Part 8: The Temple, part 1

Last time, we took the Batplane for a spin and ended up someplace new.




There's something about this one particular screen that my computer doesn't like. I can walk through it just fine, but if I save the game here I won't be able to load it later.

So guess where my previous end-of-chapter save was? Fortunately I have plenty of backup saves.




Only one way to go from here.









Hey, it's a big empty room. After Martin's cramped tower, a little breathing room is just what the doctor ordered.




Oh?




I am Lyral, guardian and sacred ward of the temple. You are a stranger here. Who are you? Are you a priest? Are you a friend? Did you bring me shells and pebbles? What is it you want?

Say hello to the reason this update took so long to come out. Lyral has a lot to say, and has a hard time saying it. Her verbal tics are impossible to transcribe - so be sure to watch the videos in this update or you'll miss one of the best parts of the game.




All right then, Lyral, lay it on me.



A ruined earth is slow to heal, and people loath to grow, but Nature speaks to those who'll hear, and toil with plow and hoe.

Wise to the old ways, the priests burnt night candles, uncovering secrets long lost. In the fog, quiet as mice, they devised a device. Something to stop it for once and for all.

Poetry and vague exposition, hurray. Lyral has a few "filler" lines of dialogue that get used at random when she runs out of normal dialogue. Or that's how it's supposed to work; the game frequently gets confused and starts in on the filler prematurely.

She can get back on track on her own, but the easiest way I've found to fix her is to try and leave the conversation.

Wait! I know more.

If she tries to stop you, she's got more "real" dialogue waiting. Doing this usually snaps her back to normal.

I am alone here. It has been a long time since anyone has come. Tell me, have you seen the temple priests?

I see you have not. No new shells for little Lyral. I fear something bad has happened.

Let me tell you about the priests, and perhaps you can watch for them on your journey. They set out on the iron-clad ship. They should have returned by now.

Remember how Martin sent a hawk to the priests when Birdman first turned on him? Now we know why he never got a response.

The sun and wind, the sea and rain provide for all our needs. We plant and reap, we teach and learn, we cherish that which feeds.

He has conquered the fortress. He has vanquished the people. A monster he put there to prevent their return.

Look to the skies! The volcano is burning! Who is this creature that sullies the waters? Why has he come with the ways of the past?

The wise and holy gathered here machines of metal cast. They study that which came before to learn from errors past.

Lyral went back into filler mode for a while after talking about the priests. I believe those four, together with the two from earlier, are the whole lot. (Would you believe I had no idea three of them were poems until I transcribed them?) She did eventually get her last line out on her own, though:

In six separate pieces a weapon they built, and five of those pieces they hid. The priests and the six set out in the iron-clad ship, collecting the pieces to assemble a whole. This scattered device is the last chance we have. But what of the priests at sea? I know no more. There is no more to tell. No more pebbles. No more shells.



Wait a second, I've got some shells! Took them from Dr. Krick's display case. I was holding on to them in case my path was blocked by a pack of mechanical hermit crabs, but I think Lyral needs them more than me.

Thank you, stranger. The priests used to bring me presents like these. Sometimes, I make things to pass the time. These will be perfect.

Aw, shucks, they're just some shells.

And with that, Lyral's all out of plot for now. Let's investigate the rest of the room.






There's a big ol' phallic implement attached to the floor here. Let's give it a yank and see what happens.

I do not know you. None but the trusted may ascend or descend.

It's an elevator control? Ooh, now I'm really curious. Maybe if I push it instead of pulling it?

It is my duty to protect the temple against intruders. I'm sorry, but you cannot enter the inner chambers.

Please? I gave you a present, can't you do me a favor?

The machines we protect belong to an ancient time. I cannot let you see them.

Fine, fine.




Okay, elevator's a no-go. How about this thing off to the left?




Control panel count: 2 3 (forgot to count the batplane)

Time to experiment!




Doo doo doo, doo do-doo...

Don't touch the machines!




Doo doo do-do-doo, doo doo...

Stop! Those controls operate the electromagnet. Please, don't touch them.




Doo do-doo, doo doo doo doo...

Why do you do that when I already asked you not to?




Ah geez, I offended her. I can't follow her through those doors, so I'll backtrack and check the rest of this floor.




There's two more doors in this area. I flip a coin and start with the one on the right.






So this is... hmm. Yeah, I got nothing. Let's check upstairs.




Wow, this is the most boring upstairs imaginable.




Never mind, going back down again.




Okay, time to apologize.

Hey, uh, Lyral? I'm sorry about the thing with the machine. I didn't mean to upset you, I have this thing about control panels and... anyway, is there any chance you could help me out here? I don't know what this room is for and I think it might be important.

(To get Lyral's attention, just bang on the round doors until she arrives. Subtle, we are not.)




You are not of this land. To understand what has happened here, you must first learn our history.

That's all she's got. Since she only says that here, I'd assume this is where I need to be, but... the machine's only got one button, and it doesn't work. I'm missing something.




Let's see what's behind Door #3.








Maybe there's something upstairs I can do first.




Dammit, it's almost as boring as the other side was. All right, all right, back downstairs.




So. Is it art?

Frankly, I have no clue. Lyral? Could use some info here?

...Lyral?

(Lyral never shows up in this room.)




Guess I'm on my own. This actually isn't a very hard puzzle once you figure out the gimmick with those chimes. The key word is balance: neither chime does anything on its own, but if you get both ringing at the same time stuff will happen.




GAH. Ring the chimes again, same way as before, and the flower-bulb opens up.




With a little trial and error I find that the two "clock hands" can be turned to the opposite sides, revealing small slots in the dials. I can then pull the teardrop lever down, like so:




The last step is the trickiest. With a bit of quick clicking, you have to hit the coiled lever in the back while both chimes are ringing. Not especially difficult, but if you're used to trying things one at a time you might overlook the possibility.




> Got Laser Disc

And with that, we're done here.






Put the Laser Disc in the obvious slot, make sure Lyral's still around because otherwise I'll miss some of her dialogue, and... hit the shiny purple button.


Now I can tell the stories!






That was me, my voice. That was how life used to be.

In the recording, Lyral was able to speak normally. The implications are... not good.

You know what, I'm going to go see if I can't find her another gift.






> Got Seashells




Her reponse to the gift is the same as before. ("Thank you, stranger...") I feel better about myself nonetheless.






At this point, I am seized by a sudden, mad urge to go play with the electromagnet again. Why? I dunno, I feel like it might trigger something.






For crying out loud, not you AGAIN. What is it now? You gonna break the elevator controls or something?




GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM LYRA

I WILL END YOU




(Move the arm all the way to the left, then wait for him to be directly beneath the magnet and bring it down. He gives you several opportunities, and spamming the lever seems to work fine.)

He has changed. When Martin built him, he was good. I will keep him here, so he won't hurt anyone else. Maybe in time, I can repair him. Perhaps he can be a companion for me. Thank you for saving me. I could not have stopped him by myself.






I could watch this all day.




I trust you now. You may ascend or descend. Perhaps the tomb contains some of the answers you seek.

Ah, the sweet smell of progress. I'll get right on it-

Wait! You should know more.

Okay, Lyral's finally ready to give us some good quality exposition, but to my intense irritation she lapses into filler mode after each and every line. Which means you're going to be hearing that line a lot in the video.

The abridged version follows (but you should still watch the video, Lyral's still kind of awesome):

The priests thought he came from our past, or maybe from another world. He lives in the ancient volcano. Not long ago the priests noticed black smoke in the sky. They believed it was an eruption, but when they looked they discovered a strange being, a tattooed devil, altering the volcano to suit some plan of his own. He has built a factory there in the tunnels, beneath the mountain.

"Tattooed devil," huh? Sounds like our kidnapper. And he's hiding out in a volcano - I do believe we've found the endgame level, folks.

They kept him under close watch. They saw the effect of his work. Smoke darkened the sky, sludge and poisonous chemicals contaminated the sea. The Dark Being, as he came to be called, thus revealed his wicked nature.

Oh lord, we're up against a Captain Planet villain!

The priests knew something must be done before the Dark Being corrupted the land. From the safety of his stronghold he plotted. He drove the people away from their island and released a monster to guard should they try to return. The priests pored through the ancient texts, uncovering long-buried secrets of the old technology.

She's mentioned the island before. I'm sure we'll be going there at some point, too.

Using this knowledge, they created a device to contain him. As they finished each part of the device, they sent it away for safekeeping. When they completed the sixth and final piece, they set off on the iron-clad ship to collect the other five and assemble them. That was the last I saw of them.

Hang on. I appreciate the priests' good sense in building a superweapon , but if you're going to use it right away, why hide the pieces? It seems like that just adds an extra step. Regardless, I think we've stumbled into a collection quest.

End of Chapter



Anyway, it's time for another decision. We could take advantage of Lyral's offer, and check out the top and bottom floors of the temple...



But we've now got the Shell Lever back. (When my save file was corrupted, I had to replay the last part of the tower, and I skipped the loft encounter. If you don't retrieve it then, you're guaranteed to get it here.) With this vital component, I could go back to Martin's Roost and get the submarine working. I can think of a lot of places we could go by sea - there's the island Lyral mentioned, the volcano must at least be close to the water if it's polluting the sea, and the priests' iron-clad ship might still be out there somewhere.

So I need another decision from you guys. We can either:

• Further investigate the temple; or
  
• Return for the submarine.
  

As with the previous branch point, we won't miss anything either way - this is simply a question of priorities.