Part 21: ARC II Finale: Never Underestimate Birds Or Skeletons.

ARC II Finale: Never Underestimate Birds Or Skeletons.



Kovak punches some books off his desk.



I know they won't, Vec! But it's more than that. Don't you see?
They won't stop until I'm ruined!

It doesn't seem like they can be bribed or reasoned with either.

Exactly. That's why it is time to deal with them permanently.

How so?

I've already sent a message down south to the monastery. They have promised to send their best student.

That takes care of the skeleton... what about Shroud?

*chuckle* Oh, I think you know exactly who is best equipped to deal with him.

Indeed, sir.

Now this is what we'll do...


...



Come on, B-Man. It's not exactly complicated.
I was just walking around town, and all of a sudden I see Barry just yelling. Yelling at anyone who will listen.

We get that... But what was he yelling about again? I just want to be sure I heard right.

He's challenging Shroud and Stoic to a showdown at Fort Drake! Most people are just ignoring him, though.

He needs his head examined... He doesn't stand a chance!

Maybe you guys should try and talk some sense into him. He wouldn't listen to me.

Hmmph. Maybe we should just let him try. A beating might do him some good.

Yeah, maybe. Well, I'm gonna go count some money. See you guys later.

*sigh* Well, let's go.


...





Barry, are you out of your god damned mind?!
Get down from there before you get yourself killed!

Why don't you tell your buddies to come out, then?!

Buddies? What are you talking about?

Don't act like you don't know! Shroud and Stoic! I notice they haven't given Torto's shop this same treatment!
We can't do anything without having to deal with them! Can't even hold a concert without them ruining it!

You've heard their views, Barry. They think Kovak is breaking the law!

That's a load of crap! They haven't proven anything!

What's fighting them going to solve? They defeated the Touten Corps, Barry! What exactly do you think you're gonna be able to do?

Ha! You don't have to worry about me, Bones! I'll show them exactly what I can do! Since Kovak took charge, I've been training with new weapons and teaching myself new combat styles! All they have to do is come to Fort Drake tonight and then they'll see firsthand!

He's completely lost his mind.

Yep.

Hey! I heard that! If you're not gonna help me find those idiots, get lost! I don't need your cynicism.

Try realism. Come on, let's get out of here.


...



There's something else going on here that we're not aware of. Why Fort Drake? I don't like that.

Good question. Got to be one of Kovak's schemes. I bet he doesn't care what happens to Barry.

You may be on to something.

Hmm?

Maybe we can use this to show Barry how crooked Kovak is. This time we'll have a witness to his crimes.

Yeah... Well, guess we're heading back to Fort Drake!
Fort Drake was where the game started if you remember. The very first dungeon.

So many pleasant memories...

Let's make some more.
Then Cade realises he's forgotten how to get there anymore and asks Stoic for directions, solely for the players sake.

But it's basically to the southeast.





We got the rings as drop but the chain lets us go to Torto's shop and make the third tier of armour.


Like so.



The Toutens don't say anything new. But this means every cell is taken, now.



We leave town via the south and walk...



You can actually walk to the church from here as well. A path a bit back north heads west to it. You go there or the fort or even the Terr Mountains at any time. Maybe the mine too? All for grinding reasons I expect.


Apparently it's a long walk!



This place is a dump. It still stinks of Andau.

I wonder why Barry chose this place... Guess we'll find out.



Yep. At least there's no random encounters here.





There's two side rooms with switches to pull...



Which opens this...



And then lighting all four torches makes a chest with a key appear...



I'm a bit unnerved myself.

I'm not exactly a dungeon master, but this security feels amatuerish.

Seems like they want us to find our way through here. Either that or they think we're complete morons.

Let's be extra careful.





Really?






I'm starting to feel more and more uneasy about this whole thing.

You and me both.

Should we really just go in there?

Here's my idea. I'll go in first. If Barry's in there, I'll see if I can talk some sense into him. There's probably another way into the room.
If you can find a place to keep a lookout, you'll be able to back me up in case he pulls anything.

Be careful.

Right. You too.





The local fairy doesn't have boss info, but there's tons of items on the props in this room.













https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtKQzzi82yY Stoic's Theme.


Who are you?
The woman casts a holy spell at Stoic, which he dodges.



Robin, eh? It's been a while.





You have a long history of harassing undead who have committed no crime. Why are you here?

Don't act so indignant. I know what you've been up to. Terrorizing business owners... scaring the townsfolk.

Business owners? Well, that figures. How much is Kovak paying you?

Perhaps I shouldn't have been so specific...

Typical Robin attitude. You'll use any excuse to come after us. I have done nothing immoral.

Enough! You know nothing of my family... but you will soon see firsthand the awesome power we hold!

I bet you would like to be the first Robin I ever dealt with, little miss priestess. Sadly, I'm afraid you aren't.

Wha?

You heard me. Your family's been dogging me for so long it almost seems like tradition at this point. I'm trying to remember the first Robin I ever had to deal with. I can't remember his name right now, but I know it happened shortly after I was resurrected as a skeleton.
So that would make it about... 950 years.

Huh?!

The fool used one of those old-fashioned traps. You know... the rope on the ground that's actually tied to a tree branch. Lifts you right off the ground.
Poor sap thought he had me stuck, but he failed to consider the fact that I always carry two swords. Got myself free and he ran like a little girl.
I suppose I should have killed more of them... but the early ones were so clueless. However, they did have an advantage in numbers.
They were almost like a plague. Not even the Great Rain of Fire was enough to get rid of them.

That doesn't make sense!

They were pretty quiet during Gallia's reign, but since then I've had to contend with a few. I'm trying to remember the last one that came after me.
He was actually pretty skilled. he wore armor that he had soaked in holy water. I couldn't get near him. I had to throw rocks to beat him.
You'd be surprised how effective that can be. Once he fell over in that heavy armor, he wasn't getting up without help. I had such a good laugh that I let him live.
What was his name... ah! Gabriel. Gabriel Robin.

Gabriel Robin?! You fought my father?!

Father? Yeah, I suppose I should have guessed. Gabriel... Gabriella...
Not one for originality, is he?

You... you...
You think you can just stand there and humiliate me?! How dare you!



"Necromancers think I'm nothing but a servant, and you demon slaying self-righteous types think I don't even have a right to exist.
Well, you know what? Nobody has control over my destiny except me. That's how it's always been. That's how it always will be.
Your ancestors have been trying to purge me from this world before you were even crawling. Do you really think you have a better chance than them?
There's no verse in your holy book that can stop me."

I... I...

What do you say you save us both some aggravation and get the hell out of my way? My best friend is around here somewhere, and he needs my help.

I won't! I don't care how tough you talk, you're still a skeleton! My holy spells will be the end of you!
Now defend yourself!



So this is a really easy fight. She can do a lot of damage but just have Stoic pop a potion here and there... Well... the fight is so easy it probably only lasted three or four turns.



What... what are you? You're not a normal skeleton...

That's what I've been trying to tell you! Now get out of here. I've got better things to do.

I might not be able to beat you now... but you haven't seen the last of me! You'll pay for this!

Ah... that never gets old. Thanks for the trip down memory lane, little girl.

Arrgh!!
She flees.

They never learn. None of them. Oh well, I've wasted enough time.



Yeah, the actual challenging part is about to happen.





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_oaPY0Brrw Path by Apocalyptica.














Shroud suddenly comes under a flurry of attacks from a knife wielding figure.



They repeatedly teleport behind or to the side of Shroud to cut at him and he can't do anything back.





Who are you?





Key to this fight is to keep well healed and keep blinding Sparrow.

After a couple turns...



Yes... you should have. But that's the problem with people like you.
You save one or two people from a bank robber... and then you start to think you're invincible.
You forget that there's always someone better.

After a couple more turns...



Then Sparrow uses 'Sludge' to reduce Shrouds agility by a lot. It's curable though. After a couple more turns we win the fight.





Sparrow lunges and lands another slash on Shroud.



"Accept it and you will be able to die in peace."

Go... go to hell.



Shroud blows back Sparrow.

Hmm... Where did that come from? No matter. You will bleed to death in this place.
My work here is done.

Sparrow moonwalks back and fades... into the wall?

Ugh... Gotta... get out of here.


...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X130NPh92HM




Ugh... you... would not... believe... the guy... I just fought.

What happened?

All... torn up... can't even... heal myself... not gonna make it.

Don't say that! You'll be fine once we get back to town.

Aagh...

Hey! Remember what you said to me in Kovak's mansion? "Let anyone throw whatever they want at us. We can't give up." Well, don't give up!





Then there's the sound of doors opening and shutting.

Wha?



That's curious... No, I gotta get him out of here!


...



Relax, chum. You're home.

........ How long was I out?

Since yesterday morning when I finally got you back here.

What?! A whole day?! Owwwch!

Don't sit up so fast.

Healing spell should do the trick.
He tries and only the spell sound plays and nothing happens.

Huh?

Your healing magic has been going almost non-stop since we got back. Probably the reason you didn't die.

I never knew it did that...

I guess it never had to up until now. But like any other magic, it has effects on your body that you might not even be aware of.
Like wind magic making Cade naturally lighter and faster.
You'll have to recover the traditional way... resting. This isn't a scratch you're getting over. You were hurt... bad.

But what happened?

Right after you collapsed, I saw Barry and Vec leave the fort together.

They were both there?

Yeah. Supposedly Barry was wandering around the place and fell into one of those holes. Vec had to get him out.

That's it? He fell?

That's the story going around town. Sounds fishy to me too. There was a lot going on that night that we were not aware of.
I had no idea a Robin was gonna show up. If she hadn't made me waste so much time, I might have been able to help you.

Looks like we both had some issues with birds.

What?

This guy I fought... called himself Sparrow.

*snicker* That's threatening.

You wouldn't joke if you had been there.

Probably not. I've never seen you take that kind of beating.

This isn't a normal enemy... but who is he?







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F85XEb1PXk


Yes?

Solik Darmanus is here.

Oh, excellent. Show him in.





I must say, I expected someone older.

I get that often. I'm not too young to have heard of The Hand of Arcadius, however.
Tell me, do you honor The Treaty of Thanatos as your predecessors did?
And so we're introducing my favourite villain group. The necromancers.

Ha ha... On a selective basis, you could say.

So what can I help you with?

As you may remember, I intend to cast a very difficult spell. One which has not been seen in Solest for a long time.

Not as long as you might think.

Oh? From my understanding, it has not been successfully cast since The Fourth Age.

Not so. I have researched this topic for a long time, and I will tell you everything I know.

Do you think we can cast it?

I'm optimistic, but it will be quite the undertaking. When we are finished, it shall be a personal milestone for the both of us.
As well as a great experience for my talented young apprentice...









the end