Part 25: Act One Chapter Twenty-Two - Crispy Orc Coating, Chewy Zombie Filling

Let's catch up with the previous update.

• We finally hit Neutral Evil. Alignment in NWN2 is measured on two axes of 0 to 100 (Chaotic/Evil to Lawful/Good). True Neutral (what I chose to start as) is right in the middle of both axes, at 50,50. The change to a Neutral Evil alignment occurs at 50,85 - that is, we had to earn 35 evil points to get an alignment shift. Since we only get 1, 2 or 3 points a pop for each evil action, it takes a long time to shift alignment. For future reference, we still need 20 lawful points to become Lawful Evil.
• Elanee is, uh, taking a sabbatical after we lost 7 influence with her last update. We probably won't be seeing her again until Act 2, I think. Qara's stepped in to take her place.
• We are loaded down with a ton of loot after rampaging through the last five dungeon areas without a merchant break. It's a good thing Casavir can cast Bull's Strength, since we're heavily encumbered due to all the magical weapons and armour we're carrying.
• There's a little extra content we're missing.

Firstly, the orcs were originally breeding wyverns as guard animals. Wyverns aren't in the original NWN2 campaign, but they do make an appearance in the expansion pack.

Secondly, half-orcs have a few extra dialogue options with Logram.


There's also a conversation with the two orc guards watching our captured emissary:


You can also bypass them with a high enough Lore check (or just kill them). Talking to them nets you an amulet that protects you against the 'guardian' - some kind of earth elemental, I imagine.

All that was cut, though. We get to deal with some decidedly less pleasant guards.





: What is this place? That's it. I am never traveling in the mountains again.
: Uh... I don't know what this cave is, but maybe we should back away and move on.




: I do not know, but I do not like the feel of this place.
: You know... the way these bodies are arranged, it reminds me of some diagrams I've seen in necromancy books.



: I agree. I want to know who has done this, and why.



Come on, Neeshka, Casavir's right there. Do you have to talk about opening robbing the bodies of his dead comrades right in front of him?



: I'd rather leave well enough alone than join the other bodies in here... but no way I'm staying behind, either.
: From bloodthirsty orcs to creeping around in tunnels filled with corpses... this just gets better and better.



Warlocks, Druids, Paladins and Clerics all get the option to 'sense' something wrong, something evil with the place. Usually Qara then butts in with something along the lines of "And I thought we'd left Elanee behind." In fact, there's a nice little conversation that we could have here if we hadn't swapped Elanee out earlier:





In the next room we encounter some Zombies and Ghouls... as if we hadn't guessed this level was full of undead.



Casavir's really pulling his weight on this level. He was a decent enough warrior against the orcs (a couple of times he was the last man left standing when we tripped an encounter trigger and fifteen orcs spawned in on top of us) but he's doing wonders against the Zombie Warriors here. His Smite Evil ability lets him do up to about 50 damage to these very tough foes...



...while Calliope can't even penetrate their Damage Resistance.




Casavir can also Turn Undead. Turn Undead is a special Cleric ability that allows them to paralyse or even destroy the undead. Paladins gain access to Turn Undead later on than Clerics do, and aren't quite as good at it, but every little helps. Here Casavir is setting some Skeletons up for Qara's Fireball.

Enough musing on mechanics... we're about to see Qara show an emotion other than incandescent rage.





: Wynn? Who's Wynn?
: He was a fellow student of mine at the Academy - one of the few I actually liked. What could have happened to him?

Oh man, I feel bad for Qara. One of her few friends has just passed on. I'm sorry for your l



oh he's still alive. Enh... we'd help, but, you know, Casavir only gets one Lay On Hands a day.

We might need it later on. For ourselves.

Sorry.




: Ah... I sensed strong magic. You, girl, will make an excellent gift for my master.
: I'll pass, thanks. These students... what have you done to them?
: I have granted them eternal life, and power. They cannot die, yet they retain their skills in the arcane arts.
: You, however, will outshine them both. You are strong... I can feel the power burning within you.




Yeesh. Is it your wedding day or something, pal?

: This girl you have brought me, however... she is strong... very strong. She will retain much of her power... enough to lead an army.





Cute.



Hmph. I'm the Kalach-Cha, not Qara. She's just a generic Sorcerer, but me? Genuine Grade-A Protagonist, that's what! I'm the one you should be worried about! I'm the real danger!



Whoops.

So he got a lucky instant-death spell off and killed me. I suppose I was asking for it.



He really should have been watching Qara after all.



It doesn't matter. Calliope might have taken almost twice her hitpoints in damage but as soon as the battle's over, we're right as rain again!

Obviously we don't get the previous conversation if Qara isn't in the party. However, the Shadow Priest does taunt Elanee about how she's now the 'last' remaining Druid of the Circle; as for Casavir:


Ominous!



We find Issani behind a locked door nearby. Notice how he's actually in a jail cells, rather than right next to a secret exit from the orc clanhold. He's the real deal, all right.

: I see no reason to lie to you. I am Issani, Emissary of Waterdeep. My entourage was waylaid by orcs.
: They brought me here, where I have been... questioned. Quite painful, but I refused to cooperate with them.



And he runs off. Well, the orcs are all dead, aren't they? There's no way there could be any more orcs left.

I'm serious; this is 'rivers of blood' shit I'm talking about here.




We find the Shadow Priest's laboratory at the end of the passageway. This must be what he wanted to do with Qara. I mean, to Qara. I mean,

Actually, for that matter, this must be where Johcris' slave mages ended up. Hrm.



End of the line. No stairs around here; looks like we'll have to walk all the way back through three levels of caves and a mile of mountains just to get back to the World Map.



But wait! the Mouse Cursor provides a +50 skill bonus to Search!



It's a secret exit! Again.

* * *



We return to Old Owl Well with our backpacks much lighter and our purses much heavier. You know how you feel after you take a massive dump? Really clean and empty inside? That's how I feel right now, except I have something nice to show for my efforts!



: He told quite a tale about your heroic rescue, couldn't stop singing your praises. I can't wait to hear your version of the tale.
: Ah... and you brought Logram's Eyegouger banner. That would explain why the orc attacks have stopped - without a chieftain, they're going to be fighting each other now.



: She did indeed, she claimed to be a part of the force attacking the orcs.





: Yes. Callum serves Neverwinter... as I did, for a time.
: I assume you were the one leading that band who was harassing the orcs. I owe you a great debt.
: Now that I know who was leading that mercenary band, I understand why it was so difficult for us to make contact with you.




Ooh, ice cold. that a real low move, Calliope girl.



But do you see what I mean about Casavir now? We just totally ditched him - shopped him to the authorities, in fact - and he just goes "Oh well," like a little SF&F Jesus.



: That should make the COuncil happy that their money was well spent, and put you in good graces with them as well.
: And officially, Casavir was never here. Whatever reasons you had for leaving and going on to Old Owl Well - they are your own.
: I'm not going anywhere without a reward.
: I've taken the liberty of putting together a reward for you... consider it a gift from the Council.



Callum's reward is pretty piddly. 1000 gold pieces and a Greataxe that no one can use.

Except the Greataxe is worth about 15000 gold pieces!

But the merchants in Act 1 have a 5000 gold piece gap on sales. We'll sell it on later.

Just one more thing remains.



: Oh, I'd already arranged for his journey back to the city. A little bit of coin goes a long way.
: I have a few loose ends to tie off here, and then I'll be finding myself a nice tavern to thaw out in.



Great, we're finally done. No more orcs, no more chasing the emissary. We're not out of the mountains yet, but we'll be going back to Neverwinter soon.

* * *





: You have failed me, yet dare to return? I asked you to keep the priests safe, without them, there will be no ritual.
: All I asked of you was to put pressure on the Neverwinter forces, cut off their trade routes through the mountains...



: Fort Locke and Highcliff still remain ours, Lord Garius. Neverwinter's attention will be focused there, not upon us.





: And now you have come to tell me Old Owl Well has fallen, and the priests there are dead.
: Perhaps I shall allow you to be the one to tell the King of Shadows the news. Is that your wish, Lorne?







: Bite your tongue, Torio, or I'll rip it from your throat.
: She won't stop me a second time.
: Oh, of course she won't, Lorne.