Part 27: Things Missed on the Isle of Bigail
Update 022B – Things Missed on the Isle of Bigail
“So... that covered Krizsan, and Upper Exile – what parts we've seen anyway.”
“What did we miss on Bigail?”
“Not as much, I would think. I mean, it's a closed circle, so any decent exploration, which we did, would find most things.”
“Except we really only focused on the coast. Not the interior. That is something we should look through our notes to see if there's anything of importance we missed.”
“Most of it was trees anyways, and our job isn't being a logger.”
“Why aren't all the Roaches dead yet?” “Probably because they are self-sustaining, not like the Alien Slime's affect over its creations.”
“Let me handle this.”
If you are a member of the Church, there's a couple spots around Shayder which will reward you with free food.* * *
“Curious, this grove seems to be locked off.”
“No, you just need to find the right path.”
“No.” “Yes.” “NO.” “YES!”
“Oh, don't look at me like that, we got a free sword!” “Is it any good?” “Who cares?”* * *
“Why are we back here?” “Who cares?” “They're giant talking spiders. Of course I care!” “That's alright, this is the wrong spot anyway.”
“This is the right spot.”
“Curses.” “They didn't get everything.”
“That's almost insulting.”
“And if we didn't already know about the Spiders, this would be a warning sign.”
“Play stupid games, win stupid prizes. Never attack a bunch of web-slinging spiders by yourself.”
“Um, those Spiders ran away.”
“Killing more Roaches.” An otherwise unremarkable battle where you fight with an allied bear against Roaches. One stomp later, we part ways.
“And what's this?”
“Quiet back here.” “Which means we should be ambushed sometime about now.”
“Hail!”
“I'm just going to wait outside then.”
“You are the third mage we've found on the island. And sure!”
“Curious, these are high level spells. You could charge even more if you moved off the island.”* * *
“I can feel the evil coming from this place.” “Yes. It is quite malevolent.”
“Whelp, this is going to be a fun little excursion.” “Sounding sarcastic much?” “With the things I've seen and done with where the undead are concerned, this will be nothing.”
“Right, this is no where near the Dark Pit.”
“Still does nothing about the one way out.”
A huge ghast sits on the throne, gazing at you hungrily. Drool drips from its massive teeth, and the little bits of blood are speckled around its mouth. “Hey there. Got a name?” It emits a deep chuckle. “My name will not save your life.” “Cute. What are you doing here? Giving guided tours?” It runs a claw down an arm of the throne. “I have been placed here by Gorvifal to taunt you.” “Finally! A name! Who is Gorvifal, and why should I care?” “You are in the tomb of Gorvifal, mighty warrior and thane! For centuries he has lurked here, hiding his crypt and then making it visible again.” “Thane? No one has used that title since the Nethergate incidents, I think. So, what's special about his crypt? “Nothing pleases him more that snaring a few passers-by, tormenting them. I am honored to share in this pleasure. He is brilliant. You have no hope. You may just want to let me eat you now.” “Where there's life, there's hope!” “You may think that. I have been placed here to ask you a riddle. Answer correctly, and I will depart and let you proceed. Fail, and wander aimlessly. Are you ready for the test?” “Sure.”
“Oh, come on! This is easy!” “The answer is fangs, obviously!”
“I woulda got it eventually.” “Leave the riddling to those who are your older and wiser.”
“Why don't you just come out and we can discuss these things?” “Before we go too much further, I think we missed something. The Ghast was there for a reason.” “What are you talking about?”
“That!” “Huh.”
“PUSHING THE BUTTON!” 
“You would expect anything else?” “No, not really.”
“Can't go back. Have to go forward.”
“I think someone is used to people panicking.” “I don't panic.” “No, you don't. And you're a rock for the rest of us.”
“Oh, hey, evil altar.”
“The worst parts are those legitimately good and honest places of worship and respect that have fallen to time.”
“You have to get out, therefore we can get in.”
“Awww... I wonder if they were some sort of honor guard, or more victims?” “aww is not the phase I would use.”
“Almost back at the start.”
“Go ahead, Sass.”
“You know, this picture is interesting.”
“I wonder if there is deeper meaning here. Does the image of the button indicate that it s real, or that the button, like the image itself, is nought but an illusion?” “...” “Of all the things you say, it's Art Critique?” “Hey, I don't mind feedback.” “Didn't we already do that joke?” “Probably. Also, I've had long conversations about theatre work with co-workers while on the job. Unspecified Services does encourage people to pick up more esoteric skills – you never know when they might be useful.”
“Gorvifal, I think.” “I wonder how the Anama can maintain the claim that they civilized Bigail when there's just more and more evidence that other peoples were here first.”
“Self-serving historical revisionism.”
“You'd think that this would be the one image to be maintained.”
“Curious. It's almost like he's ashamed of his mortal life.”
“Really? All the way back around for this? I think we'll die of boredom long before the undead get a chance.”
“Especially when they're not much of a threat.”
“Three for three!”
“We could escape. Or we could take care of the lord of the crypt.” “I say we re-kill undead. I have something I want to try.” “Agreed. This creature should not exist to ensnare the unwary.” “I got no problems.”
“There's a draft from the north. Very chill.” 
“Let's be careful with this.”
FRAK! A Wight and a Ruby Skeleton. This could be a problem.
Freaking Ruby Skeletons, with their 4AP, and 1AP ranged attacks. That can hit the entire party if they're stacked on a single tile.
I love them as an enemy, but then there are days like this where things don't go well at all. “A good target to practice on!” “What are you talking about?” 
“Come on, I doubt those are the proper enemies. There's a body back here as well that I saw.”
“Nothing of value though.”
“It's here, the center of this crypt.”
“Stab everything!”
“This spell is amazing!”
Yeah, the Specter is a problem.
Very good chance for double damage from the Icy damage, then XP drain from the Draining Touch. Good thing Delilah has the anti-undead spell!
“Fine, fine. You get the loot.”
“And here's the 'actual' entrance. That wall looks pretty solid.”
“And now we can leave, never to return.”
Nothing special about the Crypt, though a party that has joined the Anama properly may find the whole thing to be like shooting fish in a barrel.
“And thus the crypt vanishes from memory.”
Someone in the thread reminded me about this, so this is for you!
“Who would have thought about approaching this place from the west?”
“Not me.”
You see a horrid, shadowy spectre, lurking back in an isolated nook of the lighthouse. It looks at you hungrily. “Who are you?” It hisses. “I have no name no longer. I just am!” “And why are you hiding back here?” “I wait here, for my chance for vengeance!” “I think I know the answer, but vengeance on whom?” “Nekaros created me! He tried to bind me! I was too strong. Now, I want revenge on all pathetic living things!” “All living things? Sounds quite open.”
Heading south from the Lighthouse...
“Something's in the grass.”
“Must be a friendly one.”
“We're going to have to do something about that at some point.”
“Moving out onto a lake like this is barely more acceptable, given that I can see the edges.”
“That was nice.”
“I think that's everything. It's time to head back. Now, where did we put that Amulet of Returning?” “I have it.” “Everyone, stand close together, and Matthias, fire it up!” “Using it now!”
The Amulet is Word of Recall, and unlike Exile 2 where the spell brought you back to Fort Ganrick, this time the spell is set to bring you here to the entrance to Fort Emergence – something far more useful. “Now, what were we supposed to be doing?” “Investigating a Murder!” “Then let's go!”