Lia's BK tweets archive - 2021-05-22: Greater Mintaka investigation, Azha interrogations

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:30 PM · May 21, 2021 Permalink

Turns out making me work for the fascists is a great way to almost make me drop off a game.
But let’s go back and hope this sticks the landing. ONWARDS, starting with reading the journal ‘cause it seems to include Guillo snark.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:39 PM · May 21, 2021 Permalink

It also includes Guillo calling Geldoblame a fop, apparently. Guillo, everyone in this universe has questionable fashion choices, starting with you.
Milly calling Guillo “can opener” is fun if you overthink it because it implies the existence of canning in this bizarro setting.

Travel Log, Guillo’s Journal. “Sagi’s behavior is peculiar of late. He’d mentioned having strange dreams—could that have been the cause? But Sagi, that Geldoblame fop was right. We won’t escape easily. And I don’t want to return to Sheratan if it means going through those woods.”

Travel Log, Milly’s Journal. “Stupid presumptuous dingbat! “You can leave now”? Ugh! Olgan’s funeral is under way, so we shouldn’t have any trouble reaching Verus’s residence unmolested. No thanks to that can opener, mind you. I was just thinking about what Sagi’s mother Gena said when we left Hassaleh. ...Does she really trust me?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:58 PM · May 21, 2021 Permalink

Poking around just in case, we stumble on Verus getting reports from secretaries.
It’s all good news, which... lets us get a Fresh Air magnus, which we... can give to a tantruming NPC who wanted to breathe the same air as Verus.
SURE, WHATEVER, WHY NOT

Officer of Finance: “Yes, sir. We anticipate a 7-8 percent increase in military funding from the last report’s figure.”

Officer of Finance: “By contrast, funding for Baelheit’s forces has plateaued, with only a 1-2 percent change.”

Textbox: “Obtained the magna essence Fresh Air!”

Obnoxiously Whiny Girl, lying on the floor: “I’m not moving an inch, no way. Not until I’ve breathed the same [red text] air [end red text] as my dear Qaestor Verus!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:00 AM · May 22, 2021 Permalink

If we go back (because keeping extra copies of Magnus to see how they age is good), it turns out the reports are randomized and bad news get us Foul Air instead.
Along with what I suspect is a first hint of Verus maybe not being completely a good guy.

Verus: “All right, let’s hear the secretary’s report.”

Military Secretary: “Yes, sir... We estimate our military forces have, uh, decreased 5-7% since the last report.”

Verus: “You imbecile! What did I hire you for?! You can stand there until I give you permission to sit!”

Textbox: “Obtained the magna essence Foul Air!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:08 AM · May 22, 2021 Permalink

The actual reason we’re here, however, is that now that an arbitrary plot trigger has been hit the kid suddenly has evidence for us, that the mechanic ruffling through the exploded pod would probably like so he doesn’t get executed or something.
SURE, SEEMS FINE.

Sagi: “Huh? Is this some kind of device? It [red text] smells like gunpowder [end red text]...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:12 AM · May 22, 2021 Permalink

Let’s go back to Azha and ask the gunpowder expert, who has clearly not gotten the memo to NOT TALK TO COPS.
It’s a detonator, it’s Azha-only, we got our evidence, yay.
I’m betting on Bein.

Sagi: “Mallo, do you have any idea what this is?”

Mallo: “I’ve got more than an idea. That’s part of a [blue text] detonator [end blue text] for the explosives we use in the mines.”

Mallo: “Only Azha uses them, and nobody is allowed to take them out of the village, either.”

Textbox: “The metal device has now been identified as a bomb detonator.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:32 AM · May 22, 2021 Permalink

Now that we have evidence, we tell Lyuvann and gather up the villagers to slam it on the table.
It is mostly a repeat of what Mallo told us.

Juwar: “What the hell’s going on, herding us together like this?”

Sagi: “We have proof that the Mourning Mistral is someone in the village.”

Sagi: “This proves without a doubt that the Mourning Mistral is from Azha:” as the Quest Magnus list opens, focused on the Bomb Detonator.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:35 AM · May 22, 2021 Permalink

For some reason tho, this section is made pseudo-branching, so I reloaded my save, and the wrong answers are way more interesting.
If we choose a geographic argument rather than present evidence, we get dismissed, rightfully, and Lyuvann encourages us to present evidence instead.

Sagi: “Azha’s the only place near Mintaka, so somebody here must have done it.”

Nollin: “What kind of jabber is this! We’re guilty ‘cause we live next door?”

Nollin: “You treat us like criminals without a shred of proof!”

Nollin: “And you expect us to listen to your reckless finger-pointin’!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:37 AM · May 22, 2021 Permalink

The other option is even more prejudiced and relies on the “Azha hates Mintaka” argument. We got a version of this dialog earlier when chatting with villagers: no one can stands the Empire, present evidence instead.

Sagi: “Everyone in this village holds a grudge against the Empire. Just like the Mourning Mistral.”

Mallo: “Just about everybody in the WORLD has a bone to pick with the Empire.”

Nollin: “I don’t know what they teach you, but by that logic every man in the sky’s a suspect.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:39 AM · May 22, 2021 Permalink

I wish this was integrated into linear dialog instead, because there is no indication that the “wrong answers” will loop: most players will miss them.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:42 AM · May 22, 2021 Permalink

Once we pick the correct option and are reminded that detonators like this are prized local tech, we get not one but two confessions.
Which... somehow is enough to make the Imperial back off until we gather more evidence, rather than execute the lot. Sure.

Lyuvann: “The Empire will not tolerate disobedience! Anyone sheltering a known terrorist—“

Nollin: “All right, all right! You win. I’m the Mourning Mistral.”

Juwar: “I’M the Mourning Mistral. Not old Nollin here.”

Lyuvann: “Yes... It would help if you could [red text] prove one of them were lying [end red text]...

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:44 AM · May 22, 2021 Permalink

And apparently we have a pile of dialogue and quest items gathering coming up. This tracks with the other things we can put in Magnus but it’s really confusing what does and doesn’t go into those things at this point.

Lyuvann: “Exactly. If the villagers’ testimony proves insightful, store it in a blank magnus.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:45 AM · May 22, 2021 Permalink

So I guess next time we try to find the liar and really hope this doesn’t turn into a bloodbath. YAY FUN VIDEOGAME