Game 45: Quest for Glory II - Kattastrophic Hospitality

Tricky Journal Entry 8: "I still can't quite believe it really. After everything I've been through, it turns out the Emir has been right with me (well, beneath me to be precise) the whole time!!! Setting that little surprise aside for the time-being, I've now finally traveled to Raseir. I can't say it's a particularly friendly place. No-one seems very trustworthy. At this point I just hope I can make it out of here in one piece!"

I love Katta hospitality!

I feel like I’m getting pretty close to Quest for Glory II’s climax. It’s certainly still enjoyable, and I really want to know what happens, but I can’t help feeling just a little bit underwhelmed. My biggest (and only, really) gripe is the amount of time I'm just trying to waste time until something happens. Once in Raseir this problem gets a little bit worse, since there doesn’t appear to be any way of resting during the day. I’m hoping that things will move on with more constancy from my current position, but we’ll see...

Omar again! Aren't there any other entertainers in Shapeir?

Right, my last post finished with me having all four Elementals, and just waking up after a huge night celebrating with the Eternal Order of Fighters. This was going to be my last day in Shapeir before joining the caravan to Raseir, and Shameen told me the Poet Omar would speak again in the evening. I wasn’t sure how I would spend the last day, but I did know I needed to visit Aziza on her request. Once inside her home, a massive plot point was revealed! (7 points) “You have saved the city through your resourcefulness and bravery. You are very much a hero. I worked some magic last night to uncover information about your trip to Raseir. I need to discuss this with you.” Before she could continue, my saurus stuck its head through the door and roared “Grrrrrooooooonnnnnk”! This was very unexpected, but Aziza didn’t seem all that surprised: “Welcome, stranger. I shall be honoured to have you for a guest.” The three of us (yes, Aziza, Roget the Saurus and I) sat down to have a nice, refreshing come up tea. Aziza was convinced that the saurus was enchanted, so began to cast some sort of spell:

“Water of Wisdom, Liquid of Life,
I call upon thee three times three,
Mirror without what lies within,
So we shall have the true to see.”

A Saurus Throatus? Oh my!

What shocking twist is this?!

When Roget the Saurus looked into the water on the table, the reflection was that of a man. A man that Aziza recognised very well! “Ah the Emir Arus al-Din. There was good reason my spell could not locate you in Raseir. You are under a most powerful enchantment. The caster must be a very skilled wizard to craft such a spell.” Aziza cast another spell:

“Water of Wisdom, Liquid of Life,
Knowledge now is what I seek,
Reveal the caster of the spell,
Upon the one which I bespeak.”

You mean I've been riding the guy I'm looking for the whole game!? Brilliant!

A shadowy figure appeared in the water this time, but was gone before there was any chance of identifying who it might belong to. Aziza told me it was important that I join the caravan to Raseir, and that she would keep the Emir close to her until I could find the means to restore him to his rightful shape.

I'm afraid I didn't fully capture the shadowy figure as it appeared all too briefly and I hadn't saved in a while.

I was very eager to head off to Raseir ASAP, but the majority of this last day was still mine to fill. Whie I’d begun to doubt that there was any way to climb up to the Griffin’s ledge out in the desert, I couldn’t refuse the stats increase that came with trying. I went out for another go at it, only to find that the increases to my Climbing stat had a cap! When it reached 77, I was no longer able to try climbing the cliff, with a message informing me that with my current skill level, I could tell that climbing the cliff would be too dangerous. With that option gone, I paid another visit to the Fighter’s Guild, hoping Uhura might still be open to being pummelled for a while. As I entered, Rakeesh spoke to me: “So, Hero, not being content with having merely saved the city, I see that you are about to attempt to save the land of Shapeir as well. You have proven yourself both brave and resourceful by your actions. The journey you are about to make is to a very dark and dangerous place. The foe you will face is very powerful in the ways of magic. Be wary and alert, for you will be surrounded by enemies. Yet trust your instincts, my friend, for you may still make allies by your actions. All of us in the city will be hoping for your safety, for all know of the seriousness of your mission. May fortune smile upon you, Tricky.”

Damn! I was so looking forward to telling Andy_Panthro about my climbing exploits.

It's always nice to see your own name up on screen, particularly when it follows praise.

Despite clearly carrying a serious injury, Rakeesh offered to teach some weapon skills! Finally there was someone strong that I could take on and test my mettle! When I walked into the training room, Rakeesh and I commenced combat. Sadly, Rakeesh had nothing to teach me. I hit him repeatedly until he stopped the fight: “You are good, very good. Soon you will be a master with your sword. However, the real battle is not always won by a swing or a thrust. To fight with Honor is not always easy. Sometimes the Way of Honor will seem foolish to those that have none. Nevertheless, without Honor, there is no victory. With Honor, there is no real defeat.” This message seemed to be telling me something about an event that had not yet occurred, so I determined to keep it in mind. I thanked Rakeesh and left the Guild for the last time. With nightfall approaching, it was time to go and see what the Poet Omar had to say for himself. As with the previous time I saw him, Omar had a message for me from the Sultan of Shapeir:

“The Sultan of Shapeir had now decreed,
   that this hero is a Hero here indeed.
For actions fundamental,
   in dispelling elementals,
   a reward for he who freed us with all speed.”

Now I'm convinced that no-one will give me a decent combat challenge for the rest of the game.

*sniff...sniff* I'm gonna miss you guys!

I was rewarded with 100 dinars for my efforts! Omar wasn’t finished yet though, and hopped up on the stage to recite his latest piece of work. I won’t bother typing up this poem, as it was really just a lengthy recitation of events I played a central part in. Once he was done, I went to bed, knowing that it was my last night in Shapeir, at least for now. In the morning I was awakened by Shameen, who informed me that the caravan to Raseir was finally preparing to depart. I was given a new saurus on the way out of the city, a gift from the Sultan, and then I and a bunch of other travellers followed the Caravan Master out into the desert. We didn’t get very far before we were set upon by hundreds of nomadic brigands! I wondered how the Cole’s might deal with such a situation. Would I need to battle through endless waves of brigands? Would I need to escape somethow? Instead I found they’d done something completely unexpected, and absolutely hilarious! An intermission!!!!

Finally we're on our way!!! Let's hope I don't have to get inside this saurus to keep warm!

Ah, but there's one thing they're not counting on.......

......an intermission!

After listening to the typical intermission music and ignoring the desire that the onscreen popcorn and cola created, an animation of Tricky standing atop an enormous dead (or at least unconscious) pile of brigands and sauruses popped up. “I love the smell of victory in the morning. It smells like...sweat...no, no...oregano...no...like Victory! Yea Victory!...Yea! Yea! That’s the ticket.” While I was laughing about recent events, I was told that the rest of our week-long journey to Raseir was uneventful. I left the rest of the group and rode my saurus into the city, wondering what was waiting for me beyond the gates.

Well at least the game knows that I'm too powerful now!

It's like New Zealand is to Australia. It's exactly the same...but different!

Finally I was within the walls of Raseir, and it was as unfriendly as I’d expected it to be. I was immediately set upon by guards, with someone named Khaveen telling me how things were going to be: “Stay where you are stranger, or you’ll discover how sharp a weapon can be. So you are the one they call the Hero of Shapeir. Well, understand this: We don’t need no stinking Heroes around here. Do I make myself clear?” All I could do was say “yes”, at which point the Khaveen rammed home his rule: “See that you obey all the rules posted around town. Rule number one: Strangers must always carry their Visa. Do you have our Visa?” I didn’t have one of course, which didn’t impress Khaveen at all. He gave me one, almost reluctantly, telling me not to leave town without it. They eventually left me alone, and I realised the plaza looked very much like the starting plaza of Shapeir, with an exit to the north and a doorway leading to an inn on the north-eastern wall. I knew that Raseir was a sister city to Shapeir, but could it be that it was laid out exactly the same? I put the thought aside for the time being, and entered the Blue Parrot Inn.

That's a demonstration I'd be all too happy to show you stranger!

The Blue Parrot Inn was nowhere near as neat and tidy as the Katta’s Tail Inn in Shapeir. The curtains and wallpaper were ripped, and even the blue parrot itself was dead and hanging upside down from its perch! A man wearing green to the right of screen, named Signor Ferrari, immediately recognised me: “Come here, stranger. I see you have already made the acquaintance of Khaveen, our illustrious Captain of the Raseirian Guard, so perhaps you already have an idea of Raseirian hospitality. Come here, sit down, and let us have a little chat, you and I.” I recalled that Dinarzad the Money Changer in Shapeir had told me not to trust Ferrari unless I was a thief, so I approached him prepared for anything. I sat down at his table and listened to what he had to say. “If you don’t mind me saying so, you look like a man with a mission. I like that in a man. But perhaps a word of caution. In a city such as Raseir, there are many depths to the problems. Do not try to change things here too quickly. You will find that the system is not so bad, once you get used to it. However, it would be very dangerous to try to alter that system. You might make enemies. Enough of such morbid thoughts, though. Perhaps we should share a drink in honor of our new relationship. Would you prefer Raseirish Coffee, or a Djinn Sling?” Neither of these sounded good to me!

Yes, I doubt the hospitality here will be up to my standards.

If you don't mind me saying so, you just look like a man who likes...um...best not to mention it.

I decided to go with my gut, and told Signor Ferrari that I wanted “neither” of his drink options. This upset him, and I was sent out of the inn at once! Not only that, I was given a game over screen, apparently losing the only accommodation in Raseir and eventually being arrested for vagrancy! I restored, and this time chose the Raseirish Coffee. Wilmer the barman brought me a mug, and I drank the brown ooze quickly. “You feel strange for a few seconds, but the feeling passes. Ferrari starts to ask some very probing questions, but you evade most of them.” Hmmm, was the coffee supposed to put me in a state where I would answer Ferrari’s questions openly? His next comment cemented this idea: “You are a very closed-mouth individual. You handle your drink very well. I trust you will handle yourself in Raseir as well.” Perhaps my high vitality or strength had saved me? Before letting me go, Ferrari told me a room would be reserved for me in the inn, that it was forbidden to be outside at night, and that I should rejoin him at the table this evening to receive some information that might prove useful.” I looked around the inn a bit more, and tried speaking to the barman and the customers, but couldn’t find anything useful. It was time to go exploring!

Who knew having one for the road was so important in life!

Thinking? How novel!

The first thing I noticed when walking through the streets was that they had a grey tinge to them, which was different to the browns of Shapier. The second thing was that my magic map wasn’t going to work in Raseir! Could I get a new map or would I have to create my own?! My compass told me that I was facing south, which came as a bit of a surprise, but at least running straight ahead for a while brought me to a Fountain Plaza, just as I’d expected it to. It was completely empty, with two of the four exits blocked off by boards. I soon discovered a couple of key things. Firstly, Raseir was in fact a mirror image of Shapeir (ie. everything was the same only in reverse), and secondly, the vast majority of the city was blocked off by barricades. Knowing these two things made exploring much less daunting. The only plazas I could visit were the counterparts of the Gate Plaza, the Fountain Plaza, and the Plaza of the Palace, with only the streets between them being open to the public. By the time I’d been everywhere I could go, and had uncovered absolutely nothing apart from the guarded Palace, it was time to go back to Ferrari to hear his so-called important information.

Some magic map!!!!

I love what you've done with the place!

If this were a real RPG, I'd have the option of trying my luck here.

When I was seated at Ferrari’s table, he began his tale: “I wish to tell you a story, a fable that has a moral. How you choose to react to this moral is your own life. As you well know, the old Emir was deposed last year, and his brother took over the Palace. Raseir used to be a place with very few laws and restrictions; a place where the streets were filled with people and merchants and water flowed free from the fountain. That has changed with the coming of Khaveen and his master. A new order has been established. The weak have perished or fled. Only the strong who adapted remain. Those that could not adapt were destroyed. You are strong, but it remains to be seen how adaptable you are. It would be a great shame for you to wind up in Khaveen’s dungeon. Enough of that for now. I have someone I would like you to meet. Ugarte, I would like to introduce you to Tricky.” A man walked over to our table to make my acquaintance, and Ferrari informed me that Ugarte could provide an invaluable service to the community. “He obtains for others things which are otherwise unattainable.” Ugarte told me that he’d heard a rumor that might influence my actions, and that he would share this information with me for five dinars.

I could feel my Honor points dwindling away just by being in the Blue Parrot Inn.

I really wasn’t keen to deal with as shady a character as Ugarte, but had already learnt my lesson when it came to offending Signor Ferrari. I gave him the five dinars, and this is what he had to say: “Khaveen has sent the word out to his men that you are to be watched at all time. It seems that, ah, Someone is very interested in your actions. You should be aware that Khaveen does not usually greet strangers at the gate. You were expected.” When Ferrari asked Ugarte why this Someone might be interested in me, Ugarte responded with “There is the little matter of a prophecy to be fulfilled and this one may be the one”. I asked Ugarte about Ad Avis, assuming that he might be the Someone he was speaking of. His aggressive response told me I was likely correct: “No! Nothing! I know nothing about him. It is best such a name be forgotten.” Not giving up, I then asked him about the prophecy. “It is said that, ah, someone, is waiting for someone to open a door to something. I have had no desire to learn more about it. Things dealing with magic are best left alone.” This was interesting, as I hadn’t heard anything about opening a door when anyone spoke of the prophecy of the Hero. Perhaps the bad guys had a prophecy too!? I’ll have to play on to find out!

Hey! I paid you good money. Enough with the "someone this" and "someone that"!

I kept a close watch on my stats and my Honor hasn't gone down. I must be doing ok.

Session Time: 1 hour 00 minutes
Total Time: 13 hours 30 minutes

Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: I've written a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it here before making any comments that could be considered a spoiler in any way. The short of it is that no points will be given for hints or spoilers given in advance of me requiring one. Please...try not to spoil any part of the game for me...unless I really obviously need the help...or I specifically request assistance. In this instance, I've not made any requests for assistance. Thanks!

Game 45: Quest for Glory II - Fight for Your Right to Party

Tricky Journal Entry 7: "So much has happened since last I wrote. Not only did I use the Earth Elemental to free the spirit of the woman in the tree, but I've also released the caged beast in the desert (ungrateful bastard) and captured the Water Elemental! I thought for a while that it was all for nothing though, as a group called the Eternal Order of Fighters captured me and appeared to want me dead. As it turned out, it was all just a test, but not one I'm very appreciative to have been put through. At least I'm still alive! I really wish that caravan to Raseir would hurry up and get going!"

I guess you taught me pretty well.

With the Fire Elemental in my lamp, the Air Elemental in my bellows, and the Earth Elemental in my sack, I set out on the morning of day 12 with a plan. I’d pondered long and hard during my play sessions, not to mention while I’d been writing up posts, just what the Gift of Magic might be that I needed to save the woman trapped within the tree in the desert. I’d come to the conclusion that the Earth Elemental might be the answer, since Aziza had told me it would be “gained through hardship and from aiding others” and that it would be “something from which a plant can gain strength”. There’s no doubt that a plant can gain strength from soil, and I had gained the Elemental through hardship, so I set out into the desert to find out whether my theory was correct. To my delight, typing “give earth elemental to tree” caused Tricky to get down on his haunches and spread the big guy around the tree’s base. (7 points) I’d figured out the first two gifts, meaning all I needed to do now was give the tree a Gift of Love. I’d always assumed that this final gift would be a kiss, so I typed “kiss tree”. Tricky embraced the tree and I gained some points, but to my dismay I was told that “the act of hugging the tree is fruitless”. (5 points) Clearly it was the right thing to do, but I figured I must need to do something else first!

Lets hope I didn't just unleash that thing back onto the planet!

Oh but it feels soooo gooood!!!!

When Aziza had told me about the gifts required to save the woman, she’d refrained from detailing the third one since I didn’t have what was needed to fulfil the second. I decided to restore my game back to the city and pay her visit while the Earth Elemental was in my inventory. This time she elaborated: “The gift of Magic is the gift of sacrifice. The gift must be something you gained through hardship and from aiding others. It must also be something from which a plant can gain strength. Tell her then how you got the gift and why. You will be reminding her of why she became a healer.” Aha! This was the missing step! Aziza then confirmed my belief that a kiss would be a suitable Gift of Love, but finished with something I never could have come up with by myself: “The last gift again is simple, a mere gesture of affection. Remind her that there are still people in the world who care about others. There is only one thing you need to say to her now, to remind her who she is. Her name is Julanar, Flower of the Pomegranate. When you have done this, your part in her tale will be complete. Julanar will not be able to walk this land as a human woman until another frees her with the power of True Love, but you can at least free her spirit by giving her these gifts.”

Flower of the Pomegranate? No wonder she's forgotten.

I was saddened to hear that Julanar would not be completely free through my gifts, but further questioning convinced me there was nothing I could do to change that. I made my way back to the tree, and this time after spreading the Earth Elemental around, told the woman all about it. As I did so, leaves sprouted from the branches, forming a quite beautiful sight. (5 points) I then kissed the tree, and typed “tell woman her name” to complete the gifts. (5 points) The Fruit of Compassion rapidly grew out of one of the branches, dropping safely into my hands, a gift for restoring Julanar’s spirit! (7 points) Finally I had what I needed to complete the dispel potion, which I hoped would in turn allow me to find and transform the caged beast that the Dervish had told me about. I hightailed backed to Shapeir and straight for the Apothecary, handing him the Fruit of Compassion without delay. Moments later he handed me back no less than three dispel potions! “There. I do for you what I would not for another. This is a gift for all you have done for the city.” (5 points) Harik reminded me that I would need to add a freshly collected sample of the victim’s hair before they drink the potion for it to be effective.

I really like what you've done with your leaves!

What a catch! Marvelous effort that!

Thank you Captain Obvious!

There was still no sign of the expected Water Elemental, so I hopped on my saurus and strolled out to the location the Dervish had told me the caged beast would be. I was very thankful to find that it was there, since I hadn’t been able to understand why it wasn’t during my first two visits. (5 points) The beast sure was ugly too, seeming to be a combination of three of four other animals. Looking at it revealed that it was very weak due to a lack of food and water, and it seemed to have some sort of hypnotic ability. “You seem to hear in your mind the words, ‘Come closer, much closer. Come closer and release me, free me. Come closer and trust me. Look into my eyes and trust me.'” The thing seemed very dangerous to me, but I needed to get some of its hair if I had any chance of helping it. I tried, but was told that I didn’t “dare get any hair as long as the beast is staring at you”. I tried walking around behind it, but didn’t appear to be able to get away from its stare! I decided to take a punt, and gave the creature some water. It began lapping it up eagerly, but was still watching me with a “hungry expression”. (5 points) I added some food into the mix, and as it chowed down I took the opportunity to attempt a daring hair removal operation. It worked, and I then mixed the hair into one of my dispel potions. All that was left to do was to give it to the hideous thing, and it gobbled it downed without delay.

You are one ugly motherf#$%er!

Oh no! That ration wasn't the dried meat was it? I was saving that!!!!

The dispel potion worked perfectly, and the caged beast transformed into a man before my eyes. (15 points) Unfortunately, he wasn’t a very nice man, and didn’t appear all that grateful for my involvement in his rescue: “I know not who you are, or why you saved me, buy you are a fool if you expect to be rewarded for it. I am Al Scurva, an apprentice Sorcerer. My former master, Ad Avis, transformed me into that monster and left me to die. He will be most displeased that I am still alive. Do not think he will be unaware of your interference. He will be watching you from now on. I will give you this warning: Do not go near Ad Avis unless you have some spell of protection or are very quick. If he manages to throw a spell at you, you will either be his willing servant or else be transformed into a creature most resembling your soul. There is some major ritual magic he has planned for when the moon arises between the Scorpion’s claws and the Dragon’s teeth. If he succeeds in this it would be best not to be in this land. I certainly will not be. Just remember, Ad Avis awaits you in Raseir.” With that, Al Scurva literally disappeared! His head briefly reappeared to thank me for the food and water, but it seemed more an afterthought than a genuine expression of gratitude.

Define "very quick"!

Um...you're welcome?

I paid the Dervish a visit to ask him about Al Scurva and Ad Avis, but he seemed to be quite ignorant on the subjects. I therefore returned to the city with the intention of training before nightfall. On my arrival at the Fighter’s Guild, I was surprised to find that someone had left me a note. “If you know what’s good for you, you will obey orders. We will leave them here. If you don’t follow them, you’ll be sorry. We are watching you.” Could this note be from Ad Avis? It didn’t seem likely as he was apparently waiting for me in Raseir. I was intrigued, and committed to returning the next day to see if there were any more notes. After increasing my stats a bit more through training with Uhura, I slept the night away in the Inn, uncertain about what might happen the next day. This uncertainty was shortlived, as I was quickly informed in the morning that the Water Elemental was in town!

You probably should know that I don't have high stats in the Obeying Orders attribute!

Did you say peril?! Oh please tell me you just said peril! That's the best way for a Hero to start any day!

I knew exactly where the Water Elemental would be found, since Aziza had given me the following advice on the matter: “The essence of Water is attraction. The Elemental will draw all water into itself. It can draw water from the very body of a human that approaches it. In the fountain, the Water Elemental will draw upon the boundless magical stream which is the lifeblood of the city. People will be dying of thirst as it grows in power enough to engulf the entire city in a flood. As long as the Water Elemental is in the fountain, the Elemental cannot be harmed or contained. It is only vulnerable to Air. Once away from the fountain, it will be drawn to the nearest source of water. You might then contain it.” Clearly I would find it in the Fountain Plaza, and I had a fair idea what Air might be utilized to get it away from the fountain. As soon as saw the feminine-looking body of water, I typed “use bellows”. Tricky was able to push the Water Elemental away from the fountain with the Air Elemental, thankfully without losing control of the latter. It wasn’t enough though, and before I could even consider what I might capture the thing in, it moved back into the fountain. Looking through my inventory, I had a Eureka moment! I dropped a waterskin next to the fountain, and then used the bellows again. The Water Elemental would be attracted to the closest body of water, and was therefore sucked into the waterskin as it passed over it. Victory! (20 points)

This...was awesome!

Yes! Now my 1990 Sierra Ultra Elemental set is finally complete!

It was the morning of day 14, and I’d finally captured all four Elementals! I still had a couple more days until the caravan would be ready to go to Raseir though. The only outstanding thing to do was to see what the note had been all about in the Fighter’s Guild, so that’s where I headed. Uhura was not at all impressed, since someone had left another note, with this one stuck to the door with a knife. It read: “Tomorrow night is your last night. You’ll get your final orders then. Be seeing you.” Tomorrow night? What would I do for the next two days? I’d trained myself to a level where I doubted anything could touch me. Even Uhura gave up quickly and often without getting a single hit on me in the process. I went back to the inn to sleep some time away, but while I was there Shema gave me something to do: “The Katta wish to thank you for your bravery and kindness. Please go visit Sashanan the Jeweler in the Plaza of the Palace today.” I’d been wondering about the sapphire pin she’d tried to sell me for 500 dinars earlier in the game, since I’d never got close to owning that sort of cash. Perhaps I wouldn’t need to purchase it at all!

Wow! How to get a guy excited! Count me in!

I made my way to the Plaza of the Palace and approached Sashanan. “Your name will be told in the tales of the Katta as long as there are Katta to tell them. We Katta tried to think of some way to say how much we were grateful. Please accept this gift of a sapphire pin. May it do you good.” (5 points) I distinctly recall that Sashanan had described the pin as being “worthy of a Sultan” during her initial sales pitch, so I wondered whether that might be exactly what it was for. I’d have to wait until I was invited to see the Sultan to test that theory though. In the meantime I still had some time to fill, and was getting a bit bored of grinding away at the Fighter’s Guild.

Me? Pick locks?! Never!

I decided to sleep the rest of the day and night away, and on waking up received a message from Shameen: “The Enchantress Aziza sends you this message of gratitude and requests that you visit her home tomorrow. It is said that Uhura at the Guild Hall has a message for you as well.” Excellent! Stuff to do! There was yet another note left for me at the Guild Hall, and it contained some actual instructions for once: “At nightfall tonight, go to the door at the end of Saif Darb off Askeri Darb. Obey, or you’ll regret it.” I certainly didn’t like the tone, but was too curious to ignore the demand. Once again I had to fill some time, so I decided to try something a little bit different. During one of my training sessions with Uhura, she’d given me instructions on how to defeat a Griffin. It made me wonder whether it was possible to fight the Griffin, and despite knowing this act would probably affect my ability to become a Paladin, I set off into the desert to try. When I reached the screen where the creature was asleep, I tried waking it up. That didn’t work, so I tried throwing a rock at it. Nope. I tried shouting, but that didn’t work either. Hmmm.... could I climb up the rocks to its ledge? It was worth a shot!

A visit to Aziza? This calls for my finest aftershave!

I thought last night was supposed to be my last! You don't appear to be a person of your word.

I typed “climb”, and watched as Tricky tried desperately to scramble up the rocks to the Griffin. My climbing stat was 5 to begin with, so it was no surprise that he failed. I tried again. And again. And again. I climbed until I had no stamina left, but I still couldn’t do it. Looking at the character screen revealed that my Climbing stat was now 39, and my Strength, Vitality and Luck had also increased. I recalled that Andy_Panthro had talked about not being able to max out his climbing stat in Quest for Glory II, so I wondered whether or not I’d found a way to do it. I went back to the inn to rest for a while, then came straight back out for another round of climbing. My Climbing stat had reached 67 by the time I ran out of stamina this time, but still no success in reaching the Griffin. By this stage nightfall was approaching, and since I didn’t want to miss the opportunity to meet up with whoever was leaving the notes, I rested for an hour and then made my way to the end of Saif Darb off Askeri Darb.

And you call yourself a Hero! Shame, Tricky, shame!

The door at the end of the street was now opened, where it had been locked the previous time I’d been there. On entering I found myself in pitch darkness. Someone spoke to me: “Stand where you are. You now face the most important decision of your life. Are you a man, or just a craven coward? Stand and obey, or now run away!” I chose to obey, and shortly afterwards someone came and took my equipment away. When the torches were finally lit, I found I was standing alone in a large room with my hands chained to the wall! I could see my equipment at the other end of the room, but how the hell was I going to get to it?! The voice returned: “You have 10 seconds to retrieve your weapon.” WTF!? I typed the only thing I could think of, given my character class, being “break chains”. Tricky began wildly swinging his arms, attempting to break the chains away from the wall. Meanwhile the voice counted the seconds away. 1...2...3...4...5...6...7... A man entered the room and approached me, his curved sword threatening! 8...9...YES, the chains were broken and I was free to move! Now all I had to do was figure out how to get past the guy with the sword. This turned out to be difficult, and he even made a couple of successful hits on me before I managed to scamper around him and get my stuff. Time to fight!

Something's different here. I just can't put my finger on it!

The Astrologer didn't tell me anything about this dammit!

Feeling much more comfortable now that I had my sword and shield, I got into my combat position. Surely this guy would cause me little trouble! He didn’t! Just about every thrust and swing I made crashed into him until he fell to the floor. I was informed that many voices were calling for me to “finish him off”, but this didn’t feel like the right thing to do, particularly if I ever wanted to be a Paladin. I checked my Honor stat to find that it was currently 99, and then typed “no” as a refusal to the hidden audience’s demand. Suddenly Issur the Weapon Shop owner walked into the room! So he was behind this strange event! He wasn’t at all impressed with my inability to finish the defeated man off: “What a turkey! Even when you win, you don’t have the guts to finish the task. Never show mercy to an enemy. Isn’t that right, Walid?” The man I’d just beaten stood up, apparently not all that harmed. Issur continued: “Your real sword is in the other room. You have been tested to prove your worthiness to join the Eternal Order of Fighters. You can fight, and you’ve got some guts, but you just can’t obey a simple order. We figured we’d let you join EOF despite the fact that you failed. You are admitted to the beginning rank of our order. You are now a Brother Saurus. Welcome to EOF.” I was told that the secret password was “Might is Right!”, and given a secret membership token with my name, rank and serial number engraved upon it. (7 points)

I guess these swords weren't real after all!

Did you ever stop to think that I might not want to be in your stupid little club?

After all the excitement, Tricky and the other EOF members celebrated into the night. Somehow I made it back to the inn, and awoke shockingly hung-over. I noticed that my stamina points had not recovered during sleep, but more importantly, my Honor stat had improved to 101. I’m not certain that I chose all the right options during this recent event, but I role-played my character as well as I could. I’m awfully close to joining the caravan to Raseir now, but first I need to pay Aziza a visit. Let’s hope she has some good advice for me, and some of that lovely tea wouldn’t go astray either.

I have no idea how much Honor I need to become a Paladin, but 100 seems like a solid milestone.

Session Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 12 hours 30 minutes

Note Regarding Spoilers and Companion Assist Points: I've written a set of rules regarding spoilers and companion assist points. Please read it here before making any comments that could be considered a spoiler in any way. The short of it is that no points will be given for hints or spoilers given in advance of me requiring one. Please...try not to spoil any part of the game for me...unless I really obviously need the help...or I specifically request assistance. In this instance, I've not made any requests for assistance. Thanks!