Part 26: Shaman Showdown
Chapter 23 - Shaman Showdown
Note: Virtually all of this update can be viewed in video form.
Music: "Beyond Divinity"
(Click here to download) (thanks to Grawl)
VIDEO: The Floogefrog Cure
When Mort and D.K. returned to the Alchemist's hide-out, the sick imps were both gone.
What happened here?
You're back? I never thought I'd see you again…
Why not? I had visitor… he told me you would never return, 'uman… Who was the visitor? It was Shaman… came to me, and persuaded imps to return to village… The Shaman! I thought I saw the shadow of an imp… When I get my hands on this Shaman, he'll wish he was in a demon's belly! Shaman said you left… forever… You bring components, but I cannot prove cure will work… It's worth a try… Can you try and make the cure anyway? Give me components… I will make cure…The Alchemist took the ingredients and went to his workbench.
Here it is… cure for illness… I'm glad you've managed to make it. I hope it will work… cannot test it… Tell him he needs to come back to the village. You need to come back to the village. Go back? I'm still exiled… if I return, guards will kill me, as soon as see me… The Shaman shut us in, so I'm sure he won't be too pleased to see us again. We should enter the village secretly… Is there a secret way into the village? I know secret tunnel… leading into cellar of Shaman… but why should I return? I will be executed… Maybe, maybe not… if we can enter the cellar of the Shaman, we might be able to find some proof of his innocence… If he's really innocent, I bet the Shaman was responsible for the accusations against him… We need to find proof that you're innocent. Shaman is responsible… he told me… but yes, we need proof. … You're right… we try… are you ready to go back to village? Yes, I am. Then let's go…The Alchemist led Mort and D.K. to the buried cave. He took out some strange concoction and poured I onto the buried ash, tuning it into a strange-smelling vapour which was carried off by the wind.
"About the Game" posted:
If you're not immediately prepared for a boss fight, you should say no. But why wouldn't you be?
Here is entrance to secret tunnel… be careful now, we appear in Shaman's cellar…
What you doing here? Why you still alive? He knows we were trapped…*funny* that! So it *was* you who shut us in the cellar. Should have worked… but never too late to finish job… We'll see about that… This is where it ends for you. You fight… I go try out cure…The Alchemist took off for the way leading to the imp village, while Mort and D.K. assumed a battle pose.
"About the Game" posted:
BOSS: The Shaman
The Shaman on paper isn't too hard of a boss. He doesn't do an overwhelming amount of damage, he doesn't have a gigantic health pool, and he doesn't have a lot of dangerous skills. He can cast Lightning, and his melee attacks do a reasonably threatening amount of poison damage.
The really annoying thing is that when he gets to critical health, he casts healing on himself… constantly. This wouldn't be a problem at all, except that as you can see, both attacks on the Shaman missed. This missing either happens a lot more when an enemy is at low health, or else it doesn't matter as much if they can't heal, but the missing and healing combination means that it can take a really fucking long time to kill this guy. Luring him into traps can easily be done, but he'll just go into a healing cycle, so it doesn't help.
But that is not the most annoying thing about the Shaman fight.
The Chieftain's son burst into the room.
Stop fighting… 'uman correct… Alchemist can cure illness… What? You allowed Alchemist to touch imp? He exiled… Story of Alchemist different… found witness who saw shadow at house of Alchemist, when Alchemist away gathering mushrooms… Of course, the Mushroom farmer's son! Maybe we should get him to confess to bringing the crystal fragment into the village… I love getting confessions! You all bluffing… 'uman, you worthy opponent, but cellar too crowded... let's go to my realm… finish our fight…Mort and D.K. felt the now-familiar sensation of teleportation whisk them away.
Where's the Shaman? He must be somewhere else. Let's finish him, once and for all. Definitely. 
Are these things supposed to be a threat? Really, the Shaman could have done so much better.VIDEO: Shaman boss Fight 2
Now you here, 'uman… my power is greatest... you'll see… Bring it on, imp! There's no escape for you this time!"About the Game" posted:
THIS is what the most annoying thing about the Shaman fight is. You need to fight him TWICE. It's the same fight, nothing's changed except that he can die this time.
Two more Water demons came in to support the Shaman.
I've got those guys, you keep the Shaman busy.
Mort was slashed by the Shaman as he dashed past, but despite the poison hindering him, he pumped Fire Arrows into the Water Demons until they were dead, then Mort turned to the Shaman.
The Shaman's moving too much. I can't get a clear shot. Then YOU try hitting him, human. Fine, I will.
With both Mort and D.K. pounding away, even the Shamans seemingly limitless energy wasn't good enough to last forever.
Now we just need to find a way out of here. Um… we should look around, I guess."About the Game" posted:
Excuse me for just a moment.
UNIQUE ITEMS SHOULD HAVE A FUCKING POINT. I SHOULD HAVE A REASON TO WEAR THE GODDAMN THINGS! IS THIS REALLY THAT HARD OF A CONCEPT TO GRASP?
Okay, all done. I just had to get that out of my system.
The key the Shaman dropped opened a room just south of him.
Hmmm… another book on the Raanaar language… this is helpful.Mort and D.K. continued exploring the caves, and they were faced with two doors. One required a key they didn't have, but a nearby lever opened the other.
VIDEO: The Imp Sage
What are you doing here? Are you the Imp Sage? I've come to rescue you. You're rescuing me? But the Shaman? Me heard fighting, what happened to him. He's dead. Oh… oh, well I guess it was necessary, his mind was poisoned by piece of crystal… What crystal is this? Shaman found piece of crystal… and sneaked it into the village. I found out and confronted Shaman, he imprisoned me here. The crystal made him too strong for me… We must find crystal! Let me pass 'uman, we must find crystal! No time to lose!The Sage led them through the other door to an altar which had a familiar looking fragment.
A second crystal? Yes, of course… That could explain why the effects were so diverse and far-reaching. The effects might have amplified each other. Here is crystal! But what we do with it? Needs to be removed… I will do it. You can get rid of it? But how 'uman? It's hard to explain…Mort reached out and touched the crystal, and it vanished immediately.
You did it!... Crystal is gone… I don't know how, but me sure glad! Let's go back to village now.
When the Sage teleported the three of them back to the Shaman's cellar, Mort and D.K. saw that the Imp Chieftain had joined his son and the Alchemist.
Sage? You alive? Shaman held me prisoner until 'uman freed me… Shaman wanted secrets… I'm a fool of an imp to trust Shaman. More than you think… Silence… you still exiled for eating imps… you cured illness, but you still… Wait Chief! … I show you lair of Shaman… then you apologize… Shaman put imp bodies in Alchemist's house… We should thank the gods for our rescuers. Do you have any questions 'uman? Has the illness gone now? Floogefrogs cause of illness, but strange… never a problem before… The crystal brought chaos with it… now crystal gone… Cure worked… imps will become healthy… What was the Shaman after? Shaman third advisor of Chieftain, wanted more power… shaman imprisoned me, let Alchemist be exiled… Shaman took control over Chieftain and village… What about the crystal? Crystal source of chaos… only fragments… Shaman brought crystal to village the night the demons came… Yes… thanks to that power-hungry imp, things happened just as I had hoped they would. … At least that's what I thought at the time. But it still didn't help my situation. How do we escape this place? I promised you information… if you want to leave world… look for Raanaar… Lucian be Damned! The Raanaar are worthless - and extinct! Who are the Raanaar? I think he means the natives who once lived here, they were slaughtered by the demons… Raanaar Riftrunner… What is a Riftrunner? Riftrunners can open doors to other worlds… But the Raanaar are all dead… Most Raanaar dead, killed by demons… some still here… Look for Temple of Raan… there you find answers… That's what that talking tree told us! I'll be off then… Thank you for help human, may the gods…The familiar blue seal appeared beneath Mort and D.K.'s feet as the Necromancer prepared to summon them.
Wait… what's happening now?
The next update is the last in the act.
There is a really important reason why you should get all the Raanaar language books. Act 4 features only books which are written by Raanaar - I think. I don't know what happens if you miss all three Raanaar language books, but unless the designers thought of that, it could make Act 4 really frustrating if you miss a book somewhere.
Reader Participation Required
1) Which room has no ceilings, no floor, and no walls?
Mushroom = 1
2) Which creature is your good friend, carries you out of danger, pulls your wagons, and can even be eaten in times of need?
Horse = 2
3) If you have it, you're happy when it's gone. If it stays, it will inflict pain. If it's driven out it will return. Everyone gets it, but some fear it more than others.
Hunger = 2