Part 20: Lo Pheng and the Fear of Casual Intimacy

Lo Pheng and the Fear of Casual Intimacy

When we last left Lo Pheng and his lovely entourage, they were about to face off with the Reaper that Lo Pheng previously owned.



The vote was slightly in favor of helping the Viking looking dude, so we do that.

: There is no point in waiting. Drawing your sword, you order your companions to attack. The Pallian nods with a wolfish smile once you stand beside him.



So I ended up bringing in the women. Usually I do this fight solo with Lo Pheng and it's a lot easier, but oh boy you all are in for a real treat here. I open with Lo Pheng killing these two dudes and throwing up Cloud Tower to bait.



The nameless Pallian is literally a copy of Gleda with the same skills and everything, right up to the passive of healing on kill. I still think Gleda is hot garbage, and I haven't seen much to dissuade me from that opinion.



The girls aren't bad. They team up to kill all the Frisians here, the problem is that that's less turns for Lo Pheng, which translates to fewer Cloud Towers and other overpowered nonsense.



Case in point, Lo Pheng is tanking this archer and doesn't even care.



The problem comes when this archer shoots Reet and Pheng - he has a piercing bolt that hits in a line, and while Pheng is immune Reet crumples because I had her use the "shoot off your own health" attack. Shit. I freely confess that not only do I hate the combat, I'm bad at it.



As it turns out, having to blow off half my health to kill an enemy is still shit, but Atraakh one-shots Man Gleda here. This usually happens because he's force-deployed, but my brilliant strategy of "kill the chaff first" gives Atraakh more turns to use his...hit all attack? The fucker has an attack that hits the entire battlefield. You'd expect it to be like plague flies or something awesome, but it's super yelling powers. Fucker has 170 hp because the Frisian officers (reskinned Ense sorcerers, who are reskinned clerics like Vai) spammed a bunch of healing on him and raised his max health.



Alright, Lo Pheng's killed the last two dudes, we can go after the Reaper now. Unlike the first Reaper fight, you don't auto-win by killing the Reaper.

Oh, right, that gives him more turns, doesn't it?



Fuck you, you sexist Woodrow Wilson looking asshole. Ok, We can salvage this. Just gotta use the Exchange of Souls and one Way to the Altar of the Gods will end this stupid fight.



YEEEEEEEAH



SHIT GODDAMN IT FUCK



Ok. So Lo Pheng is at 8 health, and that bastard is going to use his 7 damage aoe to wear him down to 1. I'm pretty sure I'm boned, so I throw that stupid Deadly Balance card. Remember that one? 50 damage to a random unit on the enemy team and 50 to one of ours? Fuck it, if I'm gonna lose I'm gonna be an asshole about it.



Yeah, the game counts that as a victory.



We get an injury on Lo Pheng and the ladies, and even the new guy because we just don't do things by halves around here.





So we have an opportunity to talk to the girls again, which we're gonna take. I want to raise our morale because it's pretty low right now.



: (Smirking) Your eyes will fall out, Eikon. Gawk at Shannet, she takes pleasure in it. Makes my hair stand on end when you stare at me like that.

Lady, you were showing him your tits earlier. Make up your damn mind.



So this is an actual choice, and not a run down the options. We pick the middle option. Choosing the first option is a loyalty hit.

: My mother was from Berkana, and so was the father I never knew. Yet, I was born in Frisia. I've been through thick and thin there.

: (Showing no interest) Does your homeland call to you?








: What do you want, Eikon? I'm no match for you. Go suck up to Reet. She's been going on and on about the Eikons' duty of killing the Reapers. Leave me be. I won't open up to anyone.

: (Scornfully) Even to the brave Pallian?

Wow, this is the first emotion we've seen out of Lo Pheng, outside struggling with his memories.



The third option pisses her off and causes a loyalty drop, so we go with the first.

: (Pursing her lips) Life taught me, Eikon. The bitch broke me over her knee so many times that finally I learned my lesson. Is it different with the Eikons?

Shannet and Lo Pheng are odd mirrors of each other. Both have the same abusive, shitty childhood going on, they're both trained assassins, but where Lo Pheng has had the emotion beaten out of him to be a better killer Shannet's embraced her bitterness.



For once Lo Pheng completely misses the point - or more likely, refuses to acknowledge it. Yes, life - or the Shadow Clan - has completely broken Lo Pheng to the point where he stabbed his own father to be trained as a mercenary rented out to amoral strangers.






High praise from Lo Pheng.



I think the game is missing a cutscene where Reet shoots a magic arrow at the Reaper. It's bugged or doesn't exist. Quality!

Anyway we take the first option for a more loyal Kendi. I really want this team's morale to be high for an event that comes up...much later.

: (Putting her hands on her hips) We want to get as far away from here as possible. Sticking with you looks like our best chance.

: (In a calm voice) I am heading south. If our road is the same, I shall neither spurn nor look after you. I will set out soon.

We get a little loyalty boost out of that.



: Are you hurt? Why not ask for aid?

: (Smirking) I've an ulcer on my neck, but Reet says that it's no ordinary sickness-it's the Reaping's mark. She gave me a small stone to ease the pain, but it won't last... apparently. We'll see.



: Does anyone else have ulcers?

: Why not go and check? Shouldn't be a chore to examine us lasses. As far as I know, I'm the only one that has it, but everyone's bound to get it unless we stock up on strixes.



: What else did she say?





: Who is your leader?

Yes, we all know it's Kendi, but there is a bit more stuff to come out of this.

: (With a sigh) Kendi, of course. She's kind and gentle. And clever. Only Reet is moreso. It's why she doesn't want to be leader. Still, Kendi listens to her.



Yea...remember this is something that was literally beaten into him at a young age and he's still resisting it. There's a lot more to Lo Pheng than emotionless pragmatic warrior, it's just buried deep under that armor. Otherwise he wouldn't have survived.

: It is all clear to me now..



: You turn around and leave.




We may as well completely avoid Reet and talk to an older gentleman who won't be luring us out of our ways as a warrior of peace.



: The Eikons care about horses then? That's already something... I just realized that I'm not really Frisian anymore. I spilled the blood of my kinsmen...



: What is wrong with the mountain path?



: (Showing no interest) Fear is of no consequence.

: The Wodan road is usually deserted.

: We can't skirt the Triple Menhir. The Frisians made camp by the Open Sepulcher. The legions may not have arrived just yet, but there'd even be enough guards without them.



: The Hungry Path is the shortest.

: True enough, but there are Frisian patrols on the Qimra Path and the Hungry Path. We should also be vigilant when passing the Red Market.

: (In a calm voice) It is not as difficult as it seems.

Unlike, say, talking to women.



: One way is enough.


This leaves us with Reet and the unknown warrior. May as well talk to Reet.



: (Detached) Are you all right? You look unwell.



: Are you a witch?



STOP RUBBING IN THAT SHE'S A GENERIC ARCHER, GAME!

: How did you dispatch the Reaper?

: I fixed a strix to that arrowhead. It came from my own flesh. Unlike Shadow Clan warriors, we Qimra do not have handfuls of them scattered across out bodies. And they're regular strixes, not sacrificial stones.

: What were you saying about his death?

: (Wincing in pain) All I know is that he can be killed. I don't know how. But there is someone who should.



: Farewell, I am going south.

: (Cringing) Your island home is a long way away. The Reaper's not done with you. You wounded him, and he'll track you down unless I intervene. We Qimra know some shortcuts. Would you like to arrive on your island much faster?

: (Showing no interest) Are Qimran horses especially swift? What is the trick? What is required to use your shortcut? Is it as short as you claim?



Reet gets pissed if you pick the first option.

: Blood?

: To open the secret path. It does not appear to just anyone.



: It wasn't my intention to pour my heart out to you. Take my advice instead. Talk to the warrior that attacked the Reaper. Few can even stand in their presence, but this one delivered blows. Warriors of such skill are hard to come by.




Last big chat... of this bunch, anyway.



: In my land, it is custom to introduce ourselves. They call me Ruor. What am I saying... You're an Eikon. I should be grateful that you've spoken to me at all.



: What took you so far from the sea?



: Are the Frisians any better?

: A rotten folk if there ever was one! You do their dirty work and they take advantage of you!

: What were you hoping to find down here?



: (Showing no interest) Who is your employer?

: Another commander, Nors. You see, there are two commanders on this side of the mountains, and each wants to take the Frisian legions for himself. So... I ran before the hounds, in a manner of speaking.

: Why did you take on a Reaper?



: Do you happen to know where the Frisian legions are?

: Far as I know, they march south down the Bahldarian road. They'll await their commanders, or commander, by the Frisian Road at the Open Sepulcher.

: Where is this second commander?

: You mean Nors? He's actually the third commander. Karkh-the man that was here-is second. The first is Pelko Soturi. Nors marked him for assassination. He was supposed to ride out of Wodan and pass through here on his way to the Triple Menhir. Pilgrimage, you see.

: How much are commanders going for these days?



: Enough talk.

: If you have no questions, I have one. Where are you headed?

: I was thinking of going to Berkana.



Do you want a party member Y/N

Now, I mentioned people's bios in "extras" and here's Ruor's.



Once again, decisions lie before us!

Do we want Ruor in the party? I will probably bench him most of the time but he might come out if he's popular. As far as I know his criminal history doesn't come up again.

Also, we're reaching the end of chapter 3 and there are 10 chapters. How are you guys feeling about the LP? Anything I need to change? More summaries? Less? Let me know!