Part 62: Greetings and Defiance
Update 20: Greetings and Defiance
"This seems like it's going a bit too easily…normally they're suicidally incapable of fleeing."
"I don't know, we have killed a LOT of draconians and giants in the past few hours."
"All my experience says that there is no possible way for that combination of objects to result in a good thing."
"The Graystone? Seems like it's being awfully passive just sitting there."
"Perhaps it realizes that right now sitting quietly is creating more chaos than it could through movement."
"Ah, my fondest desire will come true after all. I have always intended that my next footsteps upon Krynn would be upon the heads of irksome unbelievers."
"That's your fondest desire? You really need to get some bigger dreams." "The time has come. I must prepare myself for rebirth. Minions, lay out my red carpet!"
It's just sad. This is what we've reduced them to. The beholders are a petty annoyance, but everything else here is a joke.
"Keep sending them! We'll wipe out every one of your pathetic legions and then we're coming for you!"
This is a bit more like it! Two liches, two death dragons, and multiple spell casting draconians. Plus some flame resistant enemies, to make things even more interesting. It's actually a pretty hard fight, and you're going to have to change up your tactics a bit to make it through. Even our party isn't tough enough to make it through completely unscathed… and you can't rest after this fight, either.
"heroes, you have not disappointed me. Come." "I have an uneasy suspicion about this, but we appear to have no choice."
"Well, I think we're officially screwed." "I'm actually kind of excited. I don't think any kender's ever been to the Abyss… except maybe Tasslehoff, and he doesn't count."
"That's certainly unusual… it doesn't seem like they bothered with buildings anywhere else in this place."
"Can anybody really deserve to be chained up in a place like this?"
"If I am correct, then the answer to that question is a most emphatic 'yes!'." "What will you do? Flay him! Flay him!"
"What are you waiting for? Kill my torturers, every one!"
This… is a bit much…welcome to what might be the hardest fight in the game. First off, the enemies aren't what they seem. The purple worms are actually amphi dragons, and the white dragons are death dragons. Disirs are fire elementals, and I believe the tangles are actually hydras or something even worse. The only things that are what they seem are the draconians, and to top it off there is absolutely NO use of magic allowed during this fight. No fireballs to soften them up, no magic missiles, nothing. Spells that you cast beforehand carry forward into the battle, but the enemy knows this too. All of the bozak draconians have fire shield on them, which means you're going to absorb a LOT of pain finishing this battle. This one actually comes in a couple of different configurations, but they're all insanely difficult. I had to fight this one more than half a dozen times before I actually came out victorious.
"So shall any who hinder me be snuffed! Heroes, the chains. They cancel my magic and yours. Cut them!" "I… I suppose?" "Know you who I am?" "There's only one bronze-skinned man with hourglass eyes chained in the abyss." "Of course you do. All Krynn knows of me. Let me describe what is happening."
"She waits only for something to be made ready - a form she will inhabit as she conquers Krynn." "To all the hells with that!" "When it is ready, she will use the portal, which will close behind her, trapping us all here forever. Of course, life here will be far happier than life on Krynn, with her there!" "So… we should stay here and take over the Abyss after she leaves?" "I like where you're going, but no. If we get to the portal first, we can use it to escape. It will close behind us."
"But be sure to let me lead the way. The portal magic is strong and would kill you instantly." "I think you might be underestimating us a bit." "Shall we go? We must find Takhisis and her portal before it is too late!" "I think we've got bigger problems right now."
"Let us endeavor not to get on his bad side." "East… we must go east…"Eventually, we come to a door in a wall.
"…come my pretty, now is your time. Stir, and stretch, and open your eyes. New worlds await the lash of your tongues!...
"She doesn't really sound like she's completely… here… if you know what I mean." "I can't imagine she has that many people to talk to. I figure she probably talks to herself a lot." "Silence! We must get closer, quietly." "…feel the warmth of the grathanich. Feel its power, and mine. Wake…"
"And now we wait… to enter that portal while it is so covered means death, and worse than death… the complete destruction of your being beyond even the reach of the gods." "…claws. Stretch them. Stretch them. Prepare to walk on the heads of unbelievers, all the way to Ansalon, to Palanthas…" "It's starting to clear!"
"Oh gods, you throw like a girl. Let me.""CLANK!"
"What nonsense disturbs my meditation?" "Ahem. We're over here."
"Greetings, Takhisis, and defiance. If I did not think I would succeed, I would not have made the attempt." "Well said. We may be here to bring ruin to her plans, but that's no reason to be rude about it." "I will not let you enter the portal. With my last breath, I will stand in your way." "Oh, Raistlin. Your pretensions are such an amusement. You shall always entertain me."
"Did you think I learned nothing while you held me chained here these many years? There is much to settle between us."
"I can't help but think we're in a bit over our heads here."
"Perhaps, but we can still add something to the fight. Fireball!"
"Don't feel bad, Raistlin's not doing much better. Hey, look at the portal!"
"That's got to sting… but I'm sure he's used to it by now." "It certainly doesn't seem to be slowing him down." "Oh, you're still here, aren't you? Here, there's plenty of pain to go around!"
"Quickly, NOW!" "You don't have to tell us twice!"
"Perhaps it is best if the two of them remain confined together in that place… I don't think either one gaining the portal would bode well for Krynn."
"This looks strangely familiar… although I think we have more company now."
"It is the Greystone!" "The Grathanich! "I never dreamed it was so big!" "Feel the energy!"Despite the sense of urgency, you can actually rest at this point. I'd actually recommend it, but I got a bit caught up. The game doesn't continue until you decide to go ahead and investigate the Greystone.
"Shitshitshitshit! This thing isn't the Greystone!"
"I'm not an expert, but isn't it normal for dragons to only have one head?" "In most situations, yes. At least the gnomes have cleared out."
"That thing is hideous. The Dark Queen is so tacky sometimes."
If this game has a final boss, I suppose you could say that this is it… maybe? You can't kill the body, so you have to target the individual heads. Each one acts like a dragon of the appropriate type, with HP ranging from 88 to 56 and armor classes from -14 to -10. The most dangerous two are indisputably the blue and green heads, but you don't want to get close to the others. The dragonlances work as normal, so there's a pretty good chance you can end this in two rounds. If one of the heads with some range on their breath weapon gets to go first you'll pay for the victory, but it's not actually that hard.
"We thought that Takhisis had corrupted the Grathanich! But it was just a dragon's egg. Heroes, please rest. We will guard you…" "That's very kind of you. Sorry to dash your hopes." "Don't speak too soon."
"The Grathanich! "Greystone!" "The Greygem of Gargath! It is here!" "I have seen it!" "These guys really have an unhealthy obsession with that rock. I mean, I'd like to get my hands on it but they're completely losing their minds." "This leads me to believe that they really are creations of the stone, given the influence it has on them."
"The stairs!" "They can do whatever they want. We're getting some rest." "If history is anything to go by, they'll be chasing that thing for weeks… so there really isn't any reason to hurry."