The Let's Play Archive

Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga

by Stabbey_the_Clown

Part 8: Rumours and Roots



Chapter 5 – Rumours and Roots



01 - The Mill
02 - The Black Boar Inn
03 - Captain Rodney and Bounty Hunting


Music: Broken Valley Wakes


Video: The Mill


(Yara) I’m feeling much better – good as new, in fact. I guess that fighting a ghost thing really does work.





(Sue) Have you heard what they say about the Slayers?




…She says to the woman with glowing silver eyes and a Slayer tattoo.
What do “they” say?
They say they’re as tall as trolls and just as strong!


Some people recognize Slayers on sight. Others don’t, apparently unconcerned with the glowing eyes.

1. Actually, I am a Slayer!
2. And on top of that, these Slayers can shoot lightning from the eyes!
3. Have you nothing better to do than gossip?

I could correct her, but I think it’ll be more fun just to fuck with her head.
And on top of that, these Slayers can shoot lightning from the eyes!
No way! I have to tell everybody!
(-33 XP) Peggy acts like she’s a natural blonde! Who does she think she’s fooling?




(Sue) You know what I discovered?
(Peggy) What’s that?
Derk is having an affair!
No! You sure?
He sneaks away almost every night! What else could it be?
You have to hear this!
Tell me!
Ollie is telling everyone he saw a Dragon!
That old tattler! There have been no Dragons here in more than twenty years!
At least Stan tries to hush him a bit!
Did you see? There’s a Champion here! From Aleroth!
Yes, I saw him arrive!
Handsome – isn’t he! Bit brusque, though.
He can be a bit brusque with me anytime!
Oh, you naughty lass you!




(Peggy) Slayer, have you heard?
Heard what?
Upton told me he caught Lieutenant Louis in the woods this morning… with no pants on! Ha ha ha ha!


1. I know for a fact the Lieutenant was in the barracks at that time.
2. No! Really? How embarrassing!
3. I don’t have time for mindless gossip!

No! Really? How embarrassing!
Isn’t it just? Frightful! Ha ha ha ha ha!
(-33 XP) Sue flirts with every man in town! She’s so slutty.

Yara was next to the mill’s upper entrance, and the smell of freshly baked bread enticed her inside.






(Linda) Welcome to our town, Slayer! I’m Linda, the miller’s daughter.
So do you work here with your father?
I do, yes. Though he does the actual milling. I usually fetch the grain from Jackson’s farm – with an escort of guards, of course. That can get a bit tedious, but Peavey and Quincy don’t seem to mind.
I bet they ‘let’ her walk in front of them, too.
Is there something of interest about the town you can tell me?
Not really. I mean, it’s such a quiet little place. It was different a long time ago when the people used to call these lands the Valley of Shrines and warlords were as numerous as the rabbits. The most exciting thing to happen now is a wild creature coming too close to the walls or having visitors such as yourself. It’s not that I mind this uneventful life, but I do hope to see the cities one day and maybe even meet an interesting man. I just hope they’re not all like that Champion Ricky or something. I said hello and he pinched my… Well, a lady shouldn’t tell.
If someone were to greet me like that, they’d need to find a damn good healer quickly if they hoped to ever eat solid food again.
(-40 XP) Oh, why did I have to lose my coin purse in the chapel? I just hope I can sneak back in before Father Dominic ‘collects’ it.
I should get going, Linda.
Enjoy your stay!




Mmmm… I can’t resist freshly baked bread. So soft, and still warm from the oven!




(Miller Upton) Yes? Anything this old miller can do for you?
I wonder if you have seen the Dragon we are searching for?
Can’t say I have. I rarely leave my mill, you see.
Quite an operation you have going here. And for such a little town, too.
That’s how things work in Broken Valley, Slayer. We are completely self-sufficient with a mill, smithy, farm, and barracks. The tavern is the only real place of commerce, and is popular with traveling merchants and the odd traveler.
(-40 XP) I shouldn’t hide the key in the kettle anymore. Nearly choked on it the last time Linda made soup.
I must leave.
Then, I’ll get back to work.




Yara searched inside the pot and came up with a key.

I wonder what this is for.

This key is always here, whether you read Upton’s mind or not. That’s in part because someone else knows where it’s hidden. This is another skippable mind-read on second playthroughs.




Yara went down to the actual mill itself. She noticed a locked door, and a trap door beyond it. The key from the kettle fit.






Yara glanced at the desks and picked up some simple alchemical formulas.

An alchemy garden? Why would the miller need to hide this?

There was a tunnel through the door.


Check the tables on either side for something really useful, but easy to miss:







The desks have the scrolls for the Quality Rank 1 Healing and Mana potions. They blend in pretty well, but this is the only time you’ll find scrolls outside of a container, thankfully.






(???) What are you doing in this cellar? You went behind Buad’s back – didn’t you?
Er… Come out, come out, wherever you are!
Not every day you meet a talking tree, right?
Oh, no. Where I come from I can’t walk down a street without a tree trying to chat me up. It’s mostly a lot of bitching about squirrels, really… Of course it’s strange!
(Abanayabar) I am Abanyabar, oldest alchemist in Rivellon. I stay here rooted underground, protected by Buad who came here some seventy years ago. He pretends to be a baker, but in secret, he and I explore the powers of the plants and the elements.
How did you come to grow in this little cave?
I actually stand far from here in what was called the Dark Forest, which may not even be there anymore since the Great War. Before travelling here, Buad took one of my branches and magically cultivated it to grow a new tree. So here I stand, as I also perhaps still do in that forgotten forest, twice alive, or once dead. There is something a little different about this second me, though. I remember being a lot grumpier. Probably because it was raining ALL the time in that wicked wood.
Why does Buad call himself Upton?
Oh, something about a contract on his head. You’ll have to ask him about that.
(-200 XP) Buad’s such a weird man sometimes. Who chooses the word “Illuminatus” as a storage password? Humans… Stupid bipeds!
I’d like to benefit from your alchemical knowledge.
With pleasure.


A Talking tree was in Divine Divinity, and Buad was also mentioned, but at that time he was already missing. More on this in the Behind the Scenes.

I’m also not going to talk to Upton AKA Buad about the price on his head until I want to start that quest. I’m level 1 and I want to be at least level 5.


Alchemists



Alchemists take raw ingredients and give you potions. Oddly enough, even though you need to go to them, they can only make things from formulas that YOU know. When you visit an Alchemist, any formulas you have in your inventory vanish and are added to the Alchemists’ list of known formulas. (So if you still have Formulas after visiting, they’re duplicates to sell.)

There are 10 Quality levels to potions. The lowest level is “Limited”. The number on the left shows the number of potions which I have in my inventory, and the number on the right is number of potions I can make with the amount of ingredients I have.

So I have 14 Limited Healing potions, and I can make 5 more with the amount of Ginseng I have. I have 12 Limited Revitalizing (Mana) potions, but I have no Earth Roots, so I can’t make any more.

I’ll have a separate post explaining Alchemy in greater detail later.




(Sue) Slayer! A word in your ear!
Just make sure they’re words, not venom.
You know Romon, the priest? He might just be… in league with a dragon!
In fact, he’s the chief reason the Slayers are here! But keep that to yourself!
No! That’s unbelievable! Your secret is safe with me, Slayer!


(Peggy) Slayer, listen to this!
I’m all ears.
That doctor in the inn has screws in his head and if he takes them out he can lift off the top of his skull!
They say he did it because he swapped brains with a Demon!
Oh no! What if he spies for Damian!

Been to the Black Boar recently?
No, why?
The food was awful! Tasted like there was troll in the stew!
No! You don’t think….?
Yeah, I’d say you don’t.
I’m not sure. But you didn’t hear it from me!




Let’s see if I can find Linda’s purse.




Aha!




(Sue) Slayer, it’s incredible!
Here we go again.
They say miller Upton, when he is tired of someone, grinds people in his mill and throws them in the river!
So that’s what I saw floating through the grate and out of town!
You… you saw? By the Divine – something must be done!

(Peggy) Slayer, you won’t believe it!
No, I don’t think I will.
Richard says Folo is, you know, intimate with his pigs!
Really? Well let’s hope the children look like their mother, then!
Oh, you’re awful! Ha ha ha!




I found this purse in the chapel. It says “Linda” on it.
(Linda) My purse! Oh you’re a wonder, Slayer! Thank you so much for returning it, we don’t have much gold to spare.
I should get going, Linda.
The tavern awaits!

100 XP gained. - It cost 40 XP to mind-read her, so it was actually only a gain of 60. If you use the purse you get 100 gold.



Now, including the mind-reading I did of people I haven’t apparently met in this version, I now have an XP debt of over 1100, which will let me complete the next quest without gaining a level.




Video: The Black Boar Inn


(Fanny) Never have I met such disgusting… such perverts! Fanny is a perfectly nice name whatever the connotations! I’d kick them in the family jewels if I weren’t a lady! You can get rid of them, can’t you Slayer? I implore you!

In North America, fanny is slang for buttocks. But everyone in the game has a European accent of some kind, and in Britain and Ireland, fanny is a colloquialism for female genitalia. So the men up there could have been really quite colourful. The More You Know!




(Barmaid Elsa) Here are your beers again, sirs!
(Nigel) Tell me pretty: you in charge of the bedding too?




No, no – I’m just a waitress!
Then why don’t you wiggle back for some more ale, eh?




(Tim) Hello, Slayer. You’re the first one to dare show their face here since them seekers walked in.
Loud bunch, aren’t they?
Horrible Seekers! I never saw such boorish behaviour in my life!
Loudmouths are a nuisance, but these characters don’t stop there! They have scared away all my customers and the way they harass poor Elsa is just plain sacriligeous!
I suppose a quiet drink is out of the question.
An impolite bunch to be sure. But hey, nothing much to be done about it.
Hint, hint.
The New Order is not to be trifled with! Though perhaps a Slayer might…
Yes, I get your drift! And I’m a Slayer, after all.
You mean you’ll do something about them? That’s fantastic!
I’ll have a word with the gentlemen.




Band of Brutes
A lot of the quest names are clever, cute, or puns. This one is “Band of Brothers”. Either Elsa or Tim can give you this quest.

Because we’re a Slayer, and Slayers are known for being badasses, a lot of people will try and get us to help them. It’s only a slight change from the normal adventurer schtick, but I like it because everyone is impressed with us, even if we’re just some level 1 weakling. And honestly, Yara is a badass.




(Nigel) What’s the pink animal on the ceiling? Watch out for elephants on the wing.
(Merill) Some more bleer here! Or… beer, something!
Suffering from a mild form of inebriation are we?
(Merill) Inewhatnow?
(-33 XP) (Merill) I think I’ve had just one mug too many!
Never you mind. See you around!
(Merill) Shee… you! Why are my pants wet?




I can’t believe these jackasses call themselves soldiers. Or drinkers, for that matter.

(Buck) An identical twin! Don’t see lots of those!

(Anthony) Uh? Whot? Who are you?
I’m Merlin the happy pig.
(Anthony) Ha! You… Pffhehe… You’re sooo funny.
(-33 XP) (Anthony) One more for the road, perhaps!
Didn’t your mother ever tell you to treat women nicely?
(Anthony) Oh, but Elsa of the inn, I don’t know where to begin. You bring the finest beer. I want to unhinge your brassiere. He he he ho ho!
You Seekers are in desperate need of an etiquette lesson!
(Anthony) This here Slayer wants some bruises, guys!




We’re overmatched, but the fight only lasts for literally two seconds anyway.




The brawl had barely started before it was interrupted by a shout from a familiar voice.

(Lieutenant Louis) Seekers! What in the name of the Divine is going on in here?
(Merill) Sir! Well sir, we… HIC!
You’re blind drunk! This is an outrage! Slayer, tell me what transpired here!
Commander Rhode won’t be happy if I get locked up for a tavern brawl. No, she won’t be happy at all.

Your dialogue choices here can attempt to minimize the Seeker’s behaviour, or to tell the truth and get them punished. While they do deserve punishment, what would happen to them if I went that way is a bit too harsh. Plus, if we turn them in now, it locks us out of a dungeon, and all the loot and XP that entails.


From the smell of it; I’d say a mixture of sweat, beer, and pickled onions.
I find your use of jest somewhat ill-timed!
This is all but a storm in a teacup, Lieutenant. Well – in a tankard of ale, actually.
I see. Perhaps I should turn a blind eye to this blind drunkenness for once. Seekers, report to the barracks at once so the innkeeper can clean up the mess you’ve made! Off with you!

They dashed off as if an angry troll was at their heels.

If you’re not busy, there might be something you can assist me with, Slayer.
Hmm?
We can talk further in the barracks. I’m heading there now.
Maybe later.

You did it! They’re gone!
It was my pleasure, Elsa!
(-33 XP) I serve gallons of beer to mindless guards all day! I really should go to Aleroth and make a new career.
I really feel I should reward you!
I’m sure Tim will give me a little something!
Yes, of course, he’ll be happy about it too!

(Tim) Ha! The Lieutenant sure gave them an earful.
I told you they’d soon be history!
And you kept your word. I’ll make sure my prices drop each time you happen to fancy some of my wares!
Tim now offers a 25% Discount!
(-40 XP, 25% Discount) Nobody will look for a sack of gold in a bush by the chapel.
Elsa and I are right grateful. You’re always welcome in the Black Boar!
"Band of Brutes" Complete! Quest Reward: 600 XP, 150 Gold. Bonus Chosen: 300 XP


Now that the rowdy New Order soldiers are out, the bar fills up again with people. You can watch them coming in, although it’s you may need to leave the bar and re-enter for everyone to show up.

There are several of worthwhile mind-reads here, including two merchants. Once we lockpick their brains, we’ll have finished most of the mind-reading we’ll want to do and we can finally go kill things.

Music: Tavern




(Fanny) You’re a miracle worker Slayer. Not many would stand up to the New Order!

Some tired-looking men in shabby clothes warming themselves around the fire caught Yara’s eye.




(Jack) A Slayer! Never thought I’d meet one!
Seen any unusually large lizards lately?
Can’t say I have – and can’t say I’m sorry for it!
Anything of interest you can tell me?
You should visit the mine. An interesting discovery was recently made there! We found an ancient shrine in the mountain.

(Jake) Good to be in the Black Boar, Slayer.
Better to be here than in the mines?
I don’t feel at ease near that quarry just now. We found a hidden shrine and it scares me to tell you the truth.
You haven’t run across any Dragons?
I did! As I came back from the mines! Flew around the dark tower it did!
The dark tower?
Yes, the big citadel tower near the temple.
(-33 XP) I wonder if the Dragon is attracted to something in that eerie tower…

(Jack) Boy, is it good to be out of that damp mine and in front of a nice fire!
(Jake) Couldn’t agree more, old chap! They should move this bar to the encampment!
There’s a thought! Having Elsa serve you a nice meal each day would be heaven!
She sure is more pleasant to look at than Guildmaster Williams!
What’s your take on that discovery they made?
That shrine deep in the mountain, you mean?
What else; the abandoned troll latrine?
Ha! Well I don’t really know what to make of it. But it creeps me out somehow.
I’ll bet you a month’s wages there’s foul magic to be found in that shrine.
I won’t take that bet ‘cause I’m inclined to agree with you!
I for one am glad to have got a few days off just now.
Same here! I hope they’ll have buried the place again by the time we head back.
Have you noticed that suspicious-looking fellow in black near the mine?
Can’t say I have. Tell me.
Nothing more to tell, really. But I first saw him not long after we found the shrine.
Now that’s what I call an ominous development!
(-33 XP) Those men at the mine… If I didn’t know any better I’d swear they were Black Ring.
The Ring? What would they want there? Damn it… I haven’t even have a drink yet and I’m already sobering up.






Somewhat unsettled, Yara wandered upstairs.




…
Good day, young Slayer! What can this man of medicine do for you?
Tell me, why are you wearing that strange copper hat?
Simple protection.
Afraid the pixies will steal your brain?
Contrary to what you seem to think, it wards off something quite real. The insidious art of mind reading!
And how many people have this insidious gift?
Not many. Only Slayers and Dragons, in fact.
And still you made this special device… Hiding something?
Oh no, no no no! Someone could, uh, steal valuable medicinal recipes! Yes, that’s the reason!
Hmmm…
(-133 XP) …
Ow!
You receive a nasty little shock!
Yes! The device works! Nice try, Slayer!
Goodbye!
Good day to you!




(David) What? Oh, it’s not… Is there something I can do for you?
Hmmm…
No. But maybe I can do something for you! You seem rather nervous.
D.. Do I? No. Surely not. I’m a bit tired is all. I’ll say goodbye to you now.
(-120 XP) I desert and flee to this little village, only to find a Champion here! And not any Champion, but Richard! He’ll kill me if he should find out!
A coward. How shameful.


The Fugitive – We can decide what to do about this Deserter, whether to let him go, extort him for his gauntlets, or tell Richard about him, or the last two at the same time!




(Mara) Psst, over here!
Say, have you seen a Dragon Knight bouncing about the valley recently?
No, Lord Laiken – never… I mean, no, no not at all! Silly Slayer!
Lord Laiken?
Erm, my cat! He frolics about the valley all the time!
You have a noble cat?
Well, his father was a stray, and his mother a Broken Alley cat. But hey: two negatives make a positive, they say!
Can’t argue with that! So what did you want to ask of me?
Fancy some good stuff?
I didn’t know the Black Boar offered that kind of service!
No deal, sweet stuff. I’m talking about a different kind of booty.
(-133 XP, 25% Discount) Best make sure the Seekers don’t spot me!
Pity, but show me your contraband wares anyway.
Excellent! Here you go.

 Not a cat. 




(Brave Sir Robin) Hmmm? Who are you to disturb my musings?
I’m a Dragon Slayer.
A Slayer? The title is impressive. But from the looks of you, you’ve never seen a Dragon other than in books or on tapestries.
Damn it, he’s right. And I’m not going to, either. Rhode and the others are off and I’m in this stuffy old tavern.
That shall soon change: we weren’t called out here for nothing.
Well, until then, the description Slayer doesn’t fit you. But you may address me as Hunter.
Why, you bagged a bunny once?
Do you see that giant boar’s head mounted over the hearth?




That beast terrorized the valley and claimed the lives of many a huntsman before I killed it some years back. That is what makes me Rivellon’s best Hunter. Off with you now. I don’t enjoy conversations with amateurs.
(-400 XP) Better check my storage for rats. So many of them in there, I use them as a password.

The Greater Hunter
To best this boaster, we need to bring back a better trophy than a boar.




Rhode and the others are off hunting the last Dragon Knight and I’m in this stuffy old tavern. … I might not be able to slay a Dragon, but I am still a Slayer, and I’m not just going to sit around here waiting for Rhode and Marius to come back with their story of triumph! I will prove my worth!

Everything in this book, save the Black Boar, will come up later…




Excerpt from “The Last of the Dragon Knights”, by Zixzax the Almost-Wise:
“The Slayer had dreams of glory, and of a heroic destiny, and rushed off to the Barracks to try and see them realized. It was the first step on the road of destiny, but the Slayer did not realize then that the road of destiny does not always lead you to the destination you had in mind.”


Video: Bounties and Goblins


(Captain Rodney) A warm welcome to you, Slayer! I am Rodney, Captain of the guard.
Is there anything I can assist you with, Captain?
The village itself has been quiet lately, but there are always the much feared outlaws. Check the wanted bulletins to see which criminals we want brought to justice. But beware! There is a reason this scum is still at large. Even veterans shy away from hunting them.
(-33 XP) ‘Join the guards’, they said! ‘See the world’, they said! Meanwhile I see nothing but these barracks’ walls and the administrative papers they keep throwing my way!
Sounds dangerous. … But I know I can do it. Better than sitting in that pub all day.
I have to be going, Captain.
All the best, Slayer!






Wanted! The following menaces: Claim your rewards from Captain Rodney if you manage to kill one of them. I think maybe I should start small.

A Hunting we Will Go
Five bounties, each is its own quest. There are no alternate solutions here, it’s just a matter of finding and killing them. There’s a bonus quest reward for killing all five.




Time for a walk in the woods.



My XP debt is even larger after the tavern, but that’s okay, because I’ve gotten all the mindreads out of the way, so all my progress will be actual progress. Plus, a simple quest is coming up that will clear most of this debt.















01 - The Mill
02 - The Black Boar Inn
03 - Captain Rodney and Bounty Hunting




Tavern



Getting the drunk soldiers in trouble.

You’re blind drunk! This is an outrage! Slayer, tell me what transpired here!
Your esteemed Seekers got drunk and nasty. When I confronted them, they became violent!
Inebriation, disrespectful conduct and use of force! You men are a disgrace to our order! Get back to the barracks on the double! I’ll send you lot on a punitive mission before the sun has set!

And he’s serious. They won’t be at the barracks, but you can find them later on in the valley… briefly.








These are parts 1 and 2 of a book on healing techniques in the wake of the loss of the Aleroth Source. So, uh, it looks like goblin hearts are used to make advanced healing potions. I don't think it's quite the same as the ones we drink, which are made of plants. Goblins are sentient beings with their own language and culture. But they're usually assholes, so fuck 'em, take their hearts.




A book by an anonymous guard, which can be found in the barracks.




Captain Rodney’s notes.



Father Ronon’s books on Supernatural phenomena (parts 1 and 2), found in the Chapel and Arben’s Tomb.


History of the Dragon Slayers, Part I


This can be found on the Barracks roof.




Found in the mill.




New equipment.










Voting Results

1. Just Desserts for a Deserter?
a) Tell him that we won’t turn him in. (Reward:  ***** Nothing ***** ) = 1 Vote
b) Tell him we won’t turn him in if he bribes us. (Default – 1 vote) (Reward:  Unique Ranger Gloves ) = 1 Vote
c) Tell him we won’t turn him in if he bribes us. Then turn him in anyway. (Reward:  Unique Ranger Gloves, and possibly something which randomly drops from his corpse ) = 2 Votes
d) Tell him we’re going to turn him in. (Reward: I haven’t done this myself, but a FAQ says:  +1 Attribute point, acquired at a later date ) = 2 Votes

Voting is still open on number 1. Also a note: If there’s a tie at the end of a voting period between the default and another choice, the default wins. If there’s a tie between two other options, a coin flip decides.

2. Band of Brutes:
a) We enjoy a few drinks ourselves. (Default – 1 vote) = 4 Votes
b) Demand a bribe. = 0 votes
c) Demand a bribe, then rat them out. = 1 vote
(Voting closed)

3. Merchant or Soldier.
a) Threaten the soldier = 1 vote
b) Accuse the merchant of lying. = 0 votes
c) Investigate both claims before deciding. (Default – 1 vote) = 5 votes
(Voting closed)


READER PARTICIPATION

(Default) = 1 vote for this option to start, and in the case it is tied with another option, it wins.
SQR = Standard Quest Reward

1. Dana asks us to deliver a sealed letter to Derk, but don’t let anyone see it – especially not her husband, Carl. This quest is tied into another quest in a complicated way which is impossible to really explain without spoilers. What should we do?
a) Deliver the letter unsealed to Derk. (Reward:  25% Price discount from Derk ) (Default)
b) Open the letter, and then deliver it to Derk. (Reward:  10% Price Increase from Derk )
c) Deliver the letter direct to the husband, unopened. (Reward:  25% Price increase from Derk )
d) Open it and see if there’s an opportunity for blackmail. (Reward:  Derk will refuse to trade with us at all anymore. )
e) I’ve played this game before and I suggest that you _______________ ( Put your answer in spoiler tags. If you’re clearly just guessing, I will ignore your vote.)


2. We’ve discovered evidence of a murder (a crime of passion, not premeditated).
a) Turn it over to the authorities. (Reward:  SQR*2  ) (Default)
b) Demand a payoff from the criminal to keep the secret. Whatever the criminal can pay is fine. (Reward:  SQR*2, plus 50 gold  )
c) Demand a payoff from the criminal to keep the secret. The criminal better pay us a lot. (Reward:  SQR, unique amulet  )
d) Tell the criminal we're turning him over to the authorities. (Reward:  Unique amulet, SQR reward )
e) Tell the criminal you sympathize and won't turn them in. (Reward:  SQR )

3. We’re about to kill some goblins. After that, we could do a couple of things.
a) Kill MORE goblins! Ha ha ha! Blood!
b) See Folo, Richard, Derk, and visit Jackson’s farm.