Lia's BK tweets archive - 2020-11-16, cont: Lava Caves

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:45 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

So! The Lava Caves! Final showdown time, surely. Let’s ignore the fact that we’re at a mere 50% of the Gathering and just started Disc 2.
(This is from last night’s session, making those threads takes time since I’m alt-texting everything)

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:47 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

We get in there and Kalas turns to us-the-player-guardian-spirit, for... weirdly ominous thanks.

Kalas: “So, this is it. Pretty soon we’ll see the final End Magnus...”

Kalas: “We couldn’t have gotten this far without you.”

Kalas: “I wanted to thank you one last time.”

Kalas: “There may not be another chance...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:49 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Kalas you do realize everyone else can hear you as well, right?
They all chime in with variants of “Naaaah, we’re just getting started!”, kind of missing how WEIRD that first statement was.

Kalas: “Once the five End Magnus are together, my final wish will be granted.”

Kalas: “Then our journey together... will come to an end.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:51 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Alas, the door to the Caves themselves is locked.
Another Conveniently Timed Random NPC shows up, spotting Georg’s handiwork.
(How did the Imperials even get in if the door is so stuck, and how did it get re-stuck if they forced it open?)

Kalas: “It won’t budge. If we can’t even get through the door... it’s hopeless.”

Mechanic: “Young man... Sorry to meddle, but that Winglet on your shoulder, wasn’t that crafted by a man named [cont]”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:54 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

A lot of the plot writing in this area feels a bit rushed and more neutral than it would usually be. Regular Kalas would absolutely snap back with “Yes, I saw him die and barely got out myself, I’m PRETTY SURE”.

Mechanic: “I haven’t seen him in ages. How’s he doing these days?”

Mechanic: “Wait. Did you say he “was” your grandfather?”

Mechanic: “Died? Georg is dead? Are you sure about that?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:57 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

He invites us to his workshop down the hall for a chat. We obviously don’t have time, but it’s “his” cave and he apparently knows how to open the door.

Mechanic: “There’s so much I’d like to talk about.”

Kalas: “Thanks for the offer, but we’re in a hurry. We don’t have time to hear about the good old days.”

Mechanic: “Come on. I know you want to get through this door.”

Mechanic: “Those Imperial imbeciles charged into my cave all of a sudden and just did as they pleased...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:58 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

No you haven’t it’s literally been thirty seconds

Mechanic, in his workshop / home: “Glad to see you came. I’ve been waiting for you.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 09:59 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Lore dump time: Georg was from Azha. Makes sense that a mining town so dependent on machinery would produce a genius mechanic at some point, I guess.

Mechanic: “Once upon a time I worked under your grandfather, Georg.”

Mechanic: “This is his hometown you know. Ever since he was a boy, he’d make various devices, gizmos, [etc]”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:01 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

This part is really confusingly edited. He disappeared then came back and got weird visits? Or he got weird visits then disappeared?

Mechanic: “It must’ve been more than twenty years ago, that he just picked up and left, disappeared without a [cont]”

Mechanic: “Right around that time, strangers began to show up to visit with him.”

Mechanic: “I knew right away that they were soldiers from Mintaka.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:08 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

I’m going to parse this as “he got weird visits then disappeared”.
Also Giacomo was not lying, he is indeed Georg’s son.

Mechanic: “Georg must have been evaluated by the Empire for his mechanical skills. I believe they took him in.”

Mechanic: “I remember Georg had a thirteen year old son at that time named... Giacomo, if my memory serves me.”

Mechanic: “Later I heard through the grapevine that the boy signed up with the Imperial troops.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:15 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Another instance of Kalas being basic-logic-resistant, though he’s actually correct here, the truth is weirder.
“Coward” would, er, not be my insult of choice for Giacomo, there’s a lot more to pick from.

Mechanic: “If you claim that Georg was your grandfather...”

Mechanic: “Does that make you Giacomo’s boy?”

Kalas, looking furious: “No way! Don’t make me sick! I have nothing to do with that filthy coward!”

Mechanic: “Mm. You must have your reasons for saying that...”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:17 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

If we continue with the “Alfard is a caricatural but painfully grounded version of a fascist regime”, this is another thread in that.
For a time, exceptional individuals from the out-group are acceptable, so long as they can serve the purposes of the in-group.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:19 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

If that’s a topic you’re curious about but you want to approach it via pop culture rather than history or news alone, head off that way: https://www.wired.com/story/star-wars-squadrons-changing-face-fascism/

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:23 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Hey remember that NPC from the first village that didn’t get brought up again ever except for a vague mention in Balançoire?
We-the-player are asked to help Kalas remember, I need to reload a save and see what happens if we get it wrong.

Mechanic: “Larikush was a talented doctor. I remember he and Georg were the best of friends...”

Kalas: “Larikush? That name sounds familiar... Where have I heard that?”

Kalas: “Oh yeah! It’s the doctor from Cebalrai Village.”

Kalas: “But, does that mean... That doctor knew Georg? He knew my grandfather?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:23 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Cf:

Lia @liareplaysbk · 07:47 PM · Oct 15, 2020 Go

FUCK’S SAKE
(And yes I am alt-texting all of those)

Kalas: “W-wait. Explosives? How did you get them on this remote island?”

Kalas: “The Empire’s the only place I can think of that has easy access to explosives.”

Larikush: “... That’s not what’s important right now. What’s important is the impassable route to Pherkad.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:26 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Last bit of chitchat, after which Kalas find an opening to ask about the dang door again.
“Won’t ask” indeed, because SOMEONE doesn’t quite have the same plan as the others.

Mechanic: “So it seems he’s alive and well.”

Mechanic: “If you ever run into him again, please tell him “hello” for me.”

Kalas: “Will do. By the way sir, the door...”

Mechanic, having opened the door: “There ya go. I won’t ask what you’re aiming to do back in there. Just be careful.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:29 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Room 1 is sponsored by more stencil / alpha-test wonks.
And by more “Let’s state the obvious to make sure the player got it”, implying another round of “Lyude was correct and got shut down and you’re all jerks”.

Xelha: “It sounds as though the doctor we heard about in Mintaka really was your grandfather, Kalas.”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:30 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

(No idea why I connected so hard to that character as a teen really, it’s not like I jokingly call myself Cassandra on the regular AHEM)

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:32 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

Aaaaanyway the local fauna has some... weird ones again. Nothing especially dangerous since we’re overleveled.
The dog-camel-bison thing puts itself to sleep with that attack for some reason?

Combat screen showing a lanky creature with a flower neck ruffle and a glowing tail.

Combat screen showing a weird dog-camel-bison hybrid that’s on fire.

The same weird dog-bison creature casting “Fuzzy Wuzzy Coat”.

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:37 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

So. We’re in a cave with free-flowing lava, but not dead. Everyone* has wings but we can somehow not jump over this.
*Lyude’s got a ridiculous finisher called Diminuendo where the recoil from his gun lets him take off, I’m sure he’d manage.
Logic has taken a leave of absence.

Kalas, in front of a large lava flow: “Dang. It doesn’t look like we can get through.”

Lyude: “It appears part of the cave’s wall has been blasted. The Imperials must have blocked off the path with [cont]”

Lyude: “[cont] lava to prevent people from following them.”

Savyna: “Didn’t that old man call this place... “my cave”?

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:38 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

The other branch of the path has this, so, worry not, it’s going to get sillier.
Since we can’t pick it up yet it means we’re getting a multi-step fetch quest, hurray.

Kalas, inspecting a blue crystal: “What’s this? Ice? In this sweltering heat?”

Lia @liareplaysbk · 10:40 AM · Nov 17, 2020 Permalink

That’ll be next time, though, because that’s where I stopped playing yesterday.
I’ve already got photos of all the monsters, I’d like a few more drops and a fourth level available before cashing them in, since I’m planning to do things Wrong post-twist. We’ll see how that goes.