Lia's BK tweets archive - 2021-11-13: Loose ends in Anuénué, Greater Mintaka, summing up the mess we're in

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:16 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

Well, woops, it’s been a while. Turns out moving is exhausting?
Anyhow, I’m mostly settled, I’ve finished Echoes of the Eye (it’s very good go play it), where the heck were we. Right, I had a pile of untweeted screenshots from the last session, that’ll help.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:21 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

The plan last time was one more sweep around Anuénué so that’s what I did.
Mostly it was completing yet another silly sidequest with more storytelling via nametags...

Laughing Man: “Gasp, ahaha, wheeze! Some... Somebody... Please, [red text] make me stop laughing [end red text]!”

Laughing Man: “My sides are splitting! I’m dying here...”
Plus Quest Magnus UI focused on Poor Excuse for a Joke.

Man Who Stopped Laughing: “Phew... That was sobering.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:22 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

... and er then he does this which is kinda dark TBH. I’m sure he’ll be fine.

Man Who Stopped Laughing: “I’m never laughing at that agai-“

Inspection text on the man now sprawled on the ground: “He twitches from time to time.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:24 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

You can also get “power pellets” from the chemistry experiments at the school of magic. I gave one to Pac, it seems fitting.

Quest Magnus menu, focused on Power Pellet. “The accidental result of a School of Magic professor’s countless mixing of rotten foods. This isn’t your average swill—whoever chomps this can expect a serious power boost.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:28 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

Back in Mintaka, Verus is still away doing god knows what. Geldoblame’s still being the perfect host, which doesn’t stop being weird.

Geldoblame: “Ah, thank goodness you’ve returned, Sagi. You hadn’t called in—I was worried.”

Geldoblame: “He’s been gone the whole time. Apparently he was summoned to appear at the Senate.”

Geldoblame: “I’ll contact you as soon as the quaestor returns. Try to get some rest in the meantime.”

Geldoblame: “I’ve prepared a room for you in the city. Actually, it’s my room—but please, make yourselves at home.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:31 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

He’s even refusing to get riled up by Guillo being an ass, and is super apologetic about leaving us stranded. Still wondering how bad stuff must get to turn him into the monster we meet in EW.

Guillo: “How thoughtful! And here I thought you were just a stuffed shirt.”

Geldoblame: “It’s all right. I wasn’t much help to you during your mission, after all.”

Geldoblame: “Consider this my small way of making amends. Have a delightful rest.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:32 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

Some of those dialog choices are beyond pointless. The resulting flavor text is mostly uninteresting.

Empire Soldier: “You must be Master Sagi.”

Sagi: “Umm...”
Dialog options: “Definitely not” versus “That’s correct”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:35 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

It’s SUMMARY OF ALL THE THINGS time! Which is about three bazillion screenshots so let’s just sum it up in text and add images if there’s some especially good flavor.
Honestly after a what, two-month break, this is pretty good to have.

Milly: “All right, why don’t we take it easy until we hear from Quaestor Verus?”

Guillo: “Not so fast, Milliarde. Before that, we ought to take a good look at everything.”

Guillo: “Let’s start with where we’ve been. Sagi... Go on, take a seat.”

Guillo: “Everything began with the emperor’s assassination.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:37 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

BULLET POINTS AHOY:
- The old emperor was called Olgan, and we ran into Shanath, who is Baelheit’s protégé, while on our way to assassinate the Emperor. Why Shanath did a murder gets labeled Mystery number one.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:39 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

- Then Verus offered us a deal: go stop promachination, get our sentence for the stuff we didn’t do lifted. We’ve treated to a slideshow of our failures in Sadal Suud, Diadem, Anuénué.
- Guillo points out that we did succeed in making the leaders aware...

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:41 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

... and reminds us that neither machina arma nor afterlings are small fry. I read this as “Don’t forget about those future bosses”.
Quality Guillo right there, too, because it’d be way out of character to sound even vaguely cheerful.

Guillo: “I’m not trying to cheer you up, I’m only recounting the simple truth:”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:43 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

- Guillo’s of the opinion that this whole mess is between Verus and Baelheit and we should stop helping. Castles may fall- wait that’s the wrong douchy protagonist.
- Guillo thinks the same of the whole “mess with the past and the gods”, but Sagi points out he’s linked to that.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:47 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

Sagi’s got exactly two braincells but otherwise we wouldn’t have a plot.
Milly’s sounding vaguely suspicious for a change. She’s related to Baelheit isn’t she? (hush)
And Guillo is misrepresenting a more complex moral stance for snark’s sake, so everyone’s in character really.

Sagi: “I don’t understand what’s going on with the afterlings or being thrown into the past.”

Sagi: “But either way, I can’t forgive what Baelheit’s doing.”

Milly: “Even... Even if machina proved to be something people could use?”

Guillo: “So you’re willing to wink at mortal peril just because promachination “doesn’t sit well” with you?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:49 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

Healthy group dynamics dot png

Guillo: “I go where you go. If that’s your decision, then I’ll go with you, no matter how far.”

Guillo: “But don’t come crying to me later.”

Milly: “‘Cause I’ll be there to cheer him up.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:53 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

We get one more useless dialog choice as if the Guardian Spirit ever got to go “nope I’m out” and then Verus is back before we even get to take a nap. Very rude.
I’m starting to distrust this man an awful lot.

Empire Soldier: “Quaestor Verus has returned. He’s requested your presence.”

Verus: “I heard you had a hard time in Anuenue. I’m sorry I couldn’t be of any help.”

Verus: “My guardian spirit gave me quite the scolding for letting you down. Really, I’m very sorry.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 11:59 PM · Nov 12, 2021 Permalink

Turns out it’s because the elections are looming near. Playing loose with closing dates doesn’t sound all that democratic, but it makes a lot of sense for an empire.
(Really, look up how the Holy Roman Empire worked)

Verus: “Yes. Because of the election. Tomorrow they’ll be closing deliberations at the Senate.”

Verus: “But right now most of them are in favor of Baelheit.”

Verus: “I’d wager what they really want is to close the election while the tides are with him.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:01 AM · Nov 13, 2021 Permalink

Emphasis on how very terribad it would be for Baelheit to win. Considering our winning streak so far I’m not feeling too good about our odds.

Geldoblame: “If Baelheit is chosen as the next emperor, we’ll have a terrible situation on our hands.”

Geldoblame: “So far he’s used guerilla tactics to carry out promachination. But were that to be made policy—“

Geldoblame: “All-out war with the other nations would most certainly ensue!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:04 AM · Nov 13, 2021 Permalink

There’s the plan, then. Join Verus for the council, tell of our travels and the wonders we’ve seen, I’m sure that’ll help.
We’re gonna get framed for murder again aren’t we

Verus: “If we could just persuade the council tomorrow of how dangerous Baelheit’s ambitions really are...”

Verus: “Tomorrow decides everything. You’ve all done splendidly so far, I’m grateful for your help.”

Verus: “Sagi, would you join me at the council?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:05 AM · Nov 13, 2021 Permalink

I also snapped this but not the replies, I think Sagi refuses to be this rude. Gonna have to check.

Geldoblame: “You’re free to use the room from before. It’s quite the place, don’t you think?”
Dialog choice: “Quite the dump, you mean...” versus “Yes, very”.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 12:06 AM · Nov 13, 2021 Permalink

And that’s where I was. Feels like shit’s about to go down. We shall see! Tomorrow, hopefully!