Part 102: Dragonskin

Chapter 74 - Dragonskin

Music - "They Whom have Left Long Ago"
Download (Thanks to Grawl)


I'm just putting this music in here because it's appropriate for the second half, and the only other place I'm using it is the fake update coming up soon.


Previously on Divine Divinity:



Without warning, the one with the club cracked me over the head, ringing my helmet like a bell and disorienting me.

"Sir Patrick would like a word with you, Mister Liro..."




You must set things right. Sir Dante hired you to steal the deed from me. Now I insist that you steal the deed back from him and return it to me.



Here you are. I assume our business is done?
Quite.


Chapter 74 - Dragonskin

I returned to Grisha, to see if he knew more about the Dragon Armor.




I have discovered that the murderous cult of the Black Ring used Dol Pyrden as a meeting place.
Hmmm. That would explain why so many of my brethren are missing.
King Kelp Dunatrim has told me of the existence of the Dragon Armor.
Ah, the much famed Dragon Armor! Many ambitious dwarves have sought to assemble the parts needed to construct a full set of such armor. All have failed, some losing their lives in their pursuit. Even if you do find some parts, I doubt they will be in good condition.
How many parts of the Dragon Armor are said to still exist?




If I gather enough of the parts for the Dragon Armor, could you repair them?
That would be a worthy test of my skills! But then, I am the greatest smith in the land so I will accept the challenge. If you find any, bring them to me.
And I really need to find all the parts?
Well yes, I guess so. Only if you find all parts, the armor gets the full potential of its power. Though if you find the breastplate and the heart, I can assemble those. Should you find the other parts, like the helmet our king has in his possession, they will increase the armor's power greatly.
On my travels, I have obtained the shield, the belt and the gauntlets.

I handed them over to Grisha to inspect.

This is astonishing! I never expected to lay my eyes on ONE piece of th' Dragon Armor set, much less THREE! Wheree'er did ye find these?
The Shield was at Stormfist Castle, the belt was in someone's basement in Verdistis, and the gauntlets were in the hands of the elves.
Amazing! These are in better condition than I though they'd be after all this time. I could of course work on them a little more, though.
Perhaps if I get the remaining pieces. Until then, I fear I may need this armor in the challenging fights ahead. Tell me about the heart you mentioned.
The Heart of the Dragon is a shimmering Gem which is fitted to the breastplate. It is said the gem has the power to absorb the firey breath of the dragon. I'm not sure if this is true, but it will improve the magical power of the armor incredibly, that's for sure...
The heart is the only piece for which I have no clue as to its location. Do you have any idea where it might be?
I'm afraid not, but over the years, a lot of people come to me for armor, weapons and repairs. I'll ask around and see what I can find.
Thank you.

I went back to Verdistis to Sir Patrick's mansion.

Ahh. Mister Liro. What brings you here? I certainly hope it is not a desire for revenge.
Relax. I'm here for business.




A dwarf informed me that you are in possession of an old breastplate. Is this true?
A dwarf told you this, hm? Let me think! A breastplate, you said?
Yes, old and completely worthless... Maybe even a bit rusty...
Worthless? I don't think so! You wouldn't be interested in a worthless, old and rusty breastplate, would you? Which dwarf told you, you said?


Well, so much for bluffing, he's too sharp for that.
All right, it was Kelp Dunatrim...
*whistles* The old Dwarven King himself... Be honest! What kind of breastplate are we talking about?
*sigh* The Dragon Armor breastplate...
You mean that old, rusty breastplate lying in my cellars is a piece of Dragon Armor!? Incredible, I never would have thought. Thank you for telling me Mister Liro. I was about ready to throw the thing away as junk.
Er... actually I was going to ask you if I could have it.
You jest sir. Now that I know its worth, do you really think I'd juts give it to you?
But seconds ago you referred to it as an old, rusty breastplate.
Yes, but those 'mere seconds ago' as you say, I was unaware that it was actually Dragon Armor, wasn't I? Such good fortune for me that you are so honest, no?

I gritted my teeth. This wasn't going well, and while I didn't want a fight, I needed that armor if I was going to storm Stormfist castle and confront demon-possessed Janus.

"Very well. What is it going to cost me to get the Dragon Armor?" I said, with a low and dangerous current in my voice. Not threatening, but suggesting that an outright refusal to part with it under any circumstances would not be in his best interests.

I was going to throw the rusted old thing away, but if you would do me a favour, I will let you have it.

I relaxed slightly.

A favour? I seem to be doing a LOT of favours for people in this town.
It's a simple matter, really. There's a man living in Verdistis who owes me a lot of money. I require that you simply pay him a visit and convince him to settle his debts before it's too late _{(for him)}.
And where do I find this gentleman?
Here, let me show you where he lives on your map. He goes by the name Lucius.
Goodbye.




I suggest you pay your debts, Sir Patrick is not to be trifled with. Take it from someone with first-hand experience.
I can't! It takes all the money I have to feed and clothe my three children. Yet I also know Sir Patrick will have no qualms about harming my family if I don't settle the debt!
What exactly did you do with the money from Sir Patrick?
I-I lost everything in the local... er... gambling house.
GEE, WHAT A SURPRISE.
Oh, I'm just a stupid miserable fool!
Yep.
If my wife learned of my weakness she would leave me!
How much money do you owe Sir Patrick?
My debt to Sir Patrick is 2,500 gold coins.
Damn it! I must have paid off tens of thousands of gold for other people by now!

I sighed.

But still, if this is the Dragon Armor, I could pay ten times as much and it would still be worth it. Twenty-five hundred is a bargain.
Fear not. I will not allow Sir Patrick to ruin your life. I will see to paying your debts.
Really? Are you willing to do this?!! You have saved my life and my family's. Surely the gods have sent you. I thank you friend!
You are welcome. But just so we're clear: I'm not paying your debts because I like traveling the land giving my hard-earned money to foolish strangers. Sir Patrick has something I need, and paying your debts for you is the fastest way to get it. If you gamble yourself into debt again, I won't be there to help you. Understand?
Y-yes! But thank you anyway, Hero of Aleroth!

I returned to Sir Patrick.

I'm here to settle Lucius's debts with you.

I plunked a sack of coins on his desk. It creaked under the weight.




Sir Patrick handed me Dragonskin, the breastplate of the Dragon Armor.





It was definitely the right piece, although it was badly in need of repair. I took it to Grisha immediately.




I have a lead for you. Just a short while ago, a human from the Warriors' Guild came in to have his armor repaired _{he mentioned it getting damaged cleaning the cellar or some such rubbish}, and I asked about the Heart of the Dragon.
And what did he say?
He said 'The gemstone? Our leader, the fearless Alrik, has put a challenge to the members of the guild to retrieve it.'
Where is it?
He wouldn't say. I'm not certain, but the implication is that Alrik knows where it is.
You're a true miracle worker, Grisha. Thank you.
If you find the complete set, the miracle will be yours, Jeremiah!




The Warriors' Guild... as an elf best put it...




I climbed the stairs.




May I enter?
Why, it's the hero of Aleroth! Certainly, you may enter! The Warrors' Guild is open to all.

I saw some warriors sparring and went over to watch.




Eventually, the trainee tired.




What are you doing?
I'm doing a parrying session with my instructor. It is my last test in becoming a member of the guild. But I'm still far from beating the instructor, so I'll need to be more patient.
Can anybody become member of this guild?

The knight looked me over disparagingly.

I don't know if they'll accept non-genuine fighters like you, but you can always try.
What do I need to do to become member of the Warriors' Guild?
Well, certainly not talking to me. Go to the Guild Mater in the main building. His name is Alrik!
Goodbye!





Ho warrior! What's the news today?
Wizards! I can't stand 'em. They wear those flowing robes to cover-up the fact that they've got puny bodies. I bet not one of 'em can bench-press over a hundred!
So you're the cowardly former Lord Protector to Duke Janus are you? Don't worry about it. Reputations can always be rebuilt... if you've got the guts.






Who are you?
I am Alrik the Guild master and, many say, the finest swordsman in the whole of Rivellon. During my career I have trained more than one hundred apprentices in the art of the warrior.
Hmmm, you seem quite experienced with the blade.
A long time ago, when I was an orphan, I met my former guild master in the poor quarter of Rivertown. He recognized my innate talents and brought me to this guild house. I have been training with the sword ever since my fourteenth birthday.
I seek the...
Wait... maybe it would be a better idea to take an indirect approach. He might me more inclined to be helpful that way.
I wish to join your guild and learn from you.
But you are a magic-user my friend.
Aye, that is true. But when I was stationed at Stormfist Castle, under its blasted anti-casting field, I realized that more skill with the blade could serve me well. Spells are tools of the wise, but wiser still is having other abilities to rely on should magic fail me again.
Well said! I can only teach you a few basic warrior skills, but I will see to it that you become a fine battle mage. Before you are deemed worthy of joining our guild, you must complete two tasks that I will set before you.
Very well. I am prepared to accept your quests.
The first task will test your courage and honor. Have you perhaps head of the Eye of the Cyclops?
I have heard of the Eye of the Beholder... but I guess that is another story.
The Eye of the Cyclops is a powerful artifact that was given to Than-Thalir, the greatest warrior in the history of Rivellon. Than-Thalir was slain during the Age of Chaos and his body was buried, along with the Eye of the Cyclops, deep in the catacombs beneath our guild.
What do you want me to do?
We have heard that the orcs are invading the dukedom and I fear we will require use of the Eye of the Cyclops in the coming conflict. Take this key and descend to the catacombs. Return to me with Than-Thalir's artifact.
I shall speak to you later.

I headed down the stairs.




The cellar clearly wasn't being used for storage by the warrior's guild. The only things down there were some of those nasty fire beetles and giant forest spiders. The key Alrik gave me opened the gate leading to some stairs down.

The stairs lead to a room made of fitted stone blocks, and an iron ladder leading down into darkness.




These ruins... are they everywhere?




The room was surprisingly large, but I could see all the walls. There was a door in the center of each side of the room. Three of them were closed, the one in the north was open. Oh, and there were a lot of flaming skeletons around.




There were also some more poisonous zombies.




I circumnavigated the room before leaving it, partly to clear out the undead, and partly to investigate. I discovered that the closed doors were locked, and there was no keyhole.

So just the open door, then...




Straight ahead I found a lever. Pulling it produced a distant, faint sound of stone grating on stone, and a nearby, loud sound of something casting a spell.




Oh wonderful. You can summon.




With the nuisances destroyed, I returned to the main room. The western door was now open. I went in, killed the undead and flipped the switch. It opened the south room.




I imagine that such a challenging puzzle keeps prospective members of the Warriors' Guild challenged for days.

I headed into the eastern wing. I wasn't really surprised to see what awaited me there.

Video: BOSS: Guardian of the Cyclops







I'm from the cleaning crew. This dungeon is in terrible shape...
Soon you will join my skeletal army, human. Than we have eternity to laugh about your jokes.
We'll see.






The giant crimson... thing started by summoning a flaming conjurer, who in turn summoned a flaming skeleton.

Uh-oh...

But Burning Wall had served me well in the past, and it did so once again.





I relieved the skeleton of its suit of highly magical mithril armor, and stepped up onto the dais.




The Eye of the Cyclops is mine!



Next Time:





Behind the Scenes

My relatively fast updating has been because this act has GENERALLY required less creative photoshopping.

The map:




Kaa Gent


In the western wing, there is a plate in the western area which is off, revealing a hole. There's nothing much at the bottom except a room containing this.




I could look this up on the Larian forums, but basically, this is a reference to a sports team. Strangely, after you leave this semi-secret room, you can never return. There's no real reason why.


Mage's Best Friend

I heard about this on the Larian forums.




I maxed out Resurrect, so that when I brought this fellah back, he'd be as tough as possible. In this game, you can resurrect mini-bosses like this guy. That's nothing special, but this boss is. I cast "Aura of Command" on him to get him to follow me.




For starters, the Guardian of the Cyclops is a Summoner Lord, which means that he can summon skeleton conjurers, who can summon skeletons, so your enemies will quickly find themselves badly outnumbered, for a change. But that's not why he's special.




What makes him special is that unlike other summons, he doesn't collapse when you go to sleep. You now, have a companion who will follow you and literally summon armies in your service.

You have broken the game for a while. Even with the reduced stats from the resurrection, he has 2300 HP, and no enemy will be able to kill it before you can react. You can heal it with the Restoration spell, keeping it alive indefinitely.

The downside is that I've killed everything else except for a couple of bosses, but if you do this early in Act 4, you can easily sail through some tough fights, such as Josephina. Unfortunately, I won't be showing that off.


TWO.

What's fake in this update?

•  I added the parts where Grisha asks around about the Heart of the Dragon, because while you can find out about that piece, it's hard to Justify Jeremiah finding it without some prompting about the direction. 
•  I added the lines where Jeremiah warns Lucius, because seriously it feels like I've paid the debts of like 6 other people. 
•  I tweaked the scene of Jeremiah in front of the Warriors' Guild with the knight to add the knight, because he had wandered out of frame.