What, really?
Hey, cowled wizards, look, I am casting spells on the street. With no license. Anyone cares?
Yeah, I thought not.
The spell worked pretty well too.
What can I say, except I just rock everyone's socks off with my mere presence.
All too easy.
Yes, I was actually wondering about that.
Useless spells, how neat.
Since everything seems to come so easy to You recently. How about another challenge?
What do you mean?
Since we have a difficult task ahead, it would be natural to adjust our spell selection and rest. I suggest we skip this step, head straight into the frail and see how far we can go.
Sounds stupid, bothersome and tedious as fuck.
You're in then?
That depends. Do I have any actual choice?
No.
I'm in, then.
This is the place? A random house in the middle of the docks?
The door is trappped for a reason.
It is trapped so I can earn 2750 XP for disarming the trap. Other reasons are irrelevant.
Let's see what kind of wonders awaits inside.
Cow people!
I know you're all very horny, but there's no need to hurry.
Nice bite, Lilarcor!
I always liked mutton.
Beef.
That too.
I don't need three guesses to know what I'll find in here.
I've only heard about the
crystal skull, not golden one.
I doubt you have any idea how wild my wildest imagininings can be.
Right, this does not sound fishy at all. However, since you specifically mention a
mortal form, I guess I can always kill you if you try to trick me or something.
'In this city'? What is this, Skyrim? At least there I'd have a quest compass...
I know where they are.
Oh, ok.
I'm kind of in a hurry, guys. Can you maybe go and drown yourselfs in the sea of swords to save me some time?
Guess not.
Now, this is just ridiculous.
I guess you haven't heard that this city is very dangerous after dark...
And you'd be hard pressed to meet anything more dangerous than me!
Is this the place?
Yup.
WAIT WRONG DOOR!
This is the right one. That would have been a major screwup if You entered that other door.
Why? What's wrong with it?
You'll know that quite soon.
I hate it when you know the future.
Yes, I wish to.
Hey, I vaguely remember something like this happening before.
Well, you've just awakened your own personal doom by calling me an idiot and a fool.
Of course.
Geez, anything else, or are you done for the moment?
Enemy AI craps out on itself, and
the lich immediately attacks the summoned Pit Fiend.
This is too stupid to be true.
You guys have fun here...
...while I casually walk away to the side.
It's good to take a potion break once in a while.
Enter THE SUPERCODEX!
So, are your magical protections out already? Because I'm pretty much ready here.
I see that you still need some time.
Seems like by attacking this fiend the lich did bite more than he can chew.
Not interfering in their fight turned out to be a major screwup, because Pit Fiend eventually killed Elemntal Lich (no screenshot of that, sorry), depriving us of sweet and precious experience points.
Load game.
Immediately after the reload, this happens.
Ok, my turn!
Let's start with ring of the ram.
It's always nice to watch them fly away after being hit with this.
Time for the serious business!
I wouldn't bet my head on it, but I think it was a Maze.
Death Count: 127
Loading.
I liked it better when he was owned by his own summon. You did not have to reload.
Look at the bright side. We can now try to kill both of them.
I have some bad feelings about this idea, but here goes nothing.
On second thought, I am going to retreat now.
Look, the fiend is dead. I guess we'll have to live with it.
I never expect my summons to live long, but this is beyond ridiculous.
How are your magic protections, lich?
Well, fuck.
I too can play this game, though.
Come on, mantle, disappear already!
I never thought I would be grateful for random bandits atatcking me, but their mage dropped an actually useful spell.
Enough of this crap. Breach should end your shenanigans once and for all.
With a little help from my bow and arrows.
See, we've done it without resting. Wasn't so hard, was it? Only one death.
Let's do some stuff that end with your death next. One will be more than enough.
Time for my hard-earned reward.
I remember finding something similar before.
Yes, we got arms and legs after killing Shade Lich down in Athkatla sewers.
Right. Does that mean, we're done with the quest and I can get my
beyond wildest imaginings reward now?
Almost.
We need to make a field trip first.
Looks interesting.
Oh no, I sense priests.
[INTELLIGENCE] So, I should speak to Odren then?
What call for aid? I must have missed it.
The rest of this fascinating story can be found under the spoiler tag.
Sister Garlena is the real reason we're here.
Do you mean...?
No.
I mean this.
It is quite nice, if somewhat expensive.
I was reminded about it when we got the Short Sword of Backstabbing from Renal Bloodscalp.
Which is inferior and in the end will never be used by me.
That's life. Also, this sword deals more damage (5-10) than Xzar's Staff-Spear (3-10), so we won't be keeping the latter for backstabbing experiments after all.
So... I hope you guys are not in a hurry with this quest of yours, because I have to go now. Seeya.
And we need to do one another thing, before we start the finale.
Rest?
Haha, no.
Three thousand gold? Is it really worth it?
Trust me, it is.
He is so going to try to backstab me in a minute.
Called it.
A lich. Of course.
We managed to get a hit before Kangaxx' (Kagaxx's ?) Stoneskin kicked in, and it was a critical too.
Nice! This is what a call a good start, sword!
Kangaxx immediately uses Time Stop and Spell Trigger, but wastes it on spells which cannot possibly hurt The Codex.
AIIIE! A lich! Wait, why should I be afraid of it?
Not sure what happened here, to be honest. Our hero got the fear status effect (presumably from Symbol, Fear), but it ended almost immediately. I was pretty lucky to be able to catch it in a screenshot.
Taste the thunderbolt!
I may be wrong here, but I vaguely remember that liches are immune to lower-level spells. Up to level four, maybe?
Cheating bastards!
Yes, die! Dammit!
We managed to get one hit in before another bunch of protection spells kicked in for Kangaxx.
I hate when they cast Mislead. Good thing I found some oracle scrolls earlier today.
Stop doing that!
Another hit, another protection spell.
BURN IN HELL!
I told You liches are immune to spells up to level four.
You also said that you could be wrong there, so I automatically assumed you were.
Fuck yeah, you are my lich now!
AAAAAAAAAAH IT BURNS!
We did that on purpose, as it would look too easy if we defeated Kangaxx on the first try.
Death Count: 128
Load.
When will
I be able to cast sunfire?
Soon, you won't need it.
I might as well use up these scrolls. It's not like I need the money.
Aha! Nice, Lilarcor!
That did not taste very fresh.
One Time Stop and two million other spells later...
ARGH! FUUUUUUCK!
Come on, potions, come on!
That was not on purpose, though.
Death Count: 129
Loading.
Can I rest
now?
No. Why don't You stop being a pussy?
Why don't you stop being an ass?
This time we had no luck getting a hit before Kangaxx' protections started working.
This does not burn nearly as bad as before. Losing your touch, Kangaxx?
I wish I remembered if this was caused by Maze, Power Word, Kill or some other spell.
Death Count: 130
Load game.
Are we just going to keep repeating this shameful performance over and over, or will you allow me to rest eventually?
Try Your best guess.
:headdesk:
I don't believe Minor Spell Deflection and Minor Spell Turning are doing JACK SHIT here.
I want You to know, that You caused it, readers. I hope You're happy now.
Death Count: 131
Reload.
I have nothing to say to you anymore.
Two critical misses in a row. Lost Your contact lenses?
Why don't you come down and replace me, dumbass?
Fuck your protection spells!
Wait, it's just Milsead and Spell Turning. He's not immune to weapons.
He's not?
I see you!
Meet, my friends: HACK and SLASH!
Ok, now he is protected.
I'm still satisfied.
You take care of him LFE, while I go chill out in the corner. Let me know when his protection wears off.
What's that? It has worn off? Good.
It shouldn't take much more effort to finish him off.
What.
Demi-lich? That's like half a lich, right? Half as strong?
You should know that he is immune to any weapon weaker than +4.
Good thing that coincidentally I've just spent fourty thousand gold on a +4 sword, then.
The slingshot seems to be working too, if kind of slow.
Wait! We should probably...
...use the Scroll of Protection From Magic. Damn it.
Death Count: 132
Loading.
So, did you at least save the game when I was out of sight range of the lich?
No!
Can I rest then?
No!
Not this shit again!
Whaaaaaaaaa-? It seems The Codex had managed to leave Kangaxx' sight range before getting paralyzed, so there was no follow up to the fear & stun. Kangaxx was just... waiting for us.
So, he kind of... forgot about me?
Pretty much.
No wonder he got imprisoned here in the first place.
Why don't you play with my furious flaming friend for a while?
Mislead and spell turning, check.
This is like rock paper scissors, except you have to throw away your scissors after you use them once.
Maybe I should have come closer and strike him with Lilarcor, instead of shooting an arrow?
Maybe You should have.
Your sacrifice will not be forgotten, LFE, at least until your replacement arrives...
...Which is now.
Damn, they die like flies.
Go, avenge your brothers!
No, don't summon the efreeti! I hate those guys!
I can hurt Kangaxx now, but I probably should get rid of the efreeti before the demilich arrives.
True.
You should not be immune to level 3 spells.
Don't kill him so fast, LFE, I still need a couple of rounds here.
Did I kill him?
No, he turned into a cloud. Also, Your elemental has been dominated.
Just perfect.
I hate distractions like this.
I know. Let's not dwell on it, shall we.
Death Count: 133
Reloading.
How far back do we have to go now?
Not THAT far.
I will focus on the lich this time. Maybe I can interrupt his spellcasting this way.
Good thing the Efreeti casts mostly fire spells.
Even better he does not cast them on me!
Not again!
These are not the droids you are looking for!
Enough with the subtleties.
I caaaan aaaaalwaaaaays maaaake anoootheeeer... Whaaaaat theeeee fuuuuuck?
Thiiiiis wooooon't dooooo aaaaat aaaaaall.
MuchBetter!
QuickWhatNow?
Use the scroll!
WhichOne?
The expensive one!
Done. It seems to have cancelled my haste, though.
Yes, You are now immune to all spells, including Your own.
Ok.
We are goining to make it this time. Enter EPIC MUSIC.
That answers my unspoken question whether LFE will be of any use here.
Whew. Good thing I am immune to that!
What, I can't cast spells at all?
No? I wasn't aware the scroll worked this way too.
Good thing I am also a fighter.
Another imprisonment? How many of them does he have prepared?
All of them.
My divine power seems unaffected by the spell immunity.
Great!
This is not working as well as I'd have hoped for.
We are immune to his spells and we have a reliable, if slow, way of hurting him. The only question is, what will run out faster, our protection from magic or his hit points?
To be honest, this is actually kind of boring. I wish I'd saved ring of the ram for this very moment.
Yes!
We've done it! No resting!
Yes!
Hey, what's that?
I have to admit, this is a mighty fine piece of jewelry.
Set traps? Is that useful?
Next time: The Codex will fight the weirdest adventuring party
ever so far.
Right after resting first.