Part 72: Fortress of Raze
Chapter 54 – Fortress of Raze
Overview
Bonus: Overview – Ego Dragonis
Ground Fighting
General Raze
Workshop Upgrade 2
Music: Battle Force
This music is really good, even though it’s only used in one section.Bonus Video: Ego Draconis – Fortress of Raze Overview
Video: Fortress of Raze Overview
Another portal squatted menacingly on the cliffs right above Champion Harbour.
Music: Fortress of Kali
That’s the music which normally plays during the exterior portions, but it’s been heard before. You might want to listen to Battle Force instead, it’s new and really good.
The layout of Raze’s Flying Fortress (in Dragon Knight Saga) is pretty simple. There is a chain of platforms that rise from the starting platform up to the boss platform at the top. This makes it easier to track your progress.
You can use Rush Attack to reach the enemies on those ledges. There’s really not a lot to say about this FF.
Some of the fights can be outright overwhelming, even with me 5 levels higher than the enemy. I actually had to use the Dragon stone to retreat to the tower and take the teleporter shrine back to Orobas Fjords.
Level 34. I was getting almost no experience from the ground enemies, but towers have no levels, therefore experience doesn’t scale based on your level. If you want really maximize your experience, kill all the ground enemies in the game first and only THEN start wiping out the towers.
I replaced the points lost in the Cave of Morals and added another to Vitality because I was still having problems surviving. These places are hard.
Life Leech
Increased from Rank 11 to Rank 12
Leech Chance: 30% -> 32%
Life Leeched: 28% -> 30%
I added +3 Melee Armor charm to my earrings. They’re not likely to last for much longer, but the Charm wasn’t that great anyway. Also for the record, adding Charms to items does NOT affect the sale price.Video: Fortress of Raze - Ground Combat
This chest on the topmost island contains the Hunter ring. In Ego Draconis all 10 pieces used to be held here, but this is the only one left.
Video: Fortress of Raze – Ground Combat
There’s only the one dungeon interior, and it leads to Raze.Music: Battle Force
Video: BOSS: General Raze
Old Note
In Beyond Divinity, in Act 3 you could meet a Black Ring member Brother Raze who offered you a quest. It’s possible that this is the same man, fifty years later.
There are a couple of small rooms here. One has the Crystal Dragon Leggings, the other a mandatory key needed to progress.
Finally, the General himself.
(General Raze) So cold… It’s too cold in here! 
(-3600 XP) These boots of Ulthring are not warm enough. I need new ones!
(Dragon Knight Yara) … You are living in a palace of fire surrounded by a sea of magma… It matters not! The machines must pump faster, the fires rage higher! Steel must melt and flesh must burn. War is here and victory for the Ring! Now it is too cold… too cold… Now tell me who you are and what you are doing here!
I am legendary Hiems, winter itself, come to freeze your soul!
(Talana) You have a bit of poetry in your soul, Dragon Knight! How did a raving lunatic like you make it past all my defences? But enough of this idle banter, I yearn for a fight! And do me a favour, would you? Don’t go down too easily. A long, hard battle might warm me up a bit.
General Raze The two alcoves on the near side of the room continuously spawn walking armours. They’re just distractions, but you’ll occasionally have to clear them out to avoid getting overwhelmed.
Raze is a bit of a gimmick boss, and he can be difficult to deal with unless you know the trick.
When he falls below 50% health, there’s an uninterruptible cutscene where he runs to one of the two far alcoves, and gets healed to full. We can’t stop him once the cutscene starts.
The trick is to get Raze’s health low, but keep it above 50%, then go hit the levers beside the chambers. They temporarily shut them down, but it doesn’t last long, so you have to hit both quickly.
Then finish him off before they come back online and he heals to full. The constant stream of Walking Armours can make this difficult to pull off. Ha! He’ll remain cold for a long time now.
Here’s the item Wesson wants. If you chose Radcliff, this unimpressive piece stays in your inventory forever. It does have three enchantment slots, but there are much better pieces to be found.Raze also has the Ulthring Set Leggings on him. That’s all four pieces, which completes the set. Here is the completed set with bonuses.
The set bonuses gives +20 to all three armour ratings and +10 Vitality (+70 HP), and there are no weapons or jewellery pieces associated with it. But even without completing the Scorpion Set, it’s clearly inferior to it, so I won’t be wearing it much, even though it does have the cool “obscured eyes” look.
I did some calculations and upgraded the Ulthring Set with the best Enchantments I have, then I compared it to the Scorpion gear and random gauntlets.
Ulthring Set
Melee Armour: +82
Ranged Armour: +36
Magic Armour: + 24
Vitality / Health: +20 / +300
Scorpion Set (Partial)
Melee Armour: +49
Ranged Armour: + 15
Magic Armour: + 29
Vitality / Health: + 23 / +321
The thing is, that +33 extra to melee armour translates to only about 8% Damage Resistance. And even with the best health enchantments I have on the stuff, it still comes out to less than the Scorpion set.
Video: Workshop Upgrade 2
I vanquished Raze and stripped him of his cuirass. It is yours now.
What a prize to receive! Look at it: the master craftsmanship, the exquisite quality of enchanting! I will learn a great deal from this piece of art. Oh yes, I will! Please inform Sassan we are prepared and the machines will become mightier than ever!
“Raging Raze” complete! Quest Reward: 8000 XP, 1200 Gold, Skill Book Bonus Chosen: 4000 XP, 600 Gold.
(Sassan) Yes, my liege? I would like to upgrade my workshop. In what way specifically, Dragon Knight? The machine with which one enchants armour. It shall be done! Bye.
Overview
Bonus: Overview – Ego Dragonis
Ground Fighting
General Raze
Workshop Upgrade 2
Music: Battle Force
The Map
When they altered the Flying Fortresses for Dragon Knight Saga, they forgot to update the maps. The map of Raze’s FF bears no resemblance to the actual layout in the DKS version.
Yara’s Current Auras / Equipment Updates
- Static Charge Aura – Enemies have an 28% chance of suffering 1 shock of 48 magic damage. (Ring 2)
- Poison Aura – 20% chance of 108 poison damage over 3 seconds. (Ring 1)
- Poison Aura – 13% chance of 72 poison damage over 3 seconds. (Earrings)
- Magic Damage Aura – 10% Chance of 1 shocks of 58 damage (Ring 1)
- Magic Damage Aura – 10% Chance of 1 shocks of 58 damage (Belt)
- Magic Damage Aura – 10% Chance of 1 shocks of 58 damage (Bracelet)
Current Scorpion Set Bonuses:
Necklace: +7 Heightened Reflexes
Ring: +64 Hitpoints
Belt: +0.44 HP Regeneration
Helmet: +4 Vitality
Cuirass: +9 Melee Armour Rating
Leggings: +7 Ranged Armour Rating
Bracelet: +10 Strength
Total Bunnies Killed:
(General Raze) So cold… It’s too cold in here! (Dragon Knight Yara) That’s because a heart as cold as yours cannot warm the body. Ha! Such ridiculous, pathetic nonsense. My heart beats warm with the lust for conquest! But the fires must burn stronger still, for it is still too cold… too cold… Now tell me who you are and what you are doing here! My name is not important, but I shall be known as Damian’s Bane. Ha! Poor, misguided creature. Big dreams, little hope. Now tell me who you are and what you are doing here! I am here for your cuirass, though I trust you’ll not part with it amiably. I certainly will not! It’s cold enough in here as it is!