Part 43: Tower of Eldaran (2) and Exploration
Update 039 – The Tower of Elderan and Exploration
“You've been ssstanding here for sszome time now.”
“Are you sure you have a plan?”
“I'm good with waiting.”
“It means less chance of dying, right?”
“Are we not to report our victory over the undead?”
“Exczelent idea.”
“{Yes}?”
“{That Undead infestation we reported, and that you said you would take care of?}”
“{Yes.}”
“{We took care of it.}”
“{What?}”
“{How?}”
“{With much difficulty.}”
“{We shall investigate your claims.}”
“{Of course. By your leave.}”
“Kai-lyss! Come one! I know our next destination!”
“It's revenge!”
“That's not a worthy goal, you know, Farmboy!”
“I don't know. I think this a legitimate goal.”
“So, where?”
“You remember the tower of that guy, Elderan?”
“We had to explode a wall to escape!”
“Ah. With the Dispel Barrier spell, we can advance further.”
“Exactly!”
“Wait... where did we put the boat?”
Almaria
“I approve of this plan. And we have ssufficient zuppliessz?”
“We should. I can make more food as needed.”
“We return.”
“Knock, knock!”
“You're supposed to do that before we enter, not before if you want to be polite, Sir Ma'am.”
“Oh, you're missing the reference entirely.”
“I know he would, he was born down here. How did you get it?”
“My secret.”
“Are theze the sssame creaturesz that were here last time, or replacementsss?”
“Right. No real power here. Nothing to sanctify.”
“That's good, right?”
“Yes, for once.”
“The trapped lever.”
“Yess. We should be prepared to battle past the monsters.”
“But we know what to expect this time!”
“This is much easier than last time.”
That's because I'm far better leveled, with better equipment and spells.
I miss Major Blessing.
“Let uz hope we can assscent higher thiz time.”
“I'm more worried about making sure we can escape this time!”
“It's quiet. Let's hope it stays that way.”
“Or not.”
“My turn.”
“HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!”
“Oh.”
“heheh”
“I couldn't help but notice during the battle that there was a lever hidden in this corner behind this barrel.”
“Um, yeah. I shoved the crate out of the way to maneuver, and the barrel rolled over there from the other corner.”
“Oh hush, farmboy.”
“You know, while you stretching like that was something...”
“I could have moved the barrel first.”
“...”
Me skipping over long waiting and killing a lot of enemies. It was boring, but that room is an excellent kill-box to grind XP from due to the long hallway leading into it and enemy AI pathing.
“Thisssz is zsstill sssomething I do not approve of. Wassteful.”
“I think this portcullis was operated by that lever I threw earlier.”
“Except it goes
down, not up.”
“Convenient. Come on, let's spring some captives!”
“Five.”
“Fifteen for two.”
“Ugh. Six.”
“And that's 31 for two.”
For some reason the two Captain enemies in the jail won't react to you as long as you're in this little hallway. You actually have to step into the room before they will react.
“Let's see... that's 14 for you thanks to the nine on the pile, and the double run. You have... 10 for the double-long-run and the pair.”
“OH SHIT!”
“You're out-numbered three to one. You want to fight, or you want to sit back down, keep playing your game, and we'll all ignore each other?”
“What are they playing?”
“A math game.”
“...”
“Um... I think it's my turn to deal?”
“I think so too.”
“I mean, it's not like we ever get unauthorized visitors down here. The Archmage would deal with them personally.”
“You're right. It's not like we have to do much.”
You meet an archer of Exile, imprisoned in this cell. His captors haven't even bothered to strip him of his bow, arrows, and armor. He seems glad to see you, but not very. Odd. "I'm Bill."
“Hey Bill. I'm Art. What's happening?”
He looks strangely vacant, as if there was no point in talking to you. "Waiting."
“For what?"
"For Elderan to deal with me."
“Um... I'm pretty sure that
Elderan isn't here. You can just, you know, leave...”
“Eight for 23.”
“Go.”
"Elderan isn't really evil, you know? Just dedicated."
He thinks. "No, that's wrong. He is evil. Dedicated, and evil."
He continues to be strangely detached.
“I'm fairly certain that
evil is a requirement for the position.”
“You don't know.”
He lifts his hair from his forehead, revealing an odd symbol. "I'm cursed. I can never leave this tower. I die if I do. My commander,
Houghton, tried it."
“What happened?”
"I saw him die. He tried to run, but didn't get three steps before he keeled over. So I came back to my cell, to make my peace."
“What
peace could there be?”
"With death. I'm ready to die. I just hope it's not in an experiment."
An unwatched, scruffy man sits hunched in the corner, his mage's robes hanging loosely from his emaciated form. His fingers trace idly over a glyph on his forehead. He looks up as if unsurprised to see you. "I'm Bill. Hello."
“Uh...
Bill?”
"In the next cell. Two of us named Bill. What are the odds?"
“What iz that sigil?”
“It's a
curse. Elderan puts it on all his prisoners. If we step out of the tower, we die. I'll live the rest of my life in here. So will Bill. But until then, I can try to be useful."
“
Useful? You better explain, lest I deal with 'useful' people.”
He grins evilly. "Useful to Exile. For example, did you know that this tower used to be used to store records?"
“Go on...”
“Dammit! 19!”
“Better luck next time.”
“You're going to skunk me at this rate.”
"Elderan was the chief record keeper. All sort of information passed through here, all about the Empire's forces down here. But not long ago, I overheard the records were moved!"
“After our first raid?”
“That was you? I heard some Exiles damaged the tower, and Elderan was angry. He was ordered to move them to one of the northern islands, a bunch of scattered islands to the northwest. Hard to get to. In Empire territory. Still, it's interesting knowledge."
“You're right. It is. I think we should go talk to Elderan now. Unless you can do something about this, Kai-Lyss?”
“No. Not here, not without knowing more.”
“Well, there's one more cell.”
“Nope!”
That was annoying. That Gazer saw me, and tried to follow me out. Except that it then fought the two Bills, and they were killed!
Not wanting that in the story, I simply reloaded the game, did the conversations again, and moved on.
“This lever doesn't control the gate leading up. There should be another one somewhere...”
“Watch, it'll be in one of the monster pens.”
“Which appear to have been opened.”
“Oh dear.”
I was debating adding these to the Random Basilisk Count, when I realized there was no way to predict them, and they are far too strong for most of the other monsters around here.
”Random Basilisk Count” posted:
“Why don't we just kill everything, and sort the rest out later?”
“I like that plan!”
“Ugh, more blood to wash out.”
“Looksz like they repaired the wall.”
“And reinforced it. No getting out that way.”
“Now, let's look for that lever.”
“Found it! According to Kai's magic, it's in this chamber.”
“Kai-Lyss. Ussse my name properly.”
“Sure, sure, whatever. Let's open this up and flip it.”
“What are they?”
“More of those mutant creations we've been asked to look into.”
“There, that should deal with the way forward and upward.”
“Third floor, here we come!”
“Another floor to go, then we reach the top.”
“Oh dear.”
“Is that a...!”
“Quite annoying. Mung Demons project anti-magic fields.”
“Kai-Lyss, let's do some spell prepwork ahead of time.”
“I agree.”
I cast Group Haste and Curse All ahead of the battle.
“CHARGE!”
“MEAT!”
“NO!”
“Oh, that will stain.”
“Really, what does it say about us that killing a demon merits a concern about damage to clothes?”
“I don't want to know.”
“You really don't. I've been here for years, and the normality of it can be quite shocking.”
“I also don't like it when it's quiet like this.”
“I am certain that will change.”
“Like defense automatons?”
“Exactly!”
“Learning.”
“Wonder why they haven't come out?”
“Maybe they were moved with the records?”
“Demons.”
“Quick! Into this room! We'll box them!”
“I don't think this was a good idea.”
“Eazy to hit them all!”
“Except for the
third one”
“Ssstudy, or cooperation?”
“Hey, are you guys done yet?”
“No. Why? Bored to death?”
“No, just asking.”
“Everything is gone.”
“Isn't he that mage that's missing? From Almaria?”
“Yes...?”
“How do you know it waz him?”
“He carved 'Sixus was here, but now I'm gone. I left my name where light ne'er shone' into the stone.”
“So, he was a captive of the Empire?”
“We don't know enough for sure now. Let's just move on for now.”
“Reading that alszo triggered a magical trap.”
“Oh.”
“Last stop.”
“They're ready for us.”
“No. They're not!”
Once again, the enemies aren't aggroed until we cross into the room. Which means I can sit back, Long-Wait my way back to full health (and more food), then get ready to rumble with pre-combat castings of Bless and Curse All, as well as Haste All and Slow Group. I love it when I can do that!
“CHARGE!”
“SHIT!”
“That was easy. Round two?”
“I think so.”
“I see him!”
“Ah, I was wondering when you would show your face, Assassin.”
“Eh, you were a low-priority target. More of a training dummy than anything.”
“You will regret those words when I make your death slow and painful. I will learn the secrets you have kept hidden, even from the Royals!”
“What? That? That's nothing. Oh, and you shouldn't have turned your back on my people.”
“NO!”
“Really now, something so dramatic?”
“Quite loud.”
“Come, let us see if there iz anything to do here.”
“Not here.”
“I will examine here for more clues regarding that cursse.”
“Hold that thought, we need you for the end of this. Once I've finished disarming these traps.”
“Perhapz theze tomesss?”
“Uzeful, if we ever used wands.”
I don't think there's a mechanical effect here, at least none I saw.
“An option, but they will follow our instructionsss to their intent, not ourz.”
“Back down through the core. The first floor had that library.”
“There iz nothing here to help Bill and Bill.”
“There was this note in the desk. Art, I think you should read it.”
“Oh?”
“Um, isn't that place also where one of the Crystal Souls is being kept?”
“Yep.”
“I think we need to step out before her rage destroys the whole tower.”
“Just remember to grab the key first.”
“He's dead. Marianna here got the blow in.”
Mairwen nods. "Well done! You have done far better than expected!"
She hands you a heavy pouch of gold. "I have also sent word of your deeds to the Castle. You should go there soon - you may have a higher clearance!"
“That's a thing, isn't it? I'd forgotten about that.”
“It iz. But now, we need to check sssome local placez for my people.”
“Oh, that. Right. Less angry now.”
“We sshould start with the region to the west of here, the old city.”
“Except it's gone. Abandoned.”
“Yesss. Good.”
“Hold on!”
“What was that password again?”
“Right! Trash this place! That's our fourth?”
“Yes, I believe so.”
“Should hit up a fifth before we can report mission complete.”
“I remember this place when the Sliths were using captive humans and Nephilim as slave labor. It was fun freeing all them!”
“Unlezz you wish to ssee a repeat?”
“CHARGE!”
“Yeah, this isn't a problem.”
I pieced together six shots for that large one. I should do that more often!
“<Flee to the south, and the lands of the Exiles. We must stand together in this time of trials.>”
“More searching?”
“Yesss. We go ssouth, checking placess out as we fall back to ssafe landz.”
“Really?”
“I think our experiences are getting out of hand.”
“They had to be guarding something, right?”
“Or acting as a rear guard.”
“There uzed to be a...”
“Tomb back here, I remember.”
“Let's leave.”
“Nice.”
“You sure? I'll be stinking for weeks! My fur!”
“Interrupting before Marianna complains about her clothes.”
“...”
“There iz something here... an intense magic.”
“I know. I feel it as well.”
“Sixus.”
“But what are we looking for?”
“An invisible entrance, apparently.”
“Thiz place, constructed to message those who would map it.”
“We're not ready for this yet. We can come back later.”
“Where to now?”
“I'm thinking back to the Great Cave. It's time we dealt with a few things in short order.”
“Ugh, such a long walk. I would like a drink from that well.”
“What harm could that be?”
“Desires?”
“That's easy. Here's a coin.”
“It has to be impossible, or nothing can come of it.”
“On the other hand, this is quite useful. As long as Chester stays turned away.”
“<Why?>”
“<Humans have different standards of gender-oriented actions, what is acceptable or not.>”
“Actually, while we are going wessst, we ssshould stop by that Alchemist.”
“Why?”
“Ohhhh. Good call.”
“You're sharing with Marianna and Dmurr? But not Sir Art or Aarth-Tss or me?”
“We are not getting as much practice as you.”
“Welcome! How can I help?”
“Ssssome training, pleaze.”
Marianna and Dmurr got basic Strength/Dexterity/Weapon Skill improvements, nothing worth capturing.
“I know have the power to engage in mental contessstsss with other cazters.”
“You sure you want to? It could go bad.”
“I do not recall being told that I needed a ssszmoky cryssstal for thiz!”
“Now that's out of the way, what next?”
“Back to the jobs at hand!”
“Which you still haven't explained to us.”
“I tell you, you might object!”
“We're west of Patrick's Tower. What is over here anyways?”
“Oh no.”
“THE NEPHILIM DEN? ARE YOU MAD?”
"Rakshasa actually. And I'm pretty certain you're drunk again to make that mistake."