Part 2: Update II - Zoinks, Scoob!

Update II - Zoinks, Scoob!



So, the last time, we got a bunch of exposition and some directions to follow. This time, we'll finish exploring this area.



And just a little bit west from Dankwart's shack, we find a grave with a ghost!

Ohgodohgodohgod... there's something spooking around that gravestone!

But for now, we're going to ignore that guy and instead move north.



Here, we have the inn! My favorite part about this whole place, because it's cheap full healing, and cheap full healing is never a bad thing.



As you can see, we've got an innkeeper at the counter and a cook in the kitchen. We'll be making use of both of their services soon enough, but my HP isn't in terrible shape right now, so for now...



...I murder some more rabbits for XP and spare change.



To the east of the inn, we find a little shop and one big burly armored motherfucker. Let's talk with him!



Not one step further, stranger. Nobody gets past Harkon Lukasz as long as the rightful duke doesn't reign.

1) But I want past! - 2) All right, I'll go look for him.

Well, maybe he'll let us through? Let's pick the first option.

Then you'd have to beat me in combat, and nobody has managed to do that in twenty years, young man.

1) I don't care, I still want through! - 2) Oh well, then bye.

Yeah, I'm not fucking with this guy. Mostly because I know he fucks your shit sideways, and even if by some miracle you managed to beat him, it would only lead to the evil creatures from Düsterburg flooding the Eastern Marches and a non-standard game over. Instead, let's take a look at the store.



I'm selling the equipment of those that fought my husband here. Would you like to buy something?



Well, the equipment here is an improvement, but I'm kind of strapped for cash (the best helmet costs 370 bucks, the best armor 620, and I've got 175 right now - and yes, I'm going to be calling this currency bucks, because I prefer the term over the generic "gold", and keeping it as "Taler" just sounds stilted), so let's leave for now.

It's been a pleasure doing business with you.

At this point, I figure I might get into a bigger fight, so let's head to the inn to heal up.



Greetings. My name is Selina. My husband Talis deals with the rooms and I deal with the kitchen. Do you want something to eat for ten bucks?

1) Yes, I'd like that. - 2) No thanks, I'm not hungry.

You can't beat that price! Let's have ourselves some of that.



30 HP restored, not bad. Grandy's HP are in the 50~60 range right now, so that's a full heal for 20 bucks. Now, let's talk with the innkeeper, because that guy always has something to say in games like this - number two information source after the bartender.



Greetings, wanderer. Did you come to rest or to have a little talk?
1) I need a bed for the night. - 2) Tell me a story, good man.

We want some information!

Are you interested in this region, do you want to know what is beyond the bridge to the west, or do the mountains in the south interest you?
1) This region - 2) The west - 3) The mountains - 4) Forget it...

Might as well go down the line.

I'm new here. Tell me something about these forests.
These forests are known as the Eastern Marches and make up the eastmost part of the former duchy of Falkenburg. Compared to other regions, it's relatively safe here. We're simple people who make their living through hard work. Keep away from the old graveyard south of here. People say it's haunted... Dankwart Dengelbrack lives in the southeast, a noble man that had to endure a great amount of injustice in his life. If you follow the road to the west you'll reach the Falcon's Canyon. You'll have to cross it to reach Düsterburg. But nobody has done that in a long time ever since Harkon Lukasz guards the pass and doesn't let anybody through.

I want to know more about the west... is there more going on over there?
The west is dangerous. Used to be that the Baron of Falkenburg ruled over the duchy... well, in a way it's still that way... it's just that the current ruler is a fiend that took title and land by force.
The castle and the village aren't called Falkenburg anymore either, no, the new Duke Wahnfried renamed them to Düsterburg.
That's a dangerous region, where the dead walk amongst the living and nobody's life is safe. Luckily we have Harkon, who guards the only pass to Düsterburg.

So there's mountains in the south... I bet you can ski there and that kind of stuff. Tell me more!
I've never heard of anybody skiing in the Icy Wasteland. That's a cold, life-endangering area. The only people that go there are either criminals that can't stay anywhere else or suicidal. Years ago, some dwarves went there searching for gold, but nobody ever heard about them again.

Well, that was interesting. Now with more information and a topped off HP supply, let's head back south.



There's a pretty big wolf pack over there. I should maybe take a big detour around those...

Yeah, these guys look pretty badass. Instead, let's go around murdering some more orcs and rabbits...



...and heal up when necessary. After some of this, I think we can take a look at what that spooky ghost down there is doing.



The agony! Oh, the unbearable agony!
1) Whoa! What do you mean? - 2) Eat steel, terrible ghost!

So we can skip right to the exorcism by sword, but that's not the RPG way, so let's find out what his problem is.

Well, do you think it's fun going around in circles for centuries at a dreary place like this? Tsk, tsk... Erm... I mean booo...
What do I know what you guys do to have fun...
Boooooooo!!! Do not joke with me, mortal, or I'll give you a taste of the agony I'm living through!
1) Calm down, calm down... - 2) I've heard enough! Die (completely)!

Once again, no reason to start swinging.

1) Can I help you somehow? - 2) I'll be leaving then.

No idea why you'd want to leave here. Let's see what he'll have us do.

It really is unfortunate what you have to deal with... so if I could help you in some way...?
Booo... You'd do that for me? A mortal wants to help a ghost?! I haven't seen that in 243 years.
That's OK. Just tell me what I should do, and I'll make sure you'll be set free.
Northwest of here, beyond the river, is a rock wall. Follow it to the east, and you'll find an entrance. It might be that you have to dig your way through... past that entrance you'll find a vault in which you'll find my remains. Bring them here and I'll give you a ghostly reward. Booooo!!!

Not sure what exactly "geistlich" means here. I translated it to "ghostly" since we're dealing with a ghost, but it could just as well be "spiritual" or "religious". Since I can't remember the reward and I didn't find a way to get it right now, we'll have to see where this goes later.

EDIT: Thread to the rescue:



And why are your remains lying there and not here?
You'll find the answer in the vault. And other things will be waiting for you as well.
Only enjoyable "things", I hope. I'll be on my way then. Oh, and there's one more thing I wanted to ask: Why are you haunting this place as opposed to the place where your remains are, which is what ghosts usually do?
Well, what kind of chances for salvation do you think I'd have if I was haunting a buried vault?
Sounds logical. I promise I'll do everything in my power to help you.



This game really seems to be doing that thing where accepting quests or progressing the story by talking to people grants experience, and our dog levels up.



At this point, I head back to the store and buy a grappling hook, some pitons and a rope, because I remember we're going to need those.



While murdering some more enemies, Grandy picks up a new skill - the Sword Dance. This makes him throw his sword like a boomerang, and it has a very specific use - it wrecks flying enemies.



And with that level up, I feel I can probably take on these wolves.

Five at one time! Then let's get at it!



And surprisingly enough, they don't put up that much of a fight and go down fairly easily, netting us a bunch of wolf pelts we can sell.



With the wolves gone, we can make our way to this... thing you can only half see right now (we'll see it fully later) which signifies something we can pick up.



And in this case, it's five hundred bucks!




With that cash and the money we got from selling the pelts, we get ourselves some neat armor upgrades that will help a bunch later.



Next, let's take a look at this cave here.

There's a very strong smell coming out of this cave... smells beastly! 1) Head inside? - 2) No thanks!

There's got to be some good shit in there, get in (after saving, of course)!



What a terrible stench!!! It smells like blood, decay and...
CAT PISS!!!

Hm, that doesn't seem safe, but nothing ventured...



Holy smokes! What kind of gigantic cat is that? If that beast can't hear well, I might be able to sneak up on it...

You might be able to sneak up on it, yes. It involves moving one square at a time with breaks in between. However, I didn't figure that out at that point, and...

THAT WAS TOO LOUD! IT NOTICED ME!

But there's another one of those item container thingies there! Run, Grandy, run!



Yes! The longsword is a great upgrade over our short swords, but there's only one problem...



...we couldn't equip it because this saber-tooth tiger caught us before. This might be bad...



40 HP DAMAGE? NEVER FUCKING MIND, THIS IS BAD.



And yeah, it goes about as well as expected.



We try again, and this time it works better. It looks like the tiger caught me, but he moves semi-randomly while going towards you, and he moves away for a bit before I close the text box.



RUN RUN RUN



Now that we made it outside, check out that upgrade! 57% increase in combat power! Now all we need is another one of those...



South: The Icy Wastelands
East: Dankwart's Farmyard
North: The Talkative Innkeeper

Well, it looks like we've got nothing much else to do in this area, so it's time to head to the Icy Wastelands.



I can only see a great wasteland - and behind that the snowy tops of an impassable mountain range.

So Dankwart said I should go to the Icy Wasteland... well, I hope this trip is worth it.



And then we spend a day walking to the wasteland, not that time plays any role here.



With that, we've made it to the Icy Wasteland - or at least the pre-area.



The enemies here look a bit tougher...



...but they go down just the same.



A ledge! I can get there with my grappling hook! 1) Use grappling hook. - 2) Screw that!



Get on up there, man!



I can move on here with my pitons...

And move on we do. Up there we find...



The remains of a mountain climber! Search them?

He's not going to need that crap anymore, is he?



This is the Phoenix Down item of the game, smelling salts. Comes in handy.



Then there's one more ledge to use our grappling hook on, and then we've made it to the end!



The end of the pre-area, that is. Next time, we move on to the actual Icy Wastelands!