Part 32: Phougamouth Bogs

Update 32: Phougamouth Bogs



Welcome back! Last time we just missed the leaders of Sigil, fought a bunch of demons, and reached the 3rd relic on the Pilgrimage. This time we’ll be walking through a swamp. But first, there’s a new event just outside the Temple.



Pop in to see everyone still somewhat recovering from the last battle.



Anadine and Reiner walk ahead while Yates approaches Kyrie.



Yes, go ahead.
I want to talk to you about the demons we encountered in the Temple.
…
They are called “Malcubi”. They are denizens of the demonic realm, and never stray from there without outside help.
Without being summoned, you mean.
Exactly. Did you notice anything… familiar about them?
I’m not sure what you mean?
My apologies. I tend to forget that mine are the only trained eyes. There were many similarities between those foul creatures and the demonic form which overcame Anadine outside my cabin.
In the excitement of the battle I didn’t put it together, but yes, I see that now.
As a younger man, I traveled in the land of the Kawas studying healing and magic. I learned much from the Kawas, including the skills to craft the amulet we used to stifle the dark energy inside Anadine.



Yates pauses a moment to dramatically adjust his glasses

of demon summoning I saw and read nothing.
That is curious.
More than curious, I’d say. What is the connection between this Grim Eye’s demons and Anadine’s corruption? Where did he learn such dark magic?
The level of skill needed to summon this many demons, seemingly at will…
It would be difficult to achieve without a mentor, someone who by definition must be that much more powerful.
…
Well. I don’t want to trouble you further with idle speculation.
Our conversations do tend to be troubling, Yates, but thank you for bringing this to me.



And it fades back out.



Back on the world map, our next target is the Phougamouth Bogs to the west.



The party walks on to the map and pauses.



We’re going to travel by ship from Fenfjord. It will save us several days.
I wonder if Somier ever left his Unassuming Hovel and returned home.
Hahaha! If he did, he’s probably wandering around lost right now.
Maybe we should check in on him.

That’s a hint that the next step in Somier’s questline has unlocked, which we’ll be doing shortly.



But first, a bunch of monsters come in from the sides of the map.

I don’t like the look of these waters. We may be able to wade through them but that purple tinge suggests poison.




And it’s time for another fight. Like Kyrie said, this map’s gimmick is that going in the water poisons you. All of the enemies on this map are immune to poison, so it won’t affect them at all.



This time we’re bringing Eustace, Reiner, Yates, Bzaro, and Bobby. I probably could’ve and should’ve dropped one of the casters for a front liner, but things will still work out.





Up against us are a number of Bzils, a Plague Doctor, a few Cadavers, and 2 Bardwots (one is hidden underwater by the reeds).



Reiner opens up the fight by taking a shot at one of the Bzils.




Who was a new counter ability: Pounce. It makes the user move next to any attacker and then hits them with a 0.8x counterattack. It can be nasty, especially in groups, but it can also be exploited to drag enemies out on their own and swarm them.




Like I do here with Kyrie and Bzaro. The Bzil does survive this, but only just barely. He ends up hiding in the water next to Bzaro.



One Bardwot moves up to hit me while the other buffs the Plague Doctor and Bzil. The plague doctor then moves up and chucks a rock at Reiner.



On Yates’s turn he finishes off the weakened Bzil.




While multiple enemies eat themselves to move faster.



And this Raincorpse gets a huge hit off on Reiner. (Wild slam is highly inaccurate, but if it hits it always crits and makes the target bleed)



Reiner and Kyrie take some potshots at the Raincorpse, and then Bzaro floats over to grab the chest, getting us another badge! This one unlocks the lich class, which, as the name might suggest, is a pretty powerful spellcaster focused around Dark magic. I’ll probably put Bobby into it before too long.



One of the Bardwots sneaks up and takes out Reiner with an AOE.



But after a bit more fighting in the middle, Yates uses his turn to bring Reiner back up.



While one of the Bzil heals himself up as well.



Eustace gets off a nice cast of fire that hits the Raincorpse, as well as a Bzil and the Plague Doctor.



But the Raincorpse just runs off to nearly kill Yates. I have Kyrie heal him with a potion next turn.



And I have Bzaro attempt to silence the Plague Doctor instead of actually hurting him. Because he, again, has Mystic Shield! Sadly, this silence does not work.



Soon afterwards, a Bzil uses Flip Kick to drown Bobby in the poison water.



While Yates nearly kills the Raincorpse.



Who Reiner follows up on shortly afterwards.



Things start getting a bit cramped down low as I get hit with another sonic boom that nearly kills Kyrie.



Bzaro uses his big heal to keep her up though.



Eustace gets stabbed and starts bleeding, so I have to have Yates heal him.



Though Eustace does help the whole situation by putting one of the Bardwots to sleep.



And then promptly gets thrown in the drink himself. Though Eustace can swim, so he just ends up hurt and poisoned.



There’s some more general chaos in the middle as everyone generally gets weakened, but on Eustace’s turn he’s able to take out one of the Bzil and blind the Plague Doctor with a hit of Black Blade.



The Plague Doctor still manages to weaken a bunch of my guys, so instead of healing I’m forced to have Yates hit him with some magic to break his shield.



And after another hit from Bzaro, Kyrie drops him with a Holy Bolt.



Reiner then follows suit and snipes the sleeping Bardwot.




The remaining Bzil takes out Yates with a nasty move. He’s been doing solid damage to me all fight, so having him hasted is less than ideal.



After a bit more scrambling, Reiner takes out the other Cadaver, using collect pelt to get around its rebirth status.



But the last Bzil is annoying and revives the dead Bardwot. At least it wasn’t the Plague Doctor.



Thankfully, it wastes its only turn buffing itself, so Kyrie’s able to take it out with a single hit. After this, it’s just the Bzil and a Bardwot left. This fight actually goes on for a while because both of them are annoyingly bulky and can heal themselves and each other.



But eventually Bzaro’s able to take out the Bardwot.



And then the Bzil not too much later.



Another not too great showing. I definitely could’ve used a bit more healing, and I probably should’ve made sure that everyone could actually swim on a map with a Rakkerjak skillset. But still, I won so things could’ve been worse.



After that we’re put back on the world map. Instead of continuing west, next time we’ll be doubling back east to check up on Somier.