Part 62: The Rescue of Vyvnas-Bok
Update 058 – The Rescue of Vyvnas-Bok
"So, how did you like your encounter with a non-hostile Dragon?”
“I much prefer Motrax.”
“Agreed!”
“Thirded!”
“More Dragonsss.....”
“How long to hatch?” “Sssooon.” “Define 'soon'.” “Hrm.... the reproductive cycle of Dragonsss iz poorly underssstoood. Dayz? Yearsss? Who knows.” “Right, next time we swing by the Castle, or the Tower, tell people about the new Dragons.”* * *
“Hey you're back.”
“Yes. Karmas was not happy.” “Well, here's more news for you. Athron is raising a clutch of eggs!” “what” “Bye! Gotta talk to Erika!”* * *
“Yo!”
“It was too much to hope for that Athron would set you to the eggs, wouldn't it?” “Oh come on, can you imagine me being nanny to a bunch of Dragons? They would have to start calling you Auntie Red.” “Not. “Funny.” “Yes it is.” “Look, just tell me what you learned.” “The last Crysal Soul is apparently in Akhronath.” You tell her what you learned from Athron. "Akhronath! Of course! A powerful and deadly place, and I know much of it. It may at last be time for that fortress to fall." “How do you propoze we causse ssuch a fall?” "To get the crystal soul from Akhronath, you will need two things. You will need to be able to pass the fort's wards, and you will need a way to pass the magical barriers you will find there." “The wardsss?” "The fort is very hard to get into - there are statues in front of it that block entry. However, there is a mage named Ostoth who knows how to reach it." "I spoke with him once. He said he knew some sort of 'Teleportation code' to reach the fort. If you meet him, you should ask him about Akhronath. He know how to get to that fortress." “And what of the barriersss?” "I know some rakshasi there who were working on a new sort of magical barrier that was immune to normal dispelling. It was originally created by Garzahd. There is a woman named Enla who knows more about it than me. If you meet her, ask her about Garzahd. She may help you. Then again, maybe not." “Yeah, about him....” Her smile is chilling. "Oh, sweet Garzahd, the man, the vermin who sent me down here. Now he is in Exile, and I want him dead! And I have several leads on how it may be done." “Yeah, we'll get back to you on that. One problem at a time.” “Such a primitive mind, such three-dimensional thinking.” “Ugh. At least, I think I remember where we met those two. They were the ones I was quite annoyed with back at Motrax's cavern.”
“Don't let the portal hit you on the way out, ape!”* * *
“Now, hopefully they haven't moved, and are still here.”
A pale, bent spider of a man hunches over the table, spindly claws rearranging pieces of paper. His heads snaps around to see you. He's very old, but he's also very agile, and very alert. "I'm Ostoth," he snaps. "What do you want?" “Sir, we're on a mission and we need to get into Akhronath, and Erika Redmark bid us speak with you regarding that.” He nods. "Ah, yes! Fort Akhronath. Empire outpost. Place of magic and torment. You have to go there, do you? Bad luck. I can help. I found the teleporter code to get there before I came here. It's in my quarters in the Tower of Magi." "The key is in a secret room of my quarters here. You can have it. If you're going to Akhronath, you need lots of help." “What did you do with regardsss to the Teleporter?” He looks at you suspiciously. "I know you have at least Magi Clearance, but that's it. Look. There is a portal in the Tower of Magi that can send soldiers places, places all over Exile. But that's all I feel safe telling you. Don't try to find out more."
Interesting. You can complete everything you need for the Crystal Souls with just Magi Clearance. I think the same goes for the Empire Teleporter Quest. Of course, the last quest does require Royal Clearance, so there's that.
“I can barely see it!” It's there. Just grey on grey, and it only spawned once Ostoth told you about it.
“Well, hopefully this won't break on our way back to the tower.”
Only missing one more key, and we'll get that by the end of the update. “We really should toss that head away.”
“Enla. Redmark bade uz ssspeak with you regarding research alternate barriersss?” She nods. "When I knew him, he was working on this new sort of magical barrier - very difficult to create, but very strong. It could only be brought down by being next to quickfire." "Garzahd is down here now. If you're in an Empire fort and find a strange barrier, try quickfire. But be careful!" “Wait. You knew Garzahd? How are you ssstill alive?” She looks up at you, actually paying attention. "Yes, before I was exiled, I knew him. He frightened me. He also wanted me. When I refused him, I found out how much power he had. The political kind. I ended up here. I hate him." “...”
“No. No punching Linda today.”* * *
So, on my way back to the Tower, I had a couple interesting encounters. The first was an actual random encounter on my way past Formello.
I have no idea where these guys wandered in from, as I'm certain that every random encounter in this section of Exile is far below my level, and should flee on sight.
This was the second. Refugees are supposed to spawn between Cotra and Silvar, so what the heck are they doing two whole map sections north? This particular encounter actually came at me from east of Formello, to add to my confusion.* * *
“We tried this room before, but the door beat us. Let's see if this key works.”
“Come on...”
“That was massively anticlimactic.” “And there iz the book.”
“Memorized.” “Alright, is there anything else we need before going to do this?” “We have the code. I know Quickfire. We have sssuficient stores of Mana potions.” “No time like the present.” As near as I can tell, there is nothing left for me to do that isn't the final Great Map Update, and plot stuff for killing Garzahd. I should be one by update 65.
“Sssuch a uzeful device.”
“Well, at least we are on the other side of those statues.” “Way to late to ask, but how are we to get out?” “I think the statues prevent people from entering, but not leaving. I hope.”
“A button for a bridge.” “And no other way in. Press it.” “Frontal assault?” “We did get past the statues, which means that we obviously should be here, right?” “Heck of a chance.”
“Another button, for getting out, I think.” “Alright, let's get in, and work our way around the place.”
“oh no”
“Anyone hurt?” “Only my pride.” “So ,where are we?”
“No time! Fighting!” The gimmick behind the Battle Pit is that you are pitted against round after round of enemies spawning in from all sides. Each round is on a distinct timer, meaning that if you take too long with one, the next will spawn in while the current round of enemies is still up.
The first round is Cryo- and Pyro-Hydras.
As noted, Gazers and Eye-Beasts are the second round.
About twenty Quickghasts and a half-dozen Black Shades and Sprits.
A dozen Mutant Giants....
And about twenty Golems. And that's it! “I don't think I'll ever get all that out of my clothes.” “Powerful, but we are ssstronger.”
“A portal.”
“But where too?” “Probably a cage, if that lich was talking anything coherent.”
“ugh...” “Sssuch a powerful entity.” “Does it really mean for us to die here?” “Manna.” “No, while we can feed ourselves, the Lich wants us to succumb to psychological effects.” “Pathetic.” “For you two, maybe! But what about the rest of us?” “Well, let's start by looking for a way out.”
“Thisss entire corner of the complex iz izolated. Usseful.”
“There are Golems outside the cell, but that's not really a threat now, is it?”
“There's something behind here...”
“Pushing it!”
“Guess that would be me, right?”
“Az uzual.”
“Oh.”
You are in the prison with a floating insubstantial figure. You look at it closely - it seems to be the ghost of a man. The ghost sighs. "I was Quinby." “I'm Art.” "I was a mage of high renown. Then I was brought to Akhronath." “I think the name might be familiar, but I don't know. What were you renowned for?” Was he in Exile 1? I don't remember. "Well, somewhat high reknown. I did all right. Not well enough, though." “Fair enough. So, what can you tell me about this place? Akhronath?” "The heart of darkness. The twelve questioned me, and then I received the standard fate for prisoners here. Escape is not an option." “Are there other prisoners?” “No. Prisoners are brought here to be experimented on. If they're lucky. Some, like me, if they know about magic, have their minds drained. Then they are left in their cells to starve. In constant agony. The twelve are evil beyond redemption." “What can you tell me about these twelve creatures?” "This fort was created for twelve powerful creatures, so that they could, in quiet and safety, perform cruel and twisted acts, and create foul magic to aid the Empire. That is why they take so many prisoners." “You know, for a polity as anti-non-human as the Empire, there are a lot of creatures that get a pass.” “Yes, the ones that are useful to those in charge. Garzahd.” “I hear you. So, how did your escape attempt go?” "I was a mage. I could have unlocked my door, but I didn't have the power to bring down the golems beyond it. If someone could defeat them, though, the doors could be opened." "There is a lever somewhere outside these cells. Pull it, and all the doors will come open. I only found out about this after my death, but I hope to be avenged by telling you." “You wouldn't be the first we've had to avenge.” The spirit glows red briefly. "I want the twelve to die. They let me starve to death in this cell, as they have so many others. I want them dead." “Done. Do you know anything about a Crystal Soul here?” “Only that such a thing exists. And that they want what is in it badly.” “Thanks. If you're right about those doors, I'm going to go back and send in my Mage to take care of them.” “Do as you must.”
“Kai-lyss! You're up! Need to to clear a path out, which I will take care of.” So, all these one-person portals? Not one-way! You can go back and switch who your active party member is. So I went back, got Kai-Lyss, and broke out, then returned for Art to finish the job.
“Curioussss.” “Beware what comes next, disciple of that leader.” “Thank you for not sssaying hiz name.” “Thank you, for your aid.”
“Right, let's go kill a lot of things in a very short period of time.”
“And die! And die! AND DIE!”
“Hold on guys, I can't open the door from here. Let me look for a lever.” “Actually, now that the Golems are destroyed, can't we all sneak out the other way?” “I doubt the Spirit would allow it.” “And when was the last time a mere spirit slowed us down?”
“More comfy. Just as dead.”
“Hey, Kai-Lyss, get out here and deal with these doors.” “Very well.”
“Cannot be unlocked from thisss end.”
“But thisss can be pulled.”
“Well, there's twelve mages here. I say we leave none behind.” “Agreed.”
“Not much of a secret passage.” “Better placed to hide the way in than the way out.” “Hrm, yes, I see that.”
“Well, might as well start with this place.”
“Which happens to be the Soul!”
“Safety from what?” “From whatever is keeping the Bok contained, perhaps?” “We know that Quickfire iz needed. This wall will stop it when the pazzage iz closssed.”
“Naturally.” “Thiz iz the same magicsss as the Lich, Midori.” “Therefore the key will be with him. Her. Which is it?” “For someone whose gender is hard to determine in the first place, you having that problem is actually funny.”
“Observation room. And from which, we can observe the barriers that need Quickfire to bring down.” “Except the window preventzz me from casssting through them. We need to be insside.” “Well destroying the Lich is on our list of things to do, so let's get to it then.” “At least it isn't Drath.” “What do you mean by that?” “Last serious Lich I pissed off. I *think* I killed him off for good but you never be too sure.” “You've mentioned it before.” “So do we do this going around the right or left first?” “Left.”
“Huh. You think they would be more concerned.” “Probably think this is a game still.”
“Fires? Weren't there Efreet among the wizards? Wait. What is the plural of Efreet? Efreets? Efreeti?”
“Forge masterss?” “Does it matter? As long as we can take them piecemeal, we have better chances.”
“Hey!”
“Come! Be purged!”
“Long open spaces, plenty of enemies with the ability to breath fire. This is going to hurt.” It is. The Efreet can't move from their chairs due to invisible NPC walls, so you have to rush across the whole of the hall to get to them.
“OW!”
Let's try that again...
I briefly consider Shockwave Spam, but I think this LP has had enough of that. Besides, I'm sure the spell only goes out 10 tiles, and the Efreet are 12 away from the doors where I am.
Attempt #2 goes a lot better with Chester rushing ahead to keep the two Efreet busy with melee work and the rest follow up behind. Pre-combat Blessings and Hastes are pretty much required by this point. Wait. Where's Major Blessing again?
“Two deztroyed. Ten to go.”
“Forge.”
“Kai-Lyss' map showed something hidden at the head of this lava pool. Time to Firewalk!”
“THAT'S IT?” “Quite a lossss.” “Shut up, and hand me an Energy Potion.”
“No. You are not ready for uz.”
“You live only to reduce our opposition.” “You mean our opposition.”
“ATTACK!”
“You would think they had more pride in what they do!” You would think this would be a great time to put in a Vahnatai or two, but alas we've already touched on all the physical cooperation between the Empire and the Vahnatai traitors.
“Marianna. Demon.” “Right, right, don't get your tail in a knot.”
“...”
“I already know thiz one.”
“And barracks for the bodyguards.”
“Anyone else hear the slithering to the east?” “Must be where the Nagas are.”
“Nothing of real note here.”
“Oh, you are going down!”
“And two!”
“The Undead won't help you now!”
“Not Weapons! Not Armor! Not Giants!”
“And three.”
“So, East or South next?” “South. But first, Kai-Lyss and I need to break out some Energy Potions.”
“No one through the door...”
“Rakshasa. I ssshall ztay back and ssupport.”
Wait... Marianna doesn't have the Assassination skill... where is that extra damage coming from...? “Rakshasa count as Demons?!?!”
“LOOK UPON MY MIGHTY BLADE AND DESPAIR!” “Right, Motrax obviously didn't finish undoing the enchantment all the way. Gonna have to deal with that later.”
“Let's just check to make sure we got all three.” “That's two Efreet, three Wizards, three Naga, three Rakshasa. Just leaves the Lich behind.” “In front of us, Farmboy.” “Back to normal?” “I am always normal.”
“Are you so normal as to take care of this trap?”
“Done, and done.”
“Meditation chambers. Nothing of real uze here.”
“Just the Lich to go.”
“And this small library teaches us nothing new.” “Explosive Runes?”
“I think I need a seat for a moment after that.” “I thought that was only in jokes!” “Exploding Runezz are no laughing matter.” “Yeah, we can take a moment.” There are actually twelve seats around this table. Nice touch.
“Obviously a former prizoner of theirss.” “Might as well kill the Lich now.”
“Don't you love it when they're so eager?” “I'm confused as to how it thinks it's going to win after we've done so much to its allies.” “Arrogant.” “I agree. Let's get to it.”
“You know what would be really nice? Wide area anti-undead spells.” “When you learn to cast Priest Spells, you can complain!”
“Or how about something to take care of Golems!”
“Complain later! Lich now!” I am abusing the hell out of line of sight at this point to keep the Lich away from the party while I deal with the Golems. But there's only so much that can do when in such tight confines.
“Come on then!”
“What power! How can you be such a thing?” “You're no where near the worst I've seen.”
“Phew.” “That was quite interesting.” “I ssenze no further prezence of the Lich.” “But there is that cubby behind its throne.”
I believe this is the last key in the game – the Lich Key. “Let's go get the Vyvnas-Bok.”
“Good, I would hate to have to search through everything again for another Key.”
“So, here is what sssshall be done. Art and I will recover our energiez. I will destroy the barrier with Quickfire, then we retrieve the Sssoul. She will keep us healthy until we reach sssafety.” “Sounds like a plan.” “Good.” 
“Right NOW?” “MOVE!”
“{We must flee! I can retard the flames, but not for long!}”
“I've got the door!”
“Ignore them!”
“Almost there!”
“Safe! Oh my poor fur...” “We can rest once we're out of here.”
“Nice of that key to open both doors.” “And it prevented us from escaping in the first place.”
“Quick! Across the bridge, then I zhall dessstroy it!”
“Sleep now!” “Agreed. Sorry Vyvnas-Bok, but we must recuperate before going further.” “{I understand.}”
“That's so much better...” “Well time to see if these statues will let us pass...”
“{They react to my presence. But I sense another way to the left.}”
“Down we go!” “I just got my fur cleaned!”
“You can have time to clean later. For now – we flee.” “Bravely running away again.” 
“Wait. Where did we leave the boat?” “Silvar.”
“Iktah...”
“Iktah...” “I just know that's going to be a problem.”
“I return!”
You stand in the presence of a Crystal Soul you returned. "Welcome, humans! I am glad at your presence. I am Vyvnas-Bok." “I am Art. These are Kai-lyss, Aarth-Tss, Marianna, Dmurr, and Chester.” “You have my thanks. We are one and whole again, for your rescue. I commune now with my fellows, and I see that you have done beyond any measure possible to recover us. I know you have questions, so please, ask.” “What is your purpose here, among all the Bok?” "Right now, I prepare for battle." “Battle? How?” "Some of our spend all our centuries in this form in the shrine, gathering and dispensing knowledge. Some of us, on the other hand, become more active." “So you teach the ways of conflict to younger generations, that they may benefit from your knowledge?” "No. do not disparage these pursuits. They are as valuable in times of strife, sometimes more so. However, there must always be those who go out to actually fight. Soon, this is what I will do." “You mean... how active would you be?” "Some of us are carried into battle. We cast our spells to fight our enemies. There are legendary tales of battles between Crystal Souls in the name of their tribes. At this point, it does not fall to me to gather information." Think Indiana Jones and the Lost Ark, except the “Go, with our permission. The central table is now open to you, that you may understand in some small shard what you have done.” “Alright...?”
“Such wonders. If only we had the eyes to see....” “Go. Return to the Olgai. Report that we have all been restored. War has been brought to our people, and it is War those who offend us shall have.”* * *
“Ready for this?” “No.” “Yes.” “Let's just get this over with.”
Two down. One to go. “So.. about that reward...”
A second Boots of Speed. Pardon me, my brain just crashed.