Let's Dance with Rogues - 47 - Divided We Stand (Finished)

Circuitbreaker said:

I actually managed to take out the general and his cronies without traps or explosives (after a number of reloads).

First pickpocket the general and his men to rob them from their weapons and potions. Next "unlock" the torture device to free the captive. The general and his men will attack the captive, which should give you ample opportunity to free the other captives, who will happily join the fight.

Make sure to help out the captives with some sneak attacks and after a couple of attempts some of them might even survive. You get 50XP bonus for every captive that survives.

Note that using the explosives against both the general and the captives, will make the captives go hostile on you as well !?

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1. Yes, of the pickpocketing trick I like to steal potions, too. But it felt very meta-gaming to me. Really now, a gun, a dagger, maybe. But a whole sword?.

2. The captives are barehanded and die too easily. My poor attack bonus means I won't get much chance of nailing the General before they butcher the captives. I admit, some luck is required to rescue the prisoners..but 50 xp per survivor is meager...I reloaded 5 times before deciding to fuck it, go all out, as long the general is dead, mission accomplished.

Norfleet said:

Is tasteless rape the consequence of failure? Or do you just die?

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Dhorns don't rape. They just kill you when in combat. Rape is a dialogue Choice. lol

1. (Rape) I'mma rape ya.
2. (Attack) Time to die!

Now THAT was EXTREME!

Also: Dragons!

I wouldn't be surprised if there are fuckable dragons here... Also, lol with these stereotypical, prune, sheltered, self-centered noble girls, Rance would be eager to meet them.

lightbane said:

I wouldn't be surprised if there are fuckable dragons here...

Click to expand...

There almost is such a situation in part 2 (which I'm currently playing). Right now my Aisha has been sold as a slave in the Underdark, but I'm yet to see for what purposes ([Grin]).

What I do know is that once I'm out of the Underdark, there will be some canine action.

racofer said:

What I do know is that once I'm out of the Underdark, there will be some canine action.

Click to expand...

Shits about to get real. One girl, lots of dhorn. How will this end ?

I'm guessing, pretty well. Aisha has save/load.

Chapter 29: Good Night, Jero



Simon's not at his office. Good. He must be asleep by now. Those three assholes really wasted enough time. Let's see what valuables he has in his desk first...



Uh...okay. What the hell is this supposed to mean.



Doesn't matter. I sneak into Simon's bed room and note his sleeping figure.



Good night, Dhorn.



I plunge my dagger into his back without hesitation.



Nothing personal. I slowly carve off his head and stuff it into my pack. His magical longsword leaves the cabinet as well. Its owner won't be needing it anytime soon. Mission Accomplished. Time for some bonus thievery and some venting of frustration.



Oh, hello Jero. I'll fuck him for the last time.



With my dagger.



Quite a collection of gems, Jero. Thanks!



That's it for the second floor. Time to head down.



Ah, sluts. Time to die.



You too. The only good Dhorn is a dead Dhorn. Their dresses look so beautiful with all this crimson dye on it. I carefully strip it off their corpse and fold it into my pack before leaving.



Mmm. Looks good. But still, I'll fence it away. I'm no Dhorn.



Jacia smiles widely at my return.

So you got all three of them. That's impressive. Master Nathan will be most pleased to hear. I've got a little extra reward for you, Aisha.

She hands me a bag with some coins and small blade.



Not too shabby. A little bit better attack bonus.



Some loot from the house to sell..



This belonged to the Dhorn General I killed.



Light, but still not as good as +1 Shield.

Do you have any more jobs for me, Jacia?
None at the moment, check with Mando. I believe he might have something for you.



Mando's mission is less bloody and involves boring infiltration, but we'll do it anyway because this one rewards us immensely.

Nice to see you, Aisha.
Any jobs, Mando?
Another burglary, yes. Interested?

I smile. I could use some extra fund to upgrade my gears.

Yes, I am.
But it's going to be a dangerous one, so be careful. What I need you to do is find a way into the Dhorn barracks in Northern Betancuria. As far as I know, they're keeping a register in there which contains the names of all their soldiers in the area. It would be handy to have access to that list.
Understood.
Again, be careful. I don't need to tell you what they'd do to you if they caught you.

I waved his concern away and make my way out of the hideout. Time to do some break-in.

I was browsing through the stores and saw a +5 Heavy Crossbow.
I start thinking. Maybe I should just go for Crossbow Rogue. It's not a bad pick isn't it? With Point Blank Shot feat, and Rapid Reload, 1d10 + 1 from Bolts (variety) isn't too bad to be honest

My BAB + that should hover around +13 to 14. Double my melee, even with Weapon Finesse.
Should I go for Shadowhuntress? :D

even with rapid reload assume a heavy crossbow would take time to use? also seems rather un-nimble.

otherwise, assume this is heading towards endgame? losing 2 generals, a buncha guards, two interrogators and a member of the emperors family should get things riled up.

kazgar said:

even with rapid reload assume a heavy crossbow would take time to use? also seems rather un-nimble.

otherwise, assume this is heading towards endgame? losing 2 generals, a buncha guards, two interrogators and a member of the emperors family should get things riled up.

Click to expand...

I predict it'd be another 50 updates we get to see the end game, Kazgar.
If Crossbow's too slow, I guess I can go for Shortbow instead?

Chapter 30: Jackpot



LP: Spend spend spend! This little amulet should enable us to bypass most locks with ease.



Failing that, a dose of Rogue's Cunning potion will boost Rogue skills by 10. Open Locks will be increased by just 5.



In preparation for this mission, and additional loot, I purchase another Bag of Holding.



LP Comment: Alright. The quest is really horrible with barely a direction and non flexible solution. We're outside the barracks. And after circling the structure, there's no other entry point than the front door. So the first instinct is to try your luck at the door, right?



LP Comment: Wrong, day or night, regardless of whether you're hidden or not, the door's barred from the other side. And you'll get ganked to death. Now, what's the next solution? I can't think of any. The mission guy gives no clue at all. And you can't even ask around. Valine simply wants the player to...



LP Comment: Explore every single building around the barracks.



LP Comment: Yay, enough EXP to hit the rogue level to hit the Shadowdancer requirements!




LP Comment: This house is the only entrance to the barracks. Kinda disappointing.



I descend to the cellar, finding a hidden trapdoor below.



The trapdoor leads to a sewer passage. A lone gelatinous cube blocks the passage. I carefully navigate around it...



Looks like the only way is up.



Oh, seems like I'm in some kind of store room within the barracks!

LP Comment:



Too easy. I stealth past the guards, familiarizing myself with the lay out.



This door's beyond my means...I'll need to cast my cantrip...



Just reveal myself in a corner as I cast a spell and...



This is broken as fuck.



Payroll office? I like the sound of that.



Oh lord! Fifteen thousand gold each! In three chests! I've hit the motherlode! I scoop every single coin into my pack, grinning widely.



A sack of confiscated scrolls lies in the next room. I take them all.



Finally, the office. This must be the book I'm looking for.



Yep. That's it folks!



These bag of holdings come in handy. Come on, they're worth 20 gold, at least!



Sneak past Mr. Cube again on my way out and...



Score! Oh, the Family doesn't have to know about this! I took all the risk!

Mando, I've acquired the register from the barracks. Here it is.
Excellent job, Aisha!

He takes the register and flips through the pages. He frowns as he reach the last page.

Dang. That is a lot of them. We'll have to find a way to reduce those numbers a little. Here's your reward, in any case.

I smile as the coins change hands. I almost wanted to reject it. Hehe. But a little more gold wouldn't hurt.

Do you have any more jobs I could do?
I'm sorry, Aisha. I doubt we can give you anymore job. You're just too notorious at the moment. Why don't you lay low for a while..have a little break or something. Spend some gold. You look like you've earned it.

I nod and ponder my options. Guess he's right, I've killed so many Dhorn lately and took their guards' payroll. Someone's bound to be enraged. I should spend some cash to beef up my gear and busy myself with non-Family work. Hmm. I seem to recall a Paladin in the Thousand Steps Inn offering me a job outside Betancuria...

Alright, Mando. I'll be gone for a while. See you!
Take care, Aisha! Say hello to Nathan for me.

I smile as I leave the hideout, ready for a shopping spree!

LP Comment: Yep. At this point, the Princess is stuck with a mandatory mission outside Betancuria. I don't know why Valine does this. It takes away the momentum and the plot failed to regain its steam. You'll see why in the later update.

For now, let's consider how we can best spend that 50,000 gold on.

There are some items that caught my eye:



This gives enough DEX for skill bonus and AC. Plus, the move silently skill becomes a non-factor when sneaking around. Price point: 10,000+ Gold.



This daily use item may not seem that powerful, but an area stun effect may work in a pinch. Price point: 2,500 gold.



The Rod of Ghost allows Ghostly Visage, a daily self buff spell that can reduce oncoming damage by 5. Price point: 3,500 gold.



These prayer beads may seem expensive, but it's really useful for its unlimited Blessing that improves saving throw and attack bonus by 1. Additional powers are available at limited charges, allowing emergency healing, removal of disease/blindness/deafness. Price Point: 15,000 gold.

There are other artifacts that I didn't get screenshot of, but do comment and tell me what I should get:
- Ring of Lesser Power: Elemental dmg reduction & Regeneration 1 / 9,000 gold.
- +5 Heavy Crossbow of Accuracy: +5 Ranged Weapon 1d10 , variable bolts may be used / 15,000 gold

There's a wide assortment of melee weapons with dazing or stunning property at 15-20k price point, but I really don't think they'd be much use with my shitty BAB.

Feedback's much appreciated!

RK47 said:

I predict it'd be another 50 updates we get to see the end game, Kazgar.
If Crossbow's too slow, I guess I can go for Shortbow instead?

Click to expand...

I wouldn't recommend a strong missile-based focus in NWN. First, NWN lines of fire are inevitably very short. You rarely get to do much sniping, and the range limitation for ranged sneak attack makes it even worse. Second, sneak attacks are awarded rather sporadically and unreliably. After first shot, it's kind of a crapshoot whether you'll get one. Since the stopping power of missile weapons in D&D is practically nonexistent, you NEED to rely on sneak attack damage if you're going to get the necessary "BOOM! Headshot!" effect. The average 2 points of damage more you get from a crossbow does not compensate for the loss of multiple sneak attacks you could potentially achieve in the opening volley...which is probably the only time you'll get mileage out of archery alone, unless you're facing an opponent who can't reach you due to an impassable obstacle. Against any HARD targets, your crap to-hit rating is no asset and you will probably just miss anyway. In short, always carry a missile weapon, in your case, probably a shortbow, but never waste feats on it. A missile weapon is ideal for conducting ranged provocation and harassment, but the ultimate goal is simply to antagonize your opponent into rushing you without having to be near him, so that he will blunder straight into your minefield. Against an easy opponent, just stab him to death really quickly.

The prayer beads are a decent item to pick up...if you find it as LOOT, but at 15K, unless you're swimming in cash, a measly +1 is not going to make or break you, seeing as the bonus doesn't stack with others of its kind. If your hit-or-miss hinges on something as tiny as a +1 bonus, you should probably just rely on chainmining. Stunning properties on weapons, nice, but expensive: You'll live without. Besides, don't you already have one? That dagger you picked up earlier has a nice will-based stun, no? Admittedly, the DC on all of those things is terrible, so I wouldn't really count on them. Ultimately, there are two kinds of fights: Trivial fights that you have already effectively won before they even start, and fights that you can actually lose. Make sure all of your fights are the first kind! Given that this module heavily emphasizes stealth-based play, and does not appear to contain dumb forced-dialog decloaking followed by a fight from a stupid tactical position, it's safe to say you can count on this trend to continue...and if it doesn't, that SD HIPS skill is a real bacon-saver, since you can make like a ninja and vanish from any fight, lay down a protective coat of landmines, and take out anything short of a greater god with them. As the rule goes, "As the size of explosion increases towards infinity, the number of problems it is incapable of solving decreases towards zero.". Enough explosives will get ANYONE.

So, the shoes are Ace, all others are vendortrash. For most items evaluate them on the following terms: This item will give you a new ability or enhance an existing ability so that it: A. Basically Never Works, B. Often Works, or C. Practically Always Works, or D. Always Works.

Unless this item upgrades the new ability to the next category, it's not worth much. Going from 50% to 60%? Meh. That's just a gradation with the B category. Going from 50% to 90%? That's an upgrade from B to C and worth considering. Margins of success in games never hinge on tiny bonuses, but rather, on critical breakpoints. Going from doing 5 points of damage to doing 9 points of damage is a completely meaningless change if opponents have 10 HP. Going from 9 to 10 is a major change, since now it means everything dies in one hit, which may completely change the tactical picture.

I predict it'd be another 50 updates we get to see the end game

Click to expand...

Wow, talk about a long module... Does that include the 2nd part as well??

In any case, I hope you have enough fortitude to finish it.

lightbane said:

I predict it'd be another 50 updates we get to see the end game

Click to expand...

Wow, talk about a long module... Does that include the 2nd part as well??

In any case, I hope you have enough fortitude to finish it.

Click to expand...

I dunno man. There doesn't seem to be an end to it.

Norfleet's argument proved true, somewhat. The Heavy crossbow is too slow.. I'm going dual wield. Wish me luck!

I find it amusing how many views this LP is getting. Almost as many as Rance's.

You're three feats from dual wielding effectively, aren't you? It going to be some time before you're adequate in combat!

Breaking Axe said:

You're three feats from dual wielding effectively, aren't you? It going to be some time before you're adequate in combat!

Click to expand...

Don't worry, bro. We've got enough gold to bypass that barrier.

Chapter 31: Adventures Ahoy!



I throw all my savings on this magnificent Short Sword belonging to the famous rogue nick named 'Nightthief.' The blade gives off a faint blue glow in the dark. A slight spark can be seen at its tip, promising to deliver shocking pain to its target. With what gold I have left, I purchase its matching pair, the Nightthief's Nimbleknife, I felt confident with these two weapons in my grip, confident enough to sell away the Shield I own.

LP Comment: The short sword cost 50,000 gold. And gives Two Weapon Fighting Feat, the dagger costs 5,000 and gives Ambidexterity Feat. Worth the gold, I suppose?



I stop by the Tanner's shop and purchase the pair of Elvenkind boots I've always wanted. My steps become more silent and sure-footed.



Then with the remaining 10,000 gold, I purchase a lesser ring of power from the jeweler. It gives a faint regenerative aura...closing wounds over time.



Satisfied with my purchase, I return to my apartment to rest for the night.



LP Comment: Not too shabby. This is basic stat, by the way. With Bull Strength we can boost to hit to +6 and +4. Never mind the -1 Piercing damage on the dagger, I could cast magic weapon on it to negate the penalty.



Morning came, and it's time to go. I set forth towards the Thousand Steps Inn.


My greetings to you, lovely girl. Are you prepared to venture off with us now?
Yes, I'll go with you.
Wonderful! When can we leave?
I'm ready to go now.
Hm. The Lady Myra and I are going to have to pack our things, and arrange for a boat. How about we meet at the docks?
Sure.
Excellent! We shall meet you there!

I leave the inn and walk towards the docks...there's Christiano's ship. I approach the gank plank, only to have a sailor whistle behind me.


Now if that isn't the little hooker from the dockhouse! Looking for work?

The man grins.

Not now, I'm busy.
I don't see you *working* though.

He gives a wicked smile. I ignore him and quickly step into the ship. The man looks disappointed and gave up chase when he sees Christiano on board.


Ah, there you are. All packed and ready to go?
Yes.
Excellent. *He turns to the man by his side.* Captain Snyder, this is Sister Aisha. She'll accompany Lady Myra and myself on this trip.
Well met, Sister...

He inclines his head, briefly glancing at my breasts. I give him a nod.

Could you see to it that we may depart within the hour, Captain?
Sure, I'll take care of everything.

Captain Snyder walks over to the other sailors who are on board with us, giving orders for our departures. Christiano turns back to me.

I've arranged a cabin for you. It's below deck, in the bow.
Why did you tell the Captain that I'm a Sister?

He chuckles.

Well, I couldn't tell him of your true profession, right? I doubt that the good Captain would have agreed to have a thief on his boat.

I grin in agreement.

Besides, you'll be safe from the sailors this way. We'll be on this ship for quite a while, and I probably don't have to tell you that they might have caused you trouble, otherwise.

I nod in agreement. At least he thought of everything.

Oh, I think we are about to cast off already!

I quickly move below deck to check out my cabin. It's not very big, but it's dry and tidy enough. When I came back up from below, we're already leaving the harbor. Soon we're making good speed down the river. I keep to the rail, watching the landscape slowly moving by. Christiano is busy giving orders, but it looks like the Captain and sailors know what to do, anyway. Lady Myra doesn't pay attention to me either, so I'm left alone with my thoughts.

My last trip into the wilderness was admittedly short. And now I'll be quite far away from Betancuria for a while. A feeling of uneasiness creeps into me. All of a sudden, the city seems so much safer. At least I know what to expect there most of the time. I've never been to the Summer Islands before, but from what I know, the weather down there is a lot better than at Betancuria. The rain may even stop for a minute or so! Though at the moment, there's a scent of snow in the air...

I shiver, and decide to go to my cabin. I crawl into my sleeping bag and take a little nap.



Noises wake me. I fumble around in the dark until I remember where I am. It's deepest night, and the ship makes soft motions under me.



The island we approach is large, and most of it is covered with thick trees. There are no signs of civilization. It takes a while until the sailors find a safe place for landing, and I do my best not to stand in the way.



Once the ship is safely tied to the shore we disembark. The weather's nice, much warmer than I'm used to. No wonder all the sailors are only wearing short trousers. Christiano briefly glances about, then turns to me.

Very well, here we are. The place we're looking for is a ruined temple in the center of this island. The temple was dedicated to a dark deity, but my order cleansed it about twenty years ago. Since then the island has been deserted. A few looters have been sighted every now and then, but anything of value has long since been hauled away.
This island looks rather...wild.
The ruined temple is the only thing of note here. As I have told you already, it is my hope that the golden chalice is still in the Highpriest's grave.
But you said the temple was plundered.
It was, you will see soon enough. But Myra and I discovered a secret door that's not yet been opened. I have faith that it leads to the tomb area.
I see.
It will take us a while to reach the ruined temple at the center of this island, and there's the local wildlife. So if you need to rest, let's do it down here by the boat where we're safe.
Okay.
Also, here are some provisions for you.

He gives me a couple of healing potions, a torch and some lock picks.

Thank you, Christiano.
So let's get going. We need to follow the shore to the south and west until we reach a ramp that leads up into the forest.

Myra sighs.

I had already forgotten about that forest with its myriad of mosquitoes.
Well, the sooner we go, the sooner we're through.
That's right, dear. Let's be off.

I don my cloak and draw my weapons. Time to earn my keep and kick start this adventure!

LP Comment: This whole section of playthrough felt like a stretch of DLC content. There's nothing connecting it to the storyline at all. I am really perplexed as to why Valine would do this. I guess she's bored with the city or something. This content is really massive and involves 100% dungeon crawling. I'll try to break it up into manageable updates. I guess Valine really want to put our Princess into a real survival test. Look out for a 50+ images update next time as we explore the Temple of Ancient Evil and chase after the famed Golden Chalice!

I hope you don't burn yourself out with these rapid updates.

Also bumping for a new page.

I put my post under your post, and I bump, you bump, we bump!

Next page, here we come!

Fuck this, I have to try this module myself. Hopefully, it works correctly with the french version of NWN1 (some modules don't, sadly).

Good pick on the weapons, if a bit pricey. I hope you loaded up on some landmines, though. Tomb-delving frequently seems to nvolve a bunch of undead, against which your sneak attacks are pretty much useless. The -1 damage is basically insignificant, since your damage comes from the sneak attack boost anyway, although even the intrinsic -2 TWF penalty is going to hurt your already craptacular attack rating.

Norfleet said:

Good pick on the weapons, if a bit pricey. I hope you loaded up on some landmines, though. Tomb-delving frequently seems to nvolve a bunch of undead, against which your sneak attacks are pretty much useless. The -1 damage is basically insignificant, since your damage comes from the sneak attack boost anyway, although even the intrinsic -2 TWF penalty is going to hurt your already craptacular attack rating.

Click to expand...

Looking forward to my Weapon Finesse. And I wouldn't worry about dying in this tomb, since I have a level 7 Paladin and a Cleric with me. It's really a matter of knowing when to pull out. The funny thing is, the AI will have more chance to die actually. They run through traps and had to be babysit. They also love to cast heals in front of the enemy.

Chapter 32: Tomb Raiders



The beach stretches for a while, after several minutes of hiking, we enter a grassy area.



Christiano and Myra have been holding hands while following me up the incline. Now Christiano pats Myra's bottom, making her giggle.

LP Comment: Valine tries to break the monotony with some party banter. And I have to say, it does work a little. Though it gets annoying after a while.


Christiano, please!

She glances at me, still giggling.

I cannot keep my fingers off you...

Christiano beams a bright smile at Myra, pulling her close, cupping her buttocks while giving her a deep kiss.

I don't think this is such a good time.

She half-heartedly fends him off.

Hehehe okay...

He pets her bottom again, then lets her go, turning to me.

Alright. As far as I remember, going south now is the shortest way up to the temple.
Okay.

He beams another smile at Myra, ignoring me altogether.



Further into the forest, I spot a large form in a corner of my eyes.



Looks like a bear. It's stabby time!



Christiano takes the front, while Myra stays behind to cast an unknown spell. I shot a bolt into the creature's hide, barely slowing it then step closer with my melee weapons drawn.



As Christiano takes the animal's full attention, I sunk my short sword into its back. It roars in pain as static charges courses through its body.

LP Comment: 16 Physical 1 Electrical. Beautiful.



Finally, the animal succumbs to its wound. If Anden is here he'd probably tame the bear or something.

And so our first foe has fallen to our blades! Well fought, ladies!

I beam a smile at him, humoring his enthusiasm.

I don't know, dear...That was just a grizzly bear. It was half starved, too.
It is also possible that the evil powers on this island forced it to attack us! In that case, its demise has even served two purposes! For one, we have freed the poor creature's soul! And two, we have demonstrated that we are a force not to trifle with!

I roll my eyes. This guy's kinda full of himself. It's just a goddamn bear..get over it.

Let us go on now, and keep your weapons ready!

Keep your ego tucked in, Crusader of Justice. Wouldn't wanna turn Blackguard after stepping on bear turd.



Trees are getting thicker...Christiano halts our advance.

This is where we enter the forest. We need to head north and west now. And watch your steps. There are snakes hiding in the grass.
I'll be careful, trust me.
You should. These snakes have a nasty bite.



No problem. I stealth in...leaving the two slightly lumbering form behind.



Bam. Dead snake.



Idiot cleric. Three snakes later and Mr Personality starts his victory speech again.

The snake, a symbol of evil! But this one won't spread its poison any longer. Well fought, ladies!
I remember now why I didn't like traveling through this forest. Ah, and those damn mosquitoes!
Minor annoyances on our path to victory. Nothing we couldn't deal with.



Whatever, let's head on up.



Finally! The temple ruins in within sight.

Here we are. This was the Temple of Hyath.

Christiano points to the ruined compound situated on top of this hill.

I have never heard anything of Hyath.
Hyath was forgotten by mankind until a scholar discovered a description of the cult in an ancient tome. It seems like many of the cult's rituals involve doing nasty things with and to naked women, which was likely the reason why the cult was brought back to life and this temple was founded.
It's simply disgusting.
*He nods.* We've found many gruesome drawings inside. It's a good thing that my order put an end to this. But let's go in now. There's a trapdoor inside the structure, leading into the actual sanctum.



The sanctum is crumbling, the trapdoor being the only thing of interest, we descend into the darkness below.


As you see, the place really is in ruins. But we stumbled upon a few giant spiders last time, so let's be prepared.
I'll be ready.
No doubt...
At the far end of this hall are the remains of an ancient altar, though my order tore that evil thing to pieces. To the north and south are smaller rooms, but they're all empty. We've already searched through them last time.
Alright.
A corridor starts south of the altar. It leads further down, to a pit of sorts. That's where we encountered all the spiders. However, that passage was a dead end. Another corridor begins north of the altar, but we've only managed to follow it for a couple of feet before we were stopped by two locked doors.
I'll check them out.
Okay, let's move on. You've got the lead, Aisha.

LP Comment: Too much handholding? I don't know. It's just a simple first level. But thankfully, Chris will stop giving directions when we reach the levels below.

As we proceed onward the screeching sounds of bats descend upon us. We defend ourselves.


Pesky little buggers.

Christiano wipes the remains of a dead bat off his boot.
Yes, very much so. *I turn to Myra.* Do you have your moon blood at the moment, Myra?



That is absolutely none of your business, young Aisha!

She reddens and turn away. Christiano raises an eyebrow at me.

Why do you ask?
I've heard that this might make certain animals aggressive. Bats, for example.
Is that so? Well, in any case, these won't trouble us anymore. Let's move on.



This must have been where once the altar stood. There's nothing left of it but a few reliefs picturing priests and naked women doing all kinds of nasty things. I study the relief carefully.

Quite interesting, aren't they? Did you notice that all the women are naked while the priests are clad in robes, even when they...
Yes, I see that.
Bunch of perverts.

Guess it's a good thing the cult didn't spread into Betancuria, with the rise of rape and what not.



We investigate the first passage down and fought off a giant spider before descending down the stairs.



More of its cousin block our passage below.



Goddamn eight legged freaks. Thankfully, no one failed their fortitude saves.



I found something inside one of its cocoon.

Ugh! Rotten spiders everywhere!
I think that was the last of them. Damn vermin.
You've been down here last time, right?
Yes, and we had cleared this room as well. Seems like those spiders are growing fast.
Probably another evil trick. However, this still seems to be a dead end...

He looks around, leaning on his weapon. He motions at the round back hole near the stair case.


We believe this is the pit where the cultists gave their sacrifices to their foul god Hyath. It seems to be an endless drop.

I peer down the pit. There's no bottom, as far as I can see.

Well, we can't go down there, that's for sure. The walls are too smooth.
Don't get too close to that hole!
Hehe, Myra thinks the demon's still hiding at the bottom. And I sure hope she's right!

Christiano pulls out his manhood and starts urinating down the shaft.

Uhm, is that such a good idea?
Christiano, really...

Myra shakes her head.

LP Comment: ...This paladin's Lawful good? Really?

That will teach whatever's down there that we're not afraid. And besides, I really needed to take a piss.

He grins and shakes off his member and tucks it back in.

You shouldn't do that in front of the girls.
Yeah, you shouldn't pee into dark, evil pits, no matter what.
Feel free to piss down the hole as well.

He grins at us.

No, thanks.

You sick fuck.

Hehe, okay, let's move on then.



Now, to check the other passage...

This passage was hidden behind a fake wall. Myra discovered it. There are two locked doors ahead of us. Time to prove you know what you are doing, Aisha.
I'll do my best.
I'm sure you will.
What do you mean by that?
Oh, nothing.
We, errr, disarmed everything up to this point. From now, we'd better watch out for traps.

Point taken. I slow down our paces, and start searching actively for anything that is out of place.




No traps...but no keyhole either...This massive stone door features a life sized relief of a male human, probably a priest. He's clad in floating robes, spreading his arms in a welcoming gesture. It almost looks like he's reaching for an embrace. The stone shines as if polished a hundred times.

Maybe I should embrace it? I give it a try.

I've tried that last time, Aisha. It didn't work either.
Though it always works when you hug me, my sweet.
Oh, Christiano! *She giggles.*

I wonder whats' the key to this..then I recall the reliefs by the altar...maybe...if I'm naked? I start to remove my armor.

Shameless girl.
Woohoo!

I feel somewhat embarrassed pressing my naked skin against the cold stone.

What are you doing?!
Trying to open that door.

Suddenly there's a click, and the door swings open. Christiano glances at the door, stroking his chin.

So you had to be naked. Interesting mechanism!
Perverts!

I don my leather armor as a zombie appears from behind the door way. Christiano steps forth and gave it a good swing from his morning star. I follow suit.



The dead stay dead this time.

An undead cleric...It's disturbing to find such a creature. MY order would have killed it, most surely.
Maybe they just couldn't get through this door.
I still cannot believe that you pressed your boobs against it!
I didn't invent that silly mechanism!

Christiano scratches his chin.

I do not believe a mere door would have been able to stop the knights of my order. No. I think something must have awakened the undead creature after they left...

I look around uneasily. This keeps getting better and better...

We'll probably learn the truth once we enter the lower levels, dear.



AA search of the room's trapped chest reveals a key.



It opens the other door across the room. I carefully disable a trap before descending deeper through the trapdoor.

It's dark down here...Dark, and too quiet. I don't like this place at all.
Me neither.
There are no tracks in the dust on the floor. We must be the first in decades! Meaning, the chalice is still down here!



This place's loaded with traps, Christiano may be a capable fighter, but I doubt both of them can survive this place for long without my help...



Carefully, I disarm every trap on our path. I'm fumbling around with the traps when I hear Christiano and Myra whispering behind my back...

So what do you think of her, sweetie?
Not sure. She seems reliable enough that she won't run off with our things in the middle of the night. I hope so anyway.
Yes, I think you are right.. Her tits are big! And the way they bounce...

He snickers, Myra snorts.

Aww, you have no reason to be jealous, honey. I wouldn't trade you for a million of her kind.
I know, dear.
Wonder if she likes it up her butt.

He snickers again.

Christiano! That is disgusting!

I pretend I haven't heard a thing and finished disarming every trap in our path.

I'm finished, let's go.



Hm. Three doors... I start with the one on the right.


This room's a mess!
Looks like a battlefield..
Indeed. But I see no corpses, no bones, nothing...



Here's one of them. An undead cleric. We dispatch it with little trouble.

More undead...
You were right, dear. Something must have awakened them. Recently.
So it's up to us to lay them to rest.
And we shall do exactly that!

He grabs his weapon with grim determination. Behind the passage, lies a bedroom.


Looks like we found the private quarters of that ghoul! Quite the decoration!
Yes, indeed.

Cages and torture equipment. Ugh...

This place is evil.
Perhaps, but did you see how thick that door is we just passed through? I bet if we locked it, we'd be safe to rest!
And if we lose that bet, who wins, my dear?
Come on sweetie. We need to recover. Let's set up camp.

Christiano quickly builds a campfire using the wooden debris from the previous hall. Soon, the flames burn merrily in the corner of the room.

I walked over, and casually picked the lock on a chest, feeling very happy with the click I've heard. I peered inside, a bow, some armor..and a few..



What's inside?

He shoves me aside, peering into the chest. Geez.

A bow, some armor, and a few potions.
Useless. And that armor seems to be some kind of blackish chain mail. Girls' armor by the looks of it.
Don't expect me to put that evil thing on!
You don't want any of them?
Not me, no.
Feel free to take what you want, Aisha.

I won't say anything to that. I identify the items inside with my spell.



Ooh, with a little help from Bull strength, this should be a more effective ranged weapon than my Light Crossbow.



This is better than what I'm wearing now. Guess I'll put it on...


Hey, that armor actually looks nice.

Christiano looks me up and down, nodding in approval.

Hmm, you think so?
Absolutely!

Myra frowns at me but doesn't say anything. Christiano chuckles and gives me a pat on my behind.

Hey!
Sorry, couldn't resist. You look really cute in this.

He grins, studying my bottom.

Christiano, you're staring.
Hehe, sorry.
*She clears her throat.* The origin of this armor is rather questionable. Not to mention its design.
I don't see anything wrong with the design.
Yeah, right.

Myra rolls her eyes.


I'm getting tired. Let's stay here and rest for a while.
I'm very exhausted as well.
Resting it is, then. Who stands watch first?
You mean one of us has to be on watch all the time?
Yes, you never know what might happen in a place like this.
Alright.
I'm dead tired. Let me lay down for a while now, I'll take the second watch.
So first or third for me?
I'm not very tired yet. Go to sleep, Aisha. We'll wake you for your turn.

I crawl into my sleeping bag. It doesn't take very long until I drift off to sleep. Faint noises wake me, somebody's whispering. I strain my ears to listen.

Oh baby, you were great again!

Myra giggles. Think they are kissing. Grr! So much for standing guard!

Think I could get some more, sweetie?

She giggles again.

You still have that in you, after today's fighting?
Oh yes! I'm addicted, as you know!
Well, let's see, dear. I need to rest some to get back my spells.
Okay, sweetie.

They kiss again, and then there's only silence and soft breathing.

so much derp.