Part 41: Episode 4: Part 13: Express Tunnel To Hell!

Episode 4: Part 13: Express Tunnel To HELL!



Entrego has need of your services tonight. Something pretty important.
It is his request that you get your butt over to the main plaza immediately.
Any questions? No? Good.


...



...

I would imagine that you already know why.

...

Yes. You've known who I am since almost the very beginning haven't you? Since Lide.

It didn't take too long to figure it out. I knew I had seen you before.
After all, you did save my life a long time ago.
You're the one who pulled me out of the river and took me back to Delhara.

I'd nearly forgotten that. I didn't realize that was you.

Yes, it was me. But I guess you're better known because you're one of "the two."
You rebelled. You ran away from the Blood Lyn.

I didn't run away and I don't think the other person did either. I just decided that my time would be better spent elsewhere.
If I had ran, I would have died. It's impossible to run from the Blood Lyn.
You have to be smarter than that.

(Then things aren't looking too good for me!)

The "other one" is here in Estrana. But I'm sure you already knew that as well.

Yes.

You like him, don't you?

... Yes.

I've only spent a little time around him, but he seems all right. There is certainly more to him than there first appears to be.

I don't think he wants to be around me...

Oh well. I doubt I can help you with that.

*sigh*


.....



Nice to see you too.

Have you had any luck with your search?

Kinda. I think I might be close to actually finding something out.
Just have to do one or two more little favors for some people.

I hope things go well for you. Like I said before, I wouldn't be alive if it wasn't for the love in my life.

Honestly, life would be a bit of a nightmare if you didn't have someone who loved you.
A mother, a father, a spouse. Everyone needs someone.
That's all that really matters in the end.

You think so?

Yes, because eventually everyone loses any value the rest of the world might have seen in them.

That's kind of a bleak outlook, I know, but it's true.
You could be famous, loved by thousands and thousands, but it won't last for very long.
You could be young and attractive. The girls might be lining up at your door...

The sun finishes setting...



"Perhaps only those who die when they are young ever really achieve eternal youth.
I've realized as I've looked around that most people don't even know what love is.
It isn't the pitter-patter you feel in your heart when you look at someone you're attracted too (SIC).
That's just a small insignificant part of it.
Love is better than that."

But why am I lecturing you? I think you already know.

No, I enjoyed hearing what you had to say.

Thanks, I've got to go now. It's getting late and my love will be worried if I don't get home soon.

Have a nice night.

You too.
She leaves and then Stoyko arrives right after.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9wDFdI3OSg



"Because guess what?"

What?

We're following her.

What for?

Don't ask questions. But I'm sure that you'll figure that one out on your own very soon.

Now don't mess this up!
And with that, we have control.



Stoyko refuses to let us speak to most everyone but for...



This was the bartender at Shadow Inn, in case you forgot.









Keep quiet, I'm trying to think.

Stoyko, it's got to be the house with the flowers.

That's just what I was about to say!

Now, we're going to need to bust down the door if it's locked.

Wonderful.


...



JOHNNY: I don't want to pee in the bucket!

MOTHER: Johnny, if you don't pee now, you'll wet the sheets again like last night.
Do you understand hon? Only little babies wet the bed. You don't want to be a little baby now do you?

JOHNNY: I want to pee outside!

MOTHER: Hon, animals pee outside. Big grown up settlers pee inside.
Do you hear?



Rhue and Stoyko crash through the door.



We're with the newly formed lace prevention team... Obviously there's no lace here so we'll be leaving. Bye!
They both rush out... and Johnny follows them.



MOTHER: Johnny, come back inside this instant!
She chases after Johnny.







....



Cheap? No my boy, this is moderately priced in stores.

I was just making the best out of your little slip up.

My slip up?

Who said that the house with the flowers was the one?

You said that you we're (SIC) about to say that.
Pause.

I'd argue with you further, but time is short. This time I'm just going to pick the lock.







(As he suspected?)

STOYKO: We've got to search all the rooms. There's a secret passage around here somewhere. (LUN neglected to assign a faceset to this line.)

(This is getting weird.)



Nice, big place all in all. It's also a big puzzle room.



First we walk behind this counter to get some loot. A Blan Rock. Thanks Lun.



Turning off the sink gets us a key stuck in the drain that Rhue notes is all 'gunky' and that we'll need more than water to get the stuff of it.







The key lets us into one of the two locked rooms. In there, Rhue and Stoyko have a debate about how braindead someone would have to be to use the cliche of a book switch in a bookshelf.









Ugh, it hurts my eyes to look at it. What do you think Stoyko?

Lands, it's awful to look at! I feel sick to my stomach after just one brief glance!
Rhue pockets it.







"It didn't budge... Flaming fires! We worked so hard to get here and now it just amounts to NOTHING?!!"

Don't pee your pants. You got it wrong. It's third from the top, fourth from the left.

STOYKO: Heheh. Yea, I know, I was just joking around man.

Whatever.
Sounds like something moved behind the fireplace.
Looks like we'll need to put this fire out somehow to get back there.





[it]We take a towelette.



Which lets us open the combination lock on the bedroom door. In there we pick up a jug and...



Then we fill up the jug at the sink...









I accidentally opened the map in this hall and for some reason the game thinks we're at the plunge strip behind the market when we're definitely not.



We should be inside Sacrifa's mansion.

What are we doing inside the house of the most powerful Guided in Estrana?

Just snooping around.

This doesn't make sense. We follow a lady from the park and end up in Sacrifa's mansion?

Obviously that lady and him are connected somehow.
You see, no one in recent memory has ever been inside this place.

Sacrifa has always kept the inside of his home very private.
No guests or anything.

We're here to find out why.

(Why would the Arastotzi care? I have a bad feeling about this.)

So we have free reign to investigate the first floor... and there's nothing interesting at all besides Sacrifa's making a lot of money and a Heart Stone.



On the second floor, Rhue immediately nearly blunders right into the old woman as she pass from the balcony door on the bottom left, to the bottom right door. Rhue manages to jump back and hide in time.

If you go out on the balcony, Stoyko loses his shit, and we can't go into the bottom right door, so that leaves the top right.



Stoyko then reminds us to lock it again.



Sweet lands, what is all this junk?

It doesn't look like Sacrifa abides by the standard practices of the Guided.
If his fellow Guided found out about this, he'd be finished.









How Rhue feels about standing here actually varies based on his Rhue points, I'm pretty sure. Lower they are, the more comfortable he is.



















"The lady we followed is in there."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zlP1N7s-MEE
The song for this scene seems to be a midi of a remix of this track?





Yes, my love.

Are you in pain?

It only hurts a little.

Good, I couldn't bear it otherwise.

You worry about me too much my love. You're too young to have grey hair.

As are you Lilah. But I like the way it looks on you.

Even if I were bald you'd tell me you'd like it, love.

I don't deny it. You'll always be beautiful to me.

It seems like so long ago when this all began.

Yes.

We were just two happy Guided enjoying life on the Way. I'm sorry we had to stop because of me.

Don't think on such things. You know I could never go on without you.
It doesn't matter where we are as long as we're together. That's all that matters.

And very soon I'm going to find a way to cure you. I know I'm very close.

You spend so many hours in that little room of yours... I worry.

Don't worry, you carry enough of a burden as it is.
You need to bathe now. I've added something to the water that will soothe your skin.

You're so good to me, my love.
Sacrifa, promise me that someday we'll be able to leave this place and travel far away together.

That day is nearly at hand.
Relax now. Let the water soothe your body and soul.

I love you.

And I love you.

I'll be back to check on you shortly, my love.



Sacrifa just left the room and she's..

...

What?

Sweet lands... (What's wrong with her skin?!!)
Rhue moves so Stoyko can see.



!!!!

That's disgusting...
It looks like her flesh is rotting away...

I've got more than enough stuff, Rhue. Let's just get out of here.

Sounds good.

When we go to leave, Rhue has to quickly duck back into the vent, as Sacrifa enters just before he does.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oquad3rnZSI



"I prayed to the Purpose to heal you for so many years. But there was never a reply."

Not so much as a whisper.
So now, here I am. Among objects of evil, looking for help from that which I once hated.
Asking for a favor from the powers I once persecuted. It's madness.
But there's just no other way. When the tunnels are complete I will descend into the Reaches and make my wishes known.
It's nearly done.
Literally DIGGING TOO DEEP on purpose.

He leaves after that little rant too.



Then we walk back out the way we came.



All right.



"I'm so tired."



Rhue psychically senses someone at the door again.



Well, it's just that after everything that happened today I didn't want to be alone tonight.

You're saying you're scared. Because of the Blood Lyn?
NO SHIT.

Fine, if you want to put it that way!

Yea, I understand completely.

You do?

Yes, you've been through a lot today.

So I can stay here tonight?

Sure Kloe, it's no problem.

Thanks, Rhue.

(Now, where should I let her sleep?)

code:

"Kloe in bed, Rhue on floor."   +2 Kloe, +1 ????
"Share the bed.  No touching!"  +1 Kloe,  0 ????
"Kloe on floor, Rhue in bed."   -1 Kloe, -1 ????

You'll find out who those second points are for at the start of the next update

You can have the bed, I'll take the floor.

You don't have to do that!

That's just how it's going to be. Goodnight.




the end