Part 2: Chapter 3

So, here's our new party, outfitted as best we can afford just now.



Across from the AG is an unmarked house that simply contains the credits for the game.





I have a feeling that Brian Fargo lives in constant fear of enraged gamers.



Two thieves? No problem!



By the way, now that Frikka has an instrument she can play her bard songs. Falkens Fury increases attack power for the party, Seekers Ballad creates light in a dungeon and increases accuracy, Waylands Watch does... something, Badhr Kilnfest regenerates HP (Very slowly), and Lucklaran... increases luck, maybe? I haven't seen any visible effect.



This is the treasure screen. Every successful combat yields experience and gold, and sometimes an item.



We won't be going in there for a while. I'm pretty sure this is one of the last dungeons in the game.



This is one of several temples in the city.



Any temple, with the exception of one, will heal your characters' HP and status ailments.



It's 10 gold per HP healed, so it isn't cheap. Fortunately, most battles will allow you a reasonable profit even after healing.



Presto.



Eww. Uhh... no thanks. Flee.



Dammit. Sadly, running is not guaranteed. At least you can still take your turn normally if you fail to run. Also, Sorsha is kicking some tail.



This statue is on the south road from the AG. I don't think it would be prudent to attack it.



Come here, you little squirt!



Dwarves. I'd... rather not fight six at once. Especially since my party isn't doing so well right now.



How hard can these three guys be?



Nooooooo Sorsha!



Now Sorsha is half-dead and Old, which brings all her stats down to uselessness. This is as good as dead, sadly, since the total cost of healing her is around 600 gold.





Enter Klock VonClock! To victory!



Uh oh.



THIS IS NOT VICTORY



By the gods...!



That's right, three barbarians ravaged my party. But at least Muldoon found a lamp.









Dok n' Lathain enter the scene! Let's see what they've got.





Fortunately, fleeing works for that fight.



OH COME ON!



Clever girl.





Never send a hunter to do a monk's job!



Frikka lost her voice a while back, so we need to grab a drink for her to get it back. Bards can use bard songs a number of times equal to their level. So... once, currently.



You can pay the bartender for information, or buy drinks.



Anything stronger than ginger ale will give Frikka the ability to use her songs once more.



North of this particular inn, in an unmarked house, is the review board. Once you have enough experience, you can gain levels and learn new spells here. We may see them again eventually.



...Eventually.



This can't be too difficult, right?



...Right?!





Sigh... your turn, Elias.



This is a stunning view of the grand plaza in the center of Skara Brae.



In the grand plaza is the one temple that won't heal anyone. Let's speak to the priests.



They just haven't gotten the memo yet.







I guess I do face death itself. Or at least Goffikdeff brings death to its face.



These gnomes look surprisingly familiar.



Spiders are fairly evil, but not the worst the game can throw at you.

(About a half hour of killing things later)



It's... dark outside... maybe I'd better head back to the AG and call it a night.



Three zombies? I guess we can put them away before-





JESUS CHRIST!



This... this isn't happening!







The survivors reap great rewards, but... really, was it worth it?













Battlepope the Dazed, "Pip" Piplerouge Papilopolis, and Pip "Klepto" Fizstick are our newest replacements. This may get confusing.

...But hey, our two magic users are close to advancing to level 2. That's pretty special. Right...?

So, in about two hours we've gone through almost every melee character in existence. Anyone care to make some more just in case?

To sum it all up:

We killed 2 thieves, 4 hobgoblins, 11 dwarves, 10 magicians, 7 barbarians, 7 mad dogs, 3 skeletons, 9 spiders, and 3 zombies. We ran from 29 enemies. We earned about 1607 experience per person, and 3552 gold total. We lost Sorsha, Jango Bagshot, Klock VonClock, Muldoon, Lathain the Blue, Elias Brandy, Goffikdeff, and Frikka the Firemouth. Gods rest their souls.

Tune in next time, for what will likely be another nightmarish sequence of death and destruction. At a small profit.