Part 37: Chapter 8 - 04

Chapter 8 - 04



The Bard wearily lifted his Axe and waded into the fray. To his horror, some of the Druids immediately cast spells, causing some familiar plants to rise from the ground. They were the same kind of sentient plant that caused problems in Herne's tower.

The Bard had to split his attention between the Druids and the plants. Making matters worse was that each plant he cut down dropped seed pods to spawn more plants, and the Druids were constantly creating more.

Even though the Bard had cut down ten foes, few of them were Druids, and the ranks of the enemy had increased by two-and-a-half times.















This was a really long and hard fight. There's a reason why you avoid "world map encounters" as much as possible.

It was not until the Bard had put down 36 enemies that he had a chance to catch his breath.

"I need a drink!" he exclaimed.

So the Bard set out for his favorite pub, the Drunken Rat in Houton.



It was nearly night when the Bard reached Houton, and he was soaked from the rain. Unfortunately, Houton was somewhat changed from when he had last visited.



For one thing, the inhabitants looked somewhat les vital then he recalled.



: Hmmm... looks like Houton is closed for business.

After Chapter 8, Houton is overrun with zombies. There's nothing to do there. This is why you need to buy the map from Houton first. All the others can be bought at any time prior to the endgame.

The Bard spent the night camping out in the Hunting Grounds nearby. In the morning, it was sunny and clear, so he set out for the Cairn of Ardagh





The Bard and party headed down the tunnel and encountered a group of Trow.

: What are you doing here?
Trow Chief: We be hiding from the packs of undead.
: I see. Tell you what. I'm only here to loot the place, so if you kindly leave, I won't hurt you.
Trow Chief: That's a generous offer. It's much more generous then the one we were going to make you.
: I don't understand.
Trow Chief: It's simple. We aren't going to let you leave at all. Not in one piece, anyway.
: Oh dear. This is a shame. It'll take me at least an hour to scrub all the blood off my boots.



The Knocker is a useful summon because his Lightning rods persist for a long time - even after he dies.







The treasure he found was valuable, although unexciting, and the Trow were no match for the Bard.



The Bard was ready to write off the Cairn as a failed expedition when the Explorer called out.



The Explorer opened the passage. The Bard discovered that there were some Trow inside, unusual because Kunal Trow were not known for being very clever..





But soon they were known for being dead.

The Explorer opened the chest and retrieved a magical amulet.








The amulet is the only really good item in the Cairn, and you can't get it until you have the Upgraded Explorer, so there isn't really any point in going to the Cairn before Chapter 8.

The Bard, with all the other towns he knew of been destroyed, had nowhere else to go but back to Dounby.

But on the road to Dounby, he saw a sign that he'd missed, pointing the way down another road. It said "Finstown, 3 mi"

"Finstown..." the Bard said, rubbing his chin, "... why does that sound familiar?"

FLASHBACK: Come to Finstown












"Of course!" the Bard exclaimed, "Why didn't I come sooner?"

Chapter 9 - 00




The Bard strolled through what an old wooden sign had called "Finn's Forest". Many of the ancient trees were carved with skulls and other things. The Bard had a slight twitch of unease, but he shrugged it off. He was a hero.



Your Hero has Arrived




: The Bard entered Finstown, where a modest reception and gentle folk awaited.



Finstown Girl 1: There he is! The Bard is coming!



Finstown Girl 2: Hurray! Hurray for the Bard!



: Yes, it's me! Your hero has arrived!

The girls ran off, beckoning the Bard to follow.
: Ah... looks like my reputation has preceded me.



The girls waited at the base of a cliff. A few pebbles slid down the face. The Bard looked up. There were several archers at the top, all aiming at the Bard.









Villager 1: Fire!
: Uh oh...

The Bard beat a quick retreat as flaming arrows rained down around him.







Villager 2: And stay out, nancy boy!



Villager 3: Maybe he's runnin' home for a clean pair o' shorts!



: It was in fact painfully obvious to the Bard that his reputation had proceeded him.

All Movies:

FLASHBACK: Come to Finstown


Your Hero has Arrived