The Let's Play Archive

Divinity II: The Dragon Knight Saga

by Stabbey_the_Clown

Part 26: Lord Lovis



Chapter 16 – Lord Lovis


Lord Lovis ( Main Plot! Watch this! )
New Order or Champion Chaos
Bandit Camp Quests

Yara’s Current Auras



Music: Waltz of Woe


I strongly suggest that you watch the video because it is a HELL of a lot of either listening or reading. I will have some additional interjections of my own in the text, though.

Video: Lord Lovis (Main Plot! Watch this!)


Excerpt from “The Last of the Dragon Knights”, by Zixzax the Almost-Wise:
“The fledgling Dragon Knight had scaled the crumbling tower of Lord Lovis, and reached the throne room. The encounter in the dungeon had filled the normally courageous Dragon Knight with a sense of trepidation. What kind of person was Lord Lovis?”




(Lovis Throne) You have come here, living flesh, to seek audience with Lord Lovis?
(Dragon Initiate Yara) I have indeed.
Then prove you have the knowledge required to meet him.
A test? No one said there was going to be a test!
To whom was Lord Lovis born?
What was it that Romon and Naberius told me about Lovis?
Anastas, queen of ancient Ferol.
Very good. Who does Lord Lovis serve?
Ouroboros, god of Dragons.
Very good. What was Lord Lovis’ greatest victory?
The Battle of Ten Thousand in which he slew more than six hundred foes and three Black Ring generals.
Very good. Who was the fiend that set in motion Lord Lovis’ downfall?
Ba’al, the Arch Demon who raided this valley.
Very good. What was Broken Valley called when Lord Lovis still ruled supreme?
The Valley of Shrines.
And that completes this test of knowledge. Your wisdom is exemplary. You may address my master and wear the pendant with which his house is symbolised.
"Looking for Lovis" complete! Quest Reward: 1800 XP, 700 Gold. Bonus Chosen: 800 XP, 350 gold.



The first question’s answer was provided by Romon. The second question required you to visit Naberius as well. The third question is tricky, as two of the answers are real, given to you by Romon, but he did mention that the greatest victory was over the Black Ring.

The fourth one gives you Damian as an option, which is clearly wrong, as Damian is only 70 or so years old, and Lovis has been dead for over 1000 years. Naberius provides the right answer, though.

The fifth answer isn’t given by either Naberius or Romon, but I think you can hear it from someone, I just can’t remember who right now. There is a clue with all the teleporter shrines about, though.

The throne helpfully tells you what answers you got right and wrong. You can get two of them wrong and still see Lovis. Get all five wrong and the throne berates you for being an idiot. Then you get zapped, losing 50% of your health.

For getting all five right, you get the Lovis Amulet, which always has +1 Mindread, and a +1 to another skill. In my previous DKS runs, it used to give a second +1 to Mindread, but it didn't this time. I really have to start saving before entering areas which give out known good items. I might have been able to get a mage head for my creature and a better Lovis amulet.



I’m not sure if this is history previously not mentioned, an error, or a retcon, but the Battle of Ten Thousand refers to a time when Lovis was alive and fighting the Black Ring, but Divine Divinity had the evil force referred to as the Damned. The Black Ring was the NEW name for the group.






(Lord Lovis) What have we here? A mortal wandered into my tower. By accident, I’m sure.
Not entirely, Lord Lovis. I was sent here by Lady Talana herself.
A fellow Dragon Knight sent a champion? An interesting turn of events, though not unexpected.
You know them, what is stirring in the valley?
Oh yes, I do. And even if my sight was taken from me, I would still smell the stink of Black Ring presence.
May I take it that olfactory dissatisfaction stems from dislike rather than amity?
You may do so freely. Our antagonism is no secret.
Then maybe you would consider helping me thwart their undertakings in Rivellon, like Talana said you would?
Did she now? And how is it I may help you?
I must slay Damian, but I don’t know how.
As luck would have it, I know what Talana wants to do. And though I applaud her intent, I am apprehensive of her immediate goal: the Hall of Echoes.
What is the connection between Damian and the Hall of Echoes?
Therein dwells the soul of his one great desire; Ygerna. He and she are Soul Forged; one in spirit and being. When death dawns on either of them, it takes them both. But Damian cast the spell when his beloved had, but moments before, suffered bloody execution. This reversed the nature of the spell. For now, should Ygerna be brought to life – it is Damian who will die. That was Talana’s quest. Now it is yours.
That foolish quest will never succeed, Dragon Knight! You would be wise to abandon it!
(-700 XP) My thoughts are my own, if you don’t mind. But it’s nice to see the art of mind reading is still popular among the educated few. You’ll find the chest next to my throne unlocked. Consider it a little reward for the amusement you bring.




Tell me about Ygerna.
When Damian grew up under the tutelage of the Divine, he was unaware of the fact that he was the incarnation of the great evil destroyed by his foster father. But the Black Ring knew and sent a young witch to awaken his dormant powers. This she did – and they even fell in love. All went well for the paid until Ygerna was found out and beheaded by the Divine. Damian, who had, in the meantime, in the strictest of secrecy, become a great wizard, Soul Forged himself with his beloved as she felt the blade. It was then that the first Demon War was waged and won by the Divine and his army of Paladins. The second Damian scourge, the Great War, fared less advantageously, as you are well aware. It ended in no more than a bitter stalemate. The winner has yet to be decided.
No, the Black Ring won, by removing the most powerful enemy piece from the board, and dividing the remaining enemy forces.
Something’s been bothering me for a while.
I understand neither your hostility towards Damian, nor Talana’s. You Dragons sided with him and killed the Divine!
No! You call us Betrayers, but it is we who were betrayed! Damian corrupted the mind of a fellow knight and made him stab your god-like champion in the back. He did what he set out to do: the Divine is dead. His Demonic army suffered great losses, yes, but away from human eyes, he is rebuilding his forces. How well he planned his devious game! Ygerna was revenged and while he knew it would take decades to regain his strength, the Damned One made sure mankind had another enemy to fight. Which is exactly what the Slayers did. They eradicated the Old Race, paying no heed to the slumbering threat that is Damian.
No! The Great Betrayal was a lie? The eradication of the Dragon Knights… what has our order done??
… There’s nothing to be done about the past, Dragon Knight. Focus on the future and how you can stop Damian. You are Rivellon’s last hope.
You’re right, Talana. It was a shock, is all.
Where can I find the Hall of Echoes?




I cannot say. Though I know my former master, Maxos the Dragon Mage, once found it. As always he wrote down all the research he did. This book must still be in his temple – not far from here. No one has been there for a very long time, but I possess a key. It is now yours. Finding the Hall of Echoes will be a long and tough journey. But should you succeed, our old enemy will be destroyed. Go to the temple, find the book. And while you are there, maybe you can take care of some small matter for me.
Could you tell me a bit more about Maxos?
He was a wizard of such vast knowledge he became respected by Dragons. They taught him things no human had ever heard of. And when he built his Battle Tower, a giant spire filled with magic, they gave him the ultimate ability. Like themselves, he could turn ordinary beings into Dragon Knights: which made him the most powerful creature in Rivellon, save for those of the Ancient Race. He could have conquered and enslaved this world if he wished, or turned it into a paradise. But that kind of power and dominance, be it for good or evil, did not interest him in the slightest. Only knowledge counted for him, while his Dragon Knights ruled Rivellon. Knights such as Orobas, Talana, and myself. Until one day he disappeared under circumstances unknown, and was never heard of again. This was almost a millennium ago. Ever since then, his Battle Tower stood empty. Until Laiken broke its magic seal and used the citadel as a laboratory to conduct his dark experiments.
There’s that name again.
Who is Laiken?
He is the necromancer, probably the vilest living creature in Rivellon: sicker even than the Damned One and second only in power to Damian. Death, pain, mutilation, and horrible resurrection are his life and very much his lust. To become a Dragon you will have to destroy him: a deed many have dreamed of, but none have dared to execute.
I’m surprised you haven’t commented on my silver eyes yet.




What do they say? That you were a Slayer once? Only when the blood of the Dragon flows through your veins like a thousand fires of might and lore, are you truly born. What came before matters not: it was of no consequence or validity whatsoever.
What is the difference between Dragons and Dragon Knights?
The Dragons are the Old Ones, the Dragon Knights their most powerful servants. They are humans chosen by Dragons when quite young and imbued with Dragon magic. They are more powerful and intelligent than normal humans, even live much longer, but their most amusing gift is the mastery of the Dragon form. In the guise of our Dragon masters, we, their Knights, are kings among men: rulers with powers unmatched. When the true Dragons showed themselves less and less over the centuries, the common folk made no distinction between the two anymore. Now some don’t even realize there is a difference – an enormous difference.
Why is it I cannot yet take the Dragon form?
Only the raw power that is locked in Maxos’ Dragon Stone may unleash your slumbering Dragon potential. But it is in the Battle Tower, and in the Battle Tower is Laiken.
What is this small matter I can help you with?
My salvation. I do not dwell here, a mockery of both life and death, by my own will or wish. No, my friend, I failed Maxos and this is my punishment.
Eternal damnation? Then you must have done something worse than just dropping his favourite mug.
You may judge for yourself. I was tasked to guard these lands against Demonic incursions. But as time passed and my might rose I grew callous and decadent. Vigilance traded places with indulgence, duty with sloth. When the Demon Lord Ba’al came and with him his armies, the valley was overrun. This is why I was punished.

The other option:
2. I too tend to seek and delight in sensual gratification. You were treated cruelly.

After such blatant disregard for duty, you certainly earned your fate.




Your words are harsh, but they ring true. Nevertheless, I have sought redemption, but received none. Too long, champion, have I been rotting without decay. Maxos ripped my soul from my body and imprisoned it in a Soul Stone in his temple. Close by, yet an infinity away. Go to the temple and bring me back my soul. It is in the possession of my old rival Amdusias. Destroy him and return. I assure you your reward will be substantial.
So you have been haunting this tower for over a thousand years?
Yes I have. And have grown more knowledgeable and more bitter in all those many years.
Imprisonment is a cruel punishment indeed, as I know all too well.
Most have forgotten me, but I have not forgotten Rivellon. With great fury, I watched Damian destroy her as I stood helplessly by. It is good to know that at last another strives to spell his doom and at the same time redeem the name of Dragons.
Tell me about Amdusias.
A long time ago, he and I were chosen by Maxos to become Dragon Knights. But one day, when were young men – not a day over seventeen and as brazen as all youths are – we tried to utter spells too potent for our still novice-like capabilities. A hurricane of fire ripped through a small city, killing hundreds. In awe, we stared at the beauty that is apocalypse, until our tutor arrived upon the scene. Enraged, he vowed he would teach us the constraint and responsibility that come with the ways of the wizard. To make sure we’d listen, he said only one of us would become a Dragon Knight. Ever since that moment, Amdusias and I became bitter rivals in the race for Dragonhood: a race I ultimately won. Amdusias remained as an acolyte in the Maxos temple, where he now – with boundless glee – holds my soul in his possession.
I must take my leave of you.
As you wish, Dragon Knight.


Whew. That was a fuckload of typing. It’s not going to surprise anyone if I tell you that our next main quest destination is the Maxos temple. I’ll want to be level 15 or so by then for reasons you can probably guess.




The Silver Eyes, we were told, were the hallmark of the Dragon Slayers, because of the dragon memories we get. But Talana had them, and she was a Dragon Knight. And Sonja in Farglow didn’t, and she specifically mentioned needing to relearn skills, which suggests she got the Dragon memories which make you lose all your skills. I’m a bit confused.


Paper Trail
This one is simple, we need to get into Maxos Temple and after that we get another quest to look for his research on the Hall of Echoes.


Lost Soul
Lord Lovis wants his soul stone returned. There’s a twist to this quest which we’ll discover later, and there will be a choice.




Here’s what was in the chest the mind-read unlocked.






In one of the other chests is the first piece of the starter fighter set.




Excerpt from “The Last of the Dragon Knights”, by Zixzax the Almost-Wise:
“The Dragon Knight now had the thing which was lacking before entering the tower: a plan for the defeat of Damian. But there was still one thing the former Dragon Slayer lacked: the courage to face Commander Rhode.”




Well? Are you going to just stare at it all day? Are we going in or not?
… Not. I still have some errands to run.
You’re worried you’ll run into your former commander, is that it? You don’t want her to see you like this? I wouldn’t worry. She’s probably long gone from there by now.
You don’t know Rhode. And I really do have errands to run. Really.

Music: Broken Valley Wakes



Video: New Order or Champion Chaos


(Doctor Needleman) Welcome back! What can I do for you?
I met a man named Eugene who seems to be suffering from multiple personality disorder.
Was he drunk?
No… He had two personalities in his head.
It’s a rare disease indeed, but I may know of a cure. I met an old mage in the valley – he’s the one who recommended the hat by the way – and he told me all about it. Usually the personalities are good and evil, or pious and nasty. That sort of thing. I can give you a potion that will cure this Eugene, but you’ll have to decide which personality survives. Quite a responsibility.
I choose Clyde, the kind-hearted one.
Good choice! Here is the potion. Glad I could help, Slayer!




(Romon) You’re back. The exploring of the tower fares well, I hope?
If by well, you mean I faced death at the hands of dozens of undead, then…
The exploring went very well. I have found this intriguing stone.
A Scrying Stone! You didn’t gaze into it, did you?




…
As a matter of fact, I did.
Good heavens! Are you all right? What did you see?
I found myself placed rather uncomfortably in Magdalena’s Lodge of Leather.
Oh my! What a wicked place to find oneself trapped!
I don’t know. Some vices are more fun than virtues, wouldn’t you say?

Romon’s face turned red.

Slayer! I expect you to go and confess soon!
Uh-huh.
Uh, *ahem*. I’ll take the Stone from you now. It will require lots of study!
I’ll bet.
May the Divine bless your path.
"Lovis' Loot" complete! Quest Reward: 1500 XP, 400 Gold Bonus Chosen: 750 XP.




(Richard) So who is she?
(Derk) None of your business!
Come on! We’re talking man to man here!
You know – that smile back there? Doesn’t mean I like your intrusions all of a sudden!
I don’t think that girl of yours knows what she got herself into!




Hmmm… I wonder…
Ah, you’re back! What news?
Hunting goblins isn’t the most exciting of jobs. How about we go after bigger game?
The goblin hearts are the most lucrative, but I do have another scheme in mind: if you’re up for it! See: Rivertown is struck by a famine, but Aleroth isn’t doing much better. Well, damn the bellies in Rivertown I say! They can starve in agony for all I care. Aleroth is my responsibility! But that blasted New Order only has eyes for that two-bit town! They’ve been collecting food here all week.
I’m not going to decide who receives food and who doesn’t. The New Order will provide for Aleroth in the end.
This coming from the Slayer who stole pigs meant for the relief effort! How many will go hungry because of that, Dragon Knight?
Spineless Slayer! I’ll go down to Jackson’s farm myself and bust the head of every Seeker that stands in my way!
I guess I’d better do something about this.

New Order or Champion Chaos?
Head down to Jackson’s Farm. You still get one more chance to side with Richard, if you want. But the reward is better for siding with Lomax.




Stand aside, Seekers! This food belongs to Richard of Aleroth!
(Lomax) How dare you demand these supplies, Champion? They fall under New Order jurisdiction! Slayer, try and talk some sense into this madman’s head!
He’ll answer to violence only, I think. Let’s not disappoint him!




You made your last mistake, Slayer! I’ll show you all what the Champions are made of!






And that was the end of Richard of Aleroth.




If you side with Lomax, mind-read him after the fight for a free attribute point. You do NOT get a point for siding with Richard.

Yes, the New Order prevails once again!
(-400 XP) [+1 Attribute Point]
You fought well!
Thank you, Slayer. Coming from you, that’s quite a compliment. We’ll return to our guard stations now. Always on duty!
"Hearttaker" failed! "New Order or Champion Chaos" complete! Quest Reward: 1200 XP, 300 Gold Bonus Chosen: 600 XP.



Bonus point to Vitality. I finally got some new earrings from Richard’s corpse.


Video: Bandit Camp Quests


(Clyde) What news Slayer?
Good news! I have found a cure.
(Clyde) Truly? Divine be praised!
(Jackal) Haha! By Damian’s nethers, he’s done it! Come on, let’s have that potion!
First, a word of caution. The potion will allow only one personality in your body…
(Jackal) …killing the other? Not a problem! There ain’t no herb that can kill me, but Clyde? Hahaha! Here we go!

Jackal snatched the bottle from Yara’s hand.

(Clyde) No, wait! Let’s ask the Slayer first… What are you? No!
(Jackal) Down the hatch!

He drank it down.

(Clyde) Our mind, no, my mind… It’s clearing! Gone the madness, gone the jackal! I thought this nightmare would never end! Thank you, Slayer! And as promised, here’s the maniac’s axe. You’ll put it to better use than he ever did, I’m sure of it! I shall go now, as far away from here as possible. May the gods lighten your path!
"Method or Madness" complete! Quest Reward: 600 XP, 150 Gold, Eugene’s Axe Bonus Chosen: 300 XP.



He’s a free soul again, but at least with Jackal still controlling his axe arm he stood a chance in the wilds.

Music: Bandit Camp





(Tagos) Back with my axe?
Does it look a bit like this?
Yes, that’s the one! Ha! You found the caravan, did you? Come, let’s have it.
Here you go. You’ll still have to scrape some bits of brain from the blade, though.
Good, I haven’t had lunch yet. Here’s some coin for your trouble! Thanks buddy!
"An Axe to Find" complete! Quest Reward: 1200 XP, 300 Gold Bonus Chosen: 600 XP.
Such hassle for a bit of wood and sharp steel! There are more important matters to occupy us: the Maxos Temple for one.




(Ragnar) I see you’re not covered in blue blood and your sacks don’t weigh with the spoils of rich men.
No, but your men lie covered in the usual red stuff.
What? Explain yourself!
There were too many of them! Spellcasters, swordsmen, archers. We never stood a chance!
Blast that New Order! May their intestines rot within them! Go on then, I’ve no more use for you.




(Layla) Back off, that sword is mine!
Nope, mine now!




(Zachary) What in the name of Ygerna’s tits do you think you’re doing?
(Layla) Put that back or lose your legs.
Survival of the fittest, dear. Come get it if you want it.
(Layla) Then get ready to walk on stumps, dear!






That was satisfying.
Yes, yes. Haven’t we got more important things to be doing? Like stopping the Black Ring, for one?
That reminds me… one of the miners thinks he spotted some Black Ring men by the mine, just after they found some kind of shrine. I think it might be important. I should check it out.




(Xena) I got this dagger when I was last in Aleroth.
(Gilberta) A real beauty! Has it seen any action yet?
Sure! I used it on the previous owner!
Hahaha! Poetic justice, eh!






Hold on… what’s that strange glow over there?


Excerpt from “The Last of the Dragon Knights”, by Zixzax the Almost-Wise:
“The Dragon Knight was trying to avoid Rhode, the known trouble. But the Dragon Knight was about to walk right into the unknown trouble. And that is far worse.”








Lord Lovis ( Main Plot! Watch this! )
New Order or Champion Chaos
Bandit Camp Quests


Total Bunnies Killed: Still 4.




While I like what they did differently with the sets in DKS than what they did in Ego Draconis, I do have a couple of quibbles. There are four sets available in Broken Valley:

Rivellon Guards (Non Unarmed, Non-Two Handed Warrior)
Defenders of Aleroth (Mage)
Blood Echelon (Sword & Shield Warrior)
Wild Dwellers (Ranger)

Of those, the Rivellon Guards is kinda lame with only three pieces, and one piece of the Wild Dwellers set is lethally dangerous to try and attain.

But the biggest complaint is that you can’t complete the Blood Echelon or Wild Dwellers set until AFTER you finish the Maxos Temple. The others can all be finished in Broken Valley, but not only do you need to enter the next area, but also get past the Amdusias boss fight to get those complete sets, and at that point the game is already starting to give you pieces for the next sets, not to mention the Level 15 sets which came in your inventory at level 1 that you should be able to use by then.

It’s not like they ran out of good hiding places. I can think of at least two special places in Broken Valley which will take a lot of running around and fighting to get to and would be well suited for a piece of set armour as reward.


Yara’s Current Auras











Lord Lovis



(Lord Lovis) What have we here? A mortal wandered into my tower. By accident, I’m sure.
Not by accident, no. I just find structures like these impossible to resist.
Do you now? And why is that?

Two options. I’ll show the shorter exchange first.

A life-long interest in architecture. I saw this tower and just had to visit.
A mere tourist! I had not idea my reputation had sunk so low!
Your name is still well known, Lord Lovis, Even by Lady Talana, who sent me here.

Treasure. Ancient towers mean ancient magic, and ancient magic means lots of coin!
So you have come to rob me?
I prefer the term ‘adventurer’ to ‘robber’.
You are quite brazen, young human. Too much so perhaps, ignorant as you are of your present interlocutor.
I know very well who you are, Lord Lovis. As does Lady Talana, who sent me here.
A fellow Dragon Knight sent a champion? An interesting turn of events, though not unexpected.
She was under the impression you would be able to aid me.
Was she now? And how is it I may help you?
The Black Ring must be destroyed and I shall do so. Preferably with your help.
‘Necessarily’ is the word you were looking for, I think.

Treasure. Ancient towers mean ancient magic, and ancient magic means lots of coin!
So you have come to rob me?
I would hardly label taking from the undead as stealing.
I too, to my great regret, belong to the not-quite-dead-not-quite-alive variety of species. But I do still cherish my treasures.
Rest assured, Lady Talana did not send me here to loot your tower.

When the Demon Lord Ba’al came and with him his armies, the valley was overrun. This is why I was punished.
I too tend to seek and delight in sensual gratification. You were treated cruelly.
Thank you for your understanding. I have often thought the same.


Romon



(Romon) A Scrying Stone! You didn’t gaze into it, did you?
As a matter of fact, I did.
Good heavens! Are you all right? What did you see?

The other two options.

I was magically transported to a dungeon beneath the Tower. Some of Lovis’ victims still dwelt there.
What an ordeal! Praise the Divine I chose you as my conduit into that cursed place.

I found myself placed rather uncomfortably in Magdalena’s Lodge of Leather.
Oh my! What a wicked place to find oneself trapped!
Couldn’t have been more terrified if I had ended up in a haunted dungeon!
I can imagine!

Both finish up with the standard way.

I’ll take the Stone from you now. It will require lots of study! May the Divine bless your path.


The stolen weapons from the bandit camp:






Reader Participation

1. Should I go after Jagon before or after I tell the New Order the location of the bandit camp? It changes a bit of dialogue, but that’s all.
a) After handing over the location.
b) Before handing over the location.

2. Bellegar’s shrines: Do those as part of the narrative or in summary?
a) In-Character Narrative.
b) Out-of-Character Summary.