Part 27: Wait, When Did That Happen?

Update 5: Wait, When Did That Happen?

Today we're off to investigate what's happened to Throtl since we cleared the place out. Naturally, however, it's not that easy...



On the way we literally stumble into a group of monsters and they're so bemused by this that they let us go and wander off on their merry way. Monsters are remarkably chill in this game.



Of course, in the few steps between that encounter and our destination we also run into some less friendly giant Rhino Beetles. Seriously, they just flipped through the Monstrous Manual for this game's encounters.



Eventually, however, we find our way to the doorstep of Throtl. The terrain looks a bit more rugged than in the first game, but that can be put up a bit to art evolution. One major change is that mountains can't be passed, so this is the easiest way to approach the keep. Inside...



"What the hell is this? Did we miss somebody last year?"

"…no… I think this is a fresh infestation."

"Guess we'll just have to clear it out the same way we did with the last one."

"An unfortunate, though entertaining choice. Have fun with my minions!"



Luckily we're at a level where Rip can destroy wights by turning undead. Unluckily, he can't get them all and wights can cause level drain when they get lucky enough to hit one of us. Using fireball to clear a few out isn't a bad idea.



Two steps further down the eastern corridor, we run into more trouble.



Undead dragons are basically zombies that come after us with claw and bite attacks. They're still not terribly dangerous, but they serve as a formidable speed bump.



"How many guards does this guy have, anyway?"

"Considerably less than he did a few minutes ago."



I'm pretty sure he also has most of the minotaurs we slaughtered in the previous game working for him in a new form. Also, possibly most of the minotaur population of this continent.



This treasure room has an enchanted composite longbow and some nice arrows. Naturally, these go directly into Sam's inventory.



You should probably be seeing the pattern in this quest.



The enemy forces also don't vary much over the course of the encounters either. I'm actually glad to see zombie minotaurs, since they aren't terribly accurate.




"Did they really think such a simple trick would work?"

"Perhaps not completely, but it still produces a moment of hesitation."



"This wasn't here before, was it?"

"I'm certain it wasn't… perhaps this is just a bit different from last time."



"You… you are aware of the route we took to get here, right?"

"Good news! We don't have to worry about damaging your body at all!"



By beast, they mean "huge numbers of weak undead with one cleric." It goes about as well as you might expect for them.




"Er… Elon, d'you think you could perhaps lend a hand?"

"When did he even go down, anyway? I think I missed that…"

"I don't think we have time to put him up on his feet just now."



That's a LOT of undead. They aren't kidding about being without number.



"Guys? I think Elon might be dead, not unconscious."

"…you might be right. Who has been carrying him around?"

"Not us!"

"That's really unsettling considering the way this place has been working."



This is a small room for the inner sanctum. Defeating the guards gives a sizable reward of steel, gems, and jewels.



"All the holy water should give us some breathing space… how about it Rip?"

"It's not working. I can't seem to bring back an elf."

"Should we go back and try to find someone who can?"

"I don't think Elon would want that."



"How fascinating… would this have anything to say if we could read it?"




"Wait, Sarah? Is that you?"

"Oh god… you? Really? Listen, just help me out and we'll go our separate ways."



"At this point we might be have literally decimated Takhisis' priesthood.

"We could only be so lucky. There's always some who are willing to take the quick path to power."



"Before that, do you think you could help us with out friend?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm not nearly as powerful as that drunken sot you've got traveling with you."

"Really? I had no idea he was actually good at his job."



"I'm beginning to think we'd be doing the world a favor if we burned this place to the ground."

"You're not wrong."

A couple doorways later...




"Finally! Enough chasing around!"

"That's for sure… and unless he's a lot tougher than the other priests, this shouldn't be THAT hard."



Spoiler: It isn't. Despite having a name, Lessiter isn't important enough to get his own custom character slot. Instead, we get a few generic priests (who are conveniently right in front of our fighters) and a few weak undead.




"It's our pleasure, although we really would have done it regardless."

"That Lessiter guy kind of put himself on our shit list as soon as we walked in the door."



"Thank you. We really didn't want to come back here again. So, about Elon…?"

"From the looks of things, I think there's only one thing left for us to do."




"He was a truly wise man, who will never be forgotten by his friends."

"It didn't matter what came up, he always saw it as something to study."

"I don't think he even realized what happened to him… and maybe that's for the best."

"I'll miss talking to him about the ruins and odd places we explored."

"And I about magecraft. In his memory, we must carry on and save this land from Lord Soth."

Character Update





One character short…it feels a bit unbalanced. A few of our characters have improved slightly, but no new spell levels or additional abilities. One thing I haven't mentioned is that Sam has reached a point where he's picked up some druid and magic spells. I'll pick this up a bit more with the next gaps update.