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thatgamefromthatad · 4 years ago

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Seen these ads? (Dress Up! Time Princess Review)

This is primarily a dress up and interactive fiction game.

The storylines and character interactions are not as dramatic as the ads would suggest, the gameplay mechanics are different from what you see in the ads and it is not a “makeover” game as some of the ads state. There are also a lot of other features in the game, although the primary focus is on dress up stages and interactive plot lines.

The characters are heavily “Elsafied” as shown in the ads, but this is actually a much better game than one would assume based on how it’s advertised.

Read my full review below:

***

👸 Is the game still fun? Yes, it is fun! The game is very well fleshed-out, from the dress up system to the storylines and characters, and the graphics are very nice as well. The outfits especially are very pleasant to look at - the fabrics have texture and motion, there’s a wide variety of items and you can even customize your own clothes with dyes and patterns and stuff unlocked along the way, which I don’t think I’ve seen before in a game except maybe the Sims and Animal Crossing lol.

The storylines are mostly based around historical events and fairytales which is pretty unique and makes for a surprising bit of edutainment - there are even little factoids throughout on different historical figures, locations, events and items etc. The decisions you make actually affect the story routes, endings and your relationships with other characters, and the characters themselves are well-developed with their own personalities and designs (although they are still Disneyfied/Elsafied designs.)

The characters emote and move throughout the dialog in a way that makes the stories more engaging, and the relationship system is really well-done; your decisions throughout the story effect your relationships and your relationship stats affect the story routes in turn. You can also improve relationships by giving characters gifts based on their individual preferences and you even get little letters and rewards from them as your relationships improve.

The dress up stages are woven into the story, usually with you dressing up to attend an event or meeting with the stage objectives related to the type of event/meeting it is (formal, informal, outdoors, you’re trying to impress someone, you’re trying to appear humble etc.) There are even items based around the specific time periods and locations of the stories.

In addition to the dress up stages and storylines there are a lot of other things to do in this game - crafting, minigames, events and contests, side stories, pets and items to collect that can boost your points during dressup stages, etc. I would say there’s almost too much to do, with a busy home screen covered in notifications that can be a hassle to go through if you’re like me and want to clear all your notifications before you do anything else lol. There are also a lot of different in-game currencies involved for different parts of the game which can be confusing. But the game gives you a good amount of guidance with tutorials explaining each feature along the way (and not thrown at you all at once), and if you can get past the sheer overwhelming quantity of things to do, you can either figure out how to organize and optimize your tasks, or just ignore the more complicated stuff and enjoy the main story stages/dress up aspects.

I was really surprised by the quality of this game based on the spammy/clickbaity/fake ads and the fact that on its face it seems like something that would be geared more toward younger children. It still isn’t exactly my cup of tea since I’m personally not that into dress up games and historical fiction, but I have to admit it was pretty enjoyable and impressive, and definitely something I would recommend to those who enjoy these specific genres.

👗 Is this a free game or a “free” game? I would definitely consider this a free game, you can pretty much do everything for free and play for a long time without hitting a dead end. You need stamina to play the main story/dress up stages but this renews over time and the stages themselves are long enough that you might not even play enough in one sitting to run out of stamina completely. I personally never ran out of stamina, especially since I racked up a lot of extra stamina (I think from earning it from different tasks I completed along the way but I’m not sure exactly where it came from).

Even if you did run out and had to wait to play more main stages, there are so many other things you can do in the meantime. And there are tons of opportunities to earn crafting materials, dress up items, experience and in-game currency, which lessens the pressure to pay in order to get more items or progress through the stories.

Probably best of all is that there aren’t paid choices in the storylines, unlike in a lot of other interactive fiction/visual novel games, where more favorable/consquential options require premium currency to make.

🕰 Features

There are a ton of different features in this game but I’ll try my best to list the ones I remember.

Dress up stages (you put together an outfit using clothing items/accessories in your inventory, and earn more points for higher-rated items as well as items with attributes that match the stage goals)

Storylines (there are different “books” to choose from with their own themes, plots, characters and dress up stages, which are mostly based on history or fairytales with the overarching plot being that your character is a time traveler who can travel into storybooks and take on the role of a historical figure/protagonist, kind of like a “past life” thing. Your character is always female and you can customize their facial features, skintone and base hairstyle but not their name since it will always be the name of whatever main protagonist you’re taking the role of. Each book is pretty long with dozens of stages and you unlock them with tickets you can earn from progressing through other books; there are also a few shorter stories or spinoff stories from the main books that cost less tickets)

Character relationships and interactions (with each main book comes a set of main characters called “companions” with their own personalities and preferences, who you can build your relationships with through story choices, giving them gifts they like and other interactions. You can get letters and rewards from them as your relationship stat increases and there’s also something called “encounters” where you make a choice based on a single line of dialog from a companion or generic NPC and get a reward, but I don’t think this affects the relationship stat. There are romantic plot lines but I don’t think there’s a separate stat for romantic relationships, it just comes out through the narrative/dialog. I’ve only played partly through one main story so far so I don’t know if your love interests are always male or not.)

Crafting (you can use materials and blueprints earned by completing stages and other various tasks to craft dress up items and gifts to give to companions)

Gacha mechanic (there’s a gacha mechanic where you get free draws each day to get crafting materials or dress up items. You can pay other currencies for more draws with guaranteed rare items.)

Friends/community (you can make friends with other players and gift them stamina and friend points which can be used for draws in one of the gacha pools. You can also borrow dress up items from friends to complete dress up stages, although this costs in-game currency. There’s also a global chat and other public chat rooms, and you can chat with or message your friends.)

Avatar and customization (You have a main customizable avatar displayed with the storyline dialog that you can also dress up with any of the items you own for a photobooth type thing, where you can make images of them in different poses to share on social media or what have you. You can also customize some clothing items using dyes, patterns and stamps you’ve unlocked and use those to dress up your avatar. The customized items can also be used in stages though I’m not clear on whether customization affects your performance or is only for visual effect.)

Events, minigames and contests (There are countless events going on at any given time, including log-in events, contests, puzzle/arcade minigames and more. These provide an abundance of opportunities to earn crafting materials, dress up items, in-game currency etc., pass them time while waiting for stamina to refill or overall engage with the game community.)

Pets, relics and research (I haven’t explored these part very much but you can get pet cats that can be attached to outfits to boost their stats and be sent out on missions to passively bring in rewards over time. Relics are another type of point-booster for dress up stages and research can be done on categories of dress up items to increase the points they yield.)

Edutainment (there’s a “memories” area where you can read through the different historical facts and trivia you’ve come across throughout the storylines)

⚖️ Ad Honesty Rating: 2/5 (the ads rely on overdone tropes and melodrama, and blatantly copy from other games/game ads. For example the ads where her eyeliner is all smeared are basically the same exact ads used for Project Makeover. The art style and basic gist of the game’s genres are relayed through the ads, but they scarcely include real gameplay and really don’t do the game justice.)

⭐️ Overall Rating: 5/5 (other than the game being overly busy and having an Elsafied art style, there’s not much else to complain about, and there’s a lot of great stuff going on here. The visuals especially really caught my attention and the complex storylines and ability to play for free unhindered really make it a 5/5 for me. Overall one of the best games I’ve reviewed so far even if it’s not my personal genre preference.)

▶️ Ad Example:

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▶️ Gameplay Example:

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Follow me for more reviews of those free mobile games you’re always getting ads for! Thanks for reading! 🥳

#dress up games #fashion #historical fiction #mobile games #tumblr ads #game ads #instagram ads #in-game ads #fashion games #dressup games #interactive fiction #romance games #gacha games #fake ads #full review

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iturbide · 4 years ago

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You don't even have to ask! Details please!

Well I always like to ask just in case you guys are the ones who have to see it on your dashboards

I’m very glad you’re exited though so crossover details go

The Starters

Because we have different lords heading up the titular three houses, and each one leans heavily into certain color and element themes similar to the common starter trio in mainline Pokemon games, it becomes almost a no-brainer to say that the Lords from Three Houses are your starter choices in this game. For Edelgard, you have Embird, a fire-type eagle; for Dimitri you have Parcub, a water-type lion; and for Claude you have Fawnceal, a grass-type deer, reflecting both their house color schemes and emblems.

These starters, however, are unique in many ways. To begin with, no matter which one you pick, they will always have a set gender, nature, and characteristic; they will also have perfect IVs and their hidden ability, rather than the standard one. Since they are meant to reflect specific people, you’ll also have a limited choice on nicknames, similar to the original Red/Blue giving you options for your name and your rival’s: for Embird, it would be along the lines of “Edelgard” and “El”; for Parcub, it would be things like “Dimitri” and “Dima”; and for Fawnceal, you would have choices like “Claude” and “Khalid.”

Whichever starter you pick is also going to be your companion throughout the entire game. As with Pokemon Yellow and the Let’s Go games, your starter will follow you outside of its pokeball, and you’ll be able to turn around and interact with them whenever you want to build your bond and get a feel for their mood. Unlike these games, though, your starter cannot be put into a box, traded, or left at the daycare: they’re your companion, and they will stay that way throughout the game. To give players more opportunities to train pokemon other than their starter, though (and to allow more freedom for people who like to play hardcore styles like Nuzlocke), there is a special “starter slot” that effectively allows you to bring seven pokemon with you; however, only your starter is allowed to take this extra slot, and while they’re in it they cannot be used in battle and will not gain experience or IVs even if the ExpShare is being used: they’ll just follow you around in the overworld so that you can interact with them. To swap your starter back into your team, one of the other six will need to be returned to the PC.

In addition, each starter has a unique talent allowing them to access things that are normally unavailable: for Embird’s line, you can engage any NPC in the wilds to a battle, including those who normally are just there to offer advice or healing (since if they’re past the tall grass, they have to have pokemon); for Parcub’s line, they can detect secret entrances to the evil organization’s bases (which otherwise can only be found through either trial and error or by talking to people for hints on where to look -- plus they’re likely randomized every time a new game is started); and for Fawnceal’s line, they can locate areas well off the beaten path with new people to talk to, secrets to uncover, and pokemon to befriend.

The Rivals

Much in the way that the starters are all based on the Lords from the game, the rivals are based on their retainers: Hubert will always choose Embird for his starter, Dedue will always choose Parcub for his, and Hilda will always choose Fawnceal for hers. Byleth, of course, throws a wrench into the system, since they will be picking one of those three pokemon as their own starter, meaning that you end up with two rivals (one for each of the two you didn’t select) while the last will become the professor’s assistant, who will occasionally seek you out on Hanneman’s behalf.

Each rival also has unique information to share as the game progresses. Hubert knows a great deal about the evil organization, and informs you of their existence and misdeeds; Hilda’s older brother Holst is a gym leader, so she tells you about the gym challenges; and Dedue is quite well traveled, and can point you toward special locations yielding rare items like high quality berries or pokemon that only appear at certain times/on certain days. During the main path of the game, you’ll come across two of these characters routinely and therefore gain insight into your chosen starter’s evolutionary path, along with some extra challenges or exploration opportunities; however, the last rival will only give you that information if you backtrack to Hanneman’s lab to talk to them, something that can be tiresome and challenging in the early game before you have access to transport moves like Fly. Ultimately, this means that you’ll likely have one gameplay challenge that goes unexplored until very late in the game or after the credits roll.

Along with the information they provide, each rival also has unique interactions with you. Hubert is highly competitive and will always fight you when you cross paths, only giving you information after you beat him; he also gives you the occasional item to strengthen your pokemon, like Protein or Iron. Dedue is much more peaceful and will give you a choice about whether you want to battle or not (though you have a limited window where you can change your mind if you say ‘no’); he gives you information regardless of whether you choose to fight him or not, and frequently gives you special berries when you meet him. Hilda considers battling to be way too much effort and will only battle you a few times under normal circumstances (though with Embird’s special talent you can induce a challenge against her), preferring to give you information instead and usually giving you a held item “accessory” when you meet her.

The Challenges

Unlike the usual mainline Pokemon games, this game's traditional objectives -- the gym challenge, fighting the evil organization, completing the pokedex -- can be prioritized and tackled in a more focused manner, with incentives to do so dependent on your starter choice, since each starter’s evolution is tied to a specific narrative element. For Embird, you need to acquire six badges in order to evolve her into Empyre; for Parcub, you need to beat three executives of the evil organization to evolve him into Soverain; and for Fawnceal, you need to talk to 500 people throughout the region before he’ll evolve into Camaradeerie.

Given the nature of Three Houses, it only makes sense that certain key figures take on prominent roles in this pokemon offshoot:

Hanneman is the region’s Pokemon Professor

The eight gym leaders you’ll face include Manuela, Lonato, Rodrigue, Holst, Alois, Gilbert, Catherine, and Shamir

The Elite Four is made up of the Four Saints: Macuil, Indech, Cichol (Seteth), and Cethleann (Flayn)

Rhea is the region’s champion, and has been for ages

The Agarthans are the evil organization you’ll face: Cornelia, Monica/Kronya, and Tomas/Solon are the executives, while Arundel/Thales is the boss

If you pick Embird as your starter, facing the gym challenge is going to be your top priority so that you can have her final evolution (which fits Edelgard’s route in Three Houses perfectly). Hilda will give you information on the different gyms when you meet her, and Dedue will give you info on rare pokemon you might want to incorporate into your team; however, the evil organization will be much harder (though not impossible) to access and engage with until after the gym challenge is cleared, and they will be much more difficult to deal with after being put off for so long, with run-of-the-mill members having significantly stronger teams and the executives and leader being incredible challenges.

If you pick Parcub as your starter, uprooting the evil organization is going to be first on your list of things to do so you can have his final evolution. Hubert will give you information on where to find their bases (and notably, Dimitri will face Arundel as the boss rather than Thales, just as he does in Azure Moon), and Hilda will still give you information on the different gyms so you can level your team more and more; however, it will be more challenging to find and access hidden areas until very late in the game, so completing the pokedex will be more of a chore and the legendaries will be significantly more challenging when you finally do face them.

If you pick Fawnceal as your starter, exploring the world and working on the pokedex will be your primary focus to secure his final evolution. Dedue will tell point you toward all kinds of places off the beaten path where obscure pokemon appear, and Hubert will still point you toward the evil organization since many of their bases are out in the wilds where you’ll be hunting for pokemon; however, leaving the gyms will result in a greater challenge, with different and stronger pokemon on each leader’s team and an even more intense Elite Four and Champion (drawing on both Claude’s paralogue against Macuil and Silver Snow’s endgame boss of the Immaculate One, since it’s mostly a copy-paste of Verdant Wind anyway).

#answered #alerawolf #fire emblem: three houses #pokemon #crossover #i have been thinking a lot about this can you tell #this is just some broad strokes too #pokemon: three houses

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queenaeducan-writes · 3 years ago

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Healing Hands

Fandom: Elder Scrolls, Skyrim, 3DNPCs/Interesting NPCs Pairing: Rumarin x Eilonwy Rating: General Audiences Words: 2k

Repost of a work that’s since been deleted on Tumblr. Rumarin is a character from 3DNPCs and not in any way my OC!

Read it here on AO3.

For weeks they’d been travelling together, now. Sharing food and shelter, stories and songs. It had been an experience, to put it delicately. She’d come to Skyrim seeking knowledge, but had found a friend instead. Eilonwy watched him sit by the newly lit fire, trying his new ward out. As his hand unflexed a frail shield manifested, causing his arm to tremble until the ward broke. “You are improving,” Eilonwy said gently.

The other high elf scoffed. “At least it’s big enough to shield my head, now. I suppose my innards will simply have to fend for themselves.” He was smiling as he nodded his head toward her, looking at her hands. “In the meantime I can cower behind yours. They’re big enough for the two of us.”

She laughed, stifling it with her hand. Whenever he made her laugh she’d always snort something terrible. It was not the sort of noise a woman of her age ought to be making, especially not on account of a man. “You assume I will remember to cast them.”

“That is true. Though I like the strategy we’ve worked out. You go in, hands blazing, towering over your foes, and I swoop in and finish them off!” Rumarin swept his hand over the fire, slashing the air with an imaginary conjured blade. “It works surprisingly well.”

All over Skyrim they had walked, all in the hopes of teaching him a new spell. They’d visited healers, eccentrics, and even the undead. Each time they failed, it had always been her who seemed more upset about it. Rumarin laughed it off with a joke, while she stewed about it for hours. A good teacher did not dismiss a student because they required a different style of teaching. It was difficult to tell how serious Rumarin was about learning new spells, but he had travelled across Skyrim and back to learn one. That required dedication.

Eilonwy traced her fingers over the fabric of her robes, pulling at the frayed ends. “May I ask you a question?” she said, moving around the campfire until she caught his gaze. “We went from border to border trying to find a mage that could teach you, yet in all that time you never thought to ask me. Why?” She’d asked herself that question for a while now, ever since they’d met Valgus at the sign of the Steed. It didn’t make sense to her, but then again many things about Rumarin didn’t make sense to her.

“I did ask for your help, remember? You blasted me with lightning. I still don’t have any feeling in my left foot,” he replied evasively. “Thank you for that, by the way.”

“Before that, though,” she pressed him.

“When we met you wouldn’t shut up about the College, I didn’t think you would be able to offer me anything.” Eilonwy knew she ought not to be hurt by that, that by now she ought to have thicker skin. Still, it stung a little.

“I came to the College to seek a safe haven, for research. There are a few hundred years of magic-using before them. My first spells I didn’t learn from tomes, I repeated their names and effects. I told myself again and again that I could walk on water, until the spell was the only thing in my mind, and my words became true.” She still remembered what it felt like, to feel her foot touch the water, but not sink. Two steps later and she sank faster than a rock, but for that one moment she thought herself the most powerful mage in the world. “The spell you learned today will save your life one day, especially if you keep following me. If you’re willing, I can help you learn more.”

Rumarin’s attention had returned to his hand, contemplating it with an expression rarely seen on the blade binder’s face. “No tomes?”

“None.”

“Fine, but if it doesn’t work then you pay me 100 septims. No, you treat me to a meal. And the next time you drag my up High Hrothgar you’ll have to give me a piggyback ride.”

“It’s a deal,” she said. “We shall start tomorrow.”

* * *

When Eilonwy had told him they were starting tomorrow, he had imagined that meant they’d be starting bright and early. He was surprised to find that by the time he stirred, she’d packed half the camp away. It wasn’t like her to back out of a promise, which was lucky because half of her life seemed to be made of them. It was always ‘I’ll find your lost amulet’ or 'I’ll kill the bandits’ with her. She’d kept every one so far, as far as he could tell the only two promises left unfulfilled were saving Nirn and, well, teaching him a spell.

“Are we leaving?” he asked. “I always find it easier to learn when there’s a beer at hand, don’t you think-”

“When we stop for the night, then we can begin. In the meantime, it gives you time to practise your ward spell. Master that, and I’ll determine where we can go from there,” she explained, slipping her blue robes on over her clothes. She was always so matter-of-fact with him, as if she were compensating for his… his everything. There were days when Rumarin wanted to get her drunk, just to see what embarrassing thoughts she kept hidden under lock and key.

“Yes, Ms. Eilonwy,” he said with a smirk, shrugging on his knock-off college robes.

They were on the road within the hour, their camp strapped to the back of the sturdy palamino that Eilonwy had steadfastly refused to name. He’d taken to calling it Apple, anyway. When they were walking it was mostly him who did the talking, he liked to think his jokes brought life to the frosty tundras of Skyrim. Of course, here in the Rift there was already plenty of life to be had, but Rumarin didn’t see much harm in adding to it.

Eilonwy had taken a liking to his jokes right away, even the bad ones. It had been ages since someone had laughed at the punchline to 'Have you seen a healer?’. He had been in the midst of forming a comment about the forest when the first arrow whizzed by them. “Would it be too much to ask for one leisurely stroll through the forest that doesn’t end with a bloodbath?” he moaned.

His companion already had a fireball at the ready, throwing it into the face of the first bandit who stepped into her line of sight. “It seems like the perfect time for you to try out that ward spell of yours,” she said, before charging off. He lost sight of her fast. The bandits came out of the trees from both sides, they were on him in seconds. Apple turned tail and fled, the horse had even less appetite for battle than he. A bandit swung at him from his left, and he’d barely enough time to cast a ward spell as the mace connected with his shield. It shattered in an instant, and he remembered what that Tolfdir had told the apprentice mages. Cast the spell before you need it. Right.

He stepped out of the way of the bandit’s next strike. Conjuring a blade, Rumarin couldn’t help but smile as he swung at his foe’s chest. The bandits had probably been expecting another spell weaver, not another sword to cross blades with. He was ready for the next strike, his ward up well before the mace clashed against it. It was nerve-wracking to see a spiked ball of death mere inches from his arm. As he took the opportunity to stab, he found himself wondering if there was a way to make wards more solid looking.

His blade found the weak point in the bandit’s armor. He didn’t have to guess if that was it for the bandit or not, the look in his eyes said it all. Rumarin pulled out his sword, and slashed it across the bandit’s throat. He never knew if he did it out of pity, or habit. He didn’t have time to dwell on it, as there were others that had to be dealt with. Some fled, he liked to think it was he that frightened them, and not the fireballs that exploded in their faces. The ones that remained soon met the end of his sword.

As the bandits dispersed, he began to think about finding their horse. Hopefully it hadn’t stampeded into a den of frostbite spiders in its haste. Or worse, a dragon. It had happened before, it was a miracle poor Apple still lived to tell the tale.

A cry grabbed his attention, however, and in seconds he forgot about the horse. “Eilonwy?” he called, seeing nothing but trees on either side. A bolt of lightning caught his eye, and he ran towards it. Another bandit lay against the ground, the smell of burnt hair overpowered the smell of blood. Not a few yards away Eilonwy lay, propped up by a tree. She clutched her side, blood seeping between golden fingers. “What happened?”

“She snuck up on me,” Eilonwy muttered, avoiding his gaze.

Rumarin managed a smile, though it felt more forced than his usual grin. “Well, not everyone can be as skilled with wards as I am. Luckily, you’re better at about everything else. Heal up, I think Apple’s half-way to Whiterun by now.”

“I can’t.”

“Can’t?”

“Ran out of magicka.”

“Er, here, maybe we have a potion.”

Eilonwy attempted what he thought was supposed to be a smile. It looked more like a grimace. She looked at him, eyes squinting from the midday sun. “When I told you I felt like we’d forgotten to pick something up in Riften…”

Rumarin felt the blood drain from his face. He’d had the rug pulled out from under him before, but never like this. “Shor’s Stone isn’t too far down the road. I could-”

“You need to do it.”

“The horse could probably heal you better than I can.” The joke fell a little flat, but it was hard to think of anything when all he could see was blood on her robes.

“Rumarin.”

“I’ll try. If it doesn’t work, I’ll give you a week to recover before I expect that piggyback ride.” He saw the crows feet in the corner of her eyes crease, and he knew she was smiling.

It had been so much easier when she was the one using a spell on him. There wasn’t any time to tell her jokes about the long-term effects of this one paltry restoration spell. No time to tease her and tell her that she’d probably fall in love with him after this, and if she did he wouldn’t blame her. Women liked the sensitive types, and healers went hand-in-hand with sensitivity.

He held his hand over the wound, trying to remember what it felt like when she felt him. It always felt… warm. It felt stupid to compare it to a hug when their bodies never met, but it was the first thing that came to mind. Rumarin traced his teeth with his tongue, concentrating on that feeling, no matter how stupid it was. After a moment he felt a tingling in his fingers. He heard a tiny jingling sound, like there were small bells ringing in the palms of his hands. The wound on Eilonwy’s side began to close, growing together like it had never been split in the first place. Surprise lit up the bladebinder’s face, and before he could even finish he looked at her, beaming. “You should get injured like this more often! That way I’ll have it mastered in no–” As quickly as the magic had come, it was gone. No sooner than that, he saw her her skin start to bruise a brownish-pink, like the wound had opened up again inside.

Eilonwy didn’t seem put off, however. From her pack she pulled out a tiny blue bottle, and chugged it down. In a flash the bruise was gone, leaving nothing but smooth golden skin behind. “But you- I, did you do this on purpose?”

“No,” she replied, sitting up a little straighter. “Er, yes and no. The bandit did get me, but before I lost my strength I managed to find this on her person.” Eilonwy waved the empty bottle in her hand. “I thought I’d use it as a learning opportunity. It saved me the trouble of staging something else later." Rumarin let out something that was somewhere between a scoff and a sigh, sinking onto his knees. "I was afraid you would catch on. After observing how quickly you learned to use a ward in a controlled, but dangerous environment, I thought it only natural to apply the same to healing spells.”

“You’re…” Words failed him. He had known the mage had a reckless side, every adventure did, but this?

“You’re a healer,” she said. Eilonwy stood carefully, using the tree to balance. A second later her hand reached out to him, waiting for him to take it.

“I am, aren’t I?” he said. Grasping her hand, she pulled him up. Rumarin barely had a moment to steady himself when she pulled again, this time into a hug. After the nonstop action of the past five minutes or so, it was a refreshing change of pace.

“I’m proud of you. Sorry if I, er, if I scared you.”

The nice thing about Eilonwy was that he knew she was being genuine, whether he deserved the comments or not. “I wasn’t scared,” he said, already feeling his predisposition for jokes returning. “Maybe I was a bit… concerned.” She giggled, pulling back to smile at him.

“Does this mean that you’ll buy me dinner at the next town we pass?” she asked, her hands slowly letting go of him.

“I think that part of the deal only extended to me.”

“In that case maybe I’ll have to teach you another spell. While I was lying there I thought about riding through the entrance to the Greybeard’s temple on your shoulders.”

His ears had to be deceiving him, was that a joke? “I’ll consider it.”

Eilonwy laughed again, beginning to walk back towards the path. “I can even incorporate it into your training. I happen to know a few feather spells…”

“Ask me again later,” Rumarin said as he placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her towards where Apple had run. “I need to recover from the trauma of this last lesson first.”

#fandom: elder scrolls #fandom: skyrim #fandom: 3dnpc #character: rumarin #character: eilonwy #pairing: rumarin x eilonwy

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evergreen-dryad · 4 years ago

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old bnha wip #3 (kacchako)

In which a cheerful witch drags a resentful grouch of a brawler on a sidequest to hunt down spirits across the old sites of the country. It'll be fun, she said. . She never told him exactly what she was running away from.

It’s too late now. Blood drips off the blade that sunk into her, silently. Blood wells from the wound punctured into her, like ink spreading through paper.

The weapon slides out of her. Mouthless, Katsuki watches her body fall. He sees it all too clearly — the light from the flames afford no mercy. As if through treacle, he lunges before she can tumble to the ground.

The assassin looks at him, clearly amused. A snide little smile briefly rolls over their — no, her— face before it disappears. All the while, the strange curved blade glints purple as it soaks up the blood greedily.

The spell breaks as she breaks into a gleeful laugh.

(This is no assassin, now with the way she’s carrying herself. This is a hyena.)

“Get away from her,” His voice finally breaks through.

"Aww, look at you, all pale," she snarls through a wide grin, a finger on her chin, dagger wending through her hair. “I like the way your face looks like now,” said as casually as you please — as if she hadn’t just blotted out the world. The light in it. Ochako’s smile briefly flashes before his eyes and he feels it as keenly as a knife.

As if the world hadn’t stopped turning, when it clearly had for Katsuki.

* “Hey—” Katsuki, who had just been sharpening the blade of his axe, thank you, just started grinding faster.

“Hello, I’m trying to talk to you—” God, this one was not going away.

“What do you want,” he bit out, never stopping in his motion. The scraping screech never stopped. But that didn’t deter the determined smile in this one’s face.

“Quest!” She said it clearly, like the ding of a nail. Just like the fucking blacksmith’s son next door. A scowl foamed from Katsuki. “What does that have to do with me, ha?”

“I’m looking for a partner to go looking for spirits with me,” She cheerily told him in that annoying way like she’s about to rub an elbow in his ribs. “So come questing with me-”

“No.” He didn’t even need to waste his breath. What was he still doing here? At that he started to get up from his slouch on the ground, picking up the whetstone and his weapon.

“Aw, come on, please?” She stepped in front of him, cloak swishing around her ankles, tawdry at the edges.

He stood and glared at her, arms crossed. “I don’t play games, Round-Face.”

He sneered at her, squinting at her gait, trying to work her out. He’d seen her around the village for sure, but who was she again?

She had no clear weapons on her. An utility belt of leather, and a long object bound to her back. His eyes narrowed. One from the mage community then?

She smiled, reading his gaze. “I’m a witch, yes. Would it really kill you to go on one side-quest, Bakugou?”

“I don’t even fucking know your name, or your abilities, or why this should be worth my time,” he snapped, suddenly furious. Not that he wasn’t already simmering at the bit, constantly irritated by all the damn NPCs that kept trying to make small talk with him. “We are not even friends.”

“I’m Uraraka Ochako, remember that thank you. We met just a year ago at the marketplace and our families have traded a few commodities. You know perfectly well what witches can do.” She smiled at him, assured of herself. That pissed him off. Who freaking cared about all these common people’s backstories?

A teasing glint stole into her eyes as she tilted her head a little to the side.“You’re not the first ghosthunting companion I’d want either,” she’d sighed, almost pouting.

“THEN?” He fumed. “What the hell are you doing bothering me?” He almost wanted to strike the rude wench.

“Because you seem like the perfect complement to my abilities, and also!” She pointed a finger at him, making him lean back in distaste. “You’re fierce enough to scare any bad spirits away!”

“CALL ME SCARY, HA?” He gave into the urge to snap, a frown twisting up his face. Clank, goes his axe as he throws it to the ground.

She laughed. She seemed to find it — him, funny. “Yup, exactly like that!”

* There’s no one who can help them in this wilderness. The nearest healer happens to be the one who’s dead right now.

The killer had sauntered away easily enough. Seemed like she'd gotten what she'd wanted.

Mouth dry, Katsuki finally breaks. He screams — finally lets out the hoarse cry that’s been building in his throat since her body flashed in front of him. Holds her up to the light of the fire. But he already knows she’s beyond hope now. Because: “What the fuck, Uraraka?!” How dare she go dying on him? What the hell??

It’s all he can do to hold it together. He’s so angry he doesn’t even know how to begin. (Don’t die for me you nitwit you idiot you round-faced mess of a witch why I’m the warrior in your party?!)

Healers stay in the back, bring up the rear for a reason. And she just did the stupidest fucking thing he's ever heard of in this life.

* “No. I’m focusing on the Main Quest,” he barked. Only two of the scattered Treasures had been recovered in the realm — long ago, the king had issued a proclamation for all young and able to aid in seeking them out. Many of the adventurous had stepped up, for the promise of glory and riches. And of course, immortality.

Travelers and merchants had whispered of various parties of people, bravely searching and fighting come what may, what lies yonder over the forests and mountains.

Here lie dragons, and they were slayed, and the treasure returned.

For what is man without trying to leave a mark, before the waves of time wipe the sands of history clean?

Bakugou Katsuki, son of tailors Masaru and Mitsuki, was singlemindedly determined to be the Greatest Champion of them all.

“Living is just as important,” she chided, steps light beside his, hands swinging side to side as she followed him. Irritated, he increased his pace, but she never backed down.

“Not all of us want to slave away like mindless soldiers for the realm, you know. What would uniting all the Treasures do anyway? Does anyone know?” She squinted at him. “We don’t even know what they look or smell or feel like, most of us common people that is. For all we know it’s faded into myth now,” she continued, turning her palm to stare at its lines.

Aware of his increasing outrage, she turned to look at him with an easy, almost sheepish grin. “Not that I don’t want to, too. I just need to focus on my family first. And that means going on these quests with actual material returns.” She stared at him, awaiting his answer.

* Never told him there was a killer waltzing around waiting to wear her face, what the fuck.

He cradles her face, from the slight gash on her forehead, to the line of her jaw. He’d barely managed to save it.

* spirit quest camp shenanigans “That wasn’t so bad now, right, Bakugou?” The cheery little chit that’s the witch beside him — who dragged them out here in the middle of fucking nowhere in the first place — even has the damned energy to smile. Who the heck huffs a laugh like that while trying to act all patronising — you know what, scratch that thought. He’s met a-plenty who do that. Try to sweeten him up with honeyed words, when looks, material wealth doesn’t impress, doesn’t sway him to their side.

He bites. “That,” he said, “was too fucking tedious.” He shot her the stinkeye as they, of accord, settle down against the cool stone of the temple and start to set up camp. “We’re not done yet, are we,” he snarked, poisonous. He began sorting through the provisions they have on hand — and what loot they’d managed to gather.

Trailing ghosts for their items, ugh. What a waste of time

Let her collect the firewood, he’s had enough of the backbreaking work for today.

* “You know,” she began, out of the blue one day. They had just finished dinner, and she was staring wistfully up at the sky, fingers steepled beneath her chin. “You know what I said before about you not being who I’d choose as a partner? I take that back.”

Katsuki who had just grunted to show he was listening, found himself nearly spluttering. Whether from indignation or of shock he wasn’t sure. “Oh now you do?” What did I do now, his eyebrows knitted, but he couldn’t be bothered to ask.

She smiled at him, almost fond. “Yeah. You,” She began, only to stop again, seemingly at a loss of words.

Katsuki let a smirk spread over his face. “Yeah go on?”

She shot a look at him, almost an eyeroll. “Back then, I decided on you not because of your… lovely personality,” she hid a cough of laughter after a sideeye from him, “but because I decided — I guess I’d unconsciously decided I wanted someone who could watch my back.” She hesitated again, but briefer this time. “Someone who would definitely be able to fight on their own.”

“Basically you wanted to ride someone’s coattails,” he said drolly.

She flushed. “That may be right but all the same, I also knew I wanted to be stronger, so I thought I shouldn’t go for someone too kind. Someone who’d keep kicking me to get better. Someone,” she paused, glancing at him, “I admire a lot, and can work hard with.”

Katsuki felt his face freeze before he launched into a wide, cocky grin. “Oho, you sure are singing my praises today.”

She finally gave in to rolling her eyes. “I was trying to say you’re not so bad after all, despite being a stubborn arse toerag who keeps shouting till all the birds flee from all the explosions you make. So thank you, for coming along.” She finished with a single arch of her eyebrow. “And anyway, you’re pretty funny when you lose your temper, so thanks for the laughs.”

* Dusk is falling. The light paints the clouds orange, as they begin to slow down, breaths shuddering.

They’ve been hunting all day.

They’re somewhere off the beaten path back to the nearest village — the trees tower all around them, and shadows fall fast here. Night is fast approaching. They definitely can’t make it back to the lights of civilisation in time.

The voice is as sudden as it is disconcerting.

“Found you, my little bird~”

Ochako turns, and her face freezes. It’s as if she’s seen a ghost. “You—”

Katsuki doesn’t need to know any more than that. He whips out his weapon and swings it at their head, but—

—as easily as a breath they’ve sidestepped him. A small blade whisks by his cheek, taking some skin off — irritating him even more. He roars and rushes back in, only to be thwarted by this assailant’s constant darting all over the place. “What the fuck—”

“Katsuki!” He dimly hears Ochako cry out through the blood pumping in his head. “Stop! We need to regroup—”

“SHUT UP! I can settle this!” He yells back. What the hell, didn’t she trust him? The sudden annoyance sours within him, fueling his rage, his need to go all out. He swings the blade of his hatchet once more at the head of the attacker, before aiming a punch.

It hits, but he does not count for the momentum of the movement throwing him off-balance for a kilter. It’s enough for them to dart by and—

Katsuki readies his guard—

Only to realise a split-second later that they had never meant to fight him in the beginning.

Ochako gurgles, a pained breath hissing out, hands splayed out for a spell that couldn’t form quick enough. Light crumbles from her fingertips.

* -sequence where with last dying breath ochako transfers lifesource to him- -flashback where ochako uses skill- -katsuki tries to do the same despite knowing she’s gone but he doesn’t know what to do anymore- -he just shuts down after that, the realisation she’s not coming back- -only enough to bring her body back to the parents if close enough-/bury if not ~ "I'll come back for you one day, Katsuki," She singsongs, sickeningly sweet, before she deigns to take her departure. "Remember my name! I'm Toga Himiko!"

He spits after her.

Never. She's a killer, that's all she is.

He throws himself into fighting mindlessly. Katsuki does not deviate from his path of destruction — never thinking of the heart he always tried too hard to run from.

//and since I’m at it I might as well yeet out this fantasy au outline I had for kacchako, was prompted angst, did not get round to writing how they bond and such.

...it was 2018 when I wrote it, pretty unlikely I’ll write it anymore, so enjoy? :D

#bnha #boku no hero academia #mha #my hero academia #kacchako #boku no hero fanfic #uraraka ochako #bakugou katsuki #my writing #yeep wit time

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returnn-of-the-mac · 5 years ago

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So there’s this NPC from Borderlands 2 named Face McShooty. He wants to be shot in the face. So how would companions react when one day, an unarmed raider comes up to Sole Survivor’s face and starts screaming hysterically for them to shoot him in the face?

Sorry I’m only just getting to this now, I have like 2 weeks worth of headcanons in my inbox; I’m trying to through to them as fast as I can! I’ve never played the Borderlands games, but my boyfriend has and when he saw this request he got a kick out of it. Also, I know you wanted a raider, but I felt like Sole & crew would immediately attack a raider, unarmed or not, so I changed it to a crazy settler so there could be more opportunities for dialogue/interaction. Hope that’s okay with you! Anyway, thank you for your patience and please enjoy!😄

Edit: I FUCKING FORGOT HANCOCK but I added him in! *dodges rotten tatos*. I’m ashamed for forgetting such a fabulous ghoul. I like to change up the order of the companions so it’s different every time, so that’s probably how it happens. My b.

Edit 2: Preston was the first react I did for this one, but *apparently* I don’t know how to copy & paste correctly and I missed him. So I added him at the bottom. Sorry bout that, folks.

FO4 Companions React: Crazy Man Asking to be Shot in the Face

Sole and their companion where just leaving their newly captured settlement, Outpost Zimonja, when they head rustling in the bushes. Fully alert, the pair approached the bush, expecting a mole rat or mongrel to attack. Instead, a man jumped out of the bush. He was almost completely naked and had a target painted on his face. He immediately ran up to Sole, got up in their face, and started violently chanting “Shoot me! Shoot me! Shoot me!”:

Gage: “Listen up, punk. Ya better lay off. Ya don’t know who you’re messin with.” The man ran up to Sole and his deranged chanting became more aggressive. Gage glanced at Sole. “Do whatcha wanna do, boss. If it were me, I’d fuck this guy up.” Sole pulled out their gun and shot the man in the face without a second thought. Gage smirked. “Good choice. This is why your in charge, boss.”

X6-88: “Are you positive that’s what you want, sir?” X6 asked the settler. “Shoot me! Shoot me! Shoot me!” the settler continued to chant. X6 looked at Sole and gave them a knowing nod. Sole whipped out their weapon and shot the man in between the eyes.

Deacon: “Chill out, buddy. You wanna talk it out?” The man continued to holler like a lunatic. “Hmm, yes, yes. Those are some deep thoughts.” Deacon joked. “I sometimes want to be shot in the face too. That’s just how it be sometimes.” As the man became more violent and invasive, Deacon stopped joking around. “Okay pal, seriously though. If you don’t back off we’re actually gonna have to shoot you...in the face, per your request, of course.” The man ignored Deacon’s warning and continued to harass Sole. Sole finally pulled out their gun and shot him. Deacon shrugged. “Well, he asked for it...literally.

Curie: “Monsieur, please, calm down,” Curie pleaded, “You are unsound. You are going to hurt both yourself and others if you are not careful. You are in crisis...Parson’s is no longer in operation, but I’m sure we could find you someone to talk to.” The man continued to yell and get in Sole’s face. Curie tried again, this time, speaking to the crazed man more firmly. “Sir, if you do not calm down, we are going to have no other choice but to defend ourselves.” The man continued to aggravate the pair. Sole pulled out their gun and fired. The man died instantly. “I’m upset we had to do it, but we had to stay safe.”

Dogmeat: Dogmeat barked and growled at the man. When the settler refused to stop yelling, Dogmeat lunged and held the man down. He looked over at Sole and the two locked eyes. Mutual understanding. Sole aimed and pulled the trigger, careful to avoid their canine friend. The bullet whizzed by Dogmeat and struck the settler in the head. He died instantly.

Piper: “Uh...Sir? Is there a reason you want to be shot at? Do you wanna talk it out or something?” The settler continued yelling. When he realized that Sole was hesitating to pull the trigger, he got even closer and louder.” “Hey! Dude, back off! Piper angrily interjected, “Blue, I mean I’m against killing innocent people, but if you feel threatened...” Sole pulled the trigger and the man went flying backwards by the force. “Shame it came to that, but there was nothing we could have done to help him.”

Ada: “Are you sure that is what you want, sir?” Ada asked the settler. “Several data scans suggest that if shot in the face by this individual, your chances of survival are a mere 0.831% chance.” The insane man continued to spew nonsense. Sole finally decided to pull the trigger, killing the man instantly.

Cait: “Ye better back the fuck up or we will put a bullet through yer skull.” Cait threatened. When the settler got closer to the pair and seemingly more belligerent, Cait pulled out her shotgun. “Ye asked for it!” She pulled the trigger and sent the man flying backwards. He hit the ground with a sickening thud. “And that’s how ye do it.”

Strong: “Human annoying. Go away or Strong smash.” The man continued to shout and get in Sole’s face. Strong had had enough. “WHY HUMAN NO STOP? STRONG SMASH!” With a mighty swing of his supersledge, Strong sent the deranged settler flying. He was dead before he hit the ground. Strong then turned to Sole. “Crazy human bad. Strong protect good human.”

Danse: “I suggest you back up and cool off, civilian,” Danse warned. “Otherwise, we’ll have no other choice but to execute you for the reason of self-defense.” The psychotic settler contributed to invade Sole’s space. As more time passed, his demeanor became increasingly threatening. Being a man of his word— and not wanting to see this obviously unstable man hurt his partner— Danse pulled out his laser rifle and vaporized him. “Threat neutralized.”

Codsworth: “Uh...[sir/mum]. This man seems dangerous and unstable. Please, be wary.” The crazy settler continued to chant “shoot me!” as he inched closer and closer to Sole and Codsworth. “Maybe...maybe you should just do what he says.” Sole, in agreement, pulled out their gun and shot the man between the eyes. He fell to the ground, dead. “I’m glad that’s over.”

Longfellow: “You need to stop.” Longfellow walked over to the man. “If something’s wrong talk it out. Or have a damn drink. Don’t just go around hollering like a lunatic.” He held out a bottle of whiskey. “Speaking of which: would you like a drink?” The man slapped the bottle out of Longfellow’s hand and continued screaming. Longfellow, infuriated, gave Sole a sharp look. “Do what you need to do.” Sole pulled the trigger and the man was killed instantly.

MacCready: MacCready chucked, “No way, a voluntary target? I’d be more than happy to help you out!”!Sole stepped aside and let MacCready have the satisfaction of blowing the deranged settler’s brains out. The ex-gunner smirked as he loaded his gun, aimed, and fired. The settler was killed instantly. MacCready set his weapon down and looked at Sole. “I swear, I’m not completely heartless. This guy was just obviously looking for trouble.”

Nick: “Listen pal. Lay off my friend here. We don’t want any trouble.” The man continued to yell “shoot me!” After a few moments, nick pulled out his gun. “Last warning: Back off. This doesn’t have to get messy.” When the man continued his tirade, Nick looked at Sole and nodded. Sole shot the man in the face, killing him instantly. “It’s a shame it came to that, but we didn’t have any other option, really.”

Hancock: “Chill out, brother.” Hancock said, “Life can get tough, but that doesn’t justify harassing my friend here until [he/she] blows your brains out.” The man continued to shout madly. Hancock reached into his pocket and took out some Jet, “Here, brother. Try some of this. It really takes the edge off.” The man ignored the ghoul and continued to breach Sole’s personal space. “Okay. I’ve tried reasoning with you,” Hancock stated firmly, now serious, “but you’re crossing a line here. Hurt my friend, and I’ll end you.” The crazed settler cease his threatening behavior. Hancock shot Sole a sharp look, “Good o for it.” Sole pulled out their gun and fired. The man dropped to the ground, dead.

Preston: “Sir, if you are upset, I’m sure we can work something out. Ending your life isn’t the answer.” The man continued to holler. “General, you don’t need to shoot him, just give him some time to calm down. He’ll come around.” Minutes passed and the settler became increasingly unruly and dangerous. Preston looked at Sole. “You can decide what you want to do. He’s obviously troubled but..he’s also a threat.” Sole, feeling extremely uncomfortable by the man, loaded their gun without hesitation and shot him in the face. He was instantly killed.

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eldritchrisingarchive · 5 years ago

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ON THIS EPISODE OF THINGS NO ONE ASKED FOR : A CATEGORICAL SORTING OF ALLOF MY MUSES INTO THEIR POTENTIAL ROLES IN A GENERALIZED RPG SETTING PART ONE. aka what role would they play in a video game setting.

#1- 5 lex foster, col. amanda schaffer, charlotte mitchell, claudia york, deb murphy

no one asked for this but this but here we are. will i make this into a hatchetfield rpg type thing ? only time will tell. probably at least a timeline

storylines : tgwdlm * post canon dlc / black friday player type : tank / dps / healer grey touched : yes / no

ALEXANDRA ‘ LEX ’ FOSTER

class : shaman locations : lakeside mall, lakeview trailer park, hatchetfield high first encounter ( black friday ) : an employee at toy zone, lex can be found lingering outside of toy zone prior to her shift. she cannot be recruited during the first encounter. she has a job to do. when the riots begin, lex can be saved from wiggly’s devotees and becomes a companion if the player agrees to search for hannah and ethan. if the player refuses after saving her, they will cross paths with her at later points in the game in which she is pursuing her own storyline where she is the protagonist, searching both for her sister and ethan, and a way to stop wiggly and his followers. the first of these remains her top priority. roles : potential protagonist, companion ( dps ) brief description : lex foster is primarily driven during the game by her drive to find her sister, she is a crucial piece of the puzzle when it comes to surviving the game, and if not recruited, the game becomes significantly harder but not impossible to win. as dps goes, she is not the most effective in the game, but is often one of the most perceptive members of the party, and upon accessing her connection to the black and white, becomes invaluable as a guiding force for the party. strengths : strong sense of survival instinct and loyalty, hand to hand combat experience, aware of a number of routes unknown to the player if she isn’t in the party. weaknesses : driven almost entirely by her pursuit of finding hannah and ethan, is not an experienced killer and is at times hesitant to make the final blow, in the event of ethan’s death if the player chooses to tell her she will be temporarily incapacitated by the news. interesting facts : if lex is rescued during the beginning of the riots, she retains the box cutter, meaning linda does not have it later on. this does not save frank’s life, but it does result in linda using different threats if hannah is eventually caught by wiggly’s followers. if ethan dies and the protagonist keeps this information from her and she finds out lex will immediately leave the party and will be openly antagonistic to the player, to the point of impeding their progress whenever it does not impede her own.

COL. AMANDA SCHAFFER

class : paladin ( oath of the watchers ) location : downtown first encounter ( tgwdlm dlc ) : amanda is the woman in charge of the clivesdale civilian base, and has been immunized to the apotheosis by the government. she is not available as a constant companion, only for specific side missions. she takes her position quite seriously and is the deciding factor on whether someone is admitted into the civilian base, requiring at least three clean blood tests during a 48 hour isolation period. first encounter ( black friday ) : amanda is boots on the ground reinforcements against wiggly’s followers during the hatchetfield riots. rather than being in the mall, she is roaming the downtown district, destroying dolls whenever possible and taking down violent rioters with lethal force as necessary, and restraining those able to be restrained. the current makeshift prison is the local animal shelter. they have been disarmed and are incapacitated. amanda can be found in near the animal shelter or hardware store if not recruited as a companion. roles : npc or companion ( primary dps / secondary tank ) brief description : amanda is loyal first and foremost to peip and the well being of the united states of america, receiving her orders directly from general john mcnamara and acting under his authority as he pursues a separate but equally important task regarding the leader of the free world. she can be recruited by the player if amanda truly believes the player capable of helping to defeat wiggly at the source. proving this requires the collection of five destroyed wiggly dolls to show devotion to the cause. strengths : impervious to wiggly ( peip training ), dislikes musicals, extensive military training, emergency medical training, immunized to the apotheosis weaknesses : prioritization of her assigned task over the player, can be demanding, will not stray from her training, used to being in charge interesting facts : amanda’s radio is one of the most useful tools for retaining up to date information in both tgwdlm and black friday’s storylines, following the death of general john mcnamara late in the black friday storyline amanda is forcibly removed from the party as she is the de facto leader of peip and must return to headquarters but will authorize the player to use her firearm the most powerful gun in the game.

CHARLOTTE MITCHELL

class : feral druid location : ccrp technical, lakeside mall, willow park apartments first encounter ( tgwdlm ) : charlotte can be found hiding not far from the ccrp technical building, having lost the group she was with, and speaking with her triggers an escort mission automatically. she knows where the other survivors were heading and will take the most direct path to get there, and while this escort mission leads to a safehouse with a number of supplies, it is a notoriously difficult mission as it runs directly through downtown. first encounter ( black friday ) : charlotte is one of the first wiggly followers to be encountered, but is not the most devout. her minor fight is able to be averted with the pre-fight conversation. if averted, charlotte will flee the mall and may be found by the entrance of the willow park apartments. if not averted, when defeated, all potential benefits of her escort missions and fetch quests are lost. role : npc with escort missions and fetch quests, potential minor antagonist. brief description : strengths : provides solid bonuses upon completion of quests, can turn into a large feral cat during escort missions to assist in fighting. weaknesses : not the most intelligent, will run headfirst into danger, easily distracted by cats and love interesting facts : items can be found in charlotte and sam’s apartment during her tgwdlm fetch quests that can be beneficial in interactions with sam and ted later in the game. they are not necessary to complete the game. if you agree to collect charlotte’s cats but instead choose to let them loose, you will later have to face charlotte in her druid form. it’s not an exceptionally difficult boss fight but can be annoying as it tends to occur at inconvenient times.

CLAUDIA YORK

class : seer location : varies first encounter : claudia is only found by those who read the graffiti and notes scattered through the game. interactions can be unlocked approximately one-third of the way into the game in both storylines. roles : npc with lore heavy quest line brief description : claudia can be a significant wealth of cryptic information on events both past and present, and if approached at different points throughout the game will provide answers and clues as to the strengths and weaknesses of enemies as well as clues of where to go next to continue the story. strengths : visionary abilities, directly in tune with the black and white weaknesses : incredibly cryptic, susceptible to sneak attacks interesting facts : if amanda has been recruited in the black friday storyline and is in the player’s party when speaking with claudia she can be gifted a radio that allows for communication with the player until amanda’s departure from the party, similarly an escort mission opens in tgwdlm dlc in which if you speak to amanda at the civilian base she will offer to join your party to escort claudia to the civilian base. if this mission is completed then claudia will supply messages to the party over schaffer’s radio from the base.

DEBORAH ‘ DEB ’ MURPHY

class : monk ( way of mercy ) location : hatchetfield high, lakeside mall, downtown, the bus station first encounter ( tgwdlm ) : deb can be found on their way to the bus station, checking their phone regularly for texts from their girlfriend. they cannot be recruited as a companion until meeting them for the second time, but they can give interesting first-hand information about the destruction of the starlight theatre the night before. first encounter ( black friday ) : deb is in the downtown area, attempting to help those injured in the riots. they’ve managed to stockpile a small amount of medical supplies, and can be recruited through a fetch quest for supplies to help someone with more extensive wounds. roles : npc, potential minor antagonist, potential companion ( healer ) brief description : an artist and passionate person, deb is a somewhat unlikely survivor of both wiggly and the apotheosis, but there is hope for them yet if they are restrained rather than executed following the infected!alice boss fight. an option that is always presented to the player, but at times has dire consequences. if restrained, and not executed by peip, deb will revert to her human self within 36 hours provided that infected!alice was also restrained and not killed. strengths : skilled healer, creative thinking, first-hand knowledge of the apotheosis from the night before. witness to early infections. weaknesses : susceptible to the apotheosis, wants to help as many as they can even when it’s impractical, sometimes a bit too creative with their solutions interesting facts : if recruited before infected, deb can be a useful ally in the fight against infected!alice, when paired with bill despite their bickering they can help the real alice break through the infection proving for the first time in the game that someone can survive infection, when paired with elaine further backstory about both deb and elaine can be discovered but productivity decreases immensely as they distract each other and others with their constant bickering.

#LEX.GEN ✂︎ ━━ there are things that have to be forgotten if you want to go on living ¸#SCHAFFER.GEN ✂︎ ━━ you must make that choice yourself ¸ and live with it for the rest of your days ¸ as i have ¸#CHARLOTTE.GEN ✂︎ ━━ i am pulling myself from your hands and digging my roots back in ¸#CLAUDIA.GEN ✂︎ ━━ to hope for someone’s freedom and not have to be the angry bitch to demand it ¸#DEB.GEN ✂︎ ━━ orange red of evening ¸ of clouds as tall as palm trees ¸ whorled around like hair down a drain ¸#i have spent too much goddamn time on this

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menphinasbow · 5 years ago

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Trust NPC - Yvaine Aradia

Selection Confirmation: “Leave it to me!”

Job: Bard

Weapons: Bow

AI Behavior: Yvaine can only be selected together with Khit’li, who is her default healer (and recently tank). Even though she is the DPS, she has the tendency to wander ahead of the tank in an effort to protect everyone else from danger. In battle, she is fast and agile, weaving out of various AOEs while maintaining a constant barrage of attacks. She will always stick together with her group and watch over everyone, warning others of incoming danger or sometimes putting herself in between them and the enemy, to the endless frustration of her tank/healer. When someone is incapacitated or trapped, she will be the first to focus on them to break them out of it.

She keeps up her songs constantly in an effort to rally everyone and will be extremely focused on battle but much more relaxed and friendly once the danger has passed. She’ll give little encouragements or friendly comments to her companions in between battles or after they defeat a boss. At the end, she will cheer and play everyone a joyful tune before they leave, unless the boss they had to kill was a friend turned enemy or the situation is otherwise somber.

She sticks closest to Khit’li but is happy to interact with everyone. On platforms that rely on speed and agility, she excels the most and will cross that treacherous bridge ahead of everyone else, flinging arrows the whole time.

Dungeon Start:

“We can do this if we all work together. I believe in you!” - Variant One

“Let’s stick together and be careful.” - Variant Two

Battle Lines:

“Here we go.” - Starting Attack

“May this melody embolden you!” - Using a Skill [ Bard Song / Battle Voice ]

“Don’t worry, I’ve got you!” - Assisting an Ally

“We did it.” - Victory [ Variant One ]

“It had to be done.” - Victory [ Variant Two - Somber Version ]

Limit Break:

“I’ve got this!” - Using Limit Break [ Tier I ]

“This finishes now!” - Using Limit Break [ Tier II ]

“...” - Using Limit Break [ Tier III - Swan Song ] / She does not use LB3 unless the battle has gone in a horribly bad direction (lots of people dying, etc). When that happens, there are no words, only her song. And then her arrows of mercy.

“You’ve saved us!” - Ally uses Limit Break

KO’d:

“Not... yet...” - Variation 1

“Khit’li...” - Variation 2

Revived:

“Thank you for saving me.” - Variant One

“I owe you my life [as usual (if revived by Khit’li)].” - Variant Two

TEMPLATE HERE

Tagged by: @lordofcrowns (Thank you!)

Tagging: has anyone not done this yet? If so, consider yourself tagged!

#character meme

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aion-rsa · 3 years ago

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15 Best Video Game NPCs Ever

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Free Guy follows a video game NPC who becomes aware of the circumstances of their existence and uses that newfound awareness to become the star of a game that they were only ever supposed to be a bit player in. It’s ultimately a look at the little people in video games and how easy it is to ignore them.

Of course, most gamers know that NPCs can be so much more than non-playable characters. While there are some NPCs that are little more than seat fillers in some of the largest and most elaborate video game worlds ever, others have used their supporting roles to steal the show and establish themselves as legends in their own right.

From mistranslated villagers and merchants to dogs and knights, these are some of the absolute best video game NPCs ever.

15. Error – Zelda II: The Adventures of Link

With the immortal introductory line “I am Error,” this humble NPC from Link’s bizarre second adventure found a home in the memories of a generation of gamers that wondered what the story behind this seemingly glitched character was.

It turns out that Error’s bizarre dialog can be attributed to good old-fashioned translation issues, but this is a prime example of a seemingly meaningless NPC’s ability to work their way into our hearts despite being given almost no time to shine.

14. The Merchant – Resident Evil 4

For anyone who played the Resident Evil games up until the release of Resident Evil 4, the joy of encountering “The Merchant” cannot be overstated. Just when you thought you were about to have to battle yet another insane villager in a Wicker Man setting, the Merchant speaks cryptically, opens their coat, and offers you a very surprising helping hand.

The Merchant’s sporadic appearances and unique role made them an instant favorite among franchise fans, but it’s the character’s mysterious nature that makes them so compelling all these years later. We still don’t know a lot about the Merchant, and that’s the way it arguably should be.

13. Jeff “Joker” Moreau – Mass Effect Trilogy

There’s no shortage of incredible characters in the Mass Effect franchise, but since we’ve already shown a lot of love to the game’s best squad companions, let’s talk about one of Mass Effect’s best NPCs that can’t join your away team: Joker.

Along with being one of the best pilots in the Alliance fleet, Joker is one of Mass Effect’s most consistently funniest characters. BioWare did a brilliant job of growing Joker’s story arc in future games, but he always remained a source of strength was always there to help make the Normandy feel like a home.

12. Elizabeth – BioShock Infinite

It’s fascinating to see how divisive BioShock Infinite remains eight years after its release, but one of the things that the game absolutely got right was Elizabeth’s role as an NPC companion.

At a time when it was still fairly common to have to babysit your companions (even though there had obviously been tremendous advances in that area by this point), Elizabeth proved to be a more than capable partner who not only used her unique abilities to help you out of tight spots but would even occasionally toss you ammo and health. Elizabeth is an incredible character in her own right, but few games have ever made an A.I. partner feel so invaluable.

11. The Narrator – Stanley Parable

It feels strange calling Stanley Parable’s narrator an NPC given that they’re the main reason that this game is one of the best of the last decade, but this disembodied voice certainly meets the technical requirements for that role.

The narrator’s determination to get you to follow The Stanley Parable’s most obvious path forward is bested only by the dry, witty frustration he exhibits whenever you start to veer off-course. He’s the real star at this look at the relationship between choice and storytelling in gaming.

10. Cortana – Halo (Franchise)

Cortana is absolutely a strong character in her own right, but the thing that makes her stand out among the best NPCs ever is the nature of her relationship with Master Chief and you as the player.

Cortana is the voice in your head that manages to guide you along the path while making the world feel a little more interesting along the way. At a time when gamers grit their teeth at the mere mention of the words “Hey listen,” Cortana proved that it was possible to make such a character feel like an irreplaceable part of what is ultimately the player’s journey.

9. Dogmeat – Fallout (Franchise)

Truth be told, you could fill a list of the best NPCs in gaming history with Fallout characters and it would be difficult to argue with you. However, it’s hard not to ultimately give the nod to Dogmeat. Not only is this companion one of the most consistent sights in the Fallout universe, but their status as the absolute goodest boy/girl is undeniable.

In a series filled with moral ambiguity and complex characters with unique agendas, Dogmeat is…well…a dog. They’re loyal, loving, and willing to help you in any way that they can. They’re as perfect of a companion as you could ever ask for, and they make the wasteland feel just a little less hostile.

8. Phillip “The Bloody Baron” Strenger – The Witcher 3

In a game that’s arguably best known for a collection of side quests and side characters that are better than most of the main stories and main characters seen in other games, it’s telling that “The Bloody Baron” is regularly referred to as the highlight of this epic adventure.

The Bloody Baron may get more screen time than the average NPC, but it honestly doesn’t take long for this morally complex and utterly fascinating character to simply steal the show. He’s one of the best examples of why you should take the time to get to know the various inhabitants of RPG worlds.

Games

25 Best RPGs Ever Made

By Matthew Byrd

Games

25 Best First-Person Shooter Games Ever Made

By Matthew Byrd

7. Sans – Undertale

While it sometimes feels like blasphemy to rank one Undertale character over another given how well-rounded and important so many of the game’s NPCs end up being, it’s hard to talk about the game’s best characters for long without the conversation turning to Sans.

This apathetic skeleton’s most tragically relatable quality is his tendency to pivot between whether or not the futility of his existence is a reason to do nothing or if it’s all the more reason to relax and have fun. He practically embodies this game’s complex morality and wicked sense of humor.

6. Hal “Otacon” Emmerich – Metal Gear Solid (Franchise)

Granted, Otacon doesn’t exactly make a great first impression (he wets his pants the first time you meet him), but this quirky scientist has to be one of gaming’s best examples of how an NPC can grow on you over time.

While it’s easy to champion the way that Otacon becomes slightly more badass over the course of this series, his most enduring qualities are the two things that never really change: his weirdness and commitment to going above and beyond to try to help. He’s one of the most “pure’ Kojima characters.

5. Tom Nook – Animal Crossing (Franchise)

The debate over whether Tom Nook is the quiet hero of Animal Crossing or little more than a loan shark who introduces this quaint world to the joys of capitalism will rage on, but nobody walks away from Animal Crossing without some kind of thoughts about this true icon.

Tom Nook helps you get started in the world of Animal Crossing and is often the character you need to go to whenever you want to move on to the next part of your adventure. He’s kind of a gatekeeper in that sense, but he’s also the thing that keeps the Animal Crossing experience consistently compelling.

4. HK-47 – Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic

You do technically have the ability to control HK-47 during combat sequence, which means that their presence on this list could be considered a bit of a cheat. However, I dare you to play Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic and let that technicality get in the way of giving this character the love they deserve.

While KOTOR’s morality system helped distinguish it from so many other console RPGs of its era, there’s always been something undeniably compelling about HK-47’s wonderfully uncomplicated moral code. He sees every human as a “meatbag” and struggles to understand why you wouldn’t just blast your way out of a situation.

3. Solaire of Astora – Dark Souls

Solaire of Astora is everything that you’re not expecting to find in Dark Souls. He’s optimistic, friendly, and, if you play your cards right, helpful.

While it’s possible for Solaire to succumb to insanity if you make the wrong choices along the way, he’s best remembered for his unusual commitment to the idea that there is hope and good in the game’s overwhelmingly dark world. His viewpoint may be idealistic, but you cannot deny the purity of his spirit and intentions. “Praise the sun” indeed.

2. Cave Johnson – Portal 2

It’s impossible to ignore that GLaDOS is indeed the most famous NPC in the Portal franchise as well as arguably one of the most memorable characters in video game history. Long after “the cake is a lie” became one of gaming’s most overused memes, though, it’s Cave Johnson that stands apart as one of this franchise’s greatest creations.

Cave Johnson is the former CEO of Aperture Science who apparently reached Mr. Burns levels of evilness before he died from moon rock poisoning. His incredible dialog (which, it must be said, is expertly delivered by the irreplaceable J.K. Simmons) includes some of Portal’s best jokes, but it’s when you start to spot the tragedy and world-building in-between his jokes that you really appreciate how much this character accomplishes.

1. M’aiq the Liar – The Elder Scrolls (Franchise)

I love an NPC who practically becomes the star of the show, but my heart goes out to the NPCs who occupy a small part of a game’s world but a large part of our hearts. So far as that goes, M’aiq the Liar may just stand alone.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

As the name implies, M’aiq the Liar isn’t always entirely truthful. While those lies are often hilarious and clever, M’aiq is best known as a kind of unofficial developers’ commentary track. He often addresses meta subjects regarding missing features and misunderstood pieces of lore but does it in ways that make it difficult to separate the world-building from the Easter eggs. He’s the perfect reminder of the ways that the best video game NPCs can surprise you.

The post 15 Best Video Game NPCs Ever appeared first on Den of Geek.

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brownstonearmy · 3 years ago

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2021-03-20: Court Ordered Appearances (Part 2)

Tuesday Aug 25 (early afternoon, breezy)

After a short rest and some government-provided healing, Disco and Spleenifer are reunited with Lucky and Norm. A "delay in jurisdictional clarification" resulted in Norm arriving after the dirty job had been completed. It seems more like the law was showing favoritism to one of its officers, but who are we to judge the way the wheels of justice move?

Lucky looks quite a bit different today, as the court's summoning magic backfired and sent her into a plane where time runs differently. It's been two years since she last saw her companions, and her hair is now much longer and dyed blueberry blue with exposed roots. The courts gave the pair an emergency travel stipend of 1,000 GP each (with a little extra coin for Lucky on the side, on the condition that she not speak publicly about the government stranding her in another plane of reality for two years.

But before anyone can get too comfortable, court is called into session with the Honorable Drummond Lackman presiding over the case. The party is ushered to the Defense's bench where a Dwarven public defender is writing in a book, seemingly unaware that court has started. The Prosecution takes the floor to make opening statements, and that's when the party notices the Prosecution is not actually a man, but a Satyr named Ander Reedfellow.

The stakes are now apparent. In Swanmark, the penalty for murder is murder in turn. If there is no verdict by the time the bells toll 5, the verdict is death by default.

Ander calls his first witness to the stand: a sheep farmer named Melvil Ulmok. Melvil's testimony concerns a recent transaction involving Anaxilas. Apparently Mr. Ulmok sold a few sheep to Anaxilas, who didn't care what kind of sheep he bought. When Anaxilas was asked his intentions regarding the sheep, his answers to Mr. Ulmok were evasive. Melvil ends his testimony on an explosive accusation: "I say he's a ram-fucker."

The party persuades the public defender, Warden Alebrewer, to call Anaxilas's romantic partner, Norbert Haversham, to the stand to rebut the allegations. Norbert was not scheduled to be a witness in the testimony, but was in the audience watching the proceedings. Judge Lackman allows it, and Norbert reluctantly takes the stand. However, the line of questioning immediately turns to matters of the bedroom and Norbert refuses to answer those questions in public. Not because it's shameful or anything, but because it's generally not anyone else's business.

Ander Reedfellow calls another witness: Gimgen Brawnanvil. Astute readers may recall that Gimgen was a minor NPC who showed up way back in the early days of the campaign. He tried (and failed) to eat The Hole Thing. Ander asks Gimgen if he knows the some of the people defending the Anaxilas.

Gimgen identifies Disco and Lucky as being behind The Hole Thing eating contest. Although Gimgen was not forced to eat, the foul concoction forced him to un-eat (if you catch my drift) and also lose his prized Dwarven accent. If these are the kind of people trying to defend Anaxilas and the dragon, what does that say about Anaxilas's character if he's associating with these people? Clearly Bargulena was justified in eating him as a matter of civic service!

Lucky interrupts the proceedings by shouting "We have never intentionally hurt anyone, except for those who deserved it or for whom it would be funny."

Judge Lackman threatens Lucky with contempt of court and calls for order, while Warden requests a break to strategize their defense with the party since the prosecution is running roughshod over the defense.

In the defense's chambers, Warden explains that he's a public defender who gets a lot of cases and doesn't usually even get his case files until a few minutes before court. The defense packet for the This isn't ideal, but since the party happens to know Anaxilas, maybe they would be willing to take the lead on the defense?

Norm investigates the last known image of Anaxilas recorded on an adventure stone. It features a dragon yawning really wide while Anaxilas is standing at full height with his sword drawn. The image in question was taken by Anaxilas superfan, Gigi Hardcastle. When the party casts Locate Person on Anaxilas, it seems to ping the belt recovered from Bargulena's stomach.

With his experience as a police investigator, Norm is immediately suspicious that Gigi doesn't have a picture of the dragon closing its mouth. Disco has their own suspicions, because Norbert isn't nearly as broken up about the death of Anaxilas they would think.

Gigi and Norbert are requested for additional interrogation by the party, and the bailiff retrieves them. When Disco questions Norbert about his lack of sadness about losing a romantic partner, he divulges that he received a letter from Anaxilas that was dated AFTER his disappearance. The note reads:

"Norbert, my beloved, see you soon."

The conversation with Gigi is not as immediately helpful. She demands the dragon be called as a witness so the dragon can confess and be put to death. Gigi also cryptically mentions that there are things at play here that she cannot divulge and she only knows a piece of the puzzle. But her role is to see Bargulena executed and get near the dragon when it happens.

Once court is back in session, the dragon Bargulena is called as a witness. As the time draws closer to the evening, a floating black shroud of an executioner has appeared in the courtroom. Bargulena takes the stand, or at least her head and neck do, since she doesn't quite fit in the court.

Bargulena is clearly under some powerful sedatives and speaks with a slurred voice that oscillates between belligerence and mirthful honesty. Ander Reedfellow begins the cross-examination. "Did you eat Anaxilas, the celebrity adventurer?"

"Yes," Bargulena answers. "He tasted like cologne and sweat."

Norm asks Bargulena to open her mouth wide. Bargulena's teeth match the teeth featured in Gigi's picture.

Disco begins interrogating Bargulena, still trying to prove the dragon's innocence. Bargulena, however, is not having it. She professes her guilt over and over. Eventually it is decided that the best way to prove the innocence of a dragon who doesn't want to be proven innocent is to forcibly discharge Bargulena's bowels.

Cornelius von Tinkelwasser happens to be present at the court as an expert witness who gave testimony earlier in the case while the party was investigating Bargulena's guts. Spleenifer asks if Cornelius has his portable enema kit (of course he does, duh!), and so Spleenifer and Cornelius work together to pressurize Bargulena's bowels.

Moments later, a flood of magical dragon poop is unleashed. Cornelius is right in the middle of what sanitation professionals call "the splash zone," and he gets covered in partially digested dragon dinners.

Also escaping from the poopy prison are the drow who had been living in Bargulena's stomach as well as Monsignor Gryllz. During the commotion, Cornelius emerges from the splash zone transformed into a Werecorn. It's like a werewolf, but you know... an angry corn monster. Thankfully, Cornelius doesn't appear to be hostile, but there's yet another wrinkle in this courtroom chaos!

Several drow ladies led by a drow named Jenneleth materialize in the courtroom. Jenneleth has been trying to find her brother for the last 200 years, and she intends to make him pay for his insolence and willingness to associate with lesser races. She casts a spell to summon shadowy tentacles, but Lucky counterspells it and triggers a wild magic surge. Lightning appears on the ceiling and a pleasant breeze wafts through the courtroom.

Meanwhile, Disco is arguing against Jenneleth's abhorrent racial perspectives: "Having hooked up with many races, there is no lesser race."

Disco breaks out their lute and gets the party's energy pumping, as well as pumping out a seductive song for Jenneleth in an attempt to get her to consider the "other side." Although a string breaks on Disco's lute, the song is still at least a little bit appreciated by Jenneleth.

Jenneleth briefly considers "debasing herself with an inferior race," but ultimately opts to just keep on trying to destroy the whole courthouse in an attempt to capture or kill her brother.

Lucky notices a suspicious bucket that appears to be poison for the execution. She cast Thunder Step to blink over to the bucket and tosses it into the portable hole in an attempt to control access to it in case someone tries to execute Bargulena. Jenneleth tries to firebolt Gigi, but Gigi manages to get close to Bargulena and Lucky tosses the poison to her, because the party's not going to be the one killing a dragon.

As Gigi administers the poison, the large gem in her spider chair begins to glow as Bargulena's soul flows into it. Monsignor Gryllz also begins glow, but that's because he's absorbing part of the Bargulena's soul. Once he's powered up a bit, Monsignor Gryllz cackles and flies away.

Disco grabs Norbert and demands to know what they're supposed to do next, but right now the most prudent course of action is going to be to get out of this deadly courtroom brawl. Lucky administers some of that good old fashioned magical invisibility on Disco as a swarm of tabloid clerics descend from the spectator area to try to cast speak with dead on the dragon's corpse. The spells of the tabloid clerics are ultimately unsuccessful.

Gigi still needs to escape the pandemonium, and that's when Norm decides to create a diversion for her. He pulls out his folding boat and OH MY GOSH WHAT IS THAT as a big boat appears in the middle of the courtroom. Six seconds of stunned silence follow as Gigi makes her way to the exit.

Once Norm retrieves his folding boat and the rest of the party is free of the courtroom that is rapidly crumbling to the ground from the cacophony of spells being fired within, Gigi gets questioned about what the next step is.

She pats the glowing gemstone in her chair. "The dragon knows where Anaxilas is."

Stay tuned next time for more!

#dragon #Dungeons and Dragons #drow #court #execution #adventure log #shits and giggles

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darkelfshadow · 7 years ago

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Session Summary - 34

AKA “Trials and Tribulations”

Adventures in Taggeriell

Session 34 (Date: 4th November 2017)

Players Present:

- Rob (Known as “Oloma”) Human Female.

- Bob (Known as “Sir Krondor”) Dwarf Male.

- Sean (Known as “Seanicus”) Elf Male.

- Paul (Known as “Labarett”) Elf Male.

- Phil (Known as “Nac”) Half-elf Male.

- Arthur (Known as “Gim”) Dwarf Male.

Absent Players

- Travis (Known as “Trenchant”) Human Male. <Played by Paul>

NPC

- (Known as “Naillae”) Elf Female. <Controlled by DM>

Summary

- Wealday, 10th of Kuthona in the year 814 (Second Era). Winter.

- The party begin this session, in the large gladiator stadium of the city of Earthcloak. The game has just ended, with victory going to a Dragonborn gladiator.

- Nac and Gim wander around the open stadium, tired, injured but still conscious, looking up into the upper stadium and the two thousand faces of the shouting fans. They look around the stadium floor and see the injured and unconscious bodies of Sir Krondor and Labarett, along with the unconscious bodies of the downed gladiators, being placed onto canvas and wood litters and carried into a side area that appears to be a healing station. Various attendants are looking over and applying healing ointments and bandages to wounds.

- Nac tries to follow the Dragonborn victor but he walks into a seperate side door and the door closes with a loud bang and a click, indicating it is locked.

- Trenchant and Naillae are not visible, as they have sat down again in the stands and the people in front of them are standing and cheering wildly.

- Oloma is standing alone in another side room, with two angry gladiators berating her for having cheated in the games by using magic. Seanicus is still waiting outside, looking through the entry gate into the lower stadium.

- Six Halflings dressed in leather armour and with a brown shoulder cape going over one shoulder, with a symbol of a sailing boat over a geometric pattern, the crest of Earthcloak, enter the room. These six Halflings are Constables of Earthcloak and the lead officer, a Halfling by the name of Lomi, informs Oloma she is under arrest for magic use.

- Oloma can see that the Halflings Constables are very nervous and scared of a magic user, their voices are shaky and their foreheads are sweating (Successful Insight check). Oloma lowers her weapon and calmly talks to the Constables.

- The conversation goes back and forth. Oloma is very apologetic and accepts that what she did was wrong. This seems to surprise the Constables, who act like Oloma might turn into a demon or beast at any moment, and seem unwilling to even approach the wielder of magic.

- A few minutes later however, the Constables faces suddenly show relief when four more Halflings suddenly arrive. These new Halfings show no fear and confidently walk into the room. They wear bright silver mithril chainmail with a blue tabard hanging over it. On the tabard is a pair of crossed silver swords. Hanging off the sides of these Halflings are a pair of gleaming silver mithril shortswords.

- The lead Constable, Lomi speaks, “Thank Yondalla. The Templars are here. She’s all yours!”

- Behind the Templars walks in the tall and dark muscular form of Awamir who runs the Gladiator stadium, “There she is, like I said. I have fully cooperated with your requests. I don’t want any trouble with the Templars of Arvoreen.”

- At the same time Nac, Gim, and the now somewhat healed and conscious Sir Krondor and Labarett, enter into the room with Oloma from the stadium side. Some of the party recognise the silver crossed swords on the tabard of the Templars, the symbol of the Halfing god Arvoreen, the god of protection, vigilance and war.

- The lead Templar walks forward, “In the name of Lord Conlan of Earthcloak and by the authority given to me by the Lord Protector of Earthcloak, Sir Gonad, I hereby place you under arrest for the use of prohibited magic.”

- A laugh erupts out of Sir Krondor, “Yep, that’ll teach you!”

- Oloma calmly replies, “Yes of course, I am most sorry. I panicked. I was hurt and confused and I lashed out at a friend when I should not have. Forgive me Labarett, I was wrong. I’m glad you’re up again.”

- Labarett simply nods, “What is done is done. Being on the great circle, we make mistakes, we learn, we grow and we become better than we were before.”

- The Elf Barbarian shakes the hand of Oloma and she nods back without speaking.

- The lead Templar speaks, “Enough of this. You are under arrest and coming with us now.”

- Oloma turns back to the Templar, “I am very sorry, would it help to make a public apology to the crowd?”

- The Templar pulls out a pair of silver manacles with an engraving of a pair of crossed swords on them, “No. You can explain yourself to Sir Gonad, it is he who will judge you.”

- Oloma does not resist the Templar when he places the manacles on her. As the manacles click Oloma feels something, like a pressure, move over her. The Templar explains that they will take her to the nearby wall fort, the Harbourwatch Castle. The party arrange with Awamir to collect their belongings, including Oloma’s equipment, which the Templars do not object to.

- Sir Krondor claps his hands and speaks, “Well, looks like we’re not needed here. Let’s get our gear and go.”

- Nac, Labarett, Gim and Sir Krondor turn and walk away. Oloma looks at their retreating backs with a sigh, wishing she had chosen a different course of action.

- After the four companions collect all the gear from the secured room of the gladiators, they exit the stadium, passing through the crowds of people at the main gate and look around for Seanicus. They are unable to find him as he is not there. Not knowing where the Warlock has gotten to, they make the decision to continue on their way to the White Wolf Tavern.

***

- Seanicus stands by the front main gate of the stadium, crowds of people pushing against him. The Warlock had seen the end of the game through the entry tunnel and saw the Dragonborn gladiator waving his sword in triumph. The Warlock whispered, “That guy would be 200 gold coins richer right now. Be a shame if someone was to robbed him.”

- Looking keenly at the Dragonborn gladiator the Warlock saw the tall figure walk into a far side room and door closed behind him. With nothing else to do, Seanicus stood by the main gate and waited. He was unaware of what was transpiring to his companions inside the stadium. After a few minutes he noticed a tall figure wearing a hooded cloak, coming out from a nearby side door in the stadium and walk away into a crowd of people outside. A cold wind blew the side of the hood aside for a second and Seanicus saw the flash of light playing on scales on the face, a Dragonborn.

- Seanicus smiled, “What are the chances that could be the gladiator? Follow him.”

- As the Warlock speaks those final two words a dark shadow appeared, visible only to the Warlock, a hound of pure darkness appeared silently at the feet of Seanicus. It immediately moved, unseen between the crowd and arrived at the tall hooded figure. The dark hound slipped into the shadow of the hooded figure, always following now, and alerting Seanicus to where the figure was at all times provided Seanicus did not fall too far behind.

- Seanicus followed behind the tall hooded figure, out of sight, but thanks to the shadow hound that now followed with the figure’s shadow, always aware of exactly where the man went. Through the crowded street the Warlock followed and then through a series of empty bending, winding and intersection smaller alleyways with tall buildings towering over him until Seanicus had no idea where the he was or which way was north.

- His shadow hound indicated the figure had stopped. Coming around a bend Seanicus saw that this alleyway ended at a dead end about 60’ away. A few closed doors lined the alleyway and windows above, shuttered closed, were visible. The tall hooded figure was standing near one door, slightly open, and appeared to be talking to someone inside. The alleyway was deserted of anyone else.

- Abandoning caution to the wind, Seanicus walked down the alleyway and neared the figure. As he finally got closer, the figure turned and looked at the Warlock, removing the hood, “What the fuck do you want?”

- Now that Seanicus could see the face and build of the figure up close he realised that this could not be the gladiator. The frame and shoulders were too narrow and this Dragonborn was lacking the large muscles he saw on the Dragonborn gladiator. Cursing his bad luck, the Warlock stopped and said, “I’m lost. I thought this was the way to main road. Could you direct me to where that is?”

- The Dragonborn laughed with a bark, “Fucking foreigners! Go back that way, turn right, right, second left, then third right and keep going.”

- Seanicus turned and walked away, whispering under his breath, “Come” and unseen to anyone but Seanicus the dark shape of the shadow hound left the Dragonborn and returned to the Warlock.

- Trying to follow the many bends and intersections and keep in mind what the Dragonborn told him, Seanicus did not at first see the three dark figures, leaning against the wall of one building. As he got nearer the three figures walked out to block the alleyway. The figures were short of height but wide. He couldn’t see there faces as there hoods covered them but he could see long beards protruding out; Dwarves. Warm breath blew out from each hood in the cold air.

- Seanicus turned his head to look behind as the sound of more footsteps alerted him to four more hooded figures now at his rear. The Warlock removed his golden war hammer and whispered to it in Dwarvish, “Tell these Dwarves I am the rightful wielder of you and I am worthy.”

- Seanicus held the war hammer up in the air, the dim light from the cloudy day, glinting off it. A deep voice came from the war hammer, in Dwarvish, “Fellow Dwarves! Honour this man, he is worthy and chosen by me to wield …”

- But one of the hooded figures shouted out, “That’s it! He’s the one the boss told us about. Get the hammer!”

- Seanicus lowered the war hammer, which had now stopped talking. The Warlock walked towards the closest hooded figure, “Oh you want this. Take it,” extending the hammer to within arms reach of the figure handle first.

- The hooded figure reached out with two hands, as another figure from the rear shouted too late, “Don’t grab it you fool!”

- But the warning was too late as the Dwarf did indeed grab the golden hammer and instantly fell over backwards with a thud as lightning arced around his body.

- Seanicus raises both his empty hands and with a spoken word two eldritch beams of energy burst forth towards the hooded Dwarves. Unfortunately for the Warlock, the Dwarves ran towards him and all started to grab at him. Thick, strong Dwarven arms wrapped around Seanicus waist, arms and neck. The warlock looked at two of the figures, and curled his finger to point at them, speaking a word, sending more eldritch beams to shoot forth.

- “Cover his mouth you fools!” shouted a deep voice.

- A dirty hand, smelling of brandy, came from behind the Warlock to cover his mouth. Then two Dwarves came to the front of him and started punching him to the face and stomach, nearly knocking him out.

- The Dwarf on the ground finally managed to release the war hammer (Successful Strength check) and it dropped to the ground. One Dwarf used a long pair of blacksmith tongs to pick it up and place it into a sack held by another Dwarf.

- Seanicus, his eye bloody from a punch to the head, looked up at his attackers. He could see under their dark outer cloaks they wore a white wolf cloak over a chainmail shirts.

- One of the Dwarves spoke, “What do we do with him now?”

- Another voice spoke, “The boss didn’t say to kill him.”

- “Yeah,” replied another voice, “But she didn’t say to not kill him either.”

- The group all burst out laughing now and a single voice says, “Slit his throat and leave him here.”

- Seanicus looked around the Dwarves, unable to do anything to stop this. Just then from down a nearby side alleyway a loud female voice shouted, “City Watch! You’re all under arrest! Stay where you are!”

- The group of Dwarves started to bolt and run down another alleyway, punching Seanicus to the ground as they left.

- As Seanicus hit the ground hard, he turned his head towards some of the fleeing Dwarves and spoke with a mouth filled with blood, “Follow!”

- Again a dark form of shadow appeared, and started to run towards the closest Dwarf, to merge into the figures shadow.

- Slowly the Warlock pushed himself up from the ground and began to jog towards where his shadow beast told him the Dwarves where headed. His head was throbbing and his side ached from the assault he had suffered. Seanicus was finding it difficult to maintain a fast enough pass to follow. Through gritted teeth the Warlock pushed himself, “Must keep up, else I’ll lose the connection.”

- Further and further behind the Warlock was getting, as the Dwarves purposely kept taking alternating paths and bends, until eventually the Warlock stopped to catch his breath, unable to sense the location of his shadow hound anymore.

- Hearing footsteps coming up behind him he quickly turned, expecting to see one of the hooded Dwarves back again to finish the job in killing him, when he saw a female Dwarf with striking orange hair moving towards him looking all around. She wore a brown travelling clock over studded leather armour. Two light throwing hammers hung from her side.

- Approaching the injured Warlock she asks, “Are you ok? You look hurt.”

- Seanicus recognises the voice as same one that called out about the City Watch. He looks her over, “Are you really with the city watch?”

- Again the female Dwarf looks around, “No I just said that to get the Dwarves to flee, but with you casting spells like that around here, you’ve likely attracted the attention of the Templars. Their Habourwatch Castle on the west wall is not far from here. We need to get out of here now if we’re to avoid them and do not use any more magic. Let me take you back to your companions at Rosee’s Inn.”

- “No, I need to follow those Dwarves. If I can get closer I will sense their location,” replied Seanicus wiping blood off his face.

- The female Dwarf replied, looking around, “No need, those Dwarves are the Jagged Blade Gang. I know where they hang out. You can sort them out later but we really need to get out of here before the Templars get here. Quick this way back to Rosee’s”

- Seanicus, with no idea where the Dwarves went, or which way it was to anywhere reluctantly starts to follow her, calling back his Shadow Hound which reappears with his own shadow. Seanicus snaps, “Wait. Wait! How did you know I was staying at Rosee’s and who exactly are you.”

- Without stopping, the female replied, “I’m Kirgrire, a Harper, and I think we need to both do some talking but first let’s get to Rosee’s and out of here.”

- Seanicus looks at her, not quite sure what a Harper is but before he can ask, the sound of running footsteps sound behind them and Kirgrire quickens her pace, “Templars! Run now! Talk later!”

- The pair run off through the alleyways and manage to avoid the Templars, making their way to Rosee’s Inn.

***

- Naillae and Trenchant have been sitting in the upper seats in the gladiator stadium, waiting and looking for the party to return to them. After half an hour Nailae looks over at Trenchant, “They have forgotten about us, haven’t they.”

- Trenchant sighs, “Yep. Let’s go and see if they’re outside. Maybe they’re waiting for us.”

- Naillae looks over at the Bard as they get up to leave the stadium, pushing through the crowds, “You don’t really believe that?”

- “Not for a second,” replies the Bard coldly.

***

- Oloma is taken by the Templars and led via another corridor to come to exit the stadium via a private side door. The four Templars and six Constables form a group around her. The Templars are not overly rough with her and in fact, behalf in a professional and fair manner.

- Oloma speaks to them along the short journey and learns a little of what is happening. She is taken to a large fort built into the west city wall, over looking the harbour entry, the Harbourwatch Castle. In the front of the castle has been built a large monument. There are twenty one life size statues of children, playing and looking happy. A small silver plaque is visible just under the monument but it is too small for Oloma to read as she walks past. She turns to one of the Templars, “What is that monument?”

- The Templar looks at the children and bows his head as he passes, as do all the Templars, “That my lady is why we Templars exist. Never again shall the children of Earthcloak be taken away from us by the evil doing of magic users.”

- But before she can ask anymore questions she is lead into the great fort and down a series of corridors until she finds herself in a large hall. There are many Templars around the Keep, performing various activities or training in weapons. Standing at attention, on guard, are six more Templars within the hall. The other four Templars that brought Oloma here direct her to a wooden chair and get her to sit down. She waits for a few minutes looking around. On a hunch, she tries to call forth a minor psionic power but nothing happens except for the manacles getting slightly warm.

- Soon a new group arrives at the hall. The two front templars, dressed in mithril chain and gold detail, lead the way for another figure. He too is wearing mithril chain, a grey cloak and dark green pants tucked into thick leather boots. Strapped to his back is a long mithril sword, much larger than what would be expected a Halfling could wield. His face is scared. The symbol of Earthcloak is engraved on his shoulder pauldrons.

- The new figure speaks, “Why is she bleeding?”

- One of the Templars speaks, “She was in the Gladiator games my lord.”

- The figure commands, “Get her a drink and remove the manacles. She is no threat in here with all of us.”

- One of the Templars unlocks the silver manacles whilst another moves over with a mug of water. Oloma takes it and drinks it, “Thank you.”

- The figure speaks, “I am the Lord Protector of Earthcloak, Sir Gonad Jahner, Knight Of The Order Of Arvoreen. You have been charged with using magic in the city of Earthcloak, which is prohibited. How do you plead?”

- Oloma looks up, “I am guilty my Lord, may I offer my sincerest apologies for my momentary loss of judgement and control during the games. I have dishonoured your city, your people, and my travelling companions, though that was never my intention.”

- Sir Gonad nods, “Very good. The Templars tell me you surrendered immediately and did not resist arrest. For that, and as this is your first offence as a visitor to our city, I shall give you the lowest punishment. You shall pay 50 gold coins and spend the day in the public stockade.”

- Oloma speaks, “My lord, I am Oloma Of The Living Blade, a visitor to both this city and these lands. My travelling companions and I are travelling through here on important business for the alliance of the Harpers, Order Of The Gauntlet, Emerald Enclave, and Lord’s Alliance. My Lord, within our group are Wardens Of Tyriba and we have been tasked with an important quest to stop the Dragon Cult from bringing Tiamat back into this world. Time is of the essence.”

- Sir Gonad turns to one of the Templars dressed in mithril and gold, “Does she speak the truth?”

- The Templar nods, “She does my lord, her words are true.”

- Sir Gonad continues, “We had heard the rumours of the Cult raising in the south and of the mercenary armies to the west lead by great Dragon Vorgansharax but we did not believe them. How credible is this threat? Do you believe it is possible that they can bring Tiamat back into this World?”

- Oloma replies, “Yes, from what I have seen and learnt, unless we can stop their plans I believe they will succeed in bringing the Dragon Queen back into our world.”

- Sir Gonad turns to the Templar, “She speaks the truth my lord.”

- “In that case, Oloma Of The Living Blade,” begins Sir Gonad, “Far be it for me to delay you and place our world in peril. I shall release you forthwith, and not subject you to a day in the stockade but I shall insist you still pay the fine of 50 gold coins. All men and women must obey the law, no matter their station.”

- Oloma thanks the Lord Protector for his mercy and then asks him about the monument of children outside this castle. She learns that the Templars of Arvoreen were created after a tragic incident about 150 years ago, in the 664th year of the second era, when 21 children went missing from Earthcloak, including the grand daughter of the Lord of Earthcloak at that time. The Constables of Earthcloak searched the city and eventually found a hidden lair of a wizard in the basement of one of the buildings within the city grounds. There they found the 21 children all dead and drained of their life, the result of vile and twisted acts. The looks on the children’s faces, and the injuries visible on their bodies, showed their final hours were not pleasant. As they searched the lair, a Halfing wizard appeared, the one who had abducted and killed the children. A fight broke out but the Constables were powerless against his great magic. He killed many Constables, laughing as he did so, and destroyed many buildings that day. The wizard fled the city, to where he went no one knowns. Little is known about the wizard except that he was called Yarash and had the accent of someone from the eastern lands of Tikoran. Since that day the Office of Lord Protector of Earthcloak and The Order of Templars Of Arvoreen were created and trained to deal with magic users. All magic has been banned from the city since that day.

- Oloma thanks the Lord for his time and leaves the Habourwatch Castle. There is no one waiting for her outside and she has no idea where anyone is. She decides to walk back to Rosee’s Inn, which will take her past the Gladiator stadium again.

***

- Naillae and Trenchant have now been standing outside the Gladiator stadium for ten minutes.

- Trenchant speaks, “We’ve waited long enough, we’re headed back to Rosee’s Inn.”

- Naillae quickly speaks, “We’re alone. In a strange city. We could go exploring, just you and me. We could have some lunch and then maybe a drink or two, and ….”

- Just then Oloma’s voice calls out, interrupting Naillae, “Hey, over here. Wait up!”

- Trenchant looks relieved to have a third person join them and enthusiastically waves Oloma to join them.

- Oloma comes jogging up to the pair, “I’m not interrupting you too?”

- Naillae says, “Yes” at the same time Trenchant says, “No, please join us.”

- Oloma fills them in what happened at the stadium. All three decide to head back together to Rosee’s Inn as no one is sure where the others are.

***

- At Rosee’s Inn, Seanicus and Kirgrire are seated at a table near the fireplace. The Inn is busy but Geneegin seems to be giving them special treatment, in particular Kirgrire. Kirgrire is trying to get Seanicus to speak to her but is not getting very far as the Warlock is not very talkative.

- The front door to Inn opens, with a blast of cold air, and in walks Trenchant, Naillae and Oloma. They see Seanicus and his new female Dwarf friend and join them at the table. Seanicus updates the new comers as to what happened to him outside the stadium and how he has now lost his war hammer to the Jagged Blade Gang. He introduces Kirgrire to the three.

- Trenchant puts out his hand to Kirgrire to shake and says, “My lady, I am Trenchant Kincaid, the Bearer Of Winfley, Warden Of Tyriba.”

- Kirgrire shakes his hand, and the pair exchange a secret hand signal, each now knowing that the other is also a Harper.

- “And it would appear you have another title as well?” asks Kirgrire looking at Trenchant with a raised eyebrow.

- “Trenchant, Harpshadow of the Harpers,” replies the Bard in a low voice.

- “Well meet Trenchant, I am Kirgrire, Harpshadow of the Harpers,” replies Kirgrire in a low voice and then in a louder voice, “It’s a shame I did not know your identity before. Would have saved me following your group all yesterday, and last night in the cold and today. I’ve been following your group since you visited the stock yards.”

- They learn that Kirgrire is a spy for the Harpers. She has been keeping the Red Scale Transport Company in the stockyards under watch for the last three weeks as there has been a lot of suspicious activities going on. She sent a messenger bird to update the Harper network three weeks ago but due to the very cold weather, there has not been an opportunity to receive a message back yet. Trenchant updates her on the status of the Harpers and alliance and how they have been tasked to join the wagon train and follow it to somewhere called Naerytar which no one knows what or where it is. Kirgrire states she has never heard of it either.

- As Geneegin comes over with more drinks, Kirgrire speaks, “If you ever need me ask Geneegin here. He’s an ex-Harper and was my superior and mentor in the network. Would still be my partner too if you hadn’t fallen in love you dam fool!” though Kirgrire says this with a light hearted smile.

- Geneegin smiles back, “Well, I had to choose between the life of a harper with you, always on the road, eating when I can, or settle down with my love Rosee and help her start up her dream to run an Inn. Which meant always sleeping in a warm bed, good meals and of course, waking up to her face every morning.”

- Geneegin looks back behind him at the bar and at his wife, Rosee standing there, and says warmly, “I made the right decision. I’ve done my part for the realm, it’s time for others now to step up now. Younger others.”

- The conversation moves on to the stolen war hammer of Seanicus, which the Warlock informs the group that he needs to get back or else he will start to lose his powers. They learn from Kirgrire that the Jagged Blade Gang uses one of the ware houses in the south docking district as their head quarters and they also hang out and drink at the White Wolf Tavern which is just around the block from the ware house.

- Seanicus slams the table, anger in his eyes, “The thing I want to know is, how did this gang find out about my war hammer!”

- Trenchant speaks, “Yes that is intriguing. I would also like to know where the rest of our party is.”

- Oloma adds, “Yes and once they get back here we can start planning getting your war hammer back Seanicus. This jagged Blade Gang has picked the wrong group to mess with.”

***

- Meanwhile, over at the White Wolf Tavern, Nac, Gim, Labarett and Sir Krondor have arrived. They enter the tavern and take up a table, The tavern is busy with about a dozen Dwarves seated around tables or at the long bar. There is a lot of drinking going on and some gambling.

- Torroc, the Inn Keep, comes over to the new group and in Dwarvish speaks, “What can I get for you.”

- Nac replies in Common, “I don’t speak Dwarvish. We want drinks. What do you have?”

- Torroc replies in Common, though it is obvious he finds it distasteful to do so, “We have ale for four coppers or brandy for two silvers. No wine, this isn’t some bloody Elvish bar.”

- Labarett the Elvish Barbarian looks at Torroc, “What about Dwarvish brandy? You have any of that?”

- Torroc laughs, “Aye, I’ve got that for ten gold a glass. But I don’t think you could handle that one laddy.”

- Gim immediately says, “Bring a bottle of Dwarvish brandy!”

- Nac adds, “And four glasses!”

- Sir Krondor begins, “I don’t know about this. One of us shouldn’t drink in case we need our wits about us.”

- Nac taunts the Dwarf Knight, “Come on now Krondor, what about your Dwarven pride. The other Dwarves will think you’re weak if you don’t.”

- Sir Krondor looks around the room with concern, “Really? Ok count me in!” putting ten gold coins onto the table.

- Torroc looks at Sir Krondor, “It’s you again Sir Knight. Any more stories you want to tell us. I liked the one you told the fellows here yesterday about the golden war hammer of Sir Krafulim Longshield being found by an Elf.”

- Labarett slams ten gold coins down too, “Me too! I’ll show you an Elf can handle Dwarven sodding brandy!”

- Torroc takes ten gold coins from each of the four and then pours the thick brown liquid into each of their small glasses. The distinctive rich smell of the liquor fills the room and the eyes of the other Dwarves look over.

- All four drink their brandy in one gulp and then place the glass onto the table. Labarett’s and Gim’s faces turn red and each of them starts to sway slightly (Failed Constitution save). Labarett starts blinking his eyes and the room is slowly spinning around.

- Nac and Sir Krondor lick their lips and smile. They have a pleasant warm glow about them (Successful Constitution save - will now have advantage on cold checks for the rest of the day).

- Nac speaks, “Smooth. Another round Torroc! Four more glasses!”

- Sir Krondor speaks, “Wait, I’m not paying for that!”

- Nac puts forty gold coins onto the table, “My shout boys! Drink up!”

- Torroc smiles and starts pouring, “Oh this I’ve got to see!”

- Whilst the Inn Keep is pouring the brandy some of the other Dwarves have moved closer, taking an interest in the drinking and starting to place bets down on who will survive the next round. Nac notices one particular Dwarf, who had been seated by himself in the back, wearing a white wolf cloak, get up quickly and leave in a hurry (Successful Perception check). In Nac’s happy warm state he decides to not worry about it.

- Labarett pushes his refilled glass away, “No thank you. One is my limit.”

- This makes some of the Dwarves around the tavern burst out laughing. Some Dwarvish names and words are spoken, which Labarett can guess are not of the friendly type.

- Gim, still slowly spinning from his first drink, goes to grab for his glass, which takes three attempts as the glass seems to be not where Gim thinks it is.

- Nac smiles at Gim and then grabs his glass, along with Sir Krondor who grabs his glass too.

- Some of the Dwarves throw a handful of gold coins down onto the table and make bets that they won’t make the second round. Nac throws an equal number of coins onto the table to match and takes their bet.

- Nac, Gim and Sir Krondor each drink their glass in one gulp and put it back down onto the table. Nac turns to look at Gim, who is smiling and with his eyes still wide open, slowly starts to fall sideways. Gim falls onto the floor with a heavy thud.

- Nac smirks, “Never could handle his drink that Dwarf” and then grabs all the gold coins on the table, as he has won the bet (Won 9 gp).

- There is still one filled glass of Dwarvish brandy on the table, as Labarett did not drink his.

- Nac turns to Sir Krondor, “Come on, you going to let that drink go to waste? You want these Dwarves to think you’re chicken, or you can’t handle a drink?”

- Sir Krondor picks up the last glass and raises it, “For Fanur!”

- All the Dwarves shout out, “Fanur!”

- Sir Krondor drinks his third Dwarvish brandy and puts the glass down. He looks around the room smiling at the cheers of the other Dwarves for his remarkable feat of fortitude. (All up Sir Krondor rolled 16, 26 and 23 for his Constitution saves).

- As Gim is now unconscious and Labarett is very unbalanced, the group decides to stay in the tavern for some time until they can at least get Gim onto his feet. After an hour, and with the help of a bucket of cold water thrown onto the Dwarf, they wake Gim up. They head out of the Inn and start to make their way back to Rosee’s Inn on the other side of town, having to help Gim walk most of the way.

- Any thoughts about the strange Dwarf in the white wolf cloak that quickly left the Inn earlier are completely forgotten from Nac’s intoxicated mind.

***

- At mid afternoon, the four of them finally arrive back at Rosee’s Inn and rejoin with the rest of the party and meet with the new comer, Kirgrire.

- The companions exchange stories of what they have been up to and all are now up to speed with the outcome of Oloma’s arrest, Seanicus’s war hammer being stolen and finding the Harper contact.

- Sir Krondor speaks in an embarrassed tone, “Seanicus I have an apology to make. I was bragging about your war hammer to the Dwarves in the White Wolf Tavern yesterday. If they hang around there, as Kirgrire says they do, they would have heard about it then. I’m sorry.”

- Seanicus angrily replies, “Your apology won’t bring my war hammer back! Without that hex weapon I will lose my powers!”

- Sir Krondor, emboldened by the three Dwarvish brandies in him, stands and places a hand on his heart, “You’re right! All hear this oath I take now.”

- Trenchant starts, “Bloody hell, let’s not rush …”

- But Sir Krondor cuts him off, “I, Sir Krondor, Knight of The Anvil, Knight of the Gauntlet, Warden of Tyriba, swear on my life to retrieve your war hammer and return it to you. This I make my personal quest.”

- The Knight sits down smiling as the others in the group look around, now committed to attacking the gang.

- Now that the decision to take action against the gang is done, the party decide to eat a meal and then get some sleep to make a midnight raid on the warehouse of the Jagged Blade Gang. Sir Krondor asks Kirgrire if she knows of any Knights Of The Gauntlet in Earthcloak and the Harper advises that the Sherif in town is Captain Kison, and is a member of Gauntlet.

- Sir Krondor excuses himself and heads over to the Sheriff’s Office, which is only a couple of blocks away from Rosee’s Inn. The Dwarf Knight arrives at the solid and well secured building and enters it, asking some of the occupants to see Captain Kison.

- Captain Kison is happy to meet another Gauntlet member and the halfling, who wears a well maintained suit of splint mail with a flail hanging off his side from his belt, leads Sir Krondor into his private office.

- Captain Kison offers Sir Krondor a drink of brandy but the Dwarf Knight, with three brandies down for the day already, turns it down. Sir Krondor informs the Captain what has happened regarding the theft of the legendary war hammer of Sir Krafulim Longshield by the Jagged Blade Gang. Sir Krondor is disappointed to learn the Captain Kison can not take any action unless he has proof, which Sir Krondor does not have.

- Sir Krondor presses Captain Kison for any aid he can give, “I am not asking as a citizen and I am not asking you in your capacity as Sherif of Earthcloak but I am asking you as a fellow member of the Gauntlet, please any help in this matter would make a difference!”

- Captain Kison agrees to pull all the Watch patrols from that area, so that they party will be free to use magic if needed without fear of being arrested. He also informs Sir Krondor that the last Templar patrol on that side of the city will be at 10pm and no more Templar patrols will start until sun rise. Captain Kison also gives some simple floor plans of the warehouse that the Jagged Blade Gang is using, a two story building with an attic and side shed.

- Captain Kison also gives some information on the gang make up, “It comprises about twenty five gang members that we know of. Their leader, Grussebella Bloodchin is a nasty piece of work. She will happily gut you alive and pull your innards whilst you watch, and she’ll laugh the whole time she’s doing it. She’s psychotic. Be careful too, we believe she has an enchanted weapon, not too sure what it is though. And don’t underestimate her. She runs that gang with an iron fist. Those gang members obey her every command without question.”

- Sir Krondor asks, “And if these gang members were to meet an untimely death tonight in our attempt to retrieve the war hammer?”

- Captain Kison replies, “You and I are men of battle Sir Krondor and we each know that in battle there are always casualties. The watch will not care or investigate the deaths of gang members. Earthcloak has many gangs and they are fighting with each other constantly. One less gang is of no concern of mine, in fact, you would be doing me a favour.”

- With this information Sir Krondor returns to Rosee’s Inn and rejoins the party. They all head up to their rooms to get a long sleep in before the coming midnight raid.

***

- The party and Kirgrire awake just before midnight and prepare for the cold night raid. As they leave Rosee’s Inn they look up to see the large blue moon, Athair is nearly full, and the smaller grey moon, Harell, is almost half full. There is plenty of light to see out tonight.

- Gim looks up, “Athair is nearly full tonight, that’s a good omen! Bless us tonight father, let my axe taste blood!” (Athair is Dwarvish for “father”).

- Labarett looks up too, “Yes, let’s hope that the influence of Harell is not strong tonight.” (Harell is Elvish for “The Deceiver”)

- Naillae scoffs, “Bloody superstitious lot! We’ll succeed or fail tonight based on whether you all pull your weight and don’t do anything stupid. We need to sneak in undetected. If it was just me it would be easy but you lot make so much noise I can hear you walking a mile off. Follow my lead and don’t do anything rash!”

- The party walk the long distance to the south of the city. The night is very cold. Kirgrire leads the party to the south dock district and points out the ware house where the gang is. She points out the front door, side shed door, one lit ground floor window and an attic window which though in darkness she tells the party it can almost be guaranteed to have a look out watching the street. The Dwarf Harper can not aid in the raid as her involvement can not be known, as it will compromise her duties as a spy, so she leaves the party and fades into the dark night.

- The party decide to go around the block and approach the warehouse from the far west side as the positioning of the side shed there will help stay out of sight of anyone watching from the from the attic window.

- Trenchant and Naillae sneak forward to the side shed, Naillae using her skills as a trained rogue of the Lington Thief’s Guild to move from shadow to shadow, silently. Whilst Trenchant pulls up the hood of his Elven cloak to make the enchanted cloak change colours to match his surrounding, making it almost impossible to see him.

- They move up to a metal portcullis that has a large padlock on it. Oloma uses her telepathy to pass messages to and from the lead pair and the rest of the party.

- Trenchant and Naillae advise the rest of the party that the side shed has six horses in it and there is an internal side door that leads into the warehouse, that has light coming from the door frame. They can hear a loud group of people inside gambling.

- Labarett moves forward slowly. Whilst waiting for Naillae to unlock the large pad lock, Labarett performs a silent ritual that allows him to talk to animals. He then tells the horses to be silent and not be alarmed by them coming inside. One of the horse replies, “Yes, new friends. Other smaller masters inside.”

- The rest of the party move up into the shed, trying to keep quite, which judging by the sour expression on Naillae’s face, the party did not move as quietly as she would like. Naillae whispers, “Thank your bloody moons the morons inside are playing cards loudly else they would have heard the lot of you!”

- Labarett asks the horse, “Where are most of the small masters?”

- One of the horses bows his head low, “Down. Down. Under.”

- Naillae whispers, “The plans didn’t have anything on it about a basement.”

- Oloma whispers, “Seanicus can you sense you war hammer?”

- Seanicus answers back in a low whisper, “Only if it is near.” The Warlock closes his eyes for a moment and then opens them, pointing a finger downwards, it’s somewhere below us. There must be a basement beneath us.”

- Sir Krondor suggests having himself and Naillae creep forward to the front door and have her unlock that whilst she comes back to unlock the side door and have the party attack the warehouse from two fronts. Nac advises against that in case the two doors open into different rooms, as the building plan they obtained from Captain Kison did not have any details about the internal layout.

- Once Naillae unlocks the side door, she steps aside to let Oloma open the door. The Mystic opens the door slowly to reveal one large open area that covers the entire ground floor. A staircase directly ahead goes up to the second level and a large wooden trap door, with an iron ring handle, is visible near the stairs. To the far left, about 60’ away, is a fireplace and some tables, one of which has six Dwarves, each wearing a white wolf cloak, seated around it playing cards. Most of the light in the large open area is around the Dwarves with the rest of the area, including where the party is, is only dimly lit.

- Nac moves into the door way and casts a Silence spell at the far Dwarves, immediately the loud sound of their talk, laughter and metal mugs thudding against the table cease. The Dwarves turn around and see the open side door with Nac and Oloma in view.

- Combat starts. The party need to quickly take out these Dwarves and do so making as little noise as possible so as not to alert any more Dwarves in the rest of the warehouse.

- The party move in but rather than rush in to attack the Dwarves within the circle of magical silence they make a tactical mistake and instead Trenchant, Oloma and Nac rush in to take of positions of cover behind a nearby table and attack via ranged means whilst Gim moves of to the side and uses his crossbow to attack from afar. Naillae moves to the bottom of the stairs and readies her daggers in case anyone else comes to join the fight. Only Sir Krondor attempts to rush forward towards the foes but his short Dwarven legs can’t get him to the reach them before all six Dwarves pick up their shields and battleaxes and move forward. Most of the Dwarves now out of the area of silence.

- Two of the Dwarf gang members rush towards Sir Krondor and engage him, their weapons silently striking as they are within the magical circle of silence. Two Dwarf gangs members rush towards the three of the party crouching near the table and block them away from the last two members of the gang that are running to get help. One runs towards the stairs at full speed, obviously trying to get help from upstairs and the other moves over to the wooden trap door and begins to lift it up. As Oloma gets hit by two of the gang members she takes one blow before teleporting behind the pair to appear standing on the trap door, her weight now preventing it from being opened.

- Seanicus and Labarett, who are still moving into the warehouse, move in. Seanicus moves off to the side and starts shooting eldritch beams of energy at the gang whilst Labarett rushes in and charges towards the gang member trying to open the trap door. The Elf barbarian hacks at the Dwarf in a Barbaric rage.

- In the confusion of battle Gim misfires his crossbow and nearly breaks it but instead jams the mechanism needing him to spend some time to fix it (Fumble attack roll, that he re-rolled because he used his Inspiration and he again rolled a Fumble). Instead his takes out his great axe and moves towards the gang members and engage them in close combat, joining Oloma and Labarett. The sounds of the battle, metal against metal, and shouts of pain and anger, are loud now as most of the combat is outside of the circle of silence.

- Sir Krondor is battling two of the gang members single handedly and the combat is frantic, with the Dwarf Knight nearly taking a deadly blow to his neck by one of the gang member’s battleaxes but the Knight manages to duck just in time (Critical Hit, forced re-rolled by Sir Krondor using his Inspiration, and turned into a miss).

- The gang member on the trap door doesn’t last long with Labarett and Oloma attacking him in close melee (Oloma cut his tendon reducing his speed with a Critical Hit) and with Seanicus sending Eldritch beams of energy to blast at him.

- Trenchant and Nac remain behind a table using it for cover whilst throwing spells and crossbow bolts at the gang members. Trenchant casts a Sleep spell at three of the gang members and one of them drops to the ground snoring loudly. In response, one of the gang members comes rushing towards the pair crouching at the table and forces them back as the gang member’s battleaxe swings at them. Labarett quickly charges over to help Trenchant and Nac.

- One of the gang members makes a run towards the stairs, running past Gim he swings his great axe into his back as he passed. With a gapping back wound, the gang member sprinted on, past Naillae who was guarding the bottom of the stairs and the Elf Rogue stabs a dagger into the Dwarfs leg, as he ran past up the stairs but Naillae quickly threw two of her daggers into the back of the gang member, killing him. The heavy body of the Dwarf, in armour, falls backwards and rolls down the stairs with a loud crash, his battleaxe and shield clattering down the stairs too.

- Naillae shouts to the party, “Expect company! I can hear footsteps coming from above!” as she starts to move away from the bottom of the stairs and take a position near Seanicus.

- Seeing the sleeping gang member Gim moves over and lifts his great axe high over his head and brings it down with his full force into the sleeping foe’s neck. The blade cuts throw the neck and hits hard against the wooden floor boards, killing the gang member instantly (Critical Hit - Triple Damage).

- Sir Krondor swings into one of the two gang members on him and cuts open the foe’s stomach, killing him. Oloma rushes over to help the Dwarf Knight finish off the remaining foe.

- Gim, Labarett and Nac have surrounded one gang member and Oloma and Sir Krondor are attacking the other remaining gang member,

- From the second level, comes the heavy sound of foot steps running, as four more Dwarf gang members start to run down the stairs. Seanicus and Naillae who had been waiting and covering the stairs to start to hurl eldritch beams and daggers at the new comers.

- Trenchant concentrates on a spell and from around the head of the Dwarf gang member who is leading the charge down the stairs appears a twisted crown of jagged iron. The eyes of the Dwarf are now glowing and his expression appears like a madman. This Dwarf, now under the control of Trenchant, stops running down the stairs, turns around and begins to attack his companion behind him.

- Naillae and Seanicus are attacking the other Dwarves on the upper section of the stairs whilst the bottom two Dwarves on the stairs are now locked in combat with each other. Naillae’s throw is wide and the Dwarf gang member easily knocks it aside and taunts her (Fumble attack - Taunt disadvantage next turn).

- With the last two remaining gang members on the ground floor slain the party are now free to attack the other gang members on the stairs and turn their attention to them. Meanwhile the Dwarves on the stairs, who can’t get down as they are blocked by the possessed gang member attacking them, thanks to Trenchant now controlling him, so they are forced to hurl light throwing hammers down at the party.

- Sir Krondor moves over to the trap door and guards it in case any foes come from below. Gim starts throwing hand axes up at the gang members on the stairs which causes one of them to cower behind the stair railing in terror (Critical Hit - terrify foe). Labarett moves up to the stairs and from the below uses his javelin to poke the gang members through the stair railing.

- Seanicus is hurling Eldritch beams at the foes on the stairs and likewise Naillae is throwing her daggers.

- Gim gets another good throw with one of his hand axes and strikes one of the foes in the groin causing him to bend over in agony (Critical Hit - low blow - miss one turn).

- Sir Krondor moves away from the trap door and takes out his bow to start firing at the foes on the stairs too.

- Oloma, who had gotten up onto a table during the combat below, is also using her mind against the foes on the stairs, forcing one of the Dwarves to question his own mental identity (ID insinuation psionic ability to force disadvantage on their attack rolls).

- Gim throws another well aimed hand axe and inflicts a grievous wound on one of them (Critical Hit - double damage). Not to be outdone by the display of Gim and his deadly hand axes, Nac casts his Chill Touch with such force that it strikes all four gang members on the stairs with deadly force (Spell Critical).

- The gang member under the control of Trenchant kills his companion and them moves up the stairs to engage another of his companions.

- The Dwarves on the stairs, throwing down light hammers, do not last long under this intense barrage from the party. Gim throws another deadly hand axe (Critical Hit giving double damage and allowing another attack against another target). Sir Krondor fumbles his bow and drops an arrow as he lets the string go too early but luckily does not break his bow string (Fumble).

- Eventually only the last remaining gang member, still under the control of Trenchant, is left. Trenchant makes the Dwarf drop his weapon and shield move down the stairs into the centre of the party and lay face down. The party then execute the Dwarf in a simultaneous attack.

XP Allocation

Group - Combined (This is equally divided by the number of players who were involved)

Quests (Only quests that are completed or rendered undoable, during this session, are shown here)

- Enter the Jagged Blade Hideout undetected = 250 XP

Creatures Overcome

- Jagged Blade Dwarves = 7000

Individual (This is only given to that person and is not divided amongst all players)

Special Bonus (Outstanding Role Playing)

Nil

XP Levels and Player Allocations

Player : Start + Received = Total (Notes)

Phil : 25419 + 906 = 26325

Rob : 32217 + 906 = 33123

Arthur : 22121 + 906 = 23027 (Level up to Level 7)

Bob : 21367 + 906 = 22273

Travis : 19383 + 680 = 20063

Paul : 17140 + 1132 = 18272

Sean : 16875 + 906 = 17781

NPC (Naillae) : + (453)

#D&D #DnD #5th #RPG #HOTDQ

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aaronheatonwords · 7 years ago

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Yakuza 0

Sometimes a series exists on the periphery without being able to engage a certain audience. Despite being full of things that a person might like, be it intrigue or strong characters which challenge stereotypes or even just good old-fashioned dumb fun, something about it just won't grab the part of the brain that says, hey, set some time aside and enjoy this! Breaking Bad occupied this space in the part of my brain reserved for TV shows; even though the basis of the show checks every box I would want to see in a series, there's something about it that just pushes me away time and time again. At this point, it could just be the immense amount of hours that would have to be dedicated to it, and the fandom that would need to be fought off to talk candidly about it. Ultimately, though, a large part of the issue is that the zeitgeist surrounding the show has vanished. There are still plenty of people who think highly of it, but the frantic fan fervor surrounding it has come and gone.

Enter Yakuza 0. This series has existed since 2005, and as soon as it began to pick up steam in the West it has surfaced in one way or another with a very dedicated playerbase pushing for its release. Though the releases that have come to the west started out very questionably, the localization eventually found its footing and ditched English voice actors for a subtitled Japanese-only audio track. With that, the quality of the story seemed to soar and the people who loved Yakuza really loved Yakuza. A gritty crime drama full of double-crosses and intrigue, betrayal, violence and a healthy injection of Japanese culture set in a lovingly-rendered and small-scale city block; with a description like that, who could resist?

Unfortunately, me. Even though Yakuza sounds like precisely the sort of game I'd love, so much about it pushed me away. By the time it was feasible for me to acquire a copy of Yakuza in a timely manner, it had already had three prior entries. Start a series on the fourth game? No, ma'am! What about all of that rich characterization I was missing in the previous games? The hundreds of hours of ups and downs, tears, laughter, blood and sweat of our beloved cast of intrepid well-meaning criminals and their companions? Simply unthinkable.

When Yakuza 0 released in the west, it was on a wave of red-hot fans clamouring for a regular release schedule for the series. It came in hot, aided by the cheerleading of several industry figures I followed and respected very much (what's good Austin walker!), and it posed itself as a no-experience-necessary entry point to a series that had become daunting to approach in any other manner. With a few videos of breakdancing mafioso-types and some gratuitous violence, Yakuza 0 had grabbed me with its clammy hands, looked into my eyes, and ignited a fire in my loins that would make the bravest firefighter think twice about their line of work.

Starting with a loan collection spearheaded by a young Kiryu Kazama, Yakuza 0 quickly sees things go south for who would become our main man in the series. Kiryu's mark turns up dead by way of hot lead to the brain, he was the last one known to have seen the man, and on top of that the murder draws attention to a heretofore unknown piece of land that stands to dismantle a carefully-constructed real estate takeover. As a greenhorn in the yakuza, he makes an easy target for three lieutenants vying for position inside of the clan. Refusing to bend to their will begins the tale of the Dragon of Dojima's rise from lowly recruit to legend within the organisation. Parallel but in tandem with Kiryu's situation is Goro Majima, a disgraced ex-yakuza whose existence has been relegated to brown-nosing and shoe-kissing until his untold crime has been atoned for. Together, they rattle the chain of the yakuza and cement their standing.

Before you can dismantle a clan from the inside, though, you have to get used to the lifestyle. Yakuza 0 revels in its setting, filling the city of Kamurocho with bright lights and crowds and attractions galore. Despite being a PS3 game ported to the PS4, its density of crowds and detail is impressive. Trading pure scale for intimacy and detail, walking the city streets inspires a sort of awe for the times. There are restaurants of every corner, people soliciting you from doorsteps and crowds getting in your way. Even walking is a struggle as you bump and bounce off of the people strolling up and down the streets. The economic bubble of the times is played up and the revelry can be felt from the non-stop noise to the random bar hoppers you can find stumbling around and puking in alleyways. While the framerate isn't always very happy with this attention to detail, a few hours of adjustment will make it all worth it.

Yakuza 0 affords a special spotlight for the interactions between Kiryu and his friends and rivals, however. The three lieutenants who stand in Kiryu's way as he attempts to clear his name are imposing figures, despite mostly operating from the shadows. Their faces are rendered in face-punchingly beautiful detail, every crow's foot and furrow present during close-ups and fights. With such expressive and detailed faces, it makes it incredibly easy to get lost in the situations they present to Kiryu as he fights his way through his predicaments.

On that note, fight you do! At such a young age, we get to see Kiryu at his meanest and most impulsive, and Majima as he falls back into his scrappy ways. The game starts with two beatings, one of a group of hooligans and one of a couple of (presumably) innocent drunks. As you fight, your fists glow with intensity, called Heat, and you can use it to unleash brutal power moves. Combat itself is a basic brawler with simple punches, kicks and grabs at your disposal supplemented by the ability to pick up and swing a variety of environmental items. You can brandish bats, swords, trash cans and benches, motorbikes and a number of other ridiculous objects as you throw down in the streets. The Heat moves are what serves to make the combat stand out, however. Frankly, they're just rude. Slamming heads in car doors, shaking salt into eyeballs, throwing people into rivers, breaking arms and legs and smashing faces into brick walls all while yen explodes out of the poor souls caught between your knuckles and the ground makes for an empowering (and sometimes revolting) combat system.

Majima and Kiryu are capable of more than just busting skulls, though, as good as they are at it. Between story missions and fist fights are a staggering amount of side quests. Some are happened upon by accident, some are brought on by intentionally seeking things out, but all of them are worth at least a smile and many more are worth some genuine laughter. A big thumbs up goes out to the localization team, of course, but the bulk of the work must have been done by the original writers. Though this game has such a self-serious and intense story, the side quests offer a reprieve from the emotional tax that the main story levies from the player. In the span of an hour, you can go from helping break up a panty-selling ring to break-dancing with a world-famous pop star to helping a reporter infiltrate a weapons-trading ring to helping a poor soul sell some mushrooms. No, like mushrooms. Like really mushrooms. Actual cooking mushrooms. Majima and Kiryu, who are generally straightforward and ambitious characters, are given a chance to revel in silliness and break character in a way that lets both the players and the story have room to breathe and decompress between intense beats.

As fun as the world is to exist in and as well-detailed as the city is, it can sometimes lead to disappointment. There is so much to see that there's a compulsion to attempt to take part in everything, which often leads to a feeling of having hit a dead end. The mini-map and map denote which buildings have interactions built into them, but visually there are almost no differences between buildings which house a minigame or unique characters and buildings that are simply set dressing. Without a clear visual tell, it can lead to situations where an NPC asking for your business is nothing more than audiovisual noise, rather than the potential sidequest or event that they seemed to be setting themselves up as. Even towards the end of the game, I was hoping for more of the city of open itself up to me, in density rather than pure size. Unfortunately the two playable areas don't change very much, aside from the occasional story beat forcing the player down a predetermined path. The city feels more alive than most open worlds accomplish in their entire maps, but it can often lead to disappointment when trying to enjoy the area.

The biggest issue with the game is how ancillary Majima's story feels in comparison to Kiryu's. Kiryu serves as the driving force and heart of the game, being the central figure that the Yakuza are trying to track down and the de-facto lead of the series. He is driven, determined, and unafraid of the threats on his life in a way that gives his story an almost unstoppable sense of momentum. Majima, on the other hand, feels as if he's constantly being played by other forces in the story. While he is a far cry from Kiryu in the sense that he's more willing to get his hands dirty and engage in foul play, his character feels somewhat caught in the currents of the story instead of a force shaping the events. While Majima's story is well-written, I found myself dying to get back to Kiryu nearly every time Majima came into play. There is plenty of ridiculousness to be had with Majima and Osaka is a fun playground to exist in, but without a connection to him I found myself more curious about the opposing half of the story. This may come own to preference, but Kiryu's story felt the stronger of the two by a significant margin.

After years and years of holding out on the series, Yakuza 0 feels like the perfect point for newcomers to jump in. Even though it's full of nods to the later games (even as a newcomer, they feel fairly obvious), none of it feels obtuse or played up in such a way that new players will feel left out. Kiryu and Majima are introduced and set up with lots of room to grow, and indeed do change and adapt over the course of the game. While anyone with knowledge of later games will have a decent idea of where things will end, the journey of getting to that point is consistently gripping and dripping with dramatic tension that few other games even approach. The city clocks of Kamurocho and Osaka make for very beautiful and intricate locales, even if they do sometimes feel slightly restricted. For lovers of crime dramas and brawlers, for those who can sink into a well-realized space and everyone who loves Japanese culture and history, Yakuza 0 is a treat.

#yakuza 0 #video games #japanese #rpg #brawler #action #sim #ps3 #ps4 #kazuma kiryu #majima goro #2017 #sega #mr shakedown

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ciathyzareposts · 5 years ago

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Camelot: Won! (with Summary and Rating)

There I am, third from the top, above even the creator himself.

Camelot

United States Independently written and released on university PLATO system in 1982

Date Started: 20 April 2019

Date Ended: 5 January 2020

Total Hours: 69

Difficulty: Moderate-Hard (3.5/5)

Final Rating: (to come later)

Ranking at time of posting: (to come later)

Summary:

The last of the PLATO RPGs, Joshua Tabin’s Camelot united the two previous traditions present on the terminal-mainframe system. From the Dungeon/Game of Dungeons/Orthanc line, he took the single-player approach using a multi-classed character. From the Moria/Oubliette/Avatar line, he took first-person dungeon exploration (with a menu town on top) and a combat system where you fight “stacks” of multiple monsters. Players control individual characters but can message each other as they explore the same shared dungeon, which resets on the hour or whenever all the rooms of a level are cleared. The ultimate goal is to get strong enough to explore Level 10, get Excalibur from the Lady of the Lake, and use it to force Lucifer to cough up the Holy Grail. It takes a while to learn the game’s features, and it’s pretty hard even with its “relaxed permadeath” approach, but it has an addicting approach to leveling and inventory acquisition

*****

I’ve often wondered how I would have fared if I had been a student at one of the PLATO universities in the 1970s or early 1980s, and now I have my answer: my life would have been ruined. I would have skipped classes, missed deadlines, plagiarized papers–anything to spend more time on the computer. I know because that’s basically what I did this week. I procrastinated on an already-overdue report to win this 40-year-old game. The fact that money, and not just a grade, is riding on this report probably makes it worse.

Like all of the PLATO games, Camelot is about mechanics. It hardly has any story at all. Its allure comes from its constant sense of character development–the idea that the next level, the next epic item, the next 10,000 points (putting you one position higher on the leaderboard) are all just around the corner. This is the kind of game that transitions you from 1:00 AM to 4:00 AM before you’ve noticed what happened.

I don’t often schedule my games to offer compelling comparisons, but what an amazing lesson in contrast we have between Camelot and Challenge of the Five Realms, written 10 years apart for very different audiences. Challenge has all of the content of an excellent RPG–game world, NPCs, dialogue, and plot. Camelot has the mechanics of an excellent RPG–statistics, inventory, and combat tactics. I think it’s fair to say that I appreciate and enjoy Challenge‘s approach, but I am addicted to Camelot‘s.

Part of the fun of my experience came from author Josh Tabin’s occasional presence as I played. (He and his son stayed up with me until 1:00 AM the other night, cheering me on as I won.) I couldn’t experience the game the way it was with 20 players swarming the dungeon, but at least I got some of the experience. He helped me fight a few tough battles (the game divides the treasure among the number of people in the room, I discovered, even if you can’t see each other) and alerted me where he’d seen a particular foe or item. I want to say that he gave me a lot of hints, but perhaps a better way to say it is that he led me to a lot of hints. He avoided most outright spoilers and instead said things like “Hey, I saw a TARDIS in the shop–you should buy it and see what it does.”

Unfortunately, players can’t directly help each other by giving each other money or equipment. But they can alert each other to where they’ve seen, say, a group of lizard men with a particularly large chest, knowing that lizard men often drop magic boots. They can say stuff to each other like, “I just sold a Manual of Quickness to the store if anyone wants to buy it.” And of course they can help each other directly in combat.

I think it’s been a while since Tabin had anyone take such active interest in his game. He used the occasion to make some tweaks while my own experience was in progress. One was to add a “difficulty setting.” He said the programming was already in there, but he had never turned it on. Now any player can customize his own difficulty from “easy” to “nightmare.” Easier games make enemies less effective but also give you a lower score. “Nightmare” lets you build your character fast for some extra risk. He also added a few more trap types and introduced a system by which low-level enemies run away from high-level characters. I’d often wondered why some of my charmed companions would up and ditch me for no reason, and it turns out that they do it when you attack other enemies of the same type. In a recent update, he made that explicit by having the companion say “he was my BROTHER!” as he leaves your service.

The author added a difficulty setting during the middle of my session.

In my previous entries, I talked a lot about the game’s difficulty. It is perhaps most accurate to say that like a good roguelike (which Camelot does an excellent job anticipating), it is very difficult until you get a lot of experience and get a natural feel for what’s going on. I was well into my 40th hour before combat tactics really “clicked,” and I started to learn instinctively when to use spells, when to attack, and when to run. It took a while before I got to the point that I always had my hands on the right keys as I entered a room, allowing me to act before the enemy. I died a couple dozen times in the first 30 hours of the game and only half a dozen in the last 30.

Another important insight was learning how to strategically develop inventory. Each item has a label (the game calls it a “table”) from 1-12 associated with it, and these levels are highly calibrated with the monster levels. A mithril sword (Table 3) simply isn’t going to do much against a red dragon (Table 8) no matter how high your level or attributes. So instead of blundering all of the dungeon hoping to find anything, you prioritize trying to upgrade your lowest-level items. The average “table” of a looted piece of equipment is the same as the dungeon level on which you find it. So let’s say that most of your stuff is Table 7, but you’re still stuck with Table 4 armor (Frosty Plate Mail). Hopefully, you’ve noticed that dragons tend to drop armor, so you want to be on dungeon Level 7 looking for a Table 7 dragon (blue dragon) carrying Tale 7 Azure Plate Mail. If you’ve mapped carefully, you’ve noted that dragons tend to show up in rooms with scorch marks on the walls, and you thus head for that room on Level 7. No luck? Wait for the hour to roll around and the dungeon to reset, or reset it yourself with a TARDIS.

Running into a high-level enemy with a high-level chest in a “stud room,” I use my Scroll of Identification to check the odds.

I had originally thought that a lot of the dungeon room messages were just flavor text, but they actually alert you to the type of enemy you’re most likely to find there. Monsters of the “slime” table (green slimes, yellow molds, ochre jellies, black puddings) are usually found in rooms that say “the ground is very soft here.” If you want to avoid slimes, you avoid those rooms. If you’re trying to find enemies from the “bad cleric” list and the potions and scrolls that they often carry, you look for rooms described with “crosses and an altar.” Thieves are in rooms with “empty wallets” on the floor. The specific composition of the rooms resets on the hour, but the locations of the rooms of each description do not.

The dungeon levels are full of the types of navigational obstacles that you’ve experienced if you’ve played any first-person wireframe game. These include spinners, pit traps, one-way chutes, and teleporters. Some of these are necessary to navigate the dungeon, and you have to map carefully. For instance, you can take regular stairs all the way to Level 6, but to get to Level 7, you need to take a teleporter behind a hidden door on Level 3. Level 8 can only be reached via a teleporter from Level 5, which is in a section that can only be reached via a teleporter on Level 7. Despite the complexity, you learn the steps pretty fast, and I found I could make it from the town on Level 1 to Level 10 in about 3 minutes–faster, of course, if I had the rare Wand of Teleportation.

As you explore downward, it’s a good rule of thumb to make sure that either your weapon or your spell item is one or two levels higher than the current level you’re exploring. You can do this by repeatedly attacking each level’s “stud room”–cued with a note that the walls are covered in blood–which reliably offers monsters and items 1-2 levels higher than the level’s average. So if you defeat the stud room on Level 6, there’s a decent chance you’ll find a Table 8 item.

I was lucky to get a Ring of Wizardry (Table 9) at the stud room on Level 7, and it let me blast my way through the rest of Level 7 and Level 8. (Downside: every time you use a spell item, there’s a chance it will run out of charges, and re-charging it at the store is expensive.) Then, early in my Level 10 explorations, I ran into a “friendly” Asmodeus and bribed him $140,000 to drop his chest and leave the room. It had the Level 12 Ruby Staff of Asmodeus in it, which let me kill most things on the level.

Leveling is pretty constant during this process, but it caps at Level 60. I don’t like level caps, but in this case I think most players would be hard pressed to hit the level cap long before the end of the game.

My map of Level 10. The numbers are all teleporters.

Level 10 has the game’s final encounters with Lucifer and the Lady of the Lake. Lucifer has the Holy Grail but kills you instantly if you don’t have Excalibur. The Lady of the Lake, meanwhile, won’t give you Excalibur unless you’re fully outfitted with Table 12 gear. How do you get Table 12 items when there are only 10 dungeon levels? You can get extraordinarily luck, as I did with Asmodeus, or you can camp out at the Level 10 stud room, which will feature a new Table 12 enemy every hour on the hour. The Table 12 enemies are a rogue’s gallery of pop culture references: Asmodeus, Tiamat, Zeus, Poseidon, The Evil One, beholders, Thor, Jubilex, Lolth, Saruman, Sauron, the Master of Shadows, and–at the top of the “bad clerics” list–Jerry Falwell.

Finding a Level 12 artifact.

There’s no guarantee that these enemies will always drop Level 12 artifacts. And if they do, there’s no guarantee you won’t accidentally destroy them by fumbling the trap. So you have to churn through dozens of encounters to assemble your list. If you don’t want this to take dozens of hours, you have to load up on TARDISes (which reset the dungeon manually) and keep using them. This took me about 6 hours by itself and would have taken longer if Tabin hadn’t sold one of his character’s extra TARDISes to the store.

When you finally have a complete set of Level 12 gear, you go to a water room at the bottom of Level 10, and the Lady of the Lake hands over Excalibur.

Yes, everybody knows it’s no basis for a system of government. Please let it go.

From there, it’s just a few steps to the stairway to HELL, where you meet Lucifer. He cowers the moment he sees Excalibur, hands over the Holy Grail, and flees.

Satan flees and hands over the Holy Grail.

Once you have the Holy Grail, you need only return to the town, where the game gives you the option to retire permanently. If you want, you can keep playing and finding more treasure to increase your score, which affects your position on the leaderboard. I retired with a score of 673,809. That was enough to put me at the third spot on the board, behind two characters fielded by the mysterious “greg” or “gregl.” I could have beaten his high score, but it would have taken another 6 hours of gameplay, roughly.

Am I ever.

When you retire the character permanently, you get the following endgame text, suggesting a never-ending cycle of grail-finding. Then again, there has to be a rationale for more than one winner.

In a GIMLET, Camelot earns:

0 points for the game world. I thought about giving it 1, but I couldn’t even justify that. Despite its name and the presence of the Lady of the Lake (nonsensically on the bottom of a dungeon), the game doesn’t make any use of Arthurian themes, nor does it replace or supplement them with any story or sense of place. This was the norm with the PLATO series.

4 points for character creation and development. There are a few choices in character creation–particularly the race–which make a big difference during gameplay. I chose to take the elf, a weak character who has a low risk of dying of old age (he ended the game about 30 years younger than he started, thanks to Potions of Youth). During the game, leveling is continually rewarding even though it doesn’t give you any choices. The little sub-quests to kill specific monsters to reach some levels was a fun addition.

I just turned Level 60. I assess the level of my equipment as the game gives me my next mission.

3 points for NPC interaction. Okay, there are no NPCs. But for past PLATO games, I gave a couple points here for the PC interaction that accompanies those titles, and I like how it works here. You don’t need other players to enjoy the game, but they can enhance your experience. I also gave a point here to the ability to charm monsters to joining your little “party.”

4 points for encounters and foes. The game’s long list of monsters may be derivative, but Tabin did an excellent job programming their various strengths and weaknesses. A player has to balance his desire for treasure with the knowledge that thieves can steal treasure and slimes can destroy it. A careful player has to note what enemies cause sleep, paralysis, petrification, and destruction. The best part is that all of these strengths and weaknesses are determinable with a Scroll of Identification.

4 points for magic and combat. The game has a nice set of options for dealing with creatures, including spells, physical assaults of different types (trading accuracy for power), popping in and out of rooms until you “surprise” the enemies, hitting and running, stealing their treasure out from under them, and bribing them to go away. Only the spell system is underdeveloped, with the character only having access to one “spell” (more of an inventory item) at a time.

6 points for equipment, one of the best parts of the game. The player has 15 equipment slots with 12 levels of items for each slot. Even better is the wide variety of equipment that works in the “Other” slot–scrolls, wands, potions, and the like. There are manuals that permanently improve attributes, cordials that temporarily improve them, scrolls and wands that make navigation easier, items that charm different types of enemies (figuring out what works on which type is a mini-game in itself). Particularly well done is the Scroll of Identification. You can use it at any time, including in-combat and when in the middle of pulling items from a chest. Use it on a monster, and it tells you his hit percentages, damages, and special abilities. Use it on an item, and it tells you what it is and whether it’s cursed. Use it on an unopened chest, and it tells you what trap you’re facing.

The store always held a chaotic selection of items.

6 points for the economy. For most of the game, you’re trying to make enough money just to level up, so deciding whether to sell a potentially useful item for some extra cash, or whether to splurge on that item in the store, or whether to bribe a particular enemy (who may have more gold than the bribe in his chest) presents a continual set of decisions. Even late in the game, when you have plenty (especially after you hit the level cap), finding money contributes to your score.

3 points for quests. There’s only one main quest with no decisions or role-playing options, but there are also sub-quests throughout to kill specific monsters.

3 points for graphics, sound, and interface. The graphics are what they are, although I think the monster portraits are well done. There’s no sound. The keyboard interface for me was easy to master (and the game usually shows you all available commands at the current moment), and I like how everything is always laid out on the main screen, even if it makes the exploration window a bit small.

3 points for gameplay. This is from a 2020 perspective, of course, where I could have fit three other games in the time it took me to win Camelot. There were a lot of moments of frustration, and the linear nature of the dungeon reduces replayability even as the character options (and ever-present leaderboard) increases it. What feels to me today too long, with too many moments of frustration, would have felt the opposite on a college campus in 1982, with plenty of friends around to compare experiences and jockey for high scores.

The final score is 36, which crosses my “recommended” threshold, but not by so much that it would be absurd. It is notably the highest score I’ve given to a PLATO title. What’s particularly amazing is that Josh Tabin wasn’t even a college student when he wrote Camelot–he was 12! As a member of the Explorer Scouts, he had access to a special program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (where PLATO was born) that taught middle- and high-school aged kids how to write code. Tabin explicitly joined the program because he wanted to play Oubliette (1978) and Avatar (1979) on the PLATO system. Somehow, he found time to complete Camelot in 18 months. Years later, he attended the university as a student and kept adding to the program.

It’s an extremely mature game, and the age of the programmer doesn’t come through at all except in a few bits of juvenile humor (in addition to “poison dart,” there is a type of trap that rhymes with it; one of the magic bags is called a “large hairy sack”) and the varied but predictable pop culture references. The game mixes the monster list from Dungeons and Dragons with the TARDIS from Doctor Who and the occasional quote from Blade Runner or monster or item from Lord of the Rings.

(Tabin waited a long time for this review. He first contacted me in 2013, and I assured him I’d play the game eventually. Somehow it disappeared from my master list, so he contacted me again in late 2017 to ask what had happened. I apologized and promised again that I’d get to it “soon.” In anticipation, he sent me a long, enormously valuable set of instructions. Then, it wasn’t until July 2018 that I took an initial look at the game and sent back some questions, then April of 2019 before I fully engaged it.)

I’m one of only four wins in 15 years (since the PLATO system was ported to Cyber1), but there were 43 winners between 1985 (when Tabin started keeping track) and 2003, including an early 2000s war between two users who went by the names “kappes m” and “pilcher,” each of them winning about a dozen times, trying to push each other off the leaderboard, and changing their character names to poke fun at each other. “kappes m” was responsible for a 20-hour speedrun in which he managed to get the Grail at character level 30 using a challenging pixie character, basically exploiting the pixie’s high dexterity to run dungeon levels that should have been out of his league and to steal high-level items from creatures that would normally have been able to stomp him.

But I’m the only one to have documented the ending, which is good enough for me. And with this, we have finally played the last of the PLATO games. I won’t be returning to the setting unless I go insane and decide to try to win Oubliette or Avatar or record some video of the games I’ve already won. It’s been a fun ride seeing the complexity that these amateur games achieved in the pre-commercial era, and Camelot was a fitting capstone to the series. But now I’ve got to stop procrastinating and work on that report.

source http://reposts.ciathyza.com/camelot-won-with-summary-and-rating/

#retro games #dos games #retro #crpg #adventure #amiga #oldcomputers #8bit #16bit #blog #repost

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aurelliocheek · 5 years ago

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Shadow of the Tomb Raider: Animating Lara Croft’s Grand Finale

Animation Director Wilson Mui shares insights into how Eidos Montréal brought Lara Croft to life.

When the »new« Lara Croft first saw the light of day in 2013, she certainly left a mark, and cemented her status with the sequel »Rise of the Tomb Raider«. Everything was bigger, smoother and more beautiful. Lara‘s second adventure set the bar for following titles and »Shadow of the Tomb Raider« sure surpassed it, not only in terms of graphics, level design and sound, but also animation – an area, Animation Director Wilson Mui can tell us a thing or two about.

Making ‘em Move »Hi, my name is Wilson Mui and I am the Animation Director on Shadow of the Tomb Raider. Certainly, I would say my main task is to help the Game Director define the artistic vision of the game and to help carry that vision to the team on the floor. Although I am focused on animation, I am involved with all departments on the production floor and the bulk of my energy goes to direction and visualization and trying to get content on screen. In addition to directing the animation team on a daily basis, I am regularly planning and directing motion capture shoots with actors/actresses for content for in game.

My other key tasks are to push for quality onscreen and to ensure that I help unblock anything that needs answering in terms of vision or direction,« Mui tells us about his position at Eidos Montréal, whose journey took quite a turn. »Believe it or not, I graduated with a business degree 20 years ago but I ended up losing interest pretty quick after realizing that it didn’t help my creativity. 3D and computer animation at the time was just starting to take off and I had a keen interest in animation so I decided to pursue a career shift and enroll in film school. After graduation, I started my career as a 3D animator working in numerous television and film productions before realizing that my heart belonged in video games. I ended up moving to Montréal in 2005 to work at Ubisoft Montréal where I animated on amazing AAA franchises including ›Assassin‘s Creed‹, ›Prince of Persia‹, and ›Far Cry‹ among others. It was a timely coincidence that I was looking for my next challenge when Eidos Montreal came knocking on my door in 2010 to join the team on ›Thief‹.

I’ve been at Eidos-Montréal for over 8 years now – as animation director on Thief and co-animation director on ›Rise of the Tomb Raider‹ before transitioning to ›Shadow of the Tomb Raider‹.«

To show Lara’s increased experience, Wilson Mui and his team wanted her already known moves to look smoother and polished, while adding completely new movesets like stealth takedowns and 360° underwater movement.

From Concept to Animation »Soaking up our experiences on Rise of the Tomb Raider and the success that it had, I definitely knew we had to step things up because we were completing the end of the origin story. We needed to keep in line with the franchise but at the same time we wanted to push the visual fidelity and quality of the animation and content as far as we could.

From Lara’s side I definitely wanted the player to feel like she evolved in her feature set yet at the same time not feeling out of place for players from the last two games. Pushing the envelope and improving the quality and variation of her movement during her traversal and combat were key goals and we tried a lot of different ideas with design before choosing her current repertoire. It was important to show that her animation style showed a more confident and experienced Lara Croft than ever before. Another big focus was to improve the moments Lara had with her secondary companions, in this case Jonah and some of the NPCs she meets on her journey. We wanted to create more custom gameplay setpiece moments (i.e. APC with Jonah) because we wanted to have some more time on screen to build character and relationships, something we wanted for Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Part of the Tomb Raider DNA was to create big set piece sequences and we wanted to push these epic moments further visually and as an experience in gameplay. We wanted to make sure to keep the player immersed in the experience and focused a lot of effort in making transitions seamless into cinematics and custom gameplay while making the custom sequences more epic in spectacle.

Lastly, with a whole new set of systemic animals, NPCs, and enemies, I pushed the team to have variation in their movement and behaviours, with individual custom movesets depending on the character. I wanted to make sure the enemies had their different silhouettes and movements that made sense (i.e. military vs. tribal) as well as NPCs in the hubs working on occupations that made sense relative to their cultures.

Also, it was important to make sure we made the movement of all the new animals and birds look right!«

Jonah and Lara went on adventures since the reboot’s first episode and share some deeply emotional moments in the trilogy’s finale.

Bringing the Jungle to Life »Aside from the high-resolution story cinematics, we‘re responsible for pretty much anything that moves in Shadow of the Tomb Raider… my animation team was a SWAT team of sorts.

On the character animation side, they were involved in animation blocking, motion capture shoots and clean up, keyframing, body and facial animation, as well as integration of the content in the engine. They needed to be hands-on with the animation graphs and blending as well. Even as a smaller team, the gameplay animation team worked on:

all of Lara’s systemic animation and gameplay features all the NPC and companions in the game all the systemic animals and behaviours in-game cinematics and scripted content required from level design or narrative all combat related content including takedowns and deaths.

All of this in addition to everything from helicopters, APCs, up to the epic deadly tower coming out of the ground in the Warrior’s Trial Tomb!«

Looking at how Tomb Raider evolved from Tomb Raider over Rise of the Tomb Raider up to Shadow of the Tomb Raider, the rise in quality not only undeniable but also enormous, also thanks to a few tweaks in production. »There were several pipeline improvements that helped things go smoother. Some changes done under the hood with our game engine and our Animation Technical Director, Pierre-Marc Simard, to improve the efficiency of our animation graphs and the ability to produce content. Since we also had an internal mocap studio at Eidos-Montréal, it was also more convenient and efficient for us to get mocap content in than we did before.

Finally, we also built new engine tech with the programmers to handle how we integrate our animation content which helped us to improve characters and objects syncing with each other. This was an important improvement with all the new interactions for Lara and the NPCs.«

Technically Adepting Asked about major changes from a technical standpoint, Mui explains: »We incorporated more Motionbuilder and the Story mode into our pipeline to handle longer sequences of animation which previously was difficult in Maya. Since we also shot mocap internally, my entire team was self-sufficient in the pipeline, from shooting mocap, to clean-up, right into transfer and re-targeting of data as needed making a faster turnaround to get content ready for integration. I also had a few Maya gurus on my team, creating custom scripts to make the animation process faster.

The process was different depending the needs of systemic vs. narrative/level design. Whereas systemic features worked more with sprints, for custom level design/narrative content needs, we would work together as a group from different disciplines to try to pitch an idea with a top down map to the game director, which was a visual representation of the key beats in a sequence on paper. If that was approved, animation would support and do rough blocking as needed to try to validate the flow. This was key because we needed to see it onscreen before making any further progress.«

In Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Lara is becoming one with the jungle, focusing on stealth combat and picking off her enemies one after the other.

The Challenge of Raising the Bar »From an artistic direction, there were several key challenges that we knew we would be facing early on. First, over the last two adventures, we saw Lara discover herself as a Tomb Raider but with Shadow of the Tomb Raider we wanted to make sure Lara had evolved over the course of the games – she was now more experienced, in control, and more capable of her abilities. I wanted to make sure that her animation style and choices reflected that. For all of Lara’s new features from traversal to combat, we pushed her visual style and abilities to feel like that she had evolved her skillset from the previous adventures, with more control, as if she had time to train herself in-between Rise and Shadow. It was important to make sure nothing in her feature set felt out of place, unbelievable or unrelatable. For example, with her new takedowns we wanted to show that Lara was capable of taking out enemies resourcefully using the environment, without crossing the line of gratuitous violence.

‘One of the key emotions pitched by my Game Director early on was the emotion of ›Fear‹. Lara’s latest adventure was a darker journey and fear was a concept he wanted us to convey to the player. As you know, the emotion of fear isn’t something tangible or easily represented on screen – each person has different personal fears and interpretations of them (i.e. yours isn’t necessarily the same as mine…). Throughout the game, we used all our tricks of the trade to keep players engaged and on the edge of their seat, from creating a lot of unique systemic setups as well as custom epic moments to keep the player immersed with the game experience. One of the big things we improved to make this work was to make the transition from narrative moments to gameplay as seamless as possible. It is a big challenge with a lot of planning and communication among teams to make it work but it paid off in the end.«

Three Major Movesets »As mentioned before, early in conception, we wanted to make sure that we built upon Lara’s existing features to show that there was an evolution in her character. There was already a solid base from the previous Tomb Raider games but in order to push Lara’s character arc further, we wanted to create features that complemented her existing movement and skillsets. We actually created three general gameplay movesets that had smaller but equally complex systems within:

Treacherous Traversal Verticality was another key theme for the creative vision – Lara was able to Axe Wall Climb in the previous adventures, but the team really wanted to push the verticality and danger of her axe climbing abilities. We added Rappel, Rappel Swing, Wall Run, and Overhang Axe Climb features to push the depth and challenge of getting to hard to reach places while climbing. Even though Lara was experienced and not afraid of the challenge, we wanted to make sure it looked physically demanding from her animations. I remember researching with my animator a lot of visual reference for ice climbing and freestyle rock climbing – and those were truly inspirational and insane at the same time.

Underwater Survival The ability to swim was in very controlled circumstances in the previous game. From the feedback of the community and our team as well, it was an obvious choice for us to push her ability to swim even further for Shadow of the Tomb Raider. We created a full 360 degree swimming navigation system to open up Lara’s exploration gameplay opportunities underwater. Underwater and verticality meant we could explore dark and hidden places where normal people would not dare to go, risking death due to lack of air or narrow and tight spaces. Add to that all the dangerous creatures that lived in these spaces and you have all of the opportunities to convey emotions of danger, fear, and obsession, which were all key themes in our game. From animation, we definitely had a challenge in making these life & death experiences believable to the player. I wanted the player to experience what Lara was feeling at that moment in time whether she was gasping for the last gulp of air or being trapped in-between rocks underwater.

One with the Jungle In 2013, Lara was the prey, experiencing her first kill and having to learn what it meant to be a Tomb Raider. For 2018, she has evolved into a much more confident and experienced Lara. She has become the predator, in control of her surroundings and using them to her advantage when enemies are around. As part of her new-found abilities, we wanted to empower Lara by teaching her to use mud as a stealth mechanic and using that to her advantage when taking out enemies. As the new predator in the jungle, we created new sets of takedowns that Lara could perform: Vinewall/Mudwall/Tree Takedowns. All of them allow Lara the ability to stalk and take out the enemies one by one, as if she was part of the jungle itself and disappearing back into the jungle.

From all these new movesets, I would say the ability for Lara to swim underwater with a full 360 degree navigation system was by far the most challenging feature we created both on an artistic and technical level. We knew from player feedback and from our own ambitions that we wanted to push the swimming system as far as possible, to open up new worlds of exploration and gameplay underwater.

Artistically speaking, the entire swimming system navigation system was pretty much handcrafted by one animator for a good portion of the entire production because everything was keyframed from scratch, consisting of hundreds of animations.

On the technical side, it was a complex system of animation graphs, blending, and overlays that made it as fluid as possible for the player with major support from our technical animation and gameplay programming teams. It was a long and constant challenge to make the controls responsive yet have the animations as fluid and believable as possible.«

The Means to Explore and Survive »Helping Lara to discover the lost city of Paititi, the largest hub we have ever created in the Tomb Raider universe, was a huge undertaking from an animation standpoint. We wanted to make sure the NPC characters felt alive in their world and were authentic to their customs and behaviours if they were alive today. We worked with a historian to provide us with factual info about the way of life of the Aztec and Inca cultures to make sure we were doing our due diligence to make the experience as authentic as possible. Everything from how we played music instruments (i.e. the teponatzli drum) to the ritual dances were well researched before we put them in the game. Having a solid set of variations for NPCs and their occupations is a key part of making a hub feel alive and the team did an amazing job filling up the different districts with life.«

Animation in Numbers »The high-resolution story cinematics were shot in Los Angeles with our in-house cinematic team and included the returning cast of Camilla Luddington as Lara and Earl Baylon as Jonah, in addition to a new cast and crew for all the new characters to the game.

For all of the gameplay content and narrative sequences, I had a crew of local actors/actresses (4-5 rotating) that I worked with to create all of the other content needed for the game.« Mui recalls. »A typical session was shot in increments of days – sometimes we only needed a day whereas other shoots we were in mocap several days in a row depending on the amount of content needed. Pickups were a regular part of the process due to changes in content.«

So what does a typical day on the set of Tomb Raider look like? »The actors usually arrive early on shoot day to suit up and get the technical preparations out of the way. Depending on what content to shoot, I would sit with them and brief the type of content to be shot that day. Part of the process was discussing the ›mise en scene‹ with the actors to get their input and we would start with some dry rehearsals per sequence before the actual shoot. The day is usually pretty hectic up until the end as we need to adjust the day’s shooting schedule in case of any unexpected emergencies. A mocap day usually starts around 9 in the morning and runs to about 6 PM much like a normal day with an hour lunch in between.

Fortunately, we didn’t have any accidents, even though our actors gave it their all during mocap shoots and were quite physical when needed – we did have multiple stunt shoots to do takedowns, combat, and some of the more epic fight sequences. We always had a stunt coordinator and a medic on set to prepare for the worst as a precaution.«

In a World without Limitations… Obviously, every developer is restricted to a certain degree, normally in terms of resources – and Eidos Montréal aren‘t any different. So what if resources would be endless, how might Shadow of the Tomb Raider have turned out?

»In the beginning, when the team started thinking about creating Paititi as our largest hub in the Tomb Raider franchise history, it was a huge challenge and undertaking for the team and we weren’t sure how successful it would end up. When I see what we managed to deliver in Paititi, I personally think it would be have been amazing to add more to Lara’s adventures by having more storytelling and side missions outside and around Paititi, maybe even with some of our secondary characters like Jonah or Abby to develop their relationships even more.«

Personal Favourites and Inspiration No matter the position within a studio or size of the project, everyone working in the games industry draws inspiration from something, be it books, movies or other games. Wilson Mui isn‘t any different when it comes to those personal favourites.

»I am a big fan of narrative games with plots twists and that were able to make me relate with the main characters and that sold me on creating a credible universe. I would say my top four games (honestly, I tried to narrow it down, but I can’t…) would be ›Batman Arkham Knight‹ (Rocksteady), ›Red Dead Redemption‹ (Rockstar), ›The Last of Us‹ (Naughty Dog), and the Yakuza series (SEGA). All of those games were in vastly different universes but sold a really strong fantasy in terms of storytelling with the main characters. Obviously, they were fun games to play as well in their own regards, but it was the storylines and visuals that kept me engaged throughout. I remember tireless nights trying to put the controller down with each of those games, but I couldn’t… I would be lying if I didn’t say ›Uncharted‹ was a great series that constantly challenged the industry. Their talent for visual storytelling and immersion is amazing and it is always a treat playing any of the Uncharted games.

Personally, movies are one of my big inspirations for ideas as well as providing lots of nice narrative and character moments, along with visuals to see how we can bridge the gap between games and movies.

A title Wilson would‘ve loved to be involved in? »Another classic game which is also one of my favorites, is ›Shadow of the Colossus‹ (SONY/Team ICO). I remember the simple concept of the game and the uniqueness of the characters – yet the complexity of each Colossi boss fight was epic and amazing. From the standpoint of animation, it was a technical marvel that would have been quite the challenge to do and the sheer rush of defeating the boss section by section while in movement was something completely new at the time. It challenged the concept of how to make a videogame and for me, remains as one of the best video games off all time.«

Wilson Mui is Animation Director at Eidos Montréal.

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