Part 7: How to Pay Yourself for Fighting Overtime

Dear Diary,



Traveling to the south from Osterfair we encountered numerous tiny islands, many of which had nothing of interest. We may return to them in order to investigate the wildlife.



One particular island was home to an enormous tree, whose leaves are world renowned for possessing the power to revive the dead. Unfortunately, the leaf is consumed in the process.

One of two possible ways to revive the dead in this game outside of Houses of Healing. You can only carry one, however.



Heading east and south from the island of the World Tree we finally arrived at the island I'd sworn to visit so long ago.



We picked an excellent time to visit.



The town is very picturesque, and I think I shall make a point of returning and visiting it again.



The man we were in search of did in fact live here, but was away with the rest of the men. Just as well, from his wife's stories he's some kind of deviant and I'm quite certain I wouldn't want to meet him.



I find it particularly sad when children are mistaken about the occupation of their fathers. I suppose it's possible that his father was a fisherman, but I'd say the odds are against it.



One of his dogs was hiding behind a shop, obviously far too used to his strange treatment to respect humans.



Out of morbid curiosity we followed the dog to a tree, wondering if we were going to discover a hastily buried body or some such. Instead, we found a poorly concealed key that appeared right for the doors that had been perplexing us.



A traveling merchant had yet another tale of the pirate treasure we'd already found. I didn't have the heart to tell him that ships generally don't have plugs.



With the key in hand, our first order of business was to travel in search of the many locked doors we'd passed and begin looting the treasures behind them. The first such treasure was the Armor of Gaia, which I immediately appropriated for myself. One look at Lars convinced me that there was no hope of passing my Full Plate along to him.



One of the guards in Midenhall raised a brief fuss about our use of the treasury before realizing that as the heir to the throne it's pretty much my treasure, especially since my father has begun showing signs of senility.



The Token of Erdrick was tucked away in a corner of the treasury, just waiting for us to find it. That rude old man in the shrine will be changing his tune shortly.



I briefly hoped that the old man locked away behind a door in Cannock would have something interesting to say, but I should have realized he was being locked away for a reason.



The treasure there, however, was a priceless relic of our ancestor. As his most worthy heir I immediately took it for myself.

Why hello there, best shield in the game.



The next stop was naturally enough the town of Hamlin, where an isolated outbuilding was locked away.



Somehow, a pair of gremlin-like creatures had become locked in the basement of the building. They're not prisoners, however, so much as guards... as the Echoing Flute lived up to its name. We shall have to seek out yet another key, it seems.



After that discovery a corroboration of the story of Rubiss was something of a let down.



The old man in the shrine south of Alefgard offered us a trade of artifact for artifact. I see no harm in letting him hold on to the Token until old age takes him, especially in exchange for a more useful helmet.

Likewise, say hello to the best helmet in the game. Only wearable by Caim, naturally.



In what might be the strangest thing to be behind a locked door yet, we found a seamstress shop. While none of us have any idea what makes the Dew's Yarn special, it seemed like something that we should locate. It's likely to be valuable, at any rate.



We also found the so-called king of Alefgard hiding in a tiny room upstairs above a shop. I'm ashamed to be related to him, although I suddenly wonder how we're related if his only daughter left.



Finally, we went in search of the DragonLord's horde. Unfortunately, it appeared to have been pretty well picked clean.



While raiding it, however, Lars demonstrated a peculiar spell to prevent damage from bladed floors and magical barriers. It must be cast immediately before stepping onto the barrier, and if you take a single step off the barrier the spell immediately ends. While the spell is useful, I told him that I'm disappointed with its oddities.



With no more golden doors to open, we went in search of the Dew's Yarn. Thanks to the astonishingly precise directions the seamstress had given us, finding it was quite simple. The North Tower was more solidly constructed than the south tower, with the openings at the top positioned in such a way that it was impossible not to cross the river with the Cloak of the Wind. Luckily we landed right next to our ship.



Just up the coast was a shrine, which ended up housing a travel gate that led to Osterfair. We were wandering aimlessly, although as I thought about it I realized that we hadn't explored the land through the Travel Gate in southern Alefgard.



On the way over there, however, our attention was caught by a mysterious tower on an island. Nobody had mentioned the tower, so we decided to investigate.



Inside of the tower was quite a maze, with numerous dead ends and mysterious areas where our vision couldn't penetrate.



Even when standing mere feet away from the opening into another room, a veil was drawn across our eyes. Someone had went through considerable trouble to design this tower on a remote island.



The upper floors of the tower were patrolled by the animated corpses of brave warriors who had died seeking the secrets of the tower. While they had no actual muscles, the phantom forces that animated their bones were sufficient for powerful attacks. We put them to rest where possible, but the clattering and dry rustling of bones outside of view sounded constantly.

65 hp, 63 attack, 17 defense, and 33 agility. 40 gold and 45 experience.



A red door blocked off access to one particular section of the tower, but as one of the numerous townspeople we'd met had mentioned the Golden Key worked quite well on it. Coming all this way only to find that this door was impossible would have been quite frustrating.



At the very top of the tower a guardsman finally gave us some information regarding Hargon's location. He inhabits the land of Rhone... a place that none of us know the route to. At least now we know what to listen for. Thankfully we shan't be seeing this tower again.



Without further incident we reached the travel gate, making a discovery in one of the intermediate pathways. I'd have never guessed the Sun Crest would be hidden in a corner of a shrine, but the ways of magical artifacts are mysterious.



Passing into the land through the travel gate we were set upon by another variety of walking tree, all the more sinister for their deceptively normal coloring. While the evil trees we had dealt with before stood out clearly from normal surroundings, these titan trees could appear as ordinary trees until a person was close enough to strike. It gave the forests an added spice of danger, but I can only imagine that they've ended more than a few loggers and passers-by.



Much of the coast was impassible, making our choice of using travel gates seem wiser by the moment. The countryside was oddly varied, with deserts right next to flowing rivers and green lands. At times, I almost think that this world was assembled out of random pieces of other places.



Across the bridge we came to the city of Beran, in the middle of an inland lake just as Rimuldar of the Keys once was. Tired from traveling through the country side we decided to rest there.

End of Update Summary



Level 19. Erdrick's Sword, Shield of Erdrick, Helmet of Erdrick, Armor of Gaia. His defense has taken quite a jump.



Level 17. Iron Spear, Clothes Hiding, Leather Shield. Currently pulling ahead on utility spells.



Level 14. Wizard Wand, Clothes Hiding. About due for some new spells, as the old ones are beginning to just not cut it anymore.