Part 47: 33.A: Unbridled Fury

Gfy

: Now, the stars bid you to return to the Pit of Milithe, where you shall stand against the Accusers once again.

: As the thread has decided, we’re going to return to Flagging Hands, for the first time since our initial journey. We seem to be evenly divided on whether we want to play against Lendel for the sake of slapping Lendel around, and to get the page on the Pit of Milithe in the Book.



: His last remaining chance to earn the favor of the Scribes and then regain his freedom likely hinges on the outcome of this next Rite. The cycle of the Rites is soon to end. The exiles of the Downside striving to be free… your adversaries, your companions, even you yourself… are running out of time.



: It does certainly beg the question as to whether we’ll ever be eligible for freedom. So far, it’s only been for the participants in the Rites, but we can’t compete because of our non-specific injury.

: In any case, we don’t get too many offers to have a chat in the blackwagon anymore.



: Also, the Downberries are back in season, it appears.

: After the liberation of Pamitha, you find The Lone Minstrel back in the wagon, looking as though no such thing had just occurred this night. You think you see him tilt his head as you approach.

: Some words of congratulations are in order for this evening, I should think, Reader, and so… congratulations on prevailing in the Liberation Rite. Surely Pamitha shall be most grateful. And, her safe return unto your Commonwealth ought benefit the Plan in which you all now play a part.

: As for your adversaries of the Withdrawn… this must have been a bitter loss for them and Udmildhe. Although, they must have known their chance was far from certain.

: I’d think Udmildhe honestly would only give half a damn. She’s far closer to Yslach here than in the Commonwealth, and it’s not like this is going to get her to stop her practicing the dark arts. A Liberation Rite for her would be more of a formality than a major make-it-or-break-it situation for her.

: Thus shall we all await the next turn of the cycle of the Rites. Celeste and I are to return to our respective duties, for the time, as now, Scribesgate is sealed.



: He trails off, then nods to you in his cordial manner, and bids you a good rest of the evening.



: Before we head to bed and call it for tonight, I do believe we’ve unlocked a page or two, since the Rite.


Gfy






: There aren’t a lot of cycles remaining in the stars. But, one thing is for sure: we’ve been given permission to fart in Lendel’s general direction once more, and the winds aren’t exactly going to get any stronger, from the looks of things. Best not waste any time!

: At dawn, your companions are prepared to depart. Everyone is silent. Your travels are to take you back to the Pit of Milithe, but soon after, the stars shall draw you here again.




: As usual, my goal while flying around the Downside is to check for points of interest, and to avoid flying imps, if I happen to come across any. Our destination, for the first time, is Flagging Hands, which we’ve passed over time and again; I’m sure there ought to be a point of interest there. Someone’s probably been blue in the face with some interesting tidbits about the place that they haven’t been able to say.



: We can’t see their emblems in this lighting, but this is the Tempers on the left, and the Essence on the right. Neither of them have anything to say to us; they’re probably pissed that the Rites are ending and that we’ve stopped both of them in their mission to liberate themselves.

: Black Basin, Deathless Tempest, Sea of Solis and Wyrm Gulf are all fairly desolate…



: There was a point of interest in Flagging Hands, and I flew into it before the map had even loaded in. Like I said, Tariq’s probably been very anxious to say some words about it!

: Many in the Downside believe it to be nothing other than a foul den. They take the tales of Yslach Astral-Born to be mythology, embellished through retelling over time. You have met others, such as Witch Udmildhe, who believe otherwise… although, whichever their beliefs, I know of none who would go near the place unless the stars demanded it. Thus shall your coming Rite against the Accusers take place in complete secrecy, as always the Rites have.

: Oh, those matches that I flew over were supposed to be secrets? Uh…



: Unusually, Flagging Hands gives me three options to land, as opposed to the typical two.





: Bertrude and Volfred both helped Pamitha ascend back to the Commonwealth just last Rite, but Bertrude was voted in first, so between them, it’s pretty simple.

: However, people that aren’t on my team, or aren’t participants in the Rites, are wildcards that I can’t rely on the thread’s bias to decide for me.

: In this case, I think that Tariq’s path specifically is just there for players to not stay in Flagging Hands for longer than they need to be, since the longer you’re here, the more you’re debuffed. And, on top of that, Bertrude used to live here; she probably knows her way around Flagging Hands and the best way to deal with its, uh, atmosphere.




: We shall show ye how to withstand the less-pleasant qualities of this locale.

: She reveals various salves and minor enchantments that help to counteract the spirit-draining effects of the region. Soon, everyone is feeling better, if but for the assurances.



: Oh, damn, that’s pretty nice. And, we haven’t even had the chance to interact with Bertrude for choosing her route, leading me to believe that this is an automatic thing as soon as you land here after the first Liberation Rite. If you remember, we got Bertrude immediately after we defeated the Tempers.



: Once more, there’s not much happening, so, let’s just watch the grass grow for the time, I guess.

: A foreboding feeling stuck with you since your arrival in the gloomy hollows of Fallowfield. Some of it spreads to others in the group.

: We mislike this wretched place.

: Really? Wow, that’s a surprise to me. It would do herself and her business a lot of help if she moved Big Bertrude’s to someplace a little more approachable – say, maybe, the edge of Jomuer Valley? That way, she’s still close to Flagging Hands for all the weird flora that she’s into for her potions and junk.

: Tomorrow is another day, but for the time, we’ll have to ride this out.

: You decide to focus on pursing your Vocations until the blackwagon is ready to move on.



: Hmm… I wonder who’s in a talkative mood here, of all places.



: Oh. That’s not that – well, actually, it’s a little surprising, given that she just said she hates this place. Or maybe that’s why she wants to talk.

: You approach Bertrude just as she is finished polishing the various bottles, flasks, and vials that your fellow exiled have collected during your travels through the Downside.

: The evidence of thy travails… how brazenly ye put them on display.



: She lets out a long breath.

: Nonetheless, these trinkets stir our memories. Not merely of these lands, but of the country whence we came.

: Know, Reading-One, that we are here because of Sandalwood. We met him, long ago, within the Southern Bogs. He offered many courtesies, and an exchange we found agreeable. We sought then certain reagents, necessary to our studies of the heaven and the earth, nrrrrggghhh… and he? He knew where to procure them.



: Unless the paper it’s printed on is also fireproof and tear-proof, that’s an awful lot of effort for something that won’t matter. But hey, I’m not the witch, here.

: ‘Twas then we first began collecting samples of the regions of the Downside, for Sandalwood was ever-true to his word. Long had we studied this accursed place. Black Basin… the chaos of the Deathless Tempest… the richness of the bogs of Flagging Hands… land so far away, and yet… they called to us.

: If Molten Milithe was able to traverse the Downside in its entirety an age ago, then, surely ‘twas not beyond reckoning that we could do the same.

: That’s a healthy go-get-‘em attitude.

: Furthermore, nrrrggghhhh….

: But, she hesitates.



: She slithers away, without further explanation. She seems reluctant to discuss the circumstances of her past with Volfred. Yet, you sense that she is here by choice.




: You might have forgotten, but we actually didn’t know why Bertrude was in the Downside to begin with until now. Her bio summarizes it pretty well: she was a known practitioner of black magic in the Commonwealth, but despite her hexes and potions, it was actually an unassuming request for invincible ink that got her sent here.

: That said, though, she doesn’t give the littlest damn, and she’s perfectly fine being here as long as she’s with Volfred, despite his reluctance to give her the affection she’s clearly after.



: This decision is actually kind of difficult! I’m not exactly hurting for money, but if Ron is going to hold that sale, I could use as much as I can get in order to buy out his stock. On the other hand, two of us are on the cusp of their final level up, and considering how deep into the game we are, we should probably get them as powerful as we can get; the matches in our future are only going to get harder and harder.

: Ultimately, I think, I’m going to go with the tutoring. The strength is more important than the money, and, like I said, I’m not exactly poor. I should be fine on cash for the time.


Gfy



: Our two candidates are Ti’zo and Volfred, and the one I tutor is guaranteed to level up, leaving the other one as the final companion to reach their final level.

: I pick Ti’zo, for exactly one reason: he and Lendel have history, and if we’re going to go against the Accusers for the final time, I want Ti’zo to be at his strongest, regardless of whether he’s actually voted in.



: You and Ti’zo go over his understanding of his Aura, and its connection to his presence both physical and spiritual. The discussion proves informative.



: (A hidden power, a terrible, unbridled fury, seems to have awakened within Ti’zo.)

: (All in all, he seems very enthusiastic about it.)

: That’s the spirit!



: A very serious question, though, is which perk should I take…?

: My two available perks are his third-level perk Inner Glory, which gives Ti’zo a straight +10 buff to Glory, which is massive and puts him on par with Bertrude’s base Glory, and his first-level perk Moon Sign, which, when Ti’zo is banished, places a sigil wherever he was banished that his companions can teleport straight to.

: This decision isn’t as easy as it may sound. Early in this LP, I was all for Inner Glory, because, come on, +10 Glory is nothing to sneeze at. Despite Ti’zo’s difficulty forging his path forward, he’s nonetheless very fast on his feet, and getting from one end of the field to the other for a dunk shouldn’t be too challenging for him.

: Except… that was an age ago, and these games aren’t exactly getting easier, especially with the Titan Stars. Ti’zo has a hard time pushing forward specifically because he can’t cast his Aura, so he’s best used on defense, not offense. Giving Ti’zo so much Glory would be akin to, I don’t know, a rule in soccer or something where scores made by goalies are worth three times as much. It would be tempting to try for, but it also means your net is empty.

: Moon Sign still requires Ti’zo to leave his Pyre unattended, but, in the event he doesn’t get a score (which, if he’s not on defense, is what he should be going for), then his hypothetical banishment would give his other linemen a straight line to their endzone.

: Both of these perks are offense-oriented, and it comes down to whether I want Moon Sign to give my actual offensive linemen an easier time, or if I want to move Ti’zo from defense to offense permanently for the round. Realistically, no matter which choice I make, there’s a good chance that I might regret it later.

: So… give me Moon Sign, I suppose.



: (Ti’zo believes the size of one’s Aura does not always correlate with one’s capacity in the Rites.)

: He’s right; it’s not about the size of the Aura, it’s how you use it. Rukey and Sir Gilman had tiny Auras, and they were both decent offensive linemen.



: Now that Ti’zo is fully-powered, it’s time for our final match against the first triumvirate we had done battle with, oh-so long ago.

: At dawn, Ti’zo finds you shortly before the wagon is set to depart.

: (Ti’zo knows you are soon to confront Lendel once again, and is none too eager to see him.)

: (Nonetheless, Ti’zo is more than willing to help you prevail against Lendel this time.)

:

: Ti’zo rejoins the others in making final preparations for departure. As you prepare to set forth, you sense his mixed emotions about the coming Rite.



: Look at that face. That’s a pretty punchable face. Maybe not the most punchable, but it’s up there.




Gfy

: The Book’s gotten some interesting new pages in it. Let’s give it a looksee.




Gfy




: So, tolerating the Pit of Milithe is uniquely an Udmildhe thing; neither Bertrude nor Milithe herself were big fans of the place. Which makes sense, considering what’s possibly still alive in the bottom of the pit.

: Ron! You got something to sell me?



: She still around, by any chance…? Because, uh… um… well, anyways.



: Just a Scribe Snuff and a heaping helping of Stardust. Nothing too crazy this time, and they’re all still at their regular price.

: I suppose today is mostly a casual visit, then. I have some things to offload…




: … hell, gimme another hit of the dust. A smaller one this time, though. I need to hold onto my cash for that sale of yours, if it ever happens.



: See you guys again sometime soon maybe, OK, because, I gotta say, you are my favorite customers I had all week?



: Well, with all that said and done… you know the drill by now. We’ve come a long way just to push Lendel around and make sure he doesn’t make it to Mount Alodiel one last time.

: By now, having to make preparations for the Rites has become second nature to your companions. They go about the process efficiently, and, this time, in almost total silence.

: You cannot shake the sense that the routine shall not go on much longer.



: Everything should be in order.

: (Ti’zo enjoys having had these chances to watch the stars with you and the others. Ti’zo wishes you to know that he values your friendship, whatever happens in the days to come.)

: Same, buddy. Same.

: You and Ti’zo stand together in silence for a time, looking for the stars above to show some indication that the Rites is to commence.

: It is taking too long. Concern begins to well up in you… but then…



: Harn, Sung-Gries, and Bialanthius are still lit up. It makes me kind of nervous, like, are they supercharged or something?

: I’m thinking I should be safe with all twelve Stars still active… our team is dwindling in terms of potential strategies, but given that I beat Udmildhe rather simply, and Barker without breaking a sweat, I should be able to beat Lendel without too much trouble.




: The Pyres on each side are burning bright. From across the field, you observe the leader of the Accusers approach, and remove his mask.

: Nightwings… you have been a thorn in my side since the first.

: I may never yet regain my freedom… but, perhaps I still can ensure you never regain yours.



: Oh jeez, he’s flanked by two demons. That’s a whole lot of area he’s cutting off from me. And, this screenshot doesn’t show it, but he also has an Ashen Coal, which gives his own Pyre an additional thirty-five Pyrepoints.



: With the exception of his Hope, which is just brutally unfair, his stats are fairly generic – and he doesn’t even have all four perks yet.



: His demon friends, though, have only slightly less Presence and Quickness than Oralech; a little more Hope than he did; and a whole lot more Glory.

: I, uh… I dunno. Some of my stronger tactics, including Pamitha’s body tackle and her flight, and Gilman’s quickness and area-denial, aren’t available for me to overpower numbers like these. I might have to reconsider some of those Stars.

: Also, a neat little fact: when we played against Lendel and the Accusers in the Nest of Triesta, he was backed by two nomads named Vispa and Darben. These two demons are named Vispaleth and Darbenfor - they've been in the Downside long enough to become demons. Which is a great little attention to detail, if a little on the sombre side.

: In any case, who should we bring into this Rite against Lendel and the Accusers? Our options are Mae, Ti’zo, Volfed, and Bertrude.

: Lemme know what you think in the next twenty-four hours, and I’ll see it done!