Lia's BK tweets archive - 2023-02-04: Tarazed Core, Verus' secret room, the worst mixing recipe

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:43 PM · Feb 04, 2023 Permalink

Okay! A lot happened last time! Let’s go kick Verus’ ass, I guess. Surely this thing’s all out of plot twists by now.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:22 PM · Feb 04, 2023 Permalink

… or not, turns out it does let you leave Inner Tarazed AFTER you head down that elevator. Doesn’t make much sense but that means finally breaking into Verus’ office!

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:40 AM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

We were here. The “he has to pay” is kinda funny because we were very much on track to kill Baelheit just as dead as Verus left him.
But whatever, there must be an extra-evil plan cooking so down yet another elevator we go!

Guillo: “Verus is just ahead. Let’s hurry after him, Sagi!”

Sagi: “Right. He has to pay for what he’s done!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:42 AM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

Once we get there, we see Verus calling… another elevator… and some fighting words are traded. One two three smash?

Verus: “Well, if it isn’t Sagi. And how is Baelheit feeling? Tell me, did he die a spiriter’s death?”

Verus: “I’m afraid I’m far too busy to stick around and hear the grisly details. Surely you understand.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:46 AM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

Nope. Trash mobs time.
The weird “golem” from Seginus is back. I’d argue it’s a major weakness of BKO: the enemy recycling is done in a way that seriously undermines the cohesion of each area!

Verus: “I know it’s not quite the same, but I’ve called in a few friends to greet you in my place.”

Verus as two combat drones drop in: “They aren’t big on conversation, but I trust you won’t be bored.”

Verus: “Come meet me down below once you tire of playing with them. I have a surprise for you.”

Combat screen, the party facing two combat drones and a larger enemy that looks a bit like a bug crossed with another combat drone.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:48 AM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

Trying to call the elevator ourselves does not go well

Inspection text: “It looks like a machina control panel. A single button on it sticks out, just begging to be pushed.”

Sagi: “It’s a little suspicious, but fortune favors the bold. Should we press it?”
Dialog choice: “Of course we should!” vs “Better not”.

Dance Kings: “LET’S A BE DANCING.”
Sagi: “Wha—!!”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:51 AM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

So now Sagi is paranoid about computers - can’t blame him - and instead we’ll jump down the pit from giant pipe to giant pipe. SURE.

Inspection text: “It looks like a machina control panel. All of the buttons have been pressed.”

Sagi: “Let’s not mess with it. I’ve had enough dancing machina for one day, thanks.”

Sagi: “Look! We could hop our way down the maze of pipes here to reach the lower levels.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 01:58 AM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

Once we get down, the door locks behind us and the fauna gets weirder. Familiar chimeras, a… dragon that’s been brought back via machina for some reason…? Sure okay I guess

Inspection text: “It would require an impressive amount of force to pry it open.”

Sagi standing on a platform, a chimera to the left, weirdly pointy limbs barely visible in the top-left corner.

The owner of the pointy limbs, looking like an unfortunate cross between a bug and a zombie dragon.

Field Guide page for the Hercules Dragon. Notes: “An ancient dragon revived through Promachination. A machina cannon amplifier within its throat transforms its cries into a powerful laser. Sustained by a liquid diet of machina oil supplied by feeding tube. Another victim of Promachination. Uses: Physical, Unconscious. Weak: Dragon Buster”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:01 AM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

Further down are a bunch of mechanisms we can’t do anything with. Whichever button option we choose, nothing happens!

Inspection text: “The machinery inside must be awfully important.”

Inspection text: “There are so many buttons here it’s not clear which one to push.”

Sagi: “Which one should we press?”
Dialog choice: “The leftmost button”, “The rightmost button”, “The center button”, “Just push a bunch”, “Leave it alone”

Inspection text: “Nondescript machina have been installed on this wall. What could they be for?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:05 AM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

A save flower, a longer jump, a room with weird proportions and ANOTHER zombie dragon… and Verus’ elevator?

Sagi standing on the edge of what looks like a very deep pit. There is a red save flower partially visible on the left.

Sagi standing on a pipe as thick as he is tall, above a room leading into a massive corridor.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:08 AM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

Indeed, it’s the big elevator that can get us back to the other elevator which… lets us leave Tarazed. Meaning ERRANDS TIME

Sagi: “We might be able to disable the lock. Should we give it a try?”
Dialog choice: “Press that switch!” vs “Better not”

Sagi: “You want to go back, Lia?”
Dialog choice: “Return to the command room” vs “Return to the port” vs “Let’s go after Verus”.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:19 AM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

We’ve got mail from a dead man, so that’s fun

Letter: “Did you see, Milliarde? In Tarazed, I have given humanity a new home.”

Letter: “There is no future for us as long as we cling to these islands precariously poised in the sky.”

Letter: “This is a new start for us all. I promise you’ll never have to endure another lonely moment.”

Letter: “I can even make you a better body with today’s machina technology. I am sorry for the pain I’ve caused you.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:23 AM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

We can also, finally, go see what Verus is hiding and MY GOD THAT’S SO BORING. Textbook faux-medieval torture room? Unsupervised boiling oil? Iron maiden, even? Really?
I expected something less banal! At least go full Bluebeard or something, geez.

Sagi standing in front of the forbidden door in Verus’ residence.

Inspection text: “These pliers are ridiculously large. Who knows what they were made to be used on…”

Inspection text: “Spikes stick out of this iron ball. The chain shows signs of someone’s attempt to break it…”

Inspection text: “This oil is kept heated to its limit. It looks hot enough to fry any food black in an instant.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:27 AM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

We still can’t get the Verus portrait at the Coliseum so that’s going to wait some more. However, we have a new mixing recipe.
And that took two hours because there are WAY too many mobs in those darn Veinroots. Especially since I had to make two: one for Pac, one for an upgrade!

Mix Recipes screen, focused on the eight-step recipe for the Celestial Tree: “The Celestial Tree. Seriously, the whole thing. Man’s ingenuity has actually given rise to THE Celestial Tree. Such a tremendous success translates to experience—but even this tree is fated to wither.”

Upgrade screen, focused on the unknown result of upgrading a Golden Helm with a Celestial Tree quest magnus. “Pride, envy, and hypocrisy are but a few of the evils which a knight of gold must overcome. By facing them without balking, his convictions grow stronger. Raises all resistances.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 02:29 AM · Feb 05, 2023 Permalink

Next is more upgrading, meaning some magnus trading, which, urgh. And hopefully getting to the actual core of Tarazed and actually beating Verus this time? We’ll see!