Part 43: Chapter 10-03

This LP is two months old today, and we're somewhere between 67% and 75% complete. There are only three more diversions off the main quest, and two of them are in the next update.

Chapter 10-03

The Summoning


The Bard began lighting the Torches.



Skull Spirit: One down, four to go.



Skull Spirit: Oh, the anticipation is killing me... Oh wait... I'm already dead.



Skull Spirit: I'll be real disappointed if this isn't exciting.



Skull Spirit: I just can't stand it! Hurry!



Skull Spirit: Okay, here it comes!

The torches flickered in unison, the entire room seemed to rumble and shake, the wind in the room swelled to nearly a gale, and...





It was Bitey. He looked some what dead, but he wagged his tail happily upon seeing the Bard.

Those of you who guessed the Nuckelavee were closer then you think. If we hadn't taken Bitey as our companion way back in Houton, we would have had to fight the Nuckelavee again. That's right, being snarky to a puppy in Chapter 1 would have lead to an extra boss fight in Chapter 10.



: There you are boy! I missed you buddy. And look at you now, a ghost dog.
: The Bard was overjoyed to be reunited with his best friend... Albeit his only friend.



Skull Spirit: A dog? A dog? I made a trip all the way from the netherworld and all I got was a stupid dog?



: Hey, that would look good on a tunic.
Skull Spirit: Maybe you lit the torches in the wrong order. Can we try again?
: A deal's a deal. Open the door for me and my dog.
Skull Spirit: Very well, but I'm so disappointed. Oh, here's that magic we talked about.









When a summon dies with the Enchantress in your party, it doesn't vanish. The Enchantress casts a spell that travels very slowly to the fallen summon and revives them with full health when it hits. It only works on one summon at a time, so if a second summon dies before the spell hits the first one, it vanishes.



: Come on Bitey!

Bitey barked happily.

Bitey didn't just come back for a visit, he rejoins the Bard's party for good.

The next room had several portals, but the Bard's first priority was a chest.





: Hmmm... Shadow Axe... I'll take the Axe portal!
No wait...



The Long Hallway

: ... you're going the wrong direction.


The Bard found himself at one end of a very long hallway, which the Bard hated for two reasons. It was filled with the magical-dampening shimmering light, and it was filled with the walking dead.



With Bitey's help distracting the Zombies, the Bard hung back and plunked away with fire arrows.



The end of the hall contained a chest with some gems, and portals to the Tree and Moon chambers. The Bard returned once again to Lord Merrimont's Divination Chamber. The Skull Spirit was still gloomily waiting.



Skull Spirit: You're back! Do it again! Do it again.
: I'd love to stay to chat, but I really must be going.

The door out of the room wavered, as if it could close at any second.

Skull Spirit: Pretty please?
: Oh, all right, just once more.

The Bard lit the torches again and out of the swirling red ball emerged....



Another Old Friend


Bodb5 (Homely): Bard!
: Bodb!



Bodb 5: Quickly my friend, have you freed Caleigh?
: Still working on that one.



There's something I have to tell you... I found out in the afterlife... you are in...



With that Bodb was gone, leaving his message half-finished.



Skull Spirit: Sorry, interference from the spirit world.... It happens sometimes.
: What are you talking about, interference? Bring him back! Play back the entire message!
Skull Spirit: Nothing I can do... sorry, I just work here.

I actually got Bodb on the first try. It usually takes several attempts to get him. The only other things to appear are Trow.

The Bard gave up and headed into the next room, where he entered the only portal he hadn't visited, the Sun Portal. It deposited the Bard in...

Lord Apono's Lecture Hall

The Bard saw shadows moving. But they didn't have bodies attached.

The Bard didn't like the way they were converging on him, so he swing the axe at where he presumed their invisible bodies were, but he caught nothing but air. The shadows grabbed the Bard, wracking his body with pain. But then they were no more.

"There's one way to fight Shadow Creatures," the Bard said.





The Shadow Creatures seemed to be mesmerized by the Light Fairy and were drawn towards it, only to die on impact.



The Bard opened up the chest in the middle of the room, and drew out an ancient parchment with a song.







This is it, our final summon! Our repitoire of songs is complete!

There were passageways on all sides, leading to more portals and some wandering zombies
.










"Hmmm..." The Bard said, "Four portals, no waiting. Now. which is the right one? I think livestock was involved..."

So the Bard entered the Cow Portal and ended up in The Passageway of Inevitable Demise. His summons vanished instantly.



But the Bard wasn't alone. The zombies happily wandered up to greet him.

The Bard found a portal back to the Lecture Hall and took the spiral portal instead to the Zombie Lounge.

Several zombies later, the Bard found a Metal Mouth and portal to the Lecture Hall.

Metal Mouth 02




Metal Mouth: You'll notice that this dungeon has no windows and no doors...

The Bard scratched his head.

: Hold on a minute. Yes it does.
Metal Mouth: What? I don't see any.
: That's because you 'avn't got eyes, now have you? You're just a big metal mouth hanging on a wall!
[b]Metal Mouth: That's right, taunt the blind. I can't help that I haven't got eyes. Now I... I.... I think I'm going to cry.

The Bard took the Triangle portal to The Oubliette, which was just a ring-shaped hallway with Zombies, so the Bard finally got the hint and took the Chicken Portal to...



Lord Lokin's Hidden Niche


After dispatching the zombies, the Explorer found not one, but two hidden niches.







Upgraded Knight
Mana Cost: 200 -> 300
Health: 120 ->187
Damage: (7-19) -> (9-29)
Armor: (5-21) -> (7-27)







Upgraded Heroine
Mana Cost: 100 -> 200
Health: 70 ->187
Melee Damage: (1-5)
Ranged Damage: (5-13) -> (11-31)
Armor: (1-5) -> (2-10)

The Heroine takes the longest to get upgraded, but that just means it'll be more useful in the end-game

The Bard looked at all the Portals in the room.

"I remember that the last gravestone had this lute on it, so the Axe must be through here." The Bard said.

The Bard stepped through the Song Portal and ended up in...

Lord Fabian's Conservatory

There was a Metal Mouth there.

Metal Mouth 03





Metal Mouth:
What is that I hear
The feet of a Chosen One?
Coming oh so near
Does he know he's not near done?
Unless of course he meets
An untimely end
Then soon I hear the feets
Of another round the bend

The Bard headed down the hallway, and soon he could hear music... but strange music, unlike any instrument he had ever heard before.

He saw a Zombie holding a strange instrument, axe-shaped and glowing with magical purple light.

The Shadow Axe




The Shadow Axe.



But before the Bard could speak up, a young man ran up.



Axe Zombie: Do you seek the Shadow Axe?



William Hatcher: Yes! I, William Hatcher, the Chosen One am here for the Shadow Axe!
Axe Zombie: Then die!

The Axe Zombie swung his axe and killed young William.



The Axe Zombie then turned to the Bard



Axe Zombie: Do you seek the Shadow Axe?
: Yes. It has been promised to me.
Axe Zombie: Oh. Then it is yours...



: Wait. That easy? You mean there's no crazy spells from you, a fight to the death, forcing me to jump and dodge and run around like an idiot?



Axe Zombie: I've had enough of the violence... take it!

The Bard reached out, but the zombie didn't offer the axe. It seemed to be thinking.



Axe Zombie: On second thought! I actually like your idea better.



: I've gotta learn to keep my mouth shut.



: Finally, the Bard learned something which had been all too obvious to most of us from the beginning.
: You think?

All Movies:

The Summoning


Another Old Friend


Metal Mouth 02


Metal Mouth 03 - Chosen Ones


The Shadow Axe