Part 21: Lich Cave

Chapter 18 - Lich Cave


Music: "Beyond Divinity"
(Click here to download) (thanks to Grawl)





Mort and D.K. followed the road leading into the large Mushroom forest.




This one had many Earth Elementals in it. Mort and D.K. headed south and spotted a mutant outside a cave.




Blinking thing! Shining in eyes! It lives?

It picked something up from the ground.

Dead thing. Strange thing. Not plant, not rock… *ouch* no good to eat! … Take it to my cave. Keep it. Pretty thing. … Or bring it to master? Yes… bring it to master…

The mutant hurried into the cave.

This creature found something… I wonder what it was…
Let's find out.




This cave surprisingly showed signs of habitation. There were bookshelves with many ancient-looking tomes and scrolls on them. A statue caught D.K.'s eye.

Hmmm… interesting. I wonder what this is for.
It's probably just junk. Leave it, it looks both worthless and heavy.

There were two exits from the first room, and it wasn't clear which one the mutant had taken.




A message was scrawled on a wall near one door. They followed a corridor to another chamber. This one was occupied.




I know what you're looking for, but I can't help you, human. Look elsewhere, because I don't have it.
Have you heard anything about *it*?
*It* was something valuable, I guess… the creature who found it will bring it to the master… so you'll have to look there…
What can you tell me about the master?
The master? You'll recognize him easily… he looks exactly like me… but he's not me!
I don't believe you…
I told you, human. You'll die now.




Well-honed reflexes by Mort and D.K. ensured that the undead creature never had the chance to attack. Searching the creatures body produced nothing except a potion of permanent intelligence.




There was another small statue in a corner, which Mort and D.K. left behind as they followed another corridor south.




This room was different - there were no bookshelves, and instead there were 5 magic circles on the floor. There was a statue similar to the other two inside one of them.

Hmmm… maybe those statues do something after all. But what?
Over here, human.




It's locked, but there's a keyhole.
Who knows where the key is. It could be anywhere.
It's not going to jump into our hands just standing here, human.




The next bookcase-filled chamber had a Lich, who looked identical to the first one they had met and killed.

I don't have what you're looking for, human. Look for it elsewhere.
Do you know anything about a shiny thing?
You tell me you climbed all the way down here, into this dark, damp cave searching for the shiny thing? The stupid creature was shouting about bringing a shiny thing to the master… You could hear him all over this place!
What do you know about the master?
The master looks like me… in fact he looks exactly like me… but I am not him!
I don't believe you…
Wrong choice. You'll die now.




The fact that we've killed the same thing twice suggests that they might have been telling the truth.
I prefer to think of it as simplifying things. If we kill all the fake masters, we'll have an easier time figuring out who the real master is.




This time, Mort and D.K. did take the statue in a corner of the cave.

The hallway led north back into the entrance room of the cavern. This time there was a lich there.




I know what the human is looking for. It is looking for a key. Unlock the wood and give the gold, it should. But the human won't find the key with me, it won't. No key I have.
Where is the key?
The servant of the master came through here. Said he has a shiny thing for the master… and he had a key in his hand… Now you are here, weapons in your hands, so I guess, the key belonged to you…
What does the master look like?
The master looks a lot like me, but it's not me!
I don't believe you…
The human doesn't believe me. I have warned him though. No key I have. But too late.





Mort and D.K. picked up the remaining statues and returned to the room with the magic circles.




They placed the other statues on the circles surrounding the center one. There was a small popping sound…




… and a key appeared.

Mort tried it in the locked door, and it clicked open.




You are quite the stubborn one, human. This thing must be really important to you. I don't want to fight you, mighty warrior, so you can have the key, if you wish. Come… take it. Take your key.

D.K. walked down and picked it up, the corner of his eye on the lich at all times. Then the Lich laughed.

You really think I'd let you leave here alive? Die, you foolish creature…




Good riddance. … Hey, this key has a name written on it. 'Tatourix.'
Hmmm… I think there was an imp with that name in the village.
You aren't seriously going to return his key are you? We could use that and take the things from his chest ourselves.
You really think there's something useful in an imp's chest?
… Good point.
Hmmm… what's this? A diary?




Well now we know which imp to thank for ridding the world of another imp!








In the corridor connecting the lower two rooms in the Lich Cave is a fake wall. Walk through it…




And you find the key to Battlefields 4. I've already unlocked it by picking up the 5th key, so yes, you can unlock all 6 dungeons if the only key you find is the 6th one.

I'm making the next chapter deliberately short because I'm probably not going to get another page before then.

Reader Participation Requested

1) I found a Permanent Intelligence potion. Who should get it: Mort or D.K.? ( Mort has less Mana, but D.K. might need to cast more spells. By default it will go to D.K.)

2) We've found Tatourix's chest key. Should we return it to him or loot his chest for ourself? (The loot is random and may not be much good, and we'll miss out on the XP for completing the quest. By default I'll return the key.)

3) We have the proof of which sister poisoned her lover. Should we show the diary to the murderer or her sister?

4) Where to next: East Large Mushroom Forest, West Large Mushroom Forest, or Just end the Act as fast as possible?