Part 44: Knowledge

Music - "Wine and Blood"
Download (Thanks to Grawl)



Chapter 39 - Knowledge



Correct. The others were just distractions. Either way you choose, you still get the item, each of which will eventually be used somewhere in this act. I'll mention that you do NOT get extra health even if you do take the demon's offer, but it does save you from needing to fight the witches.




The left door. Definitely.




You face your punishment like a creature of honour! You have shown faith in my judgement, and that will not go unnoticed. You can keep all your possessions…
How did you know?
You forget I trained as a Paladin.
My Paladin training helped me when I first took this test.




The Test of Faith is over… I'll be waiting for you in the Chamber of Evaluation when you've finished all your tests.
Bye.




The outer room of the Test of Knowledge was a library before the invasion.









Face the Test of Knowledge, initiate.
Please explain the Test of Knowledge to me.
Are you worthy of receiving the Knowledge? The Code of Behaviour… did you study it? Better do it again… if you are unsure…
Hmmm… good idea….
Four teleporter stones are in each room… step into the room… answer the question…choose your teleporter… Step through the door… begin the test. … Four room you have to pass… but beware… after stepping on the first teleporter… the test can not be stopped…
Bye.





Look what I found in this pile, human.
Hmmm... good find.

Mort took a minute to read the rules from his book, and then entered the room.




How many initial tests do you have to pass?
…Seriously?
I still wonder if Elder Anlokar arranged for my test to be easier because I was an outlander. Someone must have… questions like these are just too easy…
The answer is three, and if I remember the symbols from the entrance hall… it's this one.






How many hours a day should you study to show your teachers you take your lessons seriously?
Ummm… thirteen, I think… but what symbol was it?
The thirteenth rule was destroyed. It's the symbol which WASN'T on the wall.



… That one.




How many times a day should you pray to Raan?
Five.







How many rules does the Code of Behaviour have?

16… so the final symbol on the wall… which was…






The Test of Knowledge if over… I'm waiting for you in the Chamber of Evaluation… come and see me after you've finished all your tests…
Bye.





Mort and D.K. headed the center. The door was now open.

VIDEO: The Evaluation


You have passed the Test of Knowledge, initiate… You've performed well. Take this small token of our appreciation… THE PHILISOPHIC FACTION APPROVES YOUR ENTRANCE INTO THE ACADEMY!





You have passed the Test of Endurance, initiate. You've performed admirably. Take this small token of our appreciation… THE SUMMONING FACTION APPROVES YOUR ENTRANCE INTO THE ACADEMY!






You have passed the Test of Faith, initiate. Your performance was impressive. Here is a small token of our appreciation… THE HOLY FACTION APPROVES YOUR ENTRANCE INTO THE ACADEMY!



You've passed the tests? So there is promise within you… The main door… leads to the next level… but it's blocked… The imps have to fix it… they haven't shown up… I believe they're hiding in the maintenance tunnels…
Maintenance tunnels? Imps? Hmmm, maybe we don't have to wait. We know the imps won't show up if they've run from this spook house. … But if there are maintenance tunnels, we might be able to find out way to the next level… but first we must find the entrance, human.




The spirit of Donhoram was correct. The stairs leading higher were completely choked off with tons of debris.

I remember a door which wasn't part of the tests.




I was hoping that it would have magically unlocked for us now that we finished the tests.
There were a couple of other doors in the central chamber.




This door is locked, and there's no keyhole. I'll try the lever, human.

He pulled it, and there was the sound of a distant door opening. Mort and D.K. started to head for that sound, but they didn't even make it out of the room.






This might be the key to the maintenance tunnels.
These levers intrigue me. Pull it, human.

Again there was the sound of a door opening, and again…




You go to the other room human, and I'll pull the lever in here.
Sounds good.

Mort went to the other room, and when D.K. pulled his lever, the door in Mort's room opened.




My little duckie… there you are… I'm so happy…
You mean the rubber duck I found in the Test of Faith?
Don't need key anymore… duckie has come home…

The imp dropped a sapphire-coloured key. There was nothing in his room to open with it, so Mort gave it to D.K., and returned to pull the lever in the western room.




The sapphire key opened the cupboard.




This must be what the mirror-man needs to get freed from his prison.
We could just keep it for ourselves.
Why, have you decided to pop the question to some cute ghost girl? Come on…




…em eerf ,kciuq …lufrednoW ?gnir dnomaid ym dnuof uoy evaH

Mort leaned against the mirror, as if trying to enter it.

…llew gniod er'uoY

All of a sudden, there was a pop, and he was through.




…modeerf ruo niag ot gnir eht esu won su tel …em gnitsurt rof uoy knahT




…gnitseretni si koob sihT ...mmmH




.rorrim eht tsniaga ti dleh dna gnir dnomaid eht tuo koot troM

…og ew ereH
…!emoc ew ereh ,dlrow laeR




I'm free… Finally I'm free… I still can't believe the Brotherhood tricked me…
He's still alive? How long was he trapped behind the mirror? How is he still alive?
Who are the Brotherhood?
Long story… here, take this key… there is a locked chest in the tunnels with my stuff… if you can find it, you can keep its contents as a small reward… I have to go now.
Ha! I guess he will find out about the demons for himself.

The Raanaar ran off.





Mort and D.K. returned to the locked door on the east side. The key they had found earlier unlocked it.








Looks like things aren't going to be as quiet as we were hoping after all.








I might be a bit busier than usual for the next few days, so there may be a delay in updates.

The Map








Flunking the Faith Test



Walking through the right door doesn't go unnoticed.

Your test is over now… step through the last door… and you will get what you have earned.



You have failed the Test of Faith, initiate. THE HOLY FACTION DOES NOT APPROVE YOUR ENTRANCE INTO THE ACADEMY!
Fool human! After you've talked to all the instructors, we should discuss this with the ghost at the registration. There may be a way out of this…
You've failed, Damian? How can this be…?
Can you give me a second chance?
Never a second chance… but… something is wrong… I don't understand… The door to the next level is blocked… I called for the imps… they haven't shown up… they're hiding in the maintenance tunnels…
Maintenance tunnels? Imps? Hmmm, maybe it is not so bad you failed the test after all… If there are imps and maintenance tunnels, there might be another way to the next level… we only have to find the entrance to these tunnels, human.
Leave the Academy, Damian… you've failed… you are not allowed to go up… still, it feels so wrong…
We don't need your permission, ghost! We'll find our way to the next level ourselves…

Once you reach the second level, it doesn't matter if you passed or failed the first one, they think you passed.


Reader Feedback Reqested:

We're about to enter the tunnels, it is pretty much the only combat filler section in the act. There's an optional, semi-interesting section - The Thieves Caste quarters. One sort-of side quest in the next update sends us in that direction, but it's optional. Should I do the Thieves Caste quarters as part of the narrative, in a Behind the Scenes summary or offscreen? It should only be a one-update digression at most before we return to the proper portions of the school.

Also, is anyone reading the thread good at sketching or drawing?