Part 7: Upwards at Last

Chapter 6 - Upwards at Last


Music: "Promise"
Click here to download (thanks to Grawl)


After a cold meal and a few precious hours of sleep, Mort and D.K. continued.


Video: Solving the Puzzle


I've noticed something - all those switches are at different heights.
Yes, and?
"In a row, like the water flow". Water flows from high to low.
So we should hit the switches from highest to lowest!

Mort and D.K started with the north-east switch, and moved in a circle until reaching the northwest switch.




The boulder in the center of the room vanished, revealing a ladder down.




Mort and D.K. opened the various containers in the small chamber. Most were helpful, bu the Wine Chest had a hidden fire trap inside.





Mort pulled the switch. Nothing seemed to happen, but when they emerged from the hole, the statue was gone, revealing a set of stairs.




There are THREE keys here… which one is the right one?
It's NOT going to be the one in the center, that's too obvious.
Maybe. What's that bag?




Hmmm, this appears to be a bag for holding magical crystals. Now pay attention, human… if you find a magical crystal, place it inside and its magical properties will be transferred to whoever carries the bag!





It wasn't the key on the LEFT, that's for sure!






It doesn't seem to be the one on the RIGHT, either.




When D.K. picked up the third key, a pyramid materialized on the stone.




They materialized back in front of the locked door which had stymied them not long before.

After all that, this had better be the RIGHT key.

It was.




For the first time, they had found stairs going UP.




The stairs led back to the torture level, on the far side of the door the guards had barred shut.

We shouldn't go that way, the guards must know we're free by now.

Mort nodded, and they climbed the set of stairs going up.


Video: Out of the Prison


It was guarded, but that expected.

You… you are the prisoners who have escaped! Maybe the master will grant me my freedom if I kill you first!

What wasn't expected was that there was only one guard.






Are we free?
Not even close! This is the drill ground of Samuel's army. From now on, it might be a good idea to draw LESS attention to yourself, human. … Without a disguise, you'll stick out like a dragon's egg in a hen's nest. If you can find a uniform, we might be able to bluff our way through their lines.
We're in luck, that guard was carrying a spare uniform. It might be a bit larger on me, but it should do.
But don't rely on your disguise too much… we don't have valid papers, so we should avoid patrols…
What's this about a drill ground?
Yes, I know this place well from my guard training.
What about some weapons?
Well, we certainly won't get far with the rubbish you've been picking up, human. The weapons officer has his stock in the east wing. We have to follow the corridor and turn right twice.
How about some potions?
Potions? Feeling a bit frail, are you? The best place for those is the infirmary. I would have liked to avoid it, but… well… you'll see for yourself. Next to the infirmary you can also find a military merchant of dubious reputation. The infirmary is located in the north wing. We have to follow the corridor, turn right, and take the route straight on to the north.
Where is the exit?
The exit? Now that might be a problem. We have to go across the main drill ground. A dangerous place for the likes of us… We'll need to equip ourselves properly first, for the exit is heavily protected. We must figure out a way around, or… if we have to… through them!
Protections?
We are not the only prisoners here, human. Samuel trusts no one, not even his own army. I assure you, his men do not stay here of their own free will. However… the main drill ground is located north-west of here. We have to follow the corridor to the west and turn north at the last possible point. The door to the exit is located on the west wall. But don't expect them to just open it and wish us a safe journey.




They must be searching every inch of the underhalls and maze for us. It's a good thing we got out when we did!
If this luck continues to hold, my plan may finally work.




Mort changed into his new uniform, and he and D.K. hid the body behind some garbage in a corner.

Mort unlocked the exit with the key dropped by the luckless guard, and they started down the corridor.




One more thing, human. This is a very dangerous area now. These corridors are guarded by special patrols, and disguises won't fool them.
Special patrols?
Death-Knights, like myself… only even greater in power. They must be avoided at all costs. If they spot either of us, they'll attack, no questions asked. Samuel controls their minds and they fear no pain, so they will be relentless in their pursuit of us. I'm sure Samuel burned our pictures into their brains. They will recognize us immediately. Stealth is the only way to beat them.
Great. Just great.






What happens if you get the puzzle answer wrong? I actually got it wrong the first time I played.

Video: Solving the Puzzle incorrectly


For each switch you pull out of order, a Stone Gargoyle appears. They're challenging, but one at a time they're more reasonable beatable.

After you pull all 6…





The gargoyle statue transforms into an Earth Elemental, and the ladder down never shows up. So you can still continue, but you have to face 2-7 extra bosses. You need to suck down a LOT of potions unless you rest between battles, in which case you only suck down a few.


Next update will be a short one on the second battlefield dungeon, because that has a few things worth noting as well.


READER PARTICIPATION REQUESTED

1) Should I attempt to kill the Death Knights patrolling the corridors, or avoid them? The Death Knights are level 14 and are a substantial threat, they could easily kill me, and I can avoid them. The problem with trying to avoid them is that once they reach the end of their patrol route, they teleport back to the start, which makes knowing where they are at any time tricky. Note that I say "attempt", I am not entirely sure that I can kill them all.

2) The Death Knight is currently a weapon generalist. There aren't any exciting warrior skills, other than whirlwind. Should the Death Knight put points into a weapon specialization, or into utility skills? (Utility skills are things like Evade, Shield Block, Identify Item, Identify Monster, Repair or Sharpen Weapon.) There will likely be a follow-up vote.

3) Laughing is not allowed on duty. Should we purposefully make a guard laugh, and then blackmail him?

4) We encounter a soldier who is going to be punished by sending him into the Parcours, a short, trap-filled course. He's hiding. Should we let him be, or threaten to turn him in? EDIT: Oops, I forgot how this bit worked. We don't get a choice.


5) We have the option to volunteer to run the trap-filled course ourselves. If we win, there's a prize in it for us. Run the Parcours or not?

6) A soldier asks us to look into allegations that someone has been cheating at an archery contest. Should we expose the cheater, or blackmail him?

7) An imp might have some helpful hints about the way to escape. Should we be polite or have the Death Knight threaten the imp?