts in the dialogueronis

dis writung sure as hell makes me feel like giving my fingernails at trim

the quills and ink characteristic of the sages of ink and quill!

holy shit this game, it's like obsidian decided to try to out-numa numa


also, go for the crossing since it's the closest

 

[Strange Fellow]

Get a load of Billie Joe Armstrong over here. I sure hope that's not indicative of-

Yeah, on second thought I'm glad we didn't side with the Chorus.

Go as far away as possible, as soon as possible.

 

[Ol' Willy]

Great LP, man.

But oh man, there is really too much women in this game...

 

[ValeVelKal]

Yeah, you definitely shouldn't screen and transcribe all the dialogue with 100% accuracy or this LP will take two years judging by the word salad.

And tbh I've already started ignoring most of the dialogue text

That's why I barely look at RPG let's play. Too much texts, and I can have the same experience playing.

 

[Erebus]

There's something useful in the camp other than Lantry. I think it's the greenish parchment near the tent.

Lantry's a pretty decent companion, from what I remember. I think he can get access to a skill (probably in the Sage tree) that improves the Lore of the rest of the party.

The order in which our glorious god-emperor takes care of the minor quests of this chapter probably doesn't matter much. Might as well start with Echocall Crossing.

 

[Tigranes]

The writing is really something else. It's not quite as laborious and dull as Pillars of Eternity, but the whole presentation just screams "young adult fiction" to me.

I think it's a consequence of the world not really being fully fleshed out, so it relies on fantasy tropes instead of an internal consistency. Compare to something like Morrowind, which is just as fantastical on the surface but somehow manages to also feel like a real place with history, culture, etc.

I think they did it on purpose to draw on some aspect of the young adult American comic book feel ... at least in the most stereotypical way.

"The most formidable realm"? Stalwart it is. When you wanna reach high, you gotta aim high.

Also these assorted names, I swear. STALWART. AZURE. VELLUM. Though my favourite thus far is definitely the complete stupidity that is TERRATUS!

Also2 five bucks says these choices won't matter for shit lol.

I will never, ever, ever, get over god damn Bleden Mark

I would have been less embarrassed of being 13 and having my mom walk in on a tentacle hentai game

 

[baud]

"The most formidable realm"? Stalwart it is. When you wanna reach high, you gotta aim high.

Also these assorted names, I swear. STALWART. AZURE. VELLUM. Though my favourite thus far is definitely the complete stupidity that is TERRATUS!

Clearly an intentional choice to go for these sort of simple, elemental names - perhaps to emphasize the more "earthy", gritty nature of the setting? Chris Avellone might have been the one who came up with this FYI.

Maybe they copied the naming style from the Black Company books? Though it works better with the simple writing the Black Company books use instead of the Obsidian patented words salad

 

[Zanzoken]

why does barik smell of feces

does he shit into his armour

that sounds like an awfully specific bit of information

also wot's up with those green texts in the dialogueronis

I guess the implication is that since Barik literally can't remove his armor, he has no choice but to shit himself?

The green texts are tooltips, usually containing some info related to worldbuilding that hasn't been explained through dialogue or other means. Orange text is also tooltips, but more like encyclopedia entries for characters, groups, etc.

There's something useful in the camp other than Lantry. I think it's the greenish parchment near the tent.

Yep I picked that up and it's some kind of sigil for the spellmaking system. I should spend some time playing around with it and see if we can craft any interesting new abilities.

 

[AgentFransis]

Maybe they copied the naming style from the Black Company books? Though it works better with the simple writing the Black Company books use instead of the Obsidian patented words salad

The whole setting seems pretty much lifted straight from Black Company. The Tyrant is The Lady, the Archons are the Ten Who Were Taken each with a private army and constantly squabbling. The story being about a rebellion that's proving hard to crush. Too bad they forgot to copy the cool characters and the charm.

Calling the main character Stormcaller almost seems like a direct reference seeing as there's a Stormbringer in Black Company.

 

[baud]

Maybe they copied the naming style from the Black Company books? Though it works better with the simple writing the Black Company books use instead of the Obsidian patented words salad

The whole setting seems pretty much lifted straight from Black Company. The Tyrant is The Lady, the Archons are the Ten Who Were Taken each with a private army and constantly squabbling. The story being about a rebellion that's proving hard to crush. Too bad they forgot to copy the cool characters and the charm.

Calling the main character Stormcaller almost seems like a direct reference seeing as there's a Stormbringer in Black Company.

I read the books in French, so I didn't knew there was a character called that, it's just storm in that translation. But yeah, even the starting premise of evil won and the protagonist(s) start working for them is the same (it changes with the Black Company, don't know for Tyranny).

Where to, co-pilots?

And go to the crossing. For Lantry, does the game forces you to save him, or can he just die here and there?