So, here we are, mine level 4.
◊
Nothing much to report as I explore, though I did find this bit of unlit hallway
◊ between two lit rooms kind of entertaining... somehow.
You know, I haven't reported a lot on the monsters I've fought. Maybe I'll give a quick bestiary run-down. Report what the in-game manual says, and what I think of them.
Another thing I want to report is traps.
◊ Visible in this screen is an arrow trap. The vast majority of traps are pretty basic, and only do a bit of damage, if they even hit. On this floor, and later on, you'll start meeting more nasty traps, including glyph traps that'll curse you. But for now, it's just damage. In the hallway to the right of where I am, you can see the bit of rubble that indicated a falling rocks trap. Some traps are single-activation, and leave some sort of mark after they hit.
I think I mentioned this before, but time to point out another oddity of the random dungeon generator.
Here's a passage to a room.
◊ The door you see there was plainly visible and easily opened. (Though I don't believe doors lock in the game anyways. But one search later reveals this hidden door.
◊ Right next to the non-hidden door, and leading to the same room.... Why? Just why? Who would build a secret door like that?
Anyawys, after a bit of wandering, we come to... a campsite.
◊ Full of kobolds, with a giant red ant. And... something on the ground, other than rude straw mattresses. Still, those bits of decoration indicate something important is in this room.
Naturally, like any good rougelike players learns, when facing off with hordes, back into a hallway
◊ and smack/blast away. Note the rather gory descriptions of smashing in the comment window at the bottom of the screen.
Of course, sometimes the descriptions work against you.
◊
But more often than not, it's a good thing.
◊
Having blasted the Goblin Fighter attracted by all the commotion with a magic bolt, Gunmarie breathed heavily. Something was not right here. That many kobolds in one room, which they were making camp in, said that they had some kind of purpose. But what?
She searched
◊ the mattresses, hoping for a clue. She was about to give up her search, when she noticed something on the ground. A crumpled piece of torn parchment. Strange, kobolds weren't known for being literate, let alone writers. But before she could read it, a hissing sound drew her attention. It may be best to hold on to that note for now, she though, as she readied her mace. Another spawn of Jormungand, a giant serpent, drew near.
Yeah, let's not read that note right now... I'll show why in a bit.
Anyways, here's another trap, an acid pool.
◊ I think they're slightly more damaging than most traps, but I've never really quantified them.
Just another weird oddity I thought I should point out. Where the stairs down are does not correlate as to where the stairs up are. Here are the stairs down on the previous floor...
◊
and here they are on the bottom floor.
◊ Though, honestly, this probably wasn't the best example, since they're still quite close together. Most of the time, they're wherever they're generated. I also note that for some reason, standard dungeon floors generate two stairs down. Not sure why.
Anyways, here's a map
◊ of the final floor.
And, as we walk out of the dungeon, we get forced into plot.
◊
This message will self-destruct in five seconds...
◊
But dread awaits us back
◊ home...
◊
A shot of the village
◊ without plot exposition. I forgot to get a shot, but every building is burned, all the gardens are trampled, and even the well has green gunk on it, and examining it reveals it to be poisoned. And the Shrine to Odin fared no better.
As you may have gathered, reading the note triggers this action, hence why it forces you to read it when you step out of the dungeon. Of course, a simple bit of messing around can still screw up the order of events. If you drop the note right outside the cave entrance, you can walk to town, do your business, head back, read the note, and then return to a burning wreckage, without ever seeing anybody enter or leave the cave.
Anyways, enough of that. Time to get moving. Going East gives you the same message about seeing the highway dissapear
◊, so let's stop on the edge of the map to the west.
Oh, and forgot to show off my loot
◊ from the final dungeon level, minus the parchment, of course.
And so, we set off.
◊
Welcome to Bjaranarhaven.
◊ A bit bigger and fancier than our home hamlet. Which, by the way, as you can read on the bottom of that screenshot, it won't let us return to it. Hope you didn't leave any loot or stuff back there.
You'll note quite a few buildings. Now we start getting into more specialty shops. Such as the weapon shop,
◊ the magic shop,
◊ the armour shop,
◊ and the general store.
◊ You'll note the general store still stocks potions and scrolls, but rings, staves, wands, and other such magical items aren't part of their inventory.
Looking at the new merchandise available, none of the weapons really interest me. The magic store has some new items, such as staves (Carry in your free hand, and use to cast the spell) and wearable amulets. But what really interests me is the Spell Book. Spell Books are quite nice. Read them, and you instantly learn that spell, not having to wait until you level up to get it. Very worthwhile to pick up.
The enchanted steel shield the armour store has is certainly worth looking into. Shields go from wooden, to iron, to steel. Bypassing all of that and going straight to magical steel would certainly be nice. As for the general store, there's sadly no bigger packs or belts, but the boots of levitation are certainly something I'm interested in. Very expensive, though.
The other buildings are a Temple to Odin at the bottom. That grey building
◊ is a bank. Which lets you
◊ deposit your money.
◊ What this does is keep your weight down, and keep your loot from getting pickpocketed. We'll see what creature does that soon enough.
The last two buildings (That we can enter) along the road to the north are... err... Snorri the Sage
◊ and Olaf's Junk Store.
◊ I'm really not sure if this is supposed to mean that those two escaped the destruction of the town, or if there's a franchise for these two.
Anyways, this is my new setup
◊ after shopping. As you can see, I got the spellbook, and the shield. I also purchased a Ring of Constitution, and moved the Cure Moderate Wounds potion to my belt, so I can drink it in an emergency.
Anyways, new town, new dungeon. What awaits Gunmarie in this castle? For what reason has she been marked for death? And by who? Who carried out the attacks, on her family, and her town? Tune in to find out the answers on the next episode of Castle Of The Winds!!!
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