Part 66: Facing the Issues

Chapter 18: Facing the Issues


I don’t like to say it, but it seems as though we are all doomed unless I can somehow magically get to the other side of the waterfall and into the Lost City. Wait, I’m a wizard; I could so magic my way over the waterfall!


No point in stopping at the village. I’m just going to power on through the night. I have much less than no time to waste. We should have found a way across the waterfall in the first place.


Manu comes to meet you just as soon as you enter the jungle. If you hadn’t freed Manu by this point, then you find him locked up just as soon as you enter the jungle. Wages of War is remarkably good at keeping you away from unwinnable scenarios.

Man-friend! Manu very happy to see man-friend.
Manu? What are you doing so close to the jungle’s edge?
Manu look for fruits and bugs, of course! Manu think man-friend like monkey village. Man-friend very happy in monkey village. Man-friend go monkey village with Manu?
There’s a monkey village?
Yep! Monkey village good place. Man-friend, come see monkey-village. Man-friend like good monkey village. Man-friend very happy in monkey village. Manu very happy with man-friend.
Hmm. If you are one of the ones Sekhmet told me about, you just might be the key to getting across the river. Very well; let’s see this monkey village of yours.
Manu very happy! Man-friend like monkey village very much. Manu and man-friend go!


_{I hope I’m not making some kind of horrible mistake.}


Man-friend like village. Good village. Just like man’s village.


Hurry, hurry. Man-friend see. Good village.


Monkey folk live here alla time. Big village.


You like. You see. You stay. Be happy monkey.


Manu teach you. You be monkey man. You be hero of monkeys.


I should note here that the pathing does not normally allow you to walk this far north near the river.

See. There village. Big village. Very good, you no think?


Monkey Village

I…guess it’s nice. Not much here, though.
Man-friend silly! You near center of village now. Come up, come up. You see. Tree people very happy to see man-friend. Man-friend good. Man-friend no jump good? Manu lower rope ladder [Thieves can climb (not enough for practice, sadly) and wizards Levitate, but fighter/paladins need to talk to Manu until he lowers a rope ladder for you.].
No, I can get up fine on my own.



You know, now that I’m actually up here, I have to admit that you guys have some neat digs. Or so I gather from the reflection off of this tree.
Monkeys happy alla time. Eat, sleep, groom fur for fleas—many, many things to do in monkey village. Man-friend be very happy here.
Look, I’m not sure what you were expecting me to do here, but honestly I’ve come to you because I have no other leads. Do you know about the Lost City?
City not lost. City very far away. City have lions with man’s body. City in small plants with no trees. You no lose city. You find monkey village. Village now home for man-friend.
That’s not exactly the city I was referring to. Listen, have you ever been across the waterfall to the east?
Big rockwater that falls down long time from here? Monkeys know the way. Monkeys know secret monkey pass cross big rockwater that falls down. Monkeys very smart.
Ah, so you have been across, then?
Monkey pass only way cross big rockwater that falls down. Monkeys cross to run from bad city. Monkeys run from bad mans with long arms. Monkeys find monkey pass. Monkeys make monkey village. Now monkeys very happy.
Wait, bad city? So you have been there? To the Lost City? And you know how to get back?
Bad city very bad. Long time monkeys work in bad city. Monkeys pick food for bad city. Monkeys not get to eat food. Monkeys run away. Monkeys cross big rockwater that falls down. Now monkeys very safe from bad city with very bad things.
Very bad things? You mean the apemen?
No. Bad mans with long arms live in bad city, but bad mans with long arms not happy. Very bad things make bad mans with long arms fight alla time. Monkeys happy bad mans with long arms unhappy. Bad mans with long arms very mean to monkeys. But bad mans with long arms on other side of big rockwater that falls down. Manu very happy man-friend here. Now Manu have fun with man-friend. Show man-friend good time like swing from branches and crash into tree. Good game.
Listen carefully, because this is very important: I need to go to the Lost City, the bad city with the bad men and the very bad things. I need to go there for the sake of all the things that live in Tarna.
Bad place. Many very bad things. Manu not go bad city. Man-friend not go bad city.
Too abstract for you, I suppose? Then let me be clearer. If man-friend and Manu don’t go to the bad city, the very bad things will come out and hurt all the monkeys. The monkeys won’t just be hurt like what the—hang on.


The monkeys won’t just be hurt like what the bad men do to you, they will kill you all. Then they will kill the Leopard people, then the Simbani, then the lion men, and finally they will spread around the world and kill every living thing on it. Is that clear enough?
No go! No talk Manu to go bad place. Manu not hear man-friend talk bad place. Manu not see bad place. But Manu no want dead monkeys. Manu show you monkey pass.
Thanks, Manu. I never knew I’d ever say this to a monkey, but you just might have saved us all.

After talking about the waterfall and the Lost City for a while, you get the option to convince Manu to take you there. It always works in the end, but the character’s Communication determines how many times he has to ask before Manu agrees.


Bad place, Lost City. Maybe we go back to monkey village, maybe no?
Sorry, Manu, but we’re going.


You see very bad place, then we go home?
You can, if you want. But I have to go in.


Monkeys not forget very bad place. You see. Then we go home.
There’s just no arguing with a monkey, is there?


Place of big water. Monkeys remember place to cross. Many bad things on other side. Go home now.



You know that’s not an option, Manu.
But Manu only meet man-friend! Not want see man-friend dead. You see cross? You very big. You no jump good. How man-friend cross big rock waters that fall down?


That’s ridiculous! I can jump this!


OhcrapIslipped




Wait, I can’t jump this. Why did I think that?


Not that it has to. Manu, how much do you know about magic?
Manu knows. Manu see man-friend fly. Manu knows magic. Magic good. Magic Manu’s friend.
Right, so what you saw was called “Levitate.” I’m going to need your help to cross, though.
If man-friend can fly, why not fly across big rock water that falls down?
Levitate doesn’t work like that. It only lets me go up and down.
Manu understand. Manu smart. Man-friend go up and down. Down and up. How man-friend get across big rock water that falls down when just go up and down?
That’s where you come in. I’m going to tie this vine around my waist, and you can go to the other side and pull me across. I should be light enough for you to pull when I’m Levitating.
Man-friend very big. Vine very small. Manu think man-friend break vine.
Nevertheless, we’re going to try.



This is how the wizard crosses the waterfall. The thief can simply use his grappling hook to make a tightrope to cross, and the fighter ties together a set of vines to make a rope he can cross hand-over-hand. I believe the fighter can end up falling in if you only use one vine, but the wizard can get by with just one.


Very bad place. No good. Manu not happy.
Just a bit farther, Manu, then you and your friends can go back.


Bad thing! Very bad thing! Run!
Wait, where are you all going? What’s coming? And what’s that…rumbling…


One of you again? I don’t have time for this.


To think I was scared of you for even a short amount of time. But you die just as easily as the rest.


You see, Manu? You have nothing to worry about while I’m around.
Manu see. Man-friend be plenty strong. Long time, men lived in Lost City. Now only bad things. Monkeys remember.


Bad thing. Bad thing. Very bad thing. We go home now. Not go Lost City.


Bad city there. We go now. Back to good monkey village. Safe. We go now?
Sorry, Manu.
Bad place. Bad things. You not get in bad city. You not find secret door only monkey knows. Manu not tell secret. Manu not let bad things get man-friend. We go now.
Secret door? What secret door?
Manu not tell!
Please, Manu. I’m going in whether you like it or not, so anything you can tell me that would help might be the key to keeping me alive.
Manu still think man-friend not go. But Manu tell. Monkeys know where secret door hides. Look for man with jackal head. Put eye that glows in head, and door opens.
That simple, eh? Alright. Thank you, Manu, and goodbye.
Manu not happy. Manu very sad. Man-friend go to bad city, be eaten. Manu not see man-friend again. Manu cry.
Don’t cry, Manu, and don’t worry about me. I fully intend to walk out of this city alive and well.


_{Manu not want dead man-friend.}