Part 12: Update X - Goondalf the G(litched)

Part X - Goondalf the G(litched)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7lFyfRe39w

Might as well keep the double-post update streak going. Our journey to see new people and treasures continues!





Greetings, soldier. I’m rather new around here… Who are you, and how far did you come to reach Avalon?



You don’t agree with him?

Neese: No, I don’t. I don’t see what hacking up Sha’ahoul and voreworms has to do with a thousand crown-a-day shipping service. So now I have to wait out my term before I can go back.

I believe it was the self-discipline your father received in his training that helped him the most. Being in the army is not all about hacking up your enemies. It’s a…

Neese: A voyage of self-discovery, of course. That’s what my father always says, and I’m tired of hearing it. I’m so /angry/ about this whole batch of nonsense.

Calm down, Neese. You’re not angry at me. Do you think you’ve discovered who you are?



It’s tempting to lay the fashion beat down the first option offers, but we’ll just ask this guy for news… for now.

That’s quite enough. What I really wanted to know is if you’ve heard any news around here. Any rumors worth pondering?

Neese: Okay, well, I heard that lately, Anora’s been feeding us some sort of inappropriate foodstuffs.

What sort of “foodstuffs” might you be referring to?



Hmm, you may be right. I don’t remember seeing much in the way of livestock…

Neese: Neither do I. I try to stick to a mostly vegetarian diet nowadays. It might do you well to do the same.

Thank you for the suggestion. Farewell.

We’ll come back to this guy in a bit. For now, the Inner Keep’s blacksmith is nearby, and surely has items of great power to offer us!

Oh yeah, speaking of items of great power, I forgot which chest I got these from, but they’re nice!









You don’t seem very enthused about your work. Why is that?

Tempest: Well, I used to make fine weapons and armor. They used to say that your sword wasn’t worth the metal it was made of unless it was forged in Tempest’s fires! I thought that becoming a retainer for the royalty around here would be a smooth job. Instead of making grunt’s swords and armor, I could use my particular talents to hone a fine Officer’s Blade, to make armor fit like a glove and look like a trophy, but…

But what? If you’re not honing fine blades and repairing armor, what ARE you doing?

Tempest: [He snorts derisively.] Oh, I’m making armor fit like a glove, all right… My duties nowadays include mostly letting armor out for knights who have become soft. That’s why they stuck me up here close to the Royal Quarters, so those tubby fluff-balls wouldn’t have to walk far to get their armor refitted.

Is it really that hard a job?

Tempest: [He snorts, and laughs.] No, it’s not, and that’s just the thing. Look at me! I used to have arms as thick as tree trunks, and a stomach like a washboard. Now I’m developing a gut, myself, and my arms are losing tone. It’s disgraceful! I need some REAL work to do. I want to start the fires back up and hear the sweet song of the anvil again!

If I could help you somehow, I would, but I just don’t…



Let me guess. If I bring you a lump of metal, you’ll make me a sword?

Tempest: Yes, actually, but I want to work with something more exoti—

No disrespect, Tempest, but I’ll pass. You’ll have work enough to do soon, when the armies arrive and the counteroffensive begins.

Tempest: Ah, yes, the arrival of the reinforcements. I pray they don’t arrive to find us all stir-crazed drooling lackwits.

[laugh] You’ve a strange sense of humor, Tempest. I doubt they’ll find TOO many of those kind.

Tempest: One more every day, it seems.

Hopefully we will all pull out of this with our spirits, bodies, and minds in the best shape. Goodbye, Tempest.

Sadly, he doesn’t have anything for sale, so we must move on.





Much of the same, soldier. I don’t believe I’ve met you before; who are you and where did you come from?

Tracy: Mah name’s Tracy, sir, ‘n ah’m from Aratoy. Ever since ah was young, ah’ve wanted to be a soldier. Mah ol’ man was a fighter, and his before him, so ah figure ah fit into the scheme of things by birth. Just ask the other soldiers who the second bravest fighter in Avalon is!

Who’s /the/ bravest fighter?

Tracy: Whoever you’re asking, of course! [smiles]

Unless it’s you? I should have known.

Tracy: That’s right, ah even learned a few things from Cynric. He’s a great fighter, and likes to teach. Ah know he’ll teach you a few tricks if you’re nice to him… Which mainly means that you can listen to him pat himself on the back without making any rude comments. But then, ah do the same, and you’ve heard me out so fa—

Thanks for the tip, soldier. I’ll go see him presently. Farewell.

And see him presently we will, because Cynric is another TP trainer!





Hello, my rather large associate. I was wondering if you’ve caught any berries from the grapevine recently.



So, soldier… What’s your story, if I may be so bold as to ask?



Let me guess. One notch for every Ahoul killed, right? I’ve done better than that already.



Cynric, meet a cynic. I think you’re a blowhard!



And singing the gospel praise of Cynric wasn’t rude?

Cynric: I see your point, but you could have made it in a more civil tone.

I’ll keep that in mind. In all honesty, you must be a skilled warrior… If you’re telling the truth.

Cynric: You’d better believe it, sir! As a matter of fact, I noticed your scars and I’d wager you can fight much better than the younglings they let out of the training yard. If you’re interested and have the experience, I can teach you a few techniques that I’ve figured out over the years that might just save your life.

I would certainly appreciate that! Thank you!



Yes, Cynric is the Scout trainer for this chapter. We’re starting to feel the crunch of not enough TP. Body Control is fantastic, but we need to save for the Mage trainer, so we go with just Advanced Camouflage for now. That reduced Restriction will help us a lot.





Hello, soldier. What’s new in these parts?

Maris: Not a lot. Same old guard duty.

Sounds like fun. Not used to it, are you? Where are you from?



I might, if I knew what it were.



This is definitely one of the instances where we need the 15 Perception and 15 Charm I mentioned before. Having at least that gives us the middle dialogue option.

Oh, I see. When were your comrades transferred?

Maris: Oh, a few days ago. Why do you ask?

Because I’m beginning to get suspicious.

Maris: Uh… Oh? Wuh… why is that, sir?

Consider that your fellows were transferred to South Gate a few days ago. When I arrived, which was after their transfer, I discovered and slew a group of soldiers who had sold out to the enemy. They’re your friends, you say? Consider all that when I told you I was suspicious, you became nervous. If I were suspicious, and you were not in the wrong, you would have assumed that my suspicions weren’t related to you.

Maris: Well, well. Listen to you. Tell me this, then, oh clever one. How is it you can envision the Sha’ahoul being defeated? I don’t see it, and I have a good imagination. They will destroy these walls, come spilling over the wreckage, and commence the carnage. I just happen to be one of the few who will survive, because, you see, we struck a bargain with Mithras—

Fool! The Sha’ahoul seek only our deaths! Anything they promise you is secondary to their idiotic religion’s directives of destruction!

Maris: Right, but my part in the bargain will be done long before the fall of Avalon… And now there is the matter of you. Your continued existence is a threat to—

Shut your traitorous trap! Your bargain ends here!



The idiot draws on us, even if we have a full party. It’s pretty much over before he can even attack.





The worst part is, he only has generic crap loot.

We do get 5 Training Points for outing the traitor, but the implications of them being in the Inner Keep? Oh dear… How many of the people we’ve talked to so far are also traitors!? We will have to talk to everyone again, do all the quests, just to make sure!

For example, that guard who was sleeping could have been pretending he was asleep to allow the Sha’ahoul to pass by his route!





How do you condone sleeping on guard duty? Hmm? Are you this sloppy in your other affairs?

Esmond: I’m not here t’ watch any doors or be involved in th’ fighting. My worth is placed in somethin’ I can’t control.

Oh? Isn’t your commanding officer the one who tells you what to do?

Esmond: That’s the beauty of it. My commanding officers described my job as… Well, I’m to be a lucky charm. No harm’s ever befallen me. People stopped asking questions ‘bout it a long time ago. The Goddess herself watches over Esmond, they say. I was Oriam’s four-leaf clover. Now they’re trying to find a use for me.

Lucky like how?



That doesn’t sound so amazing to me.

Esmond: Oh? Immediately after that… an Ahoul spearman on horseback nearly ran me through. His horse stumbled… on th’ plains!... and his spear fell enough t’ sink harmlessly into the dirt at my feet. His horse fell in th’ /opposite/ direction, away from me, and th’ spearman himself landed in a crumpled heap, breakin’ his neck… on a bale of hay! By that time, th’ Ahoul had been routed.

So how did they decide that you were best utilized as Avalon’s lucky charm?

Esmond: Well, my commander never believed I was so lucky until he saw what happened on th’ field. He began asking m’ family many questions about me, and in the end, he believed in my luck. I was t’ be the odds-breaker, all right. So they brought me here. I s’pose they think my luck will wear off on them, or bless Avalon, or something.

That’s incredible, Esmond. I hope your luck holds out.

Esmond: See, that’s just th’ thing. I’ve been tired a lot lately… I’ve never needed so much sleep before. It’s like I’ve got t’ sleep all th’ time. I know I’ve the wasting disease. Not even the Goddess’ own luck can save me now. It’s kinda like she realized she made a mistake, making me so lucky, and now I’ve got to go, to maintain some cosmic balance that will keep humankind alive.

I think you should see Crosby to find out if you’re not just overworked. Is there any way I can help you?

Esmond: As a matter of fact, there is. I played poker with a soldier named Tracy the other day. Now, knowing my luck, I shouldn’t’ve played with him, but he was so rude, saying I was a flightless barnfowl, and that I didn’t know how to play… He kept losing, and I really should have drawn the line when he put his father’s ring down on the table, but he demanded another chance to double-or-nothing it, so…

So he did, you accepted, and you won again.



Oh, okay, Esmond. I’ll see if I can find him… and find him in the right mood.

Esmond: Thank you, sir. If you’ve th’ time, please stop by and let me know what happened.

Glad to be of help, Esmond. You can do ME a favor, now, by going to see Brother Crosby, about that sickness you think you have.



We can sell this for like 20 crowns, but the Training Points available from doing the quest are worth way more.

Hey, we’ve met someone named Tracy!





Say, I ran into a soldier by the name of Esmond, who told me…



He tells a different story. He wanted me to return the ring because he says it rightfully belongs to you. He thinks he’s dying, Tracy.

Tracy: He can’t be that ill, ah saw him just th’ other day. He just doesn’t sleep well, that’s all.

Indeed. Here is your father’s ring, Tracy. Esmond asked me to return it for him, as he knew you were angry with him. He thought that if he walked up to return the ring to you, you’d have thought he came to gloat… And that you’d have impaled him on your sword.

Tracy: Thanks t’ you, sir.

You’re welcome, but I think you should thank Esmond.

Tracy: Ah’ll do that, sir. Thanks for your suggestions.

Just trying to help. If we’re to work as a team, there mustn’t be unnecessary friction. Take care of yourself soldier.





Yes, I’ve managed to return the ring to him. You know, he was never angry with you, just a little sloshed. Why don’t you take the crowns you won from him in the card game and buy him a few rounds of drinks one of these days?

Esmond: Thank you so much… I don’t know how to repay you. Oh, hey. I visited Brother Crosby and he says th’ quality of my sleep’s been suffering. He gave me an herbal tea to take care of th’ problem, and I was so eager to try it that I had a sip. It put me to sleep for an hour, but that scant hour’s worked wonders. At last, a good night’s sleep is only hours away! [He sighs with relief.]

I’m glad to have helped you, Esmond. Take good care of yourself, and continue to bring us luck. We need all the help we can get.

Okay, maybe they're not selling us out the Sha'ahoul... yet. We’re clearly not in our right minds, so let’s get some fresh air and head out to the Inner Bailey.





There are lots of merchants here, closer to where the rich people are. Most of them don’t have much of note, but a couple do offer some interesting equipment.







This guy offers three different items, Quivers of Ice, Fire, and Lightning, that give arrows elemental damage (Cold, Heat, or Electric, respectively). Semi-useful if and when we end up using a bow. They're 500 crowns each.





And this one has a pretty powerful robe, for a whopping 800 crowns.



We can definitely save up for this, but we’ll have to give it to Phelic’s Apprentice because of the Strength penalty. He should never be swinging his weapon anyway, but we will have to use ours plenty.



The gardeners have random angry messages if we walk over the flower beds here.



Horsie! Hopefully he doesn’t get eaten.





What was in it?

Burgess: You know, I’m not really sure. Some kind of meat, definitely, but I couldn’t say what kind. When I asked her, she said it was just something she found down in the cellar.

In the cellar? I hope it’s not what I think it is…

Ah, so that’s what Neese was talking about. Gotta admire Anora’s resourcefulness, at least!

Stop walking on the flowers!



Nice statue in the middle of the garden. Now let’s just skip across the flowers again to where more people are--



I̝̤̫̘̟̰ ̗̦̫͕̜w͜ạ̢̪̦r̫̘n͙̳̼e̳̙d̰͕̼͚̯ y̞̪̼̝͎̜̹͝o͕̗u̜͈̣͈ ͉̞͙̗͈͇aͅͅb̗̣͉̼o̧͉̗̩̮̥̘u͇͓̥͠ţ̰͍͕͙̩̩̞ ̻̭t͚͟ḩ͎̝̻e̺͇̰̞̩̳͡ͅ ̞͙̲͓͕f̭͎̗̜̞͉͉͢l̛̫͖̰̜o͚͚̦̙̺̺̬w̶̼e̮͈͇͍̳͞r̲͉͕̥s̙̮̙̟̘̬̺.̹͈ͅ

(The game can sometimes fail to load the gardener messages above their heads in a way that locks up the entire thing. No keys work, and moving the cursor just spreads the last texture it was over. Thankfully, in Chapter Two and beyond the game autosaves at the beginning of every new map, so we won’t lose much progress.)


RUMORS


JOURNAL ENTRIES

-yet and that makes me capable of command.


-didn’t see me.







BOOK CORNER