Part 21: A Mysterious Mystery, Part 2
Update 21: A Mysterious Mystery, Part 2
Ugyne is supposed to be hanging out just outside of Cavall Keep, but either her trigger is inconsistent or the triggering area is weirdly shaped, because I had to run back and forth like five times to get her to pop up.
BaK posted:
A girl crossed the fields.
Lacking the arrogant bearing of her father, she moved like a wisp of smoke, her tread so light it seemed she floated rather than walked through the rustling weeds. Flittering to Owyn's side, she kissed him lightly on the cheek.
What are you doing wandering around unescorted? Honestly, you astonish me. By your age, most girls have the common sense to realize there are dangerous types wandering around in the open.
How's that for an introduction?! You're only four years older than me, Owyn and I don't see that my age has anything to do with it. I just like to come out here to think when I have a problem that won't solve itself otherwise. It also gives me a safe harbor away from father when he's on one of his raging fits. Is he on one at the moment? One of the worst I've ever seen. He's fired the entire kitchen staff, dismissed the guard, thrown out all five of my maids. He's been that way since about dinner time last evening. I tried to ask him what had him so upset, but he would only tell me that he had received some very bad news from a messenger regarding a financial arrangement which he had made. Have any idea what the note said? Who knows? He's always on about conspiracy this, conspiracy that. It's like he's always afraid someone's about to find out some dire secret about the family when there's nothing to hide. It's getting terribly repetitive really... So...you have this frightful look on your face as if there's something you're afraid to speak to me about. What is it?[NEWS]
So, when is a suitor going to snatch you up? Are there any that are even in good standing? There are two, neither of whom father likes, but then again he never likes anyone I do. One is Myron, my father's solicitor who lives just outside of Cavall Keep with his daughter Ami. He does have a minor claim to nobility because his brother is an Earl someplace, but father thinks his connections are too tenuous for us to consider. And what about the second suitor? He's a businessman from Kenting Rush named Navon du Sandau. I like him, though he can be a bit intense at times. We like to talk and he is always asking me some point about mythology or another. He doesn't mind a girl who reads.[MURDER]
You'll forgive us if we look a little ragged, but we're trying to find out about a murder that took place down in Romney. We've been searching for a little while. Do you think the murderer escaped to Cavall Keep? We're not sure. All we know at the moment is it may have had something to do with a brass spyglass or a silver spider we found near the bodies. I don't suppose the spyglass had a star inscribed on it, did it? I can't recall. Why? Would that be important? For someone who's a part of the family, you certainly don't seem to know much about the family lore... We used to have a spyglass that sat in a glass case in the entry way of the Keep. There was a legend that if a person knew the right things to think, then they could use the spyglass to spy on the minds of others. It was in the family for generations, but it disappeared about the time that Neville was killed in the wine cellar all those years ago. Father accused the workmen of having stolen it. And what things was the person to think to make the spyglass work? I don't know. Neville used to tease me and told me he knew what to think and that he could use it, but he never did. It was only a legend, after all.[UNPLEASANT PAST]
Your father says he doesn't like your suitor Navon because he keeps bringing up painful memories about the Keep when he asks about the family legends. The death of your mother, the fire that burned the Keep down... It isn't fair to hold that against Navon. He is interested in our family, in me, and so naturally he has questions about the Keep. Wouldn't you be interested in the history of someone you wish to marry? Wouldn't you want to know them as well as you know your own family? It's not so much the death of my mother that bothers father, though, as does Neville's death all those years ago. But father insists on clinging to a silly coincidence. Coincidence? What's a coincidence? Navon's last name is du Sandau. It's the same last name as the man who constructed father's wine cellar, the one that collapsed. Father's holding it against him that he happens to have the same last name! It's so...ridiculous.[NEVILLE]
I don't remember much about how Neville died. It was such a long time ago... You couldn't have known much about it so far off in Tiburn. Mother and father were both in such grief, they didn't want a spectacle made of his death. Neville was down in Cavall Run, sent down by father to get a keg of Quegian Sour from his wine cellar. We had guests that day... Cavall Run? You remember... Underneath the Keep? All those tunnels that seemed to stretch for miles? We never did know for sure how extensive it was. I used to love to take walks down there in the dark, just to think and have some time to myself. It's one of the things I miss most about the Keep, not having the tunnels to play in anymore. When Neville didn't come back from getting the keg, father went down into the Run after him. The wine was served, then the appetizers, then the first course, still father hadn't come back. The second course was served, the third, and then finally father appeared. He told us the tunnel had collapsed and Neville was trapped behind it all. We were never able to dig it out enough to recover the body...[FAMILY LEGENDS]
Your father said Navon kept at you about the family legends... He was fascinated by anything that had to do with the Corvalis family. He would ask where the spyglass had come from and how long the Keep had been standing and where the Guarda Revanche went to. We talked about everything.[SWORD]
What does the Guarda Revanche have to do with our family history? I thought it was some kind of legend about the days when only the elves lived here. The part of the legend that everybody knows has to do with the elves, but for a time the Guarda Revanche was in our family's possession, or so family legend has it. Upon her fourteenth birthday, the Lady of Cavall Keep was given a special present by her elven servant to give her husband, Lord Corvalis, a sword that would make him great among men. Whereupon she ran to his bedchamber to present him with the great gift, but upon opening the door she was shaken by a great evil. Within her hand, the sword blade began to glow and she screamed as she raised the blade over her head and cleaved her husband's head from off his shoulders. From there, she went from one child's chamber to the next until she had slain all her children by Lord Corvalis and once that was done, she ran mad and was seen in Cavall no more. How charming. You don't have it laying about somewhere do you? Be nice to me or I may give the sword to you! No, the legend goes on to say that it was eventually removed from the family after the episode was repeated by later generations of other branches of our family. A book I have about it tells where it went, but I lent the book to Navon so he could look it over. That's weird. I thought that the Guarda Revanche was only supposed to work on moredhel... It's a legend. No one ever said that a legend has to be consistent!This interaction with Ugyne is also relatively true to the book. After this the party, having received an invitation to dinner from Count Corvalis and desperate to avoid it because he's such an absolute jackass, decides to check out the local area, starting with the entrance to Cavall Run. We, of course, have yet to gain access to Cavall Run behind the waterfall, so we're going to head further north for the time being. There's another large-ish valley surrounding Kenting Rush which is worth checking out.
Once again, it's mostly a forested square with a single long road leading up it, though in this case the road clings to the western side and runs through Kenting Rush, so mostly we'll be poking around the eastern side of the valley at first.
In part because there's a cluster of three delicious chests just around the corner from the entrance to the valley.
SUNSHINE
NOISE
NAME
In addition to piles of money and valuable stones, there are yet more Clerical Oilcloths.
BaK posted:
From what little he had learned from gems dealers at trading fairs, the emerald had been prepared in a navette cut. Beyond that, he wasn't certain what the actual value of the gem would be until he attempted to sell it.
...
Common as a pebble on a beach, the pear-cut ruby was used in the western Kingdom almost as frequently as golden sovereigns when traders were making large purchases. While their values were dependant on their quality, they almost never garnered more than four hundred sovereigns from a gems dealer.
...
Shades of blue and alabaster chased one another round the surface of the spiral shell, winding tighter and tighter until the colors became an indistinguishable blur towards the center. While such shells were not entirely unique, they were sometimes collected and sold by poor peasants.
At the eastern end of the valley is a small cleft containing two locked chests with some rubies and coins in them, as well as a note.
BaK posted:
To the Priests of Kahooli,
Whosoever it is that has stolen my pants, may he be eternally at the pot.
G.L.Esq. of Havenwood
You might be tempted to think this little hole is just an easter egg but, in a situation that only occurs twice in the whole game, the mountain range to your east is actually illusionary and can be simply walked through into a small, hidden, C-shaped valley which starts the party at the bottom and has them looping up. Because BaK doesn't handle narrow spaces too well, it's easy to get turned around since sometimes bumping into the hillsides will spin you unexpectedly.
The first thing you bump into will probably be a magical trap.
Notable for featuring a couple of trolls. Sadly they ignore the tuning fork, so they can't be made to flee back into the zap fields, and instead the party has to hack them apart. Oddly enough they never move, though they do retaliate in melee combat.
This frees up a solid and transparent crystal for the purpose of ruining one zap line and blocking one fireball turret, allowing the party to proceed. I'm not sure if you could just fuck up the zappers with Black Nimbus and then run right through, but I think that enemies on the field prevents you from "completing" a trap and exiting to the world map.
Here's a brief view of the area from above, right now in this shot the party's looking at the bounty for finding this place...
Five! Five! Unlocked chests. Let's see what the big score is here.
BaK posted:
His curiosity sufficiently piqued, Owyn popped open the half-gallon cask and inhaled deeply. Immediately his senses reeled as the heady cinnamon-like aroma assaulted him. Keshian Ale!
12 casks of ale and a single ruby.
Someone must take their drinking seriously if they're willing to walk all the way out here just to get drunk in peace.
Heading out, I grabbed a screenshot to show that the party is actually right in the middle of the hills/mountains when doing this.
Just in case anyone doubted me.
We're not done with the valley yet, of course, there are still a couple more chests to poke at before we head over to Kenting Rush itself.
COLTS
COFFIN
More gems and gold in these two, but also a suit of Grey Tower Plate, meaning there there's plenty of good reason to come here in chapter 1 to get a huge leg up on the upgrade tree. If you can get to Northwarden, you can get here without any further combat encounters, even.
In fact, the valley only has three combat encounters. One we can't even trigger yet, one you shouldn't ever trigger and the trap we did just a bit ago.
TABLE
The other chest is just an unlocked chest containing an emerald, while the Table chest has yet another Ruby and also a Thoughts Like Clouds scroll which, I guess, might be an exciting find if you got here in chapter 1 and had yet to find other ways to disable hostile spellcasters.
Coming from the valley side, we sort of approach Kenting Rush from the back side. The place has plenty of houses to check out, and even two taverns! Before we start engaging with the locals, though, I set course north through the town for the Temple of Kahooli because now, in chapter 3, it actually has content!
BaK posted:
They were escorted to the lector's chambers.
Seated behind a large mahogany desk was a man of middle years, the hair greying at his temples, sweeping back from a wide tanned forehead. Without standing he motioned for them to take seats.
"I have very little time this morning," the lector said. "Please make whatever request you have as direct as possible."
"That suits me fine. We're looking for a band of murderers, James said. "They killed a squad of men sent from Bas-Tyra on the First Adviser's orders to in vestigate the possible activities of Nighthawks in Romney. The idea occurred to me while we were standing in the meditation chambers the Temple of Kahooli might know something of it."
"I am listening," he replied gravely.
"When I was studying under Father Timothy in the Temple of Astalon in Krondor," James said, "I learned quite a bit about the various temples and their gods. As I recalled, Kahooli is the god of revenge..."
"Justice," the lector snapped. Not revenge. If one is innocent, he has nothing to fear from The Howler After Fugitives. If one has violated the wise strictures of our gods and eluded punishment, however, we are the hounds that bay at his heels. There is no place one can run to that we cannot sniff them out." James nodded. "A well known fact. But it is also well known that the Temple of Kahooli hires assassins on occasion to do the sniffing."
"If you imply that we hired the Guild of Assassins to kill the men in Bas-Tyra, it is not so. We have had no dealing with the Hawks of the Night for several months. It may well be that we have common cause at the moment." The priest stopped for a moment as if considering something, then continued slowly. "They have become churlish. They no longer follow the codes of piety which we lay out for the behavior of our faithful and they have not paid a tithe in a great deal of time. We wish to separate them from our ranks, but... No protectors of the faith will challenge them."
James leaned across the desk. "I want the Nighthawks, Lector. Tell me the name of the man who leads them and where he may be found and we both can profit from an end to them."
The lector laughed a dark, rumbling laugh that had nothing of humor in it. "I wish that it were that easy. Kahooli, how I wish. But when the Nighthawks swore their oath to the Temple, they required of us a holy oath - to Kahooli himself - that their identities could never be revealed to any that were not of the Temple itself. You would have to be at least protector of the faith before I could even think of giving the name of whomever you seek."
"I see." James sat back in his chair, his eyes full of brooding. "How would we become protectors?"
"You would have to study with the Prelate who lives nearby and learn the codes of piety," the lector said, a clever smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Though I will warn you, his house is well protected. There are many who do perceive us as the dispensers of revenge and attempt to save themselves peremptorily. I will say this - if you can come to the Temple and have performed even one of the acts of piety that the Lector teaches you, I think I can see to it that you a remade protectors of the faith."
"And you will tell us where to find these Nighthawks?" James asked.
The priest smiled. "Most certainly."
Unsurprisingly, considering that the whole Kahooli/Nighthawk connection is non-canon, this entire encounter is also non-canon and doesn't happen in the book. We'll be seeing more of this, though, as this is the first way to reveal the leader of the Nighthawks, the more optional of the two, and the one that, as a kid, probably got you stuck in a permanent combat loop unable to figure out what you were doing wrong.
Back in Kenting Rush, we'll go knock on a few doors and see what happens.
BaK posted:
Locklear hesitated.
Noticing the finely engraved sign above the door, he read it aloud "David Tatum - Scribe".
"Among other things," replied a strong voice. "Historian, philosopher, mathematician. I have my nose in everything."
Emerging from the building's cover, the scribe cast a knowing look at Gorath as he continued. "Right now I'm investigating combat tactics. Perhaps you would be interested in helping."
"And what would we profit of it?" Owyn asked quietly.
"Information," the scribe replied. "You talk for an hour and then I talk for an hour. You pick the subject. Intrigued?"
[YES]
The scribe listened.
When at last Gorath had exhausted himself, he asked the man what he might know about assassins operating in the Kingdom and he discoursed all he knew on the subject.
"That's about it," the scribe said at the last and folded his hands in his lap. "Helpful?"
"More than you know," Locklear said. "I think we'll now have a better chance of spotting ambushes. But it's time we left."
The scribe nodded. "I have things to do as well. I have to find out what's happened with one of my assistants, so I may be gone for a while. Good travelling."
This encounter, which is free, provides a modest boost to Scouting for the entire party. There's no reason not to pick it up.
BaK posted:
Owyn rapped on the door with the back of his hand.
"Coming. Hang on. Just a second," said a mirthful voice inside the house. "Okay, here I am." The door opened wide and a large bearded man joined them in front of the house.
Owyn cleared his throat, then said, "We'd like to talk with you, if you could spare a moment of your time."
Now, the large man was eyeing Gorath suspiciously. "Wait a minute," he said, a broad grin erupting on his face like a volcano, "Lurough hired you didn't he?" The man rocked back with laughter. "Oh, this is going to be the best joke yet!"
Still laughing he retreated into his house, refusing to answer any more questions.
Other encounters are less profitable and more odd.
BaK posted:
James was about to knock on the door when suddenly he straightened, and with a broad smile on his face jumped back to survey the entire house.
JAMES: I know this place! I stayed in this house a year ago while journeying to Northwarden to see a friend. There was a beautiful young lady named Celindra living here. We got kind of friendly over supper, and in the middle of the night she snuck into my room...
He knocked on the door, beaming with anticipation. A moment later a beautiful young woman answered.
"Yes? Can I -- James?" A smile of recognition crossed her lips, but it was quickly replaced with an expression of great concern. "I am --" Before she could finish her sentence she was brushed aside by two rather large hands, one of which curled into a rather large fist and hit James, rather hard, in the face.
When his vision had cleared sufficiently, the woman stood over him. "I'd like you to meet my husband, I've told him all about you."
This is one of those conversations that swaps out James and Locklear depending on who's in the party, leading to some oddity as this fits Locklear's characterization so far, but not James'.
BaK posted:
The hammering inside the house offered a perfect musical counterpoint to James's rapping on the small front door. Presently, a young man sporting a long beard answered the knocks.
"Yes? Can't you see I am quite busy here?" They looked past the man and saw a large block of granite, a beautiful woman emerging from the stone like a delicate flower opening to the sun.
"You're carving a woman?" Owyn inquired.
The man shifted his weight from his left to his right foot impatiently, then said sarcastically, "No, actually I'm trying to cover a very pale still woman with a big rock." With that he rudely closed the door in their faces.
James turned to leave. "Artists!" he spit angrily.
Ask stupid questions, get stupid answers, James.
BaK posted:
Pigeons cooed inside the house. Lots of them.
James waited patiently for someone to answer his knock. After several seconds a freckle faced boy came to the door and showed them inside.
A pleasant looking man stood near a large wire lined cage that seemed to take up almost the entire room. It was alive with pigeons, and the man was stroking a small one, trying to coax it back inside. "Come on now," he said gently. "Come on, get in there." The bird refused to cooperate.
"Ahem." James cleared his throat causing the man to look up with surprise. The bird flew out of his hand and began to circle near the ceiling.
"Blast it. These birds are no better than kids. Won't do a darn thing you tell 'em to." In the corner, the young boy smiled. "I hear talk of a magic spell called, 'Thy Master's Will' that is supposed to command flying beasts -- but I think it's more for Wyverns than anything else. You need one of their eggs too, I guess."
He wiped his hands on a towel and had the young boy fetch them some fresh water. After a brief conversation, they left.
Anyway, that's it for the comedy encounters, because as soon as we head down a small side road in Kenting Rush, we meet someone who actually matters.
BaK posted:
James sniffed the air.
While for the better part of the last hour he had been trying to piece together the details of the murder at the Black Sheep Tavern, something else had begun nagging at him, elusive as the names of all the Mockers he'd once known. It had only been after a few minutes of consideration that he'd realized what it was that was distracting him.
"Do you smell anything odd?" he asked Gorath. Struck by the oddity of smelling jasmine in the open, he could spot no natural flora that could account for the scent. But while searching, he thought he spotted someone moving down the road towards them.
Someone who smells odd, huh?
This may sound a strange question, but a moment ago I thought I smelled spice...jasmine to be exact. Does it grow near here?
You have a keen nose. Unfortunately it isn't local. I deal in spices as well as a number of other imported goods. I've just returned from a lengthy trip into Kesh and I am afraid the scent clings a bit to the clothes. But you've only just come up the road. I've been smelling it for some while. I am told the scent carries. There is a bit of a wind today. So...as you are travellers in the area and dealing with the natives can sometimes be difficult, is there any way I can be of some assistance to you?Get ready for a lot of text, because Navon is chatty.
[COUNT CORVALIS]
What reason would Count Corvalis have to dislike you, Navon? Perhaps he is an over protective father, who is to say? I'm frankly surprised he hasn't hired a band of Nighthawks to have me killed. I ask too many questions for his tastes. You think he has connections to the Guild of Assassins? It's a well-known fact he is surrounded by Nighthawks. They guard his house, his lands, Cavall Keep. When his daughter Ugyne and I have time together, we are always followed by assassins, though they never wear their guild clothing while working for the Count. Why don't any of the local people do anything about it? Surely they object to having the Nighthawks loose in the area. They look the other way. As long as none of them are being killed, it doesn't concern them. I'm sure that's even true in Krondor.[HIS NAME]
By any chance, are you any relation to the Sandau who was the workman who built Count Corvalis' wine cellar? None, but unfortunately the Count refuses to believe me. I see conspiracy in his eyes every time I meet him, but I don't know how I can put him at ease about the accident. We would both be all the healthier if he didn't dwell on such an unfortunate coincidence.[THE ACCIDENT]
Do you know anything about the accident that killed Neville Corvalis? It was a peculiar accident if I understand the tavernkeeper at the Duck's Head in Cavall Keep. Seems this Sandau fellow was something of a drunkard who had a reputation for building inferior structures. I find it hard to believe the Count would have entrusted the construction to such a man, but surely he couldn't have meant for the wine cellar to collapse? You think the Count intended to have the wine cellar collapse? For what purpose? I've heard the Count suspected his son of something terrible, but... The Count and I have enough bad blood between us. I don't wish to say anything else that may jeopardize my suit with Ugyne. As the things I have related to you are rumor, I would appreciate it if you didn't tell the Count we have spoken on this subject.[KAHOOLI]
I'm not familiar with the worshippers of Kahooli. Generally speaking, Banath and Astalon are more popular with the people in Krondor. It's difficult to publicly worship a god dedicated to revenge, almost as hard to worship, I imagine, as the goddess of death. People naturally assume when you begin pilgrimage on a regular basis that you have a score you wish to settle, which, more often than not, is true. They blind themselves to the fact that while Kahooli is sometimes called The Pursuer, he is also known as the Judge of Truth. When you can't get justice anywhere else, people turn to Kahooli. And who did you wish to avenge? Ha, well, myself naturally. It has been some time since I have been to the Temple, however. My problem pretty much solved itself and then I didn't need divine intervention anymore and so... So it's easier to stay away than to pay the tithe. Do you remember any of their codes of piety? The priest mentioned them and I was curious what they were. I tried to forget them...hmm...I can only remember the first one and it had something to do with subjugation of the will if I remember correctly. When you join the Temple, you have to renounce all ties to King and Kingdom. That's why you'll find that there aren't any nobility in the Temple. Of course, when you can command a private army, why bother?Navon also offers the second way to get a leg up on Ivan Skald in Malac's Cross. Considering that you can pick up a couple of emeralds on the way south from here, it's definitely worth doing so if you're coming here in chapter 1 with Locklear.
[CHESS]
Ivan Skaald in Malac's Cross tells us you are quite a chess player. High praise. He isn't too terrible at it himself. He told us you had a move called Sandau's Retreat. I'd be intrigued to learn it from you. I couldn't just give away a move like that. It's kept me undefeated for several years now. I'd be willing to pay you to learn how. You're after Ivan, aren't you? He won't know what's hit him until you have him. As I recall he always bets an emerald, so I'll let you at least get something from the win... Say 100 gold sovereigns. Deal?[YES]
It will be worth it just to see the look on his face. Proceed. Give me a moment to find a few appropriate stones. If you would sketch out a board in the dirt, I will show you the architecture of a grand humiliation.BaK posted:
James grinned.
As Navon played out his moves using an odd assortment of stones, it was apparent the play would be devastating if used against an aggressive opponent. "Think you can remember all of that?" Navon asked, brushing the dirt from his hands. "Not a problem," James replied, dumping Navon's fee onto the hastily created chessboard. I think Ivan is in for quite a surprise."
Coming here in Chapter 1 of course also gives Navon a slightly different introduction.
BaK posted:
Locklear was weary.
When he had first left Krondor to study under Captain Moyiet for a while, he had thought it would be a simple matter of soldiering for a few months and then returning home to Land's End or back to Arutha's court. But for more months than it seemed he could count, he had been ambling around the Kingdom and the Northlands, accomplishing little that he felt would be of value to Prince Arutha. What was more, now he had Gorath and the squire from Tiburn in tow and a responsibility to get them all alive to Krondor.
Feeling a tug at his sleeve, he revived from his woolgathering. Beside him, Owyn was pointing at an advancing figure.
NAVON: So far from the Prince's court, I'm surprised any from your part of the world even knew Kenting Rush existed. Have you come for business or pleasure?
LOCKLEAR: Chance has had a greater part in delivering us here than anything else. Actually, we are only travelling on our way from LaMut. We have a trading appointment in Romney.
NAVON: Ah, the city of guilds. I've heard that there is some difficulty there. Something to do with a dispute between the Riverpullers and the Glazer's Guilds. I've even heard rumors that the Guild of Assassins has had some involvement, but I could hardly credit it. Hopefully the affair will come to a peaceful resolution soon enough... You will excuse me for staring, but it has been some time since I have seen an elf in these parts. It is even more passing uncommon I should meet one so heavily armored.
LOCKLEAR: Go...Thorgath is working with us to negotiate a new trading deal of elven goods in the Eastern Kingdom. He trades in armor, so it is easier to transport it this way rather than carrying it in a satchel...
NAVON: Ingenious, no doubt. Thorgath, you say. The name sounds...familiar in a way. Perhaps we have met before?
GORATH: We have never met. You are mistaken.
NAVON: Of course, I will accept your word on the matter. I must have only met someone who resembled you... To other matters. As you are all visitors to Kenting Rush, and visitors are also good business, are there any things I may be of assistance with?
He's away in Chapter 2 for completely innocent reasons doing completely innocent things, of course, so he has no introduction there. Talking to Navon here in chapter 3 is also what triggers the extra dialogue options with Count Corvalis. This entire encounter is also largely non-canon since while the party does meet Navon, they don't do so until after they've visited Cavell Run.
For now, though, let's say goodbye to Navon as we've some locals to defraud down the road behind him.
BaK posted:
Gorath was about to knock, but his knuckles touched nothing save air as the door swung out of his reach.
Accepting the mysterious invitation they entered the dwelling slowly. There were shelves on every wall, and books on every shelf. Owyn's eyes fell upon a wooden staff in the corner of the room.
"Ah, you've already found my Lightning Staff. You like it, I can tell." The voice came from a man sitting on a chair in one corner of the room. The table in front of him was stacked with papers making his huddled form hard to see. "I am Shoral. Prove your worthiness to me and I will give it to you.
"What kind of game are you playing?" Gorath demanded.
His eyes little more than slits, the magician replied slowly, "Not a game." He turned to stare at Owyn. "If you can answer three questions I will give you my Staff. But fail this little test and I shall extract a payment in gold. Care to try your luck?"
Sorting out Shoral's game here gives you a free Lightning Staff which, considering that we paid 1200 gold for one, is a pretty nice score! Also, once again, accessible in chapter 1 if Locklear leads the party the longest possible way around.
BaK posted:
[YES]
"Excellent!" said the sorcerer. "Come. Sit before me and we shall begin."
Owyn did as he was instructed, much to the chagrin of Gorath, who sat down quietly nearby, one hand placed strategically on the handle of his sword.
"The first question, Owyn, is this: our great and mighty Pug claims to know magic of the greater path, and magic of the lesser path. Is this truly possible?"
[YES]
"Very good, my friend," Shoral muttered, "you have but two questions remaining." He shifted in his chair, shuffled through some papers on his desk, then continued. "Dragon Lords once ruled this planet. One of these Valheru, Draken Korin, called himself 'Lord of the Eagles.' Do I tell the truth of this?"
[NO]
"You have answered correctly once again," said the sorcerer. His smile turned icy. "Now, only one question remains -- answer it correctly and you shall have my Staff."
Gorath looked at the magician coldly, not liking the evil fire that seemed to be erupting on his face.
Suddenly, Owyn began to shout, "My eyes! What have you done to my eyes you Black Demon? I can't see!" In an instant, Gorath sprang to his feet drawing his sword.
"Wait! I haven't done anything to your eyes!" sputtered the startled Shoral. "Can't you see me?" he shouted, waving his hands in the air wildly.
Owyn smiled broadly. "I'm sorry, my mistake. YES! I can see you just fine." He winked at the sorcerer. "Foolish me, and I thought your last question was going to be hard -- perhaps even IMPOSSIBLE -- to answer."
Without waiting for a response, he grabbed the Lightning Staff and began to head for the door. "Come on," he shouted over his shoulder, "We better leave. Now!"
Both of these are questions you'd really only know the answers to if you read the books, if you fuck up the answers, though, Owyn's jackassery won't save you...
BaK posted:
"I'm sorry, my friend. You have failed my test." Shoral waved his hand in the air and muttered an incantation. A blast of unseen energy swept around the room, and one by one gold coins began to appear in the air, dropping noisily into a large glass jar in the corner of the room.
"You thief!" shouted Gorath. "Give us back our gold!"
Owyn held out his hand to stay him. "No, Gorath. The question was fair. We must leave."
Shoral will liberate the party of up to 1000 gold pieces, less only if they have less. For this party it would be a kind of "eh" loss, but for any party coming over the north route, it might well be all they've managed to scrape together by that point, so pretty rude.
Lastly, Kenting Rush has a well...
BaK posted:
It was an unusual well.
James ran his hands across the wooden crank, tried to turn it but discovered it was jammed. Reaching down to get a better grip his fingers scraped against something hard and smooth. It was a small round lock.
BaK posted:
As the stories go, the men gave the keys to these undergarments to none but their closest and most trusted friends. Naturally, the ladies did everything in their power to convince the friends to use their key to remove the uncomfortable things, and many illicit romances were said to have developed. The lock was always replaced before the husband returned home, but after unlocking the device the key was often left with the friend for the next time the husband went away. In the meantime, the secret lovers would sometimes find an abandoned well, put on one of these locks and use the key to hide love notes.
Shall we try to open it?
[YES]
James checked their keys.
Finding a virtue key he moved to the well, found the lock and inserted the small key, turning it gently. The lock was a bit rusty, but after a few seconds he was able to twist the key in the lock, producing a satisfying "click." The handle now unlocked he cranked it in a clockwise motion and after about a dozen turns the dry bucket emerged from the well. Searching inside they found something small and covered with dirt and leaves. It was a Knight's piece!
The Virtue Key from the Duke of Romney is needed for this, though it's a key you can also find elsewhere. There's a total of 13 of them lying around the gameworld(for a total of three locks! including this one!), not to mention four shops that sell them.
BaK posted:
"This is a virtue key or I'm a gwali's uncle," James said with a grin, tapping the dorsal shaped head. "Originally these keys were only made for chastity belts, but in the last hundred years or so they've expanded the use of the design. The locks this will open protect very valuable items."
...
Someone had paid a great deal to have the chess piece made. The marbled soapstone from which it had been carved was of a type available only from a hellish region within Great Kesh known as the Jal-Pur Desert; an area also renowned for its Gedajii, a Keshian brotherhood of thief assassins.
Anyway, considering that we've only met one smelly guy who's got lots of money and does tons of travelling, Navon is the obvious suspect, and we've got two ways of figuring him out. I'll be doing both the canon(Cavall Run) and non-canon(Temple of Kahooli) solutions. I feel like, with Corvalis being such a brusque dickhead and his having hired Nighthawks in the past, he was originally intended as a red herring for players to pursue, but either they ran out of time or they just decided to dump it, because there's no way to really pursue that lead, and additionally Corvallis is missing both travelling and a funny smell. It's kind of a loss that they didn't make it into a proper mystery, since just talking to everyone makes the answer blatantly obvious.
Perhaps if there was some option to just call one of them out without solid evidence, perhaps for a tougher fight or a lesser reward, it could have gotten interesting.
Join me next time as we get wet and religious.