Part 5: Update Five: I Can't Think Of A Dunwitch Pun

Paging Geop! Save us all!

Anywho, last time, on Cthulhu Saves The World, we made our way through the Hero's Shrine, defeated the sentient sword, Sharpe, who resided at the top, and then had that sword join our party. We were on our way back to Miskatonia, to party down at the cafe, but I took a break just to leave off on some sort of cliffhanger. Today, we'll be going to Dunwitch, so let's get crazy.



I suppose I could have included this bit in the last update, but it was getting pretty long. And I'd already gained that level as Sharpe, so it pretty much had to go there.



Sure, I could have shown that in this update, but that kind of feels like lying.

Let's go boogie.



Who's next!? Are sentient axes not to be trusted!? The sentient whips never hurt anyone!

Well, never hurt anyone who didn't want to be hurt. They carved out a nice niche for themselves in other markets.





Something tells me that you're not sorry at all!



I don't think that Sharpe would have...Tentacle-blocked Cthulhu? I'm not saying "cock-blocked" as that's just crude.



No, driving others into frothing insanity, and chai lattes, in reverse order.



Yes, musical numbers, and it serves as his face, respectively.



Oh, right, we can't have booze in an old-school RPG.





Jeez, where's a distraction when you--



Oh, perfect.



I probably am. I was quite popular in the voting the other night.



It'd certainly go a long way toward it, I'd reckon.





Must be some really bad shit over there then. Running and constructing isn't easy work.





What better way to receive quests? All the good heroes find their best work when sitting in the bar cafe.





And thus, we moved out so hard, we're now out of sight of Miskatonia.







They say just head south, but they leave out how far south you're actually going.



Or the mountains and forests. How friggin' long did it take that guy to get up there?





Especially with horrific monstrosities like that running around.



Get enough melted butter, and you'll never notice.





Yeah, they can hit you. That's about it, as far as that goes.







Finally, there's Dunwitch.

In the Lovecraft mythos, it's spelled as "Dunwich" and it the setting for the story The Dunwich Horror. I won't go into full details on the story, as there are readers who can sum it up better than I, but it features the Necronomicon, mentions Yog-Sothoth, has an albino, and was a point of pride for Lovecraft, who thought that Weird Tales may not print it, so great was the horror. Instead, Lovecraft got a check for $240 for it (around $3,000 in today's money), and the story is celebrated my many these days as horrifying, spooky, and atmospheric as hell.



In this game, it's full of zombies and other nasty creatures.



Hell yeah.



Sharpe, don't sound like such a nerd about it. We're about to eviscerate a ton of zombies; sound excited about it! Say something cool! Mention ripping and tearing and shitting down necks!





Oh, don't act like you're not in for the slaughter of zombies.



...Huh. I guess he has a bit of a point.



...Alright. This is odd, but I won't kill more than needed.





Everyone has their soft spots, Sharpe. Even you, you solid chunk of metal.



Considering how many things I'm going to make batshit during the course of this game? Absolutely not.



Man, video games make you do weird things.



Anywho, it's dark in the city, so we have a circle of light around us. It doesn't obstruct us in any way, but I suppose it adds a bit to just how damned dark it is in the city.



: hybrid zombies in the case of Molly). There's Epiphany in Spaaace! where one of the storylines focuses on a zombie-like race. And, of course, there's this game where an entire dungeon is focused on zombies. What's next for Zeboyd Games? Is it another zombie game? Stay tuned!



Did either of the Penny Arcade games they worked on have zombies?



That is certainly a lot of zombies.





Zombies, and variations thereof, are our main enemies for this dungeon, naturally.



Zombies have a bit of HP, but they're not all that special. As we've all come to realize by now.





They don't do a ton of damage, but they appear in fairly sizable groups and often with other enemies, helping form large groups.





The rewards are good, too.



So, Dunwitch, being an entire city, is a pretty big dungeon. So big, this is going to be two updates.



We're going to have a ton of ground to cover, lots of enemies to fight, a big boss fight, a new party member, and lots of zipping between buildings.



And a few people to talk to, here and there.



Ah, so like, the King Zombie?



That'd be kind of a neat cameo for Erik, if he had ever become King.



I say neat mostly because that means we'd get to kick the shit out of him.



Hang on, my tongue doesn't have the proper muscles to pronounce that.

Either way, Nyarl is a deity, the Crawling Chaos, but he frequently walks the Earth in the guise of a slim, joyous man, looking like a sort of pharaoh. He was only in a few different works, four stories and two sonnets, and first appeared in the story bearing his same name. In that story, he was like Cain, from Kung-Fu, but instead of wandering the earth and saving people through kicking ass, he wandered the earth, gaining a shitload of followers (including the narrator of the story), and the story becomes more disjointed as the narrator becomes unhinged, like the rest of the followers. He was also featured in "The Dream Quest of Unknown Kadath", "Fungi from Yoggoth", "The Dreams in the Witch House", and "The Haunter of the Dark." He's also been featured in a ton of other media, including some of the Persona games, Alan Moore's Necronomicon, this game, and the final boss of Bloodborne was based heavily upon the deity.



Holy shit, this LP is going to be informative as a motherfucker.









Since I forgot to do this in the last battle, have an Insane Zombie. Though, if they're mindless and free of sanity, how do you make them go Insane? Or do they just wrap around, like an overflow error, and become sane again?



Sea Ghouls, like all small flying birds in video games, are more annoyance than threat. They're fast, hit for pitiful damage, and exist mostly to force battles to last just that much longer.



Thankfully, they don't try to peck out your eyes or steal from you.



I'm still not sure if I want them mentioned.



Maybe they're just looking for a vacation spot!



Oh, shit, another fight?



This dungeon has a jacked up encounter rate, but that will be elaborated on in the next update, with a bit of director's commentary.



Deathleaders are pains in the ass, and not just because they're a bit tougher than your average zombie.



Sharpe's Multi-Strike has no problem mutilating them, though.



Making them Insane seems to force their guts out of their mouths, though.



The Strike skills for Umi aren't bad choices, simply because they do a bunch of damage; not only does that give Umi a bit of utility use, but it also gives her a powerful attack, which is good for our fastest character.



Anyways, this is why Deathleaders suck. Though, thankfully, for the rest of this fight, they did nothing but use this move, which made them easy pickings. I'm glad I didn't have to see what kind of damage they'd be putting out after six of those, though.



Oh, man, that is lucrative.



But, they're the kind of enemy who is much deadlier when paired with other enemies.



There's always a couple in RPGs, isn't there?





Each of these tombstones has unique dialog associated with it.





It looks like I'm missing a shot, right? I'm not; I even went back just now and double-checked my footage and I'm not missing one.





Oh, God, zombie dogs!



Who's a good boy? Yeah, you're a good boy, aren't you, yes you are



I'm pretty sure that Sharpe has no tastes in common with snausages.



I love the Insane sprites. Seriously, that's a little terrifying.



But, eh, nothing special after the fight.



Where in the world do you get cross-shaped pizza? Hell, I wonder if there's a market for that in Vatican City...

But what kind of toppings do you use? Should there be a Meat Lover's special on Friday nights? Could probably get away with being closed on Sundays.

















To the right person, she's even hotter now.



"S T O P F U C K I N G W R I T I N G O N M Y T O M B S T O N E"



And a level-up to break the monotony!



That's a good boost to Umi's MP. A little more than six times what she gains in a level.



However, this is a shitload more stats than she gains per level, so we're going with this. In most cases, I'm going to choose stats over bigger HP/MP numbers, since I think stats will get us farther. If we have 500 HP, but no way to mitigate the damage we're taking, then what use is all that HP? 'course, if we have super high stats, but not enough HP/MP to back them up, that causes its own problems, too. Since we're gaining at least a bit of HP/MP each level, that makes it easier to focus on the stats, but our equipment also adds to our stats.



Oh, man, now I'm thinking more than I'm used to when I gain a level.



Awww



I'd still like to solve the puzzle. No treasure is absolutely worthless.



Upon Googling "Francis the Hero" I find a link to the Heroes Wiki, as well as a My Hero Project page for Pope Francis.





My grandfather used to work as a grave digger, and then he had a heart attack in the graveyard.

He turned out okay, after he leaned against one of the stones to catch his breath. This was the same guy who took a chainsaw to the face and came out of it with heavy bruising.



Oh, God, can you imagine how bad this smells?



Hrm...



As long as nothing pokes us with the magical equivalent of a stick, we'll be fine.



Let's get back on track



After this level up, of course.







Meh, I have no use for killing my combo and not having Cthulhu kill bad guys. Umi can patch him up, if shit goes south.







Hmm...Both of these are things I like Sharpe to have. Especially the Strength, and I think that pairs well with Agility, so we go with that.





Oh, hey, a church. Makes sense, with the graveyard nearby.



Eh, I'm sure you'll make a fine lunch.





Outside of the church, we can finally confront one of the masses.



Oh, they're just coming to your town and helping you party it down.





'course, not everyone is in a partying mood. Or else these are the guys at the party who drink way too much way too early, and decide the best way to keep things going is to fight someone.





So...He was killed by horrific heartburn. Poor bastard.



His Insane sprite isn't too much of a difference.



The Ghoul's, on the other hand...





And the Fat Zombies are just slightly harder hitting Zombies; they can also Puke on you, causing Poison. All in all, neither of these guys are super impressive.



But, it's still early in the game. You can't start out with your most impressive enemies.





Talking to any of the zombies gives us the same message about them partying too hard to even notice us.





Zombie Cops are assholes, and Deathleaders can make them even worse.





And piling on making things worse is driving them Insane. Remember how I keep mentioning that Insanity can make some enemies extremely dangerous? Here's an excellent example of that.



...Yeah...Zombie Cops can truly fuck your shit up if you give them the right conditions.







We're heading through this house to snag a treasure chest.





I'm not sure how Sharpe's weapon switching really works, since his face is on his blade. Unless he's got some sort of Mr. Potato Head thing going on.

When battle starts, he has Umi put on his "angry eyes"



By making our way back around, we're on the opposite side of the zombie wall and ready to continue forward.



And on the other side of the river is another chest and the way forward.





Heading through this house, it's not as simple as walking through.





I'd reckon this girl is probably going to be okay. I don't think partying zombies are going to come up here to eat her brains.





I didn't want to be the one to tell you this, sweetie, but he's--





Yeah, he's probably okay.



Or else he's out making false gold pieces.





I want to see what's on those bookshelves!



I seriously love it when games let you examine bookshelves, just to see what sorts of books are on there, whether it adds a bit of world-building, miscellaneous info, or just a joke or two.



It's a sign of a little bit of care and detail put into a game.





Oh, game, you're just teasing me now.



Ah, another bird enemy.



You know the drill for these guys; they're slightly better Sea Ghouls.



...I probably should have driven one of them Insane...



Oh, well, I got three Potions!





Yeah, most of this dungeon is popping in and out of various houses.



Someone's still tending their shop? That's dedication to your job.



After this is all over, try selling weapons to those you've already sold drinks to.



While I like the concept of it, Umi doesn't have enough Poison stuff going on right now to warrant picking it up. The Aqua Trident's 50% boost to Water/Ice is still too good to give up.



When it comes to armor, you'd reckon that Cthulhu is set, but I don't like that massive Will penalty.





Each bit of armor gets bought, and I sell all the old stuff.

If you were wondering, the Trance Sword we got for saving Shane sold for $200.





While Cthulhu loses a bit of Vitality, he still has plenty of natural Vit to back him up. I don't know what a spell would do to him with 0 Will, and I don't have any desire to really find out.



No way around here, so let's go into the broken home.









Looking at these cars...Are they cars? They look like cars. What's the general tech level in this world?



No time to think about that, it's battle time!



Ooh, Necromancers.



There's one important thing to remember about the Necromancer.



Since they're masters of the undead and all.



They're a priority target, as they also have access to Dark Blast, which can do a fair amount of damage, but if you keep killing off one enemy, they'll take their turn to revive it.



"RETURN YOUR LIBRARY BOOKS OR SUFFER THE LATE FEES"



Unfortunately, we can't exploit this to gain massive amounts of EXP and Gold from a single fight.



But, we still got enough EXP to level up Sharpe.



Ooh, I like Fire.



But, Cthulhu pretty well has that locked down, so Sharpe will get the Ice Strike.





Hey, what's goin' on over here?



This bit of commentary is spoilery as hell, so someone remind me to come back for it later. For now, let's go see what the young lady is up to.



Put on your Hero Shoes, folks, we've got work to do.



Exactly, Umi.





...Maybe not.







Big as life and twice as tentacley.





We're only a good guy so that we can destroy the world later.



Indeed. And we're missing a Black Mage.



I like the way you think, Cthulhu.





Excellent. You can start by razing this city.



Jeez, Sharpe, quit being such a square.





...Our Goth necromancer is named October? Jesus Christ on a crutch.



Funny, I've never had the chance to beat the living daylights out of a god before.



...No, wait, I've made that joke before.



I think. I'm pretty sure I've also beat the daylights out of at least one deity level being in an LP. Lavos definitely counts.





Awww, yeah. Gotta fill that mage role.



Yeah, we're not going to get there as quickly as you'd like, bud.



As we're finishing this update by showing off stat screens and seeing October's stats.

Cthulhu is being built to smash your face in as hard as he can, and he's going to be quite good at it.



As I'm a boring sort, Umi is being built into a magic user, with some healing magic and Water/ice elements. Her Vitality isn't all that great, but she's pretty fast, has good Will, and excels at Magic.



Sharpe is about slicing and dicing those who get in his way, and he's better at it than Cthulhu is, as well as being fast enough that he's going first in most encounters and can wipe something off the map before it even knows it was on there to begin with.



October is all about that magic use; she uses Whips for weapons and they usually have a different effect attached to them. Her beginning Whip, for instance, has a 50% chance to Stun whichever enemy it hits and a later Whip will automatically hit all enemies in a battle. Tomes are her armor, and increase her MP, as well as her magic based stats.





Fireball, we already have a pretty good idea about; Dark Blast is just a fuck-off attack that bashes one enemy; Quake hits all enemies on screen, but will break the combo to do so.

That's enough for now, I think. This update is already fairly long and we still have a good bit of dungeon to get through, but that'll have to wait until next time.

Stay tuned!