Part 42: Fake Update #8 - Talking to Verdistians / QUEST: Cirgon and Graham (and other various rumors)
Fake Update #8 - Talking to Verdistians / QUEST: Cirgon and Graham (and other various rumors)
Music - "War and Peace"
Download (Thanks to Grawl)
This is just a short fake update one which will contain mostly rumors and such. All the dialogue is really from the game. We'll also do a quest which I won't do in-game.
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In this LP, I've decided that Verdistis is a port city which opens out onto an ocean. It's true that the map doesn't show that, but it is not entirely without reason. There's a graveyard and a sidequest near Rivertown which mentions the ocean and a seafood restaurant, and since the graveyard is near Verdistis, it makes some sense that's the spot (right?).
Let's start with a bunch of rumors:
The corruption in Verdistis is getting worse and worse, my commander told me. It al comes of letting the rich have too much power. I mean, the town is virtually an independent state, all to itself! If the rich get too much power, they think they're above the law. I tell you: nobody, not even the Duke, should be above the law!
They say that young Duke Janus is quietly putting it about that he's the Divine One - the Guardian of All People's, or some such. Well, why not let him think so if it makes him happy? I'm an atheist (like all persons of good taste), but I certainly see the value of religion: it keeps the lower orders quiet and gives the mad among the nobility something harmless to rant about.
They do say that a cult calling themselves the Black Thing is planning to take over the town. Apparently they're led by a great black dragon: thus the name. We'll all be forced into slavery and all the women under twenty will be food for the monster! I don't believe a word of it myself.
I'm sick of Soldiering! It's not like being a warrior. It's just people giving orders all the time. I tell you, as soon as my term is up, I'm going to join the Warrior's Guild off in the Dark Forest. They say the initiation is just being able to fight through all the monsters and forest folk to get to the Guild building!
The nobles of Verdistis are getting out of hand of you ask me. I know my place and I mean no disrespect, but with the numbers of the poor growing every day - what with the war and the troubles in the farmlands and all - the nobles shouldn't flaunt their wealth in public so much. We'll have a peasant revolt on our hands if we're not careful.
Good evening, stranger. I may have to go home soon. My mummy has been calling for five minutes. After five minutes she usually comes to get me, but tonight she may take longer 'cos she's so tired.
Hi kid. Have you heard any interesting stories going about lately?
There are tunnels and passages that go everywhere under our feet. Grandpa told me dwarves built them, but I went looking there and it's no dwarves there but snake people. You can believe me, 'couse I saw them myself! I hid 'till they passed by... it gave me the greeps. I am never going there in my life again! 
Can you tell me how to get into the sewers? Are you gonna go there, mister? Pfew... stinky place there! I went there when everybody was asleep, through a grating in the center of the market place. I wouldn't know how to enter them in Verdistis.Note: The kid was IN Verdistis when I asked this. The Verdistis sewer grates are on the northwest side of the park, and just southeast of the park. And yes, the sewers are full of Lizard people. Really, really, really full. I don't think I need to bother mentioning that they are not friendly.
They do say that the sewers under the town connect to ancient dwarf-built passages. In theory, you could travel for miles underground... if you were willing to fight all the horrors that live down there, that is. They even say that there's a secret underground entrance to Stormfist Castle, if you know where to look.
The news of the war on the orcs firhgtens me. I'm no fighter like you. I'm just a poor householder who's trying to protect his family. I can deal with the occasional burglar or mugger, but a ravening orc horde? Never. I only hope that the army can hold them on the southern borders.
I've been out all night! Mummy hardly ever lets me stay out at night, except like tonight, when Daddy is away and she's got one of her men-friends visiting. Hi kid. Have you heard any interesting stories going about lately? My daddy says that there are vampires - horrid monsters who drink people's blood - abroad at night. When I'm allowed to stay out after dark, I stay near other people and houses and stuff. I don't want no vampire to drink my blood. I need it... I think. What's blood for? My mummy and daddy are afraid that the orcs will come and burn our house. Daddy says the army are a lot of lazy cowards and Mummy buried her jewellery to stop the orcs stealing it. But I'm not supposed to tell anyone, so don't tell Mummy and Daddy that I told you.
Food is getting scarce. They say that there's been a crop blight and a lot of troubles with trolls in the farmlands. I hope there's enough to last the towns through 'til next spring, but with all these war refugees coming in, I doubt it. I'm building-up a private stockpile of food and I've bought a crossbow to guard it with. It's really unfair. Everybody is saying: The guards in Verdistis are all bribed! Nobody ever tried to bribe me... What about 50 gold? And you look away tonight when I try to visit the houses around here... Wha...? I should arrest you for trying to bribe... argh, stop laughing at me...! Go on, go on...Northeast of Sir Dante's house is a woman called Lydia who is worried about the attacks.
On the street west of Sir Dante's mansion is Artemis. He's a whiner, and completely unimportant.
Don't you have better things to do than waste your life lurking in a drinking dive?
Listen, I'm unemployed, I'm too old to get a new job and I'm bored out of my mind. In a tavern I can talk to my friends and drown my sorrows in ale. Becoming a drunk won't make you any less sorrowful.
No chance of that with no money. At this rate I'll have to offer to clean out the inn's midden for a couple of mugs of cheap ale. Good luck then...Alternate dialogue:
Gods, this is a dull day! If I had some money left I would go to the inn and drink myself under the table! All right then, here take some gold... Hey, keep your gold. Do I look like a beggar to you? I have my pride...Now you get three responses which all end the conversation. Too bad this isn't used somewhere actually useful...
As you wish! I understand perfectly! Sorry for my mistake... Idiot!The other initial choice ends the conversation immediately.
The house just northeast of Sir Patrick's is Lucius's. He's of minor importance in an Act 3 quest - and unlike some others, you can't actually start this one until Act 3.
Oh the life of an adventurer can be very boring. Everyone is always asking you to do this favour, or save them from that evil.
It's good that you mention that. I was looking for my lost cat and need somebody who could... I was joking! Not everything I see is exotic. I was once unfortunate to see a Nurbuul toilet!
A Nurbuul toilet? What is that? They are toilets built for giants, trolls and ogres! Need I say more? No, not really. Tell me Luc. What is it you do for a living? I used to work outside in the fields, but an injury to my back meant I had to leave that job. I now do work for Leptine at the General Store. Rescuing damsels from the evil clutches of monsters can be a lot of fun. Ooooh, let me guess. These damsels have blonde hair and are amazingly beautiful? *sigh* You really are lucky leading such a life.
Guess what we'll do next update? Quest: Cirgon and Graham
There's a quest I could have gotten, but I didn't because for one, I may already be doing far too many side-quests, and two, there is no life at stake here, so Jeremiah has no interest in doing the quest.
Who did this to you?
I lost an eye and got this hideous scarring in a knife fight with that bastard Cirgon. I was thrown out of the Ducal Army because I can't wield a weapon any more - I can't judge distances properly. Now I'm nothing but a cripple for people to laugh at! You were a soldier?
Yes, I served in the Fourth Division of the Ducal Army. It was a good life. I lost many comrades and friends when I had to leave. Who is this Cirgon? He is a brute of a man who knows no mercy and takes great pleasure in torturing people like me. I would give anything to see that bastard dead! You would give anything? Perhaps I should pay this Cirgon a visit. Cirgon is a formidable and vicious fighter. He's quite happy to use any nasty tricl to cut up his opponent. If you manage to kill him, I'll give you my father's magic gloves. He was an adventurer during his youth and these gloves might serve you well.
May I know your name?
I'm Cirgon, a proud soldier of the Ducal Army. I'm presently serving under Commander Kratus. What can you tell me about Commander Kratus?
Commander Kratus is a good man, even though he's a bit demoralized just at the moment. He's fighting political corruption, but without success. There's corruption in this town? Sure. The Assassins' Guild is very powerful and controls almost all sectors of public life in Verdistis. Most of Commander Kratus' own men wouldn't arrest a guild assassin if they caught him red-handed. They're all too afraid, the lily-livers! I've talked to Graham and he told me that it was you who disfigured his face. What do you have to say to that? Graham? That bastard slept with my wife! It was my great pleasure to make him pay for that act of betrayal! Because of Graham, my wife left me! All I did was hit her a bit... now and then.Here we have two options. "I don't believe you! Draw your weapon!" starts the fight. But let's not do that.
Ah, I didn't know that. I'm sorry. So Graham the bed-lizard kept the best part of his tragic story back, did he? That's typical of him. At least the other women in town will avoid him now, and other husbands can rest a little easier when they're away from home. Taking cruel revenge on Graham didn't get you your wife back, did it? And it sounds like your beatings were the real reason she left you. Maybe you're right, but at least I and that snake Graham are in the same boat now. Graham bedded my wife while pretending to be my friend, but even a ha'penny whore wouldn't sleep with him now. Ha! I'll leave you be now.Returning to Graham...
So you have come to see the Ugly Man, have you? I have spoken to Cirgon and he tells me that he fought you because you slept with his wife. That's none of your business, stranger! I told you to kill the bastard, not ask him questions. Kill him! It strikes me that you and Cirgon are two of a kind. He's a bully and a wife-beater, and you're a false-friend and a home-breaker. I'll not come between such a well-matched couple. Settle your own scores! You do not know what it is to suffer as I do! Be gone and never talk to me again!For telling them both to stick it where the sun don't shine, you're awarded a chunk of experience (20,000 at my level). But what if we decided to kill Cirgon?
don't believe you! Draw your weapon! You're a fool if you think to beat me in combat. I'm a veteran with nine years service. I could cut a young pup like you to bits with my eyes closed! Not a chance! Graham will be pleased to hear that you're dead!He's easily killed.
So you have come to see the Ugly Man, have you? Cirgon is no more. You have your revenge. I cannot stop feeling the shame and anger every time I see my deformed face in the mirror, but I will have pleasure knowing that Cirgon is dead and cannot torment again. Here, the gloves are yours.
These are Item Quality 3 gloves, and they're not that great. There are better unique gloves available with only a bit more trouble, including two more pairs in Verdistis alone.