Part 56: Episode 5 Finale: The Last Plunge, the Confrontation(s) and The Violet That Danced.

Episode 5 Finale: The Last Plunge, the Confrontation(s) and The Violet That Danced.





So here it is. Our first Step 3 Blade Art. A rather niche one too.





This forest has a wide range of annoying ass encounters doesn't it? The Forestfangs berserk you.





Woo. After getting some loot, and finding one last annoying encounter type (Horn Jaw, Slaughterbug and Forest Fang trio), we're done with the second part of the forest.



Great! It's been awhile since I've slept in a forest, heh.

It seems a little early to be stopping if you ask me.

It seems that way, but don't worry, I'm planning on getting a REAL early start tomorrow. (You might say emulating the game having a double space is a step too far, but I don't care.)





https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUkuYg8d9zs


(Young... Existence... Stringent... Harsh...)
Uhh... Right.



Kloe stops when she notices Slade, but then slowly approaches him


...

(Vanity... Embitter... Meandering... Endless...)
He's having an epic meltdown.

Excuse me...

Go away.
There's a pause as Kloe looks up the path ahead for a bit and then turns back to Slade.

Please, I need some help.



Could you just...
Kloe slowly approaches.













"Am I so bad?"

I'll make him kill me...
The music stops


"Maybe... maybe Rhue will save me."

...


Uhm. Rhue looks very alone here...


Do you seem something odd at the top left of the clearing? That's Alan's legs. I guess without Rhue around to save him this time, he wouldn't have lasted long... R.I.P sweet bard.



Yes, the End of the Way is very close. And it is there that we will find the Pontifex.
Well, look who it is! Alive and well!

LEFT REBEL: The main rebel force should arrive there en masse early tomorrow.

Who is leading them at the moment?

LEFT REBEL: The man from Xor should be meeting with them soon.

Have I met this man?

LEFT REBEL: I don't think so, but he'll be in charge until you arrive.

Excellent.

Tetzel's day under the sun are over.



The right rebel starts looking around.

Is something troubling you ?

RIGHT REBEL: I'm not sure it's such a good idea to have this fire going. It could give away our position.

LEFT REBEL: Relax, it's barely producing any smoke and it's a dark cloudy night anyway.

RIGHT REBEL: But the light...

LEFT REBEL: If we were surrounded by open plains that would be one thing, but we're in a dense forest.
Trust me, no loyalists are going to find us.

RIGHT REBEL: Actually, I'm more worried about that Phantom Slasher thing.

Don't be, the Phantom Slasher is a tool of Tetzel.

RIGHT REBEL: It works for our enemy and I'm not supposed to be worried?

The stories about it are greatly exaggerated.
In Estrana I recieved orders to spread stories of the Phantom Slasher to all the passing wanderers.
Now we know where most of the names probably came from.

RIGHT REBEL: Why would Tetzel order that?

I wasn't sure at first, but I think it was to scare people.

RIGHT REBEL: Oh, of course, he wanted to scare people so they wouldn't find out about the End of the Way.

Yes. This is the very reason we are rebelling. But I for one, have personal reasons as well...





The sounds of 'Left Rebel' and Sacrifa being slaughtered keep playing as we pan up and into darkness.


And then in the morning, Rhue awakens and gets up.








And then we're in the obligatory repeating maze area.




The solution is just to go with all the exits that lines up perfectly with the white flowers.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUkuYg8d9zs





This guy is tough.

(This is... the end.)
But not that tough.



(He looks badly hurt... Maybe I should help him.)

Or I could finish him.... He's the one who locked me up in Estrana.)

(No, I deserved it. Maybe... Maybe he'll understand that I've changed if I help him now...)
(It's the right thing to do...)


(I'm dying... a failure.)

Slade, I'm going to try to help you.

(So many mistakes...)

Can you talk to me?

(Finally I'll do something that I know is right. Something for myself.)

I'm going to take off your coat and get a better look at your injuries. Okay?

Cetsa...

Yes?


There's a faint sound of a blade...







Rhue comes upon this scene.


Rhue...

...





Rhue leaves, and this is the last we ever see of the Violet That Danced.


No music here.



"Now that I know who he truly is, there is but one thing to do...
An eye for an eye. A tooth for a tooth. A life for a life.
There is no other way."




"One hour later..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PEDcJcOKIY8



I guess I've come to the right place...

Now where would I be if I were the Pontifex Maximus and there was a rebellion among my followers?

I'm thinking in a dark hole, somewhere nearby.





You used me!!!

What are you talking about?! I was trying to help you find your father!

That's what you said you were doing, but it was all a lie!!! You didn't care at all about helping me find him!!!

That's because you won't ever find him!!

WHAT?!!!

He's dead!!!

LIAR!!! How would you know that?

Because blue boy killed him!

Rhue?

Yea, but...
Lyrra screams and rushes Rhue immediately.





...





Lyrra dies, and drops Ghost Horror. The last survivor of the Landorin Massacre who could've told us what really happened, is dead.


There's a clang sound as Rhue's sword 'bats' Ghost Horror from the ground and into the air. It spins away very rapidly.


Rhue barely seems to care, really.


...

That bastard...




Kloe comes along too!





Gaius opens his eyes.

I never said I'd take you to the End of the Way. I said you could follow me if you could keep up.

Thanks, now I don't feel so hurt.
Now if you'll kindly tell me which way the End of the Way is so I can find Tetzel.

The End of the Way used to be right here.

What?

You're standing on what used to be the End of the Way.

I don't have time for this... Where is Tetzel?

He fled from here before I arrived. Most likely he's somewhere on the other side of this tunnel.

Take me to him.

Follow me.







...



Yeah we get the choice here. Because Strata's stats are even higher than when we were brutally owned. With one exception. He has a reasonable DT score now.

But it'd be no fun to skip this plunge.


Good, I've always hated pretty boys.


Oof. That's a Step 3 injury for us.


Strata's DT is 35 iirc.





This might be a close one.


I'll try to return the favor.


I definitely come out better on the third pass, and even get a plunge point from Ray of Light. Step 1 injuries do fuck all though!


Ah, fuck. That's another Step 3.


That's all? I had something worse in mind for you.


We're both on roughly the same percentage of HP too.


Oh thank god. You're not allowed to draw on this plunge either, I think (Yes, the game does account for draws in every plunge, sometimes its allowed. Sometimes its the same as winning with less/no reward, other times its still a Game Over or the same outcome as losing.

The End of the Way track starts up again.







I'd kill you, but I think I'd rather let you live with the knowledge that I beat you.
I'm better than you.


Rhue's been saving that for a long time...




It's... raining and storming all of a sudden as... Rhue....... runs through.............. the woods....







Rhue suddenly zips a lot closer.


Keep running, we're almost there.

Almost where?!

You'll see.

Just try to keep up.



Gaius zips away.





This is... all wrong. This is...

A LIE!!!!

You recognize this place?

This is where I lost Serena... This is the Landorin Stretch!!

Interesting.

Interesting?! What do you know about all this!


"I'm afraid that you can't be allowed to continue in your current state."

Current state? What are you talking about?!

Just drop your sword and back away. That's all you need to do.

What?!

It's a Shadow Sword. It will destroy you. If you like, you can just hand it over to me.

...
Why would you want it then?!

I want to help you, Rhue.

I don't trust you... How could giving you my sword help anyone?

Because I will destroy it.

Shadow swords can't be destroyed...

Trust me Rhue. I want to help you. Just look at what you did to Lyrra with that awful thing!

I was defending myself! How do you even know about that?!

I sensed it.... I knew it had to be you.

You're one weird guy...

If you mean that I'm not quite like most wanderers, then you're absolutely correct.
But under that definition, you're quite weird as well. Please, give the sword to me.

What are you talking about?!

Don't you know who you are?

I'm Rhue of Landorin!

You're a murderer! Give me your sword and let me help you!
Rhue?




Ahhh MOTHERFUCKER




Patura and Verb made it out of Estrana...


And so did Lossus and The Unguided goofballs. That actually always kind of cheers me up. I didn't show off the Unguided much.



Rhan seems to have fallen in with what looks like an average adventuring party.


He seems to have lost his girlfriend though. Poor guy. And maybe poor her too.






the end