Part 109: Appetite for Murder

Chapter 83 – Appetite for Murder



Darvesh the Beggar
Crow’s Nest Sewer
An Appetite for Murder
Bonus: Unmasking the Food Critic


The Dragon Knight decided to investigate the mystery of the missing healers, and headed for Mardaneus Plaza.

Video: Darvesh the Beggar


(Yara) _{Bernard said the missing healers were last seen talking to a beggar in Mardaneus Plaza.}




(Darvesh) Oh, your highness! Pity a poor beggar, your highness, and let your magnanimous heart speak! A coin or two, your highness, a coin or two.
Have a coin! (1 gold.)
May the kingdom of heaven be yours, your highness!
(-15000 XP) _{Praise the Divine I know where his maid keeps the key to Gula’s kitchen or I’d starve. Thinks I didn’t see her put it among the flowers.}
So, you steal food from this Gula fellow’s kitchen, do you?
Good heavens, your highness! How’d you know? I… I didn’t mean any harm by it, honest! Don’t tell the healers! Think of my family, your highness, my children, my… my canaries!

Tell me what you know about Gula.
Nothing much. He’s a noble and I know no nobles. I’m a mere beggar. I think he’s an explorer or something. Made him a fortune. I tried that once. Wasn’t a mile outside the city afore an imp arrow pierced me lung. If it weren’t for the healers I wouldn’t be living to beg today, I can tell you that!
Bernard tells me you know something amore about the missing healers.
I don’t rightly know about that, your highness, but I did tell him about a sewer entrance where I’ve seen dwell a strange character. You can find it in the Crow’s Nest. His most trusted healers were going to lay in wait there till that fellow appeared. Can’t rightly say if he’s a thief or brigand. But when a man takes a wheelbarrow of pork into the sewers I assume he ain’t gone feed the rats, your highness..
Interesting… very interesting.
Have another coin. (1 gold.)

The Dragon Knight headed into Crow's Nest.


Video: Crow’s Nest Sewer






_{That smell…}
(Lucian) _{You don’t need to describe it to me! I’ve wandered in my share of sewers.
No – someone’s cooking something.}






(Dwayne) You there! Get out of my kitchen! Gula is hungry!
(-15000 XP) _{So bloody annoying to have to press those secret buttons near the torches every time I want to get into the storage room!}
Never mind that. Where are Otto and Joramson?
One is ready for the cooking pot and the other has been in it already! Best pies in Aleroth! Yaaahh!








(???) The Dragon Knight! Oh, you have come just in time! That cuckoo cook would have made a creative combination of yours truly and a garlic sauce given the chance!
You are one of the missing healers, I presume?
(Joramson) Joramson, at your service! Me and Otto discovered a thieving operation: this madman stole all the food he could get his paws on. He trapped us and when his supplies were dwindling he turned a frantic eye to us. What I heard, what I… smelled… Thank you for rescuing me. May you find and do away with all who are responsible for what happens here so my fallen friend may be avenged!
(-22500 XP) _{Poor Otto, he is beyond even my healing prowess now.}
Your Healing Skill has increased by one.




<sub>Now, what was that about secret switches?




Ah… I see them.</sub>

They’re beside the torches and below the iron rings. You don’t need to mind-read Dwayne to find them, but it’s helpful the first time you play to have them pointed out to you.






_{Nothing much in here to interest me… wait, here’s a chest.}






That’s it, that’s the complete set. Wearing it takes me to 100 Vitality and 90 Strength, although I have been augmenting parts of the set with +5 Vitality items. I only spent one extra Vitality point than I had to, but that is counting +8 from charms on other items, and I can’t remember what else. My Strength is 10 less than 100, but I have two open slots on my armour, so I’ll stuff in 2 Divine Strength charms to get it up to 100. Now I can sell all my Strength potions, I’ll never need those again.












Look at those stats, is that crazy or what?

Thousand Strikes


Increased from Rank 10 to Rank 15

Damage Multiplier (per strike): 1.5x -> 2x
Mana Cost: 220 -> 268
Cooldown: 15 -> 20 seconds
Knockdown Chance: 55% -> 80%


Yara climbed the ladder in Dwayne's makeshift kitchen.

Video: An Appetite for Murder


(Alzbeta) Aahh! Champions! Get away! Oh, but it’s you! What were you doing down there?
I read about the place in the Aleroth guide to horror-themed restaurants.
Then you have discovered… Wait, let me explain!
Go on. I’d love to see you try.




It is Gula, I work for him, a very rich man with an insatiable hunger. He wants food, nothing but food, more and more and more. I ran out of supplies, but he kept asking and he gives me so much gold! I figured, who would miss the food destined for those pesky beggars? I paid Dwayne to help me, but then those healers found our hideout. He killed one of them in the struggle and we thought it would be dangerous to move the body. We thought… why waste what lays before us…
_{This woman is depraved.}
(-15000 XP) _{Damned One be damned! How could I be so careless? If I had known a Dragon Knight would show up, I’d have hidden my diary! Uncle Carl warned me about that!}
I have heard enough. In the name of the city of Aleroth, I put you under arrest!
So be it, the game’s up anyway.



Alzbeta mentions an Uncle Carl, presumably Carl Jackson from Broken Valley, done in by his own diary, but when Carl found the time to write to her between capture and death is beyond me.






(Bernard) Ah, the Dragon Knight! Any news? I… Alzbeta? What brings you here, my girl?
She is the culprit: she stole the food and is in part responsible for the death of one of your healers.
Woe! Oh, grave sorrow! But fear not, Dragon Knight, for soon this witch shall rot in a tenebrous cell!
Curse you, healer! I must slowly perish and Gula, who set everything in motion, goes free?
If it is true that Gula is behind this atrocity, I shall leave it to your captor to judge him in the fashion that satisfies their Draconic wisdom!
(Behrlihn) _{The key to Sir Gula’s house! I think we should pay him a visit.
Even if he wasn’t involved in this crime, his history and profession make him an excellent candidate for knowing something of import.
Wow, all three of us agreeing on something. Spooky.}
“An Appetite for Murder” complete! Quest Reward: 6211 XP, 1300 Gold, Skill Book. Bonus Chosen: 3105 XP, Bronze Ridged Ring (80+ Health, 80+ Mana.)




_{First, though, I want to check out Alzbeta’s shop. She mentioned a diary.
Isn’t that rather rude, Dragon Knight?
So I’m nosy. Comes with the territory.}




Alzbeta’s Diary


_{No one could possibly eat that much in a week!}

I think Alzbeta’s diary is only there if you mind-read her, but it’s only there as a clue for what we’re about to do, and you don’t need the diary to do it.




Harp…




Lute… play them each a couple of times and…




The goblin totem starts glowing. Touch it and…




You have gained two skill points.


Summon Demon


Increased from Rank 9 to Rank 12

Mana Cost: 146 -> 162
Cooldown: 30 seconds
Duration: 340 -> 400 seconds
Demon Level: 32 -> 36




_{All right, “Sir” Gula, it’s long since time we had a talk…}







Darvesh the Beggar
Crow’s Nest Sewer
An Appetite for Murder
Bonus: Unmasking the Food Critic

Included in the bonus is a video of the mindread of the Phoenix Inn diners that I should have included earlier. I’ll move it later.


Order of the Viper Set Bonuses
Order of the Viper Helmet: +20 -> +30 Ranged Armour Rating
Order of the Viper Cuirass: +15 -> +20 Vitality
Order of the Viper Bracers: +15 -> +20 Strength
Order of the Viper Leggings (NEW!): +30 Heightened Reflexes
Order of the Viper Belt: +20 -> +30 Magic Armour Rating




You can also either take a bribe from Alzbeta to keep quiet, or kill her yourself. The bribe is only a discount on purchasing stuff, and A, we don’t need anything, and B, even if we did, we can afford it without a discount. Killing her resolves the quest, but Bernard isn’t happy and we don’t get a skill book for that.




I paid Dwayne to help me, but then those healers found our hideout. He killed one of them in the struggle and we thought it would be dangerous to move the body. We thought… why waste what lays before us…

Well I’m sure you’ve been slightly naughty, but you’d be surprised how easily I forgive and forget when I get a huge discount.
Really? But that’s fantastic. We have a deal, Dragon Knight!
“An Appetite for Murder” complete! Quest Reward: 5632 XP, 900 Gold. Bonus Chosen: 2815 XP.


First I’m going to get that image out of my head and then I’m going to kill you.
Well, don’t think I won’t put up a fight!

She’s level 20, which is pathetic. You get only 6 XP for defeating her.




I have killed Alzbeta, who stole the food for a man named Gula and was about to have a second healer cooked.
You killed her? What she did was atrocious, but so is this! Oh, the evils in this city! This kind of vigilante justice I shan’t support and therefore, though I thank you for saving Joramson, I cannot reward you on behalf of Aleroth. What meagre sum the healers have is yours, no more. I do hope you understand.
“An Appetite for Murder” complete! Quest Reward: 5632 XP, 900 Gold. Bonus Chosen: 2815 XP.


Me too... uh... when exactly was that? When we met him, he was slaughtering goblins, and he'd already soul-forged a guy to a chicken - lethal when the chicken dies, and he tries to kill you for trespassing on his shrines.

I have my own theories on Bellegar's current motives, which I'll save for the right time. I'm sure some people here have already noticed the inconsistency.



It's actually really cool how that happens.


Reader Participation

1. Should we tell Gula that he ate someone Alzbeta killed?
a) Yes.
b) No.

2. What’s your first instinct: Does Gula deserve to die for his part in this?
a) Yes.
b) No.