Part 6: Chapter 1-6: Ice Queen

Chapter 1-6: Ice Queen

All right, everyone. Let's finish up chapter 1.

Maria's Quest:

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4410088/





A girl was staring at you. As you turned your head, she turned red and began speaking.

- Uhh... umm... I... I... I... I... am Maria Fredel...

Maria Fredel... You've heard that name before. It's the client from the quest you just accepted.

- Uhh... I... wanted to thank you. I heard that you accepted my insignificant quest... I want to become a priest. I used to go to a school, but it was destroyed in the Flash... I don't have the skill to train at the school here... I tried going into the Labyrinth, but it was too much for me. Please let me heal your paralysis. I wouldn't be in such a fix if I knew higher level spells... But I haven't learned anything yet except how to cure paralysis. P... Please... can you become paralyzed...? I'll be here, so when you do, please come back here...

Sort of a weird one, but easy enough. You see, a few different things in this game cause paralysis, but the simplest way if you're trying to get paralyzed on purpose is to get attacked by the undead. Their attacks have a fairly low chance of paralyzing their target. I'll get to that later on in the update, but let's jump ahead to the conclusion of this quest.

You returned to the Tavern in order to have Maria cure your paralysis.

- Ah... You're back...

When Maria saw that you were paralyzed she became cheerful.

- I see that you are paralyzed!

Right after saying that, her face filled with regret.

- I'm sorry... I... That was bad of me to rejoice when seeing a person suffer...

Maria apologized more and more. But the paralysis is getting worse by the moment. You comfort Maria, and ask her to get to work immediately.

- Ah... That's right... I must heal you... This should do it!

Your paralysis was definitely healed. You can now move again.

Huh. Who here was expecting her to screw it up?

- Well, then... I must train some more... Oh, yes... If you would like, please take this... I do not need it anymore.

Maria took out a Parazkea Stone.

- Until we meet again.

Maria bowed deeply and left.

You got a Parazkea Stone.
You got 400 EXP!



Let's go over the rewards we got.



The Lapis Ornament is pretty good. Warriors can't equip it, though, so it'll go to Warren. His luck is lowest anyway.

The Parazkea Stone is, fittingly enough, a spell that cures paralysis. Sara gets that one.

Okay! Let's get the main story going again, how about?

At the entrance to the Labyrinth...

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387635/

Kasta came running.



- So you's can have new members in your party! Huh? Uh, oh.

Kasta walked around the party looking for something. He wondered why the Swordsman was not with you.

- Hey, tells me... Where'a be Master Swordsman?

Kasta's round eyes stared straight at you.

How will you respond?

He died.
He's traveling.

Ugh, tough one... I'm going to say he's traveling. I don't think Kasta could take it.



- You's a good guy. I's already knew. Master's health was be getting worse...

- But, I's not gonna cry! No matter what! Master saids! One day we's meet again!! So, I's gonna smile... Here... takes this!

Kasta held out a staff. You got a Guiding Staff!

- I's gotta go train now! I's see you around!

So... yeah. Let's keep going. A few steps into the Labyrinth...

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387749/

Arghhh!!

Suddenly, there was a loud cry. As you stopped to see, a Hobbit thief came plodding your way.





He looked resentfully at you.

- Hey, check this out! I thought I found a new Vellum, but it was a vellum for a spell I already knew!

You gave him a puzzled look. The thief stared back.

- Huh?... You mean... You don't know about the vellums?

Do you know about the vellums?

Yes
No

I'm probably going to regret this when the tutorial fairy shows up again, but no, I don't know about vellums.

- Hehe, figures. That's what I thought!

He grinned, thinking that his anticipation was correct.

- Then, I'll tell you about the vellums. Special Spells were created by well-known bishops and witches. These spells can't be made the normal way. That's why you use these Vellums! There are necessary materials written on the vellums to create the Special Spells. After collecting these materials, you can go to the shop, and have the Vellum Spells made. I heard you can find many of these vellums in the Labyrinth. Why don't you try to find 'em?

The Hobbit thief then looked down at the vellum he was holding.

- Oh, I don't really need this. What the heck, I'll give it to you. Whoa, I'm so nice!

The Hobbit thief handed the vellum to you. You got a Guiding Vellum!

- Oh, I almost forgot! Once you get a vellum, you can leave it at the shop. It's convenient because you don't have to carry it around. Laters. Bye-bye.

The Hobbit thief left in a hurry.

Thankfully, the fairy doesn't come up this time. Even more thankfully, that's the last interruption before the Imperial Quarters.

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387664/



A well-groomed Knight stood in front of the door. He placed his hand on his sword, and looked this way.



- Those who can overcome the Chief of the Queen's Guards' test shall be allowed to go in. Do you have the courage to try the test?!

Are you brave enough to try the test?

Yes
No

Bring it on!

- Then, show me your courage. Are you prepared? Try defeating these monsters that Sir LeDua has created!



(Five seconds later)

- I shall firmly acknowledge your strength! Your entrance is now granted. Just be sure to mind your manners.

Cleaning the harpy guts off their weapons, our heroes enter the Imperial Quarters to meet with LeDua.

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387589/



A sorcerer, dressed in a robe, and an elegant lady in a white dress were discussing something.

They stopped talking at the sound of the opening door and looked this way. There was a surprised look on the sorcerer's face.



The sorcerer whispered and shook his head with closed eyes. The look of surprise was gone. Instead, he stared with way with a sharp look in his eyes.

- I am... LeDua Almsay. I am the leader of Her Majesty's shield, the Queen's Guards. And... I shall introduce to you, the leader of Duhan, Queen Otelier. On your knees, adventurers!

LeDua spoke with a clear, dominant voice. It was a voice used to giving orders.

You...

Get on your knees.
Stare back at LeDua.

Tempting, but I really don't want to piss off a monarch this early in the game. Let's kneel.

You obediently got on your knees.

You moved swiftly as if your body already knew what to do.

Sagoon's attitude gave a good impression to comrades with a good or neutral attribute.

- Your Majesty... Do you wish to have a few words with this person...?

The Queen nodded in response to LeDua, then turned her cold eyes toward you.



- Presently, the soldiers of Duhan are examining the Labyrinth, but... It is difficult to tell if there has been any progress. We cannot perform a full investigation with the soldiers we have left. Many have perished during the Flash. Recently... A huge number of the Undead are emerging. Thus, the number of soldiers have decreased even more.

The Queen spoke indifferently.

- We cannot allow any more soldiers to perish. Thus, we are allowing you adventurers to go into the Labyrinth. Do not forget where you stand. You are to assist in this investigation in every way possible. If you obstruct any soldiers, we shall punish you accordingly. If you have any conflicting ideas, it would be best for you to leave now.

All you could do was nod in approval at the Queen's statements, as if they were read from a script.

- Very well. In return for your cooperation, I shall allow you to do as you wish with the treasures that you find. We also have no involvement in any disputes you may have with other adventurers. Quarrel as you wish. LeDua, give this person a pass!

- Certainly.

LeDua pulled out a vellum for you. It looks like this is the Pass.

- Just show this to the Guard in front of the stairs leading down.

You got the Pass!

- Before you do that, we have a job to request of you. The unit that is investigating the Undead monsters is missing. You are ordered to find the unit. Of course, there shall be a reward. So there is no need to worry.

As you nodded, LeDua twisted his lips to hold back his emotions. It apeared that he had laughed.

- Now, you may go on.

You felt the glistening eyes of the Queen and LeDua follow your every move until you stepped out of the room.

Well, that was intense.

A few steps down the slope...

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387558/



A pretty Elf girl gazed at the sight of falling snow. The girl had such a calm expression, gazing at her white surroundings, looking dignified like a noble bishop communicating with God.

As if she felt you approaching her, she turned slowly towards you. And then, spoke in a soft tone.



- That is what calls the monsters to this place.

- ...Just the way the loneliness of the dead call upon the living. And... this snow... The border of reality and the other world is indistinct here.

After the girl bowed shallowly to you, she covered her body with her cape from the cold air and walked deeper into the Labyrinth.

Gotz isn't around when we pay a visit. We'll go back later. As we pass the shortcut bridge in the second half of B1...

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387670/



The adventurers who left behind the Betrayal Sword earlier have set up a camp not too far away from you. They were talking loudly without any concern for their surroundings.



- How could Queen Otelier be kind? She's a brainless bitch!



- I'm sure she is kind. Can't you tell by the way she rules this land? Didn't you receive charity a few times when you were in the slums?

- Well, yeah... but...

- I understand that you didn't like her attitude earlier. But, look at the town's situation. We should understand that the Queen is stressin' out.

- But, what I hate even more is that old fart, LeDua!! He treated us like trash!! Are the Queen's Guards that great?!

- The Queen's Guards have the highest social class of all soldiers. They are always beside the Queen, to protect her from anything. She puts her full trust in them especially because they're strong.

- Hmm, even stronger than you?

- I'm no comparison. LeDua the Sorcerer has a good command of all spells and has a thorough knowledge of many things. Sophia the Priestess is a Queen's Guard as well as her head servant. There is nothing she can't cure. Kulgan the Ninja can defeat the Fire Dragon all alone. There's one more. A rookie of the Queen's Guard, but with some serious skills.

- Geez, they're monsters! If they're THAT strong, THEY should be the ones to go into the Labyrinth.

- Besides LeDua and Kulgan, the others have been missing the Flash. That's why they're probably short-handed.

- I see... We're just convenient guinea pigs for them. Dang, that pisses me off! We should just give them false information and rack up our rewards.

- I don't wanna lose my life for your stupid mistake.

The girl had not spoken a word until now.



- They were accused of treason against the Queen. Not even a pinch of ash was left. Not only do the Queen's Guards act as her shield, but also as her sword. They will protect the Queen from anybody, and will punish, without mercy, those who betray her. They are the Queen's blade... Sharp, strong, and merciless...

The girl glanced at the boy thief.

- It would probably be smarter not to go against the Queen.

The boy thief clicked his tongue in disappointment.

How much do you guys want to bet we'll have to fight one or more of those guys down the line?

Moving a bit further on...

A creepy voice echoed from overhead.



As soon as the voice was gone, your body moved as if it was being dragged by something.

Once again, the creepy voice echoed.

Please come visit us!





Welcome. This store has no attendant. The merchandise is in the leather bag on the left. If you see anything you like, feel free to purchase it. Please place your money in the leather bag on the right. Don't forget to pay. A security alarm is installed. If there is any suspicion of theft, our security guards, young Maelifics, will be moving in. Please use good judgement. Please be aware that if you break the rules, your life may not be spared.

Owner, Maelific



It's basically what it says. Pretty simple stuff here. But I'll bet you're wondering what happens when you try to take something without paying, right?

Why tell you when I can show you?

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4406750/

Yeah, let's not do that... By the way, you may have noticed that Sara looked different. More on that coming up.

Near Smiley's, we meet yet another mysterious stranger.

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4410096/



You heard a muffled voice from the depth of the cave.

O' ill-fated Duhan... Can you not hear the cries of the people?

Among the echoes of evil... You wicked Queen, what is your wish...?



- Hmph! We, including the Queen, are just a bunch of displaced people!

There was a mixed emotion of anger and sadness in the man.

- Why haven't you realized that this Labyrinth is full of evil? If you are just looking to get rich, I'm sure you can achieve that by working hard. If fame is what you want, your efforts and honorable actions will no doubt bring you fame. But, the Labyrinth supplies nothing. Only darkness can be found at the end of darkness. They should just close off this evil place.

The man walked away mumbling to himself.

The beautiful town of Duhan, the bright days lost forever...

Our loving Queen... Has your heart departed from us?

After transcribing cutscenes for an hour or so, I'm kind of tempted to take this guy up on his advice. But, what kind of LP would that be if we just chilled in Duhan for eternity? Nah. The show must go on.

We have yet another event in the atrium where the Swordsman met us earlier.

A young warrior covered with cuts and bruises came running with a tense expression.



- I thought it was just a rumor spread so that the guys who've already been there wouldn't have any rivals.

- H, hey!

You tried to ignore him, but you were stopped by the warrior.

- If you're going down there, be careful! If you take your sweet time, you'll get caught by the Reaper! You don't believe me, do you? I didn't believe it either, at first. I thought it was just a fable. And look what happened! When I got possessed, I couldn't even fight back. If I died there, I would've lost my soul! It would've taken it away.

Will you...

Believe him.
Don't believe him.

I believe you, buddy.

Sagoon's believing attitude gave a good impression to comrades with a good or neutral attribute.

- Anyway, if it appears, just run the heck away like I did! If you accidentally get Possessed, just hurry back to the Temple. The priests can help you, although it will cost you. Just be on the lookout.

The warrior whispered a prayer as he left.

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387515/

Taking a couple of steps further in...



Uh?



...?







That's right, everyone. Sometimes you get chased by the Grim Goddamn Reaper. He shows up as a blot of inky blackness on your minimap, and you can obviously see him here. He'll drift after you on whatever floor you're on at the time. He can go up and down, as well as through walls and other obstructions, but he can't follow you between levels. So if you go from B1 to B2, you'll be safe.



He's also really fuggin' scary.



If he catches up to you...



Then one of your characters gets possessed. Possessed characters are actually good and bad.

Pros:

-Higher attack power.
-Able to damage Undead with non-magic weapons.
-Reaper Doors are visible. More on that in chapter 2.
-If all party members are possessed, new AAs become available temporarily. They're insanely strong, but they use up HP. Or worse...

Cons:

-Weaker defense power.
-If a possessed character is killed, they either turn to ash... or are annihilated instantly. No resurrection chance, no dropped equipment, nothing. Gone.

So, yeah. Generally it's a bad idea to stay possessed unless you have a specific purpose in doing so.

Let's take a quick moment to unlock the real shortcut through B1.

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387676/

That thief is getting more and more useful all the time. Even if he is still kind of annoying.

Heading closer to B2, we have another encounter on the broken bridge.

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387674/



Don't you dare mess with Rui, the former sorceress!

A flame burst right in front of your eyes.

A red-headed girl was burning away Undead monsters with her spell.

It looks like Rui, the female thief, who you encountered at the shop. Not before long, a black shadow in the midst of the flames crumbled.



As you were lost in admiration, Rui smiled at you.

- We meet again. If you're fascinated with that, you must still be a rookie. Oh, did I upset you? I'm sorry. I didn't mean any harm... really. To make up for that, I'll teach you how to fight the Undead. Huh?! You don't need it? C'mon, I won't be long.

- The Undead don't die from normal attacks. It'll do some damage, but you'll never be able to defeat them. The way to defeat the Undead is to use your spells. If you can't use any spells, use a Magic Weapon. It's something beyond a rookie's power, though. Other than that, a priest, bishop, or Knight's Dispel is effective. Dispel is a technique used to purify undead by a prayer of those who serve god. If their prayers reach God, the Undead will either run away or disappear immediately. If you don't have any access to the previous things I've said, just don't fight them. You may become one of them by the time you realize it.

Rui winked as she said this.

- From here on, you're going to start encountering the Undead. Just be aware of the number of spells you have left and your party organization. Then, I'll seeya again... If we're both still alive.

Rui pranced past your side after she finished speaking.

- Thanks for the tuition.

Rui had a handful of gold coins. She picked it when she passed by you.

- Hehe, seeya!

Rui jumped down a path below and disappeared into the darkness.

You had 100 G stolen...



Oh well, money isn't that important. Besides, Rui touched me to get it. I'm sure that would make certain players happy.

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387765/

The Undead monsters that Rui defeated were laying on the ground. The burnt bodies slowly turned into ashes. You heard a shuffling sound and turned your head towards it. To your amazement, an Undead Kobold staggered and stood up! It seems that there were some survivors from Rui's spell of fire. They slowly approached you.



Let's do it!

You stood ready with weapon in hand!





Like Rui said, normal attacks don't do anything to the Undead unless the weapons used are magical. Spells will do the job, though. Even Kyo can one-hit one of these guys with a Creta spell, since they have less than 10 HP.



Dispel is by far the most effective technique, however. It hits all of the undead at once, and will either kill them, make them run away, or not affect them. Still, with a group bigger than two, the gamble is usually worth it.

Oh, in case you're wondering, this is where I got someone paralyzed for Maria's quest. This is by far the easiest time to do it, when you have a guaranteed fight against a small number of the weakest Undead. Still, poor Sagoon was out of action for a little while.

Sagoon had the way to fight the Undead ingrained in his head.

Almost there!

http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387744/





Don't you think it's weird that there's a waterfall here?



- I heard it's by the village of Elves. But, nobody knows why it's there. Besides that, if you go down deeper, there are graves of the townspeople. It's said that the graves that were on the outskirts of town just moved deep into the Labyrinth. Now that's an odd story. That's why it's a pain to visit the graves.

Interesting. Random, but interesting. We're now standing right in front of the stairs to B2.

There was an Elf warrior, accompanied by several soldiers, in front of the stairs leading down to the basement. The Elf warrior noticed you and walked towards you. He glanced at you and swiftly held out a hand.

- I'd like to verify your Pass.

The party handed the Pass to him, and he quickly ran his eyes over it.

- This was definitely issued by Sir LeDua. Then I shall allow you to go through. We wish you luck for the sake of Her Majesty and the town of Duhan. The monsters will be stronger from here on.

He then returned the Pass to the party.



Lord YES. FINALLY.



This completes Chapter 1. Stay tuned for Chapter 2!

Videos:

Maria's Quest - http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4410088/

Kasta's Gift - http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387635/

Vellums - http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387749/

Imperial Challenge - http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387664/

Meeting LeDua and Queen Otelier - http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387589/

Mysterious Girl - http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387558/

Idle Gossip - http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387670/

Smiley's Shop of Horrors - http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4406750/

Mysterious Man - http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4410096/

Fighting the Undead - http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387674/

Undead Beatdown - http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387765/

Waterfalls and Graves - http://miketopus.blip.tv/file/4387744/