1504 replies to this topic

[hook71]

Yeah, as usual: tome to Syvishtar.

[Lurker of the north]

As always indeed.

[AmyAE]

Tome to Syvishtar. How many freaking tomes does BWP add, anyway?

[Usurper]

Who knows? 

Hey, I have a bit of a philosophical question for you guys. Why do people follow Syvishtar? Why would anyone follow him around all th time? Would you follow him?

[Usurper]

19 Eleint, 1370

I think bringing Will to Durlag's Tower is one of the best ideas I've had all week. Ain't nothin' like quaint hey-nonny-nonny-oh folk songs to keep the Knowledge away! I just gotta make sure he stays in the back and does nothing but sing. So that's what I tell him to do.



Hope he's good at following directions!

Thankfully we have a lot of good bard equipment that he puts on. He is actually quite shocked at the wide variety we have available.



But none of our rings are better than the one he got back from his friend. It is pretty impressive.



We also outfit Jet'laya in the manner to which she is accustomed... kindof. With 3 clerics in the party she doesn't have first choice of equipment. She has to make do. Thankfully her mace, shield, ring, and cloak serve her well.



Since she is our most capable fighter now she is going to go on the front line. But since we have 3 clerics, all tough women, they are all going to go on the front line. I am afraid that the world might not be ready for the awesome golden wall of Branwen, Jet'laya, and Finch.



Then we start heading back to Durlag's.

On the way, I seem to remember that Will had some armor and weapons pawned somewhere in Beregost a few years ago. We decide to stop by and see if they are still available.



Do you still have Will's flail?

Certainly... But to take it out of pledge you have to pay. 1000 gp plus interest for default.

Here you are, take it out.

With pleasure, I don't need it.



It is magical, so I take a look at it.



He snatches it up and starts going on about the merits of flails. Okay there buddy. I also remember him saying that he had some armor ready at Thunderhammer Smithy, so we stop by there too.



Didn't Will order some armor to be forged at your smithy?

Taerom's next comment makes me flinch.

Will, have you joined this group? Adventurers are a dangerous matter.

Welcome my friend, it's always nice to see you, tell me how's my armor?

Your pretty leather, you mean.

Yeeeees, that's precisely the one. My scarlet leather with the cloak...

It's ready, you can take it. The price hasn't changed: 5,000 gp.

Oh, you extortioner, I hope that my friends will forgive me...

You know it's an extremely unique item, don't complain.

You want it or not? Every nobleman will want it and will spare no expense in gold.

Unfortunately we don't have enough gold now. We will have to get back to you later.

You will for sure. Now go find some gold.

5,000 gold for some red leather? Geez man! But I do know a great place to find gold...



We make the trip, but are waylaid by enemies. Worgs and kobolds, to be exact!



I yell at Will to stay the hell away from everything. He runs around frantically dodging arrows and kobolds until they are all dead and he is still alive.



Amazing! He'll do fine.

We get ambushed once more when we try to sleep at the end of our journey to Durlag's.



Will seems to learn how to stay out of danger quite quickly.







He expresses an interest in magic, so I let him paw inexpertly through Pelltar's spellbook. His wide-eyed expression as he learns Armor, Blindness, Burning Hands, Chromatic Orb, Color Spray, Friends, Grease, Identify, Larloch's Minor Drain, Magic Missile, Protection from Evil, Protection from Petrification, and Shield is kinda funny.



He hands me back the spellbook with an almost reverential grace. You know, come to think of it, he knows more spells right away than I knew when I was his age. Hmm. He is getting it easy. Maybe too easy.

When we get to the well leading down, I tell everybody to get their game faces on. Now is serious time.



I do not forget the lessons I saw acted out here. But I am still not sure what they mean. Mulgore killed everything. Does it mean brute force can overcome any base emotion?

I am still wondering when we reach the bottom of the well.



Gameplay note: You know what? When I went down here, killed Pride, went back to town, raised Xavia, picked up Jet'laya and Will, came back here, and got back down to this level, I realized something big - the books were gone. Loading the map and then traveling for a week or so made all the books on the ground here disappear. So I had to reload from the point before I killed Pride and do it all again, so that I could bring you the full emotional impact of this floor. So you kids better appreciate it.

For the first time, I take a good look at the ground here. There are extremely detailed frescoes on the floor, and books carefully laid out near them with what can only be loving precision. I tell everybody to back into the hallway again so that I can take a closer look.



After studying the floor closely, these books on the ground remind me of the Manual of Gainful Exercise. I wonder what it says?



Oh! Wow! I really did not know that before. So if you put your legs into it then you can get more oompf on the backswing.



Gameplay note: I can carry 150 lbs now. Nice.

Anyways, back to the floor. There are three dwarfy faces on the floor, and one evil face to the southwest.



It is also the only direction with an open door. I pick up that book first.



Those bastards! I can feel something like Durlag's rage within me. A cold, calculating, and ever false enemy would be oh-so-satisfying to utterly destroy. Screw those dopplegangers.

[Usurper]

I want to see what's down this hallway.



Okay, this is creepy. A room full of statues of evil. Was Durlag a sculptor in addition to being an adventurer?

Imoen spots something at the far end... next to a corpse.



There's gold, a few low-level scrolls, some potions, and another dusty book.



Seek no heirs? What does that mean? Is Durlag telling me I shouldn't have children?

Imoen tells me that there are secret doors on either side, but I'm not interested. I go back to the central room. What else does Durlag want to say?



I pick up the book on the northwest side this time, the one next to the dark-haired dwarf holding a sword.



Oh. Wow. The dark-haired dwarf was Durlag's son. I motion for Imoen to open the door. But she can't.



Hmm. I guess we'll have to use the secret doors after all. But first I want to read these other books. What about the book to the northeast, next to the dwarf with the huge blonde beard?



I pick up the book, more gently this time.



So, the blonde-bearded one was Kiel. I wish I could have met him. I can imagine him as the loud, boisterous one. The beard gives it away.

Finally, I pick up the book of the dwarf to the southeast.



I blow away some of the dust with my breath.



Oh... his wife?! Durlag had to kill the form of his own wife? No wonder he's insane.

I take a final look at the fresco.



Ahh, yes, I can tell now. A purple head covering. That's dwarfish for woman. Funny that I haven't yet met any dwarf women in real life. I don't quite know what they'd be like.

All the doors are, of course, beyond Imoen's ken. We're going to have to use the secrets. I tell Imoen to lead the way. I don't want a repeat of Xan. But she can't open them either.



How are we supposed to get anywhere in this place if none of the doors open? I try to think of a way, staring at the creepy tapestry lying in the middle of the room like a carpet.



As I think, the girls bicker.

Stay well clear of me, you foul speakin' heretic!

Why don't ye go rut with an Iluskan hound?

They don't mean anything by it, they're just like that.

You know, I've heard of tapestries created where the eyes follow you around the room, but I don't ever remember hearing about ones where the eyes sometimes follow you, and then sometimes look elsewhere. I get another chill down my back.

Then I look more closely at the statues. What if I move this thing back a little...



Aha! We go check out the now-open door.



Of course I send Imoen in first. I ask her if she can see any traps.



She says she can see one or two. I give her time. Thieves hate to be rushed.

Imoen finds some minor treasures, some priest spell scrolls, and a scroll of Otiluke's Resilient Sphere!



I tell her to hand over the magic. This is the one that the dudes were casting all the time when I was going after the Talismans!



Awesome! I can't wait to try this one out.

Jet'laya notices that we're in a sparring room, with sparring dummies still waiting for their beatings. She nonchalantly walks up to one and begins praticing on it. When she does, a lot of grinding and scraping is heard all around us.



I want to see what has happened. I walk forward ahead of Imoen. That's when I see him.



A moment later, and he disappears and reappears behind me.



Then I hear stone shifting. What's going on?



Again the apparition disappears and appears again further in the room.



Ahh, so the dopplegangers attacked Durlag's son Fuernebol. I guess that makes sense...

Then the room is filled with a choking mist and something jumps out at us from within it!



In a split second Branwen and Imoen are running scared and Finch is Dire Charmed. Crap!



I throw some missiles at the doppleganger while Jet'laya tries to make everything alright.



But she chokes on the mist and messes up her prayer.



I cast Icebolt at the bastard!



And then Jet'laya is the one to pound him into the ground.



Finch is still Dire Charmed. Hey, now is a great time for Otiluke's Resilient Sphere! I reach deep into the Weave, gather the necessary energies, shape it into a ball, and throw it perfectly at Finch!

No, wait, not that kind of ball!



Well, hrm. Now she can't be dispelled. I guess we'll just have to wait it out. It's only Finch after all, I mean what is she going to OUCH!



It is only by running screaming from the room that I am able to survive.



When the magic wears off, she apologizes. And she also picks up and reads the next book we find on the floor.



Oh man. That is rough. I really feel for Durlag. That's just... that's just not right.

We follow the hallway and return to the room of monsters.

[Usurper]

22 Eleint, 1370

This room seriously creeps me out.



This time Imoen chooses the statue to our left. Another door opens behind us.



Imoen scouts it out for us and finds a nicely-appointed reading room of sorts.



After she gives the all-clear we pile into the room. Imoen checks the coffee table and finds a book and a wardstone. The book has only three words on it.



The wardstone is called the Islanne Wardstone.



Oh. We passed the face of the woman on the way here. Were these her rooms? Dare we find out what happened to Durlag's wife?

The grinding stone all around us seems to suggest so.



And the visions appearing from nowhere confirm it.



Oh, no. Not this. Anything but this. I don't want to see what happens to Xan Islanne.



No, not the torches. Not the light.

The apparition appears next to the bed, finally. I know what that means.



This time we all lash out in fury and pain. Lightning and holy fire fall from the heavens, while the whole room is awash in beams of holy light descending. They pierce the evil doppleganger's heart.



I may not be a woman right exactly now but I still cannot abide what I just saw. The implications...

Branwen and Will were struck with fear, and flee in blind terror around the room.



We spend some minutes calming them down.

Imoen finds another wardstone.



This one opens some other doors.



There is also the Kiel wardstone here.



Finally, in the wardrobe, we find the Robe of the Good Archmagi and some spell scrolls. Nothing we don't already know. But... Islenne was a mage? And she died like that?

I will never sleep with someone else in the same bed ever again.

In the now-open hallway, Finch finds another book.



It only confirms what we already know.



Imoen can't open the other door in the room, so we can only go back to the hall of evil statues. What can we do more?

I'm actually at a loss, and Imoen is too. Neither one of us knows how to open the next door, and why these damned runestones aren't good for anything.



Gameplay note: I actually forgot what to do next and had to look it up online. What did we do before we had the Internet anyways?

Imoen is the one that finally figures it out. She paces back and forth, thinking, and ends up in the sparring chamber again. She notices that the sparring dummies each have a unique color.



They match up rather well with the colors of the runestones we just collected. She rushes back and grabs the runestones out of my hands.



She puts the orange one in the orange practice dummy, the red in the red, and the blue with the blue.

Gameplay note: I think this is one of those puzzles which was helped by the lower resolution of the original Baldur's Gate. You can barely make out the colors here at our stunning 800x600 of BG2.

She steps back, proud of herself and expectantly looking around, waiting for something to happen. But nothing does.



In frustration, she starts hitting the center dummy, fiercely whispering "Why won't you WORK!?"

Doors shift and move, stone grinds on stone.



Not quite the door we were hoping for though... Imoen lets out a scream of frustration and hits the other dummy.



Jet'laya shouts out that a new way is open. Oh! It must have been the blue one that Imoen smacked with her staff. Okay then!

Gameplay note: Seriously how was anyone supposed to figure this out in 1998?

You know, I'll confess. I used to do some pretty weird stuff back in Candlekeep. The place was a gigantic library and you couldn't leave, so we turned to extremely... esoteric entertainment. One of the things I used to do was read the dictionary. Yes. Seriously. And one word that always stuck in my mind from those days I've never had a chance to use in real life. Until now.

Trepidation.

The word was trepidation, and now I've said it true.

It is with great trepidation that I watch Imoen enter the fourth wing of this crazy doom reenactment dungeon: Kiel's wing.



The blonde-bearded boisterous leader dwarf. I will know how he died, though I do not want to.

We enter into the room, and the decorations are quite grand. But we of course are hesitant to advance further. Imoen sees some secret doors off to the left and right, and decides to investigate. She takes a while to come back.



I quickly wonder if she's okay so I follow her in.



What the bloody hell is this place?! Cages, tables? Devices?!

There is a book and a goblet lying near the entrance. I go back and pick them up. The book, of course, is creepy.



I take a closer look at the goblet.



So this goblet turns you into Khalid? Hrm. I'll give it to Jaheira.

[Usurper]

Imoen finds out the hard way that the room isn't safe.



And while Imoen is over there doing her thing, we find that we are in a spot of trouble.



There is a naked doppleganger, yes, but there is also a more familiar shape...



Branwen reaches the dopplegangers first, but seems to suddenly change her mind.



I know what that means.

Jet'laya takes a moment to call for the favor of her goddess.



While Imoen finishes a little project I had going there for a moment.



The Holy Book of Rhialto takes care of the doppleganger's mirror images, and of Branwen's change of mind.



And then it is just blunt object work.



That is, until the image of Durlag Trollkiller teleports in and reappears before us yet again. How many times are we going to have to kil this guy's face?



This Durlag seems to be more dangerous than previous Durlags.

I order a formation adjustment as we stare down this new threat. We all run to our designated points. But then I feel a little click and a small shift underneath my own foot. What was that?



Shit!

Gameplay note: Yes, it was Syvishtar who triggered the Fireball trap that killed Will. Heh.

When the flame and the smoke clear, we find that there are two new bodies on the floor. Durlag's doppleganger and Will.



Aww, and he was doing so well (the weak always perish)! I thought he was learning a lot (he deserved it).

Imoen says she thought she had already searched for traps, but perhaps there are a few she missed? She looks again.



She gasps and screams out for nobody to move for any reason.

Gameplay note: Maybe I shouldn't be playing this game drunk.

Maybe I shouldn't have been sipping on this bottle of wine that I still have from the previous level?



Makes it hard to see.

I pick up Will's things. We have to press on. It's too hard to go back through all of this again. We'll just have to make do.

Imoen is already making do in the next room.



She finds another book on the floor.



Is that not what we just did? What we've been doing?

OH WAIT. I can resurrect Will. I tell Imoen to hold the demons for a moment.



I seek to test your knowledge of the arcane.

Hey, at least the guy is a cheap rez.



Strangely enough he doesn't seem horrified at the idea of dying so quickly, but enlightened.







And one tiny touch from Branwen is enough to make him look good as new.



Ok. With that all settled, I tell Imoen that she can bring on the demons.



She looks into the vase and sees a wardstone. She picks it up and immediately rune lines start glowing underneath our feet.



I shout out a warning, "TELEPORT RUNES, PREPARE FOR COMBAT!"

Goddamn dwarf rune magic, I can never remember what it can and can't do.

But nothing happens right away. I ask Imoen to toss me the runestone.



Ahh, it is El Ith Thul, not Eld Ith Thul. That means we have to activate the rune lines, they do not automatically activate. That's courteous.

I explain the situation to everyone, and we prepare.



Then I step on one of the lines.



We are just teleported to the other side of a wall.



But there is a passage ahead, which leads to a room. Imoen is more thorough in her search of this one.



There is another book in the center of the room. Imoen reaches down to read it.



There are some tiny sconces hanging above us. Imoen finds one trapped and disarms it. In it there is just a healing potion. She goes to loot the second sconce and unleashes a lightning bolt trap!



What?! Again?

Ok, maybe it's better if we just leave him dead for now.

Imoen waits until she is sure that she knows how the other sconces are trapped.



Each one contains a single Potion of Healing. Now we have 4, and one dead bard.

We know what the book says, but Imoen does it anyway. She seeks an exit.



She finds a room with a book, two skeletons, a trapped statue, and some braziers with loot in them.



The book is, of course, comforting.



There are some minor treasures in the braziers, but there is another wardstone in the statue.



Score!

Imoen tosses some spell scrolls to me. For my apprentice, she is remarkably dismissive of magic. I check the scrolls over. One is Polymorph Self, a spell I do not yet know!



Ok that sounds really fun. I'm going to have to try that out too.

There is another book in the hallway as we exit that room.



It doesn't let up on the relentless cheer.



There is a strange glow ahead, and Imoen insists on scouting it out first. I think she may be feeling some guilt there...



Ghouls and ghasts come out of the side passages, but the clerics make short work of them.



After that we continue down the passage. We almost walk over another trap, but Imoen finds it in time.



The same thing happens again.



Each time Imoen disarms one of these traps, more undead come after us. But they are simply not a threat.



At the end of the passageway we see a stairway going down. We also see a dwarven form in the opposite doorway.



He doesn't look friendly, but he doesn't look aggressive either.



There is, of course, another cheery book at the top of the stairway.



I think I'm going to collect these, make a Thought of the Day calendar. June 29 - Seek No Exit. June 30 - Dance With the Dead. There has got to be a market for that in some big city.

I wisely turn away from this area for now. I feel that I have sidestepped some horrible fate. We still need to see what lies behind us.

Edited by Usurper, 13 August 2013 - 08:19 AM.

[Usurper]

22 Eleint, 1370

I felt like we were going the wrong way down that hallway with the stairs and the dead, so I led us back here, to the main room. So that's where we find ourselves.



There is a helmet sitting in front of a kind of throne. We should probably check that out.

Imoen cautiously approaches.



She picks up the helmet, and knows what it is. She tell us that it is Kiel's helmet.



Then, again, things start ... moving.



We are given another vision of what had happened, so very long ago.



Another form enters from a side passage. A leather-clad dwarf with a bow. But the first figure keeps speaking.



A third figure enters from the other door. It looks like a caster of some sort. But the tableau is not yet played out.



Then the fake Durlag turns and casts upon us. It is Cloudkill!



Thankfully one of the doors, the one to the torture room that we already explored, is open. We all run through it to escape the room of death.

But one of the dopplegangers puts Finch underneath its thrall before we even make it there! And Imoen panics and begins to run around.



I try to put together the pieces of a Dispel Magic spell, but I only get a Heal off.



Oh, so that's how that works? I wonder if I can do that on purpose sometime. It felt... right.

But I can't think about that now. I have to dispel things!



Woot! It worked!

And Finch is quite proud of herself when she is able to take out the last doppleganger.



Actually, that may not be the last one. We hear sounds of strangled breathing coming from the main room.



Is the main doppleganger choking on his own mist? Good riddance, if so. We wait.

We only go back into the room once the cloud has cleared.



Imoen takes him out.



And there is another! He manages to pull off the fear/charm combo that they are quickly becoming famous for.



I throw my highest spell-like something at him. A huge green ball forms in front of me and speeds towards him!



I have very high hopes for this spell, but it disappoints. It hurts the thing, but doesn't completely destroy him. Hrm.



I'm pretty sure that my djinni is going to take care of business, though, so I sit back and watch the magic unfold.

I get kindof upset, though, when Finch kills my djinni!



And then she comes after me! I quickly cast some Mirror Images to evade her attacks.



And Imoen, with her magical bow, takes out the final doppleganger.



We all run around avoiding Finch, then, until she comes back to her senses. She is a persistent little bugger though. I'm glad she's usually on our side!



With that taken care of, we decide to check out what's on the right side of the throne room. Imoen goes first, of course.



She finds a control panel and a strange wheel. What's all this now?

With a flick of a button she is able to open a nearby door.



Does this mean that the system is not automatic? Did Durlag set this whole thing up to be run by dopplegangers? Or did the dopplegangers set this place up as a monument to their success? This raises a ton of new questions.

Imoen decides to explore the hallway beyond the control room. She looks for traps, and finds a big one.



She says this is a particularly nasty trap, and would have crushed anyone walking up to it.

Gameplay note: Yeah, no joke. I'm just puttin this next image up for reference:



It is a whole wall on a giant spring. SQUISH!

She finds another trap in the next roon, and moves to disarm it.



Then she finds more.



This is connected to Durlag's wife's room. So is this like her trophy room?



Maybe so. Judging from the equipment we found in her place she could have easily killed all these wyverns.

There looks to be a set of double doors on the far wall, so we open them.



There are two Furnebols and an Islanne in this room!



The most horrible part of doppleganers, I think, is that with their Dire Charm abilities, you never know if who you are fighting is a doppleganger or the real thing, charmed. What must it have been for Durlag? Worse than hell, I think.

[Usurper]

My team rushes in. I try to suppor them, but I don't think it goes right.



Jet'laya takes care of one of the Furnebols. I try to cast more magic.



At last I'm able to summon a djinni who is willing to give me a wish in combat.



A repeatable wish.

Choose then, but be aware that unwise wishes shall leave the wisher wanting.

I wish that spells I have cast would be restored, that I might cast them again!

Then I shall grant your wish and restore some of your lost spells.

When he says "you" he means the entire party, because his magic envelops us all!



With some of our spells restored, the party goes about casting many different things. I call on the Weave to aid me again, and come up with Project Image.



Jet'laya calls down a Holy Smite upon the dopplegangers in the room.



My Projected Image goes crazy with the random spells, throwing things left and right.



I can't even keep track of all the magicks flowing out of my fingertips. I just keep them going as fast as possible - this Image won't last forever!



I summon gnolls to aid me, and immediately kill them with a Cloudkill.



I kill another doppleganger and have elementals working with my Image to take on another when I realize that Branwen is dead. Is that ... could that have been me? I don't even know.



I pull the remaining Golden Company back and check out what's going on with the battle. The whole area is inundated with a Cloudkill. I've got one fake Durlag pinned down by elementals and spiders, and another fake Kiel free. The free fake Kiel casts Gust of Wind and dissipates my Cloudkill! Wow!



Gameplay note: I've never seen the AI use a spell so intelligently. That's pretty awesome.

I send Finch, Jet'laya, and Imoen to engage the smart fake Kiel. My minions are still going after Durlag on the other side of the bridge.

Jet'laya kills the fake Kiel with a strike from her Mace of Contrition.



And, after my Projected Image introduces a Teleport Field into the mix, Finch is the one to kill the fake Durlag.



I see a little cubbyhole in one corner of the room, so I eagerly see whats inside. I should have checked for traps, because a Fireball comes out and hits the entire party!



And then another! and another!



The Fireballs just keep coming and coming. Jet'laya and Finch are both almost dead by the time we get out of there.



So... now we're down to four. Branwen and Will are both dead.



There has got to be an end to this place, hasn't there? I will find it even if it kills the rest of us!

The corpses in the hallway really give away the traps.



Of course Imoen can't really find any traps next to the corpses...

Instead, she finds a body, watched over by strange automatons.



A book lies next to the bier. Imoen picks it up and reads it.



So he lasted this long, did he? Not bad, not bad at all, to fight his way all the way from the throne room to this point. He must have killed a lot of buggers along the way.

Imoen calls us all in and we go past the Doomguards, to a room I've seen before in a vision.

[Usurper]

Finch picks up and reads the book at the top of the stairs.



So, its either going to be the Doomguards, or some undead. I think we should take on the Doomguards first.

But as I walk into position to cast my first spell, I step on something and a door moves.



It is yet another secret passage leading to yet another staircase and yet another book.



I pick up the book.



Huh. Interesting. So down this staircase is Durlag's madness? I'll put that on the agenda.

But first, we're going to loot the corpse of his son.

The Weave first decides to give me a djinni servant.



Then it decides to let me arrange some spells into a sequencer.



The third spell is when the battle truly begins - with a stun.



My spell sequencer doesn't seem to do much.



Somehow ice starts falling from the sky. I do not know if this is because of me or my enemies.



The Weave gives me a selection of enchanted weapons, gives armor to the Doom Guard near me, but also summons an air elemental to do my bidding.



I choose Arrows, incidentally, and receive 40 of these:



Then it happens again, and I choose a quarterstaff.



My next spell gives me more magical minions. Good, I guess?



My djinni, previously hurt a lot by combat, finishes regenerating as a ball of gas and re-enters the fight!



Finch is seriously injured by something or other, and needs to heal.



Even though she is slowed considerably by the ice and snow of the blizzard, she manages to retreat and heal herself, even though she is pursued by a doom guard.



We have quite a lot of minions in the fight, so I decide to regroup my main force and see how things go without us. No need to spill more Golden Company blood, right?



One of the Doom Guards falls to an air elemental, and the rest swarm on to its companions.



The djinni casts Haste, which affects both himself and all of his summoned creature companions. Excellent move!



Another Doom Guard goes down, and now there is just one left.



The djinni goes off to regenerate once again, and the air elementals hold the line until it comes back, fresh and new, and casts Lightning Bolt at the remainig Doom Guard. It falls.



Awesome!

We move in to loot the bodies and clean the place up, when several undead simply appear out of nowhere. They're on to us!



The clerics tear into the undead with a vengeance. This is what they were made for! Finch takes out the first.



She also runs around behind the second and takes it out too! Go Finch!



And the third falls to her relentles onslaught as well!



Remind me to never be around Finch if I ever become undead.

I send everyone else out of the room to loot the bodies. But as I do so, 3 more undead pop up!



I run back behind Finch and let her take care of business. And she does, quite quickly.

Once.



Twice.



And three times!



She loots Kiel's Buckler, Kiel's Morningstar, Arla's Dragonbane, and a Wyvern Head Helm from the foot of Kiel's bier.









And then, I call it. We're not going down the stairs. We will go back to town once again and rest for a bit. Besides, we have Mur'neth and Kagain to pick up to replace our fallen.

[Usurper]

27 Eleint, 1370

The trip back to the Elfsong Tavern is routine macabre. I still don't know what to do with or say to those who have died following me. Branwen is presumably used to this by now, but it was Will's first time. I really have no idea why they even do it. They're probably giving me looks when I can't see. Will probably suspects the worst things about me, now. Maybe the rest of them are even clueing him in. I'll have to ask Imoen later. But, wait, then she'll know that I know that they might Know. Better to not arouse suspicion. Better to keep silent. Better to keep it all on the inside.

Better also to get people to come with me who haven't seen me in a long time. Like Kagain and Mur'Neth.



You'll not "suffer" long if you keep up that attitude. Get in step Kagain, we've business to attend to.

Straight to the point, I respect that. Let's go.

Gameplay Note: Kagain is only level 6. Geez. Where are my heavy hitters? Do I even have any left this round?



Gameplay Note: I pump him up with all the weapons and armor I have. Hopefully it works. Funny thing - I put the elven chainmail on last and it didn't change any stats. it is functionally useless with all this other insane stuff we have on him.



And then I talk Mur'Neth into coming as well.



It seems your deity was right. Please, rejoin the party.

Gameplay note: And Mur'Neth is only level 4. This is why I chose the chapter title.



Gameplay Note: He's got some cool stuff too I guess.



Gameplay Note: Honestly equipping the new people each time someone dies is becoming the most tedious part of the game for me. I think I will propose changing policies to letting everybody keep their stuff when they leave the party simply because I don't want to have to juggle it all the time. Oh, also, the mule is completely full. No room left. I've started stashing things in random chests in the Elfsong Tavern.

Then we trudge wearily back to Durlag's Tower. On the way, I even talk up the experience. Say how far we've gotten. Don't mention the crazy, though. No need to mention the crazy.

One evening on the journey, Imoen asks a very pertinent question.



Never hurts to check up on your money. 'Specially when there be a thief in the party.

What?! Hey, that's not very nice. I don't steal stuff from my own comrades!

Wasn't Syvishtar's left boot missing the other morning?

Yeah, but that's just between me and him.

Anyway, that kinda stuff was all just pranks. You can't seriously think that I would steal for any malicious purpose!

Pranks or no, I keeps a close eye on me gold.

Heh, banter. I remember when I could do that. When everybody's soul wasn't weighing on mine own (The weak should perish).

Since we now have Kagain, I change the party formation. He leads a strong wedge, supported by Finch and Jet'Laya. The ranged attackers are on the back row.



It is a strong formation. I have high hopes for it (They're all going to die).

We walk past abandoned tables...



climb down empty wells...



traverse forgotten halls...



and I half-expect the newcomers to turn and run. But Kagain looks around in wonder, and Mur'Neth exhibits no emotions at all (Fools they are, but good for fodder).

We pass by the false exit with the undead waiting to rise. We go to the real exit, in which was left a book for us.



The book we still have. I ask Finch to show it to me again.



Yes. All that came before - that was not madness. Only now will we know Durlag's madness. Now, as we descend the stairs. I pray for no mirrors. Then we descend.



We reach a door at the bottom of the stairway. The door is closed, but I hear explosions behind it. Noises of fire, my old friend. I go up to open the door personally and peer inside.



A fireball goes off in this room periodically. It is as if the room is stuck in some sort of time loop, with the ever-expanding beauty of a purifying ball of fire playing over, and over, and over. I sit mesmerized. Then I notice the other doors in the walls. And then the bodies on the floor.

I step into the room myself. My Robe of Dh'arlo'me will protect me. I fear no Fireball. There are only minor valuables on the dead bodies. Slightly singed too. Meh.



On a whim, I decide to check out the leftmost door. It leads through a small hallway to a beautiful subterranean garden!

[Usurper]

Amazing! I call for my companions to follow me here. They run one at a time, in between fireballs.



Kagain is the first. But when he arrives he shouts out "ghoul!"



These are fast. A second one rushes up to join the first. Crap!



Kagain manages to take out the first one, but two more show up! Thankfully, Jet'Laya shows up too.



I get hit, and cast Blur as a defensive measure. Finch shows up to the party.



Mur'Neth joins up just in time to get the attention of a Greater Ghoul. Attention that he simply cannot handle, it turns out.



Gameplay note: Dayum! Just one hit!

Why did I even bring anyone back with me? What was I thinking??

The rest of the party takes care of business.



I should stop using these inexperienced Golden Company members. They just invite death (They deserve it).

After we clean up, Imoen goes out to scout again. She finds that the place is all greenery and shrubbery. Also a little maze-like. Is this a subterranean hedge maze? I've always wanted to see one of those!



It is not a very friendly hedge maze, though. I'm a little suspicous that it may be trapped.



The skeleton was a clue.

Imoen thinks she can backtrack to find some more twists and turns, so I let her do so. She is ambushed!



I only have time to hear a little shuffling and scuffling behind the bushes, and then a short cry. No! Not Imoen!



Gameplay Note: Backstabbed by an Ashirukuru. What a way to go.

We all rush over to help Imoen, and on the way I cast Detect Invisibility. I find an Ashirukuru right in the midst of our party!



The little evil thing tries to become invisible again, but my magic keeps revealing it. She must know it is I who keeps them in sight, because she attacks me personally.



You will die for Imoen! With a snarl of anger and a rictus of fury, I lash out with my go-to spell at the Ashirukuru. The Weave takes the snarl as a cue.



I am a hunting wolf, seeking out my prey. Yes. I will do this. While the rest of my party keeps the Ashirukuru in place, and while my magic keeps it visible, I lunge at its throat. I feel a satisfying crunch and the hot rush of blood.



I try to say something, but I only growl and shake automatically. But the prey is already dead.

So, Imoen is dead. Again. By my hand, pretty much. And now we've lost both a friend and our trap detector. Meh. Who cares. I go and sniff out the statue nearby. A fireball blows up in my face, but it doesn't hurt much.



There are goodies!

Potions of Master Thievery and Heroism, scrolls of Domination and Hold Monster. They all go in their respective pouches. There is also a battle axe, Ghoul Slayer, and another Tome of Understanding.



Kagain snatches that axe right up. And I take a look at the Tome. I liked the last one I read. I wonder what's in this one?



Kagain has a great chance to try out the axe around the next corner, as we find more ghouls to fight!



Finch does well against them. But I get a few bites in too.



I could get used to this predator's body. I don't mind being a wolf, at least not right now.

We step away from the corpses of our victims and trigger another Fireball trap. This time the clerics are somewhat injured.



I am finding it hard to concentrate on my companions. Finding it hard to care. They heal themselves or something while I anxiously respond to all the smells and sounds around me. I want to go forward, but Finch and Jet'Laya object. They say that it is simply not possible to proceed in such a trapped environment without a thief. They then share a look and nonchalantly suggest I wait until the the wolf spell has worn off, then think more clearly.

What are are they talking about? I am not sure, but try to humor them.

[Usurper]

When the spell wears off, I remember that I can raise Imoen. I should do that.



With Imoen back in action, the clerics are much more relaxed. What, did they think I was going to rush off and ignore the traps in this place? (I should have. They can kill off the weak.)

Imoen makes herself invisible and goes back to retrieve her equipment.



She finds a few obstacles on the way, but nothing she can't handle.



After she gets back we have to deal with a new Ashirukuru. Great.



The one-two punch of Detect invisibility and massive melee damage saves the day again!



This time when the Ashirukuru dies I notice some equipment on the corpse. I look it over - some Boots of Displacing and a Wakizashi +1?



Do the others have these? Have I been missing out on loot? Imoen goes back to check, and yes, she finds another set there. She takes them for the Golden Company's armory. Never know when we'll need to displace someone!

Imoen scouts around a bit and comes back to tell us that we're done with the maze.



Now, we can find out where this door goes to the south.



Imoen reports back that it's creepyweird.



Yep, creepyweird confirmed.



The talking, disembodied stone head is especially so.



But it isn't the only one.



The third one, though, I can agree with.



Fire solves all problems.

The fourth mask I didn't notice before, but it intones a more cryptic phrase.



Imoen does some scouting. Around the corner and down the hall is a skeleton!



One skeleton is not something that the girl really worries about these days. She obliterates it without effort.



But there is a second one! We all rush to help. There are traps and Fireballs and the whole mess is quite mayhem.



But a room full of skeletons and sleeping gas? It is not really a threat for us.



I imagine Durlag was thinking of someone weaker when he made this room. Or maybe it is a training room for boring Sunday afternoons. Perhaps a nursery for adolescent dwarves?

At any rate, I open the final door on principle.



Nothing of note happens.

We go back to the boring hallway and let Imoen scout ahead once more.



She finds four doors on one side of the hallway, and a final door at the end.



Of course she decides to open the door on the end first. Inside she finds bones, and a greater wyvern!



She attacks it in the manner to which she is accustomed.



And then she runs around the room until the cavalry arrives.



Finch deals the killing blow.



She is quite the powerhouse now. Go Finch!

[Usurper]

The next wyvern must have watched how that fight went, because it almost kills Finch outright!



Thankfully she runs away and heals okay.

It also gets a few hits in on me before going down.



A third wyvern goes by the book, after taking some chunks out of Jet'Laya.



A couple of statues facing the same direction, and not towards us, tips Imoen off to possible basilisk presence.



But there is not a basilisk, but a skeleton. A talking skeleton.



I guess we should have gone this way instead of left.



So, not much different than the Elfsong Tavern then? The thought of revenge grips my heart, and it beats quickly. My chuckle freezes in my throat. What if they some day take their revenge on me? What if the Golden Company turns on me? What if they Find Out?

I can't bear to look at the statues any longer. I turn away.

Also, Mechezarin! What the holy weave! He was huge!



Gameplay note: Sadly enough this skeleton of a wyrm is larger than any dragon we ever fight. I kinda wish I could see a map-spanning monstrosity of a dragon in Baldur's Gate. It would be terrifyingly cool.

Okay, so, we killed everything in Durlag's bestiary. We killed his skeletons. We killed his assassins in the shrubbery maze. I guess the only rooms left are the ones back in the hallway.

Imoen checks out the first door, and finds that the hallway is quite long.



We decide to go down it together.

We find winter wolves and a polar bear in a room full of ice!



They are not hard to take out. Not hard at all.



There is nothing else in the room, so we leave and go to the next.



We find a room filled with bubbly green... junk.



We search it for clues as to what it should be. Eventually, we find a Fission slime.



I remember what the stone faces said. I tell everyone to stand back. What we need now is a FIREBALLLLLLL!!!!!



Ooh, what's this?



Eh, not exactly what I asked for, but whatever.



Ok, now time for a FIREBALLLLL!!!!!



Until this moment I did not know exactly how many bubbles there were in this room. Now I do.

Hrm.

Well, how about a FIREBALLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



No, that's... listen, guys, the stone head said fire, so, uh, can you just stand back a bit? Ok thanks.

FIREBALLLL!!!!



OH YES! Let us bathe in the blessed flames of purification and may all our sins be burned in its arcane fires!

And may the FIRESTORM that comes after burn away all vestiges of... ouch that hurts!



Okay that last part was overkill but hey the slime is dead so who's really counting at the end of the day when you get down to brass tacks and in for a penny in for a pound... of FIRE.



Mwahahahaha!

[Usurper]

I leave that room in a good mood, and almost whistle as I skip down the hallway to the next.



I'm detecting a theme in these rooms. The first one was cold. The second acid. This one is earth... no, air?



Whatever it is, Kagain chops it in half.



Well, can't see anything else, we might as well call this room done and take off.



OH CRAP! Again with the invisible stalkers! There's something I want to try.



Ah ha! It works!

Finch calls down the pain.



And Jet'Laya brings down the Holy.



Finch gets double-teamed, and runs away to heal herself.



She does, and gets back into the fight, but gets injured again right away.



She runs all over the room trying to get away from the stalkers, and then stops to heal herself with a spell. But they catch up.



And our mighty and valiant gnome goes down. Damn.

Gameplay note: Ok, that's Finch and Imoen both down to monsters.

I try to get in on the fight, but the Weave tells me to melee.



The stalkers coordinate their attacks, focusing on Imoen next. Jet'Laya tries to heal her, but cannot.



I shout out in rage again, and grasp my sword. I know how to use this now. I strike down the stalker!



And the next!



Jet'Laya almost dies, and retreats to heal. The stalker, sensing weakness, goes after her.



But Jet'Laya is not so weak. She turns and strikes down the final attacker.



Then the Vault Keeper and I have a little conversation.



2200 gold later, Imoen, Finch, and Mur'Neth are back. I figure Mur'Neth might be able to catch a trap to the face or something, and save one of us.

Then we decide to rest up in this cave of air. Compared to the rest of this level, this cave was murderous.

16 hours later, we are ready to face the final room!



Lets see, we did ice, and poison, and air. I bet this last one is fire!

[Usurper]

Yep!



I know, Meta Infernum, I know.

I'm fairly confident that I can handle whatever this place throws at me. So we stride into the room and see...



Oh shit! These are the guys that Draer'Ragh summoned! They hurt! Keep it away, keep it awayyyyy!



It is as if the Phoenix Guard knew what exactly we were going to try do to it, because it drinks a potion of magic shielding right away. SHIT!




But for once, just once in my measly little life, the Weave helps me out. It drops a cow on the monster.





Gameplay note: 33 physical damage, suckas!

I keep throwing magic out as fast as I can, and the Weave lets me queue up a few things. I choose Stoneskin, Fire Shield Red, and Glyph of Wild Magic.



The first Phoenix Guard is knocked onto the ground by the force of my cow, and is also almost dead. Everyone else's magic bounces off of it harmlessly.



The second, female, phoenix guard is upon us, though. What shall we do?! I decide to ask the Djinni that I summoned.



I wish to summon a horde to overrun my enemies.

A horde? As you wish...

I pray that there will be enough bunnies to keep the Phoenix Guard busy.



But Kagain decides to take matters into his own hands, and cuts down the Phoenix Guard right in front of the party. Her death fireball washes over us all, and almost kills Mur'Neth right there.



There is still a Phoenix Guard next to us, too. We must be careful!



Also, all the bunnies are dead. They were too short for this world!

Then Imoen speaks up.



She must have noticed something that I didn't. I brace for, well, anything.

Her awareness costs her, though. The Phoenix Guard is after her!



We scramble to heal everyone again before taking out the last Phoenix Guard. We barely manage it, just in time to get Fireballed once more.



And then immediately, without warning or notice or fanfare, we are teleported away just as Imoen suggested. We find ourselves in another room entirely, and the air is eerily quiet. Then an ethereal voice begins to speak to us.



Gameplay note: I can never figure out how to play this game. It is quickly going to become a mad chaotic melee because the enemy NPCs don't care about the rules.



I yell at everyone to switch to ranged weapons and stay in your square. I try to rustle up some magic... when the entire opposing side comes rushing at us all at once!



We quickly succumb to our basic instincts. Mur'Neth melts into a puddle of goo. Jet'Laya and Finch cast Holy Smite. I throw random magic out at someone, anyone. I am almost blinded from the energy sweeping the room.



A few moments later, all the pawns are... gone? Not dead, just disappeared. My two summons are standing in the middle of the board and the opposing Knight is firing at us. Whaa?



I'm afraid to move from my square, not really understanding the rules, so I decide to peek at what's going on. I cast Wizard Eye at the center of the board.



There is... nothing. Did someone accidentally kill the king right away?

I see a pile of loot on the floor. I move over and look at it. It certainly looks like the kind of thing that a magical king in a game of chess would drop. I guess?



Some minor spells and potions and a Cloak of Displacement. I turn to my companions. I shout out with glee, "We won!"

We take a look around the room, but there's nothing really there of interest. So we decide to sleep and prepare for what may lie beyond.



Gameplay note: Ok, that's it for this level. But there is another whole level of content plus two boss battles left to do, so now is a good time to stop. We also have some voting to vote.

1. Who should get the Tome of Understanding? Anyone in the Golden Company is a possibility.

2. Should we start letting characters keep all the stuff they use, barring the Golden Company uniform? It would make the game slightly more challenging, which means slightly more possibility of character death.

Let me know your votes!

[hook71]

1. As usual: tome to Syvishtar.

 

2. Yes, let 'em keep the equipment.

[AmyAE]

1. Syvishtar

 

2. Would the increased chance of death be less annoying than constantly shuffling equipment between everybody? If so, yes.

[Jourin]

1.  Syvishtar

2.  Let them keep most of the equipment. I would look at the equipment and just give it to the NPC that makes the most sense and then let them keep it. I would just do some analysis before just letting them keep it.